Posts under ‘Kiel James Patrick’

SEAN KELLY: FORMS OF ATTRACTION

Jun 9th, 2014

James Andrew at Sean Kelly

As you all may have gathered by now, I always seek to elevate the interiors that I create to the level of high art. To this end, I’m constantly on a mission to find the most sublime and rare pieces to complete the ravishing rooms I am designing (or as is often the case, to actually design entirely tailored objects!).

This all being said, I do find myself rather excited when I get to see furniture by legendary designers and architects as part of an exhibition at a prestigious art gallery like the Sean Kelly Gallery.

In their latest presentation entitled Forms of Attraction, Sean Kelly brings together iconic pieces by major figures in furniture design, namely Poul Kjærholm of Denmark and Joaquim Tenreiro of Brazil, displaying their work amidst art by Edgar Degas, Los Carpinteros, Olafur Eliasson, Ellsworth Kelly, Iran do Espírito Santo, Donald Judd, Pietro Roccasalva, and Frank Thiel, among others.

Kjærholm and Tenreiro were mavericks in their innovative use of materials, both old and new. I was especially drawn to Teneiro, whose superbly crafted pieces established a Brazilian modernist dialogue between traditional and forward thinking aesthetics.

The exquisite selection of fine art paired with these designers’ masterpieces bring out the furniture’s enduring nature — these designs are truly furniture as sculpture. Someday I’d love to have my own pieces exhibited in such a magnificent way!

In addition, Sean Kelly is exhibiting works by renowned German artist, Rebecca Horn, in a show entitled The Vertebrae Oracle. It’s a stunning selection of new sculpture and large-scale paintings on paper which have a nice Twombly-esq feel. Horn’s sculptures are rather magical as well; do be sure to have a look at Horn’s Metamorphoses between Rock and Butterfly.

For my visit to Sean Kelly, I’m sporting a Tom Ford era Gucci navy cotton pique jacket, Tom Ford ink and whitechevron print cotton shirt, Ralph Lauren orange silk shantung pants and orange suede espadrilles, a navy and white dot silk pocket square from Battistoni Roma, a Kiel James Patrick “Briggs Capeside Docks” belt in white, a vintage Rolex, and my fragrance is Creed Orange Spice.

* * *

Big Sur and The Hacienda

Sep 6th, 2013

by WIJW.

8 comments

James Andrew at the Hacienda

After a lovely al fresco breakfast in the Cypress Inn courtyard we headed south along HWY 1 to Big Sur – around every bend there were breathtakingly beautiful views, and a leisurely itinerary provided us ample opportunity to stop here and there along the way and take it all in.

Our friend Philip Bewley suggested we make a stop at the cliff-side bar and cafe, Nepenthe in Big Sur. A destination for poets, artists, and travelers alike, it has been in business for sixty years. Designed in collaboration with student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Rowan Maiden, the building seems to grow out of the hill side. It is still a family run affair and offers the most amazing views.

We stopped for lunch at the Post Ranch Inn – a truly gorgeous treat. It’s a perfect combination of stunning vistas and equally delicious food, and as it turned out, it was a nice bit of luxury before the next portion of our journey, The Hacienda.

Our drive through Big Sur

The Hacienda, aka the Rancho Milpitas, was built for William Randolph Hearst. It was one of the many projects completed by architect, Julia Morgan. Once part of Hearst’s massive estate, the Hacienda, along with a huge parcel of land, ended up being sold to the government to settle a tax debt, and said property became Fort Liggett. The Hacienda was recently opened as a B & B of sorts, and I thought it might be a brilliant addition to our itinerary – a way to experience the Hearst/Morgan collaboration as we ventured south on our way to visit Hearst Castle.

The Hacienda

Long story short, this was one of those times when listening to my intuition and conducting a bit more research would have had us making alternate plans….

It was an unexpectedly long and winding trek from HWY 1 – about one and a half hours inland to get to The Hacienda from Big Sur – and as mentioned, it is actually on a military base – there was absolutely nothing nearby. Once you’re there you are TRAPPED.

The structure of the Hacienda remains intact, but sadly it currently has a rather institutional feel to it – the staff was lovely and gave us a tour of every bit of the building, but the place is in dire need of some proper decoration and landscaping. To add to our disappointment, some of our fellow guests were rather unwelcoming troglodytes (are you starting to get the picture?) and the only dinner option was supplied by the army base’s bowling alley!

As you might imagine, McBee and I thought it best to pack up our Vuitton cases and get the hell out of there. As I’ve learned, it’s often a good idea to listen to my intuition.

Perhaps only the most die hard Julia Morgan fans would want to include this on their itinerary. I certainly would never suggest it to anyone. We did however find a portion of the Hacienda that evoked its former glory, and we took a few snaps then turned in our key.

I’m sporting a Ralph Lauren cream cotton cable knit sweater with a shawl collar, orange silk shantung pants, orange suede espadrilles and a linen serape stripe scarf, Michael Kors ivory cotton knit top, Gucci sunglasses, Rolex watch, KJP Croffice Sailing belt, and my fragrance is Tom Ford Lavender Palm.

* * *

Monaco in Manhattan

Jul 1st, 2013

by WIJW.

3 comments

James Andrew – Monaco in Manhattan

Often this time of year finds the artist, Scott McBee, and I returning from a spectacular jaunt to Capri, the South of France, or some other sublime seaside destination – this year our getaway is not happening until a little later in the summer, August to be exact – but this hasn’t stopped me from playing out some of my luxurious holiday fantasies…and of course dressing for the part!

When McBee asked me to join him to look at a yacht for a potential portrait commission, I very happily donned the very best South of France ensemble I could pull together to help create a strolling-through-Monaco-yacht-club scenario. Well, the Chelsea Piers Marina here in New York City is certainly no Monaco but there were actually quite a handfull of rather impressive yachts to be seen!

McBee as you may know, is a well know nautical portraitist and many of his grand-scale portraits of the iconic vessels of yesteryear are represented in major museum collections. Needless to say, he has become rather sought after for contemporary yacht portraits as well. In all of his work, McBee brings a sensitivity to the continuity and historic importance of yacht design, inextricably linking the owners of today’s prestigious vessels with those of the moghuls and royalty of the past.

For my Monaco-Yacht-Club look, I’m sporting a Tom Ford era Gucci navy cotton pique jacket, royal and white dot print Tom Ford shirt, royal silk pocket square, white Uniqlo jeans, pearl and pale blue sapphire cuff links, a Kiel James ‘Patrick Brigg’s Capeside Docks’ white braided belt, vintage Rolex, royal blue suede espadrilles by Ralph Lauren, and my fragrance is Creed Orange Spice.