Photographers - Terry O'neil

T E R R Y     O ' N E I L

I mentioned Terry O'Neil in a previous post that documented my visit to MOUCHE gallery in Beverly Hills. O'Neil is an English photographer who is renowned worldwide for the iconic pictures he has captured of fashion, style and celebrity, most notably during the 60's. I first discovered his work in MOUCHE gallery and subsequently he has become one of my all time favourite photographers. It was hard to chose just one of his many images to write about as they are all equally exquisite, however I am particular fond of a specific photograph.

Terry O'Neil - Faye Dunaway, 1977 - The Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles

Above is my all time favourite O'Neil photograph as when I learnt the story behind the image it particularly interested me and in some ways I could relate to it. I spoke to the head of the art gallery inquiring about this specific photograph when I was looking around the MOUCHE gallery and I learnt of the tale behind this photograph. To set the scene... imagine the night before the Oscars, you're at the Iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, surrounded by Iconic people sipping a gin and tonic at a pre-Oscar party. Faye Dunaway was at this party as she had been nominated for an Oscar and was taking place in the pre-award show festivities. O'Neil was also at this party and was chatting to Dunaway about the big day ahead of her and he offered her a proposition. He stated that if she won the Oscar, she was to meet him at 6am by the pool of The Beverly Hills Hotel. Dunaway was successful and won her Oscar so the next morning staying true to her word she came down to the pool to meet O'Neil, still wearing her dress from the night before I might add. O'Neil brought with him various newspapers that had covered the Oscars on their title pages and created the backdrop for the shoot. A flash of a camera later and they had their image. I love this photograph. The shock is finally setting in for Dunaway that she has indeed won an Oscar and her life and acting career will be changed forever. The dazed look she is wearing mirrors that of her current internal thought process and the oscar stands triumphantly on the table. 

Standing in that identical spot a few hours later I found myself being slightly able to relate to this photograph. No I haven't won an Oscar, but I do know what its like to be on the cusp of a life-changing moment. Currently I'm at home, however very soon I will be moving to London for University to start a new chapter in my life. This is indeed daunting and I can share in the feelings of Dunaway. The feeling of the unknown, the feeling of the unexpected and the excitement that this adventure will most surely bring with it.

Mundane fascination - Plectrum

P L E C T R U M

Plastic. Not circular, not square, nor rectangular perhaps triangular. Curved like an egg yet thin, .60mm to be precise. A beat it can initiate and a tempo it can keep. Strong enough to create power, vibrato... yet fragile enough to create emotion and intricacy. Without it creation of sound would be muted, painful and lost within itself. How is an E to compete with an A thats being overruled by a D who falls subject to a G, a G thats lost to a B thats hidden by an E. Separation of tone is achieved by use of equipment that fulfils the need. The plectrum is singular. It doesn't need a companion yet requires a partner. As alone it is useless yet within the grasp of a hand it is everything. The sole tool of creation, the mood changing, rhythm keeping tool. Plectrum also known as plectro can also play electro. Once picked up the pick can change it up, drop the beat and start the song. Not just reserved to one shape and size, much like humans themselves the plectrum is diverse. Equally a diverse sound can be created depending on the thickness and quality of the pick. The question is... which one will you pick?

Idea generation - iscan eye shop

i S C A N   E Y E   S H O P

Imagine you're in a shopping mall on the other side of the world, you walk in and you may recognise one or two shops however everything else seems confusing. This doesn't just have to be a foreign situation, 'the scan eye shop' could benefit you in your own country, say you walk into a shopping centre full of a wide array of diverse shops the 'scan eye shop' can help you decide where to go judging by your current interests and mood level. The idea would be to simply place your index finger on the fingerprint scanner and within seconds the shops that would appeal to your current state and their location within the mall is shown to you.

Idea Generation - Hyper Bus

H Y P E R   B U S

This idea came to me the other day, it was 5pm rush hour and we hadn't moved more than a few meters in the past 15 minutes. I noticed that although there was a bus lane it was being abused by both buses and cars, the buses were all in various lanes and some cars were driving in the bus lanes. This had caused multiple traffic jams all over the road particularly on the buses behalf. The idea of the 'Hyper bus' would be to develop a structure that flanks each side of a road like a mini track. From each track two segments should rise up and above the road, finally meeting in the middle. On each side stairs/ a lift should be attached to each segment allowing a passage into and out of the upper deck. Within the middle part of the segment the inside of a bus should be replicated with multiple seating and standing areas. Essentially this 'hyper bus' would glide over the cars and subsequently would not add to the traffic.

Books - 50 typefaces that changed the world

50   TYPEFACES   THAT   CHANGED    

THE   WORLD

I picked up this cool little book from magMA on Earlham Street in Covent Garden a few weeks ago in London. I'd been in contact with a few other future course mates so we all decided to spend a day in out together visiting galleries and exploring our future city. The first stop on our list was magMA, none of us had previously been to this shop even tho we had all spent time in Covent Garden over the years so it was nice to experience it together.

As soon as we all walked into the design shop we were overwhelmed by an influx of colour and books upon books covering all areas of design and fashion. The five of us wandered around the shop picking up and flicking through various books that personally stood out to us. '50 typefaces that changed the world' particularly stood out to me as it's bold cover caught my eye. They say never judge a book by its cover, but I have to say i'm glad that I did as this book as served me with great inspiration. Within the book, 50 of the worlds most famous and renowned typefaces are showcased, each type we see today has a different story of creation and it's initial uses were unexpected. For example the extremely popular logo for 'jägermeister' was based on the text that Monks used when copying manuscripts in 1455! The iconic 'I <3 NY' logo came together based on the typography produced from a typewriter, a simple beginning that has developed into a multi-million worldwide brand icon! The book is filled with types tales or origin and was an extremely interesting read! I will most definitely be visiting magMA again and I can't wait to see what I pick up next time!

Gallery Visit - Joan Fontcuberta

S T R A N G E R     T H A N     F I C T I O N

Joan Fontcuberta

Joan Fontcuberta is a Spanish conceptual artist most renowned for his works 'Fauna' and 'Sputnik'. Within his work Fontcuberta investigates the relationship between 'photography' and 'truth' and raises the age-old question as to whether we should automatically believe something to be true just because we can visually see that truth in a photograph. 

I discovered the work of Fontcuberta as I attended one of his photography exhibitions, 'Stranger than Fiction' at the National Science Museum in London.

As I mentioned previously Fontcuberta is an artist whose works test the truth and reliability of photography. His exhibition is essentially a documentation of narratives that combine reality and fiction. His works are an investigation into photography's authority and our natural inclination to believe what we see before us. This specific exhibition showcased six of Fontcuberta's well known studies; Fauna (1987), Herbarium (1984), Orogenesis (2002), Constellations (1993), Sirens (2000) and Karelia Miracles & Co (2002). Out of the above I connected most strongly with both Fauna as I felt particularly inspired and intrigued by this specific body of work.

Fauna (1987)

Fauna documented the zoological studies of newly discovered species. Within the exhibition Fontcuberta questions the authority of the museum display, it can be seen as an artistic fabrication. In 1980 Fontcuberta along with his friend Peter Formiguera were staying in a gloomy mansion in Scotland. They explored the basement and discovered the archive of work of Professor Peter Ameisenhaufen, this work documented his zoological discoveries during his worldwide exhibitions. Ameisenhaufen had been searching for exceptions to Darwin's theory of evolution by looking and studying mutation within animals. Prior to the discovery Ameisenhaufen's work was completely unknown to the scientific community and the general public. The publication of this work provoked controversy however the photographic evidence silenced suspicion. This was Fontcuberta's goal, to use photography as evidence and as a carrier of the truth.

Cercopithecus Icarocornu 

Threschelonia Atis

I thoroughly enjoyed Fauna as after viewing the exhibit I honestly felt conflicted, the photographs documented the unimaginable and unexplainable mutation of animals and could I just believe these tales of animal extraordinaire just because I had seen photographs documenting the results. I feel that this truly was Joan Fontcuberta's aim, he wanted people to question the authority of a photograph, to question the truth within the image rather than just believe what we see before us without question. 

Gallery visit - MOUCHE Gallery

M O U C H E      G A L L E R Y

Beverly Hills, CA

Located on North Beverly Drive, 90210 MOUCHE gallery has to be one of my favourite art galleries in the entire world. Situated within the centre of Beverly Hills the artwork contained within its walls is extremely varied and some pieces are heavily inspired by the surrounding area and the era of 'Old Hollywood'.

The gallery carries a wide range of diverse artists and whilst wondering around three artists particularly caught my attention. All of varied style, however I felt that their pieces of work really spoke to me and subsequently they have become some of my very favourite artists.

1. Michael Moebius

Michael is a German artist who specialises in painting and photography, he has been a part of many major exhibitions throughout the US.Within Moebius' work he channels the essence of 'pop icons' and his works truly are artistic odes to 'Old Hollywood'. Within his images he manages to capture the essence, grace and soul of each subject whilst injecting a dose of 'pop'.

2. Terry O'Neil

Terry O'Neil focuses primarily on photography, he is renowned for documenting the fashion, styles and celebrities of the 1960's. He has been featured in numerous exhibitions worldwide and a large amount of his work was on display in MOUCHE. Below are some of Terry's most iconic photographs featuring Elton John, The Beatles and Faye Dunaway.

3. Clara Hallencreutz

Miss. Hallencreutz is a Swedish artist who specialises in photography and small scale installation, a vast majority of her work was on display within the MOUCHE gallery. Her artwork is carefree, thought provoking and incorporates the use of bold colours. Hallencreutz visually portrays and addresses real-world issues within some of her pieces, the most well known being her portrayal of global warming using ice cream. The use of texture and shade within her pieces inject emotional impact and I really connected with her work. Clara Hallencreutz has become one of my favourite artists and her work really inspires me.

  

'PICTURE GLOBAL WARMING'

I found the above images to be extremely powerful in portrayed the extreme issue of global warming as it was so simplistic yet emotive. The use of the bold colouring agains the white cone and backdrop really make the piece stand out and its extremely thought provoking.

'THE GOLDEN ARCHES'

This specific piece of art work is part of a series entitled 'No artificial colours' Hallencreutz transforms the appearance of everyday objects using unexpected colouring. This is a thought proving piece and addresses the issue of genetically modified food and the use of artificial colouring widely used within the fast food industries and beyond.  The artwork plays on the burger-chains nick-name 'The golden arches' and the combination becomes a contradiction therefore presenting a new connection for the audience to discover. 

Design Discovery - Irma Boom

Irma Boom - innovative 'ink free' creative

Irma Boom is a Dutch graphic designer who is renowned world wide for her original and innovative book creation, she has subsequently become one of my favourite designers. I first stumbled upon the work of Miss. Boom as an article covering her latest venture was featured in the issue of 'Creative Review' that I was reading. The article explained how she had been asked to create a book for Chanel with full artistic freedom.  Boom fully emmerses herself within the subject of each book project as part of the initial creative process, this project was no different. Boom spent many hours within  Chanel's Paris apartment in order to gain a true feel for her life and the person she was. The dedication however did not stop there as Boom also witnessed the bottling process and even joined the official Chanel rose pickers in the fields. By truly emerging herself physically within the essence of Chanel, Boom felt ready that she could indeed create a book that mirrored such exquisitness. 

Throughout Boom's career she has been known to frequently use the process of embossing on the cover of her books, however she had never attempted to use this process for the internal stage... until now. By created aluminium plates featuring individual designs and a letterpress machine Boom created an ink free book for Chanel.

The amount of detail that went into the creative process was astonishing and inspiring and the effort was mirrored within the final outcome. Remaining true to the perfumes name the book is 5cm thick and each design was hand-drawn. By removing the visual element of ink Boom's creation encourages readers to physically engage with each page of the book. This physical action allows the reader to feel their way through the story, essentially drawing them further into the essence of Chanel.

Design Discovery - Brian Dettmer

Brian Dettmer - 'The book surgeon'

I can't quite remember how I stumbled upon the work of Brian Dettmer but i'm so glad that I did.  Dettmer is a New York based artist who quite simply specialises in the creative and intricate deconstruction of books. Essentially he takes a persons creation and then dissects said creation in order to form his own piece of art. Now some may say that this is ruining a perfectly good piece of literature, however Dettmer's work is so much more than that.

Using the process of creative deconstruction, Dettmer reveals the hidden soul of each individual book, physically showing us the whole story upon a single glance. He alters the physical form of information, therefore shifting the prior function thus taking the book down a different creative path.

The first step in this intricate design process is to seal the edges of the book in order to mummify the literature which Dettmer likens to 'a vessel of unearthed potential'. Working through each book chronilogically using careful dissection a story begins to take form. Dettmer can change the history of a book by choosing which images and words to exclude and include to create his personal vision.

Each book is taken on a different creative journey, and by transforming the medium's role Dettmer            re-contextualises the original content and the book takes on new meaning.