Music vs Style -- A Killer Combination

Anne and Nancy Wilson of Heart

Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie & The Banshees 

If there ever was a match made in creative heaven it is the existential marriage that exists with music and fashion. This union is undeniable because you're dealing with two very strong creative "minds" who are both rooted in image (and movement).

The Annenberg Space for Photography

The perfectly curated exhibition on view now (which has been extend until October 21, 2012) at The Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City entitled "Who Shot Rock & Roll", takes us on a journey through musical history and its co-habitual friend "image", as seen and captured by the top photographers who have been called upon by the music industry to not only document by to image-make and expose the personal side of our favorite musical icons.

Beginning with Elvis Presley, who changed the music business by knowingly exposing the "other side" and giving a "face" to rock and roll and turning a whole new generation on to the swing and sway of not only the music but of their own personal expression (via music, and style), he did  this expertly so by enticing us through the photographic and moving image, and in one sweeping move, turning viewers into fanatics. Yet he wasn't the only one to do so; many many others followed suit and today, music and image are synonymous with each other (just like fashion and image are as well) and the most lasting and indelible music acts are those who have embraced this combination to its hilt and have left us with equally indelible impressions through the image of music.

Tina Turner

The Rolling Stones

The Police

The exhibits moves you through these ideas and more, from the image factory itself to artistic collaborations between photographer and music artist [Anton Corbijn and U2's music videos featurette, Grace Jones and Jean Paul Goude's composites of the fantastic "Island Life" album cover, or Maripol and Madonna's complete image package (fashion styling and costuming) from her early 80s oeuvre for example], to the viewpoint of the fans (an interestingly casual and emotional section, I thought), to the culmination of the exhibit, an engaging 12 minute documentary produced exclusively for the Annenberg.

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"Who Shot Rock & Roll: The Film" teaser trailer (via Annenberg Space/YouTube)


Who doesn't remember perusing the record store and looking at the album cover and letting that bold, frontal image coerce you into buying the record and going on an aural journey (or in today's modern speak, doing the same thing by looking at the thumbnails of covers on Amazon or iTunes) and getting just that much closer into the mind of the recording artist? Or seeing a music video or concert film, movement and sound and image all rolled into one, and being taken on a truly visual journey?
A thoroughly enjoyable and definite don't-miss, go check out "Who Shot Rock & Roll" at the Annenberg before it closes on October 21, 2012, and as always, rock on!!

-fggofstyle
(all photos taken by me from images displayed in the center's courtyard/exterior)

**Mark Seliger, chief photographer for Rolling Stone magazine (1992-2002) and whose work is  featured in the show will be speaking at the final live lecture series in conjunction with the exhibition on Thursday Oct 18, 2012. 
For more information please visit the link below.




RELATED LINKS

Exhibitions: "Who Shot Rock & Roll" | The Annenberg Space for Photography

Master of Iconography, Herb Ritts: L.A. Style

"Herb Ritts: L.A. Style" book cover 

In this modern age of image, how you look and present yourself has become the crux of importance. This focus on image became crafted throughout our post modern age via television, music, film, and advertising. This lens became the way we "see" ourselves. Yet in the world of contemporary art, it is the photographer who hones and perfects this craft and brings it in its presentation to us, the viewer (or subject sometimes) with an interesting outcome. No other modern photographer has done it in such a way as Herb Ritts, who use of natural light, simple composition, and emotional resonance has captivated us and brought to the most iconic and prolific images of celebrity, fashion, commerce, music, and art. At the apex of sensuality, nature, individuality, shadow, celebrity, and style stood Ritts, who became its master and brought a truly unique and starkly simple view of the end of the 20th century.

I became a huge Herb Ritts fan in the mid 80s when I became familiar with his work through the images he produced for celebrities like Richard Gere and Madonna, in ad campaigns for Revlon and Calvin Klein, and the countless fashion magazine pictorials found in the pages of "Vanity Fair", "Interview", "Vogue", and "Harpers Bazaar" Magazines. His use of the uber-models of the day (Cindy, Christy, Naomi, Stephanie, Helena, Tony, Djimon, et al) not only made them recognizable but made them into stars in their own right and catapulated anything they were involved in into fashion spectaculars. Yet Ritts utilized them in traditional ways befitting a model: as a chameleon of pose, light, and shape sculpted in the forms through the hands/lens of the artist. The same thing can be said when he created memorable portraits for celebrities: using their personality and individuality to elevate the portrait to a personal moment fluid with freedom and expression of his subject. And these models and stars regularly worked with Ritts and enjoyed the artistically natural and collaborative process he imbued on his projects and it shows throughout his body of work.

On view at the Getty Center is the fantastic photographic retrospective "Herb Ritts: L.A. Style". It is a broad mix of well-known and lesser seen works by Ritts, who in the late 70s began his ouevre and left us too soon. It is an interesting show: sectioned off in group areas such as "Nudes" (his most striking work), "Celebrity Portraits" (where his signature evolves and shines and elevates the genre of celebrity itself), "Music Videos and Commercials" (his work in movement form and where he changed the entire scope of music videos for the best), and "Fashion" (at the ultimate top of the fashion chain, Ritts creates indelibly wonderful imagery and editorial work). One of my favorite items is the Britney Spears Vogue Magazine cover (Novemeber 2001) and its original two composite shots with art direction touch up notes on the Britney photo itself alongside the finished magazine cover because, as great as Ritts' portrait is by itself, we get to glimpse what it takes to show "perfection" (those edit notes made me chuckle a bit) so that an image becomes branded as "Vogue". I also enjoyed re-viewing the award winning music video he shot for Janet Jackson's "Love will Never Do (Without You)", shown in its entirety as his signature video work (although Madonna's "Cherish" was his premiere foray into the genre); it still is a great 5 minutes of artistic magic to this day. I did wish the Getty included the Ritts directed video for Michael Jackson's "In The Closet" featuring model Naomi Campbell but it was absent perhaps because of its similarities to Janet's video or some situation having to do with Michael's estate, perhaps (in its place there is the Rolling Stones Magazine cover of MJ, a still from that video shoot)...? I'm sure there are some hidden gems that the Herb Ritts Foundation has tucked away somewhere and perhaps in future retrospectives we may get the chance to see them but the Getty has put together a good show and it is definitely one to go and experience for yourself and enjoy the scope and breadth of this wonderful artist's contribution to the world.

The Getty Center presents the retrospective until September 2, 2012 before it moves next to the Cincinnati Art Museum.
Don't miss it!

-fggofstyle
(photo via Getty and the companion book can be purchased by clicking on the highlighted link)





RELATED LINKS

The Herb Ritts Foundation 

The Getty Center--"Herb Ritts: L.A. Style" 

Strike The Ultimate Pose

On the afternoon of March 20, 1990, I secretly skipped sixth period to go to my best friends house and witness the world premiere of the most anticipated music video to air on MTV that season (and, well for the rest of that decade). Little did I know then that this music video would become an iconic event for me and would shape my future in its delicate way. It revealed to me that art, in its infinitely vast shape, could come together and create an entirely new depth of form to its newest art form (then, music videos) and bridge the past through homage, shape the future through imitation, and bring to the masses a long-thriving underground gay dance culture.
That day my ears danced to the progressive beat, my body moved to the rhythm, my eyes devoured the imagery, and my heart was touched. To this day, that song and especially that music video, continues to move me in joyful ways and it has been such a delight to watch its evolution through the myriad of numerous performances over the years. Back in 1990 I was witnessing the beginning of the next best thing, I was witnessing the moment something becomes a classic, an icon, and comes to an apex from which it has never come down from.
In honour of not only that moment but to the person who created this wonderful piece of art on the day they came into creation, I will share with you what has become my real piece of joy, and, for me strikes with the ultimate in style. And like a call to the sea, let's heed the words and follow suit: "strike a pose, there's nothing to it...", I give you "Vogue":



  Madonna, "Vogue" directed by David Fincher



Madonna as Marie Antionette performing "Vogue" at the MTV Video Music Awards, 1990



"Vogue" from the Blond Ambition Tour 1990 Nice, France; wearing costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier


from the Girlie Show 1993 Sydney, Australia; wearing costumes designed by Dolce & Gabanna

from the Re-Invention Tour 2004/film "I'm Going To Tell You a Secret" directed by Jonas Akerlund; wearing costumes designed by Arianne Phillips and corset by Christian Lacroix


from the Sticky & Sweet Tour 2009; wearing costumes designed by Ricardo Tischi for Givenchy and Arianne Phillips



from the Super Bowl Halftime Show January 2012 ("Music" performed with LMFAO); wearing costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier


from the MDNA Tour 2012 Milan, Italy (followed by "Candy Shop"); wearing costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier

The classic endures and thrives on. And may you continue to do the same, Madonna. Happy Birthday and may you forever be in Vogue.

-fggofstyle

(all videos via YouTube and are in the public domain)

You say its your Birthday, Madonna..?

"Like A Virgin" album, photographed by Steven Meisel, 1984

photographed by Herb Ritts for "True Blue" album, 1987

Jean Paul Gaultier and Madonna, photographed by Herb Ritts, 1990

wearing a bodysuit by Christian Lacroix Haute Couture, photographed by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia 1991

with daughter Lourdes, photographed by Mario Testino, Vanity Fair 1998

wearing custom made clothing by stylist Arianne Phillips
photographed by Jean Baptiste Mondino for "Music" album, 2000

photographed by Craig McDean for "American Life" album, 2003

photographed by Steven Meisel for "Confessions on a Dance Floor" album, 2005

wearing a dress by Jean Paul Gaultier in Harper's Bazaar, photographed by Solve Sundsbo, March 2006

photographed by Tom Munro, 2008

Madonna, in a short film by Fabien Baron of her "Interview" Magazine photo shoot session with Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, 2010 (video via www.interview.com/www.youtube.com)

A collection of a few of my favorite images of Madonna, through the years and through her many iconic looks, shot by some of my favorite photographers of fashion and celebrity.
Happy Birthday!
-fggofstyle

Hello, Nice to Meet You Generation Y

The question of Generation Y, or, better known as the "Hipster Generation", has been turning around in my mind over and over again and I've come to realize that I know very little intimately about this generation that follows mine. I see these hipsters everywhere. Standing alone, gathered in groups, in their Minis and Priuses, riding their one speed bikes, drinking skinny lattes, wearing skinny jeans and vintage clothing...Hipsters, please stand up and introduce yourselves to me!

My generation, Gen X, brought to the cultural forefront many different things: rave culture, minimalism, RuPaul, MTV, the early beginnings of video games and home computers, Prepsters, the pop supremacy of U2, Madonna, and Michael Jackson, leggings, Neo Soul music, and double denim dressing.

What's going on with Generation Y? Ok, I must thank you for the skinny jeans movement (I'm a BIG fan) and the return of vintage clothing popularity (especially designer vintage), high/low dressing, and eco-conscious products and practices. But tell me what is up with the unkempt hair and grooming (beards, moustaches, and goatees, oh my!!!), sub-par social etiquette, vapid demeanor and disdain for society and the global culture? Why has your infinite style potential become so homogenized and common (plaid shirts, for example)?  What about the push for the contemporary and edgy and original?

Perhaps my own (limited) personal experience with hipsters has left me a bit sour on you, or I feel like you co-opted things that were original or new to my generation (prepsters, for instance), or I have just grossly generalized you to such an extent that I can't see the forest for the trees but what I do see is so much potential that its unfathomable. I don't want to see it get lost in the mire. I want it to come bursting forth and shower over the world. I sense the change in you, Generation Y, the change that a future brings. Please step up and bring it: the newness, the difference, the individuality. I'm doing my part. Other members of my generation are do their part as well.I know some of you are doing your share as well. I guess this is my summit, my "Geneva Convention" in my mind here, and its just time to meet and shake hands and know each other and welcome each party to the Dawn.

-fggofstyle

Bright Young Thing

Yesterday marked the first day that Lola Leon, Madonna's prodigious young daughter, publicly blogged. As fantastic as this feat is, this is just a "quiet" announcement of her official arrival, in her own voice. I know for sure that this not the first or last that we will hear from Lola, but also that we all need to gird ourselves for her sartorial onslaught. As creative director of the Material Girl line, she's the hands and brains behind how Madonna's fashion foray captures us. And with the Mother of Reinvention as your Mom, there is no end to the source from which she gets to pull her style knowledge from. Just looking at her first post and her inspiration board for the collection, its evident what influences her (and us for quite some time) and what will drive the look and feel of Material Girl. As cute and kitschy as the line appears to be, I am interested in watching it develop and change form, like its young director will. Young. Fresh. Vibrant. Sounds like the future...
Welcome Lola, to the Fashion "Blognoscenti".

-feelgoodguru
(photo via www.blog.materialgirlcollection.com/uncredited)