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Miss Dior Cherie, by Sofia Coppola
Sigh… don’t you just adore Sophia? She really has a distinctly feminine point of view with everything she creates, even silly perfume ads. It’s fun to see the world through her eyes. She directed this commercial for the fragrance Miss Dior back in 2008. I love the playful song “Moi Je Joue” sung by Bridget Bardot. Tres chic!
I was poking around the matteo los angeles website today and discovered their beautifully styled collection of linen apparel. I really like the back-lit/x-ray effect in these photos. Reminds me a bit of Adam Fuss’s My Ghost series. I would really like to add one of his prints to my collection, but in the meantime maybe I could just print and frame one of these product shots!
These photos are from a series called “The Pop Faces” created by Yee Wong and photographed by Joshua Scott. I’ve always liked the theme of pop culture in fine art and these are really cool. They make me think of both the disposable quality and the power of celebrity in our culture. Even rumpled on the floor, the subjects are instantly recognizable. I like the accompanying video (below), but love the still photos. Those would look great framed and leaned against the wall in my bedroom!
If you grew up in the eighties or nineties, you may not have seen Charade. But you’ll be sure to recognize Audrey Hepburn’s famous line, “Oh, I love you, Adam… Alex… Peter… Brian… whatever your name is,” from the film’s brief cameo in Pretty Woman (1990). I really can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this movie. The phrase “crowd-pleaser” definitely comes to mind. It’s a comedy, a romance, a thriller — but most of all it’s a high-stakes caper that will keep you on the edge of your seat! With an ingenious plot and quippy dialogue, Charade has sometimes been referred to as “the best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made.” All that, and the story was filmed in lurid technicolor on location in Paris, with a Givenchy-clad Audrey Hepburn as it’s star. What more do you want, people?
Also of note — the trippy intro credits designed by Maurice Bender are definitely worth a rewind. The chemistry between Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn is real good stuff. And for his dynamic and funny performance as Hamilton Bartholomew, I now have one more reason to love Walter Matthau.
If you’re currently in a rut with dark, moody indies or melodramatic tv shows, I prescribe to you one giant box of buttered popcorn and this movie. It will remind you why we like to watch movies in the first place: To be dazzled. To be entertained. And there’s no doubt about it — they’re not making ‘em like this anymore.
Sooner or later, we all end up in the soundtrack aisle. And if you’re like me, then you’re not ashamed to hang out for a while. One of the first cds I ever bought for myself was the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”. I’ve still got it, and it still rocks. Especially in the 90s, it seemed like soundtracks were just mixed tapes made by the coolest people on earth — not to mention a gateway drug to new bands. So I’m really digging this fourth installment from Mick, “Over And Done With”, featuring songs he discovered via film. Some of these movies Mick and I watched together long ago (still laughing over the Clay Pigeons reference) and some of them I’ve never even heard of. This mix is doubly cool, because now I have new bands to explore as well as new movies to watch. Beginners and Submarine are moving to the top of my Netflix queue. Thanks, Mick, and see you at the record store. (Or the video store.)
Readers, what are some of your favorite soundtracks?
1. What Aren’t We Going To Do? // Matthew Broderick // Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986
2. Big Fran’s Baby // Lennie Niehaus // A Perfect World, 1993
3. Hearts of Stone // Otis Williams and The Charms // Goodfellas, 1990
4. Nothing To Be Done // The Pastels // The Acid House, 1998
5. Beginners (theme suite) // Brian Reitzell // Beginners, 2011
6. Stuck On The Puzzle // Alex Turner // Submarine, 2011
7. Over And Done With // The Proclaimers // Bottle Rocket, 1996
8. Hundred Mile High City // Ocean Colour Scene // Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, 1998
9. He’s A Righteous Dude // Edie McClurg // Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986
10. Fallin’ & Flyin’ // Jeff Bridges // Crazy Heart, 2009
11. Danke Shoen // Wayne Newton // Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986
12. Mirror In The Bathroom // The English Beat // Grosse Point Blank, 1997
13. Good Bye Horses // Q Lazzarus // Silence of the Lambs, 1991
14. The Killing Moon // Echo and the Bunnymen // Donnie Darko, 2001
15. Korea // Steve Buscemi and Bronson Dudley // Trees Lounge, 1996
16. Trees Lounge // Hayden // Trees Lounge, 1996
17. De Um Role // Novos Baianos // Mada Bala (Send a Bullet), 2007
18. Alone Again Or // Love // Bottle Rocket, 1996
19. Sea of Heartbreak // Don Gibson // Clay Pigeons, 1998
20. The Love You Save (May Be Your Own) // Joe Tex // Jesus’ Son, 1999
21. Bright As Yellow // The Innocence Mission // Empire Records, 1995
22. Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space // Spiritualized // Vanilla Sky, 2001
23. Here On My Own // U.N.P.O.C. // Hallum Foe, 2007
24. Perfect Day // Lou Reed // Trainspotting, 1996
25. Jisas yu holem hand blong mi // Melanesian Choirs // The Thin Red Line, 1998
My old friend Craig hosted a fun event at his bar on Rainey Street the other night — a one stop shop for Valentine’s Day shopping! Rainey Street just has a really good vibe, especially when the weather’s just right, and Javelina Bar is one of the coziest little spots on the street. There were several really cool local vendors at the event, but I’ll be highlighting three of my favorites here:
Pretty bouquets created by Roseship Flora…
And super cool organic-inspired pieces from jewelry maker, Catherine Nicole. I’m in love with those cuffs!
Handcrafted artisan chocolate from Arte Y Chocolate
She actually prints designs on the chocolate itself!
All of these vendors are based in Austin, so if you haven’t done your Valentine’s Day shopping yet you should think about spending locally. Of course you could always just take your sweetheart out for burger and beer at Javelina! Sounds pretty good to me. Happy Valentine’s day, y’all.
Design for CCA Summer Atelier Program designed by Sputnik student Deborah Lao
source unknown
from Ban.do
Troyt Coburn for Maire Claire
I’m on pinterest every single day. I think I’m one of the few lucky girls in the world who gets to “pin” as part of her job! While I love my favorite image-sharing site, most of the images I find there are not properly credited. Every now and then I like to do a reverse image-search with google and see if I can’t find the original sources. It tends to be a great way to get turned on to some new designers and photographers. I had good luck with this batch — found all but one!
Does anyone else dream of having a sort of walnut-and-velvet library someday? Complete with persian rug and ladder? Of course you can’t just fill that thing up with a bunch of yellowed old paperbacks. No! You need leather. You need box sets. You need first editions.
My recent discovery of The Folio Society has rekindled that fantasy for me. The London company has been publishing beautiful illustrated books since it’s founding in 1947. They seem to do a very good job of matching the artists with the books. I’ve selected two fine examples below, but there are countless others on their website. Warning: they don’t come cheap. I still think they’d make a good investment, especially the fantasy fiction ones. (At least those are the ones I tend to revisit the most.) Happy reading!
Standard Station, Amarillo, Texas oil on canvas, 1963
Untitled photograph from the book, Colored People, published 1972
Cold Beer Beautiful Girls, acrylic on canvas, 1993
Pool Portfolio, ecktacolor prints, 1968/1997
Whether it’s the door to an intimidating building or the dusty cover of a giant textbook, it can sometimes feel like there’s a barrier between us and the people who actually create art. A Barrier of Seriousness. And if you’re not someone with the right graduate degree, then proceed with caution. But I see pieces of art that I like all the time, and they make me feel a certain way. And I wonder if the artist felt that way, too.
That’s why this wonderful little movie on Ed Ruscha (found via the Chance website) is so delightful. The short (called Ed Ruscha, Woody, and The World’s Hottest Pepper) reveals Ed’s fascination with words, the city of Los Angeles, and some of the thoughts and experiences that may have fueled his work. He’s laid-back. He’s plainspoken. He’s a guy I could get a beer with. And he creates fine art.
The pieces above are a few of my favorites. They make me think of being alone on the highway, daydreaming in cars, and being apprehensive about the destination. (The pool series reminds me of Andy Spade’s instagram account that I’m so obsessed with.) Cold Beer Beautiful Girls would look great in my guest bedroom, don’t you think?
One of the things I wanted to do with SCOUT was expose myself to more art. With videos like this one and sites like artsy.net, I’m finding that the internet is a pretty great place to do just that. No intimidation required.
On his third installment, Mick continues to do his homework so we don’t have to. While he keeps a well-rounded schedule, most of his assignments are stuffed loosely inside of a mid-eighties Trapper Keeper. His notes reveal four new (to-me) bands: 1. Centro-Matic (these dudes live in Denton? Seriously?) 2. Yuck (a current English band with a really nice Pavement/Hum-esque sound) and 3. Rockpile, a sort of pre-new wave super group. The song “When I Write the Book” is from their 1980 album, “Seconds of Pleasure”, which I learned very quickly online is certifiably a cult record. That said, my absolute, absolute favorite track on this mix is “Didn’t I” by Darondo, who I’d also never heard of. But I imagine that he’s from Galveston, and just hangs out on the seawall looking cool every day. Thanks for all of these, Mick, but especially that one. Stay cool.
1. Red Indians // Felt // The Splendour of Fear, 1984
2. This Charming Man // The Smiths // The Smiths, 1984
3. Eyeoneye // Andrew Bird // Break It Yourself, 2012
4. Love Is The Drug // Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music // Siren, 1975
5. My Drug Buddy // The Lemonheads // It’s a Shame About Ray, 1992
6. Flashes & Cables // Centro-Matic // Love You Just the Same, 2003
7. City of Brotherly Love // Cass McCombs // Prefection, 2005
8. Diamond Sea (Sonic Youth cover) // Cuff the Duke // In Our Time, 2012
9. Blue Flower // Mazzy Star // She Hangs Brightly, 1990
10. Sail Away // Creedence Clearwater Revival // Mardi Gras, 1972
11. Didn’t I // Darondo // Let My People Go, 2006
12. Nobody Has to Know // Spain // Spirituals: The Best of Spain, 2003
13. Can’t Fight Me Down // Ken Boothe // Everything I Own, 1974
14. Return to Sender // Mojave 3 // Excuses for Travellers, 2000
15. That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round // John Prine // Bruised Orange, 1978
16. Ave Que Emigra // Gaby Moreno // Illustrated Songs, 2011
17. The Wall // Yuck // Yuck, 2011
18. Black Satin // The Raveonettes // Lust Lust Lust, 2008
19. When I Write the Book // Rockpile // Seconds of Pleasure, 1980
20. Cup of Loneliness // George Jones // Cup of Loneliness, 1994
21. So Long You Pretty Thing // Spiritualized // Sweet Heart Sweet Light, 2012
