Sky Series

My last blog post had a black and white graphics style; these abstract photographs illustrate the full spectrum in the most glorious colours imaginable. As seen by New York based artist Eric Cahan’s breathtaking Sky Series of photographs taken at sunrise and sunset in NY and CA. I’ve selected from his online portfolio website a few pieces to showcase in portrait format, there’s also a horizontal and diptych/triptych series, but these verticals seem to allow enough space to draw the eye downwards in infinitely subtle colour variations. Sometimes revealing hints of land mass and seascape whilst remaining mysteriously familiar. Compositionally they are not about places and landmarks, but a sense of watchfulness, utilising real low lighting conditions, rather than flash lighting photography. The sky series is similar in an evocative sense to films Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, directed by Richard Linklater starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, as lovers, they trace a moment of time together forming and reforming discontinuous connections. These pictures abstractly enable the viewer to form emotional connections from feelings of graduating vagueness to intense richness of hue. Like the films in context, they could be tracing the lives of the two characters across two continents, possibly showing a doomed love affair that lingers and yet remains open-ended.

By way of repetition, the series captures a greater sense of renewal and change according to different factors such as the location, the classifying sunset and sunrise and the precise time. Acknowledged by the photographic titles. Graduating harmonies and colour contrasts are all subtlety variables. The series looks and feels surprisingly soft with disappearing horizons and colours that may at first appear to be symmetrically balanced. There’s a vivid cadmium yellow in one piece and a pale cobalt green sky with a soft curve of muted yellow in another.

Sunsets are at risk of looking like visual cliches with inclusions of silhouettes surfing and lovers strolling. These scenes are all too familiar and reminiscent of stock photography’s contrived poses. This quote by Eric Cahan clearly describes his creative endeavour: “My work is meant to capture a moment in nature, asking and empowering the viewer to be fully present, involved, and uplifted. I want the viewer to be drawn in, and be completely absorbed by, rather than separate from that fleeting moment in time.” These are more spiritually and visually engaging, all about colour nuances and the timing of natural light. The clouds not always, but sometimes dancing across the surface like a brush stroke adding textured marks as soft and sometimes as similar as a dramatic pause. 

Eric Cahan's Portflio http://ericcahan.com/

Steal Like An Artist

Austin Kleon’s new book titled Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told Me About The Creative Life looks like something for the desk rather than the bookshelf. The black and white graphic styling has free flowing textual information with handwritten visual presentations. Kleon’s illustrations have a talent to amuse and entertain, interplaying with the narrative style aptly with their honest hand drawn integrity. Interestingly the book was published after presenting a guest lecture to students at Broome Community College, upstate New York. The book is about everything with nothing new, really… it's sage wisdom and lists are useful learning methods for the designer’s consideration. This is a manual for students and professionals alike, as the funny thing is, that mistakes are made equally. Feedback and testing is a vital part of any design process especially considering the viral nature of the web.

The title of the book: Steal Like An Artist can be helpfully explained through the visual diversity of graphic styles, ranging from Saul Bass’ iconic inspired illustrations to cute though sometimes menacing Japanese graphics. These are just two styles out of many… that could complement each together. Though designers adding graphic styles to project pieces, should take note of Kleon’s advice: “Steal from many, not one!” As with other industries research is key, a designer needs to compare and contrast design genres. Below are some further quotes from the book.

You are the consumer. Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use - do the work you want to see done.

It’s the side projects that really take off. The stuff that you thought was just messing around. Stuff that’s just play. that’s actually the good stuff. That’s when the magic happens. Bounce between them. when you’re sick of one, switch to another.

Don’t worry about unity from piece to piece—what unifies all your work is the fact that you made it. One day, you’ll look back and it will all make sense.

The messages are simultaneously direct and poignant with visual presentation that is delightful.

Austin Kleon on 10 things Every Creator Should Remember But We Often Forget by Maria Popova

Shakespeare & Company

The legendary English-language bookstore Shakespeare & Company was relaunched in 1951 by George Whitman, he has continued the legacy of Sylvia Beach’s Shakespeare and Company bookstore originally established in 1921. The bookstore unlike any other housed a bed on the third floor, Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, and Pound were frequent visitors; until the store closed due to the war. George was an American in Paris who decided to stay on in Paris, rather than return to America at the end of WWII, and was happy to rejuvenate Shakespeare and Company. (And, in turn, rejuvenated himself after war service and living to the grand age of 98 years). Set in the Parisian creative quarter, perfectly situated in the heart of Paris on the Left Bank, opposite Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris. This bookstore is like no other! It’s a kind of sanctuary, George, like Sylvia Beach before, openly welcomes writers; aspiring writers and artists. George’s kindness and hospitality beckoned and attracted writers like William Burroughs and Henry Miller, Lawrence Durrell and Allen Ginsberg. For its history and generosity, it is undoubtedly the most famous bookstore in the world.

“When a bookstore opens its doors, the rest of the world enters, too, the day’s weather and the day’s news, the streams of customers, and of course the boxes of books and the many other worlds they contain—books of facts and truths, books newly written and those first read centuries before, books of great relevance and of absolute banality. Standing in the middle of this confluence, I can’t help but feel the possibility of the universe unfolding a little, once upon a time.”  The Yellow Lighted Bookshop (by Lewis Buzbee).

Shakespeare & Co is now managed by Sylvia Whitman, George Whitman's daughter.

Shakespeare & Co bookstore

Lindsey Yankey (signage) illustration

Photojourneyling: polaroids 

MAÎTRESSE blog

Made With Love

Olympia Le-Tan is a true artisan. She enjoys making these beautifully crafted clutches, based from tracings of the original book cover designs. They are about twenty per cent bigger than the original cover versions. The artwork is made using silk threads and a colourful mix of felts as a fill colour. The slight enlargement makes crafting the typographic elements a little more easy to produce; she perfects the art of hand embroidery with silk threads. Aided by a trusty assistant to help her keep up with this ever-growing enterprise, as pieces are seen modelled by celebrities in magazines, more orders are placed.

The inspirations for her pieces are based on the original iconic book covers, the works have a vintage feel to them, Dazed magazine sums them up as placing the aesthetic of literature in fashion. There’s also a cookbook range. I think she’s made the right design choices, best suiting the handcrafted medium. It’s perhaps a little ironic comparing today’s things seen on a computer interface to the aesthetics of Olympia Le-Tan’s handcrafted pieces, they just seem so much more appealing! The reinterpretation, colours and texture make these pieces come to life.

interview here

website

Dance Dance Dance

After reading an article in The Guardian, about the recent controversy involving the authenticity of Natalie Portman’s Black Swan’s dance performance from double Sarah Lane. A ballet dancer who didn’t receive any recognition or credit directly from Portman herself, who seemed to be thanking everyone in her Oscar speech without crediting Sarah Lane. Sarah now claims, “she said Portman’s face had been superimposed on to her body for the majority of shots.” The director states counting the shots that it’s eighty per cent Natalie Portman. Natalie very admirably stressed how hard it was to dance.

This got me thinking of other films such as James Bonds 007 that very typically uses stunt doubles and computer graphic effects to enhance the film's possibilities to marvellous effect (without killing off the lead, which is vital in the case of 007, as he never dies) pushing the medium forward. There is never any discredit to Connery, Moore or Craig the Bond actor playing this role. It’s a pity that there’s a shadow of doubt on Natalie’s performance. And, this is why I enjoyed the performance of master cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Lil Buck, so much more.

The filming entitled The Dying Swan is a very simple affair, but the collaboration of talent reaches new heights. Filmed outdoors suits the street dancers’ domain, also it suits Yo-Yo Ma, who did a filmed recording outdoors for Joe Wright’s film The Soloist. Alas, the sound quality is not perfect, due to background audience sounds, trying to hold their baited breath in awe. What a beautiful live creative performance merging the cellist solo musician with an LA/Memphis street dancer.  Presented by none other than the inspirational Spike Jonze. The occasion: To bring the arts back into schools—simply amazing. At the end of the film, Yo-Yo Ma says to Lil Buck, “Natalie Portman would be proud!”


references:
Natalie Portman on the set of Black Swan. Photo: Ray Lewis
Costumes were designed by Mulleavy sisters
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/apr/18/natalie-portman-black-swan-double
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/natalie-portmans-dance-double-speaks-blackswan-hollywood-13377710
M.I.A. Paper Planes Lil Buck Memphis Jookin‬ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXbXQLv2xqU
Yo-Yo Ma plays the prelude from Bach´s Cello Suite No. 1‬
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZn_VBgkPNY

Amigurumi

“The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings or inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features.”

These have become very collectable since 2003 on sites like Esty, they have no practical use and are created for aesthetic reasons. The most interesting Amigurumi creations are about looking closer at natural forms, rather than duplicates of known characters. The individuality in the making of… is key; they’re not super cute per se. It’s more about the playful sense of design characterization, and the most collectable are perfectly executed. The crochet is made up of using odd bits of yarns, sequins and buttons. Each creation is individually handcrafted. They are used like greeting cards to lift the spirits. Online you can download patterns, helping you to start creating your own patterns and designs. I like the way that Chity Soy Yo’s Amigurumi toy designs have travelled, adding to the charm and mystery that is made up of different places and situations with these little things.

http://www.behance.net/chitysoyyo/frame/1082657

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amigurumi