On the Docket: George Bellows at The Metropolitan Museum
15/11/2012 § 2 Comments
Very excited that the retrospective George Bellows, the first comprehensive examination of the great American realist painter’s career in nearly fifty years, opened today at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Perhaps best known for his depictions of boxers and early 20th century New York, Bellows has long been a favorite of mine. I’ve included here some of the iconic works on display (which you can click through to appreciate in greater detail), but I am most looking forward to making new discoveries in his oeuvre, particularly in the area of lithography.
Of the nearly 120 works on display at the exhibition, approximately a third are devoted to scenes of New York. Some, like the Cliff Dwellers (1913) below, offer insight into tenement life in Lower Manhattan with rich detail – did you notice the street car on its way to Vesey Street? Bellows was a member of the Ashcan School, a realistic artistic movement in direct response to American Impressionism and its celebration of light. Darker in tone and unafraid of dealing with the harsh realities of poverty and the unsavory characters of urban life, Ashcan School art challenges the viewer with its journalistic pursuit of truth. Fittingly, Bellows’ canvas Up the Hudson (1908) holds the distinction of being the first Ashcan painting acquired by the Metropolitan, in 1911. The artist was only 29 at the time, making him one of the youngest artists represented in the museum’s collection.
George Bellows is on display at The Metropolitan until February 18, 2013, after which it will travel to the Royal Academy of Arts, London (March 16 – June 2013).
George Bellows
November 15, 2012 — February 18, 2013
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Field Notes || Herb Ritts: L.A. Style at the Getty Center
30/04/2012 § 1 Comment
New York is a vertical city, and its skyscrapers are climbing ever higher (case in point, just today my next-door neighbor One World Trade claimed the title of tallest building in New York). All that height, especially in the canyons of the Financial District or parts of Midtown, can feel a bit oppressive at times to someone like me, who grew up in one of the most horizontal cities in the world. For comparison’s sake I could give you some facts and figures about square mileage and population — essentially: LA is larger, while NYC is more populous — but nowhere is this “horizontal-ness” illustrated better than from the observation pavilions of the Getty Center.
Known for its impressive views from the Pacific to Downtown, the Getty Center is one of the best places to take in the urban sprawl that is Los Angeles (if it happens to be a clear day). Designed by Richard Meier, the Center also houses a large portion of the Getty art collection and has been the setting for a marriage proposal or two…thousand.
Familiar vistas aside, I also made the trip to the Center to catch the Herb Ritts retrospective, L.A. Style. Best known for his black and white portraits of celebrities and fashion editorials, equally impressive are Ritts’ nudes and his exploration of the concept of gender. A compact exhibition, complete with large-scale prints, vintage magazines and a screening of his music videos (e.g., Janet Jackson’s Love Will Never Do (Without You), Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game), L.A. Style is an excellent collection of some Ritts’ most iconic images, taken in the 1980s and 90s.
Herb Ritts: L.A. Style at the Getty Center
April 3 – August 26, 2012
The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Open Tuesday – Sunday
Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs at Les Arts Décoratifs
22/02/2012 § 1 Comment
Simply adore this!
Presenting “Fan Club,” an art deco burlesque fantasy à la Busby Berkeley shot in honor of the upcoming “Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs” exhibit at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Not a mere retrospective, the exhibit highlights the contributions of trunk-maker Louis Vuitton and designer Marc Jacobs (current creative director of Louis Vuitton) to the world of fashion through the parallel lenses of the industrialization of the late nineteenth century and the increased globalization of the early twenty first century. “Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs” runs from March 6 through September 16.
More information here (en français).
Les Arts Décoratifs – Mode et textile
107 rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris
Tél. : 01 44 55 57 50
Métro : Palais-Royal, Pyramides ou Tuileries
Autobus : 21, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95
**And don’t forget about Babar’s exhibit at Les Arts Décoratifs!
Les Histoires de Babar at Les Arts Décoratifs
04/01/2012 § 2 Comments
Can you believe that Babar, the beloved king of the elephants from the popular children’s books written by Jean de Brunhoff and his son Laurent, is turning 80 this year? In his honor, Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris has put together a lovely exhibition of books, sketches, toys and memorabilia, drawing from great museums and private collections around the world, showing Babar’s journey throughout the years.
Growing up, Babar was one of my very favorite stories, and I strongly believe it is the source of my small obsession with elephants. I especially love the simplicity of the watercolor illustrations by Jean de Brunhoff, from the little pom pom on cousin Arthur’s beret to the wrinkles of the older elephants. It was even better to find out that Babar was originally a bedtime story told by Cécile de Brunhoff, mother to Laurent (who was five at the time) and wife to Jean, a painter, in 1930. Jean, at the request of his sons, turned the story into an illustrated album that was then published by his uncle’s publishing house in 1931 as Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant (Story of Babar), to great acclaim. Jean went on to write six more Babar books before his untimely death in 1937, with son Laurent continuing the tradition after WWII. Laurent has since added more than thirty books.
A lovely interview with Laurent about Babar, his family and his own writing.
New York’s own Morgan Library — one of my favorite places in the city — has also contributed to the exhibition in Paris, and for good reason. In their collection they have the Jean’s original maquette (or first draft) of Histoire de Babar, which you can view online here with commentary and comparison to the published work.
The exhibit runs through September 2012, and I have very high hopes I will be able to make it to Paris in time to catch it. If you go before I do, please give Babar my regards.
Les Arts Décoratifs
107 rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris
Study: Deco State of Mind
11/11/2011 § 2 Comments
Ralph Lauren Home Fall 2011: One Fifth Collection
I found myself in an Art Deco sort of mood this week. While sometimes a bit too glamourpuss for my taste, Art Deco’s simultaneous obsessions with luxury, eclecticism and aerodynamic lines are always alluring to me. I’m just not confident I could live completely surrounded by it. This notion was seriously challenged when I happened upon the Fall 2011 One Fifth Collection by Ralph Lauren Home.
All images via Ralph Lauren Home.
A new look indeed from Ralph Lauren Home. I expected duck decoys, plaid and burnished leather (nothing wrong with that, mind you!), but I received a dramatic pairing of black and gold, chevron patterns and sleek piles of velvet and fur. However, I suppose this departure from de rigueur should have come as no surprise once you reflect upon Mr. Lauren’s glorious Spring 2012 collection. Interestingly though, where Collection Spring 2012 was weightless shimmers and light, Home Fall 2011 is solidly, albeit luxuriously, grounded — jewel-box deco.
If you’d like to peruse the One Fifth collection, head here.
The Great Gatsby at the Washington Ballet.
It seems Mr. Lauren and I are not the only ones with the 1920s on the brain. This last weekend the Washington Ballet revived Septime Webre’s production of The Great Gatsby, an original ballet based on the Fitzgerald novel set to live 1920s jazz, for a short run. Looking at the production stills, I kick myself for not hearing about this sooner and making my way down to DC to see it. I’m hopeful they’ll bring it back in short order.
Doesn’t this look great?!? So jealous.
All images via Washington Post.
I’ve decided the best way to comfort myself for missing out on the ballet, is to head over to the Brooklyn Museum to catch the new exhibit Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties. Featuring 140 works by artists including Aaron Douglas, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Weston, the exhibit examines how American artists represented the Jazz Age. I’m going this weekend, but if you happen to attend on the evening of 17 November, there is a free live jazz performance. Find more details here.
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052
The Chrysler Building. Classic New York Deco.
28 Days of Classy and Fabulous Things: Day 19 – Try a Bit of High Art
19/02/2011 § Leave a Comment
**QC’s 28 Days**
In February I will be bringing you daily tips
to cultivate more classiness and fabulousness in daily life!
Image via LIFE, taken in 1958 by Walter Sanders.
Day 19: Try a Bit of High Art
I’m definitely of the opinion that a classy and fabulous life should include exposure to cultural experiences of the sort often referred to as “high culture” or “high art.” Now, granted, terming specific kinds of art as “high” invites controversy and accusations of elitism. It is not my intention to require you to snob about and attend the entire season at the Philharmonic. Au contraire! What I am modestly suggesting is that you approach high art with an open mind. Attend the ballet at least once before deciding you hate it. Listen to some Shostakovich and a bit of Debussy before deciding you don’t like classical music. Be willing to experiment and you might be surprised! (Please note, I am not suggesting that you must only enjoy stuffy baroque operas and oil paintings! A fabulous and classy life has room for everything, even Gossip Girl. Maybe not Jersey Shore…)
About six years ago, I had the good fortune to be introduced to the opera by a lovely friend. I hadn’t had any exposure to the art form, but somehow I already had preconceived notions about what it was like and how much I would (not) enjoy it. Completely preposterous! I came away completely in love after my first performance and went on to rush the entire season — even going alone to a few performances!
Skeptical? Think the opera is all heavyset women with viking hats screaming their heads off? Mais, non! Witness one of the hottest duos in contemporary opera, Rolando Villazon and Anna Netrebko, preform a selection from Massenet’s Manon, “Toi! Vous!” Luckily, I was able to see them both perform Manon at the LA Opera. It was truly amazing!
My point here is not to merely sell you on going to the opera (do try it!) but to illustrate that your preconceived notions about “high art” might be as wrong as mine were about the opera. And you’ll never know until you try. Expanding your cultural horizons pure class. Besides, what could be more fabulous than attending an opening night or a black tie gala?
Earlier: Quite Continental’s 28 Days of Classy and Fabulous Things
