martes, 26 de enero de 2016

La Villa Santo Sospir / Jean Cocteau

A 35-minute color film by Cocteau entitled "La Villa Santo Sospir." Shot in 1952, this is an "amateur film" done in 16mm, a sort of home movie in which Cocteau takes the viewer on a tour of a friend's villa on the French coast (a major location used in Testament of Orpheus). The house itself is heavily decorated, mostly by Cocteau (and a bit by Picasso), and we are given an extensive tour of the artwork. Cocteau also shows us several dozen paintings as well. Most cover mythological themes, of course. He also proudly shows paintings by Edouard Dermithe and Jean Marais and plays around his own home in Villefranche. This informal little project once again shows the joy Cocteau takes in creating art, in addition to showing a side of his work (his paintings and drawings) that his films often overshadow.


   

miércoles, 20 de enero de 2016

lunes, 18 de enero de 2016

JOIN BY BCXSY

Year: 2010
Place: Tokyo, Japan
In collaboration with: Seihachi Tanaka
Join is the results of our collaboration with Mr. Tanaka – a master of Tategu – the traditional craft of Japanese wood joinery.
Join consists of a series of three space-dividers. In each piece two lined frames, representing the humble integrity inherent to the craft, are visually merged to create a moment that deviates from the conventional Tategu aesthetic, and introduces angles and shapes that are not commonly used in the craft. Because the ‘merged’ element within each piece diverges from the traditional process and the conventional aesthetic, the screens become a natural division in the interior.
Each piece is made from Hinoki (Japanese Cypress), an elegant and pleasantly scented wood that is highly rot-resistance and does not require any additional oils or waxes. Hinoki is the most luxurious wood used in the craft of Tategu.
The three screens in the Join series are available in a limited edition of 8 pieces each and are all handcrafted by Mr. Tanaka in his workshop in Tokyo.
Mr. Tanaka’s work, and the other works we were exposed to, made a deep and lasting impression. We found the process, the extreme skill and accuracy required by the craft fascinating. We were also inspired by the personal touch each Tategu master applies to his work. Every piece requires a variety of different tools that are often custom made by the craftsman to address a specific task.
There is a hidden dialog between the Tategu master and the work he creates – there is a reason for every step, a story behind every pattern.
Our challenge manifested itself in developing a project that was innovative yet still honored the traditional aspects of the craft.

viernes, 15 de enero de 2016

Tempo Polveroso / Frederik Vercruysse

An image of a marble quarry from Belgian photographer Frederik Vercruysse’s series ‘Tempo Polveroso’ (Pulverised Time) captured during an artist residency in Tuscany. 


miércoles, 13 de enero de 2016

Nacho Alegre Just Dropped Some Serious Ricardo Bofill Architecture Porn

As a child, I was always attracted to the Walden 7, a huge, mastodonic apartment building just outside Barcelona designed by Ricardo Bofill. Over the years I have visited many of the Spanish architect’s other projects, but I had not seen this one, La Muralla Roja, until recently, when a shoot for the handbag company, M2Malletier brought me to the town of Calpe in Alicante.
La Muralla Roja was completed in 1973 and, like the Walden 7, it is a housing complex, though one that makes a clearer reference to southern Mediterranean architecture. In particular, I imagine it as a Postmodern interpretation of a casbah, with its labyrinth-like circulation, overlapping stairs, impossible balconies, and endless series of patios. Its vivid colors were selected to complement and contrast the nature that once surrounded it. (Sadly, the neighboring areas have since been built up.) But its most striking feature may well be its rooftop terrace, which features a beautiful pool in the shape of a cross and doubles as the building’s communal plaza. via vogue












martes, 12 de enero de 2016

L'urbanisme latent / Marion Berrin