Although one of the best ways to gain inspiration is through art books, I believe that art is best experienced firsthand. There is nothing comparable to standing before a Boticelli or a Pollock for the first time, and it is an experience one does not easily forget.
Color is one thing that is never fully justified in reproductions. After looking at photos, slides, and jpegs of paintings by Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), nothing could compare to seeing one in person. The colors are so bold and vibrant, they are nearly overwhelming.
It's easy to be inspired by Kandinsky wardrobe-wise, what with the multitude of bright colors and interesting shapes. One aspect of his work that I've been picking up in my personal style recently is the striking combination of purple and red.
Nearly all of Kandinsky's paintings feature this color duality, and, though the two colors reside next to eachother on the color wheel, the result is still very bold.
As I shared before, Kandinsky's primary motivation in his work was composition, but clearly his use of color is equally strong.
For this outfit, I decided to take some cues from Kandinsky's color scheme and juxtapose purple and red with black accents, and a pair of shoes that could probably be camouflaged into a Kandinsky painting.
I'm wearing a vintage blouse and jacket, vintage leather skirt, Betsey Johnson leather clutch, and L.A.M.B. reptile heels.
[Kandinsky images from russianavantgard.com, dosiamckay.wordpress.com, and artobserved.com, respectively.]
