THE UNKNOWN PAINTING

I scooped this sweater at one of my favorite vintage outposts in the Village, instantly recognizing the image from Art History.  However, try as a might, I cannot identify this painting!  I've scoured the internet and sourcebooks and cannot uncover the title or artist of this work.

HELP!  Do you know this painting?

See the last time I work this skirt, on a Brooklyn rooftop.

Sweater: Vintage

Skirt: Vintage

Socks: HUE

Boots: DKNY

Sunglasses: Marc Jacobs

Photos by Kathy Paciello.

HOWARD HODGKIN

I did a bit of summer chasing last week and escaped to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for my cousin's wedding.  The water was warm, the beaches deserted, and this caftan was the perfect thing to wear in the Indian Summer heat.  I can't help but think of the gestural paintings of Howard Hodgkin (b. 1932) while looking at the print.  What do you think?

Caftan: Corey Lynn Calter

Photos by Echo Semple; Hodgkin images from Artsy.net and sfu.ca.

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.

THRIFTED: Cafe Terrace At Night.

This vintage dress is possibly one of my most exciting thrift finds to date.  I remember plucking it off of the rack at a local thrift store and squealing with delight, as I imagined promptly leaving the store and heading directly for the Netherlands, where Vincent Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night (1888) lives in the Kröller-Müller Museum.  Alas, I still have not seen this fantastic painting in person (which, coincidentally is not signed by the artist), but I spent an afternoon with the Van Gogh pair at MoMA, reveling in the swirls and undulations of the paintings and my outfit.

Dress: Thrifted

Tights: Joe Fresh

Boots: Delman

Bracelet: Vintage Givenchy (via Goodwill)

Photos by Kathy Paciello; Cafe Terrace image via prweb.com.

WATER LILIES

Claude Monet, Water Lilies (French, Paris 1840 - 1926 Giverny)

There are few more delightful ways to spend a Sunday afternoon than wandering through the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  On this particular Sunday, Monet's Water Lilies were especially beautiful as a contrast to the grey slush outside on Fifth Avenue.  According to Urban Dictionary, "Monet" can be used to describe someone who "looks good from afar, but far from good close up."  That is usually the case with my Sunday afternoon ensembles!

Coat: Free People

Sequin skirt: French Connection (thrifted)

Tights: Falke

Boots: DKNY

Sweatshirt: J. Crew

Snakeskin purse: Vintage (thrifted)

Necklace: H&M

Photo by Meri Feir.

CHRIS BURDEN: Extreme Measures.

I couldn't wait to see the Chris Burden retrospective at the New Museum.  Not only was I intrigued about the prospect of a full-career retrospective of an artist most well-known for performance, but also because the entire museum would be filled with just Burden's work.  I was particularly taken by the LA Police Uniforms, created in cooperation with the Fabric Workshop and Museum in 1993.

Made by the genuine factory that manufactures LAPD uniforms, these are slightly larger than lifesize (7 feet, four inches, to be exact), a detail which makes them both fascinating and unsettling.  A commentary on authority, specifically related to the brutal police beatings in LA in 1992, the uniforms remind us of our stature within society, and also recall the fear of the civil rights era.  In the words of Blake Gopnik:

They are perfect facsimiles of what was worn by the LAPD, although blown up to just about fit the largest humans ever born. They capture the inner image that we have of every police officer we have an encounter with – whether as savior or threat. 

Dress/Jacket: Marc Jacobs

Brooch: Vintage

Belt: Jodi Arnold

Boots: DKNY

See the exhibition through 1/12/14 at the New Museum.

Photos by Kathy Paciello.

EXHIBITION: Hypnopompic.

Last night, I attended the opening reception of Finnish-born illustrator Kustaa Saksi's Hynopompic exhibition.  Taking place for 48 hours only, the exhibition combines beautifully intricate wool jacquard weavings as well as projection.  According to his bio, Saksi's illustrations "[radiate] meaning, bending what's real and distilling what's unreal."  It's true -- the combination of organic forms with undulating patterns was transfixing.

Dress: L'Amour Nanette Lepore via JCP

Blouse: L'Amour Nanette Lepore via JCP

Tights: Hue

Boots: Franco Sarto

Jacket: Vintage

If you're in New York City this evening, stop by Artifact at 84 Orchard Street between 6:30 and 9:30pm to see the exhibition.

Photos by Meri Feir and myself.

CHALLENGE: Mickalene Thomas.

I'm excited to announce the inaugural Artfully Awear Challenge!

I've chosen a work of art (below) for inspiration, and dare you to style an outfit influenced by it: a direct representation of the work or a subtle nod to the color, form, feeling of the piece.  Take a photo of your look and send it to artfullyawear@gmail.com by midnight EST on Friday, November 22nd.

I'll post all of the photos here, and challenge one entrant to choose the next inspirational work.

For the first challenge, I've chosen a piece by one of my favorite contemporary artists, Mickalene Thomas.  This untitled work is made with rhinestones, glitter, acrylic, enamel, pastel, charcoal, graphite, and oil on wood panel.  

Mickalene Thomas, Untitled #4, 2013

I can't wait to see your photos!

Plainness in clothing is the enemy of art.

GE Reveal Lighting Makeover

Stained glass lamp fitted with standard light bulb.

One of my most prized possessions is a stained glass lamp designed and made by my grandmother.  Reminiscent of the art glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the lamp is special not only because it is her own design, but because she created it in her favorite palette of colors.  I put together this outfit inspired by the lamp, and by the beautifully artistic eye of my grandmother.

GE asked me to test out their new Reveal lightbulb, and I couldn't wait to see how it would look in my grandmother's lamp.  With the Reveal bulb, the beautiful colors of the glass and intricacy of the design are much more apparent.

Stained glass lamp fitted with GE Reveal bulb.

GE reveal® bulbs make it easy to enhance the colors and patterns around you, something that is extremely important to visual people like myself. The LED lightbulbs filter out dull yellow rays of standard incandescents, and provide a beautiful, clear light , perfect for a workspace, to showcase artwork, or simply to light your home. An added bonus is that the Reveal bulbs use 28% less energy than standard incandescents.

To learn more about the difference reveal® can make, watch this fun video engaging tastemakers who depend on the best lighting possible for their craft.

Thank you to GE for the opportunity to test out the Reveal bulb!

Blouse: Vintage

Leather pants: Tracy Reese

Boots: DKNY

REVOK and POSE

During a downtown afternoon which included a stop at my favorite dumpling shop and a visit to the New Museum, I was fortuitously dressed to match the legendary Bowery and Houston mural, currently occupied by a collaboration between graffiti writers REVOK and POSE.  It consists of a sampling of tags from many different late writers, including Dondi, Iz the Whiz, Nekst, Tie, CASE2, Ayer, Rammellzee, Vaughn Bode, and took 6 days to complete.

"With layers of tributes to fallen graffiti writers, shout-outs to friends and family, and heartfelt thanks to the host city that sparked a global graffiti scene decades earlier (including this very spot), the visiting thirty something graffiti brothers couldn't quite quantify the depth of feeling they were experiencing as they slowly smashed a big wall in the heart of Manhattan."  Read the full recap here.

Silk Pants: Talulah

Tank: H&M

Sandals: Miss Trish Sslither

Necklace: Duro Olowu for JCP

Straw Handbag: vintage

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban aviators

Photos by Kathy Paciello.

WEARING: Imran Qureshi at the Met.

Over the weekend, I finally had an opportunity to visit The Roof Garden Commission: Imran Qureshi at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  When I first read about this year's rooftop commission, I was surprised to find that this was much more introspective than the usual summertime sculpture shows that take place at the top of the Met.

Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi's And How Many Rains Must Fall Before the Stains Are Washed Clean is in no way obtrusive, essentially becoming an aspect of the surroundings.  Handpainted in the color of dried blood, the work, which resembles Pollock's splatter paintings adorned with organic floral-type forms, calls to mind both the record of a battle scene and new life.

Though Ken Johnson's review in the Times criticized the work as not taking into account its site-specificity with relation to terrorism and the September 11 attacks, he still described the work thus: "A dreamlike carpet underfoot, bound to be scuffed and soiled by thousands of shoes and beaten by sun and rain, it remains generously open to meditative reflection."

I agree with Johnson's assertion that the work illicits reflection, and add that its violence is an ever present reminder of the struggles faced by our own and other cultures.  The rooftop exhibition is open through November 3.

Dress: Vintage, via Beacon's Closet Park Slope

Sandals: Madison Harding

Handbag: Vintage, via Goodwill

Sunglasses: Dolce and Gabbana

Necklace: Belonged to my mother

Photos by Kathy Paciello and myself.

ARTFULLY AWEAR ON VIMEO

If you haven't yet seen my mini interview, in which I discuss the inception of Artfully Awear, my project with Pantone, and my goals for the site, check it out on Vimeo!

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BILL JENSEN

Bill Jensen (1945-) is a Williamsburg, Brooklyn-based painter, represented by Cheim & Read in New York.

Originally from Minneapolis, Jensen started his artistic career by airbrushing sweatshirts with monster motifs in high school.

He is now well-known for his abstract canvases, characterized by layer after layer of oil on linen.

"It's more alchemy than craft.  I think that one of my responsibilities is to uncover the energies that material possesses." --Bill Jensen

I'm wearing an H&M dress, Falke tights, K* shoes, and a suede Lauren Merkin clutch.

[Photos by @kay_elle_pea;

Jensen images from cheimread.com and tumblr.com.]

UNICORN TAPESTRIES

Embroidery and crewelwork on garments always puts me in mind of medieval tapestries, such as the well-known Unicorn Tapestries of the Late Middle Ages.

The set of seven tapestries is of South Netherlandish origin, and is made of wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt (or gold) wefts.

The tapestries, depicting the hunt and capture of the mythological unicorn, manifest themes of fertility and marriage, as well as the Passion of the Christ.

There are also many symbolic characteristics, ranging from the over 100 species of plants depicted, to the number of figures and colors used.

In Medieval times, the unicorn was a symbol of invincibility, often representing Christ, and the horn was believed to have healing properties. This belief extended to the horn of the narwhal, which was a highly sought-after object.

Dating from around 1495 to 1505, the set remains in remarkable condition and resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection at The Cloisters.

I'm wearing a J. Crew cashmere sweater and pencil skirt and Plenty by Tracy Reese embroidered jacket, all thrifted from the same Goodwill, on different days. The boots are the Frye Veronica, the leather purse is vintage, and the necklace is from Anthropologie.

[Unicorn Tapestry images from metmuseum.org.]

MORRIS LOUIS

When I came across this dress earlier this season, I immediately recognized its affinity to Color Field painting.

Morris Louis (1912-1962) was the key proponent of the Washington Color School movement, a branch of mid-century Abstract Expressionism.

After experiencing the work of Helen Frankenthaler in New York, Louis embarked on his own exploration of color field painting in Washington, DC.

Louis, along with Kenneth Noland and others, established a school of painting which championed the broad expanse of color achieved by pouring thinned paint onto an unprimed canvas. [View my Noland post here.]

Louis worked with Magna paint, an oil-based acrylic, which was specially developed for him by paintmaker colleagues.

The work of the Washington Color School is characterized by all-over composition, and broad fields of transparent, dripped, organically-spreading paint.

The group of works shown here cover all or most of the canvas, in contrast with his well-known Unfurleds, which simplified what it meant for a painting to be complete.

The color veils of Louis's work speak to the underlying spirituality of painting as a process, and remove the hand of the painter from act of painting.

I'm wearing a silk dress by Presley Skye, vintage leather boots, and self-made earrings.

[Louis images from picasaweb.google.com, abstract-art.com, kimmco.typepad.com, and nycmagnet.wordpress.com, respectively.]