Ryan McGinness is often referred to as the “Andy Warhol for the 21st Century” and not just because he once worked at the Warhol museum in Pittsburgh as a curatorial assistant. His colorful sculptures and paintings often involve common elements, logos, icons and themes from everyday life which are then converted into visual gems that are nothing short of extraordinary. His “Aesthetic Comfort” series (circa 2008) made use of bright acrylic painting displayed under spectacular black lighting (shown above) and his current work in progress, “Most of the Time Most People Do What Most People Do Most of the Time” uses multiple panels of bold geometric shapes and stencil like silhouettes to create stunning visual facades. It’s a hard thing in art to master simple complexities, and McGinness is a true wizard in that respect. www.ryanmcginness.com
If you’re looking for ball gowns and flowing Parisian dresses to wear to prestigious award shows, then Mr. Jeremy Scott is not the designer you’re looking for. But in the same way, Warhol took elements of pop culture and turned them into objects of desire, Jeremy Scott follows a similar aesthetic and makes you take a second look at things you’ve often glazed over in day to day life. Some prime cases in point – taking a pair of innocuous Angel wings and throwing them on a pair of Adidas sneakers to create an instant collectible piece – or taking a pair of Mickey Mouse ears and throwing them on an army helmet to create an unforgettable piece of wearable art. It’s no wonder that his Spring and Summer collections are anticipated and applauded by fashionistas and art-heads alike. Mr. Scott is a rare talent with a beautiful and sometimes twisted mind. www.jeremyscott.com
Andy Warhol is famously quoted as saying “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.”With regards to Lady Gaga, she’s certainly looking to push that quarter-hour into a whole lifetime of notoriety and outlandishness. Her music is catchy and her performances are obviously intentionally laced with shock value antics, but like Warhol, Lady Gaga must be applauded for really mastering the art of twisting media attention and staying in the news. Her outrageous fashion outfits (curated exclusively by her “House of Gaga” crew of stylists, designers and milliners) consistently prove that underneath all the hype, the imperial Ms. Gaga knows exactly what she’s doing. In this token alone, one has to admit that she’s more like Warhol than most would care to admit.
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