Window Dressing: Artist Elliott De Cesare at Bergdorf Goodman.

In Crumbs, The Menu, Visual Arts by Gregory De La HabaLeave a Comment

The other day, while walking from the Quiet Lunch offices on Fifth Avenue and 27th Street to a meeting further up Fifth by The Plaza Hotel, we couldn’t help but stop and stare at the magnificent window display at Bergdorf Goodman, the world’s premier fashion retailer. Not being Christmas, it’s rare our eyes spot something in the windows to temporarily halt our brisk, hurrying-to-a-meeting gait, in order to enjoy some fancy window dressing. But this was no ordinary display, this one was created by a young New Yorker named Elliott De Cesare. We heard of him before, seen his work around town and, at these very same windows two or three years ago (this is his second collaboration with Bergdorf). A disciple of the Artist Jack Whitten (b.1939), Elliott De Cesare is a painter of extraordinary talent and ability. A BFA graduate of SVA, he grew up immersed in art. Both his parents are artists and, as a young kid, he’d accompany dad on fashion photo shoots all over the big apple. For this project, Elliott “conceptualized his painting process by considering the phenomenon of anthropomorphizing the human condition into the likeness of our pets and sought to translate the surreal quality of human projections of themselves into the identities of their animals. Conversing with your dog, dressing and grooming them to our ideals, are all experiences mirroring the mythological and psychological state of the contemporary self” says the artist. Mark our words, this kid is going places beyond these windows. So grab your dog (or cat) and unleash on over to Bergdorf’s. Definitely ‘Best In Show’ currently on the avenue.

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