Opening next week at the Armani/ Teatro in Milan, timed in coordination with Milan Fashion Week, is an exhibition of 45 works – including 15 never before seen – by the elusive New York artist, Richard Hambleton. A follow-up to last September’s highly successful New York exhibit, “Richard Hambleton – New York” has been curated by Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld and Andy Valmorbida, in collaboration with Giorgio Armani.

Hambleton rose to fame in the early 1980’s when, like his contemporaries Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, he used the streets of New York as his canvas for visually arresting public art, most notably his “Shadowman” and “Crime Scene” series. Hambleton has been labeled “The Godfather of Street Art.”

The last surviving member of the “East Village Art Movement,” Hambleton saw what fame and drug use did to his close friends, and for the last 20 years has led a relatively reclusive life on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Despite a low public profile, Hambleton has continued to create and his works can be found in the permanent collections of The MoMA, the Brooklyn Museum, The Houston Museum of Fine Art, The Check Point Charlie Museum and The Zellermeyer in Berlin, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Austin Museum of Art, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, the Queens Museum, and Harvard University. He was chosen for the Venice Biennale in 1984.

According to curators Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld and Andy Valmorbida: “Richard Hambleton’s brush stroke as an artist is genius and is in a league of its own. Most significantly, he is the most important and influential living street artist in the world today, with a story and career that is unparalleled. It is also a privilege for us to collaborate again with Giorgio Armani and we are pleased to present it in such a prestigious space.”

And Armani says: “I have long been a fan of Richard Hambleton, so when the opportunity to host this exhibition presented itself, I felt I simply had to find a home for it in my hometown. Richard’s work is of the streets, and for me stands as a reminder that art in all its forms is first and foremost driven by individual passion and creativity.”

“Richard Hambleton – New York” is open to the public for two weeks, from March 1st to March 12th. The gallery at the Armani/ Teatro in Milan will be open Monday to Friday from 10am to 7pm. Of the 45 pieces, 30 works (including 15 never before seen works) will be for sale.

ARMANI / TEATRO
Via Bergognone 59
20144 Milano

*Images, from top: Richard Hambleton’s “Standing Shadow,” signed 2009, 80 x 36 in.; “Horse and Rider in Black & White,” 125.75 x 83 in.; and “6 Shadow Figures,” 72 x 240 in. All images courtesy of Nadine Johnson & Associates.

Last week, eight designer collections from the upcoming March Japan Fashion Week (March 22-28, 2010) were previewed at 82 Mercer in Soho during New York Fashion Week.

A collaboration between Japan Fashion Week (JFW) and JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), the event celebrated the designers’ foray into the American market. The eight designer imports included: aptform, CHAOLU lab, MIKIO SAKABE, Naoshi Sawayanagi, Shida Tatsuya, The Dress & Co. HIDEAKI SAKAGUCHI, tiny dinosaur and YU. Reoccurring elements? Combinations of textile exploration, design innovation and traditional roots.

To learn more about these designers and next month’s Japan Fashion Week, visit www.jfw.jp/en.

*From top, images from fashion collections by MIKIO SAKABE, Naoshi Sawayanagi, tiny dinosaur and a group shot. Event images courtesy of Williamson PR.

Opening tonight, the Brucennial 2010: Miseducation is adding some genuine excitement to the 2010 Whitney Biennial festivities.

Organized by the five anonymous players behind the artist collective Bruce High Quality Foundation and 23-year-old Vito Schnabel (the son of artist Julian Schnabel), Brucennial 2010 supposedly “brings together 420 artists from 911 countries working in 666 discrete disciplines.”

Known for witty and playful institutional critiques – their motto is “Professional problems. Amateur solutions.” – the group’s new show is getting a ton of hype. The results remain to be seen, but we do know one of ArtSlope’s favorites will be participating in the show: artist Mark Joshua Epstein.

Check it for yourself starting tomorrow at:

-350 W Broadway through April 12th and at
- Recess (41 Grand Street) through March 20th

*Images from Epstein‘s latest series, “Preserved Disaster,” which will be on display during the Brucennial. 16 x 20″, Oil on panel. Courtesy of the artist.

Combining style and substance, BAGGU’s collection of pretty, brightly colored bags makes it easy to be good and reuse.

Based on the shape of the classic plastic grocery bag, a BAGGU does the same job without harming the environment. According to the founders, using one BAGGU for one year replaces 300 to 700 disposable bags. And because reusable bags only reduce waste when you use them, BAGGU is super light weight, so it’s easy to keep with you for unexpected errands, and pretty enough that you’ll actually want to carry it.

The classic bags are made of lightweight, super-strong, rip-stop nylon, and the new “Duck Bag” tote is made of 100% recycled cotton canvas. On my own classic BAGGU test-drive, its strength was surprising. It easily handled, in turn, a ski-trip weekend’s sweaters, ski pants, hats and gloves, and a grocery outing, with no signs of strain.

One BAGGU holds the contents of 2 to 3 plastic grocery bags (up to 50 lbs.), and six bags hold a cart full of groceries. The bag features handles long enough to fit comfortably over the shoulder, and a large gusset in the bottom so they sit flat when filled (good for eggs & milk.) Yet they’re still light (2 oz.), and fold into a flat 5″ x 5″ pouch that easily slips into a purse or pocket so they’re handy when you need them. The bags come in a ton of colors, and retail between $3 and $18, depending on size and style, and are available at baggubag.com.

The BAGGU team believes that good design should be functional, beautiful and affordable. They also believe in “bright colors, high style, quality materials, and economy of use.” And, as they say, “Changing our own shopping habits is one small thing we can do to make a difference. Be Good and Reuse.”

*Images courtesy of BAGGU.

Dutch artist Irene Vlak‘s latest series, “Passionately Yours,” began when she decided to experiment with roses as paintbrushes. As she worked, she quickly realized the flowers themselves were works of art, and, wonderfully, captured them in these beautiful photographs.

Describing “Passionately Yours”, the New York-based Vlak says: “In our society, roses represent love. My intent was to create a more personal, individual expression out of this generic representation of love. Each rose represents a different and personal type of love. I started this project by using the roses as paint brushes, each creating a different texture and pattern. However, as I progressed, it became evident that the roses themselves were both the tools as well as the canvases I meant to portray.”

Over the last several years, Vlak has developed a uniquely signature style of contemporary printed art. In addition to stunning photographs, she makes large scale prints which transform specific photographic images into abstract representations of color and texture.
To see more of Vlak’s work, visit irenevlak.com.

*Images courtesy of Irene Vlak.

Bringing contemporary art into the public realm, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House presents How Many Billboards? Art in Stead, a large-scale urban exhibition of 21 newly commissioned works by leading artists, displayed on Los Angeles billboards during February and March 2010.

*Above: Billboard by avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger.
Location: Beverly Dr, north of Pico Blvd, on the west side of the street, facing southeast.

*Above: Billboard by multimedia artist Kori Newkirk.
Location: Wilshire Blvd, west of Hoover St, on the south side of the street, facing west

Describing the rationale behind the project, MAK Center Director Kimberli Meyer says: “Art should occupy a visible position in the cacophony of mediated images in the city, and it should do so without merely adding to the visual noise. How Many Billboards? Art In Stead proposes that art periodically displace advertisement in the urban environment.”

*Above: Billboard by film, video and installation artist Kerry Tribe.
Location: La Brea Ave, north of Venice Blvd, on the east side of the street, facing north.

“Billboards are a dominant feature of the landscape in Los Angeles,” Meyer says. “Thousands line the city’s thoroughfares, delivering high-end commercial messages to a repeat audience. Given outdoor advertising’s strong presence in public space, it seems reasonable and exciting to set up the possibility for art to be present in this field. The sudden existence of artistic speech mixed in with commercial speech provides a refreshing change of pace. Commercial messaging tells you to buy; artistic messaging encourages you to look and to think.”

*Above: Billboard by performer and filmmaker Yvonne Rainer, featurinf an enigmatic quote from Hollywood grand dame Marlene Dietrich: “I look good, I know. I can’t hear. I can’t see. But I look good.” Location: Pico Blvd, west of Fairfax Ave, on the south side of the street, facing west

How Many Billboards? Art in Stead is organized by MAK Center Director Kimberli Meyer with co-curators Lisa Henry, Dr. Nizan Shaked, and Dr. Gloria Sutton, and public art consultant Sara Daleiden.

If you’re in the L.A. area, you can visit the overview exhibit and orientation station at the Schindler House, 835 North Kings Road in West Hollywood. Bus tours are also available. Public hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (323) 651-1510.

For an up-to-the-minute map of the exhibited artwork locations, visit howmanybillboards.org.

*Images courtesy of MAK.

Now showing at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design: Portable Treasuries: Silver Jewelry from the Nadler Collection. Running through August 8th, the exhibit reveals over 150 silver works of art from one of the most comprehensive holdings of tribal, ethnic and contemporary jewelry in the world.

Husband and wife collectors Daniel and Serga Nadler acquired their 800+ piece silver jewelry collection over the course of 30 years on expeditions to countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Greece, India, Indonesia, Burma, Thailand, China, Mexico and the Western United States. The collection of contemporary silver jewelry ornaments was pledged as a promised gift to MAD.

“We started collecting silver jewelry as a lark, and over the years this has grown into a passion,“ says Daniel Nadler. “For centuries the jewelry a woman wore was a display of her family’s wealth and status. It also represented concrete value, since it could be pawned or sold in lean times. To Serga and me, the attraction of these pieces, created by various craftsmen in surprisingly simple workshops, is the artistic merit of their works. In our eyes they are indeed, as we talk about in our book: Silver: From Fetish to Fashion, pieces of wearable art.”

Portable Treasuries was curated by Dorothy Globus and Laura Stern.

Museum of Arts & Design is located at:
2 Columbus Circle
(at 59th Street and Broadway)
New York, NY 10019

Images, from top:
-Anonymous Maker, Miao Neckpiece, 20th century. Silver. 16 7/8 x 19 x 1/2 in.
-Anonymous Maker. Pair of Fibulae from Tiznit, Morocco, late 19th century, Silver. 17 1/2 x 14 x 1 in.
-Anonymous Maker, Pair of Cuffs from Gujarat, India, undated. Silver. Each: 6 x 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in.
-Anonymous Maker, Amulet from India, undated. Silver. 16 x 3 x 2 in. (left)
Anonymous Marker, Amulet from India, undated. Silver. 17 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 3 3/4 in. (right)
*All pieces from the Collection of Daniel and Serga Nadler. All photographs by John Bigelow Taylor.
*All images courtesy of MAD.

Debuting early next month, Aperture‘s new release, Zwelethu Mthethwa, is the first comprehensive monograph to offer an overview of this respected South African photographer’s career.

Since Apartheid’s fall in 1994, South African photography has emerged from the constraints of censorship to stand triumphantly on the world stage. One of the major players in this movement has been Zwelethu Mthethwa, whose work addresses the economic and political realities of present-day South Africa.

Working in urban and rural industrial landscapes, Mthethwa documents multiple aspects of South Africa—from domestic life and the environment, to landscape and labor issues. His large-scale portraits often portray rural immigrants on the margins of South African cities, revealing the efforts of his subjects to maintain their cultural identities through their choices in clothing, and the decoration of their dwellings and places of worship. The artist’s later work also addresses the evolving relation of South Africa to neighboring nations and to the global context.

In honor of the book’s release, Aperture has organized press events in New York City, Los Angeles, and at the Rochester Institute of Technology (where, notably, Mthethwa earned his master’s in imaging arts while on a Fulbright Scholarship) :

-Zwelethu Mthethwa and essayis Okwui Enwezor in Conversation
Tuesday, March 2, 6:30pm; Aperture Gallery, New York

-Artist’s Talk and Book Signing with Zwelethu Mthethwa
Thursday, March 4, 7:00 pm, The Hammer, Los Angeles

-Artist’s Alumni Events with Zwelethu Mthethwa
Thursday, March 11, 7:00 pm, RIT Carlson Auditorium (76-1125), New York

*Above: a portrait of the artist himself, Zwelethu Mthethwa

This collection is available for pre-order through Amazon.
*Images courtesy of Aperture.

Italian designer Stefano Bigi prides himself on elevating everyday items into coveted pieces. “I draw furniture for those who see a chair as much more than a seat with four legs or feet … If the design seduces, the comfort develops loyalty from the costumer.”

*Above: Bigi’s stackable Mademoiselle Chair for eXde by Cattaneo

“Design for me is an infinite, exasperated research towards the right balance between aesthetics and comfort, form and function,” Bigi says. “I try to create emotion, to invite people to sit or to use my furniture when they see it. My search goes towards those who disregard standards and uniformity, although with different needs and desires…”

*Above: Globos for La Cividina.

He continues: “I do not intend to create pieces for museum collections; my furniture is made to be lived and to live with its owners. These round and harmonic forms are always looking for an atmosphere, a peculiar environment, a separate space, a space apart … Home furniture which is no more a constraint but instead a desire. I also consider comfort at top value, as creating desire is just a side effect of my job. If the design seduces, the comfort develops loyalty from the costumer.”

*Above: Infinity Table for Porada

“A piece of furniture is not just a designer’s output to me: it is the result of the cooperation between the designer’s insight and manufacturer’s technical skills, between the form and the technical imperatives. Achieving a balance between innovation and rationalization is the engine pushing me towards new horizons.”

*Above: Molecule for La Cividina.

*Images courtesy of Stefano Bigi Design.

Alexander Purcell‘s Spiro chair for APPRO- which earned ‘Best Product’ honors at the 2010 California Home and Design awards (CH+D Awards)- features a raised, heat-formed pattern. Employing CNC milling and formed Corian (a material commonly found in kitchen countertops), the Spiro chair allows for limited-run customization of the seatback. That means that this clean-lined chair’s seatback can be completely redefined to suit whatever its environment or owner may wish.

Says Purcell, “From a technical point of view, we can basically mill what ever someone desires to an 1/8″ tolerance. There are obviously structural limitations to how much surface we can cut all the way through.” For the Spiro’s launch, Purcell’s engraving was inspired by the spirograph (hence the name).

Embracing the ideals of Californian living, Spiro’s weatherproof materials and relaxed stance make it a comfortable fit for either interior or outdoor environments.

For further info and pricing contact info@aprro.com
*Images courtesy of Alexander Purcell.