Anna Kunz's Rosy Colored Glasses

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Chicago-based artist Anna Kunz's recent exhibition, Rosy, featured thirty colorful, small oil paintings. Kunz's unique practice involves working on several paintings at the same time, canvases laid together on the floor as she moves from one to the next in a process that is at once improvisational and controlled.

Similar to songs on a record, the resulting paintings can vary immensely but they are all clearly part of the same body of work. After learning how central movement is to Kunz's creative process, it comes at no surprise to learn that she frequently collaborates with theatre and dance companies. 

We were thrilled to place a number of Kunz's works from
this exhibition into private collections. 

Keep an eye out for more on Anna Kunz in the upcoming issue of Luxe.

Featured artworks: Anna Kunz (American), Rosy Adjacencies Series, 2018-2023, oil on canvas, 13 x 11 inches each. Installation view, McCormick Gallery.

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Paris Photo 2023

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Photography often communicates emotions, experiences and ideas in a more direct and instant way than traditional painting. Including a stunning fine art photograph in your home can make a very personal statement that instantly elevates and changes the mood of your space. 

Our long term gallery partner, Edwynn Houk Gallery will be exhibiting these works at Paris Photo this week. Paris Photo is the annual international art fair dedicated to photography and will take place November 9-12 at the Grand Palais Ephemere exhibition hall at the Champ-de-Mars, facing the Eiffel Tour. 

Featured artworks: Matthew Pillsbury (American, b. France, 1973), Hanami #3, Chidorigafuchi, Thursday, April 3rd, 2014. Archival pigment print, 39 1/2 x 50 inches. K Young (British), Figure on Chair with Leg, 2019. Archival pigment paper collage, 13 1/2 x 9 inches. Abelardo Morell  (Cuban, b. 1948), Tent-Camera Image on Ground: Cypress, Near Arles, France, 2022. Archival pigment print, 30 x 40 inches.

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What Color Is the Sun?

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Hot Debate. What Color is the Sun? Yellow or White? Earlier in the year, this question sparked a debate on Twitter. They found when small children draw the sun, they usually draw a yellow circle with yellow lines extending from it. In reality, however, the sun in the sky during the day appears mostly white. We've always found that the combination of yellow and white strikes the perfect note of bright yet mellow. A yellow and white artwork will invigorate you every time you walk past it - just like a dose of sunlight.

Featured artworks: Anne Lindberg, Sunlit, 2022, graphite and colored pencil on mat board, 62 x 43 inches wide. Gideon Rubin, Untitled (White Bathing Suit), 2017, oil on canvas12 x 10 inches wide. Lynne Mapp Drexler, Gloucester Yellow, 1960, oil on canvas, 44 x 48 inches wide. Mary Abbott, Untitled, n.d., oil on canvas, 36 x 24 inches wide.

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Walking Into Summer Like...

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Julian Opie’s Walking People have resonated with contemporary art lovers for over two decades. Combining minimalism with Pop Art in a brilliantly contemporary way, Opie emerged as an influential figure in the British art scene in the 1980s. The artist likes to use simple lines and shapes to suggest shadows (much like the primitive approach of cave paintings) making his style unique and identifiable.

Julian Opie was born in London in 1958. He studied at Goldsmiths College, London, from 1979 to 1982. Opie uses urban and rural landscapes, as well as moving figures, to bring time-honored artistic genres into the twenty-first century. We recently placed Sidewalk 1 and Sidewalk 2, shown here. This pair, exhibited with Cristea Roberts Gallery, London, at EXPO Chicago, was an immediate favorite at the fair.

Featured artworks: Julian Opie Sidewalk 1 and Sidewalk 2, 2022, screen-print on two sheets of acrylic, presented in brushed aluminum frame specified by the artist, 40 x 64 inches wide each. Edition of 40 plus five artist's proofs.

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Make Art Your New Year's Resolution

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This year, art felt more vital and vibrant in than perhaps ever before. It was a reminder that tangible experiences with art uplift our intellect and soul in a way few other things do. With that in mind, we hope you'll join us in making art your new year's resolution: Experience art. Support art. Engage with art. Bring art into your life.

Here are some of our recent favorite moments in art:

1. The return of the art fair. The thrill of being in the same place as other art lovers and discovering new art together will never get old!

2. Magazines make a statement with contemporary art. Using the work of contemporary artists on the cover of landmark issues makes a statement in a way that typical stylized photographs cannot – they start a conversation.

3. The Met's 150 Anniversary Print Portfolio. In celebration of their 150th anniversary, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City commissioned twelve contemporary artists to create work for a commemorative print portfolio. We were very excited to secure one of these important portfolios for a client.

4. Veduta by Whitney Bedford. Veduta, the artist’s series of landscapes, offers a fresh, contemporary perspective on a traditional subject matter. Every piece vibrates with color and stunning composition.

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Poetry Paintings

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We were thrilled to recently place Mary Abbott and Barbara Guest’s Medallion into the collection of one of our clients. The important work tells the story of two groundbreaking, creative women whose mutual respect and trust yielded some of the most successful work of both of their careers.

Abstract Expressionist Mary Abbott and poet Barbara Guest collaborated on series of “Poetry Paintings” in the late 1950s. Their project was indicative of others at the time – like-minded creatives from different fields worked together to create something bigger than themselves. Abbott said that through her painting she strived to “define the poetry of living space.” Guest said, “The poet wishes to align the contents of the poem with the vision which directs it.” It is no wonder that their imagery and words work so well together

Featured artwork: Mary Abbott (American, 1921 – 2019), Medallion, late 1950s. A collaborative work with Barbara Guest. Mixed media on paper, 24 x 18 inches. Private collection. Mary Abbott (American, 1921 – 2019), Candid as the wave-lined Shell, late 1950s. A collaborative work with Barbara Guest. Oil stick, gouache and cut paper collage on paper, 49 x 75.5 inches. Estate of Mary Lee Abbott Clyde.

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Contrasting Stripes

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Photographer Nine Francois has devised a variety of techniques to be able to get extremely close to her animal subjects without startling them. From this vantage point, the animal’s environment seemingly disappears, and Francois is immersed in the essence of the creature she is photographing. By shooting from below she is able to achieve unusual perspectives that are then placed on a stark white background.

“At some point in their creation, I tweak them to make them mine – to take them out of fact and reportage and place them into the service of expression and exploration.”

This large piece, placed over our client's monochromatically-styled console, creates the perfect black-and-white "moment" and provides a welcome contrast to the large colorful artwork placed throughout the rest of the home.

Featured artwork: Nine Francois (American), Zebra I, 2010. Archival pigment print, Signed by the artist, 44 x 44 inches.

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Like Ice in the Sunshine

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Simone Rosenbauer's photographic series Like Ice in the Sunshine merges nostalgic imagery with contemporary design. The Popsicles melting against vibrant backgrounds remind us that these joyful summer moments are fleeting.

Placing the perfect artwork means not only finding the piece that fits our client’s style, it must also provide the right mood. When asked for something fun yet sophisticated for a teenager's bedroom, we knew these photographs would strike the right note.

Featured artwork: Simone Rosenbauer (German b. 1977), Like Ice In the Sunshine II, No. 12 and Like Ice In the Sunshine II, No. 07, 2014, Archival Pigment Prints.

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Daisy Docks

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Finding the ideal artwork for a specific location can be a challenge but in the case of this print we acquired for a client who lives in a Lake Shore Drive high rise overlooking the Chicago Yacht Club, it was flawless from the start.

This clever aerial photograph, titled “Floating Daisy Docks,” is a perfect play on words and images set against the nautical view from their living room.

We floated the print over white mat board and framed in gloss white lacquer to give the piece a more substantial and contemporary look while still allowing it to blend seamlessly with the client’s collection of fine photography.

Featured artwork: Alex MacLean (American b. 1947), Floating Daisy Docks, Chicago, IL, 2004, Color Photography, 20 x 24 inches wide.

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Dynamic Dining

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Dining at home has never been so delightful, especially during the holidays.

A painting by American east coast artist, Alex Katz, makes a bold and beautiful statement in this Gold Coast apartment. Born in Brooklyn in 1927, the son of parents who were interested in the arts, Katz was encouraged to focus his artistic talents in painting. Most interested in portraiture, he focused on depicting family members, visual artists and writers.

We, along with the homeowners, identified this large and engaging work as the perfect complement to their dynamic dining room, where friends and family gather regularly.

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A Still Life

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Canadian contemporary photographer Laura Letinsky is best known for her elegant but slightly off-putting images.  Letinsky’s work is reminiscent of a Dutch Golden Age still-life, often a perfect replication of local produce, but presented as an act of realism - the aftermath of such perfection.

We chose this color photograph as the focal artwork for a Chicago concept store and cafe because of both the inherent subject matter, and the artist’s unique vision. We like that this print, while a true complement to the space and environment in terms of color, brings additional life to this already bustling restaurant.

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Glazed and Pearlized

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This Glazed and Pearlized silkscreen print by Damien Hirst is the perfect contemporary juxtaposition within this historically modern home.

Reaching nearly 50 x 50 inches in size, this colorful silkscreen titled St. Peter’s (from Hirst’s 2007 Cathedral series) presides over the dining room mantel. A kaleidoscope of yellows, blues and soft lavenders, this artwork is part of the artist’s varied practice that explores the complex relationships between art, religion and science.

With this project we hoped to achieve a lighter and more playful interaction between the artwork and the butterfly fabric on the chairs, while satisfying our client’s desire for a harmonious blend of old and new. 

Interior design by James Thomas Interiors

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Fun House

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Selecting playful artwork for this Park City playroom was both fun and challenging.  The fun part was the youthful and colorful subject matter, and the challenging part was making the installation look chic.  

We selected affordable posters that were similar in size, and custom framed the pieces in white matte lacquer.  We omitted the border to keep the style contemporary, and the look cohesive on a patterned wall-covering.

Wall covering and interiors, in James Thomas Interiors’ effortless and elegant style, gave us the perfect platform to show that fabulous design can be the perfect kind of affordable. 

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Big Personality Entry

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The entrance to your home is the perfect place to add personality and style with colorful artwork and objects.

We styled this entry foyer with a painting by artist Mary Abbott titled Self-Portrait and a gold metal leaf salvaged brick from artist Amanda Williams' installation at McCormick Gallery titled It's a Gold Mine/ Is the Gold Mine?, 2016.  

Additional layers of books, objects and lighting makes for good looks and great personality.

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Starry Night

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Illuminating like Stars at Night, we love how Clarissa Bonet's photography series titled "Stray Light" illuminates a room. Best displayed against a white backdrop, or even in an entirely black and white setting, this photograph will draw the observer in to view Bonet's carefully constructed collage of multiple photographs.

Of her work, the artist said, "In the stark light of the day the buildings appear a unified front, revealing physical beauty, dominating the environment. As the sun goes, the city is transformed, allowing a glimpse into the life that resides inside. " 

While our city's architecture is Magnificent during the Day, it's now Heavenly at Night.

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White Done Right

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When an all-white bedroom is done right, it is anything but boring! 

We selected a work on paper by Francine Turk that reminded us of a disappearing To-Do list.  We float framed the artwork, giving it interesting, three-dimensional depth.  By complementing tranquil, neutral interiors with an equally peaceful piece of art, we were able to turn our Hyde Park client's master bedroom into a dreamscape.

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Wow Room

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This  ageless and preppy "screened in porch" at the Merchandise Mart's 2016 Dream Home is made current with Lucia Engstrom's Flora photography.  Working with James Dolenc and Tom Riker of James Thomas Interiors, we successfully sourced artwork that made the above vintage inspired sunroom look and feel modern.  Engstrom, a NYC photographer with a fine arts degree from Georgetown, combines her love for color and obsession with light to create this glowing photograph that makes this room shout WOW!

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Surround Yourself With Nature

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Everyone loves beautiful things â€“ art is no exception.  Take, for example, the large scale digitally composed panoramas created by artist and photographer Ysabel Lemay - they are all things beautiful and natural.  By individually photographing and then hyper-collaging real life images of the physical world (flowers, water, plants and birds) the artist creates a composition of resplendent beauty.  

We are WOWed by the impact this talented photographer's art makes in a home. 

Oh, the power of beautiful things.

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Heavenly Stairwell

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Contemporary photography adds liveliness to sophisticated living on Lake Shore Drive.

By mixing historic elements of architecture and design with contemporary art, you can achieve a creative, collected look.  Here we added a superreal color photograph titled Deco Stairwell by Michael Eastman to a masculine space rich in history and culture to reach just the right design note.

Interior design by James Thomas Interiors.

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A Family Affair

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Play Rooms can be Fun and Fabulous with the addition of affordable, colorful art.  

In this happy, child-filled Lakeview home, we had a ball working with Jessica Lagrange Interiors placing a series of colorful Last Leaves prints, by Doug Fogelson, above the sectional sofa.  With the right mat and frame, an affordable print can make your family space look like a million bucks!

Interior design by Jessica Lagrange Interiors.

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