Never Before Seen Photographs From The Set of Asthma on The Occasion of The Late Rene Ricard’s 70th Birthday

Rene was quite proud to have been cast as a dope dealer in Jake Hoffman’s film “Asthma." The moment he got the script he had plenty of ideas on how to tweak the language to turn his character even more real. This was a world he knew only too well. As far as outfits go, he had already thought it all out, so when the stylists came to the apartment he pulled out a gold embroidered cashmere jacket, mixed it with his usual black jeans, a little Hermes neck scarf, a black t-shirt and wore what he called his money shoes: loafers with big gold embroidered dollar signs. It was perfect. He knew how to look fabulous with just a few things. It was agreed on the spot that he had nailed it. The only thing missing was the bling. "A dope dealer has to have bling," he said., so he went about gathering as much bling as he could. The flashy look was important. "Did you ever see a proper dealer without bling?” he insisted. On the day of the shoot he called me a number of times, "You have to come down to the set. It’s so much fun, such nice people." When I got there, a loft in SoHo, Rene was having such a ball, flashing his jewels, showing the white convertible Rolls Royce with red leather seats parked on the sidewalk, telling funny stories and making the actors and crew laugh. And then there were the toy guns, which of course he had to play with, so Jake got to be "arrested" by Rene. Text and photographs by Rita Barros. Rene Ricard was an art critic, poet, artist and legend in New York. He wrote the first major article on Jean-Michel Basquiat, entitled "The Radiant Child." Shortly before his passing in 2014, Ricard played an extravagantly over-the-top drug dealer named Juan in Jake Hoffman's directorial debut Asthma, which is available to watch on Netflix and Amazon. This Saturday, July 23, 2016 would have been Ricard's 70th birthday. 

William Eggleston Rare Book Signing @ David Zwirner On The Occasion Of His Exhibition At The National Portrait Gallery in London

On the occasion of the exhibition 'William Eggleston Portraits' at the National Portrait Gallery, David Zwirner hosted a rare book signing with William Eggleston at the London gallery, in partnership with The Photographers' Gallery. Eggleston is a pioneering American photographer renowned for his vivid, poetic and mysterious images. This exhibition of 100 works surveys Eggleston’s full career from the 1960s to the present day and is the most comprehensive display of his portrait photography ever. Eggleston is celebrated for his experimental use of color and his solo show at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1976 is considered a pivotal moment in the recognition of color photography as a contemporary art form. William Eggleston 'Portraits' will be on view from July 21 to October 23 at National Portrait Gallery in London. photographs by Flo Kohl

Activating The Vehicle of Ascension: An Interview of Filmmaker Floria Sigismondi On Working With Rihanna and David Bowie →

Floria Sigismondi’s work, like her music videos for Marilyn Manson, David Bowie or Leonard Cohen, is a perfect amalgamation of her unique upbringing. Spending her early years in the coastal town of Pescara, Italy and her formative years in the rough steel manufacturing town of Hamilton, Ontario – with opera singers for parents – Sigismondi has developed a unique aesthetic that blends classicalism with a certain darkness that harkens 1970s Giallo films and the nightmarish tableau vivants of Joel Peter Witkin. As a music video director, Sigismondi brings a distinctive world to life with an unsettling and jarring pastiche of imagery that flickers as if each scene was shot with a camera perched on the wing of a hummingbird. Lately, though, her work has taken a turn for the meditative and ethereal, like her most recent music video for Rihanna’s track Sledgehammer – made for the newest Star Trek film. Click here to read more. 

A Trip To Vedado In Cuba by Mattea Perrotta

El Vedado is a unique place. Sitting outside of the Old City, El Vedado has it’s own identity that architecturally resembles almost nothing of Old Havana. El Vedado features some of the best examples of early and mid-twentieth century architecture and urban planning in Cuba. The influx of Spanish immigrants in the early twentieth century brought with them art nouveau, along with neoclassical buildings, Art Deco styles, as well as works of the Modern movement. The neighborhood was initially developed in the second half of the nineteenth century, but became the heart of modern Havana in the 60’s. One of my favorite structures was the Vedado Sports arena built in 1956, located along the Malecon waterfront boulevard. Big arches, minimal lines and the bright colors of the arena’s steps make it stand out among the rest of the structures along the Malecon. If you travel through Vedado, take some time to see it. Lucky enough, we had a flat only a few blocks from the arena, and one block from the sea. The Malecon is a destination spot on it’s own, it's a seawall that stretches about 5 miles down Havana. The Malecón is popular among Habaneros, lovers and fishermen and becomes a nighttime promenade for the poor. It serves itself as my favorite bar and dance hall in Cuba. Locals gather in the evenings to watch the sunset, drink rum from a bottle and play their favorite Cuban melodies. photographs by Mattea Perrotta and Kate Parfet. Text by Mattea Perrotta

A Trip To Playa Santa Maria, Cuba by Mattea Perrotta

Only minutes from the Old City, a chevy taxi drive through a tunnel along the sea reminded me of driving along PCH, except instead of massive beachfront mansions, there were modest Cuban pastel homes that decorated the roadside. The Azul sea is more like bath water, and you can’t help but sing Kevin Ayers Caribbean Moon while you float and look up towards the sky. Locals from surrounding towns come to this beach, laying large spreads of fresh fruit and grilled fish. Young kids play football on the sand. An older man with one leg offers to sell us a rum filled coconut. The beach is lively, raw, echoes of Cuban percussions come from the distance. The weather was erratic that day, the sun was hot , water was warm, and an hour later the clouds created a canopy of grey with the wind blowing so intensely that we had to seek coverage under a giant red umbrella while three men held it down. The water boats blew sideways on the sand and we watched the tropical storm blow through the beach goers. It didn’t phase them. They laid like starfish on the sand and waited it out until they could continue their beach party. photographs by Mattea Perrotta and Kate Parfet. Text by Mattea Perrotta