Source: Images and content by Vacheron Constantin
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New York, NY, December 6th, 2021 – Celebrate the artistry, patrimony, and perpetual pulse of the City of New York, past and present, with Vacheron Constantin. Delve into the playful world of Pop Art with “Celebrations”, a sensory exhibition opening in the Maison’s North American Flagship at 28 E.57th St NY, NY from December 6, 2021 through March 2022. From a collection of mid-century heritage watches never before shown in the U.S. to a series of paintings created in collaboration with New York Pop Artist Jojo Anavim, “Celebrations” is an immersive experience filled with color and whimsy.
Pop Art – Inspiration
In the late 1950s and early 60s, a cultural revolution was underway, risk-taking and exploration defined the cultural mood. A new generation of artists emerged in New York City in search of inspiration that mirrored and incorporated everyday items, consumer goods, and unexpected elements of popular culture. The New York City artists who defined this movement became the heart of what is known today as Pop Art.
Vacheron Constantin’s Mid-Century Watch Design
While Pop Artists forced the world to look at life through a different lens, Vacheron Constantin watchmakers and artisans undertook their own form of exploration, making unexpected choices that came to define the Maison’s aesthetic, Classic with a Twist. The “Nicknames” heritage exhibition on display shows a series of these atypical and daring watch designs from this era whose names reveal inspiration drawn from popular culture. T-bird, Batman, Butterfly… like Pop Art of the time, these nicknames playfully associated the Maison’s watches with animals, film characters, automobiles, even chocolate candy.
Pop Art Today
Today we celebrate passions and the artistry behind Pop Art and watchmaking: those who create it, those who admire it, and those who collect it. To honor the contemporary world of Pop Art in 2021, and in line with the Maison’s long held dedication to the advancement of the Arts, Vacheron Constantin has collaborated with New York City Pop Artist Jojo Anavim.
An Artistic Collaboration
In collaboration with Vacheron Constantin, New York City-based artist Jojo Anavim created a three-piece series of oil on canvas paintings depicting the joyful and emotional side of the holidays. Anavim, who is known for transforming mundane objects and imagery into vibrant, enigmatic paintings created the three paintings for Vacheron’s new NYC Flagship boutique. “At their essence the works are a celebration of time- both literally and metaphorically, the presents of presence if you will.” says Anavim. The works occupy a unique space that exists at the intersection of pop and surrealism which seamlessly translate to a lucid and intoxicating visual landscape.The three paintings created for this exhibition realistically depict indulgent individually wrapped chocolates, an oversized, glittering ribbon-wrapped gift box springing open with a larger than life gold leaf Overseas bezel, and scenes of loved ones captured in intimate embrace. Hyper realistic helium-filled Mylar balloons float joyfully while a one-of-a-kind pocket watch appears to “pop” out from cloud-dappled sunsets, seemingly evading time itself… everyday objects envisioned and created by the Artist Jojo Anavim to conjoin and give a visceral feeling of the joy and nostalgia we experience during the holiday season.
