Graphic designer John Van Hamersveld, known for album covers for the Beatles and Rolling Stones, receives his Stars of Design award
The artistry of design across a multitude of disciplines, from architecture to interior to graphic, took center stage as the Pacific Design Center presented its 17th annual Stars of Design awards during WestWeek.
Taking place at the somewhat hidden but worthy of finding Wolfgang Puck restaurant Red Seven, and emceed by PDC prez Charles Cohen, who is developing the new Red Building at the Blue Whale, the intimate awards dinner honored eight individual’s achievements in their respective fields.
From the man responsible for the design of iconic album covers for the Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones to the woman who has a commission to create a piece that will greet every international visitor to Los Angeles for years to come, viewing the work– and meeting the people behind it—was inspirational.
Here is a look at those who took the podium to accept their heavy solid crystal design awards
Marc Appleton, Lifetime Achievement
Marc Appleton is Principal and President of Appleton & Associates, Inc. Known as one of the most noted architects in today’s design hemisphere, Appleton has received multiple awards and is one of the most published architects/designers in the industry. He has consistently been named one of the Architectural Digest’s top 100 designers since its inception in 1991. A noted author, Appleton has had numerous books published including California Mediterranean by Rizzoli in 2007 as well as Casa del Herrero: The Romance of Spanish Colonial, Rizzoli, 2009. A graduate of Harvard College, Appleton has a Masters Degree from the Yale School of Architecture.
Marc Atlan, Product Design
French born creative director for Marc Atlan Design, Inc., Atlan is one of the creative forces behind some of today’s most iconic brand packaging including Comme des Garcons, Helmut Lang, Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, James Perse, Philippe Starck and Prada, to name a few. The recipient of more than forty awards within the design world, Atlan also holds the honor of having been featured as a Top 10 Design of the Year by Time Magazine.
Pamela Burton, Urban Design
Pamela Burton & Company is an internationally recognized and respected landscape architecture firm that specializes in integrating the disciplines of art, architecture, and landscape. Her education includes a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts from the School of Architecture and Planning at UCLA as well as education at the University of California, Los Angeles in Environment Design. In 2003, Burton completed her first book, Private Landscapes: Modernist Gardens in Southern California and is currently in its fourth printing. Along with her design business, Burton is a sought after speaker on the international circuit.
James Cutler, Architecture
James Cutler received a Master of Architecture Degree from the Louis I. Kahn Studio program as well as a Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. Established in 1977, Cutler Anderson Architects is nationally known for its environmental awareness and attention to detail. Dedicated to design excellence, the firm has received six National Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects and over 40 other national regional awards. Cutler lives in Bainbridge, WA.
Mary McDonald, Interior design
Los Angeles based designer Mary McDonald is one of todays most sought after designers and is consistently ranked one of the House Beautiful “Top 100 Designers.” With her work published worldwide, McDonald recently just released her first book, Mary McDonald: Interiors, The Allure of Style, published by Rizzoli in October, 2010 and currently in its second printing. Raised in Brentwood, McDonald attended Parsons School of Design and began her career as a milliner with her designs featured in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar and Vanity Fair.
Jim McHugh, Photography
A resident of Los Angeles, Jim McHugh is a highly accomplished lifestyle photographer who has been widely exhibited on a global basis as well as published. McHugh’s extensive resume includes multi awards as well as prominent collections in the Museum of Modern Art, The Walker Art Center and the Polaroid Collection. His is known most recently both for his large format Polaroid photographs of vanishing urban landscapes and his portraits of contemporary artists.
John Van Hamersveld, Graphic Design
John Van Hamersveld is an artist and designer known worldwide for his enormous catalog of iconic music industry and pop culture-related images. From his early works on the promo poster for the soundtrack for 1966’s ground-breaking surf-culture movie The Endless Summer and his cover work for The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour and Jefferson Airplane’s Crown of Creation, to his iconic 70’s covers for the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street, The Grateful Dead’s Skeletons from the Closet, KISS’s Hotter than Hell, and Steve Miller’s The Joker and Fly Like an Eagle. His imagery helped introduce the world to Punk Fashion, with covers for Blondie’s Eat to the Beat and Autoamerica and John Lydon’s post-Pistols solo efforts This Is What You Want, This is What You Get. Van Hamersveld’s images set the path that the rest of the industry followed for style and substance.
Pae White, Art
Los Angeles artist Pae White is one of the most significant American female artists participating in the international dialog on art and design today. Her work continually blurs the boundaries of fine art, graphic design, furniture design, and advertising. Native to Pasadena, Pae received her M.F.A. from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and her B.A. from Scripps College in Claremont, California. She was a featured artist in the 2007 Skulptur Projekte Münster, the 2009 Venice Biennale, and the 2010 Whitney Biennial. Her work can be seen later this year at Site Santa Fe, and at solo exhibitions in Milan and Los Angeles. Upcoming public commissions include special projects for the Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles International Airport, the London Underground, and the new Berlin Brandenburg International airport.
The honorees were chosen by a panel of are experts in the fields of home furnishings, architecture, design and art. This year’s distinguished panel of judges included Rose Tarlow, Wallace E. Cunningham, Jorge Pardo, Ron Flemming, Suzanne Rheinstein, Brandon Morrison, Karyn Millet, Sean Knibb and Jeffrey Deitch.
The Pacific Design Center is undergoing some major changes with the construction of the Red Building, with the major one being that the parking lot entrance on San Vicente Boulevard is closed.
The main parking entrance is on Melrose Avenue. The center is now opening one Saturday a month to the public, with March 26 the next opportunity to peruse the showrooms, normally open only to the trade.
Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, 310.657-0800, www.pacificdesigncenter.com
