New York, New York

(image courtesy of Balthazar Restaurant)

(image courtesy of the Armory Show)

Tomorrow before the sun rises, we head off to the Big Apple for the Armory Show. This first week of March is the time for art lovers/dealers/gallerists and aficionados to converge on the city and attend contemporary and modern fairs, openings, and city-wide events. Assuming we can keep up with what we have laid out, here is a peek at our schedule. Might need a vacation after the week that we have planned!

Fortunately for us, several of our artists will be in town, and ready to show us around the fairs. A special thanks to everyone who has sent along suggestions and tips for surviving the fairs. And as we have been spoiled by the weather in Atlanta of late, we will be quickly reminded when we land that yes, it is still winter in parts of the country...might be checking luggage after all.

The Armory Show

Volta

Pulse

The Independent

New Museum

The Met

Neue Galerie

The Whitney

Opening for Fahamu Pecou, brunch at Balthazar, dinner at Del Posto, cocktails at Weather Up! and many, many more adventures. Hope to see some of you up there, and will report back after the trip! Hope to finish Peggy Guggenheim's memoirs on the plane as we are flying through it; any suggestions for our next read??

Pandas and a Bar of Soap - Where to Hang that New Piece of Art

When it comes to collecting and placing art, one question we get on occasion is about hanging. Not simply how to hang a piece but where to hang art, or how to go about collect it to fill a home. Besides the obvious locations, above a sofa or bed, in an entryway, between windows...etc., etc., is it possible to think outside the box when placing art around the home? Of course more often than not, someone comes to us with a very specific space to fill, and we approach their selection from that angle. But if you simply want to start a collection from scratch, or have built a room or home and are placing art last, there are many unused spaces that typically are ignored. OR, if you have the wonderful problem of too much art and not enough wall space, many of these suggestions would apply to you as well.

So here are some examples of interesting and unexpected places throughout the home to hang/place/prop art. Two of the designers who always surprise us with great ideas of under-appreciated spaces to fill are Miles Redd and Kelly Wearstler, so we took a cue from them on this.

After all, it is so much fun to turn a corner and see a canvas leaning behind wine glasses above a refrigerator! Read on to see some refreshing ideas put into action.

Stay tuned...on Friday we will post our plans for next week's trip to the Big Apple for the Armory Arts Week!

(photo courtesy of Miles Redd)

Leaning and layering pieces on and in front of a bookcase. An absolute favorite of ours.

(photo courtesy of Miles Redd)

Hanging a piece in front of a mirrored wall.

(photo courtesy of Kelly Wearstler)

A group hang above a long sofa, the interesting aspect here being how many pieces Ms. Wearstler squeezed in around the largest piece in the center. And, while there are many elements at play, the symmetrical way that the frames are hung pulls it all together. Anyone want to donate those yellow chairs to the gallery?

(photo courtesy of Elle Decor)

Art in a traditional workspace, very inspiring. I can imagine writing a letter at that desk and getting lost as my eyes wander around the space.

(photo courtesy of Elle Decor)

While having art in a bathroom can be tricky, (careful with the steam from the shower!), these sketches propped on either side of a mirror of the same shape add depth to the room.

(photo courtesy of Elle Decor)

Another piece of art in a bathroom, but again, a surprise! Leaning against a glass shower wall...no, INSIDE the shower, the bright pink pandas rest alongside towels and a bar of soap.

(photo courtesy of Elle Decor)

While not an unusual place to hang a photograph, the off-center way in which this pieces is hung brings a quirky touch to this sitting area. In fact, it makes you notice the piece first, and wonder the story behind it.

(photo courtesy of Architectural Digest)

And lastly, the photograph that inspired this post, from last month's Architectural Digest. In the kitchen of artist Martha Sturdy's British Columbia home, sits a piece of art, very, very high above the countertops. Amid the stainless steel appliances, broad window, and modern stools, the pop of color and texture completes the room.

Andy, Frank, and Jean Michel

What's more fun that a peek behind closed doors into a fabulous art collection? Not much.

Much of the time it feels as though art is an afterthought in a home, fluff used to fill wall space. Of course, art is not everyone's first priority. But it sure is fun to visit someone's home who feels art is the only priority. While the images we culled together are glimpses at some very recognizable works and collections, art brings a certain element to a home no matter the fame, price or provenance of the pieces.

So, here's to wishing we could all kick back in an armchair under our very own Diebenkorn!

San Francisco apartment designed by Douglas Durkin featuring a Richard Diebenkorn in the master bedroom.

Photo courtesy of Architectural Digest.

Living room in a Maui home featuring a Frank Stella diptych.

Photo courtesy of Architectural Digest.

Diane von Furstenberg reclines in front of her Warhol.

Photo courtesy of google.com.

The Hillfigers pose playfully in front of their Basquiat.

Photo courtesy of Harper's Bazaar.

Paloma Picasso's childhood portrait done by her mother, Francoise Gilot.

Photo courtesy of Harper's Bazaar.

Lauren Santo Domingo relaxing in front of her Warhol Mao.

Photo courtesy of Vogue.com.

Elton John's neon Tracy Emin installation.

Photo courtesy of Architectural Digest.

Again, Lauren Santo Domingo's apartment, with a jam-packed corner "gallery" space featuring Salvador Dali, Hans Bellmer, Aaron Young, and Max Ernst.

Photo courtesy of Vogue.com.

Elton John and his partner David Furnish pose in front of a Damien Hirst in their LA home.

Photo courtesy of Architectural Digest.

Charlotte's Locks

(image courtesy of Farrow & Ball)

As we have mentioned time and time again, we are not shy when it comes to bold hues. If you have ever been to the gallery, you can attest to this fact. Much to our excitement, Farrow & Ball recently rolled out several new colors for 2011, one of them being a very saturated and brilliant orange, Charlotte's Locks No. 268. As a showcase of great ways to use variations of this color, here are a few pieces that have just a splash! Orange can be intimidating as a wall color, but these various artists have added just the right amount to make a room pop. And just for fun we threw in an orange sofa from our local design friends at Verde Home.

While the walls here remain white, as to best showcase the artwork, maybe someday you will see a splash of Charlotte's Locks on an accent wall...

What We're Reading Right Now (and can't put down...) & What's On Tap

(images courtesy of bing.com)

If you think Steve Martin is hilarious, which we unabashedly do, prepare to see a side of him you might not recognize but will be a welcome surprise. Turns out, our favorite "jerk" is also versed in the mysterious and strange ways of the art world. If you haven't heard of it, or seen it on bookshelves everywhere, Martin's An Object of Beauty, is a must read for any art lover, and/or anyone who has spent time in New York City. Chronicling the life and loves of a young woman named Lacey Yeager who is destined for great things, it is a story of the art world in the late 90's and early 2000's. Infused with humor, emotion and an educational aspect, you will not want it to end.

But, when you do finally leave Miss Yeager behind, as we soon will be forced to do, a suggestion: Confessions of an Art Addict by Peggy Guggenheim, with a forward by Gore Vidal. As an art "addict," collector, and very colorful personality, Peggy tells of her life in the center of the bohemian art world in the 20th century. Not to mention she was (briefly) married to the artist Max Ernst, and was the niece of Solomon Guggenheim. We haven't turned a page yet, but Confessions is sure to be another very exciting ride through modern art.

Pigskins and Paintings

(images #1 and #2 courtesy of artinfo.com)

(image courtesy of NFL.com)

Packers vs. Steelers. Renoir vs. Caillebotte.

Tomorrow night in Dallas, as Super Bowl XLV kicks off, the Super Bowl ring wont be the only thing on the line. For the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Milwaukee Art Museum, temporary ownership of two Impressionist paintings by famed artists will be up for grabs. One a Renoir, and one a Caillebotte. Should the Packers emerge with a W, the Milwaukee Art Museum will receive Renoir's "Bathers With Crab," (image #1 above), on loan. However, should the outcome be the reverse, Caillebotte's "Boating on the Yerres" will be loaned to the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. Per CNN, the art director at the Milwaukee Museum is from Green Bay, so... "this is personal." A year ago, Tyler Green of the blog Modern Art Notes, dared museums from the participating cities to do the same thing. The New Orleans Museum of Art ended up with a Turner on loan. A thus, a new tradition was born.

We think this is a great way for art lovers and museum staffers to get involved and show their team spirit on the big day. And, as Lynn Zelevansky, director of the Carnegie Museum put it, "We let the excellence of our football team, and our collection, speak for itself." Clearly, the stakes are high, and pride is on the line.

May the best team win!

Google: Fine Art

(image of the Tate Britain courtesy of Bing.com)

(Botticellis, iBirth of Venus, image courtesy of Bing.com)

Last week Google launched it's latest foray into global culture, Google Art Project. Much like Google Earth, Art Project will allow you, albeit virtually, to travel across the world to institutions such as the Tate London or Florence's Uffizi Gallery and walk amongst masterpieces while sitting on your couch. Upon entering the site, visitors can navigate among a list of museums, saving favorite pieces into a personal collection, and hop easily around from museum to museum, no ticket lines or crowds in sight.

Powered by YouTube, the tutorial videos are pretty impressive. One you have selected the museum you would like to explore, you are offered a floor plan, and zoom capability. Upon "approaching" a work of art, you are able to focus in on that piece a read viewing notes, i.e. have a very brief art history lesson that goes a little further than date, title and medium. As you spend time at a specific museum, there is a drop-down menu with shortcuts to other highlights of their permanent collection.

While visually stunning, and easy to navigate, Google Art Project leaves something to be desired. So much is lost on a flat computer screen. Yes, those of us who took art history learned in part by memorizing "flat" transparencies, but the hefty text books that supplemented those images enabled you to grasp them on a different level. The pixels on a screen diminish paint application that one would see up close, or at least have read about in great detail on a page, with a piece like Botticelli's Birth of Venus. That being said, this free webpage does make world class art accessible on some level, and it is fun for a few minutes to be transported across the Pond to London and "walk" through the Tate. We are always excited about encouraging art eduction, we just hope that in this digital age we live in, this doesn't take away from brick and mortar museums in the coming years.