David Cruz
Adam Blackman and David Cruz officially embarked on their venture, Blackman Cruz, in 1993; in the three decades since, they have created—and helped create—countless worlds, purveying objects of beauty and curiosity (dare we say magic?) culled from around the world. Operating from Los Angeles, the pair first showed their wares in a West Hollywood showroom on La Cienega and, in 2007, moved into their current home on Highland Avenue—an expansive space that was formerly the infamous gay nightclub Probe, known not least for basically playing itself in American Gigolo.
If discussing patina and provenance over a once booze-soaked bar seems incongruous, one might argue that such incongruity is characteristic of both Los Angeles and Blackman Cruz. At the center of the “dream factory,” worlds collide—and collision is perhaps what Blackman and Cruz do best. The pair’s “odd couple partnership,” as the New York Times put it, is the force behind an aesthetic sense that is delightfully difficult to pigeonhole. As the title of their recently released book Beauty & Mischief: The Design Alchemy of Blackman Cruz suggests, Blackman Cruz’s eye together encompasses the serious, sexy, and silly, and the myriad permutations therein. You might find, as one does in this auction, a stunning 1902 Carlo Bugatti chair (itself a treatise on material alchemy) next to an antique drum-playing rabbit automaton (restored to working order by an aerospace engineer), or a painstakingly beaded papoose from Borneo alongside an iconic mid-century modern sofa by Poul Kjærjolm, or a softly glowing snake lamp by Frank Gehry. Or impossibly elegant Gazelle lounges by Dan Johnson, or...Or. Or. Or.
Significantly and much to their credit, Blackman and Cruz have not shied away from certain elements of the archetypal curiosity shop. “We’re merchants,” their website declares. “We sell life enhancers.” In leaning into the longstanding lineage of rarity-purveyors, they show that they recognize the preciousness of curiosity itself—and the adjacent elements of surprise and fantasy. They let themselves be led by the search, and the excitement of the find is gleefully passed to their audience. That said, there are certain figures who serve as touchstones for the pair, designers whose sensibilities mesh well with Blackman Cruz’s vision: Bugatti is among them, as well as Pepe Mendoza and Arturo Pani, both from Mexico City and featured amply in the collection offered here. And then there is the Blackman Cruz Workshop, founded in 1998 by Blackman, Cruz, and creative director Lika Moore, offering limited edition lighting and furniture; among the works selected here are two metalworked lamps by Moore and the uncannily “dripping” Leary marble table.
Design is typically a studied thing, where precision takes precedence. Blackman Cruz breathes a little refreshing chaos into the discipline, finding a comfortable perch amidst a multiplicity of exciting tensions: ancient and contemporary, scientific and spiritual, restrained and resplendent. In our era of ubiquitous quantification and optimization, Blackman Cruz extends an invitation to not be afraid of what draws us in—even if it can’t be named or measured. In other words, to revel in the possibilities of enchantment.
William Spratling 1900–1967
William Spratling was born to an Alabama-bred father and a New England mother in 1900 in Upstate New York. In 1917, after dealing with several deaths in his family and personal upheaval, Spratling enrolled at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama. Quickly demonstrating a talent for technical and perspective drawing, Spratling would eventually lecture as an undergraduate in architecture courses. He went on to attain a position at Auburn as an instructor in architecture without acquiring a degree. Spratling moved to New Orleans in 1921, becoming an associate professor of architecture at Tulane University.
A turning point in Spratling's life occurred when he visited Mexico for the first time in 1926. He returned for summers over the next several years and, in 1929, moved there and became active in the artistic community. At first, Spratling spent his time promoting the art of Diego Rivera among New York galleries. This led to his participation in the first exhibition of Mexican art held in the United States. The exhibit was funded by the Carnegie Institute and opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
In 1931, Dwight Morrow, the United States Ambassador to Mexico, suggested that Spratling install a craft center in Taxco, which had been the site of silver mines for centuries. Spratling hired an experienced goldsmith to create silver jewelry of Spratling’s design. Other artisans joined this shop and produced tin wares, copper items, textiles, and furniture, all designed by Spratling. The shop was so successful that, in 1935, the artists moved to a larger space, which Spratling called "Taller de las Delicias" ("Delights Workshop"). There was overwhelming enthusiasm for Spratling's jewelry designs and his holloware. By 1941, he had 120 employees and was selling silver not only in Mexico, but also in America to Neiman-Marcus, Bonwit Teller, Saks Fifth Avenue, and others. In 1944, Spratling's company, now called Spratling y Artesanos S.A., moved to an even larger space. Approximately 400 workers were involved in the production of Spratling Silver.
Given his poor business acumen, Spratling resigned in 1945 and the company dissolved soon thereafter. Spratling then moved to a ranch he had purchased in Taxco-el-Viejo and, in 1947, he formed a new silver workshop called William Spratling S.A. He reduced his production significantly from the levels of the early/mid-1940s and his designs became simpler and more refined. Although disappointed by his lack of financial success, Spratling's stylistic influence and fame endure. Throughout Mexico, he is still considered "The Father of Mexican Silver." Spratling died in a car accident on August 7, 1967 just outside Taxco.
Auction Results William Spratling
