Eyestorm

Eyestorm is not only a catchy name, no – it is the name of a noteworthy website too.

As the name suggests it’s a site where your eyes will most probably be temporarily overwhelmed since there is an abundance of unique, contemporary art works to discover. On top of that, it is a great source of inspiration for every (aspiring) visual artist out there. What makes it even more interesting is that you can actually purchase those art works. So that you can first order them online, then decorate your own four walls and finally show them off to your friends by telling them (only en passant, of course!) that they are ’so not from IKEA’. Not even to mention what a great gift one of these art pieces would make.

However, the prices are rather not so ‘ikea-like’, after all. They usually range from £100 to £13000, which is more or less reasonable for the majority of the works you find. I guess there is something for everyone’s taste. Anyway, enough babble! Click here and have a look, if you haven’t already.

Dan Baldwin’s “The Future Frontline Renegades of Dead London” (2009)

Filed under: Eye Candy, Latest Thingy, Painting, Photography , art, Eyestorm, Gift Idea

Blindness

Here a little anecdote:

When I was a child I used to be terrified of blindness. I spend many sleepless nights in my small bed enveloped in the threatening darkness of the night, trying my best not to fall asleep. I simply believed that one day I would wake up blind, forever trapped in a thick, dark something.

The day I was told I had to start wearing glasses, I consistently refused to wear them as I was convinced that I was going blind and thus had to die – at once. Therefore, wearing glasses would have been absolutely futile, right? A typical reaction of a scared child, if you ask me.

Today, I see it quite differently. I’m faithfully wearing my glasses (or my contact lenses). Blindness still is a disability which slightly scares me, though. On the other hand, it is a strong handicap which is on my mind often and greatly fascinates me. Today, I know that blindness doesn’t necessarily equal total darkness.  Today, I know that blindness doesn’t equal the end of creativity, the end of  joy, the end of life. And I decided to share some photos with you. Taken by blind people, of course. People who don’t perceive the world the same way as most of us do and yet have the courage to hold a camera. I deliberately use the word ‘courage’ here, since taking beautiful, high-quality photos has to be challenging and time-consuming. Always. For everyone. Blind people have to rely on all their other senses to take those pictures, which makes their works incredibly beautiful and special. See for yourself.

If you want to see some more, click here. It’s definitely worth a look.

Filed under: Eye Candy, Mindless Drivel, Photography , blindness, Photography

I didn’t agree to this

(via Sad Autumn)

Filed under: Film, Latest Thingy , Domestic Violence, Joe Wright, Keira Knightley

Yummy!

Talking of Hedi Slimane, here is a Dior commercial I actually discovered on Art + Commerce which – by the way – is a recommendable website for photography freaks.

The fashion model in the commercial is the drop-dead gorgeous Jamie Dornan who is, among other things,  known for making an appearance in Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette.

(As far as I know the song in the background is called “For Lovers” sung by Wolfman feat. Pete Doherty)

Filed under: Eye Candy, Fashion, Film , Dior Homme, Hedi Slimane, Jamie Dornan

Richard Avedon

On 1st October, 2004 one of the leading mid-20th-century photographers – especially known for his brilliant imagery – died at the age of 81. The admirable man I am talking about is the New Yorker Richard Avedon. If you haven’t heard his name before, it’s time to get to know him, as you have certainly seen some of his most popular works somewhere.

Andy Warhol, The Beatles, W.H. Auden, Cate Blanchett and Tony Blair are only a few of the world’s celebrities who had the great honour to stand in front of Avedon’s sacred camera. However, he was also known for his appealing fashion photography and his stark photo journalism. In addition, he had a perfect insight into his subjects’ personalities which is clearly mirrored in his photos. In the late 1940’s he cast a new light onto fashion photography by letting his models show their emotions and giving them soul, which did not conform to the standard techniques of that time.

I greatly regret not having found the time to go to the National Portrait Gallery in Britain’s vibrant capital London last time I was there. And now that I was told that they have a small number of Richard Avedon’s portraits in their permanent collection, I regret it even more. Well, I’ll go next time then!

And if you’re luckier than me and have the possibility to travel to New York (sigh), I have one last tip for you: From the 15th May to the 6th September the folks at the International Center of Photography will exhibit over 200 inspirational fashion photographs by Richard Avedon. Another exhibition which should not be missed, if possible.

UPDATE: Just found out that the exhibition ‘Avedon Photography 1946-2004′ is still at the Foam Fotografiemuseum in Amsterdam until 13th May, which is a tad more practical for Europeans like me.

“A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact but an opinion. There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.”

- Richard Avedon

Filed under: Exhibitions, Eye Candy, Fashion, Photography , Amsterdam, Foam Fotografiemuseum, International Center of Photography, London, National Portrait Gallery, New York, Richard Avedon

Between Earth and Heaven: The Landscapes

If you are as artsy-fartsy as I am and you are interested in seeing paintings by a certain someone who cut his ear off called Vincent Van Gogh, I  warmly recommend the following to you:

From the 26th April to the 27th September, 2009 the Kunstmuseum Basel will exhibition 70 landscape paintings by the infamous Dutch post-impressionist artist. Some of the paintings are world-known, others have never been revealed to the general public before, which makes it all the more interesting. Along with Van Gogh’s works, 40 paintings by contemporaries like Gauguin, Cézanne and Pissarro will be presented. Additionally, the exhibition is said to be “the most important European art event in 2009″. To sum it all up: Don’t miss this!

Filed under: Events, Exhibitions, Eye Candy, Latest Thingy, Painting , art, visual arts

Hedi Slimane

If there was someone I would love to work with one sweet day, it would, undoubtedly, be Hedi Slimane.

The 40-year-old Tunisian-French couturier did not only work for world-renowned luxury fashion houses like Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, he also has a brilliant eye for photography. And if you combine  the rebellious rock’n’roll attitude with the fashion empire, spice it up with Slimane’s creative and constructive talent, you get some stupendous shots.

Some of  his trademarks are  black & white pictures , the obvious devotion to the rock’n'roll lifestlye and, particularly, his noticeable close-ups, which surely leave a deep impression on the viewer. However, he occasionally presents some Still Life photographs of man-made objects and a few colour photos.

Therefore, I advise every ’sex, drugs & rock’n'roll’ aficionado to have a close look at Hedi Slimane’s interesting work here (or here).

“Elegance is a progressive concept.” – Hedi Slimane

Filed under: Eye Candy, Photography