Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/641424
134 CULTURED Art Core LOEWE'S JONATHAN ANDERSON BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN CULTURE AND COMMERCE WITH THE LOEWE FOUNDATION. BY SARAH OWEN Tina Modotti'S Woman With Flag, 1928; Campesinos Demonstration, 1928 and Woman of Tehuantepec, 1929. Fashion's ongoing affinity with art has become a universal truth. At Loewe, the luxury Spanish house is less interested in art-fueled capsule collections than full-on art immersions, like the one installed at the brand's flagship store in Miami during Art Basel last December. Entitled "Chance Encounters," the show kicked off an ongoing series of exhibitions in partnership with the Loewe Foundation, featuring objets d'art curated by Loewe's creative director, Jonathan Anderson. The young designer used it as an opportunity to explore a structural mood board, injecting elements of the Loewe brand that he otherwise couldn't show in his ready-to- wear designs. "When I first conceived the idea of the Loewe store in Miami, I wanted to create an environment in which to bring Spanish history and craft into a modern context," he says. Anderson's involvement with the foundation has propelled the company's reach to a wider and deeper audience. "He has been extremely supportive, taking a step forward toward giving the foundation more international exposure," says Sheila Loewe, the director of the Loewe Foundation. "It was his idea to do an exhibit during Art Basel, and he curated it himself." This month saw the opening of the second exhibition in the series—the first solo show in Miami devoted to photographer Tina Modotti. The artist's silver and platinum archival prints depict the same contrast of modernity and history, echoing the foundation's relationship with the past and present. Exhibition curator María Millán reveals that although Modotti's career as a photographer was quite short—almost 10 years—she often played numerous roles outside of her known craft. "She was more often considered a muse, model and political activist than an exceptional artist of the 20th century," says Millán. "This exhibition claims her importance in the history of photography." Anderson's fascination with Modotti stems from the purity and craftsmanship in her work, and the mirroring of messages both entities stand for. "Modotti's direct way of capturing form, honest embrace of artisanal knowledge and the candor with which she expressed her convictions are the exact qualities we uphold at Loewe," says Anderson. While Anderson's tenure with the Spanish luxury label has just hit three years, the foundation's core pillars have already flourished under his guidance. "Culture and art have always been at the heart of the brand," says Loewe. "When Jonathan joined the company, its cultural landscape became more evident and the link to the foundation became even stronger." With four exhibitions planned for Miami this year, the foundation will present a design show in May (debuting during Salone del Mobile in Milan the month before), followed by a photography show in the fall before this year's Art Basel show. PHOTOS BY TINA MODOTTI. COURTESY LOEWE FOUNDATION; THROCKMORTON FINE ART