Art
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Art Déco Queen: Tamara de Lempicka
The Baroness with a BrushFor the remainder of the month, we’ll be focussing on some of our most beloved artists. I can’t think of a better way to begin than with the Déco Diva, Tamara de Lempicka. Her body of work, and style are often described as “soft, and synthetic cubism”.Hand Made Oil Reproduction, Le Bretonne. By Tamara de LempickaHer techniques were clean, precise, and elegant. In truth, Tamara de Lempicka’s art work mirrored the woman with the brush: independent, assertive, elegant, and precise. To say that she was a unique individual for her time is an understatement. She personafied the term avant garde. Today, her work is collected by high profile celebrities like Barbara Streisand, Jack Nicholson, and Madonna. On November 20th, her famous Musician portrait was sold for 30,000 €, when the gavel hits the rostrum at Drouot-Richelieu, Paris.
Left: Hand Made Oil Reproduction, Madagascan girls II. Right: MusicianBy Tamara de Lempicka
Left: Kizette in Red (Tamara’s daughter). Right: Hand Made Oil Reproduction, Study of handsBy Tamara de Lempicka
Hand Made Oil Reproduction, Le Chinois.By Tamara de Lempicka
NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you. -
The Weekender: Marlborough Gallery — Le Cabinet de Curiosités
On November 12, my friend and I attended a VIP Preview of Le Cabinet de Curiosités in Tribeca. The swanky celebration was a combined effort between the Marlborough and Steinitz galleries. It was a rare occasion, to say the least. It’s not often that you’ll see a map table from Napoleon Bonaparte coupled with a mechanical insects collection (with metal bodies covered with the patina of a forgone age), and Manolo Valdés’ sculptures.But somehow the installation, under the supervision of renowned interior designer and architect, Thierry W Despond, came together beautifully.Thierry W Despont18th Century paneled rooms from the Steinitz Collection were flown over from France to accompany pieces of furniture and objects such as Renaissance bull’s head, 17th Century Japanese lacquered trunk, as well as art works from his artist friends, Manolo Valdez and Claudio Bravo. When I entered the first of these three rooms, I was quite taken by Claudio’s “tied papers” and “bookcases” which from afar looked real, but in reality was nothing more than segments of blank, raw, exotic woods, coyly implementing trompe l’oeil to comment on the use of books as fetish objects of aesthetic pleasure. This is a thought-provoking, and irresistible exhibition that is not to be missed.Le Cabinet de CuriositésNovember 15, 2011 – January 31, 2012New York Mercantile Exchange6 Harrison StreetNew York City
Insects Collection from Thierry W Despond
right: Princess Firyal of Jordan
Manolo Valdes Sculpture, Mariposas doradas II“For many years I have been consumed by the idea of creating a natural history museum of my artistic universe… dedicated to the accumulation of imaginary planets and their inhabitants, paintings, sculptures… brought back from my artistic Beagle journey.”Thierry W Despont
Ondine de Rothschild
Prosper and Martine Assouline
Claudio Bravo Aluminums, Aluminiosphoto courtesy of Malborough Gallery
Thierry W Despont’s Sculture
photos courtesy of Billy Farrell -
John James Audubon
Splendid BirdsBirdwatching is my favorite outdoor hobby. There’s something exhilarating about observing these feathered friends hop, skip, and fly to the sky. They always seem so engrossed in the moment, even when they’re motionless. I cannot look at a good looking bird without thinking of John James Audubon.
American White Pelican
Male Adult
“I felt an intimacy with them…bordering on frenzy [that] must accompany my steps through life.” JJAHis ornithological body of works always brings a smile to my face, and a little bit of joy into my life. My latest book purchase is The Birds of America. Eventhough the completed body of work was sold last December at an auction for $11.5 million, you can purchase the abbreviated version at your local book store. His original body of work consisted of 435 life-size, hand-colored prints that were published over the course of thirteen years.Lately, I’ve been thinking about Audubon’s splendid birds, and the fact that we have one major thing in common. He was born in Haiti, my motherland. John James Audubon was born at his father’s sugar plantation in Saint-Domingue, while I was born in Port-au-Prince. His father was a French navel officer, and his mother, Jeanne Rabine, was from Les Touches, France. John’s father eventually moved away from the island to his native France. As a young adult, Audubon came to live in the United States, and it was there he began his ornithological career. His father would note that John always had an affinity for birds. According to Jean Audubon, his son “would point out the elegant movement of the birds, and the beauty and softness of their plumage. He called my attention to their show of pleasure or sense of danger, their perfect forms and splendid attire.” How marvelous! I would have loved to meet him.
From left: Rock Grous. 1: Male in winter. 2: Female Summer Plumage 3: Young in August
Right: Pied oyster-catcher
Louisiana Heron
Male adult
Trumpeter SwanAdult
Wild turkeyNOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you. -
This Week in New York
Tambaran
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
4 PM – 8 PMTuesday, October 8, 20116 PM – 8 PM667 Madison Avenue
(between 60th and 61st Streets)Although I’m partial to Art Deco, I admire the fact than Art Nouveau represented a period of artistic expression of feminine liberation in fin-de-siècle Paris. I mean, back then women were freed from restrictive, corseted fashions and suddenly were experiencing the freedom of movement that public transportation and bicycles provided. Many of us can easily agree that Art Nouveau celebrated this new kind of woman.
Marking its 40th year on Madison Avenue, Macklowe Gallery is presenting a landmark exhibition of Art Nouveau sculpture, consisting of nearly 300 examples dating from 1880 to 1914. We were told that curators Lloyd and Benjamin Macklowe spent over two years assembling a collection of the world’s finest examples, including approximately 100 works borrowed from private collections, making this the greatest exhibition of Art Nouveau sculpture since the Paris World’s Fair of 1900. In conjunction with the show, Macklowe Gallery will publish a lavishly illustrated and deeply researched book entitled Dynamic Beauty: Sculpture of Art Nouveau Paris, featuring a foreword by Benjamin Macklowe.30 West 21 Street
New York, New York
Friday, November 11 – Monday, November 14, 2011Everyday from 11 AM – 8 PMPark Avenue Armory(67th Street)New York, New York
November 13 – 14, 2011Jacob Javits CenterNorth HallMore than 3,000 designers, architects, purchasers and developers,
along with hotel owners and operators, will attend Boutique Design New York
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The Weekender: The Scar Project
I think back on the time I met my friend David Jay at one of those trendy restaurants downtown on September 11th, this year. The city was quiet. We started speaking about photography, and its power of communication. Then the conversation led to a photo of “Glee” star Heather Morris sporting a fake black eye, and how a message can be understood differently depending on the person.David has worked in fashion for major publications in New York and overseas. He has dedicated himself to having an impact on subjects that are quite often denied and he helped women deal with traumas that can be healed through understanding and acceptance. Ultimately our discussion went into his upcoming exhibit – The SCAR Project.My interest was piqued, so I decided to check this installation, before heading back home. I was taken by the fact that David Jay was thinking differently. After viewing one image after the next, it became clear that he had a mission, not solely a statement. He was not interested in showing in galleries per se but in museums. His message goes towards women who suffer from being labelled as ghosts because they had breast cancer operations. David’s work is about having an impact on people’s lives by creating a community and making them realize they are not alone, that they are human and dignity still exists even after surgery.The SCAR Project composes a ballet of compassion.Join them on their Facebook Fan Page where they have now reached over 20,394 “LIKE”.Connect yourself, LIKE IT & SHARE ITThe SCAR ProjectOpenhouse Gallery201 Mulberry StreetNew York CityOpens Friday October 28, 2011The exhibit runs through November 6th, 2011Tickets can be purchased for the opening night galagallery walks with SCAR Project photographer David Jay,and general admission (which is by donation)Reserve your ticket at EventbriteI encourage you to see this amazing exhibition in its intended scale and viewing experience.By Laurence Fayard -
Picture Perfect!
René MagritteDangerous LiaisonsThe Carlyle Hotel981 Madison AvenueNew York City28 October — 1 December 2011Blain|Di Donna is getting ready to present as its inaugural exhibition, Dangerous Liaisons, a survey of paintings, works on paper and objects by the Belgian Surrealist René Magritte.What’ll you see at this noteworthy exhibit is over twenty five major oils, gouaches and drawings. This is the first Magritte show of this scale to be presented in New York in almost fifteen years, and comes at a time of renewed interest in Surrealism and its key exponents.The exhibition’s title is derived from Magritte’s seminal early work, Les Liaisons dangereuses (1935), an enigmatic painting thought to have been inspired by the eighteenth century French novel of the same name, in which two rival lovers deploy sex as a weapon to humiliate others. As with many of the works in the artist’s oeuvre, it delights and disturbs in equal measure; uncanny, poetic, playful and erotic, it underlines his unsettling ability to pull at the threads of philosophical and psychological certainties, and in doing so eloquently sets the tone of the exhibition as a whole. -
Someone To Watch Over Me
In the movie Someone To Watch Over Me, Mini Rogers plays Claire Gregory, a wealthy Manhattan socialite whose life is threatened after she witnesses a murder, but don’t worry, her character soon gets protected by Mike Keegan who is played by Tom Berenger, who ended up falling in love with her. The story develops into a very interesting one. The score is exceptional and the photography and set decoration leave more than inspiration – and allot to the imagination.The architecture of the prewar upper east side apartment of Claire’s residence inspired the acclaimed designer, Thomas O’Brien, to create a haven of graciously scaled furniture, and well placed antiques. What I loved about the space the most was its modern feel, even though Thomas used his own designs for Hickory Furniture which are traditionally-inspired. The overall introduction of patterns and layers, and the soothing color combination he used to elevate the space to a new height was beautiful and very much in line with the other designers’ decor. The guest room will remain one of my all time favorite room. I loved the contrasting patterns he used in that small space, which often felt like a warm cocoon of love.For additional highlights on the other designers’ rooms, please go to the Wall Street Journal story on Scene-Stealing Decor.
Library
Living Room (Details)photos by Max Kim-Bee -
Art We Love This Week
A r t For E v e r y B u d g e tSaatchi Online provides the global community a new way to discover art and get discovered. Whether you are a new or seasoned art collector, interior designer, or simply an art lover, you will be as engrossed as I was, once you’ve entered their online store and viewed hundreds of prints and original art.Saatchi Online is a partner to the Saatchi Gallery London, who recently re-launched, and quickly attracted over 60,000 new international artists and connected them with buyers. The site is a dream come true for interior designers, like myself, who can now browse through hundreds of art for their interior projects, and choose between a variety of design style, color or mood. You will find some distinguished amount of prints, original artwork, and even sculptors that fit any project at any budget. I learned through their headquarters, based in Chinatown in Los Angeles, California, that the main goal of Saatchi Online is to help create sustainable careers for artists, by promoting art, finding buyers, and ultimately providing the opportunity to make more. Saatchi Online is a thriving social marketplace, helping community members sell original works of art as well as prints. Originally conceived by Charles Saatchi, the new Saatchi Online is led by CEO Bruce Livingstone, founder of iStockphoto. It is affiliated with the Saatchi Gallery and Charles Saatchi, who is a majority shareholder in Saatchi Online along with Balderton Capital.
Karien Deroo – Our Father
Susannah Martin – Fraulein -
England’s Most Beautiful Gardens
New Hampshire based, garden furniture designer Nan Quick, of Instant Classicism was asked by the Royal Horticultural Society to contribute to the 2009 Chelsea Flower Show. And she gladly accepted. As a frequent contributor to the New York Social Diary, Nan wrote about her exciting experience, and was very gracious to our blog by allowing us to post excerpts of the show. The photographs blew me away as they convey the sheer beauty of each artist’s work, and the incredible energy that was present at the show. In 2002, my friend Patricia and I attended the Chelsea Flower Show, and I can tell you, it is like no other experience you’ve ever had! If you are a flower lover – and who isn’t? – The Chelsea Flower show is the final destination!Chelsea Flower Show – Exhibitor’s Diary
by Nan Quick
Nan Quick’s Tent Display
Allium
Clematis
Mouth-watering Strawberries
Scenes from the Flower Show
Tiffany & Co.
Cartier
Floral hats in Great Pavilion 
Pam Quick
Favorite Shop: Lulu Guiness
Jo Malone
Photos courtesy Nan Quick -
Robert Doisneau
Sweet Paris
Robert Doisneau’s photographs make me happy. Yes, they do. I have been intrigued, in fact enchanted by his work ever since I can remember. Nowadays, when I walk down the second floor corridor of our home, I take extra care as to look and examine his photographs more and more.
Admittedly, I am smitten by his work. The image of the little girl at the bridge, gazing at the River Seine brings to mind a Paris long gone, but which I yearned to have been part of. The warmer weather is upon us, and all I can say is this: Here’s to those long lost, and lazy summer days in Paris!
Robert Doisneau, Paris
Robert Doisneau, Bois Bouloigne
Robert Doisneau
Robert Doisneau
Robert Doisneau, Paris
Robert Doisneau Collage
Robert Doisneauphotos via Online Browsing
Robert Doisneau, Couples Kissing© Atelier Rober
Robert Doisneau
Robert Doisneau, Self-portrait, 1950sNOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you.
