Name: Nadine W.
Location: NYC
All Other Entries: Link Here
Pitch:
My daughter Darcie and I moved into our new apartment in April 2005; in December, all our art still was leaning in a huge pile against a wall. Vowing to have everything hung by New Year’s, I placed an ad with Parsons and Pratt looking for someone with an artistic eye to help hang. It’s hard to decide where to hang many things, especially after getting rid of many walls…
No response to my ad…perhaps school vacation the culprit? A stroke of brilliance! Placed ad on Craig’s list and was soon inundated with calls from incredibly creative people with artistic eyes. Hired a recent art school from Minnesota. Decided six eyes were better than four and hired another recent art grad who had worked in a gallery. We worked from 4 to 8:30 framing and hanging. It cost $100. A small price to pay.
Then, I saw the contest and thought it was a sign. But, the rules say GOOD photos…My camera—not so great to begin with—is broken. So I took these hideous photos with a disposable with flash….And, I’m not such a great photographer to begin with. OY… Thought that could also be a sign, but I disregarded it!
Here goes…(I know you only said two….but….)
1. Untitled red nudes are by a wonderful Japanese artist named Kaori Kayo. I bartered rent for these and another huge black and grey nude that I call Eve (1A…note white painters pants in left corner of canvas). The red nudes are each 3x5 feet. I think they’re very mysterious. …are those birds or leaves in the background? The red nudes definitely had to go on the wall above the couch, but it was hard to find a wall for Eve, which is 3-3/4’ x 6’. The wall between the bedrooms was the choice…At first I was disappointed because the beams holding the kitchen island block the painting. Now, I like coming upon her from an angle. I also like the art on either side of the column: view of ½ a drawing by Darcie and a black, white and red Collier’s magazine cover that I bought at a flea market. I hope Kaori is still painting. Last I heard, she married a French musician and moved to either France or Japan.
2. Darcie dancing with disco ball.. The bad photography doesn’t show how the orange in this painting picks up the orange kitchen tiles. Kids are wonderful artists. I got very cheap clip frames for Darcie’s art…looks great.
3. This is an Egon Schiele drawingt I bought from MOMA about eight years ago. It’s such a high quality print (I think it cost $50) that it looks original (I wish)…I couldn’t resist the beautiful arts and crafts frame which cost about 15 times the price of the print. On the other side of the column (right) are two prints by an old friend of mine Doug Hartman and Darcie (the artist). To the left: a tiny b/w print my uncle owned, and a really beautiful silhouette of two children playing in a swing on a big tree, which I bought for $75 at the annual Hancock Shaker Village folk art show about 15 years ago.
4. To the right of the bathroom are two numbered wood cuts by an artist named Francisco Linna…Bargain of the century… $50 at a garage sale. On the opposite wall Darcie (as statue of liberty) poses under her collage (see tiny grinning statue of liberty in left hand corner)…In the bathroom itself, three more Darcie artworks: the multimedia star with sparkles and swirls. Can you see the orange in these two pieces picks up the orange of the tile (same as kitchen)? To the right, another Darcie painting “Every child has the right to go to school). Opposite, is a Seattle film festival poster that I bought about 25 years ago for $8.
5. Finally, I can only mention (my finger was over the lens) The Dream, a painting over my bed by an outstanding Chicago artist—my cousin--Rex Sexton. You can look at his work, which starts at $800 at www.samizdat.com/sexton.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I love that you are not afraid of large pieces!
I need to see some end tables flanking the sofa, so that pair of paintings doesn't drip off the edges of each end, but I do like the scale, and otherwise like the boldness overall. And I'd like Darcy's art to have a mat around it with some color and/or a frame to delineate it from the light wall a little more clearly.
This is definitely art, and the scenes convey a family who appreciates good art -- and encourages art appreciation from an early age! Re decor: maybe it's just the lighting, but the floors look SO dark, they weight you vision down and it takes away from the artwork. Is that brown carpeting? Or just very dark-stained wood floors?
Hi everyone...so exciting to see comments...I do wish the photography was better...taken with disposable camera...
Guido...Love large scale art that makes a statement...Lot's of people hate what I have, but I think the best art elicits strong emotion...
Curtis...you are right about the end tables...hell, can't even afford a digital camera between renovation, mortgage and school...as soon as I have any $, I want a rug, end tables...and two chairs for the living room...also need barstools...someday...As far as Darcie's art...that's a good suggestion too, though I like that maybe at the end of this year, we'll put some new work up....
Margaret...The floors are dark-stained wood...I really think the photography is too hideous because the lighting is actually good. But we do appreciate art--especially if it's original, and part of the challenge is acquiring what you like on a shoestring...I am great believer in barter!
nadine -
Actually the cheap camera is giving this a rosy "arty" glow to the photography in my opinion, not at all "hideous".
Curtis...rosy arty glow....hmmm...
I guess I'm disapointed that the photography/photographer does not reflect the apartment, which is beautiful.. Obviously, I know how it really looks and I can tell by the comments about the lighting that the photography sort of misrepresents, though I'm glad you think it gives a rosy glow...but the two red paintings do, actually, glow now that you mention it...As maxwell says, I really need a digital camera!
Anyway, I always read your comments with great interest...are you a designer?
Nadine
nadine-
Whenever I can, I do various kinds of wall treatments, including murals, but I do tend to impose my will onto the rest of the room as much as possible. Click on my name if you're curious about some of the projects I've done. I also used to do some fairly extreme makeovers on furniture that I used to find in the street when I lived in Hell's Kitchen. Will probably put those pics on there at some point, too, although I'm really not doing that stuff anymore.
Hi Curtis...wanted to tell you that Darcie and I looked at your work and really liked it! Especially the television, the pompeii bathroom, paint by numbers and your subway tile...very fun and cool!!!
Nadine & Darcie