London-based Jesse Auersalo’s Illustrations are dark and intimidating but the attention to detail and meticulous rendering contrast, mostly black & white or sepia creates strong iconic images that can shock and fascinate at the same time.  See more of his work on www.bigactive.com READ MORE

Vancouver illustrator Edward Kwong has some truly lovely work in his portfolio, inspired by 50′s ad posters and comic books, you can also browse over his amazing sketchbook scans on his blog.  I really like the diversity of his illustration styles and his coloring… READ MORE

Dasha Zhukova at the opening night

The show is called called A Certain State of the World – A ground-breaking exhibition of works selected from the François Pinault Foundation’s Collection, one of the world’s most prestigious private collections, will go on show at the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture (GCCC) in Moscow opened on 19 March 2009. Founded by Dasha Zhukova the 27-year-old socialite, who was recently made editor-in-chief of the British style magazine Pop

The exhibition represents the largest show of international contemporary art ever presented in Moscow taking over the whole of the 8,500 square metres of The Garage building. Representing the work of 32 artists, highlights of the exhibition include works by Jeff Koons, Bill Viola, Dan Flavin, Maurizio Cattelan, Cindy Sherman, Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Subodh Gupta, Philippe Parreno, Takashi Murakami, and Peter Fischli and David Weiss.

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Francis Hills picked up a camera for the first time five years ago. Now this rising star on the celebrity, beauty and fashion photography scene explains how his artistic style and trademark smile helped launch a new career. Francis has been called The Accidental Photographer. He earned this name from his friends because of his strikingly steep climb to the top levels of portrait and commercial photography in less time than most people spend in college… Read more about Francis on CalumetPhoto.com

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In many productions the set design is the most important part of the concept. The overall look of the set gives the audience information about the director’s concept and creates a new home for  the model to interact with. The set gives the photographer its shots by creating a range of frames through which to tell the story of the campaign.  READ MORE

Marina & The Diamonds : Obsession

Marina & The Diamonds’ “Obsessions” sings out the can’t-decide/can’t commit nature in all of us. The first verse has her losing sleep over  her previous night’s lover – she’s callous, he’s “looking vulnerable  in my bed,” she’s “a little sweetheart,” and then the next minute he’s  an absolute creep.” You get the sense, though, that her lover is  lying peacefully/drunkenly asleep the whole time, and the only thing  that’s changing is the neurotic thought process in her head. The same  indecision and restlessness is transposed in the second verse to the mundane:
“Supermarket, what packet of crackers to pick? They’re all the same, one brand, one name, but really they’re not/Look, look, just choose something quick/People are staring, time to come quick in/Skin’s on fire; just choose something… something… SOMETHING!/Pressure overwhelming”

The song can serve as a cautionary tale to all of us to be happy with what we have, to make one educated decision and stick with it, and to  stop freaking out.

Listen to “Obsessions” Here

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