Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Last days to see Ed Ruscha at the Hayward Gallery in London
You've got until 10th January to see the first major Ed Ruscha's UK retrospective. The show focus exclusively on the paintings of the American artist. Spanning Ed Ruscha’s entire career, the exhibition features 78 paintings, many on public display for the first time, and reveals the depth and breadth of Ruscha’s achievement as a painter whose interests in printed matter, graphic design, cinema, photography and the cultural landscape of the American West make his elegant and provocative work both playful and subversive.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Vivienne Westwood's wallpapers
Vivienne Westwood has created a wallpaper collection with Cole & Son. The bold prints are pulled from Vivienne's collections across the years, going as far back as her 1981/1982 Pirate collection that featured the Squiggle pattern.
Westwood commented on her exploration of interior design:"It is good when my ideas get carried over into other artistic media. This collection is a perfect opportunity to be able to work with a heritage company like Cole & Son and to see my ideas from fashion translated into the world of interiors and wallpaper."
More info on: http://www.viviennewestwood.com/
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tutto Fellini at the Museum Jeu de Paume in Paris
Anita Ekberg et Marcello Mastroianni, La Dolce Vita, 1960.
We had to create the word "Fellinian" to be able to describe the extravagant universe of the Italian movie Director made of childhood memories, dreams, women and circus. The Paris Museum Le Jeu de Paume tries to analyze this incredible personnality through a vibrant exhibition which will run until 17 January. Run it's beautiful and deep !
More info on: http://www.jeudepaume.org/
Irving Penn at the Getty Centre in L.A
"Commis-Larue," Paris, 1950 - Photograph © Irving Penn.
Irving Penn was one of the most respected photographers of the 20th century. In a career that began at the premiere fashion magazine Vogue in 1943 and spans more than six decades, he created innovative fashion, still life, and portrait studies. His photographs are defined by the elegant simplicity and meticulous rigor that became the trademarks of his style.
This exhibition running until 10th January 2010 presents masterful presentations of skilled tradespeople dressed in work clothes and carrying the tools of their occupations. The show reveals another side of Penn, who is commonly known for his portrait shots.
More info on: http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/penn/
Monday, December 21, 2009
Prada is the edgiest brand: the Epicenter project
Miuccia Prada is more than a trend-setter, she's a cultural forecaster and an honest and knowledgeable art lover. Hence the fact that Prada launched this series of amazing t-shirts earlier this year. I think they're fantastic !
The Jersey White Prada Obvious Classic t-shirts (understandably abbreviated to JWP for the project) come in different 'Prada' shades for the different stores: white for Tokyo, LA and Montenapoleone Donna; red for NYC; sky blue for Montenapoleone Uomo; light green for London and black or white for Galleria.
More info on: www.prada.com
Quote of the Week: Anna Wintour b*tching on Carine Roitfeld
"I think it's totally important for all of us in the American fashion industry to support the young designers, and I think that's why New York's become such a vibrant fashion center, because people go there not only to see the Donna Karans of the world but a whole new generation. I'm just so sorry that there isn't something like that in Paris that's similar. I think that they should look for the younger generation here [in Paris] as well. Not only New York but London really supports their young talent; Franca Sozzani at Italian Vogue supports the young Italian designers, and I think when France is so known for its fashion industry — for them not to be reaching out to help younger people today is really a shame. [Mlle Agnes fashion no one and former Weil model (nothing else worth saying): "And there's space in your pages for them."] There's space in everybody's pages."
Featured in the documentary entitled Habillees by Loic Prigent.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Madonna is amazingly beautiful in the new spring/summer 2010 Dolce + Gabbana campaign
In this week's Italian Vanity Fair, is the worldwide preview of D&G's new spring/summer 2010 campaign featuring Madonna. Shot by Steven Klein, one of Madge's favourite photographers, the pictures showcase an intimate and classic Italian style. Yes Madonna is trying hard to play the Italian "mama" and the result is amazing.
In the feature, Stefano Gabbana comments: "She loved the campaign, and is impressively knowledgeable about Italian cinema". Madonna took inspiration from one of her favourite Italian actresses Monica Vitti.
The intention of Dolce&Gabbana is to recapture a woman’s human side, showcasing through these images how a woman’s femininity and sensuality can be found through the simplicity of daily gestures along with a passion for life.
What I find very striking is that Madonna is beautiful. This campaign is stronger than the Louis Vuitton or Versace campaigns, in a different way obviously. It's true that she 's beautiful ! What do you think?
Friday, December 11, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Exclusive interview with Invader
A couple of months ago, my dream came true: I had the chance to meet Invader, the artist. He kindly agreed to answer my questions. He's currently part of a show by Lazarides gallery entitled Grifters. Thank you so much Invader for answering my questions.
How did it all started?
I suppose it all began the day I started the "space invaders" project, in other words the world invasion by creatures that are out of a video game and that became real. This is a central project for my artistic practice.
Can you tell us more about the show at Lazarides earlier this year please? What were you showing and why?
The show was centred on my new work "Rubiks' Cubism" (i.e made from Rubik's Cubes) and more particularly a new series called "Low Fidelity", which incorporates the visual world of great album covers. What is amazing with these pieces is that when we take a close look at them, we see most often a squared and abstract image made of Rubik's cubes, but when we stand back and watch it from the screen of a mobile phone then it suddenly appears extremely sharp.
I suppose it all began the day I started the "space invaders" project, in other words the world invasion by creatures that are out of a video game and that became real. This is a central project for my artistic practice.
Can you tell us more about the show at Lazarides earlier this year please? What were you showing and why?
The show was centred on my new work "Rubiks' Cubism" (i.e made from Rubik's Cubes) and more particularly a new series called "Low Fidelity", which incorporates the visual world of great album covers. What is amazing with these pieces is that when we take a close look at them, we see most often a squared and abstract image made of Rubik's cubes, but when we stand back and watch it from the screen of a mobile phone then it suddenly appears extremely sharp.
How many artworks are exhibited in the show?
About 20.
Why did you pick up these artists for the rubicks cubes album covers?
They were albums that have been in my life forever, except two who had been chosen by the galerist.
Do you like David Bowie?
I think everyone likes DB. This man is a living icon. He perfectly mastered his career and image. He is a great artist.
Who do you take your inspiration from?
No one.
About 20.
Why did you pick up these artists for the rubicks cubes album covers?
They were albums that have been in my life forever, except two who had been chosen by the galerist.
Do you like David Bowie?
I think everyone likes DB. This man is a living icon. He perfectly mastered his career and image. He is a great artist.
Who do you take your inspiration from?
No one.
Is it political reasons which led you to express yourself in the streets?
Partly yes because it is not an insignificant to illegally work in the street compared with a typical pathway. At the same time this underground political will, and the conceptual or aesthetic aspects of the project are equally important.
What are the cities you need to invade? What is your favourite city to place space invaders in and why?
I would like to invade a South American city because I've never done it there. Geostrategically, it is important that I establish sentinel.
Partly yes because it is not an insignificant to illegally work in the street compared with a typical pathway. At the same time this underground political will, and the conceptual or aesthetic aspects of the project are equally important.
What are the cities you need to invade? What is your favourite city to place space invaders in and why?
I would like to invade a South American city because I've never done it there. Geostrategically, it is important that I establish sentinel.
Can you tell us about an interesting anecdote that happened to you when you were placing space invaders? joker!
If you were not an artist, what would you be doing?
No idea! Maybe I would be working at the NASA so as to invade space!
Do you consider yourself as a street-artist?
Labels are necessary and people know me mainly for my space invaders project which is indeed comparable to street art. That said I think this is too simplistic because I do not just work on this project.
Labels are necessary and people know me mainly for my space invaders project which is indeed comparable to street art. That said I think this is too simplistic because I do not just work on this project.
To finish with what would you wish to this blog? Anything you want to add, tell us?
This: many thanks and see you later.
This: many thanks and see you later.
More info on: http://www.space-invaders.com/
Stuart Haygarth is amazing and he's having a show at Haunch of Venison in London
In his first exhibition at Haunch of Venison London, British artist and designer Stuart Haygarth examines his ongoing relationship with abandoned objects and his fascination with taxonomy through a series of new furniture works, lamps and chandeliers. Alongside artists such as the Campana Brothers (that I adore) Stuart challenges notions of new and old, precious and beautiful.
The show is amazing, I love it. Go and see it, it will be running until 31 January 2010.
More info on: www.haunchofvenison.com
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Oh Marilyn it must have been so cool to smoke with you...
The silent colour film was recently bought by collector Keya Morgan for $275,000 from the cameraman, who has asked to remain anonymous.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Clouzot's Inferno would have been amazing
I was recently commissioned to write a review of Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno (2009), a remarkable documentary by Serge Bromberg about the failure of a French film maker who simply tried too hard.
In a similar way to Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe's Lost In La Mancha (2000), narrating the incredible chain of disastrous events that prevented Terry Gillian from finishing his adventure film about Don Quixote, Clouzot's Inferno is about a film that never saw the light of day, or better put, the darkness of a cinema theatre, in spite of all the efforts and money spent into it.
Over the course of the documentary, we understand that however cautiously Clouzot had planned and prepared every frame and scene of his film with a fine-toothed comb, between the Boulogne-Billancourt Studios in the west of Paris and a remote lake setting in rural Cantal; however demanding he was with his actors and crew, requiring them to work around the clock and re-shoot the same scenes time and again until the result would for some obscure reason finally satisfy him, the project was programmed to fail and Clouzot to sink into madness and depression with it. And, unlike Lost In La Mancha, which humourously blamed the forces of nature for ruining Gillian's movie, we are made to believe it is Clouzot's violently obsessive character that was the main cause for Inferno's failure.
For those not familiar with the film maker, best known for his classic Quai des Orfevres (1947), the documentary gathers testimonies, some funny, some scary, from the people who worked with him at the time, and had to put up with his increasing folly. The sweet and sour portrait they brush up is that of a truly inspired and dedicated artist who just didn't know where to draw the line and who gave everything he had to express his inspiration as truthfully as possible. Interestingly, the film was supposed to tell the story of a middle-aged man (Serge Reggiani) who becomes pathologically jealous about his beautiful, candid wife (Romy Schneider) and day dreams of incongruous scenes where she lavishly cheats on him with the local mechanic. Although the documentary doesn't attempt to rebuild Inferno as a whole from the rushes, it does offer a vision of what some of the key scenes would have been like, at times involving current French actors in rehearsal-style sketches to help us understand better how scenes would have followed each other.
As we go through the different steps of the film production, highlighting how unusual the project was in its Hollywoodian scale and budget, at a period in France when the Nouvelle Vague advocated spontaneity and improvisation on a shoestring, we discover Clouzot's indulgent yet controlled cinematography and his imaginative representation of erotic themes. The documentary makes great use of the numerous hours of film material that resulted from the titanic work on avant-garde special effects, meant to translate the troubled state of mind of Serge Reggiani's character. We see some amazing stroboscopic and kaleidoscopic effects using the latest techniques at the time, offering unprecedented sights of world-famous star Romy Schneider in hallucinogenic colours and outfits, and an obsessive, almost ghastly perfectionism applied to every single scene - taking actors to their physical limits. Right until the end of the epic, cut short by Clouzot's non-fatal heart attack, we see the gap between the film maker and the rest of the world widening, symbolised by Reggiani's nightmarish visions.The film will give you a unique opportunity to admire Schneider's universal beauty under a new light, dive into a unique movie-maker's atmosphere, indulge in 1960's vibrant visual effects and ponder on what the film would actually have been like if it had been completed.
TR for Art is Alive.
In a similar way to Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe's Lost In La Mancha (2000), narrating the incredible chain of disastrous events that prevented Terry Gillian from finishing his adventure film about Don Quixote, Clouzot's Inferno is about a film that never saw the light of day, or better put, the darkness of a cinema theatre, in spite of all the efforts and money spent into it.
Over the course of the documentary, we understand that however cautiously Clouzot had planned and prepared every frame and scene of his film with a fine-toothed comb, between the Boulogne-Billancourt Studios in the west of Paris and a remote lake setting in rural Cantal; however demanding he was with his actors and crew, requiring them to work around the clock and re-shoot the same scenes time and again until the result would for some obscure reason finally satisfy him, the project was programmed to fail and Clouzot to sink into madness and depression with it. And, unlike Lost In La Mancha, which humourously blamed the forces of nature for ruining Gillian's movie, we are made to believe it is Clouzot's violently obsessive character that was the main cause for Inferno's failure.
For those not familiar with the film maker, best known for his classic Quai des Orfevres (1947), the documentary gathers testimonies, some funny, some scary, from the people who worked with him at the time, and had to put up with his increasing folly. The sweet and sour portrait they brush up is that of a truly inspired and dedicated artist who just didn't know where to draw the line and who gave everything he had to express his inspiration as truthfully as possible. Interestingly, the film was supposed to tell the story of a middle-aged man (Serge Reggiani) who becomes pathologically jealous about his beautiful, candid wife (Romy Schneider) and day dreams of incongruous scenes where she lavishly cheats on him with the local mechanic. Although the documentary doesn't attempt to rebuild Inferno as a whole from the rushes, it does offer a vision of what some of the key scenes would have been like, at times involving current French actors in rehearsal-style sketches to help us understand better how scenes would have followed each other.
As we go through the different steps of the film production, highlighting how unusual the project was in its Hollywoodian scale and budget, at a period in France when the Nouvelle Vague advocated spontaneity and improvisation on a shoestring, we discover Clouzot's indulgent yet controlled cinematography and his imaginative representation of erotic themes. The documentary makes great use of the numerous hours of film material that resulted from the titanic work on avant-garde special effects, meant to translate the troubled state of mind of Serge Reggiani's character. We see some amazing stroboscopic and kaleidoscopic effects using the latest techniques at the time, offering unprecedented sights of world-famous star Romy Schneider in hallucinogenic colours and outfits, and an obsessive, almost ghastly perfectionism applied to every single scene - taking actors to their physical limits. Right until the end of the epic, cut short by Clouzot's non-fatal heart attack, we see the gap between the film maker and the rest of the world widening, symbolised by Reggiani's nightmarish visions.The film will give you a unique opportunity to admire Schneider's universal beauty under a new light, dive into a unique movie-maker's atmosphere, indulge in 1960's vibrant visual effects and ponder on what the film would actually have been like if it had been completed.
TR for Art is Alive.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Etre une femme Saint-Laurent.
Le Figaro Madame recently asked Catherine Deneuve and other actresses what is their definitition of being a Saint Laurent's woman. Here is Charlotte Rampling's answer:
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Contemplation: Alexander McQueen's shoes Spring/Summer 2010 collection
Alexander McQueen is a genius.
Quote of the week: Tom Ford on YLS and Pierre Bergé
"Being at Yves Saint Laurent was such a negative experience for me even though the business boomed while I was there. Yves and his partner, Pierre Bergé, were so difficult and so evil and made my life such misery. I've never talked about this on the record before, but it was an awful time for me…. I have letters from Yves Saint Laurent that are so mean you cannot even believe such vitriol is possible. I just think he was jealous, and Yves and I were friends before I took over the company. But then when we began to move the company forward and were very successfull…he just became so insanely jealous… Pierre and Yves were just evil. So Yves Saint Laurent doesn't exist for me."
Tom Ford, The Advocate, November/December issue 2009.
Tom Ford, The Advocate, November/December issue 2009.
Michael Jackson's portrait by Andy Warhol sold for 800 000$
Christie's auction house, estimated this portrait of Michael Jackson between 500 000$ and 700 000$ but it actually reached 812 000$ yesterday night in New York. Dating from 1984 it features Michael at the time of his "Thriller" period. A similar portrait had already been sold in August for more than one million dollars.
More info on: www.christies.com
Friday, November 6, 2009
Conor Harrington - Headless Heroes at Lazarides Rathbone
More info on: http://www.lazinc.com/
François Nars' new book.
Naomi CampbellMake-up artist Francois Nars is celebrating the 15th anniversary of his own cosmetic range with a limited picture book, which will be available from 15×15project.com for 30 days from mid November onwards.
In keeping with the company’s anniversary theme, the publication is also titled 15x15 and includes 15 photographs of renowned friends of the make-up artist, whose Nars made-up faces document the talents of the star make-up artist.
In keeping with the company’s anniversary theme, the publication is also titled 15x15 and includes 15 photographs of renowned friends of the make-up artist, whose Nars made-up faces document the talents of the star make-up artist.
It looks amazing ! What do you think?
Marc Jacobs
Amanda LeporeWednesday, November 4, 2009
Marni partners with Ladurée
When Fashion and pastries meet, the result is amazing! Consuelo Castiglioni has imagined charming limited edition boxes for Ladurée with the traditional fashion Marni's language of dots and flowers. Following last year's collaboration with Louboutin, Ladurée continues to set up cross branding partnerships.
Each box, conceived for eight or eighteen macaroons, contains chocolate macaroons decorated with gold leaf ... But if you're unhappy with gold leaf (who would be?) you can still pick up your favourite flavour. I love it!
More info on: www.laduree.fr
Thursday, October 29, 2009
New series of books published by Conran Octopus in partnership with the Design Museum, London
This new series of books published by Conran Octopus in partnership with the Design Museum is really good.
Each book lists the top 50 products that have made a substantial impact in the world of British design today, offering a short appraisal of each that explores what has made their iconic status and the designers that give them a special place in design history.
An essential piece of clothing in every woman’s closet, Fifty Dresses That Changed The World includes timeless dresses from the 1915 Delphos Pleated dress to Hussein Chalayan’s 2007 LED dress. The collection of iconic dresses in this book provides an introduction to the path fashion has taken in the last century. It is a story that takes in social and economic change and radically fluctuating positions on gender and sexuality. These are dresses that have encapsulated particular moments in time in a particularly powerful way, and that have provided fascinating insights into the people who wore them as well as the people who designed and made them.
A must-have accessory for all shoe lovers and design enthusiasts, Fifty Shoes That Changed The World includes everything from the 1863 Frye boot to Zaha Hadid’s 2009 Lacoste shoe. The shoe clearly exerts a fascination on people’s imagination. In 20 years of temporary exhibitions at the Design Museum, the retrospective staged in 2003 on Manolo Blahnik at the height of the Sex in the City phenomenon, still holds the record as the most popular exhibition that they have ever done. This selection of fifty designs explores the full range of shoe design. They can address comfort, or self image, fashion or technology.
Other books in the new series publishing October 2009 include Fifty Cars That Changed The World and Fifty Chairs That Changed The World.More information on: http://www.octopusbooks.co.uk/ and http://www.designmuseum.org/
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Frieze Week - Tuesday: Patti Smith at Alison Jacques Gallery
One of Frieze's highlights was the performance by Patti Smith at Alison Jacques Gallery's opening of Robert Mapplethorpe's A Season in Hell' show. The performance included a sing-along acapella rendition of "Because the Night" and a reading of "People Have the Power".
I found it simple, humble and amazing! Patti Smith stood in front of the crowd and in a very nice way spoke about her loving realtionship with Robert Mapplethorpe, apologized for not being able to perform inside.
The show itself encompasses beautiful, provocative iconic photographs... in a nutshell pure Mapplethorpe. Go and see it !
Video Copyright Paul Carter Robinson
More info on: http://www.alisonjacquesgallery.com/
Friday, October 23, 2009
Frieze Week - Wednesday : The Age of the Marvellous in London
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One of the highlights of Frieze Week this year was the exhibition entitled the The Age of the Marvellous (14th ‐ 22nd October) at the church of Holy Trinity, Marylebone.
Inspired by the Wunderkammer or Cabinet of Curiosities, popular in the late Renaissance through the Baroque period (ca. 1550– ca. 1700), the show featured over 60 works of art, most of them especially produced for the exhibition, that displayed a new‐found tendency for contemporary artists to look beyond the limitations of aesthetic conventions, to a varied, more cross‐disciplinary approach that integrates areas of human knowledge that exist outside the boundaries of traditional art making.
George Clooney (who was earlier opening the London Film Festival) was rumoured to have come to the opening, but surely Tracey Emin, Jay Jopling or Charles Saatchi were seen that night.
George Clooney (who was earlier opening the London Film Festival) was rumoured to have come to the opening, but surely Tracey Emin, Jay Jopling or Charles Saatchi were seen that night.
Conceived and curated by All Visual Arts Director Joe La Placa, The Age of the Marvellous was the arts organization’s third major exhibition since it was launched in 2008.
I particularly enjoyed the atmosphere around this exhibition and the goth-inspired setting. A perfect show for the pre-Halloween period.
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Amongst the most amazing artworks the Polly Morgan's coffin filled with baby-birds that one had the chance to see at the inaugural show of Haunch of Venison in London, the crucified Gorilla by Paul Fryer, "the Levitation of the Head of John the Baptist" by Martin Sexton (a small, life-like head of John the Baptist which seemed to levitate in a reliquary by an invisible force, without physical contact), Ben Tyers’ sculpture which draws attention to what is an otherwise largely unconscious process ‐ breathing._image+courtesy+of+Tessa+Angus.jpg)
The crypt will still be opened for another 6 months so run if you haven't seent it ! I loved it !More information on: http://www.allvisualarts.org/
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Frieze Week - Friday: ArtReview Power 100 launch party
On Friday of Frieze Week was the ArtReview Power 100 launch party sponsored by Ruinard. I had the chance to attend it and had a good time: excellent champagne, nice crowd (of mainly Londoners), beautiful music !
"The ArtReview Power 100 is not just a who’s who to contemporary art but also a guide to general trends and forces that shape the artworld". This year's winner is Hans Ulrich Obrist, my friend and co-Director of exhibitions at London's Serpentine Gallery, who I had the chance to interview about Il Tempo del Postino (check the archives). I am really happy for him, congratulations !
Before you buy the magazine for the full list, here is the top ten:
1. Hans Ulrich Obrist
2. Glenn D. Lowry
3. Sir Nicholas Serota
4. Daniel Birnbaum
5. Larry Gagosian
6. François Pinault
7. Eli Broad
8. Anton Vidokle, Julieta Aranda & Brian Kuan Wood
9. Iwona Blazwick
10. Bruce Nauman
The Serpentine Gallery, thanks to its co-Director, is one the most influencial institutions and the Poetry Marathon which took place this weekend proved it once more. It was held in the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009, designed by architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the acclaimed Japanese practice SANAA, and welcomed performances by Gilbert and Georges, Tracey Emin, Vito Acconci or Brian Eno. Superb !
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