GARMENTING: COSTUME AS CONTEMPORARY ART @MAD MUSEUM

Mary Sibande The Domba Dance (2019) for Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art @MADMuseum

Garmenting as art vs. apparel has been debated for decades. Often an amalgam of both, 'clothes' are a malleable medium for all--whether creative, conservative or curious. Materials, manufacturing or meaning can transform the purpose of a single item of clothing. MAD Museum's Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art is the first global survey of clothing as a form of visual art. Curated by Alexandra Schwartz, the exhibit features over 60 works from 35 artists and occupies the 4th and 5th floors of MAD. Up close, each garment in this exhibition--wacky or wearable--appeals to the imagination. Click for a look inside... 

LOOT 2018 @ MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN NYC

 Neckpiece by Gian Luca Bartellone

Spotless glass cases carry the "loot" of 35 of the world's most innovative jewelry designers. Unlike the strands of sparkles at Cartier or Tiffany's, the spread at the Museum of Arts and Design's LOOT: MAD About Jewelry takes the conceptual "statement piece" on an artistic adventure. Representing 15 countries, this year's curated selection of contemporary art jewelry brings together an assorted aesthetic with emphasis on non-traditional materials (e.g. 3D printed nylon, safety pins, crocheted textiles, bicycle tires and more). Offering celebrated artists a "public platform for their creative practice" this is MAD's 18th year of being true to its commitment of presenting jewelry as an art form. Keep reading for a peek inside...

WINDOW TO MY WORLD : fashion AFTER FASHION @MADMUSEUM

 SSAW Magazine installation, part of the fashion after Fashion @MADmuseum

Living in one big City and visiting another, one can't help but compare the finds and faults of each. In a recent trip to San Francisco, one particular standout is the concerted "inclusiveness" embraced by the City and its inhabitants. While both NYC and SF have significant landmarks and restaurants--along with differences in terrain and transport--San Francisco leads in the area of progressive thought with designated gender-neutral bathrooms and exit signs at eye-level for wheelchair riders. This week, instead of store windows (and since I'm so behind), I present a window into fashion after Fashion at the MAD Museum. Six artists encourage viewers to diversify the definition of fashion. Keep reading for a look inside...

JUDITH LEIBER: CRAFTING A NEW YORK STORY @ MAD MUSEUM

Fish minaudière w/rhinestones (1978)

Clutching a green toolbox, 26-year-old Judith Leiber landed in New York City in 1946. The box--credentials of a master craftswoman (and an ironic foreshadowing of minaudières to come)--signified both saving grace and an unusual ability to craft handbags from dream to designer showroom. As a Jew living at the height of Nazism, opportunity materialized in the form of family connections and a job at prestigious purse company Pessl. Trading chemistry and a future in the cosmetics industry for bag-making, 3,500+ exotic and Swarovski crystal-encrusted handbags were brought to life. Until August 6th, the Museum of Arts and Design celebrates the legacy of Judith Leiber through Judith Leiber: Crafting a New York Story--the second in a three-part series on craft. Keep reading for a look inside...

LAUREN KALMAN: BUT IF THE CRIME IS BEAUTIFUL...

Front Installation view of Lauren Kalman: But If the Crime is Beautiful ( #LaurenKalmanPOV ) +MadMuseum OpenStudios 

Over 2,000 brass Kudzu leaves snake along stark showcases like an uncontrollable ivy at the Musem of Arts and Design (MAD) Tiffany & Co. Foundation Jewelry Gallery. In direct defiance of Adolf Loos' 1908 essay, Ornament and Crime, metalsmith and performance artist Lauren Kalman commits a noble "crime" by upending minimalism. The second in a series of 6 MAD Transformation Point of View ("POV") exhibits, Lauren Kalman: But If The Crime Is Beautiful focuses on 60 gold pieces from the Museum's permanent collection framed by metallic adornment. Keep reading for a closer look... 

COUNTER COUTURE: HANDMADE FASHION IN AN AMERICAN COUNTERCULTURE

Daily Outfit ('72) made of stitched doilies by Scrumbly Koldewyn / [R] Background panels by Marian Clayden / #Countercouture @MADMuseum

Channeling a counter-conformist sub-culture, 'style' converges on self-expressionist craft through creative conceptualizations of clothing and accessories.The first in a triumvirate of spring exhibits focused on fashion, Counter-Couture: Handmade Fashion in an America Counterculture at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD Museum) exposes the experimental pursuit of personal style in the 60s and 70s. Originating at the Bellevue Arts Museum in Seattle in 2015, the exhibit boasts a culmination of 15 years of research by guest curator Michael Cepress. Keep reading to see how the hippie movement presents a fundamental shift in fashion from consumerism into hand-crafted couture...

RALPH PUCCI: THE ART OF THE MANNEQUIN (PART 2)

Painted feather necklace on a mannequin form at the MAD's Tiffany Jewelry Gallery, part of the Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin exhibit

At the curatorial hand of Isabel and Ruben Toledo, a unique selection of accessories adorn busts,"Birdland" mannequin forms and assorted display pieces created in partnership with Ralph Pucci. An integral part of the Art of the Mannequin exhibit, the focus of the installation in the Tiffany Gallery turns to the jewelry, illustrating the utility of the showforms. A felt "moonscape" theme runs throughout the space, featuring abstract cut-outs. For a peek at the main mannequin exhibit, click here. Keep reading for more photos of the jewelry gallery...