Simple Inspiration (Erinnerungswald)

-

Just after Christmas in 1979, I moved to Germany to work as a Systems Engineer for an American computer company, in their Frankfurt office. It was West Germany at that time, and border tensions were often palpable enough that I chose not to travel anywhere in Eastern Europe. I didn’t even visit Berlin, despite opportunities for business travel there. Tempered by information I was exposed to while providing software and technical support to US State Department, US Military bases, and NATO, I was aware of the possibility of war with the Soviet Union, and even felt slightly uncomfortable when driving into a well-marked “bezirk zone” (the area immediately surrounding the East-West border during the Cold War). 

US Air Force jets often flew in formation over West German cities and countryside. US tanks traveled in long formations on the autobahns. After being in Germany for several weeks, I realized that we still actively occupied this country — more than 30 years after the end of World War II. I had not been taught that in school, or through the news.

Trying to live an “authentic” German lifestyle, I moved to the Taunus Mountains north of Frankfurt in the village Schmitten 3 Oberreifenberg, and lived in this newly-built house below the castle ruins between Oberreifenberg and Niederreifenberg. I worked throughout West Germany from my office on Lyoner Strasse in Niederrad, near Frankfurt Airport, and a 35-45 minute commute from my house. In free time, I traveled often  to neighboring countries, driving as fast as possible my company-issued Jetta to France, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Italy, Liechtenstein.

Nearly immediately, I made good friends. Through work, I had already bonded with the crew of ex-pats sent abroad to create an “American Branch” within the German headquarters. But new colleagues expanded my cultural awareness by inviting me into their homes and sharing everyday life with me. I will always be grateful to my direct manager Heiko Flaspoehler, who took me under his wing and helped me navigate the culture. My dearest German friend, Antje Pelzer and her husband Klaus (plus their son Olaf) were always generous with help and with hospitality.

In April of 1982, over Easter weekend, I drove to Paris for my fourth or fifth visit by car. My mom and my Aunt Eleanor had been my guests in Oberreifenberg, on their first and only trip to Europe, and we traveled for about ten days within West Germany and in neighboring countries. We met one of my colleagues in Strasbourg, and headed towards Paris. Accustomed to finding lodgings as we traveled, we were unable to find any rooms in Paris! This was a first, but I had failed to anticipate the holiday travelers. Always learning!

We solved the problem by staying in a very sketchy neighborhood in a hotel that may have catered to prostitutes and their clients. but we made the most of it for one night, then moved out to a hotel at CDG (Charles de Gaulle Airport) for the remaining two nights. It was far from where we spent our days, but was clean and comfortable. While strolling the left bank with my mom, I bought the print of this painting.

Bread and dish with fruits on the table, 1909, Pablo Picasso

Bread and dish with fruits on the table (1909) — Pablo Picasso

“In the collection of the Kunstmuseum Basel, this still life arose from the changes that Picasso made to a composition of figures around a folding table, which is the only element he retained. 

Still visible between the table’s legs are the legs of the figure (possibly Cézanne) located on the right, although his arms have become loaves of bread. Similarly, the fruit-filled bowl on the left is an intriguing transformation of the figure of Fernande, Picasso’s lover at this period.”


Original Title: Pains et compotier aux fruits sur une table

Date: c.1909

Style: Analytical Cubism

Period: African Period

Genre: still life

Media: oil, canvas

I departed with that painting in 2004, when I moved from California to Hawaii, but I must say that I still admire it for its color palette, subject matter, and geometry.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Adam Tihany for The Pace Collection

-
Image
In January of 2013, I finally removed my treasured, custom made mahogany and burl elm Chippendale dining table and its period chairs from my house. They are stored in my garage, as I'm not yet prepared to part with them.  In its place I installed the Isadora dining table with Rebecca chairs from The Pace Collection, distinctly different in style and more suited in scale to the corner of the room that's allocated to dining. The table is of gorgeous lacquered birds eye maple with space-age stainless steel accents on the base. Distinctively shaped “Rebecca” chairs are in an ebony finish. The Beatles encaustic painting is by Jeffrey Schaller , commissioned by my husband. The two vibrant abstract Big Island paintings on the right are by Gary Pezzoli. Information about Adam Tihany's Isadora Collection isn’t easy to find online. On page 102 of Tihany Design , published in 1999, Adam Tihany says: “My first collection for Pace was inspired by one of my fav
Read more

The Pace Collection

-
Image
I first encountered furniture from The Pace Collection in 1977 at a party in the home of the vice president for my region, a boss who was many levels higher than I whom I didn't know well. I found him and his wife to be rather pompous, but I swooned over their art and furniture. I couldn't afford the furniture even with my "highly paid computer professional" salary, but by the second exposure, I had familiarized myself (through design publications) with quite a few of the sensational Mid-Century Modern pieces offered by The Pace Collection and designed by Leon Rosen, James Rosen, Adam Tihany , Milo Baughman , and other notables. Examples from the Pace Collection are for sale at incollect In 2002, when we moved to Hawaii, my husband and I became friends with a neighbor who had a marvelous collection, which I recognized and admired. Recently, as he is downsizing, I've been able to acquire his furniture. Although I would like to use it all, I love too many of my own
Read more

Putting Our Furniture from The Pace Collection to Work

-
Image
We've painted Peter's office using Sherwin-Williams SW 6150 Universal Khaki, with accents on the pocket door wall and the soffit in SW 6151 Quiver Tan. It works well with the lacquered four-drawer wall mounted shelf of burlwood stained in a complementary green, from The Pace Collection. Additionally, the khaki wall provides a flattering backdrop for our painting by Maui artist Tony Walholm . Peter's "new" desk, called "Boca" and designed by Leon Rosen for The Pace Collection, is made of gorgeous burlwood with legs of black enamel on wood. Finished with countless coats of lacquer, it perfects the mid-century modern look that The Pace Collection mastered. Alas, the desk was designed circa 1970 when computers on desktops were science fiction ideas ... so we hope to figure out an attractive placement for his iMac. I've seen a couple pieces that I like (including an acrylic side table ), but we're going to try a few things that we already own first.
Read more