Must See
The opening of “My Quiet of Gold” was my first time in Gestalten Space, a concept loft offering beautiful Gestalten books, design objects and home to an exhibition area. If you are around Berlin Mitte – the exhibition, My Quiet of Gold is a must – a powerful story told through staged photographs combined with painting. I was touched. I was lost in thoughts when looking at the art-work. Here is the official description:
My Quiet of Gold by Cooper & Gorfer, a striking photographic journey documenting the stories of love, sorrow, and betrayal from rural Kyrgyzstan.
The artist duo Sarah Cooper and Nina Gorfer work at the intersection of contemporary photography with painting of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Their photographic installations move fluidly between reality and imagination, technical and artistic interpretation, and collective myth and personal narrative.
For their exhibition My Quiet of Gold, Cooper and Gorfer traveled to the rural areas of Kyrgyzstan to collect sagas and stories in conversations and interviews with local inhabitants. Out of these tales, the duo created striking photographic portraits that go far beyond mere documentation to tell and visually interpret romantic-melancholy stories in completely new and non-linear ways.
The exhibition can be visited during opening hours until 27th November at Gestalten Space, Sophie-Gips-Höfe, Sophienstraße 21, 10178 Berlin.
Entrance: free
Image and quote via Gestalten Space.
..:: Forever Young ::..
Photographer Irina Wearning made this beautiful series named Back to the Future. How cool is this?! I see the beauty of aging and staying young forever in within yourself. I have a big birthday coming up next weekend and reflecting on age and life is an issue for me these days but no matter what the birth certificate says – I am still a girl.
More from this series here.
Images via source.
Wild Wild West
You may have noticed by now that this season, my sense of styling has been inspired by old photographs of Native Americans from the 19th century. Not only do I love the prints and soft leather combined with an overload of accessories made of natural materials but it is also the inherent calmness that these pictures radiate. If you need some reminiscence, please search for photos of Crazy Horse or Sitting Bull. They send out a mystic energy of power and wisdom which captures my mind these days.
I found these photos from Numéro on SPELL and the Gypsy Collective. They are not quiet the originals but it’s a 21st century photoshoot in perfection. The series in sepia reflects the fashion trend inspired by the originals as close as a Burberry coat could come the North American continent and its rich history. The best photoshoots seem to be either made in heaven or in France.
A Golden Youth ::: Jan-Kristof Lipp & Georg Roske
VERNISSAGE: 26.11.10 7pm
DJs: Edward (White, Giegling), Tristen (White, Aim)
Exhibition: 26.11.10 – 02.12.10
Sounds like an interesting cultural start for a Friday evening.
New Blogroll Member…
Because, he’s fresh, talented, has got a great eye for setting and is one of the few versatile streetstyle blogs that is on my daily read. I might want to add: his photographed characters never seem like they are models trying too hard. Mr. Newton: welcome to my blogroll!
Image via Mr. Newton.
Look du Jour
From the turbanesque leather headband, the ripped hemlines of the oversized plain shirt to the combination of these gorgeous wedge boots with what looks like the smoothest leather – I love the look. The artistic aspect of the background visual and the bob hair cut are completing the look of casual-twenties-futurism. Beautiful.
Image via source.
..:: Haunting Beauty ::..
Young, unspoiled and the epitome of beauty.
Can you believe the curves of her lips and the vigor of her eyes?
Images are linked to their finding sources.
The “Manipulator” Strikes Again ::: ‘glass ceiling’ by Jill Greenberg
I love these photos for all sorts of reasons. First there is the irony in the cliché about the sport of synchronised swimming. Probably being the fantasy of many men, these girls in swimsuits aren’t just doing their sport to end up as eye candy neither are they all ‘posing’ just for you while performing a professional sport which only a trained elite could do. Leading the fantasy to an extreme it just makes the fact more obvious that the picture in our mind can never be a mirrored image of reality. Secondly it is the aesthetic of extreme coloring, shaping and reflections, all signature of the unmistakable style of Jill Greenberg that fascinates me while looking at these images. But most of all this series can make my mind swim with those girl. Yes, sometime we wear heels in ridiculous situations just for the feel of it and we are free while brushing our teeth in the privacy of what we call HOME just like these synchronized swimmers adapt to the water like fishes in the sea. I would gladly change my place behind my desk right now if only I could feel the water wash around my skin, having my hair wildly flowing around my head and be in the state of weightlessness for just one minute and dip my head under this glass ceiling.
Images via TheTrendyGirl.
+++Girls+++
Because this is who we can be if we choose to – multi-layered and like TLC’s epic album says: CRAZY SEXY COOL.
All images via THE MAISON HAPPINESS.
Bicycle Portraits ::: A Different Kind of Streetstyle in South Africa
While cycling up and down the bike lanes through Berlin’s breezy streets has become the new IT and bikes have quickly evolved into status symbols where safety locks can be covered with luxurious leather and the frame be engraved with our favourite poem, South African commuters are facing tougher challenges each and every single day. I have stumbled across this project on twitter with a bit more than 100 followers but was fascinated to find out that even Facehunter has twittered about this unique project – I am speaking about Bicycle Portraits by Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler.
The project which has started in 2010 will not focus on photographing people who ride purely for exercise or recreation, but instead they are focussing on those who use bicycles as an integral tool in their day-to-day existence. In South Africa, only few people use the bike as a tool of transportation even though there is a lack of proper public transport infrastructure, and that which does exist is expensive and unsafe.
“I bought this bike one year ago now. And I like riding my bicycle. I’m Malawian, and I came to South Africa in November of 2008. I also had a bicycle in Malawi. I like the exercise, that’s why I like bicycles. But it’s more dangerous here because here there are lots of cars… Malawi has much fewer cars that here. Luckily since I came here I’ve had no accidents. I have a helmet at home but because it’s hot today that’s why I left it. I prefer this bike to a mountain bike because this one rides very quickly, ha, ha! But I need a faster one because this one is now finished, the tires are finished!” Inock Banda
While riding a bike in Berlin is considered hip and chic and entire streets such as Linienstrasse are dedicated to bikes and their environmental-friendly image, the means of transportation in South Africa still indicate a social gap where there is a growing divide between those who can afford motorised transport and those who struggle to.
We’ve noticed that as our major centers develop there still seems to be a trend to make cities more friendly for cars, not people.
Both guys are South Africans touring through their country by bike; documenting those they meet; with a need to raise awareness for the underprivileged bicycle community with this self-published book project. The Hardcover book will be published as soon as the costs are funded. Awareness for using bicycles among all social classes is the goal.
We’re finding out who rides bicycles, why they ride bicycles, if and why they love their bicycles, and of course why so few South Africans choose bicycles as a transport option.
“I’ve rode all over with this bike – even as far as Harrismith, Frankfort, Tweeling and Reitz. Since 1967, it’s an old bicycle! Old! I’ve got carriers for the front and back, I’ve taken off the font one, but if I go load, I put it on. I hope my children will also get into cycling in the future so that they can go to new places.” Amos Mphuti
The long-term goal of this book is to provide skills, and necessities like helmets, tires, locks and more, to support those riding bikes financially through a start-up charity and to promote cycling as a means of independent transportation, empowering the underprivileged, environmental-friendly and to regain the awareness that the city should also be for the people and not just be for cars.
Please support the project, which is 55% funded by now. Pledging starts at $1, get yourself a pre-order copy starting at $50 or even get a special shoutout with a higher pledge. For more information or the pledge-for-reward system visit – http://kck.st/c09uOF or www.bicycleportraits.co.za – to get involved or find out more about the project. Follow them on twitter – www.twitter.com/bicycleportrait
Strytllng 
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