SHOWstudio: Nick Knight, Karlie Kloss, Kate Phelan for Topshop

SHOWstudio: Nick Knight, Karlie Kloss, Kate Phelan for Topshop.

To celebrate 10 years of support to British, independent artists, NEWGEN released a short film showcasing the last ten years of talent with a selection of past and present designers including Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou and Marios Schwab. The featured designers are all part of the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN scheme, which offers a launch pad for up and coming London based designers.

Directed by legend Nick Knight and starring American model; Karlie Kloss, the film was shown through-out London Fashion Week, in various Topshop windows and selected underground stations.

Davy Jones of The Monkees dies at 66.

Monkees - Daydream Believer



The Monkees - Steppin' Stone.

Pegase - Without Reasons

Pegase - Without Reasons (Official Music Video) from Incredible Kids on Vimeo.

Pegase - Without Reasons (Official Music Video)

Directed by Incredible Kids
Written by Pegase, Tristar, Pierre Ströska & Felix Amadeus
Costumes Design by Incredible Kids
Except the wood dress "Galatée" by Justine Poligné, Muriel Audouin & Rozenn Balay
Edited by Felix Amadeus, Pegase & Tristar
Thanks to : Pauline, Eva, Thomas, Elfried, Baptiste & Renaud
Special Thanks to : Jonathan, Robonom, Alex, Geoffroy, Davyna & Rémi.

Music composed by Pegase
All instruments by Pegase
Except Bass & Guitar by Thibaud Vanhooland
Recorded at Hauts Les Choeurs Studio
Mixed by Pegase
Assisted by David Darricarrère
Mastered by Damien Bolo at Spectrum Studio

5 Minutes with Leah Moore and John Reppion

Leah Moore. Photo: DC Sterne.

Leah Moore was born in Northampton, England in 1978.

Her first ever attempt at comic book scripting was submitted anonymously to Scott Dunbier at Wildstorm in late 2002. The story was accepted, illustrated by Sergio Aragones and published as “King Solomon Pines”, in Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales #5. This was soon followed by another 8-pager; “Bad to the Bone”, with art by Shawn McManus, which appeared in Tom Strong #19.



In mid 2003 Leah and her husband (then fiancée) John Reppion began work on a proposal for a six-part mini entitled Wild Girl. The series was published in 2004/05, illustrated by Shawn McManus and J. H. Williams III.

Since then the duo have worked together on series such as Albion (with Alan Moore & Shane Oakley), Raise the Dead (with Hugo Petrus) and contributed to the likes of Popgun, Accent UK’s Zombies, Self Made Hero’s H. P. Lovecraft anthology and Tori Amos’ Comic Book Tattoo. Moore & Reppion are currently working together on The Thrill Electric (with Windflower Studio) – a ten part online motion comic set in Victorian Manchester.

In 2006 Leah was commissioned by the Royal Mail to write two short stories to accompany the release of their Christmas stamps.

In addition to her writing Leah enjoys drawing and painting and has provided illustrations for various articles and stories.




Q1. What was the first comic that you owned that really had a life changing effect on you?

LM: I think it was definitely Love and Rockets. I read it and just totally fell in love with the whole world. I wanted to be there, living it, being one of the characters so much. it was the first comic, probably the first book I read that just made me feel like "this is for me, these are people I care about". I have been near obsessed ever since.

Q2. How did you become a writer? What was your main inspiration?

LM: Well I've always made my own comics since I was little, so making up stories is something I have always enjoyed.
The problem used to be I'd have grandiose ideas and wouldn't be able to draw them properly, so now I get to script all these big elaborate scenes and get someone else to draw them for me. The actual decision came by a suggestion of my dads. i was doing a bar job after university, and he said " have you ever thought about writing comics" which I hadn't at all. I had a go at it, and produced a script for a little eight pager, which Scott Dunbier received anonymously, and accepted. When I saw it was possible to make the same money writing a comic as doing lots of hours behind the bar, I thought I'd have a go, see if it kept being fun, and kept paying the rent. so far it has so here's hoping it stays that way!



Q3. This is a two part question: What is the story behind the idea to revive classic IPC-owned British comic characters such as Captain Hurricane, Robot Archie, The Steel Claw and The Spider, into the acclaimed comic book series Albion? Which is your favorite character from the series?

LM: Well I can take no credit for the idea at all, it was the artist Shane Oakley's idea which he had been talking to my dad about for a bit. He wanted to bring back the characters, and remind people what a fun weird bunch of characters they were, but dad didn't have the time to write it with him. Dad suggested we could write it, with him doing the plot, and Shane drawing it, and he pitched it to Wildstorm that way. We kind of thought we were just going to be script monkeys, typing up from dads notes, but there was lots of space in it for us to play with ideas ourselves. between the lot of us, it got pulled in several directions at once, so it was an odd project creatively, but really enjoyable and something we are all proud of. My favourite character in it is Zip Nolan. I love his bumbling brashness and annoyance. I actually laughed out loud scripting him, several times, which is always nice.

Q4. As well as being a writer you are also an artist, producing illustrations for fanzines and magazines. You say that you are shy
about it, as it is your first love. However would you consider tackling a graphic novel at some point?

LM: I am shy about it also because I do not think i am very good! i have always found comics to be the hardest thing to do because you cant just draw someone and thats it, you have to draw them a hundred times from every conceivable angle and in all kinds of situations. My grasp of anatomy is certainly not good enough to tackle any serious comic art, and even with a more cartoony indie style, I think I'd struggle to get it looking uniform across the pages. I have done little strips here and there, and I do draw out all our pages in rough so we can type from them, so layouts aren't a problem, its just getting it all looking crisp and proper I'd have trouble with. I'd love to say I'd have a go at a project I drew too, but it would have to be a really specific project, and I'd have to practise a lot first!

Q5. I read that you are interested in writing radio plays or short pieces for television. What is it about radio that attracts you and would you consider a pod cast as a viable platform for you work?

LM: I would love to experiment with other forms of story telling just to see how they work. I think you learn most by really pushing yourself in a new direction. when we did The Thrill Electric recently, we learned loads of new stuff about pacing and page structure, not to mention plot and characterisation, just because it was a form we hadnt tried before. The horizontal layout meant our pacing had to change, the single pages instead of spreads meant our scenes were a different size and shape. It was really interesting. I think radio would be amazing because you'd learn how to fill your readers mind with a world, even without a picture or a massive bit of description. you'd learn how to create it with a couple of words, and some sounds, which I think would be fascinating. I'm attracted to writing a play purely because the magic in comics is when you get your pages back all drawn and amazing, and i think the sight of actual people creating your story physically in 3D would be even more magical than the comics art.



John Reppion. Photo: DC Sterne.

John Reppion was born in Liverpool, England in 1978.

His writing career began in 2003 when he collaborated with his wife Leah Moore on a proposal for a six issue mini series entitled Wild Girl. The proposal was accepted and the series was published by Wildstorm in 2004/05.

Since then the duo have worked together on series such as Albion (with Alan Moore & Shane Oakley), Raise the Dead (with Hugo Petrus) and contributed to the likes of Popgun, Accent UK’s Zombies Self Made Hero’s H. P. Lovecraft anthology and Tori Amos’ Comic Book Tattoo. Moore & Reppion are currently working together on The Thrill Electric (with Windflower Studio) – a ten part online motion comic set in Victorian Manchester.

John’s interests in fortean phenomena, esoterica, folklore, philosophy, theology and horror have led to his writing articles and reviews for numerous magazines and periodicals including Fortean Times, Strange Attractor, The End Is Nigh, Revenant Magazine and SteamPunk Magazine. 2008 saw the release of his first full length book 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool, published by The History Press.



Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast.

Q1. What was the first record that you owned that really had a life changing effect on you?

JR: The first album that I ever bought was Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast. It was a vinyl LP which I got from the supermarket at the bottom of the road where my mum and dad still live. This would have been around 1989 so it was already an "old" album having been released in 1982. To me at the
age of eleven it felt like it had come not just from another era but another world really. I was just discovering comics at the time - my uncle lending me The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke amongst others - and probably just plucking up the courage to begin reading a bit of horror, and Number of the Beast was very much the soundtrack to all of that. Each song on the album tells a story it was just pure imagination fuel for my pre-adolescent self. I'd even go to sleep listening to a cassette copy I'd made. Number of the Beast and the original Ghostbusters film were pretty much my pre-adolescent obsessions, and I think both helped to shape my mind quite dramatically.




Q2. Can you tell me the background to your book 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool?

JR: Ha, well, see my previous answer RE: childhood Ghostbusters obsession!

I've always been interested in folklore and weird history and it never ceases to amaze me how much of this stuff is still part of our everyday lives - people still tell these stories, places still have their odd reputations, despite us living in the 21st century. Having lived in Liverpool my entire life I already had a good knowledge of many of the local ghost stories and supposedly haunted places so it was really just a case of drawing all that together and doing the research. I also had flyers out around the city asking people to get in touch with me if they'd ever experienced anything they'd consider supernatural. I got a really good response and was lucky enough to even get an email from Ramsey Campbell offering an account of one of his own strange experiences. When the great supernatural author M. R. James was asked if he actually believed in ghosts he famously replied "I answer that I am prepared to consider evidence and accept it if it satisfies me". That is pretty much what I tried to do with 800 Years - make all the data I could find on each case available to the reader and allow them to "consider the evidence".

Q3. You have written a number of non-fiction articles for publications including The End Is Nigh, an annual British fanzine edited by Michael Molcher. Does your approach to non-fiction differ greatly to the way you work on a piece of fiction?

JR: The biggest difference between my article writing and the writing I do for comics is that I do the former on my own, whereas comics are always written in collaboration with Leah.

I love research. I love to have a big pile of books, photocopied papers I've written off to regional libraries for, etc in front of me and to be cross referencing all this stuff and coming up with a narrative that no one of the sources provides. That's really how most of my factual articles develop - I find an interesting subject, amass all the material I can on it, and then see what shape the article wants to take. Again, Fortean, folkloric, or weird history type subjects tend to be the things that attract me - most
recently I wrote a piece for Darklore Vol 6 (http://darklore.dailygrail.com/) about the remains of a prehistoric monument, older than the pyramids, which are kept in a greenhouse in a park just around the corner from my house.

I have written some prose fiction myself too (mainly for SteamPunk Magazine) and that's definitely something I'd love to find the time to do more of. It makes me feel very exposed compared to comics and articles though - there's no collaborators and no hard and fast facts to hide behind - it's just all my own words; my ideas laid bare.

Q4. You are currently working with Leah on The Thrill Electric, a ten part online motion comic set in Victorian Manchester. Can you tell me a little about that project?

JR: The Thrill Electric is essentially a 150 enhanced Graphic Novel (This means as well as the traditional comic pages full of panels and captions and word balloons, you also get background noise, sound effects, music, animations and pages where we try and find new ways to read a comic page) which is available to read entirely for free at www.thethrillelectric.com.

Years back, when we were adapting Bram Stoker's Dracula into a GN, we were doing a lot of research into the technology of the time and started to realise that, as much as we think of it as a period piece now, Stoker was being really cutting edge with all the tech that his characters employed. The telegraph plays quite a pivotal role in Dracula and the more we read about that the more started to realise that so many things we think of as being very much of the internet age were actually born of and possible via the telegraph.

Instant messaging, spam, online romances, gaming even - all these things were happening in offices across the world from the mid 1800s right up until the telephone took over at the beginning of the 20th century. The other thing that really caught our attention was that this point in history was a real turning point for women in the workforce. Telegrapher was a respectable white collar job which parents were happy to let their daughters go and do. Women could work somewhere less dirty and dangerous than a factory, and earn good money doing skilled work. Leah lay in bed one night ruminating on all of this, when the idea came to her of a story about a girl going into the world of the telegraph - a period drama with all the romance and scandal of any modern social network. The Thrill Electric was born.

An iPhone / iPad version of The Thrill Electric is set to come out very soon. Just like the online version it will be 100% free.

Q5. Do you think that online publishing will have a long term impact on traditional printed media and if so, is that a positive or a negative?

JR: Speaking as someone who spends all day every day staring at a computer screen I hate reading for leisure on screen, I'd always much rather read an actual book. That said, I do have a kindle app on my phone and I can see the appeal of instant access to any book via a device. I think that so far as books are concerned, the paperback market might change as a result of digital. Maybe that will translate to comics too with monthlies dying off and digi editions taking over. However, people will still buy books I think - I know I will - and I think many publishers are already upping their game as a result, making deluxe hardbacks that are more desirable than ever in order to compete. It's a period of change definitely but hopefully it'll be one for the better in many respects.



The Thrill Electric Promo.

With The Thrill Electric we were trying to take the first steps in creating something that wasn't just a paper comic book in digital form, we wanted to take advantage of all the things we had at our disposal but still focus on telling a story (not just end up with a firework display). I think that enhanced comics is an area that has a lot of potential for the future, a whole new medium adding an extra dimension to traditional comics. Will that kill comics as we know them? No more than cinema killed photography.



http://www.moorereppion.com

Jarvis Cocker-Common People-Sorted for E's & Wizz

Jarvis Cocker-Common People played on a Casio and Sorted for E's & Wizz, acoustic style.

5 Minutes With Chris Wainwright

Chris Wainwright is an artist, curator and currently the Head of Colleges of Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon, University of the Arts London. He is also President of ELIA, ( The European League of Institutes of the Arts ) and Acting Director of ICFAR ( The International Centre for Fine Art Research ).

His recent group exhibitions include Gandhi Group, Museum of Modern Art, Santiago, Chile and Donna Beam Gallery, Las Vegas USA. His work is currently being shown as part of the UK touring exhibition Fleeting Arcadias - Thirty Years of British Landscape Photography from the Arts Council Collection.

Recent one-person exhibitions include Emergency Lighting, an exterior installation at the Photographers Gallery in London. His time based work Capital, with David Bickerstaff, has been shown at File 2002 in Sao Paulo and the Institute for Interactive Media and Learning at UTS, Sydney, Australia.

Other recent works include Channel 14 a video projection at the Champ Libre Festival of Electronic Arts, Montreal, 2004. In 2005 Channel 14 was selected for the Media and Architecture Biennale, Graz, Austria. His photographic work is held in many public collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London: Arts Council of England: Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris and the Polaroid Corporation, Boston, USA.

Q1. What was the first record that you owned that had a life changing effect on you?

CW: The first Record I ever bought at Chesterfield Market, Was Gerry & The Pacemakers “Ferry Across The Mersey”. It has t be The Beatles “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window”, my youth in Sheffield. Aesthetically, Frank Zappa’s “Hot Rats” was probably one of the first pieces of music that stood out as being very different.



Frank Zappa - Willie The Pimp.



Gerry & The Pacemakers - Ferry Cross The Mersey (1965).

Q2. When did you first become interested in the medium you work in and what prompted you to go into the arts as a career choice and vocation?

CW: It probably sounds a bit corny but I always did art. From when I was a little kid and my parents were brilliant at saying “Just do it”, because they enjoyed watching me do it they enjoyed me giving them really naïve pictures. My dad was a farmer and I just used to paint pictures around the farm and they just loved it. That progressed through school and my parents never discouraged me from being an artist. A lot of my peers when I would speak to then, they almost made art despite what their parents wanted them to be; accountants or politicians or doctors, something that was going to pay back in later life. I guess my parents never expected anything from me other than wanting me to be happy.

It was an easy run in that sense, to go through school and develop something that I felt was being supported. And art school just happened. I think I had a bit of a reputation at school for being good at art in earlier years and I guess when I was in ‘big school’ it became more formalized in exams and I always did quite well and I got on pretty well with art teachers. I got good recognition early on. I was probably really lucky in having really good teachers and that can’t be underestimated. That important phrase that someone says at a certain time can make or break a career for you.

I’m really rubbish at French, not because I am bad at French but because I had a complete bastard of a French teacher who said I was useless! I didn’t like him and he didn’t like me and that set it up-I thought French is not for me. There are some points in your life when someone can say something unbelievably empowering or a real turn off. My art teachers just kept saying really positive things and that makes a big difference when you are at that impressionable age. You take it to heart-so teaching is really important.



Q3. You joined Cape Farewell on the 2008 Disko Bay Expedition, visiting the spectacular Disko Bay area of West Greenland with a group of international artists, journalists and scientists. Can you tell me about that expedition?

CW: Cape Farwell has been going since 2002 and it takes artists, musicians, scientists and creative people to the Arctic region to basically engage with and witness what is fairly well accepted as the front line of climate change. You can see what is happening there much more easily than in other parts of the world.

I got involved in 2005/2006. Eventually David Buckland who is the director said “You should come along on one of the voyages”. So in 2008 he invited me to go with 35 people altogether to Disko Bay in Western Greenland. He wanted me to go for 2 reasons; one was he thought the work I’m doing is relevant and second I knew something about ships and I might be quite useful and thirdly he wanted to put a show together at some point and he asked me if I would be interested to curate work for an exhibition that was done on that trip, form the previous trip in 2005 and also from a trip to the Andes.



Chris Wainwright with the Cape Farewell expedition.

So when I got back off that voyage I started to work with a group of artists to put work together, and over time we amassed and exhibition of 25 artists and that has been touring around the world ever since. It started in Vienna, it’s been to London, Chicago, New York and it now in Liverpool and is going off to Beijing, Seoul so it’s a big production that seems to be rolling endlessly. We do seminars and projects and concerts. In Chicago last year we did a couple of concerts. Robin Hitchcock came over and we did things there that coincided with a tour he was doing with Joe Boyd. When we were in Chicago Robin and I did some things together, talks and a couple of visual things so it continued that process of bringing people from different art forms into close proximity. That’s the ethos of Cape Farewell-make bridges between art and science.

On the expedition we found ourselves in this hotel in Umanak, when I say ‘hotel’ that is stretching the definition a bit! We just all set up a concert in the bar of this hotel which was full of locals getting blind drunk. That’s what the local people do-there’s not much entertainment in the winter so people drink a lot.

Robin Hitchcock, Martha Wainwright, Jarvis Cocker, KT Tunstall, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Leslie Feist and Laurie Anderson. We set up this little concert and it was amazing. These guys were thinking “ aliens have landed” but then they realized “we recognize these aliens!” It was great fun.



KT Tunstall - Hold on - live Cape Farewell 1 Oct 2008.

Q4. You were a trustee of ‘SPACE’ (one of the largest artist studio providers in the UK). Can you tell me about that project.

CW: I stood down form the advisory board but I am still involved with the project. ‘SPACE’ takes buildings which or often derelict or semi derelict and offers them to artists as studios. They are often perfect for artists because they’ve got ‘character’. Putting buckets to catch the rain or plastic over the windows.

They’re a really important provision for artists because when you leave art school, what do you do? You’ve had these studios and suddenly that all disappears. So ‘SPACE’ at the moment has about 600 artist studios around London and quite a big waiting list. I was on their board for about four years just helping to basically acquire new buildings. Every year you get more and more people wanting studios.

But also the practice has changed quite a lot, often artists don’t want a white cube next to another white cube. People are working more collaboratively and are using studios in a different kind of way and a more flexible way. So we were looking for different kinds of support structures for artists. Maybe for five months you just want a desk because you’re working on a project that might happen for a month, in a huge space. So the research side of working is often more important and you don’t need to occupy huge spaces you can just hire it for a month. So I am still involved but had to stand down from the board because of other commitments.

Q5. Being the Head of Colleges of Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon, University of the Arts London must be a huge responsibility. How do you maintain a creative pace with your own work and balance that alongside the demands of academia?

CW: I have a really simple answer for that-I don’t see a distinction. Those definitions of private life and professional life and artistic practice. Because my life and relations ships are very different to segregate. My wife is an artist and so that bits easy. I often do work as an artist and curator that involves education. If I am touring the 'Unfold’ show around the world I am touring it to places where we have institutional links as well.

By taking the show to Beijing it kind of creates an interest and benefits the Universities as much as it benefits the public. So I try wherever I can to do things that bring those elements together. For instance Cape Farewell as an organization, is a partner of our graduate school. We bring those guys in and they do talks and then students work with them on placements. You try and keep some kind of permeability between those things. Of course that means you only sleep four hours a night!

http://www.chriswainwright.com/



http://www.capefarewell.com/

5 Minutes with Mike Ruiz

Pretty Masculine. Photos by Mike Ruiz.



"If it isn't fun. It's not worth doing."


Mike Ruiz is a world-renowned photographer, who also happens to be a TV personality, former model, actor, spokesperson, creative director and director. With his wide array of experiences and interests, it's no wonder Mike lives by these words.
Mike was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, and at the ripe age of 20, he moved to the States with just $300 bucks in his pocket and a desire to be in the entertainment world. After working for more than a decade as a successful model, his true calling came into focus one Christmas morning, when he received a gift of a lifetime: his first camera. Wide-eyed, he took the camera out of the box, and in the blink of an adept eye, his whole life was about to change. With focused determination, Mike immediately took to his new present--taught himself the intricate mechanics of the camera and to this day, he hasn't stopped clicking away. Perhaps it's only when you might hear him say, "we got it!", that there is but the slightest of pauses to an otherwise very hectic shooting schedule. Sharing with the world the images that he captures is tantamount to poetry. Whether it's Kim Kardashian, Betty White, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry or Prince, Mike has seen and shot them all.



Q1. What was the first record that you owned that had a life changing effect on you?

MR: The B-52's released in 1979. I was obsessed and played it until the grooves were gone. I still listen to on my iPod.



B-52's Rock Lobster.

Q2. When did you first become interested in photography and what prompted you to go into it as a career?

MR: I became interested in photography when I got a camera for Christmas in 1992. It became the spicket for everything creative I had been bottling up inside of me. After about a year of photographing everything in sight, I realized that there wasn't anything else I ever wanted to do professionally so I put every ounce of my being into making a career out of it.



Q3. Can you tell me a little about your latest book "Pretty Masculine"?

MR: Pretty Masculine began with my desire to portray masculinity out of context, a sort of deconstruction of what society deems to be "Masculine" and I compiled images for a book which I released in Oct of 2011. It was a philanthropic effort as well with 100% of the profit going to GMHC.



Q4. You often featured on TV shows like "The A-List," "America's Next Top Model," and "RuPaul's Drag Race"...What's the craziest thing you've seen happen on one of those shows?

MR: The craziest things that I have been witness to have only come from me watching the final cut of the episodes on TV. The way that hundreds of hours of footage are whittled down to less than an hour of programming is astounding to me. Needles to say, it would seem that most reality show cast members are perpetually having meltdowns, panic attacks and hysterical fist fights!!!





Mike Ruiz interview on ETalk News.

Q5. Any good/outrageous celebrity stories from your career that you can share, maybe without naming names?

MR: The best story is not outrageous as it is inspiring. There have been a small handful of people who have inspired me creatively over the years and most of them were at their pinnacles in the 80's. One of which was Prince. I had the good fortune to work with him on more than one occasion and it was just spellbinding for me to be collaborating creatively with someone whom I see as a creative genius. Times like those are what make me realize how incredible fortunate I have been and how grateful I am for all of the decisions I have made for myself.

http://www.mikeruiz.com/

Budgie with Adam Faith

Budgie was a popular British television series starring former popstar Adam Faith which was produced by ITV company London Weekend Television and broadcast on the ITV network between 1971 and 1972. The series was created by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall . The show was produced by Verity Lambert, Rex Firkin was the Executive producer.

Each episode was a complete story, usually depicting Budgie's involvement in some harebrained scheme to make money, usually somewhere on the wrong side of legality. However he was continually the victim of circumstance, or of the sharper, more experienced underworld operators he tried to emulate.



London Weekend Television's " Budgie", Titles with Adam Faith.





BUDGIE (SERIES 1, EPISODE 13, PART 2)



BUDGIE (SERIES 1, EPISODE 12, PART 2)

Kraftwerk at Museum of Modern Art, NYC

Kraftwerk – Retrospective April 10–17, 2012.

Over eight consecutive nights, MoMA presents a chronological exploration of the sonic and visual experiments of Kraftwerk with a live presentation of their complete repertoire in the Museum's Marron Atrium. Each evening consists of a live performance and 3-D visualization of one of Kraftwerk's studio albums—Autobahn (1974), Radio-Activity (1975), Trans-Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978), Computer World (1981), Techno Pop (1986), The Mix (1991), and Tour de France (2003)—in the order of their release. Kraftwerk will follow each evening’s album performance with additional compositions from their catalog, all adapted specifically for this exhibition. This reinterpretation showcases Kraftwerk’s historical contributions to and contemporary influence on global sound and image culture.




Kraftwerk - Das Model.




Kraftwerk - Computerliebe (1991).



Kraftwerk - Radioactivity.



Kraftwerk - "Pocket Calculator" (1981).

5 Minutes with Rachel Felder

Rachel Felder is a New York based writer and expert on style, trends, and travel. Her work has appeared in publications including People, Rolling Stone, The Financial Times, Travel and Leisure, New York and many more. She is author of Manic Pop Thrill, a book examining the connection between music and style, and co-author with Coach’s Reed Krakoff of the book Fighter: The Fighters of the UFC. She is currently working on a novel about her days working and playing in the music industry.



Q1. What was the first record that you owned that really had a life changing effect on you?

RF: The first record that deeply changed things for me was the first Clash album, which is still my favourite record ever. (I actually wrote my college thesis on that record, years later.) That album -- the lyrics, the swagger, that glorious sound -- just became an obsession. And it pointed me towards so many great bands from the same era (like the Ramones, Pistols, and the Jam) that have been my soundtrack ever since.

The Clash - London's Burning (live) 1978.

Q2. How did you become involved in the music industry?

I went to university in New York City and basically cared about three things: fashion, music, and writing. So my college years were essentially spent living at CBGB's, looking for cool clothes, and writing for anyone who'd publish me. By the time I graduated, my work had appeared in Rolling Stone and Spin, so I skipped journalism school and worked full time as a music journalist right away, eventually managing a few bands at the same time. After a few years, I started writing a weekly column for HITS Magazine -- the bible of the music industry at the time, and still widely read. That lead to job offers from record labels, and I ultimately took a job at Columbia Records doing a&r: finding new bands, signing them to the label, and overseeing the making of their records.

Manic Pop Thrill.

Q3. Your book 'Manic Pop Thrill' documents the phenomenon of Alternative Music and the rise of Grunge. Do you think we will see guitar based musical movements of this type in the future?

RF: The whole experience of consuming music is so different now: file sharing and walking around with headphones on has made following bands a more internalized experience. But there are still great guitar-fueled artists out there, and ultimately there's nothing more powerful that a memorable song sung passionately with the intensity of loud guitars in the background.

Rachel Felder and Alan McGee - A Discussion on the Music Industry.

Q4. What part did you play in the development of the documentary 'Upside Down-The Creation Records Story' ?

RF: I've stayed close friends with Alan McGee, the brilliant founder of Creation Records, since we first met when I interviewed him for a story in the late 1980's, so I was aware of the film from its inception. After the director filmed an interview with me, we remained in touch and I helped wherever I could, particularly in America. It really is a wonderful documentary, capturing the spirit of the label, the bands, and the era -- in other words, many years of my misspent youth! -- perfectly.

Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine.

Q5. After a long career in the music industry you decided to leave. What prompted this and can you ever really leave it behind?

RF: I worked at Columbia Records for 8 years -- an eternity in record company years! -- and always felt that once that stint was over, it would be time to move on. And, of course, I was pregnant when I left, making my job -- staying out late hanging out with rock bands -- not exactly ideal. I'm glad not to be in that business anymore, which has been truncated thanks to downloads, plus I love what I do now….but you can't take the music lover out of a true fan. To be honest, it's much more fun to go to gigs now, simply as a fervent fan.

Follow Rachel Felder on Twitter: @rachelfelder

Alan Moore - An Extraordinary Gentleman

Alan Moore Discusses WATCHMEN: The Mindscape Of Alan Moore.



Alan Moore is an English writer known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell. Frequently described as the best comic writer in history, he has also been described as "one of the most important British writers of the last fifty years". He has occasionally used such pseudonyms as Curt Vile, Jill de Ray, and Translucia Baboon.



Alan Moore - The Simpsons.



Moore started out writing for British underground and alternative fanzines in the late 1970s before achieving success publishing comic strips in such magazines as 2000AD and Warrior. He was subsequently picked up by the American DC Comics, and as "the first comics writer living in Britain to do prominent work in America", he worked on big name characters such as Batman (Batman: The Killing Joke) and Superman (Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?), substantially developed the minor character Swamp Thing, and penned original titles such as Watchmen. During that decade, Moore helped to bring about greater social respectability for the medium in the United States and United Kingdom, and has subsequently been attributed with the development of the term "graphic novel" over "comic book". In the late 1980s and early 1990s he left the comic industry mainstream and went independent for a while, working on experimental work such as the epic From Hell, pornographic Lost Girls, and the prose novel Voice of the Fire. He subsequently returned to the mainstream later in the 1990s, working for Image comics, before developing America's Best Comics, an imprint through which he published works such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and the occult-based Promethea.



Moore is a Neopagan, occultist, ceremonial magician, vegetarian and anarchist and has featured such themes in works including Promethea, From Hell and V for Vendetta, as well as performing avant-garde spoken word occult "workings" with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.



Alan Moore - V for Vendetta.

Despite his own personal objection to them, his books have provided the basis for a number of Hollywood films, including From Hell (2001), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), V for Vendetta (2005) and Watchmen (2009). Moore has also been referenced in popular culture, and has been recognised as an influence on a variety of literary and television figures including Neil Gaiman, Joss Whedon, and Damon Lindelof.

5 Minutes With David J

David J, is a British alternative rock musician. As well as being an accomplished solo musician he was the bassist for the gothic rock band Bauhaus and Love and Rockets. He has also appeared on releases by Porno for Pyros and Jane's Addiction.


Q1. What was the first record that you owned that really had a life changing effect on you?

DJ : T Rex - 'Hot Love'. It came out in 1971 when I was 14 and hit me like a lightening bolt. I was in a hospital ward when I first heard it on the radio. I had a badly broken leg and torn cartilage, the result of a vicious two legged flying tackle in a soccer match. That music made the pain go away. The effect was only intensified when I saw Marc Bolan and his band on Top Of The Pops. From that moment on I was obsessed!



David J "Candy on the Cross"

Q2. You describe 'Not Long For This World' as an ‘accidental concept’ album about the Grim Reaper. You raised funds to finish this project via Kickstarter (over one and a half times the original goal). I loved the ‘pitch’ video you made for this-do you think the online community has created a viable future for funding all creative endeavors in this way?

DJ : Yes. People really like the sense of involvement and personal contact that results from that kind of patronage.
It also encourages the artists to be creative in the way that they garner that support. We're all in this together, let's make magic happen!



Q3. The album has a very ‘filmic’ quality and lyrically contains a lot of dark humor, particularly ‘Dress Sexy At My Funeral’. When did you start piecing together these songs into a concept and could you see this being turned into a film narrative?

DJ : The genesis for the album was a two night stand that I played at a wonderful little subterranean theater called The Cavern in LA.
I came up with the idea of having a theme for the shows which was 'Bouquets, Wreaths and Laurels' ( The title of an old song of mine ) The set was divided into three sections. 'Bouquets': Love songs, 'Wreaths': Death songs and 'Laurels': Songs of glory. Following the shows I recorded some of the death songs and gradually realized that I had a little concept album on my hands. ( The Cavern shows were filmed and a DVD will be released later in the year. )

I know what you mean about the album being 'filmic' but I would prefer that those movies just play in the listener's imagination.



David J. and Rene Halkett - Nothing


Q4. The limited pieces of original art hand-made art that you created to commemorate tracks of the album are fantastic. What is the medium that you created them in and have you always had a parallel life as a visual artist?

DJ : They are basically collage pieces based around a kind of painted rorschach. I did them all at the same time. Moving from one piece to another. They were created very quickly. In a couple of days. Yes, I've always made visual art. Until music took over ( Hello Marc! ) I wanted to be a painter.



Bauhaus - Ziggy Stardust : Old Grey Whistle Test.

Q5. I met you in the tiny dressing room of a very sweaty club in Leeds in late summer 1980, with your cohorts in your first band (and you were all very friendly towards me, despite possible post gig dehydration). At that time did you imagine that a long career of creativity lay ahead of you and what advice would the David J of today give to your younger self if you could beam back in time?

DJ : From as far back as I can remember I knew that I would be some kind of artist.

I would tap that rather intense young chap on the shoulder and advise him to loosen up and not sweat the small stuff.

http://www.davidjonline.com/

5 Minutes with Anne Cecil - Director of the Design & Merchandising, Drexel University.

As Director of the Design & Merchandising program, Anne Cecil has taken a lead role in expanding student's opportunities for inter-disciplinary course work, the international study program and the global classroom. An avid researcher, Anne Cecil Chairs the Punk Culture Area for the Popular Culture Association where she has consistently grown area participation and is spearheading an effort to legitimize punk research in the academic arena. She is also honored to be Exhibitions Editor for the Australasian Journal of Popular Culture.



Rolling Stones-Ruby Tuesday Live 1967, Rare Scenes.

Q1. What was the first record that you owned that had a life changing effect on you?

Anne Cecil: This is a tough one because I had a considerably older brother and sister so I shared their albums at an early age. At 3 years old I used to sit under our dining room table and sing Ruby Tuesday by the Stones and even then I prefered the Stones to the Beatles. I never gave up on loving the bad boys. Bowie was huge for me from the get go and Debbie Harry from the Parallel Lines cover, Joan Jett and Chrissie Hynde were my role models in my teens.


Q2. How did you become involved in education?

AC: A mentor put me forward for a teaching gig at a proprietary trade school. I took it and found the classroom a perfect fit for me. I'm a Leo, so "All the World's a stage".



Q3. You received wonderful accolades for your presentation at POPCAANZ in Sydney. Can you talk a little about your presentation and tell me a bit about POPCAANZ and 'Punk Rock Women Alive and Well in South Philadelphia' ?

AC: Punk Rock Women... Is a six part project that covers a group of old school women punks in South Philadelphia who have adopted a punk lifestyle. I believe punk is about far more than the music. The music scene is the meeting place, but the lifestyle is deeper. My perspective is that punk lifestyle is about BRICOLAGE, DIY/Failure, And Transformation. It is also about Family (not biological). Most of the women I know from the scene are still living it while many of the men have moved on. I think one reason for this is that many of the women are single and they need the support system to survive.



Q4. How do you think the online community has affected youth culture and subcultures in general?

AC: So many subcultures came out of a common love of music and now I think that is pretty much gone. People experience music in a different way with the computer. I remember waiting in line to by new records, hanging at the independent record store and spending hours lying in someone's room listening to music. It was a communal experience. Today it is mostly a solitary experience. I still see a strong Skate subculture that is more traditional and I think there is a huge gaming subculture that happens online and in person. Online cultures don't necessarily manifest through fashion and media and frankly, I think today's youth is more interested in fitting in rather than standing out.

Q5. What is the greatest challenge for today's graduation students?

AC: With a down economy, the first challenge is finding a job. In some ways, they are lucky because the only real responsibility most of them have are student loans, as opposed to spouses, children and houses. Overcoming this challenge will help them build their skill sets and resourcefulness. On the flip side, This generation of new employees have quite diffent expectations and needs so preparing them for work is a challenge for them and educators. It certainly keeps things interesting!

MADONNA COMIC BOOK

Official Press Release:

MADONNA COMIC BOOK IS SET TO HIT SHELVES.

Bluewater is pleased to announce a special comic book project featuring one of the most accomplished and well-known figures in the history of American pop culture, Madonna.

“Female Force: Madonna” will be released in August 2011 and have a cover price of $3.99. The bio on the pop icon's life will be written by CW Cooke and drawn by Michael Johnson.

Madonna is arguably the most influential figure in the history of American music. This comic book will focus on her humble beginnings and the incredible events that led to her eventually becoming one of the few people in the world recognized by only their first name! Though she has paved the way for many female pop stars that came after her, from Britney Spears to Lady Gaga to Beyonce she is unique in that while many are compared to her, she is never compared to anyone else. There is still only one Madonna and even today, in her fifties, she remains culturally relevant. This comic book shows the influences on her music and style that in turn have influenced every pop star who aspires to not only make songs that people will always remember, but have an impact on society.



The “Female Force” comic series offers a broad examination of strong and influential women who are shaping modern history and culture. In past issues, the monthly series has featured, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, JK Rowling, Ellen Degeneres, Sarah Palin and others.



Bluewater's Vice President Jason Schultz said, “Our goal is to show the little-known events and influences that resulted in Madonna becoming the phenomenon she remains to this day, more than a quarter-century after she burst upon the scene. A visual medium provides perspective that is not only accessible but more relatable to the average person without losing any of the information involved”.



Rock N Roll Comics Madonna Special (1993) comic books.

This 32-page comic book will be chronicling this saga, “Female Force: Madonna ” will explore all sides of this inimitable talent, from her live performances, ever-changing musical tastes, to her being a leader in fashion and her charity work, Madonna has made positive contributions to her fans' lives and society at large and how, despite numerous controversies she remains beloved by more fans than ever. Through it all, she always remained true to herself and appeared to be genuine. What you see is what you get with her. That - and her remarkable talent is what has made her an enduring legend. Madonna is quite simply one of the most powerful women in the history of entertainment.



"Most pop stars owe everything to this woman. It's amazing all of the things that she's done in her lifetime, and I have a feeling that this is still only the beginning", says Cooke, who said he had fun scripting the Material Girl's life story.

Material Girl - Macy*s Collection

Material Girl - Collection 2011 with Kelly Osbourne.



Madonna - Material Girl Collection (Behind The Scenes) [2010]



Madonna & Lourdes Leon Live on MG launch in NYC.



Madonna - Celebration.

5 Minutes With Charlie Green.

Make Up Artist Charlie Green.



Q1. What was the first record that you owned that had a life changing effect on you?

CG: 'Diamond Dogs'-Bowie. The Album artwork, the lyrics, raw rebellion, early anarchy. I was at school and played it on vinyl and cassette! To this day I love it and dance around doing air guitar always.



Q2. How did you become involved in the beauty business?

CG: By default. I was working in fashion for a clothes designer and met /boy George and wanted to paint faces after that. I started in London then moved to Paris where I was lucky enough to work with mind blowing photographers, beautiful designers and amazing stylists and models-hard work but they could encourage creativity and individual style.



Q3. You've worked with many music industry icons. How different is creating beauty looks for a performer as opposed to editorial looks for fashion?

Models are Chameleons and morph into different looks daily thanks to the clothes, different make up, hair and lighting. Some performers have an image they need to stick to; others love to change. We work according to their wishes, it's always a team effort.

Q4. You were the mentor for Lifetime television's 'Blush: The Search for the Next Great Makeup Artist' alongside Hal Rubenstein and Vanessa Marcil. How close was the show in portraying the reality of the beauty industry?

CG:Blush was a blast to work on and shoot and I met some very creative people on both sides of the camera. However the nature of TV is essentially entertainment and not real life at all. I think the public are swamped with so-called 'reality' shows and forget that a 25 minute episode is the product of 48 hours of shooting many varied situations and very careful editing, to result in an episode contrived to capture your attention and is more about sensationalism than the truth. Having said this I conclude 'Blush' to be a better representation of the beauty industry than other heavily advertiser orientated fashion/beauty TV shows.



Q5. Any good celebrity stories that you can share?

People sit down in my make up chair and spill their secrets.-it's maybe because we work so close to them that they feel secure, then there are no boundaries. I have seen some salacious behavior from a 'variety of people' such as a classless 'super model' who was too lazy to walk to the bathroom when on set and insisted in pissing in paper cups that the poor studio assistant had to pick up and dispose of...and my personal favorite is the legendary rock star who arrived at our shoot strung out and 9 hours late (no big deal) and snorted "powdered asprin" continuously . But the best line was when the hair dresser spilled a bottle of powdered dry shampoo and the rock star eagerly chopped it up into a line and snorted it!

The Passenger - Iggy Pop

The Passenger - Iggy Pop : Manchester Apollo 1977.

5 Minutes with Nancy Garcia - Fashion Producer : 24 Hour Catwalk

Nancy Garcia is a Fashion Industry maven, whose credits include working as a fashion producer on top reality television shows, fashion show production, brand strategy and management for fashion companies. She is also Keanan Duffty's business partner, which is a reality show in itself.

Nancy Garcia - Photo: Marco La Conte.

Q1. What was the first record that you owned that really had a life changing effect on you?

Nancy Garcia: Though I’m a New Yorker, I grew up in a Colombian household, listening to all this great Latin music that my Dad had on vinyl record sets he brought back from the Old Country. I always loved the boleros best, those slow romantic songs - they were hot!
I remember my parents were mystified the first time they went to an “American” party – they didn’t understand why the guests sat around and just talked all night, and no one danced. Music is an inspiration for dancing in Hispanic culture, and a lot of it is judged by how easily it is to move to. So, even though kids listen to Reggaeton today, which I love, Hispanics still love to slow dance and smooch to the “oldies”.






Q2. You were the Fashion Producer of Isaac Mizrahi's The Fashion Show, and 24 Hour Catwalk, with Alexa Chung. What does a 'Fashion Producer' do?

NG: I get hired on television shows as a consultant and producer, but it’s kind of a generic title that encompasses many areas. On a show, the production and creative team come from a television background, not a fashion one, so I’m usually the only producer that has a fashion and design background.
Even though these shows are “reality” TV, the challenges, content, rules and sets are created in pre-production first, before filming starts. I consult on things like the feasibility of challenges, I create challenges, and I have a team of assistants that source all the materials to make them happen. I also oversee the creation of the workrooms and sewing rooms on the set, which have to be professional and fully functional (and include machinery of all types, dyeing stations, and all materials that contestants could possibly need). If needed, I bring in partnerships with companies for supplies and services like Singer, Swarovski, fabric sources, etc. Many companies in the industry like the exposure that a fashion reality show brings to their business.
I also over see the fashion shows, which is one per episode. Many people don’t know that TV episodes are shot back to back, so we’ll put on 10 fashion shows in 5 – 6 weeks. I’m often involved in casting, as designers must have some level of sewing expertise, and of course, design skills. And I cast the models for the runway shows.

It’s really fascinating to work with lighting and camera experts to create say, an “underwater” show, or a neon lights out show, or something very unique. On TV, things have to be really big to stand out, and it’s super fast (especially on 24 Hour Catwalk, where designers have to create an entire collection in, you guessed it – 24 Hours), so it’s very different then the fashion industry.


Q3. What are the Top Five Tips you can give to would be Fashion Reality Show contestants?

NG: We all know what people say about fashion reality TV, but the truth is that it’s a fun, guilty pleasure for millions of viewers! And, the other truth is it can offer an emerging designer an incredible amount of publicity, exposure, and if they win – cash!
I’ve seen literally hundreds of contestants try out for shows.
So – if you think you have what it takes – think again – this is what it really takes:

1) STAND OUT.
Reality TV is not for the shy, weak of heart or retreating type.
Yes, you can be bitchy, back -stabbing, cranky, crazy, loopy, super chatty, narcissistic, insane or by contrast, super nice; yet it must be BIG, and you need to do it in front of the cameras. And you must have an angle. Are you a super sweet, southern gay boy that talks alot – sounds good!
A self involved, crazed mother of five who knits bodysuits? Great. Want to start your own line but your Mom’s a crack Ho and you don’t have the money? Fantastic. A Belgian intellectual designer who mumbles to himself ?–not so much. If you bore us within 30 seconds on your casting video, you are O.U.T.

2) STAKES.
Stakes are very important on reality TV. This means – how much do you need it? If you’re a rich girl who has everything, and it doesn’t matter if you win, you just want fame - it doesn’t matter if you are the next Phoebe Philo, you won’t get cast. Broke with student loans? Have a medical condition? Need to prove your self to the fashion world or just plain hate them? All of these are things that will motivate someone to compete – and of course, it is a competition.

3) YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO SEW - IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT TO SEW.
You will probably have to sew some of your garments on these shows, but you are almost always allowed to bring blocks (slopers), because of the time constraints. However, some shows provide experienced seamstresses to help you. They are mostly off camera, but on 24 Hour Catwalk, they are on camera – and fierce!

4) YOU WILL BE SEQUESTERED.
If you are cast, you will report to the film studio, have all your electronic devices taken off you, have people go through your luggage ( for illegal stuff; i.e, your favorite book by Diana Vreeland, which will be confiscated), and from then on, you will not be allowed to take one step alone. A cast wrangler will be glued/assigned to you, until you leave. Oh, and no one on the production is really allowed to talk to you. This varies per production, but the cast is always sequestered. You get use to it, really.

5) IT'S LIKE DOING A TRIATHALON, BUT HARDER, AND FOR LONGER.
You will be woken up at dawn, taken to weird locations in the snow or 110 degree weather and have to act happy and surprised when Iman or Alexa Chung tell you your next challenge is to create a ball gown out of a swamp.
You have to sketch, design and choose fabrics at lightening speed, work all night, answer a million interview questions, do model fittings when you’re not ready to, oh the list goes on. Sleep? forget it. Coddling? In your dreams. This makes your senior collection project feel like winning the Ecco Domani. One word: prepare.


Diana Vreeland.

Q4. 'Downton Abbey'- Discuss.........

What can one say about the delicious sibling back-stabbing, the drawing room scheming, and the noble sentiments of the aristocracy, led on the “upstairs” side by our favorite, diva dowager, Maggie Smith?
And the “downstairs” drama!
A handsome Evil gay footman, the gut wrenching love saga between lady’s maid and wounded valet, and dead foreign aristocracy turning up in the most inconvenient places.
All set in a genuine stately home, (the yellow Labrador, is the home’s real dog) –and – the backdrop - the war, always the war. Which of course shaped British culture and created it’s indelible backbone. J’adore!


Photo: Juergen Teller.

Q5. Who is your ultimate Fashion Icon?

It’s always Vivienne Westwood for me. She is one of the few designers who has maintained her individuality and vision, without compromise, and without fear. She is a rebel in the true sense of the word - I’ve looked many times at her new collections and scratched my head, only to see versions of what she’s done seasons, or even years afterwards. She doesn’t give a fig about what anyone thinks, and in this age of self-conscious navel gazing, she is still refreshing. This is my favorite photo of her.

http://www.nancygarciafashion.com/