Objects of Desire

The Wick - Alexander Calder, Untitled [Red Cloud] (1970), lithograph

Objects Alexander Calder, Untitled [Red Cloud] (1970), lithograph

Drawings in space. Primarily known for his mobile sculptures – iconic all over the world – Alexander Calder captures that same energy of lightness and colour in lithographs and prints created throughout his career. Echoing the cut-outs from Matisse’s ‘painting with scissors’ phase, ‘Red Cloud’ – though completed in 1970 – is a deeply modernist celebration of shape and form. Though such examples of Calder’s oeuvre are lesser known than his kinetic works, they sing just as brightly – and are (for the moment) a fraction of the price.

‘Red Cloud’ is currently on offer with Phillips’ Editions & Works on Paper sale, ending 20 April.

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The Wick - Objects Major Arcana: Leonora Carrington

Objects Major Arcana: Leonora Carrington

Magic box. This wondrous deck of 22 tarot cards by surrealist Leonora Carrington was only discovered in 2018, ahead of the artist’s retrospective in her native Mexico. Drawing inspiration from the Tarot of Marseille and the popular Waite-Smith deck, Carrington brings her own approach to the Major Arcana. Each card bears iconic designs rendered in bright colours and gold and silver leaf – characteristic of the alluring, otherworldly imagery that has seen the artist’s work celebrated in recent decades.

For scholars, they provide a fascinating insight into the themes of Occultism that pervade her work. For fans of the artist, they’re a chance to be drawn deeper into the mystic realms of her paintings. We’re under the spell.

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The Wick - Objects Abstract Turquoise Backgammon Set

Objects Abstract Turquoise Backgammon Set

Bringing sexy back(gammon). Alexandra Llewellyn has distinguished herself as a designer of luxurious, hand-crafted board games, turning a rainy afternoon of play into an elegant experience – and her Abstract Backgammon set is a sure pièce de résistance. This slick new design dusts down the old and brings a fresh new look to the time-honoured game, through a revitalising combination of colour and geometry. Crafted by a quality combination of sycamore, walnut and maple wood, it glows with the opulence of an Art Deco style. Leisure activity or objet d’art – it’s all to play for.

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The Wick - Love Handles Vase by Anissa Kermiche

Objects Anissa Kermiche, Love Handles ceramic vase

Crafty curves. Anissa Kermiche is a French-Algerian designer whose work brings a lively infusion of art to the domestic, as evidenced in this fun, flower-bearing form. Naturally speckled and crafted from ceramic in Portugal, the Love Handles vase brings a nice touch of ‘cheek’ to all corners of the house and is available in variety of finishes including black matte (pictured). Inspired by the iconic, robust works of Constantin Brâncusi – the patriarch of modern sculpture – Kermiche’s piece is all woman, celebrating individuality and naturalism in the female body. Bouquet or not, this piece blooms: full of sensuality and statement, the hips don’t lie.

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The Wick - Half-Pint T-Shirt, Script x Charming Baker

Fashion Half-Pint T-shirt, Charming Baker x Script collaboration

Apparel artworks. New art-fashion brand Script are launching their first range of wearable collectables – and their first release sees a collaboration with British contemporary artist Charming Baker. Available from 6 April 2021, the artist has worked with the brand to create a t-shirt featuring a version of his iconic Half-Pint print, first painted 15 years ago of his child wearing a panda mask.

Script has been founded by American entrepreneur and collector Eric Perlman with a desire to enrich our daily lives with art. As the art world migrates further into the digital depths of virtual galleries and NFTs, this LA-based brand – which plans to unveil further collaborative offerings in future – promises to reignite our physical and tactile experience of art in a unique way.

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The Wick - Yinka Lori, ERE Cushion

Design Yinka Ilori, ERE Cushion

Hot patterns. Yinka Ilori’s ERE cushion captures all the signature qualities of the multidisciplinary artist’s style. A bold burst of high-octane geometry, his work fuses elements of his British and Nigerian heritage to create contemporary designs rich in warmth, colour and vibrance. Winner of the London Design Festival’s Emerging Design prize and designer of the 2019 Dulwich Pavilion, Ilori’s new cushion cover now brings the sunshine indoors whatever the weather.

Referencing the fabrics of his childhood, Ilori’s ERE cushion uses a jacquard technique to weave an abstract pattern into the fabric itself, resulting in a soft, smooth, but also hardwearing surface. These are colours to cosy up to.

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The Wick - François-Xavier Lalanne, Mouton de Laine, (designed c.1965, executed 2000)

Art Mouton de Laine, François-Xavier Lalanne (designed c.1965, executed 2000)

François-Xavier Lalanne’s iconic ‘moutons de laines’ lend a touch of spring all year around. His fluffy faux livestock were first created in the 1960s for the Parisian apartment he shared with his artist wife, Claude. They were subsequently displayed in the entrance to the Palais de Tokyo’s salon entrance hall, since which they have become recognised as the artist’s signature work.

Over the decades, Lalanne’s sheep sculptures have been variously commissioned by such eminent figures as Yves Saint Laurent co-founder Pierre Bergé, architect Peter Marino and garden designer Madison Cox. ‘Having a sheep in your living room, as opposed to an armchair or a wood bench, is just pure fun,’ Cox described. But their whimsical appeal costs dearly: in 2011, a group of ten sheep sold for just under $7.5 million at Christie’s.

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The Wick - Winter pot, Edmund de Waal

Objects Winter pot, Edmund de Waal

Minimal and monochrome, Edmund de Waal’s latest ceramics emit a meditative calm. Made during the lockdown of 2020, each one captures the silent introspection that characterised the maker’s experience of that period. De Waal was inspired by two Chinese bowls from the Song Dynasty in his studio, both of which had been mended using the Japanese art of Kintsugi – the art of marking loss and repair – reflected herein the use of lead, gold, and red pigment.

This work was exhibited recently as part of De Waal’s ‘some winter pots’ show at Gagosian Davies Street. Though only viewable through a window from the street, their tactility still resonated at a distance.

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The Wick - Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012, Yayoi Kusama

Initiatives Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012, Yayoi Kusama

Champagne bubbles, polka dot style. This new and exclusive Veuve Clicquot bottle brings together two ‘grand dames’ to create the art of good living: the pioneering Madame Clicquot – the first woman to run a champagne house – and the incomparable Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama, known world-over for her unique designs. This collaboration has its roots in 2006, when Kusama reimagined a traditional painting of Madame Clicquot. This limited-edition design unites their creative vision together once more for a bottle that sparkles with renewed effervescence. Didier Mariotti, the house’s Cellar Master has described it as ‘playful, lively, laughing’: we can already hear the sound of corks popping.

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