Pastels, Rosalba Carriera, etc.

To celebrate Rosalba Carriera’s historic 350th birthday in 2023, senior editor Anna Sexton and contributing writer Emily Snow sit down with artist Nicholas Partey to find inspiration from the Rococo artist. We discussed his current installation at Frick Madison, the temporary home of the Frick Collection. Our conversation explores the role of research and imitation in Party’s artistic process, what makes pastel an unusual yet unique and fascinating medium in contemporary art, and the relationship between Party and Carriera’s 18th-century work. We also explored the stories behind the ongoing creative dialogue. Watch the video here:

Who is Nicholas Partey?

Nicola Partey (born 1980) is a Swiss-born contemporary artist known especially for his immersive, interdisciplinary installations. His artwork ranges from pottery to graffiti, but Party in particular considers pastels to be his primary art medium, an unconventional choice for the 21st century. Pastels shaped and expressed the party’s dreamy visual language, characterized by saturated colors, fluid shapes, and delicate textures.

At the intersection of a passion for pastels and an interest in art history, Nicola Partee discovered Rosalba Carriera. The Rococo artist, whose innovative work made her one of the most successful female artists of all time, single-handedly elevated pastels from a vulgar preparation tool to a bona fide art medium in the 18th century. Ta. Carriela’s mesmerizing pastel paintings not only inspired the artistic evolution of her parties; One such artwork of his actually appears in his recent installation at Flick His Madison.

Nicola Partey and Rosalba Carriera

Last year, New York City’s Frick Collection commissioned Nicholas Partey to create a site-specific mural installation at Frick Madison featuring the work of Rosalba Carriera. Portrait of a man in pilgrim costume (c. 1730-1740). This exhibition is part of the popular Frick diptych series, each installment curating a historical work from the Frick’s permanent collection and a contemporary artist’s creative response to it.

installed on three adjacent walls, Nicola Partey and Rosalba Carriera Surrounding museum visitors with colorful, centuries-old pastel charm. 18th century cariera Portrait of a man in pilgrim costume On either side are two 21st century portraits created by Partey especially for this installation. Each pastel portrait is accompanied by a pastel mural by Partey depicting dynamic bands of decorative curtains. These fantastical yet ephemeral murals, by the nature of their medium, are site-specific and directly inspired by the Rococo-era works of Jean-Etienne Lyotard and Maurice Quentin de La Tour. Masu.

There’s only a limited time left to see this amazing installation. Nicola Partey and Rosalba Carriera It opens to the public in 2023 and is on display at Frick Madison until March 3, 2024.

Click here for details Nicola Partey and Rosalba Carriera (2023-24)