Bleecker Bob's - the classic record store located at 118 Third Street in New York's Greenwich Village since 1968, is going out of business and will be replaced by a Starbucks. So here's an idea-how about Starbucks goes into business with small local stores and leases them space inside the Starbucks that replaces them? That way, everyone wins. Our great cities don't become totally homogenized with all of the same boring corporate store fronts and Starbucks still gets to make more money. How about it Howard Schultz? Pick up that gauntlet.
Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" (April, 1991), and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several other stories of variable lengths have followed. All stories take place in Basin City, with frequent recurring characters and intertwining stories.
A movie adaptation of Sin City, co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller with "special guest director" Quentin Tarantino, was released on April 1, 2005. A planned sequel was announced soon after, but has since been delayed indefinitely.
Jayne County has been an influence on musicians such as David Bowie, The Ramones, Patti Smith, and Lou Reed. Pianist Jools Holland's first studio outing was with County on her single "Fuck Off". She is known for her outrageous stage antics and her songs "Are You Man Enough To Be A Woman", "Fuck Off", "Stuck On You," and "Night Time". County was previously an actress at Andy Warhol's The Factory.
Q1. What was the first record you owned that really inspired you? JC: I think as I remember correctly, the first record I owned was 'Mashed Potato Time' by Dee Dee Sharp. I was crazy about her! Bought every single she put out.
Q2. Can you tell me a little about your amazing artwork? It seems to have an East Indian influence and is very confrontational. JC: I call some of my art work 'Psychedelic Expressionism. I also like to refer to it as. 'Degenerate Art' cause thats what the Nazis labeled all modern art during the Weimar Republic, which is my favorite period.
Jayne County - New York Underground.
Q3. You’ve always had a strong following in Europe. Why do you think Europeans love your performances so much? JC: Europeans are more generally open minded, I think. And they are always interested in anything out of NYC!
Q4. Do you think that you get credit for the other artists and performers that you have influenced? Although you credit Jackie Curtis as an influence on you, there are certainly a good few around who have benefited from your barrier breaking too. JC: I never get any credit and it really bothers me. I'm trying very hard not to let it make me bitter, but it 's very difficult!
Q5. You’ve performed in a lot of films either as a character or as yourself. Have you ever been approached to have a movie made about your life? JC: Nick Abraham is doing a documentary on my life, and we are of course hoping for a 'real movie!'
A mysterious Japanese clothing collection featuring photos of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love is making waves online. Apparently a three-part collaboration between retailer Eyescream, Spade Magazine and Number (N)ine designer Takahiro Miyashita, the capsule collection features sixteen "extremely limited" pieces of clothing printed with images of Cobain and Love. At least fourteen of the photos come from photographer Kenji Kubo.
Miyashita collaborated with Undercover's Jun Takahashi on some of the visuals, while OpenStrings provided the t-shirts for the artwork. To complement the grunge tone, there's even a one-off Pearl Jam tee offered as a perk if you purchase 10,000 yen of product (approximately $130). Check out the collection here.
No word yet if Courtney Love knows about the existence of this collection. Watch this space.
Amy Winehouse’s Dad Attacks Jean Paul Gaultier’s Tribute.
He tells British newspaper the Sun:
The family were upset to see those pictures, they were a total shock. We're still grieving for her loss, and we've had a difficult week with the six month anniversary of Amy's death. To see her image lifted wholesale to sell clothes was a wrench we were not expecting or consulted on ... We're proud of her influence on fashion but find black veils on models, smoking cigarettes with a barbershop quartet singing her music in bad taste. It portrays a view of Amy when she was not at her best and glamorises some of the more upsetting times in her life. That's upsetting for her family.
Roxy Music to Release Career-Spanning Box Set Eight CD/four DVD set celebrates band's 40th anniversary.
From Pitchfork.com:
In celebration of the band's 40th anniversary, Roxy Music will embark on a career-spanning reissue campaign. On April 2, Virgin will put out an eight-CD/four-DVD box set called Roxy Music: The Complete Studio Recordings 1972-1982. It includes eight Roxy Music studio albums: 1972's Roxy Music, 1973's For Your Pleasure and Stranded, 1974's Country Life, 1975's Siren, 1979's Manifesto, 1980's Flesh and Blood, and 1982's Avalon, along with "high-resolution audio" versions of the albums on DVD. The set will also feature a bunch of bonus material, including non-album singles, B-sides, and remixes. Check out the full tracklists at fansite Roxyrama. Below, watch footage of Roxy Music performing "Love Is the Drug", from Siren.
Christopher Pusey and Luis Accorsi are pleased to announce the exhibition of "The Dandy's New York", February 7 through March 4, 2012 at Dorian Grey Gallery, 437 East 9th Street, New York City. The gallery will host an Opening Reception Tuesday, February 7 from 6 – 9 PM. Please RSVP. For additional information, please contact: 516‐244‐4126.
Photographer Molua Muldown and multi‐media artist Lisa Pan reveal the authentic man behind New York’s celebrated and enigmatic dandy, Patrick McDonald. A series of environmental portrait photographs, mixed media collages and Patrick’s own poetry illustrate the East Village life and ethos of this unconventional artist. In this series, we look through the eyes of a man who has been described as a New York City living landmark and a walking work of art. Historically, New York City has been a haven for unique artists such as W. H. Auden, Quentin Crisp and Klaus Nomi. For over two decades, Patrick has been a muse and model for some of our most celebrated painters, photographers and illustrators. In our rapidly changing city, with it’s ever increasingly endangered environment for artists, Patrick’s uncompromising life simply inspires.
www.doriangreygallery.com/new_shows.html
Gallery Contact: Luis Accorsi 716 864 1459 Christopher Pusey 516 244 4126
Raoul Shah is a visionary strategic thinker with more than 20 years experience in marketing and communications. In 1993 he launched Exposure, a communications agency built on the power of network, great ideas and word-of-mouth. Today, the agency employs more than 200 individuals in London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo. Clients include Levi¹s®, Nike, Dr. Martens, Coca-Cola, Vitamin Water, Netflix, De Beers, Samsung, Incase, Casio G Shock, Fred Perry, Hunter, Globe-Trotter and John Smedley. He is a trustee of the British Council and an avid collector of Do Not Disturb signs. He also knows a few people.
Q1. What was the first record you bought and what effect did it have on you?
Madness - One Step Beyond. This was their first album. I remember walking up Golders Green Road with my brother and buying it for £5.99 at Oliver Crombie Records. A fortune! But what a purchase. A sound that made you feel like this was music for me, yet steeped in old ska references that made me learn about a whole previous generation of artists like Prince Buster, sound systems like Coxsone Sound and labels like Studio One. This shaped a whole new wardrobe (Fred Perry and sta-prest from Mr Byrite), dance style, and an awareness that those skinheads in Camden were not necessarily cool people, despite shared music tastes!!
Q2. How did you start your Exposure and who or what influenced you to do that?
I started with a simple and naïve belief that putting my friends together and networking was a career in itself. Of course, I never fully realised that when your friends were artists, DJ's, musicians, designers, retailers, bar owners and journalists, the cross-pollination of ideas and diverse cultures created an interesting environment for things to happen. I never got paid (I ran clubs like the Subterranea to earn a few quid), but met a ton of great people and eventually was asked by Converse to do PR and Product Placement for them. Basically, hook them up with my network! The rest, as they say, is history...
My influence was probably the working environment that Nitin had created at Pepe Jeans (my first job). Lots of young energetic people, keen to learn, work hard, and enjoy it along the way. And, most importantly, a work culture where you were encouraged to take responsibility, try things and not fear making mistakes. I hope I have some of that running through Exposure.
Q3. Do you think that rapid information exchange via the Internet means that print is a dying form in the media? Print will never die, it will just continue to be relevant in different ways. Magazines, books and newspapers will always exist, but they may have a different role. Magazines will become more specialist and niche, newspapers may be more like free-sheets with hourly versions on line, and we all still love the experience of holding and reading a great book. The quicker information is exchanged in the digital world, the more we will seek things that help us slow down, appreciate the moment, and cherish quality content (of our own choosing) to provide focus and knowledge. There are some things from the past worth protecting and celebrating. Print is one those trades that has re-emerged, like vinyl, and locally sourced products. It's already apparent amongst brands like Field Notes, Nigel Cabourn and Tellason, moving back to authenticity, craft and artisan values. Too much information doesn't make us smarter - it becomes noise. But a good read of National Geographic definitely adds to your dinner party conversation!
Q4. What was the most influential magazine for you when you were growing up?
Smash Hits. The lyrics were such a great idea and who's going to ignore Blondie on the front cover? I still remember virtually every single word from the records of that era. It was music and style that made me feel grown up and part of a great British music scene. The Face was next for me (thank you, again Nick Logan) - I was luckily able to buy this bible of youth culture from the very first edition (Jerry Dammers on the front cover, I think). I'm a slightly obsessive collector of The Clash memorabilia, and I still have various copies and lyric pages that featured the band somewhere in a box.
Q5. Give us a really off the wall anecdote/story. Something that not many people will know about-could be about anything related to your work.
When we pitched for the Levi's Europe account in 1998 we were tiny. About 10-12 people in total. So I flew the whole company to Brussels for the pitch, including Cindy our brilliant receptionist, and we set up in a huge disused warehouse. We invited the client to come and hear our pitch over there, and first thing they saw were fish-tanks full of all the media in which Levi's had appeared that month. All rubbish and destroying a great brand! And then they walked into a room with one single row of global style magazines (Dutch, Purple, Self Service, Tank, Flaunt, Nylon, Composite, Citizen K, etc) within which we said we'd secure visibility for Levi's if they gave us the account. They told us we had won it before we even started the actual presentation.
Harley Sears Management is pleased to announce a management deal with award-winning British fashion designer and musician Keanan Duffty.
At age 14, Keanan was a founding member of the British punk band Sordid Details. He later formed Wonder Stories, a New Romantic group influenced by David Bowie and Roxy Music. Keanan is also lead singer in the band Slinky Vagabond, alongside Glen Matlock of The Sex Pistols, Clem Burke of Blondie, and Earl Slick (guitarist for David Bowie).
Keanan established his eponymous fashion label in 1999. The collection is inspired by subversive subcultures, and mixes high fashion with youth culture, music, and British iconography. Duffty's clothes have attracted a celebrity following that include Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Alyssa Milano, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more.
In 2009, Keanan wrote "Rebel Rebel Anti-Style". Tracing the roots of rebel style to the music scene, the book explores how music and "anti-fashion" icons have inspired fashion.
He is currently co-producing the Malcolm McLaren documentary: "Spectacular Failure".
Harley Sears has managed a variety of pop, punk, and rock bands spanning across America and Britain. He studied artist management at Berklee College of Music, and is a member of the Music Manager's Forum. To reach Harley, call (816) 787-3914 or send email to harleysears@gmail.com.
Johnnie Shand Kydd is the youngest son of Peter Shand Kydd and Janet Munro Kerr. He is an internationally exhibited photographer some of his portraits have been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery.
Shand Kydd studied Art and English at university, but said that, by then, he had done enough painting to know that he did not want to pursue it, "There's so much crap art around and what's the point of being a mediocre artist?"
After working at a Bond Street art gallery selling 19th Century paintings for a number of years Shand Kydd began taking photographs of his artist friends and those in his social sphere, using an Instamatic camera. Tilda Swinton-Photo: Johnnie Shand Kydd.
As a participant rather than solely an observer he captured the community of the Young British Artists before they became household names. As an emerging photographer, Shand Kydd served as the silent chronicler of the movement by capturing his friends, including Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst, on film. That work was soon collected into the book Spit Fire. The collection was featured in the Sensation show at the Royal Academy in 1997. From this portfolio the National Portrait Gallery acquired 42 prints. Sam Taylor-Wood-Photo: Johnnie Shand Kydd.
His second book, Crash, documented the progress of his friends. About 200 exposures in strict black-and-white capture art-society luminaries like Gilbert & George, Sam Taylor-Wood, Nan Goldin, Richard Prince, Juergen Teller, Maurizio Cattelan and Tracey Emin. Soldiers outside Cafe Gambinus, Naples-Photo: Johnnie Shand Kydd.
His most recent publication and photographic exhibition, Siren City, is the result of eight years of photographic research in Naples, a place defined by Shand Kidd as one of the most radical cities in Europe
Q1. What was the first record you bought that really had a big influence on you?
The first single I ever bought was Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys which I think displays exquisite taste ! Just the right combination of great musical sophistication and utter banality
Bert Clark, World War One Veteran. Born November 20, 1899-Photo: Johnnie Shand Kydd.
Q2. Your series of portraits of World War 1 veterans is an incredible document. When did you photograph the veterans and what was the motivation behind this project?
JSK: I was approached by Max Arthur who was interviewing the veterans for his book 'Last Post'. When he told me about the project, my first reaction was that the combined age of these twenty one men amounted to over 2,000 years which would take you back to before the birth of Christ. It was an extraordinary experience. All were so humble and none thought they had done anything exceptional or more than ther job. So different to the self obsession so prevalent today. Something happened during the project that I still think one of the most moving moments of my professional life. We had traveled to Wales to photograph John Oborne who at 104 was no spring chicken. The weather was atrocious with skate grey skies and horizontal rain so I had no alternative but to try and photograph him in the conservatory of the residential home where he was seeing out his days. It was pretty obvious that the pictures were going nowhere when suddenly the rain stopped allowing me to ask the nurse if we could park Mr Obourne under a blasted tree in the garden outside. He was duly wheeled out as I set up my camera. Whilst I was doing this I became aware of something moving in the corner of my eye. A magnificent white stallion in the adjoining field, about 500 yards away started to walk towards us and finally stopped by the barbed wire fence. He stretched his neck and nuzzled the sleeping veteran who in turn awoke and raised his hand as if in benediction. I took the picture and returned to London where I listened to one of those late Johnny Cash albums. I'll paraphrase, but Cash mentions a white horse who's name is Death. John Obourne died a couple of days later. John Osbourne, World War One Veteran. Born May 11, 1900-Photo: Johnnie Shand Kydd.
George Rice, World War One Veteran. Born June 18, 1897--Photo: Johnnie Shand Kydd.
Q3. In complete contrast I really enjoyed your portraits of young club kids in the BoomBox book. Were you a BoomBox regular and who was your favorite subject?
JSK: No, My clubbing days are well and truly over. I was asked to take those pictures for a book on BoomBox. It was a blast. So many people today moan about photographers invading their space or privacy. The BoomBox bunch were gagging to have everything invaded ! Nothing off limits BoomBox Nightclub-Photo: Johnnie Shand Kydd.
Q4. You obviously have a strong affinity with the YBA's. Are your subjects often people you have a relationship with already and does that matter?
JSK: I love photographing people who I know. For some reason, an existing relationship with your subject allows you to simplify your approach. I try to avoid tricks and gimmicks in my portraiture but sometimes when the sitter is a complete stranger and is hell bent on contributing nothing, then you do have to fall back on a little extra something to give the picture a bit of oomph. With people you know and understand, you can pare away to achieve something minimal and perhaps more honest. I am a huge fan of John Deakin and this mix of objectivity and subjectivity is an essential ingredient to the spirit of his work Damian Hirst-Photo: Johnnie Shand Kydd.
Q5. In an age where everything is digital it seems that your black and white photography harks back to a classic age in that medium. How do you feel about the disposable nature of digital photography?
JSK: If digital photography is used intelligently then I have no problems with it whatsoever. However ............ I find a lot of the results pretty underwhelming. I admit to being a Luddite but I do love the element of alchemy and magic in using film. I also enjoy the drawn out anticipation and ritual of the process. But, what I hate most about digital is the way people now look at the world not through their eyes but through the view finder of their digital camera. It depresses me only a little less than how staggering boring people become when they bang on about digital. You can change this, you can intensify that, move this, substitute that. Verbal diarrhea justifying visual diarrhea. BoomBox Nightclub-Photo: Johnnie Shand Kydd.
Eve Kitten, the creation of artist and designer Nancy Bacich is a fashionably drawn icon in cartoon form. Her glamour-fueled tales follow Eve's escapades in Gotham.
Q1-Which song or record has really changed your life? EK: "If You Want Me to Stay" by Sly and the Family Stone, when I was a little girl I used to do "runway" in my mother's lingerie to this song, the beat was great and Sly's voice was hypnotic. Made me the lingerie super hero I am today. Q2-If you could team up with another super hero or heroine who would it be? EK: Of course it would be the original Cat Woman Julie Newmar, she is a fierce beauty and a great dancer. The Cat Woman and the Kitten...meow. Q3-You've had a lot of success teaming up with Stephen Knoll for his hair care line in Japan. How did that come about? EK: My dandy friend Patrick McDonald introduced us and when Stephen was looking for a New York artist to collaborate for his seasonal ad campaign my comic style was purr-fect for Japan. Q4-Jason Wu helped you leap from being a 2D page to a 3D doll. What's the story behind that? EK: Jason started with a doll company, he loved the edginess of Eve Kitten and her lingerie style and he interpreted her lace mask right down to the brick boots, just like they were illustrated. Q5- Can we look forward to an Eve Kitten movie in the future? EK: Yes! Love to see if Sly can do the theme song.
