Looks like Kelly Wearstler will be returning (her fashion choices are much more entertaining than Project Runway) and they've brought in India Hicks as a new judge this time. I'm not sure how well she'll be able to judge spaces as small as these designers are given to work with, but I'm excited to hear her words of wisdom.

It all starts September, 3 on Bravo.

We have the requisite dog bed, a large square pillow-type affair from Costco, covered in a reasonably non-tacky blue and brown and Kip does sleep on it occasionally (when we're looking). It's functional, but it's not really what he wants.

Does it come in Greyhound size?A few weeks ago, I got an email from Hepper, a company that makes furniture for pets. It's a great idea, and I like their designs, but where are the pieces for big dogs? Kip only weighs about 45 lbs, but he's long and skinny, so he couldn't possibly fit on their very attractive beds and nests which hold pets up to 50lbs. I get that all the beds were originally designed for cats, but how about a little love for the families who like their companions in larger sizes? 

Oooh, can we get ones for little Yves and Zaha too?I'm also thinking they should move over to designs for children; for all those parents who refuse to give up their perfect, highly-designed homes when the bambinos arrive. 

"Boy in the Red Waistcoat" (1888), by Paul Cezanne. (Getty Images)The theft of well-known, high-value artworks is a somewhat odd exercise, as it is practically impossible for perpetrators to realize any true monetary profit unless the theft is organized by a covetous collector who never intends to display the work publicly. This type of situation is actually so rare that most investigators never seriously consider it as a motive. (It does make for a great movie though, The Thomas Crown Affair, 1968 and 1999 are both awesomely good.)

In the case of the Bührle thefts, it is suspected that the works were stolen by East European operatives working for Balkan organized crime groups who can use the artworks as collateral to finance underground deals with other syndicates. This rationale is supported by the fact that the theives removed the first four paintings they encountered, rather than moving to much more valuable paintings further into the museum. It seems there was little research or knowledge of the museums collection and it's individual pieces values prior to the heist.

The Collection was remarkably unprotected with no metal detectors at the doors, which allowed the theives to overtake the security guards with a handgun, remove the paintings from the walls and make their escape in a white van. Very low-tech and uncomfortably easy.

Art theft recovery is a fascinating science and because of a lack of outlets for sale of stolen items, most pieces are eventually recovered when, after passing through various hands, an attempt is made to return the artwork to the rightful owner for a ransom. Scottish police were recently able to recover Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna of the Yarnwinder (estimated value $60 million) stolen from the Earl of Becculeuch in 2003, by arresting a lawyer and three others who had become involved in an attempt to extort both the Duke's estate (who passed away in Sept 2007) and his insurance firm for the return of the painting. 

Let's hope this recent rash of thefts will be solved quickly, as police believe that stolen artworks not recovered within four years will most likely go underground for generations to come.

A main highlight of this year's show is the offering of two genuine Cassius Marcellus Coolidge works, Only A Pair of Deuces (pictured below) and A Breach of Promise Suit. For any lover of low-brow (and high value) art, these are must-haves. Also under the gavel is the original artwork for the 2008 Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show poster, which will benefit Westminister's Angel on a Leash therapy dog program.

Lot 2078A
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge
American, 1844-1934
Only a Pair of Deuces  
Signed CM Coolidge and inscribed with copyright symbol (lr); inscribed on the reverse "Only a Pair of Deuces"/Copyright/1910/ by/C.M. Coolidge
Oil on canvas
24 x 36 inches (61 x 91.4 cm)
Provenance:
Estate of the artist
Estate of Gertrude Kimmel Coolidge, wife of the artist
Thence by descent to Marcella B. Coolidge, daughter of the artist, San Diego, California
Estimate: $60,000-80,000

And because we're discussing all things canine and friendly, here's Hauspa's entry for best-in-show, Mr Kipling (Kip for short). He's a Lurcher (Greyhound/ Deerhound mix) we brought back with us from England. If you'd like to see more Lurchers, look here.
 

Sampo Karjalainen at Lift 07, photo by Stephanie BoothThere has already been much mental packing and repacking. So when I saw this article in today's NYT I told DH to relax, he's already got it just right. Go simple, a little conservative and make sure you've got one elegant detail. Casual is de rigeur with these guys, but the black t-shirts have to fit just right (James Perse, Banana Republic or H&M), jeans make a statement (super skinny, or fitted like they were custom-made) and a coat, that tells everyone who you are (and sometimes, what you do). Have a great bag and tons of cool stickers on your laptop. iPhone, check; edgy haircut, check; now, don't forget the custom sneakers and you're ready to go. Fashion editors, eat your hearts out, the nerds have you totally beat on this one.

Oh, and this quote from the article made me chuckle to myself:

"Even Mr. Margiela’s ultradiscreet trademark, four little white pick stitches on sweaters, shirts and bags, is instantly discernible to the style cognoscenti while invisible to others, like a whistle only dogs can hear."

I totally called that, here. 

First up, Joseph Cornell: Navigating the Imagination. Sadly, I couldn't get to see the exhibitions at the Smithsonian, PEM, or SFMoMA, but I've always adored Joseph Cornell's boxes and collages. He is the first artist I wanted to imitate because he had such a sensitivity to type, image and placement. Very much a solid muse for a young, perfectionist, graphic designer type. I'm always taken aback when I see his pieces up close, as they are so meticulous and thoughtful. Lynda Roscoe Hartigan's book of the same name is On The Desk and will probably have to suffice as a 2-d but more permanent substitute to actually seeing so many pieces together. I read Deborah Solomon's Utopia Parkway: The Life and Times of Joseph Cornell ten years ago and found it thoroughly entertaining and informative as well.

Joseph Cornell
Untitled (Tilly Losch), ca. 1935-38
The Robert Lehrman Art Trust, Courtesy Aimee and Robert Lehrman, Washington, D.C.
© The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York
Photo: Mark Gulezian/Quicksilver

Next, Jean Prouvé at the Design Museum London (and others). Prouvé was a problem-solver. As an architect, furniture designer or space planner his work always addressed the issues at hand, whether the tropical climate of colonial West Africa or desks and chairs for an office environment, every facet of an assignment was explored and developed to produce a simple, economical and visually beautiful solution. Tickets to the Design Museum exhibition also include entry to the Maison Tropicale housed at Tate Modern from the Feb 5, 2008.

You know I have some favorites, so here they are:

Lot #045
A pair of limestone and iron low tables, circa 1940
Paul Dupre-Lafon (1900–1971)
Estimate $250,000–350,000 (US)

Lot #091
A set of steel and leather "PK-9" dining chairs, designed 1961
Poul Kjaerholm (1929–1980)
Estimate $12,000–18,000 (US)

Lot #102
A pair of painted and metal sconces, circa 1950
Jean Royere (1902–1981)
Estimate $40,000–50,000 (US)

I don't need a t-shirt with TinkerBell on it, a key that tells everyone I'm a Libra or a screwdriver that no one will mistake for DH's, because it's pink. Believe me, every tool in our house belongs to me, even the Black and Decker circular saw. DH is a whizz when it comes to mobile technology and all, but if you ever see him holding a circular saw, run—as fast as you can—your life may be in danger.

I think it's fine for women to acquire things that make them happy and while cute may not be my style, I see nothing wrong with grown-ups dressing in Winnie-the-Pooh embroidered denim shirts—well, ok, bad example, but I expect some people think wearing black nail polish at my age is a little inappropriate too. To each her own. I do have to wonder why some women just don't feel comfortable using products that haven't been feminized in some way. (I wonder if Pandagon or Feministing have ever posted on this issue?) I don't really think a cheese grater that looks like a doll really makes all that much sense to anyone, unless you have a doll-themed kitchen of course and then, well, have your Madame Alexander way with your parmesan.

The WP calls this trend cutility (does that make the items themselves cuticles... ) and while the article does not explicitly specify that these items are marketed primarily to women, it does use "fanciful," "whimsy," "cutsey" and "sassy" to describe the products. I think most males would shy away from buying something described as being "whimsical,"  so I'm calling the Cuterminator to put an end to all this nonsense.

This concept is explored by Dana Thomas in her new book, Deluxe, How Luxury Lost It's Luster.  As an exploration of how luxury brands have gone from producing rarefied, difficult to procure, hand-crafted products to mass-market purveyors of expensive "luxury" goods for the masses it is an interesting and enlightening journey. Thomas uses Bernard Arnault's reign at LVMH as a prime example of this subtle but very lucrative branding strategy. Of course you paid a lot for your Vuitton bag. Everyone who actually buys the real thing does. But it's not made as well as it used to be, because they have to make so many more of them now. Everybody wins, right?

Thomas also brings in the counterfeit market as another example of how even those who can't afford the real luxuries, can aspire by buying knock-offs which often don't even look like, say, a Prada bag, but there it is -- that little metal triangle proclaiming to all that "I have neither the money or the taste to know the real thing when I see it." This builds neither brand equity for the product nor the status of the carrier.

It's my belief that the companies that still rely on a small, highly-elite clientele, producing small-run, hand-made products (Hermés springs to mind), will begin to design products that are still not only difficult and expensive to acquire, but also difficult to identify. If you can spot a handbag by its unique leather stitch, a coat by its buttons or a shoe by its sole color, you can still be in the club. Luxury will become blind and status will be conferred on those whose regal bearing is the only signifier of their super-wealthy status. If you have to ask, you can't be in the club.

It's On the Desk.