Francesca DiMattio’s new house in upstate New York, where she lives
part-time with her artist husband, Garth Weiser, is a study in
contrasts: opulent Versace pillows sit on stark-white Eero Saarinen
chairs; sunset-themed thrift store bedsheets mix with a colorful rug
woven by children in Africa. “I approach all aspects of my life in the
same way I approach my art,” says DiMattio, 31, who draws from sources
as varied as fashion and design magazines, art history, and the
furniture in her studio to create seemingly chaotic canvases that riff
on perspective, scale, and architecture. Recently, DiMattio has expanded
into ceramic sculptures, hand-painting them with everything from
Ming-dynasty detailing to feminine florals. “I’m interested in what
happens when you get different things and mangle them together,” says
the artist, who has two shows opening this month: one at Sotheby’s S2
gallery in New York, the other at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery in London.
“Suddenly, something very French rococo looks like Grandma’s pitcher.”
Not surprisingly, her personal style also incorporates oft-opposing
elements: Designer shoes mix with Salvation Army dresses and tailored
suits with crocheted tops—all topped with the braided updo she’s worn
since high school. “I can’t tell you the variety of people my hairstyle
speaks to,” she says. “German, Icelandic, African, Mexican…I think
that’s what I like about it. It can go in so many different ways.”
Dimattio wears Tom Ford georgette gown with cape. Manolo Blahnik pumps.
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October 2012
Francesca Dimattio
Opposites Attract
October 2012
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