The Curated Collection Archives - Page 9 of 12

The Curated Collection | Cy Twombly

Remember the jaw-droppingly gorgeous floor from Catherine Kwong‘s rock ‘n’ roll lounge at the 2013 San Francisco Decorator Showcase? I can’t stop thinking about it, and more to the point, wishing I had a client courageous enough to allow me to make such unabashedly artistic gestures in their home. I loved Catherine’s process, and the storied and curated inspiration for her room – from Mick and Bianca Jagger and the rock ‘n’ roll glam culture they helped to create; to the hum and vibe of backstage life; to the iconic art of Cy Twombly, the direct inspiration for that inspiring floor.

So today I’m taking some time to sit and savour – like sipping a fine wine – the artist who inspired Catherine’s spectacular art floor: Cy Twombly.

Born in 1928, Twombly was known for his large-scale, freely scribbled, calligraphic-style graffiti paintings. Painted on solid fields of mostly gray, tan, or off-white, it is their graphic simplicity bursting with emotion that sets them apart and has led to his work being exhibited and collected around the globe.

His approach to painting blurred the lines between painting and drawing, making lines and gestures subject matter unto themselves, holding their own next to traditional landscapes and figurative work.

Twombly was influential amongst his peers, and an agent of discomfort for critics in the postwar era of art. He had a capacity to polarize his audience – from discomfort to passionate admiration of his boldness.

How do you respond to the gestural work of Cy Twombly? Confusion? Admiration?

My hope is he inspires all of us to push the boundaries of exploration and expression. He certainly succeeded with Catherine Kwong, and I tip my hat to them both.

Happy Monday!
xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|April 29th, 2013|0 Comments

The Curated Collection | Brent Boechler

I have long been an admirer of the work of abstract artist Brent Boechler. To describe the draw is to describe something altogether visceral. I simply connect with the work on an intuitive level – the colour, the composition, the juxtaposition of chance and intention.

Though not at all literal, there is something of the human connection implied in Boechler’s abstraction.

Perhaps it is the collision of chaos and beauty that speaks to me – a filtering of what is real into something conceptual and therefore more palatable in its limitations.

What is it about abstract art that speaks to you? Can you put words on it, or do the words feel rather like an ill-fitting dress put on a beautiful girl? That is how it is for me with Brent’s work, so I will stop stitching together the ill-fitting garment of sentences and instead wish you an inspired Monday, filled with beauty that cannot be put into words.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|April 22nd, 2013|0 Comments

The Curated Collection | Jessica Backhaus

“To see the world in a grain of sand,

to see heaven in a wild flower,

hold infinity in the palm of your hands,

and eternity in an hour.”

William Blake

I’ve been learning to slow down and leave room for contemplation of late. Sometimes we learn this on our own, sometimes circumstances thrust this change upon us, but it is always a lesson to be received with gratitude. The usual pace of life had me missing far too many of the fleeting yet beautiful details, and it’s only in slowing down that we become more apt observers of ourselves and the world around us.

I feel I see that practice of – slowing down to see things through fresh eyes – through the lens of art photographer Jessica Backhaus. Her “I Wanted To See The World Series” has reminded me that beauty is often reflected back for us to admire if we only take the time to see it clearly.