Baron Von Fancy

File:Baron von Fancy in his studio holding a recent piece entitled "Peanut Butter & Jelly".jpg

Baron Von Fancy in his studio

Gordon Stevenson, also known as Baron Von Fancy, is a multimedia artist who lives and works in New York City.

Background

File:Two cartoon paintings by Baron Von Fancy on display at a gallery.jpg

Two cartoon paintings by Baron Von Fancy on display at a gallery

Baron Von Fancy was born in New York City and attended Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School. He earned his Bachelor in Fine Arts from Bard College in 2006.

Gordon Stevenson identifies himself by his birth name for his artwork displayed in galleries, and he uses the artistic name "Baron Von Fancy" to sign his work used for commercial products. For example, his lighters are signed Baron Von Fancy, whereas his paintings are signed with his birth name.

Work

Baron Von Fancy works in various media in addition to canvas. He has applied his distinctive artistic sensibility to create a broad range of tangible, practical items such as sponges, doormats, socks, backpacks, lighters, bow ties, handbags, cell phone cases and shirts. Clever and enchanting at the same time, Von Fancy's work spans the spectrum in some instances from light-hearted to profound, or in other instances, from playful to crude.

Collaborations

File:Gitman Vintage sport shirt designed by Baron von Fancy featuring a pattern of emoting faces.jpg

Gitman Vintage shirt; design by Baron Von Fancy

Von Fancy has collaborated with fashion, apparel and sportswear brands. Among the brands that he has worked with are: Gitman Vintage, Smith Optics, Baggu, MeUndies, Rag & Bone, Reece Hudson, Reformation, Uber, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, and Vans. He is known for his originality and talent in matching an object with a humorous and memorable phrase. Larger retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Elizabeth Arden, Inc., Juicy Couture, Porsche Design Group, and Patagonia have collaborated with him on distinctive collections and projects.

On January 1, 2016, Vans launched a collections of sneakers featuring Baron Von Fancy's designs. In Fall 2015, Von Fancy provided visuals for the launch of the Louis Vuitton Windows book, published by Assouline. That Summer, Converse selected Baron Von Fancy (among other artists) for social media promotion of its Chuck Taylor All-Star II, the first changes to Converse's highly successful line of sneakers in nearly a century. In his signature typeface, Von Fancy prepared several phrases for display on Converse's Twitter page, including "Can't Wait," "What's Next?", and "Ready for More."

For Valentine's Day 2015, Kreemart presented an exhibition of his work at Melissa Galerie's SoHo store. Paperless Post launched a collaboration with Baron on Valentine's Day 2014, featuring his greeting cards, invitations and Valentine's Day cards.

Exhibitions and Public Work

File:Oil painting by Baron Von Fancy on display at the exhibition "I Remember it Differently" at the Tripoli Gallery.jpg

Oil painting by Baron Von Fancy on display at the exhibition "I Remember it Differently" at the Tripoli Gallery

Colette invited Baron Von Fancy to create "A Thing Called Love," a show that opened in February 2013 in Paris and featured a range of artwork including murals with some of his signature phrases.

Since 2006, his work has been displayed around the world with exhibitions in California, New York, Florida, at Ochi Gallery in Idaho, as well as in Rhode Island, Iowa, and France. In August 2015, The Tripoli Gallery presented his exhibition "Never Say Goodbye," of paintings that humorously comment on romantic relationships, featuring cartoon characters such as Casper the Friendly Ghost and Jiminy Cricket. Previously, in Spring 2014, The Tripoli Gallery presented an exhibition of his original paintings entitled "I Remember It Differently," which featured paintings of Archie and Disney classics. In the Summer of 2013, his "I Can't Grow Up" mural was displayed on a billboard on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side.

In October 2013, for its 125th anniversary celebration, Katz's Delicatessen invited Baron to contribute a work to their pop-up art gallery housed next to the deli. The result, a ten-foot high mural of "I’ll Have What She’s Having," referenced When Harry Met Sally's legendary fake-orgasm scene that had been shot at the deli.

Von Fancy has created sculpture using electroluminescent wire, a fresh medium ideal for explorations of the effects of color. His fascination with color interaction has also been manifested through a number of "water projects," in which he and his collaborators add multicolored dyes to fountains, rivers, etc. for public display.

Origin of the name

The artistic name evolved from his college nickname "Fancy-pants," which itself had originated from his collection of vintage Versace jeans. Baron Von Fancy also is known for other of his numerous collections which include homemade prison artifacts, pre-9/11 Twin Towers ephemera, and peep show sex tokens.

Phrases

A hallmark of Baron Von Fancy's signature style is a handwritten phrase or statement in dark black letters. In some cases, the lettering is accented with bright colors, particularly green, pink, and yellow. Von Fancy exercises considerable range in these expressions, which have been described as "poignant," "playful," "clever," "oscillat[ing] from colloquial to profound," "bold," "poetic," and "reminiscent of the classic, hand-painted billboards that populated New York in the 1950s and 1960s."

Gallery

• BVF Shoes on Friend.jpg

  Vans shoes designed by Baron Von Fancy with various classic phrases of his

• BVF Shoes "Run Away With Me".JPG

  Vans shoes designed by Baron Von Fancy with the words "Run Away with Me"

• "I Can't Grow Up" mural in Manhattan created by Baron von Fancy.jpg

  "I Can't Grow Up" mural at Wallplay in downtown Manhattan created by Baron Von Fancy.

• Baron von Fancy standing next to his work entitled "I'll Have What She's Having," inspired by the film "When Harry Met Sally".jpg

  Baron Von Fancy at the Katz's Deli pop-up gallery, next to his "I'll Have What She's Having." The mural evokes the epic scene from "When Harry Met Sally." (1989)

• Baron von Fancy standing beside one of his works hanging in a gallery featuring the words "There's nothing like it".jpg

  Baron Von Fancy standing next to his "There's nothing like it" in a gallery.

• A mural with the phrase "The Thrill is Gone" by Baron von Fancy featured in the Colette store in Paris.jpg

  Baron Von Fancy's work at Colette (Paris, France, 2013)

• Two pieces created by Baron Von Fancy that were inspired by Archie on display in a gallery..jpg

  Two pieces created by Baron Von Fancy that were inspired by Archie on display in a gallery.

• Smith Optics Maze Helmet featuring a design by Baron von Fancy.tif

  Smith Maze Helmet featuring a design by Baron Von Fancy

• BVF - Take Me with You.jpg

  Backpack designed by Baron Von Fancy featuring the phrase "Take Me with You."

• A popular t-shirt featuring a design by Baron von Fancy with his famous phrase, "Mercury was in fucking retrograde.".jpg

  Reformation sweatshirt featuring Baron Von Fancy's phrase and design, "Mercury was in fucking retrograde."

• A representative example of the work by Baron von Fancy entitled "Loose Lips Sink Ships".jpg

  A representative example of the work by Baron Von Fancy entitled "Loose Lips Sink Ships."

• A representative example of a work by Baron von Fancy featuring a bright color to contrast the otherwise black and white work with the words "He Loves Me He Loves Me Not".jpg

  A representative example of Baron Von Fancy's work with bright shading to enhance the black and white lettering of "He Loves Me He Loves Me Not."

• A representative example of a fashion product bearing a design by Baron von Fancy with the words "Suck My Dick".jpg

  A representative example of socks bearing a design by Baron Von Fancy.

• A representative example of a commercial product bearing a design by Baron von Fancy with the words "Screw Me".jpg

  A representative example of a commercial product bearing a design by Baron Von Fancy with the words "Screw Me."

• A representative example of a commercial product featuring a design by Baron von Fancy with the words "Sew Fancy".jpg

  A representative example of a commercial product featuring a design by Baron Von Fancy with the words "Sew Fancy."

External links

• Baron Von Fancy's Official Website
• Baron Von Fancy's Instagram
• Baron Von Fancy's Twitter
• Baron Von Fancy in the New York Times
• Artists and Digital: Why Social Media Is the New Gallery

• http://wallplay.com/art-billboards/billboard-art-baron-von-fancy/