With globalization of the creative industry at an all time high and digital interaction just one mouse-click away, we seem to have entered the most fruitful period ever of unlimited cross-pollination within the global creative community. From a different perspective one could argue the exact opposite by pointing out the copycat culture which has become a significant element of the digital era's zeitgeist. We try to look at it from the first angle and appreciate the worldwide exchange of ideas, inspirational collaborations and formerly unexpected joint ventures. If the new (copy enabling) preconditions make that one has to be more critical then ever to separate the wheat from the chaff, the collateral damage of the digitalization is nowhere near life-threatening for great work to be created and discovered. One of the most exciting collaborations we recently discovered comes from England, where two of our favorites: Joe Cruz and Jack Davison have found each other. Although they lived far from worlds apart before they got together, it was still the internet that opened the door for the newly created work. To learn more about the works we've asked Joe Cruz some questions on the collaboration and can only hope that this is only the start for more to come by the two talented artists. [ Continue reading ]
The intriguing show named 'Coming to Terms' is emerging artist Abdul Abdullah's New York debut, featuring a new series of performative photographic portraits. The 29-year-old Abdullah is one of the most interesting emerging artists coming out of Australia, who after graduating from Curtin University had a focus on painting and in recent years moved into photography and video. Notions of contemporary ceremony, genesis, ritual, reinforcement of personal identity, cultural hybridity and intimate aspects of the self are revealed in his work through his darkly distinctive oeuvre that is confronting and deeply elucidating in regard to the human condition. We are super fascinated by both the images itself as the symbolic instilled in them, and look forward what the future will hold for this exciting young Australian artist. When in New York see this incredible work! [ Continue reading ]
It's been a number of years since we have last written about Copenhagen-based creative studio and clothing brand Norse Projects, but with the just released imagery for the Autumn/Winter 2015 collection they really caught our attention. The new lookbook was produced by a remarkble team: consisting of the talented photographers Justin Chung - who we know through his incredible 'Faculty Department' project - and Luke Norman alongside Inventory Magazine's fashion director - and one of the most inspirational people working in fashion - stylist Stephen Mann. The series puts a clear focus on those elements which Norse has become famous for since its foundation in 2004. The images show the collection's purist approach along with progressive ideals through the use of aerial lines, soft textures, and subtle details, including technical inspired directional outerwear in soft hues and muted tones. And not just the collection itself stands out, as the series was shot upon the backdrop of another favorite of ours: the workshop of noted Scandinavian furniture design house Fritz Hansen. [ Continue reading ]
Although we have taken many beautiful things (and memories) with us from San Francisco when we visited two weeks ago, one of our favorite things we discovered is the extraordinary book 'California Surfing and Climbing in the Fifties'. Combining both color and black and white imagery gathered from a variety of photographers and private collections, the publication by the expert when it comes to the subject; T. Adler, paints a undeniably appealing picture of an exciting era full of experiment and evolution. Aside from the wide selection of archival photographs, the book features short passages written by Yvon Chouinard, Steve Pezman and Steve Roper, which give personal accounts of what was happening at the time and help to bring the images to life. Each photo is also extensively captioned, noting the individuals involved and their influence on these sports throughout the Fifties and beyond. This information adds an interesting layer of depth and personality to the publication, which ultimately serves as an evocative look back at a golden age, and the growth of two archetypical Californian countercultures. We love this elegant and insightful gem! [ Continue reading ]
Last week, on the 22nd of July, a great exhibition opened in the Parisian bar Ground Control, curated by the interesting young Mayday Mayday Mayday art/street culture platform. In the show named 'Reading 78', the still quite unknown but greatly talented French photographer Gil Rigoulet transports the spectator into the universe of the uncompromising British punk movement during the late Seventies. One year after the release of the now legendary and paradigm shifting 'Nevermind the Bollocks' record by the Sex Pistols, the English youth was having great fun, dancing like never before to the rhythms of the ever-hardening furious riffs. Taking place in the city of Reading, during its legendary rock festival: in the series a lawless zone is revealed in all its glory, portrayed in grainy black and white photographs - showing that in 1978 everything seemed to still be possible. [ Continue reading ]
Recently we stumbled upon the truly magnificent work of Los Angeles-based photographer Lauren Marsolier. The French-born creates extraordinary images that are convincingly real using multiple photographs, unrelated fragments of the outside world collected over time in a variety of locations. Months or years often separate the capture of elements juxtaposed in her landscapes; a technique reminiscent of the art of painting. Her work probes the mental process of transition - hence its moniker - a particular phase when our parameters of perception shift, when we suddenly don't see ourselves, our environment, or our life quite the same way we used to. These transitional periods often feel like being in a place one knows, but can't quite identify. We can't stop gazing at these remarkable photographs, which seem to tell deep stories of solitude and show a clinical beauty which feels both surreal and keeps haunting us. [ Continue reading ]
We are big fans of Chris Black's New York City-based Done to Death Projects, which has been releasing inspirational printed titles over the course of the last few years. Among the publications one finds the work of another one of our favorites; photographer Mikael Kennedy, next to the recent title which we really like by Chris Black himself: 'I Know You Think You Know It All: Advice and Observations For You to Stand Apart in Public and Online' and now Done to Death Projects presents 'Bountiful', a new book from the very talented young photographer Noah Emrich. During the summer of 2013, Emrich embarked on a 12.000 mile trip around the United States, with the goal to capture post-recession America, searching for the remainders of the once glorious American Dream. The result is a haunting series putting the finger on the sore spot of a proud and powerful country reluctantly having to find a new identity to match its current state of being. [ Continue reading ]
After we wrote about the inspirational presentation of the summer version of his A Suit To Travel In, Paul Smith once more shows his remarkable vision in the campaign of his Autumn/Winter 2015 collection. Capturing the confident use of color in the designs, the campaign for the inspirational designer's collection is the first Paul Smith collection to be shot by the photographic artist Viviane Sassen, who we have been admiring ourselves for years. And what a wonderful hybrid of worlds the campaign has become - both creatives having an eye for exquisite stand out colors and the beauty of aesthetic contrast. As part of the campaign one can spot that the signature ‘Paul Smith’ logo is re-imagined with a playful sense of scale and positioning. A sense of modernity and wit is present throughout the campaign, echoing the essential qualities of Paul Smith, making the campaign a clear season favorite of ours. [ Continue reading ]
Before we travelled to Porto at the beginning of last May it had been 8 years since we visited the beautiful city on the North-West coast of Portugal. Over the last few years we have visited its big brother - and one of our favorite cities period - Lisbon and the beautiful South of the country several times, but a little over two months ago we decided it was time to revisit the city located along the Douro river estuary and name giver to the most famous Portugese export product: port wine. And what a difference it was from earlier experiences. First of all the city appeared to be much cleaner and felt more fresh, we were able to find better places to eat its incredible cuisine, and compared to last time we were able to find more appealing places to stay. The wonderful Rosa Et Al is one of them, in which we truly enjoyed our stay in beautiful Porto. [ Continue reading ]
In 1983, looking for the locations that would bring the desolate landscape of the American West to life in his iconic film 'Paris, Texas', German master filmmaker Wim Wenders took his Makina Planbel camera on the road. Driving through Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California, Wenders was captivated by the unique, saturated, colorful light of the wild landscape of the American West - even now, a land associated with cowboys and outlaws, and suffused with the mythology of the frontier. The series he produced, 'Written in the West', was first exhibited in 1986 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and first published in 2000. At the end of July, Wenders will add 15 new images of the sleepy town that gave the movie its name - though no footage was ever actually shot there. Made with a Fuji 6 x 4.5 camera, the new photographs are poetic documents of an abiding fascination and a search for personal memories. Together, they add an new chapter to Wenders' classic 'Written in the West', now Revisited. [ Continue reading ]
The incredible 'Ways of Knowing' by photographer Daniel Stier is the product of a curious outsider's view into the world of science, which has resulted in a series, shot over several years, revealing a strangely fascinating yet highly aesthetic world. The self-initiated project by Stier shows research laboratories across Europe and the United States as well as still lifes of scientific tools taken in photographer's studio. The combination draws parallels between the work of artists and scientists. Both often-times searching to find answers to what move us by examining life - with their own specific tools. The blank expressions of the doctors and students demonstrating the machinery are haunting, almost surrealistic, as they sit seemingly indifferent inside or surrounded by intricate wires and metal constructions. Stier's sharp photographic eye - which reminds us of the work of another lover of heavy machinery; Alastair Philip Wiper - catches the details surrounding these enormous machines perfectly, creating frames which tell rich stories starting in the past and taking the spectator all the way into the future. [ Continue reading ]
We have been following the talented photographer David Cohen de Lara for a while now and have appreciated his incredible work ever since we first found it. David’s portrait photography is diverse in style, but always beautiful, full of mystery and character. Through his cinematic and atmospheric images he reveals an authentic sense of beauty and personality in the real and the uninhibited. We can’t take our eyes off his intriguing images. [ Continue reading ]
The inspirational printed project named Bare is a journal for which founder and Creative Director; Claudia Bruno, as well as Co-Editors-in Chief; Emily Lundin and Courtney Saunders find inspiration in the unadorned moment of truth. The magazine forms their ode to the raw beauty of realism, with all of their collaborators working with no creative brief, except for one quite unusual restriction in the digital age; no use of retouching is allowed. Bare - which was founded in 2014 - gives Bruno and her team the perfect context to work with artists, writers and photographers they admire, creating beautiful stories. Next to the fact that Bruno, Lundin and Saunders all are being located in different places on the globe, the workplaces of the complete team of Bare range from Amsterdam, London, Barcelona, New York City, Berlin, Montana to Los Angeles. Making the magazine a wonderful example of remote working, without it getting in the way of the diverse elegant quality it offers throughout its pages. [ Continue reading ]
In 'The New Bohemians', the Los Angeles-based designer Justina Blakeney defines the New Bohemians as creative individuals who are boutique owners and bloggers, entrepreneurs and ex-pats, artists and urban farmers. They embrace free-spirited, no-rules lifestyles and apply that attitude to all areas of their existence, including their homes. With little distinction between work and play, the new boho home often includes an office, art gallery, showroom, photography studio, restaurant, or even a pop-up shop. 'The New Bohemians' explores 20 homes located primarily on the East and West coasts. Exclusive interviews with the owners, 12 DIY projects created by Blakeney and inspired by objects found in the homes, and a "Plant-O-Pedia" offer insight into achieving this aesthetic. In addition, each home is accompanied by an Adopt-an-Idea section that offers general decor, styling, and shopping tips for easy duplication in your own home. [ Continue reading ]
Alexis Vasilikos is a very talented Athens-based photographer and the co-editor of Phases Magazine. His immaculate photographic eye explores the presence of the aesthetic in everyday life and is an intimate contemplation on the nature of emptiness. His images have a contemplative quality, they show the spectator the serendipities of life and the essence of signs. Through Vasilikos' unique gaze, life seems to be more magical. One of his series which we discovered recently, named 'Back to Nothing' is no different. The incredible collection of photographs is the result of Vasilikos' most recent travel to India. The photographer first visited the colorful country in 2004 in search for a spiritual teacher, which he found in Rishikesh, where he became familiar with a Guru named Mooji. Over the years that followed the photographer returned to India three times, proving to be highly inspirational experiences - both spiritually as artistically (although one could argue that this is somewhat intertwined). The incredible 'Back to Nothing' series - which clearly comes from a bright eye - is the result of Vasilikos' most recent trip to India, earlier this year. [ Continue reading ]
We recently became familiar with the inspirational print project of editors-in-chief Antonio Maccaro and Pedro Canicoba, named Many of Them. The beautiful magazine has been released thrice now - in different forms - but always in a limited edition publication of 1000 copies. The aim of Many of Them is to offer a space for discussion in which creators can share their perspective about their own field, their languages and the problems they face in their everyday practices. It originally started as a diary in 2008 and it keeps evolving into different formats. All the images and texts are produces in-house, always intending to learn from the external collaborations for the new issues. In the Summer of last year the inspirational Volume III, named after Talking Heads' classic 'This Must Be The Place' was launched featuring photography driven stories on creative leaders like the Cosmic Wonder restaurant, Junya Watanabe, Dries Van Noten, Paul Harnden, Khaven de la Cruz, Christophe Lemaire and Issey Miyake, amongst others. [ Continue reading ]
With competitive road cycling slowly finding restoration of its former glory by the growing popularity of the sport, the cycling universe continues to expand with interesting new projects, from fashion to a growing field of dedicated media. One of the most impressive new finds for us is: Manual For Speed - as stated by themselves - a preeminent road cycling journalism experience and cultural phenomenon. On their state-of-the-art, perfectly chaotic website they publish race reports (which aren't race reports) as well as interviews, manuals, typologies, visual showcases and bonus treasures. Subsequently they aim to release on paper whenever possible. In addition to its online focus on spectacle, Manual For Speed plainly champions human athletes; exceptionally gifted - physically & physiologically speaking - men and women with personality; meaning perspective, insight, character, context and point-of-view. All of which are what they (and we) believe make the sport of road cycling not just exciting, but interesting too. As avid cycling enthousiasts ourselves we urge everyone to step into the totally unique cycling crazed world of Manual for Speed and be inspired to ride. [ Continue reading ]
We have been following British photographer Luke Stephenson since our collaboration with him, when we gave a signed and numbered copy of his ‘An Incomplete Dictionary of Show Birds’ as our fourth Curated gift in 2013. In the following years Luke has kept very busy and made a name for himself through his exquisite eye for details which transcends his impeccable imagery, both in free project as on commissions. Recently another series of Luke has caught our attention when he portrayed Des Pawson (and some of his beloved knots, ropes and tools), the founder of the interesting Museum of Knots and Sailors’ Ropes for a feature in the inspirational magazine Hole & Corner. The incredible series by the photographer shows Stephenson's great talent, giving a wonderful and inspirational peek into the fascinating world of nautical ropes and knots guided by Pawson in an utmost aesthetic manner. [ Continue reading ]
We've been a fan of the inspirational work of American photographer Mikael Kennedy for years now. After releasing the incredible Done to Death Projects publication 'California' last year, he has now returned on its own with a sequel to that series named 'New Mexico'. In the same familiar toned down color palette, Kennedy once more takes the spectator on one of his tremendous journeys through wide open landscapes, which he distilled into a collection of 31 color photographs blessed with his signature aesthetic, taken during his stay in the American state last November. Kennedy presents the new project in a tremendous 44-page zine, which was printed in his homebase New York City - limited to 200 copies. We can't get enough of Kennedy's images which evoke somewhat of an escapist and melancholic sentiment within the beauty of the depicted landscapes, making us want to hit to road every time we lay our eyes on them. [ Continue reading ]
With a short but wonderful stay in beautiful Portugal coming to an end, we present the latest by one of our favorites from the country: Lisbon-based publisher Pierre von Kleist editions. The relatively small publishing house continues to release incredible additions to their highly focussed catalogue, making the company an inspirational example for the practice of publishing in the contemporary climate - releasing only publications of the highest quality, in limited runs. Their latest release is named ‚Rua Stan Getz’ and features the work of Portugese photographer André Cepeda, who released 'Rien' with the same publisher three years prior to this one. In the year 'Rien' was released, Cepeda spent three intense months in São Paulo, exploring and photographing the city, while reevaluating the very nature of his practice - resulting in this incredible warm series created from an open and sensitive perspective, showing the great talent of the photographer. [ Continue reading ]
The Japanese photographer Yoshinori Muzutani released the incredible series 'Tokyo Parrots' in 2013 and since then it has left an unforgettable impression on us. The escaped parakeets - not actually parrots - have flourished in the city of Tokyo for some decades now, and likewise fascinated photographer Yoshinori Mizutani, who upon his first encounter with them was struck by apprehension and fear, as if he had walked into Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’. Unnatural as they seemed in the urban environment, he followed the flocks and watched their daily patterns, eventually locating one of the largest nesting places in a certain ginkgo tree. After some resesarch Mizutani found out that these parakeets were brought to Japan in the 1960s and 1970s from tropical regions in India and Sri Lanka to be sold as pets, but which have been roaming the city after the owners lost interest. The result of his bird watching study is a highly remarkable, aesthetic series of surreal photographs revealing a tropical urban world inhabited by parakeets. [ Continue reading ]
After writing about Virginie Khateeb's visit to the marble quarries of Carrara and sharing the incredible 'Il Capo' documentary that was shot in the area, we found a new inspirational artist - Belgian photographer Frederik Vercruysse - who has explored that fascinating place on earth and returned with some impressive work named 'Temo Polveroso' or 'Pulverised Time'. The project which Vercruysse initially had in mind when embarking on his residency at Villa Lena was a new series of still lifes, but he soon felt compelled to capture his inspirational surroundings in images rather than remain within the four walls of his studio. His photographs of the marble quarries reveal a similar dynamic as Khateeb's images - showing a mixture of an utmost raw beauty and solitary melancholy, which could be seen as a metaphor for the embodiment of the area: the creation of beauty at the expense of nature. Without any human beings in the frames, it is impossible to fathom the larger-than-life scale of this totally unique form of landscape exploitation/architecture. The series of 16 stunning images over which a cloud of mysterious, powdery mist appears to be suspended, will be on display at the inspirational gallery/store Graanmarkt 13 in Antwerpen until Saturday 30 May. [ Continue reading ]
And yet another extraordinary analogue series by the super talented Berlin-based Croatian photographer Katja Kremenić. For the beautiful series which she named 'Lush Life', Katja once again finds herself in paradise, on the beaches of Central American Costa Rica - where she also shot her 'Rip Currents' series, through which we discovered her work - this time creating a visual narrative in her signature romantic free-floating style for the inspirational Australia-based travel platform The Adventure Handbook. Kremenić continues to excel in translating a broad field of emotions into her photographs, making the fragmentations of her gaze almost tangible through the frames of her images. Her continuing fascination with the beach both proves to be an everlasting source of aesthetic inspiration in the creation of her highly appealing images as the perfect environment for her to create in. We can't wait for more beautiful stories by Katja Kremenić. [ Continue reading ]
P Magazine is a Monterrey, Mexico-based, highly aesthetic annual object-book, with each issue published as a limited collector’s edition. The project was first announced in 2012, after which the debut was printed in the Summer of 2013. The impressive project - forming another great addition to the growing field of elegant printed erotisicm - was founded and created by the so-called supermodernist design studio Face, with its founder/head designer Rik Brancho also functioning as the Editor-in-Chief of P Magazine. Next to Brancho stand the other co-founders; photographers Mariana García, who's also Rik's wife and Cecy Young. Additional editorial design for the proejct was done by Cristina Vila Nadal. Following the successful sold out first edition - limited to 300 copies - the beautiful second edition was released in 500 copies at the beginning of this year - make sure to get one until it's too late. [ Continue reading ]