CARMEN HERRERA @ THE WHITNEY

"I began a lifelong process of purification, a process of taking away what isn't essential." --Carmen Herrera

Carmen Herrera is a Cuban American artist, and her work is the focus of an exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art which opens today in New York City.  When I began investigating her work, I found that there is a lot to learn from the 101-year-old artist, who was a pioneer of Geometric Abstraction.  She has said that her "quest is for the simplest of pictorial resolutions", which struck me as a valuable way to approach art as well as life.

I made a dress inspired by her painting Green and Orange from 1958.  It was surprisingly refreshing to work on something so direct, and it was fun to mix colors to emulate Herrera's palette.

Carmen Herrera: Lines of Sight opens to the public today, and is on view until January 2, 2017.

Photos by Sarah Meller.

GIVE ME LOVE

Yayoi Kusama's Give Me Love, on view now at David Zwirner Gallery, has me seeing spots.

Upon entering the gallery, which is fully open to the street, you are confronted with a little house which is furnished completely in white, from floor to ceiling.  Each visitor is given a sheet of polka dot stickers, and you are encouraged to use all of them to decorate obliterate the space.  

Also accompanying the Obliteration Room are some of Kusama's pumpkins as well as a number of paintings in the space next door.  It's difficult to be unhappy while surrounded by colorful spots, and to be able to participate in the madness makes it that much more fun.

Give Me Love is on view through June 13 at 519 and 525 West 19th Street in NYC.

Dress: Vintage, with dot stickers

Shoes: The Kooples

Photos by Kathy Paciello.

JOYCE KOZLOFF: Maps + Patterns

On a recent most springlike day, I strolled from my office in Silicon Alley over to 22nd Street in Chelsea to see Joyce Kozloff's Maps + Patterns exhibition at DC Moore Gallery.

Described as "a cross between coloring books and illuminated manuscripts", the works on view are based on motifs that Kozloff encountered throughout her travels on the Silk Route.  The central image in these works is the Islamic Star, which Kozloff has returned to as a motif throughout her 40 year artistic career.

The pieces in the exhibition are mixed media collage, and include elements of previous works, studies, and ephemera Kozloff has collected along the way.

The exhibition closes on April 25, so make your way to the gallery ASAP if you'd like to experience these exuberant works of art.

Dress: Vintage silk, found at Lulu's in Chicago

Boots: Pour la Victoire (also worn in this post)

Photos by Kathy Paciello.

CHRIS OFILI | NEW MUSEUM

If you're in New York City this weekend looking for something to do, I highly recommend that you check out the Chris Ofili exhibition at the New Museum before it closes on February 1st.

Ofili made a name for himself with his controversial work in the Sensation exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in 1999.  His work is imbued with cultural references, from his heritage to Hip Hop music to the Bible, and his work spans across media including painting, drawing, and sculpture.  In some ways reminiscent of cave painting, the works also have a decorative aspect and an arts and crafts feel brought on through the use of materials such as glitter, studs, and even elephant dung.  The exhibition fills the entire museum and is a surprising journey through Ofili's career; proof that he has covered a lot of ground in his twenty years as an artist.

Dress: Givenchy (SIMILAR HERE)

Belt: Vintage

Shoes: Hussein Chalayan (exact shoes in patent leather HERE)

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