Tia Cibani And Marc Balet Toast Artist Kenny Scharf At Ports 1961

by PERRINE MEISTRELL · April 22, 2009

[Kenny Sharf, Lady Bunny. All photos by AMBER DE VOS for PMc] Last night at boutique Ports 1961, fashion icon Tia Cibani and art director/advertising guru Marc Balet hosted a party in honor of the publication of artist Kenny Scharf's new book. For those not already in the know, Scharf is a painter whose work walks the line between "high and low"- his artistic accomplishments range from creating B-52 album covers, and designing a room at the infamous Tunnel club, to inclusion in the Whitney Biennial. More story and photos below...Scharf fans who turned out included Lady Bunny, Liam McMullan, Rosie Perez, Joey Arias, and Mickey Boardman to name just a few.

A mainstay of the East Village art scene during the 1980's, Scharf was also a close friend of graffiti artist Keith Haring, and often used cartoon imagery with a somewhat similar aesthetic in his own work. While Scharf's (literally) colorful and inventive past is impressive, he is hardly resting on his laurels. Scharf most recently did a live action spray painting 100 foot mural at New York's Armory, and in keeping with his tradition of innovation and originality, teamed up with Kadar Brock and Inbred Hybrid Collective for the first sanctioned performance art in the exhibition's history. His work continues to push the boundaries of so called "fine art," engaging others in the creative process, and allowing them to indulge their imaginations.

Joey Arias, Robert, Kenny Scharf