Weird Furniture: Louis Vuitton Electric Chair

CasaSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:00:08 -0700

Artist Peter Gronquist opened a solo show,"The Revolution Will Be Fabulous," at LA's Gallery 1988 this weekend featuring his designer knock-off weaponry. NotCot was there and got a peek of his Louis Vuitton electric chair ($4,500), a "traditional" wooden electric chair printed with company's monogram and made with LV buckles used for wrist and ankle straps. The general consensus seemed to be that the quality of the chair, as well as other pieces like PacMan hand grenades and a peacock-feathered Gucci gun, didn't meet the standards of the brands they tried to emulate. To hear what I think of this artwork, read more.

While I will admit that building an LV electric chair certainly qualifies as thinking out of the box, I don't think knocking off big-name designers (who tend to prostitute their own logos to begin with) is much of a "revolutionary" statement. One of NotCot's commenters wrote, "To think that mass consumer culture can co-opt revolutionary ideals as some sort of a buzzword or the latest fad, is insulting and vulgar. If this is what the revolution looks like, then it is a sad day for the youth of today." Do you agree? Or do you think Gronquist is challenging the consumer-obsessed mentality in a valuable way?

Architect Stories: Selldorf Architects

CasaSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:30:40 -0700

Selldorf Architects is an internationally-recognized firm with a portfolio of institutional, commercial, high-end retail, and residential work, as well as art spaces, that is quintessentially modern. They also offer full-service interior design, and own a company called Vica, which sells modern and traditional handcrafted furnishings, including case goods, tables, seating, lighting, and hardware. Principal Architect Annabelle Selldorf was born and raised in Germany, received degrees from Pratt Institute in NYC and Syracuse University in Florence, and established the firm in 1988. Associate Partner Randall Goya joined the firm in 1994, followed by Partner Sara Lopergolo and Associate Partner Julie Hanselmann Davies in 2004. Based in New York, Selldorf's portfolio lists mostly properties in Manhattan, although they've also renovated and modernized properties in Majorca, Spain and London. Check out the gallery below to see some of their work.

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