The Dolls House Whisperer
Darren Scala was dazzled recently visiting the Museum of Arts and Design at Columbus Circle in New York City to see their new exhibition The Fisher Dollhouse: A Venetian Palazzo. Let’s find out more...
Darren Scala contributes his regular feature sharing his expert knowledge of the miniature world.
The Fisher Dollhouse was created with a grand vision in mind by Ms. Joanna Fisher, an interior designer, patron of the arts and miniatures collector. Fisher’s childhood fascination with tiny things began when growing up in Westchester County (just north of New
York City). She was inspired at an early age by a family friend who had decorative room boxes filled with miniatures set up on walls throughout her home.
Caught up in the Covid-19 crisis, Ms. Fisher struggled like so many of us to ease anxieties and find comfort in the unpredictable pandemic that engulfed the planet. Per a recent article for the New York Social Diary, she declared “…I suppose it’s the nature of the times in that people are looking for something safe and warm and cosy. It’s been a very special project for me which has taken on a life of its own, something I never expected. For me, the dolls house was really my saviour. It gave me tremendous solace.”
Fisher set out on an ambitious effort to curate a “House Within,” as she calls it, “… a place people can go in their minds…” Her vision was manifested in a stunning 4-story dolls house with 10 rooms inspired by Palazzo Chupi, a grand private residence known for its wild colour, modern art and stylish design located in New York’s Greenwich Village. Her first step was to create the structure by commissioning the British set designer Holly Jo Beck to build the front-opening dolls house cabinet measuring over 5 foot high and 14in deep.
The glamourous and colourful dolls house is filled with an eclectic mix of European and American antique and contemporary 1/12th scale miniatures. Some pieces included were crafted by makers well-known to miniatures enthusiasts and include a Hepplewhite Desk by Bespaq, a Sonia Messer sink cabinet, silver by Pete Acquisto and metal pieces by Fred Cobbs. Most of the work was commissioned by Ms. Fisher with well-known full-size artists and friends, either reproductions of previous full-scale works or original works crafted specifically for the dolls house. One can’t help compare Fisher as the modern version of Carrie Stettheimer who created The Stettheimer on permanent view at the Museum of the City of New York.
The dolls house contains a dramatic centre grand foyer accented by a double staircase and featuring a Murano-inspired glass chandelier made by Madrid-based artists Mario Ramos and Mariana Grande. The hierophant sitting atop a cast resin column crafted by Dustin Yeller takes centre stage on the landing. Each of the rooms are beautifully decorated and appointed with swoon-worthy miniatures
such as hand-blown coloured glass lighting fixtures, carved framed painted portraits, hardwood cabinets, upholstered furniture with fine textiles, needlepoint carpets, furry rugs, vintage hammered copper and readable books. Some of the more extraordinary pieces comprise a lovely painted harpsichord, a display cabinet filled with ammonites from the Mesozoic age and a Milanese wood-fired stove.
The Fisher Dollhouse by Joanna Fisher is a wonderful example of original art, architecture and design in small scale with a fantastical mix of whimsy and charm with an added explosion of beguiling colour coming together in dazzling perfection. There are plans to take this dolls house exhibition ‘on the road’ to additional museums in the United States and Europe. Check my website at www. dthomasfineminiatures.com for details on a special Meet the Miniaturist livestream event (keep a look out for the date) when viewers will be treated to a live virtual tour and a close up look at the dolls house and exhibition by museum curators and a scheduled appearance by Joanna Fisher!
INFORMATION
Photos by
Jenna Bascom Courtesy of Museum of Arts and Design