As the co-founders of New York-based Art Production Fund, Doreen Remen and Yvonne Force Villareal have helped numerous artists realize their larger-than-life dreams. They started the non-profit organization in 2000 and over the past 12 years have pushed a multitude of ambitious art projects into the public realm, bringing art to many who might not otherwise come across it.
Among the most memorable installations are Elmgreen and Dragset’s 2005 “Prada Marfa” sculpture, a fake boutique that resembles a Prada store in a desolate stretch of U.S. Route 90 in Texas; the 2010 Shepard Fairey mural on the side of the former Cooper Square Hotel in New York; and “White Ghost,” a giant 2010 Yoshimoto Nara sculpture of one of his cartoony characters on New York’s Park Avenue. Two current Art Production Fund projects are Kiki Smith’s “Chorus,” freestanding sculptures that celebrate America’s Golden Age, on 46th Street and 8th Avenue; and Yoko Ono’s “Imagine Peace,” which will promote the artist’s anti-violence message on screens throughout London during the 2012 Olympics.
Remen and Villareal have a knack for merging fashion with the art world. They got Prada to provide the clothing and shoes for the Elmgreen and Dragset installation, and partnered Proenza Schouler with Kalup Linzy, Haim Steinbach, and Karen Black for a presentation at Pitti W. The two count designers Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs, and fashion photographer Ellen Von Unwerth among those in their large circle. And did we mention? Both ladies have impeccable style. So naturally, they couldn’t be a better fit for ARTINFO’s Tastemaker series.
Click on the slide show to see Art Production Fund’s Doreen Remen and Yvonne Force Villareal’s Tastemaker picks.