COLLECTING DESIGN

Confessions of a connoisseurInsiders' tips: discover the world of design with the help of thirty-twointernational experts and learn why the most valuable furniture is not whatyou think it is.Adam Lindemann's second volume is the follow-up to CollectingContemporary, an unprecedented success, introducing the lay reader tocollecting contemporary art, with tell-all interviews by the biggestplayers in the global art market. The idea for this volume came when he wasfurnishing his new house. "Art collectors like myself who hung beautifulcontemporary paintings on their walls suddenly saw their furniture look sadand tired," Lindemann writes in his preface, relating how hobby becamepassion and an overwhelming desire to know everything. Which is how thislatest volume manages to give such a perfect introduction into collectibledesign: it follows the path its author took.Today's design market has its roots in the late eighteenth century: artistscreated porcelain pieces in editions that became in high demand. From ArtDeco to the Wiener Werkstaette, Bauhaus to the Eameses, the Frenchmodernists, and a whole bunch of designers many haven't heard of yet, thisvolume is the best guide to the collectability and overall desirability ofdesign for connoisseurs and amateurs alike.Collecting Design tells all about an addictive occupation, vintage piecesvs. limited editions, the big names and what to keep an eye on, all fromthe perspective of a passionate collector meeting market luminaries forin-depth conversations—his fellow collectors (Bruno Bischofberger,Michael Boyd, Peter M. Brant, Dennis Freedman, Dakis Joannou, Reed Krakoff,Ronald Lauder), thedealers (Anthony DeLorenzo, Suzanne Demisch, UlrichFiedler, Barry Friedman, Didier and Cleamence Krzentowski, Zesty Meyers andEvan Snyderman, Murray Moss, Patrick Seguin, AlasdhairWillis), select tastemakers (Jacques Grange, Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld,Peter Marino, Robert Rubin, Ian Schrager, Axel Vervoordt), and auctionexperts (Gerti Draxler from Dorotheum, Vienna, Philippe Garner fromChristie's, Peter and Shannon Loughrey from LAMA, Los Angeles, AlexanderPayne from Phillips de Pury, Richard Wright, James Zemaitis fromSotheby's).Lindemann writes: "Sitting down for hours with 32 experts, I can nowdiscuss the finer points of Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann versus Eileen Gray,Carlo Mollino versus Gio Ponti, of Marc Newson versus Ron Arad, and so on.I hope you will enjoy and profit from this fascinating field as much as Ihave."