ANSELM KIEFER at MASS MoCA

One of the most outstanding aspects of my first visit to MASS MoCA was the long-term Anselm Kiefer exhibition, on view through 2028.  Kiefer is arguably the most important post-war German artist, and his work deals with many themes related to his home country's struggle after World War II.

Kiefer was born in Germany in 1945, and the rebuilding years after the war are his first memories.  His work deals with history directly, through the use of varied materials like photographs, organic matter, and post-industrial building materials.  It has been described as apocalyptic, and that term comes to mind easily when confronted with the size and scale of the works in the MASS MoCA exhibition.

In its own building separate from the rest of the museum, the Anselm Kiefer exhibition, in collaboration with the Hall Art Foundation, is like a memorial, and the quiet within the space attests to the ___ with which the images and forms are imbued.

Dress: Marni

Necklace: Saturday

Shoes: Pour la Victoire

Photos by Kathy Paciello.

TO THE LIGHTHOUSE

Georges Seurat, The Lighthouse at Honfleur, 1886

Stephen Scott Young, Dawn's Light, Coast of New England, 2008

Paul Resika, Blue Wave, 2008

Andrea Kowch, Light Keepers

I just returned from a much-needed, albeit brief vacation in the mid coast of Maine.  On my last day, I was able to explore the Historic Lighthouse at Pemaquid Point, located in a picturesque setting on the rocks since 1827.

While we were clambering around on cliffs, I began considering the various depictions of the lighthouse in painting.  In a quick search on Artsy.net, I compiled these few widely varied examples, ranging from a close-hued Pointillist painting from the 19th century by Georges Seurat, to contemporary painting, both Realist and abstract, to a fantasy-like, almost Surreal, contemporary work by Andrea Kowch (previously featured here).

Which style do you prefer?

Dress: Vintage (thrifted for $5!)

Shoes: Sperry

Hat: H&M

Images via Artsy.net; Photographs by Hope Huynh.

CHRISTOPHER WOOL at the GUGGENHEIM

I'm excited to share my newest DIY, inspired by the Christopher Wool retrospective at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

Wool (b. 1955) is an American artist, known by me for his large text-based canvases, such as the ones shown here.  Using commercial materials, such as black enamel, rollers, and stencils, Wool creates paintings that feature words as their subject, drawing to mind the shapes and contrasts that words create on a white page.

The New York-based artist studied painting at the New York Studio School, and subsequently studied film at NYU, before dedicating his career to painting.  I was surprised to find beautiful suites of black and white photographs as a part of the retrospective, depicting lonely scenes of city life. These works were surprisingly relatable to Wool's large canvases, equally monochrome and devoid of human interaction.

Making this dress was an enlightening experience, providing me a glimpse into the process behind Wool's much more involved canvases.  First, I chose a plain black dress from my closet (worn here), and found some commercial stencils at an art supply store.  Using acrylic paint, I painted the words from Wool's Untitled work, "THE SHOW IS OVER THE AUDIENCE GET UP TO LEAVE THEIR SEATS TIME TO COLLECT THEIR COATS AND GO HOME THEY TURN AROUND NO MORE COATS AND NO MORE HOME." The quote is from Greil Marcus' Lipstick Traces, and is a poignant example of Wool's theme of nihilism.

Seeing Wool's retrospective gave me a much greater appreciation of his work, helping to establish a broader context of themes and mediums, and viewing the full timeline of his practice.  The exhibition closes on January 22nd.

Dress: DIY (originally from H&M)

Tights: Topshop

Boots: Ash

Sweater: Velvet

Photos by Hannah Kauffman.

HUMANS OF NEW YORK

I'm honored to be featured in Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York.  I met Brandon on the subway the other evening, and we had a wonderful chat about life's highs and lows, inspiration, and style.  Thank you, Brandon, for the opportunity, and to the HONY community for the words of encouragement!

See the post here.  Buy Brandon's book here.

INSPIRATION: The Modern Woman.

I love this so much; all I want to do is wear an Op Art coat and stand near a Helen Frankenthaler painting.

From The New York Times' The Lively Morgue:

June 26, 1963: Reviving the American Indian art of painting on furs, the Fifth Avenue fur designer Jacques Kaplancommissioned five American artists to paint on his collection to be worn by “the modern woman.” Within two hours, the first coat — painted by Anuszkiewcz, with a geometric arrangement of black dots on white calfskin — was sold to Mrs. Harcourt Amory. Each design came as a complete surprise to Mr. Kaplan, as he allowed the artists “absolute freedom to do whatever they wanted.”

Photo: Mayer Liebowitz, The New York Times 

INSPIRATION: A Tribute to Rothko.

I love these beautifully simplified photographs by Eddy de Azevedo.

As a tribute to Mark Rothko, photographer Azevedo has captured everyday Color Field occurrences, and I've found these stacks of clothing particularly compelling.

See more images here.

View my Rothko post here.

BOOOOOOOM REMAKE

Sacramento recently alerted me to this inspiring remake project happening on Booooooom.  Above are a few of my favorites.  I also noted the multiple versions of Man in a Red Turban.

View the updated gallery or submit your own here.

[Matisse's Femme au Chapeau by Stella Vula, van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles by Joshua Louis Simon, and Renoir's Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary by Marianna Oboeva.]

ART TO WEAR: John Baldessari.

I've long been a fan of Ruthie Davis's outrageous shoe designs (I'm wearing them in this post), and I've repeatedly noticed their similarities to the grapic work of contemporary artist John Baldessari.

Visit the Ruthie Davis website to view other styles.

[Baldessari image from synapticstimuli.com, and Davis image from fashion-hole.blogspot.com.]