Hungarian Revolutionary (well, in photography!)

"The art of Munkacsi lay in what he wanted life to be, and he wanted it to be splendid. And it was." -Richard Avedon-


Perhaps it's because I am Hungarian; perhaps it's because I'm a fashionista. At any rate I'm quite excited about the lastest retrospective of Martin Munkasci's photography. The International Center for Photography presents a retrospective of innovative photographer's work in fashion photography (Martin Munkacsi: Think While You Shoot!; through April 29 at the International Center of Photography, 1133 Avenue of the Americas, at 43rd Street). His introduction of action, movement and vigor to the staid fashion photography at the time, made him an innovator. As The New York Times writes:


"Munkacsi was a stylist, and he made catchy images the only way he knew how, in a modernist mode, which, being an opportunistic form, could serve any master. Shortly after that he left for the United States. On a trip to New York near the end of 1933 he was hired by Carmel Snow for a Harper's Bazaar assignment. His picture of the socialite model Lucile Brokaw running down a Long Island beach in a bathing suit and cape introduced a whole new vocabulary of vigor and action to American fashion." (NYTimes)

*Photos from The New York Times; top, "Operetta Soubrette Rosi Barsony in Her Entrancing Grotesque Dance" (around 1932) by Martin Munkacsi; bottom, "Lucile Brokaw on a Long Island Beach"(1933) by Martin Munkacsi*

"Design Like You Give a Damn"

"'Everyone else wanted to be Frank Gehry...I was kind of a black sheep' looking for low-cost design solutions." -Cameron Sinclair- (Christian Science Monitor)

In every profession it is important to realize that profession's most basic objectives: in journalism, to communicate information, in law to provide advice that serves the best interests of clients and society, and, in architecture, beyond all the multimillion (and billion) dollar projects, to provide shelter. "Strip away all [of] the ego in architecture and all the design theory, the hype, and the hot magazine articles, all we do is provide shelter. If you can't do that, you can't call yourself an architect," says Cameron Sinclair.

Sinclair, in defiance of the focus on aesthetics in architecture, is impassioned by a different agenda: socially responsible design. In his book, "Design Like You Give A Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises," he profiles such projects in Afghanistan, Brazil and South Africa. As he explains:


"Actually, the role of the architect is a political one. You make a conscious choice whether you're going to do a project or not do a project. You can say, 'It's really a shame what happened down in the Gulf Coast, but I don't really want to get involved in that.' I actually do an art project once a year, an art project for myself, just to keep my creative juices going...Just as I was coming out of college, I did a project dealing with homelessness in New York. I had located the housing to block the Statue of Liberty, and the idea that when the city took responsibility of its homeless, it'd get it's view of Liberty back, because there was this idea of 'bring us your huddled masses yearning to be free.' And here we are in New York and there were 60,000 people on the streets. So I think you as a designer have the opportunity to come up with a pragmatic and innovative sustainable response..." (Interview with Paul Schmelzer, Eyeteeth)

Take a look at Architecture for Humanity, the organization he co-founded, for more information on sustainable design projects. You can read an excerpt from the book here.

MLK

"Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.-

*Photo from CNN.com*

Stella McCartney Does Green

Just goes to show you that you can be a chic Green Mountain girl after all!

Souvenir

"For centuries, travel has captured our imaginations. From the pyramids of Egypt to the islands of the South Pacific, we continue to find a special kind of romance and excitement in travel. Returning with the evidence of our journeys, we present our carefully chosen objects as mementoes of our trip, proof of our visits to distant places. Come share this spirit of travel and a passion for collecting through an exhibition of souvenirs and trophies representing the diverse places tourists have visited over the centuries. Curated by students from UVM's Museum Anthropology class, this installation of objects from the Fleming's collection provides a passport into the history of tourism. The familiar becomes exotic through such items as a pair of Turkish slippers, a marble fragment purportedly from the Parthenon, an ornate souvenir spoon from Philadelphia, and a Japanese doll. Collected as emblems of prestige or simply as mantelpiece adornments, these souvenirs reflect the global nature of tourism and its continuous and evolving appeal." (from Robert H. Fleming Museum)

This show, entitled "Tourism: Curious Conquests and Unlikely Trophies" opens on January 16, 2007 and runs through June 10, 2007 at the Robert Hull Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont.

*Photo from Fleming Museum; Carved whale tooth, 19th century; Marble architectural fragment; Photograph album, 1892; Photograph album, 1909; Ichimatsu doll, pre-1940, Japan; Postcard album, ca. 1900-1910; Tiger claw dagger, mid-19th century, India.*

Vegan Sexy

"People are more conscious today of what they're wearing, why they're wearing it and how it affects the environment," said Robert Burke, a fashion retail consultant in New York. To ignore such issues "is not sexy today." (NYTimes)


Whole Foods, Kaight, Linda Loudermilk, MooShoes, NY Artificial, Pangea, Moral Fiber, Real Fake, Novacas and Matt & Nat are just a few of the companies out there garnering the attention the vegan shopper, from the kitchen to the wardrobe. As The New York Times reports, "To their minds, vegan chic, once an oxymoron, is a glossy new marketing handle. Clothes and accessories once shunned for their aura of hair-shirt deprivation have acquired a hint of luxury." And with celebrities such as Stella McCartney, Natalie Portman, Alicia Silverstone, Woody Harrelson and Joaquin Phoenix, the aesthetically pleasing, morally-pleasing trend doesn't conjure the hackneyed image of a Birkenstock-clad, nut n' crunch neo-hippie, but a savvy fashionista with an eye for innovative and socially-conscious design.

Read more here.

*Photo from the New York Times; top, cotton Stella McCartney sweater, Ecoganik pants, tank made of corn fiber by Moral Fervor, Stella McCartney cotton purse, natural stone pendant by Cole Lopez; bottom, denim dress made of hemp and recycled polyester by NaturevsFuture and a woven cotton and wood bag by Stella McCartney. .*

"Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting"

And you thought Madame Defarge was the only subversive knitter! Vermont jewelry-maker Barbara Zucker will be featured in the upcoming exhibition "Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting" at the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD) in New York City.

"A provocative and timely exhibition of work by international artists using fiber in unexpected and unorthodox ways, Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting illuminates a field of creative practice that is fresh, surprising, and engaging. Featuring 27 artists from seven countries, this exhibition will exhibit work that ranges from Althea Merback's microknit garments (1:144 scale) to large-scale, site-specific installations. Artists employ a variety of media, from traditional yarns and laces, to found objects and video, and explore contemporary currents in art practice of socially engaged, participatory work." (MAD Website)

Ms. Zucker has developed "Knitted Necklaces," a line of jewelry featuring knitted bands, with a sculptural curved or V-shaped clasp worn in the front with a unique mechanism designed for maximim versatility. Her Knitted Necklaces were featured in the Spring 2004 issue of Vogue Knitting International, also the sponsor of the MAD exhibition.

*Photo from Museum of Art & Design, Yoshiki Hishinuma, Cassablanca, 2005, Machine knitted wool*

El Anatsui at Hood Museum at Dartmouth

"This inspiring exhibition of metal "tapestries" and other sculptures by El Anatsui, one of Africa's most powerful contemporary artists, celebrates Africa's rich artistic and cultural heritage. El Anatsui uses found objects such as metal liquor bottle wrappings and tin cans to create spectacular metal cloths, including Hovor, which the Hood Museum of Art has acquired, and two recently completed works that will be exhibited for the first time. The works in this exhibition reference broader concerns about the adverse affects of globalization, consumerism, and waste. Organized by the Oriel Mostyn Gallery in New South Wales, this is El Anatsui's first solo exhibition to travel the United States." (from the Museum's website, read the full press release here).

Happy New Year & Happy Birthday...to ME!!!

Ok...so perhaps it's a bit gratuitous to post about my own birthday, but truly the cake is quite the piece of art...I mean, check it out, the pink shoes fashioned out of fondant...genius! Well, let's raise a glass to a new year of fantastic art....art that pleases, beguiles, questions, answers, challenges, subverts and makes a statement; to exploration, experience and excellence. Cheers!