AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW JMM GALLERY IN COSTA MESA
Jacques Marie Mage proudly announces the opening of the new JMM Gallery in Costa Mesa, a cinematic study of stark sophistication that offers a curated selection of limited-edition eyewear, leather goods, jewelry, and finely curated artifacts and memorabilia. Drawing inspiration from the alkaline sands, native flora, and natural serenity of Joshua Tree national park, the gallery carefully curates references from across the JMM galaxy to create a rarified experience that encourages collectors to Embrace The Spectacle.
Nestled quietly within a global shopping destination renowned for its unrivaled luxury shopping, critically acclaimed restaurants, and proximity to the Pacific, the new JMM Gallery in Costa Mesa is an elevated escape from the frenetic pace of O.C. living. Fully cloaked in handsome wood siding, doors open onto a refined gallery floor with a sumptuous seating area, the flattering simplicity and sobering subtlety of the interior décor reflecting the influence of both California modernism and Japanese minimalism, with a seductive ‘70s twist. Filled with fresh light, specially curated Navajo rugs and Japanese pottery, the gallery also offers an elegant, indoor desert garden for quiet appreciation, a tidy design composed of plants and cacti native to the Joshua Tree area.
Of course, one of the JMM Gallery’s defining features is its foundational furnishings, a suite of custom creations produced by the Paris-based furniture design firm Hervet Manufacturier to bring a sense of tradition, prestige, and optimism to the décor. Handcrafted using rare woods, the furniture’s organic feel and unique shapes are comfortably complemented by a well-curated selection of artisanal goods and original works, including Acoma pottery by Marietta P. Juanico, and paintings by artists Connor Tingley and Matt McCormick.
HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE BY HERVET
The organic materials and shapes embodied by the gallery’s furnishings are produced for JMM by Paris-based design firm Hervet Manufacturier. known for creating stunning handmade pieces in futurist forms. For the JMM Galleries, this includes iconic armchairs as well as cabinetry display cases handmade in Normandy with responsibly sourced Zebrano and Brazilian Rosewood.
“Nicolas [Hervet] is one of the few who can create modern furniture but with a romantic feel that takes you back to the 19th century,” said Mage in a recent Forbes interview, regarding the Paris-based furniture design firm. “We both craft things the way they were made 50 to 100 years ago, but we do it with a new…more modern, bold approach.”
ARTWORK BY CONNOR TINGLEY & MATT MCCORMICK
Hanging honorably upon the gallery’s walls is Just, Nothin’, an original artwork by Los Angeles-based artist Connor Tingley. Capturing the tension between nature and the commercial landscape of Southern California from the perspective of being inside Los Angeles, “the periphery of the image juxtaposes oil painting with soft acrylic spray paint, communicating a visual plane of focus, centering on a crisp photo transfer of a losing bingo ticket traveling in the breeze,” explains Tingley. “This composition reflects the challenge of finding organic, natural beauty amidst urban clutter in the distraction of a city.”
Across the room hangs The Watchtowers Song by Los Angeles and New York-based artist Matt McCormick. A moody and contemplative scene of a nondescript suburban hillside, the painting is one of a series in which McCormick reflects on memory, personal history, and the American experience via his own unique vocabulary of references and symbols. “As teens we would go into the hills and find places overlooking the valleys to get high,” says MCCormick. “Hours would be spent sitting around mesmerized by the distant lights. The lights almost acted as a barometer for your state of mind. It wasn't until I was almost an adult that I realized that living on the hills provided that experience all the time. We didn't have to go further than the backyard to see the lights. These paintings aren't any specific place. They're almost everywhere.”
ACOMA POTTERY BY MARIETTA P. JUANICO
The JMM Gallery in Costa Mesa features a collection of hand-selected pottery created by Marietta P. Juanico, a Master Acoma Pottery Artisan recognized for her unique style of inspirational native pottery. Juanico is an educator and artist born and raised on the Pueblo of Acoma Indian Reservation, where she spent much of her time at old Acoma with her grandmother Helen Z. Patricio, who introduced her to the tradition of Acoma pottery-making. Juanico’s works are created using all natural earth ingredients consisting of clay, old pottery shards, white slip, and natural color pigments. Surfaces are designed with symbolic shapes and colors using a yucca brush made from the New Mexico yucca plant. Production of these one-of-a-kind vessels are aided by her husband, Melvin Juanico, with whom she has three children and four grandchildren.
Written by JMM