11 posts tagged "Keith Haring"
See and Be Scene: Jeannette Montgomery Barron on Her New Book
From Warhol’s Factory to Basquiat’s studio, throughout the eighties, downtown Manhattan was the place for young creative types to be. Photographer Jeannette Montgomery Barron was there, and her new tome, Scene, is a sort of yearbook of the time, documenting the likes of Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, Francesco Clemente, Willem Dafoe, and more early in their careers. “I was just a fly on the wall,” recalls Montgomery Barron, speaking at Indochine, one of her old haunts. (“It looks almost exactly the same, but there were a lot of drugs happening in the bathrooms back then.”) This afternoon, she’ll sign copies of Scene—which, in addition to the snaps, features personal anecdotes about each artist—at Bookmarc, and starting tomorrow, a select group of her black-and-white photographs will be on display in an exhibition at ClampArt. Here, Montgomery Barron discusses her book, and reminisces about shooting Warhol, working out with Bianca Jagger, and spending time with Basquiat.
How did you find yourself in the center of the eighties New York art scene?
I was just lucky. It’s not that I went out and said, “I want to record every artist from A to Z.” It was more like I’d photograph Francesco Clemente, and he’d say, “You should really go photograph my friend Kenny Scharf.” It was very organic in that way. And, I mean, I knew I could drop a name. I’m sure I said, “Hey, I’m a friend of Andy Warhol. Can I shoot you?” I guess I’d get an adrenaline surge.
In the book, you mention that you could just call up Andy Warhol and ask to take his picture. What were those sittings like?
The first time I photographed him was at the Factory in Union Square, and he wouldn’t even let me out of the outer lobby. When I met Bianca Jagger and we became friends, he warmed up. He never really talked much, but he always made you feel like you were the most brilliant person who said the most profound things. Continue Reading “See and Be Scene: Jeannette Montgomery Barron on Her New Book” »
Phoebe English’s Dover Street Galaxy
From the Keith Haring installation to a giant Barbie display to entire worlds created by Tim Walker, Gilbert & George, Chanel, and Lanvin, the windows of Rei Kawakubo’s London concept boutique Dover Street Market (which is slotted to open in New York later this year) have become somewhat of an institution. So when the storefront is lent to a young designer, it’s a veritable rite of passage. Earlier this year, rising star Simone Rocha built an Irish wilderness behind Dover Street’s glass facade. And today, Phoebe English—a 27-year old Central Saint Martins graduate who won the coveted L’Oréal Professional award upon her graduation in 2011—takes the stage, mounting her first project for the shop. “They were my first stockist,” said English, who’s now been selling at Dover Street for four seasons. “We’ve been working on this for a long time. And it’s been very challenging because it’s such a different thing than putting together a collection.”
English has a penchant for combining unexpected materials in her wares—synthetic hair and strips of rubber, for example. So naturally, her installation, a giant, ethereal icy-blue orb that combines shreds of fabric and glass beads from her Spring ’13 collection (above, left), follows suit. “It’s a bit of a play on contradiction. I liked that the solidity of the sphere contrasted against the irregular textiles and beads,” she explained, noting that her sculpture had an intergalactic inspiration (“I quite like planets and stars,” she giggled). As for why she decided to forgo a clothing-based display, English offered, “I felt that it would be too literal. Dover Street is such a creative garment-based space already, and it felt right to push my creative thought in a new direction.” English’s windows will be on view through May 29, and her Spring ’13 collection is available now at Dover Street Market’s London boutique.
Punk Resurrected, Again
Between the Met’s upcoming Punk: Chaos to Couture exhibition and the rebellion-infused Fall ’13 runways, it’s no secret that punk is having a major moment. Resurrection New York—the Nolita vintage store known for its highly edited collection of sixties Pucci and seventies Halston—decided to celebrate the revival with What Are You Looking At, an in-store installation featuring pieces from Resurrection’s enviable archive. “The Met has their way—they feature certain things and have a lot of the high-fashion derivatives of punk rock and fashion—but we have our own approach [to punk] that’s really special,” explained Resurrection archivist and manager Maria Ayala. “We thought, This is all happening. Let’s show people where this actually came from.”
The pieces on view range from iconic King’s Road staples (polka-dot mini-crinis, Seditionaries’ Sid Vicious Chaos tees) to rare personal items like a pair of shredded bondage pants that Gaye Advert gave owner Katy Rodriguez in London. A selection of wares are for purchase—a pastel camo Stephen Sprouse blazer, for example—while others, like a Westwood x Keith Haring knit skirt and some original, and very ribald, Boy London T-shirts, are for ogling only. “We actually have a top like that, as well,” commented Ayala in reference to the Haring skirt. “But today, M.I.A. came in and rented it because she’s doing promo pictures for her album. Maybe we’ll see it on her album cover, maybe not. But that’s pretty exciting.”
What Are You Looking At is on view through May 8 at Resurrection New York, 217 Mott Street, New York, NY; (212) 625-1374.
Cashmere for Keith
Keith Haring was never one to shy away from voicing a strong statement. Neither is Lucien Pellat-Finet—the haute cashmere designer who’s been known to print his sweaters with everything from skulls to cannabis leaves. This outspokenness is one reason why Pellat-Finet’s capsule collection in tribute to the late artist seems so fitting. “I never knew him personally, but his work always spoke to me—it’s still modern and rebellious,” said Pellat-Finet, who will be giving a portion of the collection’s proceeds to the Keith Haring Foundation. A major retrospective of Haring’s work will open at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris on April 19. In the meantime, Pellat-Finet is showcasing his favorite pieces from the Haring range in the window of his shop on the Rue Saint-Honoré.
Lucien Pellat-Finet’s Keith Haring sweaters are priced at 1,880 euros and are available at his Paris shop, located at 231 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001.
Buying Brooklyn: The Art Edition
For the style set that insists on local food, local booze, and locally sourced designs, here’s local art. The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) kicks off its eighth annual BAMart Silent Auction tomorrow, and honorary curator Beth Rudin DeWoody selected pieces made by artists either based in Brooklyn or who have previously collaborated with BAM. They include Nate Lowman, Richard Prince, and Terence Koh. Polaroid portraits of Dolly Parton, Keith Haring, and Bianca Jagger may go quickly, but we’re told that a few other artists’ works are set to be the big-ticket items here. Among them, a piece (pictured) by Mickalene Thomas (whose portrait of Michelle Obama was the first painting of the First Lady to be acquired by the National Portrait Gallery), an ink and graphite work by Matthew Ritchie, and an etching (Plate Distortion II) by Tauba Auerbach. The works are currently on display at the Dorothy W. Levitt Lobby of the Peter Jay Sharp Building at BAM and viewable online. The auction, supporting BAM initiatives, launches tomorrow on Paddle8.com and runs through April 22.