The interior designer hosts the artist for an evening of “Prodigal Fun” at his San Francisco club, the St. Joseph’s Arts Society
Words by DIANE DORRANS SAEKS
Photography by DREW ALTIZER
Four hundred art lovers converged recently at the abandoned church that has become Ken Fulk’s arts center in San Francisco to celebrate the creativity and wit of New Orleans artist Ashley Longshore, whose 70-some large-scale paintings and portraits made up the exhibition “Prodigal Fun.”
Ken Fulk.
A 1960s-style quartet of roller skaters twirled in and out among the artworks, but the evening wasn’t just a rollicking good time. It was also a furniture show, incorporating the new Ashley Longshore x Ken Fulk capsule collection of lighting and furniture (which is returning for a command performance at the Saint Joe’s Holiday Bazaar). As the name suggests, the collection is a collaboration between the artist and Fulk (who was dapper in a bead-embellished bespoke suit by Thom Browne). Among the pieces are 12 dining chairs featuring Longshore’s portraits of iconic women (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Frida Kahlo) and Fulk’s patterns inspired by each.
“Ken and I share a passion for over-the-top. We love irreverence. Our collaboration is unexpected but we have the same goal: to applaud wildness, color, and artfulness.”
ASHLEY LONGSHORE
“I am so excited to be collaborating with Ken,” said Longshore. “We share a passion for over-the-top. We love irreverence. Our collaboration is unexpected but we have the same goal: to applaud wildness, color, and artfulness.”
Ashley Longshore.
In an exuberant tulle creation of shocking pink, orange and lemon by Japanese fashion designer Tomo Koizumi, Longshore embodied the high-energy vibe. Her vivid pop-art paintings delighted guests including philanthropists and collectors Benno and Cat Dorer, tech entrepreneurs Brit and Dave Morin, and internationally acclaimed interior photographer Douglas Friedman, as well as Lisa Zabelle, who has collected Longshore’s work for five years. Zabelle got into the spirit of the evening in a sundress ablaze with tropical flowers, by Longshore, accessorized with a festive floral picnic basket also by the artist.
Also on hand: Longshore’s latest monograph, Roar! A Collection of Mighty Women (Rizzoli).
November 12, 2021
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