The Art of Being Unique

Have you seen the documentary Handmade in Paris with Love?

It's a French documentary showcasing the unique work of artisans who create embellishments and adornments for French fashion houses and independent designers.

Think Chanel, Christian Dior, Emmanuel Ungaro, Lacroix, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Louboutin and similar!

Designers such as these have, for centuries, collaborated with artisans to give that certain unique edge to their collections and shows.

Bruno Legeron, one of the Parisian artisans featured in Handmade in Paris with Love, has truly mastered the art of being unique!  http://www.legeron.com/en/01_content.html

Daily, he makes cloth flowers (created from velvet, silk and leather) and fashions them into exquisite assemblages in his 2nd arrondissement workroom in Paris. His creations are all handmade and gorgeous!

Designers commission Legeron each season to make those floral + feather adornments that you see perched on shoes, at throats and necklines, attached to a belt or carefully positioned 'just so' in the hair.

Take, for example, Dries Van Notten.

A favourite designer of mine, his recent collection featured velvet clutches of flowers and feathers, fastened to a simple ribbon and worn at the neck.  The kind of 'ribbon necklace' that you see in those romantic paintings of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Dries' beautiful boutique in Antwerp is located in the centre of the city….not far from the Fashion Museum.

Maybe Dries was inspired by 18th-century romantic art or maybe he collaborated with Bruno?

Who knows but Dries is certainly a master of shape, colour, adornment + unusual fabric combinations. Think canvas + embroidered brocade + ribbon necklaces.

Relaxed, feminine, unfussy….fabulous!

Art History inspirations?
Fragonard's The Swing 1766…..everything old is new again.

So…inspired by Dries and those romantic paintings….I thought I'd try my own flower assemblage.

First ....a quick visit to Alla Moda for some 'frivolities'....ribbons, French lace and English embroidered tulle.

Next....a couple of cloth flowers + yellow feathers + hot glue gun and I'm ready to go.

Positioning and pinning.

Fashioning collar with thread, needle and thimble....and those gorgeous kid leather embossed flowers.

Velvet flower + feather assemblage necklace.  Voila!

They'll both have a promenade shortly…..a couple of birthdays coming up soon so I'll save them for that I think!

Ciao

Robyn




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The Artist, His Musical Muse and Other Dazzling Marvels

Untitled (2007) by David Lynch.

The David Lynch retrospective, Between Two Worlds opened in Brisbane last Friday...and it's dazzling.

Fifty years of marvels...little soft explosions!

The retrospective includes more than 200 rarely seen paintings and drawings from the 1960s, lithographs, photographs of factories and nudes, paintings, and a complete survey of his film, video and television work!

It is the first major Australian show of Lynch's art, and one of the largest of his works since the Fondation Cartier staged a retrospective in Paris in 2007.

The Opening Night Party People were entranced.  I was among them!

And speaking of being entranced…David attributes his success to his 40 year practise of Transcendental Meditation.

He says it's made him less anxious, less fearful and less angry, and happier….allowing him to 'catch the big fish'…those creative ideas when they arise.

David's view is that it enhances his creativity, provides him with a deeper self-awareness or consciousness and gives him much, much more energy to create.

His work oozes self-confidence and energy…authentic…surreal, dreamlike, violent, erotic, sensual, amusing, weird….but never, ever mediocre.

A free-flowing creative mind is a wonderful thing to see don't you think?

Here's a glimpse of the dazzling opening night.

The Musical Muse

Chrysta Bell dazzled as did her brilliant band.  Tight, cool, Lynchian sounds!

The Artist

David Lynch - Photograph from Paris Photo 2012

Ask the Idea  -  'During Blue Velvet, ... Dean was...to sing "In Dreams" by Roy Orbison.  He was going to lip-sync...and sing it to Dennis Hopper...in front of him on the set...was this work lamp.  It had a long cord and its bulb was hidden from the audience, but illuminated Dean's face.  Dean just snatched this up.  He thought it was placed there for him.  There's so many of these things that come along.'
Words from "Catching the Big Fish".

Casting  -  'Then Dennis called and said, "I have to play Frank, because I am Frank."  That thrilled me, and scared me.'
Words from "Catching the Big Fish"

Kubrick  -  ..."(Kubrick) said to us, 'How would you fellas like to come up to my house tonight and see my favorite film?"  They said, "That would be fantastic."...Stanley Kubrick showed them Eraserhead.  So, right then, I could have passed away peaceful and happy.'
Words from "Catching the Big Fish"

Erotic, sensual, dream-like, violent….those 'big fish' caught.

Darkness -  'There are many, many dark things flowing around in this world now, and most films reflect the world in which we live.  They're stories.  Stories are always going to have conflict.'
Words from "Catching the Big Fish"

A little drawing -  on the inside of a matches flipcard.
Textural and nice.

Action, reaction, destruction, another action….one idea reacts to form another.

And Other Dazzling Marvels

Peter....directing affairs in his Lynchian splendour!

 'Catching the Big Fish' by David Lynch.
Lots of Lynchian goodies should you want to indulge.  I did a little fishing on the night…interesting reads.

A dazzling marvel herself...Brisbane artist, Suzanne Dannaher.
Suzanne also creates beautiful intuitive drawings, paintings, lithographs, etchings et al....
http://www.suzannedanaher.artsguide.com.au/index.php?page=gallery

A couple of dazzling marvels from Brisbane....within sharp focus!

And 2 dazzling Lynchian bugs appeared on the night!

Texture  -  '...there's a texture to a rotting body that is unbelievable...I love looking at those things,  just as much as I love to look at a close-up of some tree bark, or a small bug...You get in close and the textures are wonderful.'
Words from "Catching the Big Fish"

In Closing  -  'I deeply love film; I love catching ideas; and I love to meditate.'
Words "Catching the Big Fish"

And so it ended….and off we went into our own worlds and the darkness of the night....feeling just a little dazzled.

Bravo GoMA for bringing this marvellous retrospective to Brisbane!

It's the talk of the town, and we all agree....we love those Lynchian marvels.

Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, Mulholland Drive et al....I'm about to re-enter those Lynchian worlds with a whole new focus and awareness.

Bring it on!

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Looking at the Ordinary Beautiful

Ordinary beautiful?  A contradiction in terms?

Maybe not.

So what do you think?

Ordinary beautiful?

It's everywhere.  You just have to notice it and look at it!

Ciao

Robyn

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