cup of red

noble beast - andrew bird

2008-12-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

by Daniel He

Andrew Bird’s quirky lyrics and violin melodies are back in Noble Beast, his new album set to be released on January 20th. in this album, he sings about radiolarians (which, according to Princeton, is a protozoa with amoeba-like bodies and radiating filamentous pseudopods) and, appropriately enough, “perfect diction” (Masterswarm). on the surface, Noble Beast is a combination of 2005’s The Mysterious Production of Eggs and 2007’s Armchair Apocrypha with a mixture of country-like singer songwriter songs that would fit in the movie Cold Mountain and electric guitar-laden indie rock.

musically, however, there’s nothing new here, which is good news for fans of his previous albums. the album hits its high point at “Anonanimal”, where Bird’s symphonic violin melodies intertwine with his vocals and create a perfect harmony with the sparse guitars and drums.

but there’s a haunting beauty to the album unseen in his previous efforts, and are amplified by violin harmonies. it emphasizes one’s peace with themselves amongst the social norms and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. while Noble Beast begins with carefree phrases, it ends with resonating brilliance.

"standard edition cover"

"special edition cover"

"Natural Disaster"

Track list:

1. "Oh No"
2. "Masterswarm"
3. "Fitz and the Dizzy Spells"
4. "Effigy"
5. "Tenuousness"
6. "Nomenclature"
7. "Ouo"
8. "Not a Robot, But a Ghost"
9. "Unfolding Fans"
10. "Anonanimal"
11. "Natural Disaster"
12. "The Privateers"
13. "Souverian"
14. "On Ho!"

*album to be released on January 20th.

*where you can learn more about Andrew Bird and "Noble Beast": http://www.andrewbird.net/

- cup of red

hermaphroditic nurses - FUSE @ Vancouver Art Gallery

2008-12-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

"Lucy Fur" - my nurse

*all photos courtesy of Christopher Young

late November marked Vancouver Art Gallery’s FUSE party for it’s WACK! Art of the Feminist Revolution exhibit. art gallery goers eagerly lined up at the entrance to participate in the various art activities of FUSE, such as adult puppet shows, live bands and gallery tour. in the gallery, certain people were seen wearing blue patches with red crosses in the middle, around their necks, heads, arms and legs. what were those patches? and where were they from? Curious souls will soon realize that the patches were from a live art demonstration by Irene Loughlin and collaborators. it was a healing demonstration where cross dressed “nurses” diagnosed your major life problem and prescribed appropriate treatments. as if it were a real clinic, the “nurses” gave each “patient” a folder and a sheet of paper with all the appropriate sections filled in like symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. the “patient” was then asked to indicate which body part the problem was hurting most and the “nurses” would subsequently “bandage” that part with the aforementioned blue patches. the art demonstration was an interesting concept, but what most people noticed were not the bandages, diagnosis procedures nor patients’ folders. rather the nurses’ attire drew the most attention.

"Danny" - the other nurse

Lucy Fur was my nurse – she had on pronounced makeup, spiked eyebrows, hot pink bra and tong covered with a fishnet jumpsuit, skyhigh patent leather boots and a sexy corset purse. but Fox was also a “he” who had a neat black goatee and a deep soothing male voice. yes, my nurse was a hermaphrodite, an understanding one too. after she diagnosed me, i decided it would be a nice change if i interviewed her in turn.

the nurses

Fur described the project as an exploration of self of the “patient” and for her. she used to be a shy person but this demonstration allowed her to gain the confidence of putting herself in fire. as seen by the “nurses” attire, everyone naturally wondered about their sexual orientation. when asked about her sexual orientation, Fur felt that she was neither female nor male, but both at the same time. the hobby guitarist has lived as just a male, and lived as just a female but has blended both personalities together by trial and error. In relation to the art project, Fur ended with a memorable quote that we should keep in mind whether as “patients” to the FUSE “nurses” or those special “nurses” in our lives - “it is not the name, clothes or job that defines us, we’re something far greater.”

*where you can view more of Christopher Young’s work: http://www.chris-young.ca/
*where you can learn more about the Vancouver Art Gallery and FUSE: http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/

- cup of red

the kindergarten factory - the weaving place by Meinolf and Althoff

2008-12-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

*all photos courtesy of Travis Joseph Mainoff

Travis Joseph Mainoff and Kai Althoff’s “the weaving place” is like a textile factory assembly line set in the wrong room. the white strewn walls with elaborate ceiling mouldings mixed with turquoise upholstery accents dictated notes of childhood playfulness. balls of yarn and woven fabric laid lazily around the room adding to the quirky kindergarten atmosphere. visitors of the art gallery were set sitting in a numbered row holding large wooden looms with spools of yarn weaving their colourful blankets. they were in deep concentration - performing repetitive weaving motions trying to perfect their product.

this whimsical interior was designed by Althoff, a German artist, while the artistic concept of weaving was created by Mainoff of San Francisco. Mainoff invented the large detachable loom called the Laser Loom which he brought around to weave with in public places. he’ll tie one end to a tree for stabilization and the other around himself and starts weaving. it is no wonder that soon he becomes a public spectacle with people vying to try their hands at weaving too. “the weaving place” was the product of the artist’s experiences. he wanted to explore the “potential of the individual in the production of cloth…[because] textiles are central to human culture and so immediately physically experienced in our daily lives.” “the weaving place” is not a factory because there are no machines and it’s certainly not efficient, but there exists a connection between the makers and what is made. every imperfection of the weaved pieces are irreproducible, playing with our sense of value we put in perfect commodities.

in an art discussion tour called “canon”, ideas flew around about what this space represents. for example, someone brought up the point that this was not fine art or depictive art, but rather a community collaborative art. another art-goer noted that the contrasting concepts of the profane factory vs. sacred childhood were merged together in this room. “the weaving place” is definitely open up to many interpretations for discussion, but there is one philanthropic aspect of the project which is unarguable - the pieces of cloth weaved by visitors at the art gallery will be stitched together into a blankets to be donated to the children’s hospital.

*where you can visit the weaving place: Vancouver Art Gallery
http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/the_exhibitions/exhibit_kai_althoff.html
*where you can view more of Travis Joseph Meinolf work: http://actionweaver.com/

*where you can view more of Kai Althoff's work: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/kai_althoff.htm

- cup of red

west coast soul - jill-marie stokes

2008-12-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

"Spirit of the West Coast"

"west coast soul" is the true name of Jill-Marie Stokes, a 28-year-old self taught painter. she was mentioned in cup of red's Next Door Style's launch party article last month, as the resident painter of Yaletown's hip Raw Canvas. having grown up on Vancouver Island, lived in Whistler and Vancouver, and travelled around the world to places like Australia, Costa Rica and Uganda, Stokes' art is a creative reminisce of her outdoor experiences. working with acrylics on canvas, her paintings not only revolves around nature but explores it as a being with soul. Stokes' art currently is displayed at the chocolateir, Cocoa Nymph on 10th and Alma. next Saturday, December 13th, marks her opening night for her artwork at Raw Canvas. cup of red had the wonderful pleasure of getting to know the story and person behind Jill Marie's artwork over delicious spicy hot chocolate from Cocoa Nymph.

([cor] is “cup of red”, [jms] is Jill-Marie Stokes)

[cor]: what are your inspirations for your art?
[jms]: my inspirations are from photographs that mostly came from my world travels. i love to paint my photographs that have a big impact and special moment for me.

"Morning Glory" - the painting
"Morning Glory" - the photo inspiration

[cor]: i see that a lot of your art conveys the subject of nature. why you did chose this particular subject matter?
[jms]: it has really come from who i am. i've spent the last 8 years guiding in the outdoors and most of my life exploring it from a young age. i've also watched a lot of environmental themes come through this year in a few pieces after working at Ziptrek Ecotours in Whistler. the owners taught us about global sustainability and how to teach others using the lessons learned from the cycles of life in thousand-year-old rainforests. that's where the "Tree of Life"took form when i was trying to convey the energy that is circulating from the trunk into the soil, up into the clouds and ultimately back to the tree in the form of rain. it shows us the interaction that is taking place with every element and the fragile balance that is held between each other.

"Tree of Life"

[cor]: can you tell us more about that cherry blossom painting you were working on at Next Door Style's launch party?
[jms]: "Then Hope Came to Town" is a piece where nature is crying out for help. there are two Japanese characters on it - the first is "help" like in a medical emergency and the second is "restore", meaning to restore back unto its original state. We see a lot of pro-environment advertisements which are trying to communicate these ideas of moving towards sustainability by showing the damage we have already done. most often the result is inducing fear on us, to the point of being overwhelmed, which leaves a lot of us not doing anything at all. the more we stay connected with nature, the more we understand why it is an essential part of our lives. i want the message to be one of hope and beauty so it motivates people out of a place of love. luckily, we live in Vancouver which is so close to all the forests, ocean and mountains. i think that's why we are on the forefront of adapting to this lifestyle because – it is still apart of us.

"Then Hope Came to Town"

[cor]: how did you start painting?
[jms]: i had art classes throughout high school but didn't really start to paint for pleasure until three years ago. my first major painting was of a panoramic sunset of Costa Rica, "Pura Vida". my boss at the time said he wanted to buy it before i got famous! it was a real encouragement to even consider selling or even think I could make a living at it.

"Pura Vida" - Stoke's first baby

[cor]: what do you think is the role of the artist in society?
[jms]: big question. ha. i don't think i'm at that point where i want to answer something like that. i'm still having to much fun trying to get this stuff on a canvas. painting is my passion, it's what i love to do. ask me again in a few years.

[cor]: are there any artists that influence your art or is it mostly from within yourself?
[jms]: most of this is from within myself, my travels, those moments i alluded to before and the different galleries i've been to around the world. although i think Emily Carr was the raddest chick ever for breaking away from her Victorian upbringing to travel the west coast all by herself to native villages, internationally and be so dedicated to her work even though she was mostly misunderstood by others in her time.

[cor]: tell us more about your opening night next Saturday, December 13th at Raw Canvas.
[jms]: i will be teaching Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert's four natural steps in moving towards a more sustainable life and use examples of how people are applying them on a city, business and personal level. it will be followed by an open question and discussion period about the natural steps and my artwork. BBC planet earth will also be projected on the wall. it's the most amazing documentary on wildlife and nature that captivates the beauty of it like never before. i hope that the opening night won't be like a boring paintings-on-a-white-gallery-wall reception, there will be so much going on at the Raw Canvas – live music, interactive talks, people can even jam in the painting pit with their personal canvas. there will be something for everyone to do.

[cor]: ending with cup of red's classic random interview question - what chocolate truffle from Cocoa Nymph are you the most like and why?
[jms]: the Glinda - a dark chocolate and blackberry gnache. sweet, wild and simple.

Jill-Marie Stokes

want to see Stokes' artwork and meet her in person? curious as to what the four natural steps are? want to have an artistic night of entertainment?
then join cup of red at Stokes' opening night at Raw Canvas at 1046 Hamilton St. on Saturday, December 13th starting at 8pm!

*where can you view more of Jill-Marie Stokes' works: http://www.westcoastsoul.com/
*where you can learn more about her opening night at the Raw Canvas: http://www.raw-canvas.com/
*where you can find out more about Cocoa Nymph: http://cocoanymph.com/

-cup of red

fluttua by lago - modern beds series #2

2008-12-06T20:28:00.001-08:00

*all photos courtesy of Lago

"suspended design - real price" is the concept of fluttua, a bed that seemingly floats in the air. fluttua is designed by Lago, an Italian furniture design company who's also designed other illusional furniture such as air table and beam bed. fluttua is not limited to four-cornered shapes as it is also offered in a circular design. even though the bed is short of a prominent headboard, it is the crucial attachment piece to the wall. look closely, and you will see that there is an almost unnoticeable support beam underneath the bed's centre. as seen in the photos, fluttua is able to support a substantial amount of weight despite it's delicate appearance. fluttua may be a conspicuous art piece on its own, but careful attention must be given to your bedroom space plan before permanently fixing this optical illusion on your wall.

*where you can learn more about fluttua and Lago: http://www.lago.it/en/design/products/fluttua.html

-cup of red

JUBE JUBE - it's not just a bag...it's a story

2008-12-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

jube jubes – sweet, fruity candies dances in one’s imagination upon hearing these words. in fact, JUBE JUBE isn’t candy, it is a bag which represents an initiative for change in developing countries such as the Philippines. the origination for JUBE JUBE bags was from Ate Gladie, a Filipina seamstress and mother of five. she lives in the economically distressed community of Agdao, Davao City where a typical handmade purse would only sell for 100 pesos or $2.50CAD. her dresses and curtains are handmade with a family heirloom sewing machine. alongside to her dress and curtain making, Ate Gladie volunteers at the House of Jubilee’s (a church) feeding program where she met Kezia Paul and Tim Jones who were volunteering. Jones worked with Ate Gladie on a business plan, while Paul collaborated with Ate Gladie on a bag that could be sold in North America. The result: the creation of the JUBE JUBE bag. The bags are printed with bold patterns of red and green with hints of orange and blue, just like colourful jube jubes candies. with a simple round wooden handle, JUBE JUBEs are certainly a fun piece to bring along to an outing on the beach or to add a pop of colour to any winter outfit. they are now sold in Vancouver by contacting Kezia Paul via email at kezia@jubejube.ca. the profits earned from the bag will be relayed back into new creations with Ate Gladie to make her dream of a better livelihood become reality.

the founders, along with an added partner, Jessica Yee unexpectedly created this social enterprise last year upon their return from their trip in the Philippines. during their stay in the Agdao community, they became acquainted with the community and especially the youth. there, they discovered the horrid truths of an impoverished society with youth who were not able to finish school, jailed and even killed. through JUBE JUBE, the founders wish to connect “this world” to “that world” and give the families an opportunity to raise children to a good and fruitful life. verily, this could have easily been a charitable organization asking for direct donations; however, the founders chose to build their philanthropic concept into a business so that it has the ability to thrive and grow alongside the people. when one buys a JUBE JUBE bag, one isn’t just buying a mere piece of accessory or art, but buying into reality for change. it’s more than just a bag, it’s a story.

*how to buy a JUBE JUBE bag: contact Kezia Paul via email at kezia@jubejube.ca
*where you can learn more about JUBE JUBE: http://www.jubejube.ca/

-cup of red

doc by clei - modern beds series #1

2008-11-25T00:19:00.000-08:00

*this is the first in the series of articles featuring odd but creatively designed modern beds

doc isn't for "doctor" nor is it a short form of "document." rather, doc refers to a super sleek sofa bed from clei, with a technological edge. basically, it is a sofa that can turn into a bunk bed via a special patented mechanism. safety wasn't overlooked in the design of this smart stylish bed as it is complete with a supporting side ladder and protection guard for safety. not only is the sofa bed the epitome of "cup of red", it is practical for small spaces like dorm rooms. the small space can be transformed into hangout space or sleeping space with just a flip. with doc, you no longer have to "pull out" the bed when a visitor is over, instead you will "pull up" the bed.

*all photos courtesy of clei

*where you can learn more about doc from clei: http://www.clei.co.uk/clei/doc.htm

- cup of red

twilight, schmwilight - a review of "Twilight"

2008-11-23T23:57:00.000-08:00

by guest writer: Tian Jiang

*DISCLAIMER: I have never read any of the Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer, nor do I ever intend to – I was dragged to see the movie with my girlfriend. Consider this review invalid, if you feel that the movie should be reviewed by a fan of the book, as after all it is an adaptation. Spoilers alert!

If you’re a fan, a girl, or a fangirl, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Twilight. If you’re anybody else, don’t go.

The first question to any adaptation of an existing literary work is going to be, “is the movie faithful to the novel”? Well, my girlfriend read all the books, and she liked the movie. So, there you go. I can then tell you that Twilight the movie will probably be enjoyed by fans of the book; but really, that sentence could also be stated “Twilight will probably be enjoyed by fans of Twilight”, a piercing insight I’m sure I don’t have to explain further. If you were a fan of the books you can probably stop reading this right here.

For the rest of you, let’s move on.

The plot of Twilight is fairly straightforward. Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart), the new girl in town falls in love with mysterious and attractive Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson), who tries unsuccessfully to not love her. He saves her from danger several times with his superpowers, so she starts asking questions. After an anticlimactic identity reveal and some decidedly non-sexual intimacy, they seem to get along with each others’ families (Bella’s dad is divorced, while Edward’s adopted in a clan of vampires). Just when they were set to be the hot item at the school prom, a hastily introduced villain threatens Bella’s life, and Edward saves her. Cue happy ending and a sequel setup.

Twilight is a teen life drama through and through. Sure, they tossed in a couple of immortal 17-year old superhumans, but all the typical elements are there: high school setting, something different about our protagonist, dysfunctional family life, prom dance, forbidden love, a handsome and inexplicably single guy, no sex, the emotional range of a pink piece of balsa wood, and enough angst to drown in.

There is even a scene where Bella and her girl friends pick out prom dresses. I guess the part where they discuss Johnny Depp while painting each others’ toenails was cut out but will be included in the DVD. The director, Catherine Hardwicke actually had to periodically throw in scenes of people getting attacked to remind the viewers that there are vampires in this movie.

Also, remember that Asian comic-relief guy, Justin Chon, from the movie, 21? He’s back, cast as an Asian comic relief guy – Eric Yorkie.

Action scenes and set pieces look low budget. There’s little character development because the time span of the movie is 4 months of events condensed into 2 hours. Supporting characters are
predictably one-dimensional, while the main characters have scarcely more depth. Literally nothing in this movie is anything to write home about—except maybe the male lead, who is apparently super sexy. The female lead meanwhile looks like an angsty Youtube vlogger (video blogger), obliterating the last reason for a guy to watch this.

So it’s a bad movie, I guess. But then, it’s bad in such a way that it can’t really be faulted. You can see through occasional witty dialogue and the lack of overacting (except for the Asian guy, I guess) that the director tried her best to work with the material at hand. I can’t rail against the movie because I honestly don’t care that much—it doesn’t tickle my happy places, but it doesn’t punch me in the face either.

When I sat down to write this review, I was prepared to deliver at least 1000 words of bile and jokes. As you can see I have failed in that endeavor; the movie is a big uniform pile of “ehhh”. Not recommendable on any grounds but the obvious one, but not enough of an assault on sensibilities to provoke a negative reaction, either. Since I didn’t pay for my ticket—or the large drink and nachos—I can’t even pull the “what a waste of money” card.

*where you can learn more about Twilight: http://www.twilightthemovie.com/

-cup of red

murder, merder - duran, VFW tees night part 4

2008-11-23T02:42:00.001-08:00

*all photos courtesy of Eugene Flores (http://www.highendphotography.ca/)

Duran’s “merder tees” spiced up the tees night. from the name, you can probably induce that the theme is about the subject of murder. the show began with a projection of a jumble fuzzy old school black box tv screen where images of prominent people who were assassinated were shown. large graphic prints of the famously murdered such as Lady Diana, Kennedy and twin towers were creatively splashed across the Duran’s tees. there was a shirt printed with Martin Luther King Jr. that had a caption of “I Had a Dream.” when asked about that quote, the designer said that it is “had” not “have” because MLK Jr. is dead now, so it’s past tense. each of these t-shirts are sold in a forensic inspection bag and $5 of each sale goes to a unique charity related to the murdered person on the tshirt. for example, the $5 proceed from the 9/11 tee will be donated to the fire fighters fund. the designer, the models and most importantly the t-shirts was full of character, extremely edgy and dangerously fun. Duran in, merder mystery out!

*where you can view more of Eugene Flores’ work: http://www.highendphotography.ca/
-cup of red

"meh" - RU Style, VFW tees night part 3

2008-11-19T00:49:00.000-08:00

R U in Style?
*all photos courtesy of Eugene Flores (http://www.highendphotography.ca/)

there isn’t much to say about RU Style as that their t-shirts and their show were mostly forgettable. RU Style’s t-shirts contained elaborate prints like spades, virgin mary, rock and roll roses and golden tigers. they felt too much like Ed Hardy wannabes. however, there was one shirt that was memorable - a male tee imprinted with a Chinese take-out box with a caption of “take me out” followed by a phone number. there were some BeBe-like hoodies that shouted out “R U Style” with huge imprinted logos.

male photographers whistled on a model who strutted her stuff down the runway in nothing but a hoodie and black tights. isn’t it a underlying fashion rule that wearing tights alone is a definite fashion crime? certainly, it’s unarguable that these shirts are practical and wearable, but there was a shortness of creativity. otherwise, thanks to the models for adding some interest to the show with their often unique poses to make up for the more or less unmemorable designs.

*where you can view more of Eugene Flores’ work: http://www.highendphotography.ca/

-cup of red

"slingshots, body tattoos, ripped jeans and the american flag" - pacific thorn, VFW tees night part 2

2008-11-18T13:13:00.000-08:00

*all photos courtesy of Eugene Flores (http://www.highendphotorgraphy.ca/)

a man and a woman walked out the runway in rough torn jeans and bear feet. the woman was in a ripped shirt revealing her elaborate tattoos while the man wore nothing but a small grey scarf around his neck. they bent down and picked up a wooden box that was hidden in the centre of the runway. like robots they walked silently to the end of the runway, sat down and opened the box. in it were books, a slingshot, pencils and a chalkboard. they started ripping out pages of the books and threw the crumpled pieces in the air…

ok…wait a moment! they’re not the models. spectators looked back and there was a model who came strutting out with a graphic tee by Pacific Thorn. unlike Alpha Ursus, the t-shirts for females were fitted to show off curves on the body. there were a few side-fringed mini shirt dresses which desperately called for shorts or tights…

the man sitting at the front of the runway started to aimlessly shoot elastic bands in the air with his huge sling shot. the woman coarsely made out the letters of “PACIFITHORN” on the mini chalkboard.

wait…the show wasn’t about them…on the men’s side were casual graphic tees in black, greys and dull greens. all the models had on the signature pinhole ripped jeans creating random constellation-like patterns…

now it’s the man turn to carve the brand’s name on the board while the woman marked up a torn notebook with her pencil. more crumpled paper and elastic bands flew around in the air as the audience members gasped in disbelief and winced for their safety’s sake.

BAM! a model came out in a pleated skirt made from the glorious American flag, but what? on top, she was wearing nothing but a life jacket created from the same flag - God save America from the economic crisis? “maybe she should’ve worn one of those nude leotards to cover up her breasts” someone whispered. the mascot model didn’t care, she lifted her fingers and made a cute peace sign to the confused photographers – peace to America?

the woman and the man packed up their items and slammed the box shut. they silently carried the box down the runway as their bear feet brushed the ground.

the inspiration for Pacific Thorn's show was Atlantis.

ps. i was just as confused.

*where you can view more of Eugene Flores’ work: http://www.highendphotography.ca/

-cup of red

"i'm a hipster!" - alpha ursus, vfw tees day part 1

2008-11-17T01:01:00.000-08:00

*all photos courtesy of Eugene Flores (http://www.highendphotography.ca/)

“life should be cute, playful and very very sexy”

inspired from the ursa major constellation, the mother bear has been brought down from the heavens and imprinted on to t-shirts as alpha ursus. alpha ursus is a street ware graphic apparel company whose t-shirts looks like they were composed of two entirely separate shirts divided by a slant at one shoulder. spectators were hit again and again by the bold solid coloured bear logos on graphic tees and hoodies. hipster models walked down the runway with their nerdy plastic neon shades, skinny jeans and keffiyeh scarves which were wrapped around the models’ bodies in every place possible. oddly, there was a model wearing an intrinsic black scarf with black stilletos who’d seemed out of place from the collection if it weren’t the Ursus hoodie she was wearing. the tees weren’t cute or sexy and only arguably playful because of the neon glasses. maybe a more suitable motto for the collection would have been “life should be like a hipster’s.”

by the way, check out some interesting articles on hipsters ("fuck hipsters" - http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=5495) and the keffiyeh scarves ("the keffiyeh kerfuffle" - http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=5501) from The Ubyssey.

*where you can view more of Eugene Flores' work: http://www.highendphotography.ca/

-cup of red

superhuman - johan lorbeer

2008-11-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

a man is hanging in mid-air with only one hand on the wall. would you call it an emergency? or would you call it art? Johan Lorbeer is a German artist who dazzles the world with his "still life" art installations. he's been seen hanging off public walls of germany and egypt where he seemingly defies gravity. there are no strings attached to the artists body nor any platform for him to stand on. dare to even walk underneath his levitated body. his most famous installations are ""proletarian mural" and "tarzan." this isn't street magician David Blaine's levitation trick anymore. Lorbeer becomes a still life structure, a sculpture - he is his own art piece. don't be surprised if we see the superhuman hanging off the the walls of downtown one day.

*where you can learn more about johan lorbeer: http://www.johanlorbeer.com/

-cup of red

seriously? vancouver fashion week?

2008-11-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

*photo courteosy of Eugene Flores (http://www.highendphotography.ca/)

hastings and cordova…does that ring a alarm as the most sketchiest area in town? now walk into a woodworking studio that still has metal rods and machinery lying around. add an irregularly shaped runway carved out of a 120 year old tree with a rumpled white projection screen as a backdrop. surrounding the runway are old pieces of yaletown serving as makeshift benches for media and those lucky few who managed to steal a seat. otherwise, bystanders who paid the $25 admission fee were left huddling together near a garage door opening that invited the chilly november wind. 'tis the dunlevy studio - host of vancouver fashion week spring/summer '09.

right, right, you say that Vancouver is supposed to an eco-friendly city that’s one with mother nature. yes, we should recycle, reuse and not burn fossil fuels. sounds good on paper, but does that mean we have to host a poorly planned fashion week in a warehouse venue?

and the models. it’s true that there are many unhealthily skinny models nowadays, but some of the vfw’s models were flabby or overly buffed with poor catwalks. don’t expect to see many of them gracing the pages of vogue or runways of Milan anytime soon. at the least, they could’ve put the flabbier models in looser clothing… fashion week is supposed to about everything glam and beautiful – that includes the runway and the models.

at least the shows and collections were pretty decent to make up for the rest of it. look out for highlights from the t-shirt collection themed shows in the following days.

*where you can view more of Eugene Flores' work: http://www.highendphotography.com/

-cup of red

pot, porn, baseball and trains - hot box turns 2!

2008-11-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

pot, porn, baseball and trains – that’s what hotbox accessories is about. november 7th was hotbox’s birthday bash marking their second anniversary of raciness on main st. the boutique was founded by Kameyo Melina and Brenda Mcguire who wanted to keep main st. fresh and hot with its sexy accessories, legwear and underwear. a larger-than-life print of a sexy abs-racked male model seduces customers at the entrance while flirty pink underwear invites you to put a smile on. there’s fur, lace, golf caps and even nipple coverings. and for the not so rowdy crowd, hot box also offers beautiful unique hand crafted jewellery for your timid soul. these are all products of local and Canadian designers so that the hot little secrets are kept all in the family. hotbox runs on an ethical policy which includes seeking out fashion made of sustainable fabrics and donating to vancouver charities and art groups. look out everyone, hotbox is here to push some buttons to keep main st. on the edge!

*where you can learn more about hotbox: http://www.hotboxbc.com/index.php

-cup of red

next door style

2008-11-10T01:12:00.000-08:00

*olie designs

*all photos courteosy of martin prihoda from lumondo photography (http://www.lumondo.com/)

flip through the pages of vogue, fashion, W or any of the glossy fashion magazines and we are bombarded with large name labels like LV, prada, gucci and more. their opulence fulfills our fashion savvy spirit like candy for our eyes. but have you thought of your neighbours? maybe they are also the creators of unique, beautiful and wearable items. this is why Vanessa Fors founded the grassroots organization called “next door style” which shines the spotlight on local fashion and jewellery designers found next door. Like most of us, she thought she knew all the local designers as a children’s wear designer herself, but there’s really more creativeness in the city than one could imagine. “next door style” is an chic online store which invites designers and consumers to connect together in one central hub. true that there are online “esty stores”, but in it, vancouver’s creative bunch soon become lost in a sea of international designers. instead, “next door style” is focused on vancouver’s fashion with an assortment of designers in accessories, sports, native wear and more. with its current representation of 16 local artists, such as jolie mack accessories, olie designs and nixxi, the site is rapidly growing since its founding only a mere four weeks ago.

*jolie mack designs

as a BCIT marketing student and self-made designer, Fors understands the struggles of being a designer and the need of having a business sense in the competitive market. in filling the need, “next door style” helps market vancouver designers as a whole and foster their growth by offering weekly business tips sent to their email inbox. the current goal is to increase brand recognition and customer reach in the local scene, but with potential exposure to the international market.

*jolie couture

the launch party at the hip Raw Canvas showed tremendous local support to the cause. when asked why she chose Raw Canvas as the venue for “next door style’s” launch party, Fors thought it represented the unity of art and design. with live music in the air, attendees were invited to try their hand at painting on the canvas while mingling with the designers. a resident artist of Raw Canvas, Jillmarie Stokes was seen painting away at her abstract tears for cherry blossom. although there were “next door style” based fashion photos from Martin Prihoda and scarce display of some designers’ items, the party would have been even more outstanding if there was larger showcase of the designers creations. perhaps in the future we should look out for a possible “next door style” fashion show! ending on a good note, all donations from the night are going to Art’s Umbrella to foster creativity in the young.

*where you can learn more about “next door style”: http://www.nextdoorstyle.com/

*where you can view more of martin prihoda's work: http://www.lumondo.com/

*where you can view jillmarie stokes work: http://www.paintingsbyjillmarie.blogspot.com/

-cup of red

obakki

2008-11-08T18:44:00.001-08:00

tucked in the little corner of gastown, obakki is an international design house offering “rustic luxury” garments without the fuss. the clothing is all made in vancouver, canada with great attention to superior craftsmanship and details. run your hands through the material and you’ll see why it is so. the boutique itself is a restful meditative place with solid woods, white orchids and matching modern chandeliers. as you look through the racks of clothing, you’ll notice the unfinished wooden clothes hanger imprinted with the house’s signature. on the opposite side of the garnment wall, the house offers a tea and tonic bar which offers herbs incorporated fruit beverages with traditional chinese medicine in mind. obakki’s has not created just a trendy clothing boutique but a lifestyle clearly reflecting west coast chic.

founded by Treana Peake, obakki’s concept is to bring emerging canadian designers up to an global level and it has done just that. their spring/ summer collection ’09 preview brought in a crowd from all different backgrounds and even representatives from Fashion Television. the female collection was true to its original concept with soft and light laid-back structured dresses in solid neutrals. here and there were strong oranges and blues, but the collection overall was very streamlined towards neutrality, comfort and luxury. although much smaller, the male collection featured tailored jackets and knee high shorts with similar palette of colours. no matter how hard one tries to search for faults in obakki, whether in their clothing or their image in general, there really isn’t any – except maybe that the boutique is a little too small for a crowd of 70.

*where you can learn more about obakki: http://obakki.com/
*where you can visit obakki: 44 water st., gastown, vancouver

-cup of red

bon chic, bon genre - BCBG Max Azria

2008-11-07T15:24:00.000-08:00

a few years ago, the little BCBG store on Robson St. was the heaven for prom queens and princess. i still remember that day when i gawked at this oversized magenta gown made purely of feathers. those days of BCBG are no longer here, this American brand has revived itself of butterflies and cotton candy with chic sophisticated city wear. the newly refurbished boutique featured a natural backdrop of polished stones and wood paneled floors. accents of neon drew attention to featured items such as a peculiar shoe or hat. the clothes carried a neutral palette throughout with shaded blues, purples and reds. there were still dresses dotting the upper floor, but they were for the sophisticated woman out in town. as the first designer to ever produce three unique shows and collections at the New York fashion week, Max Azria’s designs are flaunted in a small collection of runway garments in the store. BCBG is now truly living up to its name of “bon chic, bon genre” – good style, good attitude.

*where you can view BCBG's collection: http://www.bcbg.com/

WACK! - art and the feminist revolution

2008-11-05T13:38:00.001-08:00

*Magdalena Abakanowicz Red Abakan, 1969 sisal and mixed media Courtesy of the National Museum, Wroclaw, Poland Photo courtesy of Magdalena Abakanowicz

WACK! A large red cloth woven vagina greets the unanticipated visitor entering the exhibition. This is Magdalena Abakanowicz’s Abakan Red, an enormous coarsely woven organic mass pulsing feverishly amidst the atrium of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Drawing from the names of several feminist protest groups of the hippies’ era, WACK! is an exhibition which explores the relationship of art and the feminist revolution of the late 1960’s and 70’s. The Vancouver Art Gallery is the only Canadian gallery featuring this collection of works of more than 120 artists from 21 countries. The exhibit is physically divided into several feministic themes such as “goddess”, “gender performance”, “body trauma”, “female sensibility” and “gendered space.”

The exhibition was highly interactive where artists used media that appealed to the multiple senses. Artists explored the female body and roles, and oppression of race, class and social acceptance through traditional paintings, photography, narrative and performance videos, writing, textiles and more. For example, as a “private art performance in real time”, artist Lynn Hershman personified herself as Roberta Breitmore, a fictional divorcee who moved to San Francisco. On and off, during the period of 1974 to 1978, Hershman would dress up as and lived the life of her persona to the extent of even obtaining a valid drivers licence and a personal cheque book under the name of Breitmore. Other artists like Mimi Smith used household objects to create montages depicting the confinement of women to the house and their obligation to perform mundane repetitive housework. Many artists used their own body as the subject in physical demonstrations or photographs. They would take serial photographs about their body or parts of their body during a diet or labour phase to demonstrate the mutability of a human body over time. However, do not assume that the artists are the sole contributors to the artwork – visitors are invited to participate in Lygia Clark’s “interactive art” where we can add to her chandelier of flyers and notes, attach large rubber bands to her elastic net or try on her nylon net t-shirts. Clark wants to create a unified experience for all genders and races through her “social sculptures.” Males were not forgotten in this feminist themed collection. By casting males in a plaster and scaffolds on wood, ropes and concrete blocks, Colette Whiten wanted to reverse the roles of females and males through physical limitations of the male body in “Structure #7.” With much controversy embedded in each of the pieces, WACK! was truly meant to be experienced with our contemporary understanding and not of their era of creation when they were overshadowed by political and social equality protests.

Set aside a day for WACK! as this is one exhibition not be rushed and definitely not to be missed. The exhibition is presented at the Vancouver Art Gallery from now to January 11, 2009.

*where you can visit WACK!: http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/the_exhibitions/exhibit_wack.html

-cup of red

la musique - art institute

2008-11-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

*Visit Vancouver Fashion Ezine http://www.vancouverfashionezine.com/magazineissue14/fashionevents.html for my complete article about the show!

"the human body transformed into steel" - by Tina Tam

la musique filled the air as thirty-nine fashion design graduates of the art institute showed their four-piece graduation collections at the River Rock Casino Theatre. there were lolita dolls, korean hanbocks, 18th century garments, deer antlers and lobster claws. there was banana republic style, twists on couture, laid back plaid, icing cake dresses and gothic bone-racked vests. wanna know more about la musique? then visit Vancouver Fashion Ezine (http://www.vancouverfashionezine.com/magazineissue14/fashionevents.html) for my upcoming article as a guest writer in the November issue. (photos courtesy of raymond chou, http://www.raymondchou.ca/)

"nature - beauty - life...modern fairy" - by Joshua Houghton

"eastern street: the love of lines that create movement in life" - by Thanh Nguyen

"the human body transformed into steel" - Tina Tam

"autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. - albert camus" - by Heather Farago

*where you can view my article in Vancouver Fashion Ezine: http://www.vancouverfashionezine.com/magazineissue14/fashionevents.html

*where you can view more of raymond chou's work: http://www.raymondchou.ca/

- cup of red

2008-10-31T01:20:00.000-07:00

"o lux beatissima" - david mellor

2008-10-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

remember those old traditional candelabras sitting on the table on a christmas evening? maybe surrounding it rests an advent wreath with soft candlelight flickering about.

david mellor took this classical accessory and revamped it into a sleek stainless steel candelabra for modern and contemporary spaces. 32 thin vertical bars are present along with 8 radial candle holder and a 9th in the centre. accents of violet from the anodized aluminium highlights the individual candle holders. the candelabra handmade and situated on a solid matte black granite base with an engraving that reads "o lux beatissima" meaning "o most blessed light." holding white candles, mellor's piece demonstrates an obvious juxtaposition of industrial coolness versus classical softness.

*where you can get david mellor's candelebra: www.20ltd.com

*where you can view more of david mellor's work: www.davidmellordesign.com

-cup of red

robots and monsters – ayden gallery

2008-10-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

robots and monsters is the theme for the Ayden Gallery’s art collection this fall. the Ayden Gallery is located in Tinseltown near downtown Vancouver where exhibitions of the local art can be seen. the contemporary art displayed were beautiful yet quite disturbing at the same time. for example, Jesse Schilperoort paired androids and human females in his pencil sketches and called them “Perfect couple 1, 2, 3 and 4.” more outrageously, Peter Ricq’s detailed acrylic paintings are of robots and monsters having sexual intercourse with women. both artists were seen at the opening reception collaborating on yet another out-of-this-world painting.

* Jesse Schilperoort (left) and Peter Ricq (right)

"zom bot" - by Peter Ricq

Dan VanHarmelen’s miniature robots made from scraps of metals and other interesting bits were scattered around the gallery. his mini light-up bots can serve as both casual accessories and alternative desk lamps.

3D Leigh created some interesting mixed media pieces which played with the visual dimensions of the canvas. robots and monsters protruded out of the 2D plane to grab its “heart” for installation in “Install Heart.” 3D Leigh also used the giclee technique to draw cartoonish monsters. similarly, Megan Majewski’s sharply defined acrylics paintings were of gothic skeletal robots that reminded me of those characters in the cartoon called the Night Before Christmas.

"install heart" - by 3D Leigh

"cell" - by 3D Leigh

"come to take my soul away" - by Megan Majewski

the exhibition also featured related designer products from Tokyo Flash and Mike Kammerer’s furniture. Tokyo Flash is a leading watch brand in Japan which uses LED lights to display time. unlike classic time-keepers, these watches do not require their owners to read numbers, but rather to count dots of lights displayed in uniquely organized fashions. on the other hand, Mike Kammerer bent euro-birch into skeletal shapes and mingled them with traditional Asian rice paper to form one-of-a-kind floor lanterns. the Ayden Gallery truly showed that the boundaries of contemporary art are limitless.

"infection" - by Tokyo Flash

"frond lamp" - by Mike Kammerer

*where you can learn more about the Ayden Gallery: http://www.aydengallery.com/EN/artists/www.aydengallery.com

-cup of red

red carpet fashion show - lonely hearts children international

2008-10-19T00:46:00.000-07:00

strut, strut, strut, strut - armed with curly up-dos, smoky black eyes and bold red lips, bodacious models strut their stuff down the runway for impoverished children and families in El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and India. hosted by Lonely Hearts Children International, the Red Carpet Fashion Show was a charity event where fashion met philanthropy. the organization was founded by Renata K. (Miss New Westminster), Sara G.(Professional vocalist), Rosalba V. (Miss Burnaby) since August and it has been a life long dream for them. the Red Carpet Fashion Show was their first launch as an organization. this glamorous night was sponsored Ron Sombilons Art Gallery, Masci Tutoring and Consulting, Kihada Works Design, Mega Silver Inc among many others. three short fashion shows featured clothes from Bebe, JC studio and jewellery from Jolie Mack...

Bebe
picture the clothes on mannequins in bebe's storefront windows - that was the bebe fashion line presented. an eye-striking reoccurring piece was the signature bebe short curve-hugging dresses in bright metallics - perfect for a night out in town. occasionally, there were tweed skirt suits embellished with patent leather and ruffle-clad dress shirts shown. the colours were primarily bold and solid hues like purples, greens, reds, blues and yellows. a few pieces with boho patterns jutted out here and there in the show like sore thumbs. but the flowing black, red and gold v-neck silk boho-style dress (pictured below) was my favourite piece between all the shows.
beware though, these clothes aren't for all of us, as they were designed for vixens of the night.
for all the style-conscientious men out there, bebe hasn't left you out. the line also featured dark leather jackets for you to wear when accompanying your daring vixen.

*my favourite piece

Jolie Mack Custom Jewellery Designs
there are two words to describe the line - long and shiny. running from the neck to the stomach, the detailed yet streamlined jewellery drew attention to the body's mid line. the exaggerated length of the pieces tricks the eye into elongating the torso. matching earrings also followed the general design scheme. as for the shiny factor, most of the pieces were designed in sterling silver or chains of Swarovski crystals. although not your Tiffany and Co's type jewellery, Jolie Mack does have their place in designing one-of-a-kind jewellery.

JC studio
if Bebe's clothes were fit for girl's night out, then JC studio's clothes were their counterparts, at least i thought so anyway. the colour scheme was like bebe's - bold solid metallics on long flowing full length silk dresses. even though designer silk pyjama bottoms are currently acceptable to wear out of the house, i don't think JC's line will qualify because they look more like silk nightgowns than formal wear. perhaps they're more appropriate for a sexy night in?

with all this glitz and glamour, it's hard not to lose scope of the whole purpose of the event, which was to fund raise for less fortunate families in other parts of the world. all proceeds of the event will go to the children and families sponsored by Lonely Hearts Children International. let me leave you with a true story from one of the organization's founders about one of her site visits..."a 72-year-old grandmother with diabetes was taken care of by her son. one day, her son and daughter-in-law were kidnapped and assassinated. this 72-year-old now not only has to provide for herself, but three more young grandchildren." fashion isn't always about vanity. sometimes, it can be for charity too.

*founders of Lonely Hearts Children International - Renata K. (Miss New Westminster), Sara G.(Professional vocalist), Rosalba V. (Miss Burnaby) and sponsor Ron Sombilon (artist) (from left to right)

*photos courtesy of Raymond Chou, where you can view more of his work: http://www.raymondchou.ca/

*where you can view this article on the Ubyssey: http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=5499

- cup of red

genes exposed - dna 11

2008-10-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

as one with a science background, i have done countless numbers of dna extractions, PCRs and gel electrophoresis. the gel products were often just another mound of data to analyse. never would i have thought of turning this genetic fragments into art, but Adrian Salamunovic and Nazim Ahmed, the founders of dna 11 did. this Canadian duo paints on canvas not your outer appearance, but your inner beauty. they extract your dna from a mouth swab you provide, do a perfect gel run, take a pristine picture of the gel, play with the colours and contrast, and finally magnify it as an art piece for your enjoyment. this idea is ever so simple yet results in such intriguingly beautiful art. you can be definite that each piece is one-of-a-kind and personally yours. perhaps compose a couple's portrait with your significant other, or how about a family dna portrait? unsatisfied with not knowing what those lines on the gel means? dna 11 will help you analyse your inner self through genepack where they also perform addition extractions of 4 specific genes for sport, love, brain and gender.

dna 11 also offer other unique products such as fingerprint and KISS portraits.

this is truely the unity of art and science.

*where to learn more about dna 11: http://www.dna11.com/

roses and bows, lust and sex - the duchess

2008-10-14T01:26:00.000-07:00

powerful male marries female. male wants male heir. female produces female offsprings. male cheats on female. sounds like an overly produced typical story line? that is essentially the summary of The Duchess.

in The Duchess, Keira Knightly plays Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire who’s raised to please others. she is a 18th century celebrity, a fashion idol for women beneath her. descriptions of what type of hats she wore made it to newsprint. she is the “Empress of Fashion.”

wthe public loves her dearly, the Duke (Ralph Fiennes) does not, for she failed to give him a male heir. he has an affair with a live-in mistress, Georgiana’s best friend. the love and friendship triangle causes bitter tension in the Devonshire household and makes for a saddened and lonesome duchess. her misery vanishes, however, when a young ambitious politician appears in her life. he adds another dimension to the triangle.

disregarding the film’s abrupt scene transitions, the film felt too typical. imagine Marie Antoinette and The Other Boleyn Girl repackaged into 1 hour and 49 minutes. if you’re looking for a movie with a revolutionary plot and you’ve already watched the aforementioned, don’t bother. also, you better think Knightly is attractive, because the camera is always focused on her face. everything else is literally a big blur.

however, you should watch this movie if you like 18th century fashion. the costumes are exquisitely designed. every knot and string, every ruffle and under-padding are considered. The “bows and roses” are the theme of the Duchess’s dresses, but she never wears an outfit for more than one day. conversely, the jewelry looked fake, which removed some of the richness of Georgiana’s image.

the duchess moved the crowd in entertainment and politics, but as long as she was a woman, what mattered most was her inability to produce a male heir. it’s a shame a better movie couldn’t be produced either.

*where you can learn more about the duchess: http://www.theduchessmovie.com/
*where you can view the article on the Ubyssey: http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=5259

-cup of red

milk and bread rings - melanie favreau

2008-10-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

we've heard about dog tags, bar code tattoos and such related items. add to that list "milk and bread rings" by melanie favreau. she is a sterling silver jeweler from Montreal that makes one of a kind jewellery. you can personalize the ring by stamping your name or date on it. with this little neck piece, you'll never have to go searching for real plastic milk and bread rings again. on top of that, you'll make your milk and bread bag super sexy and sleek. on the other hand, i guess we humans get kicks out of branding ourselves like commercial products.

where you can get your customized milk and bread ring: http://supermarkethq.com/product/milk-bread

where you can view more of favreau's works: http://supermarkethq.com/designer/1911/products

- cup of red

dreams for women - antigone foundation

2008-10-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

“i dream of a world were mothers don’t fear for their children in old men’s wars.” guess who wrote that? a woman? no, a man wrote that. HE wrote that. in fact, Balz Beitenholz, a prominent local Vancouver artist wrote that. hosted by Antigone Magazine and WILLA (Women Involved in Legislative Leadership Association), "Dreams for Women" is an exhibit of art postcards with a feminist theme. men, women and children alike painted, drew, wrote or sketched a dream they have for women of the world. hundreds of postcards were created by artists from as far as Japan, Germany, Brazil, France and Romania. even patients of an eating disorder clinic in Los Angeles participated in this project as a theurapeutic activity.

the principle behind this project is like the popular "Post Secrets,” which is community-based mail art. however, “Dreams for Women” is unlike its inspiration because these postcards do not hold their creators' deepest secrets, but rather meaningful messages for the world to see. common themes which emerged from the exhibited postcards included politics, body image and inner self, rape, abuse, and perfection with of course, relation to women. “[people are] dreaming of a time when women will have more power in business, politics and society” commented Amanda Reaume, founder, editor and mother superior of the Antigone Magazine. “people” is a word not limited to women, but men also. although the submissions were primarily women-based, Reaume said that “men have been very supportive of the project.”

as I was roaming through the postcards creatively featured on cloth lines, I heard a few women nervously laughing at one which said “HILLARY 4 PREZ.” Reaume comments, “[the Canadian and American elections] have shown that people still aren’t comfortable about women leaders and are apprehensive about women being in power.”

some tongue-in-the-cheek submissions included “i [heart] mom…since she pays tuition”, “i dream of a day when the white house press secretary says ‘ladies and gentlemen – madam president’” and “i dream of a world where getting your period is cool…let’s get some ‘period envy’ happening…the day men would trade up their penises for vaginas…”

Reaume wants us to “gain, [from the exhibit], the ability to look critically at the world as it currently is and work towards the dreams to make them a reality.”

where you can visit the “Dreams for Women” exhibit: SUB Art Gallery during October 7 to 11 from 11:00am to 4:00pm daily

where you can view more postcards: http://antigonemagazine.wordpress.com/dreams-for-women/

- cup of red

the church's modern fix - jakub berdych

2008-10-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

the church has been around for centuries and beyond...jakub berdych and maxim velcovsky, under Qubus Studios, have taken an innovative approach to give the age-old religion a modern twist in its interiors. in the faded cement walls of the St. Bartholomew’s Church in the village of Chodovice, Eastern Bohemia, these two Czech designers mixed classic rough-cut diamond chandeliers and large Persian rugs with rows of....not pews, but futuristic verner panton chairs. the chairs, in an innocent white each feature a crucifix cut-out - a small, but significant detail not to be missed. red pillows on the chairs add the punch to the washed out interior. the paint and wall papers on the walls were purposely removed until bare to reveal the history of church. although this project is a significant revelation of the relationship between design and religion, i wonder, with such stark minimalism, where would you store the bibles?

where you can view more of Qubus Studio's works: http://www.qubus.cz/

- cup of red

under the sea - philippe ramette

2008-10-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

have you ever wanted to walk on water? or how about defying gravity?

philippe ramette, a French photographer has done both. instead of wearing a SCUBA suit, ramette is in his signiture black suit, seen laying lazily on the bottom of the sea or even climbing the barnacle dotted rocks under the ocean. this collection featuring mind-boggling photographs is called the "Rational exploration of the undersea." rational? i think not. the exploration is encaptured in a story told by his surreal photographs - he first walks on water, climbs on some rocks, looks at a map, takes a break with his backpack...then up and out, he walks on the rocks parallel to the water's surface.

initially, his scenes are almost overwhelming, but then look again, you'll find a little chuckle in some of them.

where you can view more of ramette's works: http://www.xippas.com/en/artist/philippe_ramette/works

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the selby - todd selby

2008-09-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

"a translator, a Tijuana tour guide, a strawberry industry researcher, a cartographer, a political corruption consultant in Mexico, an art director at a venture capital firm, an exotic flower wholesaler, a Japanese clothing designer, and a vermicomposting entrepreneur."*

who's this? the photographer of the blog "The Selby" which features the cribs of creative minds. Todd Selby is the mastermind behind this blog. he is a New York-based fashion and potrait photographer who's works are featured in high profile magazines such as British Vogue and Sony. the blog features a collection of photos from a variety of artists, with funny brief hand-written interviews at the end. artists featured are from around LA and New York including such individuals as the fashion designer, Alexander Wang.

i wish i can post some pictures but i can't display them without permission.

i hope you will take a look at "The Selby" at http://www.theselby.com/

*mini bio from Bernstein & Andriulli (http://www.ba-reps.com/artist/Selby/as/photographer)

- cup of red

berry-stained lips

2008-09-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

berries are my favourite type of fruit, but to look like i just kissed a basket of ripe berries...i think i'm obsessed with berry-stained lips now.

how to do it: dab matte berry-coloured lipstick on your lips with your fingers.

- cup of red

0 yen house - Kyohei Sakaguchi

2008-09-03T14:21:00.001-07:00

"can you live for zero yen?" i asked.
"yes,of course. because there is many treasures in Tokyo"
"treasures?" i can't understand.
"yes. i get all money from the street." he said.
"i want to know how to live for zero yen. please tell me."
"sure. please come in. let's drink at first."

sustainability and homelessness are popular words today - both issues waiting to be supported or solved. but the Japanese has found a solution...zero yen houses. Kyohei Sakaguchi is a documentor of portable houses belonging to the homeless. the innovative architecture draws the use of recycled materials and rubbish, thus the name "zero yen house." these zero yen houses are found on the streets of Tokyo, under bridges and even on public stairways. the focus of Sakaguchi's photos are on the architectural aspects and practicality of the houses, not of the "homeless" people themselves. the homes are often mobile and easily collapsible because it is illegal to build permanent structures on public land.

i went to an exhibition of Sakaguchi's work at the Vancouver Museum. in the centre of the exhibit was a replica model of a zero yen house built by a former camera engineer that he saw on banks of Sumida River in central Tokyo. the little house was even complete with solar panels! on the walls, Sakaguchi blueprints the architectural aspects of the dwelling. these houses are not like camping tents where one can only rest and sleep in, but they are complete with electricity and water! by recylcing unwanted "junk", the street dwellers of Japan has demonstrated what real sustainable living is.

where you can learn more about "0 yen house" and other works of Kyohei Sakaguchi: http://www.0yenhouse.com/en/index.html

- cup of red

the dancing jellyfish

2008-07-06T00:20:00.000-07:00

i recently went to the vancouver aquarium and saw one of mother nature's most beautiful creations - the orange jellyfish. their delicate tentacles waving about like a trail of smudged ink. i didn't take any photos or videos but i found some on the net that are just as enchanting. *edit* apparently, these jellyfishes are called japanese sea nettles. japanese ninjas carried a dried powdered form of the animal in their around and threw it at enimies' faces so the enimies would sneeze and the ninjas could escape.

below is an art piece by Rekha Garton, a artistic photographer. the piece is called "dancing jellfish." she created it by blobbing red ink into water in a coffee plunger. it's just like a dancing jellyfish...

where you can see jellyfishes: vancouver aquarium @ stanley park
where you can view more of Rekha Garton's works: http://flickr.com/photos/_rekha_/

- cup of red

rice field art

2008-06-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

the people of Inakadate, Japan has a tradition where they grow four types of rice on their paddies into a large works of art. the idea sprung up in 1993 as a project to revitalize the community. from then on, they have done rice reproductions of the works of famous artists such as Katsushika Hokusai and even Leonardo de Vinci. each year, the team of artists and farmers determine which artwork they want to reproduce and recreate a digital image of it in dots. the dots are the precise location of the crops and the type that should be planted on the rice field. like photograph, increased amount of dots (or crops) equate to increased resolution. the dots are then transformed into different coloured reed sticks that reflect which species of rice plant to plant on that spot. in May, 700 volunteers participate in this extravagant project, planting the seed of art. the four types of rice they use are ki ine (yellow rice, yellow plant), murasaki ine (purple rice, brown plant), Beni Miyako (Red Miyako) and Tsugaru Roman (green plant). in July, one can climb up to a 22-meter-high mock castle tower overlooking the paddies to enjoy the rice creations. however, there's also 600 to 700 hundred visitors to fight with every weekend for the view. this is truely the English crop circle taken to a whole new level.

- cup of red

table manners - minale-maeda

2008-06-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

"Fast food has no dish. Food can carry the dish instead of eating without dish"
...?!?what?!?

a fusion of food, philosophy and fashion will have your mind afluttering - trying to understand what minale-maeda is trying to create. the dutch-based designers puts a modern twist on fine dining and what we've learned about table manners from our mother. Mario Minale and Kuniko Maeda are the masterminds behind the exploration of this concept through their unusual designs. take for example their laced covered tv dinner table named "individual dining tables" with the caption "quarter dining table for individual eating printed with lace tablecloth for manners" makes fun of the concept of "table manners". they lace up toasts, disposable paper napkins and even treats plastic cutlery as if they were silver (they even call it a "plastic silverware cutlery set" for the kicks). their design scream at little old ladies, "heck with table manners, you want table manners? we'll go full out and have fast food with lace!"

one eye-popping design that seemed a little off the whole "table manners" idea is the meat tablecloth. pieces of bread, ham and cheese were sewn together and laid on a table set up for fine dining - essentially, it's saying, eat on the sandwich, not the sandwich or...

"Fast food has no dish. Food can carry the dish instead of eating without dish"

where you can learn more about minale-maeda and "table manners": http://www.minale-maeda.com/index.htm

*interesting facts: minale-maeda is also the designer of the "106% red-blue rietveld chair" noted previously in the post "red, blue and yellow - the past and present of 'de stijl'" (May 6, 2008)

- cup of red

"wash me" - reverse graffiti

2008-06-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

remember those "wash me's" we write on the back of our dirty car? well, graffiti artist Paul Carter or "Moose" has taken it one step further by creating "reverse graffiti" on the streets. he can be seen at night with his pressure washer cleaning soot covered tunnels into beautiful murals. it makes us realize how dirty we really are...

- cup of red

im a little teapot...

2008-05-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

would you like a cup of tea?
tea was a very expensive product when it was first introduced to Europe from China. the teapot is even more rare. Marco Polo brought back few Chinese teapots for the king which soon was copied by the Europeans. the first Europeans teapots only held one or two cups of tea because it was a pricey beverage. the teapot have changed shapes and size since whether it is made of silver, porcelain or pottery. of course the size increased, while the pot became round from 1730-1760, pear-shaped during 1730s, inverted pear-shaped from around 1750s to 1775, straight sides from 1790 to 1810, round and fat body with a base from 1810 to 1835 and now all imaginable shapes are possible.

another clue to when porcelain or pottery teapots were manufactured are the holes inside the teapots at the base of the spout. in the 18th century, the holes were often uneven and few (about 3) compared to those later on. another characteristic about 18th century teapots is that the lid have deep rims that extend down to the body of the teapot. however, the teapots made in Europe had glazed rims because the makers were not skilled enough to make and glaze the whole teapot together like the Chinese did.

silver teapots on the other hand, did not have all metal handles until after the 1850s. wood or ivory was used for the handles instead so that one can hold it even if the silver pot was too hot to hold. Henry Reed was the revolutionist of teapot handles when he insulate the handles with oyster shells in 1849. from then on, the silver teapot handles were insulated with wood or ivory insets.

- cup of red

bubbly delights - wonders of champagne

2008-05-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

*POP* and celebrate! what's a celebration without champagne? the bubbly delight that we have grown to love? but do we really know what champagne is?

champagne is actually is appellation (a region where grapes used for the wine are grown) in France. we commonly mistaken the use of the word "champagne" to mean all sparkling. however, only grapes in that region used to make it are technically able to use the word on its label.

champagne, the drink, was a mistake. Champagne, the region, is colder than most terroirs, so wine harvested in the fall will not be properly fermented in the winter because the temperature is too cold for the yeast to carry out the process. when the temperature becomes warmer in the spring, the yeast become active again and a second fermentation is conducted resulting in the bubbly delight!

a monk, Dom Perignon, wanted to get rid of the bubbles from the wine, but never succeeded. so the wine makers of Champagne soon learned to embrace the sparkling goodness and perfect it to what we know as champagne.

how is it made? by using champagne's methode champenoise of course :)

3 types of grapes are used, the chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. the grapes are blended and sugar and yeast mixture are added according to the amounts desired by the winemaker. the bottles are corked so that when the yeast ferments, the carbon dioxide has nowhere to go except back into the liquid creating the bubbles! after a year, the bottles are turned on an angle and all the yeast eventually settles into the neck of the bottle. the neck is then frozen, the cork removed and the frozen tube of yeast popped off. a bit of wine and sugar is added after, the bottle is then corked and eventually will end in our enjoyment.

*tips: to maximize your enjoyment of champagne, chill before serving and slowly remove the cork when opening to minimize the escape of the bubbles (less noise = better).

enjoy a glass of champagne with a flute, which is specially designed to also preserve the bubbles.

- cup of red

zip it up - system 2k07 by miguel rios design

2008-05-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

system 2k07 is a series of 7 parts that you can assemble with a zip to all different kinds of bags or container - BOX, LAPTOP, POCKET, PORTFOLIO and STREET. it can be transformed into rain protection when combined with the Drizzle System also designed by miguel rios design team based in Portugal. check out the pictures below, its the perfect marriage between fashion and product design!

(doesn't it look like a scene from The Island?)

- cup of red

red, blue and yellow - the past and present of "de stijl"

2008-05-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

recognize this painting?

i'm sure i do, because i painted it on one of my bedroom walls...it's Piet Mondrian's "composition with red, blue and yellow"!

you'd think it that it's some guy who decided to paint a few lines and squares and decided to call it art. but no, Piet Mondrian's piece is part of a revolutionary movement in art called "de stijl" or "the style" in Dutch. it was a Dutch group of artists in the 1917-1931, which consisted of neoplastic artists like Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg (founder of de stijl).

the principles of de stijl are very simple...use only
1) straight horizontal or vertical lines
2) rectangle elements
3) primary colours of red, blue and yellow
4) primary values of black, white and gray

and...no
5) intersection of lines
6) symmetry

de stijl painters had ideals influenced by cubist art, in which they attempted to paint perfect lines and forms. de stijl is not limited to paintings, but extended its influences to music and architecture.

in music, Jakob van Domselaer was the composer who applied the de stijl principles of painting into his compositions. His compositions, such as Proeven van Stijlkunst ('Experiments in Artistic Style'), demonstrated minimalist and pure sounds of only "horizontal" and "vertical" elements. you'll get what i mean if you listen to this: http://www.dofoundation.com/dr001_GB.html.

architecture wise, there is the "Rietveld Schröder House" built by Dutch architect, Gerrit Rietveld, which was designed to have no walls!

in the picture, you see the "red and blue chair" also by Gerrit Rietveld that has no intersecting elements...

i saw a modern twist of the chair the other day (again at Gastown), but this time it is made of lego! it is called "106% red-blue rietveld chair" by Mario Minale, whose works call for a whole other blog entry for themselves. it is 6% larger than the original chair due to the nature of lego.

where you can visit the "Rietveld Schröder House": Prins Hendriklaan 50, Utrecht, The Netherlands

where you can get the "106% red-blue rietveld chair": INFORM Interiors @ Gastown

*interesting fact: "I paint modern" is an anagram of "Piet Mondrian" :)

- cup of red

equestrian inspirations - ralph lauren s/s 08

2008-05-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ralph Lauren isn't just all about polo shirts. it's 40th anniversary spring/summer 08 collection consists of elegant cotour inspired by My Fair Lady. from boyish suits to feminine dresses with oversized hats (by Phillip Treacy and Patricia Underwood), this is truely an awe-ing collection. here are some of my favourites below:

black and white cocktail dress...i love how the hat looks like a trail of ink flowing from it...like a watercolour art piece...

boyish equestrian suit...

statement trench...notice the ankle boots and the yellow...totally an s/s 08 trend

delicate sequins...

pure whites...

feminine florals...another s/s 08 trend, but not hard and overboard like Balenciaga

where you can get Ralph Lauren: Holt Renfrew @ Pacific Centre

*interesting facts: Ralph Lauren was born Ralph Lifshitz and his brother changed their lastname to Lauren at age 16...i wouldn't blame them

Ralph Lauren first dib in the fashion business was when he sold ties to fellow classmates in grade school

- cup of red

toothpaste TU-BE chandelier

2008-05-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

i passed by Gastown the other day and saw this eye-catching TU-BE chandelier by Ingo Maurer and Ron Arad...made of recycled metallic toothpaste tubes!

where you can get TU-BE: INFORM Interiors @ Gastown

- cup of red