Monte Visión’s Eye for Design
In all honesty, photographing homes was never an intentional goal for Open Air Foto but when your friends are talented interior designers… It didn’t take long to realize and feel the art involved in designing interior habitats, as well as photographing them.
Through talented friends, you meet more talented friends and that’s how I found the instagram vintage homegoods store @monte.vision. I was instantly intrigued by her hand-selected curation. Impressed by the Dali-esque styled still life product shots that are in and of themselves art, and indicative of the designer eye behind this brand, I reached out to see if I could meet the woman behind the curtain.
When I arrived at her humble 5 acre parcel, I entered her open doors as she was drilling in a new curtain rod, blasting African tunes on NTS. It was an easy introduction and an easier flow as the bits of Bianca’s life that she shared, were as rich as her taste and curation.
I used to always refer to you as Monte until our mutual carpenter told me your name is actually Bianca. So let’s start there, where did Monte come from?
“Monte” is Spanish for “Mount” or “Mountain”. So, its “Mount Vision” translated into English. The imagery being that one is standing on top of the mountain looking beyond/below. In the case of the business, standing on top of the mountain seeking the “thing”, the object, the postmodern fantasy furniture piece.
There are many words and adjectives that come to mind when thinking about how to describe your curation such as 80’s, surrealist, glam and modernism, but how would you describe what you do and your curation?
I’m not exactly sure how to describe my curation, to be honest. I think I mostly draw from my upbringing, and nostalgia for that time in history, lived experiences, the places I inhabited, shapes and textures I remember, and the aesthetics of the people who raised me. So, really to talk about my curation means I have to touch on my upbringing. For example: I bounced back and forth between Texas and Argentina as a kid. Argentina has always been heavy on the italian modernist interiors, magical realism (Borges) and brutalist architecture. Mind you, I had no idea any of this stuff was called “brutalism” or “modernism” until literally about 4 years ago. It was just the world I inhabited and now, the things from my memory- and these things have names like “brutalism” and “modernism”. My aunt drove a cherry red Renault Fuego, chain smoked, and always had perfect nails and an epic tan. Her house was all velvet, mirrored surfaces, wrought iron, and dark woods. Texas is…Texas; Rodeo, open fields, oil money, oil money offices (lots of glam there). As a kid, I lived in what was then the gay arts district in Houston (Montrose), and all my neighbors and people I interacted with on my block were eccentric weirdos with excellent taste in music and new wave aesthetics. In Houston, I went to public school with 5000 kids, more than 80% of which were African American and Hispanic. I had a very urban experience and I am so grateful for that. I was not sheltered and my life was always full with music and culture. I started my professional career in dance music/ hip hop. Music has always been my first love and music videos my first real exposure to how set/settings can evoke feelings. I guess my aesthetic now has actually always been my aesthetic, just this blend of all the things in life that make me feel things- I’ve never really strayed, it just keeps evolving as I am exposed to more life experiences.
I studied Art History and Design therefore I am always impressed with your stories and shares of design references and how passionate you are about certain design history and movements. Can you share some of your favorite eras, trends, architecture and/or designers who have inspired you?
I am self taught with everything I’ve done career-wise. Half of the time I am totally winging it. That being said, I am insanely curious. I am constantly googling things and going down rabbit holes. My brain is a total sponge when I find something I am interested in knowing more about, which is almost every day. I guess it adds up over a lifetime and as a result I’ve become more knowledgeable about certain things. Some of these things I’ve become knowledgeable about are quite useless, but some of this knowledge has really served me to keep plotting a course forward. My friend once described me as being “psychically feral”, which pretty much sums up how I feel most days.
I am inspired by travel mostly. Walking around in a foreign city and seeing a weird masonry technique on a brick wall, or a beautiful linen weave I had never seen before, a natural dying process in action, the ways and customs of teenagers living their best life on a beach, people’s cracked windows into their dining room at dinner. I think that’s why It’s hard, even for me, to pinpoint what inspires me…because its’ everything and nothing. It’s usually not an object, but rather the way it makes me feel.
Your curiosity is infectious. Any contemporary designers, content curators, design sites that wow you?
Honestly, my favorite accounts on IG are the historical/science accounts. I want to learn mostly. I follow very few design accounts mostly because I am trying to keep whatever ideas I might be having about where things are headed trend-wise, pure. There are so many designers I appreciate for different reasons; either because I love their aesthetic or I just love how they parlayed their business into something much bigger. I admire being able to take something small and turn it into something bigger, I admire good-hearted hustlers. My favorite IG at the moment is @hoodmidcenturymodern; it blends all these things I really love: urban planning/architecture, music, design, wit, and history.
I’m a thrifting queen. There is no greater high than the quality secondhand score on the cheap. What was/is your favorite treasure?
Too many to keep track of at this point! Because I equally value a little student-made piece of pottery or a giant 9 piece plaster/wood display case or a crazy L-shaped 15 person couch. You know? Almost everytime I go out shopping I find at least 1 thing that brings me joy.
What's the farthest you have traveled to grab goods?
Argentina! But basically anywhere and everywhere I go, I am thrifting and/or seeking out something that is unique and exquisite to that area. I am currently in a dilemma where I bought this fantastic face oil inTallinn, Estonia 10 years ago and I JUST ran out and of course, it’s from a small little apothecary that barely answers the phone or has a website (True story: I did try to call them once and they answered, I quickly typed into google translate what I wanted to ask about the oil and tried in vain to speak to them over the phone. Did you know Estonian is the 5th hardest language to learn apparently? Yeah. they laughed and hung up on me).
Anyways, I’ve thrifted all over the world- always- since I was young, but since I started this business…the furthest DRIVE has been to Colorado and everywhere in between and Up to Washington state and all up and down the coast.
Where are you located and how did you end up in the high desert?
I am in Yucca Valley, back on the mesa closer to Landers. How I ended up here is a super long story and probably a story best reserved for a novel. Combination of choice and necessity at the time.
I know you sell from your own storage and space. Is there a schedule for clients or visitors of the desert for viewing the inventory? What is the process of buying from you?
Nah, no schedule really. And I rarely have people come and shop my storage just because it’s such a jenga in there. I am pretty loose with the rules though, so anyone interested in seeing what I’ve got just has to slide into my DM’s and we’ll work something out.
Congratulations on the renovations of your place. The installation of your bedroom doors was a unique twist on the swinging traffic door. Can’t wait to see the finished habitat. I’m always getting asked for interior designer references. Do you design consult?
I don’t but I could! I think people see my weirder IG persona and don’t realize I can also whip up a heavenly desert neutral situation just as easily. It’s hard for people to imagine that someone could wear so many hats or might be interested in being less weird for the sake of a challenge and project. Of course, in an ideal world it would be cool if people wanted me to consult and ONLY lean into my own aesthetic but is that even real…? I think all designers get pushback from clients. I always have. I guess it would just have to be the right fit as with everything in life.
Monte Visión photo by ©Estée Ochoa