Archive for category Art
Artist Len Davis
I came across artist Len Davis who creates beautiful collages – one of my favorite types of art. At home I have a large collection of photography collages and thought I’d share these with you. Be sure to click through to his website for more of his pieces. For those readers who are not able to browse the art galleries of New York for themselves, I’ll continue to share new up and coming artists that I think worthy of including in your projects here.
What do you think?
Ask Vicente: Finding Art
Posted by Vicente in Art, Ask Vicente on July 1, 2010
Name: Brenda Biondo
City: Manitou Springs
State: CO
Comment:
Hi Vicente,
I have a question for your Ask Vicente section: how do you and other designers find out about the fabulous art you use in your interiors? Do you visit a lot of galleries? Check out artist websites? Use art consultants? It’s a question I’ve had for a long time. Thanks!
Vicente Responds:
If you live in New York it’s very easy. Go down to Chelsea or midtown Manhattan and the galleries are by the handful. Sometimes some of my clients have art consultants that help them build their collection and then there are some that have asked me to help them pick photography. Sometimes I walk into a gallery and see an artist that I like so I recommend them to clients whose taste might match the art that I’ve found. There are no hard and fast rules and I always try to be flexible to suit the client’s needs.
Art Show
Posted by Vicente in Art, Photography on March 13, 2010
Last week was a big art week in NY and on the weekend was the opening of The Armory show at The Pier with between 300 and 400 dealers from around the world showing contemporary and mid-century art up to ’94. The show in its entirety is a little overwhelming once you pass the 100th gallery and you’re still looking at art, but I saw some wonderful photographs by Philip Lorca di Corcia who does these wonderful set up scenes with random people on the street, including how much he paid the ‘model’ in the title of each shot. Part of his works that was on show were from his series called ’1000 Polaroids’ and it was really wonderful.
Georgia O’Keeffe at the Whitney
Posted by Vicente in Art, Photography, Projects on November 25, 2009
I’m designing a new collection of tile for a major tile producer and I’ve been trying to gather ideas and inspirations. Among the places I went to for that was the Whitney Museum where there is a really beautiful retrospective on Georgia O’Keefe and her earlier work. It is not the intense color and graphic style that one is accustomed of seeing of her. It’s beautiful, soft coloration and really such romantic paintings, plus a wonderful photograph that her husband, Alfred Stieglitz, took of her. It’s running until January 2010 and a must if you’re in New York.
Ralph Pucci
Posted by Vicente in Art, Events, Photography on November 9, 2009
Last week Ralph Pucci hosted the opening of a Deborah Turbeville photography collection and it featured a cross section of her work, mainly of her series at Versailles where she went into the storerooms and photographed furniture and statuary that was in storage.
I haven’t been in his showroom for a while, but it’s always such a thrill to be there. First just to love the space with its skylights, windows and amazing downtown views – it makes me wish I could have it as an apartment – and secondly to see how he has created a collection of designers so varied one from the other, but still with a strong design cohesiveness.
If you haven’t been to his showroom, you should make that a priority when you next find yourself in New York. To me it’s the epitomy of a high-end, modern furniture collection in New York.
Inspiration
My creative inspiration has always come from travel – seeing and experiencing new things in far-off countries awaken my creative thinking process and awakes my imagination. But when I’m not traveling, I draw inspiration from looking at artwork and paintings – whether impressionist or some contemporary artists. A few weeks ago, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a new retrospective on Francis Bacon opened. He’s one of the people whose color range and juxtaposition of tones have always been an inspiration to me. I guess it’s a contrast between harsh images and delicate coloration that has always appealed to me. How he plays one color against the other has always moved me and gotten me thinking how I could interpret that in my own work. Which artist inspires you and why? Or do you find your color inspiration in other places?
More color!
For those who say that all I do is white walls, here’s a library in Long Island with a teal-colored strié walls to prove you wrong. Besides the beautiful walls, what really catches the eye is the incredible art that the client has – above the sofa there’s a beautiful Miró and on the side of the room there’s a bright Lichtenstein that really pops against the wall color.
The funny thing is that the room wasn’t done around the artwork. Both these pieces were in a different part of the house, but when the room was finished, they just worked in here.
Not bad art, hey?
Art, theater and gardening
Last night my friend Margaret Russell of Elle Décor hosted a special fundraiser in partnership with AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA) at 15 Union Square West, which I designed. There’s another art sale happening tonight from 6pm – you should be sure to pop in if you can. I stopped by last night on my way to the theater to see God of Carnage. I would tell you about it now, but it was so good that it warrants its own post – watch this space!
Speaking of theater, last week Thursday night I saw Happiness at the Lincoln Center. This musical is directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman (she also did The Producers), with music written by Scott Frankel the man who worked on Grey Gardens. It was really a very sweet and very touching play – see it if you can.
Now I’m heading out to the Hamptons to set up a wonderful job I did in Southampton – a small cottage, really charming that incorporates many good ideas which House Beautiful is photographing on Thursday and Friday. The following week I’m installing what is going to be a really wonderful job in Bridgehampton. The installation is going to take a minimum of four days. In between all the local traveling I’m out in the garden in Montauk hacking, planting, moving and getting dirt under my nails.
Philantropist and Picasso
I went to see The Philanthropist last week Thursday with my friend Jason Sheftell from the Daily News.
Though it had a wonderful set and the costumes were interesting (it takes place in the ‘70s), the play had very little purpose. Matthew Broderick plays the same wimpy guy we’ve seen him play before in The Producers and in play after play. It made me think that he must really be a strange individual to be able to play that bland part so well.
I did enjoy the set – it was truly striking – but would I recommend you go see it? No. Have you seen it? Let me know what you thought.
In contrast to that play is a new exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery on 21st Street between 10th & 11th Avenues in Manhattan. Mosqueteros is a retrospective exhibition on Picasso’s late years (1962 – 1972) and the show is extraordinary. A lot of it was inspired by tertulia – an Iberian tradition of gregarious social gatherings with literary or artistic overtones, it was a truly extraordinary show. With about 50 or 60 pieces on display, I believe this to be the strongest retrospective of this particular period in Picasso’s career. If you’re in the New York area before June 6th, be sure to add this to your list of things to see.
Saturday Art Day
Posted by Vicente in Art, Events, Photography on March 7, 2009
I’m very excited about today’s Armory Art show at the Pier. The NY Times said yesterday that all the dealers are very cautious, but it’s always informative to see what people are focusing on in art and that’s what interests me most. It seems that every Saturday is becoming ‘Art Day’ in some way or another. At last year’s Pier show there were great deals to be found on photography and videos. It seems that each year there is a focus for the majority of the dealers – usually probably not planned, but more likely what is in the air at the moment. I’ll be sure to let you know what I thought.
As a collector it’s always wonderful when somebody wants to borrow part of your collection to have in a show. The Howard Greenberg Gallery is having a retrospective on Steichen and Munkasci and they have borrowed three pieces from my collection. It’s fun to share what I get to live with all the time with people on special exhibits like these.
On the topic of design, at the final presentation by the Parsons School of Design students yesterday morning, it was rewarding to know that by giving a little bit of your time and input you can affect the thinking process of students. From the original presentation 3 weeks ago to the final one they showed me yesterday, there was a whole expanse of thinking that showed much more freedom and trust in their own taste. If you’re in New York at the end of March, be sure to visit this year’s Dining by Design to see the table settings. Besides it being a learning experience, and giving you new ideas on getting creative with your table settings, it helps DIFFA’s good cause.
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Art category.
Helping Others
Social Stuff
VW Home
Website
Crossing Boundaries
Learning to See
Lifting the Curtain on Design
God's Love We Deliver
Publicolor
Remember Haiti
Facebook
Twitter
VW Home by Vicente Wolf
www.vicentewolf.com
What readers say