NEW YORK - Empire State of Mind

Not since Sinatra's New York, New York has there really been truly an anthem for a city as Jay-z's and Alicia Key's Empire State of Mind . . .truly and anthem and an homage.  I do not live in NY nor am I from there but listenign to the song does give me goosebumps and makes me miss those frequent hops across the pond over the Big Apple when I was in London or Paris.  If it makes me feel like this and makes me yearn to go back - then I wonder what it does for New Yorkers.  Yes, "Let's hear it for NY" . . .what a chic video that highlights the spots and goes so perfectly with Jay Z's rhymes and and the drama and power of Alicia Key's voice.  

Jay-Z - "Empire State Of Mind" ft. Alicia Keys

Jay-Z | MySpace Video


Let's hear it for New York . . . 

Corto Dreamin' - AW '09

"Corto makes me happy . . .Corto makes me happy" a chorus to a song sung by a performance "artist" years back in Venice when we were all together.

This season, the Corto bags that would make me very happy and thus I am dreaming about are: the Kryptonight bag in Panthere Chevre - I have been eyeing the Kryptonight since last season but this colourway has sealed the deal.  . . . 

Panthere Chevre Kryptonite

and the Priscilla bag (which has developed a cult following of its own) in Milky Way. . .the sparkles are reminiscent of the stars and are transfixed in a moody black deerskin.   It will be a worthy addition to my sci-fi/space themed Priscillas. . .the Darth Vader and Corto Galaxy.  A theme seems to be evident here - dark, brooding, mysterious, and inter-galactic . . . yet fun.  I love.

Milky Way Priscilla

I am waiting on my Cassette Clutch (the colour will be a surprise) which will come with Nat Sarasas as he returns to Bangkok after his European tour.  In the mean time, I shall be dreaming about the Panthere Kryptonight bag and the Milky Way Priscilla . . .(check out www.corto.com for where to buy and Corto will be introducing a special private club where you can buy on the internet very soon - will keep you posted)

A Village Affair

At the end of Buddhist Lent, in Thailand, once a year, there is a ceremony called Tod Kathin - where families and friends get together to make merit by offering money and supplies to a temple for renovations and improvements. It is truly a communal affair and my first Tod Kathin Ceremony last weekend was a village affair as my grandmother who hosted the Ceremony together with some family friends did so in a temple in the middle of nowhere, outside of Phetchburi. 

I felt like I had gone back into time, of course one can choose to donate money which is presented on money trees to an already modern temple but that rather defeat the object . . . this temple was very basic and barely built, thus our little procession of family and friend plus local villagers together with a band complete with trumpet and saxophones with dancers in floral shirts and the money trees and other bits to be offered to the temple marched around the new unbuilt pavilion 3 times.  

Lunch was prepared by the villagers - basic, real and I kid you not, delicious - I especially like that the food was served on tiffen plates.

  ladies lunching (ran out of tables)

dessert 

Then there was the actual chanting session and the offering to the monks, where we had to form a human chain to be blessed by the holy water.  It was rather surreal as well, seeing as  a petanque tournament was going on outside all the whilst the ceremony was taking place, and the little stalls with food, toys and paint-it-yourself ceramics added to the festival atmosphere. 

petanque

"paint-me"

So ordinary, yet so charming, with an innocence and cheekiness that makes you see why all throughout history and to the present day there is a fascination with all things Thais and why even a little Village Affair evokes images of Thai new-wave films - this is when art perhaps does imitate life. . .with everything from Tears of a Black Tiger to Blissfully Yours . . . and this affair is real life.

Primitive

There are certain news that one hears that makes them beam from ear to ear and shine with pride, the news that Apichatpong Weerasethakul is among the six finalists for the Hugo Boss Prize 2010 is one such piece of information for me.  The winner is granted some money by the Guggenheim Foundation, the amount of which the fashion house sponsors as well as a solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC in the following year.  Amongst the other finalists, is Cao Fei, a photographer/video artist from China who I also love - her work is very lucid and effective.  However, to have Apichatpong in there with his work Primitive, a multi-platform installation is so fantastic I can hardly contain my excitement, nor can I hardly wait to see the work.

A quite a few years back, another Thai won the coveted prize, Rirkrit Tiravanija - for a complex, engaging and powerful installation about freedom of expression and information.

This is a review of the installation by Jessica Lack of the The Guardian . . .  

Soldiers in a derelict house take potshots at a young man walking across a paddy field. He clutches his chest and collapses – but before they have time to reload, the boy is up again. There is no soundtrack: we can see, but not hear, the gun as it jolts backwards. Once again the figure falls, with the same melodramatic twist of the body, but in seconds he rises and continues his journey with an easy nonchalance. This cyclical routine would be harrowing if the soldiers were not so comically impotent. Is he a superhero? The clue lies in another film playing on the opposite wall: a group of farmers are building a spaceship. If this is life, Jim, it is not as we know it.

This is Primitive, a multi-screen installation by the Thai film director Apichatpong Weerasethakul that opened at Liverpool's Fact gallery on 24 September. The work is divided up across three galleries: downstairs is a seven-screen video installation depicting different films of a group of teenage boys playing at soldiers, hanging out, letting off firecrackers and sleeping in a rudimentary spaceship. Upstairs are two movies, one called A Letter to Uncle Boonmee and the other A Music Video: I'm Still Breathing [featuring Moderndog]. In its entirety, Primitivemakes up a larger narrative about a sleepy farming community in north-east Thailand called Nabua ... where in the 1960s villagers were raped, tortured and murdered by the authorities after being accused of communist sympathies.

One can only imagine what with his aesthetics and ability to move and convey emotions in the most subtle and naturalistic way - what this monumental piece of work will do.

The piece is currently at the Musee d'art Moderne de la Ville Paris . . .(one of my favourite museums) until January 2010.

Best of luck to Apichatpong . . . Thai culture thus, Thai art is unique and it is probably about time that such talent and vision is better appreciated, especially in Thailand.  It is ironic that Primitive is commissioned by Haus de Kunst and FACT Liverpool, and produced by Illumination Films, London and Kick the Machine, Bangkok - a piece of work that showcases, critiques and is the creative fruit of a Thai director, not commissioned by Thailand. . . perhaps this will change very soon.  I support 100% global and international collaborations, but it is perhaps high time, that what is so quintessentially Thai (Apichatpong's Tropical Maladie, Wisit Sasanatieng's Tears of a Black Tiger), even though not so "commercial" and "easy", should be celebrated, what is seen as primitive, challenging and complex, especially when it is about our culture, should be cherished and encouraged (and definitely not replaced by the highly camp, simplistic and commercial).  Interesting times it is.

A piece which compliments Primitive project called A Letter to Uncle Boonmee will screen here in Bangkok during the World Film Festival which starts on November 6th.

ANTI-GRAVITY

A tour de force of a show by Issue where Roj and his team truly challenge the idea of gravity by taking the intergalactic space princess/prince, alien, explorer/Star Wars/Star Trek 1970's sci-fi concept to truly another level.  He defies the idea of gravity as his very coherent collection and styling was so tight to the theme  that he takes us on a galactic story to other worlds,  yet he is still honest and humble to his roots - that bohemian hippy ethnic one, complete with incense and tigers.  

First and foremost, the show was in a movie theater, the cinema as a backdrop, the first thing that greeted you were lasers, lots of smoke and a bunch of identical adroid clones to the Star Wars theme. . .then the show really started to the soundtrack of MIA's Bird Flu. . .the models in their sci-fi ethnic garb complete with little metorite hats.  

There was a taste of Leia for sure and of course Queen Nobi and Darth Vadar, Spock, Luke Skywalker, Hans Solo - all of them had little appearance.  

Smoke created an other-worldly atmosphere with the screen back drop showing planets and as the models came closer - their faces were faintly projected - like a vision of themselves, faded hardly real.

The Finale was Alien dressd a bit like an alien princess complete with flying balls rising from her head, an ultimate statement of something that defies gravity.  

Inspiring and engaging and moreover definitley conducive to "I want to BUY" . . . the little shift dresses and kaftans in "ethic geometric" design, the harem trousers and shirts.  Roj has a complete vision and is unique, his success is evidenced by his loyal following and 15+ years in the business.  I remember my first pair of Issue cargo trousers bought whilst still doing my GCSE's.  

  

Evidence of the commericial success of this AW 09 collection was that the Pop-Up shop was drained of stock by the end of the night.  I bought a little limited edition sarong scarf which is a scarf with about 9 different lives - from scarf to skirt, to dress, to turban etc.  A trip to the store is in order.

In the meantime, I have Star Wars in my head and stars in my eyes . . .Issue lets you escape and the clothes are great for escaping in. 

  

P'Roj and I

As for P'Roj, he remains one of the sweetest, most humble and genuine designers ever.  May the Force be with you.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow

My friend, Oliver Clegg is an artist, now he is also a surfer and has moved from London to Cornwall . . . he is without any doubt an extremely talented young British artist. 

The picture of the beautiful brunette was at the Distortions group show at the Venice Biennale . . . the second one is his latest work called Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and was what he showed at Frieze last week . . .  

Leaving aside the fact that I was sadly not at Frieze this time,(Olly did rub that in a little bit), from the image he sent me, I felt that the painting is haunting, poetic and definitely nostalgic of a time past.  I love that he painted on dismantled old school desks, his use of colour is childlike yet precise and innocent with an undertone of something darker and more grown up - perhaps it is about tomorrow and thus a loss innocence.  

I find that as Olly matures as artist, his works become more haunting and more effective and clearer in its message.   Perhaps that is part of what happens when we grow up, we shed our innocence somewhat and immerse ourselves in a world that is darker, yet hopeful for the future.

Reminiscence - Kloset AW 09

Vintage inspiration, great accesories, fun prints, good colours - a couple vintage moments in the guise of Grandma - literally (P'Boyy's grand mama) and P'Boyy in a little cameo.

Grandma

P'Boyy

Great fun, A LOT of information, good styling, great choice for a finale . . I especially loved the all peaches, art-deco inspired look totale.