Modern Times

Opening Night Paparazzi

Amy — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:28:52 +0000

Thanks to everyone for coming along to our opening on Friday night. What I should say is, THANK YOU to everyone for spreading the word because the turn out was IMPRESSIVE! I think we would have had 200 people through the door. We were so happy to get the doors open and we were setting up until the very last minute! It was great to christen the new incarnation of 311 Smith St with a bit of a do and here are some pics of the night.
Ingmar heading in to the fray, bless his cotton socks!

We didn’t quite get rid of all the pink but no one seemed to mind.

Lauren and Dave from Patchy Rugs with their friend Liz who went home with a gorgeous Sandra Eterovic print. Good choice Liz!

Darren Henderson in the foreground – he paints the cute owls on wood that we have in the shop.

Phil and Scotty from Philip Stokes Glass Studio came along with their friend whose name has escaped me, sorry! (I can only remember that his name began with C…I think). Very nice guys anyway!

Sim and Emiko were amongst quite a few crew from Arts Project Australia that they had rounded up to attend. Thanks guys!

TwoOne and Bonsai who both do amazing stuff like paint enormous bisons and other beautiful things(TwoOne) and hand stitch awesome leather accessories (Bonsai), also known as Hiro and Scotty, who have been kind enough to be part of Modern Times and I haven’t even put their stuff on the website yet. Sorry guys! Come in and check it out in the meantime!

Ellie Malin – as pretty as her prints! Also, an amazing helper – thank you!

Kids are welcome!

Me trying to be cool, calm and collected…

Joel trying to be cool, calm and collected…

Our other amazing helpers – from left: Eleanor Voterakis (who also does beautiful drawings in graphite and coloured pencil), Katina and Carmen. Thanks guys!

We followed up the opening with an excellent weekend of trading and a warm welcome back from everyone on Smith St. We look forward to the next couple of months!

Launch eve this Friday…

Amy — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:57:35 +0000

I hope you will join us for a drink, tunes and shopping this Friday night, 20th April. The big reveal kicks off at 6pm, 311 Smith St, Collingwood, wrapping up at 8pm.

Modern Times Pop-Up Shop 3. Wow!

Amy — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:58:59 +0000

I can’t believe we are about to launch pop-up number 3. Amazing! We have got a fantastic space and a truckload (a very very large truck!) of new vintage pieces from Denmark.

Now…how could a room chock-full of vintage Danish furniture possibly be improved? …By adding the work of 50 contemporary Australian artists and designers!

We have gone from having around 10 artists at the first pop-up to now having 50! I am really passionate about this side of the business. Every artists work excites me and inspires me in some way and I think it is fabulous to bring it together with this beautiful furniture.

So who are they?? Well, I’ll save listing them all for later and start with a couple of new artists we have on board who I am particularly excited about. I discovered the work of Julian Martin and Warren O’Brien through Arts Project Australia.

Julian Martin, Not Titled (blue shapes on white), pastel on paper, 500 x 700mm,2009

Julian’s creates these flattened graphic compositions which are given amazing depth and character through his use masterly of pastel. The surface of Julian’s work is built up meticulously to create an almost velvet like texture. The photo really doesn’t do his work justice but they are so beautiful. Modern Times is lucky enough to be hanging a number of Julian’s work both large and small.

Warren O’Brien, on the other hand, has a far looser style. Warren’s paintings are these expressionist colour studies with a sense of movement and intensity that is quite captivating. Warren’s repetitive use of the arc motif creates layers of ‘windows’ that you can look through to see the different layers of texture and colour. It’s pretty different to the graphic stuff we’ve had before but I think they are going to work so well the mid-century furniture. Check out these examples…

Warren O’Brien, Not titled (blue, teal, pink arches), ink on paper, 560 x 380mm, 2010

Warren O’Brien, Not titled (yellow arches), acrylic and pastel on paper, 560 x 760mm, 2010

Wow, already such a long post and I’ve only spoken about two artists. Ok, moving right along…
Ellie Malin has some gorgeous new work, referencing mountains this time, but still with her signature use of colour, shape, and bold use of white space.

Ellie Malin, Mountains, woodblock print, 1200 x 800mm, 2012

It seems mountains are a bit of a theme at the moment. Liesl Pfeffer has been so kind to arrange getting some of her works to us even though she now lives in New York! Thanks Liesl! Liesl’s photo-media collages have the impact of a bold graphic image but need close inspection to reveal the whole story.

Liesl Pfeffer, The Mountains Wait, Archival pigment ink on Hahnemuhle paper, 50 x 50 cm, edition of 10, 2009

Works by Belinda Suzette, Nani Puspasari, Madeleine Stamer, Ghostpatrol, Sandra Eterovic and Darren Henderson are more on the illustrative side. A number of these artists also produce open edition digital prints which make building your art collection that little bit easier and they make great gifts too.

Clockwise from top: Nani Puspasari, Nature, Ink and thread on paper | Belinda Suzette, The Viking, digital print | Darren Henderson, Various owls, Spray enamel on wood

I can’t sign off without posting a pic of Kate Banazi’s work. It’s packed with punch and it is beautifully framed by bespoke framers United Measures. This is one of the works we have available.

Kate Banazi, Sitting Sun, Silkscreen print, 50 x 76 cm, edition of 3

Whilst all these artists do represent a visual variety, they all complement the mid-century/vintage/retro/modernist aesthetic. I hope you pop in and see the shop for yourself. This is the full list…

Good News Story

Amy — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:30:56 +0000

They say the week between Christmas and New Years is a slow news week… Well, that really worked to our advantage when The Age published a story about the pop-up trend featuring Modern Times! Published Thursday 29th December, our picture was emblazoned across a large proportion of page 4. Us! in The Age!!

Thanks to everyone who popped in after seeing it and to all our new newsletter subscribers. If you missed it you can read the whole article online here.

Christmas Gift Ideas from $15. Woo!

Amy — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:40:20 +0000

If you are anything like me, you have barely started on your Christmas shopping. Eek! Well, I guess I have an unfair head start with all the beautiful pieces in the shop right at my fingertips…

Here are some of my faves that are still available. What could be a better gift than something gorgeous – designed and made in Melbourne!

Red Fly Agaric Mushroom Hand-painted and hand-cut plywood sculpture by Sandra Eterovic $139

Benday Bird Calico Tote Bag available in green and raspberry. By Draw! Pilgrim $15 Bargain!!

Clockwise from left: Assemblage III, One-off wood block print by Ellie Malin $850 | Celadon Sweater Free-standing Clock Hand-painted and hand-cut plywood by Sandra Eterovic $175 | Knitted Cactus in Collectable Danish Ceramic Pot by Odds & EndS $120 | ‘Palm Springs’ Style Cactus (this one is real!!) by Luscious Jungle $120

Succulent Graphite, watercolour and coloured pencil on paper. By Eleanor Voterakis $590

Folk Face Cushion by Beci Orpin. Hand embroidered wool cushion cover with insert $100 | Stouby 2 Seater Sofa in Caramel Leather $1900

Mini Macrame Hand knotted plant hangers. Vessel and plant included! by Ouchflower from $100

Meow Girl Jewellery The cutest porcelain animals on silvertone chain from $30

Polygramatic Wall Hanging Collage on laser cut plywood by Emily Green $66

Looking Pretty

Amy — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:15:54 +0000

So, the pics of the opening are all very nice but what about pics of STUFF! I thought it was worth posting a few pics of the shop all set up and looking pretty. With pieces flying out of the shop at a rapid rate, it won’t look this pretty for very long! I’m not sure the pics do our little shop justice but if you can’t make it in and see it for yourself, they will just have to do!

PH5 Pendant Light | RetroPrint Revival lampshade on Danish Modern base (background)

Borge Mogensen Spanish Chair | Patchy Rug | Odds & EndS Knitted Cactus in vintage pot

Christian Dell 6556 Super Lamp | Tara Shackell ‘Place’ vase | Claystone Pottery Lidded Container | Luscious Jungle ‘Palm Springs’ Cactus | Printspace ‘Garden Collage’

Pop-Up2….launches!

Amy — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:20:10 +0000

We’ve upped the ante with our second pop-up shop, this time in Collingwood. It is a big beautiful shop in the heart of Smith Street and we opened the doors last Friday night with a great turn out. It was a great night and a nice warm-up to a very busy weekend! Thank you to everyone who has paid us a visit thus far and we look forward to meeting more of you over the next three weeks. Now for some pics of the opening!

Preview and Drinks…

Amy — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:03:52 +0000

Looking forward to seeing you all this Friday. It will be a great chance to see all our great pieces and a chance to purchase before the masses! Many pieces are rare and one-off so its worth taking this opportunity to see it first!

It’s official!

Amy — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:33:03 +0000

This is an “official announcement”. No, not really, but I was just organising a press release and thought I may as well post a bit of a version on here as a formal way of saying we are ON from December 10th!

Riding on the success of our first pop-up in May this year, we are all set to open Modern Times Pop-Up Shop2. Crossing the river this time, to a vacant shop in Collingwood, Modern Times Pop-Up Shop2 promises to deliver more stunning mid-century Danish furniture alongside locally designed art and homewares that complement the Modernist style.

After receiving such a positive response to our first pop-up, Joel and I put our heads together to make Pop-Up Shop2 even bigger and better than the first, and while we have got together an amazing collection of original vintage furniture from Denmark, what really sets it apart from the first pop-up is the art and homewares.

“The art and homewares were so well received last time I thought it was worth focusing on more. People just loved the fact there are talented local designers creating pieces that sit at home with the mid-century modern aesthetic. This encouraged me to cast the net wider and I’m really proud of the number and quality of artists on board this time round”

Some stand-out pieces from the thirty different artists include the playful linocut prints of Ellie Malin, Scandinavian inspired ceramics by Christopher Plumridge, not to mention prints by Beci Orpin and a range of jewellery including the now ubiquitous necklaces of Emily Green.

POP-UP2 | Sandra Eterovic Painted Plywood Sculpture

Whilst you ponder your purchases you can stretch out on the vintage leather sofas or try out the more striking and collectable pieces such as the iconic Spanish Chair by Danish design luminary Borge Mogenson or the Safari Chair by Kaare Klint.

My hot tip is Modern Times Pop-Up2 is the place to do your Christmas shopping this year.

Modern Times Pop-Up Shop2 opens December 10th – December 31st.
Preview evening Friday 9th December 6-8pm proudly supported by Pyren Vineyard

cul-de-sac! cul-de-sac!

Amy — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:29:04 +0000

I am so excited about this post….can you tell?
I want to introduce these beautiful graphic prints by Adelaide design studio cul-de-sac. Art director and graphic designer, Marco Cicchianni, has created these limited edition prints taking inspiration from Danish design, Italian style and the punch of Pop Art. What an awesome combination!

You may well have heard of them before today…Since launching the series in May this year, the cul-de-sac prints have been featured on some of my favourite design blogs such as Design Milk and Design Sponge and most recently were in House and Garden magazine AND Marie Claire! These prints add fantastic visual impact to any interior at a mighty 841 x 1189cm!

So, it is not without a little bit of pride that I’m telling you – cul-de-sac prints will be hanging on the walls of Modern Times Pop-Up2. It is the first time the prints will be seen in Melbourne so come in once we launch to get the full impact of these large scale prints. They are limited edition too so once they are gone, they are gone!