KITSCH OR ART

That's the question about Odd Nerdrum's work. 

His name tell us what kind of images he likes : ODD

Actually he himself says that his work should be understood as kitsch, but we cannot avoid thinking is art, and why it shouldn't be? We have many different kinds of expression that always culminates on people's mouths as "art". I also believe that all kind of expression of creativity is indeed art. And there's no better way to catch my attention than expressing dreams. And that is what Nerdrum's work tells me. I first got to know his work through the movie The Cell:

 
And then I saw the paintings..dark, twisted but still marvelous. Awkward and fearful face expression with weird body positions.
I think the best things in his work is "a conflicted preoccupation with origins and personal identity", as Richard Vine said. That reflects on his work and gives us new worlds to dream of.

It's ironic how he can portray images with apparently no emotion and still have this heavy energy around it. "He offers a stripped away view of life and reality".

I don't know why, but i relate his aesthetic with Dali's and maybe that is why i feel interested by his work.

Salvador Dalì

IF SUNDAY MORNING FUCKED WEDNESDAYS COUSIN...WHAT?

What?? hahahaha This title is great, I must say! Great shooting, loved the make up idea and the girl is showing everyone that you can be grungy and still party all night. Great looks! Styled by Olivia Crouppen, an L.A. stylist.

And I must say that i see a huge trend coming up: bright color lips, not the usual ones, but blue, yellow, green, dark violet etc...

In this cold times we need fun, color to shake off the boring gray. 

Here is another shooting with the same lip color party trend. Also the same kind of vibration as the first one, party, lightness of being, freedom. I feel the winter makes you feel caged in big coats and layers and just want to take everything off and have some color! This one styled by Debora Torres. Love Make up too made by Katie Wilton.

Cheers!

LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR

People don't realize how difficult it is to do photos in Black & White, they carry drama and profound meanings. If misused can wash off the beauty and could get boring. B&W gives poetry to the image. Intensity.

I want to celebrate here my fellow Stylist, Diana Matzik, and photographer, Vincenzo Aiello, they did an amazing shooting about "Silence". The whiteness take over the image and makes you feel almost like drowning in deep light.

That reminds me also of another amazing story about the world of complete blank,  Josè Saramago's " Blindness". An amazing book, one of my favourites, it's value lies in sensory perseption. Uses all five senses to make you sink into the story and feel part of it, almost afraid of losing your sight and being blind, only seeing white.

One of the things that I like about it is few details that make the story stronger, like the fact that Saramago doesn't give anyone a Name, only adjectives. Also the fact that he doesn't put so many full stops (or periods) in the book which creates huge paragraphs, and make you read more and more. He doesn't put a precise date, year, place.

Obviously a movie was made about the book, I actually liked it, but we know that could never be so powerful as the book. here is the trailer for the movie:

SALVADOR SAVED ME

This post is dedicated to him, he brought me to light, to artistic understanding and appreciation. Love towards creation. These are a few pictures that I took in a little museum in Paris, they are works not very known by everyone but are still amazing. His ability always impresses me, the quality of the stroke, little perfect details, only with incredible skills someone can interpret something so ephemeral as dreams.

ps: Talking about representing dreams... there is a brand new music video from 30 Seconds to Mars called "Hurricane" that to me is a really good interpretation of what happens in a dream, slow motion running, same people appearing in different places, things that at first don't make any sense.

FASHION WITH FLORIAN

Florian Hess is a great photographer that I had the pleasure to meet and work with, I other than our amazing shoot he has some really cool works. My favorite is " Von Menschenhand - Kapitel II", photos that open our eyes for new interesting points of view, searching for the none obvious shots and shooting from up above we can see the designs that we create with building, landscapes, etc...

In his work he remember Ansel Adams, “A good photograph is knowing where to stand”. 

Here are some other photos and a link for an interview he did for "Der Greif" Photo magazine.

Cheers!

IDEAS I LIKE

Opening your mind to create new projects - even if its just hypothetical - in a place where is almost impossible to change an iconic image. Who ever thought about changing Coca cola bottle? Just this guy, Andrew Kim, because everyone knows that some big companies don't change their product image, even if could be very refreshing and still carry the same "image power" as ever. Who ever thought about changing Mc Donald's logo? ... You see what i mean...

Love it! Spotted by Dieline and TrendLand

"...ANCHE TU QUANDO ERI GALLETTO FACEVI CÓCOROCÓ.."

A big inspiration for me and a great movie (for those who like more unusual films), one of my favorites, no logical plot. Does anyone knows what movie it is? 
Weirdly fantastic and so realistic at the same time. Genius...

 

 

It's Epic