You can't stop Jonathan. With a huge booth, Jonathan Adler is a commanding presence at the show. New items? He's introducing new pillows in sort of grandma-goes-to-miami colors as well as a new Buddha lamp that is okay.
All of the stuff that you see here will be out soon. While we aren't crazy about the design direction, we can't help but continue to admire the chutzpa and originality that is unfolding before our eyes.
Chutzpah - definitely!
Pushing the envelope on kitsch - yes;
Aesthetically satisfying - not particularly;
Could I live with 90% of it - no way.
Oh my. All bunched together it looks like my great aunt's garage sale. How much is he charging for those thrift store finds?
There's no denying that JA is/has been one of the more prominent, vital and influential forces in contemporary home accessory design. He's a great designer with an intuitive sense of "hip" and an even greater marketing/licensing sense. But has he jumped the shark? Yeah, I think so. He may have created a niche-market and expanded it. But creatively, his newer work doesn't seem as commercial and mass-appeal. (Maybe he's playing to his original niche-market?) I guess that's not a bad thing for JA purists. (PS I still love my "couture" Aorta vase! So, don't call me a hater.)
I still like his stuff, and don't think this new stuff is all that much a deviation from his own vibe. I could do without the chainstitch Liza and Halston pillows, but could see where they could work.
I think anybody exhibiting ALL their work (here or in a store) runs the risk of it coming across as junked-up overload. But I could see many pieces here used as the lone JA accent in a room and having it not yield an overkill Alder-esque result.
Of course, that wouldn't be in synch with his "More is More" philospohy, but as a retailer, can you blame him?
Enrique -- I never could understand his wide appeal in the first place. I've always thought of him predominantly as a niche designer who has successfully marketed and grown his niche. I think his ability to market far surpasses his quality of design. But I commend his chutzpah, especially because I think much of his direction now is downright silly and unappealing. I pass one of his shops every day and try as I do, I don't get it. Undoubtedly, I am just too unhip, because those fish lamps, come on, and those horse and hippo chatchkes??? Maybe for the futuristic collectibles flea market. Sorry, I don't get it.
Barbara--I "get it" less and less these days. BUT his diffusion lines for Croscill (at Bed Bath and Beyond) and Crate & Barrel kind of rock hard for me! Those product lines are less edgy and don't make as much of a statement as his newer signature pieces. Patrick is right. Getting through the "more is more" merchandising of his stores is key to finding the right accent pieces.
Patrick--I was thinking that the needlepoint Halston and Liza pillows were kind of cool! On a related note, wouldn't it be cool to see a reality show developed around Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan? They are so gloriously camp and over-the-top. "Mary" this and "Mary that, etc. I love their old-school gay affectations. Very "Boys in the Band" without apologies or the pathos. (But I love my queens...)
E--
I could totally see those pillows working somewhere.
I like the Studio 54 pillows more as art than as decorative pillows, if that makes any sense.
Is that Halston? I thought it was Robert Evans.
I like the Liza pillows...I like Adler's stuff but it is so pricey....
I never got the whole Adler thing. His earlier pottery in particular seemed to be a complete rip off of the mid-century aesthetic. Seems to be very skilled at marketing and appropriating the best of kitsch and pop culture. A great designer? More like a good curator.
I agree with you, ogma. Appropriating can place you at the top of retail and marketing, but great design, no way. Anyhow, Adler's made it as a leader in the campy world and he's completely hooked in, but as a designer overall it's a stretch to think he will leave his mark anywhere else. Unlike enrique, I don't love the queens, but as Adler would say, c'est la vie.
Appropriation isn't necessarily a bad thing. Quentin Tarantino has built up a pretty reputable body of work through appropriation. And is there any thought, idea or notion that is truly original these days anyway? (Okay, off-topic. Sorry.)
As ubiquitous as Jonathan Adler designs--and products that knock it off--are, I have to disagree with you, Barbara. His influence has made its mark. Why else do we see so many Adler-esque rip-offs? You find Adler pieces in every third sitcom or talk show set in "the big city." (It's almost as if set designers use his pieces as visual shorthand to signify "hip" or "urban.")
In my mind, he could possibly achieve future iconic status--if nothing else, as a design date-stamp for the years 1998-2008. Just because you don't care for his style, that's no reason to discount his achievements and successes.
And PS... My assessment of Adler's work and abilities has nothing to do with his (or his lover's) camp lifestyle. So, don't get it twisted. Mary.
I just think JA's incredibly over-rated.
Those pillows look mid-century Scandinavian to me. I've seen hundreds of them at home and in homes in Norway.
Love Jonathan Adler. Love Buddha. Hate the lamp.
I love him. =) His stuff speaks to my soul. I love it together or apart. It's about time we got some boldness going on.