It is undeniable that we live in a time in which it becomes harder and harder to stand out in this world saturated with similar content, partly also because of the seemingly definite loss of the pre-digitalization attention span people used to have (like ourselves by the way; we miss our pre-internet brain). With a never-ending exposure of communicational elements, being unleashed by media, companies and brands alike, most people in search for an relevant audience will use a louder - or bigger - voice to still be heard. Especially in fashion, what has become the most neurotic field in the creative industry. One of the scarce forerunners and real creative thinkers of recent years; Jonathan Anderson, decided to use the far opposite of that approach for his recently released Spring/Summer 2016 campaign. Together with regular collaborators; renown Parisian graphic design studio M/M Paris and Jamie Hawkesworth - who together with the designer created a cutting edge visual language for both the J.W. Anderson label and the Spanish fashion house Loewe - their finest work till date was presented to the world two months ago: a campaign in the size of a postal stamp featuring model Mayka Merino, which will literally force you to take a second look. Next to being a highly elegant - uncommon - aesthetic expression for a seasonal campaign, it is above all hope-giving to observe that in times of shouting some people still dare to whisper. [ Continue reading ]

We recently became familiar with an interesting new project which combines a love for both photography and flowers remarkably. Given the name OVERGROWTH, Portland-based photographer Parker Fitzgerald and floral designer Riley Messina present a new limited edition art publication conceived and produced from their hometown in the United States. Created over the course of two years, the book is comprised of nearly 120 original images that elegantly blur the lines between humans and nature. Photographed primarily in Portland between March 2013 and February 2015, the book features a large cast of friends posed with Messina's striking floral arrangements. Shot entirely on Kodak film by Fitzgerald, and styled by Messina, the images have a soft, painting-like quality that gives the project a timeless aesthetic. In the elegantly composed still lifes and real-life collages (reminding of the extraordinary work of Rocío Montoya), the two artists juxtapose and merge the lines of the flowers with the human body remarkably in different contexts, always succeeding to engage us as the spectator.  [ Continue reading ]

The very talented Dutch photographer Robin de Puy set off across the United States in May 2015 in search for peace of mind. Her most vital equipment was in her saddlebags: a couple of lamps, two cameras and a lighting umbrella. She followed no set route but toured the country looking for distinctive faces to photograph – people of all ages and both sexes whom she just happened to meet on her travels. She specifically did not want to record social contrasts or the antithesis between urban America and the country’s endless empty spaces. The result is an incredible series of portraits, reminding of Robert Frank and Richard Avedon, which will be presented by the Hague Museum of Photography in the photographer’s first ever solo show in a museum setting. The exhibition with the title 'If this is true… 8,000 Miles on a Motorcycle in the USA' will open for the public on the 19th of March. De Puy's remarkable talent and eye for detail is undisputed by now, but the American arena and setting clearly inspired the photographer to take some of her most compelling images till date. Don't miss this remarkble exhibition.  [ Continue reading ]

We are big fans of the work of artist Ashkan Honarvar, being among the most thought-provoking collage artist working today. At the end of February the Iranian-born, Utrecht-schooled artist celebrated another milestone in his career with the opening of his very first solo exhibition at CES Gallery in Los Angeles named 'Sometimes I forget myself'. The exhibition features new works on paper from two recent bodies of work. The first series titled 'Denial of Death' is inspired by the writings of cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker, in particular his Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name. The second series titled 'King of Worms', which we premiered online, references radical feminist filmmaker Jane Arden’s 'The Other Side of the Underneath' and its exploration of corruption, abuse of power, and gender inequality. Working exclusively in hand-cut collage Honarvar presents a mythic and visceral vision of humanity and its qualitative constructs.  [ Continue reading ]

We first encountered the remarkable work of photographer (and painter) Lorena Lohr last year, when she released the third self-published photographic book of her travels throughout the United States named 'Western Nights'. Before that she had already released 'Palm Desert', published in 2011 and 'Desert Sands' a year later. This month, Lohr returns with another inspirational chapter of her on-going personal love affair between traveling and photography. It is clear that the photographer can't get enough of her journeys by Greyhound bus, train and on foot, taking herself throughout the Southwest, the West Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. We on the other hand continue to be intrigued by the isolated imagery it inspires her to take, ranging from deserted diner kitchen, unkept garden, empty pools and neon signs. Although the images clearly evoke some sense of sadness and the feeling of former glory, mostly excluding humans in the frames, the color palette reminds of the seventies and is inherently attractive, making the images bittersweet in the truest sense of the word.  [ Continue reading ]

Last month, a new outdoor light festival named Lumiere London debuted in England's capital. For us the undisputed highlight of the 4 day event was the impressive 'Spectra-3' installation created by London-based creative studio FIELD: a 3 meter tall sculpture surrounded by animated lights and spatialized sound. Based around a mirror disc moving on two axes, the 'Spectra-3' created a choreography of movement, light and sound, and illuminates its surroundings with dancing reflections. In the words of FIELD: the project celebrates humanity’s inexhaustible optimism to advance technology, all with the aim of understanding our place in the universe. Although, regularly criticized for its reliance on style over substance, there's an undeniable intrinsic quality in the practice of creating technology based aesthetic projects which we really appreciate. Obviously, even the greatest cynic can't deny the inherently (positive) constructive quality of the field, having strong roots in the modern times we live in. Being one of the most elegant creations in its genre 'Spectra-3' is in our eyes not just a highly eye pleasing piece, but also a relevant frame to contemplate todays ever-growing reliance on technology and its quality to stimulate self-reflection. [ Continue reading ]

In 2005, two years after the members of the Swiss Cycle Regiment - riding the longest-serving bicycle in civil and military history; the Ordonnanzfahrrad MO 05 - went on parade for the very last time in a town named Sempach, a young guy from Basel; Christian Wernle found the inspiration for what ten years later became a fascinating brand. He spotted a Swiss army sleeping bag while browsing in a flea market, and realized it would make the perfect basis for a range of original, contemporary outerwear. After the minimal yet technical line was introduced last year, Sempach has found a new source of inspiration in another mainstay from the same tradition: the field tent. For their second collection, Sempach has developed a very elegant collection of men’s and women’s waterproof jackets using the same design specifics as the Swiss Army field tent, which form the perfect hybrid of military technical elements and a minimally designed aesthetic. We love it! [ Continue reading ]