design:related - miesfrenchcafe's inspirations

Zhang Huan: Blessings

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:46:28 GMT

Zhang Huan is a one of my favorite artists, and now it is too famous as the leading figure of the Contemporary Chinese Artist today, and especially famous as one of the founder who established the "Beijing East Village." -a group of young Chinese artists in Beijing.
In this community Zhang developed some of his early performance practices and many of the works conceived as both existential explorations and social commentary, that brought him international attention.
His performances of 12 Square Meters, or the Add One Meter to an Anonymous Mountain, are now considered the artist;s first iconic works.
The "ash" soon became the medium for both his paintings and sculpture. for him, all the dreams, aspirations, all the spiritual longings, all the ideas that people have are infused into the ash. it is the collective spirit and collective thinking, and collection wishes of the people in China.
and here is the artist's recent works, which I am eager to see it.

A two-venue exhibition of the Chinese artist’s new work
on view at PaceWildenstein 25th and 22nd Streets
May 9 - July 25, 2008
Canal Building, a new large-scale work, will be completed during the first weekend of the exhibition, allowing the public to see the artist’s working methods.
A painting of Chinese laborers made entirely of grains of ash from burned temple incense, will be created on site by the artist and his studio assistants in advance of the opening and during the first few days of the exhibition. The image, based on a vintage photograph, of workers digging a canal will completely cover the top face of an enormous slab of compressed ash. Measuring 5’ 11" high x 19’ 8" wide x 59’ 1" in length, the proportions of the slab will only allow the image to be viewed from scaffolding which will be erected alongside the piece. In his essay, Kunitz likens this process to Zhang Huan’s earlier performance pieces which first brought him renown in China and the West. Kunitz states that with this installation, Canal Building, the artist has come full circle. Zhang describes the work as representing who I am as an artist. It is indeed a unification of who he is and has been as an artist; a unification of artistic modes; a concretization—in painting and sculpture—of a lifetime's performance. Simultaneously at 534 West 25th Street, Giant No. 3 (2008), a colossal 15'figure made from cowhides, steel, wood, and polystyrene foam will be on view.

Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:51:52 GMT

The excellent current exhibition at the Met, Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy (runs from May 7, 2008–September 1, 2008.) I enjoyed the symbolic and metaphorical associations between fashion and the superhero.the show showcase the movie costumes, avant-garde haute couture, and high-performance sportswear and its superhero which serves as the ultimate metaphor for fashion and its ability to empower and transform the human body.

Lui Antinous Hand Bags

Wed, 28 May 2008 17:03:57 GMT

Lui Antinous, American born X Super androgynous-male model turned performance artist, his transformation is somewhat of Cindy Sherman or Matthew Barney yet his highly stylized costume, make up, photography documentation were way beyond. By dealing with Greek myth, and of the gender ambiguity and Gothics, he has thought to achieve the perfect beauty of mankind through unvarnished study of the inhabitants of style for more than a decade, now launches his own Hand Bags line called "Lui Antinous", which is a culmination of his long time survey, and meant to be wearable for men & women.
The super luxury was recently nominated for the best designer award and HenriBendel is hosting 2days trunk show. For a long time the fashion industries have sought unisex models to represent perfect beauty, yet no one really is unisex =perfect beauty of male and female combined.
By wearing Lui Antinous, no matter if you were man or woman, you will be bound for the world of Greek Myth, and be spelled by the ultimate beauty & luxury and will soon notice in the change of your "attitude."

http://www.luiantinous.com/
http://antinousart.com/

HenriBendel trunk show:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=14836468217&ref=mf

Karl Lagerfeld

Sun, 18 May 2008 19:43:31 GMT

I just attended his launch party and was fascinated by his work. I always loved his collection of CHANEL.
he is not only an amazing designer but also has an eye for photography.

Actually, I think he is the one who makes models matamorphose...

One of my favorite fashion icons, Karl Lagerfeld has released a new book entitled Metamorphoses of an American. The book features five years worth of photos of model Brad Kroenig (born in 1979) that were shot by Lagerfeld himself. Metamorphoses traces the physical and emotional development of Brad Kroenig the world's most sought-after male model.

aRUDE

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:49:20 GMT

aRUDE is a new interenational art + fashion magazine.
new bible for creative people..

aRUDE is the definitive source for cutting-edge culture. With an absolutely unique editorial stance, aRUDE anoints the truly up and coming an celebrates the finest in the worlds of art, beauty, business, entertainment, fashion food, home furnishings, luxury goods, philanthropy, travel, and of course the latest society buzz and hottest party coverage. Impeccable profiles, stories, and contagious fashion spreads represent a confluence of the most exciting people and ideas found in the world.

Minday Lam

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:43:47 GMT

Mindy Lam

one day I was browsing Henri Bendel and encountered this fine crystal jewelry and met the artist,
Mindy Lam. Her Jewelry are hand made and many flowers made out of fine crystals.
have not seem this talent for years.
I instantly fell in love with her Jewelry.

Norman Foster: Beijing Airport Terminal 3 / Exterior

Mon, 05 May 2008 05:39:32 GMT

and this is an exterior view: I like the organic linear of this exterior.

The architect who is Inspired by the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, Norman Foster's Beijing Airport Terminal 3 is one of the most advanced airport building in the world.

Despite the current controversy of China's building superficial iconic buildings by famous architects, the work is simbolic and will be a world landmark which would quickly turn into an axis for development of the country's future urban utopia.

Norman Foster: Beijing Airport Terminal 3 / interior

Mon, 05 May 2008 05:36:19 GMT

Hotel Unique: Pool Loof Top

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:54:00 GMT

Hotel Unique designed by Ruy Ohtake. (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

this hotel's loof top terrace / water melon pool is perfect to see the skyline of Sao Paulo.
you can look down the whole city while you are indulging your self in the watermelon pool.

Hotel Unique : Lobby

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:47:38 GMT

This is the Hotel Unique in Sao Paulo. one of my favorite hotels in the world.
the bold modern design of the lobby is amazing. It is a shape of watermelon.
The hotel desined by Ruy Ohtake.