Fashion

Kimberly Brooks had a great idea recently.  The local, Venice-based painter decided to look into the art that plays a role in our everyday lives and the people holding the cards behind it.  She looked beyond museum shows, beyond advertisements, and into the world of fashion that is so often considered less of an art form and more of a necessity.  The men and women working behind the scenes to make our world a touch more glamorous are artists who recognize that the necessity of fashion can be one of the more creative enterprises in our lives and it can be one that makes (or doesn’t make) the right impression.

In her latest series of paintings, called “The Stylist Project”, Kimberly Brooks scoured the world of stylists, costume designers, and Creative Directors to delve deeper into the minds of who exactly is dressing our most photographed celebrities and our most watched characters in TV and film.  She painted Vogue’s Creative Director Grace Coddington and Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant in their most comfortable settings (albeit in their most fabulous clothes).  She painted Elizabeth Stewart, a stylist for the New York Times Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar, with a gorgeous and colorful palette and she captured the nervy and frazzled essence that is Rachel Zoe.

We got a chance to sit down with Brooks to discuss just what went into “The Stylist Project” and the upcoming show at Taylor de Cordoba gallery in Culver City.  We learned very quickly that stylist is a pretty loose term to us amateurs, but in the business, a stylist can be anyone who fashions a photo shoot (often-times called a Creative Director) to someone who styles a celebrity for a red carpet event.  Brooks’ colors and masterful way with a paintbrush allows us into this inner sanctum of fashion via the world of art – it’s almost as if we know them just by looking at these paintings.

Check out our video interview and go say hi to your new friends (the stylists, of course) at the opening reception at Taylor de Cordoba gallery on Saturday evening (February 27).  The show runs through April 3, 2010.  For more information, please click here or call (310) 559-9156.

When you stop to think about women in countries like Argentina or in the countryside of Spain, what do you picture? If you’re anything like me, it’s a romantic vision of a flamenco dancer in a black dress with dramatic makeup, a lace fan, and the attitude of a seasoned temptress.  Ruven Afanador knows this woman – in fact, he knows many of them.

Photographed in a desert looking uncomfortably hot in long black dresses and striking wigs, Afanador’s women are the bold image of Latin women that remains burned in our brains from John Singer Sargent paintings and films by Luis Bunuel and Federico Fellini.  They are the women who look like they could teach you about the ways of the world in the most basic sense – they look like they’re from the earth.  That’s particularly why Afanador’s photographs, in his “Mil Besos” exhibition are so memorable, enticing, and true.  He photographs women of all shapes and sizes in various forms of undress at their most intense – one image shows two women nearly kissing, one shows three women who look like they’re on the verge of spontaneously imploding (in good and bad ways), and one shows two women in the midst of a certain kind of dance and wearing long skirts that almost seem connected.

In his “Torero” exhibit, showing in the smaller of Fahey/Klein’s two rooms, the images are more portrait-like and show the young men who become bull-fighters in all their embroidered, detailed, costume-like majesty.  There are the simple parts, like a dusty pair of shoes with a bow, there are images that celebrate the male body, and there are images that show the emotion behind such a dangerous and historically rich sport.

All in all, Afanador’s images, from both exhibits, succeed in so many ways.  They not only enhance the melodramatic and quixotic vision of Latin men and women, but they also seem to show the familiar and human side of these gorgeous specimens.

Ruven Afanador’s “Mil Besos” and “Torero” will be on view at Fahey/Klein Gallery through March 27.  Please click here for more information.

No matter how many times I drag myself to the movie theater to see shows like Avatar in 3D or the latest Batman in I-Max, I always feel like I’m doing just that: dragging.  Throughout the last century, the entertainment industry has undeniably evolved, but whether it’s for better or for worse is strictly a matter of opinion.  Personally, there has never been a morsel of doubt that I extract the greatest amusement from plays, books, movies and performances that are inextricably linked to the past.  Call me old fashioned, old-soul, call me grandma, but there is something about the classics (they’re called classics for a reason) that resonates from the works of Tinseltown’s youth.  Something that I can’t quite put my finger on—something like star quality.

“I don’t know what is, but I’ve got it,” reads the inscription at the entrance to Star Quality: The World of Noel Coward, the current exhibition at the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts & Sciences.  Noel Coward embodied the term “Renaissance man” with the grace, style, and elegance of a true dandy, and the Academy pays homage to him with a compelling installation of photographs, antique personal items, letters, films, sheet music, posters, playbills, set and costume designs, and personal clothing.

Primarily known as a playwright (Hay Fever, Private Lives, Cavalcade, Design for Living and Blithe Sprit to name a few, all later adapted for the cinema), and a celebrated composer (Mad About the Boy, I’ll See You Again), Coward’s immense talent and contribution to the arts encompassed nearly every form.  Star Quality is the first exhibition to shine light on the full breadth of his copious talents as a stage and screen director, actor, cabaret performer, painter, and wartime patriot, all while evoking the world of sawdust, tinsel, and naïve opulence that characterized early 20th Century Hollywood.

The tone of the exhibition is set immediately when you enter the 4th floor gallery of the Academy.  Large black and white photographs radiate Coward’s star quality, presence, and personality where he, in his signature dressing gown with a cigarette, preens as a dapper Hollywood darling.  Mannequins display his trademark loungewear, some flanked by caricatures that capture the flamboyant and distinctive personality that earned him a reputation his peers regarded as frivolous.

One cannot help but be impressed by the array of artifacts on display from Coward’s career.  A fascinating collection of cigarette holders (many gifts from Hollywood starlets), embroidered slippers, and letters provide a glimpse into Coward’s personal and private life. Photos taken on the set of The Untamed Lady show the close and affectionate relationship between Coward and Mary Pickford, one of his first and dearest friends in Los Angeles.  A sapphire blue dressing gown, worn by Moira Lister in the production of Present Laughter, comes to life against an array of photographs from the film.  It is a thrill to wander through this collection and see the evolution of the creative process, from a nascent thought into a polished end product.

Great genius in any form can be met with skepticism and rejection.  Coward’s star shined the brightest late in his life, and full recognition of his brilliance was awarded posthumously. One photograph in particular had a lasting effect—an image of Julie Andrews (playing Gertrude Lawrence) and Daniel Massey (playing Noel Coward) from the 1968 movie Star!. It served as a reminder of Coward’s increasing public popularity towards the end of his life (the film was released just 5 years before his death).

Drawing on public and private collections, and with unparalleled access to the Coward Archives, Star Quality: The World of Noel Coward showcases a remarkably robust, multifaceted and marvelous career, and recalls an era of Los Angeles history known for its lavishness, luxury, and innovation.  Coward’s is a legacy that even through the glamour of Hollywood remains deeply human.  Having what it takes in this town is not enough to achieve your dreams, but if you have star quality, you just might be able to do it all.

-By Brittany Krasner

Star Quality: The World of Noel Coward is on view through April 18th at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences on Wilshire Blvd.  Please visit their website for public viewing hours and more information. Admission is free!

I saw Riverdance in Dublin, Ireland during the summer of 1998, and the enthusiasm I had for it has stayed with me ever since. My family even bought a VHS tape of the performance and we played it on Saturday mornings to see who could best pretend they knew the steps. There was something infectious about this show—Riverdance rose to fame at exponential speeds. The production became a cultural obsession and its principal dancer, Michael Flatley, a household name since it premiered in 1995.  Riverdance brought something to audiences that was completely new, yet familiar.  Some had seen local teenage girls hop around in green skirts with ribbons in their hair and call it Irish dance, but nobody had seen traditional Irish step dance like this.  It was powerful. It was technical perfection.  It was sexy.  And for the first time, it was showcased on a world stage. Now, fifteen years after its premier altered the world opinion of Irish dance, the Pantages Theater in Hollywood is the LA stop on the show’s farewell tour.

According to Celtic legend, Irish music owes its strong emphasis on rhythm to the Druids. Centuries later, the English occupation of Ireland in the 1700s resulted in the oppression of many Irish customs.  Ireland’s national dance therefore adopted the stiff upper body in honor of the oppression of many Irish cultural outlets including dance, language, and song.  Bill Whelan’s original score for Riverdance draws from ancient Druid tribal musical structures but is also enhanced by the commanding sound that comes from the tapping of the dancers.  During Wednesday’s performance of Riverdance, the legacy of strong and intricate rhythm was apparent; the Pantages Theater was blissfully deafening.

The show, although primarily focused on Irish dance, provides for a well-rounded experience and is anything but a mere dance recital.  Dance segments are interspersed with musical performances, notably the crystal clear voice of soloist Laura Yanez, and the distinctive sound of the uillean pipes played by Declean Masterson.  The dances are also meaningfully structured.  Many are linked to historical events, including the potato famine when the Irish-immigrant influence in America was explored.  The dance-off between the Riverdance Tappers and the Riverdance Dance Troupe was most certainly a highlight, although Rocio Montoya’s fiery flamenco performance and the Moscow Folk Ballet Company’s impressive acrobatic display aren’t to be overlooked.

Riverdance draws much of its appeal from its star power. The show’s two lead dancers, Craig Ashurst and Melissa Convery, are captivating in their individual ability and in their chemistry onstage.  However, when the fleet of dancers joins together, they perform in seemingly impossible technical unison, and produce a resounding dramatic effect that can only result from strength in numbers.

Riverdance hasn’t lost its step in fifteen years, and now more than ever is the time to remember why you loved it then, or to encounter it for the first time.  Experiencing the energy live is stunning and impactful, but be forewarned: you may be spotted after the show hopping and shamelessly fluttering your way back to your car.

-by Brittany Krasner

Riverdance is playing daily at the Pantages Theater through January 24th. Visit their website for ticket information.

This week, we’ve been glued to Culture Monster, discovered Lady Gaga’s philanthropic side, and have seen many Angelenos brave the opposite coast for Art Basel: Miami.  All in the name of art.

• Not only did Lady Gaga perform with the Bolshoi Ballet for MOCA’s 30th anniversary gala this month, but now the museum is auctioning off items used during the performance.  The gala, according to The Daily Beast, raised $4 million for MOCA (phew!) and Gaga’s costumes are the gift that keeps on giving – some of the items to be auctioned off include Prada dress, a Frank Gehry designed hat, and masks by Baz Lurhmann and Catherine Martin.  {The Daily Beast}

• We knew baritone Nathan Gunn had a notable effect on the ladies, but were blithely unaware that his influence on his fans is such that they’ve coined the term “barihunks,” for hunky, baritone leading men in opera, a group in which Gunn is a favored and founding member.   The buff, tall glass of water will perform in LA Opera’s upcoming Barber of Seville, but according to Culture Monster, there are a number of blogs devoted to these barihunks. Now, even tenors are getting in on the action.  {LA Times’ Culture Monster}

• A staff strike at Paris’ Centre Pompidou was extended this week and some fear that the strike could spread to other museums nearby including the Louvre and Versailles Palace.  The staff are upset over planned job cuts and after a meeting with France’s Culture Minister Frederic Mitterand went sour this week, it doesn’t look like Parisians will be getting their contemporary art fix too soon.  {ArtInfo}

• Once Thanksgiving passes, it’s only a blink of an eye before the art world descends on Miami.  December 3 – 6, the tanned retirees of Miami will be joined by artists, collectors, gallerists, and curators for Art Basel: Miami.  LA galleries represented this year include Blum & Poe, Michael Kohn Gallery, Regen Projects, and Roberts and Tilton Gallery.  {Art Basel: Miami}

• Also on LA Times’ Culture Monster this week, a list proving that LA’s theatre scene is worth it’s salt.  Charles McNulty notes Geffen Playhouse’s Equivocation, LA Jolla Playhouse’s production of Bonnie and Clyde, Love’s Labour’s Lost at The Broad Stage, and Mary Poppins, which recently opened at the Ahmanson, among the manifold ways in which this city continues to support live theatre.  Take that New York (and Seattle)! {LA Times’ Culture Monster}

There are manifold reasons a girl might want an embarrassingly large closet.  First, if you have the space you have to fill it.  Second, it’s just so fun to get dressed up in a world where you’re surrounded by colorful, sequined, silky fabrics all laid out in a row.  Most girls will have a third very good reason after a visit to the Peter Fetterman Gallery at Bergamot Station.

On now through March 2010 is an exhibit of black and white photographs called “Faces of Fashion.”  They are all divine and choosing only one would be simply too difficult.  The solution? A bigger closet in which to hang each and every one.  Starting with two images of Coco Chanel, one by Horst P. Horst taken in her youth and another by Douglas Kirkland later in her life, you’ll continue through the exhibit by peering into the seductive eyes of a number of women hidden behind black, mesh veils in photos by William Klein, Irving Penn, Lillian Bassman, and Horst P. Horst.  From there, you find yourself face to face with Twiggy and then you’re desperate for a new chapeau.  Each photo brings to life some part of the fabulous, graceful world of fashion that has shifted in recent years.

In the same way that we reminisce about the golden years of Hollywood when audiences had screen sirens as opposed to reality stars, these photos remind you of a time when one “got dressed” for dinner, when long white gloves were a common fashion accessory (not part of a Halloween costume), and when women in fashion had a certain intrigue.  That sounds like just what I’d want my closet to remind me of… I’ll take ‘em all!

P.S. Stop and take a closer look at the only color print in the show: a photograph by Ormond Gigli called “Models in the Window.” Tell us what you think!

“Faces of Fashion” and “Lillian Bassman: Women” are on view at Peter Fetterman Gallery at Bergamot Station now through March 7, 2010.  For more information, please call (310) 453-6463 or click here.

What makes a true Renaissance man? He’s a man who can shift with the greatest of ease between painting, making music, writing, and, for the modern day Renaissance man, filmmaking.  He’s a man who, discreetly of course, can probably shift between women with the greatest of ease as well.  Not to say we know any juicy gossip about Franco Battiato, but a Renaissance man he is – in the most traditional sense of the term.

One of Italy’s most widely respected artists, he’s enjoyed a fruitful career as a singer/songwriter, composer, filmmaker, and painter; although he uses the pseudonym Suphan Barzani when he paints.  With so many talents under Battiato’s name, he had to create a whole new man to be the painter – a Renaissance man, indeed!  Battiato will perform alongside the Nuovo Quartetto Italiano at the Broad Stage this Sunday evening so you can see the man, the myth, the legend all for yourself.

Popular in Italy since the 1970s, his music encompasses both the romantic and the controversial – his voice seduces you and then hits you with references to Nietzsche and Manilo Sgalambro.  If his music isn’t quite your thing, by the way, you can head over to the Italian Cultural Institute to see his paintings through November 14 or you can make your way to USC tonight for a screening of his film Musikanten.  Battiato is the very picture of the Italian man your mother warned you about; he’s a sensitive (multi-talented) artist and he’s got a sexy Italian accent.

Part of Hitweek LA, Franco Battiato will perform with Nuovo Quartetto Italiano at the Broad Stage on Sunday, Oct 18 at 6:00pm.  For more information on the concert, please click here.

His paintings will be on view through November 14 and for more information, please click here.  Lastly, his film Musikanten will screen tonight at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Click here for more information.

It may have been when Cher said to Tai that Amber was a “full-on Monet” that it dawned on me that fashion and art were always meant to go together – she said that Amber looked good from afar, but that up close she was just a big mess.  Thanks to Amy Heckerling, fashion and art have coexisted happily ever since.  Okay, chronologically they had been coexisting long before the genius of Clueless, but let’s just say Cher brings up a very important point.

While some deem fashion less than something to trifle with, the design and art world (and many other worlds, really) feels that it’s actually rather significant – it’s the most relevant kind of art because we wear it everyday.  Beyond hiring Herb Ritts or Richard Avedon to photograph Cindy Crawford in Versace, the marriage between fashion and art is an inevitable and fruitful one.

Every other year since 1996, Hugo Boss, for example, has awarded the prestigious Hugo Boss Prize to artists working in any medium from around the world in conjunction with the Guggenheim Museum.  The winner not only receives a trophy and $100,000, but they’re also granted a solo show.  Past recipients have included Matthew Barney, Marjetica Potrc, and last year’s Emily Jacir and have run the gamut from working in new media to architecture, poetry, sculpture, and film.  It was created to recognize emerging and innovative talent in contemporary art and has become, over the last twelve years, a coveted honor in the art world.

Chanel has, since its inception, been synonymous with haute couture and, if there is such a thing, haute art.  The label’s famed double Cs, it’s perfume No. 5, and it’s quilted bag have all inspired fashion mavens and artists alike and none more than the twenty artists who participated in last year’s Chanel Mobile Art installation that traveled from Hong Kong to Tokyo and New York.  These twenty artists were invited to create works inspired by Chanel’s iconic quilted bag, which were then displayed in a ‘mobile pavilion’ designed by architect Zaha Hadid.  While the exhibit was discontinued in an effort to respect the economic crisis, it was an enticing new way of experiencing the connection between fashion and art.

Another fashion/museum experience hit Hong Kong earlier this year with “Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation.” An exhibit detailing the relationship that Louis Vuitton has maintained with the arts for over 150 years, the project included a new building designed by Frank Gehry as well as works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cao-Fel, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Jeff Koons, Bertrand Lavier, and more.  They wrapped the museum with blown up images taken from the covers of popular novels that take place in cities around the world; the blown up covers welcomed visitors to (or warned them about) a whole new kind of fashion and art experience.

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