FLORENCE - Pitti Uomo

Palazzo Pitti – The Apartment of the Duchess of Aosta. The guest of honor at Pitti Immagine Uomo was H.R.H. Prince Michael of Kent. Above, he is being shown round the The London Cut. Savile Row Bespoke Tailoring exhibition by it’s curator James Sherwood and by Pitti Immagine’s president, Count Gaetano Marzotto and his beautiful wife Albertina. They are looking at the bespoke navy yachting blazer and white flannel trousers inspired by King George V who was known as 'The Sailor King'. The ensemble was made in 2006 by Davies and Son, the Savile Row tailors were established over two hundred years ago. Davies & Son had the Royal Warrant of H. M. King George V, grandfather of H.R.H. Prince Michael of Kent.

Palazzo Pitti – The Apartment of the Duchess of Aosta. Pitti Immagine Uomo, celebrates Savile Row, the historic London street, that for over two hundred years has been the home to the world’s most exclusive tailors. The London Cut. Savile Row Bespoke Tailoring is a three part program: an exhibition in the apartment of the Duchess of Aosta, inside Palazzo Pitti, until February 14^th, curated by James Sherwood and designed by Luca Trevisani. A Book, edited by James Sherwood and co-published by Fondazione Pitti Discovery and Marsilio Editori. And, finally, a showcase, at Villa Vittoria, featuring a select group of the Row’s tailors. “This edition of Pitti Uomo is dedicated to the spirit of a redefined elegance.” says Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine.

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FLORENCE - Pitti Uomo

Luisa Via Roma. During Pitti Immagine Uomo and until January 31^st, the window of Luisa Via Roma, the multi brand boutique, is showing a video installation created by artist, Felice Limosani. Called Under My Skin, the videos are inspired by the conceptual themes of Alexander McQueen Puma collection; The anatomy of the body, body scanning and x-ray visual techniques.The monitors feature a parallel run of a puma and a man. The installation will be exhibited in galleries and stores in several cities worldwide.

The Fortezza da Basso. A pair of white winkle-picker sneakers, with black trim and metallic puma tag on a metal chain designed by Alexander McQueen for Puma, were shown at the Puma stand during Pitti Immagine Uomo.
Contessanally tips: click on blue links for instant access to their website. Click on photograph to enlarge.

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FLORENCE - Pitti Uomo

Luisa Via Roma Boutique. Lapo Elkann, heir to the Fiat automobile company, launched Italia Independent, or (I-I), that’s ‘eye-eye’ for short, at Luisa Via Roma. Lapo is photographed with Andrea Panconesi, Luisa Via Roma’s creative and talented owner. Italia Independent is a nomadic dynamic brand set up to produce unique unisex innovative objects for independent people who refuse mass standardization and who are seekers of beauty over designer names or status symbols. The first in a series is a pair of sunglasses, named Server, made entirely in carbon. All I-I products are 100% conceived, developed and produced in Italy. They will be sold mainly online through www.Italiaindependent.com or at very select fashions stores around the world.

Detail: Nominated three times consecutively on Vanity Fair’s Best dressed List, style guru, Lapo Elkann is wearing jeans, sneakers and T shirt by laid-back Brazilian fashion label Osklen. The belt is a hand made tie in the tricolor of Italy. Each bracelet has it’s own story; the blue cord is from Brazil and the silver cuff comes from Tiffany & Co. “We are all on the look out for happiness” Lapo commentated.

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FLORENCE - Pitti Uomo

Gilli. Just to give you a sense of place, I am in Florence for Pitti Uomo. And, aren’t these typical Florentine cookies tempting in the windows of Gilli? Gilli, on Piazza della Repubblica, is the oldest café in Florence and dates back to 1773. It is still The meeting place for an aperitif. Seen here, are the famous Tuscan almond Cantucci biscuits, which should be served with Vinsanto to dip them into.

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CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK

The tradition of the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, began in 1933, it marks the beginning of the holiday season for many New York City visitors and residents. It was set aglow this year, with 30000 colored lights, by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, singer, Lionel Richie and stars, Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. Martina McBride, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Sting and Bette Midler performed during the lighting ceremony. And, you'll get quite a thrill skating there in the evenings as the golden god Prometheus looks on just below the tree. I’ll be home for Christmas, so I better get going. Happy Holidays to you all.
www.rockefellercenter.com

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CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK

The highlight of my forty-eight hour stop over in New York was my visit to Engine Three, Ladder Twelve firehouse at half past midnight. I had noticed that the fire engines in New York have wreaths on the engine and wanted to get a picture. Immediately, Robert Costa and Robert Zucal invited me in and willingly posed for a photograph. They were so kind and friendly. I found more Christmas spirit inside the firehouse than anywhere else in the city. Did you know the motto for FDNY firefighters is, New York’s Bravest?
http://ufalocal94.org

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CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK

John Derian himself peeps from behind the Christmas tree in his shop laden with the most beautiful ornaments, especially created from antique ones for his store. This is my favorite store in New York, there are one thousand goodies to discover, beginning with John’s decoupage-ware. The store was packed with celebrities, and you know they know where to shop. “I love Christmas because it's the day following the busiest few weeks of the year at my shop. I love being able to collapse into the metaphorical arms of my friends and celebrate the joyous holiday with them." John Derian
www.johnderian.com

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CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK

Am I back in Miami Beach? As I mentioned below, in the Miami blog, Andy Warhol was the most represented artist (in twenty two galleries) at Art Basel Miami Beach. The Barney’s Christmas windows called Happy Andy Warhol-idays, take you through Andy Warhol’s life from the 1950s to the 1990’s and though they are not at all traditional, they are great fun. On the side window there are portraits of Warhol, created by the children of The East Harlem School, the proceeds of these will benefit the school. “Art is what you can get away with.” Andy Warhol.
www.barneys.com www.artbasel.com www.eastharlemschool.org

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CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK

A forty eight hour stop-over in New York for a little bit of Christmas spirit and shopping. I was looking for a New York City Father Christmas, to balance the South Beach one, but I just didn’t come across one, not even in the department stores or on the streets; Uptown, Downtown, Eastside, Westside, nothing. This Christmas Bunny is the best I can do, isn’t she sexy? She is the Dreamgirl on a life-size poster at Ricky’s NYC. Ricky’s is a funky drugstore that caters to everyone from teenagers to Hollywood celebrities, their stylists and the fashionistas. It’s a fun store, it is also great for little unusual gadgets. Their motto is “Beauty is what you make it!
www.rickys-nyc.com

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MIAMI

Miami Beach. It is strange to see Father Christmas on the beach. After all the parties and the overdose of art, design, photographs, the sun, the summer clothes and sandals. It’s difficult to come back to reality and realize that Christmas is just two weeks away. So let me end the Miami segment with this unusual “postcard” of Father Christmas A.K.A. Mike Russo on the beach. Each year after Halloween Mr. Russo grows a beard and parades up and down the streets, with his sugar candy canes as walking sticks. His fondest memory of Christmas is of a Victorola phonograph playing a scratchy record of I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus Underneath the mistletoe last night....

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MIAMI

The Moore Space - Design District. Clamor, is the name of the exhibition by Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla at The Moore Space. Allora and Calzadilla have taken up the genre of war music as the basis for a new body of work. This large sculptural form serving as a hybrid chamber resembles, perhaps a bunker, a meteorite, a ruin, a cave and or a sound booth which accommodates musicians playing war songs.
www.themoorespace.org

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MIAMI

Design Miami - The Moore Building. Blurred Boundaries:Design as Culture, was the title of the final talks during Design Miami. Cooper Hewitt’s, Barbara Bloemink moderated artist, Michele Oka Doner, designer Tom Dixon and architect, Zaha Hadid.
www.designmiami.com www.ndm.si.edu www.micheleokadoner.com www.tomdixon.net www.zaha-hadid.com

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MIAMI

Design Miami - The Moore Building. Seen at the Moore Building, Mickey Wolfson. Mr. Wolfson is the founder of The Wolfsonian-Fiu Museum in Miami. Asked about Art Basel, he commented “It’s the world’s fair of human endearing in the arts.”
www.wolfsonian.org www.artbasel.com

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MIAMI

The Comunidad Warehouse - Wynwood Art District. Seen at the Comunidad Warhouse, The Cut-Out Army, 2006, an installation by Puerto Rican, Miami based artist, Carlos Betancourt. The one hundred and one, life size, cut out photographic portraits of local personalities, remind me of the ancient Chinese terracotta warriors.
www.carlosbetancourt.com

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Photograph by Barbara Hulanicki
MIAMI

Miami Beach. My hostess, Barbara Hulanicki’s apartment is silver grey with shots of orange and shocking pink. Very Miami. Above is a detail of the kitchen with her collection of promotional 1950s glass vases from Sears. I will miss her when I leave tomorrow. We had a wonderful time together. Thank you very much.
http://www.barbarahulanickidesign.com/
www.barbarahulanickidesign.com www.sears.com

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MIAMI

Nada – Wynwood Art District. Seen at the Cereal Art, Philadelphia, booth, a multiple by Turner Prize finalist, Phil Collins. The Wrong Gallery Installation, 2006, a limited series of 500 pieces, $750. It depicts doll like figures of Maurizio Cattelan, Ali Subotnick and Massimiliano Gioni who have been running The Wrong Gallery since 2002, a miniscule exhibition space in Chelsea, New York, a no budget, non profit, exhibition space.
www.newartdealers.org. www.cerealart.com www.mauriziocattelan.org www.tate.org.uk

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MIAMI

Nada - Wynwood Art District. After all the art, it was so refreshing to see a performance. The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York and Altoids presented Classic Readings in American schlock. The New Museum curated a dose of subversive humor and contemporary critique into the go-go market drtiven culture of the art fair. A roaster of cutting edge artists, curators, collector, critics and art world personalities read aloud classic lowbrow works of American letters. Above, Henrietta Huldisch and Sue de Beer read from The Valley of the Dolls by Jaqueline Susann.
www.newartdealers.org. www.newmuseum.org www.altroids.com

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MIAMI

Nada – Wynwood Art District. Seen at the Momenta Art, Brooklyn, an installation called Transmigration of the sold, 2006 by Yoko Inoue. Inoue, utilizes cheap souvenirs from Asian markets with which she calls attention to the evolution of consumer production and the deep meaning even the most mundane objects can convey. Momenta Art is a non profit organization whose mission is to promote the work of emerging artists.
www.newartdealers.org. www.momentaart.org www.yokophoto.com

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MIAMI

Photo Miami - Wynwood Art District. Seen in the Bernard Toale Gallery, Boston, Martin Schoeller's gigantic brutal portraits of Valentino (see above) and an unrecognizable Micky Rouke, 2006, $6,700. Schoeller is known for his stripped-down faces, straightforward portraits of the famous and unknown. However, I doubt, after this unflattering portrait, he will ever be asked to photograph a Valentino advertising campaign.
www.artfairsinc.com. www.martintoalegallery.com www.Valentino.com

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MIAMI

Photo Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen in the Charles Guice Contemporary gallery, Berkeley, Carrie Mae Weems’s In De Sica’s Light, from the Roaming series, 2006, $30,000, an edition of ten photographs. I loved the elegance and the spirituality of this photograph.
www.artfairsinc.com www.charlesguice.com

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MIAMI

Photo Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen in the Galerie f5,6, Munich, a take on the controversy about anorexic models, a photograph by Olaf Martes, entitled, Ballett 240 Tonnen, Natasha, Sveta, Ulyana, Vika, Shuvalovski Dvorets, 2003, $ 5.500. There are only two left of in the edition of ten photographs.
www.artfairsinc.com www.f56.net

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MIAMI

Photo Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen at the Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles, Tseng Kwong Chi’s Rome, Italy (Coliseum, Night), 1989, photograph, $ 6,500. This photograph brought back memories of the 1980’s in Milan of Kwong Chi photographing Keith Haring. During the ‘80s Kwong Chi shot over 50.000 photographs of Haring.
www.stephencohengallery.com www.haring.com www.artfairsinc.com

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MIAMI

Photo Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen in the Brancolini Grimaldi Arte Contemporanea gallery, Florence, booth, Italian photographer, Massimo Vitali’s Coney Wheel Horizontal, $ 24,000, gigantic photograph. Massimo’s work is coveted by movie stars, amongst whom; Rupert Everett and Cameron Diaz.

www.artfairsinc.com www.brancolinigrimaldi.com www.massimovitali.com www.cameron-diaz.com

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MIAMI

Pulse Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen in the Impulse section of Pulse Miami at the Bitforms Gallery, New York, Lincoln Schatz’s Cluster, 2006, $ 50,000. Cluster, is a big computer screen that daily accrues thin slices of video from its environment and store them onto a computer. On-screen, time is reorganized. It is like living with another person and seeing your life through their eyes.
www.pulse-art.com www.bitforms.com www.lincolnschatz.com

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MIAMI

Pulse Miami – Wynwood Art District. Though the Pulse Miami fair got really good reviews for my untrained eye and tastes I have to agree with the sign outside the tent that says "Je ne regrette rein”!
www.pulse-art.com

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MIAMI

Scope Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen at the Magnan Emrich, New York, Cuban artist, Francis Acea’s Money, 2006, $ 15,000. The painting also comes in a small and medium size. Acea, works with other icon signs like the plus sign, the AOL person and the bomb. The dollar painting represents “Whatever the collector wants.” Acea explains.
www.scope-art.com www.magnanemrich.com www.francisacea.com www.aol.com

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MIAMI

Scope Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen at the Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, New York, Alan Rath’s digital video sculpture entitled, Optical Cylinder II, 2006, $35,000. Rath commented on his electronic works "I don't know why people are so alienated from machinery. The next Freud will figure out why we perceive that stuff as external and different."
www.scope-art.com www.brycewolkowitz.com www.alanrath.org

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MIAMI

Scope Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen at the Dam, Stuhltrager Gallery, Brooklyn, Urban Development, 2006 an installation by Brose Partington. The card towers or packs of cards inflate and deflate at random. Sold as an installation $16.000.
www.scope-art.com www.damstuhltrager.com www.brosepartington.com

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MIAMI

Scope Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen at the Moti Hasson Gallery, New York, Shirley Shor’s Terra Infirma, 2005, new media installation. Abstract lines are projected in real-time motion on sand, creating an organic architecture. For Shor, the idea of space is politically charged: to draw a line is to divide, to include and exclude at once.
www.scope-art.com www.motihasson.com www.shirleyshor.net

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MIAMI

Scope Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen at the Angell Gallery, Toronto, booth, Jakub Dolejs, The Tribune, 2006. Photography records history in one way and painting records it in another. This large photographic work is called The Tribune (Louvre Remix), $16,000. Like Djs mix music tracks using digital technology, Dolejs uses photoshop to paint his photographs.
www.scope-art.com www.angellgallery.com www.jakubdolejs.com www.louvre.fr

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MIAMI

Scope Miami – Wynwood Art District. Seen at The Proposition gallery, New York, director, Ronald Sosinski. Is he more interestingly dressed than the art works? He is wearing a Dries Van Norton suit, Emma Hope sneakers, an embroidered shirt bought in St. Barths and a pin by Mark Titchner, short listed for the Tuner Prize, that reads, Why Not!
www.scope-art.com www.theproposition.com www.emmahope.co.uk www.tate.org.uk

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MIAMI

Scope Miami – Wynwood Art District. One of the other thirteen art fairs going on during Art Basel Miami Beach is Scope Miami. Situated in the Wynwood art district, Scope promotes up-and-coming dealers, curators, and artists. At the entrance, alongside Range Rover’s new Land Rover jeep is an installation by Augustina Woodgate called Where The Wild Things Grow, 2006, it is presented by the Spinello Gallery, Miami.
www.artbasel.com www.scope-art.com www.agustinawoodgate.com www.spinellogallery.com www.landroverusa.com

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MIAMI

Seen at the Jack Pierson’s book signing party at The Raleigh Hotel. Icon photographer, Bruce Weber is also in town to promote his latest book, Sex and Words, photographs inspired by the work of D.H. Lawrence, with drawings by Frank Stanley and, published in a limited edition by Visionaire.
www.raleighhotel.com www.bruceweber.com www.visionaireworld.com

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