Eameshead,
he's liked MCM furniture for 4-5 years so I wasn't surprised, just pleased! I got a trashed Selig Eames-style lounge chair for $2 and redid it for him when he went off to college. That was his first piece of furniture and he still loves it (though it's going to be painful to see it next to that sofa).
Re: To Mark
Thanks Mark.
Best estate sale score of my life.
Now I just need to buy another house with high ceilings or loft to display it properly.
Sad part is the amazing mid-century designed bank building this was displayed in for 20 years was torn down in 1993 to make way for a mall and restaurant.
I also found another of Davis's sculptures, made out of perspex, but it is only about 2 feet high. Much smaller than the other. It was used in one of his films.
Info about his use of mobiles and sculptures in his films here:
http://revoirvideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/jim-davis-started-making-films-i...
Congrats
Very cool LydiaLunch, that's an amazing piece! What's the story with the estate sale? Did they not know what they had or were they looking to liquidate? Did you happen upon it or was it advertised? Did you get a good price?I'm always curious as to the story behind the sale.
Reply to: HeavyMetalSculpture
Here's the background:
It was a typical estate sale, owner had passed away 10 months ago. They were your basic good breeding, old money family with mostly traditional American furniture. (Family ancestor was a signer of the constitution, etc..) I checked the estate listing's photo gallery online the night before and in the middle of all these colonial antiques is this strange photo of this amazing sculpture. Totally at odds with everything else shown.
The deceased owner was a bank president, when the bank building was vacated he took the sculpture home with him and stuck in the attic. The artist, Davis, was his wife's uncle.
They knew who had created the piece, but the lady running the estate sale didn't care about avant garde film making, or modern art for that matter. She couldn't easily look him up in art auction results, so I don't think she thought too much of it. (She favors 19th century antiques)
I could barely sleep the night before I was so excited. I was at the door of the sale at 6:30 am - even though the sale didn't start till 9 am so I would be sure to get it. (I also had to be at work at 9)
But after seeing the crowd, I probably could have showed up in the afternoon and still bought it no problem. Hell I went back on the third 50% day to give a good look-see I didn't have time for the first day and found a beautiful robsjohn gibbings bedroom set for a song! It was probably the only other items in the house that had a modern flair. The typical buyers at the estate sales here do not look for MCM - they want their "collectibles" and turn of the century Victorian stuff.
I just can't believe they didn't send off such a significant, large scale piece to an auction or donate to a museum.
Beautiful piece, somoderne!...
Beautiful piece, somoderne! One note - the drawers that are currently ordered (from the top) 1,2,3...maybe they should be re-ordered 1,3,2, or 2,3,1? That way the drawers would be bookmatched all the way down. Anyway just an idea! That thing's going to look amazing with plants in it.
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