A symbol is a funny thing. Especially when that symbol is a human being. From everything I know, JFK meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Iconic imagery can transform a group of people into a concept or an idea, or a president and his family into rockstars. If you’ve kept up with Rolling Stone during the Obama era, you know what I mean. Richard Avedon‘s portraits of the Kennedy family, shot in January of ’61, are impressive for their intimacy though. Avedon’s shots are personal, as if to subtly remind you that behind all the media hype, these are actually just people we’re looking at. Pretty inspiring stuff.
I feel like for many of us New York is that elusive destination that we all must get to. It’s like the last level of Mario or something. New York’s like Bowser’s castle, hella ominous at first, but hella fun once you get the hang of it. A.K., Jarron and Amanda are out there now, The rest of us will be there soon. In the meantime we can marinate on these overhead shots. A truly majestic city. New York by 2012.
If you’re able to say you introduced Andy Warhol to anything, you’re already winning in my book. As the man who once gave Warhol his first camera (not to mention introducing Warhol to the works of both Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring), Christopher Makos holds an interesting place in the pop art canon. Famous for his Polaroids, Makos’ work serves as a window into the ’70s and ’80s, capturing personal and cultural moments with a one-of-a-kind aesthetic sense. For the art lovers in New York, East Hamptons’ Clic Gallery will be featuring a collection of some of Makos’ Polaroids up until September 5th. For everybody else, peep the gallery below.
As I understand it, a double exposure is the technique of exposing the same piece of film twice, basically superimposing one image on top of the other. I’m sure Tiago, Sydni and a handful of other folks could explain a little more thoroughly though. With that said, Andrew Volk is dope with the double exposures. Making creative use of lights, faces and natural scenery to create his images, Volk’s work has a dreamy, colorful aesthetic to it. Like most photographers of his caliber though, the double exposure is just one of many photographic talents Volk has to offer. Head over here to see more from his catalog.
It’s crazy how a few snapshots can paint a detailed picture of a place. From everything I hear, the Eastern Congo is a pretty hectic place. Dealing with the fallout from the worst human conflict since World War II can’t be easy. In his latest collection, Quick, photographer Richard Mosse gives us a glimpse of military life in the Eastern Congo, along with some gorgeous shots of the surrounding landscape. Taking a novel approach, Mosse used Kodak Aerochrome infrared film to capture the scenes below, giving the images their distinctive pink tint. So no, they’re not photoshopped, in case you were wondering. Pretty impressive.
A lot of times, I’m tempted to read into other people’s artwork, and try to pull out the meaning attached to it by the artist. To a certain degree, I guess that’s what you’re supposed to be doing, but I think there’s something to be said for those pieces that leave it open-ended. “Our lovely model, Chris, has lived on Mercer Street for a few decades by choice,” says artist Julia Chesky, “I’m calling this series The Original Hipster because on most days he doesn’t even look like he’s truly homeless.”
I guess you can read it in a few different ways. On one hand, there’s a tongue-in-cheek, ironic element to the whole thing, as Chesky seems to be poking fun at the “hipster” cliches we know so well. But on the other hand, it’s also just a dope series of portraits about a homeless dude and his style. On the down side, there’s a sense in which it almost trivializes his situation. Either way, it got me thinking. What do you think?
The story of Janette Beckman‘s early career goes roughly like this: after shooting album covers for The Police, and portraits of everyone from The Clash to Boy George in her native England, she moved to New York in 1982, only to capture some of the most iconic shots in hip-hop’s golden age. To rattle off just a few quick names, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys and Eric B. & Rakim were among some of the more famous subjects. Arkitip’s Project Space in L.A. will be featuring a retrospective of Beckman’s work, aptly titled Archive of Attitude, opening August 12th, and highlighting some of the more iconic shots from her storied career. If you get a chance to stop in, don’t miss it.
I think Sasha Jones of Good put it better than I can. For all the glitz and glamor, new stadiums and fanfare brought on by the World Cup (mostly as a result of a $6 billion investment on the part of the South African government), we didn’t hear a whole lot about the everyday people of South Africa, or the way they live. Inner Views, a series of six-by-four foot portraits by South African photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa, offers a unique look at the lives and homes of South Africa’s migrant workers, showing a side of the country that doesn’t seem to garner the same kind of press attention. With a keen eye for color and composition, Mthethwa’s talent is pretty undeniable. The Inner Views exhibition is at Harlem’s Studio Museum until October 24th.
In the words of swag doctor Wag, this past weekend went ham. Too ham. Ham and bacon sandwich ham. Seriously, one of those nights to remember. Introducing Theophilus to his L.A. fan base, lots of folks rolled out to take part in the experience. Going through a half hour DJ set into his own performance, Theophilus went in as usual, turning more folks into believers with each track. Hats off to Ian for putting it all together. It’s only getting better.
I’ve heard it said that with sexualized imagery, there’s a thin line between fine art and objectification. I’d counter that by saying that sometimes they actually go hand in hand (T-Rich anybody?). Either way you look at it, Andrew Quesada is a talented dude, who knows how to capture sex appeal. Specializing in, but not limiting himself to portraits of bad ones, Long Beach-based Quesada has a diverse portfolio that speaks for itself, and a style that’s direct and authentic. Check below for more, or here for his full catalog.
There is a group of kids in the outer depths of the city of Fortaleza who rock tank tops, strapped sandals, shorts, and boards. I didn’t expect to meet them that Sunday but I’m glad I did. I shared my story of snowboarding in Connecticut to a group of kids who had never seen snow in their life.
Yesterday marked the culmination of the World Cup at the Montalban. With the theatre packed to the brim, it was again up to Emily to save the day. Reed, DS, Tiago and I slid in with her assistance, while Hanif went real stealth for his entrance. Nonetheless it was a great experience and an end to one of the more unique branding experiences I’ve been a part of. Big thanks to everyone involved in facilitating the events. Nike is winning.
It’s tough to step outside of your comfort zone. We call it the comfort zone for a reason. But I think once you step outside yours, it begins to expand. When you take that leap to do some shit you’ve never done before the experience shatters the fear you had for it initially. Lately I’ve been thinking that fear generally comes from the unknown, but let’s save that conversation for another time.
Hunter’s work just got me thinking. His latest photo project appropriately titled astronauts is an ode to the spaceman who’s stuck on earth. Attempting to deal with the normalcy of everyday life, Hunter places the astronaut in a range of ordinary settings, effectively removing the astronaut from his comfort zone, and shooting him back down to reality. It’s not always fun to be an astronaut.
I know, 10 minutes is asking a lot for this day and age. So if time is of the essence, start at minute 4, and go til 4:30. The latest from BLU. Thank you and you’re welcome. Creativity knows no boundaries. We’ve been saying it for years. This is only the beginning. Get your popcorn ready.
Margaret told me she’s not too fond of putting words along with her work, and I think it’s only appropriate. Her work pretty much speaks for itself, so I’ll try to keep it brief. With an eye for natural lighting and beautiful scenery, Margaret is able to transform simple settings and subjects into something surreal. For more from Margaret, check out her site here, but don’t be too surprised if she shows up here again soon.
A symbol is a funny thing. Especially when that symbol is a human being. From everything I know, JFK meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Iconic imagery can transform a group of people into a concept or an idea, or a president and his family into rockstars. If you’ve kept up with Rolling Stone during the Obama era, you know what I mean. Richard Avedon‘s portraits of the Kennedy family, shot in January of ’61, are impressive for their intimacy though. Avedon’s shots are personal, as if to subtly remind you that behind all the media hype, these are actually just people we’re looking at. Pretty inspiring stuff.
