Judy Pfaff | Childhood Love
When I was in high school, I remember thinking that if I ever became an awesome fine artist, I wanted to share similar rankings with Kara Walker, Kiki Smith, and Judy Pfaff (there's quite a few more, but they're listed in the top 10).
However, interestingly enough, I am 3-dimensionally-challenged—yet two out of my three fave inspirations are sculptresses. I think it's one of those things where people admire and love things that also double as a great weakness in their own skill set (e.g. loving fashion, but ignorant to actual construction).
But I'm also not a huge fan of 3-D works. Sometimes I don't understand it and call bullshit when I see it. So it's very rare for me to appreciate a grand installation or bust during occasional gallery visits. Obviously, Pfaff is part of a select few who won my heart. It must be love.
Pfaff's work is currently featured (through October 16) at
Ameringer-Yohe gallery in NYC. Should be a doozy.
Julie Verhoeven | G.O.A.T.I.M.O*
Coincidentally, my love for Verhoeven's illustrations followed right after my brief obsession with Egon Schiele's nude figure drawings. While studying abroad in 2006 in the UK, I copped an issue of Dazed x Confused that featured at least six spreads of her illos. Needless to say, I've kept the magazine ever since to maintain my own personal collection of her work. #lovestory
Although Verhoeven first started off as a fashion designer (trained as such and also career-wise), her gorgeous illustrations are what I've always known her for.
Schooled at MidKent College in the 80s, Verhoeven later went on to work under John Galliano and Martine Sibon in Paris. But it doesn't end there—her collaborations are even more impressive and can be summed up with two very familiar names: Mulberry and
Louis Vuitton.
There are a couple of published books that feature Verhoeven's work such as
Gas Book 13, which is going for a little over $180 at Amazon.com—so if anyone wants to make my life complete, this would be it (I like to keep things simple). But until then, I'll anxiously await the completion of her portfolio site which is a work in progress as we speak (yesss).
www.JulieVerhoeven.com
Images via Daze x Confused, Vol. 2 : Issue No. 38 (June 2006).
*G.O.A.T.I.M.O. stands for "Greatest of All Time in My Opinion." Can you feel the reverence?
