Molly's Box

Molly Crabapple ’s been very busy hosting Dr. Sketchy drawing sessions in her hometown of Brooklyn and abroad, but last week she unveiled her latest project - an impressive body of work inspired by Manhattan’s vaudevillian hotspot, The Box. 

Six illustrations (one of them pictured here) are on display as part of an all-female exhibition called 5 Identities 5 Destinations at Ad Hoc Art in Brooklyn, NY. Molly’s pieces take up the entire back wall and as you walk towards them, it seems as if the characters will jump off of the canvas and into the room. With the variegated costumes of the dancers and the lively kinetic energy of her line, she seems to have captured the essence of what’s made The Box such an alluring party-spot.   

We should know. Playboy partied at The Box with Duran Duran in November to celebrate their new album, and for the December 2007 issue, legendary photographer Harry Benson photographed some of The Box’s entertainers with models for a fashion spread.

It was particularly interesting to see Molly’s interpretation of a club that’s become a notorious hangout for celebrities looking to ogle scantily-clad dancers, cross-dressing midgets, fire-breathers, and contortionists. 

Molly’s illustrations will be on display at Ad Hoc Art until August 24, 2008.

Pinups and Tattoos

Tattoo artist Samuel Perez, who works out of Alley Kat Tattoo in New York City, recently inked Olivia De Berardinis’ illustration of Kendra from the September 2006 issue on a client’s leg and sent over a photo. It came just as an article about Olivia was published in the Los Angeles Times. Olivia discusses how she drew inspiration from Playboy as a young girl, and the work she does for the magazine today.

Cartoonist Edmond Kiraz recently unveiled a show of his original art, including eleven of his Playboy cartoons, at the prestigious Musée Carnavalet in Paris. 

Visitors to the exhibition are greeted with an enlarged copy of the words I wrote for the exhibition catalogue:
 
It was in 1970 when Kiraz’s first cartoon appeared in Playboy magazine, and since then his artwork has become a recognizable constant amongst its pages for good reason. His doe-eyed, lithe, lingerie-clad females painted in opulent settings add sophisticated sensibility with a Parisian flair. Highly adept at portraying eroticism with indifference, his mademoiselles are completely distinct. His roster of male characters include randy psychiatrists, piano teachers, cuckolds, boyfriends, libidinous executives, sassy swingers and historical figures, especially one Toulouse-Lautrec who has made numerous appearances in Kiraz’s cartoons. His unique style and timeless sense of humor have entertained Playboy’s readers for the past 37 years and continue to enhance the magazine to this day.

Born in Egypt, Kiraz has lived in Paris for most of his life. Along with Playboy, his work can be seen in numerous French magazines, and he’s published fourteen collections of his work. He is the archetype of the sophisticated Frenchman: a gourmet diner, bon vivant and raconteur. He travels a great deal and luckily for us, loves drawing beautiful women.

The exhibit runs until September 21, 2008.

The Porn Star as an Art Star

The female form has long been a source of artistic inspiration. Picasso, Rodin and countless other artists have used live models to create masterpieces, so it’s no wonder that the process of creating a drawing from a live nude model striking a pose is such a timeless tradition. Many art students will confess, however, that studio drawing classes with live models in art school are generally quite cold and clinical. It’s quiet, there are bright lights and the models are usually very ordinary looking amongst very ordinary backdrops. To even get this type of experience you have to be enrolled in an art school or seek out special classes.
 
Thanks to Alex Zoppa and Mitch Fontaine and Joanna Angel’s Burning Angels.com, that’s no longer the case. I came across an invitation that discreetly advertised an erotic drawing event with live models who happened to be XXX film stars. You were to bring your own drawing materials and two glasses of wine would be provided with the $20 entrance fee. I was intrigued for many reasons, but mostly because I couldn’t imagine that an adult film star could sit still long enough to be turned into a piece of art.

The event was held last Friday at Alex Grey’s center in New York City--a truly magnificent space. Alex’s spiritual and psychedelic artwork adorn the walls and the moment you walk through the door your mind shifts to a very peaceful state. It seemed an unlikely location for this event, but that made it all the more fascinating.
 
The room where we were directed was quite large and dimly lit with a very inviting bedroom scene setup with some unique lighting fixtures, candelabras and tables. The vibe was hip and relaxed with the music of Portishead playing. Three very attractive Burning Angel models came out completely nude and struck and held various poses, including some that looked like they were stopped mid-scene in one of their adult movies. The packed-house of artists in attendance started blissfully sketching away.
 
Alex Zoppa created Adult Drawing as an extension of his website www.mywhitewall.com, an online artist community. He wanted to bring artists together, but give a jolt of energy to the art scene with an irreverent event. He feels that the alternative models of Burning Angels work so well because of their unique look, which doesn’t represent the old porn cliché.
 
Burning Angel January Darling, the host for the evening, said that she had posed for art classes in college but enjoys “Adult Drawing” because she can add sensuality with a dominating attitude, mixing beauty with sex.
 
The combination of the girls, the art and atmosphere worked incredibly well and was a unique and refreshing way to spend a Friday night. I saw some beautiful sketches, including Alex Grey’s, who allowed us to reproduce one of his here.
 
The next "Adult Drawing" will take place on Friday, March 14th, at CoSM, 542 West 27th Street, NYC.

(Drawing by Alex Grey)