I attended AD2021: Art and Design of the 20th & 21st Centuries last night at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End. What a fantastic show! I spent most of the evening at the front desk greeting members of the Downtown Women’s Club, as we were invited to attend the “New Collector’s” night of the show.
I’m one of the Co-Directors of the Boston DWC and wanted to thank show producer Tony Fusco of Fusco & Four for inviting our group to attend! A fun night out for savvy business women on the go!
When I did have a chance to wander around I was struck by the amazing diversity of the offerings. From original works by Gustav Klimt at the Jason Jacques Gallery booth 
to furniture of George Nakashima 
and some pretty amazing jewelry!
Here are some piece that also caught my eye.
I was immediately attracted to this Carrie McGee work on the wall of the Lanoue Fine Art booth. Perfect for so many settings, made with oil paint & rust on acrylic tiles.
Also at the Lanoue booth were digital art works by Maggie Taylor. Blair Lefemine of the Gallery explained to me that these works are made by layering different digital images together – such as vintage photos for the faces and original photography for the landscapes. There is something a little eerie and Gothic yet also sweet and innocent about Maggie’s work. The complexity of subject and composition was immediately striking.
Mood Lifter by Maggie Taylor
Optimists Dress by Maggie Taylor
This game table – probably English from the estate of late R&B singer Luther Vandross was my personal favorite piece in the show. If I only had the money I would have snapped this baby up! Available from Joan and Harvey Wenz of New York (email: jhwz@optonline.net)
This piece is a triumph of trompe l’oeil technique. The removable top piece has a painted checker/chess board complete with fax painted cards, dice and other items. This reverse of this top has a felted cover for card games.
When removed, an inset backgammon table is revealed. The fine detail painted such as that around the edges of the table, along with the delicate proportions of the table itself are just enchanting!
Here are some closeup details:
This corner piece looks like turned wood, but is actually completely flat.
A girl can dream!
And finally, here is my fellow IFDA member Russ Schleipman, whom I’ve profiled before. This piece is the Porter Garden Telescope, redesigned and updated by Russ’ dad Fred, a scientist and tool maker, who has based this piece on the original Porter telescope for use in outdoor settings. Read here for more. In person and in photos, this is a true combination of art and science.
If you’re in Boston this weekend, or anywhere near by, I highly recommend you visit AD2021. Something for everyone in a beautiful space. It’s one of the best shows I’ve been to in a long time. And, given all the fantastic restaurants and design spaces in the South End, it makes for a great outing, in any weather!
