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Friday’s Art Muse: Erté and The Art Deco Movement
Erté’s drawings at The Martin Lawrence Gallery in SohoWith the rise of the Art Deco revival in the 1960s, Romain de Tirtoff, known by the pseudonym Erté, from the French pronunciation of his initials, experienced a serious rejuvenation, which led to a high interest of his artwork and career. This creative path took the artist to Paris in 1907, where he discovered that he had a clear understanding for form and precision – and a love for art deco. These key principles were later visible as he worked with bronze, gouache, and when he started designing a number of jewelry collections. The artist also had a number of drawings of graphic arts, he created costumes and set design for films, theatre, interior decoration, theatre, and wearable art. The body of his work pushed the boundaries without ever losing elegance or function.
While visiting the Martin Laurence Gallery in Soho, we were delighted to learn that at last, Erté’s work will be seen as a major retrospective at The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg Russia. The artist’s solo exhibition will be on view starting June 22nd. This will make the first time Erté has been the subject of a show in his birthplace.
In celebration of this significant occasion, the Martin Lawrence Gallery New York are currently exhibiting a number of Erté’s paintings (seen below), limited edition prints and bronze sculptures.
Romain de Tirtoff, aka Erté was considered to be one of the foremost leaders in the Art Deco movement.
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Donna Karan’s Second Act at Urban Zen
Donna Karan (L) and Frank Castagna attend the Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) Earlier this month, HEW attended Urban Zen grand new opening in Americana Manhasset. The elegant evening was hosted by owner and fashion raven Donna Karan. The cocktail reception, and book signing also featured a special preview of esteemed photographer Elizabeth Jordan ‘s thought-provoking artwork.
Urban Zen is located at Americana Manhasset, 2072 Northern Blvd. Manhasset, NY.
Elizabeth Jordan attends the Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
A view of exterior at the Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan)
Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
A copy of Donna Karan’s book at the Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan)
Zen Fashion at the new store in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
Details of a necklace designed by Haitian artisans for Urban Zen, Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan)Elizabeth Jordan’s works illuminate how a “woman communicates with herself, versus how the world communicates with her and her culture. Early on Jordan’s photographs were most often taken in difficult settings intended to capture the beauty and dignity of people living in extreme circumstances in underdeveloped regions, such as Africa, Haiti and India. Her work expresses the hardships exaggerated by her subject’s lack of political representation and cultural value, leaving them more vulnerable to financial and medical hardship. Her work has evolved to include light installations using fiber optics and LED as it continues to address gender equality and poverty. Earlier this month, Jordan completed a highly successful show at Scenario Gallery, Miami’s newest contemporary fine arts gallery, making her commercial début following numerous and acclaimed philanthropic shows”.
Background: Photography by Elizabeth Jordan at the new Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) “Elizabeth Jordan’s works speak to my soul which is buried deep in forgotten underprivileged cultures. Her ability to capture the dignity of the people and illuminate the brilliance of the textures, fabrics, and patterns of so many of these countries is in complete synergy with my designs and mission at Urban Zen. From a larger perspective her work transmits the inner strength, will, compassion, dignity and love they represent for women around the world.” Donna Karan on Elizabeth Jordan
Guests checking out the luxury good at Donna Karan’s Urban Zen store during the opening in Americana Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
Elizabeth Jordan’s artwork at the brand new Urban Zen store in Manhasset. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
Another view of the luxe goods at the Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
A general view of products at the Urban Zen. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
Gianpaolo de Felice (R) and Donna Karan’s granddaughter attend the Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
Fran Gutleber and John Gutleber attend the Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
Rebecca Hollander and Jim Smiros attend the Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) 
Gabby Karan de Felice (L) and Elizabeth Jordan (R) attend the Urban Zen store opening in Americana Manhasset hosted by Donna Karan on June 1, 2016 in Manhasset, New York. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Donna Karan) -
How To Mix Paint Colors Like A Pro
Donald Kaufman Color is a New York based design firm devoted to realizing the energy of architecture through paint color. A color field painter himself, and renowned innovator in the field of color + space + light, Donald Kaufman and partner Taffy Dahl, have designed custom palettes for projects all over the world, including The Getty Center and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Donald Kaufman – The Mix Master
At the start of the week, Donald Kaufman Color releases their exclusive color formulas as premixed pigments – just in time for those who love to try their hands at a couple of those “noteworthy” DIY summer projects. By unveiling their latest premixed pigments, DKC has shown how they have the edge on achieving superior color with just a few standard paint. This in turn, gives retail customers the ability to buy over 120 – yes 120 – custom hues directly from the newly re-designed Donald Kaufman Color e-commerce website.
“Donald is the best partner an architect could have. He is the rare painter who understands architecture.” — Philip Johnson, Architect
“Donald’s colors are extraordinary, they have more depth, magnitude and subtlety than regular paints. What a luxury!” Mariette Himes Gomez, Interior Designer
“What this means,” says Kaufman, “is that you can buy a jar of our unique pigment mixes and simply take it to your local paint store to have it blended with a brand-name gallon of paint base. Our formulas are produced in one centralized location, and come with instructions for 1-2-3 accuracy with each jar.” Paint Pigment is available for purchase online for $49.95. Each pigment jar is intended for use with one gallon of base paint.
Donald Kaufman Color premixed pigments: Each pigment jar is intended for use with one gallon of base paint. -
A Creative’s Perspective of FRIEZE New York Art Week
Since its launch in 2012, this year was the first time I’ve actually paid a visit to the much talked about Frieze New York Art Week. The highly reported art fair was held, as it was in the past, at Randall’s Island Park, overlooking the East River.What took me so long to get there?
The island is merely a few minutes away from the upper east side via the usual transportation routes. The New York Water Taxi can easily whisk you to the open fields of the island in a matter of minutes.
Wether you’re looking to buy, discover or simply art gazing, a visit to Frieze will most likely feel like speed dating, with more than 200 galleries from 31 countries! The fair showcases an extraordinary cross-section of work by contemporary artists from around the globe, from the newly discovered to contemporary masters (yes, there is such a thing as contemporary masters).
During my whirlwind tour, I got to enjoy an ambitious array of artist commissions, installations, curated sections showcasing emerging artists and galleries, education programs. At the end of my tour, I met one of the most cheerful, not to mention colorful bird, while heading to an artist talk that shared nuanced perspectives on the world of contemporary art.
Yes, my visit to Randall Island was well worth it, I would say.
‘Frieze has engaged in a critical dialogue with contemporary artists, curators, dealers, collectors and writers fro 25 years and I am happy that this legacy continues to inform the content, quality and range of our fairs. Frieze New York offers a fantastic cultural experience – from presentations by the best galleries from around the world, to newly commissioned works and innovative public programs, to the natural light that infuses our unique, bespoke space – all set in this incredible city. This is the fifth edition of Frieze New York and it promises to be a great week,’ Victoria Siddall, Director of Frieze
Mickalene Thomas, I’m feeling good, 2014. Rhinestones, acrylic oil, enamel and glitter on wood panel 
Image credits High End Weekly©. All rights reserved
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Who are the Women Modernists in New York?
Helen Torr (United States, 1886–1967), Along the Shore, 1932 Oil on canvas, Karen and Kevin Kennedy Collection Powerful works from the world’s leading artists, O’Keeffe, Stettheimer, Torr, Zorach will take center stage at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) from June 24 through September 18, 2016. O’Keeffe, Stettheimer, Torr, Zorach: Women Modernists in New York will examine the art and careers of four pioneering artists and their wide contributions to American modernism in parallel for the first time. Through this exhibition, the PMA will take visitors to explore works by some of the most significant modernists in American art history. This unique exhibition offers valuable perspectives on the meaning of modernism, the life of a working artist in New York in the early 20th century, and the shared and differing experiences of being women at a crucial moment in first-wave feminism.
Florine Stettheimer (United States, 1871–1944), Jenny and Genevieve, circa 1915 Oil on canvas. Art Properties, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University in the City of New York, Gift of the Estate of Ettie Stettheimer, 1967 
Marguerite Thompson Zorach (United States, 1887–1968) Portrait of Florine Stettheimer, circa 1915, Pencil on paper, Art Properties, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University in the City of New York, Gift of Mr. Joseph Solomon, 1973 
Marguerite Thompson Zorach (United States, 1887–1968), Pegasus/Hand Bag, circa 1918 Wool embroidery on burlap or linen, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of Tessim Zorach 
Georgia O’Keeffe, American, 1887–1986. Jack-in-Pulpit Abstraction- No. VI, 1930. Oil on canvas Throughout the early 20th century, artists were radically breaking with all traditions in art, inventing a new visual language that responded to the experience of living in a new century. As creative ideas took hold in the sciences, modern artists created new ways of seeing the world through formal experiments. This exhibition examines the talents, relationships, privilege, and influences that enabled each woman to invent her own distinctive approach to modernism. In grouping these artists’ careers and work together, the Portland Museum of Art explores the creative forces behind modernism, while highlighting the social and political contexts they shared.
Helen Torr (United States, 1886–1967), Oyster Stakes, 1930 Oil on panel, Gift of Mrs. Mary Rehm; Collection of the Heckscher Museum of Art 
Helen Torr (United States, 1886–1967), January, 1935 Oil on canvas, Gift of Mrs. Mary Rehm; Collection of the Hecksher Museum of Art 
Marguerite Zorach (American, 1887–1968), Two Sisters- Marguerite and Her Sister Edith, 1921 oil on canvas. Signed and dated in lower right M ZORACH/ 1921 
Georgia O’Keeffe (United States, 1887–1986), The White Calico Flower, 1931 Oil on canvas, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York 
Florine Stettheimer (United States, 1871–1944), Asbury Park South, 1920 Oil on canvas, Collection of Halley K. Harrisburg and Michael Rosenfeld, New York - Image credits: The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. J. Harwood & Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art. Photo: Travis Fullerton © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
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Botanical Garden & Arboretum Trompenburg in Rotterdam
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Nicole de Vesian – Her Artistic Garden Sanctuary
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Spotlight on Richard Rabel and his Sotheby’s Designer Showhouse Project
Interior designer Richard Rabel This is a first for HEW. We were so taken by Sandra Nunnerley, and Richard Rabel‘s recent projects for the 3rd Annual Sotheby’s Designer Showhouse and Auction, that we decided to interview them both. As was the case with Sandra Nunnerley, Richard Rabel also shown an exquisite, and particularly keen eye for art and design. No surprises there. The New York-based interior designer is well-known for filling his interiors with eclectic modern aesthetic of clean lines with a preference for infusing the design of his rooms with a tightly curated selection of antiques, 20th / 21st century masterworks and bespoke detailing. Richard also offers art advising services as part of his design practice.
High End Weekly©: Tell us about your inspiration for the room you designed at the 3rd annual Sotheby’s Designer Showhouse? How did it come about?
Richard Rabel: I’ve been fascinated with the late Italian Renaissance/early Baroque for a long time. Especially the interiors of palaces and churches – and particularly – the treatment of the walls and floors. The way marble, onyx, semi-precious stones, granite and faux treatments like marbelizing are combined and mixed to produce incredibly beautiful rooms astound me. How to bring that notion into the 21st century is what challenged me into doing what I did at the Sotheby’s Showhouse – combining cork, wool and linen in the walls and baseboards with a Renaissance patterned floor and a marbelized paper-wrapped pedestal in the center. Handsome, very chic, and completely modern.
Richard Rabel Gallery and Foyer. Photo credit Alan Barry Photography High End Weekly©: Was this the first showhouse you got to participate in? If not, how was it different from the rest?
Richard Rabel: This is the first Showhouse I’ve participated in.
High End Weekly©: Sotheby’s requested that you selected works from an array of their departments to furnish your room, including 20th Century Design, English & Continental Furniture, Ceramics, Fine Arts, Prints, Silver, and Photographs. How was this experience different, if at all, from designing for your clients?
Richard Rabel: Selecting from a pool of pieces consigned to Sotheby’s was the process de rigeur at the Showhouse. Placing art for clients is a bit different. If you cannot tap one source, you tap another. Being that it IS the Sotheby’s Showhouse, it was not in the cards to tap art from other sources.
High End Weekly©: As a designer, no doubt that you’ve worked with a number of artists to curate exclusive collections. What sorts of art (or artist) catches your eye?
An Andy Warhol photograph takes center stage at Richard Rabel Gallery and Foyer. Photo credit Alan Barry Photography Richard Rabel: I like working with artisans that are extremely detailed oriented. Mastery is in the details whether its bronze, ceramic or wood.
High End Weekly©: Are there any major design trends or ideas that influenced your design aesthetics?
Richard Rabel: Not really. I’m mostly influenced by my travel and the work of architects and other designers that I find compelling.
Richard Rabel Gallery and Foyer. Photo credit Alan Barry Photography The joy in my work comes from crafting modern spaces that achieve a stylish balance between function and form as a result of sifting a client’s wishes through my vision + experience. – Richard Rabel
High End Weekly©: Where do you look for inspiration?
Richard Rabel: Travels, interiors, gardens, architecture, fashion – in that order
High End Weekly©: Tell us, if you were to work on a high-end furniture line for young collectors, what would you call it, and what would be the inspiration?
Richard Rabel: I think I would call it The Modern Sybarite like the name of my blog. A Sybarite is one who enjoys and seeks luxury and the best of life, regardless of whether it’s expensive or inexpensive. It has nothing to do with money. It has to do with style, class and superb craftsmanship.
Details of Richard Rabel’s project for Sotheby’s 3rd Annual Designer Showhouse. Photo credit Alan Barry Photography High End Weekly©: What are a few of your more recent projects?
Richard Ravel: One fun recent project I finished recently was an adult “playpen” for a well-known New Yorker. Its sounds kinky, but it was actually an apartment for entertaining – pure unadulterated modern luxury and class. Currently I’m working on a gut-renovation penthouse in midtown New York with wonderful north, south and east views of the city and a wrap around terrace.
High End Weekly©: Where are your go-to museums and galleries?
Richard Rabel: It’s hard to say. I do love Museum Mile on 5th Avenue – the Museum of the City of New York, the Guggenheim, the MET, the Frick and the Neue Galerie. The Hispanic Society rocks. The MOMA is one of a kind. The New Museum in the Bowery sometimes has very good exhibitions. Then there is Chelsea and areas of the LES and Brooklyn for world-class galleries. It’s hard to miss museums and galleries in NYC. You really have to be living under a rock to miss them!
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Designer Spotlight: Sandra Nunnerley’s Keen Eye for Details
Sandra Nunnerley is the founder of the internationally recognized design firm, Sandra Nunnerley, Inc. W magazine has called Sandra one of the most fashionable designers in New York. Ms. Nunnerley is a widely published designer who has been featured on Architectural Digest’s AD 100 list, AD France 2016 Top 100 designers. Sandra Nunnerley is a woman widely known for her exquisite interiors, her conspicuous elegance, and ability to find key artists and artisans as she travels the globe to bring her clients the crème de la crème when it comes to design. As the famed designer develops a line of occasional tables for Maison Gerard and rug collection for The Rug Company, High End Weekly© recently spoke to her after her successful project for Sotheby’s third annual Designer Showhouse & Auction. The international auction house selected twelve interior designers and design firms to create one unique room within a home constructed within the fifth-floor exhibition space of Sotheby’s Manhattan headquarters.
High End Weekly©: Tell us about your inspiration for the room you designed at the 3rd annual Sotheby’s Designer Showhouse? How did it come about?
Sandra Nunnerley: Furniture as functional art is very inspirational to me at the moment and Sotheby’s had several functional art pieces that I was able to use in the Family Room I designed for the Showhouse. Two pieces were particularly interesting — the Rock Chaise by Studio Job (out of Antwerp – current exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design) and Zaha Hadid‘s “Gyre” lounge chair from the Seamless series (who sadly passed away right before the Showhouse opened) – they are great examples of furniture as functional art. It was exciting to create a functional Family Room around these two fantastic pieces and juxtapose their forms and shapes with other wonderfully designed pieces of furniture and lighting by Max Ingrand, Armand Jonckers, Oscar Niemeyer and art by Gerhard Richter, James Rosenquist, Robert Longo and Andy Warhol. I’m always inspired by the conversations that pieces from a range of periods have in a room.
High End Weekly©: Was this the first showhouse you got to take part in? If not, how was it different from the rest?
Sandra Nunnerley: I have done 3 Kips Bay show houses over the course of my career and my first for Sotheby’s. This one was different from the rest because Sotheby’s had an existing group of furniture and art and the 12 designers were asked to choose pieces from the existing inventory.
Sandra Nunnerley Family Room. Photo credit Alan Barry Photography. High End Weekly©: Sotheby’s requested that you selected works from an array of their departments to furnish your Family Room, including 20th Century Design, English & Continental Furniture, Ceramics, Fine Arts, Prints, Silver, and Photographs. How was this experience different, if at all, from designing for your clients?
Sandra Nunnerley: It was different because all the Sotheby’s inventory was divided via a lottery system among the 12 participating designers. The lottery made the design process a bit of a jigsaw puzzle and the experts at Sotheby’s who I have worked with for years were instrumental in helping pull together a cohesive room. Stacy Goodman, the head of Pre-Colombian art, Jean Fritts and Alex Grogan in the African and Oceanic departments lent pieces from their upcoming sales that really gave the room a point of view. Usually for my own clients, they are starting a home from scratch and I am the one responsible for sourcing all the items from a wide array of sources — shops, galleries, auction houses, etc. In this instance, Sotheby’s was the client who came to me with a lot of existing furniture and wanted to use it in a new and fresh manner.
High End Weekly©: Over the years, you’ve worked with a number of artists to curate some of the most exclusive collections for your clients. What sorts of art (or artist) catches your eye?
Sandra Nunnerley: It really depends on the client’s point of view and I enjoy working with lots of different art and artists. Right now I’m very interested in color field painters from the 50s and 60s, non-objective school, contemporary Chinese ink, photography, Outsider Art and Primitive.
An original sketch of Sandra Nunnerley’s Family Room for the Sotheby’s Designer Showhouse. High End Weekly©: Are there any major design trends or ideas that influenced your design aesthetics?
Sandra Nunnerley: I strive to create timeless environments that transcend periods…. “classic meets contemporary” … I love mixing traditional and modern periods with contemporary design. The interplay between modern and traditional fascinates me.
High End Weekly©: If you had to choose a favorite element of artists to collaborate with, what would it be?
Sandra Nunnerley: Recently, I’ve found that the artists and artisans working in Korea are very interesting. Kwangho Lee and Choi Byung Hoon.
High End Weekly©: Where do you look for inspiration?
Sandra Nunnerley: I’m always “looking” — going to art fairs, shows, galleries and museums. you never know what you’ll find or when you’ll see something in a new way. For me travel is also important — I love to discover new artists or modes of expression that are not well-known.
An eye for details: Colorful vignette, with a feature of Sandra’s latest book at Sotheby’s. High End Weekly©: Tell us, if you were to work on a high-end furniture line, what would you call it, and what would be the inspiration behind it?
Sandra Nunnerley: We are currently developing a line of occasional tables for Maison Gerard and I’m excited about our rugs collection that will launch this fall for The Rug Company. We are also working on a line of fabrics and a lighting line which are to be announced.
High End Weekly©: Congratulations! What are some of your other most recent interior design projects?
The Rock Chaise by Studio Job at Sandra Nunnerley’s family room at Sotheby’s Designer Showhouse. Sandra Nunnerley: A home in Palm Beach, a chalet in Aspen, a pied-à-terre in New York, a penthouse in Berlin, a residence in New Zealand.
High End Weekly©: Where are your go-to museums and galleries?
Sandra Nunnerley: Tate London, The Norton Simon Museum in LA – a great building designed by Frank Gehry with wonderful gardens – I like the fact that it is a museum which has a very strong point of view as a collector’s eye. For similar reasons, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia is also very interesting as it is one person’s collection. The Met on a Friday night is always a great choice too.
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Hui Chi Lee’s Artwork: Calligraphy in Motion
Hui Chi Lee’s solo show “Lian: Lian” is now on display until May at Fitzgerald Fine Arts in Soho, New York. The big apple is a place where art meets culture, and no better places can this be truer than downtown Soho, the East Village, and of course, the Chelsea area. Back in March, we visited FitzGerald Fine Arts (a Soho gallery which showcase contemporary Chinese porcelain and ink painting), and had the opportunity to meet Taiwanese artist Hui Chi Lee. This was Ms. Lee’s first show in New York, where she presented a new body of hand drawn graphite pen and colored pencil works on paper, as well as a soaring site specific sculptural installation, entitled “Lian, Lian.’ The exhibit was filled with energy, and a modern spirit, which reflected her abstract paintings that can somehow be compared to “Calligraphy in Motion”. In part, her latest series is a true reflection on Taiwanese cultural traditions that can seem oppressive in contemporary society.
High End Weekly™: How was it growing up in Taiwan? And what were your early influences as an artist?
Hui Chi Lee: I essentially grew up in my mother’s design studio. She inspired my eye with every details from the fabric on the floor to the mannequins mounted high above. Her painstaking attention to detail never left me. Art and hand craft informed my desire to become a painter, artist and sculptor. “Lian: Lian”, my current show at Fitzgerald Fine Arts, is in homage to her and my large family.
Hui Chi Lee HEW: Your body of work is heavily compiled with metaphoric messages. Is that purposeful or is it part of your consciousness?
Hui Chi Lee: Part of it is a spiritual meditation on reincarnation, part and parcel of my culture.
The use of hair is metaphorical for long-lasting values and questions about life on earth.
The tension between the physical and spiritual realms, if you will.HEW: You currently have a show at FitzGerald, a contemporary fine arts gallery in Soho where you’re showcasing a new body of hand drawn graphite pen and colored pencil works on paper, as well as an impeccable sculptural installation, entitled “Lian, Lian.’. Tell us about this project.
Hui Chi Lee: The title of series “Lián; Liàn,” derives from a pair of Chinese homophones which, depending on the context, mean “to connect” and “to enchain.” On one hand, these large-scale drawings explore the tensions and dynamics within human relationships. On the other, they explore how these same forces may constrict or enchain humans when negative forces come into play. While this series is in part a reflection on Taiwanese cultural traditions that can seem oppressive,I believe it can be applied more broadly to the human experience.
Hui Chi Lee Hair and chopsticks are evident motifs in this series. In Chinese tradition, lengthy hair symbolizes longevity. Hair signifies the duration of a life span, an expanse of time of which we are often hardly aware. While we may acknowledge the finitude of life, time is envisioned as somehow endless. Humans favor stability and continuity. Thus, even when one’s comfort and status is threatened or entangled by a chaotic environment, ambivalence seems inevitable. Color is introduced here in a symbolic, metaphorical way. Red symbolizes both a warning and an awakening moment in life.
Hui Chi Lee HEW: Are hand drawn graphite pen and colored pencil works on paper an investment? By its nature, paper is fragile, how should collectors care for that type of work?
Hui Chi Lee: All of my work is 100% archival, from paper to plexiglass. As with all artwork, placing it out of direct sunlight is always a good idea.
HEW: This is another two-part question … Can you shed some light on what you meant regarding your earlier work “Moving Corpse and Walking Flesh” when you said “Regardless of differences between nations and social structures, the disproportionate emphasis on consumerism and a lack of consideration given to spiritual dimensions have placed a heavy burden on contemporary life. Humans seem trapped in a never-ending spiral of materialistic desires and endless wants, and our craving to consume now turns on the subject to consume the spirit”. Can this, in part, be also said about the current state of the art market?
Hui Chi Lee: I have selected the qualities we associate with mannequins—plastic and figure-like, but inanimate and anonymous–as a vehicle to prompt a discourse on these seemingly contradictory but connected conditions. The randomly amassed mannequin-like figures in these drawings lack self-determination and appear powerless, much like many vulnerable and immobile human beings in today’s society. I want to encourage the viewer to consider this human condition in a critical and holistic manner.
Hui Chi Lee’s “Lian” Lian”. The answer depends on the viewer’s own perceptions and projections. My work serves as a visual riddle for each viewer to decipher. The elements in each drawing seek to convey the imperceptible influence that an inherited tradition can have on one’s mentality, forming core beliefs that are difficult to break.
HEW: I understand that you are currently teaching applied arts at the North Carolina Appalachian University. What do you tell your students about the future of contemporary art?
Hui Chi Lee: My students are always working within the context of their generation. I encourage them to explore the world and their place in it.
HEW: When you travel around the world, what do you look for in these different cultures? What are your go-to museums, monuments, and galleries around the globe?
A recent installation by Hui Chi Lee, showing at Fitzgerald Fine Arts in Soho, New York. Hui Chi Lee: It is the moments that I least expect to happen that I become more inspired by. In short, it is in the small moments and details that we experience things in a new way. This is what I hope to capture in my new body of work.
