New York. In a city with such an abundance of cultural and artistic activities, it’s sometimes overwhelming to try to pick just one! With so many options to choose from, I sometimes find myself in a situation where I either have to try and squeeze two or three events into one evening, or I just miss out on one all together.
Well, I am happy to say that while this past Saturday was jam-packed full of brunches, festivals, birthday parties, and concerts (yes, and a little bit of work as well), I made sure to pencil in an hour to visit the final day of the ANTONIO’S WORLD EXHIBITION at THE SUZANNE GEISS COMPANY in Soho.
Puerto Rican born ANTONIO LOPEZ (1943-1987) was a fashion illustrator whose work appeared in such publications as Vogue, Elle, and The New York Times (which in particular called him a “major fashion illustrator” in his obituary). In addition to being featured in these amongst other major publications, multiple books have been written based on his works since his passing in order to continually inspire future generations.
ANTONIO LOPEZ was a major player in the fashion world; he was an associate of Karl Lagerfeld, and helped launch the careers of several models, actresses, and singers such as Jessica Lange, Jerry Hall, Tina Chow, and Grace Jones.
The Suzanne Geiss Company curated a stunning exhibition; an eclectic mix of Lopez’s illustrations, both in color and black and white, were displayed elegantly in white frames on white walls. In the gallery’s own words:
“Inspired by his muses, contemporary culture, and a diverse range of historical and artistic movements, Lopez forged a diverse body of work rendered in pencil, ink, charcoal, watercolor, and film. His ability to convey the human form – and the couture that ornamented it- with flourish and mastery inspired the creation of drawings, ranging from classical, surrealistic, abstract, pop, and urban. Lopez’s distinctive method, which synthesized dedicated study and intrinsic virtuosity, established him as one of the most influential tastemakers of the age.”
Lopez’s illustrations are some of the most unique of the many fashion illustrations that I have seen in the past. Each image is emotional and gripping, with such detailed expressions on the model’s faces, and makes creative use of color and pattern. No face was the same, bringing a vibrancy to the canvas that is sometimes lacking in typical fashion illustration.
While I visit gallery exhibitions much less than I would like to, I was so thankful that I was able to experience first hand the works of such an influential member of the fashion industry.
Unfortunately the exhibition is finished, but if you are in the NYC area on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27th at THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY at 4 PM the authors of the new book released about Antonio Lopez and his fantastic works ANTONIO LOPEZ: FASHION, ART, SEX, AND DISCO will be doing a book signing. Swing by, meet the authors, and steal some fashion inspiration for yourself! Or if you aren’t around, just buy the book at the amazon link below!
Interested in fashion drawing but aren’t in the NYC area? Check out these really helpful instructional videos by Tu Ahn, founder of the Tu-Anh Accessories and Polished by Tu-Anh design and creative consulting, walking you through the entire process of how to make your own fashion drawings and the supplies needed to make your creations come to life!
◊ Post written by CP