Vladimir Kagan's Blog

PALM BEACH - THE ANTIQUE MECCA

Copyright Vladimir Kagan 2010

If Miami is the home of Avante Garde Modern…Palm Beach, when it can nurture two-world class Antique shows back-to-back within two weeks is comfortably the capital for exquisite Antiques. The first: The Art and Antique Fair, the second: Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show.

The venues were similar, but with a vastly different flavor. Art & Antiques was a luxurious exhibit, worthy of any museum, limited to 80 exhibitors, grandly displayed in wide aisled, thickly carpeted and luxuriously appointed pavilions with discriminating art. Each exhibitor welcomed you into his discrete private viewing room lined with velvet walls. The show reeked money and the exhibitors were fishing for the ultra rich. There were huge bronze sculptures, masterpiece paintings, Greek, Roman and Chinese archeological treasures, priceless antique furniture. One wondered how they could be transported into the convention center, how the convention center could provide adequate security and how, finally, after one week, they could be packed and removed in time for setting up the next show.

Some of the exhibitors were gluttons for punishment and chose to show at both shows!

Fast-forward four days…and a new exhibit is in place. This time 150 exhibitors, neatly organized in a grid format, easy to navigate north to south - east to west. Now the show is “find what you want and buy”…something for everyone. Magnificent jewelry aglitter with diamonds and gold, realistic painting you want to walk into and sit for a while, antique furniture of exquisite quality you'd like to own if you had room. And yes, even a piece of my furniture! A rare Walnut Extension Dining Table on sculptured legs with a mosaic white and gold center inlay, c1950-2 at the Lillian Nassau space. It was one of the cheaper items in the show: asking price: $34,000. To assure authenticity, I added a few dollars to the value by signing it. As a bonus, the dealer is offering an autographed copy of my book The Complete Kagan. 

While the variety of offerings was mind-boggling, I honed in on the furniture which always inspires and somewhat deflates my ego. Modern pales against these classic masterpieces. It was refreshing to walk amongst the dealers and not stir an awe of recognition with my name….bar one, who, as I was leaving the show, ran after us to tell me how much his wife admired my designs!

 

Albert Bierstadt: Winter in Yosemite, a breathtaking tranquil scene you can climb into and feel the chill. M.S. Rau Antiques - New Orleans.

 

 

Two Art Deco sideboards by Maurice Jallot of France and a Shagreen Coffee Table by Michel Frank, all c1930. Valerio Antiques Coral Gables, FL

 Blonde Makassar Coffee Table by Maury, France c1950. Valerio Antiques Coral Gables, FL

Pair of Art Deco Club Chairs, French c1930. Valerio Antiques Coral Gables, FL

Rare George 1st Walnut Wing chair in Crewel embroidery (I would have bought this chair for Erica, but the $70,000 price deterred me!) William Cook - Hungerford, Berkshire, England

This English Globe Desk by Morgan & Sanders was one of the outstanding masterpieces at the show and took our breath away in its fine detailing. M.S. Rau Antiques - New Orleans.

Globe Desk open 

 

 

Manheim Marble Specimen Table c1700 consists of 97 meticulous inlayed precisely fitted marble. 130” long by 67” wide…. I can't imagine how they moved it into and out of the exhibit. M.S. Rau Antiques - New Orleans.

 

 LEFT   English Arm Chair close-up….I am happy to see that Frank Lloyd Wright had no difficulty in using historic reference for at least one  of his designs. Mallett - London

RIGHT  Frank Lloyd Wright Barrel Chair, 1937 for Herbert Johnson's House

English chair with harp 

 

Circular Extension Dining Table by Robert Jupe - English circa 1850 table expands with eight insert-able leaves from 60” diameter to 72” or with larger leaf inserts opens to 90”. Asking price was $298,000 and sold at the second show! M.S. Rau Antiques - New Orleans.

 A pair of elegant gracefully end tables by one of England's superb cabinet makers Gillows of London, was in many ways one of the highlights of the show, Illustrating the deft craftsmanship lost in 20th and 21st century furniture.  Michael Pashby Antiques- New York City.

A FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED- UPDATED WITH NAMES

Copyright Vladimir Kagan 2010

We attended a fascinating round table discussion at the Coudert Institute entitled “Economics and the Global Community in 2010”. 

As I have no money…this didn't apply to me…. I nearly didn't go! 

Wow, would I have been sorry. It was informative and insightful. Everyone at the seminar oozed money and sucked it all up. I took copious notes so that I could share tit-bits with you. The credentials of the presenters were impeccable; all frequent guests on CNBC's Squawk Box, Fox Business News and Bloomberg: Robert Wiedemer PhD, was snowed-in in Washington, DC and spoke to us by phone. He is the co-author of two books, America's Bubble Economy that predicted the financial crisis as early as 2007. His second book Aftershock, which had just been published, had everyone present scared to death. (I bought a copy to understand what got them all up in arms.) As everyone in the room referred to him as Bob, (we felt we had known him for years), he discussed his ideas on “National Security and the Security of our Economic System”. Heady stuff. From my notes, I can tell you that the Debt to Income ratio is 6 to 1. Income to the government from taxes is 2.1 trillion; our debt today is 12 trillion and predicted to go to 25 trillion. Want more? Risk of inflation is the most serious enemy of the economy. Borrowing is better than printing money, which sparks inflation and weakens the dollar. Inflation will creep in by 2011 - 2012! Advise to the wealthy participants of this select group: Reduce your Equity Portfolio. Gold, for the time being, is a safe bet….until the bubble bursts. Be scared but not paralyzed!

Bob's gloomy report was followed by an interesting analysis of our energy crisis by Bernard Picchi, CFA. Bernie briefed us on how we are and will remain a fossil fueled economy for years to come. Transportation is the tail that wags the dog. Alternative energy is good and well but only a tiny percentage of our total consumption. Cars (and trucks) are still the major consumers of fossil fuels. The only long-term solution will be battery driven cars, but for the time being, the industry is wracked with problems like 40 miles to the next recharge (which needs an overnight charge). Rapid recharge (about 4 minutes), still off in the distance, will consume as much electricity as 6,000 television sets in an hour. The day of reckoning when we will run out of crude oil is off in “never-never land”. In the same way as water finds its own level, oil prices will control production, drilling innovations and new locations. He predicts gas at $10 per gallon. An interesting statistic was that 80% of oil production is underwritten by governments worldwide.

What this country does have is lots of coal and natural gas. Those are the investment opportunities. No new coal driven electricity plants have been built or are on the drawing boards. The industry is waiting for gasification and new innovations. An interesting tit-bit was that two-thirds of all electricity generation is lost in transmission…(how's that for a trivia nugget?) Natural gas has a big future…and our abundance of coal and natural gas make it an ideal export product. Recommended reading: Twilight In The Desert.

Next came two heavyweights in retailing. Gilbert Harrison, the founder and CEO of Financo Inc. and Sidney Forbes the owner of the Palm Beach Gardens Mall, one of the most successful in the country. While other Malls are down 35% in occupancy, his is 7%. Not surprising, he told us of the woes of Luxury retailing. (This is not exactly news to us in the luxury furniture world). City Place in West Palm Beach is facing a crisis of vacancies, Worth Avenue; the ultimate haven of the Palm Beach rich is bleeding and seeing store closures. Exceptions to the rule: Louis Vuiton…who cleverly never has a sale…When a product has run its course…they shred it…preserving the integrity of their brand. 

Gil and Sidney, together, dissected retailing in today's market. Departments Stores are way down 60% to 70%…a mammoth of the past. Factory Outlets are a small growing sector of the market. (But don't expect to find marked down prime store products…they stock them with downgraded merchandise). Mass-merchandisers like Target, Costco and Wal-Mart, have stolen the markets. 

Savvy retailers are surviving by cutting inventory, consolidating stores and downsizing and clever merchandising. Sid could not have enough praise for the right store manager, giving us examples after examples of declining and even fatal bankruptcies of stores with poor management. E Commerce is another culprit cutting into conventional retailing. We were enlightened with outstanding success stories in retailing: Abercrombie has enjoyed amazing success with skillful merchandising going from 35 million to 70 million in the last 12 months. When asked to what it was attributed, the answer was sex, sex and more sex. Apple Stores are a phenomenal success with stores open 24 hours per day. For erudite New Yorkers, here is a trivia question: How much do you think Apple sells at night between 12 midnight and 5 PM in their 5th Avenue and 59 Street store…located in the basement of the building!? …..(The answer is 70 million a year!)

Q & A's brought interesting questions and responses, but my darling wife Erica asked the most salient one: “Where does all this merchandise come from?” And the answer was predictable: Asia! 

…..Was this ever an afternoon well spent? You bet!!!

Photos from Last Month's Event:

 GLOBAL HOTSPOTS - CRISES FACING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

 

Michael Fawcett, Rita Hauser, Dale Coudert, Hedy Fawcett

 

Carole and Confrey Phillips, Erica Wilson, Herman Pirchner, Dale Coudert, Linda Mortimer

 

Confrey Phillips, Sir Thomas Moore, Robert Reilly

 

Steven Rose, Farah Walters, Stephen Walters

 

Edwina, Gus Hauser, Frederick Alger, Gail Alger

 

Stephanie Murphy, Gerard Lupo

Vladi Kagan, Erica Kagan, Sherman Starr, Elie Kraut

  
 Herman Pirchner, Dale Coudert, Robert Reilly, Ilan Berman, Stephen Yates, Joseph Dryer
 
 
  
 

HOW I ALMOST BECAME A FAMOUS ARCHITECT

Copyright Vladimir Kagan 2010

In the long distant past, I studied Architecture at Columbia University…not a four-year course, but at night school, working with my father in the woodworking shop during the day.

My appetite for Architecture was whetted in High School: The School of Industrial Arts, (a New York City vocational school that years later changed it's name to a more user-friendly: School of Art and Design). 

The first two years were mandatory courses in every the subject the school taught: Photography, illustration, cartooning, ceramics, fashion design, lettering, silk screen and architecture. One of my classmates was a young Italian-American boy with a fine voice, who later changed his name to Tony Bennett! Other graduates became famous cine-photographers, cartoonists and one kid even became know for his furniture design. 

These courses were fabulous and I came away with a wealth of knowledge that I still use today. Our teachers were professionals in the field, who really enjoyed imparting their skills to the students. I worshipped Dr. Erwin Mueller who taught an introductory architecture course. (For his credentials, he had designed many of the bridges on the Merritt Parkway.) This was the turning point in my career. His course was disciplined and fundamental. We spent weeks drafting nuts and bolts and construction details. We were graded not only on the technical details, but also the layout of the page and our lettering. To this day, I judge any fledgling designer wanting to intern for me, by this criteria.

My architectural career soon floundered as I applied my skills to furniture design and became more involved in the cabinet shop and my showroom. Architecturally, there was the occasional alteration to a client's home and our house in Nantucket, but nothing noteworthy or publishable.

This all changed in 2004 when I received a phone call from an Anthony T. J. Marano, of Ozymandius Realty, who introduced himself as a fan of my designs. He and his brother, Scott were developers in the recently discovered Bowery district of New York, now known by its acronym, No-Ho. (North of Houston)…. “Would you be interested in designing a building for us on a property that we own on the corner of Great Jones Street and the Bowery….Not a joke---seriously!”

This was the jolt I needed…Of course, I would be interested. A few days later, we visited the site: A dilapidated cluster of garages, tenements and bars. My benefactors turned out to be two young guys in their 30's on bicycles…but their roots in the neighborhood went deep. They were born and raised there and had successfully renovated a number of old warehouses and factories into hip Condos. This was to be their first venture building from the ground up. A twelve story mixed use residential building. “We want you to give us a flower amongst the weeds!”

With this encouragement, I went ahead full throttle: I took photos of the sight, got maps outlining the perimeter and started to sketch. When I presented them my client's were blown away. “Too bad we don't have more sites…we'd build all them all!” 

I hired an architectural Intern to start fleshing out my concept. I worked with the client's architect to learn about codes, variances, permits and how to deal with the charades of New York's bureaucratic system. I delved into materials and technical details, resourcing glass, tiles and all the nuts and bolts that are a part of the project. I set about developing the interior layout to match the buildings unique façade.

A year later, we still had not fully succeeded in acquiring all the lots on the plan. By this time the owners of the remaining buildings, became savvy and, held my client up for ransom. This process took years….and then: WHAM! The fiscal crisis hit the building industry…. Financing dried up…. And my building has been in limbo ever since.

Had things happened according to plan, mine could have been one of the first exciting building to go up in the Bowery. In the meantime other magnificent buildings were built that have usurped my day in the sun.

BUT, hope lasts eternal….and perhaps one day, my building will rise and my star as an Architect will sparkle in the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

                

THE PALM BEACH FEW KNOW

Copyright Vladimir Kagan 2010

Palm Beach is often considered the drowsy playground of the idle rich. Full of architectural treasures, Charity Balls with gray haired gentlemen escorting buxom bleached-blond socialites in the latest fashions, and the blue haired ladies on the arms of “walkers.” 

But that is only one side of the Palm Beach story. (As a winter resident, I can speak in the familiar term of “we”). We have The Society Of The Four Arts offering amazing hors d'euvres of cultural programs, The Raymond F. Kravis Center For the Performing Arts dishing up concerts, performances, lectures, soloists, Stars of the past and future. The Norton Museum offers world-class exhibits, The Flagler Museum located on the picturesque Inter Costa Canal in the elegant mansion of the Standard Oil tycoon, Henry Flagler, offering historic exhibits related to Southern Florida, a Science Museum and a Zoo to enlighten the children. There is no dearth of culture in our winter hideaway. 

Today, I want to extol one of the truly hidden treasures of Palm Beach: The Coudert Institute. Founded by Dale Coudert nine years ago. It was created to present diverse programs of cultural and topical interest plus performances and lectures in an intimate setting. What makes Dale's gift to Palm Beach so unique is that these events take place in her home; an original Addison Mizner Villa. She introduces her guest speakers and performers at an exquisite dinner under the stars in her sculpture garden followed the next day with round table discussions, lectures or concerts. The venues starts with a sumptuous breakfast or lunch and when the presentation gets too large for her home, moves to the exclusive Sail Fish Club. Her events are always topical and peppered with inside information. 

Last week we were privy to a most provocative program presented by four members of the Washington based Think Tank - The Foreign Policy Council. GLOBAL HOTSPOTS - CRISES FACING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. The news was not upbeat! Stephen Yates introduced us to the inscrutable Chinese, Ilan Berman dissected Iranian politics and the nuclear threat, Robert Reilly warned us of the irreconcilable differences between Islam and the Judea-Christian ethics, (he has a new book coming out this May: The Closing of the Muslim Mind) and the moderator, Herman Pirchner, the Russian expert, dissected the mindset of Mr. Putin and the Kremlin. The information was far from euphoric, but fascinating in the insight it gave us into current affairs.  

On March 4th and 5th I am privileged to participate in a discussion ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN with the eminent Architectural critic and Pulitzer prize winner, Paul Goldberger of the New Yorker Magazine. Internationally acclaimed Architects Richard Sammons and Anne Fairfax, managing partners of Fairfax and Sammons Architects of New York, Palm Beach and London …I am to uphold the design discussion. (It's already giving me sleepless nights!)

The Coudert Institute is not a private club, though its salubrious members may make you feel that it is. Membership is tax-deductible and more information is available by contacting Deborah Agold, Ph: 561-659-9752  
[email protected]   www.coudertinstitute.com 



Statement of Purpose:
The Coudert Institute was founded to provide a forum for shared discussions between its members and the leading political, scientific, business and theological minds of our time. Most of these forums include a catered breakfast, lunch and dinner over a two-day period. Members of the Coudert Institute connect theory with practice. In small interactive forums, world shapers present their learned visions and the need for appropriate action. Through these exhilarating forums on topics of public interest, Coudert Institute members are prepared to effectively influence the local and national discourse. __COUDERT INSTITUTE MISSION._-Provide its membership opportunity to investigate new ideas that may be integrated into their personal lives and public service without requiring consensus or conformity.__-Transform theoretical ideas to practical manifestation, thus making headway in solving the intractable problems of today and providing hope for the future.__-Influence local and national policy by encouraging its members to communicate their new ideas and solutions through their personal local and national networks.__-Develop relationships through ideas and develop ideas through relationships.

ADDENDUM TO MIAMI-PALM BEACH BLOG

Copyright Vladimir Kagan 2010

My friend, Ellen Liman, owns a expansive gallery complex in the iconic Paramount Building on North County Road. It totally reflects her eclectic interest in art. The gallery is more an art Bazaar where there is something for everyone…if you look hard enough. Jewelry, sculpture, knick-knacks and yes, paintings. She ferrets out little known or forgotten artists and thus has a plethora of affordable art.

In her exhibit at the contemporary Art Fair she had a number of very impressive oil painting by Louis Finkelstein, better remembered as an art scholar than a painter. He taught at Yale, The Philadelphia College of Art, The New York Studio School and at Queens College, where he was head of the art department for twenty-five years. In his lifetime, he painted but was not interested in selling. Ellen ferreted them out from his estate and brought this forgotten artist to public attention. He had a rich pallet with an impressionist's eye, reminiscent of the German artist August Macke.

 

Louis Finklestein's Trees by the Water, and Houses from Kim's Hill, 1999

 
 
 August Macke's Girls Under Trees, 1914 and House in Garden, 1914

 
 

PALM BEACH'S CHALLENGE TO MIAMI

Copyright Vladimir Kagan 2010

You want some culture…come to Palm Beach! In the face of overwhelming competition from Basel Miami, Palm Beach is carving out its own niche in the art world. Last month, we had the 4th Annual Contemporary Art Show in the Coliseum. 

Erica and I were invited to opening night…That is not a good time to see art… it is a time to see people. We went the day before it closed. A nice quite time for viewing but not so great for the Exhibitors, who would have preferred more buzz in the aisles.

Was it a great show? Probably not…. Savvy critics may have panned it…but we liked it!  It was a potpourri of, styles, medium and subjects. Frankly, we like that better than a cohesive show with a mission. This one is a Bazaar, a Souk, with one difference: Prices are high and bargaining is a no no. 

Compared to last year's show, there was more public space dedicated to food and less to exhibits…a sign of the economy. However, there were numerous exhibits that caught our eye, made us linger and admire the ingenuity of the artist. Interestingly enough, many of the artists were Latinos, which brought more color and imagination to the exhibits.

Loving works in wood, we were enthralled by a dinosaur-sized caterpillar-structure, that loomed 10' into the air and undulated over 50 feet of exhibit space. A work created Jose Landoni, an Argentine sculptor living in New York. The exhibit displayed exquisitely executed miniature mockups in polished woods waiting for interpretation into architectural sized public sculpture.

  

We were blown away by an installation entitled RISK by Colombian born artist, Federico Uribe. The organizers of the show devoted 500 Square feet for this monumental statement. It was plopped into the far right corner of the Hall. (Those visitors bored with the show probably missed it and left after a Cappuccino in the smartly decorated coffee bar.) We persevered and stumbled upon it like a marathon runner reaching the 26-mile mark. At first it had a cartoonish Disney-esque quality of a surreal rain forest with a barnyard thrown in. Clouds, rain and sunshine coming from the 40 foot high ceilings, garden paths leading you to a menagerie of domestic and wild animals interspersed with background sound effects of nondescript gurgles…. It could have been a precursor to Avatar… I dismissed it at first glance and opted to move on, but sagacious Erica hesitated…”Look. Do you see what it is made off!” The entire exhibit was constructed with recycled materials, hundreds of Puma running shoes, pencils, wood scraps, textiles, clothes pegs, flip-flops and Popsicle sticks. Uribe is to the art world what the Campara brothers are to furniture. Wildly imaginative…no holds barred and with an in-your-face statement. 

 

The Artist, Federico Uribe, with his menagerie. 
   

Remarkably, the installation took on a new perspective and we doubled back …not once or twice but countless times. Each time discovering new nuances, messages and statements. It became a child's nightmare, Picasso's Guernica revisited. There was a beheaded horse reminiscent of Damien Hurst's gruesome visions. There was a tiger chasing a petrified Possum up a ladder. There was havoc in the barnyard. Anatomically correct Animals were skillfully interpreted in Uribe's imaginative mix of materials.

We wondered how the artist could mount so complex a show for such a fleeting moment in time (four days) with virtually no time to dismantle before an industrial exhibit took over the space. It was an installation worthy of the Biennale in Venice…and I sincerely hope that it will have a long afterlife and end up in Venice.

Accompanying the installation, was a neatly hung exhibit of Federico Uribe's constructionist paintings ranging from abstract to realist images…all executed with the mundane materials of every day life. Happily, these sold for hefty prices. The impresario of this exhibit was Pablo Dona, who owns an art gallery in the hip section of Miami called Praxis International Art. Check him out at praxis-art.com and if you're in Miami at 2219 NW 2nd Avenue, in Miami. 

For more on this exhibition check out this webpage: http://miami.artisgaleria.com.ar/artistas/landonij/index.htm