Robert & Patti: Mutual Muses

Having just completed Patti Smith's Just Kids, a memoir specifically highlighting her friendship, romance, and working relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, what was most compelling to learn was not only the talent of these two as artists during a pivotal time in history (New York City in the 1960s and 1970s) but their significant influence on each other's work.

During New York's era of beat poets and punk music, Smith and Mapplethorpe lived and worked in the historic, bohemian art hub, the Chelsea Hotel. According to Smith's memoirs, her poetry, music, performance art, and drawing was heavily influenced by her photographer friend and his his fearlessness and provocativeness. In turn, Mapplethorpe regularly used Smith as his subject du jour. Miss Smith even continued to let her friend and former lover capture her image for her album covers until his 1989 death from AIDS complications. The two were such a force together that they were given a joint gallery show at Robert Miller Gallery (where Smith is still represented) in 1978.

Of course I love the intimacy both artists exhibit in their work (albeit with very different aesthetics) and the striking imagery of Patti Smith as captured by Robert is inspiring enough, but the reason I want to share these images with you all is to show you what the Just Kids most taught me: that these are two great artists whose lives and work were inextricably entagled with one another's, and was all the better because they were. I also threw in a few snapshots of the two together in their heyday, both to provide a visual of the time of the heighth of their relationship...and also because these photos are completely awesome. Enjoy :)

These are a few of my favorite things...

A good friend of mine is working on a project that has got me thinking. Like many of us, everyday elements of her life (ie: a little thing called parenthood) had temporarily distracted her from more creative pursuits. Thus, she made it a goal to focus on reading more books, seeing more films, and otherwise exposing herself to potentially inspirational material. This lead her to an ongoing list, which has now led to her upcoming project, The Magpie List (website address and other info coming soon!), where she asks friends, peers, and loved ones to contribute a list of their own 10 thing (movies, songs, artists, films, etc) that have significantly moved them. I'm honored to be asked for my list, and I thought I'd take this opportunity to share it with you all as well. If nothing else, I happy to expose anyone who might be unfamiliar with a few of my favorite things. :)
















1) "Nocturne in Black and Gold--The Falling Rocket" painting by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, circa 1875

2) Synecdoche, New York film by Charlie Kaufman, 2008


3) everything Miranda July touches, but start with No one belongs here more than you
















4) Loose Woman, book of poetry by Sandra Cisneros

5) "Possibly Maybe" by Bjork

6) Arrested Development

7) oh yeah, and My So-Called Life
















8) Untitled Film Stills, series of photographs by Cindy Sherman

9) This short from Paris, J'taime by Alexander Payne


10) Among My Swan, Mazzy Star

Featured Artist: Robin Rhode

My entire life I've been enamored of art. Throughout my four years in college I studied it intently, religiously until I received a piece of paper which, if nothing else, says I've looked at a whole lot of art. Since graduating I've continued to invest time examining the world of art, not only in terms of its history, but its maturation, its evolution, its adaptation to ever present changes in other facets of the world. In a time when contemporary art is so all-encompassing, you'd think I'd be jaded to it all by now but every so often I encounter a new artist who reminds me of the joy and true beauty work can possess in the most literal sense. Robin Rhode is such an artist and upon seeing his current mini-exhibition as part of LACMA's Contemporary Exhibition series, I experienced a renewed excitement about the state of art.

Rhode is a thirtysomething South African-born artist who now lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Like some genius mix of Charlie Chaplin (for his performances), Banksy (for his "street" forum), and Jackson Pollock (for his action-drawing), the artist illustrates (usually by way of chalk, paint, or oil crayons) a prop or environment and then interacts with it accordingly. Often, video and photography becomes involved in the final product. Inspired by stop-action animation, his pieces are charming, whimsical, sad, joyful, and thoughtprovoking--sometimes all at once. A truly impressive trait of Rhodes' work is his mastery of each element from drawing skill to performance.

I hope you enjoy this samping of his work as much as I enjoyed did in encountering it. Stay tuned for the return of I Make Picture's assigned art projects, as I am currently working on one related to Rhode's work! Xo

Star Gazing

I am continuously inspired by the sights and sounds of Los Angeles. The people-watching can hardly be beat and major public venues like Pasadena's monthly Rose Bowl Flea Market and the recent Culver City Cruisin' Back Car Show make it easy for me to capture the energy and essence of the city. Here are come recent photographs I have taken in the wonderful place I call home. I hope you like. :)

Eye Candy: In the Mood for Wong Kar Wai

If you don't know who Wong Kar Wai is, run--don't walk--to the nearest video store and rent his classic film, In the Mood for Love (2000). The contemporary Chinese director, whose hallmark is breathtakingly stylized cinematography laden with moodiness and romance, has long been heralded for his definitive style. The film, though made during the last decade, takes place in Hong Kong in the early 1960's and Wong Kar Wai's dedication to creating a specific place and time resonates persistently through each frame. The attention to detail in terms of costuming, dramatic lighting, and warm sensual coloring paints the perfect setting for this subtle love story of an affair between two otherwise conservative people whose connection builds after they learn that their spouses have been engaged in an adulterous realtionship with one another. The minimal dialogue in the movie is secondary to the stunning cintematography, which speaks louder than the characters during the course of the film.

I've recently been combing though stills of this movie for inspiration and to get me...er...in the mood for creating work that is equally inspired, lyrical, and emotive. Thought I would pass along some of the loveliness....

Field Tripping: Jurassic Museum of Technology

Los Angeles' Westside neighborhood Culver City boasts some of the best venues for art in the city. It's Washington and La Cienega Boulevards are speckled with galleries showcasing both fresh urban art well as ultra-conceptual conteporary work and pretty much every sort in between. While that spectrum provides plenty of room for surprise and enchantment, one of the most inspiring spots for viewing art in Culver City is slightly off that particular beaten path. The Museum of Jurassic Technology, a self-described "educational institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and the public appreciation of the Lower Jurassic," is essentially a quirky house of oddities whose name is just as puzzling as the mysterious wonders you find inside. While the museum isn't quite the space you'd imagine finding visual art in the traditional sense, the curiously beautiful and eccentric items it holds have turned it into a cult destination for artist folk and the everyday man alike.

I recently made a visit to the museum and found it an incredible source of inspiration. Between the carved fruit stones, tiny "European mole" skeleton, dioramas, cyptically written framed letters, and eery videos, there's a lot to take in. Don't try to make too much sense of it as the beauty of ths place is best seen when you are able to just appreciate its eccentricities. As a testiment, I leave you with these equally mysterious (and purposely without caption) images I took on my recent exploration. For me visting was like joining a secret club. I'll choose not to tell and show you everything I saw. If you're as curious as I was, you'll just check it out yourselves. Besides, I'm not sure I could describe it if I wanted to. :)

Sirens & Songbirds

One of the most amazing parts of living in Los Angeles is being able to discover so much emerging talent before anyone else. Bonus points when the one harboring such talent is a friend or loved one. It is both exciting and inspirational to be surrounded by people who, too, have creative passions and dreams to share them with the world.

That said I am beyond happy to use my creative energies to support their craft. Recently I had the pleasure of photographing two different friends, Emily O'Halloran and Jessica Woodward aka Raelux, both of whom are local songstresses. Fingers crossed, you'll see some of these photos lining jewel cases at your local record shop or in Rolling Stone some not-far-off day (A girl can dream, ok?). I could go on and on about my love for these talented women but instead I'll just tell you to click on their names for music and info and save the space for more pictures. And how could I possibly forget to mention the artistry of Jennifer Morgan and Erin Dudley who worked (respectively) their brilliant makeup magic on these shoots? Oh, the talent pool that is my group of friends!

The following images are a combination of 35mm, medium format (Holga), and Polaroid (via my SX-70 camera). If you or anyone you know has interest in working with me on a future photography project, please feel free to comment or email. Insert shameless plug here. :)

Raelux




































































Emily O'Halloran