Stewart's Untitled tie dye, 2007, Simon Hantaï, "Etude," 1969
There are moments on the Living website when one suspects that Martha Stewart may have once held fine art aspirations. In an article explaining how to compose a mushroom print, she writes, “The embryonic shape, diaphanous structure, and creamy spores of an amanita make it a good solo subject; this one recalls a Surrealist photogram.” Sure, she’s no avant-gardener, and she is a strident formalist, but a case can be made for a select handful of fine artworks from Stewart’s oeuvre.
- The invention of pliage is attributed to painter Simon Hantaï. Martha creates pliage works under a humbler name: tie dye. This method consists of folding the canvas, painting it, then stretching it to reveal graphic shapes that evoke space, scale shifts, and atmosphere. Stewart's T-shirts and wrapping paper pliage (intentionally?) recalls the work of her predecessor.
Martha Stewart mushroom print, Man Ray rayograph, 1926
- Martha's mushroom prints do kinda recall Surrealist photograms.
Martha Stewart untitled marbling, Philip Taaffe "Untitled," 2004
- Her marbling may lack the complexity of, say, that of Philip Taaffe or Roland Flexner, but its vibrant hue and luscious ink handling demonstrates more-than-proficient skill.
Martha Stewart, Josef Albers
- Anyone who makes overlapping squares will eventually end up with something that resembles an Albers, but her palette borrows directly from his.
Martha's decoupaged dresser, Kosuth's One and Three Chairs
- Martha never self-identifies as a conceptual artist. However, this decoupaged chest seems to aspire to a gestalt similar to Kosuth’s “One and Three Chairs.”
Martha Stewart's cornhole game; image from Jeff Koons's "Made in Heaven"
- AFC’s Will Brand sent me this “cornhole game,” in conjunction with a Koons image of a dick fucking a
vaginaasshole. [Editor's note: amended via reader feedback.] Thanks, Will!
There is nothing funny about this photo.
- For further reading, check out a slideshow of portraits a la Cindy Sherman.
