as a painter and photographer, canadian-born artist brad phillips combines both of these elements in his pieces. capturing single moments—a woman’s shoes, a cracked door, a collection of paperbacks, two people holding hands—and calling attention to the small intimate moments that make-up everyday life.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
les quatre cents coups
over the weekend we watched les quatre cents coups (the 400 blows), an assignment for ben’s film class. the 1959 french film directed by françois truffaut, about a boy and his struggles with adolescence and the authority figures around him, sheds light on the cruel treatment of juvenile offenders during that era. in the film, the black and white images of france, cobblestone streets, and smoky tin rooftops are breathtaking.
Friday, January 21, 2011
colorful kicks
Thursday, January 20, 2011
daydreamers
eco-friendly designer and toronto native, erin kleinberg, got her start at w magazine before launching her first line in 2008. the lookbook for her latest spring 2011 collection (featuring chanel muse and musician, irina lazareanu) has me longing for warmer weather with bright floral prints and playful rompers.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
a fine balance
propped on two hands in somewhat compromising outdoor settings, surrounded by the wilderness that he loved, artist robert kinmont photographed himself in 1969 in the series “8 natural handstands.”
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
across the grain
toronto based visual artist, vanessa maltese, works with various techniques and mediums, experimenting with drawing, painting, and sculpting. these carefully crafted geometric pieces use birch plywood panels as the canvas, exposing sections of wood between blocks of color.
Monday, January 17, 2011
weekend pieces
over the weekend, i went to a friends birthday party, slept in, made oats and egg sandwiches for breakfast, curled up by the fire, and watched the golden globes. i had high hopes to get a lot accomplished, but in the end, the snow and cold squashed my ambitions and instead i settled in for a relaxing few days at home. this has been a reoccurring result of january in the midwest. after watching the awards, i realized that i really need to make a few trips to the theater over the next couple of weeks to catch up on movies.
Friday, January 14, 2011
ice fishing
over the weekend, it’s predicted to reach -10°F in my little hometown in northern minnesota. this time of year, the town literally moves out on to the lake with dozens of ice fishing shacks like the one above. they plow roads, put up stop signs, there are food vendors, you name it. if i were out there right now, i would be dressed head-to-toe in insulated pants and a jacket, but, here is a more fashionable alternative, all cold weather and fish guts aside. (1) topshop faux fur trapper hat, (2) jcrew cashmere getaway hoodie, (3) the lady & the sailor basic tee, (4) ag dark wash jeggings, (5) shopbop drop crystal necklace, (6) tretorn + ace hotel limited addition strala boots, (similar to the pair in the holiday gift guides, but i love the red sole on these), (7) me & arrow blue pyramid tote, and (8) ash horn toboggan.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
pocketful of secrets
mother + daughter design duo kaya and nina egli communicate transatlantically to create their clothing label family affairs, with kaya in switzerland and nina in new york. they find a way to work together, adjusting and refining each piece, despite the difference between them.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
come closer
born in 1980, françois coquerel as been photographing since 2006 and currently lives and works in paris, france. with a growing collection of portraits, coquerel often places his subject in the center of the image, searching for and focusing in on the small contradictions.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
bearskin rugs
using recycled stuffed animals, argentinean artist agustina woodgate has designed and created a series of plush rugs. taking apart each memory and affection, each love and abandon, woodgate combines the different elements into one final piece that represents a story from the past and a reference of the owner’s personal history, displaying and organizing their memories and lineage.
Monday, January 10, 2011
no regrets
i’m a total chicken when it comes to tattoos. i just have this feeling that the design i pick will be the next tramp-stamp or tribal trend of the late 90s. tattoo artist amanda wachob is pushing the boundaries between body art and fine art. her abstract designs resembling brush strokes and paint splatter are amazing; however, it’s her conceptual “bloodline” tattoos that the commitment-phobe like myself can get excited about. using distilled water instead of ink, this lack of pigment creates an impermanent marking that eventually heals with time.
Friday, January 7, 2011
winter 2011 sales
there are so many great winter sales happening right now. i wish that i could give my closet a complete overhaul. i think a lot of these would transition well into spring: (1) rachel comey pocket tee, $299 $149; (2) belle by sigerson morrison bootie, $295 $206; (3) steven alan agatha blazer, $298 $149; (4) toast rosa dress, $162 $82; (5) apc electric blue skirt, $135 $67.50; (6) anthropologie beneath the surface shell, $98 $49.95; (7) faliero sarti fringed scarf, $267 $188; (8) repetto brown classic flat, $260 $182; (9) calypso charles sweater, $325 $149; (10) chloé paraty sunglasses, $350 $175; (11) jcrew felted wool mini, $88 $69; (12) ally capellino patience lambskin bag, $428 $342; (13) lily & jane edie striped shirt, $174 $110; (14) current/elliot trouser short, $180 $100.80; (15) madewell steeplechase belt, $48 $38.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
she just vanished
spanish clothing label masscob was founded in 2003 by designers marga massanet and jacobo cobian who influence each collection’s dual personalities of both masculine and feminine. i love the colors for autumn/winter—pale peach, burnt orange, and dark mustard, along with a mix of florals and plaids. the season’s video is stunning and the storyline sweet and sad. it begins: “she must have been about 10, grew up here for some years, about 15. she had the look of someone who wanted to leave, to run away. she did.”
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
thoughtful observations
looking through photographer jennilee marigomen’s collection is easy and uncomplicated—evoking happy memories and dream-like scenarios. she embraces the quiet beauty in a moment, instead of the sadness. most of her images are taken near her home in vancouver, canada, and focus on nature in and out of the city. recently, jennilee curated a collaboration with other photographers in “stream” a simultaneous bi-coastal projection show at the pent house gallery in baltimore and at space 15 twenty in los angeles featuring over 20 photographers and 400 images.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
in focus

becca mann, a los angeles based artist, finds inspiration for her work in found photography. her paintings are painstakingly precise—capturing the romantic qualities of a photo—while finding a way to make each piece distinctly hers.
