modernism Archives - Film and Furniture

USModernist Radio chats with Film and Furniture’s Paula Benson

Film and Furniture — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 15:13:36 +0000

The latest podcast from USModernist Radio features discussions between Host and Executive Producer George Smart and three film industry professionals with connections to architecture: Film and Furniture’s very own Paula Benson (interviewed at Hotel Skylark as part of Palm Springs Modernism Week), Valentina Geneva who is working on a new documentary about LA architect Rudolph Schindler and with Art Director/Production Designer Jeannine Oppewall, the genius behind staging the sets of such films as L.A. Confidential (filmed in Richard Neutra’s Lovell House). USModernist is a top-rated architecture podcast series featuring discussions “with fascinating people who own, create, love, and hate Modernist … Continued

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Glamour and Modernity in 1930s Italian film set design

Film and Furniture — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 07:00:21 +0000

The catalogue Rationalism on Set: Glamour and Modernity in 1930s Italian Cinema explores a little-known period of Italian cinematic history, highlighting the strong Modernist influence apparent in the set designs created for a number of romantic comedies during the inter-war years. Published to accompany the Estorick Collection‘s exhibition of the same name curated by Valeria Carullo, the book is brimming with some lesser known but fascinating Italian film set design. Until recently, Italy’s contributions to architecture and cinema in the 1930s have been overlooked. The exhibition and catalogue look at the role played by Italian architects and architectural culture in the development … Continued

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The chair in Alien Covenant: 2017’s most significant furniture piece in a movie?

Paula Benson — Tue, 09 May 2017 09:23:48 +0000

What’s the significance of the Carlo Bugatti chair in Alien Covenant? Alien: Covenant is a bloody horror with enough aliens, spaceships and gore to be keep the average cinema-goer suitably entertained, yet there is a philosophical heart to the movie which explores a deeper concept: Creativity. The film opens with Weyland Corp’s synthetic David who we met in Prometheus (brilliantly – and camply – played by Michael Fassbender, who also plays Covenant’s new synthetic – Walter) sitting in a distinctive Carlo Bugatti Throne chair next to an Eileen Gray E1027 Side Table. David recites his knowledge of the design and … Continued

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Batman’s taste in modernist furniture revealed in Batman v Superman: Part 2

Paula Benson — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 16:09:07 +0000

Part 2 of this article on Bruce Wayne’s house in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice details the exact pieces of furniture we spotted in Batman’s new abode and exactly where to buy them. Read part 1 here > (with big thanks to F&F reader Dave Richards who joined in our design and furniture geekery). Batman’s Glass House draws heavily on Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House. We see several Brno chairs around a dining table and also at his walnut wood-topped desk. Designed by Mies van der Rohe for Knoll the handsome Brno chair has a solid steel cantilever … Continued

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Midcentury East furniture show / Seating the stars (part 1)

Paula Benson — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 22:44:14 +0000

Midcentury East was a delight yesterday! The newer East London version of the much-loved Modern Shows takes place twice a year at the Goldfinger designed Haggerston School in London E2 and gathers together dealers to showcase mid-century furniture, art and decor which attracts people from all over the UK who are looking to buy collectible furniture and design for the home. This show actually wasn’t so busy as usual but that made for some F&F style good (will) hunting. Here’s some snaps: Mid century classics crop up in so many films, from Bond to The Incredibles so it was no … Continued

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God is in the details – ‘Barcelona chair’ in Tron: Legacy.

Paula Benson — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 08:43:52 +0000

Sexy as hell, an icon of the modern movement and one of my personal favourite pieces – the Knoll Barcelona chair designed by Mies van der Rohe – is a star performer in Tron: Legacy‘s digital world “Safehouse”. It’s one of the many films this stunning chair has been featured in, including a Bond or two. It’s an interesting choice by Production Designer Darren Gilford in his mission to create the digital-age decor for Tron, given that the chair was in fact designed in 1929. This is testament to the fact it’s a timeless classic and a genuine furniture icon. Get … Continued

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Modernist glass house in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Paula Benson — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 10:17:26 +0000

The glass house from the cult 1986 movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has been sold for $1.06m (£632,000). The Rose House in Illinois, near Chicago was designed by architect, museum curator and Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) teacher A. James Speyer for textile designers Ben and Frances Rose. The house is in the style of modernist architect Mies van der Rohe who was Speyer’s professor at IIT. The house was used for the famous scene where Bueller’s best friend Cameron Frye trashes his Father’s prized 1961 red Ferrari (which he “loved more than life itself”) through the glass pavilion into … Continued

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