Fenty Beauty, the brand founded by musician Rihanna in 2017, had possibly its most adventurous releases in 2022. In August that year the company launched a set of 6 packets containing a mystery substance produced by cheeky Brooklyn art collective MSCHF (which I hope to cover eventually), and in December, a $500 crystal-studded lipstick case to celebrate the brand’s 5th anniversary. While I’ve been using Fenty since its inception – the matte foundation, cheek stix, and lipsticks are excellent – it’s the limited-edition products with special packaging that go into the Makeup Museum. However, having skipped this year’s holiday lineup, a collab with video game-inspired animated series Arcane, today I’m looking back at 2022’s Navy collection. Illustrated by L.A.-based cartoonist Obi, the Navy set is a nod to the nickname for Rihanna’s fan base, which in turn comes from one of her song lyrics, 2009’s “G4L”: “We’re an army / Better yet, a navy / Better yet, crazy”

Before we delve into the set, let’s take a peek at the work of the artist behind it. First generation Nigerian-American Obi Arisukwu was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Strongly influenced by cartoons and superheroes, particularly the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, he began drawing at the age of 3. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Design and went on to become the lead graphic designer for ConocoPhillips, doing illustration on the side. After 4 years in the corporate world, however, he had enough. “When I was working at ConocoPhillips, I loved it at first. Then slowly and slowly, it became the same mundane pattern of going to work, being in a cubicle, and never being able to express my creativity. My talents weren’t being utilized the way they should have been. For instance, I was the head graphic designer there, but I was doing PowerPoint presentations. After a while it was kind of, “What am I here for? This is not really what I want to do. I really want to get into cartoons.’”

Comic strip by Obi Aris

This was also a period of rapid growth for Instagram, where Obi would be inspired by other artists’ work as well as their ability to quickly cultivate large audiences. At the age of 30, he quit his job and moved back in with his parents to pursue illustration full-time. Obi acknowledges the first 6 months were difficult, as he had to learn to set up a business and earn clients, but ultimately his talent and perseverance paid off. “Living with my parents, they’re really great. They’ve always supported me and it’s like a really good Airbnb. It’s definitely tough because when you first quit and go on your own, you’re going to go through that period, that downfall, of where you’re not getting any business or no clientele because you’re still working on your service, still working on getting yourself out there. Then, for me, after like six months, I started getting a lot more projects. I really stopped doing graphic design work to focus more on illustrations. This is one of those things where you don’t give up.” Yay for supportive parents! (Side note: His mother’s only request was for Obi to buy her a Chanel bag after he had achieved success.)

Comic strip by Obi Aris

In December 2017 Obi posted a comic strip loosely based on his life as a millennial. This proved enormously popular – it was the most engagement he had ever received on his Instagram posts – and he began posting a new comic each Friday. “The comic strip parodies real life situations like dating, friendships, politics, etc. Even though I’m the main character in the strips, I’ve taken on the role as the ‘every man’ so that the comic strips is relatable to everyone who reads it. [The strips were just the everyday things that we go through [as] millennials…Whatever it is and kind of making it to where people can just resonate,” he explains.

Comic strip by Obi Aris

It’s a gentle humor that doesn’t stray into corny “dad joke” territory. I’m not too up to date on my comics and cartoons, but Obi’s work seems to be a breath of fresh air in an age of sarcastic, “edgy” or even offensive animated series (South Park, Family Guy) or the nonsensical (Aqua Teen Hunger Force and other Adult Swim programming). While I’m partial to the likes of Archer and Metalocalypse, I also appreciate Bob’s Burgers and Home Movies, or comics such as the Far Side. A light-hearted, softer type of humor is not a bad thing!

Obi continued with the comic but also drew Black pop cultural icons, athletes and other important figures. “There’s a lot of awesome things happening in the Black community, so I like to showcase that in my art,” he says. In 2018 Obi’s illustration of Childish Gambino from his “This Is America” video went viral, earning over 30,000 likes in 24 hours. Obi followed that up with another viral post featuring Will & Jaden Smith.

Illustration of Childish Gambino by Obi Aris

Illustration of Will and Jaden Smith by Obi Aris

While these viral pieces may have led to the collaboration with Fenty and other opportunities, it was Obi’s “every man” comic that landed him his own animated series on HBO. The news was announced in early 2021, but it’s unclear as to when the show will actually debut. It will have the same vibe as his comic – a show about day-to-day life as a Black millennial man. Obi expands on his vision for the show as it pertains to race: “This cartoon is not just about me, it’s about society as a whole. It’s just kind of through the lens of a Black person. But it’s definitely a cartoon that everybody can watch…My biggest thing that I want to do when it comes to bringing diversity, especially with my Obi cartoon, is that I want to show the world that we live in as Black people, that’s not all about us getting shot by the police…we’re more than just victims all the time. I want to have four Black main characters who literally are just living life trying to make it in this world…OBI is the daily experiences we all can relate to, it’s just from the Black perspective. We always see us getting shot. We see slavery and racial injustice all the time. Sometimes we [Black people] need to escape from that. We’re more than the racial shit that happens to us. We have other things going on too. This cartoon will have moments where it does address being Black, but it’ll still have the comedy element to it. We’re more than our racial injustices…This show is about all the day-to-day, societal issues that go through as Black people that other races can relate to as well and laugh at with us.” This is a really important point that I think sometimes gets lost, especially in conversations regarding racial justice. Black people are more than their trauma and while it’s critical to acknowledge racism and work towards dismantling it, highlighting everyday life is also essential. Indeed, Obi rarely explores instances of racism, but when he does, it’s still done with the same humor.

Comic strip by Obi Aris(images from obiaris.com)

Now, time for the makeup! The Navy set consists of a zipped canvas bag, a refillable lipstick in a limited edition blue case, a navy blue eyeliner and a cute little mirror. The lipstick shade is MVP, a classic red. (As I didn’t want to break the seal on the refill I don’t have pictures of it, but hopefully the stock photo will show you how pretty it is.)

Red lipstick and metallic tube

I spent a good hour searching for photos of Rihanna as she is shown on the set – one with her hair down, green patterned sunglasses perched on her forehead, and lots of jewelry – and the other depicting her with Bantu knots, a green fur coat, white tee and blue cargo pants. Then I watched Obi’s Instagram video about the set and realized that, being an artist, he used his imagination to create these images rather than blindly copying her actual outfits. As someone who does not have any sort of creative flair, it didn’t occur to me that this would be his process! Anyway, there are a few images of Rihanna that can be seen in the video.

Screen shot of Obi at work

Eight photos of Rihanna in various outfits
(Images from elle.com, essence.com, pinterest.com, fashioncow.com, essence.com, people.com, justjared.com)

The collection was generally well-received, and the retail price of $58 for the set was quite reasonable given that it was adorned with original artwork and the practicality of the items included. Everyone can use a makeup bag, mirror, navy eyeliner and red lipstick, no?

Canvas pouch, mirror, navy blue eyeliner and lipstick case featuring illustrations of Rihanna

However, some Instagrammers took issue with the depiction of Rihanna’s forehead. Between Fenty Beauty’s account and Obi’s, there were roughly 100 comments accusing Obi of making her forehead too large.

Screenshot of Instagram comments

Normally I don’t address meritless criticism such as this – I try to “ignore the haters” as they say – but the reason I’m bringing this up is because I am massively confused. I think her forehead appears totally normal-sized. And while marketing teams sometimes slip up and let mistakes happen, even major ones, I would think that if it really was out of proportion the set wouldn’t have been allowed to be sold and Obi would have had to go back to the drawing board, literally. Beauty brands, particularly celebrity lines, fiercely protect the images of their founders and must show their them in the best possible light at all times.

This is just one of many things I’d like to chat with the artist about! I would have emailed Obi for an interview as he seems incredibly down to earth and approachable, but the week between Christmas and New Year’s isn’t really the best time to reach out to people, so in the end I decided not to. I am still wondering how the collab came about, what the process was like working with the company, if he got to meet or interact with Rihanna at all, and why he chose the images he did as inspiration when creating the artwork for the set. I’d also like to hear what’s happening with his HBO show as I am eager to watch it, and, of course, if he ever purchased a Chanel bag for his mom.

What do you think of Obi’s work and the Navy collection? I really enjoyed it and hope to see more collabs with Black artists. As I’ve pointed out, the cosmetics industry is seriously lagging behind in this regard. I do have one regret, which is not entering Obi’s giveaway contest – he provided signed sets to 5 lucky winners. Obviously I’d love to have a set personally signed by the artist. 😊







Sources

Emerald Pellot, “Cartoonist Obi Arisukwu Is Bringing His Dream Animated Series to Life,” In the Know, March 16, 2021.

Niko Rose, “Obi Arisukwu on His Creative Journey, Project with HBO Max,” Blavity, September 30, 2021.

Sofiya Ballin, “Meet the Nigerian American Cartoonist Animating the Biggest moments in Black Popular Culture,” Okay Africa, November 8, 2018.

Check Out Obi Arisukwu’s Artwork,” Voyage Houston, July 11, 2018.

Obi Aris Interview, Mint Mag, February 14, 2020.

Joann Njeri, Interview with Obi Arisukwu x Naija Comm, March 19, 2023.

These last two links seemed to have disappeared from the internet, alas.

https://www.sheenmagazine.com/cartoonist-obi-arisukwu-talks-starting-over-success-and-finding-the-funny-in-between/ – Oct. 16, 2018

https://knoonline.com/the-cartoon-life/ – Sept. 16, 2018

Took a while, but I'm pleased to finally talk about Mikimoto's gorgeous collection from holiday 2020. As with the holiday 2018 and 2019 collections, the company enlisted an artist to create the packaging. For the Twinkle Pearls lineup, Mikimoto collaborated with London-based illustrator (and southpaw!) Fee Greening.

Greening illustrated a charming zodiac theme using her signature dip pen, ink and watercolor process.

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

As with the 2018 collection, the moisturizer is housed in a luminous, iridescent sphere that imitates the brilliance of genuine pearls.

Mikimoto holiday 2020

Mikimoto holiday 2020

Strands of pearls border the zodiac design on the palette, while the blush is delicately embossed with stars and an oyster shell opened to reveal a shiny pearl.

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Gemstones surround a rather regal goddess wearing an elaborate crown made of pearl strands affixed to an oyster shell in the center. The star motif and wave-like clouds in the background fuse the celestial and oceanic atmospheres.

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

The interior of the box depicts a disembodied hand festooned with pearl strands, while the goddess perches on a lion escorting her through the heavens.

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Both the makeup pouch and travel case display more of the lovely illustrations as well as a quote. I'm assuming the latter is from Mikimoto.

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

Fee Greening (b. 1990) always wanted to draw. Seeing famous paintings in galleries on travels with her parents, she would try to replicate them at home, with much frustration. But she found the right medium when she received a dip pen and ink as a gift. "I used to go to galleries in London with my family and try to recreate oil paintings unsuccessfully with my crayons at home and get very frustrated," she says. "When I was around ten, someone in my family gave me a Murano glass dip pen from Venice. It took a long time to get used to it. For the first few years it was hard to get the ink to run off smoothly and it would often drip. Now I have developed a muscle memory of what angle to hold my pen and it no longer happens."

Fee Greening at work
(image from feegreening.co.uk)

As evidenced by the above photo of Greening, intricate dip pen illustrations require a lot of time and attention to detail. The finished product is well worth it, however, for both artist and client. "It is a very slow process, the pen can only draw 1/2cm before you need to re-dip it. I also have to wait for it to dry for couple of minutes so I don’t smudge or drag my long hair across the wet ink. Although there are many wonderful aspects of living in a digital age, it has given us very short attention spans. I think we crave traditional analogue outlets to balance out our scrolling culture. A detailed drawing is not only precious because of its beauty but also because of the time dedicated to making it," she says.

Thematically, since childhood Greening has been fascinated by the common narratives within medieval, Renaissance and Gothic art. "I always had a flair for the dramatic as a child, and loved storytelling. I think that’s where my interest in Renaissance and Gothic art came from…There are so many great heroines and doomed love affairs depicted in those artistic eras that I was really drawn to. I think, even though I didn’t know it then, I was very interested in fate and divine will. Characters fated to unavoidable doomed love like Tristan and Iseult, characters answering a calling like Joan of Arc or characters whose decisions had so many repercussions like Pandora and Eve. Maybe it was something to do with coming of age." This interest is expressed through the fairy tale quality in Greening's work. Take, for example, the story she created for Gucci's Acqua di Fiori fragrance in 2018, which depicts half-human, half-flower girls "blossoming" into women. Greening explains, "I explored the perfume’s themes of female coming of age, friendship and metamorphosis, I wanted the girls to literally blossom into women. I looked specifically at mandrakes in medieval illuminated manuscripts. Mandrakes were said to be half human half plant and when pulled from the soil let out a high pitch scream. I wanted to create an idyllic floral world for the budding mandrakes to frolic in and transform into women. I’ve known my closest female friends since my late teens. Drawing these reminded me of our early years of friendship, lazing around barefoot in a sunny garden surrounded by flowers." The inclusion of butterflies completes the theme of transformation.

Fee Greening, illustration for Gucci Acqua di Fiori, 2018 Fee Greening, illustration for Gucci Acqua di Fiori, 2018(images from acquadifiori.gucci.com)

What's wonderful about Greening's Instagram feed, in addition to seeing work that's not on her website, is that it occasionally includes the artworks that inspire her. Here are some illustrations of mandrakes from medieval books, along with a detail of the mythical Daphne turning into a tree.
Mandrake illustrations

Giambattista Tiepolo, Apollo and Daphne (detail), ca. 1774
(image from @museelouvre)

Indeed, the concepts of transformation and magic through the lens of medieval and Renaissance art – whether earthly pursuits such as astronomy and botany or mythical like mandrakes and alchemy – figure prominently in Greening's work. While she delights in the fanciful side ("if money was no object I would happily just draw demons and angels," she notes), ultimately her work centers on revealing the magic of natural processes and phenomena. "I enjoy looking for something hallowed and fantastical in every day life." A good example is the triptych Greening created for Martin Brudnizki's Linnaean spa project. The spa's namesake comes from Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist who developed a "flower clock" in 1748* by planting certain blooms that opened and closed at specific times of day. The center panel of Greening's triptych combines a joyful rendition of an original flower clock illustration with surrounding flora and fauna arranged symmetrically, reminiscent of those found in medieval manuscripts. While the flower clock is based on various scientific principles, Greening uncovers the wonder of this concept and reminds us of the magic hidden in nature. Who would ever think one could use flowers to tell time?! That sounds quite fantastical to me, like something from Alice in Wonderland.

Fee Greening for Martin Brudnizki
(image from feegreening.co.uk)

Carl Linnaeus - Flower clock illustration
(image from pinterest)

The same periods in Western art history also influenced Greening's style. "I think my fascination with medieval and gothic styles comes from visiting churches and museums in Italy with my family when I was young," she says. After graduating from London's famed Central St. Martin's in 2012, she received a Master's degree in illustration from the Royal Academy of Arts in 2014. It was at the Academy that she further developed her aesthetic, diving into the plentiful examples of medieval manuscripts and alchemical drawings offered there. "There was such an extensive section [on them] in the library. I was already drawing similar themes and using dip pens, so the more research I did on the era the more it reinforced my style. I tend to use the same straight on perspective, heavily detailed borders, hand written text, natural color palette, botanical specimens and symbology. Alchemical drawings are detailed but laid out in very simple, ordered compositions which is something I try to emulate in my own work." These influences are especially apparent in Greening's capitalized letters, which emulate a modern, light-hearted spirit while distinctly retaining their medieval origins.

Fee Greening initial and medieval manuscript comparison

These plants fused with jewels and a print entitled "forget-me-not" embody the strange, somewhat surreal nature of alchemical drawings.  Seemingly disparate elements floating in the ether – flowers, gems, insects, hands – are merged with text to form a dreamlike yet orderly space.

Fee Greening, tulip and iris prints, 2019

Fee Greening, Forget-Me-Not
(images from @feegreening)

I chose a few images from alchemical texts that looked similar in terms of composition, text arrangement and motifs.

Alchemical illustration, ca. 1700s(image from archive.org)

Illustration from the Thesaurus of Alchemy, ca. 1725
(image from wellcomecollection.org)

It's unclear how Mikimoto's partnership with Greening came about, but it's not surprising given her previous collaborations including beauty illustrations for Sisley. Perhaps the company observed Greening's love of pearls, shells and coral.  Additionally, Mikimoto may have spoken to the artist's interests: pearls can be considered a symbol of metamorphosis or alchemy, as sand is transformed by oysters into a precious and beautiful material.

Fee Greening, Sun and Moon prints, 2019

Fee Greening, Coral and Shell prints, 2019

Fee Greening, Miscellany of the Sea, 2019

Fee Greening, pearl trinket box, 2018

Fee Greening, Elton John, 2018
(images from @feegreening)

Once again, it's great to observe the images that rattle around in the artist's brain as she conceives of her drawings. Here are a few pearly details from Greening's IG page.

Sandro Botticelli, Portrait of a Young Woman (detail), ca. 1480-1485
(image from conceptualfinearts.com)

Saint Justina of Padua, Bartolomeo Montagna, ca. 1490s
(image from artvee.com)

This one did not appear on her IG but I can see where her fascination with pearl borders comes from!

Simon Bening, St. Luke Writing his Gospel and Painting the Virgin, ca. 1515
(image from themorgan.org)

The selection of a zodiac theme is a bit unexpected for Mikimoto. Something that looked out towards the sea rather than skyward may have been more appropriate. However, it's obvious how much Greening enjoys illustrating the zodiac and other celestial motifs. It looks as though she slightly modified her Celestial design for Mikimoto to make it more fitting.

Fee Greening, Celestial cashmere throw blanket

I love how she pays homage to and re-imagines some of the details from various 17th century illustrations in the collection for Mikimoto, such as the scrolls, stars and fine line work.

Mikimoto holiday 2020: Fee Greening

28 phases of the moon in a lunar month. Engraving by Pierre Miotte, 1646
(image from wellcomecollection.org)

Moon Phases from Harmonia Macrocosmica by Andreas Cellarius, 1660
(image from design-is-fine.org)

These next two zodiac designs from the 1600s have not popped up in Greening's Instagram feed, but I would be surprised if she hadn't looked to them for inspiration. I'm also certain she owns a copy of this book.

Oedipus Aegyptiacus: Zodiac, ca. 1652. By Athanasius Kircher
(image from mythicalcreatures.edwardworthlibrary.ie)

Oedipus Aegyptiacus: Egyptian Zodiac, ca. 1652-1654. By Athanasius Kircher(image from library.cornell.edu)

My only complaint about Greening's design is that mermaids were strangely absent. Given that the artist has incorporated them into previous commissions and even chose bathroom tiles with a mermaid pattern for her home, I'm a bit disappointed not to see them on the Mikimoto packaging. Plus, they would have aligned nicely with the mer-folk on Mikimoto's previous holiday collections. These invitations and the mermaids therein are inspired by medieval and Renaissance maps…

Wedding invitation by Fee Greening

…especially the ladies in the invitation on the right below.

Event invitations by Fee Greening

1603 Latin edition of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum of Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598)(images from @feegreening and columbia.edu)

Absolutely adore these tiles. The mermaid comes from a volume called Solidonius Philosophus, published around 1710 (there appear to be a couple different versions.) The mermaid is depicted with the 4 elements.

Mermaid tiles
(image from @feegreening)

Mermaids from Solidonius Philosophe(images from collections.library.yale.edu and oraedes.fr)

Overall, while it wasn't a perfect match in my eyes, Greening did an excellent job for Mikimoto. I wish the company had come up with any sort of narrative as they did with the previous two holiday collections. While they weren't the most coherent – I think something was getting lost in translation – Mikimoto at least tried to tell a story invoking the magic of the holiday season and tying it back to pearls. Greening is a skilled storyteller so her talents were somewhat wasted in that regard. Nevertheless, it's a visually beautiful collection, and my inner art history geek greatly admires Greening's style and influences.

What do you think of this collection and Greening's work? If she ever makes a mermaid print I'm buying every single item!

 

*Linnaeus recorded the year he developed the clock as 1748 in his notes, which he published as the Philosophia Botanica in 1751.

It took me way too long to return to Dream Teams, but it's back in time for Black History Month! The second installment features five more Black artists whose work I think would make fantastic beauty packaging. Sadly, since the first edition of this series in the summer of 2020 there has not been a single Black visual artist featured on a mainstream makeup brand. My pleas continue to fall on deaf ears. Since companies still aren't collaborating with Black painters/photographers/multimedia artists, I figured it may be at least somewhat useful to keep sharing the work of notable Black artists within the context of makeup. As noted previously, the artist bios are kept quite brief for now – especially because the volume of information is overwhelming – but if they ever appear on beauty packaging I will go more in-depth. And obviously I acknowledge that artist collaborations, particularly imaginary ones, won't magically solve the beauty industry's racism problem, but it's a relatively easy step towards better representation and increased visibility.

The artist: Lorna Simpson

The brand: Adwoa Beauty

Why: The collages of Lorna Simpson (b. 1961) are a perfect match for modern, gender-neutral hair care brand Adwoa Beauty.1 Both celebrate the beauty of Black and/or multicultural hair textures – Simpson through combining vintage magazine cut-outs with vibrant colors and naturally occurring phenomena, and Adwoa through normalizing natural hair. Haircare is usually beyond the Makeup Museum's purview, but the similar perspectives of the artist and brand were so obvious I had no choice but to highlight them. Adwoa Beauty was founded by Liberian-born, New York City-raised Julian Addo, who was frustrated by the lack of modern, non-gendered products for natural hair. Every item on the market was being continually updated except products for natural hair. "I didn’t see the [modernization] happening with textured haircare," she says. "The packaging and the branding looked the same in 2015 as they did in 1994…Initially, I didn’t want to start a company. I was used to working behind the scenes. So I pitched a concept [about a modernized haircare brand for textured hair] to Sally Beauty and some of my other clients, but no one really moved on the idea. That’s how Adwoa Beauty was born–out of my frustration with the industry and how it represented Black women, and from my desire to have a clean, modern, gender-neutral brand that caters to textured hair. That didn’t exist prior to us launching in October 2017."

Adwoa Beauty
(images from sephora.com)

Around 2011 Simpson stumbled across her grandmother's old copies of Jet and Ebony magazines while cleaning up her studio. Her first instinct was to preserve them in archival sleeves, but then she was inspired to make collages. Over 150 of these pieces from 2011-2017 are included in the compendium Lorna Simpson Collages. A selection of images from the Phenomenon and Earth and Sky series would be fitting for Adwoa Beauty's packaging. Pairing women from '60s and '70s issues of Ebony and Jet with geological and astrological illustrations from old science textbooks, Simpson replaces their hair with gems and galaxies.  "The overall effect – both regal and otherworldly – is a joyful homage to the irrepressible stature of Black hair," notes Emma de Clercq at Infringe.

Lorna Simpson, Earth and Sky #24, 2016

Simultaneously celestial and earthly, the works do not erase Black women's hair but rather elevate it. Black hair re-asserts itself as a locus of self-expression and beauty instead of discrimination. As author Elizabeth Alexander writes in Collages' introduction, "In Lorna Simpson’s collages 'the black and the boisterous' hair is the universal governing principle. Black women’s heads of hair are galaxies unto themselves, solar systems, moonscapes, volcanic interiors. The hair she paints has a mind of its own. It is sinuous and cloudy and fully alive. It is forest and ocean, its own emotional weather. Black women’s hair is epistemology, but we cannot always discern its codes."

Lorna Simpson, Earth and Sky #50, 2018

Lorna Simpson, Phenomena, 2016-2017(images from lsimpsonstudio.com)

The simplicity of the collages' design and attention paid to the advertising aspect are echoed in some of Adwoa Beauty's marketing. Compare Simpson's thoughts on makeovers used to sell products and the brand's images. "I try to keep the collages very simple, as well as the character, the facing, and all the tropes of advertising from those particular moments. In a lot of the advertising from the sixties and seventies, there’s this whole focus on before and after in terms of makeup and appearance. The forlorn, concerned expression is before the makeover. They are amazing portraits, even for that time, because there is a subtext of political strife in terms of the before and after during the civil rights era. You have these expressions of concern that appear in advertising that are somewhat parallel to what’s going on culturally." While Adwoa Beauty's before-and-after photos don't hold the same significance described by the artist, they are powerful in their own right for normalizing and celebrating the hair textures of people of color. "Our images and marketing can fit in anywhere that beauty products are sold," Addo says. "'Normalize Being Kinky' is one of our taglines, and we are making sure that people of color know that there’s an assortment of products for them, including in prestigious retailers like Sephora. They can walk in and shop in the same aisles, not just the ethnic aisle."

Adwoa Beauty
(images from adwoabeauty.com)

Both Simpson's work and Adwoa Beauty's products enhance rather than "correct" and express the true meaning of Black hair, and for this I believe they are meant for each other.

The artist: Richard Mayhew

The brand: Viseart

Why: The abstract landscapes of California-based artist Richard Mayhew (b. 1924) have some of the most exquisite color schemes I've ever laid eyes on. Just like the eyeshadow palettes of French brand Viseart, Mayhew's use of color is vibrant but not overpowering, and provides unusual yet harmonious shade combinations.

Richard Mayhew, Desire 2019

Viseart Loveletter palette(image from sephora.com)

Mayhew is inspired by his Native American and African American heritage and chose the landscape genre to express his peoples' spiritual connection to nature. "What I do with landscapes is internalize my emotional interpretation of desire, hope, fear, and love. So, instead of a landscape, it’s a mindscape…My mindscapes are also about the healing of the long trauma that Black and native communities have experienced collectively," he says.

Richard Mayhew, Lumbee, 2009

He does not sketch or plan his paintings; they are mostly improvised, much like the jazz he listens to while working. "I just put paint on the canvas and that’s suggestive of what will emerge," he says.

Richard Mayhew, Good Morning, 2000

While Mayhew, an active arts advocate and teacher, has had over 40 solo exhibitions over the course of his career, his work is not as recognized as other Black artists of his era, especially compared to the ones from Spiral, a notable group of Black artists he helped establish in the 1960s. Unlike other Spiral artists, Mayhew's work isn't overtly political and does not employ figurative or narrative components. "Even though he was very much part of the movements in New York City, he doesn’t really fit that niche that some people want Black art to fit into: narrative quality, political and Civil Rights [imagery]. Because of that I think a lot of people don’t know how to address his work," says ACA Galleries curator Mikaela Sardo LaMarche. "And as a consequence, he’s been on the sidelines a bit." Adds Richard’s daughter Ina, "His contribution was different. It is spiritual. He’s taking on the spirit of the time and Civil Rights movement in tones of color."

Richard Mayhew, Nyack, 1975(images from sfmoma.org)

As for Viseart, the brand was originally intended for makeup artists; most of the palettes were geared towards the needs of professionals. In the past 3-4 years, however, they've expanded their eyeshadow palette selection that skew towards the average makeup user, creating appealing color stories and textures that retain an artistic spirit yet are foolproof for regular consumers. While the color combinations are unexpected, they are tremendously pleasing and different than most of what's on the market, much like Mayhew's landscapes.

The artist: Alma Thomas

The brand: Clinique

Why: Maybe because I'm still in awe of the Alma Thomas exhibition I had the great fortune of seeing back in December, but her work is truly stunning and I would dearly love to see it on makeup packaging. Heck, I want to see it on everything. Thomas (1891-1978) taught art at public schools in DC for most of her life, only taking up painting seriously in 1960 upon her retirement from teaching. Previously she attended art classes at American University and while she painted and exhibited still lifes in group shows, it wasn't until the 1960s that she embarked on abstract color paintings. As art historian Regenia Perry explained in the 1992 book Free within Ourselves: African-American Artists in the Collection of the National Museum of American Art, "From the window of her house she enjoyed watching the ever-changing patterns that light created on her trees and flower garden. So inspired, her new paintings passed through an expressionist period, followed by an abstract one, to finally a nonobjective phase…Color was the basis of her painting, undeniably reflecting her life-long study of color theory as well as the influence of luminous, elegant abstract works by Washington-based Color Field painters such as Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, and Gene Davis…Earliest to win acclaim was her series of Earth paintings — pure color abstractions of concentric circles that often suggest target paintings and stripes. Done in the late 1960s, these works bear references to rows and borders of flowers inspired by Washington’s famed azaleas and cherry blossoms. The titles of her paintings often reflect this influence. In these canvases, brilliant shades of green, pale and deep blue, violet, deep red, light red, orange, and yellow are offset by white areas of untouched raw canvas, suggesting jewel-like Byzantine mosaics."

Alma Thomas, A Fantastic Sunset, 1970
(image from christies.com)

Thomas began a second major series entitled Space, which was inspired by the moon landing in 1969. "Like the Earth series these paintings also evoke mood through color, yet several allude to more than a color reference. The majority of Thomas’s Space paintings are large sparkling works with implied movement achieved through floating patterns of broken colors against a white background." My favorite of this series is The Eagle Has Landed. (Pardon the quality of the next few photos…the lighting at the Phillips was not the best.)

Alma Thomas, The Eagle Has Landed

Clinique has done a number of collaborations over the years, but to my knowledge, none have been with Black artists or designers. Unlike the work of some color field artists that can appear a bit somber despite their vibrant palettes, Thomas's work appears remarkably upbeat, making it an excellent match for the playful mood of Clinique. And while fragrance is not in the Museum's wheelhouse, I would absolutely buy a bottle of Happy fragrance if Thomas's work was on it, as it conveys a wonderful sense of joy (or at least, I got immense joy looking at her paintings.)

Alma Thomas, Cumulus, 1972

Here is a reproduction of a dress she wore to her exhibition openings, originally designed by Maceo E. McCray. Per the wall label at the Phillips, "Thomas was known as a fashionable dresser who often selected clothes that coordinated with the palette of her works. McCray's design went further, using texture and color to both complement and contrast Thomas's paintings, ensuring the artist would shine at her exhibition openings."

Dress for Alma Thomas originally designed by Maceo E. McCray

So I also think Thomas, with her interest in fashion, would have been in favor of her work appearing on a makeup line.

The artist: Gordon Parks

The brand: Fashion Fair

Why: Gordon Parks (1912-2006) was a truly legendary master of photography. Entirely self-taught, he purchased a camera at the age of 25, referring to it as his "choice of weapon": "I saw that the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs. I knew at that point i had to have a camera." While Parks is best known for photojournalism, spotlighting social justice issues relating to race and class, more recently his fashion imagery has garnered attention. Along with many other outlets, Parks worked for Life, Vogue and Ebony magazines. Ebony co-founder Eunice Johnson created Fashion Fair and its accompanying line of cosmetics, so a collection featuring Gordon Parks is meant to be, especially considering both Parks and Johnson broke barriers in their respective fields. Plus, the minimal design of Fashion Fair's current packaging would make an excellent vehicle to display the quiet elegance of Parks' subjects and his equally graceful images of them.

Gordon Parks, Sally Alvis Parks, 1947(image from artbook.com)

Fashion Fair Cosmetics, 2021

Parks launched his photography career in 1939 at a high-end department store in St. Paul, Minnesota. He wrote in his 1990 autobiography, about Vogue: "Along with its fashion pages, I studied the names of its famous photographers—Steichen, Blumenfeld, Horst, Beaton, Hoyningen-Huené, thinking meanwhile that my own name could look quite natural among them."

Gordon Parks, Marva Louis, 1941(image from cartermuseum.org)

Dr. Deborah Willis, professor and author of an essay from the catalog that accompanied the 2018 exhibition Gordon Parks: The New Tide, Early Work 1940-1950, believes an 1890 photo of Parks' mother, Sarah Ross Parks, was responsible for his interest in fashion photography and the notion of Black women asserting both their personal agency and sense of style through photography. She explains, "I imagine Gordon understood his mother through the lens of that image, his mother outside of raising children…I see this image as pivotal of what it meant to have a portrait made at that time. It allowed Sarah Ross Parks to create the personality and character of a woman who, within a 30-year period after Emancipation, and how she is using this space as a place to acknowledge not only her femininity and her sense of self as a free woman…Gordon was placing these women in this clothing in these high powered places like New York or Chicago – and seeing these spaces, they had a right to dress and be in these environments."

Gordon Parks, Eartha Kitt, 1952
(image from potd.pdnonline.com) 

This photo is noted as an outtake from a 1978 Revlon shoot so we can assume Parks was responsible for photographing the Polished Ambers campaign, or at least some of it. Here's proof he was skilled at beauty photography too, which makes a collab with a cosmetics brand all the more apt.

Gordon Parks, Revlon outtake featuring Iman, 1978(image from vogue.com) 

I'm envisioning the above photos on palettes encased in heavy-duty acrylic (like NARS' Man Ray collection), as that simple yet sophisticated design would be a fitting tribute to Parks' photographic style.

The artist: Charles C. Dawson

The brand: Sweet Georgia Brown

Why (and what?!): Charles Dawson (1889-1981) was the artist and designer behind the packaging for, among other notable brands, the Chicago-based Valmor Products. Dawson essentially served as the brand's first creative director, establishing an early pop-art style that fused traditional femininity with bold sexual appeal. (Jay Jackson later took over for Dawson at Valmor.) However, the (white) owners of the company would not permit Dawson to sign his work. It wasn't until recently that Dawson was finally credited for his work for Valmor.

Vintage Sweet Georgia Brown face powder

In a very informative article on Valmor at the Made in Chicago Museum's website, curator Andrew Clayman notes, "Though he might have been caught up in some of the cultural assimilation trends of the era—a survival requirement for some black professionals—Dawson was far from an apologist for blackness or someone running away from his heritage…his designs used sex to sell mainstream products in a way rarely seen before, with characters of ambiguous race, if not overtly black or Latino, and women who were just as pleased to seduce a man as pine for one."  The article also features the insight of the "godmother of brown beauty blogging", Afrobella creator Patrice Grell Yursik. She adds: "The packaging by Charles C. Dawson spoke directly to the aesthetic of the time. There absolutely is a light-skinned ideal in his design, but the fact the products existed in a time of need and offered a glimpse of black beauty in a Eurocentric landscape makes this far from a shameful chapter. I believe the products and positioning of Valmor ultimately helped to inspire future generations of beauty entrepreneurs to create even more products for an always-underserved market, celebrating more accurate reflections of diverse beauty over time."

Sweet Geogia Brown face powder ad(image from ds-exhibits.swarthmore.edu)

My fellow Gen X'ers might recall a brand called Sweet Georgia Brown from the mid-late '90s that used the same graphics as the original line owned by Valmor. But instead of catering to Black clientele, this iteration of Sweet Georgia Brown was geared towards the tween/teen set and featured lots of glitter and scented products.

Seventeen magazine, June 2000

So how did this happen? Well, according to the Made in Chicago Museum article, Valmor was sold to Richard Solomon, owner of RH Cosmetics, in 1985. Though most of Valmor's archives and products were thrown out (the horror! Solomon was only interested in the hair pomade), Richard's wife Myra apparently took notice of the Sweet Georgia Brown packaging, for she is credited with "revamping" Sweet Georgia Brown as a youth-focused brand.2 RH Cosmetics was sold to AM Cosmetics in December of 1996 and the sale included the Sweet Georgia Brown line.3 AM Cosmetics continued to produce it until 2003 or so.

Seventeen magazine, September 1996

Sadly, in all of the marketing, there was no mention of the history of the brand and zero effort to make it diverse. Not only did the fact that Sweet Georgia Brown was originally intended for Black customers go unmentioned, Dawson's role was completely unacknowledged once again. It's very probable that neither RH Cosmetics nor AM had any idea that Dawson was responsible for the graphics, and obviously diversity wasn't a priority for most cosmetic brands in the '90s, but both companies should have at least known Sweet Georgia Brown was meant for Black customers. All of this is to say that my recommendation is for a Black entrepreneur to take over the rights to the hair pomade (which is still available in some retail outlets, although it's not clear who owns it) and re-introduce Sweet Georgia Brown as a fully inclusive beauty line that ensures the public knows its origins, with Dawson's name printed on the packaging for every product. A brand new Sweet Georgia Brown website would have all of the company's history and extensive information on Dawson and his successor Jay Jackson.

What are your thoughts on these artists and the brands I've matched them with? Would they make good collabs or no?

 

 

1A year ago Simpson produced a series of collages featuring Rihanna for Essence magazine so it would seem that Fenty might be a better company match, but after exploring Simpson's work and other beauty lines, I thought a minimal hair care line made more sense for a collaboration.

2Women's Wear Daily, April 22, 2005.

3Myra Solomon sometimes used the name of her first husband, Smolev. Richard, Myra and her daughter Sydra were subsequently sued by AM for allegedly stealing trade secrets. Shortly thereafter Myra and Sydra began a new company called Just Having Fun Cosmetics, which mimicked AM's portfolio of teen/tween focused brands.

As lovely as Clé de Peau's vintage jewelry inspired compacts were, overall I prefer the artist collaborations they've been doing since about 2014 or so. Last year the company worked with Daria Petrilli for a second time on a Swan Lake themed collection. While it was a stunning lineup, there are a great many artists who would jump at the opportunity to create makeup packaging so I was relieved Clé de Peau sought out a different artist for this year's holiday collection. Like the 2018 release which was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, the 2021 collection was loosely based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel The Secret Garden. (Yet inexplicably the collection is entitled the Garden of Splendor. Go figure. I also wonder if the brand selected both The Secret Garden and Alice in Wonderland just to incorporate a key motif.) Clé de Peau enlisted the talent of Michaël Cailloux, a French artist whose illustrations provided the perfect backdrop for the collection.

A pattern of trailing ivy adorns the outer boxes, which open to reveal a menagerie of squirrels, lambs, foxes and birds frolicking in the garden. It's gorgeous but also thoughtful – the key is a nod to Clé de Peau's brand name, while the ivy and keyhole refer to the book's description of the garden walls covered in the plant and the unlocking of the garden door by the main character, Mary Lennox. As we'll see, Cailloux imbued all of the packaging with beautiful depictions of the central symbols used in the book.

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 mini lipstick set

The animals are a reference to the ones charmed by Dickon Sowerby, the "common moor boy" who helps Mary revive the garden.

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 mini lipstick set

The robin and roses are also important symbols in The Secret Garden: the bird leads Mary to find the garden and later represents her transformation from unhappy and unloved child to flourishing young girl. Roses, the deceased Mrs. Craven's favorite flower, illustrate the necessity of nurturing children.

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 eyeshadow

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 eyeshadow

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 eyeshadow

Later in the book Dickon cares for a motherless newborn lamb, further reinforcing the parallel between Mary and Colin and demonstrating that anyone can thrive when given love and support.

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 highlighter

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 highlighter

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 lipstick and blush

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 lipstick and blush

Other items in the collection included a face serum, cream and an exquisite cushion compact. Though lovely, the skincare items (at $295 and $550, respectively) were priced far above the Museum's budget. And sadly the cushion compact was not available in the U.S…but I am working on tracking it down!

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 face serum

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 face cream

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 face cream

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 cushion foundation
(images from cledepeaubeaute.com and @cledepeaubeaute)

Born and bred Parisian Michaël Cailloux (b. 1975) has loved drawing since he was a child. While he did not come from an artistic family, his mother encouraged his passion for drawing and art in general, allowing him to draw on the walls of their home and regularly taking him to museums. The artist reflects, "I've always loved drawing. Since I was a kid, it was my favorite hobby, I always had pencils or brushes on me. I could spend days by myself drawing in a corner of my room…I grew up alone with my mother in Paris. She wasn’t an artist and had never studied art. Despite that, she was my biggest fan and was always encouraging me to draw and she was constantly complimenting me. It definitely built up my confidence and motivated me to pursue this path even though I still had my doubts and cared a lot about other people’s opinion on the matter. I remember I used to draw on the walls at home and she would let me do it. She would hang my drawings on the walls of our apartment, she would buy me all the material I needed to stay creative and she never opposed me specializing in art during my studies. A lot of parents stop their kids from pursuing an artistic path because they fear for their future. But my mother was really sensitive to art, she would bring me to museums and various exhibitions, she taught me what freedom of thought was and she wouldn’t care too much about what people thought of her." I'm always so happy to see parents who are supportive of their children's dreams!

Michael Cailloux, Les 4 Saisons

In 1998 Cailloux graduated from the École Duperré School of Design, writing his senior paper on the use of the fly motif (mouche) in 17th century still-life paintings and as beauty patches (!) in 18th century French culture. Cailloux's research led to what would be a lifelong interest in flies as an artistic symbol and the utilization of the fly as his signature. He explains: "The fly always fascinated me since I was a kid; it’s part of our everyday life, flying around us. Sometimes we chase it away, other times we simply let it be…depending on our mood. We don’t realize it but it’s there, present in our day to day life. My passion for this harmless, yet hated little insect led me to make it the subject of my graduation project, my memoire. I decided to always have it by my side so I made it my symbol and my logo. It’s almost like my lucky charm. If you look carefully, it appears pretty often in my artwork, sometimes visible, other times indistinguishable.  Just like in your own life, you either see it and try to make it leave, or it just flies by you unnoticed. I always see them flying around my studio and to me it’s positive sign as they’re essential to biodiversity. [Flies] intrigue me and I find them attractive insofar as they come always disturb the eye." I personally hate flies and most other insects, but Cailloux does manage to make them pretty.

Michael Cailloux

Michael Cailloux, image for a greeting card for The Art File

Around 2009 Cailloux began experimenting with cutting and engraving copper to make what he terms "wall jewelry". Inspired by René Lalique, Cailloux was intrigued by the idea of hanging jewelry on walls purely as decor. While they're not actual fashion accessories that could be worn as necklaces, bracelets, etc. – it seems "jewelry" here refers more to the materials used – the intricate shapes and sculptural lines, coupled with a metallic sheen, certainly appear jewelry-like.

Michael Cailloux, Aquarium, 2016

In addition to metalwork, Cailloux is both experienced and gifted at translating his illustrations to whatever surface catches his fancy. "At school we were taught to work on different material: wood, metal, paper, linoleum, etc… It definitely allows me to apply my drawing on any surface I want. Despite all that, when I was contacted by Lenôtre, a famous French pastry shop, to work on a Yule log and Epiphany cake, it quite challenging! Currently, I’m working on a porcelain dinnerware collection with Bernardaud and once again, I have to adapt my drawings to fit the material. It’s not unsettling at this point anymore; it’s just another challenge. As well as for my collection Lemon Insect for Les Émaux de Longwy, I had to draw directly on the vases and jewelry boxes. All my past experiences prepared me for this and enabled me to adapt so easily!" It's true: in addition to makeup packaging, Cailloux's work can be modified to suit everything from playing cards and puzzles to cakes and advent calendars.

Michael Cailloux, Dior playing cards, 2016

Michael Cailloux, Lenotre advent calendar, 2018

Michael Cailloux, Bernardaud dinnerware, 2019

Michael Cailloux, 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle for Djeco

How stunning is this cake? Also, the wrapping paper doubles as a coloring sheet. I would dearly love to see an entire line of coloring books from Cailloux, especially ones devoted to sea creatures. 🙂

Michael Cailloux, Epiphany cake for Lenotre, 2019(images from michaelcailloux.com)

Stylistically, Cailloux cites William Morris, 17th century still-life paintings and the Art Nouveau movement as inspiration. Take, for example, his strawberry and sun print next to Morris's famous Strawberry Thief print.

Michael Cailloux print / William Morris Strawberry Thief

Cailloux has not mentioned Ernst Haeckel, but I'd also argue that his work is a touch reminiscent of the 19th century zoologist and draughtsman. Compare Cailloux's ocean-themed print with those of Haeckel. It's definitely modernized and more whimsical rather than meticulously grounded in biological reality, but I think there's a similar vibe.

Michael Cailloux(image from hoctok.com)

Ernst Haeckel
(images from publicdomainreview.org and commons.wikimedia.org)

More generally, Cailloux enjoys playing with color and looks to nature for his primary subject matter. "Colour and all the different possible combinations are one of my favourite things to play with. Colour is at the heart of my work. It continues to spark my creativity," he says, adding: "Nature is my main source of inspiration; I love observing and drawing everything about it. That’s why I travel so much and bring my sketchbooks and pens with me; it allows me to draw new things all the time. But then I have certain phases: sometimes I focus on insects that I adore, or on birds and fish I find extraordinary, or simply flowers that never cease to amaze me with their intricate details." Indeed, Cailloux captures the complexity and vibrant colors of various flora and fauna but his style is never overly busy or garish.

Michael Cailloux, Valentines Day design for Lenotre, 2019

And while Cailloux deftly applies his designs to a number of different mediums, drawing is his principal form, i.e. the starting point from which his work flows. "My artistic process always starts with hand-drawn illustrations with fine tip pens or India ink. I can’t see myself doing anything else but drawing…Drawing relaxes me; it clears my mind and helps me to focus my energy. I don’t think about it too much—I just draw everything I see around me…Everything starts from the observation of nature in general, and I also am inspired by old illustrations by redesigning my way. I have a sketchbook and I felt drawn to anything that inspires me: plants, insects, frogs and dragonfly. I can spend days drawing, and even nights."

Michael Cailloux, Paris Plage

I'm enjoying Cailloux's aesthetic, but there is something that gives me pause. When asked in an interview whether there's a contemporary equivalent to the 18th century mouche, the artist surprisingly says that makeup generally is not used to indicate one's mood. "In the 18th century, women used to wear an artificial beauty mark (also called une mouche meaning a fly in French) on their faces to show what mood they were in that day: coquette, discreet, generous, etc. This doesn’t really exist anymore today. Women can adapt their makeup for an event but there’s not much more meaning to it than that. However, I think social media is now where we show how we feel or share our daily thoughts. It’s kind of like the 'fly of the day'." I can only hope something got lost in translation. So many people, myself included, select makeup specifically based on the mood they're in on a given day – in fact, my mood, more so than any other factor (weather, plans for the day/night, outfit) is the key determiner in the makeup I choose. While it's not true for everyone, my makeup look is a direct expression of how I'm feeling that day. To say that makeup doesn't have much significance other than being conventionally appropriate for certain events is rather misguided.

Getting back to the Clé de Peau collection, it seems to lean more towards spring than fall or winter. The company specifically notes that Garden of Splendor "draws inspiration from nature’s ability to transform, heal and give a new perspective." Given the themes of rebirth, growth, healing, etc. expressed in the collection description and in The Secret Garden as well as Cailloux's colorful, cheerful illustrations, it would be more fitting for warmer weather (and I'm not the only one who thinks so). Plus, the makeup shades themselves – lots of pastels, delicate pinks and peaches – and the soft looks shown at the website are far better suited to spring.

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 makeup looksClé de Peau holiday 2021 makeup looks

Clé de Peau holiday 2021 makeup looks
(images from cledepeaubeaute.com)

I wish I knew who was in charge of this collection. It doesn't seem like Lucia Pieroni, the brand's former (?) global makeup artist is involved and hasn't been with the company for several years now, but I also saw no mention of Clé de Peau's current global color director, Benjamin Puckey, in connection with it either. Having said that, I do think the company made an excellent choice on all counts in selecting Cailloux for a Secret Garden inspired collection – his subject matter, mood and style align perfectly with the spirit and theme of the Clé de Peau collection. Even though it more appropriate for spring, the festive colors, feeling of hopefulness and renewal match what Clé de Peau was trying to do.  As Cailloux says, "Above all what I’m trying to communicate is a smile and joy. I really want to pass on positive energy." Those are things the world could definitely use more of these days, and the sentiment very clearly came through in this collection.

What do you think of the Garden of Splendor and Cailloux's work?

Today the Museum celebrates Indigenous People's Day with several beautiful collections from newcomer Prados Beauty. While I would like to examine the traditional cosmetic practices of Native Americans and other Indigenous people around the world1, I'm still debating whether that would do more harm than good, so I thought highlighting a new brand was the way to go.

Prados Beauty was established in 2018 by makeup artist and entrepreneur Cece Meadows, whose background inspired her to create the line. The oldest of four children, Meadows was raised in a small farm town in Arizona. "We didn’t have a lot, but we had each other. School was my safe haven, so I thrived there and ended up being the first in my family to graduate from college," she says. Meadows excelled at a career in finance in her early '20s, but suffered a cancer diagnosis at 27. The U.S. healthcare system being what is, insurance only covered a small portion of necessary care, and Meadows found herself broke and homeless shortly after going into remission. But her passion for makeup and drive to create a space for Indigenous people within the beauty sphere led to a cross-country move to cosmetology school in New York City. In 2018 Meadows became the first Native American makeup artist to head a show backstage for New York Fashion Week. She established Prados Beauty the same year and began selling the products online in 2019. "I grew up in a negative environment, but there was always a spark in me that wanted something better. As an adult, that has helped me get myself out of places when I’ve been stuck. I’ve always dreamed of owning my own cosmetics line. My passions are doing makeup and doing philanthropic work, so I figured out a way to make those two things go together." 

Cece Meadows, founder of Prados Beauty
(image from marieclaire.com)

Meadows, who identifies as half Chicana, half Native American (Yaqui and Comanche), explains that the lack of representation in the beauty industry was a key factor in starting her own brand. "Growing up as a Xicana and Indigenous girl, I never saw representation of my people in an accurate light," she says. "When I became a professional makeup artist and would show up in some of my traditional regalia to NYFW or professional photoshoot, I was shocked at the lack of education and awareness from models and designers of Indigenous people…It wasn’t until I was 30 years old that I saw an Indigenous woman in the public spotlight without being oversexualized. It was in 2015 when a First Nations Cree woman, Ashley Callingbull, was crowned Miss Universe in 2015. It was an emotional, yet exciting moment for me. I remember watching the crowning while holding my young son and thinking, 'we not only have been robbed of our lands, our culture, our beauty, our stories and our people but now we have to compete for a crown that we have always worn.'" 

Cece Meadows applying makeup
(image from Tamron Hall Show)

For Meadows, starting her own beauty brand was a way to reclaim Native culture and make it visible within the industry.  "I have watched companies and clothing brands appropriate our culture and designs for years and I wanted to take that back. I wanted to create a brand that was 100% inclusive, but highlighted the beauty and story of who we are today. Our brand is about being really proud of who we are and telling our story through makeup. In public schools, you, unfortunately, aren’t really taught the truth about the events that truly unfolded in the United States against Native Peoples. So when my people don’t see ourselves in the mainstream, we make our own way. We support our own, we hype up our own, we become this secret society of creativity and artistic talent that the world fails to see. But we see, we know, and the acknowledgment of our own becomes enough. Because I mean what else are we going to do? Disappear? Never. Our generation has become a fierce generation, filled with hunger and audacity to believe and know that we are worthy of conquering spaces we have been told for hundreds of years we didn’t belong in. This is why I created Prados."

Prados Beauty Matriarch collection face palettes

Accessibility and education of non-Native people were also priorities for Meadows. Individual products are priced around $40 and under. "It is always important for me to have affordable price points. One thing I remember growing up as a kid was not being able to afford things that I felt I needed to have as a budding makeup artist," she says. Additionally, being an inclusive brand with an outward focus on Native American pride encourages customers to learn about Native people's heritage, or at least be more mindful of it. Says Meadows, "Every time we gain a new follower, I get excited because it’s one more person who learns about our beautiful culture and our stories. [Prados] has inspired consumers to learn about Indigenous culture. They know that we’re not just a false Pocahontas story, and we can remind people that we’re more than a genocide in a history book. We’re still here."

Prados Beauty highlighter palette and lip glosses

Meadows' goals are identical to those of Steven Paul Judd, the Kiowa-Choctaw artist responsible for the designs on several Prados Beauty collections. Like Meadows, Judd noticed a dearth of authentic Native American figures across all areas of pop culture and understood the necessity in carving out a space for Native representation through art.  "[I] make things that I want to see. So I like cool pop stuff, right? And I like movies and music, and I'm also Native American. I grew up on a reservation when I was a kid, went to an all-Native college. I like my Native stuff, obviously, but I still like things that other people like. I live in the same world that other people live in, and I just found that there wasn't what I felt was cool, pop culture stuff made for me—stickers, toys, action figures—I didn't feel like they were necessarily speaking to things that I saw or that my family saw, so I decided to do my best to try to make my own…Imagine growing up and in every movie, television show and ad featuring people who looked like you and your family, they were only shown in historical context. It would be like white people were only portrayed as Pilgrims. [The] only Native Americans I was able to see on TV were Iron Eyes Cody—he did those trash commercials, and he wasn’t even Native, he was Italian—and Ponch on Chips, but he wasn’t Native American, and we had Tonto, Jay Silverheels, on old reruns, but besides historical Westerns, I didn’t see any Natives anywhere in popular culture at all."

Steven Paul Judd, The Indigenous Hulk

Judd is a prolific filmmaker and writer, but he is perhaps best known for his witty mashups of pop culture icons with Native American imagery. Everything from comics and toys to TV and movies are re-envisioned with Native historical figures and traditions. Ultimately, says Judd, "I wanted to make the stuff I never got to see as a kid."

Steven Paul Judd, Rez Dispenser

Steven Paul Judd, Dr. Sioux book covers

Steven Paul Judd, Siouxperman and Siouxperwoman

By giving cultural mainstays like Superman and The Incredible Hulk a Native American spin, Judd deftly upends the dominant narrative.  The juxtaposition of Native Americans with easily recognizable cultural references, or the entire replacement of these figures with images of Native Americans and symbols results in an amusing yet profound commentary on the erasure of Native populations and offers a way for them to reclaim their space.

Steven Paul Judd, Say Anything

While most of Judd's work appears lighthearted on the surface, there's an underlying poignancy in some of his projects that makes the viewer think on a deeper level.  Take, for example, his Star Wars series, which recast some of the characters as Native American, thereby creating a new narrative that represents the struggle for freedom among tribes. Judd also makes a point of showing the appropriation of Princess Leia's iconic bun hairstyle, which most likely originated from photos of women from the Hopi tribe.

Steven Paul Judd, Star Wars series

Steven Paul Judd, Star Wars series

Steven Paul Judd, Star Wars series

Judd's take on the popular "Space Invaders" video game that was developed with graphic designer Elizabeth LaPensée, in which the players are Native Americans using bows and arrows to ward off an alien invasion, is also a bit weightier than the likes of the artist's PowWow Rangers and Mindions. "You can read into it," he explains, "someone is trying to invade where you are living, you know, peacefully. I tell people it’s the only time you’re allowed to play Indian and not get in trouble." As this article neatly summarizes, the game "is archetypal of Judd’s work, which provocatively combines the ongoing history of subjugation of Native Americans (especially the violation of land treaties) with the mundanity and ephemera of day-to-day life. Judd’s work challenges stereotypes about Native Americans and dehistoricizes the atrocities of the past."

Steven Paul Judd, Invaders

What's especially interesting about his love of pop culture is that Judd grew up in a home that was less than well-off financially, with no access to television until late childhood. His first encounter with TV was during a hospital stay. Judd's work is also extraordinary considering he is entirely self-taught. For photographic imagery in particular, he quickly realized he would have to get acquainted with the proper techniques and software in order to make his ideas come to fruition.  "Any of the graphic design stuff I’ve done, I learned how to do it on Photoshop…learning Photoshop is tedious, but I wanted to learn because I couldn’t get these ideas in my head. I couldn’t make them unless I learned. No one’s going to make a vintage boxing poster with Sitting Bull and Custer unless you make it yourself," he states. And he's right: I can think of zero Indigenous artists who are remixing cultural touchstones in this manner.

Steven Paul Judd, ET

Judd's unique re-imagining of pop culture references has drawn apt comparisons to Andy Warhol. Like the legendary pop artist, Judd cleverly skewers mainstream American culture, except instead of mindless consumerism Judd's critique mostly focuses on the overwhelming lack of Native American figures and traditions. Judd is flattered by the comparison, calling himself "Andy Warrior-hol", while simultaneously acknowledging that the American pop art tradition – including the deification of artists like Warhol – is largely devoid of Native voices. Case in point: a cheeky remix of Warhol's famous cow wallpaper.

Steven Paul Judd, buffalo wallpaper

Judd's emphasis on accessibility and education through art also parallel Meadows' prioritization of these areas. While a recent painting of Judd's sold for nearly $20,000, various websites offer stickers, t-shirts and other items showcasing his work at affordable prices. And like Prados Beauty, much of Judd's oeuvre provides an approachable means of educating non-Native viewers. By framing it as "cool stuff" that the average 12 year-old would be interested in, Judd makes his history more palatable to non-Native Americans. "[I] want people to see the images and realize on their own that they had something to learn…Honestly, I’m creating art for my 12-year-old self. I wanted cool stuff, too – skateboards with Native imagery, action figures, sneakers – what 12-year old doesn’t? [But I want to] educate people on some things without talking down to them or yelling at them. They can laugh at it, like ‘Oh wait, did that really happen?’ and they can learn from it, starting from a humorous point," he says.  This is not to suggest that the atrocities committed against Indigenous populations should be made easily digestible for white people, but humor is one of many useful tools in learning difficult subject matter. Plus, as Meadows noted earlier, it demonstrates that the histories of marginalized groups are so much more than genocide and stereotypes.

Steven Paul Judd - Starbucks cup
(images from @stevenpauljudd)

Given how the perspectives and missions of Judd and Meadows align so closely, an ongoing collaboration is no surprise. As Meadows remarks, "I feel like his art is a perfect fit for our brand because he takes everyday things like cartoons, television shows and movies we grew up watching, and indigenizes it. My boys love that poster I have hanging in their room because they identify with it. I feel like he always tries to create art that we can associate with and see ourselves in."  Prados Beauty approached Judd to create artwork for the packaging of a new eyeshadow palette in 2020. As Judd wanted the image to look modern and reflect the shades in the palette, he came up brightly colored, mosaic-like portraits of Pretty Nose and Stampede. I don't know about you, but as soon as I laid eyes on them I had to look into their histories. Educating people through makeup and art absolutely works!

Prados x Steven Paul Judd eyeshadow palette(image from thirteenlune.com)

Pretty Nose was an Arapaho (some sources say Cheyenne) warrior chief who fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.  The Stampede portrait is based on a photo of a Dakota chief taken around 1900. Sadly there was not much more readily available information on either.

Pretty Nose and Stampede(images from whitewolfpack.com and loc.gov)

The style is reminiscent of a work he created a little later for a display outside the Arthur Ashe Stadium at the 2021 U.S. Open. Judd explains the inspiration for the piece. "When most people think of Native Americans, they think of them as a monolith. But there are over 500 different tribes in the US alone. Each with their own unique culture. From their music and food to their songs and language. I wanted to do a mosaic, each beautiful color representing the many different tribes across the land."

Steven Paul Judd, All My Relations, 2021
(image from usopen.org)

Once again, Judd's vision lines up with that of Prados Beauty. A colorful mosaic is a way of bringing all the tribes together while recognizing their individuality. Says Meadows, "When I think of Indigenous beauty, I think of amplifying the voices of not just one particular tribe but all of us together. Using vibrant seeds of color like turquoise and yellow and orange helps accomplish that."

Prados x Steven Paul Judd 2.0 eyeshadow palette

Prados x Steven Paul Judd 2.0 eyeshadow palette

Just last week, Prados released their new collection entitled Matriarch. According to the website: "For this collection we wanted to put together something beautiful, colorful and powerful! We wanted to honor all the matriarchs in our lives by showing up and showing out!" It's a great theme as many Native American tribes were matriarchal and matrilineal.

I must disclose that I received the entire Matriarch PR box by mistake. It was meant to go a media contact, but somehow ended up at Museum headquarters. I was really looking forward to receiving what I had actually ordered, which was the Steven Paul Judd 2.0 palette, highlighter and collector's box, so you can imagine my shock when I opened the package to see roughly triple the products I had ordered, with beautiful images on the packaging I didn't recognize. I emailed customer service and offered to send it back (even though I didn't want to, LOL), and within a few hours I received a reply from Cece Meadows herself! She generously allowed me to hang onto the whole box of goodies and, per the included instructions, requested that I not reveal anything until the collection officially dropped. It was all very exciting, for a second I felt like an influencer! I was absolutely flabbergasted that the Museum could keep everything. Plus, my original order arrived a day or two later.

Prados Beauty Matriarch collection eyeshadow palette

The collection includes an eyeshadow palette, three face palettes, 5 lipsticks, an eyeliner and eyelash glue, two sets of false eyelashes, and a cute little LED mirror.

Prados Beauty Matriarch collection eyeshadow palette

The imagery Judd created for the packaging for the Matriarch lineup is more varied than the previous collection. As a collector, I appreciate that different images were used on different products.

Prados Beauty Matriarch collection eyeshadow palette lid

Prados Beauty Matriarch collection face palettes

Aren't these lipsticks delicious looking? Love the hot pink cases too. Another great thing about Prados is that a whopping 50% (yes, you read that correctly) of profits go to Indigenous communities and people in need, including veterans, single parents, and children with special needs. "Both personally and professionally, I remember every disappointment when I just needed support to get me through tough situations. So I always promised myself during my prayer times that if I ever found myself in a position where I could live comfortably and my family was taken care of, I was going to help people — especially right now during the pandemic. I have raised over $20K to purchase PPE for Native American communities all over the US, Mexico and Canada…In addition, we buy kids shoes for back-to-school season, clothes, jackets and school supplies. We pay rent for single moms, college tuition and living expenses. We even threw a baby shower last year," says Meadows. She also recently launched the Prados Life Foundation to help facilitate donations.

Prados Beauty lipsticks Matriarch collection.

Prados Beauty lipsticks from the Matriarch collection. Left to right: Jingle Dancer, Chola Vibez, Mirabella, Guerrera, Taos

I'm really enjoying Prados, and I'm not just saying that because they accidentally sent me an amazing PR box and allowed the Museum to hang onto it. After reading more about Meadows and her mission, this is definitely a company you can feel good about buying from, with gorgeous and inspired packaging to boot. I also love Judd's work as it provides food for thought without being preachy, and well, you know how I much I adore fresh takes on traditional pop culture. If he referenced some '90s TV shows or movies I would lose my mind. Finally, I can't think of a better collaboration between a brand and an artist – these two were a match made in heaven. As someone who researches makeup and grew up on a steady diet of mainstream American TV/movies/etc., I can think of only a handful of Indigenous makeup brands, makeup artists, influencers and models, and the scarce portrayals of Indigenous people in pop culture were largely either stereotypes or downright racist.2 There is a dire need to make space for and raise the visibility of Native American and other Indigenous cultures, and both Meadows and Judd are doing a tremendous job helping to fill that void through their respective crafts.

What do you think?

 

1 While sometimes used this way, Indigenous is not totally interchangeable with Native American. Indigenous refers to those populations living together prior to European colonization. These populations exist outside the United States and on every continent, therefore, while Native Americans are Indigenous, not all Indigenous people are Native American. Check out this site for more information.

2A personal anecdote. The district in Pennsyltucky (excuse me, Pennsylvania) where I attended junior high and high school was named for a local Native American tribe that presumably white people had wiped out. The school's mascot shares its name with a certain Washington football team. As a teenager it finally dawned on me just how awful it was, but any time I brought it up I was told that it wasn't offensive in the slightest and that I was being "oversensitive". As far as I know my former high school STILL thinks it's okay to use it. Thank goodness for Meadows, Judd and shows like Reservation Dogs. It's from the same brilliant people who brought us the hilarious What We Do in the Shadows, so definitely check it out.

"My work always aims to grow through an honest contact with people. I love feeling emotions and being able to create something that can touch people’s hearts. My work is about the symbolic things we put into our daily lives, and I’m always curious to see how everyone sees the world. As I mentioned before, I see art as a parallel, innocent language that leads me to different opportunities and challenges to keep growing as a person."Jon Jacobsen

Last fall, I remember being very excited to see the launch of a set of Lisa Eldridge lip products in a beautiful velvet pouch. When I saw that the pouch was the work of multimedia artist Jon Jacobsen I knew I had to have it for the Museum. In case you need a refresher, Lisa Eldridge is one of the top makeup artists in the world and launched her own line in 2018. She is also a makeup historian, having written the excellent Face Paint, and she also possesses what is widely considered to be the best collection of vintage makeup in the world. I can only dream that the Museum's collection will compare to hers someday!

As for Jon Jacobsen, he is a 32 year old Chile-born, Portugal-based photographer, filmmaker and all-around master of digital art.  He designed the gorgeous floral pattern for the pouch. The rich shades of the flowers against a black background are dramatic and moody, perfect for a fall release.

Lisa Eldridge Floral Fantasy bag designed by Jon Jacobsen

The bag is obviously velvet to coordinate with Eldridge's splendid Velvet lipstick line. Look at that texture! I'm still flabbergasted every time I see it. (And I really need to order some of these to actually use.)

Lisa Eldridge Velvet Ribbon lipstick

The partnership is not a surprise. I'm guessing it came about as a result of the pair having worked previously on the Sunday Times' Style beauty feature back in May of 2020. As the world was in lockdown, makeup artists, fashion designers and photographers found themselves unable to work in the flesh, thereby forcing their processes to go virtual. (See also Harris Reed's 2020 graduate collection.) While "digital makeup" is not new, the pandemic forced a higher level of creativity.

The Sunday Times Style magazine, May 2020

Jacobsen was a natural choice to handle the project, given his unique approach to digital art. (And no, digital art is not just making silly filters for social media apps.) For Jacobsen, digitally altering images isn't about simply enhancing what's already there but adding an element of fantasy to produce surreal effects that challenge viewers' perception of the physical realm. In the case of the Sunday Times feature, Jacobsen deftly "applied" makeup designs created by Lisa Eldridge onto their model's face. The resemblance to real makeup is shocking. When combined, Eldridge's and Jacobsen's techniques yield an incredibly true-to-life effect that is nearly indistinguishable from physically applied makeup, yet still appears magical.

The Sunday Times Style magazine, May 2020

In an Instagram post, Jacobsen explained the role of each artist working on the feature. "The process behind each look was very unique and fascinating: With Lisa Eldridge in London, our lovely model Yumi Lambert in Maui and myself in Porto, we had to come up with an idea to bring all places together having technology on our side. With this in mind, Lisa designed and applied a variety of textures and colours onto her own skin which I later 'brushed', twisted and blended using a variety of digital techniques over the portraits that Yumi provided from a shoot that I directed from home.  This was new territory for all of us – including for our lovely editors who trusted in us 100% (thank you) – so for several days Lisa and I connected over zoom meetings, experimenting and finding the right harmony, light and combination of textures to achieve something realistic with a hint of fantasy.  This was a very meticulous process and I enjoyed every second of it! I might be quiet about this but I do love make up, not only from the fact that you can build endless characters and emotions, but also from how its composition changes through history." Every single texture and placement – from individual blush powder particles, the sheen of gloss with color concentrated in the center of the lips and shimmery eyeshadows in variety of shades – perfectly mimic makeup applied in the flesh. As Jacobsen notes, "real textures [were] translated to pixels."

The Sunday Times Style magazine, May 2020

The Sunday Times Style magazine, May 2020. Makeup: Lisa Eldridge. Photography and digital art: Jon Jacobsen. Model: Yumi Lambert. Beauty director: Sarah Jossel. Creative producer: Leila Hartley. Photography assistance: Guillaume Rasquier

His appreciation for makeup is abundantly clear, most likely stemming from his interest in the concept of transformation and questioning the boundaries of the human body, along with his passion for portrait and still life genres. All of these themes are inseparable from makeup. "Beauty shoots are definitely my favourite ones, it literally feels like eating dessert. My team and I always shoot knowing that I might add something on post-edition. Once the photos are taken, I lock myself in the studio to analyse the images and find the right universe of shapes. This a very experimental part of the process that I enjoy doing alone. There I imagine myself as a scientist, a musician, or a cook trying to find the right flavour, the right sound – it's hard to explain, but it is a blissful moment. Once they are done, I share it with my team and we celebrate…creating feels like making a puzzle that has no shape, but with the help of instinct, a good team and honesty, I can sense once it's finished."

Beauty photography by Jon Jacobsen

FX 2019 masterclass. Makeup: Marcelo Bhanu. Photography: Jon Jacobsen. Model: Javiera Chandia. FX makeup: Carla Gasic.

Jon Jacobsen, beauty photography

Beauty photography by Jon Jacobsen, 2018

Makeup/Hair: Nico Ampuero. Photography: Jon Jacobsen. Styling: Santiago Herrera. Model: Erlande Augustin
Beauty photography by Jon Jacobsen

FX 2019 masterclass. Makeup: Marcelo Bhanu. Photography: Jon Jacobsen. Model: Lauren Skye. FX makeup: Carla Gasic. Assistant, FX makeup: Gaby Paz Olivo Pozo. Photography assistant: Javiera Allende. Styling: Esteban Pomar.

His photos are even more impressive when you discover that Jacobsen is entirely self-taught, citing the Internet as his primary teacher. At the age of 15 he took his first photo. After graduating college with a degree in graphic design, Jacobsen vowed to pursue art full-time. In an interview with Retouching Academy, he describes his journey to becoming an artist. "I started creating images at the age of 15, experimenting with any kind of camera that I could borrow. At that time technology was slowly becoming more accessible and I was curious to know how far I could get with it. I became obsessed with the idea that I was able to create infinite, surreal artworks from the comfort of my own room. My artistic journey began when my art teacher from school, Andrea Reyes, saw some of the images I had posted on social media. She pushed me to keep honing my skills by assigning me extracurricular activities such as additional homework, PowerPoint presentations and giving me quick art history classes during the school breaks. This was a key moment in my development as an artist as it was my first professional encounter with Art. I slowly became obsessed with creating visual metaphors with my images. The Internet also played a very important role in my development as an artist: It was (and still is) my main school. I watch tutorials every day and learn more and more about art. I keep sharing my work on social media, such as Instagram and Facebook, to maintain a close relationship with my audience and to learn from other talents. It wasn’t until I moved to Santiago (at the age of 21) when I decided to turn this ‘hobby’ into a full-time job. I graduated from university as a graphic designer but decided to present myself as an Image-maker, in order to be more flexible and work in all my fields of my interest: from being an artist who exhibits his work, to creating fashion editorials and films for magazines, and working as a high-end retoucher.I became interested in mixed media as a way to find an organic result through digital art. I am constantly creating textures, collecting images from my daily life and working with different kinds of materials depending on the requirements of each artwork…Last but not least, being able to sustain myself by doing this job feels like a big achievement. I come from a middle-low class family, with no art background. Choosing a life as an artist was a huge decision which I don’t regret. It has opened many doors and presented me with great opportunities so far."

Jon Jacobsen - self portrait

Much of his oeuvre entails futuristic visions of the human body that combine realism with fantasy elements.  The artist has been fascinated by photography's creative potential since childhood. "Since I was a kid I always wanted to add an extra layer of fantasy to things, and photography wasn't an exception," he says in an interview. "I loved the idea of bringing something I registered to a computer, a flower for example, and twist it enough to create a completely different result. As much as I appreciate photography as the closest way to capture reality, I find there are many voids to be filled, especially in terms of the emotional aspects. Conventional photography registers light and shows a result based on the norms behind the human eye, but what about the emotions myself and my subject feel at that moment? How can these be shown? Digital art brings endless questions, and I get obsessed with the vast amount of answers I can find. There, I found a space of free will that I can link with my daily life, connecting the real with fantasy."

Jon Jacobsen - image from Fine Art Portrait series

He often works with other artists from a variety of fields for his projects, citing the importance of familiarity with other disciplines for one's own artistic practice. "Working on digital is really fun because it's pretty versatile, but it can also be daunting when you're spending days in front of a screen. As a digital artist I crave for tangibility and the desire to use my hands/body to explore other media to keep evolving as an artist.  Even if your plan is not becoming a sculptor, try doing it at least once and see what happens, or try out a new cooking recipe… a little bit of the unknown is enough to find a HUGE amount of answers. That's how I got into dancing, swimming, contemporary jewelry and music. Even if I'm not an expert in those disciplines, I learn a lot and include this new knowledge into my creative process, for example, while tracing the composition before starting a piece, or by creating models/small sculptures, textures and volumes to be used in future projects. Exploring new media also expands your knowledge and brings new contacts to your life: Win-win situation!"

Jon Jacobsen - cover art for Bonsai (album by Schuster), 2017

Indeed, Jacobsen's endeavors are amplified through collaboration. For 2015's "Ínsula", for example, he worked with Columbian sculptor Daniel Ramos Obgregón and dancer José Tomás Torres.  Jacobsen photographed Torres in different stances and sent the images to Obgregón, who supplied photos of his surreal series of ceramic body accessories and prosthetics. Jacobsen edited the images so that the ceramic pieces became technological-based appendages rather than human. Digitally slicing the dancer's body to reveal veins coursing with electric currents and smoke-like swirls in place of blood and muscle, Jacobsen presents his vision of the digital age's impact on human evolution. The official project description: "The digital era is no longer the futuristic set of a sci-movie. It has become our present reality where all digital platforms, computers, mobile phones, and tablets are now prosthetic elements of our daily lives, which work as extensions of our bodies and minds. We invest so much of our time into these objects that we have started to detach from our physical bodies making us now mind-based digital beings – androids in the becoming. Internet and social networks have created a complex social fabric where it is possible, through avatars and alter egos, to interact with the rest of the world – erasing any geographic border that might exist. By questioning this reality and how it affects our body limits 'Ínsula' starts as an observation of this behaviors to explore and interpret the evolution from a human into a digital Homo Sapiens."

Jon Jacobsen, Insula, 2015

While the distorted, grey-skinned figure appears grotesque, Jacobsen maintains his conception of virtual humanity is not dystopian; he's merely exploring what our digital selves might look like. The lack of normal human skin tone and organs expresses Jacobsen's notion of our online bodies. "I call it a projection, what we do on Facebook or Instagram, or the Internet in general. A part of ourselves is not physical anymore," he tells Wired. For Jacobsen, the digitization of the human body, with a smartphone as an additional appendage of sorts, means having access to unlimited knowledge that wasn't as readily available to previous generations. "You also have your phone attached to your body all day. It can become a vessel of eternal knowledge if you use it wisely. It makes me happy to observe these new generations having technology so intrinsic to their bodies. They grow up playing with apps since day zero and there is so much to reinvent." I can't say I fully agree; while I acknowledge the Internet provides a tremendous wealth of information and allows me to connect with people I otherwise would never "meet", I resent being tethered to my phone 24/7 (which, by the way, I refer to as the "nightmare rectangle".) I certainly would never want it to physically take over any part of me. Jacobsen's vision may not be dystopian, but for older generations it certainly can be interpreted as unsettling.

Jon Jacobsen, Insula, 2015

Still, the animation makes a huge difference – the images become less sinister when viewed as fluid motions. Additionally, "Ínsula" is notable in that it was created with the artists situated in different countries. Nowadays that's not surprising, but 5 years before the pandemic necessitated remote work, it seems even more ahead of its time.

Similar ideas are explored in "The Great Barrier", a 2018 series of photos that simultaneously recalls the beauty and destruction of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.  The centering of a human body – this time fused with marine flora and fauna instead of tech gadgets and electrical signals – depicts "an abstract vessel interacting with the environment," mirroring either the vibrancy or decay of its surroundings and perhaps serving as a commentary on humanity's role in saving or destroying the planet. "The Great Barrier" was also the result of a remote collaboration between Jacobsen and Australian performer/movement director Paul Zivkovich.

Jon Jacobsen, "The Great Barrier"

In my opinion, Jacobsen's most refined examination of the body and its boundaries is "Digital Flesh", which incorporates the style and subjects (flowers, fruit, etc.) found in traditional still life painting and combines them with tendons, muscles and internal organs. "These still lifes focus in finding human shapes in the everyday objects, for they carry the symbolic meaning through our senses and time. Either in their natural state or digitally manipulated selves, these forms float in harmony," notes the project description.

Jon Jacobsen, "Pleasure" from the Digital Flesh series

The one titled "Uncertainty" is my favorite of the series, as there's something vaguely aquatic about it. The large pink flower towards the left seems to be emanating light, illuminating its surroundings like a bioluminescent creature of the deep ocean.

Jon Jacobsen, "Uncertainty" (Digital Flesh series)
(all images of the artist's work via jon-jacobsen.com)

I also like "Digital Flesh" because it's the most stylistically similar of Jacobsen's works to the Floral Fantasy pouch. The artist created a short video that alludes to makeup's tactile properties. The flowers appear to represent makeup colors and the pollen is reminiscent of delicate powder particles. 

Lisa Eldridge – Floral Fantasy x Jon Jacobsen from Jon Jacobsen on Vimeo.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this collaboration. I do think Jacobsen tamped down the weirdness too much; I would have liked to see something more surreal or at least something that spoke more literally to the theme of evolution as in his 2017 film Die Verwandlung ("The Metamorphosis", based on Kafka's work), since makeup can be such a powerful agent of transformation. And while I enjoyed the video he created for the collection, it may have been interesting to do a makeup version of "Ínsula" or "Digital Flesh" since the same themes apply to makeup, i.e. showing how cosmetics can become one with, or an extension of, the human body. (Think about all the tips for "melding" a product with the skin rather than having it sit on top of it.) Alas, something really bizarre probably would not have been as marketable. Of course, for me, the stranger the better!

What do you think about Jacobsen's work and the design he made for Lisa Eldridge?

The MAC x Harris Reed collection was released in February this year, but I wanted to wait until June to write about it in honor of Pride Month. For brevity's sake – I read through dozens upon dozens of interviews with Reed – and because I'm not a gender studies or fashion expert I will try to keep this as brief as possible.

The collection was manageable, consisting of an eyeshadow palette, a gold kohl pencil, Cream Color Base compact and a palette of three lip colors. I juts picked up the eyeshadow palette and the Cream Color Base as the packaging for that one was the same for that of the lip palette.

Harris Reed for MAC

Who is Harris Reed? Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll recognize them as the 25-year old wonder who's been taking the fashion world by storm. Reed came to my attention when Harry Styles wore several of their fabulous flouncy frocks in the December 2020 issue of Vogue.

Harry Styles, Vogue December 2020

Harry Styles, Vogue December 2020
(images from vogue.com)

Committed to gender-fluid fashion, Reed creates clothing that makes a statement yet doesn't take itself too seriously. "I don’t just make clothes. If you want pretty clothes, you need to go to someone else. I fight for the beauty of fluidity. I fight for a more opulent and accepting world. That is really important to me…there always has to be a message. I wouldn’t pretend that doing some crazy avant-garde outfit is going to change the world, but I like to think that it could start a conversation."

Harris-reed-black-and-white

Reed's aesthetic is heavily influenced by the free-spirited atmosphere of the '70s, particularly the androgyny of glam rock and Studio 54's dazzling evenings. The wide pants legs and lapels, bold patterns and extensive use of embellishments (feathers, sequins, etc). reference the era but are modernized so as not to veer into full-on costume territory. Reed explains their fascination with glam rock to Fashionista: "I've always loved glam rock. I’ve always said we need more people like David Bowie. At a time like right now, a lot of things can either look very the same, or brands are doing things—or musicians are doing things—that sometimes don't feel authentic. I love glam rock because there’s a level of grit and more importantly a level of authenticity that I think shines through all the glitter and the glam and the flares and the ruffles. I look at all those things, the flares, the ruffles, as points of reference of someone expressing themselves at the most heightened, most authentic, most outrageous part of themselves. So I think for me, glam rock, it's almost like fluidity. Obviously it’s different, but they go hand in hand because it's your most extreme version of yourself. You are expressing who you are in the most heightened, over the top, fabulous way…I really try to be modern in my designs, but I still try to keep that nuance and push it to the limit. Be the person who doesn't fit the mold. Be the person that doesn't fit the box. That’s where I see glam rock coming back into what we do and our daily lives and within fashion—being referenced more as a way of being than just a specific style."

Harris Reed designs, 2019

I can't say Reed's designs are wearable for the average person (or at least, not an entire ensemble), and they acknowledge that their latest collection is more about artistic vision than whether it would sell. I'd also argue that their clothes were made with a certain body type in mind, i.e. skinny and tall – I see zero diversity in terms of size. But Reed's dedication to creating flamboyant yet expertly tailored clothing for all genders is definitely something we can all support. Their statement about breaking free of slogans and logomania represents a thoroughly Gen Z outlook and is a refreshing new direction in fashion. "I’m ambiguous about my gender and have never understood why something is made for a man or made for a woman. I think if a piece makes someone feel invincible or unstoppable, that’s all that matters. At the centre of my work is a drive to break down any preconceived idea of what gender is. I love that fashion has an obligation to trigger debate. But at the same time, it has to be in the most fun, playful way. It’s not about slogans, it’s about fantasy, and letting someone live that fantasy through clothes. Fashion is about self-expression – dressing in a way that makes you feel the happiest you’ve ever felt. Life’s too short to try and box yourself in to something normal, so why not have as much fun as possible with what you’re wearing? For me, that means flares and flouncy blouses – the more performative, the better. I’d describe my style as glam-rock Victoriana."

Harris Reed blouse
(images from harrisreed.com)

Anywhere is fair game for frills and ruffles; whether they adorn the front of a blouse, the end of a sleeve or a skirt hem, they add an exuberance and joy not regularly seen in high fashion. In looking at their work, I would posit that Reed is an aficionado of the late '60s as well. Take, for example, a blouse from the showy "peacock revolution" ushered in by Michael Fish next to one Reed designed for Harry Styles.

Mr. Fish vs. Harris Reed(images from nytimes.com and instagram)

Reed also cites "old-world" classic European art as inspiration, especially the Rococo movement. Again, while there are some literal references to that period, the clothing exudes the overall vibe of the era: dramatic, over-the-top and ornate.

Harris Reed, 2017 collection
(image from harrisreed.com)

Though born in Los Angeles, Reed traveled extensively growing up. "My mom is very much a free spirit and artist. She was a model in the '80s, she would go to Studio 54, she is just an incredibly creative and soulful woman and then she became a candle maker and a perfumer. With my father being in Entertainment, Los Angeles, he remained there and me, my mom and my sister went off gallivanting around America, moving to different cities and different places," they tell Purple. Reed came out as gay to their parents at the age of 9, and was grateful to have their full acceptance – they encouraged his creativity and stood up for their son when teachers called to say some parents didn't want their children in class with a gay kid. "I was bullied for being gay and for being different…my mother would often find me dancing in bedsheets and shower curtains – and she and my father nurtured and supported that side of me."  (I'm relieved to hear that Reed's parents supported them, but still aghast at how recent this was. Reed is so young – when they were 9 it was 2005. I honestly did not think that kind of casual, blatant bigotry was still happening to children in the 21st century.)

Harris Reed

Reed was a creative child, but fashion design didn't occur to them until later. It was clothing's transformative power and ability to express a different aspects of one's personality that captured their imagination as a teenager.  "Fashion wasn’t part of my background. I think creativity and this yearning for creating was a part of my background – I think for me there was always this idea of creation but it wasn’t until I was in my teens that I realised that clothing was more the artistic venture that I wanted to embark on. Clothing had this intense ability to transcend peoples’ emotions and for people to see each other in different perspectives and through a different lens. Once I took all this creation as a child and used and harnessed it, it was about applying it. I found it through dressing up and experiencing this playful carefree sense of trying on different identities until I found the right one. From there it was even more about building on the identity I already had and making it special to make it shine."

Harris Reed

Reed's arrival in London to attend Central Saint Martins – the legendary design school that educated the likes of Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney – marked another turning point. "I never really sewed a proper piece together until I started at Central Saint Martins – a lot of people don’t know that. Before CSM I was mostly duct-taping, pinning, draping, literally using anything and everything I could get my hands on to create clothes without actually putting a machine to the fabric. As a child, as someone who was very much picked on and who was not someone who fit in whatsoever, I look to Central Saint Martins as the shining beacon of escape. When you looked at McQueen and Galliano and look at Ricardo Tisci, you could see what came out of there and I just remember watching old documentaries and you could see this sense of camaraderie with everyone communally coming together with shaved hair and crazy colours and crazy clothes and it just felt like my version of what outer-space would look like."

Harris Reed in London

Reed was only in their 2nd year at Central Saint Martins when their "white show" outfit caught the attention of noted stylist Harry Lambert, who in turn introduced Reed's work to celebrities like Solange and Harry Styles. Reed explains: "It all took off with the first show of the BA fashion course, in which students have to make one piece in white. I’d always known who I was, but I didn’t quite know how to express that in terms of clothing and character. Then the White Show happened. There was so much I wanted to articulate in the piece I made – the experience of being bullied, my childhood fantasies, my commitment to making clothes that weren’t just pretty but also sparked conversation. And so I based my piece on those made-up characters from my childhood, this time a boy aristocrat who was kicked out by his parents for being gay and took refuge in an old opera house, putting on white powder every day until all his clothes become white. I made a giant, wide-brimmed, white felt Little-Bo-Peep hat, with a low-cut ruffled bustier jacket with huge puffed sleeves and dramatic white flares. It was neither menswear nor womenswear but genderless. And within about 30 seconds of my posting it on Instagram, Harry Lambert requested the piece for a shoot. Next thing I know, Solange is being photographed by Peter Lindbergh wearing it."

Solange in a Harris Reed hat
(images from @harris_reed)

"The outfit was, in a way, parallel to my own story. This character was like me coming to London and finding my salvation,” they say. “It was quite emotional because it was the first time that I put myself completely out there in London, my first kind of big full look."

Harris Reed - white show

Reed cites the support of their classmates as well as more seasoned designers such as Alessandro Michele, head of Gucci, for whom they interned. "I think first of all collaboration is everything, as someone who is still in school I value the collaboration of my classmates more than anything…If you just sit with something in your own mind, the outcome you have will not be nearly as good as the outcome you have when you have four friends there helping, pushing, challenging you and criticising you to come up with something better…the support of emerging designers is crucial. The world is run by huge companies and we have to support young talent. That’s why brands like Gucci are so extraordinary because I think that’s why Alessandro Michele truly can pick young talent, nurture and collaborate with them. The collaborations he does with young artists, with illustrators, designers, singers, musicians, I think more brands need to be doing things along those lines. Alessandro opened my eyes up to a world that was more colourful, vivacious and more surreal than anything I thought it could be. Those nine months in Rome were the most incredible nine months of my life. It truly gave me a whole new perception on the way that I looked at fashion. He opened my eyes up to the power of texture and colour and embroidery. His narrative lies so deeply within his veins, so deeply within his soul that I think it just pushed me to a deeper level of understanding of creation. It’s massively affecting my work now because I think everything I do has so many more layers to it within the narrative as well as the design. Now there’s a hand-painted print, with embroidery on top, finished with hand-diamanté. Everything becomes so much more multi-faceted and Alessandro instilled that within me. I think he’s a genius." Reed, in a very fitting collaboration with their mom, has since designed a collection of candles for the brand.

Harris Reed - Gucci candle
(image from allard-fleischl.com)

Their designs for their 2020 graduate collection hit a new peak for creativity. With the pandemic making in-person shows all but impossible, Reed and their fellow classmates had to figure out how to exhibit their collections remotely. Reed, with typical flair, teamed up with illustrator and 2020 RISD graduate Lukas Palumbo to make elaborate theater sets for their designs. The finished product is absolutely astonishing – one would never know it was photographed against a green screen in Reed's living room. Reed, of course, modeled their own designs, having previously walked for Gucci. Standing at a very lean 6'4", modeling is certainly another career option for them.

Harris Reed, graduate collection for Central Saint Martins, 2020

And this is where we start to talk about the makeup! Terry Barber, Director of Makeup Artistry for MAC, was in charge of makeup direction for the show. Barber provided makeup tutorials so Reed could wear the look for the final photo shoot. The summation of the style, according to Barber: "angelic but sordid."  Speaking with Dazed Beauty, Reed elaborates. "The looks were quite dramatic and over the top. Terry Barber being a complete and utter beauty genius he was really able to transport and positively move what I was doing in a better direction. I was originally like ‘more gold!’ or even getting a bit more costume-y and Terry just so seamlessly brought it to a place where it was opulent, it was fluid and it was quite majestic. The influence for the make-up really came from the starting points of people like Henry Paget and this idea of theatre make-up. This idea of rosy kissed lips that are slightly smeared because you're trying to hide a secret while you’re wiping your mouth and this gold on your eyes that’s gleaming and shimmering but in a way that’s a bit fucked up because you just woke up with it on from the night before. This idea of stage make-up but then you were just at an amazing party at Studio 54 and you woke up and you slapped it back on to go greet your day and this kind of alter ego fluid manifesto of yourself…We were really just trying to find a good balance between Henry Paget and the New York Dolls. They went heavy with the stage make-up and they went quite crazy but it was that love of theatricality and this idea of men wearing make-up for the performance of it. I love the idea of everyday is the performance. The face, the skin, the lips were very Henry Paget but then the eyes were so New York Dolls to me because even though I wasn’t doing the black intense eyes they were doing, I was using that technique of smudging with my finger, getting in the creases, getting in the cracks really going for this fucked up glam rock vision…It’s a fluid romantic opulent, stable kiss fantasy. it's quite in your face, it's quite loud but then it's almost smeared. This kind of kiss-behind-the-stables, hidden Renaissance."

MAC makeup direction for Harris Reed by Terry Barber

Adds Barber, "I had worked with Harris a few times before and we’d already connected on things that we loved in beauty like a smacked-on cheek, a rubbed in lip and finger-painted eyeshadow. The idea just came from the story of a slightly surreal, aristocratic, faded glamour, rather than anything too technical. A suggestion rather than a major statement…Harris has collected so many references along the way which not only relate to designing a collection, but also to the story of being gender fluid and how that might manifest itself in terms of styling. Many of those references lent themselves really well to creating a beauty which is at the same time romantic and subversive.  We discussed foppish boys in 16th century Flemish paintings, Victorian am-dram, Fellini caricatures, Tilda Swinton in Orlando, and Bowie in his Diamond Dogs period. It was essentially about creating a character rather than a specific design."

MAC makeup direction for Harris Reed by Terry Barber
(images from dazeddigital.com and @harris_reed)

Given the success of the Barber and Reed partnership, a MAC collection wasn't unexpected. MAC was also a natural choice for Reed as the brand was part of the designer's early makeup memories – they remember going to a MAC store and seeing the artists applying makeup on boys. "My first experiences with make-up were with my friends at a MAC store getting ready for prom and it was the brand that I first saw putting make-up on ‘boys’…for [MAC] to even trust me, and take on my strong-ass message of fighting for fluidity, I have to say, has just felt like the most beautiful partnership…M.A.C has an amazing heritage of fighting for self-expression and inclusivity, so they were so on board and supportive of that vision."

Harris Reed for MAC promo
(image from maccosmetics.com)

All of the product and shade names are personal for Reed. The monikers in the collection are iterations of their mantras, with the name of the copper shade in the eyeshadow palette being a favorite. "I always just say, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah,' when there's someone in the street saying something homophobic or mean to me," Reed tells Teen Vogue. "If someone doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say or doesn’t get who I am, [that phrase] lets me brush it off, peel it away, and step forward into the light."

Harris Reed for MAC

"Every single name in the collection is based on daily affirmations I tell myself," Reed says. "Whether it's 'embrace your duality' or 'spark conversation,' I want men, women, non-binary people, and you to be able to pull it out and to put on the best version of themselves. They're putting on an affirmation; they're putting on something that it's really helping them enhance and showcase who they are."

Harris Reed for MAC

The shades and concept for the MAC collection are more or less an extension of the ones used in Reed's 2020 graduate collection. "The colors tell this soft, poetic story but, at the same time, I wanted to include emerald and black to be able to quickly shift to something more rock ‘n’ roll and messed up…Reference points come from anywhere from Studio 54, the ‘70s—a time of complete androgyny and glam rock and decadence and fabulousness. And then also, looking still within that theme, a completely different world [of] Rococo, more of this idea of androgyny back then. In paintings, it's so effortless and just kind of had this beautiful blending. So very much pulling in this old world, Rococo, men in makeup, really kind of lounge-y fabulousness, and then juxtaposing but also sitting beautifully within Studio 54 and the ‘70s."

Harris Reed for MAC

The entire collection, of course, is based on Reed's boundary-less approach to fashion and makeup. The goal was to create something that could be worn by anyone for any purpose. "I want anyone and everyone to be able to wear this. This was two years in the making, and when I was creating this, my family was in the room and everyone including my dad,  mom and sister agreed they’d try and wear the products I was working on. We don’t just want to normalising the wearing of make-up, but to make it accessible and acceptable to everyone by breaking any preconceived boundaries that people may have with such beauty products." No products are in a tube, and the palettes lack brushes, encouraging users to adopt a more playful, carefree application rather than precision. "The collection for me really embodies this idea of not only fluidity, but complete and utter self-expression. Nothing is in a tube and nothing has a brush. It's really all very much like an artist palette; it's meant for your fingers, it's meant for men, women, non-binary, every individual to feel completely comfortable to be able to play with…What I love about make-up is it doesn't get more hands-on or personal then you putting something on yourself. That's why for me, I'm not really a make-up brush person. You should play, touch, smudge, feel and love with your fingers on your face."

Harris Reed

Accessibility also came in the form of the products themselves. Much like Reed's fashion, they're multi-purpose and are intended to create a variety of looks to suit any mood. "Everything and anything goes," Reed tells Allure. "It's just like my approach to fashion. One thing isn't meant to be for a top. This fabric can be for boots, it can be for a hat. This eyeshadow is not for your eyes. This eyeshadow is for your collarbones; this eyeshadow is put up into your hairline and almost making a gold halo around your face." Reed demonstrated the gold halo look at the British Fashion Awards in 2019.

Harris Reed at the British Fashion Awards, 2019
(image from popsugar.com)

Additionally, gold was chosen as a prominent shade not only to align with the sparkly glam-rock/Renaissance aesthetic but because it's flattering on every skin tone. "I want this line to be showcased on people of different genders, races, ethnicities, and gold is such a universal color because it works for everyone," says Reed.

Harris Reed for MAC - Cream Color Base

Reed makes the same point I do about artist and fashion collabs with makeup brands, which is that one may not be able to afford an original work by an artist or a couture garment, but they can afford makeup. "Make-up is also incredible because, you know, when I was younger I didn't have the money to have the clothes. But I could go to the drugstore store and buy a great lipstick and that lipstick could be a blush, it could be an eyeshadow, it could be for your lips, it could be for your ears, you could put it in your hairline. Make-up is accessible and it's fun. I think people get scared of it but you have to just own it and use it as a weapon to be who you are. It's such a cheap and inexpensive way to get a message across…we can’t all have a giant gown in our wardrobe but we all can have that one lipstick that changes how we feel about ourselves. And for me, that accessibility is crucial because it lets anyone have a dream, lets anyone feel like they have the power to change and evolve as a human being. This is what I truly love about make-up…I’ve been so incredibly lucky that millions of people have seen the things I’ve worked on and have been a part of, but have maybe until now they’ve not been able to buy into it. This is now something that anyone can get their hands on and be a part of. It doesn’t feel real, it feels crazy."

Harris Reed with the MAC collection
Makeup is also a handier way of accessorizing for one's mood, with the ability to change any time. "What I love about makeup is the fact that I can't change my clothes throughout the day, but I can change my makeup look with the touch of a finger," Reed says. "It really allows me to almost have different looks, different personas within the day, all literally through something that fits in your pocket…I can start the day with one mood, but change and amplify it by lunchtime. Then, by the evening it’s a full-blown party."

Harris Reed

We all wear makeup (or don't) for different reasons, most of which are fairly mundane. But for some, makeup can be a tool for transformation. Reed discusses how their first experience with lipstick made a lasting impression of the power of makeup. “I picked up a random red drugstore lipstick with my mom when I was eight or nine, put it on, and thought, "'Fuck, this is amazing,'” Reed recalls. "Actually, I was young, so I probably didn’t say the F-word, but I remember being so blown away by the transformative power of makeup…this small thing in your hand had [the power] to really show different sides of yourself, show different aspects of your personality, your individuality," Reed tells Allure. "That relationship with makeup is still my approach today with everything I do. It's this idea of putting something on that enhances and brings out a side of yourself. You're not becoming someone else, you're not trying to be someone else, you're literally pulling from within."

Harris Reed

Along those lines, Reed is very much a proponent of makeup for self-expression and play rather than as a way to meet conventional beauty standards, and this belief was what they were trying to convey with the MAC collection. "My interpretation of gender fluid make-up is really being what makeup should be—a tool to help not only enhance but communicate a story. Makeup is so beautifully able to transport someone and the way people see that person simply by what you put on your face. It’s similar to how clothing almost serves as armour walking into a daily battle, fighting for what you believe in and being who you are. And makeup goes so beautifully hand in hand with that. Putting on a fabulous red lip on or adding pops of sparkle and glitter to your face is like claiming your identity, facing the world with authenticity and claiming your space…[The collection] is very much about a playfulness and the joy of make-up. As I have pushed this idea of a more fluid space in a more fluid world, I’ve really loved that make-up can always be that gorgeous icing on top. It doesn’t only complete the look but, it also completes the message, acting as that extra ounce of light to help radiate what I stand for. Try and not think of make-up as something that makes you look ‘pretty’ and try and not look at it as something that you use to make yourself better, but to explore and enhance something within you. Use make-up as a tool to be your most authentic self…I really hope this collection is something that can help me break down conventional ideas of what make-up looks like. I hope in 2021 and going forward that ‘glamour’ is going to be about something more than just copying a set-in-stone look from a tutorial. It's about asking 'how does that work for my face, my features and my personality?'"

Harris Reed
(images from @harris_reed)

Now let's take a peek at the gorgeous packaging. As soon as I saw it I knew it was Museum-worthy. We'll get to the illustrations in a hot second, but first I want to highlight the use of pink, which Reed is reclaiming from its overtly feminine connotations by combining it with a regal gold to give it an "old-world" feel. "I love the color pink. I like to be a bit tongue in cheek with it, I think that's the English side of me. I like to take something that is so specific and gender-specific and just take it and make it my own. I was like, we're gonna choose the color pink and really just make it this color that is universal and mix that with the old world charm. I've always been so deeply fascinated by history. I think if I didn’t do fashion, besides being a queer activist I'd really maybe be a historian. I think we've learned from the past, we learn from history, and when I was developing the packaging, I wanted to really represent this old world nuance."

Harris Reed for MAC

The artwork for the packaging was created by Lukas Palumbo, an illustrator and collaborator of Reed's. A 2020 graduate of RISD, Palumbo began working with Reed in 2020, when he designed the sets for their graduate collection.

Lukas Palumbo, illustrations for Harris Reed's Harris Reed, graduate collection, 2020(image from publications.risdmuseum.org)

How jaw-dropping are these at full-size as a backdrop for Reed's designs?

Harris Reed, graduate collection for Central Saint Martins, 2020

I wasn't able to find much information on the individual designs, but this one (with mermaids!) had a tiny bit. "This garden was inspired by a collection of 17th century engravings of a garden that once existed in Belgium. You can also probably tell that on paper, this piece exists only as half of a landscape, as the right half is a digital mirror of the left half. This trick was a necessity in making so much work in so little time, and I found it worked especially well for theatre backdrops," explains Palumbo. And perhaps the double-tailed mermaids were influenced by those in the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna.

Lukas Palumbo, illustrations for Harris Reed's Harris Reed, graduate collection, 2020(images from wwd.com)

According to his website, Palumbo is inspired by etchings from the 16th-18th centuries. (I tried to get an interview with him but received no reply to my request, alas.) To my eye, his style also brings to mind both medieval manuscripts and Neoclassical landscapes.

Lukas Palumbo, The Sleeping Garden

Lukas Palumbo, The Garden at Tilsit

Some of his illustrations remind me a little of the ones Pamela Colman Smith created for the famous Rider-Waite tarot deck.

Lukas Palumbo, Alexandre's Garden book cover(images from lukastheillustrator.com)

Indeed, Palumbo reimagined tarot cards for The Ingenue magazine.

Tarot cards by Lukas Palumbo

Tarot cards by Lukas Palumbo

For the MAC collection Palumbo created more of his signature otherworldly dreamscapes. The illustration on the eyeshadow palette shows a pearl with a human face resting in an open seashell, which is held up by two red-headed figures standing at a rocky riverside (seaside?) as if an offering. Rays of sunlight radiate from the shell, while the sharp stakes emanating from the pearl are wrapped by serpents or pierce through crowns and hearts.

Harris Reed for MAC

The artwork on the Cream Color Base and lipstick palette depict king and queen figures wielding scepters atop a seashell overflowing with water, their heads silhouetted against a bright sun. Says Reed, "It shows a woman and a man combining into one fluid being." The long, flowing robes are one of Reed's creations.

Harris Reed for MAC

Overall, I think Reed did a great job and accomplished what they set out to do: create a makeup line that could be used by everyone for any purpose, complete with visually appealing packaging. While the designer doesn't see themselves as being the first to release a gender-fluid makeup line, they acknowledge the MAC collection is helping lead the way to normalizing makeup's use for all genders. "It’s amazing that so many brands are jumping on the idea that people don’t have to be so gender-specific but we have a long way to go. I don’t look at myself as the first pioneer, but I’m hopefully one of many to be coming, wanting to stir things up… a lot. This collection is not for men. It’s not for women. It’s for every single person." Hear hear! I really hope we see more makeup from Reed. Perhaps a collab with Gucci Beauty is in order. ;)  As for the designer as a person, I can honestly say they seem very nice and genuine. Despite growing up in an artistic household, attending one of the most prestigious design schools in the world, meeting great success at a young age, AND being good-looking, factors that seem like a recipe for pretension and self-aggrandizement, Reed comes across as humble and kind. I think you can get a sense of that in all the interview snippets I've included here. And after following them for a little while on social media, I can safely say this is someone I would love to have a makeup playdate with.

What do you think of this line and gender-fluid makeup in general? I think everyone should approach all makeup as gender-free and not feel as though they can't use it because they're not the "right" gender, but it seems society at large still has a problem with that. Fortunately it seems that more companies, in addition to MAC, are shifting towards collections and products that speak to everyone, regardless of gender, by using gender-neutral language and including gender-fluid models in their advertising (or at the very least, starting to include people who present as men instead of only women models). Now if we could just get more fat models and people over the age of 30 to be represented, we'd really be moving in the right direction.

Still so far behind on artist collabs so bear with me as I try to catch up. Last spring Estée Lauder teamed up with Tokyo-born, New York City-based street artist Lady Aiko for a small collection consisting of two lipsticks and two Micro Essences.

Estée Lauder x Lady Aiko

Estée Lauder x Lady Aiko

As skincare falls outside the Museum's purview and the Micro Essence is not cheap ($120 a pop) I did not purchase them, but I'm sort of wishing I had even though the designs are the same as on the lipsticks. I feel they can be seen a little better on the bottles than the lipsticks.

Estée Lauder x Lady Aiko, spring 2020
(image from sg.asiatatler.com)

Lady Aiko (Aiko Nakagawa) was born and raised in the bustling Shinjuku area of Tokyo. She was always creating – whether drawings or collages – and also enjoyed painting with an artist who lived in the neighborhood.  "[There] was a painter lady who lived on the corner and my mother supported her as an art tutor. So when I was five years old I used to go to her studio and paint with her a lot. That was my favorite thing to do when I was young," she says.

Lady Aiko at age 5

The artist at age 5.

Upon moving to New York City in 1997, she began working for the legendary Takashi Murakami. Aiko knew very little English, and while the Internet existed people weren't connecting online the way they do now. It was Murakami's signature happy flower posted on a flyer that helped get her start. "I found an advertisement in a Japanese supermarket in the East Village. I came to New York alone and I didn’t know anyone, so it was hard to connect with people and it was very expensive to make a phone call to Japan. I was just starting to learn English and I was looking for artist community. So I went into the supermarket and I found an advertisement that said 'Assistant Wanted.' I saw that cute character that Murakami does, and I thought it was something I can try and maybe I can make some friends. So I knocked on the door and said hello. His studio was in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and this was 1998, way before Williamsburg became what Williamsburg is today. I remember it was quite a scary area at that time. The studio itself was very small. It was really intimate before he became a super well known fine artist. I was helping him for about a year and a half, painting and taking care of the studio as he was getting ready for his first solo show, Super Flat, in SoHo. I also documented the production and made a documentary film about the show. It was a small production at this point, but I really liked it because it was the first time I got to see a Japanese artist working in New York City, and it was really inspiring."

Aiko left Murakami's studio after a year and a half and earned an MFA in Media Studies at The New School. Over the next few years she worked as the founding member of an art collective known as FAILE, where the roots of her signature motifs such as butterflies and flowers began to take hold. In 2006 Aiko established herself as Lady Aiko. The first stencil work she intended for street art was an image of a bunny holding a spray paint can, which she had thought of in 2005 during her time with FAILE.  "I remember when I was in London, Banksy said he liked it and I should keep doing it, even though no one got it at the time.  So I started stenciling the bunny along with some images of sexy girls, and other romantic images. I have been stenciling that image everywhere from Toyko to Shanghai, Instanbul, Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam, Scandinavia and of course throughout the States…Bunny knows all my missions and we have been spreading little smiles to huge wows in every local neighborhood." The bunny has since become possibly Lady Aiko's most recognizable work, gracing everything from Banksy's bathroom door (her very first painted Bunny) to the sides of buildings like this one in Copenhagen.

Lady Aiko, Bunny in Copenhagen, 2019(image from pinterest.com)

The image was even turned into its own toy in 2008, just three years after Lady Aiko created it.

"Aiko Bunny", Lady Aiko and Kidrobot, 2008
(image from trampt.com)

I also really like the bunny as a Dunny, which was released in 2010. I picked it up because it worked well as a prop and it's adorable. I especially appreciate the "Girls Can Play" slogan on the back.

Lady Aiko for Estée Lauder, 2020

As Lady Aiko acclimated to New York's urban environment and expanded her artistic skills, she gradually found street art more appealing than working in a studio. "There was another girl who was working at Murakami’s studio, and her boyfriend Cer was a graffiti writer, so he introduced me to graffiti while I was working at the studio…When he came to studio and picked her up, he showed me his sketch books and photographs. That was something new and shocking in a good way. I discovered that there was this group of people that were getting together and going to an underground tunnel, or to somewhere abandoned, just to make some art and have a good time. I was a curious young girl, and I thought that’s something more interesting than sitting in a studio all day and making tedious and detailed artwork for a Japanese artist…I wanted to join them and work on crazy art on the street," she recalls.

Lady Aiko, Dubai Walls Festival, 2016
(image from graffitistreet.com)

The democratic nature of street art and relative anonymity it afforded while still being able to connect with others were also attractive to Lady Aiko. "For me, street art was a way to make friends since I didn't have YouTube or Facebook, Instagram. So it's like leaving my hashtag and my art mark on the street…I didn’t know anyone when I moved to New York, I didn’t even speak English, so street art became my language. I met a lot of artists through painting on the street, and we taught each other and grew together. When I started, painting on the street was illegal. I didn’t want to show who I was, at the risk of being arrested, so no one knew I was a woman. No one knew I was Japanese. They only knew me through my painting. I wanted to be a mysterious monster and let the work speak for itself…I think street art is art for everyone. It’s not for the fancy people, it’s for everyone and everyone can see it."

Lady Aiko, window display for Isetan department store, 2014
(image from thebeesknees.art)

Unlike most other street artists, Lady Aiko utilizes a stencil technique. While stencils appear fairly simple to make at first glance, the amount of work and time involved in hand-cutting the hundreds of stencils necessary to create a large-scale work is no easy feat. Aiko elaborates on the painstaking process:  "You have to spend a lot of time before [you] start painting. I normally cut stencil all by my hand it's like my first stage of the production. For this wall [in Eugene, Oregon], I spent two days cutting stencil and sometimes like I spent like months and months just cutting stencil for a big size wall. And after you cut the stencil I need to carry all the pieces of paper to the site. I need an assistant when I do a large scale mural because the size of [the] stencil is also enormous…there really aren’t a lot of stencil artists out there anymore. Nowadays they do a lot of machine cuts, but I do it all by hand." Whew!

Lady Aiko bunny stencil

But Lady Aiko actually enjoys the process as well as the physical rigor involved in painting on such a large scale. "I think street art is also like an athletic game for me. Like climbing up the ladder, up and down, and up and down, and carrying buckets of paints. It's like, you know, an athletic game."

Lady Aiko at work on a project for the Standard Hotel in Hollywood, 2010
(image from youtube.com)

Stylistically Lady Aiko's work differs from that of Yoon Hyup, the Korean-born street artist/muralist who collaborated on Bobbi Brown's spring 2019 collection, but thematically they are similar in that both pay homage to their cultural heritage, fusing traditional influences from their respective native countries with a modern city's energy. For Lady Aiko, distance from Japan helped her learn about and respect Japanese art and history all the more. "The more I stay away from Japan, the more I appreciate my country, culture, traditions. I’ve started to study more about Japanese heritage, because I discovered it’s interesting and super unique, and I am from there. Especially the art, fashion and culture in the Edo period, which was all invented and created by working class people in old Tokyo, we used to call Edo City. We used to have such great art forms and techniques such as Kabuki, tattoo, calligraphy, kimono textiles, wood block prints. These were amazing skillful art forms invented in 17th century. Hokusai and Utumaro were the original ukiyoe print masters, and I love and respect them as great artists. Printing was not just happening in the Warhol times, it was happening all the way back in my country 200 years ago. I thought 'holy shit! I didn’t realized that my great grandfathers were doing such dope stuff.'  I also discovered that old Japanese people used to do graffiti. The Japanese word for graffiti is RakuGaki. Raku means drop and Gaki means draw, so they used to make a drawing or a print, and they used to drop it on the street anonymously so that people would pick it up. It could be more for a political purpose and message, but it sounds like street art and sounds fun. We also used to have beautiful sticker culture, in that same time around the 17th century. It’s called Senjafuda (Thousand Shrine Tags), it’s a piece of tiny paper with a small wood block print.  They drew their own symbol, name, crew etc. and they used to carry glue in a small pot and a brush, and when we would go to a temple or shrine once we finished praying we would put their stickers on the ceiling so that our soul will remain in the temple to be protected. That was part of their ritual in the samurai time, but I feel I have that similar kind of ritual when I put my sticker on the street where I have visited and spent some time. Before I left Japan, I was young and ignorant, and I thought it was just normal thing. I couldn’t think that deep. I knew, but I didn’t feel Senjafuda as such a special art form and I wouldn’t search out the origin of RakuGaki.  Since then I have spent about 15 years living outside of Japan and working on street art, and I discovered all those beautiful Japanese traditions, but some are disappearing and being forgotten, so now I enjoy talking about it and reflecting it into my art very much."  One of the many examples of how Lady Aiko incorporates elements of traditional Japanese art was her mural for her mural for the Japan Society's exhibition "Edo Pop: the Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints" in 2013, which was inspired by Japanese wood block prints (ukiyo-e). A modern stenciled version of Hokusai's The Great Wave functions as a backdrop for a mix of cheerful pop art style flowers and butterflies, as well as a woman with a shunga (Japanese erotic art produced from about 1600-1900) inspired tattoo on her back.

Lady Aiko, mural for the Japan Society's exhibition Edo Pop: the Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints, 2013(image from metropolismag.com)

Speaking about the wall she painted for Eugene, Oregon's 20 x 21 mural project, Lady Aiko further explains some of her iconography. "She's a Maiko, it’s an apprentice of geisha, and she's a trainer to be a dancer. And I chose this motif because it's very young energy around her and really festive…My wall is really tall and skinny so I had a little time to think about the execution. I chose this way to express day and night, like flip the girl, and it’s like a playing card. I like the butterfly. It’s an image of transformation and I feel like not only women, but for everyone, like we have the moment of transformation and I really like to keep painting the image of a butterfly in different countries."

Lady Aiko, "Japanese Sisters" mural in Eugene, Oregon, 2018(image from klcc.org) 

The playing card motif has become Lady Aiko's literal signature. The mural she completed for Opening Ceremony in Seattle shows it particularly well. 

Lady Aiko, mural for Opening Ceremony (Seattle), 2017

Her style is also inspired by vintage pin-ups, comic books (I'm getting Lichtenstein vibes) and tattoo imagery, which really shine in these gorgeous Coney Art Walls she painted in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Plus, MERMAIDS! I love that she worked in an homage to the famous Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

Lady Aiko, Coney Island Art Walls, 2015

Lady Aiko, Coney Island Art Walls, 2017(images from ladyaiko.com)

Lady Aiko generally maintains an upbeat outlook in her work, trying to spread positivity and beauty. "I love to create images related to romantic momentos, lovers and kisses. My subjects are pretty much always about romantic stories, lovers and sexy girls in everyday life. My name, Aiko — which is the most common Japanese girl’s name — means love. Love has been my theme throughout my entire life, even from early childhood…I enjoy making something that gives us a good feeling, and creating something beautiful that I can share with everyone. Something that is full of love."

Lady Aiko, Bushwick Collective mural, 2016(image from about-street-art.com)

Occasionally Lady Aiko's representations of love delve into decidedly erotic territory, such as the murals for a 2019 show entitled "Beyond the Streets".  Creating a red-light district of sorts, Lady Aiko combined shunga with the seediness of '70s era Times Square. But while the images could be interpreted as degrading depictions of sex workers, they were intended as an unabashed celebration of women's sexuality and pleasure. "People used to draw really sexy stuff in my country, so I'm making this whole section sexual and pornographic. But also it's more about women. You see [in the work] more sexual energy from women than men. My red-light district is more about how women want to have good time. We also want to enjoy some sexuality…Guys can paint sexy ladies that they want to fuck but the female figure is ours; it’s also for us to enjoy. It’s nothing against boys; I’m just celebrating female energy."

Lady Aiko, walls for "Beyond the Streets" exhibition, 2019

The painting on the right is a re-imagined version of another Hokusai work, a shunga print from 1814 entitled The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife.

Lady Aiko, installation for "Beyond the Streets" exhibition, 2019. Photo by Martha Cooper.(images from northcountrypublicradio.org and beyondthestreets.com)

Hokusai, "The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife", 1814
(image from wikipedia.org)

Between the fairly explicit portrayal of women's sexuality in "Beyond the Streets" and her other equally eye-catching, thoughtful work, Lady Aiko has proven herself a critical player in a new generation of street artists who are changing the way graffiti is perceived in the art world. In the eyes of academics, galleries and museums, for many  years street art was snobbishly viewed as nothing more than vandalism (in fact, Aiko was arrested early in her career), but now it's being curated by the likes of gallery owner and art dealer Jeffrey Deitch.  Over the past 20 years or so, Deitch and others have set up specific (legal) spaces for street artists to compete for a chance to show their work. One such space is Manhattan's Bowery Wall, which Lady Aiko had the honor of being the first woman to paint. After completing Miami's Wynwood Walls in 2009, Lady Aiko set her sights on the coveted Bowery, but felt she "had to let the boys do it first". Finally in 2012 she was awarded the opportunity.  "Wynwood Walls was one of the first big walls that was painted by a woman and that got good attention, and people started to know about me and my serious stencil murals. People started to realize that female artists also can paint a big wall."

Lady Aiko, Wynwood wall, 2009
(image from thewynwoodwalls.com)

Lady Aiko recognized the importance of women contributing to the Bowery Wall, inviting others to participate in the process. "It made me think, it must be my time? For years, that wall had always gone to guys. I waited to paint it for three years. I got the call, and I called my girlfriends as I wanted to make it a 'female only' wall! I called five of my good girlfriends, from the girl whose does my nails to Martha Cooper (the legendary photographer). There were loads of people watching and I think they really appreciated the fact that there were all these girls working away, it bought a new vibe to the mural scene. We did the wall, I felt honored." The feeling of camaraderie with fellow women made a lasting impression on Lady Aiko's process. "I was really tired of having it be dudes vs. girls. I think I got traumatized. Now when I do my own big wall I always call my girlfriends first. They care more about mementos and enjoying the process, instead of it being 'my idea is this' or 'my idea is that.' I enjoy the work and enjoy the time together."

Lady Aiko, Bowery Wall, 2012
(image from lady-aiko.com)

Despite this and the emphasis on femininity in her work, Lady Aiko never saw her own identity as a woman as the main aspect of her art, bristling at being asked to join women-only exhibitions and referred to primarily as a female/woman street artist. This is sadly common among women who work in a male-dominated profession. In 2017 Lady Aiko made it clear she would no longer be entertaining questions about being a woman in street art or participating in women-only exhibitions. From her Instagram: "Hello to people who are trying to reach me but unfortunately I'm not interested in answering your topic #femaleartist and #femalething movement anymore. I have been puking since hundred of people started asking me all of sudden to participate #femaleartexhibition and interview about #femalestreetartist. Yes I was only a girl in the early #streetart #graffiti era and everyone else had dicks, sure I love #pussypower because I own it, but Im not pushing and selling myself professionally as #womanartist. I am individual #artist since I was little child, when dick or vagina didn't matter. Personally I had depressing childhood in Tokyo that all girls in my class ignored me for semester, just because I was cute eccentric, good at playing ball games with boys, riding cool black bike not the pinky one, chilling with live crocodile not Barbie doll, stupid reasons. Group of girls were scary trauma to me. Making art was and still is great escape from such everyday's dark clouds. I deeply support women who are having very difficult situation in our society, I've seen they are really fucked up but I am not fighting against opposite sex. I feel everyone else like you should stop talk about gender issue like cool fashion. There must be more unique theme to research and present. Hope you like my answer, peace out" My takeaway from this statement is that while Lady Aiko broke significant gender barriers in street art, she doesn't want being a woman to define her work; her point was about the art world needing to focus on content and style more than identity politics.

Lady Aiko at work
(image from thewynwoodwalls.com)

Getting back to the Estée collab, I still have no idea how it came about or the level of creative control Lady Aiko was given. The interview posted by the artist on Instagram didn't offer much information, other than how she appreciates skincare that will protect her from the different weather conditions she encounters while painting outdoors in various locales.

Estée Lauder x Lady Aiko

The official Estée Lauder video for the collaboration, although pretty, didn't have any real insight either.

I would have liked to see imagery specific to Estée Lauder or makeup more generally. Lady Aiko's collaboration with Louis Vuitton in 2013, for example, represents her style but also acknowledges the Louis Vuitton brand and seemed to be designed to work well as a repeating pattern on a scarf.

Lady Aiko for Louis Vuitton, 2013
(image from acclaimmag.com)

For Estée Lauder, however, it seems Lady Aiko just added a few of her signature motifs on the Micro Essence bottles and lipsticks, rather than modifying her usual designs to clearly indicate it was a beauty collaboration. I'm a little disappointed – I would have loved to have seen the Maiko figure applying lipstick or just lipsticks in Lady Aiko's vintage tattoo style – but who knows what the story is. Perhaps Estée preferred to keep it simple.

In any case, I really like Lady Aiko's playful yet provocative aesthetic. There are so many different elements involved and many of them speak to me, especially the references to traditional Japanese art, the curvy retro pin-up girls, and the old-school tattoo illustrations. You wouldn't think that images of a geisha and a 1950s American tattoo-inspired rose would mesh well, but Lady Aiko's unique vision harmoniously brings these disparate forms together. I also admire the painstaking labor behind the stencils and her fearlessness at tackling the equally arduous process of getting them onto the walls.

What did you think of this collection and Lady Aiko's work? I so wish I could have seen those Coney Island walls in person and have my photo taken with the mermaids. Stay tuned for a piece on Estée's next artist collaboration with Åsa Eckström!

I'm quite far behind on artist collaborations, so I'm doing some more catching up. Today we have British artist Morag Myerscough for Bobbi Brown, whose collection was released in the spring of 2020. It was a small collection consisting of an eyeshadow palette, highlighter and two lipsticks. I purchased one of the lipsticks and the two other items…and of course I can't seem to find the lipstick. (I'm really hoping to take a full week off of work this summer to properly re-organize the Museum's collection, as things keep going missing or take literally hours to locate. Sigh.)

Bobbi Brown x Morag Myerscough eyeshadow palette

Bobbi Brown x Morag Myerscough eyeshadow palette

Bobbi Brown x Morag Myerscough highlighter

Bobbi Brown x Morag Myerscough highlighter

Born and raised in London, Myerscough came from a family of artists. Her father was a highly sought-after session musician in the 1960s and '70s, while her mother was a textile artist. Myerscough was settled on an artistic career even before she was out of elementary school. After graduating from St. Martin's where she studied graphic design, Myerscough attended the Royal College of Art.  In 1993 she established Studio Myerscough, and in 2010 Supergrouplondon, a collaborative studio with fellow artist and partner Luke Morgan, was born. You can read more about her professional background at Eye Magazine.

Morag Myerscough(image from colourstudies.com)

Myerscough's vibrant color combinations are influenced by her mother as well as several artists, including Josef Albers and '80s collective Memphis (remember them from my Hermès post?) She explains, "[My style of] colour could be from my mother, I think my colour sense comes from being very young and understanding the difference between a dye made from a natural source and one from an artificial source. When I make my big pieces of work I much prefer to paint them as I can get pure pigments and as they are used in spaces it is important how colour responds to light. There is nothing better than to see an amazing colour in the right environment, it can change your whole mood. I like to be brave with colour, at college I was introduced to Albers, and I was very interested in his theories on how colours respond to each other."  She adds, "I really hate when people say that colour is exclusive to children, what sad people they must be. Adults need colour in their lives as much or maybe more than children. Colour is so abundant in nature and we need it more in our built environment." Hear hear!

Artskickers stage designed by Morag Myerscough

In 2017 Myerscough designed the Artskickers stage for a beloved community hub in Dalton Garden. Over 200 events are held here each year.

Her color choices combined with the tidy, modern geometric patterns reflect both her graphic design background as well as the influence of artists such as Bridget Riley and Dan Flavin. Here are a couple examples so you can see the resemblance.

Bridget Riley, Nataraja, 1993

Bridget Riley, Nataraja, 1993

(image from tate.org.uk)

Dan Flavin, "Untitled (In Honor of Leo at the 30th Anniversary of his Gallery)", 1987

Dan Flavin, "Untitled (In Honor of Leo at the 30th Anniversary of his Gallery)," 1987

(image from thoughtco.com)

You know I adore big bold swathes of color, but it's Myerscough's dedication to community engagement and overall approach to art that speak to me the most. Adopting a Chinese proverb as her mantra, "make happy those who are near and those who are far will come," Myerscough aims to instill a sense of belonging among the people using the space she's been commissioned to reimagine. She believes art is a unifying concept that can bring people together and connect them to certain places. A beautiful example is the Burntwood School, where Myerscough designed many of the interior and exterior wall patterns. "I put a narrative in the building, we make places where people feel they belong. I like working collaboratively with architects…we have made some great steps in how schools are used and how the students connect with their schools. The team needs to want the same result and for the project to be successful this involves everybody. The students' grades have increased hugely, I believe this is because they have a building that works for them, that they can be proud of, with teachers that care about them and when you put all the parts together it produces success," she says. I wonder if my anxiety would have been mitigated if I had attended a school with this sort of art everywhere. Probably not, but it's at least nice to look at.

Burntwood school walls designed by Morag Myerscough

Burntwood school walls designed by Morag Myerscough

I also love the Vinyl Lounge, a mixed-used space that used to be an office owned by British music company EMI in the '70s. Myerscough carefully researched the history of the buildings to design something that paid homage to their past while accommodating modern needs. The furniture and other decor consisted of vintage eBay buys or made by Luke Morgan with reclaimed materials.  The "lounge" itself served as a gathering place. In this way the space incorporates local heritage and engages the community. "I do focus on belonging. I want to find out from people what it means to them. Because it may mean different things to different ages, like for the older ones it might be family, while with young ones it might be friends. I also try to see what part of it makes you feel belonged; is it just your culture or is it about talking with each other? It does not matter that you do not come from the same place but can still belong together."

Vinyl Lounge by Morag Myerscough

Vinyl Lounge by Morag Myerscough

But I do have some mixed feelings towards other projects. While I admire Myerscough's approach and would be honored to be able to visit one of her works in person, at the same time I'd most likely want to punch it. Perhaps I'm too cynical not about public art in general, but Myerscough's optimistic outlook more specifically. It's a bit too cheerful and positive for my grumpy, pessimistic self, or at least, the text is. If I was confronted by Love At First Sight, for example, I'd roll my eyes and walk right on by. Ditto for the billboards painted in honor of the frontline NHS workers during the early part of the pandemic. It's a really nice thought, but calling them "heroes" is problematic, and frankly a mural comes off as much as an empty gesture as clapping did. Overall, I think her installations work better with no words, because there's no direction then and people can take whatever they want from it. Words create additional meaning and context, so without them there's more freedom of interpretation. However, I don't think Myerscough would be offended if she read this because at least I have some sort of reaction. We share the same belief that art should have some kind of impact on the viewer, whether it's bad or good. She says, "The main aim is that people aren’t indifferent to it. I want people to react. I totally understand some people might hate my work and I would rather have that than just dismiss it with indifference. I want people to have conversations; to experience something they didn’t expect. That’s why I love making work in public spaces, where people might stumble across a piece of work and have it change their thoughts for the day – ideally for the better." I agree that part of art's purpose is making one feel something and not nothing.

Morag Myerscough - Heroes billboard, May 2020

Morag Myerscough - Heroes billboard, May 2020

Anyway, I wholeheartedly applaud and respect the incredible work she's done for children's hospitals, but I fundamentally disagree with the notion of art in hospitals. The rooms at the Sheffield's Children's Hospital are very welcoming, and at the Royal London Children's Hospital, she used the children's own drawings part of the decor.  "In hospitals I really do want to brighten people’s days, to raise their moods, to make them feel positive and hopeful. I want to make spaces that feel like home, which people enjoy being in. And ultimately to help people feel better…when I was commissioned by Vital Arts to design the five dining rooms at the Royal London Children’s hospital, I proposed to work with [poet Lemn Sissay] on the project. He did poetry workshops with the young patients and I ran visual workshops with the words. We then made murals by combining the words with the visuals, so the dining rooms belonged to the young patients – it was their ideas on the walls. I also displayed all the young patients’ original drawings in frames on the walls, so they and their parents could see it and it was clear the patients were at the centre of the artwork. It’s important that young patients and their families feel comfortable in these environments, because often they stay for long periods of time or return regularly as a child grows." 

Sheffield Children's Hospital(images from moragmyerscough.com)

Royal Children's Hospital ward by Morag Myerscough

These are wonderful, innovative ideas and Myerscough's style is absolutely perfect for this type of project, but as someone who has spent far too much time in hospitals on account of ailing parents, I can tell you that absolutely zero amount or style of art is going to combat the dread and fear. Hospitals are for the very ill and dying, and despite some spotty evidence of the benefit of art in hospitals, I still think there's no artist in the world whose work can even come close to offsetting that type of negative energy. As both a patient and a visitor I'd honestly prefer it if art wasn't in hospitals and have them remain drab and depressing – it's far more appropriate for the space. Again, this is all just a matter of opinion. (And I certainly support art therapy where the patient creates art themselves.) 

Royal Children's Hospital ward by Morag Myerscough(images from designboom.com)

Getting back to the Bobbi Brown collab, I'm not sure how or why it came about. Nor do I know why she designed the patterns she did for the collection, or if she had an input on the makeup shades. I did reach out for an interview with the artist but didn't hear back. I will say I think her work translated well to the packaging, which can be tricky for artists who typically work on large-scale designs. But I'd love to hear Myerscough's thoughts on makeup colors, how makeup can help bring people together and why she took on the collaboration. She works primarily on big environmental graphics for community spaces and doesn't have a lot of commercial collabs – the only other thing with her work that you'd find in a store was a collection for Method cleaning products, and even that was part of the larger Sheffield hospital project – so I'm curious to know what attracted her to designing the packaging for a makeup collection. It's a bit inconsistent with Myerscough's usual commissions.  Perhaps it's precisely how different it is that piqued her interest. In any case, the Bobbi Brown collection is not even mentioned on her website.

Bobbi Brown x Morag Myerscough

Bobbi Brown x Morag Myerscough

Thoughts on Myerscough's work? What does the makeup community mean to you? Do you feel as though you're part of it?

As usual, there was no shortage of artist collabs of the holiday season. Kate is an affordably-priced Japanese brand owned by Kanebo, maker of the beautiful Milano compacts.  I was immediately intrigued by the packaging for their holiday collection, and when I saw it was the result of a partnership with illustrator Kotaro Chiba, I knew I had to get my hands on it for the Museum.  Entitled "Neo-Folklore: Reinterpretation of Japanese Folklore Heroines," Kate's holiday collection features modern reimaginings of the women in three Japanese folk tales who "face and shape their own destinies".  There were lip gloss duos, eyeliners and eyeshadow palettes for each story. I just picked up the palettes since the designs were the same for all of the products.

Kate Neo Folklore holiday 2020 - Kotaro Chiba

The first story in the collection centers on Japan's vast array of fox-based fairy tales.  Foxes, or kitsune, have a long-standing place in Japanese culture – there are entire books written on fox folklore – but the story Kate selected involves one version of the fox wedding, Kitsune no Yomeiri.  As the traditional lore goes, foxes would create rain to keep humans away from the forest where they held wedding processions.  But as foxes were also known to be shape-shifters, some lady foxes would change into human form and marry an unsuspecting man.  Sometimes she'd be able to keep her true form a secret forever, but sometimes she would accidentally let her tail slip out.  Once a family member sees that she's actually a fox she can no longer remain with them and must return to the forest (not sure why.)

The palette artwork depicts a woman clad in a black dress with swirls of voluminous fabric in the back (perhaps mimicking a tail?) and a fox curving around the edges. The golden white spheres on the right are most likely hoshi no tama, or star balls. These magical orbs are said to hold the fox's life force.  If a human manages to get a hold of one they can control the fox.

Kate Neo-folklore collection - EX 101 palette

Kate Neo-folklore collection - EX 101 palette

The company created a makeup look and brief video to accompany each story.  This one is called "Hint of a Wispy Flame," referencing the warm tones of a red fox and Inari shrines.

Kate "Hint of Wispy Flame" look

The video depicts a fox wedding which the bride apparently abandons.  The "ghostly forest light" mentioned is known as kitsune-bi, magical fire produced by the foxes during wedding ceremonies and other processions.  I'm still scratching my head over the ending…so she doesn't get married to a human but doesn't stay with her fellow foxes either? Where does she run off to? 

The second story, known as Tsuru no Ongaeshi (Crane's Return of a Favor), or more specifically, Tsuru Nyobo (The Crane Wife) involves a man who helps an injured crane.  I'll let Japan Folklore tell the tale, as it was the most straightforward version I found.  "Long, long ago in a far off land there lived a young man. One day, while working on his farm, a brilliant white crane came swooping down and crashed to the ground at his feet. The man noticed an arrow pierced through one of its wings. Taking pity on the crane, he pulled out the arrow and cleaned the wound. Thanks to his care the bird was soon able to fly again. The young man sent the crane back to the sky, saying, 'Be careful to avoid hunters.' The crane circled three times over his head, let out a cry as if in thanks, and then flew away.  As the day grew dark the young man made his way home. When he arrived, he was surprised by the sight of a beautiful woman whom he had never seen before standing at the doorway. 'Welcome home. I am your wife,' said the woman. The young man was surprised and said, 'I am very poor, and cannot support you.' The woman answered, pointing to a small sack, 'Don't worry, I have plenty of rice,' and began preparing dinner. The young man was puzzled, but the two began a happy life together. And the rice sack, mysteriously, remained full always.  One day the wife asked the young man to build her a weaving room. When it was completed, she said, 'You must promise never to peek inside.' With that, she shut herself up in the room. The young man waited patiently for her to come out. Finally, after seven days, the sound of the loom stopped and his wife, who had become very thin, stepped out of the room holding the most beautiful cloth he had ever seen. 'Take this cloth to the marketplace and it will sell for a high price,' said the wife. The next day the young man brought it to town and, just as she said, it sold for many coins. Happy, he returned home. The wife then returned to the room and resumed weaving. Curiosity began to overtake the man, who wondered, 'How can she weave such beautiful cloth with no thread?' Soon he could stand it no longer and, desperate to know his wife's secret, peeked into the room. To his great shock, his wife was gone. Instead, a crane sat intently at the loom weaving a cloth, plucking out its own feathers for thread.  The bird then noticed the young man peeking in and said, 'I am the crane that you saved. I wanted to repay you so I became your wife, but now that you have seen my true form I can stay here no longer.' Then, handing the man the finished cloth, it said, 'I leave you this to remember me by.' The crane then abruptly flew off into the sky and disappeared forever."   There are some variations to the tale, such as the replacement of the man for an old couple who essentially adopt the young woman as their daughter, but the overall message remains the same: respect people's privacy.

The palette shows another woman in black holding a cat's cradle of yarn between her outstretched fingers.  She appears to be watching the sliding door in the background. The head and neck of a red-crowned crane form a graceful arc over the scene.

Kate Neo-folklore collection - EX 102 palette

Kate Neo-folklore collection - EX 102 palette

The color story for this palette is also a nod to the red-crowned crane, according to the description at the Kate website. 

Kate "Secret Sounds of Wings" Neofolklore makeup look

As with the fox wedding story, I'm not really sure what the video is trying to say.  At first the crane/woman is upset her trust was broken, but then seems okay with it? 

The third story is the tale of Princess Kaguya, which dates all the way back to the 10th century.  Move over Sailor Moon, there's another princess from our big round friend! Here's an abbreviated version from this website.  "A long time ago, an old and humble man who was cutting bamboo saw that one of the logs he’d gathered was glittering in a strange way as if it was illuminated by the moon. Taking the log in his hands, he realized that inside was a beautiful and tiny little girl, about 7 centimeters tall. The man took her home because he’d never had children, and between him and his wife, they took care of her as if she were their own daughter…The strange girl grew into a beautiful woman of normal size, and over the years, people began to learn of the existence and beauty of this lady. Suitors traveled from all over to request her hand. On one occasion, five honorable gentlemen approached the house of the bamboo cutter trying to persuade him to allow his adopted daughter to marry. He was old and didn’t want to leave her alone upon dying, they argued. But she refused to take any husband, making impossible requests of her suitors in to avoid marrying them.  The existence of the beautiful young woman came to the attention of the emperor, who requested that she appear in his court. When she refused, he visited her and, upon seeing her, he too fell madly in love with her. The emperor tried to take the girl to his palace to marry her, but the young woman assured him that if she were taken by force, she would become a shadow and then disappear forever.  Each night, she watched the sky with melancholy. It was time to return to her place of origin, and it was then that she confessed to her adoptive father, in tears, that she had come from the moon and that her time on Earth was to end. Upon learning of this, the emperor sent guards to the house of the bamboo cutter, to try to prevent the princess from returning to her place of origin. One night, the moon was covered by a cloud. This quickly began to descend towards the Earth, while the sky grew ever darker. A carriage manned by luminous beings arrived for the princess. She left a letter and a small bottle with the Elixir of Life for the emperor before leaving. Frightened, he ordered that both be taken to the top of the most sacred mountain of that land and there, burned.  To this day, it’s remembered that when there is smoke upon Mount Fuji, this is the letter and elixir that the Princess of the Moon left for the emperor, and these will continue to burn at the mountain’s peak."

Princess Kaguya is shown on the palette wearing a black kimono and standing in front of a stylized blue moon. Bamboo stalks in the background represent the princess's earthly beginnings, while the rabbit in the foreground is a reference to another lunar-themed tale, the moon rabbit (Tsuki no Usagi.)

Kate Neo-folklore collection - EX 103 palette

Kate Neo-folklore collection - EX 102 palette

I have to say none of the looks the company came up with seem particularly thoughtful or interesting. The collection allegedly centered on dismantling tradition and setting new narratives, yet the makeup seems rather safe and conventional.  I understand Kate is a mass market brand, but something more daring couldn't have hurt.

Kate "Moonlit Bamboo Grove" look

Anyway, the video changes the ending of the tale, revealing that Princess Kaguya chooses to stay on earth.

Perhaps if I had any sort of grasp on the original tales and understood the videos I might have better insight of how these heroines were reinterpreted.  At first I thought the Neo-Folklore collection was telling the same tales but emphasizing the independence of the women, portraying them as active agents of their own destinies rather than passive characters that things merely happen to.  In the usual narratives, the crane/woman leaves her husband and the kitsune leaves her family so that they can fully express their true selves. Princess Kaguya, although sad to leave her parents, refused to accept a traditional married life and returned to her celestial home. But the videos the company made complicate these interpretations; the intent was to change the women's actions entirely.  The kitsune abandons both her fox family and the prospect of marrying a human, the crane is proud to show her avian form when her secret is discovered, and Princess Kaguya chooses to stay on earth.  I'm not sure the revised stories present any sort of significantly more "empowered" outcomes, but they at least attempt to depict these women as setting a wholly new course for themselves rather than adhering to the original story.

In any case, the artist Kate selected to highlight the women in these tales is a perfect fit. Kotaro Chiba is a self-taught artist based in Niigata, a relatively quiet, snowy city in northwest Japan.  His father, a convenience store owner turned Buddhist monk, and mother, a piano teacher, were of modest means but instilled a love of art and culture in their son.  "My family was poor in money but rich in culture. The little house where we used to live was full of art, music and literature. I started to study seriously the art myself when I worked part-time after my graduation from high-school. Of course, I would have liked to attend an art school, but I wasn't able to make it for financial reasons," he says.  Chiba began his career around 2007 making t-shirt designs.  He found he wasn't inspired by one particular style or theme, but a combination of manga, modern Western fashion and traditional Japanese style.  While his work continues to evolve, the end result is surreal, fanciful and at times unsettling. 

Kotaro Chiba, Housenka, 2018

Chiba's experience illustrating a book of Japanese fairy tales in 2019 more than qualifies him to take on the Neo-Folklore collection.

Tales of Japan illustrated by Kotaro Chiba

Tales of Japan illustrated by Kotaro Chiba

His work sometimes takes on a more video-game, sci-fi fantasy vibe while still incorporating elements of traditional Japanese costume, such as this warrior character he created for an app.

Illustration by Kotaro Chiba, 2019

Chiba is also adept at modern fashion illustration, particularly for women's dress.  "I am not a fashion-addict or a fashionista and I don't have any good sense of trends, but I'm fascinated by fashion design. I just love it.  I like the fact that fashion is sexual but doesn't express sexuality directly. I want to mix pop culture and classical sense," he says.  Examples of this combination include his portraits of women consuming ramen, some with a decidedly modern appearance and one with a slightly more traditional Japanese style.  While you'd never mistake them for antique wood-block prints, their flatness and composition reference the centuries-old art.

Kotaro Chiba, Fernanda, 2017

Kotaro Chiba, Ramen Gacho, 2017

Kotaro Chiba, Ramen Gacho, 2017

Chiba notes that as a self-taught artist, he had no one to help guide his style, so it evolves organically with little input from other artists.  "I am self-educated, have no teacher or boss, so no one corrects what I do.  My style is not static," he says.  And he's right – in looking at his Instagram, it's hard to believe it's the same artist. But some of his pieces seem to be influenced by others.  The lines on the woman's hair and the fish's tail in Kuro (2019), for example, are particularly reminiscent of Hiroshi Tanabe's work.

Kotaro Chiba, Kuro, 2019

And I'm getting a Patrick Nagel feel from Ame (2020). You might recall Nagel was partially inspired by Japanese wood-block prints.

Kotaro Chiba, Ame, 2020

Despite being born and raised in Japan, Chiba says that manga and anime styles don't figure prominently in his oeuvre.  I'm inclined to agree.  As he states, the surrealist nature of some manga is present in his work, but not so much the aesthetic.  "Manga is certainly different from western culture, as it doesn't fit in a logical world. It may represent a kind of surrealism. I carefully watched Dragon Ball Z on TV when I was a child, but in reality, I don't know much about manga. My foreign friends know better than me. Nevertheless, I can't deny the influence of Manga-anime."

Kotaro Chiba, A Dead Secret, 2018

Chiba's preference for illustrating women is another reason Kate made the right choice for a makeup collaboration focused on reinventing women's roles within fairy tales.  The artist explains, "I prefer to draw female things. In fact, I'm more interested by gender than by womanhood and sexuality. I hate masculinity because it's too simple…My illustrations are often said to be 'too feminine', even when I draw male characters." For the most part, Chiba's female characters are depicted as independent, powerful and sometimes even fearsome.  A girl wearing an animal skeleton while nonchalantly observing a six-headed dog growing out of the ground, for example, is not someone to be trifled with.

Kotaro Chiba Atai Kuyoh

Nor is a strange bird-vampire levitating in a blood-spattered room above the carcass of the animal she has presumably exsanguinated.   

Kotaro Chiba, Winged Ghost, 2017

The illustration he created for a cover of a novel earlier this year is similar to those for the Kate collection, with the cat's form cradling the central character in the same way the fox, crane and rabbit – also rendered in white – curve around on the palettes. The skull held by the woman, the cat's skeletal tail, and the floating sperm-like shapes point to a story about life and death, perhaps? 

Kotaro Chiba, 2020
(images from kate.global.net, @kotaro_chiba, and kotarochiba.portfoliobox.net); artist quotes from interviews at kyoorius.com and hiwo.tv)

I wish I knew more about Chiba's inspiration for the Neo-Folklore collection and how the collab came about, but my request for an interview went unanswered.  Ah well, it's the holidays.  But he did shed light on his process during one interview, noting that he creates straight from memories or visions he has in his head, rather than directly referencing a photo.  "I like to design all objects in the picture by myself: outfit, furniture, landscape, etc…that is the feature of my works. I don't like to draw something from reference photos (though I'm sometimes obliged to because I'm running out of time). The idea of the design usually only exists in my brain."  In the case of the Neo-Folklore collection, it seems that he simply translated his familiarity with these fairy tales growing up and the particular characters and objects associated with them (animals, yarn, bamboo, etc.) to his own style. If it were me, of course, I'd read every version of the fairy tale and look at every illustration before trying to come up with something of my own, but that's why I'm not an artist. ;)  Nevertheless, I see some similarities between us. He likes living in a smaller city and set out to do something creative, even though he lacked formal training, just because he thought he would enjoy it.  And maybe it's because Chiba is self-taught, but he seems quite unpretentious and relaxed compared to some artists I've come across. "I didn't want to specifically to be an illustrator. I wanted to create something. I knew that this would make me happy…I love that quiet atmosphere [of Niigata].  My favorite place is the Starbucks in the neighborhood! If I had to move elsewhere, I'd chose the countryside. My daily routine is to buy a coffee at the convenience store nearby. I think a good sleep brings better productivity. I don't go to bed late because I want to reduce stress as much as possible. It took a long-time to have self-confidence. I still have just a little confidence, not enough to fight with the world." 

What do you think of Chiba's work?  And which story is your favorite?  They were all kind of sad to me, even the revamped versions, but I love the idea of foxy lady shapeshifters since they remind me of some mermaid stories where they can switch between mermaid and human form.