Pulling in visitors in numbers greater than any other Costume Institute Show in history, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art had to suspend their guided tours because of overflow crowds.

Garnering an astounding 5,100 people to opening day last Wednesday, the new Alexander McQueen exhibit came close to the record set by the museum’s most busy opening day ever in its history: “Vincent van Gogh: The Drawings,” which brought in 5,400 people back in 2005.

Savage Beauty Showcases McQueen’s Contrasts

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen, the world famous clothing designer, who died last year, was not afraid to explore the world of contrasts: Dark and light; past and future; masculine and feminine. Thus the name of the exhibit, “Savage Beauty,” the first such show since his passing, is certainly apropos.

The Met’s Costume Institute explores the fabulous world of McQueen extremes, an intellectual and an artist, whose career as a designer was celebrated until his suicide at the age of 40 in February of 2010. His was a journey into the world of contrasts, where he challenged the usual ideas about beauty, while going for the shocking statement whenever he felt it was appropriate.

McQueen Challenged Normal Notions of Beauty

The exhibit curator, Andrew Bolton said that McQueen was always exploring ways to question normal conventions of fashion and beauty, citing a quote from Shakespeare which he had tattooed on his arm, which is also the starting point for the show: “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.”

These words were said by Helena from a Midsummer Night’s Dream, explained Bolton, who was someone who believed that love had the power to transform the ordinary into the beautiful.

Designer was Also a Believer

Bolton continued to explain that McQueen was not unlike Helena, for he, too was a believer:

“All of McQueen’s collections were fashioned around elaborate narratives, and the exhibition is intended to evoke a gothic fairy tale, a fairy tale that is pushed forward by McQueen’s imagination.”

The month of May is a great time to be in New York if you are an arts fan. Coming our way are at least four, brand new outdoor exhibits for some wonderful new work by some major artists. Enjoy their stunning creations while soaking up some of nature’s greatest creations, the warm, springtime sunshine.  Along with the al-fresco displays are accompanying indoor exhibits which are related in style, theme or materials.

•    Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads– This is Ai Weiwei’s latest public installation, which can be said to be following the lead of ‘The Gates’ by Christo and ‘Waterfalls’ by Olafur Eliasson.  Weiwei was arrested last month by the Chinese government, so he will not be able to attend the opening , which will take place at the Pulitzer Fountain in Grand Army Plaza, (59th and Fifth adjacent to the Plaza Hotel.) The opening is scheduled for May 2, where you can see the installation, which was inspired by the fountain-clock of the Yuanming Yuan, which was an 18th century imperial retreat on the outskirts of Beijing.

•    I Had a Vision- This is the latest from Martin Kippenberger. Opening on May 7th at Luhring Augustine, this display is culled from shows in San Francisco in 1991 and another show in Vienna of the same year, and takes its name from the catalog that accompanied that San Francisco show.  You may see a dumpster full of broken paintings, or an abandoned tunnel, among other things.

•    Echo- this is by far the largest sculpture on display this month. Its reflective surface on a 44-foot-high fiberglass reinforced plastic bust is the work of the Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, and portrays the head and neck of a nine year old girl. You can see this amazing artwork beginning on May 5 at Madison Square Park, where it will rival the surrounding trees by its size.

Let’s talk about interior design, especially two women decorators working in New York who immediately come to mind as the kind that understand the importance of a pleasing aesthetic, a warm embrace, and an artistic nuance to making a house become a home. I am talking about Janna Bullock and Amanda Nisbet.

Quality of Interior Design Crucial

New York is well known for its elegant apartments, townhouses and homes. What is often forgotten when admiring the location, age or history of the living space in question, is that perhaps the most important element which can mean the difference between living in a comfortable, pleasing environment and not, is the quality of the interior design.

After all, even a small, cramped apartment can be made to feel spacious and homey when the correct approach is taken to the furnishings and accessories; and even the largest and well thought-out floor plan can be irritating and annoying if it is decorated poorly or without the personalities and needs of the residents in mind.

Two female decorators working in New York are the kind of designers that understand the importance of a pleasing aesthetic, a warm embrace, and an artistic nuance to making a house become a home.

Janna Bullock Joins Art, Architecture and Design

Janna Bullock is famous for her use of contemporary artists which are considered as important to the overall results and architecture and design. As Janna Bullock has said, “For art and architecture to co-habitate, it is important to create inspirational interiors and not sterile environments.” Ms. Bullock was originally a real estate developer who made her mark buying, renovating and reselling townhouses on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

A few years ago Janna Bullock was synthesized her love for historic architecture with her passion for modern art to create a warm, calm and tranquil environment in a 3,000 square foot apartment in New York’s Plaza Hotel. “When you design a collector’s residence it is important that the art has enough space to live, inspire and influence,” Janna Bullock explained. “There needs to be harmony between all of the components.”

Nisbet Expert in Fabric Design

Amanda Nisbet was born in Montreal but has become a central figure in New York’s world of interior, fabric and lighting design. Amanda has a real sense of fashion, as she explains, “I love fashion. I am lucky to live in New York City where I can walk down Madison Avenue through SoHo and see incredible window displays. What fashion designers are doing inspires me.”

Amanda Nisbet could be said to be a bit more fun-loving and vital where Janna Bullock is more elegant.

“My perfect room is an imperfect room. When something is slightly askew, it gives a room more energy.”