ABOVE: Rachel Zoe and Elizabeth Stewart from “The Stylist Project.”
LOS ANGELES ARTIST Kimberly Brooks often paints her subjects around a specific theme. In 2007 it was ’70s-era women in “Mom’s Friends,” and in 2008 it was “Technicolor Summer,” which focused on a family dealing with the illness of a loved one while vacationing amid California’s nature. Just in time for spring, Brooks’ latest exhibition, “The Stylist Project”—on display at Taylor De Cordoba gallery through April 3—is a focus on the fashion players whose impact is seen on the red carpet and who create inspiration around the world. The new collection of paintings feature LA’s renowned stylists, costume designers, creative directors, fashion editors and style icons.
“I didn’t know any of these people a year ago, and now I’ve spent countless hours interpreting their faces, gestures and style with paint,” says Brooks—the wife of actor Albert Brooks—of subjects such as Arianne Phillips, who styles Madonna, and Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant. “I will always feel connected to them. However ephemeral that initial meeting might be, the relationship lasts forever in art.”
The show includes portraits of celebrity stylists Andrea Lieberman, Rachel Zoe, Jeanne Yang and Jessica Paster, and Decades owner and man-about-town Cameron Silver. The subjects, who are typically found behind the camera rather than in front of it, styled themselves for their portraits using plenty of designer labels and quirky accessories that inspired the artist.
“When I arrived at Elizabeth Stewart’s house she knew exactly what she wanted to wear, where she wanted to sit and which bowl of lemons to put in front of her chaise,” says Brooks, who spent up to 80 hours working on each portrait in her Venice studio. “Fashion is a way that everyone gets to be an artist every day. I wanted to both study and celebrate the people who teach us how to do that."
One of Chris Natrop’s installations, Dewdrop
AFTER ESTABLISHING himself in the San Francisco art scene, Chris Natrop moved to Los Angeles in 2005. With exhibitions at notable museums, galleries and art centers under his belt, he now brings his exquisite hand-cut multimedia installations to the City of Angels. Taylor De Cordoba owner Heather Taylor sat down with Natrop in anticipation of his first solo show at her gallery—opening April 10—to discuss his work, LA and his most exciting project yet.
