Xmas windows

Liberty's window display. Photo: Faye O'Sullivan

Mary Queen of Shops made it to Australian tv late last year (2010) & I've become a HUGE Mary Portas fan girl. I think she's the most engaging personality on TV I've seen in years. I spend most the ad breaks (even show time) babbling 'How cool is this woman! How cool is she! How can anyone be that cool ?! [ad nauseum] as I brace myself for each and every shot of her sexy shoes that she has so cleverly weaved into the show. In between shoe shots (which are largely irrelevant but would no doubt bear analysis for subtext & a clear example of Portas' marketing know how) I watch completely enthralled as she appears to single handed-ly sort out Britain's small businesses in decline. The woman not only has real style, brains, savy, but a seemingly effortless ability to connect with people and get under their psychological makeup with ease. Even the damaged, stick-in-the-mud, 'the world is flat' types seem incapable of truly resisting her charge / charm. Oh Mary, how I admire thee in so many countless ways...
If I have one New Year's resolution for 2011, iif not to be more like Mary Portas, then to at least stop and ask myself 'What would Mary say / do?'

And in case you're wondering what any of this has to do with the image above of Liberty's window display, well this visual merchandising fantasy was featured in Mary's review of London's Xmas windows. I don't care too much for the products featured but am in love with saturated colours, wall of glitter and hello!, pirate eye-patched lady topped edwardian bouffant. 2011 bring it on!

Skateland

If the good Lord had intended us to walk he wouldn't
have invented roller skates - Willy Wonka

Christian Patterson (c)
Memphis, TN, July 2003 (Skateland)
[Sound Affects] 2003
c-print


http://www.christianpatterson.com/

Apollo - Ajatuksia (1970)

DId you realise how cool Finland is?

Who do woodoo you do woodoo

I have fallen in love with Finnish artist Robert Lucander

he does woodoo magic on my soul

World Class In Every Category, 1999
acrylic and crayon on plywood (above)

Echt erlebt! (dramatische Schicksale - große Love-storys!), 2007
acrylic pencil on panel (above)*

CHCHANEL, 2007
acrylic pencil on panel (above)*

Very Important Version, 2006
acrylic and pencil on panel (above)*

So ist es, 2006
acrylic and pencil on panel (above)*

Ich weiss nicht, wie sich die Dinge jetzt weiterentwickeln , 2003

Acrylic and gouache on wooden panel (above)
Courtesy Phillips de Pury & Co


Bergkristall , 2008
ink and acrylic on panel (below)*

Printed Silk Dress, 2008
ink on panel (above)*

ein Blick, 2008
ink and acrylic on panel (below)*

Crew (red), 2008
ink and acrylic on panel (above)*

A. gegen die...., 2005
acrylic and pencil on wood, 140 x 100 cm
Courtesy Wimmer Plus


Robert Lucander (Helsinki, Finland b1962)
See more of the Woodoo exhibition

*Courtesy Contemporary Fine Arts. Photo: Jochen Littkemann

Inge Morath

Inge Morath

Top to bottom: Femme portant un de ses masques, "Fotografien 1952-1992" p132; three Untitled (all works from the Mask Series with Saul Steinberg), 1962

Der Orchideengarten

Der Orchideengarten cover illustration

As seen on: A Journey Around My Skull via Morbid Anatomy blog

Women

Christian Skrein, Fashion, Boutique CM, Vienna, 1967

Louis Faurer, New York, NY, 1970

These two wonderful images are from the exhibition WOMEN on show at Galerie Priska Pasquer in Cologne until 1 Sep 2009. If you're like me and Germany is a long way from home you can still enjoy these and other equally amazing images of intriguing femmes by on the gallery's website.

Christian Skrein and Louis Faurer are new to me and I'm already enamoured. I can see further reading and future posts on both of these photographers.

John's Children

Sixties English mod band John's Children 1966 single Smashed Blocked from the album Orgasm (1967 / 1970).

Marc Bolan joined the band as lead guitarist for a brief four month period in 1967. During which the single Desdemona was recorded. The song featured the rather racy lyric "Lift up your skirt and fly" to which the BBC replied, "Err, no, d'rather not" and promptly banned it.

Fancy a drink at the Korova Milkbar, Droogs? (Marc Bolan at right)

The band's fetching all-white attire (rather like mod Droogs from A Clockwork Orange, sans bowler hats and combat boots - interestingly, the band went by the moniker The Clockwork Onion in 1963) was the idea of their manager, Simon Napier Bell (of Yardbirds fame).

While Bell has also been credited with devising the band's stage act, band sources suggests that such performances were developed prior to Bell. A John's Children "happening" involving mock fighting (complete with blood capsules for effect), instrument trashing, flower stomping, pillow shredding and feather dispersion with Bolan chain whipping his guitar, incited Ludwigshafen audiences to riot during a German tour with The Who in 1967. Beware violence against soft furnishings and vegetation whilst touring Deutschland, ya?

The drummer, Chris Townson, has a fleeting resemblance to Pete Doherty don't you think?

John's Children official website

Performance anxiety

Sorry is probably something Mick Jagger should have said to Keith Richards after the shooting of the movie Performance. Magic Mick shagged Keith's girl Anita Pallenberg during filming (so rumour has it). Not that Anita wasn't an active participant. I guess she got the silver and the gold

Sorry

Sorry, did I sound bitchy in that last post? I promised myself when I started this blog that I would avoid being negative and nasty, based on that old adage "If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all". Get's a bit boring but doesn't it?

Apologies aside, and hello Fantastic Planet... I just love the type on this vintage board game, The Great Game SORRY!