Zatista The premier source for original art online

"014" by Mai-Thu Perret | Image: Wallpaper Magazine

I’ve been to a couple smaller art shows recently where the artists created and hung their own original wallpaper. It’s an interesting twist on the usual art mediums employed in gallery settings, and it’s gaining some traction in the art world at large.

"Arabian Nights" by Francesco Simeti | Image: Wallpaper Magazine

Last week I read on Wallpaper Magazine’s website (an art magazine not typically wallpaper oriented) that the Musée de Design et D’Arts Appliqués Contemporains in Lusanne, Switzerland launched an exhibition of new wallpaper dreamed up by contemporary artists and designers. The styles are very unconventional – don’t look for a Martha Stewart edition any time soon – with everything from vintage throwback offerings to hand drawn illustrations to beer can libraries.

"Beer Can Library" by Virgil Marti | Image: Wallpaper Magazine

It seems like wallpaper has been largely out of vogue for last twenty or so years. For one reason or another paint is the wall covering of choice in most homes I visit, and relatively neutral tones at that. Still, I’m guessing that a lot of my contemporaries either grew up in or visited spaces festooned in repeating patters and varying textures. In my parents’ home, nautical wallpaper with ship wheels and sailboats covered one bathroom, and a very groovy yellow and green plaid aviation theme kept bathers visually engaged with sketches of biplanes in another.

"Children Playing Toile (blue)" By Kent Hendricksen | Image: Wallpaper Magazine

As is often the case, the things that fall by the wayside tend to re-emerge, in this case by way of art. I’m sure I’m not the only one who was starting to feel a little nostalgic about the wallpapered days of yore – heck, I used to go to a bar in San Francisco specifically because it had black velvet on metallic silver wall bling that had endured since Ike and Tina were locals.

"Bullies" by Virgil Marti | Image: Wallpaper Magazine

The exhibition at the MUDAC is up until February 13, 2011.

"Wallpapers Games Mots Meles" by 5.5 Designers (pour Lutece) | Image: Wallpaper Magazine

So, if you’re a design buff and you happen to be in the area, stop by and see what you think.

Elizabeth Bauer is a noted interior designer and owner of the Elizabeth Bauer Design shop in New York. Her personal style is best described as modern in a traditional silhouette. Contributing writer Nancy Cost interviews Elizabeth for this month’s guest curator piece.

Where do you start when transforming a room: furniture, paint color, or art? Or somewhere else entirely?

I usually start with tear sheets from clients of what they like and don’t like. Next I think about fabric, wallpaper or a rug that reminds me of the client’s personality.

You’re a believer in unique and one-of-a-kind items. Do you apply that to buying art as well?

Absolutely. Everyone can buy what I call ‘gift shop art’. You don’t want to do that. Spend time investigating until you find things you really like.

What was the first piece of art you bought?

It’s over my sofa, a long French oil painting of Bastille Day. I bought it for almost nothing at one of Sotheby’s auctions. It’s one my favorite pieces. I picked the fabric on my sofa because of it.

What role should art play in an interior? How important is it?

It’s very important. Art is like the clothes you wear. Art defines and finishes the space. It says so much about a person – where you’ve traveled and what your interests are.

You have a phenomenal eye for pattern and color. What is your approach to mixing these in the home?

It’s about weight and scale. It’s about the saturation of colors in a pattern and the scale of the pattern. Mix scale.

What’s your advice on how to build an art collection?

Buy what you like!

Is it possible to have a great looking home, including art, on a small budget?

Yes! Good art doesn’t have to be expensive. I like to buy original art. There is value, quality, and integrity in original art. There’s a lot to choose from out there; we don’t have to buy posters on crappy paper.

When you have a wide range of options in front of you like at a flea market, how do you decide what to buy?

You have to learn to trust your eye. It’s hard to learn. I doubt myself all the time. Since I buy original items, if I don’t buy something I love, then I regret it. But when you finally buy, then you’ve defined that moment and you know what you like. If you don’t buy it and you keep thinking about it, go back and if it’s there buy it. If it’s not, then it’s not meant to be.

You mix styles a lot. When you mix styles of art, how do you know when it works?

There aren’t any rules. Buy what you like. ‘Liking it’ becomes the common thread and then it’ll work with your other things.

What is your best advice for making a home accessible and fun?

I like using vintage pieces because they are so unique. Shiny lacquer finishes or glass is fun too. I like reflection.

What designers do you admire?

Tony Duquette, David Hicks, Albert Hadley, and Kelly Wearstler.

What do you like about using Zatista?

I love the Art Explorer. It will show you similar work based on your likes, and that’s genius! It reminds me of Pandora Radio, to be able to do that with art is amazing!

Do I have to spend a lot of money to have good art?

Not at all! Cost doesn’t matter. Good art is only defined by price if you let it.

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One of the things I love most about this time of year is witnessing young friends or family members transition from high school to college, or from college to life beyond. With graduation on my mind I was intrigued by a recent New York Times article about a new home owner’s desire to leave the dorm room aesthetic behind and create a more grown-up looking home.

On a limited budget and with design consultation donated by Manhattan design firm, Incorporated Architecture & Design, Colin Kelly gave his home a dramatic upgrade. The article states, “Incorporated began by questioning their new client about everything from the absence of a dining table to whether he wanted to entertain, gently ribbing Mr. Kelly about how empty the apartment was. ‘Of the seven things in here,’ he said, ‘are you attached to any of them?’”

BEFORE: very little furniture + no art = dorm room aesthetic Photo: Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Although Colin was “not attached to most of the things in his apartment, he was fond of the artwork he’d accumulated including several paintings his parents had owned and a concert poster for the musician Beck.”

Photo: Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

During the process the designers showed Colin a rendering of what his living room could look like, showcasing his own artwork on the walls.

Rendering by Incorporated Architecture & Design

The NY Times goes on to say, “Over a three month period, the designers scouted furniture options, hunted for carpet sales and experimented with inexpensive ways to create a large piece of art to anchor the room…”  Here’s the final look:

AFTER: clearly defined space + art on the walls = grown-up home Photo: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

Photo: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

I am encouraged by the choices Colin made for his grown-up apartment. Among other things, Colin and his design team successfully moved beyond the dorm aesthetic and proved something I believe wholeheartedly: original works of art are some of the most personal items we collect for our homes over the years. Couches come and go, coffee tables fall in and out of favor, and posters end up in the dumpster, but original art is sentimental, moves with us from home to home, and stays with us for a lifetime.

Each year Housing Works, the nation’s largest grassroots AIDS service organization, puts on an amazing event in NYC to benefit the critical services they work hard to support. Design on a Dime 2010 is taking place next week and Zatista and select Zatista artists are proud to be the focal art sponsor this year.

This is a fantastic opportunity for Zatista and our artists to help contribute to such a great cause while gaining exposure to some of the top names in the design world.

Take a moment to learn more about Design on a Dime 2010 and how you can make a difference helping Housing Works’ cause.

If you happen to be in NYC May 6-8, think about stopping by for the free public sale on Friday or Saturday, or purchase tickets for the always exciting opening night reception on Thursday.

And if you do stop by, don’t forget to check out Zatista’s Art Wall and all the fantastic works from Zatista’s contributing artists.

Ryan Korban is a 25 year old rising star in the design world. His interiors confidently merge an 18th century aesthetic, with the bold, brash, and shiny. Contributing writer Joe Conway interviews Ryan for this month’s guest curator piece.

How do you typically describe your approach to decorating and what role does art play in your approach?

Because there are so many mediums within art and so many different directions, art plays a huge role in what I do. I feel like I can experiment with art in ways that are more advanced and varied than say with many fabrics I might use.

Design is sometimes viewed as a very stale industry or one that’s primarily reserved for an older or a more conservative group; my approach to design is to bring a sexiness and a youthful edge to interiors.

Do you typically design around a client’s collection or specific work, or let the design lead to the eventual placement of the art ?

I never like to base a room around a specific work as this feels like a more conservative approach to decorating. If I decorate and then find a place for art, it becomes more of an evolution and ends up going in an unexpected, and interesting spot. For me, the unexpected is what makes the design process exciting.

You’re known for doing really great work with smaller spaces. Do you have any secrets you can reveal?

I think that for a small space the trick with art is to go really big. In small spaces, and I work with them so much, going floor-to-ceiling really creates a lot of drama. The pieces consume the space—and I mean ‘consume’ in the best of ways. I tend to either cover the walls in art or try and use very large pieces that literally go from floor to ceiling.

It’s also all about putting things in unexpected spaces– like hanging a painting on the door to a closet, or placing a painting behind a lamp where you would think it’s being blocked visually. It’s the notion of an unpredictable placement in a small space that creates interest.

Do you have a favorite piece of art or artist of all time?

I love Francis Bacon, he’s one of my favorites. I love John Currin. I love work going back to Renoir. I love Jenny Seville. I love a real painter, that’s what I respond to. I can appreciate a really amazing abstract—I use them all the time—but then again that it comes from someone who’s a great painter.

Francis Bacon, Self-Portrait - 1971	Jenny Saville, Rosetta 2 - 2006
John Currin, The Hobo - 1999

I’m not into the art with magazine cutouts with ink splashed over it. I enjoy modern art, but not the sort that makes obvious pop-culture statements and that sort of thing.

What advice would you give someone who is interesting in starting their own art collection?

When people first start, they tend to go for what’s popular. I think it’s important to really look around and find something you connect with and pieces that evoke some emotion in you.

How do you describe your style and how do you feel that style relates to design and art?

I am often asked to describe my style and many try and label it as “Mid-Century” or “18th Century”. For me, I think my aesthetic boils down to three words: sexy, romantic, and fantasy.

I’m trying to blur the lines between interior design, fashion and art. I want to help people realize that interior design is this cool thing that hasn’t always been represented in the energetic and youthful way that fashion or art has.

April Issue, Page 192

You worked on a makeover story in this month’s issue of Real Simple Magazine, how was Zatista a useful resource for you?

I use images from Zatista on mood-boards and client proposals. If I’m looking for an abstract, or an oil on canvas, all I have to do is search and I have an entire database that’s also available for purchase, it’s the perfect resource.

I also tend to work with younger clients. Purchasing art for them is a new and exciting endeavor. It’s a great way to get them started thinking about art without feeling intimidated or turned off by the seriousness of the New York art world.

In your opinion, does the ability to purchase original art online bring anything new to the art world that we haven’t seen thus far?

Having high-end and lower-end price points co-exist in one place. A venue where I can buy a $100 painting and a $10,000 painting for the same client in the same day is amazing.

Do you have a favor place to look at art? Galleries or museums in New York?

My favorite gallery or room is the European period room at the Metropolitan Museum. That’s obviously within the realm of interior design, but for actual art I love the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, it’s so beautiful there and the British Museum as well.

Parting Thoughts?

As an interior designer you want to give somebody something that they really love. This is a huge inspiration. You’re working with all of these different prices points: some people have massive budgets and some people have very small budgets.

I think the one thing I try to do is give people design that feels priceless, design that is so special, you can’t really put a price tag on it.