Alfred Hitchcock was known to have a surprise or two up his sleeve. But now he’s really done it. Just as we thought we’ve thoroughly consumed the catalog of his masterpieces we receive, posthumously, a film that is chock-full of contributions from the legendary filmmaker.
Earlier today, it was revealed that half of “The White Shadow,” the first known film on which Hitchcock is credited, was discovered by archivists. They had been sifting through reels of film that were donated to the New Zealand Film Archive by the family of a former projectionist.
A statue newly attributed to Michelangelo. A new short story by Dashiell Hammett. Hundreds of Picasso works found? And now a new film from Hitchcock? Geniuses never truly rest.
The silent film, not directed by a 24-year-old Hitchcock but written by him, was filmed in 1923. He is also pinned as the Assistant Director, Editor and Art Director of the found footage. According to cnn.com, “film archivists describe ‘The White Shadow’ as ‘a wild, atmospheric melodrama starring Betty Compson in a dual role as twin sisters, one angelic and the other ‘without a soul.’” Only the first 3 of 6 reels of film–about 30 minutes of playtime– have been recovered.
Several still images from “The White Shadow” have been released, courtesy of the New Zealand Film Archive, and they are stunning. Reportedly, the film will be restored and then screened for the public.
To whomever thinks fashion can’t be art– your mind is about to change. The long-awaited and immensely-successful Savage Beauty exhibition at Metropolitan Museum of Art is based on the career of late fashion designer Alexander McQueen. And it is: Breath. Taking.
As a longtime fan, I hesitate saying simply “fashion designer Alexander McQueen” because for him, his work was an art-form. Fashion was simply his medium. And I agree. It allowed him to tell stories and provoke thought. The exhibit reflects this notion fully with exquisitely designed rooms that showcase the pieces in such a regal and meaningful way.
Along with droves of others, I was deeply saddened when McQueen took his own life, leaving us as suddenly as he first appeared in the world of fashion. This exhibition is a touching, exploratory look at the depth of his work.
I attended Savage Beauty with my mother— who is a fine artist and worked for years as a fashion illustrator— so it was wonderful to hear her unique perspectives of the work. After a 45-minute wait, which we were more than willing to endure, we walked through slowly, both in awe of McQueen’s vast array of talents. Haven’t seen Savage Beauty yet? It’s opened until August 7th, 2011.
The exhibit is broken into 6 elaborately-designed areas, each matching a theme significant in McQueen’s career:
The Romantic Mind: McQueen’s background and the start of his career— A time during which he perfected the craft of tailoring at Saville Row and the art of draping at Givenchy.
Romantic Gothic/Cabinet of Curiosities: Pieces with historical influence, especially from the Victorian Gothic era. Hard-edged accessories, often made with exaggerated materials (metal, wood), often made by designers like Philip Treacy (Read: designer of a great deal of Kate Middleton hats).
Romantic Nationalism: Identified strongly with his Scottish background, he emphasized the harsh political background of the county, bringing to light their often glazed-over struggles, created by England. Still, McQueen felt very connected to London, where he was raised.
Romantic Exoticism: McQueen explored elements from traditional garbs in various cultures–Asian, Indian, African— and interpreted them in his own, fresh way.
Romantic Primitivism: The battle of Nature vs. Man and Predator vs. Prey. McQueen was deeply influenced by nature, and man’s role within it. With an animalistic viewpoint, he used elements of nature in these works, such as tattered fabrics, horsehair and mud.
Romantic Naturalism: Recognizing the potential of technology in the future of fashion and our world, he used computerized and digitally-enhanced fabrics. The concept of devolution (instead of evolution) is explored with futuristic clothing that are still very grounded in a current aesthetic.
The Craft: Emanating throughout the exhibit is the obvious fact that McQueen was an immaculate tailor and craftsman. Executing his work with just as much thought-out detail as the concept behind it, Savage Beauty shows McQueen’s exploration of mediums and materials. With a clear eagerness to experiment, he often used feathers, as well as fresh flowers, clam and mussel shells and mud— all materials which connected him to nature. Combining materials furthered the piece’s concept: pairing organza and tulle, for instance, with leather or metal.
The Concept of contrast and juxtaposition is my absolute favorite aspect of the designer’s work as a whole. It’s one of the largest running themes throughout his career and this exhibit, yet each collection is rich with uniqueness, innovation and always remained distinctive from those that came before it. Soft and hard, light and dark, life and death, heavy and delicate all contradict and compliment each other and meld together to create something beautiful— a cohesive and powerful idea.
Alexander McQueen truly was a Savage Beauty and so was his work. He saw inspiration everywhere. This idea was echoed from room to room as he often referenced artwork (Jacobean portraiture), historical figures (Joan of Arc), authors (Poe and Grimm), filmmakers (Burton) and scientists (Darwin). Power and domination were pronounced— he wanted to dress women as strong and sexual, instead of demure and meek, individuals. Still, a softness was necessary to create balance and he found this fragility resonating in melancholia. The recognition of a dying or wilting life form has a subtle power and beauty to it— one that others don’t always see. McQueen saw an overwhelming and natural harmony in the macabre.
The Performance: From the impeccable craftsmanship and the conceptual nature of his work all the way down the runway, McQueen was anything but “just a fashion designer.” See, for McQueen, a runway show was anything but models walking down a long stretch of stage. It was a performance for his audience. A story. Always in grand gestures and strong viewpoints, the way he represented his work was just as important to him as the creation of the pieces themselves.
At a McQueen show, one may have felt voyeuristic or intrusive. They would have found themselves at a circus, a rainstorm, a ballet or observing a life-sized chess game. One model stood surrounded by flames. Another was sprayed with paint. Videos of these “runway” shows were positioned throughout the gallery rooms. They can also be viewed at the Met’s website.
It’s no surprise that performance diva Lady Gaga donned many of his pieces, nor that fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker was a huge fan. In fact McQueen’s pieces, as dramatic as they were, graced the red carpet many, many times.
Even as a fan of his, I learned so much in this exhibition. I also got to see some of my favorite McQueen pieces close-up and in-detail. It goes without saying that Alexander McQueen left us too early, but he did so by his own will— the same way as he lived his life.
“It is important to look at death because it is a part of life. It is a sad thing, melancholic but romantic at the same time. It is the end of a cycle–everything has to end. The cycle of life is positive because it gives room for new things.”
Okay, confession time: ice cream is by far one of my biggest weaknesses! Especially in the hot days of summer, nothing is more refreshing (…of course I have no excuse plowing through some mint chocolate chip when it’s below freezing…)!
My dad has always been a huge fan of creamsicles, so I thought it would be fun to find a special recipe to try for Father’s Day. I was in luck when I came across this recipe for Creamsicle Ice Cream from Food.com and decided to give it a shot!
1 cup whipping cream (or non-dairy whipping cream)
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 (250 ml) container frozen orange juice concentrate
1 box instant vanilla flavor pudding and pie filling
Whip the cream until stiff.
Add the sugar and continue whipping.
Add the eggs once at a time, beating continuously.
Add the orange juice and vanilla pudding, beat until smooth.
Pour into ice cream container and freeze.
It came out great! It was creamier than store-bought ice cream– more of a sorbet or sherbet consistency– and the mix of orange and vanilla flavors matched that of a creamsicle perfectly. Sure, it wasn’t the healthiest thing I’ve ever made, but it was Father’s Day!: A great excuse to treat my father to a homemade dessert and indulge a bit myself
Book of Mormon and War Horse nabbed top honors at last night’s Tony Awards. The charming Neil Patrick Harris received high praise for his performance as host as the presenters gave us the usual best and worst dressed, flubbed lines, network-bleeped moments we’ve come to expect from any respectable awards show.
I’ll admit that I’m bummed I didn’t get to write my review of The Book of Mormon earlier. After getting to see it during its first week of previews, let me say, with thorough sincerity, how deserving of awards and attention this show really is. But I think I’ll save all that for the review I just decided that I will still write. With several other shows currently playing that I’m absolutely anxious to see (especially War Horse and Normal Heart), and some that I’m pretty sure I can miss and never feel a hole in my heart (Sorry, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), the awards were all around worth the watch.
Highlights:
The performances:
Really the reason to watch the Tonys every year. It’s the perfect coming attraction for what you’re missing and should look forward to seeing. Every year, I pay close attention to what I haven’t seen and decide on which ones I must catch. Catch a performance now from the Best Musical:
The fashion: What’s an awards show without seeing Hollywood’s hottest at their best and at their worst. Get the highlights at Fed By Fashion.
The host: Neil Patrick Harris was a great host. He also became a trending topic on Twitter, mostly due to his opening number:
Memorable moments:
Brooke Shields stuttered her way through a segment with Neil Patrick Harris and had to be given a sheet of paper with lyrics. She tried to make it right later on by poking fun at herself …only to curse on live television and get bleeped by the network.
Nikki M. James (Book of Mormon) was adorably emotional and she truly seemed surprised by, and grateful for, her “Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical” win.
“I want to thank my dad for his edge and my mother for her sweetness,” said Trey Parker after one of his many wins for The Book of Mormon.
“It’s the proudest moment of my career. Being involved in something this important is I think a once-in-a-career opportunity. I’m so proud to be shouting out this message that needs to be heard, 30 years later.” Ellen Barkin, during her win for Normal Heart—a play about the AIDS epidemic.
Mark Rylance, from Jeruselum, reciting a poem by Louis Jenkins for his acceptance speech. “Why? I don’t know. I was getting a little bored. I always think you should prepare something to say.”
The winners: See the winners at the Tonys website here.
Google Doodle’s Les Paul Guitar has been extended! Yesterday’s Google Doodle was so popular that it has been extended through today. The company honored legendary guitarist Les Paul, who would have celebrated his 96th birthday, by turning their logo into a guitar. But that’s not even the cool part. This guitar logo is interactive, letting you strum its strings with your mouse cursor or by typing in the chords. On top of that, you can record your jam session, which then turns your work into an active link.
There are already “lessons” posted online on how to play the guitar and a search for “Google Les Paul” provides a slew of videos and links of peoples’ recordings and song covers.
Read a great summary about Les Paul and his influence on jazz and pop music on lespaulonline.com.
Want to show off your talent? Post your links and videos in the comments! I may just post them into this article!
Disclaimer: The following video isn’t me. It is bassistuk. Check out his other google guitar videos!
Interior designer Amirkhan Abdurakhmanov (known as Amirko) has been developing a concept piece that may very well become the storm of the future. “Change It!,” an installation wall for any living space will allow its owner to easily customize its color and shade without picking up the paint rollers.
The wall consists of lines of square panels, each with three sides: one white, one black and one for inter-changeable colors. It’s up to you to customize these color-changing squares in order to create whatever ambiance and atmosphere you want. You control your living environment whether you want an intricate rainbow-inspired pattern or a single solid-colored wall.
Undoubtedly an enormous investment, the use of this installation in any living space lends itself to versatility and function. It will surely travel with its owner through his or her constantly-changing tastes in style and design. You could even change the color with the season to fit your mood— completely changing the feel of the room without an entirely new redesign.
Design has never been so interactive and easily-transformable as this!
I can’t wait to hear more about Amirko’s developments!
Tomorrow, May 18th, 100+ museums throughout North America will offer free and reduced admission as well as specialized programming as part of their participation in Art Museum Day. This North American leg of the global International Museum Day project (created by International Council of Museums) is the chance for museums to open themselves to the public and allow visitors to explore artwork they may not have had the opportunity to see. Museum Day, in action since 1977, seeks “to encourage public focus on the museum as ‘an institution in the service of society and of its development.’”
The theme for 2011, according to the AAMD’s press release, is “Museum and Memory,”so expect that museums will be hosting programs based around the concept of “how museums preserve individual and collective memories.” By engaging their communities, museums can demonstrate the vital role they play in the development of society and in one’s understanding and their role in history.
See below the full list of north American Museums who are official participants of Art Museum Day. For a comprehensive list of the international participants, check the International Museum Day website.
Amon Carter Museum
Art Gallery of Ontario
Art Institute of Chicago
Aspen Art Museum
Birmingham Museum of Art
Brandywine River Museum
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Bronx Museum of Art
Butler Museum of American Art
Carnegie Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Art
Columbus Museum
Columbus Museum of Art
Crocker Art Museum
Currier Museum of Art
David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art
Dayton Art Institute
Delaware Art Museum
Des Moines Art Center
Dixon Gallery and Gardens
El Paso Museum of Art
Flint Institute of Arts
Fred Jones, Jr. Museum of Art
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Georgia Museum of Art
Guggenheim Museum
Hammer Museum
Harvard Art Museums
Henry Art Gallery
High Museum of Art
Hudson River Museum
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
J. Paul Getty Museum
Japan Society Gallery
Jewish Museum
Joslyn Museum of Art
Kimbell Art Museum
Lowe Art Museum
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
McNay Art Museum
Meadows Museum, SMU
Memorial Art Gallery of Rochester
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Miami Art Museum
Michael C. Carlos Museum
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Montclair Art Museum
Museo de Arte de Ponce
Museo Dolores Olmedo
Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale
Museum of Arts and Design
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Glass
Museum of Modern Art
Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
Nasher Sculpture Center
National Museum of Wildlife Art
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
New Orleans Museum of Art
Norman Rockwell Museum
North Carolina Museum of Art
Peabody Essex Museum
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Phoenix Art Museum
Portland (Oregon) Art Museum
Princeton University Art Museum
Saint Louis Art Museum
Salvador Dali Museum
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
San Antonio Museum of Art
San Jose Museum of Art
Seattle Art Museum
Smith College Museum of Art
Snite Museum of Art
Speed Art Museum
Spelman College Museum of Fine Art
Spencer Museum of Art
Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute
Studio Museum in Harlem
Tacoma Art Museum
Taft Museum of Art
Tampa Museum of Art
Telfair Museum of Art
The Ackland Art Museum
The Menil Collection
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The Morgan Library and Museum
The Noguchi Museum
The Phillips Collection
The Wolfsonian
Toledo Museum of Art
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Vero Beach Museum of Art
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Wadsworth Atheneum
Walker Art Center
Walters Art Museum
Westmoreland Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
Wichita Art Museum
Worcester Art Museum
Yale University Art Gallery
In March, we pondered about whether or not artist Jeff Koons could break multiple records —for personal highest sale ($25.7mill) and highest sale by a living artist ($33.6mill)—at the most recent Sotheby’s auction. The art world buzzed that his Pink Panther sculpture could bring in an estimated $20-30 million. And now, with the “Contemporary Art” auction having taken place Tuesday and yesterday, the moment of truth has arrived. Jeff Koons’ “Pink Panther” fetched…
[drum roll, please]
… a disappointing $16.8 million. The statue came in under the low estimate, at almost the very same under-the-low-estimate price his “Balloon Flower (Blue)” brought in just last year. Does this most recent sale place the nail in the peak of Koons’ career? It continues an unlucky streak of poor sales records for the past year.
That said, the auction as a whole was one that was approached with caution and restraint from its bidders. While Warhols’ “Sixteen Jackies” did come in within estimate, it barely did so with a $20.2 million sale that attracted only 2 bidders.
Of the 58 works at the auction, 49 were sold—many coming in on the low end of the work’s estimated selling point. Smaller and lesser known pieces were more likely to come in above the estimate, with their prices seeming more reasonable compared to the larger showpieces: A Basquiat with an estimate of 3.5-4.5 million fetched 5.9 million. A Warhol with an estimate of 7-900,000 cashed in at 4.8 million. Still, the night was slow and bidders failed to bring in as much as hoped or expected. Still an 84.5% sell-through rate is respectable, especially in the current economy.
A Common Goal
I recently attended a lecture which focused on Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse as part of a series at Katonah Museum of Art: “When Giants Collide: Rivalries in Western Art”. Though competitors in the art world, the two were friends and, artistically, had the same goal in mind: to represent reality in a new and fresh way.
After having attended another lecture from this series about the rivalry between Renaissance artists Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarrati, I was interested to hear what art historian and lecturer Marcy B. Freedman had to say about the relationship between these more contemporary savants. Once again, she was engaging and enlightening!
Picasso and Matisse: Provocation and Respect
While a common misconception about these two artists is that their work is Non-objective (do not depict actual objects or subjects), the art is more appropriately called Representational—art that represents nature as an abstraction.
Like Friend, Like Fauve?
While they were “rivals” in a professional nature, it was friendly competition between Picasso and Matisse–unlike Da Vinci and Michelangelo who resented each other success and constantly tried to one-up one another. Picasso and Matisse admired each other and fed off of the other’s bold moves and successes. I dare say that if it weren’t for one, the other may not have reached the height of his potential.
Having met in the early 1900s as mutual friends of poet Gertrude Stein and her brother, Leo—both art collectors—it is fit to say that the artists both studied each other’s work and reacted on what they saw. Picasso was jealous of Matisse’s avant-garde technique as a Fauvist (French for “wild beast”) who painted with a sense of freedom, using vibrant colors and loose strokes. Picasso, who was in his Blue Period, saw merit in this technique because it praised not just the literal sight of an object but instead expressed the emotion of what one sees while observing that object.
While Picasso yearned for his art to be more “avant garde” like Matisse’s, he lived the bohemian lifestyle far more than Matisse did. Picasso’s work was done from imagination and memory, in casual clothes, at nighttime; meanwhile, Matisse often wore a suit while working, with a model as reference, during the day. Picasso’s rough exterior contrasted the haughty, philosophizing Matisse. I couldn’t help but draw parallels between these descriptions of their lifestyles and those of the rough-around-the-edges Michelangelo and showy Da Vinci!
Careers: A Cat and Mouse Game
Most often, these artists chose to depict the mood that the object produces rather than a realistic rendering as shown in accurate shape, color and depth. The timeline of their careers shows that the two certainly fed off of each other. What one did influenced the other and shifted their artistic direction, if even slightly.
Matisse’s “Le Bonheur Vivre” (“Joy of Life”: above left) takes a Renaissancean (okay, it isn’t a word, but I think it should be!) subject matter of people enjoying the spacious outdoors and steeps it in bright color and free lines, allowing the viewer to experience the mood of the scene.
Picasso’s response was “Le Mademoiselle D’Avignone,” (“The Ladies of Avignone”: above right)—a brothel scene. He explores the opposite message to “Vivre” by pointing out the dangers of such joy. He conveys figures reminiscent of African art in a muted color palette with no separation of figure and space.
It was around this time that Picasso was developing the Cubist movement with his contemporary Braque. Analytic Cubism was quite anti-Matissean in style, with limited color palette and curvature (Example: Picasso’s “Girl with Mandolin” above left). So Matisse ignores Cubism and paints “The Dance” and “The Music” (above right) with lots of color and movement.
Picasso finally introduces color and shapes into his work, with Synthetic Cubism, to represent his subjects which are broken up in almost a non-objective way (Example: “Three Musicians” above). Still, the viewer’s eye is drawn to what it recognizes as a recognizable figure or object in the painting and that subject is shown to them with a new perspective.
Moving Forward… Matisse, returning from a stay in Morocco finds Picasso having his turn as head honcho of the art scene. (Note: the 12-years-younger bohemian Picasso was “up and coming” on the scholarly Matisse in the same way that the 23-years-younger roughed Michelangelo was creeping up on the refined Da Vinci!)
Following his trip, Matisse began to more aggressively explore the act of focusing on the creation of a work more than on the outcome of that art itself. (This time period was one that MOMA focused on last year in their “Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917,”exhibit for which I was happy to attend the preview. More pictures from it can be seen below “Related Articles” at the end of this post.) As a result, he made it an intentional practice to show the changes, reworkings and corrections—the process—on the canvas rather than cover them up. During this period, the color, curves and space of his past paintings recedes, giving way to more geometric shapes with subdued black & gray coloring (like “Yvonne Landsberg” below left). Influenced by Delacroix, Matisse’s paintings became more naturalistic and continued to be ambitious and challenging.
In the meantime, Picasso moves to Rome, meets an aristocratic woman and marries her. This development shifts the artist into a more realistic and surrealist influence. It was his mistress, however, that served as his muse. Marie Therese Walter (depicted in “Le Reve” above right) became the subject of much of his work, turning toward a curvy, colorful style more similar to early Matisse. One of these portraits–” Femmes Lisant (Deux Personnages)”–sold this week for $21.3 million at Sotheby’s. From here, Picasso’s painting style changed and shifted for years to come.
I’ll end with two quotes which Marcy B. Freedman poignantly pointed to in her lecture. Matisse once said: “Only 1 person has right to criticize me and that is Picasso.” Upon his friend’s death in 1954, Picasso kept to himself and didn’t produce much work, but did say: “All things considered, there is only Matisse.”
The most striking gallery exhibitions become possible when opportunities present themselves for music and art to collide. This is currently demonstrated by several museums throughout New York and Connecticut that have special exhibits dedicated to guitars. In the same way that fashion design and art collided several years ago for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity,” we can now see several facets of cultural influence merging from the idea of “music as art.” Music aficionados rejoice:
Discovery Museum and Planetarium looks into why the guitar is the world’s most popular musical instrument. Their “Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World” exhibit delves into an exploration of historic, scientific and societal viewpoints. The well-balanced display engages all senses with the inclusion of interactive, audio and visual elements (like guitar-making demonstrations, live performances and hands-on exhibits). It’s a great one to bring the kids to! Discover the past, present and future of guitars until May 15th .
Museum of Modern Art‘s “Picasso: Guitars 1912-1914” brings to light a short experimental period for the artist who crafted a (primarily) cardboard statue of a guitar and two sheet-metal versions of it as well. This was part of a larger exploration of the usage and potential for various materials. On display with dozens of other works from this period, “Guitars” can be viewed until June 6th, 2011.
Metropolitan Museum of Art is exhibiting “Guitar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York” which celebrates Italian American accomplishments in guitar-making. Featuring instruments in a surprising variety of shapes, materials and ornamental decoration, the museum also focuses especially on three gifted artists—John D’Angelico, James D’Aquisto, and John Monteleone. Even if you can’t get to the museum, which houses these special instruments until July 4th, check their extensive website for related video interviews and performances.
Morrison Hotel Gallery, whose specialty is fine art music photography, takes a look at the guitar by featuring the work of Johnathan Singer. His “The Art of the Guitar” photography show is a natural one for Morrison Hotel Gallery which was founded by “former record company executive and producer Peter Blachley, former independent record store owner Rich Horowitz and music photographer Henry Diltz,” according to the website. The museum is also sponsoring a series of yoga classes that will raise money for Guitars in the Classroom.
Know about another guitar exhibit that’s missing from my list? (It doesn’t have to be in NY or CT!)–Send it over to me at artfeedonline@gmail.com
Alfred Hitchcock was known to have a surprise or two up his sleeve. But now he’s really done it. Just as we thought we’ve thoroughly consumed the catalog of his masterpieces we receive, posthumously, a film that is chock-full of contributions from the legendary filmmaker.
on Amazon now!
