A Sol Lewitt Modern Art Yarmulke For Artsy Fartsy Jews.

Not that it's on the top of everyone's shopping list, but it ain't easy to find an interesting Yarmulke or kippah (the skullcaps that are worn by Orthodox men or other jewish men in synagogue or during prayer). Most of them are the familiar navy blue velvet with metallic stitched stars of David or, if you want to be a rebel, there's the creepy colored hippie-like crochet ones. Once upon a time Jonathan Adler carried a pretty cool one, but he no longer carries it nor is it sold anywhere else.

But now you can be sporting an original piece of contemporary art by the late Sol Lewitt on your capi (that's Yiddish for 'head').



This four-panel leather kippah features a digital print of the Star of David that is inspired by the ark doors Lewitt designed for the Connecticut synagogue Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek in 2001.



Lewitt co-designed the Connecticut synagogue with architect Stephen Lloyd and the synagogue tried repeatedly to translate the radiant, geometric design the artist made for the ark doors into the convex form of a yarmulke. When the design was finally achieved it sold out almost instantly and since then there have been six more editions including this one which is the 7th and final.



Each edition varied in trim color and the color of the inside fabric, but all shared the same six-pointed star design, a common motif in the late artist's work. The 7th edition design features a bright blue trim and a gray interior with the edition details in gold lettering. It is an open edition.

$36, buy it here

Can't Pay 20k For Jeff Koons and Dom Pérignon's Balloon Venus? Get The Limited Gift Box Versions Instead.

The news broke last June that artist Jeff Koons and Dom Pérignon collaborated on a limited number (650 worldwide) of manually assembled and hand polished champagne holders inspired by Koons' Balloon Venus.



The two-foot tall polyurethane resin version (shown above) of the artist's bulbous take on the 25,000 year old fertility symbol, Venus of Willendorf, was designed to cradle a bottle of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003 and is offered in a limited edition of 650 worldwide costing $20,000 a piece.


above: Jeff Koons and Dom Pérignon's Richard Geoffroy with Koons' Balloon Venus for Dom Pérignon design and the hot pink full-sized sculpture that inspired it.



If you can't afford the $20,000 Balloon Venus bottle holder (and if you can, I'd like to be your friend) than perhaps the limited edition gift box is a better choice.



The Limited Edition gift box was designed by Jeff Koons himself for both Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 and Dom Perignon Rose Vintage 2003. The exterior of the boxes feature silk-screened spot-varnished images of a yellow Balloon Venus and a hot pink Balloon Venus (to match the respective cuvees) on a dark background.


above: Koons' full-sized Balloon Venus in yellow

From the outside, the gift box extends the feeling of being in the presence of Balloon Venus, as the reproduction features a 360 degree view of the sculpture.



A view of the artist’s studio is visible on the reflective surface of the Balloon Venus, a reference to the place where Jeff Koons takes his inspiration, just as the Abbey of Hautvillers is where Richard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon, creates the Dom Pérignon vintages.

The gift box opens to expose the bottle, unveiling first an elaborate design that simulates the iridescent interior of the original sculpture made of high chromium stainless steel with transparent color coating dress. The iconic Dom Pérignon bottle erupts, exactly as it does from the body of the Balloon Venus for Dom Pérignon.



Similar to the boxes, the bottle foils give a pop twist to the color of its cuvée, Blanc or Rose, interpreting the tension between the colors and the dark bottle. It bears a metallic shield with the same color layout as the foil and the box.



The label plays with colored surface on the depth of the shield, emphasizing its allure, playful and yet mysterious.



Richard Geoffroy of Dom Pérignon said that the label first approached Koons with the idea two years ago, and gave the artist free rein on the end design of the package.



The limited edition boxes can be found at select specialty liquor and wine stores all over the world.

Dom Pérignon has previously collaborated with such artists as David Lynch, Marc Newsom, Martin Szekely, and the estate of Andy Warhol for limited edition champagne buckets and bottles.

Dom Pérignon
images courtesy of Dom Perignon and Jeff Koons

Photographer Christian Tagliavini And His Unique Paper, Plywood and Cardboard Dressed Portraits.

Recently, artist and photographer Christian Tagliavini completed a stunning series, 'Cartes', an artful take on playing cards using models clad in his paper fashions and decorative accessories.


above: Christian crafts the hat for the "Carte" shown below


Seeing those here on Huffington Post, inspired me to take a look at more of his work. As a result, I want to share with you two other series of his, Dames di Cartone (Cardboard Women) and 1503, both of which are formally photographed portraits of models clad in artful representations of historical fashions crafted out of cardboard, paper and plywood.

Dames di Cartone (Cardboard Women)
His series, Dames di Cartone, consists of two dimensionally outfitted portraits that emulate Cubistic, 17th century,and Fifties fashions. Using corrugated, cut and colored cardboard and plywood, the craftsmanship applied to live models makes for an interesting series.

#1, Dame di Cartone, Cubism I:


#2, Dame di Cartone, Cubism II:


#3, Dame di Cartone, Cubism III:


#4, Dame di Cartone, 17th Century I:


#5, Dame di Cartone, 17th Century II:


#6, Dame di Cartone, 17th Century III:


#7, Dame di Cartone, Fifties I:


#8, Dame di Cartone, Fifties II:


#9, Dame di Cartone, Fifties III:


1503
Similar creations of his can be found in his 1503 series. These represent 16th century fashions and combine textiles with paper and cardboard for a unique look. Several of these photographs have been featured on the cover of many photography and arts magazine worldwide.

#1 1503, Lucrezia:


#2 1503, Donna Clotilde:


#3 1503, Bartolomeo:


#4 1503, Ritratto di giovane donna:


#5 1503, Ritratto di signora in verde:


#6 1503, Ritratto d'uomo:


#7 1503, Artemisia:


#8 1503, Cecilia:


#9 1503, Ritratto di giovane uomo con cappello piumato:


Born in 1971, Christian Tagliavini was educated in Italy and Switzerland, where he lives and works as a photographer. This provides him the perfect frame and background to invent, create and totally produce images that blend fine arts and craftsmanship.


above photo of Christian Tagliavni by Paola Bergamaschi (courtesy of his Facebook page)

Christian Tagliavini

Jeff Koons' Cover For Lady Gaga's Album ARTPOP Is Unveiled Via Social Media & Outdoor.

above: close up of Koons sculpture of Lady Gaga that graces the cover of her fourth album release, ARTPOP.

Available November 11, ARTPOP is Gaga’s fourth studio album with an album cover by legendary artist Jeff Koons. “Having Jeff create something for ARTPOP was a dream come true, and a very emotional experience. He has given me the greatest gift and we are excited to be sharing it with you,” said Lady Gaga.



Using social media to her promotional advantage (as always), the cover artwork for her new album, ARTPOP , was revealed for the first time, in a piece by piece unveiling on Clear Channel Outdoor digital billboards and screens in 18 major cities across the globe on Monday of this week (October 7th). And starting at 1pm ET that day, the cover was also revealed in sections over 30 minutes via Lady Gaga's Twitter account, unlocked by tweets using #iHeartARTPOP


above: Gaga exposed her highly anticipated album’s artwork simultaneously in 18 cities across the globe while also streaming the live reveal at www.ladygaga.com, direct from Clear Channel Outdoor’s Spectacolor billboard in Times Square, New York.


above: tweeted by Lady Gaga, the album cover was revealed in pieces on Monday, Oct. unlocked by tweets using #iHeartARTPOP

According to a post on her Facebook page, the Koons sculpture of her that is the center image of the musical artist's new album cover will be exhibited the day before the album's release as part of what  is being calling artRAVE. The event will also feature new works by Jeff Koons, Marina Abramovic, Robert Wilson and directors/photographers Inez & Vinoodh to show that the artist is at the heart of society, “in control of the icon”.




above: Lady Gaga in "Binary Chair 01" (created by BRC Designs) and photographed by Inez & Vinoodh for the November 10th ArtRAVE.

The ARTPOP app


Lady Gaga reports on littlemonsters.com: "I'm excited to tell you all that ARTPOP is going to be a multimedia experience that comes in different forms. The most major way to fully immerse yourself in ARTPOP is through the APP. ARTPOP will be released as an IPAD, iPhone, mobile and computer compatible application (WORLD) that is completely interactive with chats, films for every song, extra music, content, gaga inspired games, fashion updates, magazines, and more still in the works! I will also be able to upload new things to the APP all the time, the same way i upload to twitter and LM.com. You inspired me to create something that communicated with images, because YOU do, YOU communicate with me and each other with .gifs and pictures, and artwork, graphics ALL DAY 24/7/ YOU'RE an ARTPOP generation. Im hoping you will all continue to grow together and stay connected through your creativity. much love. --love, gaga"

The video for Applause, the first single release off the upcoming album, was shot by Inez and Vinoodh and references Venus' Boticelli as does the new album cover by Koons:


According to soletron, ArtPop's downloadable app designed by Gaga’s devout technology team, TechHAUS and portrays the “rush” of fame via virtual simulation. Lady Gaga’s personal creative team, The HAUS of GAGA  planned the “Art Rave” event that will tae place the day before the album's November 11 release.

See these other posts about artist Jeff Koons:
• Jeff Koons Exhibit at Versailles
•Kiehls X Jeff Koons 
•Jeff Koons X Lisa Perry's Clothing Collection
•Jeff Koons BMW Art Car
•Jeff Koons Cannonball Edition Watches for Ikepod

Prada Marfa, A Full Scale Replica of a Prada Boutique In Texas: Art or Advertisement?

above: A permanent art installation, PRADA MARFA, is under fire by the Texas Department of Transportation who has officially classified the structure as an illegal outdoor advertisement. (photo by Casey McCallister)

What Is Prada Marfa?
Prada Marfa is a site-specific, permanent land art project by artists Elmgreen & Dragset constructed in 2005. Modeled after a Prada boutique, the inaccessible interior of the structure includes luxury goods from Prada’s fall collection from that year. The door does not open, ensuring that the sculpture will never function as a place of commerce. Art Production Fund and Ballroom Marfa co-produced the project.



Prada Marfa is a favorite subject of photographers, both professional and amateur. I found some fabulous images and have featured them throughout this post.


above photo by Roderick Peterson

Artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset:
"Prada Marfa is an artwork initiated by ourselves and realized in a collaboration with the not-for-profit cultural organizations Art Production Fund and Ballroom Marfa in 2005. It was not a work commissioned by the fashion brand Prada nor had the fashion brand any involvement in the creation of this work. They kindly gave us the permission to use their logo after we asked them, due to the founder Muccia Prada’s personal interest in contemporary art, and she donated shoes and bags, which have never been renewed but stay the same – as a historic display – inside the sculpture. The right definition of advertisement must be based on criteria more accurate than just including any sign which contains a logo. It is advertisement only when a company either commissions someone to make such a sign, pays for its execution or makes a sign themselves in order to promote the company’s products. And this is not the case here since Prada Marfa never had any commercial link to the fashion brand Prada, unlike the Playboy bunny which went up this summer initiated by Playboy itself.


above photo by Rice Jackson

Prada Marfa is firmly positioned within a contemporary understanding of site specific art, but also draws strongly on pop art and land art – two art forms which were conceived and thrived especially in the USA from the 1960s and onwards. Many artists, from Andy Warhol with his famous Campbell soup cans to Andreas Gursky with his grand photographic documentation of retail spaces have appropriated and dealt with the visual language of commercial brands. In an increasingly commercialized world, we see the independent artistic treatment of all visual signs and signifiers as crucial to a better and wider understanding of our day- to-day surroundings, including the influence of corporations.



It comes as a big surprise for us that the Texas Department of Transportation now after eight years may declare this well-known artwork to be illegal and we think it would be a shame for the local community if it disappeared after being there for so long since the work clearly is one of the strong points for the cultural tourism, which is such an important financial factor in this region. However, we are very happy to experience the fantastic support from both art professionals internationally, locals and others, who have even created a Facebook page named “Save Prada Marfa” that after just a short while has received almost 4000 likes and daily receives plenty of new posts, stories and images from people who once visited this site."



above: two photos by Gray Malin from his series of Prada Marfa, prints available here

Yvonne Force Villareal & Doreen Remen, Co-founders, Art Production Fund:
"Within our 13 years of producing and presenting important public art, few works have been as eagerly embraced than Prada Marfa by Elmgreen & Dragset. With full integrity, the artists refused for us to ask any corporation, especially Prada, for monetary donations to support the making of this project. It took us over a year of intense fundraising from local and international private patrons to realize this authentic and pure permanent artwork. The family of the late Walter Alton “Slim” Brown, even generously contributed to the project by lending their land. Great public art empowers people and gives them alternate ways to understand the times that we live in; Prada Marfa is a civic gift that has become one of the great worldwide pop icons."


above photo by Lizette Kabré

Fairfax Dorn, Co-founder and Executive Director, Ballroom Marfa:
"Prada Marfa is a living sculpture, an installation that has taken on a life of its own. In the eight years since its creation, Elmgreen & Dragset’s work has become part of the cultural and physical landscape of Far West Texas. At the same time it has entered into international art history discourse. It’s part of what people think of when they think of Marfa, either as art lovers on a pilgrimage, or as surprised passersby.


above photo by James Evans, Prada Marfa, 2005, Digital photograph, 40 x 50 inches (unframed), Limited edition of 25, available for purchase here

It’s also a non-profit project — supported entirely by funds from foundations and individuals — and the antithesis of commercialism. Prada Marfa is an embodiment of the Ballroom Marfa mission to combine innovation and accessibility without compromising on either front. We are encouraging engagement with art. Prada Marfa has been a precursor to other public art projects in Marfa, from temporary installations to our current work creating a community gathering place and performance venue with the Drive-In."


above photo by Cody Austin (courtesy of Facebook)

Where is Prada Marfa?
​Despite its name, the sculpture is not located in Marfa, but 37 miles northwest on highway 90 in Jeff Davis county, just outside of the town of Valentine, TX.


​above: Desolation from Will Sones (courtesy of Facebook)

Who are Elmgreen & Dragset?
Working together since 1995 and drawing from disciplines as varied as institutional critique, social politics, performance and architecture, Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset’s interdisciplinary practice reconfigures the familiar with characteristic wit and subversive humor. The static, staged environments they have presented across the world question our expectations by enacting paradoxical, seemingly misplaced scenarios that challenge our habitual notions, often to surprising or shocking effect. As a result, throughout their collaborative artistic partnership, Elmgreen & Dragset, from Denmark and Norway respectively, have redefined the way in which art is presented and experienced.


above photo by Noel Kerns, 2008

Michael Elmgreen (born 1961 in Copenhagen, Denmark) and Ingar Dragset (born 1969 in Trondheim, Norway), based in Berlin and London, have worked together as an artist duo since 1995. They have held numerous solo exhibitions in art institutions worldwide, including the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam (2011), ZKM Museum of Modern Art in Karlsruhe (2010), MUSAC in Léon (2009), The Power Plant in Toronto (2006), Serpentine Gallery (2006) and Tate Modern (2004) in London, and Kunsthalle Zürich (2001). Their work has been included in the Liverpool (2012), Singapore (2011), Moscow (2011, 2007), Gwangju (2002), São Paulo (2002), Istanbul (2001), and Berlin (1998) biennials, and in 2009 they received a special mention for their exhibition The Collectors in the Nordic and Danish Pavilions at the 53rd Venice Biennale. Amongst their most well known works are Prada Marfa (2005) – a full scale replica of a Prada boutique in the middle of the Texan desert, and Short Cut (2003) – a car and a caravan breaking through the ground which was first shown in Milan and now resides in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Recent projects include the permanent public sculpture Han in Elsinore, Denmark (2012) and the theatrical play Happy Days in the Art World, which debuted at the Performa 11 biennial in New York (2011) and was subsequently performed at the Bergen International Festival and the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen (both 2012). Their winning Fourth Plinth Commission Powerless Structures, Fig. 10” – depicting a child astride his rocking horse – is on view until August 2014 in Trafalgar Square, London. Currently Elmgreen & Dragset are the curators of A Space Called Public / Hoffentlich Öffentlich, an extensive public art program taking place in Munich through September 2013. Their solo exhibition Tomorrow, a major site-specific installation in the former textile galleries of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, will open in October 2013. Upcoming solo exhibitions by Elmgreen & Dragset will take place at the Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo (March 2014), PLATEAU, Seoul (summer 2014), and Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen (autumn 2014).
​
​Elmstreen & Dragset

Who are Ballroom Marfa and Art Production Fund?
Art Production Fund (APF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and producing ambitious public art projects, reaching new audiences and expanding awareness through contemporary art. It aims to provide artists with the necessary production assistance for complex, difficult-to-realize projects, often of a multidisciplinary nature. It was founded by Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen in 2000. Recent notable APF projects include Yvette Mattern’s Global Rainbow in response to Hurricane Sandy, NYC (2012); Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace in Times Square, NYC (2012); and Josephine Meckseper’s Manhattan Oil Project, NYC (2012).

Founded in 2003 by Virginia Lebermann and Fairfax Dorn, Ballroom Marfa is a 501(c)3 non-profit cultural arts organization in Far West Texas. Ballroom Marfa’s mission is to serve international, national, regional, and local arts communities and support the work of both emerging and recognized artists working in all media. Ballroom Marfa has worked with over 200 artists, produced 28 internationally-recognized exhibitions and hosted over 100 music concerts.

above: Shoe (detail), Prada Marfa, 2005. Photo by James Evans.

Prada Marfa is a marquee undertaking for both organizations, as it represents their shared interest in supporting projects outside of traditional gallery or museum environments.
​
Who is Boyd Elder?


above: Boyd Elder surveying the property. Photo by Lizette Kabré.

Boyd Elder is the photogenic caretaker and site representative of Prada Marfa, making appearances to individual travelers as well as a national audience in 60 Minutes’ profile of the sculpture. He is a lifelong resident of Valentine and a Big Bend legend, his name coming up alongside Mick Jagger, The Eagles and Joni Mitchell. He has his own line of Southwestern-themed leather gear, and makes paintings on horse and cattle skulls.


above image ©2011 Barry B Doyle

Is Prada Marfa a store?
No. There is no public access to the interior of the structure, and nothing is for sale.

As Michael Elmgreen said in a recent interview with Texas Monthly, “[Prada Marfa] was meant as a critique of the luxury goods industry, to put a shop in the middle of the desert.”

Anyone is welcome to take a picture, and it seems like almost everyone does — from Beyoncé to the scores of amateur photographers you’ll find using the #PradaMarfa hashtag. Snapshots are free, unless you would like to collect the limited edition print from photographer James Evans, currently available from Ballroom Marfa.

Is Prada Marfa an advertisement for Prada?
No. It is a non-profit public art project that was conceived of by Elmgreen & Dragset, who declined any monetary support from Prada or any other corporation.

As an art lover, Miuccia Prada, founder of the museum spaces of Fondazione Prada, did give the artists the right to use the Prada logo, even though she knew it was intended as subversive of commodification and the very brand itself.

“There’s a difference between being commissioned by a company to do something for them and using their logo, and using their logo on your own,” Elmgreen told Texas Monthly.
​
Is the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) trying to remove Prada Marfa?
We don’t know. As of now we have yet to receive any communication from TxDOT about Prada Marfa.
​
What does this have to do with Playboy Marfa?



Ballroom Marfa and Art Production Fund are not involved with Playboy Marfa, an installation outside of Marfa, Texas by the artist Richard Phillips (shown above). Playboy Marfa was commissioned by Landis Smithers and Neville Wakefield, Playboy’s Creative Director of Special Projects. Wakefield also curated Autobody, an unrelated exhibition at Ballroom Marfa in 2012.



Following much controversy and a complaint by Lineaus Hooper Lorette, a local accountant and artist, TxDOT “ordered the property owner to remove this sign because the owner does not have a Texas License for Outdoor Advertising and a specific permit application for the sign was not submitted.”

After further discussion with Plaboy’s legal team, Veronica Beyer, TxDOT Director of Media Relations, told the Big Bend Sentinel in August that “the order of removal issued to the landowner has been rescinded, and TxDOT is having discussions with Playboy Enterprises to find a solution to this issue.”

No doubt the deeper critical ramifications of this question are being pondered by art historians, enthusiasts and MFA thesis writers at this very moment, as well as by Playboy counsel Dick DeGuerin. Dick’s a good friend of Ballroom, but is not officially involved with Prada Marfa.

Related Links:
Art Production Fund
Ballroom Marfa
Elmstreem & Dragset
Gray Malin's prints of Prada Marfa
Boyd Elder
Save Prada Marfa on Facebook