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Curator: Steven Alan

Profession: Designer

Location: New York, NY

Website: http://www.stevenalan.com

About The Curator

Steven Alan is a native New Yorker. He attended the High School of Art and Design and studied photography, film, and video. After pursuing his undergraduate degree in business at USC, he returned to the city where he still lives. Currently, he oversees his company, Steven Alan, which operates eleven stores, holds showrooms in New York and Los Angeles, represents 22 designers, and wholesales his collection, along with the other collections he represents, in stores worldwide.

About The Collection

As I was going through the Artspace Collection looking for works that appealed to me, I found myself drawn to these. I enjoyed the calming sense of isolation and the emotions they evoke.

These artworks all show different subjects: isolated landscapes, people, and things, but what they have in common is subtlety and moderate use of color. There is thought in the composition of each, but at the same time they are understated, aesthetically simple but conceptually unified.

Curator Q&A

1. What was the first work of art you ever bought?
A Chris Johanson painting on wood from Aaron Rose before he was director of Alleged Galleries. I bought it ten years ago because I liked the composition and use of color. It is almost childlike in its direction.

2. What are your thoughts between the intersection of fashion and visual arts?
I enjoy going to art openings and seeing my clothes on the people there. I think our brand is closely aligned with the arts, and it's interesting to see expressive people expressing themselves in our designs.

3. What is your favorite art space?
MoMA PS1 is one of my favorites because it's a fun setting and not too serious, yet there are always interesting and innovative ways of displaying the works of art.
I also love seeing work in people's homes where they live and breathe art. One particular example that stands out is when I visited Beth Rudin deWoody's collection, and there was art in every space, in every corner.

4. If you weren't doing what you're doing, what would you do?
I would buy and sell art. I like to hunt and discover. A big part of what I do in my job besides designing is to discover designers and promote them. I enjoy finding beautiful things, fostering art, and encouraging different points of view.