The Tamesis
“I like the idea that the glamor of fashion is filtering into paintings and artists,” artist John Currin told me. “I care about painting even more than sculpture or architecture or photography; however, I think these things can coexist perfectly, especially fashion, because it is very good for museums.” He believes that institutions like the Met need to change. Nothing should be considered sacred. “They should have a celebrity zoo at the Met,” he said. “People are naked in cages. They can exercise in front of everyone… I would give up the bookstore if I had to. (The Met didn’t give up its store — it just relocated it.)
Finally, I asked my husband, Calvin Tomkins, who writes the history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Businessman and Masterpiece) This is the question I’ve been asking everyone. “Can clothing be art, and art be fashion?” He responded with a resounding “Yes!” and added: “In fact, the two were so close that they couldn’t help but be drawn to
each other. “
In this story: hair, Jimmy Paul; makeup, Kabuki; manicurist Jin Soon Choi; seamstress, Carol Ai.
Produced by a special production facility. Set design: Studio Wagner.
All artwork images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
