Midwinter Inspo

To be honest, february always makes me feel as if I need a jolt of energy and inspiration. For this reason, Harry and I head to galleries and museums not only to get out of the house but also to see something new. And when we are suddenly upended by the weather, I go online. No matter how you access inspiration, it’s always fun to discover new artists and get new ways of thinking about design. ■ Two decades ago, I was invited to a designer’s house to shop a dealer’s collection of outsider art that he had found in Maine. Knowing very little about outsider art, I asked a lot of questions. I was taken with these works—often crafted from simple materials and found pieces—that were made by artists who were not formally trained. My eye kept going to a funny-looking wood sculpture that was painted a bright red, and its mouth was open to show a rather long tongue and yellow peg teeth. At first it looked like a fox, but the mouth looked like an alligator. It made me smile, so I bought it. It sits in my bookcase, and it still captures my attention with its whimsy. ■ I had the same reaction when I saw two other outsider artists online, Nellie Mae Rowe and Myrlande Constant. Artist Nellie Mae Rowe’s work is featured in Really Free: The Radical Art of Nellie Mae Rowe, published by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, which has an extensive collection of her work. Rowe (1900–1982) created hundreds of drawings and welcomed visitors to her home outside of Atlanta, which she called “Playhouse” and decorated with foundobject installations, handmade dolls and chewing gum sculptures. A self-taught artist, she drew on her childhood for her art. I was intrigued by a sense of freedom and exploration in her work. Her drawings created with crayons are beautifully colored and layered. I ordered the book and have already pored over the images. Like the fox, her work speaks to me. I am already thinking of taking a trip south! ■ A little closer to home is an exhibit that runs through March at Fort Gansevoort (fortgansevoort.com) in New York. “Drapo” is the first solo exhibition with Haitian artist Myrlande Constant, who has attracted international attention for her dazzling hand-beaded and sequinembroidered textile works. Her art draws on the vernacular tradition of Vodou flags, known as drapo, which often adorn temples and are used in ceremonies. Her flags have a distinctive painterly quality. Intricate details and sumptuous colors come together in elaborate narrative scenes. I can’t wait to see her work in person. ■ Like the tools a designer uses, these two artists reminded me that in the right hands the simple can become extraordinary.

DJ Carey Editorial Director djcarey@candg.com