Fun Finds.{Art Highlight} Waste Landscape

One man's trash can truly be another man's treasure.  Artist Elise Morin used 65,000 unsold or donated CDs to create this gorgeous landscape.
It makes you think: are there things that we don't use anymore but could be remade into something beautiful?

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Fashion/{Art Highlight}: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Genius.  Madman. Visionary.

Alexander McQueen was called many things, but at the end of the day was a clothing designer that dared to unabashedly use imagery and shapes to evoke emotions in his clothing designs and shows.  He was particularly entranced with the afterlife as well as incorporated touches that were both feminine, yet powerful.

I was lucky enough to visit the Alexander McQueen "Savage Beauty" exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  This is likely the most popular show at the museum now so be prepared to wait at least one hour, particularly if you go during the weekend.
The exhibit (again if you visit during the weekend) is very crowded so it can take some time to get up close to the clothing.

I loved how the show was designed and curated to reflect Alexander McQueen's style.  He was known for creating dramatic and grandiose runways shows and I could see that in snippets from the actual shows, hear it with the sometimes dark but striking music, and almost feel it as I viewed the texture apparent in so many of his pieces.

Here are some sly shots taken at the exhibit:
The first dress to greet you as you enter:

Supercalafragalisticespialidocious - Autumn/Winter 2002-2003 (parachute silk)

Traditional plaid used in fitted and feminine dresses.

These were pieces from his 2010 Spring/Summer collection called "Plato's Atlantis" - do you feel the underwater, ethereal vibe (also when the famous armadillo shoes debuted)?

More pictures here!  Hope you get to see the exhibit if you are in NYC!

{Art Highlight}/Fun Finds: Urban Outfitters Society6 Artists

Art should be accessible.  Urban Outfitters attempts to do just that by showcasing and selling works from Society6, an international community of artists.

The prints are well priced and eclectic.  This would be a fun place to shop for a gift or or a new edition for your home.

Here are a few favorites:

Towering Eiffel Tower by Ewan Arnolda, 7"x10"-$15 

Pinkture by Jean-Marc Gething, 7"x10"-$15 

All you need is Love by Nicole Duquette, 8"x9"-$15

A Streetcar named Noir by Michael Mitchener, 8"x8"-$15 

{Art/Fashion Highlight}: Valentino Retrospective

Looking at couture gowns is both a fascinating (wow, how can a dress so amazingly capture the 1980s), informative (did you know Jackie O. wore a simple Valentino tunic for her second wedding), to sad (oh my to think how many paychecks it would take to actually purchase a gown).

A few girlfriends and I attended the Valentino retrospective and it was nice to have my own fashion fix since I am currently 9000 miles away from NYFW!  I definitely recommend checking out this collection if it comes into your area.

Here are a few highlights of the exhibit:
Valentino red and rosettes (2003)..

...unbelievable workmanship with tulle petals (2009)

...unexpected volume and lacquered lace (2009)

...Julia Roberts' Oscar gown (1992)

...Jackie O's wedding gown (1968)

There are a few more pictures of gowns worn by Audrey Hepburn and some other favorites on Flickr here if you're interested in checking it out!

Fun Finds/{Art Highlight} Exhibit: Chairvolution (300 years of chair design)

This is one of the coolest pieces of furniture I have seen in a while.

Armchair, Gerald Summers, 1934

The humble, functional, and sometimes statement making chair gets its own show, "Chairvolution" from now  until Nov. 28 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  I would definitely attend this exhibit if I were in the area.

I never thought of a chair as being iconic and a piece of art in and of itself.  But as we continue to build up our home and invest in interesting pieces, I realize a chair can really set the mood of a room and make it pop.  Here are some really cool designs:

Cross check armchair, Frank Gehry, 1992

Pallone Chair, Leolux, 1989

 

Womb Chair, Aero Saarinen (totally on our wish list though I don't know if it's in the show!)

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

If you go to the show, tell us how it is!  Do you have any chairs on your wish list?

Fun Finds/{Art Highlight}: Paul Villinski Butterflies - from Gossip Girl and beyond

I may not have a Mariah Carey level of passion for butterflies, but I do indeed find them beautiful - how can you not be captivated by the colorful fluttering of a delicate creature that migrates thousands of miles to reappear to us in the spring?

Paul Villinski is a  New York based designer that has likely found a new level of fame among the well-heeled female set for his art appearing in "Gossip Girl"  He has a collection called "birds and butterflies" that is made entirely from found beer cans (and sometimes vinyl records).   Butterflies are a perfect symbol of how a somewhat rough item such as a beer can be transformed into something beautiful.

Here are a few favorites:

"Paradigm" - similar to the one he designed for Serena's bedroom in "Gossip Girl"

"Vessel (For Amelia)"

"On Final (For Saint-Ex)"

"Diaspora"

"Wish"

All images from Paul Villinski

I love how the ordinary can be converted to something quite extraordinary.  It's definitely inspiration for DIY projects at home as well.

What do you think of Paul Villinski's work?  Is it something you'd display in your home?