Lasting from January 13th to January 17th at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, the fair kicked off with a special preview gala benefitting the new SFMOMA that just opened this May. In a night filled with exquisite culinary creations, cocktails, and music, we were able to get a first glimpse at the presentations of the 43 dealers and galleries that showed off their most unique works. Follow us as we take you through the five top themes that we found most inspiring.

Once inside the spacious pavilion, it became clear that the fair would be a living example of how the lines between art and design can be blurred. Whether it’s a sculpture, a piece of furniture, or a mixed media creation, the pieces are meant to be lived with and were created with the goal of becoming part of our daily lives.

One of the first things that jumped out at us was all of the incredible vintage pieces that galleries from across the country were showing off. Intentionally mixed in with both new and one-of-a-kind items, these timeless pieces perfectly fit in the mix while still upholding the eras they came from.

Iconic Vintage Finds

Presented by NYC-based showroom R & Company, a bright yellow geometric dining table was one of the first pieces to catch our eye. Designed by Brazilian modernist Joaquim Tenreiro in 1958, the bottom of the six-sided glass top is painted with a bold yellow hue. Supported by black iron legs, the form of the table was created with a jacaranda frame, a natural wood material that’s often seen in Brazilian furniture design. Known as one of the pioneers of modernist Brazilian furniture making, Tenreiro was vital in creating a new formal language for 20th-century Brazilian furniture design and was one of the first of his peers to use repurposed raw materials.

Based in New York and focusing on the intersection of design, art, and architecture, Demisch Danant gallery showed off their collection of works by the iconic French designer, Pierre Paulin. As one of the most influential designers of the 20th century, Paulin’s quirky and memorable work lived closely in line with the cultural times of the ‘60s. One of the pieces displayed at the fair was his Mushroom Sofa, a close relative to his notorious Mushroom Chair. Also featured in a rich eggplant tone, was his limited edition Chaise à Palmette chair, manufactured by Ségransan in 1981.

Geometric Play

Throughout the fair, we spotted a few examples of creations based around an interesting and playful utilization of shapes, one being the Joaquim Tenreiro dining table as previously discussed. However, our favorite contemporary example of this was the Identity Check kaleidoscope mirror series by David Fox and Chris Stone of Stonefox Architects. Part of Salon 94’s curation, the 3D nature of the sharply jointed mirrors reflected multiple angles throughout the space, creating a psychedelic effect. The partners behind the architectural firm prove how the collision of art, product design, and architecture can have explosive results.

Natural Elements

Though artists and designers often turn towards nature for inspiration, it’s not everyday that the results are strikingly literal. Case in point, acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid’s Liquid Glacial series is directly influenced by the natural movement and formation of ice. Shown by the London-based David Gill Gallery, the collection includes tables, chairs, and stools, all formed from acrylic that’s milled and hand polished to perfection.

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Also referencing the unique surface of a natural material, was Alex Rasmussen’s Lunar Console Table, presented by Edward Cella Art & Architecture. This mysterious console made entirely of anodized aluminum, is one of Rasmussen’s limited edition functional works where he has experimented with manufacturing processes to create innovative aluminum textures. Inspired by the experimental blue works of French post-war artist Yves Klein, Rasmussen manipulated a satellite image of the moon to create a loose interpretation of its surface. In order to keep it from feeling too literal, he used a high-tech digital program that took a compressed version of the image and converted it into a texture that was then applied to the surface.

Whimsical Creations

Throughout the fair, we couldn’t help notice the endless personality that radiated from each and every booth. Some more serious than others, a large amount of work stood out to us as being clever and playful. At the presentation of San Francisco-based gallery Lebreton, we spotted this brushed-aluminum bird table by Francois-Xavier Lalanne, titled Oiseau d'Argent. Take a closer look and you’ll notice that the wings fold down and the beak works as a light. Now, that’s what we call a conversation starter.

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Though the next find is quite different from the Lalanne piece, they both take cues from animal forms and brought smiles to our faces. Available at R & Company, Renate Müller’s Therapeutic Toy Magic Horses are part sculptures, part toys, part therapeutic tools. Based out of Germany, Müller creates these beauties with the goal of helping mentally and physically handicapped children develop their balance, coordination, and senses.

Woodworking Craze

The final trend that radiated throughout the space was a clear focus on woodworking and how the art form has developed over the years. Part of an agenda of intriguing talks and films, the teams at FOG and Reform Gallery put together a panel discussion about how the craft has been engraved into California's creative scene. Titled, Visionary Wood: Northern California’s Woodworking Renaissance, 1970-1979, it took a personal look into the artistic landscape of the time and how local craftsmen embarked on a journey that was deeply influenced by a developing radical culture. Sculptors including J. B. Blunk, Robert Strini, and John Bauer, were suddenly free to explore their art form in the way they saw fit, rather than being held down by cultural expectations.

The panelists included Strini, Bauer, Gerard O’Brien of Reform Gallery, René de Guzman from the Oakland Museum of California, and Mariah Nielson, Blunk’s daughter and curator of his estate. Nielson thoughtfully explained how the '70s was a freeing time for artists like her father, when they were no longer pressured to fit into set categories as artists. As to be expected, the work of these craftsmen lived closely in line with the natural landscape of California, and has become a cherished part of the local history.

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Meet Our Judges for the 2020 Dwell Design Awards