Flora #2 by Christina Muraczewski

To say that this print packs a punch is a little bit of an understatement. I mean, look at it! True to form, Christina Muraczewski has laid it on thick in her newest edition, Flora #2. And with everything that's going on today, the timing couldn't be better to be sharing this layered burst of loveliness with all of you.

It's Sara, pinch-hitting for and well-wishing a sick Ms. Bekman. She and Chrissy go way back. Ms. Muraczewski was one of the very first artists to release an edition on 20x200 and has graced us with her presence every so often since. Jen's a big fan of the clever faux bois that papers the backgrounds of her compositions. That's where Chrissy's smart surface interpretations begin but her blending of real and fake extends to the objects painted over them. The flowers, birds, polka-dots and patterns are borrowed from the design language of desire that we're all vaguely (if not intimately) familiar with, thanks to Ikea, Crate & Barrel, and the like.

Subversively, Chrissy inserts them into her paintings—playing a game that's something like design-borrowed-from-art-borrowing-from-design-to-make-art-again. As domestic and comforting as her subjects may be, there's something slightly (excitingly) unsettling about the sprinkling of them here. While I'm not going to get into the art vs. design debate, that feeling is the part, for me at least, that affirms what Chrissy's doing is definitely art.

If you're more of the art than design type, this weekend was made for you. The Armory Show art fairs kick off this Thursday in NYC! And we're seriously spinning about them this year. We'll be there, with a booth at PULSE, AND infiltrating on foot just about everywhere else, armed with our Art Fair Survival Kits. Back by popular demand, they're filled to the brim with goodies and essentials, designed to save you from art fair fatigue. Read all about them and follow us on Twitter to get updates on all the fun and games throughout the weekend. We'll hope to see you soon!