Runway: Vamp

What colour is the most seductive? Black of course. Vamp look. Also dark red and a little glitz like gold or silver. Yummy. The inspiration for this post were these designes by Alexandra Veda:

 

(Source: http://www.alexandraveda.net/)

How fabelous! And she drew Dita Von Teese wearing them!

 

Here are some old collages of fatal outfits:

 

(Click to enlarge)

Make it glam:

 

 

And my Polyvore set featuring transparent dress and gold:

 

 

I'm very proud of this outfit. Killer. Not that I would ever wear it.

What do you think?

xxx

 

 

 

Dark Room: Flower Power

This fashion editorial makes me smile. I love the flowers and how they complement the looks. Beautiful.

 

(Click to enlarge)

 

'Wall Flower' was photographed by Jerby Tebelin.

His blog (not active any more): www.jerbytebelin.blogspot.com

 

(Source: http://www.fashionising.com/pictures/s--Wall-Flower-by-Jerby-Tebelin-18101-1.html)

The last photo instantly reminded me of Keira Knightley in 'Atonement'. I highly recommend watching the movie. One of the greatest visual expiriences I've had. Though it will erase your smile with its heavy thematics.

 

(Source: http://pegsolson.tumblr.com/post/22701378693)

xxx

Rec: Lux Aeterna

I like this video about light by Cristobal Vila. It's made in 3D animation tehnique, and it looks amazing. (Watch it full-screen off course!)

 

 

"...a look into the light from several points of view. On one side it's a powerful radiation emitted by the most distant stars in the universe, and also by our Sun; light floods everywhere in nature, from the largest things to the smallest, creating interesting and beautiful effects; humans always used light as a symbolic and spiritual element; and it's too an intriguing physical phenomenon deeply studied by science." (luxareterna.intro)

 

Now, click on this link to read the explenation for each scene, it's very interesting: luxaeterna/about

 

If you want to see more animations or art, visit the site: www.etereaestudios.com

xxx

Gallery: Only Light And Breathing

If you liked this interactive and huntingly magical installation, here's another one. It's called 'To Breathe' by Korean artist Kimsooja. She is currently living in New York and this work has been exhibited in Madrid and Venice.

"The artist invites audiences to be the live and active performers, experiencing a personal sensation and awareness that reveals the extremes of light and darkness; sound and soundlessness; the known and the unknown. (...) It is an invitation to escape the chaos and surrounding worldly noise for a moment, and thereby re-discover ourselves and question our relationship with others; to contemplate our place in the world, and face the essential boundaries of our own existence." (kimsooja.com)

 

The first exibithion was 'To Breathe/Respirar' in The Palacio de Christal in Madrid (2006).

 

(Click images to view larger)

"Kimsooja uses minimal elements: a translucent diffraction film that covers the vault, the entire glass structure of the palace, a mirror that covers the floor, combined with the sound of the artists' breathing (...). She brings the audience into a transforming experience and invites them to experiment with their minds, mobilizing senses, awareness, and imagination into focus. Kimsooja composed To Breathe - A Mirror Woman specifically for the space configuration of the Palacio de Cristal in Madrid. The artist incorporates the architectural structure of the building into the mirrors on the floor, to expand and unite space." (kimsooja.com)

 

 

This is not only visual, but also auditory expirince. Listen here: audio+photo

 

"In the first part of the performance, her breathing is gentle, slow, and barely perceptible; but gradually it becomes deeper and faster, acquiring a dizzying rhythm, that conveys discomfort and even anguish. Several emotional states are perceptible through her breathing, which becomes one with her artistic work. In the second, one can barely notice the breathing, which becomes part of the background. The tone, modulation and rhythms have changed."

 

The second exhibition was 'To Breathe: Bottari' in The Korean Pavilion in Venice (2013, for Bianalle Artre). It was slightly different-she added a dark chamber.

 

 

"Treating the windows as the skin of the pavilion, the film diffracts the natural sunlight as it showers the interior space with rainbow spectrums of light. The intensity of the light in the pavilion will correspond to the daily movement of the sun rising to its setting across the Korean Pavilion. (...) The artist's amplified inhaling, exhaling and humming performance sounds fill the air, transforming the pavilion into a breathing bottari. (...) Simultaneously, the artist extends the experience of light and sound by creating an anechoic chamber. A space in complete darkness that absorbs all audio waves, leaving nothing but the sound of the viewer's own body, it creates a soundless dark void of infinite reflection of self: a black hole." (kimsooja.com)

 

 

And here's Kim talking about this project in The Korean Pavilion:

 

 

www.kimsooja.com

xxx

Dark Room: It's Still Winter

It was sunny yesterday. But still cold. And as much as I love the snow and the warmth of our fireplace, I long for sunny spring these days.

(Please click to enlarge)

February 2012. Exactly this time of the year.

It's still winter.

 

 

All photos by me.

xxx

Bookmark: Thrillers That Thrill Me

I'm a big fan of thrillers and criminalistics since I was... 10? My first ever beloved wrighter was Agatha Christie. The amount of thrillers I've read in my life is incalculable. And after some time, they get boaring. Always the same plot, same twists, same predictable murderer.

Then I read 'The Devil's Star' by Jo Nesbø. First of all, it's totally unpredictable. I had a few suspects and scenarios, but they were all wrong and the end really surprised me. Then, I love the style of wrighting. Not heavy (without a lot of description), not boaring (yet there is little description). The third thing is the main character. One of my favourites in the whole existing literature.

 

 

Nesbø is a crime novelist and musican (rock band Di Derre) from Norway. He wrote one children's book. It is interesting that he also wrote 2 more novels (not published yet) as Tom Johansen (I don't get why). Novels about inspector Harry Hole are the best known. He is an unreliable, obstinate, cynical, odd drunk, but very intelligent and wise (not just in solving cases). Something like dr. House of criminalistics. Reading chapters about him is as fun as reading those with murder plot. I adore him :-)

 

 

 

These books are always out in my library so I can't wait to come across one I haven't read.

Be aware they contain violence, illegal actions, kinky and disguisting things, and are not intended to be role models for kids ;-)

"Only a life without pain is emptier than life without love." (from 'The Redeemer')

 

(Pictures from Google)

 

xxx

Walkman: Annual Review

I wanted to share some music I enjoyed last year. Since I don't feel adequate to judge the quality of the albums, I made a list of my favourite ones rather then the best ones. The criteria for classification as favourite was the degree of obsession, which means: these are the albums I listend to most of the time. (Well, I was obsessed with some older stuff too. Not to mention I have a stockpile of artists I haven't downloaded yet due to a lack of time, so my apologies they didn't make it on the list. Also, I coudn't decide which to include, so here's 15 freaking albums. The world's worst problems.)

How to describe the selection? What dominates is the high proportion of pop (pop, electronic-pop, pop-rock, rock turning more pop...lol). Also, electronica, and some good rock (coz we can't omit rock). And quite a few seriously dark and depressive albums (no I do not want to kill myself).

 

 

1) 'AM' by Arctic Monkeys

I wasn't into them before. But this record is sooo contagious. Every song could be a single. I think this is already a classic. It sounds like a classic to me.

 

 

2) 'MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY' by Vampire Weekend

Such a unique and genious band, and this is their best record in my opinion. If you haven't heard this, shame on you. 

3) 'DELTA MACHINE' by Depeche Mode

 

I was sceptical about this one. I mean, how could they have any more ideas to make an album? But yeah, it turned out they're as genius as always. Nothing's changed :-)

 

4) 'BIG TV' by White Lies

 

What they did on this record is gather all their signature elements and packed them in a more pop package, basically to gather more listeners. I think they made a good job, coz the songs are still cool except less "weird" (I sometime miss that, sometimes not).

 

5) 'LOUD LIKE LOVE' by Placebo

 

In my humble opinion everything by Placebo is great. I looove watching how bands develope and what else they can do, so I am VERY proud of this record. They made lyrics more simple and music more interesting, so the emotional intensity remained the same.

 

 

6) 'ORIGINS' by God Is An Astronaut

These guys are so creative. It's unbelievable how they made an album with so many new sounds and stuff but still consistent in their style. Thumbs up!

 

7) 'EXILE' by Hurts

 

Ok, NOTHING can compare to their 1st album, but this one is ambitious and catching. As someone nicely said: too ambitious, but so catching I can't help myself. Warning: it's dark as hell, really over the top.

 

8) 'PURE HEROINE' by Lorde

 

This kind of pop the world needed. Clever and seemingly modest. (The cover says it all.)

 

9) '...LIKE CLOCKWORK' by Queens Of The Stone Age

 

It is a very good album. Some songs are just epic. Something you can mark as 'good music' though I wrote that this list is not about that.

 

10) 'PALE GREEN GHOSTS' by John Grant

 

The man is brilliant, what else can I say. The album is so different from the previous one, but still suits him. Modern art.

 

11) 'I LOVE YOU.' by The Neighbourhood

 

Hm, interesting pop, not unheard but with more potential. Pretty dark. A LOT of people are talking about them, but I haven't seen a single mention in media and applications (tough they headlined 'Grammy Gig of a Lifetime'), interesting. 

 

12) 'U REDU JE' by Elemental

 

It's a step forward in their music career. More effort in instrumentals, lyrics strong as always. It's a winner in my book.

 

13) 'NATIVE' by OneRepublic

 

They made it right with this record. Some huge radio hits I don't find irritating and some cool rock songs that still characterizes them as rock-pop. I follow them from the begging and I'm glad they're doing great.

 

14) 'IF YOU LEAVE' by Daughter

 

It's a mix of The XX and Lorde with more "folk" guitars, and it sounds heavenly. Listen to it a few times to understand the lyrics, it makes it even better. I hope they will become better known.

 

15) 'APSURDISTAN' by Dubioza Kolektiv

 

Yep it's been on repeat for quite some time. They're being themselves again and it's awesome. It's a must for all the people from the Balkans.

 

 

 It took ages to write this. -.-

So, your favourites?

xxx