This afternoon, James and I headed to the Met to check out the fantastic “Model As Muse” exhibit. Among the photography of Twiggy and Turlington by the likes of Bailey, Avedon, and Meisel were the portraits of Marisa Berenson, supposedly a sixties counterpoint to the leggy waifish doe-eyed likes of models like Penelope Tree. She looked so familiar and I couldn’t place her until… I realized she’s the girl from Kubric’s 1975 costume drama Barry Lyndon. Let’s get acquainted, shall we?

I would wear this and pretend it doesn’t look like a shower cap.

Very “I Dream of Jeanie” although it should be Kenneth Anger’s “Lucifer Rising.”

Please note this insane hairdo. It’s like Rapunzel meets Cousin It. Or a personal head-broom.

This seems more Cabaret-era

I think I have this dress

I need these eyelashes. How long would that take….

Oh, yeah, sorry. Back to the task at hand. Screen shots of Barry Lyndon.
Fans of Marie Antoinette, if they are prepared to sit through a longggg film will love the costume design, cinematography (in particular the wide angle shots, the natural lighting) and the epic rags to riches to rags narrative. Gotta say though, love Ryan O’Neil a lot more in Paper Moon. But that just might be me.

She looks a little weary here, but it’s tiring wearing all those hats.

Share/Save

Share/Save

I’m working on a “Space is the Place” themed painting. Acrylic on plexi glass; tried using florescent paints but they weren’t giving me adequate coverage.

Next piece will be with watercolor or something transparent. I’m interested in seeing the colors overlap. I”m thinking along the lines of the kindergarten art project of making stained glass out of various colored tissue paper squares and glue.

Here is the sketch. At first I couldn’t decide between dayglo pink or blue.

Obviously, I ended up going with blue.

Share/Save

Two fridays ago Ami invited James and me to join Coolhunting on a sailing trip around the city. I’d never been on a sailboat before, nor had I ever seen Manhattan from the water. It was spectacular. Perfect weather, setting sail at sunset, free champagne and a Pimms Cup or two. Fancy times.
James took all these photos. You can see more here.

Share/Save

These three songs are brilliant. Why wasn’t I obsessed with them earlier?

The Cure, All Cats are Grey

Romeo Void, Talk Dirty (To Me)

Lo Fi Fnk, Want U

PS Currently obsessed with Rainbows, Prisms, Fractals, MC Escher styled visual tricks.

from Look Caitlin

Rainbow by Billy Apple, 1965

Share/Save

Of course, now that  Opening Ceremony shoes I’ve been wanting are within my reach,
they don’t have a size 9.

Would you ever buy shoes that were a half-size or a full size too big or too small if they were on epic-sale? They’re open-toe, lace up, and sling back; maybe it’s an option?

Look, Jeffrey Campbell tried, and the verdict is clear: FAIL

Here are some other shoes that might satisfy my craving for a peep toe with a sling back with a wedge.
Too many trends all at once? Maybeeee

Jildor Marc by Marc Jacobs Patent strappy thing

Neiman Marcus Elizabeth and James

ELuxury Opening Ceremony Lace Up Wedge

Zappos BCBG Max Azria Harper.
These are sorta mall-girl but I kinda love them?

Bluefly Pour La Victoire Black Lace Elena Peep Toe Booties

I have no idea what the deal with Pour La Victoire is,
but they seem to be giving Jeffrey Campbell and Dolce Vita a run for their money.

Revolve Clothing Jill Stuart Melia Cut Out Wedge

Ok, and the following two are clearly not what I’m looking for, but Mary Janes still hold a place in my heart.

Saks Repetto Mary Jane

Bluefly Velvet Angels Black Strappy Flats.
Don’t think I’ve forgotten about the original version of these!

Share/Save

When I was a very impressionable youth I got WAY into Deee-Lite. World Clique, Infinity Within, even Dew drops in the Garden. Actually, “Groove is in the Heart” is still one of my favorite songs. Ask anyone.

1990. Year of Technotronic. Snap! Toms Diner… This little gem

This came next. Definitely bought it from Columbia House

I was sifting through images of “Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead” and landed into the lap of Lady Miss Kier (birth name Kierin M. Kirby. Um, how is this real?). She totally did the sixties mod thing ala the B-52’s but so much more through the eyes of a club kid on acid.

Did you know she started out as a punk? Me neither…

Paging Siouxsie and Sue Catwoman

Orange spandex and pigtails and a baby tee covered in huge sparkly butterflies? Sure, why not.
I distinctly remember going to Wet Seal and lusting after babytees. One in 17 I still remember said “Man Trap” and had a girl with an illustration of literal beehive on her head. Was Mantrap a brand like X-Girl?

baby barrettes. chunky sneakers. crop top. must be the 90s.

Of course she would love LL. And of course he’d love her. All the gays do.

Hey, I was just here. Is that me and James and our new Italian friend? Could be!

Most of these images come from this flickr user and this website and uuiuu’s tumblr

Share/Save

My twitter account is now: shapelifting

Shape shifting and Shoplifting were taken, so I combined the two.

Oh, and this is me and Ami from Coolhunting’s party with Thrillist.
James set up a photo booth and I supplied “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” themed costumes.

Share/Save

I have been scouting out the sales on teh internets. Looking for Lover, Opening Ceremony, 3.1 by Phillip Lim, and Rachel Comey items to drop in price. Here are some cute pieces I’ve found.

APC’s website 1920’s Stripe Top.

Shop Bows + Arrows Lover Dress

Totokaelo Rachel Comey Bodysuit

Totokaelo Rachel Comey Sing Sing Wedge

Kick Pleat Opening Ceremony Elastic Tie Heels

Kick Pleat Hand Necklace by Aesa

Aloha Rag Cacharel Floral Shorts

Otte NY Sunshine and Shadow Tank

Creatures of Comfort Surface to Air Jumpsuit

La Garconne APC shorts

Need Supply Co Silent Black Sea Skirt

Shop Diavolina 3.1 Phillip Lim Jumpsuit

Standard Deviation Vena Cava Madfet Skirt

Twenty Thirty Fourty Opening Ceremony Floral Top

Beklina Mociun Desert Shorts

a blog i found while researching cute online boutiques:

http://if-i-owned-a-boutique.blogspot.com/

Share/Save

I’ve been feeeeeeling mourning jewelry. I don’t really have any goth in me and I don’t think I could pull off wearing a ring with some dead person’s hair… but maybe. The Victorian way of memorializing the dead; be it photographs of them “sleeping,” photographic portraits on brooches or in lockets, forget me not flowers, woven and knotted hair filled rings is creepy and beautiful.

Here are some images and ebay auctions I liked:

ring

9ct mourning ring with hair

in memory of

photo locket

brooch

hinge bracelet

bow brooch with table-worked hair

enamel brooch

15ct mourning ring

mourning locket with photo and hair

enamel jet black brooch with dangling beads

forget me knot/not

ebay category

Share/Save

I have been looking for some summer bedding and it’s led me into antique quilt research. At first I was convinced I wanted a “mattelassé” or “brides” quilt. They look sort of embossed and are often in white cotton with tons of intricate stitching all over. But I’m starting to think I actually want an antique hand-stitched quilt from the 20’s or 30’s.

The following quilts I could never pull off in my decor, but I find them inspiring, and they might end up referenced in future paintings. Some actually look like something Jonathan Adler or Dwell would produce today. One seems straight out of a Ryan Trecartin video even though it was made in the late 1800’s.

Quilts from the late 1800’s through the early 1930’s:

Read the rest of this entry »

Share/Save

James has been posting some amazing photos from our epic trip. He turned 30 and I turned 28 and we found cheap tickets and our excuse to get out of New York. In two weeks we managed to cover major cities and the Greek Islands. We traveled to Rome, Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Milan, Florence, and Venice in that order. Even though at times it was a whirlwind it managed to be relaxing.

Perfect weather. Delicious pizza, pasta, and cheeses. Gelato every day. Fantastic Leather bags and gladiator sandals. Donkeys and cute stray cats. Electric blue and bleached white architecture. Teeny tiny cars driven by insane Greek drivers. I’m normally not a sun worshiper, but it was so spectacular I made an exception.

Here are some of my favorite photos James shot. You can see more on his blog.

Share/Save

more photos here
altman photo

Share/Save

Found some great images from the late sixties and early seventies protest images
Some of these are from Hip Gallery

Read the rest of this entry »

Share/Save

Share/Save

little boots - stuck on repeat

deee lite - groove is in the heart

magas - hard to detect

we have band - you came out

gang gang dance - house jam

steve reich - drumming part four

animal collective - my girls

here we go magic - fangela

Share/Save

I’m brainstorming for an upcoming New York solo show. More landscapes, more people, more patterns. But trying to take it in a new direction. Not sure where it’s going but hopefully into outer space.

Working backwards; before I even have any images I bought new paint. I’ll be using these colors. There are five fluorescent colors that don’t want to show up when scanned. Picture them in your minddddd

Share/Save

Nancy Kwan was a fox.

I don’t know why, but I didn’t realize until today that Kwan is the girl from “The World of Suzy Wong,” and the model from Terence Donovan’s photo of Vidal Sassoon’s famous bob. This image became, basically, the mod icon of the era. ANDDDD she’s the woman from the PEARL CREAM video. My mind just exploded.

I first encountered Suzy Wong in a “Sex Race and Representation” class years ago; it’s a film that inspires discussion about Orientalism, the exotic, the “Other.” Kwan plays the “classic” role of the hooker with a heart of gold and there are a lot of cringe worthy scenes ripe with Asian stereotypes. The film is definitely a product of its time, but also pushed some boundaries because I think she was the first famous (half) Asian actor in an American film out of America–before Asian roles were filled with white men and women playing dress up.

I’d like to find more photos and information on non-white sixties ladies. Time to do some research.

Share/Save

Pauline Boty was one of the original British Pop Artists. Judging from the scant information about her on the internet, not only was she artist but she also was a steady and stylish fixture in the 1960’s British Carnaby scene. She attended the Royal College of Art and palled around with David Hockney, Peter Blake, and fashion designers like Celia Birtwell. She even danced on shows like Ready Steady Go! and acted a bit in movies such as (my personal favorite) Alfie avec Michael Caine. It helps to be a fox.

Boty’s reputation may have slipped into relative obscurity, but she created some pretty cool paintings before she died in 1966. Just like Eve Hesse, she died super young from cancer, at 28.

I want to see “Pop Goes the Easel,” Ken Russell’s 1962 documentary on the British Pop Art scene. If you’ll recall, Russell shot the stylish deco-inspired film “The Boyfriend” that stared Twiggy.

Reference:
Colin Robinson
The Guardian
Writing Room
Art and the 60’s exhibit at the Tate

Share/Save

I want some affordable art for my apartment. A poster, an art print, a painted reproduction. It’s sort of daunting narrowing down all the images in mind to something I want to see daily. Nothing too obvious, too cliche, too everywhere.

I recently purchased two reproductions of Teorema and Contempt posters from Japan that look amazing. I will post pix after I frame them.

Began my morning trying to narrow down which era, style, artist, and image I’d want to call my own. Which led me to the 1960’s Pop Art archives of the internets where I discovered some unfamiliar names like the work of Sister Corita Kent.

Yes, a graphic designing silk screening type wizard nun. Cool, no?

reference:
Supercozy
Greg Cookland

Share/Save