REDDRESS (and a Giveaway!)

Out of 550 meters of red wool, Aamu Song created REDDRESS, an installation/sculpture/wearable that combines both interaction and performance.

Viewers are encouraged to sit and lounge within the luxurious folds of the dress, while a performer enrobed within the gown stands and performs on a pedestal.

REDDRESS was created for the London Design Festival last fall.  Hear Aamu Song discuss the work here:

Among many other aspects of the work, the idea of femininity is boldly expressed by the choice of a red dress, traditionally regarded as sensual and ladylike.

Inspired by REDDRESS, I'm giving away the red dress above from Shabby Apple (www.shabbyapple.com), an online boutique of women's dresses and other lovely things.  To enter, LIKE Shabby Apple on Facebook and comment here with your favorite Shabby Apple item.  

You'll receive five bonus entries if you relate the item to artwork!

I will choose a winner randomly on March 10, 2012 and will notify you via email.  Sorry, this giveaway is only open to US residents.
[Images from mymodernmet.com, com-pa-ny.com, avocadosweet.com, delood.com, and firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com, respectively.]

DONALD JUDD

I recently caught up with my good friend Rick, the photographer behind street style site Icon Americana.  He agreed to snap some photos of me, and though I hadn't previously planned to use them for a post, the results immediately put me in mind of the minimalist sculpture of Donald Judd.

Judd (1928-1994) was born in Missouri, and went on to attend the College of William and Mary and Columbia University where he studied Philosophy.  Judd's academic background lends itself to his work, the basis of which is steeped in theory and criticism.

Judd himself detested the term Minimalism, and dealt with this aversion, as well as others, in his well-read and publicized essay Specific Objects (1964).

Judd's mature work takes into account positive and negative space as well as the surrounding environment.  His sculptures are not meant to depict or represent anything; they are simply meant to exist and interact with the viewer and the surrounding land- or wall-scape.  

After seeing Rick's photos of me, I was struck by the way the surrounding blue scaffolding resembled a Judd sculpture, and the interaction between the dueling vertical and horizontal stripes of my dress.

I'm wearing a thrifted dress, H&M necklace, Falke tights, and Ecote suede pumps.

Thank you so much to Rick for the wonderful photos!  You can find his full post here, and much more inspiration at Icon Americana.

[Judd images from youhavebeenheresometime.blogspot.com, galleryvedovi.com, and leconsortium.fr, respectively.]

ART TO WEAR: Maya Hayuk.

I've been transfixed by the high-contrast, India ink look of Brooklyn-based painter Maya Hayuk's acrylic works since I came across them a few months ago.  When I saw that one of my favorite designers, Mara Hoffman, created a pair of insane leggings featuring Hayuk's work, I fell in love.

Heavy Light #12 Uninvisible Circle, 2011

Maya Hayuk for Mara Hoffman

Limited Edition of 15, numbered and signed by the artist.

$200, available at Grey Area  

ROBERT LONGO

Robert Longo's drawings have been occupying my inspiration folder for some time. Recently, Lycra asked me to try out a new pair of jeans by wearing them during my most rigorous everyday activities to see how well they hold their stretch.  I immediately thought to the emotive, expressive drawings of Longo, and realized that emulating them would be the perfect way to test out the jeans.

Longo (b. 1953) is an American painter and sculptor, most known for his "Men in the Cities" drawings, pictured here.

To make the works, Longo started with photographs, which he projected onto paper.  From there, he traced the outline of the image (subtracting any background details), and continued to fill in the figure.  Each drawing took up to a week to complete.

There is a distinctive sculptural quality to these works, which play on themes of authority, emotion, and isolation.

Longo has also been involved in the direction of music videos and films, and acted as head guitarist for an experimental band in the 1970's.

For my rendition of Longo's photographs, I opted for a high-contrast look against solid wall.  I had a lot of fun taking these photos, and I must say -- throughout all the frames, and for the rest of the day, I was seriously impressed with the way the jeans kept their shape.

I'm wearing a Cynthia Rowley sweater, vintage blouse, J. Crew scarf, Regal boots courtesy of Cougar Shoes, and DL1961 Emma jeans courtesy of Invista's Lycra.

Thank you to Invista's Lycra for sponsoring this post, and for Cougar's support as well!
[Longo images from robertlongo.com, tensongsthatsavedyourlife.com, and wellthreaded.com.]

JON PESTONI

I was recently contacted by the new ready-to-wear and customized clothing site eShakti, asking if I'd like to choose a piece to review here.  Upon perusing their collections, I came across this skirt that reminded me of some recent work I'd encountered by contemporary painter Jon Pestoni.

  I thought the pattern and movement of the silk skirt really captured the feel of the large-scale paintings, which feature bold contrast as well as nuanced tone, and layers of color.

Though the paintings seem to be somewhat abrasive at first encounter, the longer you spend before them, the more you are able to appreciate about the process and individual layers of paint, reminiscent of mid-century Abstract Expressionism. 

The skirt itself embodies many of the aspects of Pestoni's work within a wearable garment.

The layers of color in the paintings (similar to the silk of the skirt) are nearly vibrational in their intensity.

Pestoni lives and works in Los Angeles and is represented by Lisa Cooley Fine Art in New York.

With the eShakti skirt, I'm also wearing a F21 tee, vintage necklace, gifted bracelets, H&M shoes, and a Rebecca Minkoff bag.

 With a selection of beautiful dresses and separates, eShakti allows you to customize each garment with your specific measurements and a range of elements that you can specify.  For example, I had this gorgeous skirt made to measure, including the length I wanted and my exact waist measurement.

The result fits like a glove, and I received it within a surprisingly short length of time.  I was pleasantly surprised with the quality (it is 100% silk and fully lined), and am looking forward to placing another order with the site.

[Pestoni images from contemporaryartdaily.com.]

ART TO WEAR: Re-Imagining Kenzo.

I don't know how I overlooked these until now, but I love the way Miss Moss paired these Spring 2012 Kenzo looks with correlating artwork.  See the original post here.

BEATRIZ MILHAZES

On a cold, grey, winter day, I was inspired by the exuberant works of Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes.

Milhazes (1960-) is one of a growing number of Latin American artists who has reached international acclaim in recent years, due to a multitude of factors related to globalization.  

Her large-scale paintings and collages are influenced by Brazilian folk culture, including carnival, as well as decorative art; most notably, fashion and furniture design.

Her work is deeply connected to European and Brazilian modernism, and has been characterized as "low art" or "love art", referencing both the decorative/design aspect of the work and her gender.

Milhazes cites Henri Matisse (view my post here), Hélio Oiticica, Piet Mondrian (here), and Bridget Riley (here) as great influencers of her work.

"I want to have optical movements, disturbing things; such visions that your eyes would be disturbed when you see them...your eyes are always moving.  It's rather disturbing, even vertigo.  That way, I feel like you have a communication with the entire world."

             --Beatriz Milhazes

Milhazes lives and works in Rio de Janeiro, and is represented by one of my very favorite New York art galleries, James Cohan Gallery in Chelsea, as well as Stephen Friedman Gallery in London.

I'm wearing a thrifted, vintage dress (altered by me), vintage scarf, Libby Edelman suede boots, and a vintage eel skin purse.

[Milhazes images from jamescohan.com.  Quote from “Interview with Beatriz Milhazes,” RES Art World/World Art, No. 2 May 2008: 2-15.]