Diane, A Shaded View on Fashion

Belts from the archives of INA

September 25th, GAP&10 corso como _two themes_the signature circles and illustrations chosen by the store's legendary founder, Carla Sozzani, from the work of American artist Kris Ruhs

  In September Galleria Carla Sozzani will celebrate 20 years.

Later,

Diane

PHILIPPE POURHASHEMI INTERVIEWS DANIEL VON WEINBERGER

A view from one of Daniel Von Weinberger's exhibition rooms at the Grand-Hornu

Dear Shaded Viewers,

You don't often meet artists whose work celebrates the pleasures, pains and madness of life as wholly as Daniel Von Weinberger does. A teacher, father, artist and religious man, Von Weinberger redefines the word "eccentric" and gives it a new twist. His life is a beautiful marriage of contradictions and paradoxes. He has recently been honoured with a major exhibition at the Grand-Hornu -called "Plastique C'est Chic - Bijoux Eternels"- which is running until the 26th of September.

I didn't know what to expect when I went to see the show and was amazed by what the man could actually create. Von Weinberger certainly has plenty of divine inspiration left. His art is extraordinary, mixing fabrics, metals, found objects and materials with an anarchic spirit, starting from chaos to achieve a singular beauty. Von Weinberger's work also has a touching dimension in light of his tragic family past. He has experienced loss and death from a very early age, with pretty much every member of his family disappearing during the Holocaust.

Still, do not expect Daniel to be solemn or subdued. He has a bubbly, endearing personality, jumping mid-sentence constantly, confessing his own amazement and confusion at what he does. In a way, Von Weinberger's art comes from his guts and is purely instinctive. He doesn't have time to analyze what he creates and is always busy making the next big thing. We met up on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Betty De Stefano's Collectors Gallery, which represents him in Brussels.

Daniel Von Weinberger's family portrait, which is showcased at the Grand-Hornu

Where does your passion with jewellery come from?

I've always been fascinated by it. When I was 15 in the 60s, I remember making hairpins, rings and other pieces out of wood. It was all about the hippies and Carnaby Street then. I managed to finance my studies at the Antwerp Academy selling my work to stores. People thought it was new and very special.

Wow. That is fairly special, I guess. Was there anyone in your family into jewellery, too?

The strange thing is that I had an uncle, called Daniel, who had also been at the Academy just before the war. One day, he wanted to tie his shoes and the Nazis shot him on the spot. The thing is, we have no family. Everyone was gassed.

People get to find out about your family in the exhibition and it's a tragic story, but there's something optimistic and life-affirming about your work.

My wife and I are looking after my mother and my aunt, who is now completely senile. We sat down one evening and wondered: "Is that what life is all about?" These people struggled during their entire existence and we struggle, too, worrying about our kids, their studies and their future. You could easily reach the lowest depth of depression thinking that way, but you have to live every moment of your life with intensity, despite all the problems.

I felt exhilarated after seeing your show and that message is definitely there.

When I make something, I want to have a party with it. I was told that a lot of people are completely excited after seeing the exhibition and that happens almost everytime I put on a show.

I think it comes from the fact that your pieces freely combine materials, with each bit having its own value. There's no hierarchy and there are no boundaries either.

I also used big pieces of gold, but you don't know where they are. I guess I don't want people to find them! They're all very thin with holes. I wanted to use gold the same way I use plastic. Everything is valuable.

Is there a subversive element in what you do? Jewellery is often about wealth and indicating your social status.

Well, I grew up in the 60s, it's all in my genes. People were much freer then than they are now and it was a time of rebellion. My work is completely spontaneous and I never plan anything. I don't even understand it myself! I remember looking for crushed beer cans everywhere on a recent trip to Israel, I just had to use them for a big necklace I wanted to make. I also bought some unsual lace and got back here, working like crazy.

Sounds like you had your own private Big Bang there.

Yes! I go crazy if I don't do anything with my hands and when I start using them, I go even crazier. I sometimes look at my work and think: "What is this??" (mutual laughter)

Ok, so you're crazy then... Does your art also address issues around waste and consumption?

There's hardly any recycling in my work now, except when I use tree branches or elements I find in nature. What I'm looking for is values, the value of a material or a colour. What I'm making is art. I remember reading a Chanel interview where she said that fashion was like music or film. That was her point of view, but she had a whole studio working for her and fashion is an industry. I see myself like a sculptor or a painter, making one-off pieces. That's art for me and it's about the emotions I have when I make a new piece. I can be inspired by anything. In my religion, everything comes from God and has a value. It's all a creation.

How did you end up collaborating with designers, such as Ann Demeulemeester for instance?

I met Ann at the Academy and made special pieces later for one of her menswear shows. When I studied there, I was a big scandal.

How? Tell me.

(laughter) What did I not do at that time? I think the only thing I never did was heroin. That was normal then, people had an intense nightlife, experimenting and trying absolutely everything they could.

How did you discover faith? What was the trigger?

At that point, a lot of people were going crazy, even though it was before Aids appeared. There were girlfriends of mine who had perhaps had ten abortions and a lot of people were dying from having gone too far or ending up in asylums. I wanted to live properly.

Was it like a wake-up call then?

I just wanted to live. There's a magic in creation and I keep myself busy all the time. It's about grasping things that are almost invisible.

What I noticed during the exhibition was that each piece had a little story to tell. Is that narrative aspect important for you?

I'm not really busy with the story. People see that, but I don't.

Betty De Stefano wearing one of Daniel Von Weinberger's pieces

Jewellery tends to be passed on from one generation to another and there's always a sense of transmission there.

My work has been described as having this "énergie généreuse" and I like that. I thought it reflected the kind of reactions people had after seeing the show. That makes me happy, you know. Life is a constant test. When you think you've passed, a new one comes along.

Was there a conflict between your art and your religion?

Yes, of course. That was a very hard time for me. I became religious in the early 80s and didn't know what I was going to do with my art. It took me ten years to find a balance between the two. I experienced a big breakdown at that time and went to see a therapist. He told me I had to start making art again and I did it slowly, making things that were very Judaic.

One of Daniel's newest pieces, mostly made out of soft, purple velvet

Do you know who buys your pieces?

It's usually older ladies who buy them. They can be classic or eccentric. Or maybe they look conservative, but they're not. Collectors buy them, too. They wear my things and get addicted, coming back for more. People find it hard to understand it, but what I do is fashion, art and jewels at the same time.

I think we are approaching jewellery with a much more open mind now. I guess it's part of that return to craft and emotion we're witnessing. I reckon people either love or hate your work, but at least there's an emotion there.

This is art for me. Art is when you are touched. Something has to happen. I'm sorry, but when I look at the art world now, I hardly feel anything there. It's completely commercial and there's no emotion anymore. What I do is for people to wear and enjoy.

Best,

Philippe

http://www.grand-hornu-images.be/

http://collectors-gallery.com/

Tea and lunch with friends

Charles Guislain 

Dear Shaded Viewers,

I decided to leave the computer to meet Charles for lunch at YEN. Afterwards I walked around the corner to have tea with Abdallah at Cafe Flore. 

Abdallah Kouatly

Later,

Diane 

Wait and See - Milano

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2321&id=100001413104290&l=7ccf754116 

SHOJI FUJII ON SAYAKA YAMAMOTO AT RA IN ANTWERP

Dear Shaded Viewers

I was at ra for opening of Sayaka Yamamoto's exhibiton.
www.ra13.be

The japanese designer presented her drawings using elements of things she liked as a child which included mini plastic soldiers, butterflies, stuffed character toys which turned into imaginary plants and flowers. She produced pieces using the vintage buttons, plastic soldiers, metal leave broaches, gun shaped necklaces from ET soft toys and many other unique pieces for ra in Antwerp.
www.sayakayamamoto.com 

She also works with her partner Boaz Cohen on other artistic projects.
www.bcxsy.com 

Collection of her drawings/collages


Flowers are made of vintage buttons with miniature soldiers parts.


Each pieces are different.

Metal leaf broaches




Butterfly broaches


Stuffed toys are transformed to necklaces.


Sayaka Yamamoto

High Life: The Pierre

 

When I was 11, my family made a weekend visit to New York, where we stayed at the Pierre. My only memory of the trip is the view of Central Park out my window, which I sat in front of while drinking a steaming mug of hot chocolate. 20 years later, I visited the hotel for a night to find out how its recent $100 million renovation had gone. After being bought by the Taj group, one of India's premier hotel brands, its new owners had embarked on restoring the iconic destination to its previous grandeur. 

 
  Their tremendous (and expensive) attention to detail paid off - when I arrived the slightly dusty, dowdy foyer I remembered was packed full of gleaming Turkish marble, polished mahogany and, of course, the legendary staff. The restaurant had been completely redone, importing London's Le Caprice (which along with The Ivy is British scenester central) - its black and white, Deco-inspired design scheme and sophisticated bistro offerings were decidedly unfussy and energetic for Park Avenue. This observation applies to the larger changes afoot at the Pierre as well, changes which make it relevant to a younger set and not just your grandmother's favorite hotel anymore. 

 One of the most striking innovations is the Two E Bar/Lounge, located a few steps down from the lobby. There, in contemporary-meets-neoclassical setting, head mixologist, Paul Johnson, offers innovative variations on classic cocktails. The scene was decidedly younger than I expected, with most couples and groups of friends in their 30's.After a few too many drinks I went up to my room, which happened to be one of the hotel's 11 grand suites. 

 

I was lucky enough to be staying in the Park Suite, a corner suite with a panoramic view of Central Park, along with an enormous living and dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The decor was appropriately uptown, with table and floor lamps of smoked Murano glass, silk brocade pillows and silver-leaf dining chairs but high-tech features were mixed in, like a Bose home theater system and multiple flat-screen tv's. The marble-clad bathroom had a soaking tub set by the window and a glassed-in shower big enough to double as an East Village studio apartment. That feeling of being at home away from home wasn't accidental - the Pierre's designers went out of their way to emphasize a residential experience, which makes sense given the hotel's famous apartments, one of which was home to Jacqueline Onassis.If I could have moved in, I would have, but after one night of living like the other half, I checked out and headed to a decidedly less posh hotel. The Pierre isn't as embedded in the popular imagination as the Plaza, with its permanent resident, Eloise, but if you're looking to live out a fantasy of what it's like to live it up in New York, the Pierre's discreet polish is much more sophisticated.

 

 
 

FASHION -THE STORY OF A LIFETIME @ THE EMTPY QUARTER GALLERY // VERNISSAGE 16.09.2010

Sunday at Headquarters

Seth Dager and Didier Vervaeren  

Dear Shaded Viewers,

We had an early meeting this morning with the Creative Director of Modo Brussels. 

Didier Vervaeren  , we look like we are posing for a sunglasses commercial.

Vincent Gagliostro

Later,

Diane 

Theo Mercier's hills before the vandals hit his public art photos by Miguel Villalobos

 
 All photos by Miguel Villalobos 

Dear Shaded Viewers,

I was asked to nominate a few artists  for the SMART FUTURE MINDS Urban Stage awards which is dedicated to the future of the city and to electric mobility . SMART will present its fully electric car. My first thoughts went to Theo Mercier and his public art project in Paris.

 SMART will present 10 projects from 5 categories and each category has its own curator. 3 of the projects will be awarded at the end of the smart urban stage, the jury will be made up of the curators of the projects. I was asked to curate the part Society/Culture. 

 

  Their youth is fleeting, they looked so much better with their hair and eyes in place. The community loves them but a few vandals felt a need to steal their eyes.

Later,

Diane