Monica D. Murgia

Where art, creativity, and fashion meet

May 17th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Textile Designs by Rockwell Kent

As promised, I wanted to write more about the textile designs I saw at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was the original drawing that caught my eye. The design, entitled Swaying Trees, is by American artist Rockwell Kent.

This was a big surprise for me! Kent (1882 – 1971) studied painting under William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri. I’d learned a bit about his paintings while working at an art gallery. Henri encouraged Kent to paint landscapes of Monhegan island in Maine on his own. This experience of painting directly in nature greatly affected Kent. Whatever medium he chose, Kent’s work always captures the amazing power of nature.

Kent gained a reputation of a neo-Transcendentalist because of this. Transcendentalism was a philosophy that originated in the 1830s and asserted that spiritual experiences could be observed in nature. Time spent in nature often created a mystical or transcendental experience to those that followed this philosophy.

You can see that his textile designs capture natural themes. The other accompanying design is called Running Deer. Both of these were realized in 1950. Kent made a similar design for Bloomcraft Inc called Deer Season, which you can see below:

Kent also completed a few other designs for Bloomcraft Inc, including Harvest Time:

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Harvest Time by Rockwell Kent. Image courtesy of Boston Museum of Fine Arts

And Pine Tree:

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Pine Tree by Rockwell Kent. Image courtesy of Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Unless otherwise states, images courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Tags: art, nature, philosophy, Rockwell Kent, textile designs, textile sketches, textiles, transcendentalism, transcendentalist
Posted in american fashion, art, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, artists i love, Fashion as art, fashion history, fashion influenced by art, Great Museums, Nature inspired, textiles | No Comments »

May 15th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Textile sketches by Sonia Delaunay

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of my favorite places to pass some time. Earlier this week, I took a group of students to a special event celebrating Punk: Chaos to Couture. As I wandered around the second floor, making my way to the exhibition, several sketches caught my eye. The main corridor that leads to the special exhibition gallery is generally lined with works on paper – prints, drawings, and so on. I noticed a lot of patterns, and knew they were textile designs. (I’ll be writing more about those later!) In the middle of this large corridor was a small table encased in plexiglass with the most wonderful sketches by Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979).

These drawings are from 1925, and just darling! I stood there a long time looking at them. (They were a bit difficult to photograph without casting a shadow, as you can see.) These sketches are simply entitled Sonia Delaunay: her paintings, her objects, her simultaneous fabrics, her fashions. I think these are really prime examples of her design sensibilities, which included the art theory her and her husband Robert developed. (New to my site? You should take a look at my previous posts on Sonia & Robert Delaunay)

Sonia, along with her husband, painter Robert Delaunay (1885-1941), developed a color theory called simultaneity – the sensation of movement when contrasting colors are placed side by side.

I love the geometry and color patterns in each of these sketches. They clearly show a harmony between the fine and decorative arts movements at the time. The green and black dress on the left is a nod to Cubism. The middle dress looks uncannily like the interior of an Art Deco building. Perhaps it was inspired by a tiled floor.

The silhouette is still column-like, which is a hallmark of the 1920s. There is no defined waist, and the garments seem to hang vertically from the shoulders and obscure the shape of the body. However, you can see that most of the hemlines are quite long – a definite contrast to the American flapper. A nice alternative silhouette to all The Great Gatesby buzz that’s been going around.

All images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Tags: 1920s style, art, Art Deco, cubism, fashion sketches, Robert Delaunay, simultaneity, sonia delaunay, textile sketches, textiles, The Great Gatesby
Posted in art, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, fashion, Fashion as art, fashion history, fashion influenced by art, Great Museums, textiles | 1 Comment »

May 15th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced

This week, I’m taking my classes to see Stephen Burrows: When Fashion Danced. It is currently on view at the Museum of the City of New York. Last week, I went to take care of the paperwork and got a special preview.

Stephen Burrows is an American fashion designer, and was very active in the 1970s. He studied at FIT and was quickly hired after an internship.

A few weeks ago, I found a great book The Fashion Makers by Barbara Walz and Bernadine Morris. There was a great biography on Burrows. It explained how his grandmother taught him to sew as a child. He explained: “I was fascinated by the zigzag stitch. I put it on everything.” He liked to use this to finish the edges on jersey dresses, because hems would weigh the fabric down. The zigzag finish makes the fabric light, and curl and wave at the edges. This design signature started to be referred to as the lettuce edge, because it looks like the undulating wavy edges of lettuce.

I just adore the dress above. The combination of colors are stellar, and it looks so easy to put on and wear. Another favorite of mine is the outfit below. It’s two pieces, and just so fluid and romantic.

As I made my way through the exhibition, I was really impressed with how beautiful and easy to wear most of the garments were. Like the exhibition suggests, each of the designs encouraged movement. The lightweight fabrics, fluid draping, and uncomplicated construction are just magical. A majority of my time is spent traveling for work, so finding clothing with these characteristics are very important to me.

I don’t wear pants very often, but was crazy for these tulip pants. The loose cut and way the fabric envelopes the leg is so interesting.

I also really liked the mannequins the museum used. Their postures made the clothing come alive. Most mannequins don’t gesticulate in this type of way. Generally, they are ridged and are simply hangers for the clothes. These are so different, and help in imagine the garments on a moving body.

Burrows was also very fearless about pairing vivid colors together. There is a whole section of the exhibit dedicated to color blocking.

I’m not that adventurous when it comes to pairing intense hues in one garment, but I did really enjoy looking. This type of color blocking was a signature of Burrows.

This set against the wall was so intense! It looked futuristic – almost like something by Pierre Cardin or Andres Courreges. These garments were all available at the O Boutique, the first commercial venture Burrows launched to sell commercially. He was later signed to make clothes for Henri Bendel’s in New York.

There were also accompanying sketches. These are always some of my favorite items to look at. It reveals so much about the design process.

If you’re in New York, be sure to see this great exhibit! Museum of the City of New York.

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Tags: 1960s, 1970s, American Fashion, exhibition, fashion, fashion history, Museum of the City of New York, Stephen Burrows
Posted in american fashion, Art's Influence on Fashion, fashion, fashion history, Great Museums, Teaching, textiles | 2 Comments »

May 13th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Moderne by Wesley Simpson

This post can be filed under “find of the week”. It’s a silk scarf by Wesley Simpson. Simpson was a textile converter based in New York. (New to my site? You should read these posts on Wesley Simpson) This scarf is called “Moderne”, and I’m curious to figure out when it was made.

My time is a bit limited, as I’m currently very busy. However, there are some clues to go on based just by looking at the design. It has a curiously design motif based on Mayan sculpture. In fact, the first clue I noticed was the human face. It is a profile view. The figure has large ears, and a sort breathing mask attached to his nose.

There is a famous sculpture in the Mayan town known as Palenque. Palenque flourishe during the Seventh Century, and has some of the finest architecture, sculpture, and art that the Mayans produced. Pacal the Great was one of the most famous rulers of this town. In his tomb, there is a sculpture that looks very much like the design on this scarf.

Bas relief sculpture from the rule of Pacal the Great from Palenque. Image courtesy of Exo Human

Here is a closer look. Notice how they both seem to be breathing through some sort of tube.

There are other design elements that look like Mayan sculpture. Here are a few details:

Dots within circles appear in lots of Mayan tablets People and faces are exaggerated and stylized, composed of simple geometric shapes.

It will be fun to do a bit more research on this when I have the time. I’m curious to see if there was an exhibition on Mayan art in New York sometime in the 1940s or 1950s. Hopefully in a few weeks I will have an answer. If have any clues about this design, please leave it in a comment!

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Tags: Mayan art, scarf, scarves, textile converter, textiles, Wesley Simpson
Posted in Accessories, american fashion, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, fashion, Fashion as art, fashion history, fashion influenced by art, find of the week, made in america, textiles | 2 Comments »

May 2nd, 2013 by Monica Murgia

The Great Gatsby & Brooks Brothers

Teaching fashion history this spring has been absolutely amazing. There have been so many wonderful places to take my students. It just so happens that the same week I covered the 1920s, Brooks Brothers also has the costumes from The Great Gatsby on display. A stone’s throw from campus, we ventured over to take a look at the Fifth Avenue store.

The miniature exhibition was courtesy of Warner Brothers, and completely fascinating. Brooks Brothers allowed costume designer, Catherine Martin, to access their archives. Martin designed the historically accurate menswear after carefully studying everything in the archives relating to the 1920s. There was a short video playing in which Martin talks about the importance of consulting primary sources to make costumes authentic. Dancing images of old advertisements, swatch cards, and illustrations filled the background as she spoke.

The tuxedos and suits were so elegant. Yet it was difficult for me to focus solely on the menswear, because the women’s costumes made by Prada were also on display. Just look at the glitzy, embellished fabric.

Prada gown illustrated by Steven Stipelman. Image courtesy of WWD.

There has been such a buzz about this film for good reason. Leonardo DiCaprio always carefully selects his roles, so I’m sure he won’t disappoint us with the remake of this film. The costumes are magnificent. And, perhaps the best part, WWD covered this topic and included gorgeous illustrations instead of photographs.

Prada gowns and Brooks Brothers tuxedos illustrated by Steven Stipelman. Image courtesy of WWD.

Fashion illustrations have been abandoned with the advent of digital photography and CAD programs. It’s so nice to see illustrations making a comeback, because they add such a rich dimension to the mix. It furthers the relationship between fashion and art.

Bottles of Moet champagne complemented the display. The whole environment just felt so opulent.

Brooks Brothers is also offering a limited edition line of menswear based on the film. Everything from straw boaters, to oxfords, to full tuxedos are available for purchase. I’m hoping that this creates a new trend of men dressing up! It’s so attractive. All of Brooks Brothers clothing is produced in America. In fact, most of it is made right in New York.

Who wouldn’t like to be greeted by a man wearing something like this?

All images courtesy of Brooks Brothers and Warner Brothers Studios unless otherwise stated.

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Tags: 1920s, 1920s fashion, archives, Brooks Brothers, Catherine Martin, fashion archives, Leonardo DiCaprio, menswear, Prada, The Great Gatsby, Warner Brothers
Posted in american fashion, Art's Influence on Fashion, fashion, fashion history, made in america, menswear, Shopping, Teaching, textiles | 1 Comment »

April 23rd, 2013 by Monica Murgia

The Prints of Mary Cassatt

There is a great exhibition currently on view at the New York Public Library. It highlights the prints of famed Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt (1844-1917). Cassatt was renown for her contributions to the Impressionist school of painting in France, but I knew every little about her efforts of printmaking.

The Fitting by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Color print with drypoint and aquatint.

Cassatt was from Pennsylvania, and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as a teenager. Art schools were much different then. Females were not allowed to draw the nude models in classes. They instead were instructed to draw from mannequins and plaster casts. In 1866, Cassatt moves to Paris to further her studies.

She starts showing her work at the official Paris Salon, but was rejected in 1875. This is the same year that she accepts an invitation from Edgar Degas to join the Impressionist group.

The Coiffure by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Image courtesy of NYPL.

I immediately noticed how much Cassatt’s prints looked like Japanese woodblock prints from the era. The show went on to talk about how many of Cassatt’s early prints were influenced by the influx of Japanese art that flooded Paris in the late 19th Century. Many of her compositions mimic traditional Japanese art: the placement of the subject, the use of space, and the idea of capturing moments of daily life.

Takashima Ohisa Using Two Mirrors to Observe Her Coiffure by Kitagawa Utamaro, c. 1795. Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Another observation that interested me was the representation of patterns on textiles and other decorative objects. Patterns seemed to jump out at me: the floral print on the carpet, the painted pitcher, the stripes on the subject’s dress.

I also enjoyed seeing several prints of with the same composition, but that had different layers of plates. This was because Cassatt was experimenting with reworking her copper plates and perhaps which colors of acquatint she would use.

Afternoon Tea Party by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Image courtesy of NYPL.

Seeing the various stages of Cassatt’s process is so interesting. I love seeing work like this, because it allows you into the artist’s mind. You can see how she dealt with challenges in depicting the image as it was in her mind. Maybe she wanted more depth in the background, or the cups to be a darker blue. It reminded me of the exhibition on Matisse – where you started to see how the artist revisited a composition again and again to perfect it.

Again, you can see this evolution in The Letter. One has a very plain background, while the other focuses on the pattern of the wallpaper.

The Letter by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Image courtesy of NYPL.

If you can’t make it to the show, the exhibition catalog is available online.

Mother’s Kiss by Mary Cassatt, 1891. Image courtesy of NYPL.

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Tags: 19th century art, 19th century prints, impressionism, Japanese prints, Japanese woodblock prints, Mary Cassatt, NYPL, painting, pennsylvania academy of fine art, prints
Posted in art, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, artists i love, fashion, textiles | No Comments »

April 20th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Augusta Auctions

Earlier last week, I took my class to see the preview of Augusta Auctions latest sale. Twice a year, this auction house comes to New York, offering gorgeous fashion, textiles, and accessories that are de-accessioned from museum collections or consigned from private estates.

Pursuing the selections was so much fun. There were gorgeous dresses from every era spread out on racks and tables. I loved this day dress from the 1930s. The top stitching on the collar and sleeves was such an elegant touch.

Every object could be handled, as long as you wore a white glove. Auction previews are a great way to examine objects before they hit the block. You can determine the condition and your budget. If you are unable to attend when the lot is up for bidding, you can submit a phone bid. No more wasting the entire day waiting for the lot of your dreams. (New to auctions? Keep in mind that every auction house has a buyer’s premium. This means an extra percentage is added to your final bid. These premiums range from 20% to 35% depending on the auction house.)

There were also some fantastic dresses from the 1920s. Their condition was really impeccable. These dresses were carefully housed in a blue board box, and cushioned with tissue paper to preserve the shape.

I just loved the hemline on this dress.

This was another favorite! The auction estimates were very reasonable. I was really tempted to bid on a few things. Who wouldn’t love a dress with beading like this?

There were bins of ethnographic embroideries and textiles from around the world. Seeing the quality and craftsmanship of historical textiles makes it so difficult to shop the contemporary market. Just look at these hand embroidered flowers on this velvet cloth.

The best part? I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in ages! Giselle from Fashioning the Past was also at the fashion preview. If you haven’t seen her blog, you should really check it out.

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Tags: Augusta Auctions, couture auction, fashion auctions, New York, vintage auction
Posted in Accessories, american fashion, Art's Influence on Fashion, fashion, fashion history, great blogs, Inspiration, Shopping, Teaching, textiles, Vintage | 12 Comments »

April 17th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Pauline Trigère & La Tortue

There is a special place in my heart for books. Libraries and bookstores are some of my favorite places to hangout. Time spent paging through books always leads to an interesting discovery. Never once have I been disappointed by spending time in the stacks. Today, I was setting aside some books for a course that I’m teaching. I wasn’t sure what I would find in the library, but wanted to have a few good resources on reserve for my students. I pulled a lot of books I’m familiar with. There was one I came cross that I’d never heard of before: The Fashion Makers by Barbara Walz and Bernadine Morris. I started flipping through, and then there she was:

Pauline Trigère at her home, La Tortue! Last year, I was lucky enough to find a dress by Trigère. It started my fascination with the designer. (New to my site? Please take a moment to read these previous posts)

Pauline Trigère (1908-2002) was born in Paris and became an iconic fashion designer in Post War America. Her mother was a dressmaker and her father a tailor who had made military uniforms for Russian aristocrats. Trigère learned quickly from her parents, and designed her first dress as a teenager. She never sketched her designes, but worked by draping right on the mannequin.

Trigère moved to New York in 1937 with her husband Lazar Radley, their two sons, her mother, her brother Robert. Trigère first worked at Ben Gershel, and later assisted Travis Banton at Hattie Carnegie. After getting fired from Hattie Carnegie, Trigère and her brother Robert decided to start their own business.

Trigère builds quite a brand in America. So what is all this turtle business? The turtle becomes a a major element of the Trigère brand as time goes on. Robert gave her a small turtle talisman when they first started the business. Then, Trigère started to see them everywhere. The turtle became a hallmark of her line.

The Arizona Costume Institute explains:

She named her country estate in Westchester County, New York, La Tortue (The Turtle) because there were three turtles sunning themselves on a little rock when she first saw it. A collection of well over nine hundred turtles fashioned in gold, silver, needlepoint, crystal and other materials adorned the estate. In each collection, Trigere designed a garment with a turtle print.

I actually have a scarf by Trigère that depicts a turtle. The best part? If you look closely at the photo of Trigère, she is wearing a shirt and scarf of the same design. My scarf is black and red, although other colors were available.

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Tags: American Fashion, la tortue, Pauline Trigere, Trigère, turtle, turtles
Posted in Accessories, american fashion, Designers I love, fashion, made in america, textiles, Vintage | 17 Comments »

April 15th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Forecasting Fashion

It’s been an intense week, so things have been quiet on my blog. New classes, new students, presentations about The Stieg Collection. Everything has been so much fun, but I’ve had little time to write. I probably should be grading papers, but I wanted to write a post about my fashion forecasting class.

Much like it sounds, you can predict future fashions and trends if you know what to look for. We look at different people, what motivates them to participate in fashion, innovations in textiles, trends in colors, and lots of other things. What I like most about teaching this class is that I have to communicate how I see things. Last week, I took my class on a field trip to do some trend spotting. I have some ideas in my head already that fashion is going to become increasingly inspired by nature.

Even in the city, you can see that people crave nature. Plants line storefronts. Colorful flowers and shrubs are displayed for purchase. Food culture is becoming more focused on natural flavoring, organic produce, and saying “no” to genetically modified organisms.

We also went to Brooklyn Charm, and I noticed a lot of jewelry that took cues from the natural environment. Leaves, flowers, gems, crystals, geodes – everything pointed to the great outdoors.

I couldn’t resist! I got a few small charms for my own necklace.

I saw some vintage clothing from the neighborhood we observed that had some great references, too. I wanted to buy everything, but I was only observing.

Leaves can be dressed up or down!

And you can never go wrong with flowers.

I started to see how people were already wearing this on the street. Doesn’t it look sort of like the early 1970s?

My thoughts were confirmed when I saw all the pictures from Coachella! New York and California seem to agree some fashion points. It’s a flower power revival, don’t you agree?

Coachella 2013. Image courtesy of Celeb Buzz.

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Posted in Accessories, american fashion, art, fashion, Fashion and Identity, Inspiration, made in america, Nature inspired, Shopping, Teaching, Travel, Vintage | No Comments »

April 5th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity?

Last Wednesday, I finally had a chance to see Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This exhibition explores art, fashion, and social change in Paris from 1860 to the mid 1880s. As someone that is interested in the interrelationship between fashion and art, I was dying to get to this show! Images from the exhibition kept appearing on my Instagram feed, which really put the pressure on me to get to the museum. I just had to see these amazing works of art in person!

Image of the Impressionism, Fashion, & Modernity exhibit now on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image courtesy of the museum’s Instagram account.

For those of you that may not know, The Met has an Instagram account. I love the images they post, and look forward to seeing pictures of the galleries show up on my feed. Museums from around the world are joining Instagram, hoping that it will bring people in the doors. I think this is a brilliant idea. First of all, the institutions are able to reach people they ordinarily wouldn’t be able to through traditional marketing. But really, traditional forms of transmitting information are dying out. Newspapers and books are available online. Most young people don’t have cable or radios. Technology is changing so rapidly, that most people get news and information online on computers, tablets, or via mobile devices. Anyone can join a site, select a few preferences, and receive information on subjects of their choice. But sharing information through social media brings attention to topics people might not ordinarily pay attention to.

A simple hashtag or check-in search shows the level of social interaction at any museum exhibit. Images courtesy of the Instagram Community members: mrosenfeld, jclarkbell, claibourn, ajlm, natmonte, karlaacayo, and erik_a.

I placated myself until I could schedule my visit to the museum by searching for photographs of the show. The press had some wonderful images, but honestly I was finding more compelling shots on Instagram. Lovely! And all available by searching for a hashtag or check-in at the museum. The collage above, all photos uploaded and tagged on Instagram, really put attending the show to the top of my to-do list.

Exhibition entrance for Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity.

So, I have to admit, I was a bit confused when I arrived at the exhibition. Photography was not permitted. Yet everyone was taking photographs anyway. This happens in just about every museum I’ve ever attended. A no photography policy is stated, and everyone breaks it. And now with stealthy cameras in phones and sites like Instagram and Twitter, images abound are published in real time. Even press preview events leak photos. Just look up the magazines invited to the events, like Vogue and Glamour.

Young girls sketching a day dress from 1865-68. Dress on loan from the Manchester Galleries. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The social pressure was just too great. Guests snuck about, dodging guards to take pictures. All in all, it became a very fun game. People were helping one another to take pictures. A person would stand just so, to cover for another guest taking a shot. Others would sort of laugh after getting reprimanded by the guard for taking a picture. Really, maybe this no photography rule is a way to engage visitors in social interaction. I found myself more engaged with objects that other people found important. I wanted to spend extra time observing the objects I saw on Instagram. I also wanted to take pictures of the objects other guests found important.

Young girls sketching a day dress from 1865-68. Dress on loan from the Manchester Galleries. Image courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Particularly, I was really interested in these two young visitors that brought their sketchbooks. They ran about the galleries, drawing objects that caught their interest. What fun they seemed to be having! I paid more attention to what they were looking at. In fact, many visitors did. We were all desperately trying to get a look at their sketches. I felt a bit sad that I didn’t have my own art materials.

Day dress1865-67 of gray silk faille with Indian paisley shaw, 1865 (Above and below). Costume Institute. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The exhibit is accompanied by wonderful text. The curators were brilliant in selecting excerpts from literature at the time that focused on Impressionist artists desire to capture the modern. Modernity is what the Impressionism movement was all about. It was a rejection of religious painting and contrived staging of scenery. It was a desire to capture and record everyday life. Everything was important, particularly social customs and fashionable dress.

Madame Louis Joachim Gaudibert by Claude Monet, 1868. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

As I read this quote in the exhibition, I was struck by the irony of the situation:

“At last, the subject matter of art includes the simple intimacies of everyday life in its repertoire.” Edmond Durante, The New Painting, 1876

Social media sites are ways of sharing art in the intimacies of everyday life. But it has become increasingly unclear who can share what and where. Traditionally, press had special access to photograph events for publicity’s sake. But now with the rise of blogs and photo sharing sites, there seems to be no standard of who is privy to take photos and exactly how they should be cited.

Monet’s “Luncheon on the Grass” and a white cotton piqué day dress with black soutache trim. Image courtesy of Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times.

Hopefully, institutions everywhere will adopt and clearly explain photography policies that encourage socially sharing images. The Scientific American recently published an article explaining the importance of posting on sites such as Facebook. Sharing images via social media are influential. Here is why:

“One of the big ways that the people around us exert these influences is through the use of norms, those messages that we send out about what’s acceptable, appropriate, and…well, normal. Descriptive norms simply describe the way that things are, whereas prescriptive norms offer a mandate about how things should be. . . .Quite possibly the most important takeaway point from all of the research that’s been done on norms is just how powerful descriptive norms can be. When people try to change behavior, they often focus on prescriptive norms, telling people what they should do. We often underestimate just how strongly we respond to what other people actually do.” (Quotation from The Scientific American)

Mme. Bartholome by Albert Bartholomé, 1881 and the actual garment it portrays. Image courtesy of Habitually Chic.

The article goes on to explain studies conducted on signage at the Petrified Forest in Arizona. Signs discouraging tourists from taking samples of the forest were more effective if they included a descriptive norm that most people left the environment intact. Melanie Tannenbaum, author of the article, sums up why rules that include descriptive norms of social behavior work:

“We don’t really care so much about what we should do. We care about what other people do. And then we really, really care about not being different.”

Hopefully we can embrace modernity, and rules to go along with it.

GHTime Code(s):

Tags: 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, art, artists, descriptive norms, exhibitions, fashion, image rights, impressionism, Impressionism Fashion and Modernity, Instagram, internet, paintings, photography, prescriptive norms, social interaction, social interaction in museums, social media, social sharing
Posted in Accessories, american fashion, art, Art's Influence on Fashion, artists, fashion, fashion and the body, Fashion as art, fashion history, fashion influenced by art, Great Museums, Teaching, textiles | No Comments »

April 1st, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Joan Mitchell

Teaching doesn’t come with an instruction manual. I’d never planned to be a teacher. Yet almost four years ago, I found myself in front of a classroom. To say that I was anxious would be an understatement. Luckily, it got easier with practice. The very first course I taught was called Fashion Seminar at FIDM. Part theory, part portfolio development, I was responsible for teaching fashion theory along with art. The portfolio consisted of a series of art assignments. The learning outcome was to take an inspiration source and create new and meaningful artwork from it. Each week, we would have a new focus: collage, found object, textile design, and so forth. There was one assignment that initially gave me any problems. It was called multiple sensory.

Untitled by Joan Mitchell, 1969. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

I understood the concept. Say your inspiration source is a tree. How does it feel to touch its bark? Try drawing that sensation. Obviously, there is no “wrong” way to do this assignment. Yet it caused so much confusion the first time I tried to explain this to the students. For me, this was frustrating. I didn’t seem to have the right words to explain the desired result. But then, I remembered learning about synesthesia. I decided to do a little research and present my findings to the class.

Detail. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

Synesthesia is a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory pathway. Synesthetes, those that have synesthesia, will see colors when they hear sound or touch objects. (I’ve written about this before! Please read my post Synesthesia in Art & Fashion. It’s one of my favorites!) When I research, I go to libraries and book stores. I build a sort of book fort around myself, and get lost in thought for hours. I stumbled across several great books, but the best one was a small catalog called Synesthesia: Art & the Mind. It’s fantastic, and I have a copy in my personal collection.

Untitled by Joan Mitchell, 1978. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

This catalog is how I became acquainted with Joan Mitchell. And it was love at first sight! There is a small essay by Patricia Albers in this catalog, and it explains all about Joan Mitchell and how her synesthesia influenced her paintings. Albers explains:

Joan Mitchell had several forms of synesthesia, including personality-color synesthesia, in which other people induce colors . . .

Heel, Sit, Stay by Joan Mitchell, 1977. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

It turns out that Mitchell also had “colored-hearing” synesthesia, or that she would see shapes and colors while listening to music. She also has eidetic memory (aka photographic memory) which means that instead of remembering, she would quite literally relive the past. Albers goes on to explain:

” ‘I carry my landscapes around with me’ she often said, in the form of images that ‘roosted inside’ her. As involved as she was with trees, rivers, fields, clouds, weather, and so on, she did not work out-of-doors, but rather mentally ‘framed’ whatever spoke to her: ‘the motion is made still like a fish trapped in ice. It is trapped in the painting. My mind is like an album of photographs and paintings.’ “

Tilleul by Joan Mitchell, 1978. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

Lehigh University currently has a show on Joan Mitchell’s work. It doesn’t touch on her synesthesia, but I sat in front of these large scale works and just marveled at them. I really enjoyed the painting above. This canvas just looks like a tree to me. I stared at it for a while, wondering if I was looking up at branches. It was like going for a walk through Mitchell’s personal landscape. This painting really made me happy. And there was just so much to look at! It’s even more magical up-close. Look at the details:

Details. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

When I explained synesthesia and showed Mitchell’s artwork to my students, I saw a drastic improvement on the work they produced. There is a really freeing sense that developed in my classroom. Everyone can experiencing a merging of the senses to some degree. But the very idea stimulates creativity. Sensations, emotions – they aren’t logical, nor do they possess a recognizable visual form. So relating feelings and perceptions to colors and forms in art was almost liberating to the students. Their creations didn’t have to look like anything, but there was always a recognizable correlation to their inspiration.

Untitled by Joan Mitchell, c. 1952. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

As I walked through the Mitchell exhibit, I had the real sense of experiencing nature. A tree, a leaf, branches, flowers, rain, sunshine through a window – I had the sensations of experiencing it the way Mitchell must have. This painting made me think of blossoming flowers. At first, I saw one large flower. But as I approached the canvas, it seemed there were small flowers scattered about.

Detail. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

It reminded me of the critiques I had with my students in LA. Somehow, it all makes sense. If you are in the Bethlehem area, please drop in to see the show! It is at the Zoellner Art Center until May 2013.

Untitled by Joan Mitchell, 1992. Image courtesy of the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Cheim & Read Gallery, and Lehigh University.

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Tags: abstract art, abstract expressionism, abstract expressionist, joan mitchell, landscape, landscapes, memory, nature inspired, painters, painting, synesthesia, synesthete, synesthetic art
Posted in art, artists, artists i love, creativity, Great Museums, made in america, Nature inspired, Teaching | No Comments »

March 29th, 2013 by Monica Murgia

Calder Bicentennial Tapestries

Making discoveries in your own back yard are so fun. Today, I was at the Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University. I went to their gallery to see the Joan Mitchell show, which I will be writing a post about shortly! However, I was really surprised to see these tapestries hanging up. They are by none other than Alexander Calder (1898-1976).

The Bicentennial Tapestries: La Poire, le fromage, et le serpent (The Pear, the Cheese, and the Serpent) by Alexander Calder, 1975. Wool. Handwoven the Atelier of Pinton Freres.

Calder was a famous sculptor. You’ve probably seen some of his mobiles, which he started producing in the 1930s. Calder was born in Philadelphia. His father was a sculpter and his mother was a painter. After studying engineering, Calder studied at the Art Students’ League in New York

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Mobile by Alexander Calder. Image courtesy of the LA Times.

Calder was not limited to sculpture. He experimented with various media: jewlery, paiting, drawing, tapestries. Calder tried it all. He was also very close friends with Vera Neumann, a fantastic textile and scarf designer. (I remember a particularly fantastic post on this topic by The Vintage Traveler!)

The Bicentennial Tapestries: La Tache Bleue (The Blue Blob) by Alexander Calder, 1975.

In celebration of the bicentennial of the American Revolution, Calder designed a set of six tapestries. His designs were then handwoven by the Pinton Freres atelier in Aubusson, France. A limited edition of 200 were produced.

The The Bicentennial Tapestries: Le Sphere et les spirales (The Sphere and the Spirals) by Alexander Calder, 1975.

Each of the tapestries are signed and have a number. I wasn’t able to closely examine each of the tapestries, because they were hanging quite high on the wall. Two of the tapestries were hung above benches. So I stepped up to take a closer look (and a few photos). Here is the signature and a mark that I can’t quite make out. I suppose it is the number of the tapestry.

I really loved the graphic quality of the tapestries. The swirls and stripes are so interesting. The Palms is a great example of what I’m talking about.

The Bicentennial Tapestries: Les Palmiers (The Palms) by Alexander Calder, 1975.

Calder actually died the same year in which the tapestries were realized by the Pinton Freres atelier. These tapestries were a gift from Philip and Muriel Burman in 1999. The local newspaper, The Morning Call wrote more about the weaving technique when the gift was announced to the public:

The panels were made in Aubusson, France, using a centuries old technique that takes the weaver a month to create a single square yard of tapestry. The Bicentennial Tapestries were woven at Pinton Freres, the same studio that converted the art of Picasso, Chagall and Miro into Aubusson tapestry.