Clover Design / Art / Fashion / Culture

-Culture Watch-

Year of the Tiger

This year Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day fall on the same day. 2010 marks the Year of the Tiger so why not bring out your inner-beast with a raucous trip to Miami where the king of culinary street cred Michael Chow has just opened his newest “Mr. Chow” outpost. Situated in Aby Rosen and David Edelstein’s newly developed W Hotel South Beach (www.starwoodhotels.com), the legendary restaurant is, hands-down, the hottest spot in town. Let’s connect the dots.

-Personality-

The Art-Raunteer

Michael Chow always knows just where to be. Coincidentally, the first Mr. Chow (www.mrchow.com) opened in London’s Knightsbridge on Valentine’s Day, 1968. In Chow’s own words: “Every city has a time. The twenties was Berlin, the thirties was Paris and Shanghai. And then in the fifties, everything is Rome. And then in the sixties, it’s London. Then, the seventies in L.A., and the eighties is art-world New York. We are always in the happening city.” And now with Miami ensconced as the reigning queen? Can we revisit Berlin, Paris and Shanghai for starters?

Photo courtesy of mrchow.com.

-Interiors-

Gilded in Miami

For Mr. Chow Miami, Michael Chow took on the role of artist and designed a Gold-leaf and Swarovski Crystal chandelier that spans 123-feet. Uber –Dealer Larry Gagosian (www.gagosian.com) hosted a private dinner at the restaurant during Art Basel. Upping the art quotient even further, Aby Rosen has dipped into his private collection and is displaying work by Andy Warhol, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat, George Condo, and Damien Hirst in The W Hotel South Beach lobby. Have bags – will travel.

Photo courtesy of mrchow.com.

-Art Icons-

The Waiter

One of the greatest art world two-steps was the collaborative paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiate and Andy Warhol. Basquiat was a muse to Warhol and Warhol was a friend to Basquiat. From 1984-1985 they merged their disparate approaches to painting into a complex group of works on canvas, including “The Waiter” shown here. Basquiat’s hand-made graffiti gesture paired with Warhol’s mechanical methods and ready-made iconography resulted in one of the art world’s unexpected bodies of work. Visit www.warholfoundation.org for more.

-Architecture-

King of the Court(house)

Twenty-five years ago John Keenen and Terry Riley established the architecture/design firm K/R (www.krnyc.com) and quickly turned heads for their innovative teaching approach and distinctive contributions to residential, commercial and institutional design. Along the way, Terry spent fourteen years at MOMA as Director of the Architecture and Design Department, leading the museum through its much heralded expansion. He followed with a four year stint as Director of The Miami Art Museum. Keenen is looking forward to working closely again with Riley who will be practicing full-time again at K/R. Riley will continue to live in Miami in his K/R-designed “Courthouse” home, and oversee the firm’s new Design District office. What’s next for the formidable pair? A 100-acre, river-front park in the Southern Spain town of Murcia seems like a stellar starting point.