A Bathing Beauty at Harrod's, A Hunk Worth 530,000 Pounds

While playing tourist in London this August, we had to make a run thru the famous Harrod's department store. Of course, our American dollars couldn't afford a thing in there but it was fun to look. The historical building with it's art deco features all intact and in tip-top shape, didn't let us down. In one of the street windows was a huge bathtub, carved from a single block of white rock crystal from the Amazon in Brazil. It was so friggin' beautiful I had to share. Just wondering how much environmental damage they did to the Amazon to get this opulent tub for some pampered person to eventually take a bath in. Not to mention the shipping, wonder how much this puppy weighs...
The natural light shone thru the marble veins casting different hues, from jade greens to whites to peachy golds. Crafted by Italians (who else?) with diamond cuts, portions of the crystal were left unfinished to highlight its natural jagged state. The tub is 7ft long and 2ft deep and costs a mere £530,000!

Tried to get you fashionistas some photos of the glittering, decadent evening wear on display there, but I was chased away by a salesperson after only this one shot of a Valentino dress. Guess they thought I might steal the pattern and go home and whip one up. As if...

A Visit to the Saatchi Gallery in London

The Saatchi Gallery has built quite a name for itself and has a formidable online presence. I have heard about it for years and was looking forward to a visit. It was a very nice space, tons of room and a few floors in a very modern building. However, the current exhibit "Newspeak: Bristish Art Now" left me hungry for better art, a let down. Once again, that mantra runs thru my head- 'what a great show this could have been!' There were many artworks by different artists in various media, mostly soul-less images leaving me dry and cold. The ones that weren't extremely contrived and pretentious were downright amateur.

On to the plus side - the "Cher Che" by Scott King (above) was a welcome and humorous relief. Just loved it! The funky bird painted screen (below) was just wonderful. After digging around the Saatchi site I gave up on finding the artist's name. Could have, should have written it down.

I also really enjoyed Phoebe Unwin's "Girl" (below)

and Edward Kay's "The Losers" (below)

The shining star of the show (for me) was William Daniel's "William Blake II", (below). This is a fantastic oil portrait with elements of cubism and collage, an eclectic, strong and emotional image. For a good blurb on this piece, go here.

Vintage Pinball Machine Art, Even Charlie's Angels

Many months ago, (embarrassed to say how many) while in Florida, we went kickin' around the town of Delray Beach. Trying to stave off the skin cancer by moderating our fun in the sun. The town's museum - the Cornell Museum of Art and American Culture had a surprisingly great exhibit up and running. 

Titled - Pinball Palooza:  the Art, the History, the Game – It was the art and history of the pinball machine from 1930’s to the present.  A collection of vintage pinball machines, pinball art, and neon arcade signs from private collections. Just loved the old school designs and illustrations on and in the machines. Talented artisans worked hard on perfecting these displays - so much wonderful eye candy!

Nowadays, the boom box noise of hip-hop and flashing gaudy lights seem to have replaced any thoughtful or stylish imagery. 

In the upstairs galleries were two fab and fun encore exhibits as well:  What a Doll!! –  the Barbie and Friends Exhibit and Les Petites Vignettes, a miniatures exhibit. May get to posting images of these sometime soon?

Jonesin' For Jean Paul Gaultier's Torso

Blazing my way thru Bloomingdale's (to get to the Westfield mall) the other day and was side swiped by the perfume display out of the corner of my eye. Usually I book it thru fast because I have a very sensitive sense of smell and most the garbage they sell for perfume is just that. Stench of moldy patchouli mixed with bathroom deodorizer.

Yet, here were the most awesome little torso bottles, just sittting there all pretty. So Madonna inspired, headless and wonderful to just look at. Already my brain was racing as to how great they would look in a window all lined up in their various colors, designs and editions. Too bad the smell was not something I liked. If they had been lemon, jasmine or authentic plumeria, then maybe...

Of course when I looked at the bottle's label, it was the grand master of fashion himself, Jean Paul Gaultier. He is one of my fave fashion designers of all time. Just chock full of outlandish artsy designs and cool looks, full of originality and extremes. So easy to appreciate on just a visual level, even if you aren't dying to trip around in those 15 inch heels. Or bare your bum to the world at large. Can't miss the opportunity to revisit some old Gautier and share some new (Lady Gaga following in Madonna's footsteps).

Artist Interview With Master Glass Mistress, Judith Schaechter

Just posted a new Eclectix interview with the ever so profound and edgy Judith. So glad to have her fantastic art and commentary in the soup.

"What IS inspiration anyway?  A lightning bolt?  A “vision”? Does it exist in time or space?  Is it in my head?  Is it a force of energy, is it a reason? Is it a synonym for “desire” or “will”?  Is it even important?  

Sometimes I think the asker wants to know “What is the process of manifesting a physical reality in the material world, when previously it was imprisoned in your head?”  Or “how does something go from a formless state into reality?....”  

For the entire interview, click here. 

Previous post, exhibit review here.

How Do You Take Your Coffee? Black, Sugar or With A Little Vladimir Tretchikoff Thrown In?

On our way to dinner in London, we passed thru what must have been boy's town in Soho. A colorful area with studs lingering on display outside the bars and shopping to die for. Spotted these fantastic coffee mugs in the window of a shop but alas, they were closed! The retro images were familiar in a vague way and after much hunting I found the artist's name - Vladimir Tretchikoff. He has a bunch of wonderful exotic works, he was a very successful painter in the 1950's and 60's earning the nickname the "King of Kitsch".
From Wikipedia-
"His fame spread to the United States, where the Rosicrucians of San Jose invited him to launch an American tour. Around 19,000 people saw his show in Los Angeles and 51,000 in San Francisco. In Seattle, a rival show which included Picasso and Rothko sold fewer tickets, to Tretchikoff’s satisfaction. A million Americans finally saw his paintings, which then went on to Canada with equal success. This was followed by a large exhibition in 1961 at Harrods in London where he decided that the Harrod's art gallery was too small. He requested and was granted the privilege of having his exhibition in the ground-floor exhibition space. About 205,000 people attended the exhibition and one of his British admirers, Leslie Rigall, bought ten paintings and designed his new house in Windsor Great Park around them."

You may remember this painting - the famous Chinese Girl, a 1950 painting featuring an Eastern model with blue-green skin, it is one of the best selling prints of all time. The colors are quite different on the mug but I kinda' like it. Is it too early to put the word out for Xmas suggestions?


At a shoe store down the street from the coveted mugs, were a drooling array of cowboy boots. The cowgurl in me went crazy with lust over these as well, however the dollar vs. Euro equation meant a no-go. But Xmas is just around the corner, size 10 please! :)

Had To Share - Wonderful Rant on Beauty and the Art Beast, by Judith Schaechter

This door ornament can be called "pretty"- but to me it is really "beautiful".

Just finished this essay by Judith. A must-read for all those who have ever been perplexed by the art world's compulsive need for "pretty" art. What we think or feel "pretty" vs. "beautiful" might be... and why does it matter so much?  Read it here. 

"Weirdo Noir", An Art Book Worth Having

“Weirdo Noir” by Matt Dukes Jordan, Chronicle Books

I just picked up a copy of this book and that means an awful lot; there is only so much room in my house! Great selections, solid curating, nice spread of styles and interesting interviews with each artist. This is a perfect compilation of many newbrow artists, whose work you may like to have on your shelves, if not on your walls. On the cover - the fantastic Ray Caesar and his “Sleeping By Day”.