The Stuart Collection at UCSD is one of those local art treasures that I unfortunately have not featured before this. The collection, commissioned and maintained through a partnership with the Stuart Foundation and the university, is a really impressive collection of some seriously important works by leading artists of our time. This partnership envisions the entire 1,200 acre campus as a ground for site specific artwork effectively pushing the boundaries of the traditional sculpture garden. I have toured the pieces many times and several of them are among my favorite works held in San Diego. I decided it was time to work my way through this amazing collection. The campus is huge and I want to give proper attention to each piece that moves me, so I will be breaking up blog the coverage into a few posts over the next year. For the first feature, I chose 2 of the larger installations from the collection that are very very different from one another. I had a lot of fun pairing the fashion with these pieces and tried to embody the spirit of each. I hope you enjoy my first visit!
All Photos: Bronson pate of Bauman Photographers
Outfit 1:
Dress: Halston Heritage
Headpiece: ChuChu NY
Outfit 2:
Dress: Norma Kamali
Shoes: Shutz
Gloves: My Own
Robert Irwin
Two Running Violet V Forms (1983)
From the Stewart Collection Website:
For his contribution to the Stuart Collection, Irwin was drawn to the eucalyptus groves so characteristic of the campus. The contradiction inherent in this manmade forest appealed to him; the geometric regularity of the grid of trees is balanced by the infinite variety of light and detail that the natural setting nevertheless provides. Irwin installed two fencelike structures in V-forms amidst the trees. The “fences” are blue-violet, plastic-coated, small gauge chain-link fencing supported by stainless steel poles that average twenty-five feet in height. The structure maintains a constant elevation as the hillside terrain drops gently beneath it. At no point is the fence an obstacle; rather it acts as a screen reflecting the changes in light throughout the day and the year, the moment and the season. Its gentle introduction of industrialized geometry recalls the unnatural grid that organized the grove, and suggests a sensual intrusion into the forest.
Alexis Smith
Snake Path (1992)
From the Stewart Collection Website:
Smith’s work for the Stuart Collection, Snake Path, consists of a winding 560-foot-long, 10-foot-wide footpath in the form of a serpent, whose individual scales are hexagonal pieces of colored slate, and whose head is inlaid in the approach to the Geisel Library. The tail wraps around an existing concrete pathway as a snake would wrap itself around a tree limb. Along the way, the serpent’s slightly crowned body circles around a small “garden of Eden” with several fruit trees including an apple, a fig and a pomegranate.
A Colorful Art Fashion Blog 
