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N a d i r a h N a z a r a l y
M i c h a e l B rambila
Editor-in - C h i e f
F a s h i o n a n d A r t D i re c t o r
D a n i e l G r i ff i t h s
C o n t r i b u t i ng P h o t o g r a phers S e rg i o M e j ia C o n a n T h ai J u k k a O v a skainen Joe Lai N i c o l a s C oulomb M a rc o Va n Rijt J e n s S c h midt Ly d i a G o rges F a n n y L a t our-Lambert M a re k C h orzepa M a r k o M i j ailovic Paul Phung Z h i We i I n d i a H o b son O s m a H a r vilahti
Features E d i t o r
M a y r a F l o re s Managin g E d i t o r
Contributing Artists Toyin Odutola Jessica Labatte Ralf Brueck Silva+Cemin Trey Wright Peter Jellitsch Contributing Musicians SEASFIRE Contributing Writers Erich Kessel Jr. Susan Walsh Ben Speak Deak Rostochil Jason Judd Ander Rennick
C o n t r i b u t i ng Illustrator Phoebe Morris
Duco Ferwerda @ Succ ess Paris photographed by Marco Van Rijt
Jake Shorta l l @ Major Mod e l s photographed b y Conan Tha i
Ezsther Boldov @ FORD Models photographed by Sergio Mejia
ww w. b i t e - z i n e . c o m
S o j o u r n e r M o r re l l @ Marilyn Paris photographed by Joe Lai
BITE 05 D r i f t i n g
[ d r ɪ f t ]
m o v i n g a c c o r d i n g t o l i f e ’s v o l a t i l e n a t u r e ; d i g r e s s i n g t o a n o t h e r s u b j e c t ; a s e n s e o f t e m p o r a r i n e s s i n o n e ’s s e n s e o f s e l f a n d p l a c e . As always, we extend our thank you to the continued support of our readers and contributors.
Image by Osma Harvilahti
contents 08 Toyin Odutola Interview by Jason Judd 14 Rad Hourani Photography by Marco Van Rijt Styling by Rene de Bathory 18 Jessica Labatte Interview by Jason Judd 24 When The Mighty Fall Photography by Conan Thai Styling by Raul Guerrero 34 Dreams Less Sweet Photography by Jukka Ovaskainen Styling by Anna Pesonen 38 Nighthawk Photography by Joe Lai Styling by Yuanyi Jeff Lee 46 Something Photography by Nicolas Coulomb 54 Osma Harvilahti Interview by Daniel Griffiths 58 New York Wave Photography by Sergio Mejia Interviews by Susan Walsh 68 Swept Away Photography by Schmidt & Gorges Styling by Uli Semmler 78 Cold Turkey Photography by Fanny Latour-Lambert Grooming by David Lenhardt 88 Softer Softest Photography by Marek Chorzepa Styling by Thomas C. Toth 94 After Glow Photography by Marko Mijailovic Styling by Desire Kaniki 102 Ralf Brueck Interview by Daniel Griffiths
106 Genesis 3:5 Photography by Silva+Cemin Interview by Nadirah Nazaraly 112 Peter Jellitsch Interview by Ander Rennick 118 Pavements Photography by Joe Lai Styling by Haruka Suzuki 124 Reckoner Photography by Marco Van Rijt Styling by Jean Paul-Paula 136 Mme Boldov Photography by Sergio Mejia Styling by Susan Walsh 150 Passing Photography by Paul Phung Styling by Nadine Artois 156 Stolen Photography by Zhi Wei Interview by Nadirah Nazaraly 160 Feminine Embrace Text by Erich Kessel Jr. 162 Trey Wright Interview by Daniel Griffiths 166 SEASFIRE Interview by Nadirah Nazaraly 170 Heaven Text by Ben Speak Illustration by Phoebe Morris 172 Ben Jarvis Photography by India Hobson Interview by Nadirah Nazaraly 178 Christophe Lemaire Text & Illustration by Deak Rostochil 180 BITE Mix Drifting Playlist
Image by Osma Harvilahti
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Art
Toyin Odutola’s artistic practice centers on portraits made with pen and ink on paper. This beautiful and insightful artwork explores issues of identity and race by experimenting with the representation of the skin as an ever-evolving terrain. The Nigerian-born, American artist and Jason Judd discuss a number of concepts integral to Odutola’s work: blackness, identity and the gaze. Interview Jason Judd
Artwork Toyin Odutola
Toyin, what kind of work lead up to your most recent pieces with ballpoint pen? Toyin: The works I’m exploring now are the result of tentatively branching out to create more depth with the pen ink medium while expanding the chromatic palette available underneath. I wanted to answer question that had been nagging me as of late on how to reveal all the ‘possibilities’ of black as a material and a concept. This idea that, in describing the components of ‘white’, similarly black is made up of a variety of colors, but is often not seen as displaying them. It is something to do with what it is inherently capable of projecting and absorbing. I wanted to call into question this application and try to present a scheme of colors that would refute this notion of what black as a property can embody, and in so doing, extend that method to how we read individuals presented in portraits.
You speak of skin texture as an exploration. The skin in your drawings is relentlessly rendered, leaving an untouched brilliant white background in contrast. Is the white background acting as a sort of void — of your hand, of content, perhaps the antithesis of the figure? Toyin: I have worked mainly with white surfaces, but recently have worked with black and gray surface grounds. The white background is not meant to initiate a binary argument. Aesthetically, I am interested in the stark background in contrast to the rendered skin, for the simple reason that it provides minimal distraction from the subject. This travels further to the skin itself, where I rarely draw the subjects wearing any clothing. Sometimes, they do don earrings and other various piercings, but there aren’t any clothes or additional accessory markers to reveal much
26th July, 4:50am Pen ink and marker on board 11 x 14 inches 2012
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Dotun at twelve years old Pen ink and marker on paper 9 x 12 inches 2012 — below
Flamboyant Scarf (Sketch) Pen ink and marker on paper 9 x 12 inches 2012
about where they come from or whether they are representing a very specific time. It may sound romantic (or blindly naïve), but I hope the lack of social markers and tropes associated with clothing help to reveal a timelessness and wanderlustlike quality; but all of this is neither here no there. I guess one could say that the background is inevitably the absence of my hand. I go through much pain to remove any distracting marks if any are to happen upon that part of the surface. I’m not sure if the word ‘antithesis’ is what I am trying to achieve with it. If anything, it’s the negative space that envelops the figure and contributes to the overall composition. The figures are what I like to call ‘the positive’ embossed onto this negative space; however, it’s not meant to be contentious, it’s very basic, a very factual part of my process. The gazes of the figures deal directly with the viewer. Is there a power struggle there? Toyin: There are three modes: one, of being looked at and not being aware of it; two, being looked at and being aware of it, yet not wanting the looker to know that you are aware; and finally, being looked at and directly looking back. Generally, the subjects I portray actively partake in the third mode, directly looking back as if to say: ‘Yes, I see you, but do you see me?’ It’s a very austere way of demanding to be acknowledged and owning one’s presence. Growing up, I was terrified of being stared at and always assumed that it was for the wrong reason. Yet, contradictory to this fear, I desperately wanted to be known for who and what I was, what I was capable of, and was wary of constantly being mistaken for or misunderstood. The act of looking with equal directness as those
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looking at you is the demand to be seen, which does address a power play more than a struggle. I shy away from the word ‘struggle’ because it may connote the notion of an established order. I like to think that the portraits I create are in a world all their own. The viewer approaches them, and I want him/her to address the subject, so I present the subject in a forthright way to encourage a dialogue.
problematic it is to ascribe a group of people to an image that was so stifling. In a sense, there is a tension between the skin and the gaze. The skin is the gateway to the expansion of the possibilities of blackness, of darkness, beyond that immobility of what such descriptions mean when applied to an individual. The skin is all about the subject. The gaze, on the other hand, directly addresses the viewer. It takes all that possibility, all that history, all that wonder Could you talk about the tension that exists and all those realities, and projects it outwards, between the figures’ rendered skin, meant to reveals it for all to see, with the gaze topping it be explored, and the piercing eyes? Are the off to the viewer, as if to say, again: ‘Do you see eyes watching, or daring the viewer as they me now? I am all these things, these people and explore the skin? places and more. And so are you.’ Toyin: The rendering style of the skin began as I am in a way ‘daring’ the viewer to see these a way for me to express what I felt as a darksubjects, but really, I am daring him/her to see skinned, black woman. I wanted to put it down, the possibilities of these subjects as they exist draw it out, and see it for myself and not have the idea of it seen from the perspective of havin the world and as the viewer exists. I think the ing eyes on me or descriptive (even derogasubjects are always watching the viewer for they tory) words thrown at me. In high school, I went are striking the conversation. through that depressing phase where my skin was my enemy and it felt like a hindrance; I felt For these to be a sort of personal exploraas if it always spoke for me and I was limited in tion they engage the audience in a very dimy actions because of it. I wanted to eradicate it, rect way. How much does your work depend to strip from it and start anew, because it always on the viewer projecting onto your piece? felt like it had so much more history and content Toyin: I like to play with perception. I would be within each pore that was more than I could lying if I didn’t admit that implant my own ideas every carry on or tackle everyday. Thankfully, I or feelings into the portraits I draw. I want to be got over that and began to analyze why I felt that direct, yes, I want to engage with the viewer, way. I started looking at definitions of ‘darkness’ to have him/her see beyond the silhouette of a and ‘blackness’ in the Western canon. I tried figure with those intense stares and various tonal to examine my own personal history and how I gradations, and attempt to see themselves. In a came to loathe my own image and all its manifes- sense, I am trying to create portraits as mirrors. tations—whether those representations and itera- I have my own projections when I am working tions were considers good or bad, everything. - which is inevitable - but I am also very much inEventually, what I found was that I had a seriously terested in what the viewer projects, what he/she warped way of seeing myself and processing may bring to the portrait from their own experihow certain ideas of my identity were projected ences. I am interested in the dialogue. It doesn’t onto me by individuals and by society at large. matter whether I agree or disagree with the When I am drawing the skin this way, what I am assessment each portrait may get. The truth of doing is taking the flatness out, eliminating the the matter boils down to whether these portraits one-dimensional view I felt about my skin and my are engaging you and if they are and you ponder, identity when I was young. The style began as a even for a moment what they may mean to you, sort of love letter to myself. Showing that I was then I feel I have succeeded. multidimensional and my skin was the gateway. I could render it ever iridescent from all sides while Could you expand on your exploration of keeping it collectively dark. I wanted to show blackness? Do you engage with your work contradiction in what this skin meant and how through personal identity alone or are there
the subjects are always watching the viewer for they are striking the conversation.
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any political considerations—if so, do you believe some form of politics are inherent in exploring identity? Toyin: I will start with the last of the questions. I firmly believe that making ‘political art’ is something every artist does, regardless of whether you are a Nigerian, a woman, of a certain socio-economic experience and so on. The fact that you as an artist chose to make this work in the time and place you exist is a political statement by
aren’t black and a woman you will never understand what I am going through nor will you appreciate this work.’ What I am doing with my portraits is revealing the lie of division. I am trying to show how my way of seeing and experiencing the world is valid equally as your way of seeing and experiencing the world is valid. I am trying to reveal that having a self-portrait of myself can express feelings that are universal. This is political because it demands that we remove the filtered visual lenses that separate us from actually seeing each other for who and what we are, not what or who we perform to be or are relegated into being.
I am trying to create portraits as mirrors. itself, because it demands that you be acknowledged and your way of seeing the world is valid and worthy of being tagged in the grand canon of the ‘art historical record’. So when I hear artists saying that what he/she is making is not meant to be inherently political, I get very confused, because I don’t understand which point of view he/she is coming from. I suspect that a lot of this has to do with the contemporary and historical definitions and connotations associated with the labels ‘political’ and the tag of ‘identity art.’ By calling my work ‘identity art,’ I am not trying to disassociate people or exclude (or even blame). What I am trying to do is reveal the nuance with my own visual language. I am not doing it simply to target or say, ‘I am a black woman and if you
You are very open about your studio practice, your success, and your experience as an artist. You keep a very candid blog about all of this. Why is being open about your studio practice and experiences important to you? Toyin: When I was in high school and the possibility, even the very idea, of being an artist came into my purview, I was voracious for knowledge regarding artistic methodology, material, exploration, issues with consistency and business entrepreneurship. I figured, if one is serious about becoming an artist, one should do as much research as possible; looking up artists I admired, I often found that their was plenty of theoretical writing and some slight revelations in regards to process, but nothing as candid and willingly forthright as I desired. I needed more of an inti-
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Hank Pen ink and marker on paper 9 x 12 inches 2012 — opposite
What sorts of stories will we leave behind? Pen ink and marker on paper 23 x 14.5 inches 2012
mate look into the artist’s studio. In the age of blogging, I found much more insights. With contemporary artists like James Jean as early inspirations, I could watch pieces unfold and gain insider info on artistic processes, including their frustrations, triumphs and fears that come with production. I loved the idea of an artist journal and decided around 2009 to begin a public journal of my own chronicling my own artist explorations. At first, it was simply a means of cataloging my process, primarily for myself to refer to when I needed to retrace my steps or explain/elaborate on my process for an essay or critique. From there I expanded the journaling to include material insights, travels, changes in my career, etc. With time, I was fortunate to gain a following and soon I was able to interact with other creatives around the world. Soon, my blog became a means of dialogue, a continued discussion that I had yearned for all those years. I found that nothing was off limits: I could open up my studio doors, so to speak, and reveal every aspect of my process for those who were willing to follow along (as well as for my methodology) and contribute their own ideas. Having this format of a blog is essential, I think. I keep the 16 year old girl I was in my mind when I journal. It’s for her, really. All those questions she would ask, all that information she sought to obtain; I’m always thinking of that. It’s important to me to have a place where people can see what it’s like to be a working artist in some form. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors, a lot of
mystery and drama in popular culture that surrounds the artist identity, especially in America, I think. I want people to understand that I’m not some gifted individual who was just ‘born to be an artist’. It’s a daily activity. It’s a job. I have to commit to it. I have to work at it. Sometimes something works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s all a part of what I do. I’d like to thank you for your time, Toyin. Do you have any wise words for young artists that you have discovered yourself? Toyin: Thank you kindly for the consideration! I suppose if I could give any sort of advice that could be of use it would be this: if you are serious about artmaking, you have to stay committed. You have to keep working. The more you keep making, whether the works end up the way you would like or not, all your doubts and fears will be revealed in the process of making. You cannot answer any questions you may have by quitting early or abandoning a painting or sculpture. It’s very hard to keep at it. I know I have problems with this myself; however, it is the only way to progress forward and gain any kind of certainty about yourself and your work. At least, that’s how it has been for me, so far, anyway. And, of course, all the best of luck!
www.toyinodutola.com/
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Paris, France
Driven by an innovative approach to design and couture for the past five years, Rad Hourani has established a singular unisex vision. His namesake label has now fully come into its own and reached a new level, with the exceptional craftsmanship treating the fabric three-dimensionally as an architectural origami canvas. The unisex reversible and transformable pieces are handcrafted and
made with meticulous precision and dedication to Rad’s vision: genderless, seasonless and timeless. Exclusive and unique these pieces are destined to be more than garments, as a collector’s item. With his coming show during Paris haute couture week during July 2012, Rad Hourani is the first designer to present a unisex haute couture show in history.
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How important do you think your lack of design background was in shaping who you are as a designer? Rad: I’ve never been to any school after high school and I started styling when I was 19 years old. Styling is great to learn how to use clothes but, more importantly, if you have designing ambitions, it’s a great way to analyse how things are constructed and marketed, especially for someone who never went to design or fashion school. It was probably longer than a scholarship, but I feel I learnt more. I’ve also learnt about photography and video making through the same years; these mediums are as necessary as the collections because it’s all about the language I like to use when expressing myself and applying my vision. Now that you have been designing for some time, how has you vision changed or evolved? Rad: I think we are in this life to always evolve and learn new things everyday if possible. My vision has not changed, as I want to stay true to myself as much as possible and to perfect myself in everything I do. My evolution comes from what I feel is right for
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me to do by respecting my vision of life and how to do things. It does not need to be too obvious, it can be very subtle changes but made with a very precise mindset. As a designer who embraces androgyny, how did you feel designing the first unisex couture collection for modern men and women? Rad: My vision is more about unisex than androgyny. We have codes for everything in our life today and I don’t see why we would need to divide things by gender, seasons, rules, religion, race, nationality, age. I think that as a society, we’ve been extremely programmed. I spent a full year six years before starting my [couture] line on creating a perfect unisex canvas that has been studied on male and female forms. I started to delete all codes that can give us a male or female reference and from there I started to sketch graphic forms almost like an architect or graphic designer. My clothes and everything I do are not just about fashion or art, it’s about
Interview Michael Brambila Photography Marco Van Rijt at Eric Elenbaas Styling Rene De Bathory Grooming Celine Martin Model Bastian Thiery at Bananas PARIS All clothes by Rad Hourani Fall 2012
Imagery reproduced courtesy of the photographer
a global language in which I attract people I see myself in. It’s a unisex lifestyle - it’s about an ageless, genderless, timeless, slick and modern world. What was your idea behind that collection? Rad: I met with Monsieur Didier Grumbach from La Fédération Française de La Couture to speak about doing a show during the ready-to-wear season in Paris. He suggested that I start showing during couture as he saw it as haute couture. I was very honored by that and very challenged at the same time. I had very complex moments making this first unisex haute couture collection and I’m very satisfied with the result. It took many months and days with many pieces taking one to two weeks to complete, It’s all about le savoir faire [know-how] in haute couture. It’s very challenging process to create something minimal but extremely complex. Your work focuses on strict lines and angles, is this something that evokes strength and power for you? Rad: I think so as I believe that clothes are a custom that re-
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flects our personalities. I am always attracted to graphic and architectural lines, which I suppose reflects my personality: I am a confident person who knows what I want.
What do you do once your collection is finished? Do you celebrate with some time off or is it back to the work room for your next collection? Rad: Yes, I take some time off to recharge my energy and to clear up my head from everything. You always need a pause in-between shows and big projects, if not you continue with less energy and it can be bad for you mentally and physically.
There are always hints of colour in your collections which allow them to remain timeless and aseasonal, however, do you plan on exploring color more in the future? Rad: Colours are a reflection of what I feel at the moment. It’s a sentimental thing that can‘t be planned in advance. I only like certain colors and I will add more if I feel like it, but there are currently no plans to do so.
rections, be it androgynous, sensual, feminine, masculine and so on.
What are your key thoughts when designing a transformable piece? Rad: I like the idea of transformable and functional objects. Zippers allows me to do that, as individuality can be expressed with the help of this single transformable garment that can be transformed into a number of ways. A vest, a jacket, a skirt, a backpack, a cape and many other ways in which style can be taken in many different di-
How do you keep yourself inspired? Rad: I am always looking for perfection with each new collection as an evolution from the collection before. I want to establish something perennial. I don’t work in terms of seasons, my collections are numbered as the way I do things without gender or season, it applies to everything in life. It’s about defying those limitations that are so often self imposed.
With your ready-towear collections and now your couture collection under your belt, what do you see for yourself in the future? Rad: I really started from nothing and to be really honest, my first collection was really for myself. I never knew it would go this far so I’m so thankful for everything that has been happening to me. My plan is clear: keep showing collections, integrate a solid business platform and extend to other activities when the time is ripe. Art, film, furniture, architecture, books, objects and more... Special Thanks to Marco van Rijt www.radhourani.com/
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Art
‘The photographic apparatus lies in wait for photography; it sharpens its teeth in readiness.’ - Vilem Flusser As we use images to mediate our relationship to the world, we also orientate ourselves with reality. Using an apparatus, a technology, as if we turn on a light to flood a room, the shutter snaps. Capturing not what the eye can see or the body can experience -- ripping an image out of the natural world to question our perception. Artist Jessica Labatte looks at the inherent problems in photographic representation while questioning how we understand and experience the material world. Interview Jason Judd
Jessica, what drew you to the medium of photography? Jessica: I took my first photography class in high school and was hooked immediately. I loved the process of framing the world with my camera and then watching it reappear in the darkroom. It was just pretty magical. Your work seems to experience space that we cannot perceive in our own nature, only by way of the reflexive mechanical nature of the camera--leaving the ghost, the photograph, for the viewer to experience. How important is referencing the camera in this way important to your work? Jessica: Actually, all the
Artwork throughout Jessica Labatte
spatial distortions present in my work are derived from observations I have made either in the studio or out in the world. I use the camera to isolate and highlight these moments and phenomena. The 4x5 camera allows me to very precisely determine what in the image is in focus and how I want the viewer to travel through the image. Isolating these instances in the studio setting allows me to present these slippery moments without distractions. The camera is implicated but is not the most important part of the process. The most important thing is my initial observation and the viewer’s subsequent reflection on the image. I want the images to function as catalysts for observation, presenting
actual possibilities that anyone could observe in the world if they are paying attention. In this way the large format camera is important because the negatives can reveal tiny details that would be lost on a smaller format. In your images, do you see a tension created by a cyclical relationship between abstraction and representation: representation falling into abstraction, back into representation, and so on? Jessica: Oh yes, definitely. This is something that I am very intentionally cultivating in the images. It is how I am drawing attention to the problems inherent in photographic representation and the experience of viewing
photographic images. I want the viewer to question what they are seeing in the forms in the images and the accurateness of the photographic representation. One moment the forms are identifiable as things, and the next moment they become flat, purely formal elements. The process of toggling between representational form and abstraction is really about how we understand and experience the world. The uncertainty of form speaks to a general uncertainty in our contemporary cultural climate. What we see at first glance may not be exactly what we think it is. It might not be simple at second glance either. Photography is particularly well suited to this
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Untitled_2 2012 archival inkjet print 73 x 56.75 inches
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Cross Processed (Green to Blue and Blue to Green) 2012 Archival inkjet print, frame 11 x 14 inches — below
Cross Processed (Yellow to Blue) 2012 Archival inkjet print, frame 11 x 14 inches
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kind of looping because of the image’s relationship to the referent, the real, and representation. We look at photographs knowing that the things in the images existed in front of the camera at some point, but if the ‘thingness’ falls away, our position as observer is suddenly unstable. However, the more you look you encounter some representational clue in the image and you are on solid ground again. My work is part of a group exhibition up right now that addresses this looping phenomenon in contemporary art. The show, organized by curators Michael Milano and Jeff M. Ward, pulls together works in sculpture, painting and photography that do this same toggling between representation and abstraction. The exhibition’s title duckrabbit is drawn from Wittgenstein’s observations on the common perceptual illusion where within the same illustration the viewer can at one moment see a rabbit, at the next a duck. They wrote a really great essay, available on Adds Donna’s website, that addresses how this kind of seeing can create a greater sense of engagement with our world, which is definitely something that I hope to inspire. You talk of having the viewer question what they are seeing in your
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images. Your newest work is very abstract, using the basic elements of seeing (form, shape, colour) to create compositions. Can abstract seeing lead a viewer to having an abstract experience or is the photograph prohibiting this by mediating the abstract experience? Jessica: I am not really sure how one would define an abstract experience, and if anything I am trying to inspire quite the opposite. These works use deceptive perceptions of space and form as a mean to inspire a more engaged looking at the world. If we look at Untitled_1, Untitled_2, Untitled_3, which I debuted in my solo exhibition at Golden Gallery, New York last spring, we can see this put into effect. These images were created through an elaborate process of composing mirrors that reflect coloured lights positioned outside the frame. At first glance the images appear to be collages of coloured planes, but upon closer inspection, you can see fingerprints on the surface of the mirrors, nails propping things up, and other clues to the actual physical construction of the image. These moments prevent the viewer from observing the image as a purely abstract composition and speak to the reality of the physical situation and objects.
I am not trying to take the viewer out of the world and provide some sort of removed or transcendental experience. I want the viewer to use these moments as a guide for a way look closer at our actual world. Following the last question, Barthes talks of the desired referent in the photograph, be it a photograph of a beautiful landscape or the photograph of a loved one who has passed. Is the desire to see phenomena beyond our human nature in photography comparable to these Barthesian referents? Jessica: I think that part of the weight of my work does relate to Barthes’s ideas about the referent. It is important that all the things happening in the images actually happen in the studio. Therefore my images do have a close relationship to Barthes’s ideas about the noeme or the ‘this has been’ that we experience when looking at photographs. The recognition of ‘this was’, even if it has passed is why I spend so much time building the assemblages and installations in the studio. This indexical relationship is also why the images feel so charged, because we know what we are looking at existed even when that doesn’t seem possible. My images do not engage with ideas about
seeing things beyond our human nature, because seeing the phenomena depicted in my images is possible, you just have to look. The photographs present these moments when the world may not be what we expect, but it is actually real. Could you tell us a bit about your Piles series and how that transformed into your current work? Jessica: The Piles came out of all my frustrations with photography and specifically conceptual narrative photography. I was feeling really oppressed by a way of working where as a photographer you would have to conceptualize everything beforehand and there was no way to make images that didn’t engage with specific meaning and metaphor. I really wanted to bring intuition, improvisation, and attention to formal qualities into constructed photography. So, I began collecting furniture and broken objects from the alleys and streets, while at the same time, I was collecting new objects from dollar stores. I would compose the furniture in what I referred to as ‘an aesthetic chain of events’, placing one object, seeing how it looked in the camera, then placing another. Literally composing a picture one object at a time. I thought of them as images with
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The Weather 2009 archival inkjet print 57 x 52 inches
too many signs and symbols to allow one specific reading, thereby escaping metaphor and meaning. My graduate studio was perfect for this activity because it was an industrial style space with white walls and a grey floor lit by even fluorescent lights. Everything looked great in that context, and anything could be used for aesthetic philosophical contemplation. While I would work on the piles, which could take weeks to finish, I was also working on smaller tabletop assemblages. When I was composing the piles, I would often notice something I wanted to isolate in its own picture. The isolated compositions tended to address the slippage from dimensionality into flatness and back that I continue to refine in my work. As time went on, I began to choose objects that looked ‘abstract’ or embodied uncertain dimension rather than being clearly representational. The focus became less about deconstructing meaning and more drawing attention to problems of photographic representation. The collecting impulse that inspired me to col-
lect alley furniture is still present and the chance encounter of finding things is still important to me. I like the untapped potential in found objects, and the subversive gesture of making art objects with low value materials, especially trash. So even though the newest images may look cleaner or more refined they are coming out of impulses initially seen in The Piles. Do your photographs reference painting or digital manipulation at all? Is that a concern you have? Jessica: My work does address painting and digital manipulation in different ways. Images like the Gels or the Surface Effects definitely address the aesthetics of painting as well as aesthetics of digital manipulation and digital imaging. I like that their creation could be called into question because of the ease and prevalence of digital technologies. Of course it would be easy to replicate these flat effects digitally but the fact that they are not digitally constructed is important. It may seem slightly paradoxical, to allude to digital creation but avoid it, but
that’s why the images are captivating. The problem of ‘this has been’ doesn’t seem as pressing with digital technologies. Yet, I think that the more that we lose connection with reality and the implications of our actions on the physical world the more individual power we relinquish. That is why I am very invested in physically constructing images. It comes back to being a more attentive viewer, and noticing these things happening in our world. It’s about asserting agency and intention in the face of uncertainty, chance, and technology. Thank you Jessica for taking the time to let us know more about you and your work. Do you have any words of advice for younger artists working in photography? Jessica: Read theory even if at first you don’t understand it. Stay curious and be actively engaged with the world. Don’t every shy away from hard work. If being an artist was easy, everyone would do it. All images courtesy the artist and Golden Gallery, Chicago/ New York www.jessicalabatte.com/
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New York, US
Photography
Conan Thai
Styling
Raul Guerrero Model
Jake Shortall at Major Models
Grooming
Margina Dennis Styling Assistant
Kim Nguyen Photo Assistant
Jenny Fu Special thanks to
Vincenzo Mammola at Prada All clothes by Prada Fall 2012
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Helsinki, Finland
Photography
Styling
Hair & Makeup
Jukka Ovaskainen
Anna Pesonen
Emilie Tuuminen
Model
Emma
sweatshirt with patches by Raf Simons archive striped kneesocks by Tsumori Chisato via My O My
bondage top, bomber and chaps by Helmut Lang archive
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clockwise from top left
stylist’s own Heikki Salonen dress — printed sweatshirt and trousers by Laitinen via Helsinki10 — shirt by Laitinen via Helsinki10 stylist’s own Death In June sweatshirt
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Paris, France
Photography Joe Lai Styling Yuanyi Jeff Lee — Styling Assistant Seraphine Sin Makeup Mayumi Oda — Hair Nori Takabayashi Model Sojourner Morrell at Marilyn
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shirt and skirt by Julien David coat by Veronique Leroy gloves by Masha Ma shoes by Aldo — opposite
sweater by Acne skirt by Veronique Leroy gloves by Masha Ma
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sweater by Christophe Lemaire skirt by Olympia Le-Tan shoes by Aldo gloves by Masha Ma
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sweater by Sacai shirt by Uniqlo skirt by Veronique Leroy gloves by Masha Ma
shirt by Uniqlo coat and skirt by Veronique Leroy gloves by Masha Ma
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suit by Jen Kao shirt by Uniqlo gloves by Masha Ma
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shirt by Uniqlo sweater by Sacai skirt and gloves by Masha Ma shoes by Aldo
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shirt by Uniqlo dress by Olympia Le-Tan gloves by Masha Ma
John Lawrence Sullivan
All clothing by
Arnaud, Florence Tetier, Raymond Cole
Special Thanks
Adrian Volkova @ Bananas models (Paris)
Model
Nicolas Coulomb
Photography & Styling
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New York, US
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Osma Harvilahti’s photography captures everyday scenes of the photographer’s acquaintances. Following his transition from Helsinki, Finland to New York, US the images have a unique ethereal quality due to Harvilahti’s formal experimentation with extreme close-ups and lighting.
Interview by Daniel Griffiths
Osma, tell us a little bit about yourself and your history. Osma: I’m a Finnish photographer working between New York and Helsinki. I love great food, beautiful design and colors. I built my passion towards art and photography through doing everything opposite, then I slowly started accepting what I will be and what I’ll become. I stopped spending my time in libraries studying politics and focused on the art by learning the practices of visual representations which I am currently working with. A common thread throughout your work is formal experimentation be it with vivid colouring or extreme close-ups - is this a primary concern of your practice, or is your focus on the subjects themselves? Osma: I’m mainly interested
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in beautiful things, colors, nice natural expression, compositions, friends, phenomena in nature and urban life. Much of your work distorts perspective, giving the photography an illusionary nature. Does this hold a broader significance in relation to your work? Osma: I like to play with different elements, perspectives and layers. They’re usually interesting finds more than something arranged: small details that are removed from the bigger context and framed nicely. Your photographs function as a type of diary, with your earlier work rooted in the Finnish countryside while your most recent work capturing the urban and social environments of New York City. How was this transition for you? Did you begin to re-evaluate your work and process after the move? Osma: Yes. I like to mix real personal moments and everyday life with my commissioned work. Both have a connection between them and the place where I hap-
pen to live affects the whole body of work. Let’s say my work has changed quite a lot after spending more time in New York because the atmosphere and people force you to think more and faster. Now I shoot and work more and I’m happy with this situation! Is photographing a dayto-day activity for you, or do you set out and plan your shoots? Osma: It’s funny, I just like to capture things how they are. If a person is wearing something interesting, or is fitted nicely, or arranged in an interesting composition, I just feel like shooting him/ her as he/she is, without ruining the documentary feel of that moment by asking for a portraits. That would be a totally different approach to work. As well as your photography, you have created a number of short films which incorporate current music and oldfilm effects. Does your thought process and working method vary greatly between photography and film? Osma: The 8mm films were a nice and challenging project as I had never touched
a video camera before and, as everything was shot on film, I had no clue how it looked like. I shot about 30 minutes of raw material and edited four videos out of it so it wasn’t the easiest task. I learnt a lot and enjoyed the process. I chose the locations and moments as I would have done if I was there to shoot still photos, but capturing the movement and moments and the technical approach to the work were a bit different. Are there any projects that you’re currently working on, or planning to in the near future? Osma: There’s quite a lot. I’m planning to publish a new book, shooting for new magazines and collaborating with several cool publications. Also, I’m currently working on an artist portfolio project, which is something that I’ve been working for some time. I am in the process of searching for new interesting artists and people to participate before launching later this year or early in 2013.
http://osma.fi/ http://osmaharvilahti.tumblr. com/
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New York, US
In September, New York showed that it could compete in the world of graduate fashion degree programs with “The First Eighteen,” a Donna Karan-supported show that exhibited the work of the first eighteen students in the two-year old Master’s program at Parsons. The program aimed to cultivate a critical, conceptual approach to design in the students, who originate from South Korea, Peru, China, and other locales worldwide. Professors encouraged candidates to delve into political, social, and theoretical arguments to underscore their work. The result: a varied, provocative collection of student work.
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Jun Juyeon Hong suits Max Von Isser in the minimalist, boundarypushing tailoring that demonstrates her dexterity with new concepts and lines. Lucia Cuba’s cerebral dresses are shown on Bogdan Tudor, who wears one of Cuba’s strappy, twisted pieces that restricts the body. Reece Sander’s wears an example Talia Shuvalov’s expertise in athletic, modern knitwear, evoking a cool genderblending mood. John Hein models for Jie Li, a Beijing-bred designer who expresses playful creativity through layered chiffon, pleating, and interesting techniques.
Photography Sergio Mejia — Styling Susan Walsh — Text Erich Kessel jr. Models Max Von Isser at Fusion, John Hein at Ford Models, Bogdan Tudor and Reece Sanders at New York Model Management — Photo Assistant Jenny Regan and Emma Pratt — Grooming (On Bogdan) Roy Liu, (on John, Max and Reece) Rebecca Robles — Special thanks Shawn Zane at Fusion, Alisa Post at New York Model Management and Kati Brown at Ford Models
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JUN JY HONG Interview by Susan Walsh
Jun JY Hong’s collection adopts the idea of the ‘inconclusive ending’; taking its cue from the infamous class of 80s deconstructivist tailors - Yamamoto, Kawakubo, Miyake – it is stylistically rooted in the formal, athletic minimalism of the early 90s.
Your collection is titled Unfinished Creative Work, what are three of the best unfinished creative works that exist in your opinion? Furtwängler Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony No. 8 in B minor shows a great level of continuity and completeness. It feels like the music would never end. Second is a drawing for the painting The Dinner by Antonio Lopez Garcia, which shows the logical aesthetic process and brings out infinite space into the imaginary moment. Also the unfinished works of Auguste Rodin’s sculptures; they bring forth many mythological yet realistic imaginations.
Your goal is to redefine the notion of conventional sartorial forms, who are the icons of sartorial dress in your opinion? As society evolves, conventional forms of design and fashion also evolve accordingly. Whether this is for better or worse is something that designers must contemplate. It is important not to forget about the basic fundamentals of design from fashion icons such as Cristóbal Balenciaga. I respect Balenciaga’s scale of inventiveness while maintaining the integrity of sartorial fundamentals in his haute couture works. I also admire Martin Margiela’s aesthet-
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ics and his organic process of sartorial interpretation. Playing with shapes and lines is an essential element of your aesthetic, what artistic or architectural movements have informed your own designs? I wouldn’t say certain movements in particular influenced my collection but since I am still exposed to some of the greatest metropolises, I must have subconsciously have been influenced by modern and contemporary architectures. I think that the beauty of architecture is that it stays around us forever. You said your collection involved serious stylistic experiments, who would you love to collaborate and experiment with and why? Definitely with Richard Serra; it would be great to work with him to create challenging yet abstract forms of shapes into a gigantic construction. Molding and creating massive structures, that represent energy and strength simply, would be fun and fantastic! The starting point of your collection was Andrea Lopez Garcia’s sketches, what is currently inspiring your sketchbook? I recently reconstructed my
husband’s old white custom made shirt and made it to fit me. After finishing my collection, I wanted the simple joy of doing nothing complicated. I wanted to manipulate the idea of transforming something extra large to extra small. Complete the sentence: the Parsons MFA is – The place to put your brain into food processor and voila! www.junjyhong.com/
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LUCIA CUBA Interview by Susan Walsh Peruvian designer Lucia Cuba’s Parsons MFA collection launched a project, Articulo 6. Cuba’s collection is a form of activism through clothing, with each stitch and cut telling a socio-political narrative. Her designs are effectively installations, created to prompt dialogue and encourage action.
At the root of your collection is a message, what was the catalyst for this project? When I began researching for my project and collection, I was given the chance to interview two incredible women from Anta, Peru, who had experienced sterilisation in a very violent way. At the end of this conversation I asked them what they wanted to obtain from their continued struggle, and they both said, ‘We want everyone to know what happened to us, all of us. We don’t want this to happen again.’ For me, this was the trigger to create something that could inform people about what had occurred. Connecting with diverse audiences and contexts to spread a message highlighting the need to respect human rights and be engaged in the strengthening of citizenship. The idea of constraint and boundaries runs through your collection, what constraints do you find you encounter as a designer? The fact that fashion design is primarily associated, almost exclusively, to aesthetical analysis, creates a strong barrier when it comes to expressing a garment’s agency. The political implications of my project are, in a sense, another constraint. There is a lot of fear in the reactions of people towards my project, a fear that is still present in Peruvian society today when it comes to presenting
works that promote the debate and analysis of certain contemporary social and political issues. The collection incorporates a number of printed imagery on
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the garments, many of which are deeply haunting. Could you explain the reasoning behind these images for us? A photograph by French photographer Pierre-Yves Ginet who in 2006 produced a beautiful visual documentation of a case named, ‘The Dissident Woman of Anta’. He managed to capture a particular moment in which one of the victims who had been forcefully sterilized showed him the scars on her skin, the products of the surgical intervention. This image opens a space for indignation, beauty, innocence, empowerment, and memory. He kindly accepted my request to use his image as one of the prints for three pieces of the Articulo 6 collection. Complete the sentence: the Parsons MFA is – The space where I rediscovered how deeply engaged I was with an interdisciplinary approach to fashion design, practice and research. www.luciacuba.com www.articulo6.pe
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TALIA SHUVALOV Interview by Susan Walsh Talia Shuvalov’s collection reexamines and recycles wardrobe staples – t-shirts, sweaters and jeans – by bonding together layers of cotton and jersey to form innovative garments which glide between genders in an effortless manner.
Could you elaborate on some of the inspirations behind your collection’s aesthetic? It is something that is instinctive and all encompassing. I love researching patterns that surround us in architecture, art and human behaviour by looking at a sort of ‘complicated simplicity’. Knitwear is your speciality and is used in a rebellious manner to forcefully alter the pieces. On another lever, where in New York would you like to ‘attack’ with guerilla knitwear? I would love to alter the exterior of the Whitney Museum with knitwear. I know extreme; however, it is one of my favourite pieces of architecture in New York. The lines and geometry are incredibly beautiful.
A lot of your work envokes the childhood fashion of the 80s and 90s; do you have a favourite childhood fashion memory? My typical ‘play’ outfit consisted of 80s intarsia knits, which was paired with some denim overalls and, of course, glitter jellies. If I had all these pieces I would still wear them today!
Complete the sentence: the Parsons MFA is – An opportunity for designers to grow both individually and collectively, by finding your voice and purpose within your chosen design discipline.
http://taliashuvalov.com/
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JIE LI Interview by Susan Walsh Jie Li’s designs induce both a sugar rush and a dreamy haze. Veils of chiffon are given the origami treatment while accessories channel Harajuku, Japan. Entitled Reminiscence of the Sky the collection evokes innocent daydreams.
Your collection is very dreamlike, what are your dream collaborations? Collaborating with Thom Browne would be a dream, as I like the shape of his garments, which I would mix with my focus on fabric manipulation. On another note, I would love to work with G-Dragon from a K-POP group called Big Bang in Korea - I’d like to do menswear for him! Photographer Yamayochi’s documentation of sky patterns at Mt. Fuji has been named as one of your design sources; could you elaborate on his influence? I have always been drawn to scenes of skies and mountain, and I really like the texture of the clouds and dream colours of Yamayocji’s photographs. Your headphones suggest a collection soundtrack, what is your collection’s playlist? A collection playlist would have to include the likes of 2NE1, GDragon and Cécile Corbel. Complete the sentence: the Parsons MFA is – A lab for experimentation.
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Paris, France
Photography
Lydia Gorges & Jens Schmidt Styling
Uli Semmler Makeup
Mayumi Oda Hair
Taka Model
Ewa @ City Models Paris
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pullover by Hexa by Kuho
skirt by Clarisse Hieraix shirt by Nicolas Andreas Taralis gloves by Peachoo + Krejberg — opposite page dress by Gareth Pugh
dress by Peachoo + Krejberg kimono collar by Nicolas Andreas Taralis
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dress by Sharon Wauchob boots by Christian Louboutin — opposite page jumpsuit by Anne Valerie Hash
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jacket by Mugler — opposite page skirt by Clarisse Hieraix shirt by Nicolas Andreas Taralis gloves by Peachoo + Krejberg
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Paris, France
Photography
Fanny Latour-Lambert Grooming
David Lenhardt Model
Clément Louis
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London, UK
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Photography
Marek Chorzepa Styling
Tomas C. Toth Model
Jessie Kimber at Models1 Hair & Makeup
Daisy Harris -D’Aandel Styling Assistant
Julia Hernandez
shirt by Jayne Pierson belt Stylist’s own — opposite page dress by Jessie Hands bracelet by Maria Piana shoes by L.K Bennett
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jumper by Isabell Yalda Hellysaz — opposite page coat by Fan Xian Hueih Annabel
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dress by Jessie Hands skirt by Jayne Pierson arm piece by Maria Piana shoes by L.K. Bennett — opposite page shirt by Isabell Yalda Hellysaz skirt by Fan Xian Hueih Annabel
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Toronto, Canada
Photography
Marko Mijailovic Styling
Desire Kaniki Grooming
Mitchell Ross
(Using Mac Products) Model
Ollie (Elmer Olsen)
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shirt by Thom Browne jacket by Theory trousers by Topshop
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top & trousers by Maison Orientale
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trench coat by Burberry shirt by Thom Browne trousers by H&M
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shirt by Thom Browne leggings by Maison Martin Margiela kilt by Maison Orientale
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top & trousers by Maison Orientale
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Art
Interview by Daniel Griffiths
What lead you to experiment with manipulation? Ralf: I wanted to start with something new as my life was at a turning point at this time, so I wanted to do something radical from what I have done before. This was a long process. I believe that your distortions are created by Photoshop experimentation; what is your attitude toward new computer technologies and its affect on the photographic medium? Ralf: In the beginning I mostly photographed using film, however I’ve moved to enjoy the possibilities of digital manipulation by using Photoshop. I think it’s just a very good tool that I use, like a painter uses a brush. These analogue and digital techniques grow more and more together, which is an almost natural process.
Ralf Brueck’s series DISTORTION (2010-12) features everyday subjects - architecture, people, nature and so on, - abstracted into streams of colour. The German-born photographer experiments with the ever-changing medium to re-evaluate the viewer’s engagement with the work by distorting our vision of reality.
How significant is the choice of location in the series? Is it intentional to have such a contrast between the industrial, public spaces and the other-worldly photographic manipulation, which seems to disrupt the viewer’s normal engagement
Freeze 2011 132 x 108 c-print diasec woodframe — opposite
Elevator 2011 136 x 100 cm c-print diasec woodframe
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Morning Glory 80 x 120cm 2012 c-print plexiglass woodframe
with these sites? Ralf: You’re absolutely right; everything is done intentionally. The contrast between industrial, public spaces and my other photographic subjects puts the work in an area of tension. For me, that is very important. How do you situate yourself in relation to art movements or contemporary artists? Has studying under the likes of Thomas Ruff been integral to your work? Ralf: I am a contemporary artist so to study under Thomas Ruff has been very important for me. What I learned there and became integral to me was the importance of what kind of attitude you have towards your work. Many of your witty titles, such as ‘Barcode’ and ‘Personal Jesus’, give a playful quality to your photography. Is this light-hearted approach integral to your practice? Ralf: Humour is definitely part but not crucial to my work. My titles often refer to pop-cultural context like movies, books or music. I choose them because I feel they go along well with the picture and support each other. What are you current plans for the upcoming year? Are you planning on pushing the DISTORTIONS series further? Ralf: I’m in the process of arranging solo shows in Berlin and Hong Kong next year. I definitely plan to go on with the DISTORTION series by experimenting with different complexity and more advanced techniques. http://www.ralfbrueck.de/
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Brazil
Interview by Nadirah Nazaraly
Genesis 3:5 is an exclusive feature photographed by Brazilian duo Rodolfo Cemin and Guilherme Silva How did the two of you decide to collaborate? SIlva+Cemin: From our first meeting, we realised that we shared the same point of view when it comes to producing art, which we decided to express through photography. So we started taking pictures of each other and then we established ourselves as a duo. We created the name Silva+Cemin which means the sum of our creative process. Could you share with us some of your greatest influences? Silva+Cemin: Our inspirational basis are artistic movements from Surrealism, pre-Raphaelism to Art Déco as well as fashion in general (i.e. Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga). Our favorites singer-songwriters and filmmakers are Florence Welch, Lykke Li, Sofia Coppola, Almodóvar. At the moment we are obsessed with the 90s, colourful images and a little bit of rap and hip-hop. Religion and symbology have brought a lot of inspiration as well, like Buddhism and versicles from the Old Testament. What do you have in store for Silva+Cemin? Silva+Cemin: We are about to include more colourful images with fashion as our main basis and also want getting in touch with the fashion world which has been closer to us than ever before.
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Art
Interview by Ander Rennick
Invested in our physical conditions understood through digital simulations, newly acclaimed Austrian artist Peter Jellitsch has developed a unique drawing strategy that oscillates between the actual and the virtual. Currently exhibiting alongside the likes of Sol LeWitt, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Tauba Auerbach in Field Conditions at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, this young artist is showing promising signs of progress as he continues his research-based practice geared towards a multi-layered process of digital and analogue translation, extracting from it an insight into our shifting perceptions and experiences of reality. STB/S01/90° — ink & pencil on paper — 75 x 75 cm — unique, signed — Peter Jellitsch 2011 opposite
Doppelgaenger / Var169 Var170 — crayon & pencil on paper — 65 x 95 cm — unique — Peter Jellitsch 2012
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Peter, tell us about your recent involvement in SFMoMA’s Field Conditions. Peter: At the moment, it is quite a significant time for both me and my art practice. To see my work in a direct relationship with artists like Tauba Auerbach, Marsha Cottrell or Sol LeWitt brings my investigation to a whole new level. For me, it is important to follow the process of how my work gained its physical presence at SFMoMA. My work was first published on an influential website, with the authors geographically located on the US West Coast. Even though the Internet has dispersed itself in every direction all over the globe, it is nevertheless interesting to see that the result of a significant ‘virtual’ publication leads to a significant ‘real’ presence in the same geographical region as the authors. It reminds me of the words expressed by Hiromi Hosoya and Markus Schäfer in their 2001 essay Tokyo Metabolism, in which they argue that our experiences and the space we perceive is a mixed pattern of real and virtual elements. Virtuality manifests itself, according to the authors, not as a future cyberspace, but as a digital reality within the present through the interplay of real spaces with virtual structures. The notion of the field places emphasis on interconnectivity, or more specifically the
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relationships between forms, which determine its characteristics and behaviors. Your STB Series’ seem to take their departure from interpreting a space of effects and systems— rather than a space of matter or material. Could you elaborate on the processes behind these series? Peter: The STB Series is an ongoing experiment with simulated airstreams that I produce through computer programs common in scientific practices, particularly those in connection with building analysis. The works in the series hold no constant appearance, matter, or material—I am trying to find methods to catch fragments of a virtual condition in permanent flux. The STB Series reflects my investigation into how science and media are trying to approach the creation of ‘reality’ through new technological methods of simulation. While these simulations are trying to imitate reality, I am imitating the imitation of reality with my hand— the hand drawing as an essential part of this work. For me it allows a physical acquisition of invisible digital calculations, and also includes mistakes and instinctive extensions. Until a drawing is finished, it passes through several stations of analog and digital realms. How then, do you conceive the study of air and its inherent condi-
tions in relation to this idea of the field? Peter: I think that simulated airstreams and data clouds exist as fragments of the environment that surrounds us. Therefore, I see my art practice and my engagement within the notion of these ‘fields’ as part of a critical observation on reality. How do these studies of physical conditions then influence your thinking on the (im) material conditions of architecture and also the recent shift of architecture towards the performative? Peter: I think that general technological progress has led to a certain kind of estrangement and perceptual shift within a person in the relation to his/her environment. Cities are quietly transforming as a result of certain phenomena. For example, the radio wave and the
ubiquity of communication possibilities is something with which I think contemporary architects must deal with. Since the early 90s, there has been a high distribution and proliferation of mobile communication aerials. As a result, 20 years later, central Europe is one of the most densely ‘covered’ regions in the world in this respect, with 20% more mobile phone subscribers than inhabitants (source: GSM Association & Europe Technologies Limited, Jan.2009). In my 2010 work Electronic Topographies, the city center of Vienna was used as testing laboratory— standing as an exemplarily example of the extremely dense European network coverage. With the Electronic Topographies drawing series I have tried to simulate the electromagnetic cones generated in relationship with the surrounding physical space.
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Peter Jellitsch in front of STB/S16 (12 FRAGMENTS OF 3 MOMENTS IN A HORIZONTAL FORMATION) 2012
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The approach of this series was to create an alternative view of public areas. For me, it is no longer necessary for architects to think in measurements such as meter, kilometer or decibel anymore. Kilowatt, hertz and terabyte are examples of the emerging dimensions for our environment today. Your work reveals an acute awareness of complex systems such as schools, flocks, swarms and crowds, and also the propensity of the line to reveal hidden stresses and contours such as in moiré patterns. How do these kinds of models influence your work? And what other modes of research do you undertake in developing your work? Peter: I get ideas and take a lot of inspiration from browsing through scientific publications in libraries and reading media studies, even if my work cannot be seen as contributing to scientific knowledge production. It is obvious too that I am influenced by representation techniques such as mathematical diagrams, explanatory models and informa-
tion graphics. Early drawings by Gordon Matta-Clark have also encouraged the way I am working on my STB Series. Thus, I am mainly working through modes of repetition, but there are also aspects of Op Art and conceptual thinking that influence my practice. You have used tables of information in your recent works such as Analogy, including diagrams, notes, and 3D models. How do you organize this information and research in relationship to the drawings displayed? Peter: My working method itself has multiple realities according to the concepts that I am following. Especially in my STB Series, I have realized that it is important to show the process of my work, as it follows the way I am working in my studio. The drawing on the wall itself is not necessarily something that I see as the final product. It seems to me that the work is more coherent when showing the whole process, such as books, models, sketches and notations, and the organization of this referential data is specifically
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aligned to the work that is shown on the wall. In an arrangement like this, I have a horizontal axis with all of my analogies, and a vertical axis with all of the detailed drawings that result from those analogies. Your EMI/SYM series’ and most recent Doppelgaenger Series also seem to de-
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velop in repeated permutations and variations. Could you tell us a little more about these works? Peter: The EMI/SYM series as well as the Doppelgaenger Series is based on a process which calculates the variation of growth within a mathematical space lattice. The approach of this work is to find all possible
space unit cells of a specific crystal lattice. The Doppelgaenger drawings are always showing two neighbor units on one paper, which emphasize the variation of a synthetic linear alteration. In working between the analogue and the digital, relying on both computer simulation and
the hand-drawn image, your work generates an interesting dialogue between actual space and virtual space that have equally dominated recent discussions in architectural theory. How do you understand the relationship between actual and virtual through the tracing of digital
processes? Peter: Yes, exactly! The intersection of actual space and virtual space serves to us a multitude of new technical and narrative possibilities. A tiny fraction of these new capabilities are the foundation for my artistic practice. I think that the current generation of artists have to think of an expanded version
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STB/S02/130° ink & pencil on paper 75 x 75 cm unique, signed Peter Jellitsch 2011 — opposite
Working Process / 0412
of Walter Benjamin’s landmark essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, such as “The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction.” With my serial drawings I am trying to dissolve the borders of analog and digital, or better said: I am transporting information from a virtual world into a real physical space, with
pencil and paper as the interface. Following on from this, your drawings also hint at the role of the diagrammatic. Whilst diagrams typically hold immediate information on the surface, your treatment of information seems to enforce further depth and dimensionality. Are there
any particular issues you are exploring in relation to the image itself and the visualization of complexity? Peter: I am skeptical about artworks which intent to communicate a truth. Through imitating and doubling artificial realities I am questioning art as objective knowledge production.
Overall, what do you learn about the synthetic and the digital in its impact on both the mental and physical construction of our environment or ‘real space’ through your work? Peter: That I am turning into a machine! www.peterjellitsch.com/
Photography
Joe Lai Styling
Haruka Suzuki Model Tiana Tolsto誰 at New Madison Makeup
Min Kim at Airport Agency Hair
Nori Takabayashi Photography Assistant
Angelique Delabre Styling Assistant
Hisato Tasaka Makeup Assistant
Debora Emy
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Paris, France
jacket by Sansovino6 — trousers & sandals by Alaïa
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rollneck by Sansovino6 — trousers by Juun.J — pumps by Allude opposite
jumpsuit by Cacharel — turtleneck body by Alaïa — belt by Peachoo+Krejberg — boots by Avril Gau
coat by Lutz — trousers by Sansovino6 opposite
jacket by Anne Valérie Hash — body by Walford — trousers by Marc by Marc Jacobs — pumps by Allude
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Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Photography Marco Van Rijt at Eric Elenbaas
Styling
Hair & Makeup
Model
Photo Assistant
Jean-Paul Paula
Dennis Michael at Angelique Hoorn
DUCO at Success Models Paris
Humphrey Khouw
Photo Editing
Petra Vaessen
earring by Givenchy bomber jacket by Alpha Industries jacket (worn underneath) Stylist’s Own
coat by Avalon socks by American Apperal boots by Dior Homme by Hedi Slimane
sunglasses by Rayban jacket by Hugo Boss t-shirt and shorts by Givenchy
bomber jacket by Alpha Industries vest (worn underneath) by Hugo Boss shirt by Hugo Boss
earring by Givenchy bomber jacket by Alpha Industries coat (worn undrneath) Stylist’s Own tank top by Givenchy trousers by Hugo Boss socks by American Apperal boots by Dior Homme By Hedi Slimane
top by ADO LES SCENTS by Hyun Yeu shirt by XOSA by G. Toppin shorts by Topman socks by American Apperal boots by Dior Homme by Hedi Slimane
sunglasses by Rayban bomber jacket by Gstar vest (worn underneath) by Hugo Boss socks by American Apperel boots by Dior Homme By Hedi Slimane
bomber jacket by Alpha Industries vest and shirt (worn underneath ) by Hugo Boss leatner pants by Maison Martin Margiela boots by Dior Homme by Hedi SlimaneÂ
top by ADO LES SCENTS by Hyun Yeu shirt by XOSA by G. Toppin socks by American Apperal boots by Dior Homme by Hedi Slimane
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New York, US
Photography
Sergio Mejia Styling
Susan Walsh Model
Eszther Boldov at Ford Hair
Marissa Bollman Make-up
Samantha Lau Photo assistant
Jenny Regan Stylist assistant
Hannah Elliott Special thanks to Mallory at Ford NY
Patricia Machado
hat and waistcoat by Louis Vuitton — turtleneck by American Apparel
blazer by Miu Miu — skirt by Michael Kors — shirt and Tie by Prada — hat by Ohne Titel opposite page jacket by Dior
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Blouse by Valentino — cape by Giorgio Armani — gloves by Carolina Amato opposite page coat by Prada — blouse by Band of Outsiders — gloves by Balenciaga
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dress (worn backwards) by Junya Watanabe — turtleneck by Versace — hat by Ellen Christine Millinery
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opossite page
coat and top by Missoni blazer by Prada — neck piece by Miu Miu — hat by Giorgio Armani
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hat by Louis Vuitton — sweater by Balenciaga — coat by Alberta Ferretti — gloves by Givenchy
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coat by Lanvin — shirt by Miu Miu — hat, stylist’s own
shirt by Rochas — stoal by Adrienne Landau
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jacket by Dior — dress by Givenchy
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London, UK
Photography Paul Phung All clothing by Theory
It’s all about balance these days, and pared down edginess is in vogue. Reinterpreted jackets by Theory provide our girl with her cool, transient look. The mood is quietly subdued yet loudly chic.
Styling
Hair & Makeup
Assistant
Model
Nadine Artois
Bella Simonsen
Corey Bulmer
Aimee @ D1
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Singapore, Singapore
Interview Nadirah Nazaraly
Photography Zhi Wei
Stolen started out as a pet project by 35-year-old Singaporean designer, Elyn Wong. Driven by architectural concepts and geometric emphasis, Stolen has evolved into a line that fuses sensuality with practicality for the contemporary woman.
What was the overall creative process involved in designing the garments for each collection? Elyn: Just like any of my other creative outlet… I do not have a fixed creative process. Sometimes I pick up the pen and start drawing once I get very inspired. There are also times where I have to force something out due to deadlines and surprisingly those forced pieces turn out more beautiful than my “ultra inspired” pieces. So the basic chain of inspiration, conceptualising, designing, crafting, prototyping, changing and finalising can sometimes be shifted a little. Who and what are some of your inspirations for the collections? Elyn: I am obsessed with architecture, the Brutalism movement to be exact. The sharpness, the strength, the rawness and simplicity excites me. So I imagine that these instinctively contribute to my creations. I love philosophy and I am often charmed by philosophical quotes and enjoy mulling over them for a stupidly long periods of time. The name Stolen is
inspired by something Gandhi said. Girls with short hair ticks for me. I think they ooze a lot more sexiness and style. I think this attraction moulds a lot of my designs. What motivates you? Elyn: Self satisfaction, recognition and happiness. What are your plans for Stolen in 2013? Elyn: Stolen wants to cross pollinate with other artforms. Be it dance, installation art, graffiti, music, pottery, anything really. We plan to work with different artists to cross inspire and create more fun and new stuff. I do installation art as well, besides fashion. So I believe creativity should not be limited to any media or expression. From a more business perspective, Stolen targets to explore the Scandinavian market and the States. We would focus on more online engagement as well, as a brand. www.stolenstolen.com facebook.com/stolenstolen For sales and media contact: contact@stolenstolen.com
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Fashion
Text by Erich Kessel
The theme of artists bending the gender binary to fit their craft is not new. The history of this practice is broad and varied: from Ernst Kirchner’s florid and feminine robe in his 1910 work Self Portrait with Model; to Marlene Dietrich’s sultry tuxedo in her 1928 film Morocco; to Yves Saint Laurent’s famed 1966 Le Smoking. Yet, for all this heritage of gender bending, followers of fashion are quickly find that men have been - and still are - the minority practitioners of this art. Even when men do leave tradition, the image designers chase is strongly masculine. Jean Paul Gaultier’s men in skirts era took inspiration from virile, gritty punk imagery, for example. This has been the menswear tradition. That is, until last season. Three designers headlined the upcoming spring 2013 season with an aim to create a femininity that wasn’t watered down with masculine overtones. Part of the reluctance to embrace femininity as an inspiration is based on dark societal precedents. The most important of all is the stigma that continues to underscore the word ‘feminine’. The per-
ception that femininity invades the menswear realm is still existent today. One 2010 GQ article on stationery reassures its readers that holiday cards by a New York-based company are ‘tasteful and not a bit feminine’. The implication is that, for men, the spheres of what is elegant and what is masculine are mutually exclusive. If only for a season, designers have put such age-old frights of the feminine to rest. In his role at Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci has slowly chipped away at certain menswear dressing conventions, season after season. Skirts have been a feature on the Givenchy runway since early 2009, but Tisci’s most recent collection was more devoutly female than its predecessors. The designer moved towards more billowy fabrics, making use of an airy see-through material that appeared on tank tops and tees. The rest of the collection focused on the illusion of femininity, often created with panels of fabric. Tisci’s blazers featured coattails that traditionally would be associated with debonair tuxedos. This time around, the impression was that of
a sari or dress. The overall of effect was superheroesque. The feminine forms of the collection eventually began to read as capes, while the ubiquitous goldaccented sandals looked down right combative. An underlying message about female power, perhaps? Considering Tisci’s everpresent motifs of Catholicism’s most powerful woman—the Madonna— such estimations might not be far off. Other designers of the season had something to say in their play of proportions and shapes. By and large, proportions were less regimented, taking a page from the womenswear book. The suit, symbolic of what we associate with menswear, is quite simple: contemporary designs often split the body in half, in an attempt to make the most of the legs and the torso; the jacket hem and pant waist meet each other halfway. This season, designers looked to do more, complicating things in intelligent ways. At Lanvin, Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver quietly moved away from a traditional basis. ‘It’s not about being linear’, Ossendrijver said in interview with Tim Blanks.
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‘We have a lot of contrasting volumes’. Contrasting they were. The menswear duo showed high-wasted loose pants and skinny shorts that hugged with thigh. Shirts were cut in organic patterns, which were further expanded by the flowing fabrics Ossendrijver used. The proportions, in comparison to the traditional menswear format, were far rounder and less linear. The shoulder was also a point of discussion at Lanvin. Just as in the spring 2009 season (which ushered the debut of the famous Balmain military jacket), the designers at Lanvin focused on ways to accentuate what is considered by many to have a sensuously feminine aesthetic. On almost all jackets, shoulders were rounded out a bit; a few of the collection’s transparent shirts gave viewers a voyeuristic peak at some skin. This embrace of the womenswear aesthetic of sex was not unique to Lanvin. Raf Simons’ work was the season’s boldest suggestion of sensuality. The look was clear from the start of the show. Raf Simons showcased the youthfully short shorts with which fans are now
familiar. This time, however, deep slits ran along the seams. In some cases, these suggestive incisions were in the front, along the pressed crease of the suiting fabric. The effect was to elongate the leg. For a long time, this practice was almost unique to womenswear. And when it was done in menswear, it was rarely discussed as a goal. Simons’ collection stepped outside the norm, with the pieces instantly taking on a sexual air. The newly appointed Dior designer has a knack for art references. In the arts, the flower has traditionally symbolized female chastity and innocence. Considering this convention, Simons’ use of floral prairie print is of note. In the front, viewers see a sleek coat, but in the back they see the illusion of a pleated dress. Despite its strong masculine overtones, the Saint Laurent Smoking was tailored to look feminine; similarly, despite the fact that Simons’ coats are tailored to look masculine, their feminine accents are overriding. The collection’s floral trench coats, shown towards the finale, recalled the 1910 Kirchner painting: there was a suggestion of sex.
This time, the inkling was much more subdued, but present nonetheless. The use of floral prints and slits on pants merits ideological discussion as well. What meaning does this symbol of chastity take on when it is injected into menswear? What was meant by the leggy look of the models at Simons’ June presentation? Fashion is defined by its ever-changing nature. That’s part of the reason why the above questions probably won’t be flushed out. What is known, however, is that for a brief season, Lucas Ossendrijver, Riccardo Tisci and Raf Simons all seemed to be making the same argument: that, for a short flash of fashion, femininity could be destigmatized in the realm of menswear; that menswear could make a serious commitment to push people’s intellects as womenswear has done before. Alber Elbaz remarked that the spring season was about ‘elevating fashion’. In advancing our sartorial discussion about sexism and femininity, these designers did just that.
Images courtesy of Vogue.co.uk
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Dallas, US
Interview by Daniel Griffiths Model Jill Hensen
Your work seems to bridge the gap between photography, collage and installation with your subjects collaged and formed in made spaces. What lead you to experiment with photography in this manner? Trey: As far back as I can remember I’ve had to set things up in order to start a photographic project, my earliest projects were scenes I would set up with creatures that I would build. I’ve always admired people that can create work on the fly, photographers like Diane Arbus and Weegee that go out into the world and document the things they see--I know there is more to it but you get what I mean--but I have to go back into my studio/cave and mull it over for a little bit and process what I’ve seen and experienced. After graduating I pretty much gave up on photography and art for a long time, I was working early this year on a series of paintings where I would collage images of weird plants and other things into it. I was prompted by a zine out of Houston to work on a photographic project and I figured I had nothing to lose. I was really interested in creating out of photographs bits and piece from magazine, I would assemble them all together and take pictures of them and continued to do some for a couple months. I found this method of working to be a good fit for me. With your work having little references to so many artists, such as the grotesque quality of Surrealism and vivid Pop Art of David Hockney, could you tell us a little bit about your artistic influences? Trey: I’ve always been inspired by artists working in a narrative style, I’ve always loved the work of Anna Gaskell, David Hockney’s early work. I enjoy many artists that use photography in a very physical way, I enjoy Marlo Pascual, and Daniel Gordon. I’m not just influenced by other artists but also fashion magazines, the Internet and how images are assembled on it, a particular color pairing might strike me, more and more I’m realizing just how much
advertising imagery is influencing but I think that’s inevitablebecause I use so much of it as raw material for my work. Many of your photographs include folded elements, be it figures or landscapes, which disrupts the picture plane and the normative flatness of the photography medium. Is this an intentional and important part of your artistic practice? Trey: When I’m working I definitely pay attention to the way I manipulate the photographs, I will bend them, shape them, accentuate the shadows and highlights of the paper because I want people to realize the material aspect of the work and of photographs in general, that they are a kind of object and tool. I think drawing attention to this creates a tension that I like and that creates a surreal quality that I couldn’t get by just taking a straight photograph. This year has brought a lot of new changes to my work and the series of photographs I did for Bite is definitely a departure for me. I’ve literally never collaborated with model before, I’ve always steered clear of photographing people for the most part, I think because there is certain safety in objects, you can move them around and go back to them--I can’t just leave a model in my studio till the next time I feel like working. I liked the back and forth quality of taking a picture of someone and then pairing it with another collaged picture, it continues a narrative but in a fractured way that creates a new and symbolic way of looking at a moment. What are your current plans for your art? Do you see yourself incorporating more life-action and human elements to your work, like your series for BITE Magazine? Trey: My hope to continue to make work and collaborate on new ideas. www.treywright.net/
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trousers H&M leotard top and blouse American Apparel
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Bristol, UK
Photography Anna Victoria Best Interview Nadirah Nazaraly
SEASFIRE’s distinct sound have merited our attention the past year. Drifting in and out of contrasting sensibilities, the 22 year olds approach stories of heartbreak and loneliness in an understated fashion. Having performed impressive shows in Leeds and Reading this year, James Sinclair (drums, electronics) and Josh Thorner (vocals) share with BITE their current influences and aspiration as a rising band in the digital age.
How did SEASFIRE come about? Josh: We started writing together around this time last year. It started with me, Joe and Dave – we’ve been spending a lot of time together trying out new ideas that we’ve always had for a while. It was interesting to see what each other made of them. Then James who I’ve known for ages, came along at the end of the summer. James: We’ve all known each other for ages anyway. We used to swap mixtapes, share beats and ideas. Josh and I have made music before in the past, but as a band of four, it was something completely new. What is the overall creative process and musical approach to producing the upcoming EP? Josh: Nothing that is too detached from what we currently do. Almost everything will be done in our home studio. We spend long nights there, getting very involved in the writing process. Collectively, we all know what we are trying to say musically. I guess now we will be able to branch out and see what producers can bring to the table. But we do just want to carry on going at our own pace.
James: We want to stick to what people know as the SEASFIRE sound but develop on it somewhat. Start to show people what we’re really capable of. Could you share with us the experience playing at both Reading and Leeds festivals this year? Josh: Well, we felt really honoured to be asked to play. BBC Introducing have been great to us this year. Thankfully both sets were massive. We had great crowds at both gigs and our sound carried well in a festival environment. I think it helped having Leeds as a kind of a warm-up on the Friday before being recorded at Reading on the Sunday. That worked well for us. James: We decided to try some new songs and they went down very well. It was great to see people moving to our beats even if they don’t know the songs yet, or singing along if they did, especially with ‘Falling’ and ‘Heartbeat’. At both gigs the crowd grew considerably, and we’ve had awesome feedback since. And to top it all off we saw some great bands over the weekend. SBTRKT and Justice were some of our favourites.
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What and where was your most memorable performance to date and why? Josh: For me, Reading simply because it was the biggest crowd and the biggest exposure we’ve had so far. There’s something about our sound, from the more tranquil songs like ‘Falling’ to the bigger ones that people haven’t heard yet, that I think can captivate people on a stage like that. James: I don’t know if they really count, but the sessions we have done at Abbey Road and Maida Vale have been my favourite places to play. Gig wise though I think my favourites have been Reading or playing at Thekla in Bristol or Barfly in Camden - those have been mental. Is the music scene in Bristol highly influential to the overall sound of SEASFIRE? Or do you think you were more influenced by outside forces? Josh: Well ever since we put our music out online, people have come back to us saying they can tell it comes from Bristol, which is great. The Bristol music scene does influences us, but not exclusively. We share our time with bands like The Other Tribe, The Naturals and Koan Sound, who we all respect. But of course we are all big fans of Massive Attack – they have that sense of dark alienation in their beats and lyrics, which we aspire to ourselves. James: We all love cities, strangeness and human interaction, so of course Bristol is an inspiration for us. It is where we are drawn to and we all hang out. But musically speaking, right now, it is things away from Bristol that are getting us going. Collectively we are always listening to Jeff Buckley, Depeche Mode, ASAP Rocky, The Weeknd, Bon Iver, Purity Ring, Frank Ocean – the list goes on. How much of an influence has social media networks and the Internet had on promoting your music? James: It has obviously helped a lot. I think any band these days has to be aware of the ways in which you can put your music out there. But also, for us, it provides an opportunity to let people know what we are about, especially on twitter and tumblr. We
tweet a lot of images and videos that inspire or move us, or that we think other people should see - especially if we feel it reflects our music. I think if people looked back at our entire tumblr or twitter over the last year, they’d see what we’ve been listening to at different times and how our interests change and develop. Josh: It definitely opens more doors for us too. A lot of people who have found out about us on the Internet have then come to see us at a show. It’s an opportunity to engage, let people get to know us a bit, and let them know what is making us laugh, cry, smile and so on. It’s also satisfying getting views on our YouTube videos or songs on SoundCloud, because that affirms what we are doing and that people are enjoying what we do, because we enjoy it so much ourselves. Being a young band, has your age provided you with more room for opportunities or otherwise? Josh: I don’t think age is too much of a factor to be honest, or rather I can’t see why it would be? We are all very mature musically. We are all young but not necessarily young in our experience of the world, love and what it is that satisfies us. We have loads to write about, so in that sense our age has provided us with opportunities. I don’t think other people are too bothered about how young we are, as long as they enjoy what we do. James: All I’d have to add to that is that we feel we have plenty of time on our hands. We want what we do to be sustainable, and develop at our own pace. The videos are shot in a distinct manner. Is it a conscious decision to have them filmed in a similar fashion (monochrome etc)? Josh: We are operating on a small scale now and the two videos we have done have been deliberately lo-fi and mysterious. We wanted to reveal an element of what SEASFIRE is about, but keep a lot back for the future. As the band grows so will our ideas I’m sure.
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James: The ‘Heartbeat’ video, for example, was visually supposed to represent our love for Woodkid’s ‘Iron’ video, but on a much smaller scale! We love his work with Lana too, especially the ‘Born to Die’ video. But basically, something about the concept of the armour harks back to Anton Corbijn’s ‘Enjoy the Silence’ video for Depeche Mode too. The stranded, forlorn figure lost in a world of smoke and darkness fits the song thematically, I think. What’s next for SEASFIRE? Josh: Who knows… we have aspirations to branch out and push the boundaries and mediums of art and expression. Maybe in film. Maybe in music. Maybe in our dreams. This upcoming EP will be the second piece of the puzzle, the first being our first official release ‘Heartbeat’. We are progressing and
developing all the time, and we will continue to do so. James: We want to get to the stage where we release an album, something that sums up our lives at this moment in time. We have a lot to say and we want to inspire people. But above all I just want to be as good as Charlie Watts on the drums.
Having released their first single in February, ‘Falling’ and second single ‘Heartbeat,’ in July, their first 2 singles are already available for purchase on iTunes. SEASFIRE plans to release an EP mixed by Dan Grech (Lana Del Ray/The Vaccines/Hurts) in November 2012.
http://seasfire.tumblr.com/ http://soundcloud.com/seasfire https://twitter.com/seasfire
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Film
Text
Artwork
Ben Speak
Phoebe Morris
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Heaven opens on a flight simulator, a flickering screen laying out a crudely rendered, boxy mountainscape. The voice of an instructor comes in over the recorded chop of helicopter blades, telling an unseen student in Italian to steady himself. The helicopter continues its ascent, but rather than stop at the mountain’s crest, it continues to climb. The instructor speaks again as the simulator shuts itself off, telling his student that in a real helicopter, you can’t just keep flying higher. The student’s response—”Quanto alto si può volare? After the digital prelude, our attention is turned to Philippa (Cate Blanchett), a British woman teaching in Turin, a woman who has been backed into a very ugly corner. The area’s gang problem is worsening, its drug trade spreading deeper and further. Philippa has not only lost her husband to drugs, but thirteen-year-old students as well, so when the Carabinieri won’t listen to any of her calls for help, she is left with no alternative but to turn vigilante. Her husband’s involvement leads her to the lynchpin of Turin’s underbelly, a man she tries to kill. When her plan does not come off,
when the bomb she plants kills four innocent people rather than her intended target, she at least gets the full attention—and force—of the Carabinieri. It is while Philippa is in custody that we are reintroduced to the student who wanted to go higher. Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi) is a young officer, who acts as translator between the detectives and Philippa, now refusing to speak Italian. Smitten instantly, Filippo seems genuinely affected when Philippa’s so-far stoic demeanour cracks. She had been awaiting her arrest having told the Carabinieri everything over the phone.
Though she knew full well what she did was wrong by law, she was certain in herself that she had done the right thing. When she learns that her attack missed its target however, the panic and fear with which Blanchett renders the processing of information is heart-wrenching. Seeing Philippa digest the ramifications of what she has done, of what she thought to be a public good, only seems to intensify what Filippo saw in her. In secret, he offers to help her. After a complex escape Filippo hides Philippa, not so much under the noses
of the Carabinieri, rather over their heads. They stow away in the station’s expansive loft area, Filippo’s sanctuary as a child, having grown up with an inspector father. Thankfully, the plot slows down here, in favour of character, allowing Philippa and Filippo to finally talk openly. Their names are far from the only similarity— they share a keen moral compass, and though their methods vary greatly, they are both doing what they can to keep society just. Filippo, disillusioned with the police, their ineffectiveness matched only by their corruption, swears fealty to Philippa’s mission, hop-
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ing that the honesty of her lawlessness will trump the Carabinieri’s hypocritical veneer of morality. Even repeat viewing does not unravel the film’s greatest mystery. Is it the way Philippa is written, or the way she is played that make for a sympathetic killer? Certainly, Blanchett’s performance walks the line perfectly, drawing out vulnerability and strength in equal measure, but just as intrinsic to that balance is the masterful script. The writers Krzysztof Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz (best known perhaps for their Three Colours Trilogy)
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paint Philippa in exactly the right light to best elicit the conflicts in Filippo. She is a woman whose prosaic eloquence, both in Italian and in English, embodies an almost practical, hadenough attitude and not the hyperbolic zeal we have been lead to expect from terrorists. For a film coming months after the World Trade Centre attacks, it was both insanely brave, and incredibly difficult, to show a woman like Philippa in a positive light. The historically rich setting of Turin—and later the cobbled streets of Montepulciano—couple with skilled
cinematography and direction give Heaven an at times Renaissance beauty. One instance which exemplifies this perfectly is in Filippo’s attic hideout, the large porthole window is seen to frame Philippa’s head as a tondo. Painterly beauty aside, Tykwer’s skilled handling of the film is excellent. Whether working in the confines of a claustrophobic office building, the streets of Turin, or the wide open vistas of the Tuscan countryside, his instinct for spaces is impeccable. While not as frantically paced as Tykwer’s better-known Run Lola Run, he still tells a story every bit as compelling, with the
same sense of foreboding. It starts with a seed planted in the opening scene left hanging on a question over a blank screen. It continues to grow, rapidly at times— the bomb, the escape—and finally comes to fruition in the final scene, which attempts to answer Filippo’s initial question. And the seed is resown.
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London, UK
Interview
Nadirah Nazaraly Photography
India Hobson
At only 17 years old, the Essex native has walked down the runways of highly coveted shows from Milan to New York. With Kenzo, Balenciaga and Lanvin under his belt, Ben is blessed with an air of cool and charming
Model
Benjamin Jarvis at TIAD
elegance on and off the camera. Photographed by India Hobson near Shoreditch High Street, London, Ben shares personal details, nerve-wracking experiences and aspirations with BITE Magazine.
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Could you share with us when and how you were scouted? Ben: I was scouted in Covent Garden when I was chilling with one of my friends; a lady came up to me and asked, “Would you be interested in modelling?” and suggested I drop by the following day to potentially be part of her agency. I didn’t think much of it but I thought “Why not?” It turns out, she wanted me and here I am!
Ben: Runway by far. It’s quick. I still get nervous at every show but I kind of embrace the adrenaline now.
Were you surprised upon being scouted or have you always wanted to model? Ben: I was confused and thought nothing of it. I especially didn’t that I would end up travelling to Paris, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo! I never really considered modelling hence the shock.
What do you find most rewarding about modelling? Ben: The opportunity to travel and just meet loads of new people from different kinds of backgrounds is really interesting, and I’ve definitely become much more confident in myself since I started.
Which do you prefer, runway or editorials?
Any memorable experiences to share? Ben: Memorable experiences... probably going to Paris. It was my first time away and I thought it would be hell and the guys would be arrogant but they are genuinely really nice lads.
How are you enjoying Tokyo so far? Ben: I love it! It’s so clean, the people
are so nice and polite. It’s so much fun! How long will you be there? Ben: Two months. It’s been about 10 days so far. It’s good at the moment, I went to New York for 10 days and it felt so much longer! Do you remember your first runway show? What was that like? Ben: Yes! Very scary, I was panicking so much. I had one of the other models with me, Andrew Westermann, and I was repetitively saying to him, “What if I screw up!” The worst was when I got to the end of the catwalk and hearing all the cameras snap... Did you have a job prior to modelling? Ben: I was at college and I worked at a bar on the weekends called Platform 7 in Upminster. I loved it. I still
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work there, temporarily taking time out for Tokyo. But when I’ve to go back I would want to keep the job. I enjoy working there and it’s nice to keep the normal things in my life. What’s next after modelling? Ben: I have no clue. I plan to model this year and then start a new course at college next year as I hated the one I was doing and wanted to quit. Modelling came along at a good time. I’ll start college next September if I find a course suited. but I hope to network and maybe find a set designer I can do an apprenticeship for... What were you studying? Ben: Construction; it’s not like a bricklaying course it was more like the professions in construction, health and safety, project managing, surveying etc. So modelling sort of inspired you in a way in terms of set design? Ben: Well I’m interested in set design since i’ve started modelling, I’m creative and that’s what architecture lacked, like the creativity and opportunity to do what you want. There were more restrictions as to what you can do in construction than I realise.
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FALL—WINTER 2012
FALL—WINTER 2012
BITE P—179
Fashion
Text & Artwork Deak Rostochil
For some, the equation of simplicity and intricacy is practicably unsolvable. For others, these expressions can be compatibly joined by an equal sign. Christophe Lemaire flourishes in harmonising in a garment the antithesis of itself all in the same beautiful moment. French couturier Christophe Lemaire began his career among good company, working alongside Yves Saint Laurent and Thierry Mugler and as assistant to Christian Lacroix in the late eighties. Habituated to the profession, Lemaire advanced to cultivate his own namesake brand in 1991, twice receiving the famed Andam Prize. He would soon be invited to join sportswear giant Lacoste as creative director after years of brand management affairs prompted a necessary restoration of the label’s original identity. Lemaire thrived in his new appointment, successfully reinvigorating the brand to the stature it once held. In the fall of 2010, Lemaire switched posts rather dramatically; even with his decade-long stint at Lacoste, he was still relatively unknown when it was announced that he would be departing from the label to join France’s prestigious luxury brand Hermès as women’s ready to wear designer, replacing Jean Paul
Gaultier. Lemaire’s anonymity - as well as the immense difference between the aesthetics of Lacoste and Hermès - troubled naysayers. Yet, Lemaire disagrees with that notion of such unlikeness, stating that both houses share the same ambition of a brand with a level of quality and functionality, only in vastly separate context. Lemaire impeccably exhibited a true Hermès collection with his own approach and perspective, albeit coded differently in regard to honouring the house’s longstanding heritage, which he re-explores season after season. Obtaining this new post was an inevitable thrust into the spotlight, illuminating the Christophe Lemaire brand tenfold. In his eponymous line, Lemaire’s pieces are aberrant, uncommon and still completely wearable. Often genderless in design, the brand proposes an apex of key pieces revisited and modernized in an equilibrium of relaxed and refined. All of these descriptions reflect the
characteristics of his customer, something which is vital in his aesthetic that must be at the forefront of his designs: a connection to the people. What is striking about his designs is their ease, lucidity and relevance. There is not a single garment that is not packed with close observation and thoughtful dialogue —dialogue free of pedantry and triviality which ranges back and forth between fashion and life, life and fashion. It is a careful and graceful but at the same time a very uncomplicated performance. Lemaire seeks to find a rich simplicity within quality; his nomadic narrative synthetically borrows from the history of fashion, gathering global references from African and Asian cultures in traditional kaftans, kurtas and kimonos that are then infused with subtle New Wave influences. In this span of ever-evolving talent, we find all of Lemaire: an opus of true wisdom and a passion for the people.
BITE MIX
Photo by Osma Harvilahti
This Is — Atlas Call from Paris — Starred Breathe Them Knees In — Balwan Plastic People — Four Tet Falling — SEASFIRE Submarines — Dark Captain Your Drums Your Love — Aluna George Si — NilsFrahm The Truth (feat. Roisin Of Moloko & J Live)— Handsome Boy Modeling School
Available for streaming at BITE-ZINE.COM
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