It was cold and gloomy on Canal Street last Saturday afternoon, but the galleries at the top of the five-story walk-up were vibrant and engaging art. New York Life The first day of artist Drake Kerr’s live-drawing residency “Walk-in” at his gallery was packed. The art performances and hangouts continue through February 9th, culminating in a zine launch event.
Enter the sketchy, retro world of Drake Carr. Courtesy of the artist.
“I don’t come from fashion,” explained Carr, whose previous exhibition at Fierman was inspired by gay bars. As he sat, he wore an oversized button-down white shirt that was tucked in and was fairly discreet, looking professional and buzzing. House music blared and the bike was propped up under the window for the best posing potential.
Multimedia artist Drake Kerr.Photo: Ethan James Green
“I’m kind of cosplaying as a fashion illustrator,” he said. As with drawing, it’s always been about costumes.
The whitewashed brick walls were decorated with 1980s-inspired sketches. Its images evoked the defining fashion illustration heavyweights of the era, including Patrick Nagel, Tony Villamontes and Antonio Lopez. His one of Lopez’s muses and supermodel extraordinaire Pat His Cleveland was also in attendance. She was painted for the show and glowed with a red ribbon and matching lipstick.
(Left) Marcs Goldberg’s finished sketch. (Right) Drake Carr sketches his legendary Pat Cleveland (R). Photo: Jan Carlos Diaz.
The “walk-in” cast ranges from downtown to Ridgewood art and fashion luminaries. interviewfashion director Dara and trance modeling icon and artist Connie Girl, himself fashion illustrator and former runway star Thierry Mugler. Among the next guest stars to pose are fashion model Karlie Kloss and singer Macy Rodman. Together, it will be the best dinner for his party.
Models are instructed to bring their own clothing bags for different looks, and Carr sends them screenshots that inspire style vibes. Apparently, the memo was well received as it offered several outfits that certainly received the artist’s hype.
Connie girl immortalized in Gaultier. Photo: Jan Carlos Diaz.
“He’s already filled the room and most of his work has been bought,” said Ethan James Green, founder of New York Life Gallery and one of the top fashion photographers working today. rice field. “Some works will be more developed. He may paint some. He used to say when people were buying. Or he’s open to it developing. Is it?”
Green and Carr recently met and hail from the fashion hotbeds of Michigan. They have overlapping friend groups, and the hot combination of osmosis, kismet, and glamour made Drake’s “Walk-in” a sophomore show at an early gallery.
“We brought both worlds together. It was a seamless and incredible mashup that felt organic.” An excited Green said.
Bowing for Glory: A model’s pose and her portrait detail. Photo: (left) Yan Carlos Diaz, (right) Angela Kelly.
“Live drawing is relatively new to him and he’s getting better at it,” said Green. “Next week, it will probably be completely different here.”
Carr didn’t seem worried as he prepared to sketch his next portrait. “But whenever I start to wonder if this is overkill, I think it’s the only thing in my life that I can say with complete confidence that I can do it. It’s basically the only thing I can do without a doubt. right?”
drake kerr acrylic painting leaning man (2022). Courtesy of the artist.
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