Jungle Fever

Versace for H&M campaign // Henri Rousseau, Combat of a Tiger and a Buffalo, 1908-9

Both Versace and Rousseau are artists that I've never personally enjoyed. Versace's fashion is a little too over the top for my personal style while Rousseau's art has always been strange, shallow, and somewhat amateur looking to me. Despite this when I when I saw what Versace was doing for H&M I was immediately reminded of Rousseau's jungle landscapes.

Picasso

Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932// Etro, Spring 2012 Runway

When I was looking through Etro's spring 2012 collection a lot of the color choices and thick, bold black lines reminded me of Picasso's cubist-surrealist phase. I chose this particular painting in Pablo's enormous repertoire because it represents (on the most base of levels) the female relationship with clothing and looks. We often don't see a clear or mirrored reflection but rather what we want (or don't want) to see.

Cramped

Sabbath ,Grey #5, Shot by: Alessio Bolzoni, Styling by: Moren// Rene Magritte, Intermission, 1927

Rene Magritte would often redefine the norm but not in a way that was easily predictable. He takes that which you are familiar with and alters it just enough to make the viewer mildly uncomfortable and disturbed. However, he never did anything too harsh or surprising. In Intermission Magritte startles the viewer with the awkward yet subtle misplacement of the human anatomy. In a similar way Alession Bolzoni pushes the boundaries of the natural in the form and stance of his models. They are just different enough that their form is questionable, distinct, and irritating. Their unique stance does highlight the graceful and delicate flow of the clothing, which is the ultimate goal with an editorial.

Nude Angles

Man Ray 1924 Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow



Exstasis
Dazed & Confused; 
Shot by Matthew Stone

It's been a while since I've written anything with substance so I beg your pardon if I come across as dim. Though the surrealist movement is one that's hard for me to grasp, I've found its much easier to see photography's role in the movement. The day photographers began to view their medium as one that could be creative versus purely documentary an entirely new avenue opened. Man Ray is most definitely one of the largest names in avant-garde photography, and many of his works pushed the envelope artistically in various ways. He viewed photography as a form of creation rather than one that purely reproduced. He often used women as his subject matter, confronting the conservative viewer with the female body. Today the use of the nude still startles and causes discomfort in some viewers but it amazes me how truly artistic the use of the nude has become. Matthew Stone places the soft female body next to the harsh marble square but manages to remain delicate. Even the smoke can't make the image harsh.

Sheen

Aristide Maillol (1861-1944), Woman sat on her heels, Circa 1900, Bronze (currently at the Musee d'Orsay /// 'Gloss' Editorial for Love Magazine #5

When I came across this stunning editorial the glossy sheen of the model's skin had the same smooth contours that one might see in marble. I began looking for a specific work on display in the Musee d'Orsay in 2007 but then stumbled upon this simple work by Maillol. The striking and improbable similarities between a human figure and that of a bronze statue make one wonder the amount of photoshop used, and if the photo is manipulated to a great extent does it then become a work of art in its own right?

Looking at this post months later (Sept 2011), it amazes me that the statue looks softer than the model.

Top of my Head

Dazed & Confused August 2010// Whistler's Mother, James McNeill Whistler, 1871

I kept this picture from Dazed for quite a while because I knew its solemn and monochromatic scheme reminded me of something but I could never remember what it was. Well this somber fashion spread reminded me of an artist's simple tribute to a mother. Having recently seen this painting at the de Young in SF it finally came to me what this picture was reminiscent of. Enjoy.

No Homework Tonight

WIlliam de Kooning, Untitled I, 1981/// Elle Serbia February 2011

The vibrancy and action in both of these images can be seen in the broad strokes of de Koonings brush and in the translucent sleeves of the model's red blouse. The reflection of Laurence Passera's camera light behind the clothes creates a movement much like the action painting style that was de Kooning's preferred technique. Another similarity is the simple use of color to evoke a greater feeling of style. When both are placed next to one another their colors become enhanced, becoming brighter and more pleasing.

Frida

Marxism Will Give Health to the Sick - Frida Kahlo. Oil on panel. 1954// Vogue Australia March 2011


The vibrant and warm colors featured in both of these works was the first element that led to the comparison of these two images. Both works are clustered with a lot of noise in the background, leading to a less focused view on the main subject. However, both works also manage to construct a feminine individuality within the model. Both are passionate, exotic, sharp and succeed in exercising the eye by sending it all throughout the work.




OR MAYBE THIS ONE MAKES MORE SENSE.. from the same Vogue spread as the other, I couldn't decide between the two:

Pablo's Everywhere

Vogue Italia February 2011// Picasso, demoiselles d'avignon 1907

I know I've already compared an editorial to demoiselles d'avignon, but I see the contorted and colorful women in most fashion spreads. I especially saw it in this Italian Vogue spread from Feb 2011. The hidden faces of the two side figures contrasted with the frontal gaze of the center model really evokes the way demoiselles confronts the viewer.