California Preservation Foundation - Millard Sheets and Home … · 2 A Focus on Modernism: Design...

Millard Sheets and Home Savings: Mid-Century Modern Corporate Art

and Urban Identity for Southern California and Beyond

• Adam Arenson, Manhattan College • http://adamarenson.com/homesavingsbankart

• Introduction: The Story • Precedents: Before The Story • Creating the Millard Sheets Studio, Creating

the Home Savings Style • In Your Community • Expansion and Change after Howard

Ahmanson • Beyond Millard Sheets, Beyond California • Preservation after Home Savings

Thunderbird and Cal Aero Air Schools

The First Sketch: National American Fire Insurance

Courtesy Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, San Francisco

Pomona First Federal

Sue Lautmann

Hertel, Arcadia

Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, Los Angeles

Above: Beverly Hills Below: Studio City

Santa Monica

Rancho Palos Verdes-Rolling Hills

Highland Park

Encino

Home Savings and Loan Association, Montebello Branch • Opened 1974 • Building + art concept by Millard Sheets Studio • Architect Frank Homolka • Interior altered 2002 • Vacant 2009 – 2011 • Purchased 2011, re-opened Fall 2014 • Forty years without repair or cleaning • Rehabilitates + conserves a California masterwork

All: Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Renewing a Masterwork After 40 Years of Exposure Rehabilitate the Envelope • A trademark white travertine + gold tile exterior

Repair, Conserve, + Reunite the Artwork • A signature mosaic, “Day in the Country” • A stained-glass window, “The Carousel” • A lost tapestry, “Foliage + Butterflies” Communicate the Legacy • A permanent exhibit to convey the Home Savings + Millard Sheets story

All: Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Rehabilitate the Envelope Exterior Envelope – Before • Travertine cleaned • Shadows, graffiti, water stains removed • Stone cracks + loss repaired • 150 holes patched • Water-repellant sub-surface seal applied

All: GCI Preservation (2013/2014)

Exterior Envelope - After

All: Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Repair, Conserve, + Reunite the Artwork Mosaic – Before • “Day in the Country” by Millard Sheets + Nancy Colbath • Cracks repaired • Tesserae cleaned, repaired, regrouted • Surface sealant applied

All: GCI Preservation (2013/2014)

Mosaic – After • A colorful meadow + flowering branches reference Montebello’s historic flower farms • Changes in color, tone, + hue across the composition are now visible

Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Stained Glass – Before • “The Carousel” by Millard Sheets Studio with artist Susan Hertel, • Fabricated + installed by John Wallis + Associates, Pasadena • Non invasive cleaning • Cracks, holes, joints, + caming repaired • Damaged + inappropriate glass replaced

All: GCI Preservation (2013/2014)

Stained Glass – After • Shadows + hand-painted facial features now visible • Color + light animate the upper + lower waiting areas

Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Tapestry - Fabrication • “Foliage + Butterflies” by Millard Sheets • Woven by Pinton Freres Atelier, Aubusson, France • Removed from bank + lost • Research found 20’ tapestry at Mingei International Museum • Original cartoon found in the Sheets’ family collection • Tapestry photo-reproduced as one-third scale photo-on-canvas

Original Tapestry being photographed + photo-stitched. Tim Siegert, Mingei Museum, Photographer (2014)

Millard Sheets Cartoon for “Foliage + Butterflies” Collection Carolyn Sheets Owen-Towle (2016)

Art Program Reunited • Scale reproduction reinstalled on interior • “The Carousel” + “Butterflies + Foliage” together again

All: Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Communicate the Legacy Permanent Exhibit – 1st Floor • 5 panels in waiting areas • Plexi boxes for safety + permanence • Conveys the significance of Millard Sheets + the Sheets Studio • Describes the artwork + artists

Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Permanent Exhibit – 2nd Floor • Chronicles the Home Savings story • Explains the rehabilitation + conservation process

Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Ensure a Future for the Past

Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

AN EVERYDAY MODERNISM: “So where is the architecture?”

NOT AN EVERYDAY MODERNISM: “Now, THAT’s architecture!”

AND

THISISWHEREWELIVE

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

Styleasadistraction.

“Thepictureframeandnotthepicture.” William Wurster”Wehadnostyle.Onlygoodarchitecture.” WhitneySmith“Style isreallyforpeoplewhoknownothing

aboutarchitecture.” JohnLautner “Howlittle doesthemerestylistic penetrate

intothecoreandheartofourorganicresponsiveness.” RichardNeutra

Thatsaid,ashistorians weworkwithstyles aspartofaregulatoryenvironment. However,theyarereallycoarseguides. Thenwebuildonthat,learning thephilosophyanddesign strategies, theciviccontext,andlocal,national, andifappropriate, international framework.

ARCHITECTS HATE THE WORD “STYLE”

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

AthenaintheParthenon,Acropolis

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

Discerning Character-Defining Features: begin by observing

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

Discerning Character-Defining Features: learn from the blueprint

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

Discerning Character-Defining Features: learn from the building,the hardscape, the setting: trees, plants, ground cover

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

8

A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

9

A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

Character-Defining Features: easier with a famous architect

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

NOT AN EVERYDAY MODERNISM: REHABILITATING THE TOWER OF HOPE, CHRIST CATHEDRAL, GARDEN GROVE. RICHARD NEUTRA, 1968.

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

Discerning Character-Defining Features: What is the purpose ofthe building?

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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion bmlamprecht@gmail.com 626.264.7600

Discerning Character-Defining Features: Use Historic Photographs