George Lois
Legendary art director, designer and advertising leader George Lois (“advertising communicator” is how this multifaceted talent describes himself) is mad for his favorite Manhattan byway, Madison Avenue. For who knows Mad Ave. better than the man who made household names out of Tommy Hilfiger, ESPN, Xerox and MTV, and created logos for Nickelodeon, Jiffy Lube and Lean Cuisine—to name just a few. The author of The Art of Advertising, Iconic America and George Lois on His Creation of the Big Idea, Lois was recently lauded by the Museum of Modern Art with a yearlong exhibit. Take a walk through the George Lois exhibition yourself via the coffee-table book George Lois: The Esquire Covers @ MoMA.
By Jason Oliver Nixon
Photo by Luke Lois
Madison Square Park
“A brisk walk up Madison Avenue is a New York art lover’s safari,” says Lois. “Start at historic
Madison Square Park (former home of Madison Square Garden) at 23rd Street and sit at the feet of Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Farragut Monument.”
Morgan Library & Museum: Bookshelves
“You must see the
Morgan Library & Museum at 36th Street, a magnificent Italianate brownstone recently renovated by architect Renzo Piano and loaded with Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Gutenberg bibles and Mahler scores.”
Morgan Library & Museum: Red Room
The Morgan Library & Museum is at 225 Madison Ave.
Morgan Library & Museum: Atrium
Esquire Cover
Lois is known for his famous and often controversial
Esquire covers (1962–1972). Check out the complete collection, plus his world-famous ads and imagery, at
georgelois.com.
Macklowe Gallery Facade
“Hop on the Madison Avenue bus to 60th Street, where you will find the
Macklowe Gallery. There you can light up your life with 5,500 feet of spectacular Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps and art glass.” There are also plenty of art nouveau antiques.
Gagosian Gallery
Don’t miss the
Gagosian Gallery, which Lois calls, “the maverick go-go gallery” that “knocks art lovers’ eyeballs out with modern masterworks and contemporary shock-of-the-new art shows.”
980 Madison Ave.
Gagosian Gallery: Modern Masterworks
The Gagosian Gallery.
Gagosian Gallery: Contemporary Pieces
Whitney Museum of Art
“In the area of 75th Street, there is a wealth of must-sees, including the
Whitney Museum of American Art, a startling monolithic structure designed by the Bauhaus master Marcel Breuer, where the permanent collection covers the total modern American art scene.”
Carlyle Galleries
“The Carlyle hotel at 76th Street and Madison is as New York as you can get,” says Lois. “The hotel was also President Kennedy’s favorite. Marilyn Monroe was spotted sneaking in through the servant’s entrance more than once.” 35 E. 76th St.
Other galleries:
“Explore the Safani Gallery, where the courtly Alan Safani deals in the beauty and history of 7,000 years of man’s greatest achievements in art from Eastern Mediterranean cultures,” says Lois. And don’t forget the art deco-rich DeLorenzo Gallery.
Eleven Madison Park: Food
Eleven Madison Park: Dining Room
Eleven Madison Park: Wine
Eleven Madison Park