Kabinett & Kammer comes to Manhattan

On Wednesday, Sean Scherer's Andes outpost of antiques, taxidermy, and artfully-arranged objects opened an outpost in the East Village. The Andes location of Kabinett & Kammer, however, is still the "flagship" store, according to the press release announcing the expansion:

The NYC store will be filled with more of the bizarre and beautiful art and objects that have made the upstate shop a legend among artists, designers, architects, entertainment and fashion folk. 

“We’re excited to expand our presence from Andes to our new location in New York City. It’s beyond what we could have envisioned” said Sean Scherer, Kabinett & Kammer artist, designer and founder.

Kabinett & Kammer will be run by Scherer in partnership with Rick Gilbert, who recently produced and art directed, Green Porno, a successful series of short films written, created by and starring Isabella Rossellini for the Sundance Channel. 

19th Century natural history prints, specimen shells, weathered antlers, science class models, and vintage taxidermy all come under the curated vision of Kabinett & Kammer.

Scherer caught the eye of the New York Times two years ago; the paper ran a long feature article on his journey from city artist to country curator of 19th-century treasures:

[T}aking his inspiration from the Renaissance tradition of the wunderkammer — a collection of natural and manufactured curiosities — Mr. Scherer opened Kabinett & Kammer in 2006, attracting a cult following among the artists, designers, architects and fashion industry people who have discovered Delaware County in recent years.

“Sean creates these a-ha moments,” Ms. [Brooke] Alderson said of his ability to pair old and new, high and low, in unexpected vignettes. “His eye is utterly unique. He will find something that you and I would completely ignore and instantly recognize its beauty. He’s more likely to go for a pipe fitting than a velvet pillow any day.”

Indeed, there is something crisp and masculine about Mr. Scherer’s aesthetic that appeals to what he calls “the guy’s eye.”

“I get plenty of local hunters who walk in my store and are in hog heaven because they get dead animals, rocks and anatomical charts,” he said.

Photo of the Andes location of Kabinett & Kammer by Sean Scherer. Used with permission.