I loved your work in the film ‘Melancholia,’ which I just got around to seeing last week. While your acting was quite amazing, the thing that struck me most about the film was its opening sequence. The first eight minutes of the film are so beautiful and enthralling they could stand alone as a short film.
The imagery in these opening scenes will probably seem familiar to anyone who has seen the work of Gregory Crewdson, a photographer who specializes in dramatically lit, color-rich, surreal images. I didn’t really make the connection until a friend of mine (who has an incredible memory for artists’ names, which I totally don’t) mentioned how evocative the cinematography was of the photographer’s work. To my knowledge, Crewdson was not actually involved in the making of this film. However, his influence is quite evident in the work of cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro. You can see the aesthetic connection below in this collection of some of my favorite Crewdson photographs.
I’ve always loved Crewdson’s images so it was exciting when the film (and my artist dictionary friend) reminded me of their existence. A fun fact about myself is that I spent four years of my life studying photography in college. Whenever I see things like ‘Melancholia,’ I’m inspired to make photographs again. Someday…
Like many teenage girls in Japan, I love all things graphic, bright, and cartoony. Yesterday, I went on a crazy shopping spree at Target and was reminded how much I like cartoon-inspired objects. In particular, I was struck by a mug in the shape of a whale (which happened to be in my favorite color aqua). It titillated me because I find it both revolting and completely necessary. At first I thought it was too cheesy and disgusting to buy, but then I thought to myself that if I saw it at Cerealart, I’d totally want it. This mug cost me $3.99 and it was worth every penny. I liked it so much I bought one for myself and one for a new friend (who threw it in the garbage as soon as I left her apartment. Probably). Can you imagine not being filled with joy whilst drinking from this ridiculous mug?
Target has some other weird/cute stuff right now, including this cookie jar. That mama elephant looks like she’s about to eat her baby.
I’m a fan of Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara, which probably explains why I like these weird, subversive cartoony objects so much. In fact, I have both these Nara pieces in my apartment:
Cute Clock.
Cute puppy in a teacup.
If you aren’t familiar with Cerealart, you should check them out. They sell all sorts of glamourous artist editions and a ton of fun objects (including those below) made by artists whose actual work is too expensive for, like, anyone to afford.
You were one of my favorite Art History professors at Cornell. Mainly because until I took your class, all the art history I’d studied consisted of staring at Greek vases and memorizing their date and place of origin. Art history, while fascinating and necessary, can be totally boring. How many flashcards can one look at before he goes totally berserk? I have fond memories of taking Art History 360: FDR to Reagan, where we got to study modern art. One key figure in this movement was an abstract expressionist named Helen Frankenthaler, who passed away yesterday. She made huge, gorgeous paintings, influenced by other abstract artists of the time including Jackson Pollock. Most people who aren’t part of the art community have no idea how dominated it is by straight men (shocker: it’s way less gay than you’d expect). Thus, she was kind of a trailblazer even though she never considered herself a feminist. In fact, she said this:
“For me, being a ‘lady painter’ was never an issue. I don’t resent being a female painter. I don’t exploit it. I paint.” (Source)
In my humble opinion, there is nothing more glamourous than photographs of artists in their studios.
Here are some images of her beautiful work.
More gorgeous vintage photographs of Frankenthaler in her studio.
Painting with her feet! Go girl.
This makes me want to make a huge painting. Lovely.
Thanks for all the beauty you created, Helen Frankenthaler. I’m certainly thankful for your work!
The other day I was just wandering around New York when I came upon the Guggenheim Museum (which I like to call “The Gugg,” pronounced “goog”) and decided to head on inside and check out the Maurizio Cattelan exhibit I’ve been dying to see since I heard it existed. Cattelan is an artist who works mainly in sculpture, making totally weird, exciting, and disturbing pieces ranging from stuffed dogs to naked ladies popping out of the wall. His show at the Gugg was a huge retrospective and, like, kind of a big deal (meaning there were 5 million people there to see it). I am a huge fan of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building which houses the Gugg, but I’ve seen so many dull exhibits there that I was excited to see something to fresh on display.
I went in the afternoon, just as the golden sunset cast pretty shadows all over the exterior of the beautiful building.
All the installation shots I took look totally overwhelming and crazy. The reason is that the exhibit itself was chaotic and insane. The huge hanging collection of sculptures (rising through the entirety of the museum’s central atrium) was so full that it was difficult to concentrate on any one piece for too long. This was sort of the point I guess, as the collective sculptures became one huge installation piece. The visual cacophony was only exacerbated by the fact that the Gugg (and every other New York museum) is always overcrowded with visitors, screeching in their high-pitched tourist voices. I know it sounds like I’m complaining, but actually I think this added to the piece, making it even more chaotic and overwhelming.
Here are few of Cattelan’s previous works, all of which were incorporated into the piece at the Gugg.
That evening, I was staying with my friends Misako and Doug on the Upper West Side. Misako and I walked home from the museum through Central Park. It’s a pretty spectacular park, and the quiet sunset was the perfect comedown from the crazy (and wonderful) Cattelan exhibit.
Thanks for bringing Christmas early this year. You brought Emily and I the raddest clients ever and then one of those clients brought my attention to an amazing artist I didn’t know about. His name is David Benjamin Sherry and he makes photographs that represent the world as I see it (where everything is a highly saturated candy color, nature is king, and glamour is everywhere).
The moment I knew I loved our new New York clients was when we walked into their living room and saw this:
I grew up in Yosemite, so I love seeing images of my homeland. But most of them are so cheesy and lame, so it’s cool to see that someone did something powerful and atmospheric with this valley image instead of the traditional Kodak colors. Many postcard photos of Yosemite feature sickeningly green trees, but none use color as intentionally as this piece:
David also photographs sculptural objects, making them into abstract still lifes.
I want to dive into this aqua and live in it forever and ever.
This is how I felt when I got off my red-eye on the way to New York.
Another sculptural piece. Kind of like Kiki Smith minus the ick factor.
I love this guy. Such a pretty, powerful image, but also totally gross.
I’m attracted to pretty sparkly things, so sue me!
One of David’s series features him incorporated into the landscape in full body paint. I think this is just lovely.
Get me to that candy forest!
Another beautiful nature photograph, taken to another level with the use of sinister blood-red tinting.
Again, I’m a sucker for aqua. Pretty.
In conclusion, Santa, I’ll take one print each of these photographs. Their color sensibility is inspiring and exciting. Just like you!
My friend and fellow designer Matthew Lanphier commissioned me to make you for one of his clients recently, and here are the results.
I have been painting waves since graduate school, but none have had this crazy sense of movement and noise. Here is a view of the painting hanging in my dining room.
I have to admit, I kind of you want to keep you in my apartment, Painting, and never let you go. I’ll miss you, but I am comforted that you will be loved in your new home in Chicago…
Love,
Orlando
PS: I can’t stand the DISGUSTING color of my walls. They definitely need to be painted soon…
I tried to see your exhibit California Song on its opening night, but it was so swamped with glamourmodels and celebs like Kirsten Dunst that I couldn’t even get in the building. Thus, I’ve been dying to feast my eyes on it since I heard it was coming to MOCA PDC. I visited the exhibit Saturday and I must say it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen in my whole stupid life.
Here is the banner on the outside of MOCA PDC (sidenote: am I the only one who thinks the Pacific Design Center is the most amazing, 90z ‘Saved By The Bell’ building in the whole world?).
While California Song was the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life, the first section of it was the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. There were some major issues with the first floor gallery. I found the installation completely disappointing. Here are these absolutely stunning, gorgeous images, glued to dumb plywood and placed only at heights (too high or too low) where any intimacy with them was entirely impossible. It looked like something a first-semester architecture student would put together to showcase his final project. And the mirrors at waist-height? Who cares?!? I don’t want to stare at my own crotch I want to stare at you photographs! I would have preferred to see four photographs, simply framed, just hanging on the wall. The installation completely distracted from the power of the images.
As you know, I completely love your images, Hedi, so seeing them displayed in this studenty manner felt like a complete desecration.
The good news is that the exhibit redeems itself 500% once you reach the gallery on the second floor. It features a giant cube with rotating images on three sides, surrounded by a complex and beautiful speaker situation.
The speaker system plays sound installations by Ariel Pink and No Age. It’s basically just entrancing music that sets a mellow mood, causing you to get lost in these gorgeous, large scale projections. The soundtrack allows you to enter wholeheartedly into HediWorld, a place where everything is beautiful, interesting, edgy, soulful, and sensuous.
I love the Gore Vidal portraits. I also loved standing where I could see two sides of the cube at once, seeing how the meaning of the images changed when they were juxtaposed against one another.
Just for good measure, and because I love them so hard, I have included two Hedi video treats (unrelated to the exhibit):
In conclusion, Mr. Slimane, your exhibit is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life and it actually brought me to tears because it was so awesome. If scientists ever figure out how to make it possible for me to enter into an alternate universe, I’ll choose HediWorld for sure.
Dear LA Street Artists/Sticker Enthusiasts,
For some reason there’s tons of street art all over Los Angeles and I always find it a delightful surprise to come across a new piece. Recently, I saw this piece across the street from my (soon to be adorable) apartment:
Love,
Orlando
Thanks for hosting that glamorous auction/sale at LDC Home the other night. It was an honor to have my paintings shown alongside all the beautiful works selected for the exhibition. The night was filled with snobby designers, gay hotties, and a luxurious supply of appetizers and cocktails. Here are some of the things I saw:
This installation of great antique pieces by Adam Straus served as the entry to the event.
Who doesn’t love horse art?
This collection of small drawings was by far my favorite piece in the show. I found out later it was done by my friend Johnny. I think I’m going to buy one or two of these. They are filled with so much love, tenderness, and humor (kind of like me).
This photo/chandelier moment was too ridiculous to pass up.
I liked this artist a lot, but most of his work was too NSFW to post on this site, which I like to imagine is being read as bedtime stories to little tykes everywhere.
And here are a few of my contributions (I forgot to get installation pics).
It was a glamourous night, filled with some of my favorite people in Los Angeles. The evening raised thousands for HRC and served as a great get together for the LA design community. Fun.
