THE DREAMY REBELLIOUS WORLD OF TOYEN

Sometimes you get lucky. A good friend told me about this now sold out “Toyen: The Dreaming Rebel” show in Prague a few weeks ago. But work intervened and I never got around to booking my ticket So it was a lucky coincidence that another friend happened to have a spare ticket and was able to connect with me 15 minutes before the timed entry. Sometimes you get rewarded for saying “yes” quickly. I am certainly glad I did.

SO, WHO IS TOYEN?

Even as a Czech art enthusiast, I had a very incomplete picture of the artist’s work, mostly limited to a few of her surrealist, mysterious paintings. As someone who gravitates towards contemporary art and photography, I wasn’t sure this show would be something I would like. I stand corrected.

Born Marie Čermínová in Prague in 1902, the artist changed her name to a more neutral pseudonym, Toyen, that she thought would make it easier to show her work and gain respect on the more male-dominated art scene of 1922. The rumor has it that the name was coined by none other than Jaroslav Seifert, the Czech Nobel Prize for Literature laureate.

After leaving home at the young age of 16 and supporting herself by working at a soap factory, Toyen went on to study decorative arts at the Applied Arts University and in her early 20s she met painter and photographer Jindřich Štyrský who became a life-long friend and collaborator. Together, they joined the Czech avant garde art society Devětsil, created their own art style, “artificialism” that they believed offered new ideas differentiated from abstraction and surrealism, and spent extended time in France where they befriended surrealists Andre Breton and Paul Eluard. Sidelined by World War II when surrealism art fell out of favor (and hiding one of her Jewish painter colleagues in her studio for three years), Toyen made a living by working on magazine and book illustrations and collages, many of which feel surprisingly modern and completely unlike her other work. She re-emerged after the war but after a few shows moved permanently to Paris where she continued her creative work in collaboration with other French surrealists until her death in 1980. She is considered to be one of the most prominent Czech avant garde artists of the 20th century.

SURREALIST? YES. BUT ALSO INCREDIBLY VERSATILE

What surprised me walking through the show was the creative evolution of the artist who was able to deftly pivot from one style to another and always make it her own. From early geometric and pastel-colored works to sharp and precise illustrations, then on to saturated palettes and organic sea-inspired shapes and on again to stark and stripped-down black and white wartime drawings and futuristic collages. it’s all there and Toyen emerges as a multi-talented artist who can surprise you and teach you a thing or two.

The show is running for a few more weeks at the Valdstejnska jizdarna in Prague. It is currently sold out but if you happen to find a ticket, go. You will enjoy it. And for those who miss it in Prague, you will have a second chance in Paris and then Berlin later this year.

GLIMPSES OF MAINE, CUTENESS AND FLOWERS

Cig Harvey: Elizabeth

While the world is still waiting to reopen (the signs of life and reopening are growing stronger and stronger, daring me to dream about far flung destinations again), I am still finding inspiration in the striking images of my favorite photographers. So for today, let’s explore Maine through the eyes of the British photographer Cig Harvey.

THE AIPAD SHOW: DISCOVERING THE WORLD OF CIG HARVEY

I first came across Cig’s work a few years ago when her playful home and family scenes caught my eye at the Aipad show in NYC. It was the bold color, the perfect-yet-imperfect composition and the hint of a mischief that made Cig’s work so appealing. It’s warm and it’s human and I was hooked. So I started paying attention.

Cig Harvey: Pomegranate seeds

Cig Harvey: Clementines

Cig Harvey: Bowl of cherries

GOING DEEPER: THE PLAYFUL MAINE

Cig’s story itself is interesting. How does a photographer South West England become one of the up and coming artists in Maine? Maine was the first place Cig moved to when she arrived in the US in 1999. The open spaces were exactly what was needed to inspire her creative thinking process. And although Cig got her MFA from Rockport College and spent nearly 10 years as an assistant professor at the Art Institute in Boston, she met her husband in Maine and they eventually bought an old farmhouse there that’s been her base for years now.

When we chatted at her art opening recently, she was quick to point out that with Maine’s long winters, it takes some creativity to come up with the engaging pictures that I admire so much. It may take exploring snowy scenery and working with random objects such as a disco ball to cast that magic spell on a simple wooden wall. Or, it may take putting together her photographer skills and the playful ideas of her daughter to recreate the feeling of childhood wonder. It succeeds brilliantly.

Cig Harvey: Scout and the Wagoneer

Cig Harvey: Scout in the Blizzard

Cig Harvey: Scout during Skylar

Cig Harvey : Scout and the Disco Ball

DEEPER STILL: THE RICHNESS OF COLOR, THE DEPTH OF BEAUTY

What I appreciate about Harvey’s work is also its breadth. Where one moment you can be playing along, dreaming of running into the snow or building an igloo, blink and you are suddenly wading through a dark moody lake. Blink again and you’re in a forest surrounded by all its luscious greenery. There may even be a butterfly landing next to you in this magical landscape. The rich, deeply saturated colors do their part to truly immerse you in the experience.

Cig Harvey: Emily in the river

Cig Harvey: North Haven High Tide

Cig Harvey: Boltonia Asteroides

Cig Harvey: New Ferns

Cig Harvey: Dasha Dancing

BLUE VIOLET: EAT FLOWERS

Another thing worth mentioning? Cig Harvey is not only a talented photographer, she is also a book author. Her books (yes, she has four now!) are sensorial gems full of poetry and warmth where the words and the perfect match for the images they accompany. Start with her first one, “You look at me like an emergency” that takes you on the quest for personal identity and finding your place in the world, then move on to “Gardening at Night” and its exploration of home, family, nature, and time, and then the third one, “You an Orchestra, You a Bomb” that explores her relationship with life itself paying attention to and appreciating the fragile present.

The just published fourth book, “Blue Violet” is an explosion of color and sensorial delight. Flip through and you’ll learn about Cig’s favorite color (pink), the secret to forcing blossoms in the middle of the winter (changing the water daily and loudly expressing a desperate desire for spring might play a role) and how to make delicious meals that, you guessed it, involve eating flowers. All wrapped among some of her most gorgeous imagery to-date. And I am very lucky to own one, signed by Cig herself.

Cig Harvey is represented by the Robert Mann Gallery in New York and by the Jackson Fine Art gallery in Atlanta. Her work is in permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; the International Museum of Photography and Film at the George Eastman House, Rochester, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine.

Cig Harvey: Emerald Coat with Dahlia Petal

THE IMAGINATIVE LANDSCAPES OF FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHY

Corinne Mercadier: Angels

Sometimes you want to step out of your daily reality and explore a different world. For me, the answer lies in the imaginative landscapes of French photography. I have admired it ever since I brought one into my home. Let me introduce you to one of my favorites.

THE WORLD THROUGH THE EYES OF CORINNE MERCADIER

I first came across Corinne Mercadier’s work a few years back when I discovered the dreamy scenes of her 2009-2015 Solo Series. The darkened images, staged and shot on the Southwest Mediterranean beaches of Corinne’s childhood evoke memories and are full of playful props. The almost monochromatic landscapes reminiscent of lunar surfaces can feel solitary, but they still pull you in. Step in and see if you, too, can push that ball, twirl that stick, make magic. It’s only appropriate in a world where photographs carry mysterious names such as “Fata Morgana” and “Toute Pensée”. I fell in love with “Magnetik” and it still brings me joy every time I look at it in my home.

A few years later, I had a chance to revisit Corinne’s work. (Well, I never really left it, I kept returning to her website to see what she’s been up to.) She’s added more color while keeping the mystery and intrigue. The more recent (2015-2017) series aptly named “Le ciel commence ici” (“The sky begins here”) is busier, more theatrical and full of energy. Your eye can’t help but notice all the action: A sphere flying through the space, geometric objects that cast double shadows, nondescript people moving through the space. At times, it’s hard to see what’s suspended in the air and what’s moving at full speed. I like it just as much, if not more, than her previous work. I have a feeling I will be adding to my collection. The only hard choice is figuring out which piece I like the best.

In recent years, Corinne’s moved back to a more monochromatic theme with her “Espace second” work that walks you through emptied mansions, down darkened hallways and past imposing doorways that invite you to take a peek what lies behind. And, as is now to be expected from Corinne’s work, throughout it all, your companion and guide remains anonymous, leaving you to imagine what story they would tell if only they could speak.

Corinne Mercadier started her photography career with a Polaroid SX70, which she used until 2008 before moving to digital photography. Her work continues to captivate audiences and she’s won awards for her celestially inspired work, including the Prix Altadis in 2001 and a finalist position at the Prix de l’Académie des Beaux-Arts Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière. Her photographs are in the collections of the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris; FNAC, Paris; the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris; and the Polaroid Corporation Collection. You can also find her work at the Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire in Paris, and at the Alan Klotz gallery in New York. You can also explore it directly on her website. I love Corinne’s work and I hope that you will, too.

All photos in this post are by Corinne Mercadier.

WHAT PARTY? KAWS PARTY!

If you, like me, enjoy walking around New York City, you might have noticed them too. Sometime in the fall a set of familiar larger than life characters started appearing in the streets. The Michelin-man-like puffed up black and shiny CHUM caught my attention first. It is perfectly positioned against the stark geometry of Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram building. Whoever placed it there is a genius - the building, impressive on its own, provides a spectacular glowing backdrop at night.

Just a few blocks down on Park Avenue, the Pepto-Bismol pink BFF popped up. This one is more playfully located inside a glass and marble lobby. There, it can loom over visitors and “pose” for pictures during the day (judging from instagram feed, it is quite popular) and playfully peek out of its glass and steel “cage” after hours. It’s practically irresistible.

Turns out, there is more to their recent appearance than a simple public art placement effort. These familiar characters gave us a preview, a taste, of the show that has just opened at the Brooklyn Art Museum.

BROOKLYN ART MUSEUM: WHAT PARTY

The latest show, “What Party”, summarizes over a hundred KAWS works, from graffiti drawings and notebooks, paintings and sculptures, to smaller collectibles, furniture, and monumental installations of his popular COMPANION figures. It also features new pieces made uniquely for the exhibition along with his early-career altered advertisements. Read more about the show here.

BRIAN DONNELLY, AKA KAWS

Kaws has come a long way since his beginnings as a street artist in New Jersey and NYC. Always straddling the art and commercial line, his characters with X-ed out eyes and exaggerated skull and bone structure have become iconic. His art comes big and small - from collectible toys barely a few inches high to some of the largest sculptures to stand (or float, as was the case of the Companion in the Hong Kong Harbor) on the Earth. And he continues to evolve. More recently, he’s jumped into the digital space, teaming up with Acute Art, an augmented reality digital art platform that allows you to virtually explore his sculptures and create personalized experiences through an app on your smart phone.

His commercial success is pretty impressive, too. The toys based on his characters continue to sell out and command pretty hefty premiums on the secondary market and serious art buyers are now scooping up his work in droves. KAWS continuously breaks auction house records and in 2019 his works sold for $112 million. Earlier in the year, the Art Angle podcast predicted that i this year’s auctions, KAWS will outsell every old master other than Sandro Botticelli.

If you still want to learn more about KAWS, here and here are a couple of articles you might like.