Today, the world mourns the death of the brilliant + iconic Swiss surrealist painter, sculptor, + set designer H. R. Giger, famous for his design of the creature in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic ‘Alien’. Giger’s work often included sick + morbid scenes incorporating human + machine crossbreeds, inspiring many directors + the style of biomechanics tattoos.
Giger, a true genius + visionary, will be missed.
I don’t know about you but, every time I’ve gone to an art gallery opening or checked out a new art exhibit, depending on the artwork(s) or artist(s), the crowd is always as interesting if not, at times, better than the art itself, so why should Frieze New York be any different? Sure, it’s all about contemporary art, from paintings to installations, where you can pretty much envision the types of people in attendance or could you? What if all you had to go on were pictures of invited footwear throughout Frieze?
As an experiment, rather than take another pic of the same cool person(s) complete with cool hair + accessories, I decided to direct my focus on what shoes they wore. In a way, I felt as if I was taking pics with a Rolleiflex on my stomach, if not on my knees. The best thing about the whole process was not having to ask for permission to take someone’s picture, as I personally loathe being photographed when not in the mood.
As a series, the pictures take on a whole new meaning, blurring the lines between rich + poor + young + old. Comfort was key for most, with the excess of kicks + flats invited, yet, I must admit, I’m a sucker for a good looking sneaker, in case you bore of them all. The heels however, had a slight flirty sex appeal to them.
If you were at Frieze yesterday, can you point yourself out?
(photos: ydln)
For #FlashbackFriday, here’s ‘Experiment No.9 Dynamic Blooms’, a hypnotic fashion film by Tell No One for SHOWstudio. The concept was for Tell No One to take Nick Knight’s photography for AnOther magazine’s Spring/Summer 2011 issue, + bring them to life as blooming flowers which they accomplished with stunning effect.
I love how the dancers’ skirts were caught in slow motion, when leaping through the air. At times, during these leaps, any visible limbs looked like the inner workings of a flower, like its pistil. The long hair at one point resembled a dandelion puff, just blowing away as fast as it could. But how apropos is that soundtrack? ‘Vanities’ written by Beck Hansen uses thunder over strings that mimic raindrops along with little bells or maybe a poor little triangle + when the motion of blooming is about to occur, the mood + music intensify to epic proportions, with the occasional help of thunder
Enjoy!
(via TELL NO ONE)
Society’s obsession with authenticity + need for self-expression, especially in the age of social media, pretty much inspired this line of handmade leather bags. The Dots brings personalization to a new level by transforming bags into objects of expression, able to tell a little something about their owners rather than their love for the color of red leather or white.
Gaming, particularly the old classic board game “Scrabble”, inspired the first theme of The Dots collection.
Each bag comes complete with a set of “Scrabble”-like, attachable letter tiles, which are pushed into dots on the front, allowing the wearer to express themselves everyday. Unfortunately, there’s a less than 140 letters allowance.
Available in various styles, you can purchase your very own at WE ARE SELECTERS + start setting yourself apart from all the rest with your cool new leather bag.
(via WE ARE SELECTERS)
Just in time for this weekend’s Frieze, which will have New York City on it’s head, Barneys is to unveil a pretty impressive collection of art of their own. ’Henzel Studio Collaborations, Volume #1’, curated by Joakim Andreasson, is an exclusive collabo between Swedish luxury art rugs manufacturer Henzel Studio + twelve prominent + influential contemporary artists, launching in Chelsea Passage starting tomorrow.
To take a medium created by centuries-old techniques + reiterate it with striking contemporary imagery is just too cool. ’Free to disregard design movements and related principles + rules, the featured artists were invited to freely + seamlessly translate their work + artistic ethos into the media at hand, exploring shape, volume + finishings, where practicality was secondary to concept,” explained Andreasson of the process.
Of the many participating artists including Marilyn Minter, Mickalene Thomas, Helmut Lang + Scott Campbell, here are a few rugs to showcase what you can or might not be able to buy.
Scott Campbell
Anselm Reyle
Juergen Teller
Linder
(via Barneys)
Ever wonder what to do with all those old board games you dismiss on your visits to the flea market, well these pics will have you running back for them all. In this brilliant photographic series called ‘Masks’ by Swiss photographer Marie Rime, comprised of portraits of models wearing masks entirely made by board games : puzzles, play cards, mikados, checkers + pieces of all kinds, you can’t but be in total awe with the ingenuity + originality of each mask. If I had to pick favorites, they would have to be 1, 3, 4 + 6.
Talk about a poker face!
(via fubiz)
Here’s the new video for Sia‘s latest single ‘Chandelier’ starring Maddie Ziegler, a crazy talented young dancer + star from tv show ‘Dance Moms’. Leaping, slithering + stomping the air, with the occasional smile, Maggie translates the song through interpretive dance beautifully, inside what looks like an abandoned apartment.
Co-directed by Sia + Daniel Askill (Phoenix, Sia’s ‘Breathe Me’), ‘Chandelier’, the first single from her forthcoming album due out this summer drops June 9th.
Enjoy!
(via HUNGER TV)
To have or to have not, has been the only question when it comes to women + body hair, which brings us to this morning’s short ‘Les Fleurs’. Part one of the weekly NOWNESS ‘#DefineBeauty’ series, filmmaker Saam Farahmand interprets this debate in the most beautiful way.
Saam’s approach was simple: address what’s commonly appreciated the least in female beauty, which he in turn, appreciates the most. Pair that with a score of Minnie Ripperton’s ‘Les Fleurs’ + you have something pretty epic to watch.
The film beautifully shows off a female nude’s transformation from hairless ideal to the natural state, with perfect lighting catching every curve + dip. As to why Minnie Ripperton, Saam said, ‘There was something so affecting about Minnie Riperton’s ability to breathe her gender—she speaks to female sexuality in a way that seems to exclude male consideration.’
Enjoy!
(via NOWNESS)