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.

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??