I began to collect art in 1987 when I purchased my first condo which was a loft in a converted piano factory. The first piece I purchased was a 10'x10' piece that worked wonderfully with the 15' ceilings, but too large to work in any other space I owned so I gave it to a family member. My first important pieces of furniture that I bought were the Anziano chairs (stacking chairs) from Donghia, unbeknownst to me these chairs had won a few design awards. I currently have them in the waiting room of my office and I still love them. The second wonderful piece I got was a dining room table designed by my brother, it is the tory table by 555 design. About 10 years ago I began to purchase a piece of art every year for my birthday. I find my art in galleries. I also purchased a number of pieces from invitations for gallery openings. I literally bought the pieces without seeing them. Another way I purchased my art is seeing the pieces in design magazines and tracking down the artist. I purchased a few pieces from an art broker that specializes in European prints and drawing from the mid 1800's - current. I bought one piece on-line never having seen it is person and it is one of my favorites.
The rope chair is the Astuguevielle "Moiste" Rope Chair, it is a painted cotton rope. It is from Holly Hunt in the Merchandise Mart. The art above the chair is from a print from an artist's book called "The Three Incestuous Sisters" by Audrey Niffenegger. Audrey is a Chicago artist and also wrote the book "The Time Traveler's Wife".
These two pieces in the hallway are both by a Milwaukee artist names Greg Jacobson. What is great about Greg is that he is literally a "starving artist". He paints for himself and not for a gallery, therefore, his work has such a broad range and he cannot be pegged with a specific "style" which is more in keeping with what type of artist a gallery is looking to represent. I love doing the framing, it sounds corny but when I purchase a piece of art that I really love I am so excited to have it framed. When the right frame is selected I am just ecstatic and can't wait to see the finished product. I been going to The Art Store Gallery in Glencoe for 10 years and Jerry, the owner, knows my taste by now and he makes it so easy. FYI - I always use museum quality glass.
The large piece with the backwards writing is by Gary Weidner, also a Chicago artist. I have a smaller piece which is the same style in my office over the sofa that my clients sit on. I put it there on purpose so I look at it all day. My favorite piece is the one that sits in the corner of my living room, the lady in profile in the turban.
Ruby is sitting on a Missoni rug. It is from Missoni's first line of rugs. Ruby is what they call a "designer mutt" or "teddy bear dog" so she works well with the space.
In my dining room I have the Sirmos Petalum chandelier, it is an authentic reproduction designed by the Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti. Giacometti is famous for his sculpture and paintings. The Chinese urns are 19th century.
The 4 paintings in the dining room are by another Chicago artist named Li Lin Lee. I choose the pieces a few days before giving birth to my oldest daughter. I selected them in lieu of jewelry to commemorate her birth. When deciding on how many pieces to purchase, when a grouping is offered, is initially driven by budget, but most importantly by my instinct of what works together. Something "looking right" is something I can't explain, it is just how it is supposed to be.
The chairs are the Opium Chairs by Christian Liaigre at Holly Hunt. The pillows are made from Kuba's which are African textiles from the Congo. I believe they are made with raffia. What I love about them is that the men weave the plain-weave ground fabric, but the women ornament them with geometric patterns and create the beauty of the textile. The rug is a Chinese needlepoint that I had for 15 years and as a rule, the needlepoints last beyond a lifetime.
I am very lucky to have furniture and art that I love so much. The upside of having a small house is that I walk-by and see everything many, many times everyday and it makes me happy. I have always torn out pages from design magazines and when I look back to things I selected in the '80's I realize that my style has not really changed over time.
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