LSSAA on the Cover of ELLE DECOR
March 15, 2022
We are excited to announce that our client’s project was selected for the cover of ELLE DECOR‘s annual Art Issue. Over the past 6 years we have had the pleasure of working closely with these two philanthropic clients. And now, we are thrilled to share this incredible collection of contemporary masterpieces. The underlying principle of this collection is a deep rooted support of contemporary artists with global appeal and reach.
From the beginning, our clients took the time to let us guide them through the ins and outs of the art world, traveling to the major international art fairs, biennials and museum exhibitions. They built a thorough understanding of contemporary art before we came up with their focus list of artists. This list has continued to organically evolve as their tastes have become more educated and sophisticated. In the initial stages, we were focused on Minimalism and the Light and Space movement, a beautiful foundation for their collection that has guided how they select artists of the next generation. Following the LSSAA ethos, we analyze each artist’s potential based on their gallery support, critical and curatorial attention and secondary market strength. The next step is finding the best example of that artist’s work for our clients.
As collaboration is one of our core principles, it was so fulfilling curating this home with the infinitely talented interior designer Nicole Hollis and Bay Area architect Stephen Willrich. Organic and clean architectural lines flow throughout the house, meeting seamlessly with Hollis’ signature, bold aesthetic. It’s a pairing that beautifully emphasizes the client’s artwork, letting each piece have its own space to shine.
Install view of Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin (L), 2016. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photography by Douglas Friedman.
The Foyer | Yayoi Kusama
Perfectly nestled in the Guggenheim inspired main staircase is our favorite ‘art moment’ of the whole project — this sumptuous bronze pumpkin by the global sensation Yayoi Kusama. We love how Kusama’s iconic polka dots mesh with the organic form of this sculpture, connecting the foyer of this home with the natural world just outside the front door.
Install view of Wolfgang Tillmans, Paper Drop (Friend), 2007. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photography by Douglas Friedman.
The Primary Bedroom | Wolfgang Tillmans
No collection of contemporary photography is complete without Wolfgang Tillmans. One of our favorite series is his Paper Drops works, where images of photographic paper are folded back on itself in a teardrop shape. The gracefulness of Tillmans’ composition is perfectly suited to the client’s bedroom oasis.
Install view of Doug Aikten, I’ll be right back…: Aperture series, 2019. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photography by Douglas Friedman.
The Library | Doug Aitken
California multimedia artist Doug Aitken brings an unexpected element of fun to this bold library with his signature medium, the lightbox. For more than 20 years, Doug Aitken’s practice has challenged the structure of our image-saturated society with his unique immersive aesthetic that blends photography, text and light.
Install view of Keith Haring, Untitled, 1989. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photograph by LSS Art Advisory.
The Dining Room | Keith Haring
As art advisors, we find it particularly fulfilling when our collectors have both a great eye and concern for the conceptual practice of an artist. So, when we found this sophisticated and minimal work on paper by American street artist and social activist Keith Haring , it felt like a perfect match for our clients. The tonality of Nicole Hollis’ custom wall allow Haring’s white forms to stand out and sing in this space.
Install view of Donald Judd, Untitled, 1991. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photography by Douglas Friedman.
The Dining Room | Donald Judd
Given that this collection began with a love of Minimalism, it was very important to acquire a powerful work by the progenitor of the movement, American artist Donald Judd. This iconic red “stack” work is emblematic of his commitment to using repeated forms to explore space and how it can be used. By placing this work in an intimate corner of the dining room, it allows for a quiet moment of appreciation.
Install view of Lorna Simpson. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photography by Douglas Friedman.
The Stairwell | Lorna Simpson
In 2019 the acclaimed artist Lorna Simpson opened her first exhibition with Hauser & Wirth with a suite of new, large-scale paintings inspired by the arctic landscape and theories on color, race and identity. The clients were immediately drawn to the announcement painting and we were able to secure it for their collection. Coming up the main stairwell, we thought it was important to place a complex work that you continue to contemplate and peel back the layers as you are ascending the steps.
Install view of Fred Eversley, Untitled (parabolic lens), (1969), 2018 | George Condo, Contemplation (1), 2020. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photograph by LSS Art Advisory.
The Landing | Fred Eversley & George Condo
When curating this landing it was important to create visual contrast around Rick Owen‘s iconic bench. We achieved this by pairing the minimalism of Fred Eversley‘s Parabolic Lens with the vivacious lines of George Condo‘s painting.
Install view of Josef Albers, Homage to the Square: Zwischen Zwe Blau (Between two Blues) 1955 | Richard Prince, Untitled, 2010. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photography by Douglas Friedman.
The Livingroom | Josef Albers & Richard Prince
Our clients have long been interested in media and advertising and were drawn to the work of Richard Prince, an artist known for pioneering the use of appropriated imagery. After a long search, we secured this piece which combines the Joke series and Prince’s iconic Marlborough Cowboy imagery with the elegant collaged background.
Install view of Olafur Eliasson, Share your Solar System, 2016. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photography by Douglas Friedman.
The Living Room | Olafur Eliasson
Scandinavian artist, Olafur Eliasson, brings a refined minimalism and environmental justice to his art practice. The sculptural work above features twelve glass crystal spheres hung upon a wall in a circular formation, which are reminiscent of an astrological model. We are fans of how this work interacts with light through out the day to day movements in the space. There’s nothing quite like placing an artwork that will be activated by its surroundings.
Install view of Mary Weatherford, Over the Golden Gate, 2018. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photography by Douglas Friedman.
The Entertainment Room | Mary Weatherford
A wonderful element of this collection is the wide range of mediums, it makes an even bigger impact on the viewer. This work by Mary Weatherford goes beyond the typical two-dimensional abstract paintings by adding a slash of her signature neon across the front of canvas. We love how she breaks with the traditions of American Abstraction in her work. It’s exciting when a collection includes artworks that play with or subvert established practices and conventions of art. Plus, neon always has a little bit of that wow factor.
Install view of Mark Grotjahn, Untitled (Cream Butterfly) 514, 2004. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photography by Douglas Friedman.
The Second Bedroom | Mark Grotjahn
When thinking about where to place the works in an art collection no space should be off limits, which is why we were so thrilled that the final touch to the design of this kid’s room are the dynamic lines of Mark Grotjahn‘s work. Best known for his ongoing investigation of perspective, Grotjahn combines gesture and geometry reflecting a range of art-historical influences from Russian Constructivism to Op Art.
Install view of Carol Bove, All-Pervasive Boredom, 2021 | Mark Bradford, Red Painting, 2009. Interior Design by Nicole Hollis, photograph by LSS Art Advisory.
The Living Room | Mark Bradford
Bringing this 12 foot long Mark Bradford painting into the living room involved a tractor trailer truck and crane, but the result was worth every obstacle. We love how this large-scale work fills the wall but has space to breathe without dominating the chic minimal design of the room. Here Bradford has incorporated half-hidden networks of nylon rope, which fracture the field of white and red paint, occasionally revealing the collaged paper beneath. Bradford is acclaimed for this unique artistic language, known as “social abstraction”, which is not only rooted in his experiences growing up in Los Angeles, but uses the flyers and materials found on the streets of his hometown.