Selection: Art, Architecture and Design from the Collection of Ronnie Sassoon

An alluring portrait of three beautiful homes and the art and design objects that populate them

Over a lifetime spent in London, New York, Los Angeles and points in between, collector Ronnie Sassoon has put together an unparalleled grouping of radical artworks, design objects and houses that elucidate her definition of "selection": important works by Group Zero and Arte Povera artists such as Lucio Fontana, Piero Manzoni, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Alighiero Boetti; midcentury designers such as Carlo Scarpa, Frederick Kiesler, Jean Prouve and Gae Aulenti; and many more. At the center of the collection are three important houses that hold the collection: the Levit House by Richard Neutra in Los Angeles, the Stillman II House by Marcel Breuer in Connecticut and the iconic Dean/Ceglic Loft in SoHo, New York. Each of these structures defines its period and place in design history, and is redefined by the objects that now inhabit it. As Sassoon states, "Following one's passion and desire creates the most pleasing and sensual atmosphere, reminiscent of every intoxicating past experience, whether it be in film, print, or travel. Those memories influence our selections in our quest for the perfect objet nonpareil."
Sensual and illuminating in turn, Selection documents-through beautiful photographs of thought-provoking tableaus of artworks, objects and interiors-a blueprint for a highly selective way of living. As Philippe Vergne writes in his introduction: "Ronnie's talent is an uncanny ability to integrate all these elements: the art, the design, the architecture, the color (or the absence of color) are the results of deliberate decisions that raise the bar of aesthetic standards, of quotidian gestures.... The room, the gestures, the spirit of the moment shared in Ronnie's homes are the moment of generosity."