History collides with fashion for a new art installation peppering nearly two dozen Upper East Side blocks along Madison Avenue. Dubbed ‘Art History 101: A Brush With Fashion,’ the exhibition includes 21 dresses inspired by various artistic periods and movements.
Presented in eight-foot-tall lucite cases stationed on the sidewalk between East 61st and East 77th Streets, each dress is the creation of a student from The School of Visual Arts in partnership with the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District.
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Each installation also features short descriptions of the period of art history that inspired the creation, including Analytical Cubism, Ancient Greek, Arte Povera, Arts & Crafts, Baroque, Bauhaus, Brutalism, Cubism, Dada, Gothic, Impressionism, Outsider Art, Pop Art, and Surrealism.
“Rather than having to go to a gallery or go to an exhibition, the idea [is] that they turn the corner and there’s a piece of art and can maybe bring a little happiness to them, or get them thinking,” said SVA 3D Design Chair Kevin O’Callaghan.
The seventh collaboration between the School of Visual Arts and the Madison Avenue BID, the partnership previously brought ‘Barkitecture’ to the famous UES street. Last December, students created their own interpretations of a classic dog house using everyday objects.
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“We have received so many comments from both our retailers and Upper East Side residents about how these SVA installations enhance the experience of visiting Madison Avenue,” said Matthew Bauer, President of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District.
“We deeply appreciate the creativity of the SVA’s students, and we are honored by our longstanding partnership with one of the great arts institutions in the world,” Bauer added.
‘Art History 101: A Brush With Fashion’ is on display through the end of May.
