The Blog For New Collectors

Art in a Digital Age

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:57:00 -0400

We don’t need to repeat the news that we live in the age of the online, i mean, we are writing this on a tumblr page, which is on our blog, which is on our website… We too are fully entangled in this sticky winding web that is the internet. While there are many possible issues that arise from the digitization of information and communication, such as quantity over quality, a loss of “real” human to human interaction, the endless of amount of personal information shared online, etc, etc…, there are also wonderful resources that have come of this plethora of online information, particularly when it comes to art.

Last year the website Artsy launched, a resource for art viewing and art buying that takes the exhibition catalog, even the exhibition itself from the shelves and walls onto the computer screen. Artsy represents various galleries from around the world, and showcases a huge range of work from affordable emerging artists to greats like Gustave Klimt. Their slogan reads “discover fine art,’ suggesting a resource that doesn’t only cater to those well-versed in the art world, but also those who are still “discovering.” Right now their banners read “Artworks Under 1,000: Art you can afford to fall for,” “Focus Berlin: A virtual ticket to gallery weekend Berlin” and “Whitney Art Party: A benefit for the Whitney Museum of Modern Art,” displaying the range of their site as well as the inevitable influence it has gained in the art community.

Artsy is just one successful example of an art-driven online resource though, having been around for substantially longer artnet isa similar website geared slightly more towards the art market with buying and selling as a focus rather than “discovery” as Artsy proclaims. The less-flashy website itself seems to cater to more of a business oriented goal, but that being said you can still use it as a tool to browse a huge database of artists.

Then there are information and news driven websites such as ARTnews, Art Observed, Art Daily, or Art Wednesday, to name a few.

Remember, however, that art is often a highly visual, sometimes tactile or auditory medium that can only really be experienced first hand and in real life. Art students may have a plethora of images to look at while writing their essays these days, no longer relying on lantern slides and dusty reproductions found in libraries, but none of those methods of reproduction can live up to the reality. So the idea of being able to buy a piece of art online without having seen it first-hand? A little bit frightening.

Take advantage of these incredible resources, but don’t forget about the galleries, where art, you could say, lives and breaths.

Beautiful details of the new Kirk Mechar

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:41:04 -0400

Beautiful details of the new Kirk Mechar

A little Glimpse of what of has been happening on our Pinterest...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:23:35 -0400

A little Glimpse of what of has been happening on our Pinterest recently. For more eye candy check it out here.

Ending the day by hanging a new Kirk Mechar!!

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:03:33 -0400

Ending the day by hanging a new Kirk Mechar!!

An Attempt to Understand Gloria Vanderbilt through her Artwork

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:47:00 -0400

There seems to be a never-ending list of facts that everyone knows about Gloria Vanderbilt, or at least that one can easily detract from a quick Google search. For instance, along with the obvious tales of the famous custody battle of which she was the central figure at just 18 months of age, I have also found out that: she had a one-night stand with Marlon Brando; she published a book of poetry called Love Poems; she collects things, perhaps obsessively, and has storage units with boxes full of hangers and tupperware among other things; she was an actress for seven years; she did not see her mother for 18 years; she designed a very popular line of blue jeans; she dated Gordon Parks at a time when inter-racial couples were almost unheard of, at least in the public; she is mother to the famous Anderson Cooper; she suffered the tragedy of her son, Carter Cooper’s, suicide at the age of 23; she recently published an erotic novel called Obsession, and of course, she is an artist.

So where, exactly, does her art fall in all of this? Her life sounds just as chaotic and colourful as her art studio, described by New York Magazine in a 2009 interview:

“Found in Gloria Vanderbilt’s immensely cluttered art studio, below her apartment just south of Sutton Place: glitter; glue; paint (in tubes, dried on pallets, affixed to glass and canvas and mirror); broken mirrors; intact mirrors; doll heads; decapitated doll bodies; speckled bird eggs; decades-old gelatinous candy cubes; plastic masks; feathered masks; the Virgin Mary in many incarnations; a frog skeleton; collages of anonymous Elizabethans in paper lace; “Dream Boxes” of wedding-cake toppers and pill vials; a portrait of Vanderbilt’s deceased fourth husband, Wyatt Cooper; a life-size cardboard cutout of Vanderbilt’s hunky son, Anderson Cooper, taken from an airport where Vanderbilt had been conversing with it as part of a promotion for Cooper’s memoir; and, finally, Vanderbilt herself, a radiantly youthful 85, in red Japanese sandals, white Takashimaya blouse, gigantic necklace made from a stone chunk of Mayan ruins, and a defiantly unnaturally copper-colored bob.”

Is it possible that amongst this chaotic clutter art-making holds a somehow therapeutic role for Vanderbilt? Her work consistently hovers around themes of childhood innocence strangely juxtaposed with remnants of adult life, loss contained in memories and dreams - kept alive by means of visual maps and memorabilia. She herself said “Color is my strongest passion, I can get absolutely intoxicated with colors and combining different colors. Bougainvillea against terra-cotta. Yes! Yes! Yes! Painting is such a joy.” Throughout her tumultuous life, perhaps painting was a means of expressing, and coping with both the joy and darkness she was exposed to.

Often-times those that appear frequently in public gossip have a hard time being taken seriously in their creative craft. Does being a socialite make Vanderbilt’s artistic output any less important? Just because she grew up in the center of the media’s eye, does that jeopardize her own eye when it comes to painting? Is her poetry or painting any less credible than, say, someone who grew up in oblivion, now only to be known for their work? These are questions that are particularly paramount today, when celebrity culture has reached somewhat of a crazed peak. But Vanderbilt’s work seems to counteract the now common linkage between socialite and sub-par work. At the end of the day, the work speaks for itself. It is perhaps more representative of Vanderbilt’s life, both private and public, than any quick bite of gossip one can attain from the internet. Everything is there in her work, but at the same time hard to detect and decode, not like a blaring gossip headline, but more like the uncanny language of a dream.

Pasquale Cuppari viewed from the side

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:46:03 -0400

Pasquale Cuppari viewed from the side

Things we love….marbling by #christielau

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:28:47 -0400

Things we love….marbling by #christielau

Print vs. Original

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0400

Christie Lau, French Tapestry Tibetan Fox, Archival Pigment Print

Christie Lau, Doe I, Archival Pigment Print

When dealing with the issue of prints versus original artwork, it really comes down to your intentions when buying a piece. If you look at art as an investment, a way of joining the art market and starting a serious collection you would therefore want to deal with original work as it will ultimately be worth more. If you are a new collector, however, unsure of where your art purchases might take you in the future, buying a print of an artist you are interested in might be a great way to start a collection and get the feel for putting your resources and time towards purchasing and selecting art work. Finally, if you are interested in art for purely aesthetic reasons, looking for pieces that will brighten up or add character to the space you live or work in, then prints are a great option, as they will do those things without you having to invest large sums of money. So while art prints could be looked at by certain collectors as akin to designer bag knockoffs, they should not be thought of that way. They are a way to discover artists, dip your toes into the art market, or a way to surround yourself with the visual stimulation of great art on a budget. With new technology being as advanced as it is, art prints can also be produced with texture, in extremely vibrant colours, in great detail and on a range of material.

Visit SunsetBLVDprints.com to see some of the print versions we offer of our artists.

Gloria Vanderbilt, Sasha Blue, Archival Pigment Print

Mike Smalley, Red Barn, Archival Pigment Print

Large Artwork: Why you should give it a chance

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:00:00 -0400

While we already discussed the potential advantages of starting an art wall (a collection of small artworks), there is a drastically different route you can take which is just as effective. Although it might be intimidating to think about bringing home a piece of art that is larger than yourself, a big piece of art can be all you need to add personality, drama and intrigue to an apartment or home. Especially with the rise of condo-living these days - where people are often faced with a fairly minimal aesthetic and open concept layouts, a large painting or photograph can have an amazing impact on those spaces. Although larger scale pieces tend to be higher in price, they can add enough to the aesthetics of a space that there may be little else you need to do by ways of interior decorating. Here is some inspiration for how you can tackle a large-artwork in your own home.

The rise of the art/fashion/culture magazine

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:45:00 -0400

There are some magazines that are made for flipping through while in the doctors office, or running on a treadmill; these are not them. These are the kind of publications you find tucked away in boutiques and independent book stores, that you read when you have time enough to digest and savour them; a Sunday morning paired with eggs and coffee, or an evening in with a glass of wine.

Recently there seems to have been a boom in magazines that feature overlapping content in art, fashion, photography, music, literature and film, perhaps reflecting a rise in collaboration amongst creative industries in general. And it isn’t just their content that expresses this trend. Highly aesthetic layouts and graphics make them rivals to any coffee table book you might have in your house. For instance, Canadian publication Corduroy describes itself as “Part gallery space and part storybook […] as much about quality writing as it is about strong design.”

Here are just a few of our favourites…

www.corduroymag.com

http://thelabmagazine.com/

http://www.thejournalinc.com

Also check out The Journal Gallery: http://www.thejournalinc.com/gallery/events/current

http://baddaymagazine.com

http://www.anothermag.com

www.i-donline.com

www.kinfolkmag.com

www.bullettmedia.com

http://ionmagazine.ca/

Cochella as an Aesthtic Muse

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:16:00 -0400

With summer around the corner, the season of music festivals have begun! Widely thought to be the hottest events of the year, powerhouse festivals are notorious for killer lineups of both popular and upcoming artists, star studded attendances, dream like atmospheres, and of course, outrageous fashion. One of the most popular is Coachella, and this Californian centralized festival has hosted everyone to Snoop Dogg, Madonna, Pink Floyd and the Arcade Fire and widely reputed as the platform of whats new and amazing. The 6 day music session is divided over two weekends, and where passes are possibly more coveted then gold, it’s also one of the most widely published events as guests flood social media with infinite images proving their presence and flaunting their bold, festival attire.
Recently the festival has been putting more emphasis on its elaborate art installations, confirming Coachella as a celebration for music as much as it is for aesthetics. Already mastered are sophisticated lighting effects that fill the fields of Indigo with awe, but as bigger, more advantageous pieces are added its argued that this legendary festival will soon be noted as a frontier of contemporary art as well. Here is a look at some of the wistful and wonderful pieces that have us buzzing.

Three faces by #francoisenielly up now at #navillusgallery

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:58:41 -0400

Three faces by #francoisenielly up now at #navillusgallery

Beautiful Things this Week: Tickled Pink

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:46:00 -0400

Beautiful Things this Week: Tickled Pink

Let There Be Light

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:59:00 -0400

James McNeill Whistler, Nocturne in Black and Gold - The Falling Rocket, 1874

Alfred Stieglitz, From the Back Window, 1915

Carlos Cruz-Diez, Chromosaturation, 2010

In the 19th century the impressionists drastically changed how the outside world was depicted in paint by focusing on the effects of light. This coincided with the invention of photography which was itself a harnessing of light in order to create a fixed image. Now, it is light itself - not being transcribed into paint, or being used to fix an image of something else - that artists seem interested in, namely, artificial light. In fact, there is currently an exhibit titled Light Show dedicated entirely to this art form, at London’s Hayward Gallery, curated by Vancouver-raised Cliff Lauson.

But what could possibly be so fascinating about artificial light? We spend our entire lives bathed in it - staring at screens, sitting in rooms lit with florescent bulbs, driving down streets lined with streetlights and flashing ads. Perhaps that is just it though, while in the early 20th century it was common among both painters and photographers to capture the visual effects of electric lights in city-scapes, today such a representation would not hold the same novelty that it once did, such images are no longer astonishing sights of urban development as they may have once been. So what is left to do with this light that has become so embedded in our culture, than to completely re-contextualize it - remove it entirely from its functional role and make it again something of wonder.

Jim Campbell, Exploded View (Commuters), 2011

Yayoi Kusama, Fireflies on the Water, 2002

Jenny Holzer, PROTECT PROTECT, 2009

Leo Villareal, Cylinder II, 2012

Tracey Emin, ‘She Lay down Deep Beneath The Sea’, 2012

The Art of the Future?

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:24:00 -0400

When we first heard about the proposals for Saadiyat Island, it sounded a bit like an imaginary world concocted between friends, perhaps over a few drinks. The largest Guggenheim museum? Another Louvre? A New York University Campus? And all on an island? (Don’t forget of course, the usual 5-star resorts, spas and golf-courses) The pictures themselves look like snapshots from some elaborate futuristic movie. It all seems, well, vaguely impossible…but according to the internet, within the next few years we could all be laying on the beach in Abu Dhabi, with Frank Gehry’s newest architectural feat looming behind us.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, set to open in 2017. Images courtesy of http://www.guggenheim.org

And what kind of art will be featured in these various museums you might ask? Will the location change the kind of curatorial lens through which art is displayed and commissioned? Reading the museums’ statements, it seems as though there will be more of an effort to link geography and art throughout history, with perhaps a more international perspective than their western museums.

Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Jean Nouvel, set to open in 2015. Images courtesy of http://www.guggenheim.org

According to the Saadiyat Cultural District’s website, in the Louvre, “the items on display will originate from societies and cultures all over the world, but universal themes and common influences will be highlighted to illustrate similarities arising from shared human experience transcending geography, nationality and history.” The Guggenheim will similarly “promote a truly transnational perspective on art history.” How these kinds of statements will actually be carried out in the hands of the curators is something that will have be seen still.

If you fancy a trip, you could always check out a sneak peek from the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s permanent collection, on from April 22nd to July 20th at the Manarat Al Saadiyat.

Performing Arts Center. Designed by Zaha Hadid. Images courtesy of http://www.guggenheim.org

We don’t know about you, but to us its all still a little overwhelming, I guess we will just have to wait and see when these science-fiction-like plans turn into concrete realities.

From Socialite to Artist: The Iconic Gloria Vanderbilt

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:11:00 -0400

The life of Gloria Vanderbilt is a part-romantic myth, American legend and cinematic story. Born in New York City in 1924, into one of America’s leading families Gloria Vanderbilt became renowned as a painter, designer, actress and writer. In her teens Ms. Vanderbilt emerged as a socialite with her own distinct style, but evolved into an insightful and distinctive artist. Her uncommon life, loves and heartbreaks, have provided her with inimitable insights as an artist.

Ms. Vanderbilt studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse and art at the Art Students League of New York. She became known for her artwork, giving one-woman shows of oil paintings, watercolors, and pastels. Starting in 1968, her work was adapted and licensed by Hallmark Cards and by Bloomcraft (a textile manufacturer). Ms. Vanderbilt began designing specifically for linens, china, glassware and flatware. (See below)

During the 1970s, she ventured into the fashion business, first with licensing her name for a line of scarves. In 1976, she launched a line of form fitting designer jeans, carrying her name and personal crest (a Swan) embossed on the back pocket, as well as on perfumes, a line of blouses, sheets, shoes, leather goods, liqueurs, and accessories.

When speaking of her art, Ms. Vanderbilt explains that “my images are channeled in dreams which find expression in my paintings often in a narrative quality which has been shuffled around in the kaleidoscope of my imagination to find themselves in colors and patterns that sustain me. Memory is also a driving influence, memories I absorb and reinvent to changing effect because I have changed but do not want to let them go. Color too intoxicates, inspires, so does the beauty of a person, who has something I can’t quite catch. They become muses which I become obsessed to define, reveal something of their mystery”.

We love her whimsical and effervescent art, her perseverance and her chameleon-like character. Here’s a look at a few of her dynamic artworks.

Sasha Blue, Lithograph, 32 x 37 IN.

Tigerlillies, Lithograph, 36 x 29 IN.

Five Girls (2005), Oil on Board, 28 x 40 IN.

Inspiration at Fashion Week Australia

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:08:19 -0400

Since we here at Navillus Gallery are despising the current icey weather in Toronto, we are looking to warmer climates. This week is Fashion Week Australia and we desperately want to be there rather than here. Here are some of our favourite looks and how they match up with a few of our favourite pieces by Navillus Gallery artists.

A neon blue blazer, chic black purse, and heavy jewellery seem to go effortlessly with this Francoise Nielly piece titled Trauma.

Here a feminine floral dress emulates Christie Lau’s works, such as her Replicator series.

And last but not least, the girl on the left is sporting a shirt that reminds us of mixed media pieces by The 5 STooGES.

All streetstyle photographs by Tommy Ton for Style.com.

Please visit the Sunset BLVD website for prints by the artists above.

Marvelous Marbling

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:18:00 -0400

When looking at art making trends, we are head over heels for paper marbling. The technique is a vibrant combination of technical skill and chance, leading to fabulous one of a kind creations often spotted in the work of Christie Lau or beautiful book bindings.

Paper marbling is form of surface design that leads to psychedelic patterning similar to marble or other stone. The technique involves transferring swirls of floating paint onto an absorbent medium, commonly paper but could include fabric. The actual process can be done so in various methods, most commonly it involves filling a shallow tray with water, a mixture of inks or paints and various additives such as surfactant; this helps the colours to float and drives them into the ring. Once the water surface is covered in paint, the artist carefully manipulates the pattern either by blowing through a straw or using a human hair to stir. In order to transfer the design, paper or cloth is gently laid onto the floating colours, absorbed, and lifted off and hung to dry.

The process has existed for hundreds of years and often used for writing surfaces used in calligraphy, book covers and endpapers and stationary. Today it has been adapted by contemporary ‘marblers’, who have created new techniques, such as the shaving cream system (for more info click here)

Here’s a look at some inspiration pictures of marvelous marbling that have us yearning to learn the technique!

Cultivation

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:03:00 -0400

We live in a very aesthetically driven age. In Toronto, sleek surfaces and minimalist interiors seem to be cropping up throughout the city. These spaces are contemporary and even gallery-like in their appearance. They are essentially blank canvases that beg for dynamic design objects and art.

To create a highly personal space, every piece should say something about who you are and how you live. For some that means an eclectic mix of flea finds and to others that means the most on-trend furniture and art. These spaces become increasingly important as they grow smaller and smaller to keep up with housing demands. The size of your home now influences what you decide to place in it, and thus the cultivation begins.

Here are some images we thought best represented the cultivation of a unique space through the mixture of texture, colour, forms, and of course, art!

Hello Spring! We have a number of artists that this reminds us...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:52:33 -0400

Hello Spring! We have a number of artists that this reminds us of… Kirk Mechar, Christie Lau, and Francoise Nielly to name a few!