6 Times Online Art Shopping Had Me Like Whoa

You may have seen me post this snap over the weekend. L.A.-based artist and MVP Super Nice Person Anna Ullman, whom I discovered on Instagram in an incestuous, design-y way (the best way) via Eddie Ross's feed, sent me this beautiful painting. It looks great against my wall color (Farrow & Ball's Stiffkey Blue) and has this luscious, frenetic energy going on. I'm pretty excited about it.

I feel like it kind of reflects this sea change in the way I'm discovering original art online. Ever since I jumped the hurdle known as the Quarter Life Crisis I have this urge to assert my adulthood in an old-school, Wolf of Wall Street, blue chip Lean-In #GirlBoss kind of way. Art seems like a good way to do that. And it's nice to find that the marketplace seems to be there, waiting for me and all six of my big boy dollars.

There's of course Instagram, where I've seen the work of friends like Cate evolve and where behind-the-scenes glimpses into the creative processes of some really cool people are par for the course. There are new(ish) sites like Lofty and Chairish that allow sellers to upload their unwanted collectibles—including fine art—effectively crowdsourcing great vintage finds. Art seems to be a growing category (or maybe it's fully grown and I'm just now paying attention) for sites like One King's Lane and Serena & Lily, both of which sell new and vintage pieces.

I was inspired to do some hunting around on Serena & Lily the other day and thought I'd share my spoils here. I was happy to find a nice chunk of their inventory selected from Lost Art Salon, a great online resource that sells Saul Lishinsky, one of the artists I talked about in my bedroom makeover. I also mixed in two graphic vintage finds from Chairish and One Kings Lane. And this is so just the tippity tip of the art iceberg! Click any image for more info and let me know in the comments if you have a great site you go to for original art—I want to know your secrets!

La Bottega Moderna

La Bottega Moderna is this artist's studio I stumbled upon in Florence. I think the guy in the photo above is Richard Prosperi, who paints under the name Simafra...? I don't know, I link to things for a reason people. I popped my head in thinking the space looked cool and he was nice enough to let me take a picture or two. His work is really great, a bit grotesque and haunting, like it's channeling Francis Bacon.

I realized that two of his pieces are actually in Cameron Diaz's Kelly Wearstler-designed apartment, in the living room and bedroom, as seen in Elle Decor. Small world, right? Photos (below) © William Abranowicz / Elle Decor.

Long story short: I am a jetsetting international tastemaker, obviously, and if you hang out with me you will be connected to the art in Cameron Diaz's apartment by six degrees of Kevin Bacon or whatever. Seriously though, I felt much more attuned to the significance of design and the decorative arts on this visit to Florence. Pretty much every other shop reupholsters or refinishes or at the very least sells antiques. It's so accessible in this way that seems really foreign, or, you know, telling of the fact that you're in Italy, home to like, all of the craft ever.

I found this short and sweet video tour of La Bottega Moderna, if you're interested. It's like you can live my journey...#LiveMyJourney #WishThisWasSponsored #SomeoneSendMeSomewhereNew #ThirstyJourney

Karina Bania & the Creative Process

Karina Bania is an artist whose work I've pinned without realizing it—which I feel bad about, but I haven't yet figured out a workaround for other people's sloppy pinning habits. Source things properly, people! Luckily I stumbled upon her work (again) and did a little reading up on her background—turns out she's a self-taught painter with a degree in business. Her work, to me, is very visceral. It's about color and composition and abstraction. I like that. I like it for the same reasons I was drawn to the Jack Ramsey piece I have, 'Sunslide'.

And while I'm usually not one for inspirational quotes, something Bania had to say in one of her recent blog posts really resonated with me: "I make mistakes constantly. My mistakes are what generally lead me to some of the best places my work has gone and definitely some of the most enjoyable moments of working. But many pieces go nowhere. Many times I leave the studio with nothing to show for it but the act of creating. And that is enough. Everything doesn’t always have to be 'something.'"

I think I take that for granted constantly in the city, and more generally on the internet and social media. Things don't have to be "something." Things don't have to be finished. Despite the fact that never before in my life have I felt like so many eyes are watching me. There's always this potential for that one thing you tweet or share or even simply 'like' to somehow come to define you in one way or another. And it's so easy for people to engage with one itty bitty facet of yourself that you've put out there and get the wrong impression. It feels like every part of yourself that you make available online (and what isn't online?) needs to be polished. And finished. And the best.

But that's—hopefully—not true.

Hopefully we can still be three-dimensional and still be creative while making mistakes and tweeting the wrong things and Instagramming less than perfect pictures and realize that we're not declaring Who We Are, realize that we're not done, even though it can seem that way. So maybe it's archived for all eternity (unless the Internet breaks?), but we have to have the opportunity to learn from those moments we share that are less than perfect, and have the freedom to go nowhere but not be defined by dead ends.

Progress in the Bedroom

No, this isn't about my sex life—it's about decorating, silly! Because singledom is so much more fun when you have throw pillows to distract you from the desperately haunting specter of loneliness. The other weekend I shared this itty-bitty sliver of my bedroom on Instagram, so I wanted to blog about my inspirations because I'm a self-indulgent bastard I know you're curious. The main attraction is the shelf over my bed, obvi, which my co-worker and her hubby were nice enough to help me install after we finished working on my at-this-point-mythical drapery project. Also of note here: My beloved GP & J Baker Peony Blossom pillows, which I brought up from my parent's house, and my new Small Spells planter from Steven Alan home. It works just so perfectly for my money tree (previously seen in the boring white plastic container it came in).

I bought the shelf at The Container Store because it looked like a floating shelf—like there'd be no visible hardware. But there is—and what's worse, it's a super shiny silver that you can't really hide. So this guy sat on my floor well past the return-by date and I figured I'd end up trying to hawk it on Craigslist. Then it occurred to me to just dip the bottom portion of each bracket in the remaining paint I had from doing my walls, et voilà! Now the hardware really isn't noticeable at all.

Aside from following through with the floating shelf-spiration I shared on the blog last month, I was also under the influence of artist Mary Nelson Sinclair's apartment. I've loved her space since I first saw it (proof), despite the fact that it's a bit out of the norm for me. It's eclectic and full of art (plus: white walls); apparently you can't go wrong with a turquoise foo dog + abstract/blobby art in shades of pink. My foo dog came from an antiques store, but you can shop similar ones here. The painting, by Jack Ramsey, I bought at a thrift shop, but if you're looking for abstract art I really love Karina Bania's work (or you can just gaze longingly at my art + illustration Pinboard). And I'm not done yet—I've still got plans for a headboard and there's a light that needs to be hung. Stay tuned!

BEDROOM INSPIRATION

Note: If you're new to this blog, it'll help to read this post to contextualize the following utterly brilliant nonsense. (Above images via Pinterest.)

So in case you were wondering (you weren't), my big bedroom makeover is going to be ready soon! But there are a few crucial things I need before it'll function as a proper Gay Hipster Sex Cave (read: I eat pizza alone in my bed there!) such as a more phallic collection of cacti (sweet jesus, I cannot stop insinuating that everything looks like a penis to me, I'm not even trying, I swear) and some more art. I'm thinking that I'll put up one of those "floating" shelves above my bed (as seen in the top-left hand picture) and keep some framed pieces there; I also really love the way that shelf in the bottom pic looks with the really minimal, staggered frames. I was thinking of having an industrial-looking ladder, on the legs of which I could display 'zines or something, but have yet to find one that's the right mix of industrial chic and rustic bohemian glamour. Damn.

EASY & AFFORDABLE #DIY ART

So I don't know how much of a DIY this really is, but I'll go over the steps with you and you can decide for yourself. Sound like a plan? Awesome.

The other week I stopped into the Housing Works in Chelsea (#MuscleDaddy trolling, obvs) and took a desperate look around for adorable and cheap vintage ceramics, because I'm competing to be the most Brooklyn hipster-gay of them all and how am I supposed to win if I don't have anywhere to keep my baby cactus collection? Well, I didn't find any secondhand bud vases that met my standards, but I did see a simple black frame with shit artwork in it for $3. I thought to myself, "Do I really need this? What'll I do with it?" Well folks, what I did with it is this:



Art! Well...ok, so I took the cheapie frame—super simple, can't go too wrong—removed aforementioned shit stock photo and replaced it with a Comme des Garçons ad. Uh...DIY? I mean, kind of. I did the work of cutting out the ad and putting it into the frame, and no one can take that away from me.

What's nice about this particular ad is that it's totally bitching. I mean, you probably thought the "DIY" portion of this post would involve how to actually make an ad look like this, right? Crinkling it up all artsy like? No, silly—you find it, pre-crinkled, in French Vogue! Because everyone knows that doing things with your hands is for people who can't pronounce Balenciaga. Click through to see how this idea worked for an entire gallery wall in one of my old rooms!

LIVING WITH STYLE

1stdibs and Bonnie Tsang recently held a Pinterest contest where participants could design their dream living room using their favorite finds on 1stdibs and other interiors-related content on Pinterest. I eagerly partook in the festivities and had more fun than I care to admit - I think I finally understand why boys play video games. Hunting through the impeccably designed and marvelously functional 1stdibs site trying to find the perfect antique Italian brass table lamp, or the most delicious Japanese textile, knowing that there could be a prize at the end if I played my cards right...maybe this is the rush of Halo 4, no? Maybe?

The detail shot above was something of an abstract starting point for me. I love the lamp, the molding on the walls, the lines of the furniture and the simple, sheer window treatments, not to mention the rich warmth of the wood...and that light! I wanted to create a space characterized by down-to-earth glamour, where form and function could co-exist in "luscious simplicity." I found myself drawn to geometric patterns in textiles, art deco influences and unexpected sculptural elements to add texture and depth. (Love the vintage Noh mask below - and how great is that marble surfboard!?)

I included art from Landon Metz, because I love his work...the color, the technique! (Click image for source.)

And I included other decorative art and objects, like these framed drawings. I've been saving every scrap of paper that could ever have sentimental value to me for years now. It's a veritable buffet of drawings and notes that I'll one day have uniformly framed and displayed, gallery style, and it'll look awesome. And would you look at that chair? That is such a beautiful f*cking chair. I can't with this chair. I can't even. There will of course also be plants, stacks of magazines and other reading materials meticulously arranged in corners.

I love the idea of some elements in the room having a raw or industrial feel juxtaposed against the considered design of midcentury pieces and gold and brass features. The patchwork boro textile, a Japanese folk fabric, would add to that raw, recycled aesthetic and look great hanging on a wall, maybe even framed!

Contest winners are announced next week and I don't know what I'll do if I win, aside from poop my pants and maybe buy some art? How do we like my dream living room? All images from my Living With Style Pinterest board.

LOOK AT THIS F*CKING HIPSTER

Because I've got analog daydreams, baby...It has been a crazy long time since I've developed one of my little disposable gems, so without further ado...this is Chelsea taking her sweater off (woof!) and me trying to find a date. Where has all the boys gone?

Click through to check out more of this hot hipster madness!

Mid-Century Modern

I've had this post gestating in the back of my mind for awhile now, because I am ~*obSesSEd*~ with midcentury furniture. I don't technically know what defines it (how mid is mid?), but I know that I like the look of it. Part of it might also be its ubiquity in every home to which I find myself really drawn, homes with clean lines full of natural materials and natural light bouncing off white walls, with lots of plants and antiques. It's a versatile aesthetic that can lean towards the bohemian end of things, which is why I feel it suits me really well. My bedroom can be a multilayered souk and my living room can exude Danish Hygge; the space itself more of a gallery for the calculated layering of mementos, art and artifacts.

One home I've found myself really falling for is Morgan Satterfield's California desert oasis (photos above; click through for the original post). Satterfield's blog, The Brick House, makes even DIY photos look interesting, plus she has a wicked sense of humor and an incredible eye for art, textiles, furnishings, decor...you name it. She's basically the interiors blogging messiah and her home is my digital temple. Too much? Maybe. Satterfield also works as an interiors stylist and her projects, including Husky Ranch (as seen on Design*Sponge, below) have a deliciously handmade feel with Southwestern flair.

But I digress...the internet is a big place and I have to admit that it isn't just Satterfield's home that has me swooning. I loved finding Spanish designer David Delfin's home on Yatzer. Again: white walls, natural materials, plants, great art—and midcentury furniture.

And below I've pulled two more inspo images for us to ruminate on. The first, from Modern Thrifter, is just a pitch perfect deskscape. (Are we saying "deskscape," now? Can we?) I love the gold accents in the home accessories; below that we have Azzedine Alaïa's Paris bedroom. Maybe, at the end of the day, a little spartan for my tastes, but that lighting fixture and the mint green armoire are almost too good to be true.

Saarinen tables and Eames lounges, oh my! How do we feel about this mid-century madness? Like this post? Check out more of my living entries, then check out my design boards on Pinterest!

ART FOR APARTMENT'S SAKE

I feel like there hasn't been enough interiors love on the blog lately, mostly because I have so much love for interiors that they just keep getting pinned away and never woven into a cohesive post here. I'm always like, "I love that, but do I love this more??" So here are some homes I've loved recently, lumped together because of the different ways their respective owners have incorporated art into their décor. I'll try to get more great interiors up on the blog, te promiso! Photos via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

YOU NEED TO KNOW: LAURENCE PHILOMÈNE

I discovered Canadian photographer Laurence Philomène's work through Tumblr, where one of a series she'd done for the blog Girl Guts popped up on my dashboard. I love her aesthetic - maybe because she is a woman she crosses gender boundaries in a very non-sensational way. Her images are pretty, sophisticated and charming. They also remind me of being a five-year-old little boy dressed up in his mother's old slips, and - more weirdly - making a skirt out of toilet paper this one time?

See lots more of Philomène's work on her blog, her Tumblr and her Flickr - then like her on Facebook!

INSTAGRAM LIFE VOL. 2

I went to the Brooklyn museum with my friend Matt (wait, his name isn't a link? He's got no blog or Twitter? Not even a secret Tumblr? OH MYGOD WAS I THERE ALONE??!!) and loved up on all that art. The Rodin sculptures in the lobby were an immediate highlight and I also loved the Nick Cave flower cage thing in picture 2 and the prayer rugs cut out for skateboard decks (picture 4). There also had a kewl staircase (picture 3).

Chelsea came to visit! We hung out and tried this vegan Japanese place (ohmigod so hot right now.) Also, I went window shopping at Barneys, where I found this Albertus Swanepoel hat that I want more than all the things combined. Except for also I want this Shipley & Halmos furry red jacket thing that's not really my style, but I just feel like maybe it could be, you know? And then here's a lil' snap of another awesome bag from Flux Productions - cute backpack #FTW

And this is some food I made. As you can see, there were a lot of tomatoes involved in my diet this summer...scrambled, bruschetta-ed and insalata-ed. Also, I made this French potato salad and it was dookie. Such a shame, because the fingerling potatoes were so cute!

Follow me on Instagram @thisfruitsnaps for morrrre!

STUDIO JAKE X OLD BRAND NEW

The home of design blogger Jake Harrison by Dabito of Old Brand New, a brand new to me blog that I am loving so hard right now.

Click through to see more!

SOME BOYS LIKE ME

Today's post is inspired by the above photo, though it's a topic I've been ruminating on for quite some time and it feels topical now since menswear is showing and what not. When I shared this photo from Daniel Hurlin's collection, "Perfect Blue Tamara," on my Tumblr, someone reblogged it and felt the need to comment:

this guy is so hot, why stick him in weird pyjamas and a stupid jacket? #cozitsfashion?

And I was all like, "homey don't play that game." Number one: Oh no, is he not trying to be hot for you? How dare he! Lord knows the only reason to get dressed is to impress your judgmental ass. The worldview that an outfit must be specially arranged to conform to someone's idea of what's "hot," infuriates me and is baddumbwrong. Number two: Just because YOU think this outfit is "weird pyjamas and a stupid jacket," doesn't mean it actually is. While I generally keep the tone of *fruitpunch apolitical (well, liberal a.k.a. sane) and lighthearted, lighthearted can still want to smack some sense into internet users whose blithe remarks are casually indicative of straight-privilege. Educate yourself! Hurlin's notes for the collection declare, "He deconstructs the patterns of classic menswear, manipulates cuts, compartmentalises bodies, isolating certain parts, or suddenly revealing others: a mosaic of faded colours which sometimes makes one think of Kazimir Malevich. Employing violent contrasts, Daniel Hurlin creates an attractive fiction where elegance conceals a trap which is as delicate as it is deadly." BAM #knowledgeispower

The commenter's attitude and the resulting pissed-off-edness it awakened within me brought to mind the gender-bending, convention-thwarting work of a designer whose work is always captivating, Walter Van Beirendonck. My apologies if any of the below images offend with their "not hotness":

Granted, there are plenty of other designers whose work continually challenges the status quo, I'm just rather keen on Van Beirendonck's styling (the colors! the hair!) I feel it's important to reference progressive menswear designers for their perspective on male sexuality, as popular attitudes toward dress and what is/isn't appropriate for a "gender" is a dialogue we conduct daily through our sartorial choices. This isn't to say that I personally am fighting the good fight for men wearing cropped-sleeve polka-dot sportcoats and embroidered satin drop-waist kimonos (I just made that up, that doesn't even make sense) - Lord knows I enjoy wearing pants and, increasingly, baseball caps. But when it comes to Fashion, a good menswear designer, to me, presents a collection that reflects (and distorts) cultural attitudes and encourages a dialogue about masculinity and I, a consumer, take note of that and keep it in the back of my mind while getting dressed. (Kept in my mind as of late: J.W. Anderson's latest collection.)

Click through to continue reading this post!