LICHTENSTEIN GIRL

Pop Art looks out into the world.  It doesn't look like a painting of something, it looks like the thing itself.  --Roy Lichtenstein

This year's costume was inspired by the comic strip paintings of Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein (whose birthday happened to be on the day I wore this).  I painted my face with Ben-Day dots using lipliner, wore a yellow wig, and turned a wire-framed purse into a makeshift word bubble.

I'm wearing a vintage dress and earrings courtesy of Lydell NYC.

[Lichtenstein images from artsamerica.org and art-glossary.com.]

YARNBOMBING

Yarn bombing is a form of street art, where surroundings are impermanently altered through the use of yarn.

Artist Juliana Santacruz Herrera took to the streets of Paris last year to fill the cracks with art.

Street art, including yarn bombing, is technically illegal, but who could complain about these decorative potholes?

The contrast between the grey tones of the city and the brightly colored yarn causes the viewer to stop and think about his/her surroundings, and possibly appreciate the inconsistencies.

See my previous post about Olek, a NYC-based yarn bomber who also makes the mundane beautiful by her use of yarn.

I'm wearing a dress by Candela NYC, leather Lauren Merkin clutch, vintage jewelry, and Manolo Blahnik oxfords.

All images (c) Juliana Santacruz Herrera via designboom.

ART TO WEAR: Filigree

Jewelry, especially from ancient times, is just as much artwork as artifact, especially when you consider the craftsmanship behind each piece.  Filigree is a type of metalwork used for jewelry since the 6th century B.C., and is represented in many ancient cultures, including Italian, French, Greek, and Etruscan, and is still popularly used today. Filigree is accomplished by soldering together many tiny filaments to form a piece of metal that resembles lace.

I'm wearing the Filigree Statement Necklace, courtesy of Lydell NYC.

KARA WALKER

"I wanted to make work where the viewer wouldn't walk away; he would either giggle nervously, get pulled into history, fiction, into something totally demeaning and possibly very beautiful." --Kara Walker

Kara Walker (1969-) is a New York based artist, well known for her paper-cut silhouette works, which broach issues of race, identity, politics, and violence.

Walker's work first came to the public's attention when she was in her mid-20s, and she became the youngest artist to receive a MacArthur "genius" grant at age 27.

Specifically in relation to the plight of African American women in the antebellum South, Walker's room-size tableaux depict scenes from history, literature, and lore, adding a cinematic quality to the arrangement of life-size figures.

Walker works in many mediums, including gouache, animation and even shadow puppets.  In my opinion, her paper cut works are the most boldly thematic, zeroing in on the issues she raises through the stark contrast of black and white.

Upon immediate confrontation, the beautiful craftsmanship of the cut paper is striking.  The social, political, sexual, and violent themes come to light upon closer inspection.

Walker currently lives in New York City, where she is Professor of Visual Art at Columbia University's MFA program.

I'm wearing a Jill Stuart dress, Candela shoes, and a vintage leather clutch.

Photos by @kay_elle_pea.  Walker images from columbusmuseum.com, degenerationartstream.blogspot.com, nyclovesnyc.blogspot.com, and museumstudiesblog.blogspot.com.