DANCE THE ORANGE

"It's remarkably difficult to find words for the flustering magnetism of the color abstractions by the painter Stanley Whitney," began Peter Schjeldahl's review of the artist's solo exhibition at the Studio Museum in Harlem.  I couldn't agree more.  I visited the exhibition just after its opening, on 17 July, and had to think long and hard about its meaning.  Of course, there is the obvious Mondrian influence - punctuated by the fact that music (specifically, Jazz) is a source of inspiration for Whitney.  But what stood out to me the most was the vibrating color.  Schjeldahl quotes Whitney as saying, "I always want to use every color in the universe, but then I have to take some out."  I completely understand that feeling.

Dance the Orange is on view at the Studio Museum in Harlem until October 25, 2015.

Silk shirt and pants: thrifted

Shoes: United Nude (also worn here)

Photos by William Sealy.

PUBLIC ART IN PROSPECT HEIGHTS

I live in Prospect Heights, in the shadow of the grand Brooklyn Museum, surrounded by tree-lined streets and a mix of coffeeshops and Caribbean restaurants.  The area has changed tremendously over the past few years, and it seems like there is a new construction zone on the corner every few blocks (thanks, Gentrification).  I love Mike Perry's project for Pacific Park Arts to bring 10 murals to the construction barricades on Dean Street, around the corner from my home.  Each by a different artist, the murals add so much color to what was a dull fenced-in area near Vanderbilt Avenue, and the one pictured above, by Hisham Akira Bharoocha, is my favorite.  Stay tuned for more!

Dress: Tracy Reese

Shoes: United Nude

Photos by Kathy Paciello.

SOL LeWITT SUPERFAN

It's astonishing how many Sol LeWitt wall drawings are sprinkled throughout New England.  This one (Wall Drawing #947) was originally installed at the Biennale in Lyon, France, in 2000, and now resides on the campus of Yale University.  Thankfully, I was dressed for the occasion.

Shirt: SPRZ at Uniqlo

Shorts: J. Crew

Photos by William Sealy.

Happy Birthday, Andy Warhol!

Andy Warhol would have been 87 years old today.

As a tribute #tbt, here is my Halloween costume from two years ago, Turquoise Marilyn from 1964.  The painting was purchased for a rumored $80M in May of 2007, making it one of the most expensive Warhol artworks ever sold.  Aside from its value, it has become a cultural icon, representing fame and fortune, and a symbol for Warhol's entire oeuvre.

Ever wonder what Andy would be up to if he were still alive today?

Photo by Kathy Paciello; Warhol image from therealbest.com.

FIBEROPTIC DANDELION

Happy Friday, everyone!

If you're in the mood for something fun and interactive, check out the New Museum's NEW INC Showcase at Red Bull Studios in NYC.  Featuring a number of different interactive projects, the exhibition covers collaborative projects merging art, technology, and creativity.

My favorite was Luma, an installation by Lisa Park and Kevin Siwoff.  Featuring hundreds of fiberoptic shreds that made up gigantic dandelion heads, microphones throughout the space which light activated different parts of the installation.

Just before I entered, there was a young fellow with a magnificent voice on the microphone, so I'll admit I dealt with a bit of stage fright.  Once conquered, I'm sure everyone in the space appreciated my rendition of Mary Had a Little Lamb.

The NEW INC Showcase is on view at 218 West 18th Street in NYC until July 30th.

Dress: Mint by Jodi Arnold (I've had this dress for over 6 years and still love it!)

Shoes: United Nude

Photos by Tatyana Levina.

SAVAGE/SACRED YOUNG MINDS

The Brooklyn Museum has been killing it lately!  So many of my favorite NYC exhibitions over the past few years have been within the walls of my neighborhood institution, including El Anatsui, Keith Haring, Kehinde Wiley, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

The new FAILE exhibition, Savage/Sacred Young Minds has already made my list of favorites.  Aside from including street art duo FAILE's infamous work Temple and a number of others, the standout piece is FAILE's collaboration with BÄST, the Deluxx Fluxx Arcade, pictured here.  The environment stuns with its neon-wallpapered interior featuring FAILE posters and prints, and showcases video games and pinball machines, as a throwback to punk culture. I felt like a teenager again while I was walking through the space, playing games and snapping photos.

The exhibition is on view until October 4th.

Tank: H&M

Skirt: Nanette Lepore

Belt: Vintage

Shoes: Steve Madden

Photos by William Sealy.

ART BASEL RECAP: It Was All Yellow

I'm just coming down from the art high of my first visit to Art Basel in Switzerland.  The largest and most well-known art fair in the world happens in the tiny town of Basel, on the German and French border each June.  According to FitBit, I spent 7 hours walking through 7 miles of art in one day.  There was such a wide range of artwork, and so much to see, that I'm sure my expression resembled the above photo more often than I'd like to admit.  A theme throughout was the color yellow, and there are just a few of my favorites, above, with links below.

SOTO | Imi Knoebel | Matt Connors | Keith Haring

Dress: H&M

Necklace: Kayellepea

Shoes: Kenzo

Photos by John Peter William Sealy.