I ART U

17 Valentine’s Day Gifts for the Art Lover in Your Life, From Slightly Steamy to Totally Explicit


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Francesco Vezzolli

Unfortunately, it’s a few decades too late for you and the art lover in your life to join Andy Warhol in spending Valentine’s Day doodling hearts in Fiorucci’s erstwhile boutique. While a Warhol-made love note may no longer be an option, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands on an (almost) equally enviable gift for your crush by next week. That’s especially true if you’re looking to go the steamier route, which, thanks to Yoko Ono, you can do for as little as two dollars. (Though nothing drives a message home quite like the street artist WhisBe’s $7,500 neon spelling out “I fucking love fucking you” in all caps.) If you’re not at that stage in your relationship just yet, it’s also easy enough to keep things chaste—and, in the case of a Cindy Sherman pool float, definitely unexpected. There are at least a dozen more where those came from; take a look, here.

1
Courtesy of MoMA

Let’s face it: No one can ever top Russell Simmons shutting down not just a basically impossible-to-get-into Yayoi Kusama installation but also an entire museum for a night to celebrate his first anniversary with Ciara. But that doesn’t mean you can’t carry on his legacy by giving the Kusama fan in your life a miniature, lacquer-painted resin version of one of her signature motifs: a polka-dot pumpkin.

Kusama Pumpkin, $280, store.moma.org.

2
Courtesy of Happy Socks

Channel the Velvet Underground with your partner via these limited-edition Andy Warhol–printed undergarments.

Andy Warhol Banana Trunk, $26, happysocks.com; Andy Warhol Banana Cheeky, $22, happysocks.com.

3
Courtesy of MOCA

If you happen to be dating someone who already has everything, well, this pool float in the shape of a blown-up iPhone featuring one of Cindy Sherman’s signature selfies is just for you. Bonus: Each comes with a premium gift box and an enviable drawstring swim bag.

Cindy Sherman Oops Phone Float, $250, mocastore.org.

4
Courtesy of the New Museum

This signed, limited-edition plate featuring the work of Jack Pierson is practically begging to assist you and your beau in consuming a few aphrodisiacs.

Jack Pierson Youth Plate, $450, newmuseumstore.org.

5
Courtesy of the New Museum

For those who believe in everlasting love, this 100 percent silk eye mask featuring a sliver of the artist Louise Bourgeois, who lived until age 98, seems guaranteed to send good vibes your way.

Louis Bourgeois Silk Portrait Eye Mask, $30, newmuseumstore.org.

6
Courtesy of 1stdibs

Give your partner a confidence boost and your bedroom a sensual glow with this neon sign by the street artist WhisBe.

I Fucking Love Fucking You neon by WhisBe, $7,500, 1stdibs.com.

7
Courtesy of Printed Matter

At just $2, Yoko Ono’s “crotch button” is your best bet at keeping things sensual without breaking the bank.

Crotch Button by Yoko Ono, $2, printedmatter.org.

8
Courtesy of 1stdibs.

You also don’t have to fret about your love already owning this one—unless, that is, you’re dating Cher, who once owned this black underwire lace bra. (Thankfully, it comes with photographic evidence that it’s not just any old hand-me-down.)

Cher-owned black underwire lace bra with photograph of Cher, 1stdibs.com.

9
Courtesy of MOCA

We’re going to assume that if you take your love’s appreciation for Jeff Koons, the world’s second most expensive artist, seriously, you won’t blink at an $11,000 price tag. Before going ahead with your purchase, however, a word of caution: Thanks to an incident at Art Basel Miami in 2016, it’s public knowledge that the porcelain pups are prone to shattering.

Jeff Koons: Balloon Dog, $11,000, mocastore.org.

10
Courtesy of Etsy

Perhaps to celebrate the fact that Tracey Emin has put her enfant terrible days in the past, one craftsy Etsy user has re-created the artist’s seminal 1998 installation, My Bed, documenting a days-long post-breakup fog in which she subsisted on alcohol and stayed put in her bedroom. Unlike the original, however, there are no condoms in this version; instead, everything is made out of Lego. (Don’t forget to help your partner in assembling all 215 pieces.)

*Art: LEGO Bed Model (Tracey Emin – My Bed) by Little Big Art, $243, etsy.com.)

11
Courtesy of eBay

For those who don’t have the patience for instruction manuals, this cardboard cutout of Emin should take less than a minute to prop up, ensuring that your partner always has company.

Tracey Emin cardboard cutout (lifesize or miniature), $20, eBay.com.

12
Courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art

Barbara Kruger’s signature slogans might be genius, but most aren’t exactly sweet. This one, on the other hand, is relatively reassuring—especially compared to “Your body is a battleground.”

Barbara Kruger Vinyl Love Tote, $68, shop.whitney.org.

13
Courtesy of Printed Matter

This baseball cap by Nico Fontana might not be for everyone, but it’s certainly perfect for some!

Gay Mom Baseball Cap, $40, printedmatter.org.

14
Courtesy of the New Museum

This snow globe, by the artists Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese, comes with the added bonus of sending the right message when you’re upset with your partner, too.

Fuck Snow Globe by Ligorano/Reesem, $70, newmuseumstore.org.

15
Courtesy of Special Special

Lu Zhang’s ceramic cocktail vessels are ideal for a date by the pool. (Don’t forget to bring along your Cindy Sherman float.)

Special Special Edition No. 22 Coconut by Lu Zhang, $180, specialspecial.com.

16
Courtesy of the New Museum

Grant your partner permission to explore via Alice Lang’s boob mug, which is in fact an “atomically correct replication of the artist’s body, complete with nipples, freckles, moles,” produced by 3-D scan.

Alice Lang Boob Mug/Vessel, $80, newmuseumstore.org.

17
Courtesy of MOCA

Nice.

69 Clear Tote, $21, mocastore.org.