NEW YORK—Today the fashion world churns on fashion weeks and the street style bloggers that chronicle them. “Antonio’s World” at The Suzanne Geiss Company reinvents the fashion scene from another era, the 1960s, 70s and 80s when the illustrations of Antonia Lopez (1936-1987) graced the pages of Vogue, Interview, Women’s Wear Daily and the New York Times. The exhibit includes more than 100 works and memorabilia produced over three decades, many on view for the first time.
The images of the Puerto Rican-born, New York-based artist were inspired by his “girls,” muses who included Jessica Lange and Jerry Hall, as well as Pat Cleveland and Grace Jones—black models who made groundbreaking strides in the industry. Lopez’s embrace of celebrity, nightlife and disco culture also crept into his drawings and photography. His images were cutting-edge, mixing illustration and photography, for example, and on occasion, influencing the designs of fashion houses.
The gallery describes Lopez’s work thus: “Inspired by his muses, contemporary culture, and a diverse range of historical and artistic movements, Lopez forged a diverse body of work rendered in pencil, ink, charcoal, watercolor, and film. His ability to convey the human form—and the couture that ornamented it- with flourish and mastery inspired the creation of drawings, ranging from classical, surrealistic, abstract, pop, and urban. Lopez’s distinctive method, which synthesized dedicated study and intrinsic virtuosity, established him as one of the most influential tastemakers of the age.”
“Antonio’s World” is on view from Sept. 7 to Oct. 20, 2012.
All photos © Arts Observer
At right, A portrait of Antonio Lopez.
