through rose tinted glasses

STUMBLING home at six in the morning, bleary eyed in the wake of the rising sun, does strange things to a person. Follow this with a fitful morning-to-afternoon sleep and you're bound to be seeing the world in a form of heightened sights and sounds - senses assaulted on all fronts.  

This was how I spent my Sunday afternoon. Meandering in a daze through the suburban streets of South West London. And there was one particular vision that kept recurring before me...

It appears to be rose season. From tight neat blooms to giant cabbage-like heads of petals, not a single rose bush that I passed was lacking in a beautiful blossom or two; or three, or four, or more. I was bedazzled by their beauty.

But most overwhelmingly (bear in mind here that I was in an extremely fragile state at the time) I was struck by the intensity of the perfume that they released. I was literally stopped dead in my tracks at the wonderful aroma that escaped from one particular specimen: a dense bundle of deep fuchsia petals whose smell was so strong and sweet I wouldn't have been surprised if a drop of rose essence had trickled directly from it. 

And so I suggest that we all don our rose tinted spectacles, and where possible bask in the rosy glow of the moment.

on my horizon : pretty much nothing (hurrah!)

THE other week I was seeking a void: I wished to absorb my eyes in the vision of a vast expanse of 'nothing'. I was attempting to self-medicate. Do some long-distance exercise with my eyesight.

What I didn't realise was how much I was in fact in need of this physical space to awaken my senses, to put back into perspective how easy it is to derive pleasure from the simplest of things: nature. 

Returning from work to the shoreline of Whitstable not only gave my eyes a refreshing break  from my aforementioned daily cityscape, it also renewed in me a real appreciation for the subtle yet breathtaking visuals that the natural world around us can create. In the built environment it can often be hard to find these little joys, they are overlooked  both mentally and physically. When rushing to catch the train who would ever think to pause for a moment, glace up from the street, and perhaps chance upon seeing that beam of setting sunshine reflecting off a top floor window. 

But in Whitstable there was no rushing. No cramming through crowds. No dipping underground. There was simply a two minute walk to the end of the road, and then a beach. Here I encountered a unerring calm. And a placid sea, as smooth as a lake. 

My feeble attempts to capture this scene in photographs will never do the atmospheric landscape justice. And as I already feel a bit self-conscious about the whole 'back-to-mother-nature' vibe of this post I am not even going to begin to try to express the way I felt in response to my new surroundings.

But what I will say is this. As the world is awakening to the fresh air of spring, and summer feels as though it is just within reach, make sure to take a moment to observe wonders unfurling around you. Once you start looking you will be surprised at how many little marvels pop up around you.

what's on your horizon?

HOW often these days do we get to savour a view like this first hand.

I long to raise my eyes to a vast expanse of 'nothingness'; I delight in the thought of my eyes roaming the horizon in search of 'something'. 

Last week I stood on the platform waiting for a train after work. I looked up to the departure board from the book I was reading and all I saw was a blur. Panicked at my deteriorating eyesight, I vowed to give my eyes plenty of breaks from staring at my not one, but two, computer screens at work. The most obvious solution was to frequently glance up and train my vision on the furthest point in my eyeline.

Hmm. Furthest Point. Fuuuuuuuuurrrrthest Point. So that would be.....75m away. At a push. And that in itself is not more than a sliver of pavement to be glimpsed at through the glass facade of another building.

Not quite the same as the beautiful skylines presented here by Todd McLellan. Not even close.

final destination: atlantic ocean

WHO would have thought that what many consider to be the bain of all commuter misery may actually end it's life as a vision of majestic beauty?

 

At first glance I recoiled slightly at the apparent 'dumping' of these disused vehicles, but upon learning of their purpose I was pleasantly surprised.

Stephen Mallon has spent three years documenting the final journey of the NYC decommissioned subway car, which sees it being re-appropriated for use as refuge to many species of fish and crustaceans as part of a an artificial reef building program on the East Coast of the US. Mallon's documentation of the final stage of the project is now being presented in an exhibition at Calumet Photographic in Florida.

The dramatic images of individual carriages plunging into the ocean  are strangely haunting, the water gushing into their empty hulls. However what I quite like with these striking pictures is the contradiction; for on the one hand it seems to jar observing the rusty old cars sinking into deep dark depths, but on the other, it must be remembered that they are in fact embarking on a journey that is of great benefit.

As I have said before, I am not usually the first in line to actively champion environmental matters. But I will always take note - as I'm sure many other people do too - when the work of projects like this one are presented to the public in such a beautiful manner. To echo the words of Above Magazine: 'beauty will save the world'.

katy grannan's granny (not literally)

THIS image immediately threw up a question in my mind. One that is probably quite common amongst women in today's image obsessed society. 'At what age should you stop wearing short skirts?'

Now, before seeing this photo I would have possibly made a stab in the dark guess at around 40. (Maybe later if you're a celebrity with the ability to apparently stop the aging process at 30.) But upon seeing this image I think I may have changed my mind. 

I am usually the first to balk at any form of varicose veins, orange peel thighs or knobbly knees. It just isn't necessary to subject others to those sights. Yet this woman (dare I say it) looks cool. She's got attitude. And was clearly used to having all eyes on her in her youth - just look at the pose she's striking for the camera. 

In an outfit that wouldn't look out of place on an Alexa Chung wannabe this San Francisco granny has also done what many young girls often fail to do - by balancing the above-the-knee skirt with a long-sleeved shirt she has preserved her modesty. The result being an alluring outfit without needing to bare all.

However, there is one major reason why this woman's choice of short skirt has not made me express views of a completely different nature. And that is that this lady clearly lives in a hot climate. I mean real heat - not the measly 25C that sees Britons banding about the word 'heatwave'. 

And so in the name of comfort, (and also because if you can't think 'fuck it' at the age of 65 then when can you) I applaud and support her style. 

That's not to say that I want to see grannies stripping down by the dozen all around me. Simply that there is a time and a place where - if done well - the dare-to-bare attitude can be pulled off at any age.

fashion space gallery

THE Fashion Space Gallery at the London College of Fashion is where I came across the work of Axel Hoedt. In a large, bright and airy room his photographs silently diffuse an oddly ominous tone. Depicting the costumes worn by those celebrating an annual carnival held in Germany called 'fastnacht', their bizarre and often grotesque appearance is designed to chase off the spirits of winter. Hence the images' unsettling energy. Isolated figures are presented on both large and small scales (my favourite being the postcard sized pictures resting in a row along the left hand wall as you enter) and are interspersed with equally bleak landscapes.

This current exhibition is only on until the weekend, but even if you can't get to it I would recommend visiting this compact venue at some point as it offers a great little culture fix, allowing for a guilt-free interlude from the shopping frenzy on the streets outside (Oxford Circus is just metres away). I will be keeping an eye out for forthcoming events as the gallery's website is promising me shows of 'innovation and excellence'...  And all for free!

profile: Ryan McGinley

PHOTOGRAPHS. Of pretty young things. Where nudity is the norm: whether in solitude with nature or amongst friends of a similar disposition. Voyeuristic connotations may be provoked. And he has come up against much criticism.  

But there is something strangely compelling about viewing Ryan McGinley's photographs. They offer us a window; through which one gazes, fascinated. Emotions are stirred: admiration, disgust; jealousy, lust. Questions may be asked. Would we do what they have done? What kind of person likes or dislikes these images? 

I for one am in a slight quandary. On the one hand I am drawn in by the world that McGinley presents to me, perhaps due to the fact that (as Caroline Stanley writes) the photographs 'can be nostalgic, innocent, and sexual all at once because it’s not about capturing youth, but some shared fantasy version of it.' I am caught in a reverie of carefree frolicking. 

But on the other hand, these images seem just a little bit too contrived, too 'cool'. The colour saturated yet weathered feel, and flares of light entering the frame from all angles emphasising or obscuring certain aspects, are reminiscent of days before the digital camera. An effect that many today are trying to recreate. 

And at times the apparent spontaneity of an image is doubtful. Though this may be intentional if one is to interpret McGinley's images as simply presenting fanciful notions of what it is to be young, rather than a reality.

Yet he has clearly got something right. McGinley is the youngest artist to have had a solo show at the Whitney Museum in New York. And his black and white photography is not only sensitively shot but shows a true admiration for the human form. 

I think that what I like most about McGinley's work is the juxtapositions it often presents, involving a subject matter that can be both beautiful and awkward. And the nude is not always explicitly present, at times simply alluded to - a reliable presence that can be located if sought (most notably in his Moonmilk series). This is what makes me believe that he is not using the body in a exploitative manner but simply as a tool. I am as yet undecided as for what though. 

COS

I ABSOLUTELY love these images from the COS autumn/winter '10 collection campaign. The styling is fantastic, bringing to the fore what COS does best: great tailoring with a twist.

Clean and crisp, with a splash of ingenuity and bags of character, if I wasn't already pledging my allegiance to this brand then these images have certainly secured my admiration.

Browse the website for not only more campaign photos but key looks, an online magazine and 'things' that they like. (And you may just discover where I came across Soojin Kang's chairs...)

"yeo-bo-sae-yo"

"yeo-bo-sae-yo" : "hello?"

THIS endearing image was taken by Irina Kalashnikova at Kim Jong-suk nursery, North Korea. There is something so charming about the little girl in her bright red skirt matching the bright red phone that she is talking on, especially when against such a neutral back drop. Having taken the photograph head on, therefore rendering the composition clean and uncomplicated, Kalashnikova has ensured that the viewer is drawn in by the details within: the secret smile of the woman behind the desk, the pedals upon which her feet are resting, the subtly patterned wallpaper, the delicate lace tablecloth amongst austere surroundings, and the sombre expressions of those framed high above.

But above all, my connection with this image arose from the intrigue of the situation. In this compact off-white cube two people co-exist; yet - at right angles with each other - they barely interact. What has triggered the woman's stiffled smile? Could it be her joy at being caught on camera; or a reaction to the girl's words? Is her conversation with a loved one; or one that's make-believe? This brought a smile to my face as it reminded me of times when I was little, and so desperately wanted to use the telephone that my mum would connect me to the talking clock so that my gibberish had a sounding board.

I hope that this image is found as enchanting by others as it is by me. More pictures of the rarely seen North Korea, captured by Kalashnikova, can be found on the Guardian website. They are subtle, yet densley populated with fascinating insight into the country.

and stretch...

IF, like me, you find it just a little bit difficult to get yourself going in the morning, try taking some tips from Santra. The bear. These spectacular pictures were taken by a visitor to Ahtari zoo in Finland, capturing what ended up being an impressive 15 minute morning stretch routine.  

The images are mesmerising, with the poses struck bearing such an uncanny resemblance to that of a human. I wonder whether Santra was aware of the wonderful show she  had put on for the public. I'd like to think she was...

 

west african masquerade

I came across some of these fantastic images whilst browsing jewellery designer Natalia Milosz-Pierkarska's blog The 'Ah Ha'. The photographs - portraits of masqueraders taken in Nigeria - were taken by Phyllis Galembo who has travelled to Nigeria, Cuba, Brazil, Jamaica and Haiti, documenting the costumes worn by traditional priests and priestesses, carnival masqueraders, dancers, and Haitian voodoo practitioners. Forming the body of work for an past exhibition at the Tang Museum in Saratoga Springs, the press release explains that:
The outfits run a gamut of dramatic designs and shapes, from striped-knit bodysuits to appliquéd fabric costumes as voluminous as tents. They might represent male or female entities, animals like elk and jaguar, or various spirits. As art writer Anne Doran pointed out, “Galembo's primary interest is the wearer's belief in the power of ritual costume to alter their everyday reality.”

What I found most exciting about these images was not simply the costumes themselves, but the beautiful manner in which they were photographed. Their square format and considered choice of background - whether in contrast to or in compliment of the garment - render them stunning works that I would love to have framed on my wall at home. 

I could with ease study these images time and again, and if I was still at uni I am sure that I would be tempted to base a project inspired by the colour, form, material and meaning of the costumes that the West African masqueraders wear. For more pictures and information, visit the Tang Museum website.  

profile: Seana Italia Redmond

THE Gorilla Coat is the amazing hand knitted creation of Seana Italia Redmond, by far my favourite piece within her collection entitled 'Traces'.  Of this body of work Seana explains that:  

"Photography has been a tool to capture the elusive movement and texture of my knitwear; the capture of these garments means they are precious frozen frames of moments in time which could otherwise have been lost in the blink of an eye. The knitwear is therefore driving a mood and tempo rather than merely being a static collection that is captured and presented through a photographic record."

Following on from an evocative series of photographs, Seana has produced a film, which can be viewed on Vimeo.