sophie kalagas x frankie magazine

December 30, 2014 by Sara Radin in magazine scan, required reading

magazine scan // frankie magazine // issue sixty two

some thoughts: there's something special about snow globes. and for as long as i can remember, i've had a love affair with cheap souvenirs. i find their kitschy design and use of color intriguing. my personal collection can be traced back to pins i picked up on family vacations as a child, all of which i recently adhered to my grandma's retro red track jacket. i'm a collector of things (and while what i collect is constantly changing), there's something about the history and narrative of objects that just gets me excited. i also love hearing about other people's collections.

my current job is located in the garment district, home to thousands of wandering nyc tourists. while at first i was overwhelmed by the congestion and commotion of the neighborhood, i've learned to see the beauty of it all. it is the best place for every day people watching and it is a true mecca of souvenir shops and odd fashion joints. one day i'll make a list of these unique destinations.

required reading // links worth sharing pt. ii

December 24, 2014 by Sara Radin in required reading, links worth sharing

yoko ono // museum of modern art // 1971 // exhibition catalogue — yoko ono // museum of modern art // 1971 // exhibition catalogue

1. "a lot of millenials have been discouraged for a long time. now, with social media, they feel empowered, like people are hearing their voice. and tumblr is a great platform for all types of media," says zellie thomas, creator of black culture // millennials + tumblr activism.

2. bright young things are honing many skills instead of one singular role. "is multi-tasking the only way to make a name for yourself in the creative industries today?" // the rise of the multi-talented multi-tasker.

3. "there were stories happening all around and i just paid attention to them," says producer turned photographer 'spot' // candid photographs of the 1970s so-cal counterculture.

4. "fashion reflects reality. the proof is in the pattern," says vanessa friedman from nyt // fashion in 2014, reviewed.

5. visual coincidences in patterns also reminds us we're all connected // patternity, an innovative pattern-focused organization, is committed to celebrating the common language of pattern and the worlds of fashion and design with science, nature, geology and beyond.

6. tumblr trends: inter/net art // virtual inspiration from 2014, collected + reblogged.

7. yoko ono is coming to the moma in may 2015 // a future visual happening worthy of rejoice.

8. for guy bourdin, a renowned + unconventional fashion photographer, magazines were the only art form // random fact: he only worked with models with specific astrological signs.

9. solar powered trees are being planted in israel and "all the trees around the world will be able to communicate," says inventor michael lasry // pure genius.

10. quotes worth sharing: "the true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life" by william morris // another link from patternity.

small talk // kiosk // concept store in reyjkavik, iceland

December 23, 2014 by Sara Radin in small talk

* on a recent trip to reykjavik, i discovered a dreamy shop called kiosk *

kiosk is a co-op store owned by nine different fashion designers. most of them graduated from the icelandic academy of arts in reykjavik and one studied in milan. the store was opened in 2010 and was voted the best place to stock up on local icelandic fashion design by grapevine in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

cultureisland: tell us more about kiosk?

eygló // kiosk: the way we run the store is that we split the rent and all work in the store at least once a week. we´ve found it good to be able to meet the client once in a while. and it seems the clients like to meet us, the designers, as well.

cultureisland: what kind of products do you feature in the store?

eygló // kiosk: we have mostly womenswear, dresses, swimsuits and accessories. all designed by us (some of it made by us as well).

cultureisland: i noticed in reykjavik there aren't many commercial stores. instead there are more small, local boutiques. can you tell us more about the shop culture?

eygló // kiosk: most of the commercial stores are in the big malls, fortunately we have smaller shops and they are mostly on our main shopping street in reykjavik. we´ve heard it´s quite unusual in other cities.

cultureisland: what are your favorite places to see art in reykjavik?

eygló // kiosk: sparkdesignspace which is a shop on klapparstígur, nýló (the living art museum) and kling og bang, a gallery on hverfisgata.

cultureisland: what kind of music are you listening to right now?

eygló // kiosk: i've been listening to these artists a lot lately: jef barbara, moodoid, and blood orange.

check out each of the designer's websites:
www.kioskreykjavik.com
www.eyglocollection.com
www.helicopter-clothing.com
www.kyrja.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hildur-Yeoman/321792147919443?fref=ts
www.hlinreykdal.com
https://www.facebook.com/BySONJABENT
www.kristjanaswilliams.com
www.millasnorrason.com

art exhibit // spaced out: migration to the interior

December 17, 2014 by Sara Radin in art exhibit

red bull studios is a project space in new york that serves as an exhibition space, a recording studio, radio booth, a lecture hall and a performance space. a recent exhibit there, spaced out: migration to the interior, just closed. luckily i popped in there on the second to last day with my good friend + fellow trend forecaster sarah. we were in total awe of the supremely cool psychedelic space + proceeded to roll around on the pink fur carpet while snapping silly pictures of us and wishing we could move in there permanently.

curator phong bui says, "when i came to red bull... i at once discovered this space being quite unconventional, it has incredible curved walls, and in addition you also have the men's room and the women's room painted in glossy, acidic, fluorescent red and yellow, it had all the potential to be a film set for an austin powers movie."

redbull studios video // conversation and exploration, curator phong bui and fellow artists describe their inspiration and artworks featured in the group show spaced out: migration to the interior, held at red bull studios new york from october through december 2014.

some thoughts: it was intriguing to hear how seeing the space initially affected the ultimate theme and curation of the exhibit. and i'm also bummed i didn't know about the amazing restrooms since i have an odd obsession with colored bathrooms. but knowing us (#sara_h), we would've done a shameful selfie shoot so this is probably for the best!

art basel recap // so i was virtually there...

December 16, 2014 by Sara Radin in recap

last year, i had the awesome/outlandish opportunity to attend art basel miami beach for my previous job at converse. it was a pretty cool experience, marked by a whirlwind of wonderful/weird memories -- i bought ridiculous south beach souvenirs, attempted to go to my first strip club, ate unreal cuban food at the famous versailles restaurant, helped some co-workers graffiti a huge wall in wynwood (by helped i mean bought the supplies + provided refreshments), and of course saw A LOT of amazing art.

though i didn't make it this year, i found my instagram feed flooded with images from the event -- so i was virtually there and this a collection of iphone screenshots i took from the event:

instagram by sarah owen // trend forecaster for wgsn

instagram by amy rauner // footwear designer for converse

instagram by nurit yeshurun // director of concept and style at tiffany + co

instagram by morgan solomon // jewelry designer + former buyer at bloomingdales

instagram by tribble & mancenido // visual artists + photographers

instagram by brandon michaels // concept + brand designer

instagram by adam cohn // creative director of brand experience at converse

some thoughts: in recent years, art basel miami beach has seriously blown up. during the weekend long event, the city is overwhelmed with all kinds of art fairs and parties popping up everywhere. when i was down there last year, i was actually stressed out about how much art there was to see and how many things there were to do. it was a lot to take in but amazing nonetheless. somewhere in the sea of instagrams from this year's event, i saw the art basic image. and while i can't seem to find anything about it, anywhere, i'm thinking art basic is the reaction to this feeling of over-stimulation. excited to see what's next...

nostalgia // james turrell // across the globe

December 01, 2014 by Sara Radin in nostalgia

james turrell // key lime // 1994 // the israel museum — james turrell // *key lime* // 1994 // the israel museum

some thoughts: forever in awe of james turrell, whose work i saw in 3 different cities in recent times -- at the guggenheim in new york city, at the lacma in los angeles, and now at the israel museum in jerusalem. although i didn't eat turkey this year since i was in israel, i feel pretty thankful (and grateful) for inspiring transcontinental experiences like this. what i love about turrell is that his art completely engulfs the viewer in his colorful installations. when sitting in these spaces, one is able to appreciate some sweet silence amidst a characteristically noisy museum.

these works challenge the way in which the audience experiences and sees light: "treating light as a material in his impressive and magical works, turrell examines accepted conventions of consciousness and sight. in his spectacular installations, the spiritual and the technological intersect as light is framed, multiplied, altered, and isolated."

james turrell // breathing light // 2013 // lacma — james turrell // breathing light // 2013 // lacma

james turrell // aten reign // 2013 // guggenheim — james turrell // *aten reign* // 2013 // guggenheim

israel inspirations // shosh kormosh // order + cleanliness

November 30, 2014 by Sara Radin in travel inspirations

shosh kormosh // order and cleanliness // 1994-1995 // silverprint — shosh kormosh // *order and cleanliness* // 1994-1995 // silverprint

found myself mesmerized by the work of photographer shosh kormosh while in israel last week // "...she who spoke and researched unceasingly, seeking to absorb and know everything, [creating] a static space of stillness and silence."

the israel art museum's curator noam gal says: "[shosh kormosh] is a very significant photographer in israeli art history. though her career was brief since her artistic path only started at 40 and she died at 53, her influence has been enormous on artists in her time as well as after. [what was so unique about her work?] she would take images she found in home design magazines that she cut out and pasted, along with actual objects such as dried flowers, photographed and repeatedly enlarged them, and then arranged as photo collages. kormosh's biography plays a critical role in her works. after her birth to holocaust survivors in a displaced persons camp in germany following wwii, her family immigrated to israel. various onerous restrictions and rules regarding cleanliness and order marked kormosh's childhood. her life story was expressed largely through her works, which carry something dark, gloomy, and defiant in reaction to her up-bringing."

some thoughts: the black and white contrast of shosh kormosh's work is reminiscent of man ray's surrealist photographs. with common imagery collaged and placed in a stark black background, you begin to see these objects in a new light. the interesting repetition and placement of these items seems to highlight the harsh rules of the artist's upbringing. ultimately each piece feels like a snapshot or critique of a specific moment in the artist's life.

* images via gordon gallery *

small talk // artists tribble & mancenido

November 21, 2014 by Sara Radin in small talk

atwood road // 2014 // panels 1 -5 // tribble & mancenido — atwood road // 2014 // panels 1 -5 // tribble & mancenido

* my friends * frank tribble and tracey mancenido, or tribble & mancenido, are recent graduates of sva's art practice graduate program. they met back in 2004, while both in undergrad working at the same jean georges' restaurant in the meatpacking district of nyc. after helping each other out with personal projects, they started collaborating and creating projects together. their ideas became seamless and they decided to collaborate from that point on. they have now been making work together for almost a decade.

tracey and frank say, "if outkast and wu-tang had babies, we could be those babies." their work featured in this post will be shown at miami project with sasha wolf gallery, during art basel miami (from dec 2-7 in the wynwood district).

255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 1 // tribble & mancenido — 255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 1 // tribble & mancenido

cultureisland: what is your artistic process?

tribble & mancenido: for us, art is deliberately and precariously held together without formal resolve. we see our work as allegories of connectedness and similarity, touching on themes of personal space, memory and the domestic. our practice is photo-based, with express regard for being both voyeur and subject, and a particular interest on social interactions and its documentation. these interests range across three areas: the everyday, the home and the archive. embedding ourselves into different social and cultural situations has become an integral part of how we make art. for a former project, hurry up & wait, we became truck-drivers in the united states for an entire year to live, work and be part of that subculture- documenting our journey, and the anonymity of living on the road.

255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 2 // tribble & mancenido — 255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 2 // tribble & mancenido

cultureisland: can you tell us more about your recent work?

tribble & mancenido: our current practice considers the similarities of the everyday of the domestic space, of the necessities of each individual’s life, and the familiarity of a home. in the work atwood road, we continue our investigations of being both subject and voyeur, investigating the interiority of our shared lives, moments and objects while using each other as a mirror reflection of one another. our constant dialogue as a collaborative is also a constant reflection. our intent is for the viewer to contemplate its interiority in relationship to his or her own domesticity. they may not even know it was once our own, but what is most important is that it is a distinct portrait of a home. an actual physical place for a person to simply exist. from august 2013 - august 2014 we lived in and sublet 7 apartments mostly through the commonly used online platform airbnb. during this time we stayed in many apartments and differing neighborhoods such as bed-stuy, clinton hill, south slope and the upper west side. in doing so, we stepped into the domestic lives of others, temporarily assuming their daily rituals and surrounded by their objects, both precious and utilitarian. we focused on the details that could possibly tell the story of a person’s life, while also addressing the anonymity of such constructions. the significance of personal objects was transferred onto us by the owners, and now onto the viewer as objects and photographic archives that we have created. the work ranges from nuanced shifts in dimension created by printing inside the edges of the frame taking on the subtlety of sculpture, to using actuals grids as an ode to typography often used in photography, to several polyptychs with fading color that visually mimic the fading of memory and time. our work challenges the everyday perceptions of our environments with close studies of photography’s materiality and subject at hand. we are all creators and anthropologists of the dailyness of daily life.

255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 3 // tribble & mancenido — 255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 3 // tribble & mancenido

cultureisland: where do you find inspiration? who are some of your favorite artists?

tribble & mancenido: we find inspiration everywhere everyday, concentrated on a shared experience, with lots of reading, seeing, doing and conversation. some of our favorite artists include judd, irwin, kosuth, duchamp, gary simmons, tim rollins and kos, lorna simpson, bernd and hilla becher, taryn simon, do ho suh, on kawara.

255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 4 // tribble & mancenido — 255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 4 // tribble & mancenido

cultureisland: what are your favorite places to see art in nyc?

tribble & mancenido: les galleries, bushwick galleries, museums and other artists' studios.

255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 5 // tribble & mancenido — 255 W 88 // 2014 // panel 5 // tribble & mancenido

cultureisland: what other places in miami do you plan to check out during art basel?

tribble & mancenido: the private collections -- rubell, margulies and de la cruz. the moca and perez museums. the nada and independent fairs.

* photographs are by tribble & mancenido // frank tribble & tracey mancenido // check out more of their work here + here, follow them on instagram here *

watch // patti smith's advice to the young

November 19, 2014 by Sara Radin in watch

* patti smith has always been an idol of mine // a friend recently sent this video + it hit home *

on finding your purpose and doing what you love: "a writer, or any artist, can’t expect to be embraced by the people [but] you just keep doing your work — because you have to, because it’s your calling."

her words are pure poetry.

required reading // clothing narratives

November 14, 2014 by Sara Radin in required reading

what poignant moments do our clothes instill in our minds? how do we collect clothing items like memories? how does fashion become part of our collective history? why do we wear what we wear? how is the process of getting dressed emotional? i just purchased two recently published books that explore personal memory through our sartorial choices:

1 // worn stories by emily spivak is a collection of stories about clothing and memory featuring accounts from sixty cultural figures including andy spade, simon doonan and cynthia rowley. (new york times article here // npr interview here)

excerpt // from david carr's memoir (p. 27-28):

"and then i saw one -- extra large, thank god -- in which the classic new york script had been misprinted upside down. i knew what to do. i turned to the guy running the shop and said, "this one is a misprint. i'll give you three bucks." he said nothing, but nodded. i paid in two crumpled bills and quarters, ducked behind a rack, and put it on. as soon as i stepped out on the street, people stared. i got on the c train to 23rd, and a kid next to me stared at the logo over my burgeoning middle-aged middle section and said, "i like your shirt." "thanks, man. three bucks."

whenever i wear the shirt in new york, waitresses, bartenders, cab drivers, they all say nice things about the shirt and ignore the fact that the rack it's hanging on could use some work. when i travel, which is fairly often, and wear the shirt, which is less often, nobody ever says anything. i like that about my shirt: it is something that is intuitively understood in the city, as we insufferable locals call it, and is baffling to others, akin to many other aspects of living in new york.

i day dreamed for a while about getting some pals of wife in the clothing business to crank out a few hundred. i even had a slogan for the back: "turning new york upside down one shirt at a time" but then someone in the business explained to me you couldn't trademark the idea of turning lettering someone else created upside down. so i just wear mine instead.

it won't last. it's white, for one thing, and a series of small food and beverage disasters have already begun to dapple its surface. one day, it will acculumate enough stains and history soo that it will mysteriously disappear from my drawer. i will miss it."

2 // women in clothes by sheila heti, heidi julavits + leanne shapton features original interviews, conversations, surveys, projects, diagrams and drawings by over six hundred and thirty women, including lena dunham, molly ringwald and cindy sherman. (new york times article here // npr interview here).

excerpt // from the color survey (p. 141-143):

gillian king: "when i was in art school, and i realized that painting was my medium of choice, i began dressing in a palette similar to my paintings. i was obsessed with dyeing my hair different colors, and for about a year or two my head was the rotating colors of the rainbow."

nicole lavelle: "one winter my friend elizabeth said 'i am going to wear only gray this year.' she did it, and it worked, and she didn't have to think about clothes. i tried it too, but it made me feel upset."

nostalgia // a (wearable) piece of history

November 13, 2014 by Sara Radin in nostalgia

hypebeast's gavin brown says a jacket tagged by jean-michel basquiat and stephen sprouse was recently auctioned off // "new york’s underground art scene of the 1980′s was an environment charged with artistic potential, at the center of which was the popular after-hours club danceteria. the club was often frequented by the likes of andy warhol, keith haring, run dmc, the beastie boys and the young madonna. a relic of that time and place is this jacket, the result of an elevator attendant of the club who invited celebrity guests and artists to leave their mark on this jacket that she wore. of these, the most notable is the prolific graffiti artist jean michel-basquiat, and fashion designer and artist stephen sprouse. estimated at $7-10,000, the jacket finally went for $9,100 for what is a last remaining mark of two creative powerhouses of the 20th century."

time to save up for the next fashion relic!

* images via hypebeast *

editorial // art studio by elle canada // may 2014

November 12, 2014 by Sara Radin in editorial

* wearable pop art was seen in elle canada last may featuring colorful designs by chanel, celine, prada and christopher kane as well as paintings by contemporary artist kim dorland // modeled by dajana // styled by juliana schiavinatto // hair + makeup by veronica chu *

runway // etro menswear spring 2015

November 11, 2014 by Sara Radin in runway

where fashion + food are typically an odd couple, etro's spring 2015 menswear collection was clever, humorous and visually stimulating. bright colored sportswear was combined with swirling paisley prints and plates of seafood, pasta and fish among other cooking concoctions. style.com says "etro being something of a philosopher, there was the obvious subtext that you are what you eat. so if you wear what you eat, you're punching the point home even harder." just some food for thought.

* images via style.com *

nostalgia // when barry met keith haring

November 07, 2014 by Sara Radin in nostalgia

keith haring // untitled // 1985 from artnet

in 1985 my cousin barry met keith haring outside of his pop shop in new york city and asked him to sign his denim shirt. the above, unrelated artwork was created around the same time // here's what happened when barry met haring: "in 1985 i happened to ride my bike past the pop shop on lafayette the day it opened. a small crowd of 15 or 20 people were huddled around keith haring who was signing prints, t-shirts and other merchandise they just bought from haring's new store. having always loved his work but not carrying a lock to ditch my bike and run to buy something, i asked him if he could draw a crawling baby on my back. we talked for a minute about how wonderful the new store was and that i was always a big fan of the murals he used to do in the subways and at construction sites on the black paper they covered up old advertisements with. he agreed and said he especially liked those posters. i still have the shirt he signed. i keep it in a box with the new york times announcement of his death from 1990."

editorial // art school by elle sweden

November 06, 2014 by Sara Radin in editorial

if only i looked this good in art school...

* images from elle sweden april 2013 via oracle fox // shot by andreas sjodin // styled by robert rydberg *

inspiration // winter wardrobe

November 05, 2014 by Sara Radin in inspiration

* preparing for a long, cold winter with oversized peacoats, chunky black leather boots, champagne colored silks, cozy + oversized neutral-toned knits, delicate lingerie, geode + rose gold jewelry, sleek + simple hair with extra pale skin and brick red lips/lids. time for a chilly trip to the beach *

runway // doodled dior homme // spring 2015

November 04, 2014 by Sara Radin in runway

dior's homme spring 2015 collection emphasized traditional tailored menswear updated with brightly colored doodles. the artful scribbles look like new, abstract stripes in which creative director kris van assche expressed the feeling of "letting it go." next spring, i'll be sporting the doodled sneakers and denim pieces from the men's department (despite cost + size!).

* images via style.com *

small talk // a gallery girl's love for jeff koons

October 31, 2014 by Sara Radin in small talk

* my gallery galpal ellen is jeff koons' biggest fan // here's why as well as her favorite pieces from the artist's recent retrospective at the whtiney *

jeff koons // split-rocker (orange/red) * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

cultureisland: you're a big fan of jeff koons. can you share with us why?

ellen: like so many others, i could not help but wonder "who is the man behind this huge puppy made out of flowers?" before there was split-rocker, there was puppy, and, no pun intended, it planted my curiosity for and love of jeff koons. recently, i was at the new school and had the privilege of hearing koons speak. i've always loved his originality, obsession with execution, at time youthful subjects, and use of flowers, both inflatable and living, and was impressed to hear the stories behind the works. not only do his sales, auction records, retrospective at the whitney, internationally located floral sculptures and impressive list of collectors amaze, but he is showing the viewer ideas in unexpected ways. no one pushes the envelope more than he does and for that, i applaud him.

cultureisland: what are your favorite koons artworks?

ellen: in 2001 jeff koons collaborated with espresso company illy to design a limited edition set of six cups with saucers. a decade later, i saw them displayed in a family friend's home and thought "i have to have these!" fast forward to 2014, i received them for my birthday (a lucky find!), and was excited to see the artworks that inspired them at his recent retrospective at the whitney. i find koons' work reminiscent of my childhood, youth, and even drawings i once made. in this way, his easy fun series resonates with me. the flattened stainless steal "mirror" animals are both masterfully executed and yet perfectly simple shapes... all too many of which flooded our instagrams with shameless selfies captured in their reflective surfaces. i didn't miss the whitney's last night of the exhibit on sunday, october 19th when the museum stayed open for 36 straight hours.

jeff koons // tulips // 1995-98 * photo from the whitney museum of american art * — jeff koons // *tulips* // 1995-98 * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

jeff koons // kangaroo (red) // 1999 * photo from the whitney museum of american art * — jeff koons // *kangaroo (red)* // 1999 * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

jeff koons // inflatable flowers // 1979 * photo from the whitney museum of american art * — jeff koons // *inflatable flowers* // 1979 * photo from the whitney museum of american art *

// more about jeff koons >> here

(halloween) inspiration // tennis anyone?

October 30, 2014 by Sara Radin in inspiration

* retro tennis vibes for halloween // featuring umit benan menswear spring/summer 2015, alexander wang rtw spring/summer 2015, jeremy scott rtw fall/winter 2015 + a whole lotta nike, pleated skirts and sporty stripes *