Kings And Pioneers: November 2010

before and after the photo shoot...

another amazing technicolor dreamcoat

only this one is real- I am so bummed that I missed the clear shot- but I guess blurry leaves more to the imagination...

colors

I know it's cheesy- it felt cheesy while I was taking the pictures, too . But sometimes it is really important to take pictures of bark.

I need to pull out the colors that were so much more rich in person- but this is it

amateur photography

one great example: going somewhere that millions of people have been to take photographs, and taking photographs

is was seriously the perfect time of day. I got distracted on my way back from the fabric store, and decided to go visit Victor Noir. I got lost, but maybe things just work out that way...

on the platform across the rails

I saw a woman in red tights with an aquamarine jacket and a pink sweater and red sports bag à la american apparel worn like a backpack. A lot of color- but great to see on those winter days when everyone seems to be wearing shades of black.

I saw one other woman admiring her. This woman in black pants and a beige fleecy jacket and brown shoes. And a bright purple scarf tied tight around her neck and tucked inside her jacket so all that was left visible was a little band around her collar. It was largely canceled out by the blandness underneath.

Two very different comfort levels regarding color. Kind of like woman no. 2 was admiring no. 1 's courage... Thinking One day I'll be able to dress like her

idealism

recently, pictures have been dissatisfying. I don't want to see new art and I don't want to see new images.
I am craving ideas. I am craving the interactive experience of a concept that becomes a project that becomes real and sharable.

while this is me trying to figure out how these waves happen in the blogging experience, it is also a reflection (I just wanted to spell it: reflexion) of a rather idealist youth wanting to apply a practical meaning to the projects at hand that are driven by passion.

that being said- I am always looking for those images and visual experiences that trigger the new train of thought. But I guess I'd just rather stumble upon them than try and force an encounter. For right now anyway. So much to see and so little time to see it in (until these exhibitions close and the next are installed, anyway) Doesn't it ever slow down?

English Language

Grammar obsession
word obsession

learning a new language inevitably gets you into conversations about grammar and vocabulary in your own language and your own knowledge is tested.

so I've found some tools to re-teach myself those little things that we don't bother with but really give so much more flexibility and subtlety to our use of the English language. (that little red dotted line that now appears for automatic spell check is a blessing and a curse)

And please please please don't forget about your 25 pound dictionary that smells musty with whisper thin pages which, in turning, introduce you to a whole new relationship with words.

The reason that this might be so important is that in discussing ideas and explaining the reasons for a project or a decision you have to be able to express yourself concisely and convincingly. Not convincing=manipulative but convincing=reasonable/just/valid

something i find more and more important in fashion where the most quoted designers are heard saying "this season i was inspired by..." Please! there is more to it than that. So learn some new words and a little bit of grammar and shake things up a bit

speaking to individuality

most of us have no idea how to answer trend questions

be part of the solution and wear what you want to wear

I happen to think that black and navy blue can look really beautiful together.
for me it depends on the shades, tones etc (color theory was a real class that I took in college...I never took physics)

brainstorming inspiration

last night's conversation about fashion theory was especially inspiring to me-
thoughts of:
making fashion theory more current
understanding the movements behind it and the cultural implications
the sociology involved
the personal significance (or not) of what you wear
where it's value comes from
the relevance of brands/companies at each level of the marketplace
who is the customer and how do they feel about fashion

there are so many questions that are constantly being analyzed and interpreted to create the next issue of the magazine or the next collection or the next ad campaign. But the consumer rarely asks any questions.
But it seems that the industry is more than willing to hide the math that goes into calculating a look that prevents(not the right word) an individual from figuring out a real connection with the clothes that they wear.

what is the change that can be made? for now bringing up these questions is a beginning to finding that answer

fashion theory...don't ignore it

Fashion should not be neglected intellectually- research, analysis, forecasting, where why how? The evolution of fashion is a phenomenon that speaks to many other creative disciplines and reflects so much societal intuition.
A little bit of research that I am tapping into:
not necessarily recommendations, more like a starting point.

Berg:

Fashion Practice

Fashion Theory

more to come

too much to choose from

this book is full of photographs of places- some totally nature, some totally industrial- all really beautifully executed

on the metro-

I liked how these colors looked

MOUNT MERAPI

from the International Herald Tribune

last night i was talking to a friend about letting conversations roll, and how just talking leads you to realizations and unusual topics and closed up drawers that have been dying to open up. and another friend about the kind of therapy where you walk in and sit down and talk and they ask maybe no questions at all, and whatever questions you are asked are more suggestions for a train of thought.

"have you had any dreams lately?"

and maybe it is because there are two people there. even if only one is doing the talking. it is a rally, or hitting a tennis ball off the wall. so between me and my paper and my pencil- there is not enough distance. like bouncing the ball between the racket and the floor. not enough room for things to move and to surprise you.

maybe I need to draw on someone else

sick of looking at a blank piece of paper

part II

just to point out all the juice in the top picture from the last post: the jackets and the way they are all bundled up is amazing. It is so simple and comfortable and chic- natural natural natural

the fringed coats on the kids are ...can't find the right word... brain turning

i love them

a picasso muse

I kind of wish that they hadn't been connected after I stumbled on her paintings in an old chicago gallery catalogue that I somehow held on to through what feels like a million moves and did a quick internet search engine search.

This is a sampling of what I found

françoise gilo with picasso.

by françoise gilot

her a little later, but super chic

In the real original picture of the insides of the tree, all of the rings are totally distinctive. And then there are 5 winder rings that change in shade from deep brown at the center to a highly contrasting softer shade, and then darkening again one fifth at a time until reaching the outer shell of the bark. Does that not give you a million ideas for the interior organization of a building, or for a garment, or for a painting, or for the composition of diner tonight?

I am trying to find ways right now to present an 'identity' and this tree has helped me think in a new direction where I was a little blocked before. You really never know where it is going to come from.

And I don't think I would have looked twice if Thomas hadn't stopped, leaned over, and started counting the rings.