Clay’s 2023 Art Moments
A Bustier, A Toilet, and a Dog Costume
This is my first official ‘Top 5’ list. I have also published this list to my Substack, which I just started earlier this year. I hope you’ll follow the link and subscribe so that you can receive my newsletter directly to your inbox!
#5: Mugler and The Monument to the Conquerors of Space
In February of this year, we visited the Brooklyn Museum to see the Thierry Mugler retrospective. All in all, a really fantastic show. Mugler, a visionary French fashion designer, revolutionized haute couture in the ’80s with his bold, avant-garde creations. Known for his structured silhouettes, theatrical designs, and a penchant for blending fantasy with fashion, Mugler’s work pushed the boundaries of style and glamour.
Mugler’s Buick bustier, designed for the Fall/Winter 1989–1990 ready-to-wear collection.
The show was a celebration of his iconic fashion creations, but naturally, I was drawn to the ‘Conquerors of Space’ image more than anything else. I really love the tie in between his design and the monument itself and the use of scale in the photo. A really unforgettable image for me.
#4: Noah Purifoy in Joshua Tree
On New Year’s Day of this year, Brent, Maggie, Annie, and I visited the Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum. Noah Purifoy was a groundbreaking American sculptor who was renowned for his assemblage art crafted from discarded materials, Purifoy’s work challenged societal norms and addressed themes of race, consumerism, and urban decay.
The Desert Art Museum spans approximately 10 acres of the Mojave desert and is a labyrinth of discarded toilets, televisions, appliances, and truly any other discarded consumerist item you can think of.
It was super weird but really fun to explore. I was especially drawn to the toilets.
#3: Ed Ruscha & Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half
In late October, my college roommate came to visit the city from Oregon. While he was here we took a little field trip to MoMA to see the Ruscha show. Ed Ruscha is an iconic American artist celebrated for his unique blend of Pop Art and Conceptualism. Renowned for his use of words and phrases in visual art, Ruscha’s paintings, prints, and photographs often feature the exploration of language, landscapes, and the cultural landscape of Los Angeles.
This was a really fun trip for me. I really love Ruscha’s work and the image of the Standard gas station is really iconic for me. In high school, one of my favorite teachers had posters of art covering the walls of the classroom and one of them was Ruscha’s Standard Station (1966). While it’s not the same piece that was on view at MoMA, it’s practically identical. I’m kind of obsessed with his use of perspective, not only in these pieces, but in all of his work. It’s incredibly striking.
I also really enjoy his use of text as a form of artistic expression and how it provokes contemplation on the relationship between language, imagery, and cultural symbolism.
#2: Judy Chicago
In early December, Brent and I met up with our friends Nick, Alex, and Riko for a visit to the New Museum for a retrospective of Judy Chicago’s work. It was my first time to the museum and also my first experience of Judy Chicago.
Judy Chicago is a pioneering feminist artist acclaimed for her groundbreaking work in the 1970s. Her art challenges societal norms, employing vivid imagery and symbolic representations to ignite discussions on gender, power, and the female experience in art and society. She boldly subverts traditionally masculine art forms, infusing them with feminist perspectives and imagery to challenge and redefine the male-dominated artistic narrative. She is an extremely prolific artist and impressively versatile. She has created work in almost every medium imaginable, from painting and sculpture to printmaking and pyrotechnic performance art!
#1: A Comissioned Paw-casso
This piece is a bit of a departure from the previous art experiences, but iconique, nonetheless. This year for the holidays our North Brooklyn friend group did a Secret Santa gift exchange. Our friend Seth commissioned an incredible portrait of Jacob dressed in the dog costume that his mom made for him in the 6th grade. Anytime there is a party or even with a theme, the dog costume comes out. Seth had the piece commissioned by his friend Meghan Moore, who does some really lovely portrait work.
So that’s my art year in a nutshell. Thanks for reading. Happy New Year and here’s to more art in 2024!
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