Q&A with Tristan Eaton on Art Basel Vuarnet Collaboration

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Vuarnet sunglasses, a French iconic sunglass brand just relaunched in the US and has collaborated with International renowned street art muralist, graffiti artist and toy designer, Tristan Eaton to design a limited edition t-shirt for Art Basel.

In honor of the collaboration, a a dedicated lunch, in honor of graffiti artist, street art muralist, illustrator and toy designer Tristan Eaton will take place at The Supper Club in Miami during Art Basel. Bernstein & Andriulli invite members to one of Miami Beach’s hottest new hotels, the EDITION, to celebrate.

The festivities will kick off with Purity Vodka cocktails, VieVité rose and refreshing Champagne Jacquart on the Matador Terrace with beachfront views, followed by an alfresco lunch by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten of modern Latin cuisine.

Q&A with Tristan Eaton on Vuarnet Collaboration

What inspired you to embark on a partnership with Vuarnet?

Tristan: I love high-quality sunglasses that offer the best sun protection and timeless style! That’s it. All they had to do was ask and I was in.

What commonalities do you see between you, your work and Vuarnet?

Tristan: There are some big things I feel kinship with like the pursuit of quality, technique and innovation. These all have a place in my art. Always trying to get better! I’ve also hit the slopes at Squaw Valley where Jean Vuarnet won the Winter Olympics in 1960! It’s an amazing place to ski with a lot of history.

 Did you ever own a pair of Vuarnets? If so, do you have a Vuarnet story for us?

Tristan: Actually the ones I have now are my first pair ever! So I’m gonna rain check a good story for you guys. I’m sure I’ll have some after a month of painting in Asia!

You are currently traveling the globe wearing Vuarnet frames, how does the world look through Earth’s highest-quality lenses? 

Tristan: They’re great! I’m trying to be extra careful with them in my travels! I normally destroy, scratch and get paint all over my sunglasses. As a result I end up having to pick up cheap frames along the road which sucks. The Vuarnets are a nice change of pace for me.

 What influences your creative process?

Tristan: Mostly people. Most of my work is figurative in nature so people tend to inspire most of the visuals in my work. Past that, human behavior plays a big part as well. When there’s storytelling in my art, it tends to be about the glory or tragedy of human behavior.

Very exciting you will be hosting an event with Vuarnet at Art Basel. Give us some juicy details about the event (any celebs attending, etc.)!

Tristan: Art Basel Miami is always a good time! For me, the best part is being able to catch up with other artists from around the world. Most of us travel constantly and only see each other on Instagram! That’s the best part. The other aspects of the art world business are really boring to me! These days Basel does attract a lot of celebrities though. Right now art is the new bling for a lot of rappers especially. Sometimes I see rappers and celebs at Art Basel looking at art with sunglasses on! This is really funny to me because it defeats the purpose! Even if they’re Vuarnets, take off your sunglasses when looking at the art! Ha ha!