This morning we covered a lot of important online news territory - and a little fluff, too. As we process news about the economy, the future of politics, and overwhelming natural devastations, we also learn that Brad Pitt's recent attendance at Switzerland's Art Basel culminated in the purchase of a $293k table. He also bought...
...a pair of bronze chairs by Max Lamb ($25k each) and the foam and fiberglass "Family Lamp" by Atelier van Lieshout (we don't have a price on that one). Table shown above is by Dutch designer Jeroen Verhoeven.
Thoughts on Brad's taste?
All info via The Huffington Post.
Comments (44)
I am a very open person, but these are NOT HOT at all.
I love Brad Pitt so I want badly to appreciate these, but I just cant. I do appreciate his and his wifes humanitarian efforts though :)
-Eleazar
htp://www.blogazar.com
Yuck! Those are hideous!
Stick to making movies, Brad...
that some ugly furniture! I'm very surprised.
I'm amazed at how awful they are...
That is a VERY electic taste in furniture. I don' t think that if I was a millionaire would I feel the need to purchase a $293k table... especially if it looked like that!
Michelle
http://parttimetherapy.blogspot.com/
Tacky
i don't know what's more tacky: that furniture or the purchase of it. it drives me nuts when 'champions of poverty' live in such blatant excess. it's like a diet guru opening an all-you-can-eat buffet. it's not consistent.
Wow...once again...you can have all the money in the world but it does not buy style or good taste.
Aw. Poor Angelina - as pregnant as she is, she doesn't need this to stress about.
I disagree with the above comments. I actually love the unique shape of the table...I'm not in love with the lamp or chairs, but c'mon...the table is great!
sarahrice: well said. I completely agree...
Right on, sarahrice.
Well let's hope the twins plus the rest of the brood don't get into all those nooks and crevices of the table, playing hide-n-seek and knock over and break that d*mn expen$ive table!
Yuck. Too cold and hard looking.
Huh, I'm in the minority - I like the table a lot. It's functional art - it's like a marble mold of very classic table shapes. Is it worth $300k... well that's another story.
Do people who buy this stuff really LIKE it??? Or do they just like how expensive it is?
It's hideous, and the thought of spending that kind of money on a table makes me want to barf.
That lamp is so terrible.
I love the lamp and chairs. Reminds me of Diego Giacometti.
Also the Table is interesting - negative/positive space trick going on.
somehow the thought of brad pitt out shopping for lamps, art or not, is really unsexy to me.
disgusting.
Perhaps everyone should read the post on Limited-Edition furniture and Design-Art...
Does he live in a creepy, 80's bachelor pad? Looks like it.
Stick to making movies, Brad... posted by bepsf
Um...as opposed to professional furniture buying? I don't get it. Anyway...
I saw the table at the MoMA's permanent collection. The craft and the ability to create such a piece is quite amazing.
Would it make you happier if he shopped at Ikea? Ethan Allen? The world will never be happy.
In response to posted by sarahrice:
Would you rather he support a big box retailer? This isn't about blatant excess but is about appreciating and supporting the artist/craftsman behind the craft.
He gives so much of his money, but more importantly, his time. He is allowed to enjoy a lifestyle he can afford. Shame on you all for judging someone you know so little about and sharing in the hypocrisy you all are guilty of. When was the last time any of you donated your time and money? Hats off if you have.
Not a huge fan of the lamp but I can sort of understand the allure of the table - not necessarily the price but the concept.
Keep in mind this was at Art Basel and not some random furniture store. In the end, these are pieces of art. A whole different set of rules applies when you factor in the conceptual and artistic aspects of these items - particularly in the heightened environment of Art Basel.
Pitt's been a huge supporter of architectural restoration and contemporary design. Just because you don't like his taste is no reason to slag the guy.
But....judging people is so much fun.
:-(
Aww, look - the Pottery Barn clique saw some contemporary design and got itself all befuddled. Isn't that just the cutest thing ever?
I suppose he should have picked up a Saarinen marble table and maybe an Eames lounge chair from DWR?
I happen to have seen this table in person, as would anyone who knows anything about contemporary design, and it's absolutely fabulous, thank you very much. The picture of the chairs is too small for me to tell, but they look interesting - not unlike some of the stuff Moss or The Future Perfect might carry.
I'll give you that the lamp is generally retarded, but that's the smallest and cheapest piece of the three. So get some perspective, people.
Would any of you say these things to another person's face?
The commenting here is so rude. If you hate the pieces, that's one thing, but the personal attacks that accompany the comments are just wrong.
Honestly, I don't care about celebrities, but I think that the tone and approach people take when they comment from the anonymity they enjoy behind their computer screens says a lot about who they are in their hearts and souls rather than who they present themselves to be in a controlled, social situation.
The pieces shown here are obviously works of art and not intended as run-of-the-mill furniture. Pitt is designing an eco-friendly hotel somewhere (Dubai?) and I'm guessing these pieces may end up there. The setting they end up in will probably have an impact on how they are viewed and I'd bet they will look fine as art displayed in a semi-public place. He's supporting artists and that's a good thing whether you like the art or not.
FOAM AND FIBERGLASS?
ummhhh
Compare and contrast:
"It weights about 110 tons, Bruno calculated. It is tempting to think with rising steel prices the âunbuiltâ value â the actual material â could exceed the value of the project as a piece of art. 110 tons of steel however equals even with todayâs price only about 30.000 dollars. A car is more expensive than that."
http://www.eikongraphia.com/?p=2016
Thanks for the link TRUE BLUE - that's amazing!
I actually quite like the table... the lamp I find a little creepy, but if the table was affordable I'd totally have it my home.
That table is spectacular.
I wish I had more pictures of that table so I could see it better, because one of the things I liked about it (based on what I could see) was how those overtly sculpted, artificial furniture silhouettes, when melding into each other, create these soft, organic curves, as if water or wind had worn through the stone.
Even excluding the price, I don't think I would want to use this as a piece of furniture. If I had all kinds of space to display sculputre, though, this would be on my list.
The other pieces--that lamp and the chairs--don't really appeal to me.
I think they have quite discriminating taste - I have been lusting after that "table" for quite some time. They are also avid collectors of Banksy, whom I adore.
Please don't consider these to be pieces of furniture, but as pieces of art instead. This is the reason they were sold at Art Basel and not Room and Board. Art isn't meant to be pleasing to everyone.
I adore the table too! While the chair and lamp aren't my style, I appreciate them as works of art. I think the thing that a lot of people here are misunderstanding is that I don't think these are meant to be fully functional pieces of furniture, but rather as pieces of sculptural modern art.
I LOVE the family lamp!
It looks like papier mache!
He should just stick to his acti....oh wait, he can't really do that either.
Uh, it looks like all the furniture in BeetleJuice.
This is exactly why men need women.