Style and wit

As part of the 1980s L.A. art scene that included David Hockney and Ed Ruscha, Roy McMakin pursued a singular vision: creating functional sculpture based on home furnishings, decorated with a painterly touch. Long before his Domestic Furniture studio produced office pieces for the Getty museum and the set of “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” McMakin built this cabinet, a witty take on traditional Shaker style. It’s made by hand from Douglas fir and pine, painted with the image of a modernist bedroom and inscribed on top: “Craig asked where it was, I said I had put it away because I was sick of looking at it.” Peter Loughrey, director of Los Angeles Modern Auctions, says a piece like this “rarely comes up for sale,” which is why it’s expected to fetch between $8,000 and $12,000 in Loughrey’s June 7 auction. Other California artists represented in the sale include Evelyn Ackerman, Beatrice Wood and Gertrude and Otto Natzler. You can preview items through June 6 at 16145 Hart St., Van Nuys; (323) 904-1950; www.lamodern.com.

-- David A. Keeps