Art
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Sonia Delaunay at the Cooper Hewitt
We’ve waited long enough! The Cooper Hewitt National Museum is featuring the works of Sonia Delaunay now until June 19. This is the first major exhibit of Delaunay’s works in a national museum for over 40 odd years. Yes, it’s been a long time coming. Delaunay (1885-1979) was a Jewish-French artist whose design aesthetics dwell in strong colors and geometric shapes. Along with her husband Robert Delaunay and others, she co-founded the Orphism art movement.Through her paintings, drawings, painted ceramics, neon lights, sculptures, posters, textiles and costume designs, Ms. Delaunay merged art and everyday life. The beautiful textiles that she produced through her life proved her idea that color was “the skin of the world”.Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum2 East 91st Street, 5th AvenueNew York, NY 10128
Above Photos by High End Weekly™
Sonia DelaunayNOTE: 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.
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The Fine Art and Antiques Show
The Spring Show at the Park Avenue ArmoryNow that the first New York Spring Show is out of the way, I can comfortably reflect upon how vibrant and well organized it was. Kudos Mr. Clinton Howell for pulling one of the most memorable fair – to date.The opening night had such a great turn out that at some point, I even thought perhaps they were expecting a dozen head of states, but no, what was happening was the gathering of a great number of well dressed New Yorkers, who were gamed to enjoy some of the best art and antiques from around the world. I love how the show engaged its audience by having a variety of VIP tours. Just today, my husband and I were at a private tour over at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, enjoying the special exhibition Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels. The museum’s curator, Ms. Sarah D. Coffin, adroitly directed more than a dozen attendees (more than all the other tours combined). Truly, I was puzzled that not many people took advantage of these VIP tours. Since this was the 1st Spring Show, perhaps more people will join in the fun in the years to come. The pictures above represent my key highlights, from Iliad Gallery, where classicism meets modernism, to those gorgeous carpets from Sonia Delaunay (there is a current exhibit of Ms. Dalaynay’s work at the Cooper-Hewitt until the beginning of June) at the Vojtech Blau to that not so beautiful easy chair from Alexander Cohane which happens to be one of the most comfortable seating you will ever have the pleasure of lounging in. The Spring Show had some earthly treasures for all those art and furniture lovers.Park Avenue Armory
643 Park AvenueNew York, NY 10065
212-744-8180
Daphne Alazraki Fine Art
Vojtech Blau
Geoffrey Diner Galler
Michael Pashby Antiques
Lost City Arts
www.lostcityarts.com
Jack Kilgore & Co.
Douglas Dawson
Robert Simon Fine Art
Carlotn Hobbs
www.carltonhobbs.net
RM Barokh Antiques
Conru
Alexander Cohane -
Meet Véronique Dalla Favera
High End Weekly™ welcomes Véronique Dalla Favera as one of the first artist to take part in our interview series! Ms. Favera’s fine art paintings and sculptures are often described as avant-garde, her paintings go from light to dark forms, and are both harmonious and purified in style. HEW sat down with the French artist last month, and discovered that because she has a deep fondness for New York, she decided to move here – part-time.Below: Véronique Dalla Favera
HEW: Describe your style, like a good friend of yours would describe it.
VDF: Through my techniques, I use my art as a vessel for sobriety, simplicity, and honesty. That universe suits me just fine.
HEW: How and when did you first become interested in art?VDF: Honestly, it all began when I was about 11 years old, but I didn’t start out painting, and creating sculptures, writing was my muse, and I began writing different novels about crime, detective stories and the like. Sadly enough, my environment wasn’t open to that universe.So little by little, I started to transform my desire to write into painting instead. Through art, I started to become more expressive about my wish to write. So twenty years later, I began working on a sculpture and then another one, and another, and before you know it, my need to continue to do so became insatiable, and it became an obsession. Since then, I’ve never stop creating, imagining. This all became part of my fantasies, which eventually came alive through my work. Today, I cannot imagine my life without creating art, it simply has become who I am.
HEW: Where do you work on your designs and projects?VDF: My studio is in France, a little village in Bourgone with about 60 inhabitants. Lately, I’ve been contemplating moving to another studio in Dijon, which is larger than my current one, since my work is expanding.“My art is inspired by harmony, logic, the perfect equilibrium, but it is also about a meeting of profound individuality which allows for a marvelous, and sincere overture.” Véronique Dalla Favera
HEW: What is the best moment of the day?VDF: The moment is right here, now. Anytime that I am at my studio, creating art – without any hesitation.
HEW: Do you discuss your work with other designers and artists?VDF: All the time. Whether I’m exhibiting in France (Dijon, Beaune, Pommard, Chassagne, Montrachet, Paris, Lyon, Monaco), I’m in constant contact with my artist friends. I had an exhibition in Italy, and for the last nine months, I’ve been in and out of the US, and it’s been great conversing with fellow artists, as our talks are always constructive, and immensely interesting.
HEW: Is there any artist or artists from the past you appreciate?VDF: I am fascinated by artists whose works are specific and have a strong identity. There’s a number of them which I admire profoundly: Arcimboldo, Magritte, Mondrian, Giacometti, Kandinsky, as well as Niki de St Palle.
HEW: And those still working?VDF: Juane Genoves, Soulage, Dean Byington, Yan Pei Ming, Andy Goldsworthy…. I’m constantly discovering fascinating artists, everyday.
HEW: What is your favorite city, and why?VDF: Without a doubt, New York City. Twenty five years ago, when I first visited the big apple, I promised to come back, but as time passes, we tend to forget the impressions that a moment can make. But in March 2010, I was chosen to exhibit my work at MAISON FRANCE, and was beyond thrilled to come back to the city that I fell in love with, all those years ago.
HEW: What projects are you working on now and how do you expect your work to develope in the future?VDF: There’s a number of things going on now, and some of them have to do with the projects I’m involved with here in the United States. The LivenLu collection is going towards a new dimension, and we are now preparing to sell them on-line. In May, I will be exhibiting in Los Angeles and San Fancisco. I am staying focus on my current projects as well, and plan to continue participating at various noteworthy venues in the US and France.
HEW: What project has given you the most satisfaction?VDF: Every project is a source of satisfaction in the sense that they are an added step into my research. It is true that the LivenLulu collection is very close to my heart. They are pieces devoid of any distinctive exterior, and that allows me to express an enormous amount of emotions. I have a lot of ideas for LivenLulu, and currently I’m working on extending that collection.
HEW: What is the most important lesson that life, so far, has taught you?
VDF: Life is a daily education, yet, what we learn one day doesn’t necessarily apply for tomorrow. What I keep is not to forget the past and at the same time, continue to progress, continue to look forward. I love life, and even though it can be quite capricious, we can always take the good out of it. With life, one must be open.
