Where to Go and What to Read for Your Spring Design Fix
Hollywood Nights
Photographs courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Versace Dress, Back View and Versace Veiled Dress, El Mirage by Herb Ritts, 1990.)
Often drawn to strong lines and forms, Herb Ritts challenged conventional notions of race and gender from behind the camera lens. Revisit the famed fashion photographer’s groundbreaking black-and-white images from the ’80s and ’90s with this new Museum of Fine Arts exhibition, which features some of his most acclaimed work celebrating the human body and the laid-back California lifestyle.
3/14–11/8, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-267-9300, mfa.org.
The King of Pop Art
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND SAMSØN (CAPE COAST COSMOS AND BULL 2, BY TODD GRAY, 2014.)
As Michael Jackson’s personal photographer in the 1980s, mixed-media artist Todd Gray got an inside look at the life of pop royalty. For his latest body of work, “Caliban in the Mirror: Exquisite Terribleness”—on display at Samsøn gallery beginning in May—Gray has reimagined and reframed many of his Jackson photos by overlapping them with more-recent images from Ghana, where he keeps a studio. The resulting work, intended to blur the lines between fine art and pop culture, is strangely powerful.
May–June, 450 Harrison Ave., Boston, 617-357-7177, samsonprojects.com.
Hot Wheels
For those who worship at the altar of luxury sports cars, there’s this official hardcover commemorating the 100th anniversary of the iconic Aston Martin. With more than 200 color photos dating as far back as 1913, Aston Martin 100 celebrates a century of striking British design and superior craftsmanship and performance.
Out 3/31, $65, Skira.
The Promised Land
Photograph courtesy of Axelle Gallerie( Arbres Et Tournesols, oil on canvas, By Benoit Trimborn.)
Inspired by the constantly changing landscape of the countryside, French artist Benoît Trimborn creates large-scale oil-on-canvas paintings with exquisite detail. For his first solo exhibition in the U.S., the classically trained architect will bring his so-called contemporary impressionism to the Axelle Galerie.
3/14–4/12, 91 Newbury St., Boston, 617-450-0700, axelle.com.
Exhibits
Andrew Masullo
New Jersey native Andrew Masullo shares his most-recent oil paintings (he prefers the term “nonobjective” to abstract) at Steven Zevitas Gallery.
Runs until 3/14, 450 Harrison Ave., Ste. 47, Boston, 617-778-5265, stevenzevitasgallery.com.
Sol Lewitt
The Barbara Krakow Gallery showcases the late conceptual artist’s sculpture, silkscreens, and other works on paper, all of which examine geometric form.
Runs until 3/15, 10 Newbury St., Ste. 5, Boston, 617-262-4490, barbarakrakowgallery.com.
Catherine Kernan
Somerville artist Catherine Kernan’s ethereal prints on woodblock are marked by subtle changes in tone and line that convey movement and oftentimes growth: Water seems to ripple right off the surface, while tree limbs sway in the breeze. Catch her work at the Soprafina Gallery this April.
55 Thayer St., Boston, 617-728-0770, soprafina.com.
Books
Designed for the Future: 80 Practical Ideas for a Sustainable World
International architects, urban designers, sustainability experts, writers, and policymakers offer solutions to the social, economic, and environmental challenges facing modern communities in this novel book of essays.
Out 3/31, Princeton Architectural Press, $30.
Salvatore Ferragamo: Equilibrium
This glossy catalog from Stefania Ricci, director of Florence’s Museo Ferragamo, examines the Italian fashion designer’s seemingly unlimited creativity.
Out 4/7, Skira, $60.
Ian Schrager: Design
This long-awaited volume covers nearly 40 years of contemporary design from the creator of the legendary Studio 54 nightclub.
Out 4/14, Rizzoli, $75.
20 Over 80: Conversations with Legends of Architecture and Design
Aileen Kwun and Bryn Smith spotlight 20 octogenarians who have dedicated their lives to design—from architecture to advertising to the graphic arts.
Out 5/5, Princeton Architectural Press, $35.
