Richard Phillips

Hundreds of blogs have already talked about the two Richard Phillips mini films released recently at the Venice Biennale and presented by the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture. Some viewers claim to find these shorts nauseating while others, like me, savoured the images of beautiful, lonely, insecure and uneasy creatures (Lindsay Lohan and Sasha Grey) awake in their own dreams. Meticulously created, they tell the story of the sordid intensity of Hollywood, its dangerously tempting edge and emotionally decaying girls. The failed actress/singer/fashion designer and the porn star longing to find a pattern to life, to make sense of the nature of their existence in the LA bubble. Both shorts bear a close relationship with classical paintings and frequently refer to iconic film moments. They’re not glazed with sentimentality or romanticized and the unusual nature of the pieces is exactly what makes them compelling, fascinating and haunting. The silent narrative is issue-driven and talks about how contemporary culture pollutes successful characters heartlessly. Bleak but also incredibly beautiful, I thought these two short films were powerful responses to today’s faintly chilling fame machine. With this first foray into the world of cinematography and heightened realism, Richard Phillips hovers between pure painterly form and traditional moving image. Inspired.

Video courtesy of the Gagosian Gallery

Jun Ropé

It’s a risky thing to say, but I sometimes find today’s fashion industry tedious. On the whole, history is a reliable source and learned guide to contemporary trends. Don’t get me wrong, I have much enthusiasm and solid admiration for various current designers but so many others appear to be very good at relying on the past for inspiration. Maybe my grasp of fashion is stereotyped but the impact of previous movements repeatedly springs to life in collections, hardly encouraging a true contemplation of the future. There is so much aesthetic nourishment to be found in the past and we don’t need to have detailed specialist knowledge of the period in which the clothes were made to appreciate their beauty. All you need is an open and receptive eye! Looking at old magazines, videos, films or books is a fun and engaging activity, which will give you swift access to the reality of today’s fashion. In this spirit, I feel impelled to show you these Jun Ropé videos. The Japanese brand was launched in 1968 and collaborated with Richard Avedon and Serge Lutens to create wonderful commercials. I hope you’ll find them as thrilling as I do. They are timelessly inventive! And if you like deconstructing modern fashion and building a repertoire of ideas borrowed from the past, make sure to look at this incredible blog (which I’m sure I’ve mentioned here before).

Contax love

I've clearly become infatuated with my Contax. Five rolls developed last week.
Walking around London with a camera involves looking at surrounding fragments of every day life differently.
I like the oddly beguiling atmosphere of this skate park. Hope you enjoy these little scenes.

On another note: I wish I could remember what film I used!