What I learned from Art Week

I went to the Armory Art show preview and MoMA after party on Wednesday and still feel the after affects of sensory overload (and maybe wine, though that's worn off by now). Having been to a couple of shows during fashion week, I have to say that the art event crowd can give the fashion event crowd a good run for their money.. Maybe it’s because much of the art I saw was not at all restrained, perhaps that expressiveness inspired people in how they dress. Or maybe it was just the fact that it’s a bigger, more diverse crowd (more people over 50, more straight men). In any case, with miles and miles of art and people watching, it was easy to shut down and just stand in one place simply because you didn’t know what direction to walk or look in. How clever they were to scatter champagne bars around the exhibit!

I didn’t take any photos, but there were a few stand-outs – most of whom I saw both at the Armory and at MoMA later. There was a woman in sheer orange knee socks and a bright floral sleeveless dress, matching her companion’s orange jacket and blond-tipped hair. They were like a bouquet of flowers. I loved her outfit. It was like spring! Another woman looked like a Moscow party girl in high grey Rodarte boots (which I still want, but will just add them to my dream wardrobe and admire them on my friend Michele who does have them), short dress, fur stole and glass of champagne. She looked great, too. It sounds like a cliché, so 2006, and maybe was, but it worked. As always there were some ‘80s new wave glam rocker-types with the long on top Pink/Rihanna/Robyn kind of hair, some slightly bouffant-haired ‘60s art student types, both attracted photographers. Maybe that’s interesting. I saw better. There were a lot of bad prom dresses too at the party (but not the Armory).. why? Why? WHY would you wear that????? Selling bad prom dresses should be banned. No one benefits from fashion victimization. (Though my post would be 5 sentences shorter if that were the case.) There was also Chuck Close whose girlfriend wore sequined jeans and layered t-shirts. She looked cool and about 30 years younger than him. He looked like Chuck Close and since he had a retrospective at MoMA years ago can wear whatever he wants (black t-shirt, black pants.. totally appropriate).

Phew, excuse me! I think I was channeling Cindy Adams for a minute (NY Post gossip columnist for those of you who aren't familiar). Back to style.. So was I inspired? Well, what I liked were directions I’ve kind of been exploring already – the colorful knee socks, well, I like colored tights. Knee socks, maybe, but it has to be in a way that is very very very far away from how an 8 year old would wear knee socks. I’ve seen it done (my friend Anne in Copenhagen can pull this off!) Colors – yes! And I have a fake fur stole that I occasionally wear with a jacket or dress. I’ve tended to play it a bit more retro/classic.. Moscow party girl isn’t really my look, but I might try it with edgier/tougher clothes for something new.

I planned to go to the Pool art show last night - the so-called Salon des Refuses, so younger, funkier crowd.. What to wear? Pulling a few inspirations from Wednesday night (colorful hosiery, "fur", '80s, pouffy hair), this is what I came up with...


But in the end, I felt like dressing like a bee.

(and in the end end, I stayed too long at the bar I went to before the Pool show and never ended up at the Pool show.)

Yes, but is it art?

I was recently out with a group of friends talking about art. I think it was at the GenArt benefit party which actually had little to do with art, but a lot to do with reality TV. And that, of course, has little to do with reality or art but a lot to do with exaggeration and artificiality. Very Mannerist. Are you bored with my pretentiousness? Well, it's just the first paragraph.. There's more..

We talked about TV, and how distracting all the cameras were, but also about "getting" art and whether appreciation of art was democratic. (I say no and yes: No, because a lot of modern art requires a knowledge of context, theory and other references to appreciate, but Yes, because a lot of that knowledge is available to anyone who makes the time and effort to open their minds and acquire it.) Of course, artistic talent and skill and a work's impact are anything but democratic and you should judge what you like or don't like, but your judgement is more valid if you actually know what you're talking about. I may be biased, as I majored in Art History and like to think it left me with something more than the best looking text books among my friends.

And believe it or not, these thoughts are in my head because of Madonna. And a stranger in pastel green. But I'll start with Madonna.

In my first post (and at least once or twice since then), I quoted Diana Vreeland's preference for bad taste over no taste. I'm pretty sure she didn't mean any old bad taste like Hummers, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey (though I suppose they also reflect a lack of taste). I think she meant bad taste from someone who knowingly takes a leap outside the established boundaries of what is tasteful. And, while this is a very pop culture example, I kind of think Madonna made that leap (hop?) in her maligned Louis Vuitton "rabbit ear" outfit. Personally, I read that look as the girl on Fragonard's "Swing" dressed for a night clubbing (also very Mannerist), but it does unfortunately come a bit close to looking like one of those "Sexy Pirate Wench" costumes you get at Ricky's for Halloween, which is probably why NY Post said she looked like a medieval dominatrix with rabbit ears. (Medieval, though? That's a few centuries off.)

I wouldn't really have paid it more than a couple minute's attention if it hadn't been mentioned in a NY Times article about irony and whether women older than 50 are still allowed to express it in fashion. Silly question really, why shouldn't they? Though I'd prefer expression not to be limited to irony.

But I would like that expression to be thoughtful. Not every step outside good taste has equal merit. Some bad taste challenges stodgy perceptions that deserve it, while other bad taste comes from not really thinking, I believe (i.e., the Mariah Carey, Celine Dion kind of taste). And falling along those lines is the stranger in the pastel green outfit of embroidered stretch pants, shirt and fuzzy cardigan at the bar after GenArt who, despite otherwise looking like she cared about her appearance, chose pastels, sparkles, and fuzziness. My friends and I tried to come up with reasons for why she might have dressed like that: maybe she's a newscaster from a small city and dressed from the wardrobe department? Maybe her inspiration for ironic retro is very recent? Or maybe there was no excuse and she just liked it. And that's fine. It's a free country. People should feel free to like what they like and not have to pretend they don't. After all, Mariah and Celine sell albums. And people say "realitor" and "Wimbleton". But that doesn't mean that's right. And it doesn't mean they can't do better.

(No offense to friends who like Hummers, Mariah, Celine, or pastel green embroidered outfits. I like you, but not them. Everyone has their weaknesses and I'm sure I must have one too...)

I'm joking, of course. The cut and paste I did of Madonna's Louis Vuitton boots onto the Fragonard Swing involved Elmer's glue and an X-acto knife. I probably should learn a little PhotoShop, at least.