Style Icons: Female »Vera Neumann

Artist of Scarves

Anyone that’s bought a from a vintage shop will likely find a Vera Neumann scarf in their drawers. But lest you think she and her work are just old fashioned though – you’ll find that she’s having a bit of a resurgence.

Anthropologie has a We Love Vera collection based on her work and her website is very modern with a “bright, happy, inspirational” blog that was surprisingly excellent (I wish blogs as loving existed for more of my favorite people).

A creative woman who followed her passion for painting into success, Vera soon found her scarves gracing the necks of women like Grace Kelly, and in an iconic shot, the naked torso of Marilyn Monroe.

She was nothing if not prolific and her happy painted flowers, geometrics, and suns have made the world a more beautiful place.

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Posted on August 18, 2011

Style Icons: Male »Tom Palumbo

Photographer

As today’s weepy weather reminds us – everything is fleeting – including the fun days of summer.

Sure we have about a month more of it, but if you haven’t taken time to go to the beach, don a bathing suit or lounge in the sun, these gorgeous Tom Palumbo images will inspire you to snap to it and do so asap.

While his work was versatile, as a staff photographer at Vogue then Bazaar, Palumbo created indelible images of ideal summertime bliss.

Often photographing the great Jean Patchett and Anne Saint Marie, he caught moments of seaside frolicking that feel both exquisitely fashionable and quietly personal.

He taught for a time at my alma mater, RISD and was also an accomplished stage director.

His website features great galleries to peruse and some of my favorites from him are below and after the jump.

Click here for the rest of Tom Palumbo

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Posted on August 14, 2011

Style Icons: Male »Lucian Freud

Painter

You always remember the first time seeing a Lucian Freud, it’s just so… shocking and it’s rare that anything has that power anymore.

So tactile, unabashed and grotesque, his portraits are as strangely beautiful as they are frightening but simply depict a realistic,unflattering, and intense glimpse at the human form.

Grandson to Sigmund Freud, Lucian was considered Britain’s finest artists and he passed away this week at the age of 88.

An interesting history of his work and life can be read here.

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Posted on July 22, 2011

Web Sites »Pulp Artists

A Field Guide to Wild American Pulp Artists

Thanks so much to my mom for letting me know about the amazing site, Pulp Artists that not only boasts a seemingly inexhaustible collection of dime store mystery and sci fi art, but does a great job of giving the artists their due with biographies and even photos.

It’s wild to see how many artists did work for the pulp market, from the famous (Norman Rockwell) to the home town heroes (Zoe Mozart was born in Colorado Springs!).

I am impressed that David Saunders was able to get so much information and present it in such an organized, easy to browse manner (more sites could take his queues).

Give yourself some time to look through it all. By the end you’ll be itching to read stories about blackmail and alien robots.

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Posted on May 31, 2011

Hunks »Shel Silverstein

Poet, Illustrator, Musician, Generally Awesome Guy

Shel Silverstein was a big part of my childhood, probably like many of you. I grew up reading his books and once was so haunted by one of his cassettes that I brought it to my mom crying asking her to hide it from me since, even though it terrified me, I couldn’t stop listening to it.

A talented artist, wit and musician, you can also see he was a first rate babe. Can’t you just envision him teaching a class in old school butchering or being one of the only men that wouldn’t look lame holding a guitar down on the Williamsburg waterfront? Straight up heart melter, the kind that even dudes can get psyched about (just look at the joy in Dustin Hoffman’s face just to be hanging out with him).

He sadly passed away a little over a decade ago and suffered several tragedies in his own life including the early death of a wife and daughter. He gave the world much joy though with his quirky, awesome books.

 

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Posted on May 24, 2011

Style Icons: Female »Jeffrey Catherine Jones

Legendary Fantasy Artist

Yesterday we learned that fantasy artist Jeffrey Catherine Jones had passed away. Hailed as “the greatest living painter” by Frank Frazetta, she was able to not only capture shadow and light in her work, but the eerie, dusk-like quality that lies between.

Her work is as nuanced and impressive as the greats in the museums (off topic: wouldn’t it be awesome – though highly unlikely – if the Met recognized fantasy illustrators and curated a retrospective?)

Part of the collection of artists including Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Michael William Kaluta known as “The Studio”, Jones lent her imagination and enormous talent to books and comics. A regular segment in Heavy Metal magazine brought her work to the masses, or at least the nerdy masses.

Jones faced considerable turmoil in her personal life after having sex reassignment surgery and dealing with a nervous breakdown. In the past decade though, she had begun painting again and her unique voice and spirit are preserved in her personal website. She was 67.

Click here for the rest of Jeffrey Catherine Jones

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Posted on May 20, 2011

Style Icons: Male »Oskar Schlemmer

German Artist

I stumbled across an image of the Oskar Schlemmer Triadisches Ballet and was instantly enamoured of and curious about this multi talented Bauhaus artist. He lent his inventive eye to not only choreography and stunning costumes but painting and sculpture as well.

Be sure to take a look at the Ballet, which is in three parts: Amarillo, Rosa and Negra. It’s one of the strangest and neatest ballets you’re likely to see.

Click here for the rest of Oskar Schlemmer

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Posted on May 6, 2011

Style Icons: Female »Ludmilla Tchérina

Prima Ballerina

I was introduced to the unearthly beauty of Ludmilla Tchérina in the films of Powell and Pressberger (The Red Shoes and Tales of Hoffmann). Born an aristocrat, she lived a charmed life, but never took it for granted and made the most of her talents, luck and beauty.

She was ballet’s youngest prima ballerina, a choreographer, a respected artist whose sculptures can be seen in the French Euro-tunnel and European Parliament.

Pursued by movie stars (Orson Welles and Robert Taylor) Tchérina was exceptionally elegant and continued to exude artistic style well into her 60’s and 70’s.

While her name is not as well remembered now, young glamour girls would do well to look her up and take some cues from this uncommonly gorgeous woman.

Click here for the rest of Ludmilla Tchérina

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Posted on April 7, 2011

Style Icons: Male »Yves Klein

Artist in Blue

The phrase “Yves Klein blue” has been buzzing around lately – and not because of the Australian rock band that took the name. It’s a rich, vibrant hue that French artist Yves Klein worked almost exclusively with in his early career – and it’s been all the rage in fashion lately.

It’s a triumphant, optimistic color and perfect for stepping out in as spring is sprung. I was even recently requested to vote on the color in a nail polish contest.

The colorful creations were not Klein’s only artistic achievements though. As a performance artist and provocateur he made people queue up for an empty room, dragged naked painted ladies around on canvases, and exchanged empty spaces for gold.

I am excited to have learned recently more about this enigmatic artist whose death was as unusual as his methods of creating art. Having appeared in Mondo Cane (another new-ish discovery for me), a precursor to shock value movies like Faces of Death, he suffered a heart attack during the premiere.

Click here for the rest of Yves Klein

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Posted on March 17, 2011

Hunks »Daniel Clowes

Brilliant Graphic Novelist

It seems almost cosmically unfair that Daniel Clowes should not only be prolifically genius as the author and illustrator of such mind blowing, earth shaking, genre bending masterworks as Ghost World, David Boring and Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron (we’ll forgive the recent dud, Wilson) but also be a gauntly handsome man with eyes to pierce the indie comic reading girl’s soul.

Somewhere there is a poor schmuck without talent or good looks to fill the void. Ironically, he’s probably a huge Clowes fan.

I met him briefly at a book signing in Austin (hello early 2000’s!) and he seemed to be a very nice fellow too. We asked if he understood Crispin Glover’s intro to Pussey! He did not.

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Posted on February 6, 2011