glue magazine, October/September 09 Issue
112
glue. World's Best Nick Owens Bela Borsodi Noah Grey Ben Folds Runway +more October/November '09 01
description
In celebration of glue magazine's first ever issue, we focus on the world's best fashion, design, art, music and photography.
Transcript of glue magazine, October/September 09 Issue
glue. World's Best
Nick Owens
Bela Borsodi
Noah Grey
Ben Folds
Runway
+more
October/November '09
01
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Iris S
ART DIRECTOR: Iris S
WORDS: Iris S, Dazed Digital,
Photographica, Bokeh Online,
Shannon Nelson, Style.com, Thinking
About Art blogs, Pony Ryder, Verena,
Taxi, Thinking About Art Blogs, Fabio
Novembre, Joanne Greenbaum, Itunes
Images: Cover: Jamie Nelson, Mark
Borthwick, Christopher Katke,
Style.com, James Mountford, Noah
Grey, Bela Borsodi's website, Reno
Ranger, Guest of a Guest, Michael
David Adams, Toshio Onda, Richard
Bakker, Bela Borsodi, Gigi Stoll
Photography: Mark Borthwick
glue. magazine
in this issue.
Editor's Letter
The Holiday
Gigi Stoll
Nick Owens
World's Best
Noah Grey
Electric Feel
Bokeh
James Mountford
Bela Borsodi
Lightly Taken
A Double feature, And Action!
Henneli Mustaparta
Fabio Novembre
Etro
Joanne Greenbaum
Black & White Magic
The Outsiders
Runway
The Generationals
I Heart Hiroshima
Ben Folds
Where's Jerome
Photography:
Mark Borthwick
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THE HOLIDAY Emerging in late 2006, The Holidays quickly established themselves and developed a
growing buzz in the Sydney music scene. The Holidays are described as "a band that has
perfectly distilled the sound of the best part of the decade into perfect pop song sized
pieces. The Holidays grab a wide mix of influences, all along the (long-listed) indie/alt/
garage/pop/trad rock line, and put it together in a way that is unique yet familiar". Within
their first year as a band together, The Holidays played at the first Playground Weekender
Festival, toured with Jamie T, toured with The View, toured with Ben Kweller and recorded
an EP of demos which quickly sold out at gigs and received regular airplay on radio stations
both in Australia and in the USA. In November 2007, The Holidays were featured on the
Next Crop segment of national youth radio station Triple J. A classic guitar rock band with
pop melodies that recall bands such as Teenage Fanclub and Television, The Holidays
announced their signing with independent Australian record label Liberation Music in early
2008. The Holidays released their debut EP on 19 April 2008 to positive reviews, which was
followed by a substantial national tour to promote the release. They released their second
EP "When The Ship Goes Down" in October 2008, which showed the bands natural
progression with song-writing. Recorded with Wayne Connolly of The Vines and Josh Pyke
fame, "When The Ship Goes Down" is essentially a concept EP "about the decline of
relationships and the thrill when one catches you by surprise." The release of this EP was
followed by a 20 date national tour, co-headlining with Brisbane band Yves Klein Blue. They
are currently writing their debut album due to be released towards the end of 2009.
Photography: Warwick Baker
MUSIC.
GIGI STOLL Gigi Stoll fell into photography the same way she got into modeling: by following the advice
of others. Growing up in southern Texas, someone suggested she model, so she did and
quickly found herself with an agent. Next thing she knew she was selling her things and
moving to Dallas, and within three months was scouted by City Models and flown to Paris.
A modeling career was launched from there, as she immediately booked her first job for
Vogue Hommes International, had a photo shoot on the Nile, and worked her way through
Europe. “It changed my life. I was working with really amazing photographers; all these
people from London, Spain, and Paris, of course.”
In between photo shoots, a friend gave her a Polaroid camera as a present. From there, a
lifetime of images was born. “I was in Florence taking pictures and it introduced me to the
culture…but it also introduced me to my passion, which is [being a] photographer.” Self-
taught, she garnered her knowledge from her experiences in front of the camera and lots of
practice. “When I shoot, nothing else exists. It’s such a passion that when I’m doing it I think
of nothing else. That’s one of the few times that happens to me.”
Transitioning from model to photographer was seamless for Gigi. From her travels and
modeling experience, she knew exactly what she wanted for her images and what her
aesthetic would be. “I was fortunate enough to live in all these different places and actually
got to live there instead of visiting, so really got to experience it and shoot what I saw.”
Without realizing it, Gigi had begun to work as a photographer. “I had very few pictures at
the time, but my agents loved them. I was already starting to amass an archive without even
knowing it!"
FASHION.
Rick Owens is the mysterious and the
mainstream brought together in one fashion
designer. Visitors to his store in Palais Royal in
Paris may be mystified by the Madame
Tussauds wax sculpture of Owens, which he
installed himself; but that won’t stop them
buying the sort of uniquely cut t-shirt or vest
that eventually becomes a wardrobe staple
because of the trademark silhouette that
Owens has been developing ever since he
was making clothes in his native Los Angeles.
Owens moved to Paris from LA five years ago
and has been showing his collections in Paris
since then. His European presence is about to
be strengthened as he opens his first store in
London following another recent store
opening in New York. Dazed Digital reports:
Opening two stores in one summer is quite
ambitious - why New York and London and
why both at the same time?
It just worked out that way. Believe me, there
was no master plan but once we saw how well
the Paris store was working, we got into a
retail fever.
How many more stores do you envision for
Rick Owens and are we to expect worldwide
domination?
As time goes on, you start wanting to see
how it feels to paint with a different brush. I
can't imagine airport stores, but then again, I
never imagined going beyond Hollywood
Boulevard. I'm pretty satisfied where I am.
Do you want all of your stores to have
individual concepts?
The location and space really dictate the
décor. Paris is plush and insulated in the
Palais Royal. New York is bleak and open with
a fog machine installation and London will
have a waxwork representation of my head
on a plate for a more classical mood.
Would you ever consider moving back to LA?
I haven't learnt French so I do feel a pleasant
detachment but I'm in no hurry to go back to
LA.
There are so many other places I haven't lived
and haven't been to LA for five years now.
How do you reconcile being 'anti-fashion' in
your approach and simultaneously selling
millions of Rick Owens clothes every year?
Weird, huh? I know that I love fashion and
admire energetic creativity but if I were going
to buy clothes, I'd probably be loyal to
someone who has a solid consistent vision,
like Margiela or Hermes. Too many exciting
twists and turns in a designers output is
wonderful to see, but a bit frivolous for me to
commit to. I would never in a million years
compare myself to Mr. Margiela or Hermes,
but I'm very attracted to their example.
Maybe I'm attracting customers like myself.
Another disparity is that you sell basics like T-
shirts and vests but at the same time you sell
sculpturally fantastic clothes that are seen as
being quite difficult to wear.
I have a simple long silhouette that I started
out with and still sell those same pieces the
most since day one of my business. These are
my foundations. But each season allows me
to experiment with some new proportions to
refresh my foundation. I can't very well
propose the same thing no matter how
satisfied I am with it. So if I'm gonna propose
something new, it's gonna be a moment of a
little madness.
How do you feel being labeled as the leader of
'American avant-garde fashion'? Do you feel
you have any other compatriots who design
like you?
I'm sure there are, but it's easy for anything
unusual to be marginalized in American
fashion. In Paris, risk taking is practically
enforced.
How are preparations going for the new
collection?
As time goes on, I've learnt from past
mistakes to be ready earlier. I don't relish last
minute drama, I feel like I've found my
rhythm.
JOHN GALLIANO British fashion designer John Galliano, the
creative supreme at the House of Dior is
amongst one of the world’s best fashion
designers. Creating designs with a historical
influence, he has worked hard to gain the title of
Chief Designer at Givenchy and the House of
Christian Dior. John Galliano designs are
extremely popular amongst the swish set and
acclaimed the world over, for his unique touch
in bringing fantasy to reality in the fashion
world. In 1998, he went on to win the Designer
of the Year award and has been a part of the
fashion world for well over a decade.
FASHION.
Photography: Christopher Katke
FASHION.
COCO CHANEL No one re-defined women’s fashions as Coco
Chanel who was not just a designer, but an icon
in the fashion industry. Chanel played a huge
role in designing the modern woman:
independent, fashionable, self-sustaining, sexy,
intelligent, and unique. Coco Chanel’s fashion
design industry thrives under the watchful eyes
of style legend Karl Lagerfeld.
CHLOÉ She has given the world the best of her funky
and feminine designs, dressing the likes of Liv
Tyler, Madonna, and Cameron Diaz. She even
designed Madonna’s wedding dress
and earned the VH1 / Vogue Fashion and Music
Designer of the Year award in 2000.
VALENTINO Valentino Garavani, an Italian who knows how to
make a woman look like a goddess. His shows
speak for themselves, the one place one is sure
to find a Valentino dress on the red carpet.
Having proven his talent as the Kind of
Elegance, he has dressed many of the worlds’
most famous leading ladies, such as, Julia
Roberts and Elizabeth Taylor.
MARC JACOBS March Jacobs, an incredibly talented designer
makes everyone who wears his designs feel they
are the cutting edge of fashion. His 1960’s
housewife inspired dresses in this year’s
collection were not only cute, but incredibly
feminine, as well.
DONATELLA VERSACE Donatella Versace, a little flamboyant has taken
over her late brother Gianni Versace’s already
flawless design house, and following in his
footsteps, has become known for her sexy, yet
elegant designs.
TOM FORD The extremely talented Tom Ford is not only the
Creative Director for Gucci; he is also Creative
Director for Yves Saint Laurent, winning the Best
International Designer Award in 2000.
RALPH LAUREN Ralph Lauren, possibly be the king of ready-to
wear is known for dressing the most beautiful in
the prep world. His lines include Polo Ralph
Lauren, Polo Sport, and the Ralph Lauren
collections.
DOLCE & GABBANA Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana, household
names are well-known for making Stars look like
Stars, while every woman who wears D&G feels
confident and sexy.
FASHION.
ART.
Ladies and Gentleman., I am please to
welcome Mr. Noah Grey a self described as
"31, Dublin, photographer, writer, musician,
programmer, gay, survivor, oddball, and
mostly harmless," Photographica reports:
Noah, Do You Have A Favorite Walk Around
Lens...If So What Is It?
If I had to pick, I suppose I'd least want to go
without my telephoto zoom lens (currently
the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS
USM). I love to get as close as I can to
subjects and visually isolate them in a
particular way, and that lens is probably the
best for it overall.
Which one item of equipment would you say is
the most important to you?
Eh... it's wonderful to have great equipment,
and god knows I love the Canon 5D I use now
- but quite honestly, I could learn (and have
learned) to be happy with much less. The
greatest camera in the world won't make
great photos without a photographer behind
it who knows how to do so... my most
important gear will always be the double-lens
camera built into my head.
Would you give a brief walk through your work
flow?
Every photo is different, of course, and I rarely
do exactly the same thing twice, but my
general process nowadays (since Dublin) is to
import my RAW files into Photoshop using
their Camera Raw module, usually making
several 16-bit conversions from the RAW file,
optimizing for different points - i.e. for a
portrait, I might tweak it one way to get the
eyes looking the way I want, do another for
the hair, another for the background etc, then
carefully clone-blend them together, doing
more dodging and burning along the way...
often starting from a plain black "canvas" to
which I "paint" in the details as I want them,
it's my way of keeping myself focused on
what's essential in the photo. I never add
anything to what's there, but I often take a
great deal away.
In general, during a session, how many pics
would you say you take to find "the right one"?
It greatly depends on how much or little I'm
feeling connected with the subject at the
time, but on a very rough average, I'll only
end up working on one out of every 10-20
raw shots I take - and out of the ones I work
on, only a fraction of *those* will ever end up
being seen by anyone other than myself.
Are you a self taught photographer or did you
have a mentor that showed you the ropes?
I'm completely self taught in pretty much
everything I do, for better or worse.. I'm not
that keen on influences in general (I'd much
rather be a good Noah Grey than a bad Ansel
Adams). Photographically, what inspires me
most is the more hidden, non-obvious
beauty... the kind of things that I have to work
a bit harder to see the beauty in, the things
that take me more by surprise are always the
things that most remind me what I'm doing
this for.
How do you decide on locations and subjects?
I usually don't, as such - when I'm not asked/
hired to be somewhere and shoot something
in particular, I go wherever the mood takes
me, depending on my finances and my
ability/willingness to get somewhere at any
particular time. My own fear/insecurity is still
the greatest limiting factor in where I go and
what I do, but over the years it's been getting
much better.
Why are a lot of your photos "off center"?
Good question! I'm far more of a instinctive
photographer than an intellectual one - I
rarely stop and think much about how I want
to get something, I just capture it and work
on it in the way that feels right to me. The fact
that so many photos of mine have an off-
center composition isn't something I plan
deliberately, it just comes out of what I do by
pure feeling...
As an artist do you find yourself drifting away
from one form of media to another, devoting
your creative forces souly to the media?
I'm very much a drifter... whatever "muse" I
have, she's a very fickle and finicky creature. I
think she's even more of an ADHD manic-
depressive than I am.
I like the way you seem to focus on the eye's of
your subject in many of your portrait shots. Do
you make an effort to do this or is it just a
natural behavior talent that happens?
It's just instinct, I guess. Whenever we look at
someone's face, of course their eyes are the
first thing we always look at, they're the
element that draws us in and defines the
character of someone's face arguably more
than all the other elements combined... and
I'm nothing if not a creature of instinct, so I'm
always compulsively drawn to the eyes.
Do you ever find yourself in a "photo funk",
and, if so, how do you get out of it?
I don't really try to... I've probably "quit"
photography (if only to myself) more times
than Cher, Barbra and Celine combined have
given "farewell performances". When I get
burned out for a bit, I just put my camera
aside and focus my energies elsewhere -
whether on some other creative outlet, or just
letting go and enjoying life. The photo urge is
too much a part of me to ever be gone very
strongly, or for very long.
You have many creative outlets... which do you
get the greatest satisfaction from?
They satisfy me in different ways... I think
music, for instance, is what I enjoy most as I'm
*doing* it but least *after* the fact, and
writing tends to be the exact opposite -
writing is the hardest thing to do, but the
satisfaction of *having* written something is
incomparably rewarding. Photography
probably gives me the most consistent
satisfaction from start to finish.
You have mastered so many creative outlets--
Is there another area of talent you wish to
explore that you haven't yet?
Oh, god forbid I ever feel like I mastered
anything! If I ever felt that there was nothing
left for me to do in the things I love doing, I
would be sadder than if I'd lost a limb...
fortunately, I know that's *never* going to
happen. I still feel like I'm just getting started
with photography, let alone everything else!
But I'm always restless to try new things. I've
got a number of web projects I'm working on,
a novel I'm aching to get back to writing...
and I've always wanted in the worst way to do
a film.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear
God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
"There you are! We've been holding this
100,000-megapixel camera for you; there's a
cloud full of large, handsome men over there
in various stages of undress waiting for you
that you might want to test it out on. (Oh,
and all those fundamentalist nut jobs down
on that silly little planet of yours? Don't worry,
they really *were* full of it all along. And
besides, darling, do I look like I'm that
unfabulous?) Now hurry up and go on over
there, they won't bite. Much."
Is Noah Grey your real name?
I endured way too many Noah's Ark jokes
growing up to have *chosen* that…
Which came first and what is your earliest
childhood memory of it? Sketching? Music?
Writing? Photography
Photography, I think - I can remember playing
with my mom's Instamatic when I was barely
big enough to *hold* the thing.
What profession other than your own would
you like to attempt?
Running my own bookstore and/or
restaurant; starting a band; becoming a film
director.
What profession would you not like to do?
Running for public office; doing
telemarketing; becoming an altar boy.
What is the ONE lasting impression you want
to leave in your photos?
That *everything* is beautiful. Even the
darkness, even everything strange and painful
and distant and fucked-up and wrong in the
world... sometimes especially those things,
sometimes those things most of all. The
longer I go on and the more photos I take,
the less I see any ultimate distinction between
a sparkling sunset or a sleeping homeless
man, a child's smile or a dying decaying
animal, a flower in bloom or bitter words
spray painted onto a crumbling wall... to me
it's all achingly, absolutely beautiful.
Photography: Christopher Katke
FASHION.
Electric feel.
FASHION.
FASHION.
FASHION.
ART.
So what exactly is Bokeh?
Every one of you might have heard of ‘bokeh’,
a real technical term often used by
professionals. Searching through the track
records, it was found that it was a misspelled
Japanese word, boke that meant fuzzy and
blurry areas.
For a common person like you and me, we
really need to understand the concept of
‘Bokeh’ in a step by step procedure.
Let us begin with the concept of Depth of
Field (DOF). There are two primary
measurements for DOF. First there is the
distance of the area in focus from the lens
(DTF) and second the depth of the focused
area (DOF).
Suppose you want to capture a scene. The
view you see from your lens is divided into
three regions.
• The starting area which is immediately next
to the lens and is the out of focus area in front.
• The area which is in focus.
• The area in the end which is again out of
focus.
Now the two out of focus or blurry areas
which we have seen form the ‘Bokeh’. Why do
you think this area is of any importance?
The two areas are together called the Circle of
Confusion. The quality of lens has a major role
in deciding the type of bokeh. An ideal bokeh
is a polygon formation with no sharp edges
and periphery, but a completely diffused hazy
looking circle.
These days all lenses are able to maintain a
perfect clarity and color contrast of the image
in focus but only some are able to control the
bokeh to give the image a more soothing
touch. Some high-quality lenses allow us to
take control of bokeh. Its quality can improve
or deteriorate the quality of the captured
image. Hence it is always advisable to check
the aperture and the bokeh when you go for
purchasing a new camera.
There is a lot of information that you can
search online and take a closer look at the
images to understand the type of bokeh that
would suit you. Social Photo Sharing Platforms
such as Flickr could help you in this process.
There are certain advanced retouching
software applications that can control the
bokeh of the blur initially created.
Most of the point and shoot cameras have
large DOF and thus bokeh doesn’t come into
picture. An interesting fact to note here is that
you could give shapes to your bokeh. Modern
photographers use this idea to create some
amazing and interesting images.
What are the different types of Bokeh?
What you might not realize is that there are
several different types of bokeh used in
photography. Whatever type you're talking
about, though, the technique refers to using
depth of field to create an intentionally blurry
section of a photograph. You should note that
this is entirely different than motion blue
(which is another subject entirely.) Bokeh deals
with objects that are intentionally blurred.
Nisen Bokeh: Of all the different types of
bokeh that photographers use, this one is
most hated by people who like to look at
photographs (and even those who don't.) They
might not know the technical term for this
technique, but they don't like it. This style is
known because it goes beyond just blurring
the image and can have an effect on the
photo, causing it to be distorted. This can
really detract from the overall picture
sometimes, which is why so many people
don't like it. Also, it's used a lot by amateur
photographers who can't pull off the more
advanced bokeh techniques.
Specular Highlight: This refers to a dominant
bright spot in the picture that appears in the
blurred area. As you can imagine, this can have
a big effect on the photo - either in a good
way or a bad way. The trick is to use the
specular highlight to somehow enhance the
rest of the photograph, even if it's blurred. It
takes a little
practice, but sometimes you can find the
perfect scene that will let this photographic
technique really shine. Once you've used it a
couple times, your eye will begin to know
when you'll be able to pull it off and when you
shouldn't even attempt it.
Vertical/Lateral Bokeh: In this type of bokeh
photography, it's all about the vertical lines.
They're blurred, of course, but having them
blur in a single direction can really do a lot to
enhance a photography, especially if it's
already a powerful image. In fact, more people
like this style of bokeh (especially when
compared to the much hated nisen bokeh.) It
is a little more difficult to produce this effect
(depending on the lens you're using), but it's
well worth it if you can pull it off. With a little
practice, it's easy to accomplish and can really
add something to your photos
What are the Standard Bokeh and Leica Lenses?
Depending on what lense (both the
manufacturer and the type of lense) you use,
your bokeh photography is going to be a little
different. This is because different lens
manufacturers use different methods to
achieve the blur effect when they're taking
photos. Some use ellipsis or hexagons to
diffuse the light in a blurry area, causing a
dramatic difference. Most photographers want
a smooth and soft blurred effect. Some lenses
can leave your blurred areas looking really
rough, which can ruin the whole photograph.
Leica is one of the best manufacturers of
lenses that set the standard for bokeh. This is
because of how Leica lenses deal with blurring
and depth of field. Over the years as this
technique has grown more and more popular,
people have been paying attention to what
lenses offer the best bokeh abilities for the
money. Over time, Leica really stood out as a
company who made camera lenses that were
particularly well suited to taking bokeh
photography. Because of this, they're used by
many as the 'standard' for quality of blur in
photographs (when it comes to the lens
anyway.)
Smooth, Silky ... Leica
What makes Leica lenses the standard when it
comes to bokeh? It's the silky, smooth quality
of their blurring effects. Not all lenses pull this
off so well, no matter what the aperture or f-
stop. The German lenses from Leica have
really set the standard because of the quality
they're able to achieve. Some would say other
lenses offer more artistic representations of
bokeh, but if you're going to set a standard,
you want to set it by something that excels
technically and not just artistically, which can
sometimes be subjective (and not helpful for a
fair comparison between lenses or anything
else.)
Best Bokeh Lens Tips
A lot of photographers have found success
with lenses that are 80-200mm f/2.8. There
are a lot of brands out there that can do okay
bokeh (Nikon and Canon just to name a
couple), but if you're serious about getting the
best blur for your money so your bokeh really
excels artistically and technically, going with a
Leica lens is going to save you a lot of time in
the long run. Because they handle depth of
field blurring so well, they've created the
standard for bokeh photography lenses.
If you're just getting into bokeh photography
or have been "messing around" with it for a
while, if you want to get the best effects, you
should start with the standard for lenses that
are good with bokeh style photography. The
style isn't for everyone, but if you have a lens
that's known as the standard, you have a good
chance of capturing the perfect bokeh
photograph. The rest is up to you (the
photographer), of course, but starting with a
good lens can go a long way in improving
your photograph.
In the End? Bokeh may not be for everyone,
but if you're a photographer looking for
something new, give this a shot. As you can
see, even with something as simple as using
blurring artistically, you have a lot of leeway as
a photographer. With a little practice, this can
be a great technique to use in a lot of different
situations. From nature macro shots to
wedding photos, a little blur can go a long
way!
FASHION.
JAMES MOUNTFORD
James, how did u become a
photographer?
Photography and fashion had
always been fascinating to me,
when i was young i had a
scrapbook of photos and pages
from magazines. When i was
sixteen i got my first camera and
realized that taking pictures was all
i wanted to do... The rest was just
patients, time and hard work.
Do you prefer the artistic or the
commercial aspect of fashion
photography, and how do you try to
achieve their unity?
Artistic, it's very hard to achieve a
unity between the two but with so
many interesting art based
magazines out there now maybe
you don't need to. Or maybe the
artistic side has become more
commercially viable?
Favourite photographers?
Favourite photographers are many!
The list would start with Peter
Lindbergh, Robert Frank, Richard
Avedon, Helmut Newton, Cartier-
Bresson, Jurgen Teller and so on....
Can u name the work you did so
far?
i-D, Tank, Sleek, Art Review, Rodeo,
Stimuli, Wound, Korean Harpers,
Korean Homme+ and many more!
Report: Pony Ryder
Photography: James Mountford
Bela Borsodi is a name one will certainly
remember. This award-winning master of startling provocative
imagery combines the strangest of still-life elements with fashion,
styling and set design. Mixing playful insinuation with the sensibility
of an artist's touch, Bela draws viewers into a surreal playground
where products are animated into lives of their own, and naughty
they are, indeed. More so than that, Bela's unconventional products
weave a psychological thread all their own.
- Verena & Taxi reports.
ART.
I’m going to use the words “kinky smart” to
describe your works. Tell me briefly how you
would describe your style.
Kinky smart? I would not know of how to
describe my “style” because I don’t really
look for a “style” or commit to a particular
look – I try to find a different approach or
something that is new to me with each
project that I want to explore – my work is a
lot about exploring possibilities of an
alternate perception of things and to have
fun. Obviously that so often falls into a
particular visual direction that could be
described as a “style” that reflects my
interests – I love making things and putting
things in an unusual context incorporating
various visual languages coming from art
and graphic design – eroticism is also a
fascination of me that I love exploring - I
never repeat the concepts of my projects
unless it is for advertising.
How do you create the perfect combinations
for your product photography, such as a wine
glass-spiked skull resting on a chalice, and a
curved candle in leather and chains?
In this project I wanted to portray human
feelings and conditions illustrated merely by
the combination and arrangement of
different objects – feelings like passion love
anger fear etc – I wanted to use only objects
that were already in my private possession
and I did not want to go shopping for this
project - it took me quite a while to find the
right things in my closet and the colors and
the juxtaposition until I was happy with the
images. Because of the use of my own
private possessions and trying to illustrate
such very personal emotions the entire
series naturally turned out to be very
personal to me.
If you could put yourself in one of your own
shoots as a product, what would the set be?
Actually I am already present in all of my
photo shoots – in every one of my projects I
am so very involved physically and I always
see also the perspective of the products in it
- as if I am one of them – for the creatures
posing in my photos I shape the world
around them to give them space and
something interesting to do.
If I really was to be one of the products in
my images I most likely would be one that
smokes a lot and flirts with the most
gorgeous other product on set – perhaps
we would even make out and drive the
others very jealous.
What drives you to create these images? Tell
me in a psychological sense, not just
aesthetically speaking.
To try new things out and to find more
possibilities about what objects can do and
engage with – to think about anything as if
you would see it for the first time in your life
and don’t know yet about their purpose and
ART.
function – to explore them freely and to
get to know them – sometimes you find
out that their inherent function is indeed
the very obvious one but often you can
detect also other hidden qualities within
them.
All this leads to playing with things and to
engage them to role-play and my photos
document these adventures.
For you, one kind of beauty seems to lie in
still life - why?
In still life photography, every thing can be
investigated in so many more and different
ways. There are endless possibilities and
each one of them has the potential to
eventually change our perspective.
So this is about playing with how many
variations are possible with one object:
Where does it end, or when do you feel
finished with it?
It’s about playing with lots of objects all
the time and trying things out, as long as
it’s fun and worthwhile. I’m finished with a
project when I’m happy with it and that’s
when it all falls together and makes sense.
The only purpose to reach an end is to
finish a project - but it is really not that
important to find all the answers. What is
really interesting are the questions
because they make you try things out,
make you think and investigate. The
process is what’s interesting and that can
lead you to situations and possibilities that
you couldn’t have anticipated. The results
are then also a documentation of that
process.
Give an example, please.
If you look at an object, such as a Zippo
lighter, that has a chrome surface and is
reflecting like a mirror: Although you might
know this object really well, you actually
never really see it itself. You mostly see the
reflection of the environment around it
including yourself watching it. That could
be very interesting for me to explore. Still,
you understand and perceive it like any
other firm object whose shape you can see
very clearly. That’s only because you
understand how it works. What interests
me is that I want to forget for a moment
that I actually understand an object and try
to explore it in a way as if I have never seen
it before. Doing this I often find alternate
qualities in objects.
You must be a good observer, as this and all
your other series tell accurate stories of the
experiences we have in everyday life.
So, do you like to watch people interacting
in life?
Thank you for this compliment and I do
observe very much what is around me. That
is the greatest inspiration, one that I will
never get tired of and that always intrigues
me.
Photography: Jamie Nelson
lightly taken.
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a double feature
And, Action!
Photography: Reno Ranger
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KEEPINGKEEPINGKEEPINGKEEPING COOL.COOL.COOL.COOL.
HENNELI MUSTAPARTA Model and photographer Hanneli Mustaparta
gives us the hot tips of how to live life as a jet
setter, splitting her time between Norway and
New York.
Her style is pretty killer, sophisticated with a
personal touch that screams authenticity. She
also photographs street style from wherever
she is and writes for Norwegian magazines.
Hanneli is a gorgeous woman , living the life
of a successful model/photographer, and still
managing to stay down to earth.
Photography: guestofaguest.com
FASHION.
How long have you been in New York
and what part of town do you live in ?
I moved to New York in 2004
and lived here for a year. Then I went
back to Norway for a week just to see
my family before going to Milan for
work. While home I met the guy that a
month later would be my boyfriend ,
and the love of my life. Now we have
been together for 3.5 years, so I moved
back home and took a break from
modeling and started studying. Now
we commute between Norway and
New York for months at a time. I feel
like we get the best out of both places.
We rent for now, and I love getting to
know the different neighborhoods in
the city. My favorites so far would be
the west village and the lower east.
Least favorite would be Midtown. What do you do for employment? I used to model with Supreme models and later Ford models, but to be able to start a career with something else I found I had to quit completely, so I could use my time to start to pursue something for my future. Modeling in New York takes up so much time, castings take forever and it’s hard to plan anything else as work comes suddenly or in periods. In Norway I get direct bookings which makes it easier to concentrate on other things. Now I want to assist fashion photographers. I have assisted one already and I love it! It feels great learning something I have always loved and to actually get my fingers dirty. I’m used to being the first to leave a studio after work, now I’m the last, as assistants have to do back ups and collect the photographer’s equipment. What are your some of your favourite
spots around town….restaurants, shops, clubs bars? I love the food at Mr. Chow, I even think about their chicken sticks with peanut buttery gravy while in Norway and sometimes it hurts not being able to get it when I want it. I love the Shepards pie at Balthazar and the Papardelle they serve at Bar Pitti. I shop at Popette, the vintage store on the east side where my last purchase was a pair of vintage Jean Paul Gaultier high-high waisted suit pants.I love Number (N)ine in Tribeca, it’s a Japanese designer with a very cool store, I drink and dance at Rose bar and 1Oak. What are your style inspirations? I pick up stuff from old ladies, as you know, older people are so creative and inspirational. Since I started blogging, I had to start to check out other blogs, it’s a big blogger world out there so I probably pick up inspiration there. And I love just entering a thrift store and for instance find a typical trashy item from the 80’s and style it with something unsuspected from a different era and make it something new and unseen. I adore Chloé Sevigny, her style is very unpredictable. She is quirky-beautiful and I love that she never fell into the temptation of getting sickly skinny even if she is in the spotlight. She's radiant and healthy, and I’m waiting for the new season of Big Love. Do you Model in the US as well as Norway? I did it in the US until April 08. My last job before i decided to quit was an international TV commercial for John Frieda, brilliant brunette shampoo and conditioner. I would still do modeling if it weren't for all the castings. - guestofaguest.com
DESIGNER CHAIR CASAMANIA HER BY FABIO NOVEMBRE Crafted from rotationally molded polyethylene, their shapes were created using a 3
dimensional scan of 2 plaster sculptures. The plain coloured matt version is suitable
for outside use.
From the Book of Genesis :
God created man in his own image, “I will bring up flesh upon you and cover you with
skin.” The God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion
for him who corresponds to him.”
Then the God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he
brought
her to the man. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply!”
The man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed”
Him & Her are born directly from the ideas behind the Panton Chair.
An evolution of the hermaphroditic original, declined into the harmony of the two
sexes. They assume sculpted forms like naked models of seduction…but they feel no
shame.”
-Fabio Novembre
Photography: Michael David Adams (Opposite)
ART.
herherherher herherherher herherherher
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Veronica Etro picked up on some
of the trends of the season, but
managed to weave in a sense of
her family's heritage in print and
exotic fabric.
She started with a floppy duster
coat over a pair of pale pink
patchwork pants in unpressed
silk, and from there found ways
to work in the house paisleys on
satin, chiffons, and voiles, which
she used on everything from
pajamas to jumpsuits to long,
multitiered halterneck dresses.
Her palette of mushroom, dusty
pinks, and violet provided a
baseline to tie it all together.
There were some things that
were spot-on trend, like a
striped black and gold Lurex
sweater or a little pair of army
shorts.
But then again, why would a
woman go to Etro, over anyone
else, for that sort of thing? What
really will sell is far more likely
to be the romantic, early-
seventies-influenced printed
gypsy blouses, multitier
halternecks, and long dresses,
items in which to breeze around
on a beach. All in paisley, of
course.
- Style
ETRO
ETRO
You have to close down your studio. Your current work is not longer available to you. How do
you think your creativity would express itself?
While it would be very uncomfortable for me to close down my studio, I would still find ways
to work. I have worked in hotel rooms, trains, planes etc. using notebooks and stuff bought
at stationary stores abroad. I get very anxious when I am away from my studio, but can find
ways to work when I am away from a studio based routine. Currently, I am working outside of
my usual studio, and have found that being away from the comforts and privacy of my
painting studio, while at first had me at a loss, accepting that this is the situation I am in, have
found new ways of working, without all of the distractions of home. I am the kind of artist
that needs to be working all of the time, and have found that there are lots of ways to get
work done, not all based on one's own studio situation. The one thing that is hard is to be
separated from the work that comes to define you, so you have to find other ways to do this,
with other materials. And not be afraid to do something that is not what you usually do, not
look like the thing that is indentified as you.
In a world saturated by images and with the speed of communications now, is two dimensional
painting relevant?
Yes, more so than ever. I am more convinced that 2-dimensional painting is relevant mostly
because of, and an antidote to the barrage of images, sounds, noise, that we are bombarded
with every moment of every day. To me, there is nothing more challenging than working with
the simple concept of making a two dimensional image have meaning to me and to the
outside world. The basic concept of a painting is to be a conduit for the artists one-to-one
JOANEE GREENBAUM ART.
relationship with the world (whatever that may be). When I am confronted with myself in front of a
two-dimensional work in progress, it feels like I am participating in the world, not shutting it out. If
this is what my contribution is to the barrage of communications and media saturation, it is my
reaction to that is what makes the painting, good reaction or bad as well. I am glad that I make what
I make and put it out into the world of media saturation. Also, I work fast, and make decisions fast, so
the speed doesn’t bother me. I suggest everybody read Johanna Druckers new book, Sweet Dreams,
Contemporary Art and Complicity, there is a whole chapter on this. I have to add, however, that this
summer I am making sculptures, and its totally changed my painting, so perhaps it’s a good thing to
step away from the 2-dimensional for a while and refresh, and then its all new again.
You have been selected to go on all expense paid drinking binge for three days with historical figures,
an artist, a writer and one free choice. Who are your drinking buddies?
I always have a hard time with these kind of questions, also when someone asks me who my
favourite artists are, I go blank. Some of my favorite artists and writers are not necessarily people I
would want to spend time with, let alone drink with. So it may be a cop out, but I just cant think of
anyone I would want to go on a drinking binge with, mostly I cannot stand anymore than one glass
of anything, sounds like an awful time, not a good question for me.
Do any of these people influence your work and why?
I am influenced by a lot and nothing. The people who I would NOT go drinking with and who
influence my art nonetheless are Fontana, matisse, basquiet, eva zeisel, and a new great artist I just
discovered, Sanyu.
Do you believe artistic creativity is innate, generally and personally?
I think that it is somewhat innate, but circumstances in one's life facilitates if one is to become an
artist or not. I think that in my own case, it was a place to go to. But who is to say that is what made
me an artist, I just always knew I was one, at five years old. So in my case, it was just there. I think
some people can become artists, like a career decision, but its not the same thing as one who always
knew and who cannot do anything else. Sometimes people come to it late, Late bloomers are
sometimes the best artists. I think the personality of an artist is innate, it’s the circumstances and
drive that allow it to happen.
Black
&
Photography: Christopher Katke
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White
Magic
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Photography: Toshio Onda
The Outsiders.
Photography: Richard Bakker
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SPRING/SUMMER '09
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The Generationals are a cool band. Yeah, that’s a simple statement, but it’s
accurate. They’re just cool. This duo from New Orleans sometimes sounds like
a power-pop cousin of MGMT who listened to Belle and Sebastian, but had
dreams of joining Beulah. Their sound is currently what the indie kids rave
about, but with just enough differences to keep them set apart from the rest
of the pack. The first song on their debut record, Con Law, sets up the
blueprint for how the rest will sound: Upbeat. First, we get the fun, spy-movie-
like brass section. A few more songs into the record with “When They Fight,
They Fight”, we get the 60’s. With “Bobby Beale”, we get a sweet bass line with
more of those sing-a-long vocals. This is definitely a sing-a-long record. How
could you resist that “I love you, baby” in “When They Fight”? If that line isn’t
shouted at their shows now, it will be in a few years!
It sometimes sounds like this band doesn’t know what genre they want to be,
or rather, which influence they want to show off more, but it works. Showing
some different sides is what makes them memorable. Con Law by
Generationals is just what you need if you’re looking for something familiar,
but still fresh at the same time.
PULIC COMMENTS: The sounds of the Generationals transport me back to the
days of doo-whop tunes, easy lives and happiness in the streets.
Recommended to the old and the young a like.
THE GENERATIONALS MUSIC.
MUSIC.
I HEART HIROSHIMA
It should be pretty obvious by now that I Heart Hiroshima don't bother to
screw around. Their simple stage setup consists of two guitars, two amps,
three drums, two cymbals and no effects pedals. A Three Letter Word For
Candy, their first EP was just 14 minutes long. Cut in Colour, the group's
newest EP is four tracks and clocks in at just under 9 minutes. Fortunately, that
9 minutes is nothing less than 9 minutes of wonderfully catchy indie-pop.
Hawes and Somers use their two guitar approach to great advantage,
generally using one guitar as rhythm and the other guitar for catchy lead riffs
and melodies. Patten's drumming, though stripped down, is wonderfully tight
and keeps the band together.
Though they are solid musicians, what really makes I Heart Hiroshima's style so
great are their quirky vocals and lyrics. Somers yelps in a way that is
reminiscent of Frank Black's work on the Pixies' masterpiece Surfer Rosa.
Patten, on the other hand, contributes vocals that are half sweet, half painful.
EP highlight "Candy Cut" begins with a strange but catchy guitar riff and
showcases dueling vocals between Somers and Patten while "Code Blue" has
Somers and Patten singing "I've got code blue" back and forth to each other.
Possibly the only disappointment of Cut in Colour is Hawes' vocals seem to be
generally absent. A shame, considering how great they are in a live setting.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: Catchy, simple and infections.
BEN FOLDS
Ben Folds is best known as a solo artist and as the front-man/pianist of Ben
Folds Five. He is celebrated for a sound that bridges the worlds of jazz and
power rock. Ben Folds Five broke onto the scene as a refreshing break from
the 90’s angst rock norm. After the band spilt, Ben’s first major solo album was
2001’s Rockin’ the Suburbs. A year later, he released the live album, Ben Folds
Live. His 2005 LP, Songs for Silverman, was released to critical acclaim. He
followed with a series of EPs, and most recently his second full-length studio
album, Way to Normal. Stems and Seeds takes the tracks from Way to Normal
and offers alternate, re-mastered and re-sequenced versions of the songs, as
well as the “fake versions” that were leaked by Ben online before the release of
the album. It will also feature a live performance of “You Don’t Know Me” by
Ben and Regina Spektor on Conan O’Brien and the Japanese version of
“Hiroshima.” As part of the “stems” disc, fans will also be able to access the
master “stems” from Way To Normal, in order to mix and master the songs
themselves at home. The idea of Stems and Seeds came from Folds mixing
and mashing up his own songs, and now he wants the listener to do the same.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: It's amazing that Ben Folds can sing at all, with his
tongue planted so firmly in his cheek! Typically sumptuous piano rifts, ethereal
strings and taking time to tell a story. From teary sentiment, through cynicism
and anger all with a sense of humour. What is not to love?
MUSIC.
WHERE'S JEROME
“I just can’t smile if I don’t know, Where’s Jerome” right from the get go they
introduce their band name into their lyrics. Is the lead singer Jeremy supposed
to be Jerome? But he can’t be singing about himself can he? Or is he?The first
two tracks of their debut self-titled album are pretty chaotic, Sneakers holding
all the commotion in their drums and power beats with My Hiroshima
producing it in their guitar riff with vocals like Regurgitator (or a more recent
reference: Ben Ely’s Radio's I’m Psyched) the rushed delivery of the lyrics
making it intense by the subject matter: “Not so bright future if you’re gonna
make me leave from my Hiroshima” Then introducing their Shins vocal
influenced Into The Ocean that has entered the lives of iTunes users that like
to grab the weekly free track. Great choice to release to the public and is my
favourite off the record. But my runner up choice would be Pineapple People.
A pretty intro and different from the rest with almost operatic “ooohs”
combined with some synth sounding strings and interesting switches going
from ballad for the verse and more intense upbeat for the chorus. For
somebody that likes calm and simplicity I would suggest In Disguise and tell
them to enjoy the acoustic guitar, however, I would also tell them enjoy it why
it last as it is now track ten and I cannot believe I have reached the end of the
disc. If I have to fault Where’s Jerome it is simply that; this listener wants more
tracks.
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