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From left: Astro Boy; Tobias Madison & Emanuel Rossetti, NO, (Pear), 2013, Cardboard box, light socket, and wiring, 10. 5 x 17. 25 x 10. 75 in.; Tobias Madison & Emanuel Rossetti, NO, (Sweet Potatoes), 2013, Cardboard box, light socket, and wiring, 10.175 x 17 x 12. 75 in.; Juan Cespedes, XXXL – T-Shirt, 2003, fabric, plastic, acrylic, and nail, 117
x 93 x 1 in.; Chul-Hyun Ahn, Visual Echo Experiment – Cabin, 2005, mirror, light, and plywood, 31. 5 x 31. 5 x 5. 5 in.
the couple laughs raucously at people doing double takes
at it—as well as guests kindly helping out by moving two
sculptures by Waldon in the form of a Brillo and Campbell’s
Soup box out of the way before a party starts. The LaRoes
find this not only hilarious but a genuinely interesting part of
owning art that many people find a bit of a head-scratcher.
It’s a way of acknowledging that the experience of owning
and sharing art is an ongoing experience—in short, things
don’t end when the piece makes its way from the gallery to
a wall in their home. In fact, that’s just the beginning of its
“interactive life”—the process of being seen by both the
owners and their visitors.
One of the primary sources for their work is Gavlak
Gallery, a chichi art source with elegant spaces in Palm Beach
and Los Angeles. They are, of course, effusive regarding
the LaRoes and their taste for adventurous work. “We just
love the LaRoes. They’re incredible.” No doubt. After all, it
Silverstein Gallery, it measures an ambitious 7. 5 x 10 feet and
features bright pink figures that almost operate as carefully
crafted emoticons. Dianne notes, “We always make room for
this piece in every house. We have to make sure there’s room
for ‘Mr. Bubble.’ That’s our name for it.” In the couple’s
Bluffview residence, it hangs to the right of the mantle and
presides over parties and quiet conversations. Another piece
by Tony Matelli, Weed (Dandelion), is a painted bronze done
in 2008 and located just inside their home’s main entrance.
It could literally be mistaken for an actual dandelion, and
