CIRCUS PAINTINGS AND WORKS ON PAPER
top left: Fernando Botero; Botero circus pictures
Noted Colombian artist Fernando Botero has turned his attention to the circus, and Glitterati has published a handsome book of his pictures of clowns, daredevil riders, tiger tamers—all rendered in his characteristic bold signature style with figures depicted in large, exaggerated volume. At a news conference before an appearance at the Society for the Americas, the artist described the challenge to the painter of rendering volume on a flat surface and revealed that his upcoming work focused on relationships between men and women will be called the “Botero Sutra.”
INTERIORS
Phillips Auction House welcomed Sandra Nunnerley and her beautiful new book whose simple title belies the variety of inspirations presented in its lavish photographs. In chapters titled Serenity, Individuality, Refinement, Glamour, she depicts different moods that result from her approach. Globe-spanning influences, important art collections, dramatic architecture all figure into her vision — from urban apartments and town houses to country homes, tropical retreats, estates.
KABBALAH IN ART AND ARCHITECTUE
Crowds stopped by the Elie Tahari store to congratulate Alexander Gorlin. Looking at contemporary buildings and other structures, the architect/author finds references to the Kabbalistic tradition, links to the esoteric teachings, which seek to define the nature of the universe and the human being, the purpose of existence, and other eternal questions and proposition in what has been called an authoritative tour de force. Besides purchasing the richly illustrated book, published by Pointed Leaf Press, guests could shop for Tahari clothes priced that night with a discount of 24 percent.
THE WAY WE ARE: Heroes, Scoundrels, and Oddballs from 25 Years of Inside Edition
With scenes from the show projected on an overhead wall, mobs of friends and colleagues gathered in the comfortable lounge of the Park Central Hotel to commemorate the 25th anniversary of TV’s Inside Edition and to celebrate its “biography” penned by long-time on-air host Deborah Norville. Recounting its episodes with the likes of Princess Diana, Sirhan Sirhan, Lindsay Lohan, O.J. Simpson, the colorful picture book, with intermittent pop quizzes and quotes is a delightful summary of a quarter century’s wacky and/or insightful takes on contemporary culture. A veteran of more than 300 appearances on the show, Donald Trump penned the book’s Introduction.
THE ART OF SELLING REAL ESTATE
How to dress up and market a property, the art of the soft sell, the necessity of appropriate pricing are among the tips confided in “The Art of Selling Real Estate” by one of America’s most successful real estate agents. Patricia Cliff sums up a career’s worth of practical advice to pass along to current realtors. Feted in Washington, CT at the home of noted realtor Carolyn Klemm, Cliff signed copies of her book and learned from Klemm how to welcome brunch guests with a megaphone.
CITY PARKS: Public Spaces: Private Thoughts
Where in the world is your favorite park? Eighteen distinguished authors describe green spaces that have special meaning to them in Catie Marron’s new book “City Parks: Public Spaces: Private Thoughts.” President Bill Clinton muses on Washington, DC’s Dumbarton Oaks, Jonathan Alter recalls historic events in Chicago’s Grant Park, Andre Aciman records New York City evolution of the High Line. Other contributors include Zadie Smith, Ian Frazier, Candice Bergen, Colm Toibin. Photographs by Oberto Gili enhance the mood of each writer’s reflections.
THE POWER OF GLAMOUR: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion
top left to right: Author Virginia Postrel and FIT Couture Council President Liz Peek; Virginia Postrel signing books. bottom left to right: The Power of Glamour; Postrel addresses the guests
bottom right: Hostess Jean Shafiroff; all other images: A fashionable crowd at the glamour event”
At a reception for the FIT Couture Council hosted by Jean Shafiroff, author Virginia Postrel spoke and signed her book “The Power of Glamour.” “By provoking the pang of if only” she explained, “glamour indicates what we desire, embodying the promise of a different, better self.” The seductive cultural voice of glamour is nonverbal persuasion—it’s how vacation brochures, military recruiting ads, couture fashions, iPads influence our decisions about what to buy where to live, which careers to pursue, where to invest, how to vote. Falling between glitz and elegance, glamour is more than a style it’s a phenomenon that reveals our inner lives.
ALAN GREENBERG: CLASSICAL ARCHITECT
Historically inspired facades, detailed moldings, and scrupulous craftsmanship characterize projects designed by Alan Greenberg. One of the leading exponents of classical architecture, Greenberg was celebrated at a party hosted by designer Carolyne Roehm who wrote the foreword to his new self-named book. Assembled in Roehm’s dramatic two-story living room, guests toasted the architect/author in a suitable setting.
