Ralph Pucci Explores the History of Mannequins as an Artform

Pucci joined his parents’ mannequin business in the ’70s, and succeeded in reinventing the product as an art form, breaking away for the skinny, white-plastic variety and experimenting with diverse poses, sizes, colors, and design details. His work captured the zeitgeist of each passing decade, expressed through collaborations with the likes of Diane Von Furstenberg, Anna Sui, and Christy Turlington. A collection he designed with the illustrator and writer Maira Kalman features faces with Kalman’s distinctive, Modigliani-inspired style. “Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin” on view through Aug. 30) is accompanied by an 88-page catalogue comprising a foreword by Margaret Russell (of Architectural Digest), an interview with Pucci, and an essay exploring the history of the mannequin. Following these texts are photographs of the exhibition pieces, including Ada, a female mannequin from the collection he designed with Kalman.