LET ME BE FRANK

"I don't like to say I have given my life to art.  I prefer to say art has given me my life."  -Frank Stella

As I was perusing the textile rack at a local secondhand store a few years ago, I came across what I could only describe as the most beautiful piece of silk I'd ever seen - which I immediately recognized as a Frank Stella print.  Upon closer inspection, I found Stella's signature and the date, and clutched the scarf to my chest as I raced for the cash register, thinking the beautiful piece of silk would vanish from my hands before I could buy it.  I did a bit of research and found that the scarf was one of a limited edition of 500 produced by Stella for Barneys in 2004.  One of my prized possessions, I couldn't wait to wear the scarf for the opening of Frank Stella's retrospective at the Whitney Museum.

Stella is one of those art world luminaries who has been living and creating art throughout so many different time periods and movements, that it is difficult to categorize his work.  He is most well known for his Minimalist works of the 1960s and 1970s, but his more recent work (which I can comfortably describe as Maximalist) has become more and more interesting over the years.  The Whitney retrospective gives a high level overview of the artist's oeuvre and delves into some of the pervading themes and just touches on some of the others.

Silk scarf: Frank Stella Limited Edition for Barneys

Silk blouse: Yves Saint Laurent

Jeans: Hudson Barbara

Shoes:  Walter Steiger

Photos of me by Meri Feir; other photos by me.

SIXTIES STELLA

Though I don't discriminate against clothing or accessories based on age or era, many of my favorite pieces are vintage. Obviously there are many reasons to love vintage clothing, but the most interesting aspect for me is comparing the aged styles with their art historical counterparts.

Whether the elaborate costumes portrayed by Toulouse-Lautrec of the women of the Moulin Rouge, or the stark geometrics of Minimalism, there is much to be learned from the influence of art on fashion and vice versa.

For example, this suit from the 1960s bears a striking resemblance to Frank Stella's Black Paintings from the same decade.

As the polar opposite of Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism became the signature aesthetic style of the Sixties.

The Minimalist aesthetic extended into nearly every aspect of design, including interiors, product design, advertising, architecture, and, obviously, fashion.

Frank Stella (previously discussed here) was one of the most important Minimalist artists. His most famous minimalist work, Die Fahne Hoch! (Raise the Flag!) was completed in 1959 and set the stage for a large number of similar works created throughout the Sixties, depicted here.

For the most part I stayed true to the decade with this look--pairing the suit with vintage accessories, and, of course, a few signature passages of color.

I'm wearing a 1960s Bill Blass jacket and skirt, thrifted cashmere sweater, vintage scarf, vintage Nicholas Reich reptile handbag, vintage earrings, Falke Pure Matte tights in Turmaline, and K* suede booties.

The winner of the $35 CSN stores giveaway is Amy of Plenty for Pennies! Congratulations, and thank you for all of your lovely comments!

[Stella images from siongchin.com, danm.ucsc.edu, whitney.org, and siongchin.com, respectively.]

SHAPES OF STELLA

Now that the holidays are over, it's officially the "bleak midwinter". With little to look forward to until spring (read: my birthday), it's easy to get into a wardrobe rut. I'm of the opinion that it's possible to beat the midwinter blahs through a well-planned wardrobe.

Although it's still absolutely necessary to layer up, it's fun to experiment with color palettes that wouldn't normally be associated with the cold season. This ensemble was inspired by the colorful minimalist works of Frank Stella.

Stella (b. 1936) is an American painter and sculptor most closely associated with the Minimalist movement.

During his early career, Stella was interested in making pictures that were art objects in and of themselves, not pictures that depicted something else.

Stella's early works were very minimal: simple unprimed canvas with black paint, in some cases. These works are from the 1960s to 1970s and represent Stella's experimentation with color and shaped canvases, which further complicated the work's status as object versus depiction.

Minimalism like Stella's came to be a representation of the 1960s aesthetic, as seen in art, architecture, home decor, and fashion.

Although minimalism has lost some of its caché in recent years, it represents an important art historical movement that developed in response to Abstract Expressionism.

This vintage skirt was a recent thrift find, and I thought it bore a striking resemblance to the colors and patterns of Stella's paintings.

For me, the colors of this outfit (and smart layering) made a chilly midwinter day a bit more bearable.

I'm wearing a vintage skirt (which I will probably shorten and wear to death this summer), vintage cashmere/angora sweater, Betsey Johnson wool tights, unidentified wool socks, a necklace from Burlington Coat Factory, and Marni clogs. (Not shown: thermal undergarments--a necessity!)

[Stella images from kingfishers.ednet.ns.ca, waynethomasartroom.wikispaces.com, artistquoteoftheday.wordpress.com, and abstract-art.com, respectively.]