Art & Design Magazine
Spring is now upon (New Yorkers are certainly rejoicing as we have had a VERY long winter) and that means its time to leave the house and allow ourselves to be inspired by the beauty in the world, even though we are also so consumed with all of the ugliness right now. There are A LOT of things going on this month: fashion exhibition, film festivals, and design shows. Enjoy! And if you see something you love, feel free to report back to Objects Not Paintings.
See
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, the Costume Institute, MMA, May 4, 2011–July 31, 2011
The exhibition will celebrate the late Alexander McQueen's extraordinary contributions to fashion. From his postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final runway presentation which took place after his death in February 2010, Mr. McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion. Approximately one hundred examples will be on view, including signature designs such as the bumster trouser, the kimono jacket, and the Origami frock coat, as well as pieces reflecting the exaggerated silhouettes of the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, and 1950s that he crafted into contemporary silhouettes transmitting romantic narratives. **This exhibition is a must see! 5,100 people went to see it on its opening day, making it the second largest opening for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, just behind a 2005 Van Gogh exhibit. And if you can believe 600 catalogues were sold that day too!
Sporting Life, the Museum at F.I.T, May 25 - November 12, 2011. Sporting Life explores the relationship between active sportswear and fashion over the past 150 years. Featuring more than 100 garments, accessories, and textiles from the Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition discusses changes in silhouette, construction, and technology that have improved the performance and aesthetic of active sportswear. In addition, active sportswear garments are juxtaposed with the fashionable ready-to-wear garments they have inspired. Highlights include women’s swimwear from the mid-nineteenth century and a woman’s bicycling ensemble with divided skirt, circa 1888. The exhibition also features fashion by designers such as Claire McCardell, Norma Kamali, Stephen Sprouse, and Isabel Toledo.
Knoll Textiles, 1945-2010, the Bard Graduate Center, May 18 - July 31, 2011. The BGC is presenting Knoll Textiles, 1945-2010, the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to a leading producer of modern textile design. The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue consider the individuals and ideas that helped shape Knoll Textiles from its founding to 2010, with the goal of bringing the sartorial dimension of the Knoll brand and the under-recognized role of textiles in the history of modern interiors and design to the forefront of public attention
Madame Grès, Musée Bourdelle, on view through July 24th.Musée Bourdelle, 18, rue Antoine Bourdelle, 75015 Paris. An exhibition dedicate to the Germaine Émilie Krebs, better known as Madame Grès. The wonderful Musée Galliera in Paris will be closed until spring 2012 so instead this exhibition will take place at the Musée Bourdelle. Over eighty designs and illustrations, as well as photographs of the designer at work and celebrities modeling her wares, are displayed at the Musée Bourdelle. The museum is the permanent home of the sculptures of Antoine Bourdelle and thus create an interesting setting for the sculptural dresses for which Madame Grès was known for.http://www.paris.fr/loisirs/musees-expos/musee-bourdelle/p6408
Dressing Up and Dressing Down in the Middle Ages and Renaissance: Costume in Art, Les Enluminures, Le Louvre Antiquaries, 2 Place du Palais-Royal, Paris May 5 to August 25. Les Enluminures founder Sandra Hindman says the exhibition will include manuscripts, single leaves and cuttings, sculpture, and rings. Approximately 35 works of art are featured. Hindman says, “’Dressing Up and Dressing Down….” is coordinated with two museum exhibitions that take place at the same time. One is at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York and is titled “Illuminating Fashion.” It also opens in May and continues through the summer months and at the Getty Museum, “Fashion in the Middle Ages” is displayed simultaneously from May 31 to August 21. If you can’t travel to see these shows, an electronic catalogue will accompany the exhibition and a virtual tour will be available on the Internet at www.lesenluminures.com.
Kips Bay 39th Annual Decorator Show House. The high-profile renovation project will take up residence in an Upper East Side mansion, 163 East 63rd Street, from April 28 – May 26, 2011. The striking, neo-Federalist style residence was once owned by John Hay "Jock" Whitney and boasts unique historic details acquired during his travels abroad. Each of the 16 rooms in this four-story, 10,000-square-foot mansion will delight design enthusiasts and anyone looking for decorating inspiration. For info: http://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/index.htm
Shop Robert Lee Morris Trunk Show, Museum of Arts +Design, May 12, 2011 from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. Legendary jewelry designer Robert Lee Morris will unveil his latest jewelry creations, the "Museum Collection," alongside a selection from his archives of hand-made samples and first-trial pieces from past signature 24K matte gold-plated collections in a special trunk show. Mr. Morris will also be signing copies of his book, The Power of Jewelry (Harry N. Abrams, 2004) and jewelry that visitors may bring in from their personal collections. The "Museum Collection" and the archival jewelry will remain available for purchase at The Store through May 31, 2011.
Hear Dilys E. Blum, Roberto Capucci: Art Into Fashion, Friday May 13, 12-1pm, $16. 92nd St. Y, Tribeca. Dilys Blum, curator, will be on hand to discuss “Roberto Capucci: Art Into Fashion” an exhibition currently on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Reflecting Personality: Jewelry on the Famous and Its Impact on Design, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Tuesday, May 10 | 6:30–8:00 p.m. Jewelry can help create a public persona, and in turn the wearer can help promote style. Something treasured, jewelry is rich with private symbolism for its recipients, givers, and owners. The jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels has been worn by Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, and many others in the public eye. Come hear a discussion of some of the key jewelry icons of the last 80 years and the behind-the-scenes stories gathered from archives, photos and designs. The discussion will be moderated by Sarah Coffin, the curator of Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels, and will include Ruth Peltason, editor of Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry, and Nicolas Luchsinger, Vice President Retail & Director of Heritage Collection of Van Cleef & Arpels.
Film Architecture and Design Film Festival, Chicago, May 5-9, 2011 at the Gene Siskel Film Center. A special presentation of Points on a Line by artist Sarah Morris will screen at Wright Auction House to a kickoff to the first annual Architecture and Design Film Festival in Chicago.
Sarah Morris's Points on a Line documents a shared desire to build structures that change the way we think about a house, a form and a context. The film explores The Farnsworth House (Plano, IL) and The Glass House (New Canaan, CT), Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe and the role of the architect and curator.
For more information about the www.adfilmfest.com
**It is also Museum Month in Miami, so if you go check out www. miamimuseummonth.com
