Chinatown Zeitgeist: From Wing Sang to Burlesque; Art imitating Art.

Our trip to Wing Sang to see Amy Bessone and Thomas Houseago.

I am very fortuante to have a group of friends that meet once a month or so to share ideas and thoughts.  This month’s get together was to see the new art collection at Bob Rennie’s Wing Sang Gallery. The exhibition was of Los Angeles-based artists Thomas Houseago and Amy Bessone, who both deal with the figure and representations of the figure in a contemporary and insightful manner.

Amy Bessone’s work is evocative, and is described as often translating porcelain figurines into 2D. Many of the paintings on display reference the traditional female nude, both in her representations of porcelain figurines and in more recent paintings that simply allude to the nude. “Since her student days, she has been interested in the idea of a painting of a sculpture or a painting of a painting, much like the Shakespearean idea of a play within a play. She is influenced by the theatre, and the sculptors with whom she surrounds herself.”

Bessone applies paint thinly, allowing the white of the gesso’d canvas to show through to depict the highlights of the porcelain as the light falls over the figurine. The Narcissist (2007) is a classic example of this effect, creating a sense of both knowing what something is and not knowing – is it a portrait? Is it a still-life? Or is she a lifeless object, objectified for her sexuality? Her more recent paintings like 80s Life (2010) seems to remove this passive male objectification by swift and economic painting over the canvas, eschewing the gaudiness excessive paint can provide. Bessone has brought the female figure back to life through the act of painting.” (From the Wing Sang brochure)

Back to my evening with the girls;

As I revisit our tour of the show I realize there is a connection between Amy Bessone’s work and the rest of our evening.  After our tour of Wing Sang we ended up around the corner at The Keefer.  As the hours passed our numbers dwindled leaving only 4 of us for what turned out to be Burlesque night at the Keefer.  What immediately struck me was the Zeitgeist of the evening; that is, the cultural connection between the Burlesque and Amy Bessone’s show at Wing Sang.

Both genres are evocative of the kitsch ‘pin-up’ girls of the past. Pin-up artwork, depicting idealized versions of particularly beautiful or attractive woman from a man’s perspective clearly parallels the sexualized vision of womanhood displayed in Burlesque.

In 2008, The New York Times noted that Burlesque had made a comeback in the city’s art performance scene.  Today Neo-Burlesque has taken many forms, but all have the common trait of honoring one or more of burlesque’s previous incarnations, with acts including striptease, expensive costumes, bawdy humor, cabaret and more.

Derived from literature and theatre, ‘burlesque’ is used in classical music to indicate a bright or high-spirited mood, sometimes as counterpoint to seriousness. In burlesque, performers, usually female, often create elaborate sets with lush, colorful costumes, mood-appropriate music, and dramatic lighting, and may even include novelty acts to enhance the impact of their performance. The striptease element of burlesque became subject to extensive local legislation, leading to a theatrical form that titillated without falling foul of censors.

Clearly the post modern descendants of Burlesque and Pin Up Art enjoy some of the same sensuality and titillation as their original forms, made that much more of a guilty pleasure in the current climate of political correctness. This same contrast also adds a layer of self-conscious, retro sophistication to these pieces where we simultaneously laugh at their relatively modest sexuality while yearning for the simpler times when a flash of skin was considered scandalous.

Like burlesque, girl’s night is a little more rich and complex than it used to be.

Those with ‘It’: Homes that must be seen-Leslie’s.

My friend Leslie has a home that must be seen. It is beautiful, and thoughtfully designed and appointed. Leslie’s poetic use of Indian sculpture and art, coupled with her husband Tim’s photography, make her place unlike anyone else’s. See for yourself.

My Dinner with Andrea

mailbox used in the kitchen for bills and paperwork.

Sculpture done by artist in Milan.

Last night I had an incredible Indian dinner at the home of my friends Barbara and Andrea.  I found myself spending a good part of the night snapping photos of their home on my iphone. Barbara and Andrea, originally from Italy, are in the process of becoming Canadians.  Andrea is an award winning Physicist and Researcher, and Barbara, who re-defined herself, left her former career as a lawyer, and is now a very successful Graphic Designer.  The two of them have an amazing sense of design manifested in their numerous, artfully displayed collections.  Many of the vintage toys and furniture are Andrea’s from childhood, brought over from Italy, others are from their students days living in Holland the US. They share their beautiful Kitsilano home with their two boys.  Enjoy the pictures.

self portrait by Luca

Rubber duck collection

Andrea bought this vintage screen from his mother and then had a metal worker repair the frame.

This bookcase was custom made to fit the stairs.

Birdie's Nest Light by Ingo Maurer

painting by Graham Smith

Heart sconce

Andrea's collection of vintage ships, all under 4" long.

Vintage learn 'multiplication tables' toy

Vintage pill box containers

Kitchen collection

Alessi pen holder

The Scarf.

Paisley scarfing it in Rome.

When I was 12 I received an orange and yellow fine georgette silk scarf, from an adult American family friend, for Christmas.  At the time I thought it was pretty but a really weird gift to give a kid.  As a self conscious 12 year old there was no way I was going to wear that scarf, but strangely, I have kept it to this day. Even then I could appreciate the quality and beauty of the piece.  Little did I know that this little scarf would turn me into a scarf collector; not systematically, like many collectors, but rather from a simple fundamental attraction when I see one that speaks to me.

I collect different colours of pashminas, and vintage travel scarves but my main love is the Hermes scarf, or if you rather, Les carrés d’Hermès.  These 90cm x 90cm silk works of art are truly exquisite and the process to produce them is lengthy and complex.

Beloved India, Hermes

The first carré d’Hermès was made in 1937. Since the late 1930′s, over 1,500 different versions have been made, and Hermès tends to work with a number of different artists every season. Most designs start with the painting of a motif, which then needs to be translated into a scarf.  Once the artwork is created, choosing the colour combinations is generally the next step in making a carré. Pierre-Alexis Dumas, the artistic director of Hermès, and the grandson of the founder of Hermès, describes their colour process as very complex. “Sometimes we discuss a single colour for a considerable time for a scarf that will include more than thirty (colours.) This research into colour is the work of incredible perfectionism. The palette is infinite, its variations at the limit of what the eye can perceive.” Leila Menchari, the director of the colour panel explains that “The work of colouring the Carrés takes time, because each design must be produced in around ten different colour schemes.” (from ‘Searching for Style’)

My fascination of these scarves led to me to join a number of ‘by invitation only’ on-line Hermes scarf collecting clubs.  Who knew they even existed?  I found myself learning about the designs, how to detect a counterfeit scarf, and the definition of colourway.  I also learned that collecting Hermes scarves is an obsession for thousands of women and many men. These collectors, from all over the world, meet regularly in New York, Paris and Toronto. They team up and hit the rare Hermes scarf sales in Paris and they have formed incredible friendships over their shared love of Hermes.  Some of these women are lawyers, doctors, and businesswomen, but all, regardless of origin or profession, are simply drawn to the feel, the beauty and artistry of these magnificent pieces of art. I entered a world few people even know exist.

My collection of Hermes scarves has grown to around 15 including a few duplications of some designs in different colourways. Most of my scarves are pre-loved, with only a few of them brand new because they are so expensive, even the vintage ones.  The good news is that they seem to retain their value. This sentiment is echoed by one of my Hermes ‘Scarfie’ friends, Jan Goode, who was interviewed by The New York Times.

Shoppers, turned out in droves on West 18th Street for a Hermès sample sale (from The New YorkTimes.)

“I used to buy Sirius stock to keep myself from buying more Hermès scarves,” said Jan Goode, who was wearing a coral one and carrying a tote she had made to showcase another one. Ms. Goode, who is in her 50s, considers herself a serious collector of Hermès scarves, but stopping just short of considering herself someone with a serious problem. It turns out her addiction proved more profitable then her ‘sensible’ purchases: “Now my Hermès holdings are much more valuable than my Sirius stock,” she said. “Sirius is at 90 cents a share. I should have been buying scarves all along.”

It is not hard to justify the price when you think of each scarf as a beautiful piece of art, carefully crafted and executed.  The only difference being that they are to adorn oneself instead of a wall.

I have passed down my love of scarves to my daughters who will one day enjoy my collection. Are scarves just for old ladies?  What an absurd notion. Just try one on at any age and you’re in love.  Let me know if you are, or might become a ‘Scarfie’.

Paisley wearing Hermes in Paris.

H. wearing Hermes In Paris

Hannah T. wearing Hermes In Paris

Oprah in Hermes

A.J. Donahue’s ‘Winnipeg Chair’

My husband, Graham, and I have always had an affinity for chair collecting.  Over the years we have found and gone through many chairs.  Usually we think we will recover them but often we don’t.  Eventually we give them away or ‘store’ them in friends’ cabins. Graham found this chair at our local ‘Sellution’ consignment store.  He was immediately drawn to its design.  We did some research and found out it had a name and a very interesting history.

The ‘Winnipeg Chair’, also known as, the Canadian Coconut Chair, was designed by an Architect by the name of A.J. Donahue.   A.J. studied at Harvard with Marcel Breuer in the 1940s and explored techniques of bent wood furniture construction. After Harvard, Donahue settled in Winnipeg to teach architecture. Donahue developed his lounge chair, according to Rachel Gottlieb’s book Design in Canada (Design Exchange, 2001), in the late 1940’s in his basement with the assistance of his students. Donahue only produced about 200 examples of the chairs and we happen to have one of them.

The Winnipeg chair bears some resemblance to George Nelson’s Coconut chair—which actually wasn’t introduced until much later, in 1955.  According to Tim Borys, founder of the new furniture company HutJ, which is reissuing the Winnipeg chair, “That’s a classic Canadian story. Here’s a great design that gets swept under the rug and then it gets knocked off five years later,” Borys says, before remembering his Canadian manners. “I’ll be careful where I push that story. I don’t want to offend anyone.”