If You're Going to San Francisco

[Anatolian kilim dated before 1800, 4'8" x 8'4", Caroline and H. McCoy-Jones collection, de Young Museum of San Francisco. Published in Hali's fall 2011 issue.]

The architecture of color. That's what Cathryn Cootner (San Francisco's Fine Arts Museums Curator Emerita of Textiles) will be talking about Saturday, October 15. Intrigued? I am. Cootner is scheduled to discuss the brilliant shades found in Anatolian kilims, and how the woven textiles' strong patterns -- even the minimalist stripes, seen above, with simple motifs incorporated into the bands -- serve to heighten the interactions between these colors. Her 10 a.m. talk is part of the de Young museum's fall line-up celebrating The Art of the Anatolian Kilim on view through June 10, 2012. Admission to Cootner's presentation is $10.

[Lidded jar by Len Carella: black mountain clay with metallic black glaze and braided leather pull, 4" x 5".]

[Below, Carella's textured black mountain clay with matte cream glaze and brown leather pull.]

I already knew I loved Erica Tanov's house, so I was excited last week when I came across Refiniry29's tour of her studio in Berkeley (loads of textiles plus a Picasso postcard from the big exhibition at the de Young). After pouring over the detailed pictures, I decided to look back at Remodelista's Architect Visit to Tanov's Marin store designed by Envelope A + D. In case you missed it in 2010, Remodelista honed in on some great Len Carella ceramics on Tanov's shelves. Above are other examples by the Parsons alum and San Francisco-based ceramicist. His braided and knotted leather pulls, along with the wonderful glazes, lured me over.