JF Chen and The Art of Collecting
Yesterday I was lucky enough to be taken behind the scenes at JF Chen as they were setting up “Collecting Eames: The JF Chen Collection.” The exhibition is unusual for many reasons. First, this number of original Eames designs has never been shown together. According to Joel Chen there are over 450 pieces in the show that include vintage toys all the way through to an Eames-designed pavilion that has been erected in the showroom. For the first time all the Eames chair designs will be displayed in a circuitous timeline designed by artist Clare Graham. Graham takes you on a very deliberate journey through design history from the 1941 Organic Design Chair right through to a pristine white La Chaise once owned by Tim Burton, and manufactured in 1998. You’ll find detailed descriptions of each piece written by Dan Ostroff, editor of the recently launched Eames Designs (more on Ostroff and this new site next week).
And most unusually, everything is for sale. “Some pieces are in the thousands, some in the hundreds,” says Chen as we walk through the 15,000 square feet that makes up just the ground floor of his vast West Hollywood showroom. And for all those who can’t make it to the Los Angeles show there’s a beautifully photographed book Collecting Eames, The JF Chen Collection, that will be out next month.
Details:
“Collecting Eames: The JF Chen Collection” is part of Pacific Standard Time.
JF Chen, 941 North Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90038
October 3–January 14. Show hours are Monday through Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday 11 to 4pm, and closed on Sunday