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.

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.

ART TO WEAR: Rhombus.

Shannon Finley, Rhombus (White Light), 2013

I finally captured the Miista Siri pumps, which have been on my wish list for quite a while.  They are, essentially, a classic black pump, but with an unexpected twist -- a clear lucite geometric heel.  I couldn't help but note the affinity the shoes held with this acrylic work by Shannon Finley, a Canadian artist based in Berlin.  Finley is represented by the Jessica Silverman Gallery in San Francisco.

Finley image via Artsy, my shoes photographed by Lauren Ricciardi.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Andrea Kowch, The Feast

From Artfully Awear to you, Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for art as inspiration and a means of expression.

Image via Artsy.net.  Prints available through Richard J Demato Fine Arts Gallery.

YAYOI KUSAMA: Love Is Calling

Dubbed "Rain Room, Part Deux", Yayoi Kusama's I Who Have Arrived in Heaven at David Zwirner in Chelsea has been drawing sizable crowds to 19th Street.  A big fan of Kusama's work (in particular, her infinity rooms), I set out to Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, unprepared for the amusement park-like queues that greeted me.

Since Fireflies on the Water at the Whitney Museum last year, I skipped the line for the similar work Infinity Mirrored Room -- The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, which commanded the lengthiest line.  The separate line for Love is Calling, moved fairly quickly, and after about 20 minutes, I was admitted into the room for my one minute of viewing.

The experience is delightfully overwhelming, and includes a soundtrack of Kusama's voice penetrating the chamber.  The beautifully luminous tentacles form an environment almost like a seascape, but the sound and infinite reflections make it a bit unsettling.  Endlessness, a theme explored throughout much of Kusama's work, is most notably embodied by these installations, calling to mind the triviality of an individual within the universe.

If you've never experienced one of Kusama's infinity rooms, I recommend a visit to 19th Street, preferably on a weekday.

Have you had a chance to see the exhibition?  How did it make you feel?

Dress: Vintage

Boots: Ash

Handbag: Marc by Marc Jacobs

I Who Have Arrived in Heaven

David Zwirner Gallery

November 8 - December 21, 2013

Photos by Kathy Paciello.

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