What Lies In Between Gallery Exhibition

Exposed Stainless Steel, Transforming and Exposed Bronze at Gerald Peters Gallery

 On April 22 at 2pm an 11-foot tall, 5-ft wide blackened bronze monumental sculpture entitled Exposed will be unveiled at the College of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, NM.  The sculpture, by artist Kathy Taslitz, is in the figure of a leaf – an iconic expression of nature and the life cycle that Taslitz uses repeatedly in her work.  The human female form emerges out of the leaf, exposed to its surroundings, perforated to exhibit the strength developed through vulnerability.  It is the first of a planned series of four sculptures What Lies in Between.

“We are honored to have such an important piece of artwork available to the campus community and for the City of Santa Fe to enjoy,” said college president, Larry Hinz.  “Kathy Taslitz’s Exposed is about self-discovery and rebirth, and what an appropriate symbol for the College of Santa Fe as we enthusiastically pursue the next chapter in our 151-year history.”

The monumental sculpture was commissioned by a private collector who saw the maquette at Galerie Maximillian in Aspen (galeriemax.com).  Choosing to remain anonymous, he thought its organic shape would relate perfectly to the natural beauty of Santa Fe.

“Santa Fe is a significant place in the art world and it has such natural beauty that it’s a great fit for my work,” said artist Kathy Taslitz.  “I am constantly inspired by the natural world and I love that the city of Santa Fe celebrates, protects and incorporates the landscape into their modern life.”

Following the unveiling on April 22 at 5:30 p.m. there will be exhibition at the Gerald Peters Gallery and premiere of Taslitz’s newest work, Transforming, 2010.  Transforming curves and curls to suggest a leaf, a persistent image in Taslitz’s work, but now the stripped-down skeletal core of a human self is just as evident. Hard metal turns and ends to reveal shapes within a spiraling form, recalling cells and the genetic code in nature’s exemplary structure of connection and meaning, yet also creating open, airy regions unconstrained by pattern or method.  The 42-inch sculpture in bronze with a black patina is the second in the series What Lies In Between, and like Exposed, will be produced in bronze with black patina or stainless steel.  The exhibition featuring 14 of Taslitz’s works will continue through May 20.

Taslitz’s work is rooted in understanding how people actually live and interact in the natural and urban worlds.  “I wanted to make artwork to truly address what it means to live and change and grow as an individual, as well as works that directly involve themselves in people’s lives.”  The Chicago-based artist is also an award-winning designer and serves on the Architecture and Design Society Board of the Art Institute of Chicago and Board of Trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The College of Santa Fe is a 151-year-old creative arts-based college located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Programs at the college combine practical experience with core theory, empowering students to develop thorough an understanding of their professional aspirations in creative writing, theater, art, graphic design, moving image arts (film making), photography, business, and education.

The city of Santa Fe is a hotbed of artistic expression. Thousands of professional artists live here and show their work in the city’s 300 galleries. Santa Fe has one of the largest art markets in the United States and internationally renowned artists and writers make frequent guest appearances on campus and in the community.

Identity mirror at Aspen Art Museum's Freestyle

A private preview exhibition and reception for the Aspen Art Museum’s winter fundraiser Freestyle will be held at Galerie Maximillian. The galerie is featuring a Portrait Exhibition with a special collection of work by artist Kathy Taslitz. The exhibition is entitled Let’s Face It: 27 Modern and Contemporary Portraits with original works by Lincoln Schatz, Richard Dupont, Kathy Taslitz, Chuck Close, Ryan McGinniss, Damien Hirst, Picasso, Miro, Matisse, Dubuffet and others. As part of this show, Taslitz’s Identity mirror will be exhibited alongside her sculptural furniture collection including functional design in limited editions.

In addition to being a part of the galerie’s preview exhibition, Kathy Taslitz is unveiling a new, purely sculptural work titled Exposed, Maquette. Exposed reflects the confrontation of raw reality and diverse life experience. The figure of the leaf–an iconic expression of nature and the life cycle that Taslitz uses repeatedly in her work–suggests not only its ability to soar independently but also its ultimate return to the earth. A human figure emerges out of the leaf, open to its surroundings, fluid, and vulnerable. The undulating surface has been intricately perforated, yielding open spaces of different sizes and shapes, connected but disparate.

A crane helps lower a sculpture into place early Wednesday at the courtyard near Aspen’s Gallerie Maximillian. Chicago artist Kathy Taslitz created the piece, titled “Exposed,” which resembles an aspen leaf from the front and back, and, she said, a female silhouette from the sides. The bronze leaf weighs 800 pounds and the base weighs two tons. The gallery is exhibiting other works by Taslitz, as well; the first-edition sculpture will eventually be placed outside the performing arts center at the College of Santa Fe, but five others just like it are available.

Kathy Taslitz wants people to see themselves in her designs—literally. The Chicago-based designer’s debut collection of sculptural furniture, Pieces of Ourselves, employs a range of rich, weighty, and sometimes reflective materials which enable the viewer to interact with the pieces in a unique way.

“I wanted the project to tell a story,” Taslitz explains. “It starts with our roots and moves toward a more global perspective.” The entire collection is heavily inspired by nature, incorporating roots, branches and leaves with discernible veins that are often juxtaposed with more industrial imagery such as stainless steel chain link.

by Alexandra Gordon

Fashion bridal and (now) homewares designer Monique Lhullier opens the door to her fabulously grand LA home.

“I was seven months pregnant when we purchased the house and I told my husband that all it needed was a coat of paint,” recalls fashion designer Monique Lhullier, of the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles (between Bel-Air and Beverly Hills), that she, husband Tom Bugbee, son Jack “and some staff” now call home. “But once we started the process, I decided to redesign it all.”

“It’s no wonder the process was a more involved one considering Lhullier is so well-known for her creative pursuits. She first made a name for herself as one of the world’s leading designers in bridal wear, creating dresses for celebrities such as Britney Spears, before launching a ready-to-wear collection in 2003 which now boasts an equally high-profile following including Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie and Sharon Stone.

Although the floor plan remained the same throughout the 20-month renovation process, the house was given a complete stylistic make-over. All finishes were updated, every room was reconfigured, front and back gardens were re-landscaped, and wiring for security, lighting and entertainment systems were installed. “Every surface was changed, every room was redesigned; from the archways leading into them to the flooring and floor coverings to the furniture pieces and accessories,” says Lhullier.

As the project grew in scale, Lhullier enlisted the help of friend and decorator Jennie Abbott. “We collaborated to turn my vision into reality. It was fun and, for me, it was like putting a collection together.”

Lhullier likens the rigorous decision-making process relating to finishes, colours and fabrics to the way she approaches her fashion collections each season. “I started the process, then showed Jennie storyboards and she took it from there.”

This collection of nature-inspired furnishings focuses on bringing the detail and beauty of the outdoors inside. Old Leaf Table: With surfaces of both blackened and polished bronze, the table is designed to emulate a leaf recently fallen from a tree. Kathy Taslitz, 312.787.7899, www.ktaslitz.com.

by Nancy Richman Milligan

When a home is located in as grand a setting as the Rock Mountains, it’s only natural to take design inspiration from the surroundings. Windows are placed to capture views, local natural materials are sued, and in the case of this contemporary vacation home, the past history of the land is called upon.

Working with homeowners Tim and Miriam Gehan, who wanted to respect the environment and honor the location of their home, architect James Hardy, AIA, of Telluride-based James Hardy Architect, LLC, had only to look up and down the mountain valley for his muse—the rich silver mining heritage of Telluride. “It is not necessarily what miners would have built, but I used the old mining structures as a starting point and took the concept as far we could,” says Hardy. “It has authentic shapes and forms, with a contemporary twist.”

Style Selection: A sculptural form finished in polished nickel-plated bronze, aluminum and blackened bronze makes this table furniture as art. Offspring table, ktaslitz.com

Albert Sanford has made his Galerie Maximillian a landmark on the art map for its excellent collection of works on paper, and he has always garnered attention for shows featuring the prints by contemporary British artists like Damien Hirst. The gallery’s holiday reception on December 26 will unveil new acquisitions of 20^th-century and contemporary works, along with new pieces by Kathy Taslitz, a sculptor/designer who describes her furniture as “art made complete by those who use it.” Her functional pieces—amalgams of sculpture and home furnishings—not only engage viewers but force them to use the artworks, live with them, and accept them in a wholly different way.

Taslitz’s first collection of furniture designs, Pieces of Ourselves, is a terrifically different take on household fixtures. Unexpected forms and materials emerge on objects one would normally take for granted. And along with being conscious of the furniture, Taslitz says, viewers also become aware of themselves. “I use lots of mirrored or reflective surfaces, which is meant to make the work interactive.” She explains. “It works into the theme of the piece: how you fit into the world, how to find your place.  I love that introspection I feel whenever I use them.”

by Michelle Crowe

These days the word “sculptural” is thrown around in reference to everything from overly manicured shrubbery to sky-scraping stilettos. But one look at Kathy Taslitz’s functional collection of art-slash-furniture will remind you what it really means.

Pieces of Ourselves—Taslitz’s 14 nature-inspired, limited-edition works—employ shapes such as limbs, roots, and leaves as well as materials like bronze, polished nickel, and Macassar ebony to create furniture that’s both quietly graceful and awe-inspiringly beautiful.

Launched at Art Basel Miami last December, the gorgeous designer’s collection immediately resonated with the public’s growing desire to honor the earth, live closer to nature, and introduce organic elements into the home.

“Part of what it means to be modern is realizing that the natural landscape shares the world with the human landscapes that dominate our days,” Taslitz says. “Over time I’ve come to realize that this reality makes nature more beautiful and more philosophically valuable to us.”

To say that Pieces of Ourselves has been well-received would be an understatement. After being feted in such cities as Los Angeles and emerging as a hometown art hero, Taslitz has found enormous success with her debut collection. Here’s hoping it’s the first of many.

Kathy Taslitz’s sculpture-as-furniture collection with a natural bent includes Family Chain, a pair of limited-edition candleholders that require seven artisans nearly four months to complete. The glass chain alone takes three people to glue. “It is quite difficult to engineer and integrate inconsistent materials such as the bronze base, glass and stainless steel candleholders into a piece with no exposed hardware,” Taslitz says of the pieces, which are about 17 inches high and 33 to 35 inches long. Extreme care and dripless beeswax candles are highly recommended.