Art Attack

Art galleries are always such a wonderful source of inspiration for me.  I love to delve through the canvas and allow myself to be taken to another place and time that is new and unfamiliar to me. 

Recently I visited the Masterpieces from Paris exhibition at the NGA in Canberra.  The exhibition celebrates the development of post-impressionism and encapsulates the diversity of painting styles in France during the mid 1880s.  There are 35 artists featured in the gallery, which include the likes of Monet, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne and Seurat.

I have always loved the post-impressionist movement – the imaginative use of colour and the way that it is expressed to illustrate the emotional value of the scene.  Monet, who was at the forefront of this movement, would in fact paint his subjects at different times of the day so he could express the change in light.  This ultimately caused the subjects to dissolve – making the light become the focal point.

Now, this wasn’t the first time that I had met these works face to face.  My first encounter with these paintings was during a trip to Paris three years ago where I visited the Musee d’Orsay.  Seeing the paintings for the second time allowed me to look at them with more meaning and structure.  Although I had studied art at school and have always had a love for it, I felt this time I was able to see how the works have reflected on different areas of both fashion and interior design. 

Designers such as Nicole Farhi have recently turned to Claude Monet for inspiration.  Her summer 09 collection (pictured right) uses lots of bold stripes as well as vibrant prints of the artist's paintings.

Even the recent collections from Erdem are reminiscent of post-impressionist works.  I have fallen in love with these gorgeous frocks, which have each adopted the technique of using vigorous strokes of colour and dots in bright colours to create a work that resembles light changes and movement.

A great range to check out for complimenting accessories would be the new “Sun” collection at Dinosaur Designs.  These amazing resin pieces are available in warm yellows and ochres that take on the same brushstroke techniques used in Cezanne’s paintings.  

To see the rest of the new Dinosaur Designs collection check out their website www.dinosaurdesigns.com.au

In terms of interiors I dare you to be bold with your next purchase.  Us Aussies have always been quite fearful of using colour in our interiors. If you want this look without the large commitment of a new paint job or piece of furniture,  I suggest using accessories such as patterned cushions or beautiful coloured glass accessories...or perhaps even a print from your favourite post-impressionist!