art Archives - Page 9 of 12

Valeria Nascimento

Valeria Nascimento creates the most beautiful porcelain installations.

A native of Brazil, Valeria Nascimento creates the most beautiful porcelain installations. Her work is inspired by her love of natural forms and how these forms are a part of an urban environment. Valeria’s installations consist of dozens of hand formed ceramic pieces, combined to stretch across walls. Each piece takes months to assemble.

Valeria was originally trained as an architect, an aspect of her perspective that is visible in her use of repeated simple forms and patterns. Her work has been exhibited and commissioned all over the world. She’s also created designs for brands such as Chanel and Tiffany, and well as many interior designers.

I love Valeria’s work because it makes you want to go up close to examine it. The 3D aspect, gradation of a shade, and sometimes a zest of color make her work so powerful. I value the pure dedication to her art — you really can see her love for each individual piece in how it is crafted.

You can see more of Valeria Nascimento’s work on her website.

Peter Gentenaar

Netherlands based artist Peter Gentenaar works with paper to create huge, undulating sculptures.

Netherlands based artist Peter Gentenaar works with paper to create huge, undulating sculptures. These enormous, but delicate, sculptures grew from Peter’s initial work as a printmaker. When working on engravings, he often found that commercial paper wasn’t thick enough for his engravings. He then began to experiment with making his own paper and learned that by using a specific method of beating the pulp, creating sheets with thin ribs of bamboo, and then allowing the pulp to dry, the shrinking of the pulp pulls the bamboo ribs in such a way as to create these rolling, unique sculptures. In developing his artistic process, Peter even built his own equipment to achieve the results he wanted.

I love the free from element to Peter’s work. The pieces remind me of sea creatures; very graceful and eloquent. They have magnificent scale, but are delicate and feminine in a way that is really pretty. The way color is integrated into the sculptures is just striking.

Many of Peter’s sculptures are suspended from the ceiling; others are free standing or hung on a wall. His work can be see all over Europe as well as in Abu Dhabi. You can see more examples of his work on his website.

Design Dose

Go vertical.

Image from a vignette I created for Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

Edmund de Waal

Edmund de Waal is a British ceramics artist who studied his craft in England and Japan.

Edmund de Waal is a British ceramics artist who studied his craft in England and Japan. His recent work explores ideas about collections and how objects are grouped together. de Waal has had major installations in museums around the world, from London to New York. His pieces have a minimalist quality, yet often look natural. He often combines his pottery with materials such as wood or acrylic to create stunning compositions. His large scale installations are particularly memorable.

One of the interesting things about de Waal’s art is how each piece interacts with its display. How it is displayed is part of the art itself. I found de Waal’s work through a client and immediately fell in love with the simplicity and scale of it. It’s so nice when a client is open about their art interests and shares exciting things. I always go a step further to see what they’re looking at and why they like it. In de Waal’s work, I see peace and serenity.

Phaidon has published a monograph on Edmund de Waal, a tribute to his artistry with ceramics as well as his acclaim as a writer. This book includes incredible photography detailing de Waal’s daily life in his studio and his most famous installations. With contributions from writers such as AS Byatt and architect Deborah Saunt, it’s a work of art itself and a great addition to the library of any art lover.

You can see a full online gallery of Edmund de Waal’s work on his website.

Robert Motherwell at the MET

New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art will be showcasing an exhibit to mark the one hundredth anniversary of American artist Robert Motherwell’s birth.

New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art will be showcasing an exhibit to mark the one hundredth anniversary of American artist Robert Motherwell’s birth. He founded the New York School, an art movement that included Jackson Pollack and Mark Rothko, and was a teacher, writer, scholar, and champion of fellow artists. I have been so into art lately, and this is one collection of work that I don’t want to miss.

Motherwell traveled through Europe and spent time in Mexico, experiences that not only influenced his art but allowed him to create lasting relationships with other artists. He was, in fact, a crucial link between the American art world and its European contemporaries. His work is an important part of the Abstract Expressionism movement, featuring bold brushstrokes, dynamic movement, and simple shapes.

Collage in Yellow and White, with Torn Elements, 1949

Robert Motherwell’s work will be on exhibit at the MET through July 26. To plan a visit, see the MET website. You can also learn more about Robert Motherwell and see more examples of his paintings at The Dedalus Foundation. His work can also be viewed in the Robert Motherwell Paintings and Collages trio of books from Yale Press. I absolutely love this set — they make great coffee table books.

Design Dose

Graphic inspiration.

Hollywood Glamour at Boston’s Museum of Fine Art

The 1930s and 1940s were perhaps the most glamorous years in Hollywood history, creating an iconic style that is still recognizable today.

For a limited time, the Museum of Fine Art in Boston is running an exhibit titled Hollywood Glamour: Fashion and Jewelry from the Silver Screen. The 1930s and 1940s were perhaps the most glamorous years in Hollywood history, creating an iconic style that is still recognizable today. The exhibit showcases gowns and accessories worn both on and off screen by famous starlets of the era. To round out the exhibit, film stills and clips showcase the pieces on display and give visitors a glimpse of this golden age of Hollywood.

A 1926 Coco Chanel evening dress worn by Ina Claire.

Verger Freres jewels worn by Joan Crawford.

Travis Banton's costume design for Marlene Dietrich in Desire (1936). — Travis Banton’s costume design for Marlene Dietrich in Desire (1936).

The finished gown worn by Marlene Dietrich in Desire, by Travis Banton.

Dress designed for Mae West by Elisa Schiaparelli and worn in the 1938 film Every Day's a Holiday. — Dress designed for Mae West by Elisa Schiaparelli and worn in the 1938 film Every Day’s a Holiday.

High Style jewels by Trabert & Hoeffer-Mauboussin. — High style jewels by Trabert & Hoeffer-Mauboussin.

Blouse and skirt designed by Irene and worn by Greer Garson in Julia Misbehaves (1948).

Suite of 1940's jewels owned by Ginger Rogers. — Suite of 1940’s jewels owned by Ginger Rogers.

The Hollywood Glamour Exhibit will be on display until March 8, 2015. To plan a visit or learn more, visit the MFA website.

Bruce Museum Outdoor Arts Festival

One of the most popular events hosted by the Bruce Museum is the Outdoor Arts Festival.

The Bruce Museum in Greenwich is well known for being an outstanding institution. Their art, science, and natural history exhibits, many of which change annually, are housed in a historic building that was originally the home of Robert Moffat Bruce. Robert Moffat Bruce deeded his property to the Town of Greenwich in 1908 with the stipulation that it be used as “a natural history, historical, and art museum for the use and benefit of the public.” The Bruce Museum’s first exhibition in 1912 featured works by local artists known as the Greenwich Society of Artists. To this day, the museum continues to be a vibrant and active part of the community.

One of the most popular events hosted by the Bruce Museum is the Outdoor Arts Festival. The festival, held on museum grounds, features original works by dozens of artists from all over the country, many of whom personally attend the festival to show their work. This year, more than 85 artists were represented at the festival, showcasing everything from painting and photography to sculpture and print.

Bruce Museum Outdoor Art Festival — At the Festival. Image via Bruce Museum.

There are so many different styles and mediums, making the festival an ideal place to discover new artists and source pieces for specific clients. Sourcing art is one of my favorite aspects of design, allowing me to help a client find just the right piece to finish a space. At the Bruce Museum Arts Festival, many of the artists are on hand to answer questions and talk about their process. I am often fascinated by the various creative forces behind the artwork which makes browsing the festival that much more of an enjoyable experience. I found quite a few artists and works that I am looking forward to sharing with clients. Here are some of the artists and their pieces I found most memorable:

Andrew Sovjani Photography

Stephen Ray

Mark MacKinnon

Michael Madzo

Christos J. Palios

This year’s festival has ended, but if you missed it, plan on visiting the museum next Columbus Day weekend when the festival returns to the Bruce Museum. You can visit their website to learn more about the museum and keep up to date on future events.

Zoe Bios Creative

Zoe Bios works with dozens of artists worldwide, overlaying their prints with elements such as aging, gesso, leafing, and India ink to develop high quality pieces.

Zoe Bios Creative is a California firm I learned about at the NY NOW show. They produce art in house, creating repeatable originals in editions of 100. Zoe Bios works with dozens of artists worldwide, overlaying their prints with elements such as aging, gesso, leafing, and India ink to develop high quality pieces.

What I find wonderful about the Zoe Bios pieces is the mix of materials, like the oil paint with metallics. I love abstract art; it’s very contemporary. The various sizes available from this line allow you to play with different spaces, making a bold statement with a larger piece or using a smaller scale to suit a specific area. Their photography pieces offset the abstract collection with additional options.

Many of these prints are beautifully saturated with color. I get tired of seeing the same prints or accessories used over and over again in design magazines, so having such an appealing range of unique choices is refreshing.

To see more of the artwork offered by Zoe Bios Creative, visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook.

Annie’s Big Book

Earlier this year, Taschen released a book of Annie Leibovitz’s photography that is simply epic in scale.

Earlier this year, Taschen released a book of Annie Leibovitz’s photography that is simply epic in scale. Developed over the course of several years, Annie Leibovitz contains the photographer’s most iconic images along with rare and never-before-seen photos. Her work spans decades and captures scenes from the worlds of entertainment, politics, business, art, and so much more.

This gorgeous hardcover edition measures 20″ by 28″ and contains over 250 photographs. Each book comes with a book stand designed by Marc Newson for display and a supplement book of essays and short texts describing the photos. There are five different signed and numbered limited edition prints of Annie Leibovitz available. Prints 1,001 through 10,000 are the Collector’s Edition and have one of four dust jackets: Whoopi Goldberg (Berkely, California, 1984), Keith Haring (New York City, 1986) , David Byrne (Los Angeles, 1986), and Patti Smith (New Orleans, 1978). Prints 1-1,000 are the Fine Art edition and include a print signed by Annie as well as all four dust jackets.

Scarlett Johansson, Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, 2004

Queen Elizabeth II, The White Drawing Room, Buckingham Palace, London, 2007

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, Los Angeles, 1995

Sharon Stone, Anjelica Huston, and Diane Lane, Los Angeles, 2006

Annie Leibovitz is an incredible work of art. On display and open to any photo, this book is both a testament to a legendary photographer and a glimpse of unforgettable moments and people. For lovers of art, photography, entertainment, and history, this is a must-have addition to your home library.