two asian things

two images that define monday and tuesday by spuring me into video exchanges with a pc. in each case the pictures expose how slamming asian cultures into western visual architecture (alain renais style french cinema modernism and a sardonic late 70's disillusioned disco-protohipster album cover) can be moderately exciting.

1. the first turning into a video that prada paid " "avant-garde" " - their quotes initially - video artist yang fudong five million grains of rice and a $35 gift card for to make them look great.  the idea was that this year is somehow supposed to be a lucky for the company according to the chinese calender.



2. kimono themed album cover for something that has nothing to do with kimonos, japan, - or earth.  this is "the number 1 song all over heaven".

my visual weekend - thursday friday

 work was about finding paintings of english horses and fox hunts for the new Nanette Lepore website magazine page.  Lots of red and rich girls.

so the first and third were by george stubbs.  this next image took me in two devastating directions. it was the leopard.

this eventually reminded me of the sensational victorian suicidal mammals of walton ford.

the tiger gets revenge

the second was to cats, reclining nudes, and corot. which eventually just became corot and then just nudes.

juco for the moment

today was about my budding potential affair with the young photography team.  Flirting dangerously with seriousness, JUCO somehow manage to avoid annoying their rambunctious, mythological side.

juco - making it hot to like elves again. frodo had slaves.  

other juco work is strikingly reminiscent of the recent art basel phenom, and purveyor of the spectacularly right on, alex prager. 

both share that retro 70esque coloring and minimalist suburban spaces and interiors as well as casting heightened attention to women in the throws of mediocre middle class malaise. when form and content begin to emerge in the works of multiple artists simulataneously it used to mean that a new movement may be under way.  now, it could just mean they don't have to travel anywhere or even buy a magazine to copy someone else's vibe. hopefully i'm wrong about that.

 

these two small ones are alex prager

the violent and the sexual tuesday

im not sure what the intentions are in contemporary fashion photography, but these three photo editorials struck me as the most demanding and powerful - perhaps for all the wrong reasons / perhaps that what makes it oh so right.  my aunt told me at dinner last night that an you should always revisit an image or a look that immediately repulses you.  here you may find that long sought after cutting edge.  thus, rape, fascistic sexual domination, forced oral sex, violently cropped chests, and sweaty feeble arms combine to form the most problematic and glamorous visions of the day.

steven klein - coming up with the most fantastic image of the day. his series for vogue italia follows

marcus gaab for ten. sweaty, slippery, and improper... no?          jessica craig martin is not thinking about mess, blood, pedophilia, and oral sexlola (here)