In 2008, Nathalie Karg founded Cumulus Studios, an initiative developed to support outdoor functional objects by contemporary artists and to merge the founder’s interest in art and landscape design. “The idea,” says Karg, “is to not only enjoy art as a collector, but to bring my favorite artists outdoors and live with the objects they create by using them.” This year, as in years past, Cumulus Studios will exhibit works at NADA Art Fair, including new textiles by Ellen Berkenblit, Jim Drain, Liam Gillick, Servane Mary, Marcel Odenbach, Nicolas Party, Jack Pierson, Rob Pruitt, Kenny Scharf, Billy Sullivan, and Ron Wynne.
We asked Karg to tell us more about this year’s project, which opens at NADA Art Fair tomorrow (December 6 at 2pm) at the Deauville Hotel and Beach Resort. See her response below, and be sure to visit Cumulus Studios when you’re at the fair.
“We asked eleven artists, many of whom Cumulus has collaborated with on previous projects, to provide us with a motif that we would print on a poly-twill fabric that’s suitable for outdoors. Our first line offers a variety of motifs that will appeal to a range of styles and tastes. Liam Gillick’s Scorpio is classic and elegant whereas Rob Pruitt’s panda motif is a reference to pop art with a light-hearted sensibility. There’s Ron Wynne’s design Nest that is more baroque and Jack Pierson’s muted motif, Untitled, which patches together ‘encounters, moments and memories’ from old scrapbooks. These textiles can be used for furniture upholstery, cushions, awnings, and so forth – the possibilities are endless. There will be an option in the future to order custom designs in richer indoor fabrics such as silk or velvet. The textile line is an ongoing adventure and we hope to be adding new artists as we go along.”
