Land Art

Land Artist Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty, 1971 // EPS 18 July 2010, The 'Hippy' Is Going To The Beach (translated)' editorial

Robert Smithson helped to create the subversive land art movement in the late sixties. An art movement, that like most, was resonant of the feelings of the time. He built this spiral jetty in the early seventies and parts of it still exist today. During part of the year the water in this lake is actually red, giving the jetty an entirely new dimension. This standard bathing-suit-on-the-beach-pic reminded me of Robert Smithson and all of his land art. Also, the jetty is much larger than the picture leads one to believe. The jetty path is about three feet wide.

Not so original

Duchamp, The Fountain, 1917 /// Lady Gaga's The Armitage, Inside/Out Gallery 2010

While Vogue.co.uk is saying that Gaga's piece "is thought to be a playful acknowledgement of Duchamp's enduring influence," I feel that the work is completely unoriginal and pretentious of her. Duchamp's fountain is one of those works that shouldn't be copied or reproduced because of its past monumentality. It's importance and influence at the time of its creation has been too influential on art to be paid homage in such a literal sense. If one wants to pay homage to the great Duchamp then be original, something Lady Gaga certainly has in her.

Fauvism

Bambi Magazine Issue 2 2010// Rouault, The Head of Christ, 1917

Rouault was famous for being a leader in the Fauvist movement and most of his works were heavily influenced by major artists like Matisse and Van Gogh. Like Van Gogh many of his portrayals of human figures are slightly morphed and deformed. The morphed female form is a theme that has been occurring from ancient art to current fashion photo spreads.

Stoic Intensity

Salvador Dalí on the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Spellbound’, 1945 // Calvin Klein Fall 2010 Campaign

The intensity of the Calvin model is what first caught my eye in the campaign. The intense stare reminded me of the eccentric intensity that one can sense in old photographs of Salvador Dali.

My New Obsession with Space

Vladimir Tatlin, Counter Relief, 1914-15 // Vogue Italia July 2010 Editorial

Tatlin was famous for creating the constructivism movement in Russia and is one of the most famous artists to come from the country. He used constructivism to redefine space, as seen in his counter-relief. He gave a new thought to the simple corner space. The reason I felt the Italian vogue was similar to this came from the emphasis placed on the background objects. Most fashion spreads solely concentrate on the articles of clothing, but seeing as the piece is an editorial the viewer is directed to look at the photo as a whole.

Line Confusion

Kenzo Fall/Winter 2010-11 ad campaign // Picasso The Women of Avignon, 1906

The first aspect of the Kenzo ad that reminded me of one of Picasso's most famous works was time it took for ones eye to adjust and comprehend what it was viewing. There is an explosion of line, color, and shallow space that Avignon has, and it tends to overwhelm the eye at first glance. The major difference between the two works is the definition of space. Avignon has a claustrophobic feel to it- and is very shallow, while Kenzo has much more depth to it and allows for the viewer to breath and feel open. Also, the contortion of the female form is resonant throughout both pictures.

For Lenice

Coco Rocha by Chris Nicholls | Flare April 2010 // Francis Bacon: The Observer Profile, The Observer Weekend Review, Sunday, 27th May, 1962

Though nothing alike, the shape and color story of these two works are very similar. Bacon was one of those artists from the fifties who enjoyed testing the conservative limits of mainstream art. The interesting thing is that I'd still guess a work like this that showcases meat in such an upfront manner would make some conventional art-viewers uncomfortable.

Day Dreaming

Victorian Lady I, by John O'brien // Daydream, Numéro #114, Shot by: Lachlan Bailey

A woman daintily dressed staring out of a window has always seemed to conjure thoughts of romanticism and thoughtful aspirations, a notion that both these images evoke. Many images from the Victorian era portray women this way, showing the forward movement of women's rights. As women began thinking, dreaming, and looking forward they began to question the way in which things were being run. Both images recall this time period where women, ideally placed by the window, are dreamily separated from their aspirations.

side fact- Walt Disney was fond of John O'Brien's works and some copies of his work are in the exclusive Club 33 and in the Disneyland Dream Suite.

Confronting Nudes

Amedeo Modigliani, Reclining Female Nude, 1917 // Tiiu Kuik by Henrik Bulow, for Dansk Magazine

Modigliani, a later avant-garde artist, adopted much of his style from earlier artists like Ingres and Picasso. His flat and confronting nudes were very similar to many of Picasso's nudes at the time; however his nudes were a lot more erotically infused and often made the viewer of the time uncomfortable. I think the same can be said of nudes within fashion photography today. Americans are notoriously squeamish and some of the best photographs from different editorials and shoots have to cut from American magazines.

Off to the Nunnery!

La Dame du Lac, Numéro #114 June/July 2010, Shot by: Jeff Burton // Sir John Everett Millias, Ophelia, 1851-2

Stolen!

Vogue Paris June/July 2010// Picasso's The Pigeon with the Peas, stolen from the Paris MOMA earlier this month

This is not okay. This angular and pissed off vogue model seemed like an intimidating figure; maybe one who will terrify the art thieves who stole one of my lover's most famous pieces. But really. What art dealer would ever purchase a stolen Picasso with an estimated worth of 23 million Euros??

Descending Stairs

Italian Vogue, May 2010 Editorial// Duchamp's Nude Descending 1912

Duchamp came to prominence at an odd time in art history. He began to gain recognition just after the cubist period was beginning to wane, and was therefore in the constant pursuit of finding a movement that was right for him. His portrayal of the nude descending the staircase is probably his most famous work today, aside from his Fountain, however, at the time the work was scoffed. He was trying to be innovative with a model that has been used since the beginning of the practice of art, the female nude. When looking through the Italian editorial, I felt that the placement of this female parallel to the staircase was interesting, and messed with the way one interprets the space and use of the stairs, and was therefore worthy of being placed next to Marcel Duchamp.

Egyptian Royalty

Vogue Russia May 2010//Queen Neferti bust c. 1370 BC – c. 1330 BC
Russian Vogue always has the most stunning editorials. This one is no exception. It is romantic and recalls an older age, while displaying the newest from Valentino, Givenchy, and Chanel.... check out more here: http://community.livejournal.com/noirfacade/350918.html?#cutid1

Futurism Obsession

Iris Van Harpen Fall 10 collection, Synesthesia Collection// Filippo Marinetti, Nike of Samothrace, 1909





I have always been somewhat obsessed with Futurism's failed attempt at portraying movement in a ground-breaking and new manner. They constantly turned to old materials that had been utilized in art for decades. Within Iris Van Harpen's look-book , a new form of movement that combines new technologies and sculpture is achieved. He puts the metal work around the human figure, in fashion form, giving both the fashion of the garb and the substance of the metal a new dimension. Whereas when looking at the futurist sculpture, the movement seems hindered simply because of the material (gilded bronze) used. It's amazing to me that Van Harpen was so easily able to achieve what the futurist were constantly striving for.

Side-note: It would appear that using time exposure photography to enhance and frame designer's works is the new trend for Fall 2010 campaigns and editorials...

My Lover and Karen O.

T Magazine's Women's Fashion Summer 2010 editorial called Disorderly Conduct shot by Daniel Jackson // Photo of Pablo from the 1960's....

Being the avid Picasso lover that I am, I kind of think of him every single time I see a dark striped shirt, however, I decided that I respect Karen O.'s unique style and creativity enough to make the comparison between them.

King Henry

Hyoni Kang for Reborn Process Spring/Summer 2010 collection v. Hans Holbeoin, Portrait of Henry VIII, 1540



I love the literal incorporation of Henry on to a ladies sweater. How do you think the controlling womanizer would have felt about being a part of high-fashion? Some more royal portraiture: http://iheartpablo.blogspot.com/2010/04/sorry-tilda.html

Simply Related

A typical byzantine representation of a holy figure, and I think this is from Calvin Klein S/S 2010 campaign but can't currently find the exact information

Modern Académie

Vanity Fair España May 2010 featuring Andrés Velencoso and Jean Germain Drouais, Académie d'homme assis

The royale academie des beaux arts existed in france both before and during the revolution and encouraged and celebrated it's students that were capable of successfully creating an anatomically convincing male nude. Students like David, Drouais, Girodent, and Giro. Enjoy ladies.

Not incredibly related...

Here are some pieces that just sort of vaguely hinted towards one another




Robert Rauschenberg, Monogram, 1955-59, freestanding combine & an Editorial from French Vogue May 2010 discussing the rise in animal inspirations in fashion




The futurist work by Giacomo Balla, dynamism of a dog & Vogue China May 2010, Shot by: Patrick Demarchelier

Futurist work has always been incredibly interesting to me because of its depiction of movement. The futurist movement was all about progression, new styles, and new techniques. Balla's attempt at portraying movement in a new way has always been laughable to me. It seems the futurist strived so hard to embrace new technologies and styles, yet in their many attempts at portraying light and movement they completely ignored the newly mainstreamed camera. Instead they used classic oil paints, which had been used for centuries. The first photograph was taken in 1825, while Balla's painted was completed in 1912. Cameras weren't really implemented as a tool in art until a bit latter than the futurist were around, and maybe their movement would have lasted longer had they been able to think outside the box.

The Natural Embrace

Gustav Klimt's The Kiss 1907-8 and Dazed & Confused May 2010 Shot by: Ben Toms

I love that the model in the Ben Toms editorial is wearing a blanket covered with a spherical pattern. Klimt used circles as symbols of the female anatomy and cylindrical shapes to represent the male. The Kiss is a painting that is well known and widely considered a very romantic painting. I have always noticed a sort of violent under-tone in the distortion of the females neck and the intense placement of the male's hands. This sort of violent-sexual undertone is somewhat paralled in the photo shoot, as seen in the abrasive stance and gaze of the two lovers.

Ancient Art Comparison

Buddhist goddess Torani mostly depicted in Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand art from the 8th-11th century and Amphithéâtre, Numéro #112 April 2010, Shot by: Sebastian Kim

Torani was a goddess who helped Buddha defeat the evil Mara and demons when they tried to prevent his meditation and his path to enlightenment. Torani wrung her hair onto the demons stopping them from touching Buddha.

soft blue light

A White Story
Vogue Italia April 2010
Shot by: Paolo Rovers

and

Ballerina by Edgar Degas

Blue Mythology

My lover Pablo Picasso, A Young Faun Playing a Serenade to a Young Girl, 1938 and Lily Allen gracing the cover of Australian Harper's Bazaar May 2010 issue, drawing by David Bromley

I love the comparison of Pablo and Lily, especially in the context of being a faun or satyr. Pablo would occasionally depict mythological creatures often associated with immorality, eroticism, and rebellion throughout his career. Lily Allen is sort of known as this immoral, silly, rebellious star, and a woman Pablo would have probably been interested in.

Sorry Tilda

Dazed & Confused May 2010 Cover | Tilda Swinton by Glen Luchford--George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol, ca. 1638–9, ; Princess Mary Stuart and Prince William of Orange. 1641, both by Sir Anthony van Dyck (both flipped horizontally)

When I first stumbled across Tilda Swinton gracing the cover of Dazed and Confused I was immediately reminded of royal portraits one would examine if looking at 17th century art. The soft lighting and light color palette paralleled typical royal portrayals. Swinton's photograph reminded me of a few of Anthony van Dyck's works. van Dyck was a comtemporary to Velázquez, and they both became widely known for being preeminent court portraitists. Like Swinton, van Dyck was an under appreciated artist from his time, one who possessed the talents of his many contemporaries, like Rembrant and Holbein, but was never truly valued for his immense skill.