Heavenly Bodies at the Metropolitan Museum, NY

My trip to NY as always was full of art in the several museums we visited.

The exhibit HEAVENLY BODIES: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination

was so large and so beautiful plus,

shown in 3 places, it took up much of our time in NY.

This exhibit features the work of designers whose imaginations 

were shaped and developed from their Catholic backgrounds. 

I tried to catch the reference of the fashion in these 

Medieval art galleries and occasionally did.

 The designers imaginations seemed to have been influenced 

by religious artworks in the Met collections as well as 

fashions in the 20th and 21st centuries.

 We were viewing this show on the first public day 

it was open so you know how very crowded it was.

There was so much that was beautiful but because 

of the crowds, I and the camera missed a lot.

Above a wedding gown with wings.

 I took many pictures and read a lot about each work but did 

not write anything down so it is hard to remember each designer.

And high above our heads there was so much. 

I was sorry I cut off her head as 

that head piece was halo-like, glittery and beautiful

 There is no way for the camera to pick up the glitter, 

precious stones, gold embroidery, and sparkle everywhere.

 These fashions were high above our heads and 

lined up in several hallways in 

the Byzantine and medieval galleries.

 All glitter and embroidery.

 Seeing one hallway from the model's backs.

 Alexander McQueen in the 70's used paper for this outfit

 His winged outfit from the back. Note the bell bottoms.

 Some of the fashions were wearable

yet easy to see the influence.

 Another outstanding wedding dress.

 From the back you can see this pieces was entirely gold embroidery.

Sometimes my images were blurred and 

I have had to cut out a lot of what I took so no front of this, sorry.

 Another winged wedding dress. 

Many of these head pieces were gold and 

like jewels or jewelry and always sparkling.

 Dior with rose taffeta-like satin, probably silk.

Dior had a similar one in red silk velvet at the Cloisters.

So many trains, too. 

 Gold and more jewel-like glitter and embroidery?

 I don't have enough superlatives.

These crowns held sculptural scenes in gold.

 A leather jacket we all would wear with gorgeous beaded embroidery

 I did not date everything but some were suggestive 

of the hippy years, 60's and 70's.

 As I left the upstairs galleries I had to add this connection.

 Downstairs in the Anna Winter Costume center I was blown away 

by 4 garments is glass cases. 

They appear to be painted but reading the information 

it said all were embroidered. I believed the gold border was, 

but the center section I knew was painted. 

So getting out my glasses and kneeling down in front 

of the case so I was about 4 inches away 

I could see satin stitched silk thread....incredible.

So I took a quick picture, planning to take all 

four of these as we were allowed to take pictures of anything. 

Quickly a guard stopped me after these two.

These pieces were from a private collection and no photos allowed.

So I stopped there as that was a days viewing and so much to absorb.

The next day we went to the Cloisters to see 

the continuation of this exhibit.

I will add those pictures on my next blog. 

To be continued.......

Thanksgiving, jungle style 2014

Our annual Thanksgiving dinner had a room change. 

Vicky suggested we put the tables in the living room 

and move all of the living room furniture toward the fireplace. 

 It worked and made comfortable space for all 13 people.

 Seen from either end. I used 3 matching table clothes.

 The centerpiece, which I always think is more important than the food,

 used cabbages and kale and yellow chrysanthemums, plus....

 Alexandra's unusual place cards. 

She placed the dinosaurs, each carrying a sign, 

into the jungle of vegetables.

 We each had a candle as well 

since it became dark before we finished eating.

My special dinosaur! 

 When dark we needed the candles as there was no chandelier

above the tables in the living room.

 There were also purple and white striped eggplants 

hiding in the jungle vegetables.

 Again this year we designed our dinner plates 

with an artist's name or style or landscape or feeling, 

what ever the diner desired so here are a few.

This first one above is a rainbow created by Vicky.

 This plate has a face planned and created by Jill.

 Our graphic designer, Alex named her plate,

 "Potatochu....An Evolution of Thanksgivings Past 

in the style of the Anime Animator, Ken Sugimori

Caroline decided to honor Gene Davis with her stripes plate

I was thinking Sol Lewitt but somehow it did not work.

 Ashley gave an asymmetric design to her plate.

Julia said hers is "A Julia Original"

There were more and although I took several more pictures 

of plates I have not connected them to their owners, yet.

It was a good group of young and old. 

Dinner was followed by some fun games 

in which everyone took part.

That was Thanksgiving 2014 missing one person.