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VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2
JUNE + JULY 2013
publisher DANTE COLOMBATTI
contributing editors RAUL GUERRERO ERIN DENNISON ANNIKA VOGT RACHEL MANY
contributors VIJA HODOSY KACY EMMETT MATTHEW ISMAEL RUIZ REBECA ARANGO RACHEL MASOCOL RAUN LAROSE
photography RICKETT & SONES MATTHEW PANDOLFE GRANT YOSHINO CONAN THAI KARA KOCHALKO MONET LUCKI TYLER SHIELDS EDWARD CUSHENBERRY
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14
MUSIC artist BIG BLACK DELTA playlist A GOOD DISGUISE
STYLE 16 20
36 44 52 56
&
ART STREET ART ART EVENTS artist MATTHEW CRAVEN artist GUNO PARK artist PIERRE LE HORS
editorial DECISIONS WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES designer HENTSCH MAN store GRAYMARKET q&a FERRIS
24 26 28 34 78
essay PROS AND CONNOTATIONS photo editorial SUSPENSE photo editorial EVERYTHING HERE IS GOOD bar APOTHEKE
48 60 68 76
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out of this
WORLD DIVING INTO THE HEAVY, FAR-OUT SYNTH-POP OF BIG BLACK DELTA
I
f American pop music had an evil twin, it would sound a lot like Big Black Delta. Listen, and you’ll sense a twisted familiarity, an irresistible whiff of fresh-cut grass on some bizarro-Earth circling an extragalactic star. Déjà entendu*
can be a snooze-fest, sure, but in this case it’s oddly compelling. Maybe that’s because BBD mastermind Jonathan Bates is brazen enough to pluck melodies from the collective pop subconscious and subvert them just so. Like most musical enterprises, Big Black Delta began life a few years back as a faceless Soundcloud page. Artwork was produced, videos were shot, singles were released; the blogosphere nodded approvingly from its opera box. On April 30th, the project metamorphosed into an album. Gnarly, brash and massive, Big Black Delta’s self-titled debut falls a little deeper down that mythical hole in the computer that gives onto the infinite. Bates’s electronic orchestrations convulse off-pitch and off-grid, his anthemic tunes bloated with grinding tech-pop
“
I ONLY FIND TRUE PEACE IN THE IDEA OF INFINITY, THAT I’M JUST THIS TINY THING ON ANOTHER TINY THING THAT’S IN THIS HUGE, MASSIVE THING.THE PRESSURE’S OFF. WHO GIVES A SHIT IF ANYBODY LIKES YOUR SONG OR DOESN’T, IT DOESN’T MATTER.
basslines, aggressively fat drums and dueling stereo sawtooths. Ballads lean groovy and retro on the weight of fake horns and
So he dipped a toe back into less placid waters, playing
strings; space-age lounge twinkles play nice with assorted
guitar for M83, working in the studio with Cortini on his SONOIO
percussive bric-a-brac, every track seemingly built on the charm
project, and tinkering with the laptop. Eventually, it was time to call
of yesterday’s imperfections and the promise of tomorrow’s
some shots and take some names. Bates gave himself the bottom line:
possibilities. Meanwhile, Bates’s baritone croons about encryptions
“Whatever it’s going to be, it’s going to be about your favorite shit.”
or love affairs somewhere in the middle, warping and oozing like an
And so at the eleventh hour, after listening to Dan Aykroyd talk about
acid-drenched robot on the fritz.
the silent, triangular UFOs folklore credits to the US government,
The project started when Bates bought a laptop off his friend, frequent Nine Inch Nails performer and modular synth wiz
he threw the name Big Black Delta up on that Soundcloud page. Because Ufology (you-fology) is his favorite hobby.
Alessandro Cortini. “All of a sudden I had this thing that lets you
“Why is it that we all like this stuff?” Bates wonders,
record anywhere. And with programs like Logic and sample packs,
glancing around the room. “I think it comes down to the idea that
you could have everything you’d want in the world. And, if you have
there’s something out there that’s thousands of years more evolved
any bit of sound engineering know-how, nobody can tell you shit.
than you. Wouldn’t you want to know what the deal is? Like, what
That’s what I love about it.”
did you guys do? Do you even speak? Talking is really inefficient,
A fluid new extension of his mind, the laptop would also be an exit from a dismal interlude. As former founding father and
there’s so much room for error. Imagine if you evolved past it so you could think the color red and get it across no matter what.”
frontman for Los Angeles indie-rock band Mellowdrone, Bates was
Wait, don’t get it twisted—this isn’t ground control to
self-diagnosed with music-industry burnout by age twenty-seven.
Major Tom. Big Black Delta isn’t a concept album; Bates doesn’t
Ten years of being tossed around shitty clubs by major and minor
sing from an extraterrestrial’s perspective. The lyrics are a stream-
record labels will do that to you. Decidedly over it, he retreated
of-earthly-consciousness, often abstract musings on love, and largely
into the 9-to-5 and its complacent evenings of alcohol and Netflix.
unintelligible under the heavy coat of effects. Of course because of
But ultimately, he “didn’t want to be that guy whose goal in life
the name and the accompanying celestial imagery by artist Casper
was to get that flat screen.” And he already had two.
Newbolt, Bates receives pitches for sci-fi videos all the time. In search of a human element, he rejects them. BBD is not a sci-fi band. And yet, it is. Big Black Delta is the musical artifact of Jonathan Bates's fixations and instincts, and so it is undoubtedly about space, at least inasmuch as the vast unknown symbolizes boundless evolutionary potential—technological, biological, or
* Not just a Brand New album. A French expression like Déjà vu, but pertaining to hearing instead of sight.
both—in the same way the unexplored oceans did some three hundred years ago. (continued on next page)
text REBECA ARANGO photo RICKETT AND SONES
HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUR SOUND? I DON’T KNOW, DEFINE WHAT THE COLOR RED LOOKS LIKE. IT’S ALL UP TO INTERPRETATION.
Abandoning his old guitar and refrigerator-sized rig
Instead, the budget spectacle includes two drummers, a
for the infinite possibilities of the laptop was Bates’s own mini-
kaoss pad, a laptop, and a rhythm-sensitive light-rig, but the most
evolution, digital production being a prime example for how
fascinating thing to watch is Bates himself. A lanky 6'2", Bates
technology can provide swifter, more accurate tools with which to
moves with a wobbly finesse, finding that idiosyncratic sweet-spot
mirror and broadcast the imagination—much like the idea of aliens
between vulnerability and confidence, the one where memorable
who no longer need language to communicate.
performances are made.
Forward thinking and nerdy, yes, but ultimately Jonathan
The transition from awkward to effortless wasn’t easy,
Bates is still a denizen of 2013, and exists not on a terabyte but in
but it turns out you couldn’t have the rock-star without the nerd.
the flesh. While recording Big Black Delta was a one-man job, Bates
Nothing makes Jonathan Bates want to put down the remote
would have thirty musicians on stage with him if he could afford it.
control and make music more than astrophysics. “I only find true peace in the infinite, the idea that
SOMETHING
THOUSANDS MORE YOU
AND
EVOLVED WANT
TO
OUT
THERE
THOUSANDS THAN
KNOW
YOU.
WHAT
THE
OF
THAT’S YEARS
“
THERE’S
WOULDN’T DEAL
IS?
I’m just this tiny thing on another tiny thing that’s in this huge, massive thing. The pressure is off. Who gives a shit if anybody likes your song or doesn’t, it doesn’t matter. Not in a nihilistic way. It’s great; I can get up in the morning and have fun. My family doesn’t like it when I talk this way, but a lot of other artists get it—they only feel free when they think no one’s looking.” And most of us can agree, the best dancing happens in our underwear.
AMBIENT SUMMER The days are getting longer and rooftops are starting to beckon us. Let’s trade our nightcaps in for afternoon kickbacks and let these smooth and synthy tracks carry us into summer.
“So High” Ghost Loft
“Ritual Union (Maya Jane Coles Remix)” Little Dragon
“Wings” Haerts
“Computer Love” Glass Candy
“Another Day” Carousel
“Kids” The New Division
“Bring You Back” “The Look (Two Inch Punch’s Shook Shook Refix)” Beacon Metronomy
“Fool of Me” Say Lou Lou ft. Chet Faker
“A Stranger Love” Classixx feat. Sarah Chernoff
“Paradise Nothing” Wild Nothing
“Doin’it Right ” Daft Punk ft. Panda Bear
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ART OPENINGS
1
DENNIS CONGDON CUE Art Foundation
June 1 – July 6, 2013 Opening Reception: Saturday, June 1st 4 - 6pm Curated by American painter Stanley Whitney, this selection of paintings is part of an ongoing series Dennis Congdon began while studying at the American Academy in Rome. The works examine the juxtaposition of Rome’s modernity alongside its ancient history, suggesting the city’s past and present are so intertwined, they are inseparable. cueartfoundation.org
2
REGINA SILVEIRA Alexander Gray Associates
June 5 – July 26, 2013
3
Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 5th 6 – 8pm Brazilian artist Regina Silveira, renowned for her explorations of space through geometric constructs, presents her recent experimentation with a variety of graphic media, investigating political themes and formal practice. alexandergray.com
CAMPANA BROTHERS: CONCEPTS Friedman Benda
June 5 - July 3, 2013 Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 5th, 6-8pm Concepts, The first solo gallery exhibition in the US by the celebrated Brazilian designers, The Campana Brothers, explores their new series of work and strikingly different approaches to their practice. Campana Brothers’ work thematically touches upon issues ranging from globalization to sustainability, employing recycled and humble materials to cross cultural boundaries. The new works for Concepts include the Boca (Portuguese for “mouth”) series--new works in cowhide; the Racket collection--chairs and a screen in bent brass with hand-stitched motifs; and the Ametista collection--a series of glass hanging panels adorned with Sao Paulo-sourced amethyst rocks. friedmanbenda.com
4
LLYN FOULKES New Museum
June 12 – September 01, 2013 Opening Reception: Tuesday, June 18th, 8- 10pm The New Museum will present a career retrospective of Llyn Foulkes, an influential yet under-recognized artist known for producing work that stands out for its raw, immediate, visceral qualities, and constantly challenging his audience’s preconceived expectations. The exhibition will feature nearly one hundred works from the artist’s fifty-year career. newmuseum.org
LE CORBUSIER: AN ATLAS OF MODERN LANDSCAPES Museum of Modern Art June 15 – September 23, 2013 Opening Reception / Preview: Wednesday, June 5th, 7pm MoMA presents a comprehensive exhibition on the work of Le Corbusier, revealing the ways in which the protean architect, interior designer, artist, city planner, writer and photographer observed and imagined landscapes throughout his career by using the many artistic mediums and techniques at his disposal.
6
moma.org
5
JAMES TURRELL Guggenheim Museum
June 21 – September 25, 2013 James Turrell’s groundbreaking explorations of perception, light, color and space, with a special focus on the role of site-specificity in his practice, are examined in the first New York exhibition of the artist’s work since 1980. The collection’s core revolves around Aten Reign (2013), a major new project that recasts the Guggenheim rotunda as an enormous volume filled with shifting artificial and natural light. guggenheim.org
PAUL MCCARTHY: REBEL DABBLE BABBLE Hauser & Wirth June 20 – July 26, 2013 Opening Reception: Thursday, June 20th, 6 – 8pm Rebel Dabble Babble’ is a collaboration between Paul McCarthy and his son Damon McCarthy. Part of a three part exhibition series, this final installment is a large and complex installation and video projection work originally inspired by both Nicholas Ray’s 1955 classic Hollywood film Rebel Without a Cause and the furious rumors that swirled around the off-set relationships between its director and his stars James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo. ‘Rebel Dabble Babble’ is a meditation upon the archetypes and Oedipal tensions that define family dynamics. hauserwirth.com
7
NEVER JUDGE
A BOOK
ARTIST MATTHEW CRAVEN TAKES RECYLCING TO A NEW ART FORM
BY ITS COVER When Matthew Craven makes art, he often
HOW DID YOUR WORK EVOLVE INTO MIXED MEDIA FROM
destroys what he loves. By his logic, he’s preserving
ILLUSTRATION?
the content of books, even as he deconstructs them
I actually came to New York in 2008 as a painter. I was
physically. Like many artists before him, he stands on the
in grad school. I started drawing on top of some images
shoulders of others to take his art to new heights.
of the Wild West that were in some random frames that a
Craven arrived in New York in 2008 as a
classmate gave to me. I didn’t think anything of it at the
painter. While attending graduate school at the School of
time, I didn’t even think of it as “my” art. I soon realized
Visual Arts, he began drawing on top of some film frames
the more I looked at them the more I like them and the
given to him by a classmate. He didn’t immediately draw
more they felt like mine. Everything kind of snowballed
a correlation between this exercise and his own art, but
from there. It was the first time I ever used found images
the creations began to appeal to him. After the Marvelli
in my work and those very first collages got me my first
Gallery offered to showcase this young collection in ’09,
show in New York at Marvelli Gallery back in 2009.
his art-making had morphed into something new, and WERE YOU FIRST DRAWN TO TEXTURE AND PATTERN OR WAS YOUR
worthy of further development. pattern-
DRIVE INITIALLY BASED ON AN APPRECIATION FOR STORY-TELLING?
based abstractions and depictions of reoccurring images
Although I wasn’t appropriating any images in my work previous
seemed to naturally lend itself to this new experiment
to grad school, I was making pattern based abstractions.
in appropriating and manipulating preexisting imagery.
My paintings were typically filled with reoccurring imagery
Although Craven’s work has always been thematic and
that, to me, was cultural and often influenced directly from
explicitly deliberate, through this process, he’s since
iconography. This older work also portrayed a sort of cohesion
found the subjects within his narratives have become less
or narrative. These forms of mark making naturally lent itself
abstract and more cohesive. NY CANVAS sat down with
to my mixed media work only now the subjects within these
the artist to talk about pattern, impulse and aesthetics.
narratives were less abstract and could be read more literally.
Craven’s
background
in
making
art editor ANNIKA VOGT
SPEAK MIXED MEDIA ON FOUND PAPER 8.5” X 11,” 2012 previous page DOTS MIXED MEDIA ON FOUND PAPER 8.5” X 11,” 2013
I HAVE A DESIRE TO SHARE THE IMAGES THAT I FEEL ARE BEING LOST, FORGOTTEN OR
31
DOES USING RECYCLED MATERIALS GIVE THE WORK MORE SOUL?
Rome I am always cross referencing different cultures and
I hope so. I want my work to come across as thoughtful and
times. I am very deliberate about what images I will use
real. A big part of my creative process is sourcing materials.
and which ones I won’t use in a series. I am always thinking
I spend countless hours combing through book stores for the
about cohesion in both my concepts and my compositions.
right imagery although it’s not just the image I’m interested LIFE TOTEM I INK ON PAPER WITH CUT OUTS 72” X 48,” 2011
in. The paper the books are printed on is also important. I
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO THE REPETITION OF
won’t use certain images if the book is too new or too glossy.
PATTERN?
I look for those dry old books that smell and have become
Yes, always. I was a pretty OCD kid. I was that kid that
discolored or deteriorated over time.
I have gotten to the
drew on everything including the walls. I never took an art
point now where all of my work both collage based and the
class until I was in my early twenties but all through high
patterned ink drawings are created on used paper. I’ve found
school and college I would obsessively draw patterns on
that the back sides of old movie posters are perfect. This has
the covers and in the margins of all my books. I guess that
also opened my work up to variety of sizes not just the size
was a local precursor to the work I make today.
of the book page. I want every detail of my work to have a historical feel beyond just the images themselves.
SOME OF YOUR WORK ENCOMPASSES A KIND OF TEXTILE LIKENESS, WHERE DO YOUR RHYTHMIC IMPULSES COME FROM?
HOW ARE YOUR MATERIALS SELECTED?
I’m not sure and I guess that is what I am still trying
Typically I find materials by scavenging a used book store’s
to find out. Mark-making and patterns of all kinds are
historical section. I have to see the book in person to make
easily translated to designs used in textiles. My current
sure the pages of the book have the right feel. Recently I
work deals with highly ornamental and exquisitely
have begun a new body of work where I am using repeated
carved relics from the past. My art stems from the same
imagery. When I find a book or image I really like and I
inherent impulse the human species has always felt, the
find only one copy in the bookstore I’ll look for multiples of
need to create something… to show that you are alive, to
it online. It’s crazy but books have almost no value online
say that you were “here.”
especially old textbooks. I typically can find numerous copies for around one dollar each online. It’s a sad commentary on
HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO VARY PIECES IN YOUR SERIES YET
how print as a medium is dying. In some weird way even by
KEEP AN OVERALL COHESION?
destroying the books I feel like I am preserving their content.
Cohesiveness is a natural impulse I have in my work and I am
Aside from the materials having a certain feel
not sure I know why. It’s very satisfying to me to give structure
the next part of my work is dealing with images. My work is
or to make order within my work. To me, order makes the
always thematic so when I’m working on a specific piece I’m
work more complex and compelling. This cohesion revolves
thinking about how it fits with in the particular series I am
around a simple approach of using a more deliberate palette
making . Whether my work is the American west or ancient
of colors and using similar styles within my pattern making.
MY AR FROM SAME IMPUL HUMAN HAS A FELT, TO CR SOME TO SH YOU A TO S A YOU “HERE
RT STEMS THE INH ERENT SE THE N SPECIES LWAYS THE NEED REATE THING… HOW THAT ARE ALIVE, AY THAT WERE E.
”
SOME OF YOUR PIECES ARE QUITE CONTROVERSIAL, ARE YOU ADDRESSING A SPECIFIC MESSAGE OR JUST STRIVING TO PROVOKE CONVERSATION? Both I guess. I’m definitely commenting on humanity and I hope that provokes a certain curiosity about how the world got to be the way it is. That being said, our history as human beings is full of wonder, beauty and perseverance. History is also riddled with atrocities, enslavement and war. I am very much interested in the duality of mankind. Is it as black and white as heroes and villains, good and evil? WOULD YOU SAY SOCIAL COMMENTARY IS THE CRUX OF YOUR WORK? I would say creation is the crux of my work. HOW DO YOU MARRY A MESSAGE WITH AESTHETICS? I don’t think I am trying to say anything too specific. I’m only interested in art that is ambiguous. I am fascinated with images and their historical significance. I have a desire to share the images that I feel are being lost, forgotten or disregarded. HAS THIS BEEN CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER, OR HAS YOUR METHOD EVOLVED WITH YOU WORK? My work is always evolving because it has too. I couldn’t imagine doing the same thing over and over. I am constantly tweaking my approach and trying to evolve as a artist. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? I’ve got a lot of cool projects in the works. First I’m curating a show DCKT, a gallery in the LES that I’m excited to be working with. It’s called ACID SUMMER and it opens July 11th. I have invited a group of really amazing artists. It’s going to be a trippy show. I am also doing a solo show back in Detroit where I lived before I relocated to New York. It is going to be at this radical art space called Popp’s Packing. That show will open in mid September. Then in the fall I have a show with Get This Gallery in Atlanta. I will also be releasing my first record for my experimental music/drone project Famous Interiors. And finally keep a look out for Huerco S. I did his album art for his amazing new record, Colonial Patterns.
WOODEN TEETH MIXED MEDIA ON FOUND PAPER 11” X 14,” 2011
UNDERGROUND THEATER
CONTEMPORARY ARTIST GUNO PARK VISUALLY DOCUMENTS AN OVERLOOKED NARRATIVE
text VIJA HODOSKY
M Y M O M IS A LWAY S c a l l i n g me , REMINDING ME TO GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY. INSTEAD I CONTEMPLATE life on the train…THERE, THERE ARE NO RULES, AND I DO AND think WHATEVER I WANT. If at any point you have subsisted off public
”
transportation, you have probably witnessed some of the best and the worst that humanity has to offer. The sympathy for the sleepy construction worker passed out over his hard hat as the sputtering light illuminates his exhaustion, to the poised Hasidic wife clad in black wool on a summer’s day, ever so slightly adjusting her wig. To the lovelorn teenager wearing headphones hoping that she texts before the train dips out of service, or to the howling hooligans, or
the rotting homeless, to the crusty
violin savant crying into his kitty cat strings pandering for a smile – or better, a dollar. Going to work, going to play, going off to the little adventures of our day, the interactions among strangers, while often silent, have the potential to sway how we perceive our surroundings, our communities, our selves. In no other voluntary context are such diverse groups of people cohabiting a communal space- a stage in which we all, from time to time, compare our narratives with the imagined realities of strangers. The train is a tool that we all depend on. We are a million versions of ourselves when we sit back and speculate the script-less strangers waiting for their stops. MTA ridership hits over 1.7 billion people annually in New York City- that’s a lot of characters, crammed into a subterranean theater. The perceived realities and, in some cases, the projected romanticism are subjective, punctuated, fleeting. It’s a simple quotidian task to take the train, but it’s ineffably endearing to an openhearted artist.
Encapsulating the experience of people watching on the
train doesn’t always mean uploading a bum fight to youtube, or a ridiculous picture to instagram with a mocking tag. It can be as simple as a sketch on paper, and as quiet and secretive as a silent and anonymous portrait. That’s how New York based illustrator Guno Park spends his time commuting. Korean born, Canadian bread, and Brooklyn based, Guno Park turns commoners into kings with his silent subway portraits. It’s a simple game of proximity- they’re there, he’s there, as is a moment worth snapping. With a pen and paper Park selects a subject and goes on to freeze a moment of their transit, the stillness of their being, through a series of short hatch marks. If he only gets as far as sketching a person’s head before they depart, he waits for the next passenger to take that same seat and continues drawing- grafting limbs for the sake of a complete image. Over the past five years Park has added thousands of daily sketches to his folio of strangers- leaning, listening, watching, talking, resting, waiting, however they may be. And he’s only ever been noticed twice, he’s “very very sneaky” as he puts it. We can all relate to his imagery, because we’ve all seen the real life versions of it every morning, every
evening. He doesn’t share his drawings with those who have unknowingly sat for him. Instead he combines his sketches into hand-made accordion-style books and presents them via exhibition and sells them to admirers. Park’s maternal grandfather was a calligraphy teacher and art supply shop owner in urban Seoul, although, it was his mother who gave him his first pencil. “My mom is always calling me, reminding me to go to church on Sunday. Instead, I contemplate life on the train…there, there are no rules, and I do and think whatever I want.” Park studied at The New York Academy of Art. As an alumnus, he pitched a staff position for himself (in an attempt to extend his visa from Canada) that turned into a job coordinating videography and media for the Academy’s many projects. Park spends his free time at “drink and draws” at 3rd Ward, a labyrinthine 30,000 square foot artist workspace. “3rd Ward is awesome,” he smiles, “there is a sitting that combines my two favorite things- beer and drawing.” By curbing self-importance, and affording a bit of reverence to those who will perhaps never do you any direct good, we will contend less with the unsavory realities of living 8 million deep in New York City. The visuals, sounds, and smells of public transportation remind us of the simple humility of survival, in a not so friendly metropolis. A classically trained animator, Park has the miraculous patience to sketch with casual sharpness, and a respect for the beauty of the individual. “I can’t be too preoccupied romanticizing [about subjects]…” Park insists over oysters and sazeracs at The Dead Rabbit in the financial district of Manhattan. “The immediate moment is much more real and present than any presumed backstory.” He and I are chatting about artistic skill, critiquing culture, and the misleading nature of presumption. “The critique [of artwork] is in the message not in the skill itself …whether you can draw or not doesn’t matter if your opinion is weak.” Park’s message is one of relatability “When people see my drawings they think, ‘I know exactly what that is, I’ve seen that person before.’” The spaces of being right and the spaces of being wrong present themselves innumerably in day to day realitiesit may not seem so obvious, but the spaces of being wrong are actually more free and liberating than the spaces of insisting you’re correct. Park’s artwork is a straightforward representation of the gestural, human, and immediate ways in which we perceive other humans. Although, it has its secrecy, it boasts quiet intimacy.
Maybe one day if you’re
ever traveling the Q train into Manhattan and you spy a young, narrow, spectacled, Korean man with shoulder-length raven hair, clad in horizontal boat stripes, silently sketching in your direction, you could be the third exceptionally sharp person to catch Guno Park in the act.
D
GRANT YOSHINO
CONSEQUENCES
models
ALEX @ VISION MODELS / SIMBA @ PHOTOGENICS / CLINTON @ PHOTOGENICS / COLIN
video
GRAHAM DUNN
stylist assistant
MAYA HARRIS
photography assistant
COLIN ANDRE BOOKOUT
hair
VERONICA VALDIVIA
makeup + grooming
LISET GARZA
styling
MONIQUE VATINE
art direction
MEAGAN JUDKINS
photography
WI T HOU T
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TELL THE T E AC H E R S WE’RE SUR F I NG WE’RE PICKING UP GOOD VIBRATIONS: BRITISH MENSWEAR LABEL HENTSCH MAN CHANNELS 1950’S SOCAL NOSTALGIA
photographer MATTHEW PANDOLFE stylist ASHLEY OWENS model DAVID LONGSTRETH OF DIRTY PROJECTORS text ERIN DENNISON
“
I LIKE THE IDEA OF KEEPING THINGS TIGHT. I DON’T WANT TO OVERWHELM MY CUSTOMER.
”
C
itizens of the cool-kid blogosphere should be familiar with the name
everything that the ‘Hentsch Man’ was always going to like. So I think I
Hentsch Man; the British menswear label’s SS’13 lookbook popped
already had the idea in my mind before going out there. But when I visited
up everywhere from Opening Ceremony to Hypebeast this year.
last Easter, it was the first time I went to the West Coast, and I absolutely
And with good reason. Branding-savant Alexia Hentsch started the
loved it. I was totally taken by the colors and the attitude there. Not only
company with the simple M.O. of making the perfect shirt. Now just six seasons
did it inspire the whole collection, but it made me want to move to LA!”
deep into her first fashion industry venture, the designer finds herself in the
Alexia raves. And while the abbreviated manifest destiny was her own
coveted position of delivering what runways and buyers want without much artistic
personal renaissance, the vibe of Hentsch Man’s SoCal-inspired collection
compromise. She explains, “The collections are growing slowly, and though I do
is remarkably on-trend for spring ’13.
intend to be adding new categories such as pajamas and undergarments, etc.
Luxe sportswear and bold prints decidedly owned the runways
I like the idea of keeping things tight. I don’t want to overwhelm my customer.
in New York and London this fall, while designers like Thom Browne and
Men in general are shyer about shopping than women, so it’s better to keep the
Christopher Kane’s modern takes on retro nostalgia lined the walls of
selection tight and curated to help them in their choices.”
boutiques and department stores.
Along with childhood friend and Hentsch Man business developer
Hentsch Man’s short cuts on chambray, Hawaiian and striped T’s
Max Von Hurter, Alexia made her first pilgrimage to Los Angeles last year, and
paired with matching pants, jackets, and oxfords have proven to us what
like so many of us, became a bit starry-eyed upon arrival. The trip resulted in the
Alexia has known the whole time—fanciful palettes, homage to a narrative
prevalent 1950’s southern California vibe of Hentsch Man’s latest collection.
and elegant tailoring is the sartorial algorithm behind smart contemporary
“California has been on the fashion cards for a few seasons now. It’s the return of that dressed up 50s aesthetic, preppy and colorful—
menswear. So, who exactly is the Hentsch Man? “Anyone with a sense of humor and irony about his lifestyle.”
HENTSCHMAN.COM
PROS and CONNOTATIONS
essay by KACY EMMETT
photo KARA KOCHALKO hair & makeup JEANNIE VINCENT styling AMANDA MACIEL ANTUNES
IF the HANGER ever LEARNS how to SMIZE, WE’RE all OUT OF A JOB.
”
The steam room is a weird place to start a conversation. I understand that normally two people alone in a room ought to acknowledge one another but elevators have really blazed the trail for mutual disregard. So, in a room where the temperature was trespassing into hot-as-balls territory I thought it warranted silence. My cedar bunkmate felt otherwise and after an hour of cardio, assumed we were war buddies. Despite my posthumous enthusiasm, she discussed her sciatica and turned to where she thought I was sitting in the mist: So, what do you do? The answer to her question is simple: I’m a model. Have been since high school. Now, it’s my full-time job and, consequently, my longest relationship to date. It started when a kind Boston agent, whether in earnest or inebriation, offered me a contract. Like most young girls with dreams and cable, I fancied myself a regular Doutzen or Coco, sauntering down a runway in Paris for a hefty dollop of cash per lap. The reality was that at sixteen, kitten heels were a hurdle and I’d never see Europe until I managed to fill out an A-cup and college applications. But six years and countless cutlets later, I couldn’t answer her question. My aversion didn’t sprout from any shy or shamed reason, just inexplicable self-preservation. As a career modeling is straightforward, with few secrets to success apart from Eastern European genetics and standing relatively still. It affords many the opportunity to travel and work with creative minds, but basically if the hanger ever learns how to smize, we’re all out of a job. But I couldn’t spit it out. Normally, I would have rather steered a conversation to the most tepid, stagnant waters than answer her polite inquiry outright. Someone might ask what I do for a living and I would respond vaguely, using broad terms like “fashion” or “Pinterest.” I’d mastered ambiguity to leave little room for perceptions. I would have rather had an acquaintance assume I was unemployed and concussed before dropping the model card. And then there’s the matter of shelf life. See, when the longevity of your career is relative to wrinkles, it’s easier to talk about sciatic numbness than a professional backup plan. To be fair, not all of my interactions end in conversational constipation. I also realize that in the professional arena it’s rude to be vague. Whether you’re a barista or undertaker – you say so. If you ask a chef what’s in the special he’ll never say “food’n’stuff.” A lawyer would never tell her client that they’re looking at “anywhere from community service to life.” But still, I’ve always felt uneasy explaining how I forge a living by freelancing my face and sometimes limbs. My business card has a picture of a fringe leather skirt on it. Yours has an email address. There are certain scenarios, however, where less information is always more. When I travel for work, there’s usually a clairvoyant Customs Officer demanding I disclose my intentions with his country. We both know I’m here modeling without a visa and soiling his mother tongue in the process. After a moment, I respond “For pleasure” and he reciprocates with a stamp. Neighbors, on the other hand, are a lost cause. Assuming four, waifish girls in a one bedroom are escorts is anticipated, assuming any of us are actually generating income is just generous. Geographically speaking, anywhere south of Newark is a fluke as the terms “modeling” and “MySpace” are used interchangeably. But in the day-to-day exchanges, every time I beat around the bush like some stoned landscaper, I created an unwelcome distance. I’d made a habit out of hesitance and stuck my job in the undeserved and unreserved backseat. The grownup thing to do here is stop the pattern of avoidance. To come out of the professional closet and stop saying “freelance” without offering a supporting adjective. It’s time to be a model and bring home the bacon on whatever dining set the studio lends me. Of course the real test will be in my initial interactions, when the sincerity really hits the fan. And the next time someone in a high humidity setting wants to know what’s next? I’ll allude to my background in liberal arts and hostessing right before slipping out with the next eucalyptus blast.
53 I T ’ S N OT
OVER YET DESIGNER PIECES ARE RESURRECTED AT GRAYMARKET text RACHEL MASOCOL
T
ucked away in a 650-square-foot space in Williamsburg is a true sartorial gem. And we know that can be a borderline trite claim
in this city, but let us explain. What sets this modestly sized retail spot apart from numerous high-end burrow boutiques are a few gentlemen whose names you might recognize: Alexander Plokhov, Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, and Undercover. Epic designers, sure, but what sets Graymarket apart from other highbrow indie collectives is their expertly cultivated selection. Perouse the utilitarian racks and you’ll find your favorite ready-to-wear pieces from both current and past seasons. Owners, Alex Kasavin and Wei Du conceptualized and branded the retail experience with an intensely specific aesthetic in mind. A refined selection of only six racks exclusively hosts a gray scale color pallet with pristine garments, all adorned with their original designer tags. Next time you’re on the right side of the L, stop by Wythe Ave and ring buzzer #7.
photo CONAN THAI styling RAUL GUERRERO
GRAYMARKET 242 WYTHE AVENUE #7 BROOKLYN, NY 11211 GRAYMARKETBROOKLYN.COM
“WHAT SETS THIS RETAIL SPOT APART FROM NUMEROUS HIGHEND
BURROW
ARE
A
WHOSE
FEW NAMES
RECOGNIZE:
BOUTIQUES GENTLEMEN YOU
MIGHT
ALEXANDER
PLOKHOV, RICK OWENS, GARETH
JINA LIM / IMAGE REVIEWER WEARING JACKET BY GARETH PUGH, DRESS BY SUE WALKER AND SHOES BY BALENCIAGA
AND
“
PUGH,
UNDERCOVER.
BRANDON FABER / MARKETING SPECIALIST WEARING RICK OWENS
FROM FERRIS BUELLER TO DR. ROMANELLI AND A CHEMICAL COMPOUND WHICH CONTAINS IRON
photo MONET LUCKI styling SARAH PERILLO Q&A RAUN LAROSE
58 Designer Taylor Conlin took an interest to fashion early on, citing the now infamous “BODEGA” as his first encounter with streetwear fashion. These days, Conlin owns and operates Ferris, a menswear operation named after his Bueller-like childhood persona. Residing and working in Williamsburg, the designer marries vintage pieces with custom design to form a hybrid as unique as its namesake. THERE HAS BEEN THE RECENT TOPIC OF UNEXPECTED COLLABORATIONS IN FASHION. RECENTLY YOU COLLABORATED WITH JEWELRY DESIGNER BERNARD JAMES. HOW DID THAT COLLABORATION COME ABOUT? Really naturally… We had mutual friends, and were fans of his work, and sold his jewelry in our shop since its inception. His jewelry was a hit with our customers, so it was a simple decision to make a small collection of pieces made in collaboration.
DO YOU DESIGN WITH A SPECIFIC PERSON/CUSTOMER IN MIND OR DO YOU DESIGN BASED OF OFF THINGS THAT INTEREST YOU?
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND? WHO/WHAT INSPIRED YOU
Whenever we design something, we’re inspired by what is around us.
TO ENTER THE ARENA OF FASHION?
Seeing our customers every day in the shop, things that we come across
I was introduced to clothing from two perspectives, streetwear and traditional
in travel and constantly keeping our eyes open for something that quickly
men’s tailoring. Streetwear came first, where I gained an appreciation for saying
sparks further thought within us.
something meaningful in a few, playful garments. Later, I entered the menswear world through the lens of a traditional tailor, learning that menswear is all about
WHAT ARE SOME KEY ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE DNA OF FERRIS?
style. This inspired me to start making streetwear inspired jackets and shirts
The most apparent is the nature of using what is at your immediate disposal
out of vintage materials. I used the time consuming process of tailoring and
to make something great. Often times for us, this comes in the form of
applied it to streetwear inspired collisions of fabric. This collision became the
something that is unappreciated that we wish to make appreciable. It is this
foundation for Ferris’ growth, something I use it to inspire me everyday.
raw, youthful style of design that will keep us young, focused, and different..
WHO WEARS FERRIS?
ON YOUR WEBSITE YOU HAVE A SPECIAL ONE A KIND TAB. I THINK ITS A GREAT
Ferris’ day-to-day inspirations come from the city, so we definitely gear
IDEA TO OFFER CUSTOMERS A ONE OF A KIND SHOPPING EXPERIENCE. WHAT
the clothing towards city men who have a strong sense of self and tend
MADE YOU DECIDE TO CREATE THIS SPECIAL INCENTIVE FOR THE BRAND?
to be playful in their style.
It wasn’t a choice really. It came from a necessity. I had something to say, and early on I chose to say it through clothing. For years I had
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THE BRAND BEYOND STREETWEAR? IF
been stuck within the constraints of streetwear T-shirt design, but after
SO WHAT ARE SOME STEPS THAT YOU PLAN TO TAKE TO DO SO?
giving up on fear, I chose to use what I could find to make meaningful
This fall we will be launching our first sportswear line, which will consist of
clothing, something that people remembered. Through scouring thrift
button down shirts and casual outerwear for men. We plan on developing
clothing markets and meeting some wonderful people in the vintage
our sportswear line, while honing in on our signature product.
clothing world, I carefully bought pieces that I believed to carry a story with them. It has developed so that, now, when people walk in our store, I hope that they see the clothing as individual stories. This is why I created it, so people could see the breadth of our unique abilities and developed inspirations, while also being able to start their own clothing based story with us.
JENNIFER ORLOWSKI / GRAPHIC DESIGNER WEARING SIGNATURE & ONE OF A KINDS BY FERRIS
03
SUSP E N S E
02
TYLER SHIELDS PUSHES T H E BOUNDARIES OF GRAVITY TO EXHILARTING L E N G T H S
“SU SP E N SE ” OP E N S AT T H E G U Y HEP NER G AL L ERY I N L O S ANG EL ES O N AP R I L 2 8 . F OR M ORE I N F O R M ATI O N, VI S I T T Y L ER S HI EL D S .CO M
E V E R Y T H I N G
H E R E
I S
GOOD PH OTOGR A PHE R EDWARD C US H ENB ER R Y E XP L OR E S TH E ME S OF FAMILY, L OVE , INTIMACY, F R I E NDS H I P A ND TH E S H I F T B E TWE E N R E A L IS M A ND R OMA NTI C I S M
77 HI D D E N AG EN DA
CHINATOWN’S BEST KEPT SECRET, APOTHEKE IS HOME TO THE CITY’S SWEETEST, AFTER-DARK ELIXIRS A better idea than it sounds, wandering the late-night labyrinth of New York City’s Chinatown has its potentials. While it may seem the case, you probably wont get mugged, although you’ll surely romanticize how you’d glean your hero badge if such a scene cinematically presented itself.
At most points, you’ll feel lost and
thankful so few witnesses see your gadget-glued-mug praying for clues, while your date falters a-top her poorly decided stilettos. The terrier-sized rodents playing rummy in Confucius Park may throw you a wink, while you bob by and weave with bated breath, insisting to your cohorts that the hidden mixology bar you’ve heard wild stories about is just around the corner. Then, after considerable confusion, you’ll peep the dapperer than thou doormen, your chest could leap, and you will have found Apotheke! Your final worry will be whether or not you’ve come from a long line of well-heeled cool kids- but if you’re reading this your provenance papers are surely in order. Once you’ve crossed the velvet-curtained threshold into this turn of the 20th century European cocktail apothecary- with rapid clarity you’ll snap into hypochondriac mode and start lusting for a magical elixir from their “prescriptions list.” Feel free to ask for a recommendation, the waitresses and mixologists alike bare remarkable spirit knowledge that will knock the couth-less vodka soda ice chip far from your shoulder. Flexing below rung after rung of eerily authentic medicinal bottles and bibelot, some reading “boric acid” and “feuilles de coca”, lab-coat-clad dream boats, prepare deliciously boozy potions from intriguing combinations of herbs, absinthe, dragon fruit, horny goat weed tea, kale juice, bee pollen and bison grass just to name a few stunners. Seating is a hot commodity in such a tight boite (that’s what she said), so be ready to dance. Have yourself a “Bull in a China Shop”, a “White Widow”, a “Deal Closer” or a “High Plains Drifter” if you’re feeling rugged. Foremost, bath in the beauty of a wondrous experience built out smack dab in the middle of one of America’s most historically nefarious streets. You probably wouldn’t know it, but you’re throwing out the vibe on the The Bloody Angle - an alley way once riddled with opium dens and innumerable gang related murders. Apotheke maintains it’s own breed of authenticity, and will soon celebrate its five-year anniversary of champagne showers, absinthe fires, and night after night of a packed house. Midnight oils burn hotter and longer when spiked with a bit of adventure. Show off this Manhattan jewel to all those potential big accounts or baby’s mamas. Then, take two “Luck Dragons” and call me in the morning.
text VIJA HODOSY
PIERRE LE HORS
SMOKE AND MIRRORS COVER ARTIST PIERRE LE HORS ON CHALLENGING OUR PERCEPTIONS AND HIS LOVE FOR THE PRINTED PAGE
text MATTHEW ISMAEL RUIZ art editor ANNIKA VOGT
THE most successful THING ABOUT ART IS WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING AND IT makes YOU SHIFT YOUR PERCEPTION JUST ENOUGH TO reconsider something YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE—TO SEE IT IN A NEW LIGHT. most of his time on the African and South American continents. He spent the next decade schooling in Florida as his parents worked on getting their green cards, and after graduating from Florida State University with his BFA, he quickly fled the sunshine state’s cultural vacuum for a bed at a $14/night hostel on Meserole Street. He might not admit it, but Pierre Le Hors fancies himself a magician. The Brooklyn-based visual artist aims “to trick the eye and shape the perceptions of [the] audience,” using tools similar to ones used by purveyors of sleight-of-hand: scenic backdrops, mirrors, props, and theatrical lighting and staging. His latest book, Byways and Through Lines (Dashwood Books, $27), weaves common threads through ostensibly disparate narratives in an attempt to entice the reader to revisit their initial observations. “The most successful thing about art,” Le Hors explains, “is when you see something and it makes you reconsider your experience of the world, it shifts your perception just enough to reconsider something you've seen before—to see it in a new light.” For his MFA show with Bard College’s program at the International Center of Photography, Le Hors implemented perceptual shifts forcibly; he installed five slide projectors in a dimly lit room, aiming them at mirrors of various sizes reflecting scores of auto-advancing slides every two seconds. The experience was immersive—visitors physically traversed the exhibition, which itself altered its appearance with every advance of the slide projector. The slides displayed visually confusing still lifes of smoke, mirrors, and reflective dishware, lit through colored gels. Amongst the optical chaos, his installation views beg the question: When the projector’s carousel begins anew every few minutes, does your perception of that first slide remain the same? But aside from installations and after spending a spring morning in his home studio reviewing and talking about his work, it’s plain to see Le Hors has a passion for the printed page. After the success of his first book, Firework Studies (Hassla, 2011), Le Hors has continued to publish his work in print, usually in short runs with indie publishers. It’s the permanence of print that appeals to him. “When I do a show, its always a really quick thing,” he says. “It remains a thing for the people that see it, a contained thing. That [first] book really opened things up for me in this way, as it seemed to have this whole life online. [Books] have this way of traveling that shows don't.” Traveling is not an entirely new concept for Le Hors. He left France with his parents at age three, and would spend the next seven years traversing the world in a sailboat, spending
He evolved from a barista to an equipment room assistant at a studio, which eventually led to full-time work as an assistant for the fashion photographer Enrique Badulescu. He travelled the world again, this time shooting hunks and babes on the beach for international campaigns and glossies. But before long he got the itch to make his own work again, and enrolled in the ICP-Bard MFA program. These days, Le Hors holds a residency at the Camera Club of New York, the Alfred Stieglitz-founded club of photo enthusiasts that has been championing the art form since 1884. With unfettered access to CCNY’s studio and darkroom facilities, he continues to hone his craft, and hopes his work will speak to “a certain loss of innocence for the young medium of photography.” Provided the non-profit can secure funding, he’ll exhibit his work with CCNY sometime in 2014. For now, Le Hors is content to make more work and pay the bills with various freelance assignments. He shoots installations for Andrea Rosen Gallery, and does a bit of book design as well. Working while holding a residency is par for the course for Le Hors. He’s never not had a day job. “One of the most difficult parts of being an artist is having to struggle to make the time for art-making, within the constraints of having a job and staying afloat financially,” he says. “But sometimes it can feed into your work. It enables you to not have to depend on selling work to make money, and in that way, I think they enable artists to make the kind of works that they want to make.” For Le Hors, that means making beautiful little books like Byways that lead readers on a journey of calculated confusion, mixing the abstract with the mundane until they both become unrecognizable. And even though he may have to fight for the time to make new works, it’s likely for the best that he maintains his fiscally advantageous distractions. “I don't even know if I could go without a day job,” he explains. “The pressure of having to make money from [my art] might just become too much.”