Baby alpaca nursery

Last spring, I was lucky enough to visit animal photographer Sharon Montrose at her studio to watch her photograph a baby alpaca. (Here's that post.) Since then, I've been waiting on pins and needles to see the results of the photo shoot, and this morning, Sharon finally released her two alpaca prints! How sweet is this one, above?!
To celebrate the new prints, Sharon and her team put together an Animal Print Shop Nursery Project: Desert Modern to show how lovely the photos look in a room...
Here's the first baby alpaca print...
And the nursery also features a gallery wall of Little Darlings, including the baby alpaca's little face.
How warm and beautiful is that nursery? I'd love to sleep there myself:)

Here's where everything is from, in case you're curious...
Crib: Ouef
Eames Rocker: Vintage find. Similar from Modernica
Walnut Credenza/Changer: OneFortyThree
Animal Art: The Animal Print Shop
Rug: Vintage find. Similar from Red Thread Souk
Beaded Pendant Light: CAMP
Elephant Chair: DWR
Mobile: Vintage find. Similar on Etsy
Kilim Pillow: Sukan
Lion Stuffed Animal: Jellycat
Ottoman: Vintage Franco Albini
Toy Basket: Baskets of Africa
Production: The Animal Print Shop
Designer: Morgan Satterfield
Room photographed by: Laure Joliet
What sweet prints, here and here. Thanks, Sharon!

P.S. What it's really like to be an animal photographer.

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Rain room

This week, the new interactive exhibit Rain Room opened at the Museum of Modern Art. Heavy rain pours down in an enormous room, but when you step into the rain, the area directly over your head dries up. So you can walk, dance and kiss in the rain without getting wet!

"The overall effect is mesmerizing," reported Gothamist. "A semi-blinding white klieg light at the back of the room disorients your field of vision while highlighting the millions of individual raindrops showering down around you on all sides. The motion sensors are so sensitive that you can sweep your arm through the deluge and still keep your shirt dry. Move too quickly, however, and you can get good and soaked if want."

The lines are going to be insane, especially since only 10 people are admitted at a time, but it would be worth waiting. Since MoMA members get priority access and exclusive viewing hours, it might even be worth joining.

How cool is that?!

P.S. Cool art exhibits: Swings, slides and marrying Prince William.

(Photos by Random International, MoMA and Katie Sokoler/Gothamist)

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Lost love

Oh my goodness, this video is so moving and electrifying. The artist Marina Abramovic did a 2010 performance art piece at the Museum of Modern Art, where she sat in a chair, and, one by one, people could sit opposite her and look into her eyes. It was a powerful experience even with strangers, but then her former love Ulay arrived without her knowledge. This video shows the moment she sees him. Apparently they had had a passionate love affair back in the 70s, but when they felt the relationship was fizzling, they decided to walk the Great Wall of China, each from one end, meeting in the middle for a last hug and never seeing each other again. Here they are, meeting once again.

P.S. Old loves.

(Via Swissmiss. This video is edited footage from the documentary, The Artist is Present)

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Tilda Swindon sleeping at MoMA

Actress Tilda Swinton will be sleeping in a glass box at MoMA at unannounced times between now and the end of the year. It's part of a performance piece called "The Maybe." “Those who find it chance upon it for themselves, live and in real shared time," the museum said in a statement.

This is definitely one of those "is this art?" moments. What do you think?

P.S. More awesome art: Swings, indoor playground, whispering secrets, and marrying Prince William.

(Photos by Gothamist, via Kottke)

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Heart print

20x200 was a great place to shop for affordable art, but they recently closed. So I was happy to learn about Banquet, which sells this heart print. Wouldn't it look pretty in a foyer or bedroom?

(Via Size too Small)

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Affordable art: Framing magazine pages

When I first moved to New York, more than ten years ago, I fell in love with a New Yorker magazine cover that arrived in my mailbox. The illustration showed a young couple kissing on a busy street. I felt like it captured my twenties—or, at least, how I wanted my twenties to be:) I contacted the artist to see if I could buy the print, but needless to say, it was out of my budget.

That following Christmas, I was visiting my family in Michigan, and my mom brought out a gift for me. She had framed the cover of the magazine, along with a lovely pink mat to complement the illustration. How sweet is that? To date, it's one of my favorite gifts I've ever gotten, and it has hung in every apartment I've had since.
Then, recently, I spotted this beautiful Beatles photograph at my friend Elizabeth's house. When I asked where she'd found it, she revealed that it was actually from an article in The New Yorker! She had simply clipped it out and framed it. On her bookcase, doesn't the photo look like fine art?

Anyway, I love the idea of finding gorgeous art in magazines and making it your own. The only real cost is the frame!

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