The Paintings In Daniel Boulud Restaurants Are Carefully Selected
Lines between food and art have been braided throughout history, so it comes as no surprise that a Michelin-starred chef like Daniel Boulud is inspired by creative pieces. "I think in art, the longer you look at a painting, the more you learn things about it. I think of a dish in that way; There is a different way of reflecting on it, especially when it becomes artistic," Boulud explains to Park Magazine.
This passion for art has found its way not only into the menus Boulud has devised; His love for beautiful creations has also impacted the aesthetic of the many restaurants Boulud has established around the world. He has set out to display fine art in dining rooms and keeps a rotating roster of pieces circulating through his restaurants. This interest in the arts has become an integral part of Boulud's restaurants, inspiring collaborations among the art and hospitality industries and helping set the theme and tone of the culinary atmospheres he has curated.
Merging creative industries
Boulud seems to have found himself surrounded by creative thinkers since he was a young man, first while working in the south of France, where artist Pablo Picasso would frequently vacation, to the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where Andy Warhol was Boulud's next-door neighbor. He is particularly fond of the pieces of American artist Alex Katz. "They are bright in color and exude a lot of energy," he explains of Katz's work to Barron's. Katz, known for large-scale artwork, was one of the first art installations Boulud organized to be hosted at his restaurant Daniel.
Boulud is also a fan of Brazilian artist Vik Muniz, a dynamic creator who uses mixed media to make pieces. "He said we should start by drinking some and then decide what we're going do," Boulud writes in Surface magazine about Muniz's creative process for art at Bar Boulud. "The wine made him think of a party and what's left when it's over — the stain on the table that reminds you of a good time." The duo ended up hosting three separate parties to create a series of wine stain art on napkins for the establishment.
Yet to Barron's, Boulud confesses a lesser-known passion of his own. "I would love to paint in a studio, cook, and share time with friends and family. I would like to build a barn in the country to do that," he says. Perhaps one day, we will see some of Boulud's own paintings on display in one of his restaurants.