Lee Bouvier Radziwill - The original Pippa

Vale Lee.

This was a post published in 2013 but am reposting now.
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The New York Times is running a fantastic  piece on Lee Radziwill.

There are several notable contributors to this article: 

Nicky Haslam, Sofia Coppola, Peter Beard, etc. 

It reads more like a proper in depth Vanity Fair article.

It's meaty and will go great with your Saturday brunch.

It also features a video interview with Sofia Coppola speaking to her about topics as diverse as her relationship with Peter Beard to her childhood - Onassis was off limits though.

You can click here for the link.

Fabulous cover of the T Magazine.

I didn't know I was such a fan until this picture.

Cute as a button - both of them.

Cecil Beaton anything is ok with me.

 A modern Matisse-y / Cecil Beaton / Vogue composition.

As you do.

Frieze London 2018 - Farcical.

I went to the very first Frieze when the concept of pop up and art fairs were still novel.

I enjoyed my first Frieze and the last few years I missed out because I was always in Asia -off topic best time to go to East Asia!

I was quite excited to go and the English autumn was just perfect the day I went.

It is located in Regent's Park and they had an external installation of sculptures.

Not much to share but this was the only thing I liked because it reminds me of the billboards in small towns and neighbourhoods in the States.

I will cut to the chase.

These were probably one of the few pieces I liked.

I only went to the main Frieze - not the Frieze masters which was another pavilion.

But most of the work was worse than this painting below.

Doesn't it look like the rough draft for the Pink Floyd album?

This frog ballerina is just horrid.
No composition, no technique, no color blocking.
Not even a statement regardless of political leaning which is boring but at least there is a naivety in those works.
Just crap.

Masterpiece London 2018 Highlights

I am still steadfast on my opinion on preferring 

Masterpiece London over other art fairs.

To be fair, 

I haven't been able to attend Frieze the recent years 

because I am out of town normally 

but I do hope to be able to compare this autumn.

It is a beautiful setting in the Chelsea Barracks where the 

Chelsea Flower Show is also held.

There is a complimentary van shuttle from Sloane Square and a golf buggy ride from the gates to the building too.

Fantin-Latour may not have street cred but looks good in real homes

18th century Italian silk fans

Modern wicker combined with fine jewellery

And good ol' Moussaief rocks 

But the stands aren't too niche and repetitive.

It has the select stands of modern art, classical art, antique furntiure, and various styles of jewellery.

Each passing year, there seems to be more pop up eateries too.

It really is a full day out.

I went to the preview day today.

It officially opens tomorrow June 28 until July 4th.

Please do note that 

there is a daily programme of talks and lectures all day.

Some are intense talks at the official lecture theatre and 

there are also informal talks at stands.

It is a mini Sotheby's Art Course.

 Not sure if that botanic Swedish cabinet is a new one of the same one this stand had last year and the item sold on the preview day.

I didn't ask.

This is a very special piece that is being sold by the 

Grosvernor Estate for undisclosed reasons for 10 million euros.

 It took 10 years to make and was done by the 

Renaissance artist Giorgio Vasari.

Adrian Sassoon always has a special stand and brings out some of the Sevres porcelain and has some of the future Sevres pieces. 

 While everything seems more beautiful than the next, 

there were two artists that blew my mind.

 These pieces are metal pieces lit from an angle so its shadows demonstrate words on the wall.

 Fred Eerdekens is the artist's name.

Considering I was there midday on the preview day, I was surprised at how many items were already sold.

Mind you, if I could afford it I would have bought the turtle too.

 I did have to smirk at how many private lounges and events were being held on the preview day.

 Because preview isn't special enough LOL.

But there were lots of seating areas such as this dotted all over as walking around does give you a workout.

 Interestingly, this year, there weren't as many curated/designed rooms.

 Out of all of them this might have been the pick for me.

 That period of furniture which is highly collectible and the wallpaper was specially designed for this room by De Gournay.

 There were some others but it seemed to be simple but nothing extraordinary.

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 The other artist

 I loved was the husband and wife team Rob and Nick Carter.

 One was a film maker and the other was a fine art artist.

These were either iPads or screens that would transform a scene on a loop.

So the flowers would deteriorate slowly on a timed loop.

 The Frick Pittsburgh has bought a few editions.

I hope you get to see it at Masterpiece or at the Frick because it is hard to really convey the beauty of these pieces.

 I do love seeing pieces 

that would normally be tucked away in a private home 

or in storage at a museum like 

this match stick holder by Carl Faberge.

This was the front for Rose Uniacke who was wearing a beautiful yellow dress.

 I didn't take a picture of her as she was talking to someone and I didn't want to interrupt her to ask her if I could take a picture.

But I must say that I loved what people were wearing and in my old age rarely bother to people watch but Masterpiece London is better than fashion week for watching people walk by!

I really hope you do make it but if not please do check out their website.

Frida Kahlo : Making Her Self Up at the Victoria and Albert Museum

I was lucky enough to go to the preview 

this morning of the upcoming 

Frida exhibition at the V&A Museum 

on the 16th of June that will run until the 4th of November.

It was much more in depth than I expected.

It had paintings of course.

And drawings.

And personal letters she wrote to her family while she was in America.

 But there were more intimate and unexpected artefacts and souvenirs such as her back braces.

Up close, they were so well crafted that they were reminiscent of couture level items.

Also included were plasters before she wore her back braces.

This was the plaster when she was expecting.

She wore it so proudly.