ART HISTORY HALLOWEEN: Femme au chapeau

Happy Halloween!

My costume this year was inspired by Henri Matisse's Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat), 1905, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.  I've always been fascinated by this painting for its riotous colors, and it was actually one of the first artworks to be classified as "Fauvist".  

It is a portrait of Matisse's wife, Amélie, who was a hat-maker.  What a fun challenge to recreate the gorgeous topper depicted in this painting!  

I used hand-painted paper, which I cramped and attached to a painted hat.  I painted the blouse as well, and the backdrop.  My friend Kathy helped me with the makeup and took the photos.  It was so much fun to bring one of my favorite paintings to life!

Have you worn an art-inspired Halloween costume?  I'd love to see it!

Happy Birthday, Andy Warhol!

Andy Warhol would have been 87 years old today.

As a tribute #tbt, here is my Halloween costume from two years ago, Turquoise Marilyn from 1964.  The painting was purchased for a rumored $80M in May of 2007, making it one of the most expensive Warhol artworks ever sold.  Aside from its value, it has become a cultural icon, representing fame and fortune, and a symbol for Warhol's entire oeuvre.

Ever wonder what Andy would be up to if he were still alive today?

Photo by Kathy Paciello; Warhol image from therealbest.com.

HAPPY KAHLOWEEN!

Happy Kahloween from Artfully a Hare!

Edward the bunny has been dressed up in many a costume, but this may be my favorite so far.  Inspired by Frida Kahlo's Self Portrait Dedicated to Dr. Eloesser from 1940 (and her signature look in general), Mr. Beast donned a flower crown and unibrow to complete the look.

What are you going to be for Halloween?

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.

SOUNDSUITS in BOSTON

Over the weekend, I made a special visit to Boston to see the work of one of my very favorite artists, Nick Cave, at the Institute of Contemporary Art.  (See my original Nick Cave post from over 3 years ago.)  Luckily for me, my two very best friends also live in Boston, so I was able to kill 3 birds with one stone, as it were.

Nick Cave (b. 1959) has built his artistic career on breaking down barriers between visual art, performance, and costume.  His Soundsuits are some of the most beautiful things to behold, and take on an even greater persona when they are worn during Cave's choreographed performances.  I had the pleasure of viewing HEARD•NY last year at Grand Central Station, and discovered firsthand the wonderfully unique and mesmerizing movement of the Soundsuits.  The ICA show, on view through May 4th, includes a number of Cave's ubiquitous suits, which he considers armor for the body.  Also on view are some of Cave's newer works, which extend past the realm of the wearable costume.  I'll never cease to be hypnotized by the detail and beauty of his work, and look forward to seeing another performance where the Sounsuits come to life.

Dress: Vintage
Tights: Hue
Necklaces: Various, with bird ornaments
Pumps: Sam Edelman

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

ART HISTORICAL HALLOWEEN

For Halloween this year, my friend (and faithful art lover) Kathy and I decided to go all out art historical.  She was Picasso's Woman in a Hat with Pompoms and a Printed Blouse from 1962 and I was Warhol's Turquoise Marilyn from 1964.

I even ran into an Andy at a party that night, and couldn't help being reminded of the quote by the man himself: 

"My idea of a good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person."

I'd love to hear what you're going to be for Halloween!

Dress and Wig: Amazon.com (search "Marilyn dress" and "Marilyn wig"--easy!)

Body paint and makeup: Ricky's NYC

Picasso and Warhol images from about.com

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.]