The Erotic Photos of DAIDO MORIYAMA

DAIDO_MORIYAMA_erotic

Though better known for his vision of cities and their emblems, Daido Moriyama is also a photographer of nudes. The nude, which has sporadically appeared in his work, remains an important catalyst for the rest of his prodigious output. With these rare images, he has revolutionized an art where innovation is problematic. His first series dates from 1969 and presents the nude in an original context; a dozen images, poorly developed, a woman without a face or identity, on a bed, the positions are natural, without makeup or pose, legs spread, buttocks raised, under the sheets or in the shower. Moments before, during and after sex. The Da End Gallery will present for the first time this little known aspect of one of the most emblematic figures of contemporary photography. From the first series for the magazine Provoke (1969) (which enabled the young artist, Araki then working in advertising, to launch full time into photography), to the rethinking of the mythic Kagerou nudes («Mayfly», 1972), without forgetting the incredible erotic series he created for Playboy. In the fifty or so photographs exhibited, some of which are in black and white, some in colour, a monochrome colour the artist loves, are above all perfect erotic images. Daido Moriyama: Erotica will be on view until November 3o at the The Da End Gallery in Paris.

Text by Patrick Rémy

TOM FOOL ARE WE

TOM_FOOL_ARE_WE_

Tom Fool are We? The third innovation born from the collaborative efforts of designer Lindsey Thornburg, photographer/director Olivia Malone and director/editor Crystal Moselle follows two mischievous “clowns” as they gallivant through the countryside. The films inspiration comes from French new wave films and psychedelic directors such as Jean Rollin and Alejandro Jodorowsky.  In addition to the cloaks for which Thornburg is most well known, Fall Winter 2010 Lindsey released her first full ready to wear collection. See film after the jump.

Philip Roth: Art, Sex, & Death

When the young Philip Roth warned his parents to brace for a media assault with the release of "Portnoy's Complaint" in 1969, his mother broke down in tears: she thought he was suffering from delusions of grandeur. Four decades after the novel shot him to stardom, the American literary giant talks candidly about his early years, about writing, sex and Jewishness, depression and dying, in a rare and moving documentary to be screened Monday on the French-German channel Arte. Based on eight hours of interviews, the hour-long film "Philip Roth Without Complexes" was shot a year ago between the 78-year-old writer's Upper East side apartment and his forest lodge in Connecticut.

Tasya Van Ree Solo Exhibition in Los Angeles

tasya_van_ree_exhibition

"Tasya van Ree has always been intrigued by the everyday wonders of the visual world. The sense of expansive awareness that for van Ree is a prerequisite to photography enables her to capture the small everyday flashes of insight that come when we are open to them and often go before we can fully grasp or appreciate them. Her extraordinarily vivid images are also a testimony to her eye for form and composition. Her photographs are infused with romanticism, darkness, intimacy, and a certain lyrical quality. They also capture the essence of the people, the landscape, and the intricacies of both the animate and inanimate worlds, and are a sort of meditation in seeing the powerful testaments between the relationship of human presence and transitory nature." Tasya Van Ree, a Solo Photography Exhibition opens today at Edgar Varela Fine Arts in Los Angeles and will run until October 22.

[first look] CHARLOTTE TAYLOR S/S 2012 fashion film

LONDON – Charlotte Taylor's extraordinary and eccentric use of fabrics with silhouettes of penguins, bees, and fishermen, and her ability to utilize them to create such refined, chic and wearable pieces make her truly an artist of a designer. With the fourth collection of her eponymous label, and to start off London Fashion week, she commissioned UK creative agency HarrimanSteel to create a short fashion film that captures the spirit of her Spring/Summer 2012 collection – which draws inspiration from "Japanese art and culture, bee-keeping and fishing."  

Larry Clark: Tulsa

FAP_CP_VISART_Larry_Clark_2282

Presentation House Gallery in Vancouver presents an exhibition of vintage gelatin silver prints by photographer Larry Clark. The series of photographs on display graphically documents Clark’s exploration of the underworld of drug use, sex and violence in his hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1963 to 1971. Clark first gained notoriety when these images were compiled as a photo essay in his independently published 1971 book Tulsa. Now regarded as a classic photography project, Tulsa has been acclaimed as a powerful and highly personal social documentary, still emulated by art and fashion photographers alike—a reputation due in no small part to its enduring capacity to shock. The sleazy and poignant aspects of the lives portrayed draws the viewer into a prurient and compassionate relationship with the images. On view until October 30.

Love Jim, James Deans Love Letters For Sale

Three intimate love letters from James Dean to his first 'serious' love Barbara Glenn will be sold at an auction this Novemeber in Christie's popular culture category.  The letters, which were found in a drawer by Glenn's son, reveal a smitten James Dean prior to his magnesium flash into celluloid iconography.  The auction will be held November 23.

Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo Retrospective

Veruschka, Wrap by Giorgio di Sant'Angelo - photograph by Richard Avedon

Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo (1933-1989) rose to prominence during the late 1960s with his exuberant and colorful accessories and collections. With an eye for fantasy, Sant’ Angelo created expressive collections that merged his own Latin upbringing with gypsy, Aztec, American Indian and Asian influences among others. Eclectic mixes of vibrant fabrics with rich ornamentation were combined in free-body designs to reflect his ideas of modern sensuality. By reversing the role of stretch fabrics from innerwear to outerwear, he revealed the shape of the natural body as a modern fashion fundamental. “Silhouette as we’ve known it, as something imposed by fashion is finished. The only silhouette for 1971 is the body,” he proclaimed. An exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum presents the first ever Museum retrospective to highlight the extraordinary ingenuity of American designer Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo. Opening September 17 and closing February 12, 2012. 

RICHARD HAMILTON 1922 - 2011

British artist Richard Hamilton died yesterday London. His most well know artwork, a collage entitled Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?, is considered one of the earliest examples of pop art. The above work, entitled Swingeing London 67, was a response after his his art dealer Robert Fraser was arrested and imprisoned for the possession of heroin. On 12 February 1967 the police raided a party at the Sussex farmhouse of Keith Richards where they found evidence of the consumption of various drugs. On 27 June 1967, Fraser and Mick Jagger were found guilty of the possession of illegal drugs. The following day the two men were handcuffed to each other and driven to court in a police van, where they were sentenced to six months and three months respectively. After the defence lawyer’s appeal, Jagger’s sentence was reduced to a fine but Fraser’s appeal was rejected and he spent four months in jail. The painting is derived from a press clipping.  Richard Hamilton was preparing for a major traveling retrospective before he died.

[fashion film] BELLA FREUD 'SUBMISSION'

Designer Bella Freud (daughter of the late painter Lucien Freud) collaborated with director Martina Amati to create of short fashion film for her 2011 Fall collection.  Starring  models Susie Bick and Abbey Lee Kershaw, and actresses Antonia Campbell Hughes, Phyllis Wang and Olympia Campbell, Submission takes place in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu "where you learn to use your opponent's strength to vanquish them. The unlikely winner engages us in her internal dialogue, remembering the moment in her childhood when she discovered how she wanted clothes to serve her as a protective armor" Bella Freud premiered her short film last week in London, and if the film is a testament to a talent in filmmaking, the creative direction and sartorial aptitude of Bella Freud proves genius might just be hereditary.