TIMES OF THE DAY

Blinky Palermo, Times of the Day I–VI (1974–76)

I found this photo while rummaging through old files on my laptop, and realized how much I want to revisit Dia:Beacon.  This particular work by Blinky Palermo is on long-term installation there, and includes 25 different canvases that represent the various lightness or darkness of the times of the day, from sunrise to sunset.

Have you been to Dia:Beacon?  I'd love to hear about your experience there.

Dress: Alexandre Herchcovitch

Sandals: Sam Edelman

Photo by Meri Feir.

THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR

My favorite day of the year has once again come and gone (luckily for me, it returns again in August).  The Jazz Age Lawn Party, currently in its 9th year on Governors Island, is a fete not to be missed by anyone who loves Gatsby-era revelry.  This was my third year in attendance, and I was shocked to find how many likeminded individuals gathered on the lawn on Governors Island to hear Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra perform, along with many other musicians, dancers, and even a sword swallower.  I can't wait for the next party!  See my previous JALP outfits here and here.

Dress: Marni

Shawl: Vintage, thrifted

Shoes: Vintage, thrifted

Necklace: Made by my Grandmother

Hat: Same as last year, updated with ribbon & appliques from B&Q Trimming

Picnic Basket: Picnic World

Photos of me by Ivy Fuld & Meri Feir; other photos by me.

SUGAR MAMA

At the behest of Creative Time Kara E. Walker has confected:

or the Marvelous Sugar Baby
an Homage to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes from the cane fields to the Kitchens of the New World on the Occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant

Did you know there's a giant sphinx made out of sugar currently residing in an abandoned Domino Sugar factory in Brooklyn?  Not only is there a behemoth of a lady sphinx, but she is accompanied by a gaggle of children made out of molasses.  The entire experience is quite overwhelming, from the damp, expansive space to the ultra sweet smell that permeates your nostrils upon arrival.  Never one to really sugarcoat the issue, Walker's work over the past 20 years deals with themes of race and culture, and her overtly sexual, graphic, and suruprisingly lovely silhouettes have become ubiquitous with the relationship between art and cultural identity in our age.  This, her first large scale public project overwhelms both in its sense of scale, and also for its surprising relationship to her earlier work & development of the themes therein.  See the last time I wore my Kara Walker dress here.

Dress:  Jill Stuart

Sandals: Sam Edelman

A Subtlety is on view in Brooklyn until July 6, 2014.

Photos of me by Kathy Paciello; all other photos by me.

COCO CHANEL + JOAN MIRO

You may wonder what these two individuals have in common; one a legendary fashion designer and icon, and the other a Surrealist artist.  Apart from their fame, both worked directly with Russian ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev.  Founder of the Ballets Russes, Diaghilev recruited artists to work with him on all aspects of his ballets, from the set design to the choreography, to the costumes. In addition to Miró and Chanel, Diaghilev also worked with Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, and Jean Cocteau; this group reads like a list of who's who in the culture of late 19th and early 20th century France.  Click here to read more info about Diaghilev's artist collaborations.

The vintage skirt I'm wearing in this post features a Miró print which corresponds directly to some of his Surrealist paintings of the time period.  The Chanel shoes are a new addition to my collection and help to round out the subtle nod to Diaghilev's genius through a modern outfit that stands for more than the sum of its parts.

Skirt: Vintage, Uncommon Objects in Austin, Texas

Crop Top: Vintage, Beacon's Closet in Brooklyn, New York

Leather Block-Heel Shoes: Chanel

Clutch: Felix Rey

Bangles: Roberta Roller Rabbit

Photos by Kathy Paciello; Miró images from wikiart.org and pavlinachakarova.com.