California Design at Auckland Art Gallery

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On Tuesday night I trotted off to the Auckland Art Gallery for one of their Open Late evenings for the California Design exhibition which is on currently. The exhibition had previously caught my eye because it almost sounded more like a museum exhibition than an art one. The event was really lovely and I’d definitely recommend heading along to the next one.

 

The exhibition itself is brilliant. It’s a complete exposition of all aspects of life from midcentury California. It features furniture, architecture, fashion, home wares, textiles and graphic design. Anything that was designed in any way. It is such an informative exhibition, very thorough and intelligent.

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It was a time of massive growth in California, jobs were abundant and housing projects sprawled through previously undeveloped areas. A lot of what California is today is because of the growth of that time. This exhibition captures that really well. One thing I hadn’t fully appreciated was the prominence of the atom and atomic energy in so many elements of design. It even pops up in room dividers.

 

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We were treated to a speech by Benny Castles from WORLD who chose to talk about the Eames Elephant. He gave a very informative but accessible speech about Ray & Charles Eames. He talked about their love of the circus and the sense of play they brought to everything they designed. Castles said he hoped that this exhibition could help people push away ideas of how or what art ‘should’ be. I think it does that.

 

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The Circling Sun played some very cool jazz in the atrium after Benny had finished. The space was filled with people relaxing on bean bags and benches, having a drink and eating some yummy food. There is a themed menu accompanying the exhibition featuring Sloppy Joes and Pumpkin Cheesecake and other American fare. The menu is available in the cafe for the duration of the exhibition and it’s also being served at the the Open Late Events.

 

This is a great mid-week event. Tickets are $20, which is only $5 more than the exhibition on its own. It’s lovely being able to go to the Gallery at night time and is a great option for something to do on a Tuesday night. The next Open Late is on 20th August and it’s going to be great- Kate Sylvester is speaking and Sal Valentine and the Babyshakes are playing and they always bring the noise.

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