The Universal Now - Abigail Reynolds

The Universal Now is a set of collages by Abigail Reynolds, in which she uses to found photographs of the same place at different times and folds them together into one surface. Creating a new visual landscape which spans across decades.

Reynolds states that, "The Universal Now works operate as a resurrection of the unregarded book plates and forgotten photographers that have stood in the same places at a different times, bringing these moments into a dialogue and into the present. The Universal Now takes its title from debates about time continuum in quantum physics."


It's incredibly interesting and a really amazing way to show two viewpoints or two images at the same time.  Despite triangles being super trendy and cool for the last year or so, you can really imagine them unfolding in an animation of being featured in a print publication. This is something I need to look into more, how different images can be shown together, or more exciting and creative ways to frame and incorporate images into my work.

More images and work can be seen on her website.

Marc Turlan

Marc Turlan's collection of titles 'Torn Mag' creates new images re-using old magazines. He cuts and tears through the pages juxtaposing two images which contrast and compliment each other. The bottom page acts as an illustration to the top; giving the collage more depth and emotion, completely changing the feeling of each piece.

He also does some rather nice illustration work, again over old imagery. You can see more of his work at serial-art.
 

O-Check Journals

Would someone like to buy me one of these journals by a Korean design company called O-Check. They are dead lovely.

Frederic Fontenoy

I love this photographs taken by what looks like the child of Ryan McGinley and Chris Cunningham*. Unfortunately they weren't - because that would surely be too much creativity and amazingness to be held within one person. They were taken by Frederic Fontenoy and are part of a series titled 'Metamorphose.' The series uses long exposure to create monstrous jelly-like forms across serene wild backgrounds.

The contrast between the foreground and background in these photos is amazing, the expression of movement and blur sits beautifully upon the wild background landscapes. The naked monstrously blurred forms seem to be exploring and dancing their way into the depth of the scene reverting back to something wild and animalistic, because of this, these photos seem quite raw and primitive. However this is all in a very positive and fun way, shown by the movement of the once people in an electric and exciting way, exploring and embracing nature and what they once were.
*These photos quite easily sit somewhere between McGinley's 'The Kids Are Alright' and Cunningham's Orange Advert.

Although Fontenoy's photos were taken a good while ago now between 1988 and 1990, recent advertising campaigns have adopted this wild, natural and pioneering approach. Levi's released their 'Go Forth' Campaign last year using a poem by Walt Whitman, which was done so, so well. And a bit later Diesel released their 'Be Stupid' campaign which although done well misses the mark, it feels too contrived - and honestly I don't really like the tone of voice.


Here's a nice Creative Review article about each campaign:
Levi's
Diesel 
And for more Metamophose images click here.

My Digital Reading Festival 2010

It was Reading last weekend, and I've been watching the footage solidly for the last 3 days. I missed out this year, which is a shame as I would have done some quite terrible things to go and see the Libertines. But anyway, here's my virtual Reading Festival:

FRIDAY:
LCD Soundsystem
Queens of the Stone Age
Mumford & Sons
Yeasayer
Gogol Bordello
Pulled Apart By Horses

SATURDAY:
Arcade Fire
The Libertines
Crystal Castles
The Cribs
The Maccabees

SUNDAY:
Blink 182
Roots Manuva
We Are Scientists
Foals
Sub Focus (DJ Set)
Metronomy
Four Tet
Limp Bizkit 

The Royal Tenenbaums

I watched The Royal Tenenbaums the other day, and it's absolutely amazing. I loved everything about it, from the cast - my favourite being Margot played by Gwyneth Paltrow for all the secrecy and mystery that surrounds her character, to the awkward and abrupt script.

But my favourite part of Wes Anderson films and what I love most (just above his characters) is his shooting style. His symmetry and dramatic contrived camera movements make you very aware of what you are watching is all carefully constructed. Everything is shot is thought about to the last detail - and it's this that amazes me, everything to the angles objects are placed, to colours scheme and pattern are thought about, which means you can sit there and stare at the beautiful imagery and get lost in a playground of amazing objects and colours. It is this level of work and detail that I am trying to bring into my own work. Making intentional choices to include or exclude objects, select the perfect colour scheme, make sure everything is perfectly aligned the way it should. Making each shot and piece of work as powerful and effective as it can be; and that's what I aim to do over my final year.


It also has one of my new all time favourite scenes from any film ever, I've watched it over and over again. Richie played by Luke Wilson attempts to commit suicde perfectly matched to Elliot Smith's track 'Needle In The Hay.' So brutally intense and honest, with the most amazing montage of warm and heartfelt, personal imagery.

"You know what you did, you idiot kid, you don't have a clue."