Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/259813
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT TEUTEN T ake one painter and one clothing designer, mix them with a vision- ary art curator, and expect a wearable art show. Color-block cropped jackets, laser-cut leather sheaths, and sassy swing coats are among the highlights of this one-of-a-kind collaboration, called Quixotic, on view April 16 at the Beat Hotel in Cambridge. It all began when artist Jordan Piantedosi met clothing designer Erin Robertson at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Right away they took a deep interest in each other's work. Piantedosi is a maximalist painter whose work recalls the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century. "I really liked the textures in her painting," says Robertson, a fibers and fashion dual major and the 2012 Target Fashion Scholar winner for the CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship Program, which awarded her $25,000. "When I discovered the process of putting paintings on fabric, it made sense to use Jordan's work." Meanwhile, Piantedosi wandered into the now-shut- tered Yes.Oui.Si, Olivia Ives-Flores's gallery and events space in the Fenway. Piantedosi was so inspired that she announced she was going to have a show there one day. By then, Piantedosi was committed to creating a fashion line with Robertson, inspired by everything from colorful William Morris wallpaper to eclectic pieces discovered on eBay. "I am constantly thinking in 2-D, so it's nice to partner with someone who thinks in 3-D," says Piantedosi. A few months later, Ives-Flores restructured Yes.Oui.Si into a creative agency to help local artists connect with patrons, and she partnered with Piantedosi and Robertson, over- seeing Quixotic's branding and marketing. "Boston is a trampoline city, where a lot of skills and talents are cultivated, but after school, artists disperse to Los Angeles, New York City, and abroad," says Ives-Flores. By fusing the talents of artists like Piantedosi and Robertson, Ives-Flores hopes to create a new breed of art, positioning Boston to move the needle in the art world. The trio will present four custom leather jackets and four complete looks for their show this spring. While the line is still in production, Piantedosi and Roberston are already taking commissions for savvy clients. "Fashion has gotten crazy," says Piantedosi. "We are trying to do the next step." April 16, 5:30–6:30 PM, Beat Hotel, 13 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-499-0001; yesouisi.org; quixoticregalia.com BC The Mod Squad A PAINTER, FABRIC ARTIST, AND GALLERIST CUT A NEW CLOTH IN THE BOSTON ART SCENE. BY JESSICA LANIEWSKI FROM LEFT: Erin Robertson, Jordan Piantedosi, and Olivia Ives-Flores's new collaboration blurs the boundaries between art and apparel. " Boston is a trampoline city, where lots of skills and talents are cultivated." OLIVIA IVESFLORES 64 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM ART FULL 064_BC_SC_Artfull_Spring13.indd 64 2/6/14 4:40 PM