designwire daily | Furniture Dealer, Artist Robert Loughlin: 1949-2011

Furniture Dealer, Artist Robert Loughlin: 1949-2011

by Larry Weinberg | Monday, October 3, 2011

I received the shocking and saddening news last week that Robert Loughlin, artist and picker extraordinaire, was killed when hit by a car near his home in New Jersey. He had been drinking at the time. Robert will be missed by all in the design and art communities who knew him or of him. He was responsible for launching any number of design dealers’ careers, through generously sharing his vast knowledge of design and decorative art, by witnessing his almost preternatural picking skills, and by listening to his stories. His enthusiasm and passion were contagious, and his red pickup truck was for years the center of attention in the wee hours at the 26th Street Flea Market. His finds are legendary, and he was partly responsible for the success of galleries such as Fifty/50, Alan Moss, Full House, 280 Modern, Aero, Lin Weinberg, Johnson Trading Company, Mondo Cane, and the list goes on and on.

I was fortunate to reconnect with Robert this past year, representing his artwork in New York. Last time I saw him, a week or so ago, he was sober and was actively painting and picking. Anyone who knew Robert, however, knew two Roberts—the sober one and the not-so-sober one. I liked the sober one better, but I confess the other one was more entertaining, if raunchier and more caustic. Alcohol never seemed to dim Robert, and who knows, maybe did enhance his creativity and his wit. But of course it was a problem, one he struggled with but never overcame, and in the end, as we all knew it would, it contributed to his untimely demise. Gary Carlson, his life partner, will hold a memorial service for Robert in the near future. It will be well-attended. Mention will be made of Robert’s alcoholism, but he will not be judged on this: those gathered will celebrate a life of pure self-creation, one lived as fully as any I know.