“When I think of art I think of beauty. Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye it is in the mind. In our minds there is awareness of perfection.” – Agnes Martin.
COS’s celebration of Agnes Martin with the Guggenheim
Many of those that are interested in abstract art may be familiar with Agnes Martin (1912–2004). Those who are not – well this collection may suddenly peak your interest. Agnes had the most amazing eye for beautiful minimalist detail in her abstract artworks and I actually love many of her pieces. I especially love the soft, muted colours in her Untitled #2 from 1992 and also Untitled #5 from 1998. There is something so relaxing and mesmerising about some of her geometric pieces. Artsy.net actually has some great images of her pieces here.
New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is currently holding an exhibit of her work and they play homage to the works of an amazing artist – from her beginnings in the 1950’s through to her last pieces in the 2000’s. They showcase over 100 pieces of her work in all. This retrospective, her first comprehensive survey in over two decades, showcases the extent of Agnes’s output, including her bio-morphic abstractions of the 1950s, signature grid and stripe compositions, and final paintings. The collection is co-curated by Tracey Bashkoff and Tiffany Bell and has also previously been shown in London and Los Angeles.
“The incredible richness and tactility of her work has always inspired our fabrics and designs; her use of subtle colour and dedication to her technique and style elevates apparently simple lines and grids to something extraordinary.” – Karin Gustafsson, COS Creative Director.
In celebration of this exhibition, COS have created a limited-edition 12 piece capsule collection for both men and women that are inspired by her work. In all honestly, I cannot think of a better brand to dedicate a collection to her. COS is known for their high quality, clean, minimalist approach (as seen in their Autumn Winter Presentation here), and the collection is a brilliant dedication to a very talented artist. The pieces in the collection feature a similiar subtle print that Agnes was known for but of course with updated classic cuts and silhouettes that we love from COS.
The dedicated Cos collection is on sale right now in Cos stores worldwide until sold out. Part proceeds from sales are being donated to the Agnes Martin Foundation. You can also check out the collection online here.
I would advise you to check out Agne’s work which is showing in the Guggenheim from 07th October through to January 11, 2017, if you like the abstract. You can read more about it here.
All image credits to COS.
I’d never heard of Agnes Martin before but the collection has peaked my interest. Love the clean lines and elegance of some of the pieces
They are just beautiful – and very COS. Agnes’s work is quite good – very abstract and geometrical but when I discovered her work a few years ago I just really liked it. I also like how COS are doing the tribute – the collection really does reflect her work.