We really like this series by the always inspiring Todd Selby in which he portrays the beautiful Tokyo studio of the visionary Japanese photographer and fashion designer Yuriko Takagi. In signature Selby-style every little detail that is worth seeing is highlighted in the recognizable colorful photographs of the light studio of Takagi. The Tokyo-based is best known for her studies of the human body and ethnic elements used in in fashion photography combines earthly Japanese serenity with folkloristic souvenirs from all her worldwide travels, from dolls and masks to a rather large collection of garments. And even her history as a fashion designer is still reflected by the Singer sewing machine which seems to not get a whole lot of action anymore though. Yet another highly inspiring photographic story by The Selby. [ Continue reading ]
Once again our friend Sergei Sviatchenko returns with a very interesting project. After starting Close Up and Private in 2009 as an online art project in which he shared his collage-like photographic vision on style, it quickly rose to fame for both this created aesthetic as Sergei's own impeccable style, which gained him personally a lot of rightful attention. Based on this fundament of Close Up and Private, Sergei now decided to take his endeavors one step further, in a concept which features continuing collaborations with an international rage of heritage brands and skilled craftsmen. With the new project, named Private Classicist, Sergei aims to create a solid range of classic menswear items that verges on pushing the boundaries of current minimalist fashion towards the classic style championed by Sergei himself and his work. [ Continue reading ]
We have a long history (and friendship) with German interview-magazine Freunde von Freunden, and therefore finding Joachim's interview online this morning almost feels like coming full circle. After first writing about Freunde von Freunden as early as 2011 and for instance creating the Another Someting x FvF mixtape in 2012; it is clear to say that it is a very special honor to be part of the Freunde von Freunden Workplaces profiles. On a sunny Saturday some weeks ago, Felicitas Olschewski and photographer Jordi Huisman visited the new studio at the edge of Amsterdam's city center in the historical Nieuwmarkt area - almost feeling like a little village within the village of Amsterdam - in which we find ourselves in a beautiful spot right at the mouth of what becomes the Herengracht canal. The conversation starts at the beginning of Joachim's career, dropping out of art school, the love for collecting, favorite projects that were created over the years and finally the exciting projects that lay ahead. [ Continue reading ]
In 2012 Rapha initiated this inspiring factory visit to Italian knitting company Manifattura Italiana Tessuti Indemagliabili or in short Miti shot by the talented English photographer Gavin Karl Campbell. Miti has been an innovator in the knitting industry since its foundation in 1931 and is located in the Northern Italian town of Urgnano, not far from Bergamo. The first and foremost innovation made by the company was the nationwide introduction of wrap knitting techniques, which allows for the construction of durable and stretchy fabrics, introduced by founder Vincenzo Polli through his fascination with the technology and his decision to acquire the German-made machines which would carry it out; establishing Italy’s premier fabric mill. Today the raw fabric is milled six hours away in Hungary, near the border with Slovenia, close enough to monitor total consistency in the highest possible quality after which processing, dyeing and finishing takes place in Urgnano by this major supplier for almost all the cycling brands. [ Continue reading ]
We really like the first publication by Independent publishing house Zioxla named 'Strange Plants'. The book is a celebration of plants in contemporary art featuring the work of 25 artists: from oozing paintings of rotting cacti to eerie, mesmeric photos of the leafy kudzu vine, and discusses the role plants play in the artists’ personal lives. For the book, editor Zio Baritaux brought together eight artists whose work focuses on the natural world: Erik Parker, Helene Schmitz, Paul Wackers, Lee Kwang-Ho, Taylor McKimens, David Axelbank, Stephen Eichhorn and Aiyana Udesen. In-depth interviews and articles are presented alongside images that showcase the instinctive and unique ways plants are represented in the artists’ works. [ Continue reading ]
We love this insane project by the Japanese artist Makoto Azuma named Exobiotanica. Two weeks ago, in the week that NASA was celebrating the 45th anniversary of the first moon landing, Azuma pioneered a new kind of space endeavor by sending plant life to the edge of space. The result of this enterprise are some of the most beautiful surrealistic, extraterrestrial images since Apollo 8′s famous Earthrise imagery was shot. Using GoPro and Fuji Film cameras, the florist-turned-artist got both film and still shots of the entire process as the plants lifted off from Black Rock Desert in Nevada and traveled to almost 30 kilometer above the earth’s surface, the ceiling of the giant helium balloons used to propel their ride towards the perfect backdrop where these tremendous images were shot. [ Continue reading ]
Rita Braz is a photographer and art director, born and raised in Lisbon, but living and working in Berlin since 2010. She has a self-proclaimed obsession with analogue cameras and black and white films, which she translated into the ongoing online outlet for her work aptly named Analogue Stories. We particularly like her travel stories which take the spectator all over Europe. In the selection Rita made for us we see images from her Balkan tour, a road trip from Berlin to Sarajevo where she would capture the Film Festival. It also features some images from her homeland Portugal which she left, but always carries with her in her heart and finally images from her elaborate trips all over her new home, Germany, exploring the country all the way from the Dutch border to the Polish exit. [ Continue reading ]
The Bonsai Project was a beautiful collaboration between Dutch documentary photographers Sjoerd Knibbeler and Rob Wetzer. They started the project in 2009 out of fascination for the experience of nature and the cultivation of our natural environment and wrapped it up in 2013. Bonsai, man-made trees cultivated in pots, has been a Chinese tradition for more than two thousand years. Since then, it developed into an art form and has spread over the world. Many enthusiasts all over the world make and keep bonsai. Really understanding bonsai involves closely observing one’s natural environment and using it as inspiration. As photographers Knibbeler and Wetzer were fascinated by the condensed experience of nature these magical trees offer. Bonsai can be seen as the most unnatural nature that exists, cultivated for mere beauty, Knibbeler and Wetzer searched for a deeper understanding of what cultivating nature can offer us: a sense of time, respect, reflection and care for things around us. On a very small scale, this happens within the bonsai culture. But it happens in many different ways, everywhere in the world. [ Continue reading ]
Since the 6th of June the beautiful exhibition 'Amsterdam! Ed van der Elsken, oude foto’s 1947-1970' is running in Het Stadsarchief Amsterdam, the museum attached to the Municipal Archive of Amsterdam. The exhibition coincides with the reprint of the book of the beautiful series which originally was published in 1979. At that time it was a powerful collaboration between the great and famous photographer and the just as great graphic designer Anthon Beeke, making it rather a classic made out of Dutch excellence, which over the last decades had been out of print and sought after. At the time of the original release, the two greats created a new kind of visual communication, which gained them a lot of praise, showing the city of Amsterdam in the course of those decades in all its diversity to a worldwide audience. [ Continue reading ]
The latest story by the always inspiring Jungles in Paris is once again of great beauty. It focusses on the the camel herders living in the largest Indian state by area, named Rajasthan, which translates to Land of Kingdoms. A large part of the state comprises of the Thar or Great Indian Desert, in which one still finds a significant group of people living of camel herding. The centre for these herders in terms of trade is the town named Pushkar and its fair which attracts herdsman from all over the desert. The images for this story were all taken in this town, located in the middle of the Rajasthan state and more importantly the Thar Desert, which explains why it attracts herdsman from all over, which prove to be the perfect subjects with their highly stylish appearance through colorful turbans and garments, beautiful accessories and faces showing the hardships of the desert. [ Continue reading ]
We really like the new collection and accompanying amazing lookbook of London designers Agi & Sam. The Autumn/Winter 2014 collection was named Watu Nguvu, the Swahili word for 'people power,' and the lookbook was shot by the never disappointing and regular Agi & Sam collaborator Luke Stephenson. The lookbook places Agi & Sam’s monochrome collection, showing a lot more maturity in its designs, in a odd eighties office environment, remembering of the BBC series, outfitted with the odd swivel chair and classic desktop computer. As ever with Luke’s photography, there is a playful element to the compositions, especially where the model is snacking on a snickers or acting as tech support making it one of our favorite outings of this season. [ Continue reading ]
Running only a couple more days in the Tokyo-based Taka Ishii Gallery: the beautiful exhibition named 'Love on the Left Eye' by 74-years old Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki. The exhibition, Araki’s twenty-first with Taka Ishii Gallery, consists of 65 prints which have been selected from the photographer’s most recent work. The title of the exhibition refers to possibly the most famous Dutch photographer Ed van der Elsken’s 1954 book 'Love on the Left Bank.' When Araki was around twenty years old, he saw 'Love on the Left Bank,' and from a continued inspiration he now took photographs of women in poses inspired by the work of van der Elsken. 'Love on the Left Eye' therefore can be seen as an homage to van der Elsken, but also shows a very personal side of the Japanese photographer. Since October of last year, Araki has been largely unable to see out of his right eye due to a retinal artery obstruction, which is reflected directly in the right side of the photographs which are blacked out with magic marker. [ Continue reading ]
Since the 80's Dutch photographer Ralf Mitsch has been fascinated by what lays behind the people who are heavily tattooed. What motivated them, what role do the tattoos play in their particular life or even their vision on the world? With his on-going series 'Why I Love Tattoos' the photographer has been asking these questions through his lens for many years, and last month the project resulted in the first printed publication. The book, which was released in May and will have its official launch on the 15th of June in the Amsterdam-based NAME Gallery, the spectator is offered a selection of subjects which Mitsch has had before his lens, to find out about the stories behind that Maori tribal design, traditional Japanese body tattoo or a collection of smaller tattoos totally filling one's arm or leg. The book contains more than 50 beautiful, full-page portraits of people from all over the globe who have visited the photographer's studio through the years. Each photographed tells a personal story of the hidden truth behind their tattoos, plus features a short interview by (heavily tattooed) author and journalist Henk van Straten, who's also one of the subjects featured in the book. [ Continue reading ]
We love this beautiful collaboration between German fine leather house TSATSAS and photographer Ramon Haindl, initiated by Aesthetics Habitat. The project is the latest endeavor from Aesthetics Habitat's motivation to stimulate independent creation of genuine content in cooperation with brands and creative visionaries. And this particular collaboration is even coming from a like-minded neighbourhood as both, photographer Ramon Haindl and fine leather craftsmen TSATSAS, live and work in Frankfurt am Main. Subtle structures and a high level of attention to the characteristics of surface invite you to observe the fundamental significance of skin without the disturbance of color. A sensitive ensemble of details and protagonists embracing a simply perfect product. Creative Direction on the project was done by our friends of Deutsche & Japaner, completing the line-up of creatives perfectly. [ Continue reading ]
'Cinci Lei' by Dutch photographer Joost Vandebrug follows the lives of a group of kids that inhabit the tunnels underneath the streets of Bucharest, oftenly referred to as the Lost Boys. Vandebrug has been documenting the Lost Boys since early 2011. Over the years he has become very close with many of them, learning their incredible stories. He saw the coming of age of a generation set against a backdrop of drug addiction, powerful friendships, orphanages, harsh winters and boiling summers. It started when Vandebrug gave Costel, one of the Lost Boys, a few pictures that he had shot of him the day before, and he then carefully invited him down to show where he lived. With no common language, photography became a way to communicate. 'Cinci Lei' has been the first official publication of the inspiring project by Vandebrug and was financed through Kickstarter. [ Continue reading ]
Launched in London in April 2011, IRÈNE was born out of the desire of three young women, Geneviève Eliard, Esthèle Girardet and Lucie Santamans, to revive some forgotten values of eroticism. Soon-after they moved back to Paris where they continued their adventure. IRÈNE explores elegant eroticism by following surrealistic references as well as popular icons or contemporary photography. Around erotic poems, texts, photographs and collages, IRÈNE leads the way on the land of an elegant, modern and feminine eroticism that was unloaded of any vulgarity. The process of creation of IRÈNE is based on an erotic poem deconstructed, then reconstructed as an exquisite corpse. Each word represents an idea developed with talent by international contributors. After the first issue, which was exclusively released online, IRÈNE also became available in a paper version. Now a days it is a multidisciplinary platform; a website, a blog and the organization of creative and sensual events for her admirers and contributors to join her erotic journey. Recently the beautiful issue #5 was released. [ Continue reading ]
We really like the latest by the Lisbon-based publisher Pierre von Kleist editions. The book named 'Japan Drug' by António Júlio Duarte features moody, grainy black and white photographs portraying urban Japan in a very anonymous and isolated fashion. The images were taken 17 years ago when the Portuguese photographer visited Japan all by himself. It was a time, with the insecurities evoked by the new millennium ahead becoming apparent, but above all a period in time in which both economical and technological perspectives seemed endless. Looking back a lot has changed over the years that have past, with sentiments all over the globe becoming more and more sombre. A sombreness which already speaks through the imagery of António Júlio Duarte as if the photographer then already felt that times wouldn't stay the same, and therefore the right time to share his images was right now. [ Continue reading ]
On the 10th of May the second solo exhibition of the greatly talented, and one of our favorites at this moment, photographic artist Adam Jeppesen opened at the Brussels-based Galerie van der Mieden. As with his earlier series 'The Flatlands Camp Project', the series named 'X' is also based on his journeys around the world, in which the Danish photographers takes the traditions of travel photography to new grounds. In his new series Jeppesen has worked with photogravure, wanting to explore the possibilities of further evolving this graphic side of his work. The motives in this series of photogravures stay completely anonymous, every context of place and time is stripped by the artist. Deserted landscapes that are neutral and empty, cold mountains and desserts, located somewhere between documentary and dream, which makes it possible for the viewer to create a personal imagination about the place. Jeppesen’s very private journeys become potentially universal. [ Continue reading ]
We are honored to give a little preview of a new Where They Create story by our friend Paul Barbera. It features the London office of creative agency Wieden+Kennedy, which shows a lot of character, but also the large size of one of the leading offices worldwide. The inspiring ongoing Where They Create series documents creative working spaces from all around the world through the lens of Paul. With Where They Create, the Australian photographer found a way to turn his inherent voyeurism into a form of anthropological research. Looking for absurd and hidden elements within the seemingly normal, Paul enters the studios of international creative people: artists, art directors, architects, designers, stylists and captures all the details of their personal stories and artistic processes. His curiosity, naturalness and good eye for interiors, together with his ability to transmit emotions and warmth make his project unique and constantly inspiring. From the need many creatives have to transform their offices into intimate spaces, almost like home, keeping things close to be able to create their workspace will almost alway show a lot of personality. Others could work anywhere, travelling with the bare essentials as Paul does, but everybody, even if for a while, leaves personal traces, aspects that don’t pass unnoticed, laying there to be caught by Paul. [ Continue reading ]
We love the amazing still life campaign featuring Linda Farrow's Spring/Summer 2014 icons, shot by the highly talented Belgian photographer Frederik Vercruysse in a collaboration with art direction studio Uber en Kosher. Vercruysse is most known for his minimalistic, but highly stylized photography and former collaborations with Filip Dujardin. For the seasonal pieces shot by Vercruysse, Linda Farrow draws inspiration from cosmetic pastels and a new-found love for the eclectic stylish Seventies, creating a diverse and adventurous exploration of fashion eyewear. The constant elements are the hyper-luxe materials including snakeskin and gold, superlative finish and fashion-forward shapes Linda Farrow has become renowned for. The campaign showcases the LFL306 model, crafted from yellow gold and ash snakeskin frame teamed with gold plated lens, and the LFL300, made out of rose gold and its amazing mocha snakeskin frame teamed with a rose gold lens. [ Continue reading ]
Luke Stephenson just started a Kickstarter campaign to publish his latest beautiful series in a collaboration with YES, who also designed 'An Incomplete Dictionary of Show Birds'. Named '99 x 99s', the series is a photographic project which documents the story of the 99 ice cream through a photographic road trip around the UK. In the summer of 2013, over 25 days and 3,500 miles, Stephenson travelled around the coastline of Great Britain. Going from place to place the photographer was fascinated by the human touches that make each 99 ice cream unique. In the series the seaside ice cream vans and parlours that sold the 99s are also portrayed and the myths which surround this very British icon are discussed, giving the project a significant anthropological dimension, next to Stephenson's excellent eye for finding beautiful aesthetics in unexpected places. [ Continue reading ]
Once again we are extremely pleased to give another beautiful preview of a story by one of our favorites on the internet: Jungles in Paris, curated by Darrell and Oliver Hartman. This particular story takes place in downtown Dakar, on a beach called the Plage de Fann, although most of the regulars there don't even really need to call it by name. End-of-day beach workout is a routine part of life for many fit young guys in the city, especially the students who go there after class at nearby Cheikh Anta Diop University. They have benches with weights made from old wheel rims, and permanent apparatuses for push-ups and pull-ups. All of it is very basic. Guys do push-ups in the sand, skip rope, help and compete with each other, and just generally hang out. Of course there is lots of soccer played as well, as there is all over Senegal. There's a little side area for prayer. This is a city where you can do this sort of thing year-round, given the climate, although it's often cooler and more comfortable towards end of day. Certainly a workout place unlike any other in the world! [ Continue reading ]
On the 8th of March the Rotterdam-based Nederlands Fotomuseum opened Viviane Sassen’s exceptional photographic project titled UMBRA. We have been a fan of Sassen's work for a long time now and love this particular collaboration with the Dutch museum. Especially for the Nederlands Fotomuseum, Sassen has made a new series of works that focus on the play of light and shadow, a very characteristic element that runs through all of her work. Sassen supplements this series with previously unseen images from her archives. UMBRA, which translates to 'shadow' in Latin, presents Sassen’s autonomous work in a kaleidoscopic exhibition in which shadow is often a metaphor for the human psyche. [ Continue reading ]
Pawel Bownik’s 'Disassembly', published by newcomer Mundin, is an artist’s book in which a photographic project has been brought to the form of a non-standard picture album. The main role here is played by flowers, which Bownik disassembles into parts using DIY tools and then reassembles in possibly unchanged form. For deconstruction purposes the photographer uses glues, adhesive tapes, ropes, precisely measuring the distances between the leaves, noting them in pencil on the leaves themselves and photographing them. The resulting images, informed by the still-life tradition, perfectly imitate and evoke that which has been subjected to a destructive process. Haunting the viewer with their deformed charm, they also create an uncomfortable sense of participating in a strange experiment. Beginning with the cover image and progressing through a series of collages and drawings, the book’s narrative culminates in the middle part and comes to a conclusion with a series of sketches evoking progressively the sense of being the witness of a highly aesthetic, but bizarre scientific experiment. [ Continue reading ]
