CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Would You Pasture This Pony in Your Garden?

casasugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:15:00 -0700

I don't think I've revealed to CasaSugar readers yet that I've always been a bit of a horse freak. In fact, I've been riding, reading about, and dreaming about horses since I was a wee babe. Not even injuries, buckings, and bitings have dissuaded me from this preoccupation. Given that history, there's no question whether or not I'd give this Teak Horse Sculpture ($4,700) a home on my range: I most definitely would. But are you going to say "neigh" to this pony?

Would You Pasture This Pony in Your Garden?

I love it! Absolutely.

Maybe, but I'm not whinneying with enthusiasm.

Neigh all the way!

Other, I'll tell you in the comments.

Cool Idea: Graphite Sculptures

casasugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:30:23 -0700

ASB Workshop's Graphite Objects, created by San Francisco-based artist Agelio Batle, are olive branches, asparagus, calla lilies, raven heads, shells, quills, and other delicate shapes carved from graphite. The art pieces double as writing utensils when you don't have a pencil handy. The small sculptures transform the ordinary into the extraordinary and the art collector into the artist, whilst serving as an elegant artifact in your home. It's no wonder the objects are lined with remarkable, intricate details; the artist studied biology in college. Set one on top of a stack of books, use it as a paperweight, or arrange it in a vignette with other souvenirs and beautiful things. Available at Bluehouse ($34-$38) or contact the studio to purchase.

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:09:35 -0700

This Silver Leaf Decorative Object (contact dealer for price) is eye-catching even in this photo, with its drab gray background. Made in the 1950s, it stands three feet tall and two feet wide, so it's bigger than you might expect.
So for this challenge, I'd like you to tell me how you'd use this unique sculptural object. Would you use it as art? Hang anything from it? What room do you imagine it taking center stage in? Tell me by commenting below!

This Just In: Jeff Koons Sculpture in London Park

casasugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:30:00 -0700

If you're lucky enough to be in London right now, head over to Saint James Square to check out the stainless-steel sculpture "Balloon Flower (Magenta)," by artist Jeff Koons, who's known for his public art and whimsical, childlike sculptures. The giant sculpture, which does indeed look like shiny twists of balloons, will be exhibited for the next 10 days in Saint James Square in London, England. The sculpture, which has an estimated worth of around $23.6 mllion, will be auctioned at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale on June 30. If nothing else, this is a great chance to get up close and personal with a rather pricey piece of art. Are you going to check it out?

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Midday Muse: The Secret's in the Sculpture

casasugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:00:44 -0700

I spend so much time looking at furniture and accessories that sometimes I forget that what really builds a sophisticated home is having unique, original artwork. In this dining-room photograph by David Giles, I'm loving the free-standing botanical sculptures that resemble children's drawings made to scale, a bit like Yeondoo Jung's photographs. The room is otherwise very minimal, painted entirely bright white, furnished with a simple white table, and accessorized with fruits and flowers. Although the lace-backed chairs are unusual, they really bring nothing to the table; it's the plant-like sculptures that cultivate the room's captivating style.
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What Would It Take?

casasugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:15:41 -0700

Maybe you're absolutely in love with this Big Foot Sculpture ($98.95) and can't wait to put it in your garden. My guess is that that's likely not the case, though (even Giggle found it tacky). So, what would it take to put it in your garden or yard?

What Would It Take?

Money. Lots and lots of money.

I'd have to lose a bet to put this in my yard!

I don't know, I kind of like it?!

Never ever ever! No way!

I'm ordering it right now!

Cool Idea: San Francisco in Cookware

casasugar — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:31:18 -0700

If you're visiting San Francisco in May — or if you're lucky enough to live here — definitely make a stop at the Asian Art Museum to see artist Zhan Wang's installation On Gold Mountain. For this exhibit, Wang uses rocks from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to create the sculptures, which are"alluding to the nineteenth-century Chinese immigrant experience of mining gold during the California gold rush."

However, what I find equally intriguing is the cityscape of San Francisco that he created entirely out of stainless steel cooking items.

Both installations comment on California's past and present need for Chinese labor and goods — whether it was during the Sierra Hills' Gold Rush or in present-day San Francisco restaurants and kitchens. An important social statement on its own, Wang is presenting it in an entirely unexpected and incredibly executed way.

Designer Spotlight: Alma Allen

casasugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:00:53 -0700

Self-taught sculptor and designer Alma Allen takes cues from the natural world when designing his found wood, stone, and bone objects. While Allen's work is visually stunning, it's also infinitely touchable. Each piece of furniture or sculptural object is painstakingly sanded and polished until it's perfectly smooth.

Besides his amazing furniture and sculptural work, Alma is also a talented builder, who designed and built his green home, which I featured in a Coveted Crib slideshow. To find out more about this designer and his work, just

Cool Idea: An Update on Crochet

casasugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:08:30 -0700

Even though crafting has become cooler, the art of crochet is still seen by many people as belonging to little old ladies with big bags and crochet hooks. Even knitting is now vastly cooler than crocheting. Leave it to an innovative lady to turn that idea on its head. With her crocheted sculpture work, Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos has added a touch of the avant-garde to cotton crocheting. I love how crocheting around these complicated animal shapes livens up the household doily.

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Would You Put This Sculpture Outside Your Home?

casasugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:00:00 -0700

American Apparel CEO Dov Charney's Los Angeles home is pretty unmistakable due to the giant sculpture that flips all of downtown LA off, greeting guests as they approach his front door. I wouldn't call it the most tasteful pièce de résistance, but for the head of a company whose ads are nearly pornographic, I'd say it's fitting. What do you think? Would you put this sculpture outside your home?
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Would You Put This Sculpture Outside Your Home?

Heck yea! I think it's hilarious!

I love it, but not in my neighborhood.

I can see the appeal for a debauchee like the American Apparel CEO, but not for me.

No way. I think it's completely devoid of taste.

Other, I'll explain in comments.

Etsy Find: Sculptural Ceramic Figurative Hook

casasugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:30:09 -0700

If you're bored with the cookie-cutter coat hooks lining your hall, then I have an excellent solution for you. The Sculptural Ceramic Figurative hook ($95) will make your guests look twice. I also think that it's a winning option to the overplayed hunting trophy trend of this past year. And besides: It's just darn cute, don't you think? Made by Etsy seller RyanTakaba, each hook is constructed from porcelain clay and glazed with a light, greenish-celadon glossy glaze to accentuate the porcelain. It can easily be hung with drywall or wood screws attached to a stud, thanks to the metal key holes that are mounted on the back of the hook.

If Money Weren't an Issue . . .

casasugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:30:06 -0700

. . . would you put these Steel Cacti ($900) on your lawn? They're lightweight, durable, available in a variety of sizes and finishes, and can be put nearly anywhere. You can also set them up to mist water, or to use as lighting.

If Money Weren't an Issue . . .

Definitely! They're rad!

Maybe, if I lived in the desert.

No! If I lived in the desert, I'd rock real cacti.

Other, I'll tell you in the comments.

On Location: NOLA's Sculpture Garden

casasugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:00:42 -0800

The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden features 57 sculptures by artists from around the world. Check out the slideshow to find out more about the Sculpture Garden and to see a selection of the amazing art. Photo courtesy of Snujiins.

Artist of the Day: Jennifer Maestre

casasugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:00:33 -0800

Jennifer Maestre makes incredible sculptures out of hundreds of pencils. In her artist's statement, she writes:

My sculptures were originally inspired by the form and function of the sea urchin. The spines of the urchin, so dangerous yet beautiful, serve as an explicit warning against contact. The alluring texture of the spines draws the touch in spite of the possible consequences. The tension unveiled, we feel push and pull, desire and repulsion. The sections of pencils present aspects of sharp and smooth for two very different textural and aesthetic experiences. Paradox and surprise are integral in my choice of materials. Quantities of industrially manufactured objects are used to create flexible forms reminiscent of the organic shapes of animals and nature. Pencils are common objects, here, these anonymous objects become the structure. There is true a fragility to the sometimes brutal aspect of the sculptures, vulnerability that is belied by the fearsome texture.

You'll definitely want to check out the slideshow to see her incredible sculptures. Source

Designer Spotlight: Lisa Jones

casasugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:33:25 -0700

While Lisa Jones is more of a sculptor than a designer, I couldn't resist showing you her beautiful, imaginative sculptural works. Some of her objects, such as the Symbiosis Chair Series, are beautiful riffs on interior decor, while others, such as the Pipe Series, are brilliantly abstract in their execution. I especially love the coral motifs in the Symbiosis series: Perhaps she's been influenced by the Great Barrier Reef?

Showing primarily in Sydney, where she also earned her Masters of VIsual Arts, in her artist's statement Lisa writes:

Within my sculptural objects a language of internal opposition exists that informs the whole. This apparently conflicting exchange defines the work through the tension between order and chaos; the organic and the refined; repetition and divergence; progress and reversal.The resulting sculptures are not what they appear to be. Seemingly solid forms are in fact rigid, hollow sacks that define the volumes they describe.Their organic forms and the materials of their composition evoke a strong sensory experience of their tactility, provoking a desire to touch.

To see a gallery of Lisa's work, just

Midday Muse: Home in the Sky

casasugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:58:39 -0700

I spotted this sculpture at an artists' gallery in Christchurch, New Zealand, a few years ago. Every time I look at the photo it reminds me to look up, and to expect the unexpected.

Nice and New: C. Jere for Jonathan Adler

casasugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 07:24:32 -0700

I love the work of wonderfully quirky home guru Jonathan Adler, who you may know from Bravo's Top Design. So when the designer shares one of his obsessions, I pay attention. Case in point: These fantastically funky metal wall sculptures by C. Jeré.

Apparently, Adler has long been smitten with C. Jere, a prominent line from the 1960s and '70s, so he commissioned the brand to re-release four iconic pieces. I love the glitzy but slightly weathered look of these 3-D brass adornments, in particular the prickly Urchin Sculpture ($995) and the disco-fabulous Sunburst Sculpture ($1,100). Which one is your favorite?