Tag Archives: New York

Art Deco Metal Works of the Waldorf Astoria

Art Deco Mailbox at the Waldorf Astoria, Photo Romi Cortier
Art Deco Mailbox at the Waldorf Astoria, Photo Romi Cortier
Elevator Doors at the Waldorf Astoria, Photo Romi Cortier
Elevator Doors at the Waldorf Astoria, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Seating Area, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Seating Area, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Vent Register, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Vent Register, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Stairwell, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Stairwell, Photo Romi Cortier

Art Deco is alive and well at the Waldorf Astoria. Over 80 years have passed since she was built in 1931 by Schultze and Weaver, and she’s still the jewel of the City. I had the distinct pleasure of staying there this spring (thank you American Express Rewards) and I wasn’t disappointed. Since my first visit to her lobby in the early 1980’s, I’ve been wowed by her glamour and sophistication. Judging by the amount of tourists taking selfies in her lobby, I’m not the only one.

As a guest of the hotel, I took the opportunity to wander her halls and corridors, examining every detail.  I was wowed at every turn. She is indeed a total work of art. Vent registers, handrails, elevator doors, mailboxes, the list goes on, it’s craftsmanship at its finest. It’s no surprise that Cole Porter lived there for 25 years… I would too. And with the private driveway underneath the hotel, I can see why every president stays there, secret service must love it. In fact, I was a spectacular way to exit my 4 day stay at the hotel, in chauffeured town car wearing my biggest sunglasses (yes it was actually sunny). If only someone would have alerted the paparazzi… oh, that’s right, I’m not famous. But I sure felt like it while staying at the Waldorf Astoria.

 

Butterflies in New York

Lord & Taylor Window Display New York 2014, Photo Romi Cortier
Lord & Taylor Window Display New York 2014, Photo Romi Cortier
Butterfly Window Display, New York 2014, Photo Romi Cortier
Butterfly Window Display, New York 2014, Photo Romi Cortier
Butterfly Perfume Bottles, Viktor & Rolf, New York 2014, Photo Romi Cortier
Butterfly Perfume Bottles, Viktor & Rolf, New York 2014, Photo Romi Cortier

Butterflies were every where on my recent visit to New York.  From Lord & Taylor to Bergdorf Goodman, window displays up and down 5th Avenue were taking flight in celebration of springs arrival.

Lord & Taylor, proud sponsors of The Butterfly Conservatory at the American Museum of Natural History, made a simple black and white ensemble take flight by painting a black and white striped butterfly behind their mannequin.  Was all of this inspired by the recent documentary Flight of the Butterflies... I don’t know. But one thing is for sure, the butterfly seems to becoming a part of our 21st century vocabulary. Maybe the butterfly is to the Millennials what the dragonfly was to the Art Nouveau period, a source of beauty that returned us to nature during a period of great technological advancement. It’s a trend that I’m enjoying, and its even inspired my own artistic process.  If you haven’t already seen it, check out my DIY video where I show you how to  create a Butterfly Mural on Youtube using traditional house paint.

Italian Futurism at the Guggenheim Museum

Tulio Crali, Before the Parachute Opens, 1939, Courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Tulio Crali, Before the Parachute Opens, 1939, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Ivo Pannaggi, Speeding Train, 1922, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Ivo Pannaggi, Speeding Train, 1922, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Benedetta Cappa Marinetti, Speeding Motorboat, 1923-24, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Benedetta Cappa Marinetti, Speeding Motorboat, 1923-24, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum

This spring I attended the Italian Futurism exhibit at the GuggenheimMuseum in New York. I’d read about the exhibit in October 2013, and added it to my ‘must do’ list, even if that meant sofa surfing at a friends apartment. Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary. As I understand it, this exhibit is the first survey of this period in the United States, which makes it ground breaking in and of itself.  The easiest way to describe this movement would be to call it  Italian Art Deco, however, the Italian Futurism period dates from 1909 – 1944 and includes other elements. “Their style evolved from fractured elements in the 1910’s  to a mechanical language in the 20’s, and then to aerial imagery in the 30’s”.

I’ve chosen the images above because like Art Deco, there was a fascination and celebration of speed, including planes, trains and automobiles. The image of the train above is more cubist in nature, which was the basis for Art Deco. Before the Parachute Opens was one of my favorite paintings in the entire exhibit. Large in scale, it was the first time I’d seen a painting from this perspective and seemed to exemplify what the exhibit was about. No photography was allowed beyond the signage in the lobby, therefore, I’ve used these images from the Guggenheim web site.

Exhibit closes September 1, 2014