Art/Fashion Mix: Marka27 & BucketFeet in Soho!

A few weeks ago BucketFeet marked the official welcome of Marka27 as their July Artist-In-Residence at the NYC store in SoHo.  Over 150 people came out to support the artist and view his collection and collaboration with the brand.  I was only slightly familiar with them so was excited to learn about their mission and partnerships with artists, something I deeply love.  And, it's a wear-able gallery in there, a must see and shop!

Here are a few quick photos from the event and Marka's artwork and collaboration...

Marka27 (right)

Yes, actually signed by Al Wei Wei, but don't get any bright ideas, they covered this with resin = not going anywhere!

About Marka27 from his website:
Born in Juarez, Mexico, and raised in Dallas, Texas, Marka27’s foray into the art world began in the city’s streets mastering the art of graffiti. Advancing to earn his BFA from The Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, Marka27 became a household name for his “audio canvas” series and elaborately executed installation art and murals. He has been featured in many lifestyle magazines/ books such as Graffiti Planet, Burning New York, I am Plastic Too and made the cover of "Flux-Designer Toys. 

Marka27's artwork has been exhibited in high end galleries through out the east and west coast such as, Gallery 1988, Think Space, La Luz de Jesus, The Mills Gallery Boston, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. His artwork has been shown along side established artists, Futura, David Choe, Ron English and Gary Basemen.  Marka27 has been commissioned to collaborate artistically by some of today's most well know brands such as, Levis, Pioneer, Scion, Converse, Heineken, VH1, Disney, New Balance and Kidrobot.

Visit his site here to see more: http://marka27.com

About Bucketfeet from their website:

The brand was born in 2011 after a chance meeting discussing hand-drawn shoes in Argentina between two strangers exploring the world.  Today, Bucketfeet exists to celebrate self-expression and connect people through art. Painters, graffiti artists, writers, illustrators, tattoists and many more original creators are part of the movement. The BucketFeet Artist Network consists of 2000+ artists in more than 35 countries.

Every pair is manufactured with premium canvas and massage bubble insoles for ultimately quality and comfort. BucketFeet shoes are made to stand out, inspire conversations and create new connections.  They believe art is for everyone, and that includes you.

See their link at https://www.bucketfeet.com/index.php/ to learn more and get involved with the company if you are an artist.   This will not be my last blog on either the artist or this wonderful retailer, stay tuned.

Art / Fashion Mix: A Quick Look - STINKFISH For Prada

I'm a big fan of the world famous, international artist Stinkfish (from Mexico City, living in Colombia), and I love Prada.  I cannot afford either, (especially the collaboration Prada dress or handbag with his iconic, signature), but I can snap a quick photo when the security guard isn't looking. Stinkfish did this colab last year for the arrival of the Spring/Summer 2014 collection, along with a few other talented artists, (see below)  featuring handbags and attire.  The store on Broadway in Soho has decorated the back entrance with the mural below, but I doubt these items are still in stock. 
Also see some of my action photos of the artist while working on a his new mural in Bushwick (Waterbury St./Merserole St.), these are also part of my #instantartexposure photography project (on Instagram), and a few other Stinkfish pieces in the area.

Press Info:  "Prada's Spring/Summer 2014 fashion show , commissioning muralists Miles "El Mac" Gregor, Mesa, Gabriel Specter, and Stinkfish, and illustrators Jeanne Detallante and Pierre Mornet, to engage themes of femininity, representation, power, and multiplicity on the walls of the Via Fogazzaro show space in Milan. The muralists set to work directly in the space adorning their walls with fantastically rendered large-scale portraits that were showcased on clothing and accessories in the collection. Also designed was an exhibition booklet handed out to the audience providing information about the artists and their work, blurring the lines between fashion show and exhibition space. The spatial concept, designed by AMO, featured an inverted catwalk surfaced in industrial rubber, with walls reshaped to maximize their structural variation and provide multiple planes on which the artists could realize their visions."

Finished piece in Bushwick

In progress...

With fellow artists (who shall remain anonymous)

#Instantartexposure on Instagram

Visit these sites for more info:  http://2x4.org/work/105/prada-spring-summer-14-fashion-show-milan/

http://www.prada.com/en/heart-of-multitude/bio?artist=stinkfish

Artists Ryan Seslow & Leod Reid IV Need Your Support For TECHNOPHEMERA!

An interesting and very unique project is in the works by Leon Reid IV and Ryan Seslow entitled "TECHNOPHEMERA" that needs your support!  They have just passed the 50% funded mark and are going strong, but they still need your help to spread the word with 10 days left!

The concept of Technophemera highlights the speed of technology's evolution. With new digital devices produced every minute, technology both reinvents itself and renders obsolete at an exponential rate. They have 10 days left to reach their Kickstarter goal and would love your support. Please view the link to see some of the great original works of art that will be given in exchange for your pledge and support. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leonreid/technophemera
to fund a new public sculpture to be placed on the campus of LIU Post in Brookville, NY.

About the artists:
Ryan Seslow is a visual artist, independent curator, graphic designer, and professor of fine art living and working in New York. Working in a variety of mediums Seslow shows his work regularly nationally and internationally. He teaches various fine art graduate and undergraduate level studio courses simultaneously between four colleges in the metropolitan NY area. He is the creator and curator of Concrete to Data, a survey of transcending styles and techniques emerging out of the street art and graffiti movements. The exhibition will launch in January of 2015 at the Steinberg Museum of Art in Long Island, NY. More at http://ryanseslow.com

Leon Reid IV is a public artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He has successfully completed two Kickstarter campaigns: "Tourist-In-Chief" 2011, and "The Hundred Story House" 2012. His work was featured in Kickstarter's innagural art show. Listed as one of the "60 Innovators Shaping Our Creative Future" by publisher Thames & Hudson, Reid is known for his humerous public interventions installed throughout the United States, South America and Europe. More at www.leonthe4th.com 

That link again is:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leonreid/technophemera

Support your NYC artists today!

Jeff Koons Joins H & M On Flagship Opening

What am I missing here?  Jeff Koons joins H & M on their latest flagship opening, well sort of.  I don't get this one as to me, it didn't feel like a true "art / fashion mix."   H&M the fast fashion retailer with almost a store on every block in NYC now opened a new, flagship location at 48th Street & Fifth Avenue.  It's a beautiful store with floors for women, men, house wear and accessories. 

"Fashion Loves Art" was the theme a la Jeff Koons and I was interested to see what it was all about.  I don't feel "fashion loved the art" as there was no art and no art products, well one.   I didn't see the real mix, just the "brand collaboration names."  That's it.  Usually when a brand colabs with a designer there are lots of products, the art is placed strategically, the fashion adorns the art like t-shirts, bags, etc. designed around the artists styles.  Usually you would see many any pieces and lots of choices, not here.  

There was one only handbag for women (below) and one for men priced at $49.95 (men sold out immediately I believe), but tons of women's left.  (I didn't see anyone even looking at them.)  These would have been $10.95 minus Koons dog-balloon.  And, that was it.  I don't understand the concept, I just see it as one name using the other to pull in big crowds.  I was looking for more actual pieces, a signature t-shirt...something, anything.  

This was totally unlike UNIQLO's SPRZ's line of  MOMA Collection; Warhol,  Haring, Basquiat, Pollock, McGinness, Morris and now Kusama, etc.  They feature a museum like atmosphere with a ton of choices in clothing, bags and accessories and continue to do so months with again, mega choices.  H & M / Koons did not. While the store is beautiful (and if you are going to shop there I recumbent this location for the best selections), you won't find any Koons pieces to wear - or look at, or anything.  

  

This was not my favorite art /fashion mix, if you want to see his art go to the Whitney Museum.  If you want a few easy, inexpensive pieces of summer and fall, hit H & M.  But don't look for a real mix.  On to the next one...

Mickalene Thomas, Hellbent, Nick Gentry & Jerry Kearns - Artist You Need To Know Showing In Chelsea!

There are many stellar stow at the Chelsea galleries to see  this month, most run for a few more weeks or well into August.  I've highlighted my favorites as the art walk was one of the best Thursday nights I have experienced there, I think - ever.  Each gallery had a stellar exhibit, one after the other. 

 Here's a quick look at my top pics...
At C24 Gallery, http://www.c24gallery.com, 514 W 24th Street through August 23,2014, YELL-O featuring J. Mikal David / HELLBENT, Nick Gentry,  Adele Mills and Ekaterina Panikanova...

Nick Gentry....

J, Mikal Davis / HELLBENT

Adele Mills

The artist HELLBENt and Stephen from Brooklyn Street Art

Jerry Kearns featured at Mike Weiss Gallery (http://www.mikeweissgallery.com), also through August 23, 2014 through at 520 W24th - 

People looking at art and people "in an art setting" at Andrea Meislin, through August 8, 2014 at 534 w24th - http://www.andreameislin.com.  Can you tell which are the photographs by famed photographer Andy Freeberg and which I took of people looking at art, fitting in with the theme? Well, I'm sure you can! This was one of my favorite photography exhibits especially portraying the art world.

Over to the Michalene Thomas at Lehmann Maupin (http://www.lehmannmaupin.com), at 540 W26th which will run through August 8, 2014...

This is Kehinde Wiley (http://kehindewiley.com), here who is a brilliant, mega artist who was at Thomas's show, he is most famous for his portraits as seen in this above shot ironically.  Coincidence how this came together at two different galleries; him in one, his work being portrayed at  another, by a famous photographer, make sense?

Mickalene Thomas

That's not all, more highlights from this gallery walk will be posted next.  Stay tuned and hit the galleries!