Once again I randomly found some really cool makeup-themed stuff while researching something completely unrelated. I'm sad I missed this collaboration between Italian clothing label MSGM and art magazine Toilet Paper that debuted last summer. Toilet Paper Magazine is an image-only publication founded by sculptor Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari (I dare you to try to make sense of the website), while MSGM is a recently-established line started by former DJ Massimo Giorgetti. According to a Wallpaper article, the collaboration was an attempt to broaden the reach of Toilet Paper Magazine beyond bookshelves. "We are interested in trying out our images in different mediums…we discovered that a toad in a sandwich works just as well on a sweatshirt," said Ferrari. Translation: we can make more money if we put some of our images onto clothes. Similarly, Giorgetti saw a golden opportunity to expand his line as well. "I have found thousands of similarities between the subjects of the prints used in my collections and the images printed in the magazine…the images in Toilet Paper have always captured my attention, inspiring and entertaining me." Translation: working with established artists gives my line more credibility.
Anyway, while the collaboration did use some non-makeup-themed images from Toilet Paper's archives, there were cosmetics aplenty in a range of colorful tops. I found them to be delightfully surreal with a touch of Warhol-esque indictment of consumer culture. We have disembodied men's hands reaching to apply lipstick to non-existent mouth, a monumental row of worn lipsticks, and a shiny eyelash curler just a moment before it clamps down on a pair of long fluttery false lashes.
Since I couldn't find any information on these specific images or why they were chosen for the collaboration, I thought I'd look at the individual artists instead. Pierpaolo Ferrari is a photographic force to be reckoned with, equally adept at shooting ads, editorials and portraits.
Here's a BMW ad and a slick high-fashion spread, both for Vogue Italia:
And here's a fantastic portrait of his partner-in-crime, Maurizio Cattelan. I love that you don't have to know who it is in the picture to fully appreciate it – it's just a great photo.
Speaking of which, Maurizio Cattelan's earlier work in sculpture is much darker than the images he helps produce for Toilet Paper. According to an excellent profile at the Guggenheim's website, he "creates unsettlingly veristic sculptures that reveal contradictions at the core of today’s society. While bold and irreverent, the work is also deadly serious in its scathing critique of authority and the abuse of power."
One of his best-known works is La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour) (1999) which depicts Pope John Paul II getting hit by a meteorite.
Other fairly disturbing works include Ave Maria (2007):
And All (also from 2007), influenced in part by his stint working in a morgue as a teenager.
As you can see from this 2012 installation at the Palais de Tokyo, Cattelan's work for Toilet Paper, while still somewhat unsettling, is downright sunny compared to his earlier sculptures.
Finally, we have Massimo Giorgetti, founder of MSGM. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, he credits the success of his line with a thorough understanding of social media and what young people want. "Presenting a collection in 2009 with psychedelic prints done by computer and in fluorescent colors was the secret to MSGM's immediate success. Also, right from the beginning we wanted to create a contemporary collection — which wasn't something very common in Italy at the time — and get the message out immediately, considering the impact that social networks were having. I think the market was waiting for a product like ours; many young people were already getting ideas more from the Internet than from the pages of magazines. MSGM is really created for a young public that adores fashion but isn't a slave to designer labels, a public that likes to dare and likes to be noticed."
I have to say I can't really describe the overall style. The best I can come up with is "eclectic". There is no one silhouette, print, or palette within even an individual season's collection, let alone from season to season – it's kind of a mishmash of disparate lines and color. I will say that I do think it's modern and youthful, in that I think someone of my advanced age couldn't pull off any of it!
Sidenote: there is a small sidebar on Giorgetti and MSGM in the April issue of InStyle magazine.
Getting back to the collaboration, I think it's an absolute perfect marriage of contemporary art and fashion. Both Toilet Paper and MSGM are pretty offbeat, and while I'm not crazy about the latter's clothing in general, the images from the magazine make those simple sweatshirt and tee shapes work. Given how bizarre they are and the fact that they contain pictures of makeup, naturally I would dearly love to get my hands on any of them. While they're mostly gone, I think there a few still for sale at ssense.com…heck, I'd even take the men's versions! I'd still like to know how the original images came to be (why lipstick and eyelash curlers?) and why they were selected to be part of the collection, but I think I've learned enough about the individual artists and designer that I'm sold, even without knowing the full story. I think they're just part and parcel of the magazine's spirit – avant-garde, flippant and humorous.
What do you think of all this? And would you wear any of the collection?
I'm still on the fence as to whether these items from Cargo are museum-worthy, but I thought they were at least worth writing about. You may remember that Cargo's packaging and branding underwent a massive facelift last fall, partnering with illustrator Bernadette Pascua (more about that later.) This spring Cargo has moved on to team up with another talented artist, Meegan Barnes, for a tea party-inspired tin and palette. The Suited to a Tea collection showcases cheerful renderings of delectable teatime treats as well as Cargo's products. Cupcakes, macarons and lip gloss are neatly placed in a grid against a pale pink background.
While the pattern is cute, where Barnes really shines with this collection is her depiction of Chloe, Cargo's new "illustrated muse" who "represents the core Cargo customer". Unfortunately Chloe only appears at Cargo's website rather than on the actual makeup packaging, which is why I hesitate to purchase one of these items. It's a shame, since in her figurative illustrations Barnes displays a masterful use of color that simultaneously manages to be both exuberant and delicate, and that's not as visible in the small objects on the Cargo packaging.
The Los Angeles-based Barnes got her professional start in New York in the late '90s. Since then she has collaborated with a number of fashion labels and magazines, including Banana Republic, Nylon, and Urban Outfitters. While her drawings for Cargo are still in keeping with her illustrative style, other collaborations as well as her personal work point to an edgier, tougher side that's not apparent in the very sweet Chloe illustrations. Take, for example, her series "#ModelsFalling".
Or the women depicted in her drawings for a book cover (Matahari) and t-shirts for Zoo York. Pretty badass, right? They're a sharp contrast to the more innocent, girlish Chloe.
I think one of the marks of a good artist is knowing exactly the feel or vibe of a collection when teaming up with a client and adjusting their style accordingly. In this case, Barnes turns down the gritty and cranks up the pretty.
While I admire Barnes' work for Cargo, I'm still wondering what happened to the first illustrator Cargo hired for their re-branding effort, Bernadette Pascua. I contacted the company and was told that she worked on the fall 2013 and winter 2014 campaigns and that Meegan Barnes had taken over for spring 2014.
What Cargo neglected to tell me was whether it was a matter of Pascua dropping out of the project so a permanent replacement (Barnes) was found, or whether it was just that from the start they had decided that artists would change every few seasons. I guess time will tell.
What do you think of Meegan Barnes' work and the Suited to a Tea collection?
“To me, makeup is a way to open the door to an unknown world, a world filled with excitement.The magic that takes you from your regular life to an unknown new world and the sense of adventure that accompanies this journey are what I wanted to express through this collaboration.” – Mika Ninagawa
This is the third collaboration Japanese photographer Mika Ninagawa has done with Shu Uemura, the previous two having been in 2008 and 2011. I greatly admired both of those, but I have to say the spring 2014 collection is my favorite of the three. Ninagawa has taken her work to a whole other level I didn't think was possible.
As animated in the quirky video above, the artist created four magical wonderlands for Shu's products. Naturally I had to get all four cleansing oils that depict each one.
The red Ultim8 cleansing oil’s theme is Forbidden Fruits: “Evil butterflies are in love with the passion filled garden, ripe with seductive apples and strawberries. One bite of the forbidden fruits will poison you with delight.” I have had many makeup dreams but none of them involved glittery lashes on fruit!
The blue Whitefficient cleansing oil represents curiosity and shows the Enchanted Carnival where one can “search for the key to another beauty wonderland.” This is probably my least favorite of the four – that eye mask creeps me out a bit. However, Mika's incomparable talent for taking haphazardly scattered objects and forming a harmonious composition makes up for it.
The green Anti-Oxi oil depicts the Singing Forest: “Even the evil butterflies cannot resist the soothing lullaby of luscious lips that put you into a sweet beauty slumber. Once the fresh ivy and wild mushrooms cross your lips, you will slip into an eternal dreamscape.” Those floating pillowy lips, especially the pair atop the blue-capped mushroom, are insanely cool. Could you imagine walking through a forest and seeing those?!
The pictures on the pink Pore-Finist cleansing oil form a sweet-filled fantasy that corresponds to Melting Sweet Dream, which is described as a “lucky charm that guides you to angelic butterflies” and encourages one to “enter a dream filled with charming, sweet candies that melt on your mouth.” While I adore the sexy strawberries in Forbidden Fruits, I think I love the long-lashed candies on this one even more. I'm also enamored of all the other things in the mix – yellow fluffy chicks nestled up against marshmallow Peeps and little plastic ballerinas surrounded by colorful candy. Maybe it's my sweet tooth or that I find the color combination to be even more pleasing than the others, but I think Melting Sweet Dream is my favorite. As Liz Lemon would say, I want to go to there.
Mika's work for this collection impressed me more than the other two because I felt as though she thought about new worlds she wanted to create and then executed them perfectly. The other two collections contained photos that were, of course, quite beautiful, but lacked the whimsy and imagination she displayed here. While her amazing composition and use of color are more or less unmatched, I think the addition of a unique concept – in this case, the invention of four magical worlds – elevated her work and made it even more sublime. I also liked the vibe of these four dreamscapes. They're a bit surreal, what with disembodied lips and anthropomorphized fruit and candy, but they're inviting rather than menacing ("evil" butterflies aside). I'd love to put myself smack dab in the middle of any of them and explore! Well, maybe not the Enchanted Carnival…
What do you think? And which of these is your favorite?
I have to admit that I hadn't paid much attention to Australian makeup artist Napoleon Perdis's line – nothing about it appealed to me. I'm also not into Valentine's Day. But a few days ago I came across these nail polish and lip gloss sets at Refinery 29 and was intrigued by Perdis's collaboration with fellow Aussie Felicia Aroney. The "Lovebirds" collection features five different sets of nail polish and lip gloss housed in a bag adorned with a painting by Aroney.
As for Aroney, her art is shaped by her Greek heritage and being born and raised in Australia. Her artist statement summarizes the various influences on her work and explains why birds are a recurring motif: "My greatest influences are the amalgamation of my rich Australian upbringing and my Greek heritage. My fascination with the appearance of ancient Greek ruins and the ritual of the re-painting of homes on the Greek Islands stirs my imagination and shapes my art. Layers of paint being re-applied on walls over the centuries, exposing glimpses of colour from a previous life, reminds me of the passing of time. Using a palette knife and using specially made canvases designed to carry the weight of the paint, I prompt the viewer to study the canvas where they can see subtle crevasses of colour. I incorporate the beautifully animated Australian Fairy wren bird. They delight the canvas with their communicative nature. Incorporating both the Fairy Wrens and the textured Grecian backgrounds are a way of marrying both my heritages."
Indeed, the paint in the backgrounds is so thick that Aroney "carves" her signature into it (in the lower right). I like how the delicacy of the wrens plays off of the dense, heavy layers of the background. For the Perdis collaboration, Aroney painted an entire series of "love birds" for the Napoleon Perdis Lifestyle Store and Gallery in Sydney.
How did the collaboration come about? Aroney explained to the Sydney Herald, "Napoleon loves my paintings, and has bought several, which are in his homes in Australia and America…he rang me from Los Angeles and proposed this idea of applying one of my art works to a makeup bag, and he thought the Love Birds would be appropriate for Valentine's Day." She adds that she's happy her work made its way to beauty items: "My art is there to be shared, viewed and discussed and I love that I can apply my creativity in a different way."
What are your thoughts, both on Aroney's work and the resulting collaboration with Napoleon Perdis? I'm still on the fence as to whether one of these sets will make it into the Museum's collection.
In 2010, Japanese multi-media artist Takashi Murakami unveiled 6 Heart Princess (6HP) at the Murakami Versailles exhibition, an animated work in which six good princesses, represented in pink, fight against an evil princess, represented in black. The work is set to air as a TV series in 2014. According to Shu's press release, Murakami "captured the essence of the adventures of magical 'majokko' (magical witch girls) in animated form. 'Majokko' has remained a popular animation genre in Japan for more than half a century; in this world normal girls transform into super women to fight the enemy or solve problems. The new animation work is Takashi Murakami's modern reinterpretation of this genre, subliminating aspects of Tokyo's 'otaku' subculture and the worlds of cosplay and manga into an artwork." In an interview, Murakami explains that 6HP was based on an old Japanese story entitled "Tale of Eight Dogs" that utilizes the format of post-war Japanese cartoons involving "majokko". He also talks about why he chose 6HP for the Shu collaboration, opting for a more, in his words, "raw", expressive animation style as opposed to the more abstract style he had used for previous retail collaborations.
For the Shu Uemura collaboration, one of the six pink princesses and the black princess appear as the two central characters, thus embodying the idea of duality. The collection "reflects the timeless and universal theme of the transformation of feminine desire to reflect another, inner self; the parallel universe between real and surreal, the dark and light sides that exist in every woman…this contemporary makeup collection focuses on the 'paradox' of pink and black princesses as feminine icons, because every woman has a duality within, nice and naughty, innocent and sexy. Explore further dimensions of your charm, your pink side and your black side. Play with the possibilities of multi-faceted beauty, and transform into your other self." That's a good description, but you really should watch the collection video (also produced by Murakami) to get the full picture.
I'll provide more background information in a minute, but first let's take a look at some pics. I got the cleansing oil:
I also got both palettes and lip gloss:
Here's the Enchanted Black Parallel palette. I have the say the black princess is pretty bad-ass with her fishnets and short hair. And that sword!
Here's the Heart-full Pink Parallel palette with the super girly pink princess sporting a heart-shaped scepter, an innocent floppy neck bow and a tiara atop her pigtailed head.
The lip gloss:
The palettes I got were each housed in this dual-sided plastic pouch featuring the faces of the mascot (spirit animal?) of each princess.
The nice e-bay seller I got these from also included the shopping bag – I love that the handles are black and pink!
Of course, you know I can't resist including pics of various launch parties and press events – no company does 'em like Shu. Below is the maniacally-grinning flower in plush form (iterations of this flower have appeared previously in Murakami's work):
But the grandest party was the official press event, which was attended by Murakami himself and, much to my delight, featured lots of plushies. I shudder to consider the possibility that they were thrown out! There were also models dressed up as the princesses. It's not unusual to have models in costume at these events, but in this case I'm wondering if it's a nod to the notion of cosplay.
I don't want to discuss how this collection fits in with Murakami's other work because there is entirely too much of it. I will, however, delve a little deeper into the collection's theme and how Murakami, after other successful retail collaborations, came to partner with Shu. In an interview with Refinery29, Murakami discusses how several characters he created a few years ago were transformed into a makeup collection. "In the past, when I’d had collaboration projects, it was more like…Takashi Murakami and this particular brand. I wanted to change that methodology — I wanted to create a collaboration between Shu Uemura and the animated girl characters that I have created. It’s a very dark story, but when the Shu team heard about it, they focused. They said that this mix of the dark part and the bright part that all women have… if we were to transform that concept into the product, it could be very interesting. I made a very challenging request with this project, but the Shu Uemura team accepted it. So, first of all, there was the concept. Then came the products. I have not been involved product by product per se, but that’s how I was able to do this project." Murakami also talks about how makeup fits perfectly into his recent fascination with cosplay, and how he now understands that putting on makeup, even just an everyday look, is a type of transformation. "People who do cosplay try to transform themselves into animation characters, which have unnatural hair, as well as unnatural faces. They utilize makeup to become that character, and through that process, their personality changes as well. But, makeup is something that women do every day — they transform themselves every day. I don’t wear makeup, so I didn’t know that kind of thing was happening. But, when I interacted with cosplayers, [I realized] that through the makeup process, they 'create' themselves and become a totally different person. They're using makeup as a tool to transform themselves."
Overall, I like the collection. The feminist in me isn't wild about the emphasis on women consisting of two extremes, as it hits a little close to the madonna/whore dichotomy; however, I don't think that's how Murakami intended the story to be interpreted. Given the fact that Murakami is most likely not steeped in Western women's history, I don't think he meant to portray women as being pigeonholed into neat little categories of good and evil. In watching the collection video it seems more obvious, since one can clearly see the focus of the collection was more about transformation and how one can use makeup to accommodate or accentuate different sides of their personality. I also think that while 6HP was an idea Murakami had previously, he completely reworked it to fit a makeup collection, which takes a fair amount of creativity. Plus, he made it holiday/winter appropriate with the addition of snowy trees in the illustrations. While I may have liked to see more details on the inside of the palette (maybe the flower or animals could have been imprinted on each shade), I think the design was well done.
What do you think of the collection? Are you team pink or team black? Me, definitely black…'tis way more fun to be naughty than nice! 😉
Um, wow. I was pretty excited for the latest NARS collaboration with fashion photographer Guy Bourdin…until I actually started looking at his portfolio. As a feminist I found it troubling, to say the least. As someone who enjoys art and fashion, I can appreciate how groundbreaking Bourdin was in terms of fashion photography. And I understand why Francois Nars chose him as inspiration for this collection, as it was Bourdin's work that inspired Nars to become a makeup artist – the way he captured the rich, saturated hues in many of his photos was truly genius. I recognize that the collection isn't meant to glamourize violence against women but rather to celebrate the bold colors in Bourdin's work.
HOWEVER.
I'd say about half of the Bourdin photos I've seen portray violence against women, and another sizeable portion seem to signify that women are nothing more than blow-up dolls to be used and discarded. I could even consider overlooking these disturbing images if they were part of a larger body of work that didn't glorify dead/objectified women, but I found nearly all of his photos to be fairly repugnant. I could also perhaps consider separating the images from Bourdin himself – just because his photos dehumanize women doesn't necessarily mean he is a misogynist. Unfortunately, that's not the case on that front either. He was just as anti-woman as you would suspect from his photos. Maybe it's because I'm from a different generation. In the '70s these images would have been considered "daring" and "pushing the envelope". In 2013, using offensive pictures to sell something isn't a novel idea. The "edginess" of showing a woman stuffed headfirst into a trashcan has long worn off; this image and others like it are solely abhorrent.
In my cursory research on the matter I found that I'm not alone in my dismissal of this collaboration. These bloggers said it better than I could, so rather than write any more about this I encourage you to read their thoughts on the topic: Temptalia and InTruBeauty.
What do you think? Will you be passing on this collection?
Sephora is, I believe, my favorite store ever. I was pleased to see them celebrating their 15th anniversary earlier this summer. So I was mystified as to how I completely overlooked a great collaboration with Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami in honor of this milestone.
Keiichi Tanaami (b. 1936) studied at Musashino Art School. In 1968 he visited the U.S. for the first time and made the acquaintance of an artist who would greatly influence him: Andy Warhol. Most of his work was for advertising and record covers. In 1975 he became the art director of Playboy in Japan, where he revolutionized the large-format magazine. Hallucinogenic images of odd creatures and use of vibrant color served as the hallmarks of his work and were derived from a variety of sources, including his childhood in Japan and American pop culture. He recalls in an interview, “Japan went to war with the US when I was about seven. During those years no one had the time, the luxury, or the interest in cultural activities. So I don’t remember being taken to museums and there weren’t many books being published. It was a time of crisis, war time, not the time to enjoy culture. In that sense, my core influence is the comic books I enjoyed as a kid, because there was nothing else…I went through various styles, depending on what I was interested at the moment, my past styles simply mark my changing interests. Still, I came to embrace the pop-induced style, I work with now, later in my career. Earlier, I played with more abstract, simplified forms of expression. I remember being shocked by my visit to the US in the 60s, not only by Warhol and American Pop Art, but also by Robert Crumb, the comics, the whole sub-cultural scene. I found the latter much more interesting than the so-called Fine Art and was deeply affected by it. In the end I decided to follow my original affection towards sub-culture and Pop.”
Tanaami’s strange images were further fueled by a bout of pleurisy in 1981. While hospitalized, he had a high fever and experienced vivid hallucinations from the drugs used to treat him. “I saw some surreal images, which I couldn’t understand if it was a dream or a hallucination – they were projected on a white wall in the room. At the same time, a crooked pine tree outside the window was growing up in the sky, just like the painting from Dali…I wrote all these down on 8 notebooks in the end, and from these, many ideas and images came up.” This prolific output was captured in exhibitions and several books over the years, including Spiral and Daydream. Nowadays, at age 77, Tanaami continues to team up with various companies and still does album covers.
Sephora VP Lina Kutsovskaya describes the collaboration thusly: “Keiichi Tanaami-San is a very important figure in the pop art world and we were honored to be working with him on this animation for Sephora…he was fascinated with the beauty products and how to interpret them for this thematical birthday.” Ultimately, the idea was to instill a celebratory, carnival-like feel within the designs.
In addition to the above graphics, Tanaami came up with 15 creatures for Sephora, each representing a different beauty product. (I doubt he was the one who named them, however – the monikers definitely sound like the work of someone in Sephora’s marketing department.) These were made available as avatars to members of BeautyTalk, Sephora’s online community. In an interview with Ariella Gogol, Senior Writer at Sephora, Tanaami states that his characters “are inspired by my dreams and memories, by the monster encyclopedia, and by movies and comic stories. They have secrets surrounding their births, and they play together. By combining multiple patterns, I tried to animate Sephora-like elegance, enchantment, glamour, beauty, and eros, but in a tense atmosphere…I created almost all of the characters without any outside influences, with the exception of some patterns that I reworked from a Japanese painter in the Edo period (18th Century). Also I love the cover art of this science fiction book that was popular in the 1920s; I was significantly affected by it. I don’t give names to the characters, but I have considerable feeling for every pattern. They all may be my other self.”
I can’t tell whether these are cute or creepy…both?
Even though I find them to be a little scary, I like these monster girls – psychedelic and colorful and incredibly bizarre. But I think the coup de grace of this collaboration is the gigantic sculpture that was recently placed at Sephora’s 9th Avenue location in New York City.
Named the “Kannon of Beauty”, the sculpture is influenced by Kannon Bosatsu, or the “God of Mercy” in Japanese Buddhism. Tanaami explains, “It is said that Kannon Bosatsu has 1,000 arms, extending mercy to 1,000 people. I have chosen to use only six hands, with each functioning as a magical device to enhance beauty.” Additionally, the sculpture ties into the theme of beauty and Tanaami’s underlying vision for the collaboration: “The work is based on the story of a girl living in a monochrome world; she is sucked into a monster’s eye that leads her to fall into the underworld. After her dazzling adventures in the vividly colored alien land, she discovers a castle made of cosmetics. Numerous lipstick-butterflies are astonished at her and start dancing,” he says. Three of these “lipstick butterflies” are perched towards the bottom of the sculpture. I’m very impressed by how well his work translates into 3D; then again, Tanaami is known for being able to move seamlessly between print, animation, sculpture, photography and film. (Side note: I’m wondering what will happen to the sculpture next year when it’s taken out of the store…it would make such an excellent piece for the Makeup Museum!)
While normally I don’t like it when an artist recycles his or her work for a cosmetics collaboration, I make an exception for Tanaami. “Gabby Gail” is the same maniacally grinning ball you see at the top of left of this print:
It doesn’t bother me that he re-uses the same characters that appeared in previous work. I feel as though they’ve been with him for such a long time, it would be odd for him to suddenly come up with brand-new characters just for one collaboration – they’re “his” creatures. They function as a sort of signature and capture his identity as an artist.
Anyway, I really loved this collaboration and I wish there were products available for purchase! However, I think the lack of sellable products is partially why this collaboration is remarkable. Companies team up with artists for a limited-edition piece or collection, but I don’t think they’ve ever collaborated just for promotional purposes, i.e. create artwork to celebrate a milestone rather than put it on merchandise to sell. Plus, Tanaami’s work is just so…weird, I can’t help but like it.
What do you think?
The final installment in MAC's 2013 Illustrated collection is brought to us courtesy of fashion designer and illustrator Rebecca Moses. This was a large Nordstrom-exclusive collection containing several lip color sets and brush sets, along with two color kits. I picked up the Brown Face Kit.
I liked seeing Moses' signature on the mirror.
About her illustrations, Moses states, "I think it is all about the ability to create color. There is a
dreamlike quality to watercolor. But in the past couple of years I have
fallen in love with markers and pen. But I have learned to blend
markers in a way to give me a similar movement of color that I do with
paint and now I use all the mediums together….Color is fundamental,
moods are exaggerated, body language strong, and the attitudes are
large…My work has become more humorous and spirited…I like being
able to laugh at oneself." In looking at her work, I find her assessment to be quite accurate. Bold yet harmonious color combinations and strong lines give Moses' women a certain intensity. At the same time they're distinctly feminine and sophisticated.
Moses cites Modigliani as one of her favorite artists, and I think there's a definite resemblance between the two artists' women, particularly in the slightly tilted heads and elongated oval eyes and necks. Compare this ad by Moses:
As for the MAC collection, this palette and other pieces showcase some comparable illustrations to Moses' previous work. Her signature swirling black ribbons appear in this illustration she completed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Marie Claire Italia magazine, similar to those she drew for the MAC sets.
I don't know what client this particular design was for, but it's nearly identical to the pattern on the MAC palette – just sans lips.
And this illustration for Icon Magazine actually does include both lips and eyes:
While overall I liked the collection, I do wish it would have depicted fully-drawn women instead of disembodied eyes and lips. The level of detail that goes into most of Moses' patterns on the clothing worn by the women in her drawings and her use of color are the strongest aspects of her work, and it's unfortunate that the areas where she really shines were not included in the MAC collection.
What do you think? Did you pick up anything from this collection? And of the three artists featured in the MAC Illustrated series this year (Anja Kroencke, Indie 184 and Rebecca Moses), which was your favorite?
“Graffiti has taught me so much to not only put myself out there
even if what I do is not perfect but most importantly I learned how to
be fearless and just go for it.” – Indie
The second part of MAC's 2013 Illustrated collection features the work of graffiti artist Indie 184. Born in Puerto Rico to Dominican parents and raised in New York, her style combines vivid colors with a contemporary take on old-school New York City graffiti. Her indomitable spirit is fittingly expressed in her tag, a riff on the movie adventurer Indiana Jones, while 184 comes from the street she grew up on in Washington Heights.
The first MAC bag shows off Indie 184's unique spin on a more traditional, "bubble"-style graffiti.
The interior (which is the same design as the exterior of the other bag in the collection):
The design on the exterior is similar to the one that appears on a subway map she created for online gallery Etch-A-Sketch.net.
The second bag is more similar to her latest work on canvas. As she is an admirer of Basquiat and cites him as an inspiration, I can't help but wonder whether the halo and crown shapes are paying homage to him.
While I appreciate the "bubble" graffiti approach, my love of color means that I'm most captivated by Indie's bright, multi-hued paintings. She seamlessly translates her style from walls to canvas, weaving together images of famous women and phrases that convey their power. In her artist's statement, she writes, "My creative process usually starts by pouring out conflicting ideas or
emotions using words, images and color. When I create a painting, it’s
like a page of my personal diary – all the pieces are worlds of personal
declarations. Constant use of word play, found scraps of paper,
stencil, graffiti, graphics and photographs mixed with vivid colors…I use iconic female imagery provoking mood and expression
embellished with dripping paint juxtaposed with words…The
composed painting reflects power, motivation and with an undeniable
twist of feminism in my paintings." The feminist angle, I believe, comes partially from her struggle to be fully accepted as a genuine graffiti artist in a male-dominated environment. She says in an interview, "[A]s I got more into the culture, I learned
that NYC in the 80’s produced few active girls in graf. So any new girl
in the scene would stand out. But of course, that did not mean free
rides. I had to push harder to get down on walls. Most male writers
don’t take females writers, especially new ones, seriously. I did not want to stand out only because I was a female writer. I
wanted to make my mark and represent for myself. Even now, on occasions,
when I’m painting in the streets, some guy comes along and acts
surprised when he sees me working with spray paint."
The titles for some of these paintings – Powerful Creation, Call the Shots, Fearless, Knock 'em Out and Own Your Power, combined with Indie's signature hearts and stars – further drive home the idea of feminine strength. Some of her work is also a tribute to Latina women and a
demonstration of allegiance to her cultural heritage, as she
references figures such as Frieda Kahlo, Jennifer Lopez and Marquita
Rivera.
Call the Shots, 2012 (I love the nod to Warhol represented by the soup cans):
Looking at the dizzying array of flashy colors, it's no surprise to find that Indie's heroines include Jem and Rainbow Brite. I also find her work to be a true expression of her outspoken, feisty personality and thoroughly unselfconscious attitude. In an interview regarding her recently launched clothing line named Kweenz Destroy, she states, "Kweenz Destroy is for ladies who hold their
own and make an impact with what they do. They love to get their hands
dirty and don’t give a shit what people have to say…I
don’t feel like I have anything to prove to anyone…I am fulfilling my own desires,
not living other people’s ideal of what a graffiti writer should be,
because at the end of the day people are going to talk shit regardless."
Overall, I like Indie's work – it's brash, highly personal and has an exuberance and freshness to it while remaining forceful. And I was pleased to see she's left-handed, given my fascination with southpaws.
MAC began their "Illustrated" series last year, where the company teamed up with several talented graphic artists (Julie Verhoeven, Nikki Farquharson and François Berthoud.) This year MAC revisits the collaboration idea by working with three artists: Anja Kroencke, Indie 184 and Rebecca Moses. I'll be covering the latter two shortly but for now let's take a look at the bags designed by Austrian-born, New York-based fashion illustrator Anja Kroencke.
Kroencke's depictions of women are characterized by graceful, elongated necks and voluminous, often intricately detailed hair. These elements distinguish Kroencke's work from that of other fashion illustrators by harmoniously combining boldness and delicacy, romanticism and strength. Says the artist, "It's
a mix of all kinds of women I see on the street, in movies, in
magazines–but they are all strong and yet very feminine and vulnerable,
sometimes even fragile but showing a strength that comes from within,
the expression of the face, the pose, being in charge of their own life
not dictated by fashion, society or men."
I'm particularly drawn (haha) to the short, deft strokes she uses for the irises of the girls' eyes.
Kroencke cites artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Elsa Schiaparelli and Frida Kahlo as inspiration, and acknowledges the influence of her upbringing in Vienna and her parents' Scandinavian and Bulgarian aesthetics. She also states, "I was always drawn to a more graphic, bold style. I love simplicity,
which is actually very difficult to achieve, and developing tension in a
drawing or painting through a strong composition and color palette."
I picked out some favorites from her vast portfolio. I love the color combinations that appear in the ads for Claire's Accessories:
Her illustrations for high-end designers are imbued with her signature elegant necks and billowing tresses, while still retaining the clothing's original elements.
Looking at these you can definitely see how Kroencke's work has evolved over the years, particularly her use of color. "I always try to find interesting and rather unusual color combinations
that can translate to the mood of the illustration. My color palette is
very much influenced by what is happening at that time in design,
architecture and fashion…I remember in the late '90s it was all about
midcentury modern, lots of olive green, mustard and blue-grey; currently
I'm totally into black line drawings with sometimes only a few colors," she says in a recent interview. Indeed, her latest work, including the illustrations she created for MAC, display this gravitation towards a simpler color palette. She also notes that her work has gotten "darker in mood and in some ways, more personal, less commercial."
While this particular collection didn't blow me away, I think Kroencke's style is well-represented in the MAC bags – when you see them, you know the women are hers. What do you think?
