DESPAIRED BEAUTY

Bamako born photographer Mohamed Camara (b. 1985) With Mali's public landscapes and private interiors often being the backdrop, desperation, hope, and despair are some of the re-occurring themes explored throughout Camara's work. The fear of his first digital camera being stolen as a teenager became the inspiration for Camara to begin taking his photographs indoors. Making the distinct reference to loose or bound pieces of fabric, he is able to successfully blur the lines between public and private spaces. His photographs have been featured in collections throughout Bamako, Mali, the Galerie Pierre Brullé in Paris, Zuiderpershuis in Belgium, and the Tate Modern in London. TITLE: Certains Martins/Certain Mornings & Chambres Maliennes/Malian Rooms (2002,2005) PHOTOGRAPHER: Mohamed Camara MEDIUM: Photography SET: Bamako, Mali COSTUME/PROPS: Nature/Fabric/Interiors NOTED ELEMENTS: Stillness/Muted/Mood/Repetition/Illumination/Pastels/Narrative/Space/ Rawness/Contrast/Light on Dark/Rooms/Manipulation/Asymmetry/Role Playing/Despair/Ritual/Interiors/Proportion/Hands/Memory/Texture/Intimacy/Psyche

RHYTHMIC CLOTH

Fokus by Anna Danielsson, 2001

Swedish textile designer, Anna Danielsson draws inspiration from nature, architecture, collectible items such as African masks and the tattoos of indigenous cultures. Her works have been included in Marimekko's interior design collection since 2001.

Marimekko is a Finnis based print and design company mostly known for its bold patterns first on the scene in the 1950's. Featuring over sized organic prints on loosely structured clothing that give its wearer a generous amount of freedom to move.

Anna envisions her designs in unexpected public spaces in the future, where they can interact naturally with both the observer and the environment.

"A fabric’s effect on its surroundings fascinates me. I try to give each pattern a life of its own: temperament, temperature and rhythm."
- Anna Danielsson


TITLE: Fokus Pattern (2001)
DESIGNER: Anna Danielsson
MEDIUM: Textiles
SET: Design Studio
MATERIALS: Cotton Fabric/Paint
NOTED ELEMENTS: Rhythm/Repetition/Spirals/Indigo/Blues/White/Co-centric Circles/Trompe Loeil/Segmentation/Light on Dark/Geometric Patterns/After Effect/Dyed Cloth

DANCING IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL...ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC PLACES.

Amidst the tragedy and sadness in Haiti, hope this one at least leaves you smiling....

I had the opportunity of working with acclaimed choreographer Noemie Lafrance in Agora II as a dancer a few years back.

Here is Noemie's award winning collaboration with Canadian singer/songwriter, Feist on her video for the song, 1234. Directed by Patrick Daughters (Yeah Yeah Yeah's Maps, Depeche Mode's Wrong, and Beck's Nausea). Apple used the song and video to debut the release of the new iPod nano in a commercial. MAD TV later went unto make their own version of the video - which isn't posted here but feel free to look it up.

Noemie Lafrance also choreographed Feist's video for My Moon, My Man. Which takes place on a moving walkway in the interior of an airport.

Cheers Noemie & congrats on the beautiful baby boy!!!


TITLE: 1234 (2007)
MUSICIAN: Feist
DIRECTOR: Patrick Daughters
CHOREOGRAPHER: Noemie Lafrance
MEDIUM: Music/Video/Dance
SET: Warehouse Space
COSTUME/PROPS: Warm Tones
NOTED ELEMENTS: Site-Specific Choreography/Humor/Bright Colors/Group Dancing/Partnering/Gestures/Lifts/Spinning/Repetition/Falling/Lines/Circles/Sequences and Sequins

PERFOMING ARTISTS RESIDENCY AT EARTHDANCE

I have been away at Artward Bound, a performing artists residency at Earthdance in the Berkshires mountains of Massachusetts. I will be back shortly and will return to blogging soon...Stay tuned. Xo, S

A DANCE FILM BY YOJHI YAMAMOTO

I have always admired Japanese fashion designer Yojhi Yamamoto for his vision, concept, and master ability to invent clothing that is just as thought provoking as it is wearable. Yojhi has been inspired by dance and movement for a long time as he collaborated with the legendary German choreographer and dancer, Pina Bausch for her company's 25th anniversary. So much that he even dedicated the inspiration of his entire collection to Pina Bausch in 1990.

This is a film from Yojhi's 2nd auxillary line, Coming Soon, after Y-3, a collaboration with Adidas. Max Vudukul is the director, photographer, and the vision behind the film-making. Max has always been fascinated by the forces of traction, movement, and the relationship to the human body. He collaborated with London based choreographers Ben Ash and Rachel Lopez De La Nieta on this project. The duet is performed by dancers, Robin Dingemans and Laura Wheatley.

Coming Soon explores a new philosophy through movement each season in different cities through out the world. Collaborators of their dance films from other seasons include acclaimed stylist, Nicoletta Santoro, who I got the privilege to work with when I was a design intern at Donna Karan.


images/video courtes of Coming Soon

"COMING SOON is a brand created for a generation of women and men who wear what they like without stating who designed it. Wearing Coming Soon is an act to express who you are through the essence of clothing, fabric, and cut for everyday comfort and style. "

TITLE: COMING SOON Fall-Winter 2008
DESIGNER: Yohji Mamamoto
DIRECTOR: Max Vudukul
CHOREOGRAPHERS: Ben Ash/Rachel Lopez De La Nieta
MEDIUM: Film/Dance/Fashion/Fabric
SET: London/Outdoor Set
COSTUME/PROPS: Coming Soon Clothing/Fiber/Fabric
NOTED ELEMENTS: Traction/Torsion/Fiber/Fabric/Partnering/Leaps/Jumps/Running/Duet/Spinning/Comfort/Effortless/Wearable/Second Skin/Fashion/Force

NEGATIVE SPACE

The Red Series by Christian Vogt, 1979

Swiss Artist and Photographer, Christian Vogt (b. 1946) (trained at the Basel Design School).
Christian's work spans the worlds of Advertising, Editorial, and Experimental Work including subjects in architecture, still life, nature, portraits, and erotic nudes. Christian's intention was to challenge the popular accepted notions of 'glamour' in photography. He was also interested in implied reflections, the 'picture within a picture'. The relationship between what was shown and what was left out.

Our blog logo is a portrait from the series, "12 Nudes"(1981). Tres, tres elegant. Thank you Christian.

"how, when and what comes together - this interests me, in photography, as well as in life..." - Christian Vogt


TITLE: The Red Series (1979)
PHOTOGRAPHER: Christian Vogt
MEDIUM: Photography
SET: Photo Studio
COSTUME/PROPS: Skin/Red Frabric/Cloth
NOTED ELEMENTS: Reflection/Illusion/Nude/Erotic/Red/Grey Walls/Charcoal/Skin/Negative Space/Folds/Cropped/Segments/Magic/Flight/Interpretation/Frame/Window/Partial View/Assumption/Implied/Cover Up

CAFE MULLER - DANCE IN FILM

In one of her interviews, Pina Bausch mentioned that she always wanted to dance more. That was the original intention in her beginning to create work. But she rarely danced, she was always choreographing. An exception was her performance in Cafe Muller, also featured in Spanish filmmaker, Pedro Almodovar's classic, Talk To Her. The film opens and closes with Pina Bausch's choreography. I have truly come to love Almodovar as a cinematic choreographer and the use of movement in constructing the framework of his films. The order of the scenes, the story, how it's told, how the characters tell it, the cinematography. As a filmmaker, Almodover has a talented ability to draw you into the setting and somehow you are right there with the characters, feeling their every emotion - guilt, pains, joy, frustrations, and laughter. The subtle hint of similaritities in the form of Almodover and Pina Bausch's work is the ultimate beauty of this film.

Below is the trailer for Talk to Her followed by a clip from the film's opening scene featuring Pina's rare dancing moment. Enjoy!







TITLE: Cafe Muller (1978), Talk to Her (2002)
CHOREOGRAPHER: Pina Bausch
FILMMAKER: Pedro Almodovar
MEDIUM: Dance/Film
SCORE: Henry Purcell - When I am Laid in Earth
SET: Cafe/Chairs/Wall/Concrete Floor
COSTUME: Woman's Slip/White Gown/Man's Suit
NOTED ELEMENTS: Chairs/Desks/Mirror/Tables/Old Slip/White Gown/Hair/Sadness/Weight/Collapse/Walking/Psychopathy/Psych Ward/Sleep Walking/Gestures/Childhood/Dreams/Memory