Category: Unique Salad

Michal Macku

 

Michal Macku‘s work is definitely unique in the landscape of contemporary photography. In the era of  digital photography, digital manipulation of the image and Instagram, his experiments with technique of gellage and carbon prints, his particular body images and glass objects, place him on the list of endangered species.

Michal Macku, a Czech photographer, graduated  from the Technological Faculty of the Polytechnic Institute in Brno and the Institute of Art Photography, Prague. He began to make photographs in 1978. Being obsessed with the human body and the body imagery, he continues to explore and research the endless possibilities in photography. Michal Macku talks about his work:

I use the nude human body (mostly my own) in my pictures. Through the photographic process [of Gellage], this concrete human body is compelled to meet with abstract surroundings and distortions. This connection is most exciting for me and helps me to find new levels of humanness in the resulting work. I am always seeking new means of expression and, step by step, I am discovering almost unlimited possibilities through my work with loosened gelatin. Photographic pictures mean specific touch with concrete reality for me, one captured level of real time.

Michal Macku is widely known for his works using the technique named Gellage and his discovery of this unique process has cemented his name in the history of contemporary photography. The technique ‘Gellage’ consists of the transfer of exposed and fixed photographic emulsion onto paper. This transparent and plastic material makes it possible to reshape and reform the original images, changing their relationships and endowing them with new meanings during the transfer. Macku’s experiments include carbon prints (the carbon prints are sized approx. 35×30 cm (14×12”), on a top quality graphic watermark paper, stamped and signed and the edition of each motif is limited to 24 numbered copies) and the exquisite glass objects (the artist creates 3 D glass-photographic objects, the so called glass gellages).

His works place “body pictures” in new situations, new contexts, new realities, causing their “authentic” reality to become relative. I selected above some of my favorite images from artist’s portfolio. View more on Michal Macku’s website

 

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Graciously breaking the rules

I’m a great admirer of Christopher Kane’s design. The reason is not subjective (I can’t say: these are my favorite shapes, my favorite colors and the perfect shoes for me, ’cause I don’t have such prejudices), but rather objective. In my opinion, Mr. Kane is a real fashion designer, because beyond an already successful brand and a delicious show, he is able to deliver something new!

His fascination for the fabrics, the obvious affinity for the experimental and artificial side, drives him to surprising solutions every season, redefining classic elements as bows, lace, leather, embroidery and other common elements in the lexicon of western fashion.

In terms of style and craftsmanship, Christopher Kane Spring/Summer 2013 is a true masterpiece – just look at the fabrics and all these creative details. If someone is able to transform trash and mundane into luxury outfits, Christopher Kane surely is. He graciously breaks the rules, ironically playing on the edge of high fashion and good/bad taste, creating somewhat that stands out for its authenticity.

images source> vogue.com

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Darius Martin

Darius Martin/ objects – installation

Darius Martin/drawing-  Silent Spring

Darius Martin/drawing–  Broccoli Cloud

Darius Martin /installation- Insectarium

Darius Martin is a Romanian contemporary artist. His work is exploring the unseen side of human existence. He creates images populated by possible objects that paradoxically mimic real ones. Prevalent in his work are destitute industrial landscapes and objects combined or merged with organic material. He’s working in several media: painting, graphic art, photography and installation, retaining his direction, often creating works that transcend different media.

Although starting off as an abstract artist, who preferred a rather flat approach, his work evolved over time into a three dimensional state. In it he translates a personal symbolism to visually coherent, yet abstract objects, using all the characteristics of the real world: spatial perspective, light and shade, color and materiality to restructure reality. I’m intrigued by the particular spatiality of these artworks.

Darius Martin/ photo – Deserted Factory


 

 

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Frocks For A Lifetime

Here’s an old photo showing an emblematic couple of the Viennese Secession – Austrian artist Gustav Klimt and Emilie Louise Floge, his life companion. Please note the originality of their outfits. Klimt is worldwide known for his artworks; Emilie was an Austrian fashion designer and businesswoman, promoting a niche style in clothing of the time. Making dresses was part of the Secessionist logic of blurring the boundaries between art and craft through the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, or ‘universal artwork’. So, there’s no wonder Klimt and Emilie have worked together on various fashion pieces.

Influenced by the feminist movement and the concept of the “rational dress”, Emilie’s  particular dress styles looked quite out-of-their-time. At the turn of the 20th century in Vienna, a dress like this would be considered more experimental and marginal, comparing to the official fashions. That’s why these kind of dresses remained unpopular. More recently, Rick Owens or Nicolas Andreas Taralis also tried their hand at reviving the concept, but the amazing fact is that these frocks are still avant-garde today. Even 100 years after.

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