Echo is proud to congratulate Nadia Klionsky-Olidort for receiving the Florence and Irwin Zlowe Memorial Award for her painting "Reflections."  The award was given by the The National Association of Women Artists which was founded in 1889 and is the oldest professional women's fine art organization in the United States. Nadia has been a studio artist at Echo for 9 years working with our designers by painting and preparing artwork for Echo's scarf collections.

This painting “Reflections” is oil on canvas, as most of her other works are.  While traveling through Maine and the greater New England some years ago, Nadia said "I was struck by the remarkable similarity between Cathedral woods on Monhegan Island and the Russian countryside where I spent many summer growing up. I'm engrained in this reminiscence, this reminder of the relativity of time that I try to convey."

Nadia was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she began her art training at a school affiliated with the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts. After immigrating with her family to the United States she attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, where she continued her studies with an emphasis on landscape painting. Nadia said "As far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated by nature- its majesty, mystery, and above all else, the absolute sense of timelessness. I have been enchanted by atmospheric conditions that produce fog and haze, evoking the still mood of tranquility. I have been drawn to scenes that convey the passage of time, such as twilight, sunsets and sunrises. What is important to me the most is not just a rendition of a realistic landscape, but the feeling, mood, and emotions that it inspires. I am most interested in capturing the poetry of these moments, and in this sense, my point of view is similar to the "Tonalist" school of painters." Tonalist is a 19th century American art movement that includes James Whistler, Frederic Church and George Inness. Nadia's work is represented by 2 galleries in Maine, in Kennebunkport and in Portland.

"Reflections" by Nadia Klionsky-Olidort

Last week, on Thursday, May 20th, 6 paintings (including works by Matisse and Picasso) valued at $124 million were stolen from the Paris Museum of Modern Art. When paintings are stolen and we get past the obvious questions about how the theft was orchestrated and what was the dollar value, we're left with the enormity of the real loss: the fact that we, as a society, no longer have access to specific artistic works crucial to the art world and our history. These works are representations of techniques that became whole artistic movements illustrating cultural trends from hundreds of years ago. This isn't just stealing a diamond necklace or an expensive car.  These paintings, although valued in the millions of dollars, really are priceless in terms of our shared global culture. I remember the first time I saw Vincent Van Gogh's "The Starry Night". I'd seen photos of it over the years since it's such a popular piece -  but to stand where Van Gogh stood, with my face inches from the canvas, to see, up close, the lines of the bristles from the paintbrush, the texture of the swirling starlight, and think of Van Gogh moving the brush through the thick paths of paint, the year 1889 folded into 1996 and back again like a shockwave and then stood still. Everything went silent. I was overwhelmed by weight of the decades between his brush on the painting and me standing there looking at it. 

  Vincent Van Gogh "The Starry Night" -1889

Museums are stately shrines beautifully decorated and cared for, built for the sheer purpose of displaying these works of art for anyone and everyone to appreciate.  The Paris Museum of Modern Art happens to be a esteemed institution that is a part of the fabric of the city of Paris.  And yet someone just broke a padlock and a window, and without any respect to the time or talent it took to create these paintings, without any impression of the generations of people who have viewed it, the years that have passed, the hours of painstaking care by museum staff, just cut the canvas out of the frame, stuffed it in a bag and walked out. On one hand one would think the person(s) knew the value, otherwise, why try? But by knowing the monetary enough to want to steal it, why not value the intrinsic value?? Could you have brought a nice case maybe? Or better yet, take a photo and leave the painting on the wall. And then go get a job. 

2 of the paintings taken from the Paris Museum of Modern Art May 20, 2010:   Henri Matisse "Pastoral" -1905;   Pablo Picasso "Dove with Green Peas" -1912.

It's common knowledge that due to the high profile of these paintings and the ensuing publicity of the theft, that these paintings can't be easily re-sold.  Not to an art lover of course, which one would hope at least that they would go to.  But they are sold - usually as collateral for weapons or drug deals.  So these paintings are now out there being manhandled and thrown into the back of a van, merely pawns in a drug or weapons war for territory.  No one can legitimately buy these because that may implicate them in the crime just by sheer possession. However, maybe a drug lord decides he likes one of them and he puts it up on the wall of his sprawling estate.  HE can. Because, who's really going to report that he has them? He's a drug lord. I've seen Miami Vice. I know what happens to a narc. 

The art world does list the thefts in the Art Loss Register but most often, sadly the works are never recovered, often destroyed or left to languish, abandoned, unlabeled in basements or buried. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark anyone? In 1990, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston suffered one of the most expensive and embarrassing thefts of paintings that, to this day, have never been recovered. With new DNA testing advances investigators may be able to find some evidence to pursue these thieves, but the statute of limitations ran out 5 years after the crime.  THAT is a crime in itself.  That theft, as expensive in dollars as it was, also dealt a sizable blow to our art collection as a whole.  One of the paintings stolen was Rembrandt's only seascape, "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee" painted 377 years ago. Another was Vermeer's "The Concert" painted in 1664. This was one of only 35 works attributed to Vermeer and, yet despite that small portfolio, he is considered to be one of the finest painters of the Dutch Golden Age. Perhaps that is why 'The Concert' is now worth an estimated $200 million. Now it's gone. The worst part was that the theft highlights the easily avoidable and embarrassing mistakes of the museum's security who fell for the oldest trick in the book: "It's the police. Open up!"  Seriously, we protect our banks with 4 feet of solid lead, but the museum has a buzzer on the door?  The museum still displays the empty frames where they were left on the wall because Gardner's will expressed that the collection should remain unchanged. It did - kind of.  

Matisse said: "Expression, for me, does not reside in passions glowing in a human face or manifested by violent movement. The entire arrangement of my picture is expressive; the place occupied by the figures, the empty spaces around them, the proportions, everything has its share."

What do you think he would say about what these 'empty spaces' art theft creates? Does art theft inadvertently play a role in increasing the value of the paintings that are left behind? Are the 'empty spaces' left by art theft necessary to our understanding and appreciation of the art world as a whole?  Does the price of a painting change the effect it has on us?  Regardless, if we value these works simply for the sheer talent and vision in their creation it took to create them, and the emotional message they relate to each viewer from the artist, the holes left behind by art theft are truly priceless AND 'empty.'

"I do not literally paint that table, but the emotion it produces upon me. I am unable to make any distinction between the feeling I get from life and the way I translate that feeling into painting." -Henri Matisse

2 of the paintings taken from the Gardner Museum in 1990: Rembrandt van Rijn  "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee." -1633; Johannes Vermeer "The Concert" -1664

"It often seems to me that the night is much more alive and richly colored than the day." Van Gogh said this September 8, 1888, right before he painted his famous 'The Starry Night.' Van Gogh was fascinated with using color to portray darkness and the night sky but painting at night wasn't particularly easy to do in the late 19th century. So he relied on his memory and his imagination. "The Starry Night" was loosely based on Saint Remy and the Alpilles mountain range but the sky itself is all imagination. From MOMA, "In the open skies Van Gogh perceived formidable forces in nature capable of providing consulation amid life's daily adversities and evoking eternity." Van Gogh said "I have a tremendous need for... religion, so I go outside to paint the stars. " So it's easy to understand why his ability to finally portray what he saw in his mind's eye became truly one of the most important works of art. The Museum of Modern Art currently has an exhibit called "Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night" that explores his letters and his favorite literary works that gave him inspiration for his paintings. They also have an interesting interactive overview on the website.

Nighttime technically is the opposite of day but beyond that, nightfall does cast a bit of an interesting twist to things doesn't it? Things are a bit more exciting and mysterious because of the dark sky and shadows - and let's admit, who doesn't look good in candlelight? Much of the '40s noir genre films were shot at night - in the rain - with a siren wailing in the distance - or a single, mournful saxophone .... and the soft, eerie, drifting, silent smoke from a long cigarette..... . Anyhow, whether you're waiting on the tarmac for a plane to somewhere else or "...of all the bars she had to walk into this one, " here are a few Starry Night suggestions for your ... starry nights. Here's lookin' at you, kid.

Encrusted Collar;  Ombre Square with Coins Scarf;  High Shine Metallic Wrap; Topstitched driver gloves; Cascade Ruffle Vest

While on a trip to London recently, we came across this beautiful display of umbrellas.   It is part of a series of outdoor art installations across the United Kingdom called the Big Art Project.  This particular location is outside London's Channel 4 TV station and the idea is to either integrate the giant number 4 logo into the piece or to attach the artwork to it. Each installation is created by an artist whose idea was voted upon by a panel of artists, local community members, gallery owners and staff from Channel 4.   This work is titled "Shelter" and was created using umbrella's from the city transport's lost & found store. The artist, Stephanie Imbeau, said  ‘(the umbrellas) would have a transformative effect on the steel structure, softening it and making it almost plant-like.’

If you're in the UK or planning a visit, go to http://www.bigartmob.com/ to see a map of locations of other 'big art' installations. And you can also submit any that you come across.

What is the single most important art object of the 20th century?

Marcel Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel.

Why? Simply because, when it was created in 1913, it generated such outrage by the public that it launched a whole new way of thinking about art and the definition of Modern Art. As you can see, this piece is a bicycle wheel attached to the top of a common kitchen stool. Think about this in the context of 1913. Art at that time was primarily defined by earlier movements such as Impressionism - meaning people were used to seeing watercolor paintings of flowers. That's art, they said. But here comes Duchamp with this wheel on a stool and we are supposed to call it art. We're outraged! Also keep in mind that in the early 1900s the bicycle was a new but very popular form of transportation. 10 million people owned bicycles by 1900. 'The wheel is functional,' they said. 'How can we look at that and appreciate anything other than the spokes and tire that get us jolly well 'round to the market or the corner store for the evening paper?' You may have had this same reaction the first time you viewed Warhol's painting of the Campbell's soup can. It's a can. With soup in it. This is art? Why, yes, it is. It's Modern Art.

The official definition of Modern art is sculpture, architecture, and graphic arts characteristic of the 20th century and of the later part of the 19th century. Modern art embraces a wide variety of movements, theories, and attitudes whose modernism resides particularly in a tendency to reject traditional, historical, or academic forms and conventions in an effort to create an art more in keeping with changed social, economic, and intellectual conditions. It's this last characteristic that most helps define an object as Modern Art. Duchamp switched the roles: he made the viewer the artist. The viewer became a part of the object. Duchamp was inviting the viewer to decide for himself whether to consider this art or a joke.

Moma.org currently has a whole series of interviews by highschool students with curators at the Museum on various topics, including this one. Joachim Pissarro, curator in the department of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, answers, in depth, this question of what is Modern Art. He discusses Duchamp's work as well as defines further what is art, how to view modern art vs. a traditional painting, and so much more. These kids ask every question you ever wanted to ask about art. Take a look! Enjoy!

Most of us experience a piece of art only after it is completed - such as watercolors or oil paintings hung on the walls of a museum or in our homes. There is so much to interpret and question not only about the artist's meanings but also their methods in creating their piece of work as well as the colors they choose.  Many artists have unique styles. Jackson Pollock developed his painting technique into a whole movement called 'action painting.'  His 'drip' style of painting eliminated traditional brushes, palettes and easels.  Pollock said, "My painting does not come from the easel. I prefer to tack the unstretched canvas to the hard wall or the floor. I need the resistance of a hard surface. On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting."

Artist Zach Smithey's style and process is similar to Pollock's - from mixing the paints, to laying out the 3 huge canvases, to standing all 3 up on end and watching the paints run in rivers of color to the floor.  This beautiful video combines the work of 2 artists, a painter and a musician - both inspired by color.  It shows Smithey's creative process - his 'painting in action' - with the soundtrack provided by the Chamber Music Society of New York performing Olivier Messiaen's "Quartet for the End of Time: Movement 7." 

Smithey says, "Colors I depict in my art are an emotional response to sound. I use color to pay homage to the impermanence on sound. Sound travels space and time. My paintings and sculptures are an attempt to bring permanence to an impermanent medium."

Messiaen's method for composition was also unique.  He believed that birds were the 'greatest musicians' and found their songs facsinating.  He also experienced a mild form of synaesthesia manifested as a perception of colours when he heard certain harmonies, particularly harmonies built from his modes, and he used combinations of these colours in his compositions.  This is why this particular video is so powerful: it combines the color and the music almost as if one has a hand in creating the other.

“I am…affected by a kind of synopsia, found more in my mind than in my body, which allows me, when I hear music, and equally when I read it, to see inwardly, in the mind’s eye, colors which move with the music, and I sense these colors in an extremely vivid manner… For me certain complexes of sound and certain sonorities are linked to complexes of color, and I use them in full knowledge of this.”
—Olivier Messiaen, in conversation with Claude Samuel, 1976

"The music of French composer Olivier Messiaen is inextricably connected to color. Messiaen was synesthetic—when he heard music, he saw colors. Although Messiaen’s chamber music masterpiece, the Quartet for the End of Time, tells a powerful religious story, the music is nevertheless intensely colorful in a tradition dating back to the French Impressionists. Tristan Cook, the brilliant young filmmaker whose work has illuminated Chamber Music Society events in the past, gives us a provocative interpretation of the work that explores the colorful side of Messiaen."
—David Finckel, Co-Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society

 (Thanks to wikipedia and chambermusicsociety.org for information for this post.)

Enjoy!

Irving Penn died on October 7, 2009.  For anyone who loves photography and art, Irving Penn’s work which is so clear, honest and elegant awakens all the senses.  Penn worked in fashion photography, most notably for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, but his portraits of famous people are what stand out.  His images are striking -  striking for their black and white composition and for their intensity.  It is as if the camera has become a mirror of the subject’s soul.  Somehow Irving Penn, through all his talents, had a way of connecting with his subjects and revealing what is so special not just about the subject but about life.  It is the power of connecting with others, of understanding each other, of taking the time to really hear each other and share in a way that gets to the essence of things: our joys, our concerns, our troubles and our passions.
A year or so ago there was a great exhibit at the JP Morgan Library called: Close Encounters.  Irving Penn Portraits of Artists and Writers.  As described the photographs were unbelievably magnetic.  What I found as engaging was the clothing worn by Penn’s subjects, such as Truman Capote, Pablo Picasso, Yves Saint Laurent and others.  Was it the times?  Was it the artist being photographed?  Was it somehow Penn’s sensitivity to fashion and design?  Everyone was so smartly dressed.  The silhouettes seemed so modern.  You could almost touch each thread of fabric and see each shade of color, all in that rich black and white image.
Today, with everyone linked to screens and devices, seeing Penn’s images is not about looking at the past.  It is much more about seeing how life can be seen.  As seen through an artist’s eyes Penn’s subjects are revealed with a sense of beauty and refinement.  What a gift he created and left to us.  - Steven

Top left: Truman Capote; Top Right: Yves Saint Laurent; Middle left: Jasper Johns; Middle Right: Georgia O'Keefe

Bottom left: Jean Costeau; Bottom Right: Truman Capote.  All photos by Irving Penn

What a thrill to view Richard Avedon’s fashion photography spanning the better half of the 20th century at the ICP (International Center of Photography).  His images and craftsmanship work on so many levels.  Much of the work is in black and white.  The photographs are clean, bold, and full of action and life.  It is fascinating to see some of the most beautiful fashion models dressed in elegant gowns roller skating across European cities, or posing with elephants or circus clowns.   The contrasts between characters or characters with their fashionable clothing and their locations are so powerful.  Avedon found the richness in every little detail as if his role as photographer was more of a film director.  His sense of composition is strong and dynamic.  This is exhibited either through the model and their position or movement (in some photos you wonder how the person is even holding the pose) or the framing.  In all cases we are drawn, irresistibly, into the image and the world created.  And what a world.  Full of elegance, passion, beauty and romance.  There are no outward concerns in Avedon’s photographs.  As is also true of this wonderful exhibit that reminds us of what can be in art, photography and in fashion.  Enjoy.

Photo credit: Richard Avedon Foundation 2009

Summertime is great for so many reasons, but one of my favorite reasons is that the warm weather allows us to integrate nature and the arts.  In New York City, nature is a hot commodity: a 4' x 4' foot roofdeck with grass and a tree is considered exotic.  But city planners have granted us several beautiful and spacious parks right in the middle of all this concrete for all visitors to enjoy.  Central Park is by far the largest and most elaborate of these parks and Conservancy has quite a schedule of summer concerts.  Tonight the New York Philharmonic will be performing Mahler's Symphony #1 and Copland's 'Old American Songs.'  Also tonight outside in the Sculpture Garden at MoMA,  Brazilian pop singer/guitarist Adriana Calcanhotto will be performing as part of MoMA Music: BRAZIL.

So whether you are in the city and are already planning your trip to the 'Great Lawn' this evening, or if you are in another town, I hope you get the chance to enjoy music at sunset, with the blades of cool grass between your toes and fireflies in your hair.   Remember, every occasion calls for the right clothing ensemble so here's a tip from one of our designers, Hannah, on what to consider when planning your evening outside under the stars.

I always make sure to wear something feminine and summery, but totally easy and comfortable.  A knee-skimming dress or full skirt usually works best to stay lady-like when sitting on a blanket.  A wrap or cardigan is essential, not only to stay warm, but also to protect from mosquitoes!!!   Although I always have had aspirations of being "that girl" and packing the perfect picnic basket, I usually end up picking up last-minute fresh sushi, a florally and crisp bottle of Viognier, and a bar of dark chocolate.  Lastly, I always pack a deck of cards for the impromptu game of Rummy.

In May, I attended a panel discussion on Sustainable Fashion held at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. This discussion was held in conjunction with an exhibit called Design for a Living World. The panel consisted of: Rogan Gregory and Scott Hahn, co–founders of Loomstate, Julie Gilhart, Senior Vice President and fashion director of Barneys New York, and Leslie Hoffman, executive director of Earthpledge in conversation with Sarah Scaturro, textile conservator, curator and author, on the importance and future of sustainable fashion. The discussion was lively and inspiring. It started with the definition of sustainability, which Leslie Hoffman describes as, meeting the needs of the current generation without destroying the needs of future generations. The main topic was the new movement in fashion to become more sustainable, which involves not only how the product is manufactured, i.e. using organic fibers, and non-pollutant finishes, but also the life of the garment, its carbon footprint. For example, does the product need to be washed frequently or worse yet, dry cleaned?  And when the consumer is finished wearing it, how will it be disposed of?  This concept is called “cradle to cradle” or “cradle to grave," meaning, the whole supply chain of the product must be examined from its inception until its death for the effects it will have on the environment, including fair trade and workers’ conditions. A book by Earthpledge was mentioned called FutureFashion White Pages, which is a collection of essays by scientists, retailers, farmers, models and other industry leaders like Diane von Furstenburg, Shalom Harlow and Julie Girhard. “It is an exploration that signifies movement towards a more sustainable fashion industry. It is an opportunity to think about and evaluate the fashion industry as it stands today." Loomstate is a company formed by Scott Hahn and by Rogan Gregory. Rogan was originally an industrial designer, who became a fashion designer. The two have teamed up to create apparel of mostly organic cotton, but namely products with a conscience.  The production process must be transparent, revealing where the fiber comes from to who is making it, insuring that workers are getting a decent wage and making good quality products that are stylish. If the product tells a story, it adds to its value.  Another buzz phrase discussed was “Slow Fashion”, although that does not sound very sexy, it is about lower rates of consumption and slowing down the cycle of fashion.  Julie Gilhard said that the industry has gotten out of hand, with designers producing up to 8 lines a year, i.e. Pre-Fall, Fall-I, Fall-II, etc. She said that at Barney’s they are encouraging their customers to buy less, but buy the best and it will last. She cited Dries van Noten,  as an example, who only produces 2 lines a year for both men and women. This allows him to have a thriving business, a family and a life, which is exactly the paradigm shift needed.  “New Vintage” or “Recycled Clothes” is an important part of this movement.  For example Barney’s runs a campaign in August, each customer who brings in their old jeans gets a 20% discount toward a new purchase.  The store then gives the old jeans to designers to make new designs out of recycled jeans, which they auction off. Last year, Barney’s raised $75,000 for charity.

There is so much that we are doing at Echo that relates to this movement toward sustainability.  Echo launched a line of products made from bamboo in 2007.  Bamboo is a highly sustainable resource that is used to create incredibly soft, durable fabrics which are also naturally antibacterial.  These products range from ruanas, scarves, wraps, to tops, t-shirts and robes.  We are constantly experimenting with new fabrics and features, such as the aloe gloves we debuted last year and a proprietary yarn made of corn polymer, cotton and Modal (which is made from the Birch tree.) It is exciting, stimulating and challenging to be a part of how fashion and life is changing for our future and generations to come.   - Carol