Curated by Mom: Rob Pruitt

Cynthia Rowley discusses why Rob Pruitt—despite his notoriously radical edge—is still kid-friendly

Cynthia Rowley’s daughters, Kit and Gigi, have not been shielded from the art world. “They’ve been going to openings at least once or twice a week since birth,” says Rowley, who—along with her husband and ExhibitionA co-founder, Bill Powers—encourages the girls to develop their own tastes. “They love Carsten Höller and Nick Cave, but when picking out art for their bedrooms, they generally go for Japanese artists like Yoshitomo Nara and Aki Fujimoto,” says Rowley.

“All-time favorite artist” is a classification that makes Rowley shudder, but when asked about art that’s fun for the family, the designer (after reminding us that she has lots of favorites) points to mixed-media master Rob Pruitt. Sure, he’s known for blatant appropriations and iconoclastic public scultpure (namely, his depiction of Andy Warhol in Union Square), but at the end of the day, Pruitt's no stranger to glitter, pandas, and pink. —Lucie Alig

What is it about Pruitt that you admire?
He’s smart, he’s clever, and he has a sense of humor about the art world that not many artists embrace. 

How would you describe your girls’ experience with his work?
The girls love to go to Rob’s shows because, among all the powerful cultural statements he makes, there are also a lot of glittery penguins and pandas! Recently, we all went to a book signing he had and when we walked in the bookstore, Rob was sitting at the end of a long table in the nude—with nothing but a stuffed panda bear on his lap! The kids have been talking about it ever since. 

Do you have any favorite works?
When I was just about to give birth to Gigi, Bill gave me a Rob Pruitt painting of a mother and a baby panda. I burst into tears! 

Photos by Marc Domage, DR, courtesy of: Air de Paris