Jacqueline Sullivan opens theatrical design gallery in TriBeCa

Jacqueline Sullivan opens theatrical design gallery in TriBeCa

Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery, a brand new area devoted to collectible design and ornamental arts, opens in TriBeCa. Spanning the lofty entirety of the fourth ground of a former textile manufacturing facility, the gallery will characteristic historic and vintage furnishings and design, alongside specifically commissioned works by up to date artists. 

Sullivan says she’d had the concept for the gallery for ‘a really very long time’, however pursued completely different avenues first. She labored within the main items division on the Whitney Museum, and on the then-new constructing undertaking with Renzo Piano. A stint at artistic branding studio Ro&Co and the inside design studio of Charles de Lisle adopted, earlier than she gained a grasp’s from Parsons in Historical past of Design and Curatorial Research, throughout which period she was the curatorial fellow in textiles on the Cooper Hewitt for 2 years. She additionally frolicked residing in London and would go to the V&A Museum ‘nearly 4 days per week, and I simply fell in love with objects and wooden furnishings. Plenty of my buddies have been into up to date artwork, however I used to be into the glass and ceramics from the Seventeenth century,’ she says. 

Glass vessels on the wall by Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi, ‘Decima’ textile by Grace Atkinson on crimson chair from Sullivan’s personal assortment. On the fitting, ‘Belt’ desk lamp by Gaetano Pesce (1995). Pictures: William Jess Laird

When Sullivan took over the area in March 2022 it had been a characterless workplace constructing. She employed New Yorker Nick Poe to design the area, in addition to a number of the lighting. ‘I felt like our sensibilities have been aligned, he additionally has this unusual combination of excessive and low. For instance, we now have a chrome steel kitchenette from a restaurant trade provide firm, after which additionally high-end fixtures and particulars,’ she says. ‘He understands the gallery is about appreciating industrial design, but additionally issues which are a little bit bit extra luxe as properly.’

Sullivan’s inaugural present is themed ’Substance in a Cushion,’ after the Gertrude Stein poem. Sullivan studied poetry in faculty alongside artwork historical past and says Stein’s ‘literary cubism’ appealed to her. ‘She is deconstructing the notion of language, but additionally deconstructing the concept of issues that we dwell with to make them unusual or sort of alien to us.’

Stainless-steel kitchenette sourced from a restaurant trade provide firm, and tulipieres by Jordan McDonald. Pictures: William Jess Laird

In August of 2021, she set about commissioning works from artists, asking them to reply to the temporary of Stein’s poem, and to problem the notion of substance, of matter, of what’s vital to dwell with. LA-based Kristin Dickson-Okuda dreamed up cloth ‘clothes for furnishings’ to enrich a set of William Morris chairs sourced within the Cotswolds, England, by Abel Sloane, whom Sullivan consulted whereas sourcing the historic furnishings. Sullivan additionally labored with Sloane’s companion, Ruby Woodhouse, as a artistic marketing consultant. 

The providing spans a Gaetano Pesce resin chair, a mint-condition Flemish tapestry from the 1870s, parchment lamps by Christian Hammer Juhl and Jade Chan, delicate Venetian blown glass vessels for fragrance and incense by Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi, glazed ceramic tulipieres by Philadelphia-based Jordan McDonald, reduce glass sconces by ceramicist Natalie Weinberger and extra. 

‘Tendril’ Sussex chair dressing by Kristin Dickson-Okuda on William Morris chair, ceramic items by Jordan McDonald. Pictures: William Jess Laird

Sullivan plans to host Stein-esque salons on the gallery with artists and collaborator buddies and hopes future exhibits to be ‘an exploration of discussion board, materials, course of or method, and even responding to some political local weather on the time. I don’t like to consider issues in a categorical, epochal means.

‘I just like the continuity of excited about designers and the way they’re all responding to their setting, but additionally responding to being a human, and what’s vital. I’m not a rational individual, I’m a really emotional intuitive individual, and I believe that is my outlook on life usually,’ she says. ‘I really like seeing all these items in the identical area without delay. I discover that actually thrilling.’ §

Italian spherical eating desk by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti (circa 1980). On the desk are parchment lamps by Christian Hammer Juhl and Jade Chan. By the wall is an ebonized cupboard Within the method of Richard Norman Shaw (circa 1875), and a late Seventeenth-century Yorkshire chair. Pictures: William Jess Laird

Gallery view. Pictures: William Jess Laird

Glass pitchers and jugs by Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi. Pictures: William Jess Laird

Ebonized and gilded display screen within the method of DG Rosetti for Morris & Co (1870-1890), pair of ‘AEO’ chairs by Archizoom for Cassina (1973). Pictures: William Jess Laird

A pair of silk arm relaxation Sussex chair dressing by Kristin Dickson-Okuda on William Morris chairs. Dividing the area is the ‘Vierstraete Home’ wardrobe by Juliaan Lampens (1974), subsequent to a three-seater ‘AEO’ chair by Archizoom for Cassina (1973). Pictures: William Jess Laird