”Why have furniture when you can have art?” asked Michael Stanislavsky, owner of Concepts in Art, Pieces of Imagination for Your Home, in Bannockburn. Stanislavsky`s philosophy is simple. Picture a room as a self-portrait, an extension of an individual`s personality. Add furniture that is unique unto itself, timeless pieces that express that inner sanctum. It`s no small wonder that patrons of Stanislavsky`s store have tagged it a breath of surrealism to Lake County.
Sequestered in the Bannockburn Green shopping center, Concepts has been a visual arcadia of functional art since it opened its doors three years ago. Generally there are about 60 pieces, from vases to a bed, to sculptures and entertainment consoles, on display at any given time. Once that piece is sold, it is gone forever.
”This is my theater. The best description of functional art is to draw a line between the good looks of the past through the trends formed in the future,” Stanislavsky said.
One can only brush the surface when talking price. Seeing is believing. There is an exquisite white fruit bowl for $500. Instead of painting it, artist Peter Petersen blows color that explodes onto the glass. Or there`s a 92-inch-wide brushed-pewter bar edged in chrome, with compartmentalized storage, titled ”Monolith,” reduced to $6,100 from $8,400.
In general, prices range from the hundreds up to $25,000 for an intricate cool black marble sculpture on a pedestal.
”Pieces make a house and are an expression of ourselves,” Stanislavsky said.
”If this store shows anything, it shows art can take a lot of forms. Art can be a table you eat off, the bed you sleep in and the dresser you open every morning,” Stanislavsky said.
Stanislavsky is service-oriented, making house calls and offering to move a piece bought from his store when a customer relocates.
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Concepts in Art, 2539 Waukegan Rd., Bannockburn, is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Appointments are recommended. Phone 708-940-0007.
