 |
| Odili Donald Odita, Give Me Shelter, 2007, Venice Biennale Acrylic Latex wall paint and Colored Pigment. |
This week I was feeling nostalgic about my college years, so I decided to do a post on a fellow Ohio State Alumni, Odili Donald Odita. Odita, a Nigerian born Ohio raised contemporary artist, is well known for his large scale paintings and installations. Odita describes his work as abstract painting that deals with pattern and design which come from African textiles. His paintings have been called "internal geographies" a phrase the artist can relate to because of his internalization of Africa the landscape space that he was born in yet never lived in. This merging of cultures plays out in many of Odita's works. In the past Odita has dealt with imagery such as identity and the exploitation of the black body in pop culture. He now focuses his attention on the merging of color fields like the picture above, which seem to mimic his multicultural upbringing. His successful compilation of African, European, and American Art is interestingly played out on canvas, walls, as well as in photoshop-manipulated imagery. Odita makes strategic references to multiple cultures and converges them to produce cohesive, thought-provoking imagery. Personally I can relate to Oditas curiosities about popular culture the idea of looking at an image and into an image seem to confront me on a more regular basis with the current onslaught of social media and technology. His paintings provide and interesting representation of that notion. Odita is currently living in Philadelphia and is represented by Jack Shainman Gallery in New York City.
What to Wear- When I first saw these multi-colored knit shorts by Missoni all I could think about was how much they reminded me of Odita's Venice Biennale representation. I cant help but feel artsy in Missoni. The graphic print and bold color make them seem like you could take the fabric, drape it over a canvas and frame them. The shorts are the obvious link to the painting but the bodysuit is my favorite part of the outfit. Its totally slimming and extremely sexy, while still maintaining a sense of demureness. This outfit is bad (think michael jackson) I wouldn't add too many accessories the shorts are a fairly bold print, a large turquoise or Lucite ring would be pretty interesting though, this outfit is for a very polished, well-groomed hippy. Perfect for a dinner date in the city...if you're at the beach swap out the black top for a white one and add flats or cork wedges.
 |
| Asos Wrap Bodysuit www.asos.com |
 |
| Missoni Ocean Multi Color Zig-Zag Knit Shorts www.stylebop.co.uk |
 |
| Badgely Mischka Fierce High Heel isaay.com |
