Alexey Kondakov: We love the beautiful creations of Ukrainian art director Alexey Kondakov, who inserts characters from the masterpieces of classical painting into the streets of modern-day Kiev, everything from Caravaggio to Nicolas Regnier through to Francesco Furini. For more, we suggest a visit to Alexey Kondakov’s Facebook page. Enjoy! 🙂
LEGO: We love the ‘Legographie’ series created by French photographer Sofiane Samlal, who has fun staging his LEGO minifigs into beautiful photographs, which are both cute and funny. Fantastic work!
Alejandro Durán: We love the amazing ‘Washed Up’ series by Mexican artist Alejandro Durán who organises the discarded waste he finds in nature into beautiful and yet somewhat terrifying art installations. Alejandro Durán does not remove or add anything, but simply rearranges the garbage he finds on site. Alejandro Durán was born in Mexico City in 1974 and lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He is a multimedia artist working in photography, installation, and video. His work examines the fraught intersections of man and nature, particularly the tension between the natural world and an increasingly overdeveloped one. About his current work, Durán comments “In my current project, Washed Up, I address the issue of plastic pollution making its way across the ocean and onto the shores of Sian Ka’an, Mexico’s largest federally-protected reserve. With more than twenty pre-Columbian archaeological sites, this UNESCO World Heritage site is also home to a vast array of flora and fauna and the world’s second largest coastal barrier reef. Unfortunately, Sian Ka’an is also a repository for the world’s trash, which is carried there by ocean currents from many parts of the globe. Over the course of this project, I have identified plastic waste from fifty nations on six continents that have washed ashore along the coast of Sian Ka’an. I have used this international debris to create color-based, site-specific sculptures. Conflating the hand of man and nature, at times I distribute the objects the way the waves would; at other times, the plastic takes on the shape of algae, roots, rivers, or fruit, reflecting the infiltration of plastics into the natural environment.” To view more of Alejandro Durán’s work, we recommend a visit to his website.
Kitchen Ghosts: ‘Kitchen Ghosts’ is a very beautiful and delicious series of culinary cinemagraphs created by Dasha & Olya – Russian photographer Daria Khoroshavina (Dasha) and prop and food styler Olga Kolesnikova (Olya) – who are based in Moscow. An amazing series of animated GIFs about all things food and cooking, so far ‘Kitchen Ghosts’ includes stunning and delicious animations of them preparing French toast, breakfast, a pear and walnut strudel, and a pasta dish with chicken and honey orange sauce. Dasha & Olya’s mission is to make food photography beautiful, appetising and exciting. ‘Kitchen Ghosts’ will simply mesmerise you and make your mouth water. Enjoy!
Alexia Sinclair: We love the outstanding creations of photographer and artist Alexia Sinclair, including her latest series ‘Rococo’, which depicts a dreamlike world bathed by the influences of the 18th century and the court of Marie Antoinette. Alexia Sinclair notes that “Rococo is a series of theatrical artworks inspired by the lives, fashions, gardens and motifs of 18th century high society. Following the design aesthetic of this period, the series is sensual, playful and flamboyant. During this period, powerful women of the French court became fashion icons and their tastes swept across Europe. Their excessive, luxurious and exotic creations have inspired many aspects of the costuming within this series; from Madame de Pompadour’s porcelain flowers, to Madame du Barry diamond necklace, Marie Antoinette’s muslin chemise and the Duchess of Devonshire’s towering plumes. The floral backdrops within the series pay homage to the dreamlike landscapes of the Rococo period. Known as the pleasure playgrounds, their hidden gardens, mazes and wild flower meadows formed the backdrop of decadent garden parties and mischievous encounters.” Alexia Sinclair is an award winning Australian Artist and Photographer whose distinct style is easily recognisable and highly original. Using a visual narrative, Alexia Sinclair’s art is both dark and seductive, baroque and symbolic yet her multilayered photographs present contemporary notions of fashion and beauty through innovative digital media, whilst restoring antique notions of classicism, elegance and luxury. Sinclair is an artist who skilfully balances the worlds of Fine Art and Commercial Art. Whilst her evocative Fine Art imagery adorns the walls of museums and is held in important art collections, she often translates these skills and signature style into highly polished campaigns in the commercial arena for clients such as Harpers Bazaar and Canon Australia. Completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons I) and Master of Fine Arts, Alexia Sinclair is the recipient of a travelling arts scholarship, and two postgraduate scholarships. She has worked in New York as a digital artist and exhibited in numerous exhibitions including at the Australian Centre for Photography and the Art Gallery of NSW with her latest series ‘Rococo’ most recently on display at the Black Eye Gallery in Darlinghurst, Sydney Australia. Below is a selection of Alexia Sinclair’s amazing work but for a more detailed look, we suggest a visit to her website.
Catstacam: From our ‘WTF, is this really happening?’ file, comes the newest thing in feline chic – ‘Catstacam’. ‘Catstacam’ is a new kind of wearable camera for cats, which can automatically upload photographs from the secret life of your cat to a dedicated Instagram account. This interesting gadget designed by Whiskas in Australia will take pictures and happily post them on Instagram as soon as it is within range of your wi-fi network. Whiskas explained the ‘Catstacam’ on their Facebook page “Have you ever wondered what your cat was trying to tell you with some of their actions? WHISKAS® CATSTACAM™ is our brand new program designed to help cat lovers better understand cats by giving a glimpse into their world. The custom WHISKAS CATSTACAM devices let selected cats take photos and post them directly to their own Instagram accounts. At the moment we only have a limited number of devices available (that’s why they’re not available for purchase) so to share our cat insights we have chosen key cat lovers that will help us spread the word – and show-off their furry friends’ intriguing behaviour. To follow them, and see what adventures they get up to, simply search #Catstacam on Instagram. But we don’t just want to show you what cats get up to, we want to provide a deeper understanding of common cat behaviour. So if you see anything you’re curious about, or the behaviour shown is similar to your cat’s, just ask a question and hashtag #AskWhiskas and our cat behavioural expert will respond, telling you what it means. WHISKAS CATSTACAM is the social way to help you better understand cats.” Hmmm look, while we’re not really cat people, more power to those who really want to know what their cat does when left to their own devices and we applaud Whiskas for coming up with such a unique marketing idea. Clearly, it’s catching on or we wouldn’t be talking about it. Enjoy feline lovers…meow!
Alex de Mora: So you think that “old people” dress like old people? But have you ever thought about what our generation will look like when we get older? ‘Leisurewear’ is a series of fashion photographs created for Vice Magazine by photographer Alex de Mora, who likes to imagine the elderly of a not too distant future. Alex de Mora notes ‘I was inspired by the character I saw when taking personal photos of my Grandmother, and I thought why not transform this into an fashion editorial, so I pitched the idea to Vice Magazine. I had been wanting to shoot a “leisurewear” series for a while, and wanted to give a hip hop angle to the idea. I thought of Snoop Dogg going shopping in his velour tracksuit. The shoot itself took place in my studio in London and we decided to colour match the background, clothes and set for each shot, to give it a surreal, stylised tone. My amazing team of Kylie Griffiths (stylist), Penny Mills (set design), Sami Knight (hair) and Lydia Warhurst (make up) helped me to make this idea the reality.’ Alex de Mora is a highly regarded photographer based in London, UK who specialises in fashion, commercial and portrait photography. Over the years, De Mora has created some amazing images and his editorial clients have included VICE, i-D, Oyster, Dazed & Confused, and Crack while his commercial work has been for brands such as Nike, Red Bull, Atlantic Records, Liberty, ATP Records, Converse, and Johnnie Walker. This fantastic shoot took place in Alex de Mora’s London studio, and features streetwear icons ranging from Champion and adidas Originals to Le Coq Sportif and Moschino, all worn by old-aged pensioners. To see more of Alex de Mora’s amazing work, be sure to visit his website.
Katja Kemnitz: In this fantastic series ‘Too Much Love’, German photographer Katja Kemnitz, who was inspired by her daughter, decided to document the lives of children’s plush toys by photographing them before and after dozens of hours of hugs, kisses, wear and tear. Katja Kemnitz is a 29 years old photographer from Bonn, Germany. She has always been interested in art, mostly poems and paintings, but has never even used a pen or a paint brush. Katja Kemnitz first discovered photography about 7 years ago when she stood in front of the camera and decided to model for the first time. Her love for the medium grew as she continued to meet some great, very creative photographers and learn more about photography and it was at this time, Kemnitz started to become interested in the more technical aspects. She notes ‘I bought an analog film camera and tried to photograph pigeons and seagulls on the Rhine. These pictures were not presentable, but the camera fascinated me. I looked at many photos on the Internet and dabbled in taking self-portraits, which became better over time.’ Katja Kemnitz believes her inspiration comes from her children – not only for her ‘kid’ photos, but also for her more conceptual images. ‘They show me again and again how important the little things are. And that each thing contains a secret story that you just have to discover. I think that to see the world through children’s eyes helps to be a very good photographer. Kemnitz is also inspired by nature ‘I draw much inspiration from the forest. The silence, the colors – I just feel safe when I’m in the woods. That’s why I’m often alone in the forest to take self-portraits.’ and fairytales ‘I love the kitschy fairy tales with their stereotypes, such as the dark, inscrutable stories.’ About her series ‘Too Much Love’, Kemnitz says ‘I show old, much-loved teddies and dolls compared with new doppelgangers. I think the broken stuffed animals have a lot of soul. The project was inspired by my older daughter, who carried her plush dog with her everywhere when she was little. One day I found that dog in store, without any damages. However, my daughter did not like him. The old one was better and could not be replaced.’ The series is still ongoing and more of Katja Kemnitz’s work can be viewed here.
Craig Boudreaux: ‘All that was left were crushed dreams and moldy memories.’ It is with these chilling words that photographer Craig Boudreaux tells of the moment when he returned to New Orleans, a year after the devastating passage of Hurricane Katrina. Born and raised in the region, Craig Boudreaux has captured a series of moving and very haunting images – the homes of his grandmother, his family and his friends, immortalising the messages that people have left, drawn with spray paint directly on the walls of the ruined and abandoned houses. It took over ten years for Craig Boudreaux to find the courage required to thoroughly sort, edit and publish these unique images. Hurricane Katrina was the fifth hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. The storm is currently ranked as the third most intense United States landfalling tropical cyclone, behind only the 1935 Labor Day hurricane and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Overall, at least 1,833 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest United States hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. Total property damage was estimated at $108 billion (2005 USD). Reflecting on his photographs, Craig Boudreaux writes ‘These are photographs taken in the months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the New Orleans area. It’s taken me ten years to complete these edits. These are primarily from Arabi and the Gentilly area of New Orleans. Some are very personal to me – my Grandmother’s home, homes of friends, and the house in which I grew up. Most of these structures were completely submerged. When these were taken, the flood waters were long gone. All that was left were crushed dreams and moldy memories … and painted messages to anyone who cared.’ There are many amazing images in this series so to view them all (which we strongly recommend), please visit Craig Boudreaux’s website.
Cosmopolitan: Of course, everyone knows of the cheesy romance novel – the novelettish and sentimental literature made to tickle the senses, covers emblazoned with virile young men and young ladies in search of fierce love that are clearly marketed to woman with ‘healthy and active’ imaginations. Well, world renown and bestselling women’s magazine, Cosmopolitan, has recreated these covers using real, everyday people in an clever and amusing series that will definitely make you see their funny side. The ‘romance novel’ or ‘romantic novel’ is a literary genre. Novels of this type of genre fiction place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Some scholars see precursors to the romance novel in literary fiction of the 18th and 19th centuries, including Samuel Richardson’s sentimental novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) and the novels of Jane Austen. British company Mills and Boon began releasing escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. Their books were sold in North America by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd, which began direct marketing to readers and allowing mass-market merchandisers to carry the books. In North America, romance novels are the most popular literary genre, comprising almost 55% of all paperback books sold in 2004. The genre is also popular in Europe and Australia, and romance novels appear in 90 languages. Most of the books, however, are written by authors from English-speaking countries, leading to what is deemed an Anglo-Saxon perspective in the fiction. Despite the popularity and widespread sales of romance novels, the genre has attracted significant derision, skepticism and criticism. Erotica is a term used to describe scenes in the novel that are risqué but not pornographic and ‘Romance erotica’ seems to be on the rise as more women explore this new sub-genre – You only have to look at the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey...enough said. Enjoy!
