Tag Archive "victoria-and-albert-museum"

Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones at the Bard Graduate Center for Decorative Arts

Some hats are designed to protect the wearer – from rain, sun, or falling objects. Others are less utilitarian, but much more fun. The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) invited the prominent British milliner, Steven Jones, to create an exhibition from their world-renowned collection and the literally, spectacular result will be on view at the Bard Graduate Center for Decorative Arts through April 15, 2012. Jones, who’s created hats for both the British royal family and the Rolling Stones, clearly had the time of his life.

London: the V&A’s Aesthetic Movement , Saatchi Gallery; and Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff

The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900, through July 17 at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is perhaps most interesting for emphasizing that the Pre-Raphaelites set out to make their living space a Gesamptkunstwerk, complete with paintings, furniture, wallpaper, decorative objects and artistically-clad women, who clearly were part of the decoration; hence the exhibition includes all facets of fine and decorative arts, including  photography, printed books and rarely-seen items of jewelry and clothing.  Women’s clothing, that is. While the men established, developed and prosthelytized on behalf the style, it didn’t extend to their own dress. Even the dandy, ... More » »

Museum Musings: Lobby Art and Paula Hayes’ Fantastical Gardens at MoMA

I’ve been thinking for a while about Lobby Art – art in museum lobbies, that is. Not all museums feature Lobby Art; for some, such as the Guggenheim, the Philadelphia Museum of Art or the Art Institute of Chicago, the architecture suffices to create an ambiance for the entry areas, although certain artists, notably Jenny Holzer and Rebecca Horn, have taken on the Guggenheim’s central void to spectacular effect, and one might consider the Tate Modern’s  Turbine Hall as the apotheosis of artist project lobbies.

Two Community Projects: Dread Scott in Philadelphia and Hassan Hajjaj in Cardiff

I ran into Dread Scott in New York, which is how I learned that he’d done a work for Philadelphia’s  Mural Arts Program.  Dread Scott and Mural Arts?  Scott describes himself as making revolutionary art to propel history forward.