MOMA recreates Degas’ Dancers » 

Photographs capture American Ballet Theater principal dancer Misty Copeland 

The Museum of Modern Art will be opening “Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty” on March 26, a unique collection of 120 rarely seen monotypes along with 50 related paintings, drawings, pastels, sketchbooks and prints, showing Degas at his most modern. In celebration of the exhibition opening, Harper’s Bazaar teamed with American Ballet Theater principal ballerina Misty Copeland to recreate some of Degas most recognized and celebrated works. American Ballet Theater has always had a personal relationship with The Findlay Galleries as James R. Borynack, owner and CEO, was a development chairman for the Board of Directors. Lucia Chase, Founder and Co-Director, was a great aunt to Stephanie Borynack Clark.

Captured by photographers Ken Browar and Deborah Ory, Copeland captures the grace and essence of Degas’ paintings and sculpture, while dressed in high fashion designs by Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta. Copeland has made history in her career, most notably for being named as the first African American female principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theater, and for her reputation of redefining what a ballerina should look like.

In regards to recreating Degas’ work, Copeland told Harper’s Bazaar that “It was interesting to be on a shoot and to not have the freedom to just create like I normally do with my body, trying to re-create what Degas did was really difficult. It was amazing just to notice all of the small details but also how he still allows you to feel like there’s movement.”

Degas’ ballet works are known for their modern sensibility, depicting the dancers practicing, training, and hanging around studios, capturing them at work and the beauty in the dancer’s struggle, rather than in the idealized perfection of the performance. In this respect, Copeland serves as a perfect representative for Degas’ dancer, as she represents a unique and modern take on the ballerina.

Wally Findlay Galleries proudly exhibits a collection of works by Degas, featuring drawings and sculptures of his iconic ballerinas.

Featured Image: Edgar Degas: Étude de Danseuses (Trois Danseuses) – from Wally Findlay Galleries Collection (132299)


Joan Miró’s Studio Recreated » 

Visitors can explore the studio, complete with paintings and replicas of Miro’s objects

Mayoral, a Barcelona art gallery, is recreating Joan Miró’s Majorca studio in London. The space will feature replicas of the eclectic objects scattered around Miro’s original studio, along with 25 works by the artist. The studio is being recreated via photographs from the 1970s by Jean-Marie del Moral and the memories of the artist’s grandson, Joan Punyet Miró.

In the late 1930’s Miró had not yet established a permanent studio, rather he moved from one small, insufficient studio to the next.  Nearly two decades later he finally created a permanent studio, which became central to his evolution as an artist.  The artist would paint in this studio until two years before his death. In a recent interview for the New York Times, the artist’s grandson describes the studio as “a very chaotic place where every single thing had to be in the right place.”

Architect Josep Lluis Sert, a friend of Miró’s, designed the original studio while exiled to the United States after having fled Spain after the Spanish Civil War. The artist and the architect designed the space via correspondences, many of which will be included in the exhibition. The completion of the studio marked a new artistic chapter for the artist, he even burned about 80 percent of the older works that he had shipped from Barcelona. Today, the original studio is part of the Miró Foundation, which includes a museum and another studio the artist added in 1959.

Wally Findlay Galleries is proud to host a large collection of Miró’s works currently on view at the Palm Beach Gallery.

Featured Image: Joan Miró: Untitled (Vert), 1971 – from Wally Findlay Galleries Collection (133309)


Artwork Plays Essential Role in TV and Film Sets » 

WFG Artist Tadashi Asoma painting seen on the set of Grace and Frankie

Asoma Grace and Frankie

Oftentimes artworks are essential to set design for TV shows and movies. There is a wide variety of ways in which these works can be obtained, ranging from rentals of originals, to duplicates of famous works, and even artists who create works solely for Hollywood. If you watch carefully you can often see works by Wally Findlay artist’s appearing in popular shows and movies.

Contemporary Asian Master Tadashi Asoma’s work “Water Lilies” has actually made two appearances in TV shows. It can be seen in the Netflix original Grace and Frankie hanging in the dining room, and in ABC’s Cougartown hanging above the living room couch. Asoma’s works are defined by luminous palettes with sudden bursts of brilliant color. These splendid differences of touch and tone exemplify his natural originality and closeness with nature.

An ode to Edgar Degas, the French painter known for his famous paintings of dancers, can be seen hanging in the grand foyer of Grayson Manor on ABC’s Revenge. Although the work is not an original, it is clearly an ode to Degas’ “Blue Dancers.” Degas’ work also makes an appearance in Titanic, alongside works by Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet. The works all appear as part of Rose’s extensive art collection which she brought aboard the ship.

Other notable works by Wally Findlay artist’s included on the big screen include a Marc Chagall painting in Notting Hill, Pierre-August Renoir portrait in Footloose, Fernand Leger in Entrapment, and Henri Matisse cutouts on The Simpsons – to name just a few.


Huffington Post Explores the History of Blue Pigment » 

History on the development of blue ink and how it forever changed the art world

Oftentimes the dazzling range of colors in a painting are taken for granted as modern artists have a seemingly endless supply of colors; from rich dark hues to bright acidic colors, the possibilities are infinite. Huffington Post’s article “The Accidental Color that Changed the Course of Art” gives a beautiful history of the development of blue pigment.

During the Renaissance blue pigments had to be used sparingly, reserved for the richest patrons by the most prosperous artists. It wasn’t until Sir Isaac Newton studied the laws of light and color and German chemist Heinrich Diesbach discovered a vivid new blue pigment that the color became available to all artists. Diesbach was attempting to make a batch of Florentine lake, a red pigment, when he accidentally contaminated the batch with the presence of iron-cyanide and produced a deep blue color. This Prussian blue allowed painters to mix a wider spectrum of colors on their palette.

In 1704 Newton also released Opticks in which he discussed his findings about light and color. With this new found knowledge artists began experimenting with color harmonies to create illusions of depth, with color wheels and color theories revealing sophisticated relationships.

These discoveries forever changed the history of color and painting. Without them the works lining the walls of Wally Findlay Galleries, and all museums and galleries, would be drastically different.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE

Feature Image: Zvonimir Mihanovic: Near Shoreline, 2010 – From Wally Findlay Galleries Collection (134895)


Luxe Magazine Features Palm Beach Home with Extensive Art Collection » 

Works by Francisco Zúñiga and Alexander Calder on display

Zuniga

Luxe Magazine is the uncompromised source for those with a passion for creating beautiful surroundings and living well. It is the go-to guide and resource for design, decorating, architecture and renovation. The Palm Beach fall edition of the magazine featured a home in Wellington, FL decorated by LA based designer Vance Burke.

The home featured a stunning collection of art, including paintings, prints, screens, and sculptures – a varied collection ranging from works by Modern Masters to antiquities.

The focal point of the living room is a grand piano next to a work by Alexander Calder. The American artist is known for his sculptures and prints characterized by sweeping line movements, bold colors, and the element of movement.

Perhaps most impressive is the master suite done in an eggshell blue with gold and neutral accents. Works by Francisco Zúñiga are prominently displayed above the bed and alongside a custom barrel chair and ottoman. The Costa-Rican born Mexican artist’s works consist almost exclusively of female human figures, representing women’s powerful strength as matriarchs.

Find works by Zúñiga and Calder on view at both the New York and Palm Beach galleries.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE: LUXE MAGAZINE

Feature Image: Francisco Zúñiga: Juchitecas Platicando, XXXVI/L, 1985 – From Wally Findlay Galleries Collection (132328)


 Pantone selects Marsala as the Color the Year for 2015 » 

Color of the Year serves as inspiration for fashion, art, entertainment and design

Pantone is the global color authority and provider of professional color standards for the design industries. Pantone products have encouraged colorful exploration and expressions of creativity from inspiration to implementation for more than 50 years. Through the Pantone Color Institute, Pantone continues to chart future color direction and study how color influences human thought processes, emotions and physical reactions. 

Each year, Pantone selects a Color of the Year, which influences product development in fashion, home, packaging and graphic design. The color is carefully selected based on color influences from around the world – drawing inspiration from fashion, entertainment, films and art. The Color of the Year for 2015 was Marsala, a robust and earthy wine red. Its warm hue makes for an elegant, grounded statement on it own, or can serve as a strong accent to many other colors.

The rich hue can be seen in many artworks at Wally Findlay Galleries. It is introduced in the colorfields of Leonard Nelson, in the autumn Parisian street scenes of palette knife master Nicola Simbari, as an accent color in the abstract works of Priscilla Heine, and amongst the romantic interiors of the British Contemporary Hugo Grenville, to name just a few. Visit Wally Findlay Galleries in Palm Beach and New York to view works by these artists.

 

Feature Image: Leonard Nelson: Autumn, 90-92 – From Wally Findlay Galleries Collection (135419)


 

History behind Henri Matisse’s prestigious Dance » 

Matisse’s work considered one of the most influential pieces in Modern Art

Matisse

Dance has long been recognized as one of Matisse’s most prestigious works. The work was first commissioned in 1909 by Sergei Shchukin, a Russian businessman and art collector, for the stairwell of his house in Moscow. Shchukin has previously bought Matisse’s Harmony in Blue (later transformed to Harmony in Red), and was also notably impressed when Karl Ernst Osthaus, German patron of avant-garde art and architecture, bought Bather’s with a Turtle, perhaps inspiring the commission for the large figure piece.

In winter 1909, Matisse showed Shchukin a design, most likely the full-scale preliminary version of the Dance, which is now in the Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. collection. Shchukin was so impressed by the work that he took Matisse to the Restaurant Larue to discuss a second panel for the stairwell. Matisse proposed Music, based off a small canvas sold to Leo Stein in 1907. Despite misgivings about the propriety of hanging large paintings of nudes in a main stairwell, and some disagreement concerning pricing, Matisse and Shchukin came to an agreement and the commission was born.

On October 1, 1910 the two works were completed and exhibited at the Salon d’Automne in Paris at the Grand Palais on the Champs-Elysees. Their size, power and striking originality led to harsh criticism and rejection of the works. Influenced by the public’s criticism and analysis of the works, Shchukin was dismayed and cancelled the commission. He asked Matisse to paint two smaller pictures for his bedroom for the same price, however, Matisse refused.

By mid-November, Matisse was set to leave Paris for Spain, when Shchukin changed his mind and wrote to Matisse that he would accept the works after all. By January 1911, the two panels, along with two large still lifes, were packed and shipped to Moscow. However, it is recorded that in fall 1911 Matisse stated he was in Moscow not to install the panels, but to study how to place them. Not until a letter dated August 22, 1912 did Shchukin definitely purchase the works, saying “All my reservations in my two preceding letters are annulled by my telegram of last Sunday. Now you have my definite order for the two panels.” After about three years from the original commission, the works were both ultimately hung.

The immediate artistic inspiration for Dance comes from the bacchanalian round in the background of Matisse’s own Joy of Life (1905-1906). In addition, the dancers are reminiscent of Poussin bacchanals, Mantegna’s dance of the muses in Parnassus, and even Greek vase paintings may have influenced subject and style. The strong terra cotta red of the figures in the final paintings against the dark background, suggests Attic red figure pottery. It has been recorded that Matisse’s father was impressed by the “fast tempo and beautiful movement” of the farandole, which may have influenced the figures and the rhythm of the work.

Despite the original reaction to the work, Dance is now considered a timeless piece, one of the most influential in modern art, and one of Matisse’s most important works. The design and figures are seen repeatedly throughout Matisse’s oeuvre. Today it resides in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Dance (I), the preliminary version of the work, uses paler colors and less details, and today hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Small studies of the work exist in charcoal (early 1909, Paris, private collection), oil (early 1909, Philadelphia Museum of Art on loan from Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.) and watercolor (1910-11, Paris, Mme. Marcel Sembat). The design can also be recognized in Matisse’s lithographs, notably on page 67 in the 1948 illustration of Florilège des Amours de Ronsard. Wally Findlay Galleries is proud to include version 96/300 of the lithograph in its collection, currently on view at the New York gallery.

Feature Image: Henri Matisse: Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948, Albert Skira, Paris, 96/300, illustrated page 67 – From Wally Findlay Galleries Collection (136675)


 

Ceramics hold an important spot in the history of design » 

Pablo Picasso ceramics hold spotlight in the modern market for ceramics

In the history of design, ceramics have been regarded as some of the important pieces of art. Objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware are regarded as not only decorative, but as industrial and applied art objects. With a long history, the pottery wheel is rumored to have been invented in Mesopotamia by the 4th millennium BC, spreading to Eurasia, Africa, and eventually to Europe and the Americas, making it one of the oldest known forms of art.

Today, some of the most well-known modern pieces are ceramic works by Pablo Picasso. Over the past ten years, the market for Picasso ceramics has steadily grown, with buyers searching for editioned and unique ceramics by the master.

Picasso was impressed by the annual pottery exhibition in Vallauris in 1946, and drew inspiration from the colors of the Mediterranean. He was driven to start creating ceramics, working with the Madoura Pottery workshop. He began with plates and bowls, simple objects, eventually progressing to pitchers and vases featuring facial or anatomical parts of animals. His subjects were creative and playful figures, often showing mythological creatures, owls, fishes and faces.

Wally Findlay Galleries is proud to host an extensive collection of ceramics by Picasso. The works included are a variety of subjects and styles, truly representing the diversity and range of Picasso’s ceramic works.

Feature Image: Pablo Picasso: Sujet Poisson, Pichet Tourne, 1952 – From Wally Findlay Galleries Collection (135629)


Simeon Braguin: Leader in NY Fashion Illustration » 

Exclusively represented by Wally Findlay Galleries

Braduin

 

Simeon Braguin was a leader in New York fashion illustration, an American war hero, and a modern artist. Following a career heading Vogue’s art department as well as several military espionage missions, the Ukranian immigrant devoted the last few decades of his life to painting.

Braguin began as a photographer in New York, a career paved by art classes at Columbia and his engagement to Lenna Glackens, the daughter of William Glackens, one of the leaders of the Ashcan School art movement. With Glackens’ support Braguin held his first exhibition in 1931 at the Marie Harriman Gallery in Manhattan, quickly establishing himself as an accomplished photographer.

At the start of his career Braguin relied on work in the field of illustration to support himself, with pen and ink drawings appearing the The Delineator. By 1932 he had become a staff illustrator for Vogue, and his illustrations appeared in many magazines including Mademoiselle and the Saturday Evening Post. He quickly rose to become the art director for Vogue, working closely with leading photographers Edward Steichen and Cecil Beaton; while also becoming friendly with Carl Erickson, the dominant figure in fashion illustration from the 1920s-1950s and Vogue’s most famous staff illustrator.

At the outbreak of World War II Braguin took a daring step, becoming a spy and photographer for the Office of Strategic Services. After completing ten daring missions he accepted an offer to retire with honors. After the war, Braguin returned to Vogue, and married Janet Chatfield Taylor, the magazine’s fashion editor.

Braguin combined the playful wire-like lines of Cocteau with the sensuous shapes of Matisse in his illustrations, while drawing inspiration from his favorite artist Paul Klee. The results were a style that was essentially born of the haute couture of the 1930s Paris, a synthesis of Klee’s charm and naitivete with the edgy sophistication of Paris fashion. During the 1950s, Braguin unique amalgam of art and design was passed along to his young disciple, Andy Warhol.

It was not until 1968, decades through his commercial career, that he began painting full time. His early canvases, which he painted in an array of different sizes, were defined by washes of white injected with bright colors appearing in unpredictable places. Later, in the 1980s, he transitioned into his now trademark use of pastel color fields. For the most part, these fall into the gentler rubric of Abstract Expressionism, with vast, soft-edged pastel swatches overlapping and drifting past each other in seemingly accidental harmony. Certain shapes — the half-moon or the flat T — recur as faint lined patterns.

Often considered to imbue Paul Klee’s carefree style with Milton Avery’s color palette, the actual ideas behind much of Braguin’s work are still a mystery. Many were left untitled, encouraging the viewer to interpret them otherwise. He was also relatively liberal about which physical angle the paintings might be viewed from, as he considered the works something that should be enjoyed in the moment and would suggest, “You can turn them any ways you want to.”

Braguin’s artistic career reached its tragic crescendo in the ’90s, with his largest solo show held at Yale University Gallery in 1991, followed just a few years later by a stroke in 1994. In 1997 he passed away, leaving an estate valued at eight million dollars to Yale University.

 


 

The Modern Tapestry: A Powerful Artistic Statement » 

Tapestries return to the spotlight as innovative and modern art

 

The modern tapestry is once again becoming a powerful artistic statement. their functionality as a wall insulation combined with the great beauty and artistic qualities have given these artisan pieces an enduring charm. Having withstood the test of time, tapestries of different forms return to the spotlight as innovative and modern art.

Tapestries are often based off a painting or drawing by an artist, which serves as a blueprint. Marking details and colors, the work is placed underneath the loom to serve as a guide for the weavers. Tapestry is a collaborative art, from the original design, to specialized artisans who create dyes and raise sheep for wool, to the individual weavers.

Woven textiles have a long history dating back to the 3rd Century BC. In the Middle Ages, and the following Renaissance, tapestry truly came to life in Europe.  During this time there was a huge demand for weavings, as they were practical (in unheated castles), portable forms of wealth, and, of course, beautiful. Under Louis XIV, France aimed to project its power and culture, while increasing its wealth by becoming the leader in the tapestry industry. These Aubusson weavers remained an economic force for hundred of years.

In the mid 1930s, Marie Cuttoli aimed to revive the fading art of tapestry. Cuttolli presented a show of unique tapestries along with the paintings that inspired them. The show included works by Picasso, Miro, Braque, Leger, Matisse, and Dufy. Although the works were extremely expensive, the show succeeded in bringing these Modern Masters into the art of tapestry.

Picasso became particularly active in tapestry, partnering with Nelson Rockefeller to create one tapestry a year, in an edition of three. Rockefeller also partnered with Miro, arranging through the Museum of Modern Art for a new cartoon and re-weaving of one of the tapestries Miro created for Cuttoli. However, out of this revival, Alexander Calder had perhaps the greatest tapestry output. By the early 1970s he was working with Aubusson weaver, which translated more than fifty different Calder images into tapestry.

Wally Findlay Galleries is proud to showcase an extensive collection of tapestries, including works by Calder, Bearden, Indiana, Leger, Miro, Picasso, and Simbari.


  

Designer Highlight: Michael Vollbracht » 

Fashion designer, illustrator, accomplished artist and published author

 

Michael Vollbracht is a cultural Renaissance man. He is an accomplished artist, a distinguished fashion designer, a published author and an international illustrator. His illustrations are found across the world and his paintings are in many public and private collections including those of Mrs. Gerald Ford, Diane von Furstenberg and Elizabeth Taylor.

Born in 1947 in Quincy, Illinois, Vollbracht began his career in 1965 as a student at the Parsons School of Design in New York City He graduated in 1969, winning the Norman Norrell Award, the school’s highest honor, named for the legendary American designer.  The award was presented to Michael by Bill Blass and thus began a long and lasting friendship. 

In 1969, Geoffrey Beene selected Michael to become a member of his design team. In 1971, his talents were recognized by Donald Brooks, who hired him to work under his label as the designer for Boutique Donald Brooks. Vollbracht joined the elegant store Henri Bendel in 1973 as their in-house illustrator.

In 1975, Vollbracht began working for Bloomingdale’s illustrating the stores’ advertisements. Vollbracht’s modern works became instantly recognizable, including his design of the now-iconic Bloomingdale’s shopping bag. It bore his sketch and his name – but not the store’s name. An error had occurred and was only discovered after nine million bags had been printed. It was a great story that made him a sensation.

In 1979, Michael launched Vollbracht LTD. His collection was known for its bold shapes and great graphic prints.  It was sold in boutiques and major department stores such as Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Ave. After just one year in business, Michael received the prestigious Coty American Fashion Critics Award for Designer of the Year.

In 1985, Vollbracht wrote, illustrated and published his book Nothing Sacred a visual memoir and diary of his 25 years in New York.  In that same year, he closed his design house and moved to Florida to concentrate on his art and illustrations.

In 1999 Vollbracht’s great friend and mentor, Bill Blass called on him to work with him on Bill Blass: An American Designer the retrospective exhibition of Blass’ career at Indiana University’s art museum in 2002; and to edit the coffee-table book that accompanied the exhibition. Vollbracht spent months going through Blass’ archive of suits, dresses and evening gowns to prepare for the retrospective. After Bill Blass died in 2002, Michael Vollbracht was appointed Artistic Director of Bill Blass Ltd.

After five years as designer, Vollbracht made the decision to once again leave the hectic fashion world and his elegant gray offices to return to his peaceful cottage in Florida and pursue his art career full time. His gallery collection can be seen at Wally Findlay Galleries, Palm Beach.

 

 


 

 

Luxe Magazine features Palm Beach home with art from Wally Findlay Galleries » 

Works by Jean Dufy, Jacques Martin-Ferrieres, and Narcisse Henocque included in the home

 

Luxe Interiors and Design magazine, Winter issue, featured a Palm Beach home with a masterful collection of period and contemporary artworks from our Palm Beach Wally Findlay Galleries location. The article, “Color Cachet” focuses on interior designer Gil Walsh and the rich fabrics and animated prints chosen for the home. Each room in the home boasts a unique color scheme, creating an overall cheerful, colorful elegance.

The living room, a classic blue and white, features Grenade, ca. 1954-1955 by Jean Dufy and Le Port de Marseilles by Jacques Martin-Ferrieres. Grenade sits above the fireplace, a focal point of the room. The soft blue palette of both works compliment the blue and white color scheme, while the soft greens add a delicate balance of color.

Jean Dufy has been represented by Wally Findlay Galleries for close to sixty years, beginning when Wally Findlay and Dufy forged a lasting friendship that evolved into Dufy’s emergence as one of the premier artists of the century. Wally Findlay Galleries celebrates Dufy’s paintings, watercolors, gouaches and drawings worldwide, and is privileged to continue providing American collectors with authentic works after his death.

Wally Findlay Galleries collection has included works by Martin-Ferrieres for many years.  A well-rounded artist, Martin-Ferrieres produced striking portraits, landscapes, still lifes and monumental mural frescos and decorations.  His work is characterized by technical skill, solidity of drawing and superb sensitivity to color. 

The dining room, predominantly done in coral, features bold walls and warm wood floors, complimented by antique plates and soft draperies. Boules de Neige (Les Hydrangeas) by Narciss Henocque hangs as the centerpiece, overlooking the dining room table. The purple and blue hues of painting nicely compliments the coral the dining room.

Henocque, a master colorist and member of the School of Rouen, is known for unique style of expressing the movement of the sky and sea. Since its founding in 1870, Wally Findlay Galleries has established itself as an international leader in representing The School of Rouen, and has proudly represented Hencoque in this collection.

 

 


 

 

“The Folding Image: Paneled Screen Paintings” on view at Palm Beach Gallery » 

Current exhibition features paneled screens – not only works of art, but integral components of interior design

 

Screens, whether formed of single panels, sliding doors, or folding panels, have been known for centuries.

Today, screens are not only fascinating works of art, but continue to act as integral components of interior design in homes and apartments. They can create false walls to change the appearance of large spaces or add atmosphere to smaller ones, conceal less attractive interior features, or simply adorn a wall. The personality of a screen is limitless – it can open a window on a fanciful world, portray a sweeping emotional landscape, contain flights of fantasy or whimsy, or merely display a beautiful design. The possibilities are defined only by the artist’s imagination.

The earliest surviving folding screens date from 8th century China, although references indicate they existed as early as the 4th century BC.  The heavy wooden panels served as partitions, and were often painted with scenes of palace life, stories from mythology or images of nature, contained within the individual vertical panels. When the screens reached Japan, they became more versatile and lighter in weight, and designs began extending across the panels, no longer limited by borders. Traders returning from the East introduced them to Europe as early as the 16th century, and by the 19th century oriental screens were well-known throughout Europe, and were displayed at the 1897 International Exhibition for Industry and Art in Paris. Recognizing their appeal, contemporary artists began to create their own beautifully designed screens as works of art, and with the revival of interest in the decorative arts during this period, screens became a necessary feature of any well-designed interior.

The current exhibition at Wally Findlay Galleries, The Folding Image: Paneled Screen Paintings encompasses some of the finest modern examples from all these worlds.

Paravent (c.1940) by Spanish artist Lorenzo Victoriano Aguirre Sanchez, well known as a set designer, and poster artist, is an appealing and powerful depiction of three small tables that could find their place in any home. His strong blocks of earthy color create a welcoming image. In contrast, Max Ernst’s Le Grand Ignorant  presents a whimsical look at humanity.  Poucette’s fanciful depiction of heroic knights on charging steeds, and likely herself as the beautiful (and naked) princess in the howdah atop a beautifully appointed elephant, harks back to ancient mythologies, whereas Mary Sipp Green’s hypnotic, atmospheric Lavender in Revest-du-Bion, Provence, relies solely on her depth of color to create emotion and allows the viewer to delve deeply into their own memories to populate the scene.  Gustavo Novoa welcomes us into the magical lushness of his jungles, while others including Charles Neal, Hugo Grenville and Isabelle de Ganay offer landscapes abundant with the beauty of nature.   The bright colors and tense brushstrokes of Priscilla Heine’s Life’s Machine evoke the primal power of the life force, and Ervin Van Muriel’s fascinatingly beautiful portrait seems to ask us to question the nature of reality.

 

 


 

  

Penthouse at One Vandam features Wally Findlay Galleries contemporary artist Gilles Gorriti » 

Soho Luxury Apartment uses Gilles Gorriti’s “Ombre et Lumiere, 2013” as the focal point for Penthouse Living Room

 

One Vandam at 180 Avenue of the Americas in New York houses luxury residences in the midst of Soho. With residences boasting spectacular views of the surrounding cityscape, contemporary open floor plans, and exquisite details including handmade solid walnut cabinets, custom-polished steel doors, and expansive windows. One Vandam is the height of luxury standing at one of the most desirable locations in New York City.

The Penthouse Collection brochure highlights the three exceptional penthouses at One Vandam. Expertly designed, with attention paid to every detail, the One Vandam penthouses showcase the work of Wally Findlay Galleries contemporary artist Gilles Gorriti. Gorriti’s work “Ombre et Lumiere, 2013” is the focal point of Penthouse C’s living room, filling the space above the rooms grand fireplace. The work compliments the room’s contemporary feel and clean lines, with accents of red brightening the neutral color scheme of the space.

Gilles Gorriti, an avid disciple of the French Modernist movement, was born in Paris in 1939. The son of renowned artist Paul Aïzpiri, Gorriti grew up observing and learning from his father. His formal education began in 1955 at the Atelier de la Grande Chaumière, and continued at the Académie Julian in Paris. At just seventeen, Gorriti organized his first one-man exhibition at the Galerie Morval. The following year, 1958, he became a member of the Salon d’Automne, where he would continue to exhibit throughout his career.

Wally Findlay Galleries first exhibited the work of Gorriti in 1983 in Paris. The company’s East Hampton location chose Gorriti as the artist for its Inaugural Exhibition in May of 1999. Since then Wally Findlay Galleries has hosted exhibitions of the artist’s work at their historical Chicago, Palm Beach and New York locations. Gorriti’s one-man shows have received fame and success throughout the world, especially in France, Geneva, New York, Palm Beach, Los Angeles and Japan.

 Gorriti’s works use the full range of his palette, creating subtle unobtrusive fragments of delicate tones alongside vibrantly orchestrated blocks of color. This striking interplay of colors is portrayed significantly and sets a stunning contrast to the generally serene subject matter, creating moods and stirring emotional responses from the viewer. 

 


 

 

 

Interior Designer Celerie Kemble features Wally Findlay Galleries contemporary artist Hugo Grenville in her portfolio »

“I’ve been infatuated with Grenville’s paintings lately…  His lively color palette and Matisse-like depictions of fabric make his work feel like an invitation to a more vivid world.”

 

Celerie Kemble, of the NY interior design firm Kemble Interiors, is a renowned decorator and author alike. A graduate of Harvard, Celerie worked briefly in film production before succumbing to her passion for design and the creation of thoughtful interiors. The talented designer has published the monographs Celerie Kemble: To Your Taste, and Black and White: And a Bit in Between, has been featured in J. Crew’s ‘Real Women’ ads, and created a line of fabrics, wall coverings and floor coverings, working with industry leaders such as F. Schumacher, Merida Meridian and Henredon. Kemble’s approach to design is eclectic and varied, drawing from modern designs, to whimsical, earthy, organic and minimalist. She sites that textures and a myriad of materials are her hallmarks, with variety being the key. Celerie’s impeccable taste has spawned her collaboration with Wally Findlay Galleries contemporary artist Hugo Grenville, among other artists represented by the galleries.

Grenville is one of Britain’s leading artists who works are featured in many public and private collections internationally. A true romantic, Grenville acknowledges a fascination with pattern and color. His figure subjects and the everyday objects that surround them express joy in life, light and color. A bright and jaunty color palette distinguishes his works, creating a world of reverie. Grenville’s works compliment Kemble’s signature design, adding a romantic and intimate touch to Kemble’s residential portfolio.

In July 2014, Traditional Home’s Special Decorator Showcase Issue featured one of Kemble’s design highlighting Grenville’s work Flowers by the Window, Evening Light, Snow Outside  The two also collaborated in 2013 with a private first view of ”Harmonia” featuring recent works by Grenville and a book signing by Kemble. The cocktail reception was held at Wally Findlay Galleries New York location. In 2011, Kemble spoke of her obsession with Grenville’s work to W Magazine: “I’ve been infatuated with Grenville’s paintings lately, and have used them as inspiration for my rooms. His lively color palette and Matisse-like depictions of fabric make his work feel like an invitation to a more vivid world.”

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