WHO'S AFRAID OF RED, YELLOW, AND BLUE?

Color in its purest form--unmixed, straight out of the tube--is very powerful. The primary colors, red, yellow, and blue (of which all other colors are made), are highly saturated and contrast beautifully with one another.

For this reason, many artists have relied on the primaries to make bold statements and/or illicit responses. From Fauve landscapes to the Suprematist compositions of Kasimir Malevich to Barnett Newman's zip paintings, the color triumvirate has become an important artistic motif.

Newman (1905-1970) is technically considered an Abstract Expressionist because of his relationship with the group, but he also ushered in an era of post-painterly abstraction and eventually Minimalism.

His most famous works consist of a solid ground with thin vertical strips of color or noncolor--called zips--which simultaneously divide and unite the canvas.

He relied on the use of red, yellow, and blue in a number of these works, both for their vibrance and impact, and art historical importance.

By championing boldness of color and simplicity of form, Newman challenged the viewer to confront his large-scale works, which are enveloping in size.

The canvas above, entitled Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow, and Blue? (1966), encapsulates the challenge implicit in these works.

I took Newman's challenge to prove that I am not afraid of red, yellow, and blue, and styled and outfit with the sole purpose of combining the primaries (and an excuse to wear this cape).

Are you afraid of red, yellow, and blue?

If you feel inspired by Newman's challenge (as I was), and document a primary-colored outfit of your own, send me a link or a photo--I would love to see it and be more than happy to share it!

I'm wearing a vintage cape, vintage silk blouse and pants, vintage snakeskin clutch, J. Crew beaded belt, and Jeffrey Campbell suede and mesh heels.

[Newman images from artupdate.nl, americanwiki.pbworks.com, safran-arts.com, and friendsofart.net, respectively.]

KIRCHNER'S COLORS

One of the main reasons I love art so much is that it is ruled by emotion--there is no right or wrong art. The same is true of fashion, to an extent. Though there are trends and forecasters who predict what will be "in" and "out", one's personal style ultimately relies on one's own emotion and how they choose to express themselves.

Have you ever awoken in a slump and combatted the mood by wearing your favorite dress or brightest tee?

Expressionism has always been among my favorite art movements because of its ability to do just that--capture emotion through color. This idea is evidenced in the work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.

Kirchner (1880-1938) was the most important member of Die Brücke, a group of Dresden artists who championed primitivism, bold color, and abstraction. His most known works are of Berlin street scenes; however, the works shown here depict other figural subject matter that is equally compelling.

Kirchner used bold, almost neon, hues of orange and green to give his works a vibrating sense of color and depth. Themes of primitivism and the exotic are also apparent in these works, important aspects of Die Brücke Manifesto.

To emulate the feel of these paintings, I paired Kirchner's go-to colors, green and neon orange, with a few "exotic" elements--leopard and zebra.

This skirt was a recent thrift find--part Jil Sander, part Royal Tenenbaums. I think it will prove to be quite versatile. Yes, I consider a pleated green zebra-print midi skirt to be a versatile piece. Like I said, there is no wrong answer in fashion!

I'm wearing a handknit vintage cardigan (which is even more neon in person--like construction worker orange), vintage silk blouse, vintage silk pleated skirt, Abercrombie & Fitch leather skinny belt, vintage leather clutch, Juicy Couture leather lace-up booties, and F21 rings.

Thank you to Aesthetic Alterations for the Stylish Blogger Award!

[Kirchner images from artinvestment.ru, flickr.com, and members.cox.net, respectively.]

PHILIP TAAFFE

I think one of the most interesting aspects of art and fashion is the way they reflect on culture. Because there are very few cultures in isolation today, it is interesting to see the ways in which artists and designers alike explore cultural exchange in an increasingly globalized world.

An artist whose work investigates this concept is Philip Taaffe (b. 1955).

Inspired by Matisse's cutouts and synthetic Cubism, Taaffe creates collaged paintings that reflect his travels throughout the Middle East, India, South America, and Morocco.

His process involves a synthesis of printing, collage, and painting, that result in complex multilayered canvases.

The resulting works not only capture the beauty of the inspiration, they also function on a Post-Modern level as appropriation art.

The appropriation from Spanish, Islamic, and Byzantine sources (among many others) combined with their unique composition give these works the ability to appeal aesthetically as well as make a statement about cultural exchange.

"His motifs are his motives, however impure and complex." --Greg Hilty on Philip Taaffe

I emulated Taaffe's work by pairing a vintage dashiki with ethnic bangles and tall boots to ground the look.

This dashiki is one of the most versatile pieces in my closet--here, it functions as a more polished dress, but it also easily translates into beachwear (with woven sandals and a floppy hat) or a casual tunic over leggings and boots.

I'm wearing a vintage printed cotton dashiki, vintage suede and leather belt, Dolce Vita suede boots, and Indian bracelets.

[Taaffe images from philiptaaffe.info, stylemag-online.net, kunstmuseum-wolfburg.de, philiptaaffe.info, and wavehill.org, respectively.]

LEE KRASNER

If I was forced to choose my favorite art movement, it would have to be Abstract Expressionism. It is a great movement to initiate a discussion of art because the works are very open to interpretation, and I love the fact that each AbEx artist had such a distinct style.

I also enjoy the backstory of the rowdy group of artists convening nightly at the Cedar Tavern in the 1950s, sharing artistic criticism, more than a few disagreements, and undeniable camaraderie.

There is an overwhelming aura of male bravado surrounding the Abstract Expressionists; however, a few women are included in the movement as well: namely Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, and Lee Krasner (1908-1984), wife of Jackson Pollock.

Krasner worked in the style of neo-Cubist abstraction, and often cut apart her own work to reassemble it as a collage.

She studied painting under famed artist-instructor Hans Hoffman, who said of her work: "This is so good you would not know it was painted by a woman."

Though his tumultuous life was cut short, Pollock and Krasner shared an intimate critical relationship that benefited their separate bodies of work immensely. In some works, Pollock's influence is not as visible, and in others (like the one above) you can clearly see the the influence of action painting.

For me, Krasner's work bears a unique color sense that really sets her paintings apart from the other AbEx works.

I was particularly inspired by her use of fuchsia, viridian green, and yellow ochre, which I worked into an ensemble inspired by her palette.

I'm wearing a vintage silk blouse, vintage sweater, Forever 21 leather and suede skirt (who knew they sold real leather pieces?), Hue tights, Frye wedges, vintage necklace, and Sorial suede handbag.

Thank you to Shey of Modesty is Pretty for featuring me on her blog!

[Krasner images from clicks.robertgenn.com, spanierman-at-easthampton.com, radaris.com, casacara.wordpress.com, and artezine.com, respectively.]

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.]