Visionary | Lee Mindel x Ralph Pucci

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VISIONARY | SHOP | SPOTLIGHT | PRODUCT | PLACES | CLOTH & PAPER

Artist-inResidence

Architect Lee Mindel Designs A New Collection With Ralph Pucci International

Philip Stites and business partner Patricia Sims.

ERUDITE ARCHITECT LEE MINDEL, Principal of Shelton Mindel & Associates, spent several months during the pandemic in the RALPH PUCCI sculpture studio, working with master sculptor Michael Evert. “You have to ask the material what it wants to be in terms of form, structure, and finish. Because the pieces are manufactured right here in the PUCCI

workshop, you also have to factor in the skills of the workers who create incredible handmade works of art,” Mindel explains. The name of the collection, Latin for “truth,” is an homage to the motto of his alma mater, Harvard, and is emblematic of how he approaches creative endeavors. “As architects, our work is in pursuit of rigor and honesty, with the intent to transcend the ordinary, in search of the extraordinary.” Mindel’s influences are farranging: from Swedish ceramics to a town in France where great artists of the 20th century congregated, and, of course, architectural details from structures around the globe. Together with the artisans of the Manhattan-based RALPH PUCCI, he distills these elements into a collection characterized by organic forms, hand-sculpted textures, and thoughtful use of color. “You look, you study, but you never copy. The point of this or any design exercise

ABOVE Mahogany and marble credenza, designed by architect John Monteith Gates in 1950.

LEFT Kaare Klint attributed Norrevold Mahogany and Niger Leather armchair. Model No. 5999 designed in 1939 for Rud Rasmussen.

BELOW Swedish Klismos chair.

VALLAURIS LIGHT SCULTURES Presented as a mother and child, the sculptural pair is named for the town in the South of France where Pablo Picasso, Suzanne Ramie, and Georges Jouve created their historical work.

GIVERNY COFFEE TABLE The striking colors are inspired by Claude Monet’s water-lily series at the Beyler Museum in Basel, Switzerland, where life imitates art in the reflecting pools of Renzo Piano’s masterpiece.

INSTALLATION | LEFT TO RIGHT GUSTAVSBERG SCONCE A single sconce that pays homage to the time-honored traditions of Swedish ceramics.

ARCHIPELAGO SCONCE The irregular pair is organic in form, like the topography of the islands that embrace the North Sea from Sweden to Finland.

VALLAURIS MOTHER & CHILD LIGHT SCULPTURE Presented as a mother and child, the sculptural pair is named for the town in the South of France.

DOUBLE TAKE 1 MIRROR A French-inspired form that continues the artistic legacy of Diego Giacometti and JeanMichel Frank.

ARBORETUM LIGHT SCULPTURE A tall tree-like form with a texture evocative of bark and a scale reminiscent of Le Corbusier’s “Modulor Man.”

SANTORINI DINING TABLE & SANTORINI CONSOLE Inspired by the vaulted arches on the island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea, its diverse form can be used in different configurations.

“You look, you study, but you never copy. The point of this or any design exercise is to create opportunities, be relevant but above all beautiful,” Mindel professes.

is to create opportunities, be relevant but above all beautiful,” Mindel professes. Plans to expand the collection are underway and will use preexisting casts and molds to economize in all aspects of the design and manufacturing process. The Rialto Bench will be turned upside down to become a coffee table, while the Plafonnier Mirror will be transformed into a ceiling fixture and pendant. CH

Los Angeles | 1025 North McCadden Place, 310.360.9707, ralphpucci.com