THE INSIDERS
NEW+Now get to know four chicago influencers as they shed light on what’s of the moment in design, art and architecture.
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written and produced by brielle m. ferreira
kavi gupta
One to watch: Artist Jessica Stockholder moved to Chicago a few years back to become chair of the University of Chicago’s art department after serving 15 years or so as the head of Yale School of Art’s sculpture department. It was such an important moment for Chicago, and we’ll be holding her first local exhibit of new work here in the gallery in September. Favorite medium: I’m a fan of almost everything. To be honest, I am more interested in the artists’ ideas than how they express them; plus, artists today seem to be playing with different genres in a way that is so atypical that those traditional boundaries and lines are playing less of a role in art appreciation. Go-to event of fall: The David Adjaye exhibit will be opening at the Art Institute of Chicago on September 19th, and it is going to be amazing. His work as an architect is prolific, and he’s already made an impressive mark on the world with his beautifully designed cultural institutions. Hip hood: I think nothing is as hot as the West Loop right now. The amount of interesting restaurants and creative spaces opening up there, block-by-block, is really fantastic. Recent art splurge: I just purchased a 1970s Roger Brown painting of Hollywood stars at an auction, as well as a Glenn Ligon piece from 1994 with a quote by Maya Angelou. It features an extremely poignant sentiment about the Los Angeles riots. Best place to get lost: If I only had one day to spend in Chicago, I would make it a point to go down to the Illinois Institute of Technology campus and have a picnic there—it’s a beautiful place. The founder and creative force behind one of Chicago’s most esteemed contemporary art galleries, Kavi Gupta is also a design aficionado with a recently scored blue Donald Judd chair to prove it.
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he 2 tmerchant maxine snider
Can’t get enough of… Tadao Ando’s museums on the island of Naoshima in Japan. They remain in my mind’s eye and inspire me with their precision and spare beauty. No matter how many times I go, I know there will always be more to see and digest on my next visit. What’s intriguing you now? The opportunities for new designs to emerge have never been better. Funding platforms such as Kickstarter and the virtual community, available through social media, have made this era a great time to be a designer.
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For the design-obsessed: Check out Richard Wright’s gallery if you love midcentury furniture and the Douglas Dawson Gallery if you have an appreciation for wonderful ethnographic objects. Showroom guru Morlen Sinoway’s place on West Fulton is also a paradise for all things beautiful. Best-selling items in inventory: The City bench is this year’s winner so far, with our Library desk and credenza right on its heels. My personal favorite, though, is our New Hampshire settee—it’s both quirky and stylish. Shop ’til you drop: Chicago has so many amazing neighborhoods for shopping, but lately I’ve been drawn to Bucktown because it feels like an eclectic bazaar, and the Fulton Market area because it seems like yet another wonderful gallery or restaurant is opening every day. Go-to event of fall: Keep an eye on the Renaissance Society’s centennial celebration. The Ren was home to Alexander Calder’s first U.S. exhibition,
Images: Counterclockwise from top: A William Hefner interior featuring Maxine Snider’s Salon settee. Snider’s New Hampshire settee is a study in sleek sophistication. A peek inside Kavi Gupta’s exciting warehouse gallery and a recently exhibited piece, Glenn Kaino’s We Have Seen the Enemy and He is Us.
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work from stars like Bruce Nauman, Jenny Holzer, Kara Walker and Felix Gonzalez-Torres. It’s Chicago’s diamond in the rough. Up next: I’m currently thinking about designing a children’s furniture collection that balances playfulness and sophistication. My hope is that adults will find it just as much fun. Maxine Snider is the founder and designer of an eponymous furniture company with deep roots in Chicago. Her favorite building in the city is the Graham Foundation’s Madlener House.
gupta headshot : james forni and yeva dashevsky. gupta photos: courtesy kavi gupta gallery. snider headshot and photos: courtesy maxine snider.
1 the curator
THE INSIDERS
4 the architect
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ray hartshorne
Can’t get enough of… The new Soho House Chicago, one of my favorite local projects. The design is intended to break down formality. The interiors, which are meticulously crafted from concrete, natural wood and soft leather, instantly make you feel comfortable. What’s trending? There has been an increased emphasis in the worlds of architecture and design on expressing one’s individuality. I think we’ll continue to see a lot more bespoke design and customization moving forward.
Recent splurge: I recently went to the Wright auction house and purchased a pair of black laminated-bentwood Chippendale chairs designed by Robert Venturi for Knoll in the 1980s. They are significant to me as they are the bridge between my family’s background in antiques and the decorative arts, and my modernist architectural education.
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Best places to get lost: Whenever I have some time, I love to check out the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago, stop for lunch at Fred’s at Barneys New York on Oak Street, or hunt for new threads at Ikram and Blake.
3the designer suzanne lovell
What’s happening? The MCA Chicago is really coming into its own under Madeleine Grynsztejn’s leadership. She’s developed a dynamic and exciting program that is redefining the institutional space with a vision of the museum as an integrated community space. Keep your eye on: Hermès is making a big statement in the design sphere thanks to its fantastic home line. I’m particularly drawn to the company’s Voyage en Ikat porcelain tabletop collection. 114 / luxe interiors + design
Prized possession: There is almost nothing better than my gold Buccellati Hawaii chandelier earrings. They’re one of my favorite things. I love the way they transform nearly any outfit. Up next: I’m a firm believer that 3D printing is poised to change everything about design as we know it. I work at the intersection of architecture, interior design and fine art, so I’m excited to incorporate the technology into a wider discussion about how we move forward from here. Suzanne Lovell is a celebrated Chicago and New York-based interior designer with an international reach. She once caught a 27-inch rainbow trout while fishing on a fly line in Alaska.
For the design-obsessed: It’s hard to match Millennium Park for its combination of urban art and landscape, particularly Lurie Garden, but the Inland Steel Building and the retail corridor along Oak Street are both worthy of attention. Material of the moment: Reclaimed wood is a wonderful, versatile material that’s both rich-looking and renewable. We’ve used it in several of our adaptive reuse projects. Go-to event for fall: I’m really looking forward to the SOFA Chicago fair at Navy Pier in November; it’s a great resource for any creative person. Architecture is enhanced by art, and it’s wonderful to imagine spaces that you’ve designed being complemented by incredible masterpieces. Chicago’s most beautiful building? We were involved in the renovation of the Chicago Athletic Association hotel, which is an amazing building inside and out. The Venetian facade by Henry Ives Cobb is masterful, and the stalactite-plaster ceiling on the eighth floor is breathtaking. One to watch: Right now, since I’m doing a lot of work in the Fulton-Randolph Market Historic District, I would say Aldo Rossi. His Scholastic Building in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan would fit like a glove in the West Loop. Ray Hartshorne is the partner and co-founder behind prolific Chicago firm Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture. His most recent design splurge was a Rubicon marble-parquet floor designed by Sara Baldwin for New Ravenna Mosaics.
Images: Clockwise from top: Interior designer Suzanne Lovell’s elegant spaces borrow interest from luxe finishes and plenty of look-at-me textures. The edgy, geometric facade of the HPA-designed 1K Fulton, a complete remodel of a 1920s Fulton Market cold storage warehouse, and the interior of one of the company’s residential projects featuring reclaimed-wood walls.
lovell portrait : jim newberry. lovell photos: courtesy suzanne lovell , inc. hartshorne headshot : david rinker. hartshorne photos: patsy mcenroe.
What are homeowners being drawn to lately? More and more of my clients are bringing outdoor fabrics inside their homes. The fabrics’ worry-free maintenance is desirable for everyday living, and the craft and technology have improved so much that they’re sophisticated enough for interior use.