James Claude and Miguel Angel Linares, owners of a La MOD in Palm Springs, have been in the design business for some 20 years. What they started as a high-end vintage consignment shop has evolved into a hub of eclectic, artisanal furnishings and artwork, amplifying a focus on objects that celebrate history and its influence on the contemporary sphere.
At a La MOD you will find treasures from the design studios of Karl Springer, Arthur Elrod, Steve Chase, Peter Danko, and Brent Bennett. Conversation pieces like these, spanning all design movements of the 20th century, take over the Palm Springs Convention Center Feb. 15–18 (during Modernism Week) as 85 national and international dealers exhibit at the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale. More than an opportunity to encounter the iconic objects in person, it is a chance to shop alongside collectors and head home with a score.
Claude and Linares have participated in the Modernism Show & Sale for seven years, and they are intentional about the items they exhibit. “It needs to be something they haven’t seen, not even at our store,” Claude says. “We take it very seriously, and we never repeat ourselves.”
Last year they dedicated their booth to the visionary Charles Hollis Jones and featured a stunning acrylic canopy bed as the centerpiece. Jones attended the show. “He’s not only a furniture designer, he’s a true artist,” Claude intones. “His works are sculptural. We sell newer one-off pieces from Jones, but the work is very much in his iconic style.”
This year, the pair’s focus turns to Marsha Runstadler glass sculptures from the 1980s. Linares points out one that is part of a signed, limited-edition collection, noting that the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento is currently displaying another piece from that series. “She was actually referred to us by Charles Hollis Jones,” Linares says. They are also bringing a one-of-a-kind Robert Herzog carved desk with its main chair and two guest chairs. “It’s a star piece this year,” Claude enthuses. “I had never heard of this designer, and now I’m obsessed.”
Buyers come from all over the world, Linares says, because “you are guaranteed to see something you’ve never seen before.”
Weekend admission to the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale is $20 with in-and-out privileges, and tickets include access to the on-site Palm Springs Modern Design Expo. The opening night gala, Feb. 15, requires a separate ticket. For details and passes, visit palmspringsmodernism.com.
Left: Miguel Angel Linares and James Claude of a La MOD.
SHOW AND TELL
Regular participants give us the scoop
on their Show & Sale offerings.
1
OFF THE WALL ANTIQUES,
LOS ANGELES
Dennis Boses: “We are planning to bring an 11-foot stainless steel wall sculpture made by Rafe Affleck for Ambassador College in Pasadena in 1968. Also a leather and silk amorphic Vladimir Kagan sofa; a totally uninspiring mahogany cabinet that magically opens to reveal the most exciting Prohibition bar of the 1930s; original neon American roadside art; and additional treasures of the 20th century.”
2
PALM SPRINGS ART +
DESIGN GALLERY
Betty Koren: “This show will be our 15th! I will be bringing lots of color. Vladimir Kagan chairs in tangerine, a peacock Ligne Roset sofa, and colorful abstract paintings.”
3
RED, PHOENIX
Jonathan Wayne: “We are going to bring a Vladimir Kagan sofa, a one-off desk and one-off room divider by Arizona craftsman Allen Ditson, four paintings by Shiro Ikegawa, fiber
art by Marianne Childress, and a custom dining set by Aldo Tura. We have been doing the show since its inception!”
4
ARCHIVE 20TH CENTURY, COSTA MESA
Nick Batchhelder: “We [have participated] in the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale since 2011. This year, we will be showing postmodern furniture in a natural color palette along with California modern ceramic pottery and lighting from the 20th century.”