the world of m

I trusted the wrong people.

2012-02-16T16:13:00.000-05:00

One of my top pet peeves is beating around the bush. And gossip.
I hope you keep this in mind and grow up someday.
Learn to ask real questions--maybe then you'll receive real answers.
Drop the pretenses.

lovin' you

2012-02-14T00:27:00.001-05:00

If I don't have anyone specific to share this day with, why not share it with everyone?

I hope listening to this will make you want to fall in love again and again.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Look. (No words needed.)

2012-02-11T02:46:00.000-05:00

Vladimir Nabokov by Irving Penn

This is the kind of sound I live for.

2012-02-11T02:40:00.002-05:00

Jean Pierre Mirouze - "Sexopolis"

This is the sort of sound I dig the most in a soundtrack--lush vibes, decadence; the crescendo, diminuendo, and innuendo of the strings; elegant in a classic, European way.

So very beautiful and wonderful to listen to.

It shares similarities with the soundtrack for Last Tango in Paris, so it is no surprise that I love this so much.

Listening to this song makes me want to find and watch the French film Le Mariage Collectif even though I've no idea what it's about.

HELMUT NEWTON

2012-02-11T02:00:00.000-05:00

This post has been long-past overdue.

Adriana Giotta by Helmut Newton

If I had a chance to talk to any two people, dead or alive, I'd want to have a conversation with my mother and Helmut Newton.

Helmut Newton is the photographer I worship. Think of it this way: just like Vogue is/was considered the fashion Bible, Helmut Newton's work is the bible of fashion photography and black-and-white portraiture.I find myself blown away every time with each and every single photograph no matter how many times I've seen them before, for his portraits have absolutely no equal.

Semi-related but not really, can you just check the price tag on these two portraits of Newton's?

Yeah.

Also, unfortunately, so as not to offend people...I've decided to keep my best thoughts and favorite photographs under the cut because the images would probably be considered NSFW. Not safe for work or viewing near other people who do not understand and appreciate...tasteful nudity, among other things.

Sure, you've seen sex, nudity and violence in portraits. The typical oh-so-risqué fashion photograph? The sex sells concept? Newton perfected that formula and concept that so many photographers and photographs strive to emulate. He (arguably to some people, indubitably to me) revolutionized fashion photography--especially in terms of black and white portraiture. I've seen countless renditions of Helmut Newton's portraits and trademark ideas. How many times have I seen a photograph and thought, Oh, that's a Helmut, or, Oh, that looks familiar--oh wait--Helmut has done that before. I'd venture to say that nearly half of all black-and-white fashion photographs have been inspired by Helmut Newton.

There's more to Newton's portraits than, say, the nudity (which is what people tend to notice most). There's an aesthetic to it--it's lush, provocative, and erotic--but not trashy by any means.

His portraits make manifest the power and beauty of women in their purest form. Pure power, pure beauty. Strength.

No one does it better than Helmut Newton when it comes to women.

My words won't do his work justice. I hope that you can appreciate and understand why I love his photographs so much just by looking at some of my favorite photographs of his:

"Le Smoking" (1975)
Helmut Newton, together with designer Yves Saint Laurent (another one of my inspirations/muses), popularized the suit and style for women. If I made a list of the top ten photographs that influenced and sparked my interest in fashion photography--this portrait would be at the top of the list.

Margareth Lahoussaye-Duvigny (1997)
Favorite Polaroid in the entire world.

Bergstrom over Paris, 1970s

David Lynch & Isabella Rossellini
All I will say about this is that it's a deeply striking and poignant portrait of the two.
P.S. David Lynch is one of my favorite directors.

Self-portrait with June and Models (1981)
There's also a certain degree of intrigue in Newton's photographs that you just really can't find elsewhere. For instance--the woman sitting on the chair to the right of the mirror is June, Helmut's wife. And she's watching him as he photographs himself with the model. I've always wondered what June was thinking in that one shot, and what she really thought of Helmut and whether she was ever consumed with jealousy. But somehow I think that she did love him the whole time he was alive (they were together til he died), since she went to great lengths to produce a documentary and filmed him even though he was a very difficult person to deal with on (and off) camera.

Naked and Dressed
The juxtaposition, the parallels. My favorite. There's a completely different vibe between the two portraits despite the near identical poses and positions of the models. The one on the right--damn.

Big Nude III (Henrietta), 1980
Officially the most striking portrait and ultimate dedication to the female form.

This is also the cover to Helmut's book, SUMO (published by Taschen), the "biggest and most expensive book production in the 20th century." It is a "titanic book in every respect: it is a tribute to the twentieth century's most influential, intriguing and controversial photographer. Measuring 50 x 70 cm (20 x 27.5 inches) and weighing approx. 30 kg (66 lb.), the book contains 464 pages, breaking any previous record. SUMO is a truly unique publication." Guess how much it costs?

A whopping $15,000.

If I ever got my hands on a SUMO (there are only 10,000 copies in the entire world), and if it were to ever get on my bookshelf--I would absolutely die.

2012-02-08T18:21:00.002-05:00

My sadness is almost always explicable, but I can never understand why I feel so angry at the most random times, as in, right now/today/this week. I haven't felt such abiding anger in months and nothing I do helps to relieve this anger, which is only exacerbating this headache I've got (which is as unusual as my anger is).

Also,

2012-02-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

I am almost certain that there is something wrong with me.

But at the same time--is being me, being who I am, something wrong? How can it be that something that has been part of me/all my life can possibly be inherently wrong?

I don't know what to believe about myself sometimes.

ebb & flow

2012-02-08T04:48:00.002-05:00

I do not think it is possible to be happy forever.

I think I can explain most of this when I think of the ocean. Everything is part of an ocean. Nothing stays in the same place.

Every living (and even dreaming) moment is like a wave. Transient, perpetually moving and changing.

As optimistic as I may be (I identify as an optimist bordering on idealist), I am also realistic enough to know that I am not going to be happy no matter what from point x and forward. There are going to be moments and days when people and things are going to disappoint, sadden and anger me; there are going to be experiences that will leave me terrified or heartbroken.

It’s not so much about hoping to stay happy from a certain moment forward—it’s more about being able to stay resilient, just like a wave. There’s the crest of a wave and the trough of a wave—the ups and the downs.It’s about being able to get back up after being knocked flat by a crushing wave. It’s about resisting the pull of a tide, clawing your way back to the shore after being ripped and tossed out to sea, it’s about finding air and being able to breathe again after being plunged an immeasurable distance underwater.

We are capable of doing all of these things.

The objective (or mine, at least) is not to stay happy but to ultimately be happy.

emphasis

2012-02-07T04:03:00.001-05:00

a single statement could have a thousand different implications depending on which word(s) i choose to stress:

i love you
i love you
i love you

week 5

2012-02-04T20:59:00.002-05:00

outtakes

2012-02-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

Maurice Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte puts me in an absolutely sublime state of mind. It's a very, very beautiful piece that I just discovered a couple of minutes ago. I picture and imagine a flower slowly blooming and unfurling its petals and a quiet stream of moving water in transition between the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

I read about Ravel and am pleasantly surprised to see that he had this sort of connection to Debussy, my favorite composer, in that they appreciated the same type of music and are often compared to each other, though, as Ravel stated, "[Debussy's] genius was obviously one of great individuality, creating its own laws, constantly in evolution, expressing itself freely, yet always faithful to French tradition. For Debussy, the musician and the man, I have had profound admiration, but by nature I am different from Debussy."

2012-01-31T23:52:00.002-05:00

I don't need you; I'm brand new. from moonii on 8tracks.

My first mixtape of the year.

my way of life

2012-01-31T19:55:00.001-05:00

Give something your all or nothing at all.
Love completely or not at all.
That's the only way to go for me.

Todo o nada.
All or nothing.

2012-01-30T00:52:00.003-05:00

I AM OFFICIALLY IN LOVE WITH ANNA CALVI/HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BUT SERIOUSLY OH MY GODDESS.

No Room For Doubt

2012-01-30T00:08:00.002-05:00

Shoutout to Dylan for introducing me to this song. It's got quiet vibes--exactly what I tend to love in music, photographs and art in general.

"No Room for Doubt" by Lianne La Havas ft. Willy Mason

"Te amo para siempre."

2012-01-28T00:35:00.001-05:00

“It’s okay?”
“Está bien.”
“What?”
“That means it’s okay in Spanish.”
“Oh. How do you say, I love you forever?”
“Te amo para siempre.”

I'll remember yesterday night.

D.J.

2012-01-27T17:15:00.003-05:00

Had the opportunity to photograph D.J. Wiley recently. Props for creating sick music. Go like his Facebook page--he's dropping a new track tonight.

Disclaimer: I am clean.

2012-01-26T21:15:00.003-05:00

It was a few days before my birthday when my new dentist told me, "You must never smoke. Or else it will definitely kill you because of your condition." I was disappointed to hear the news, but his tone told me he was not kidding.

I listen to my dentist.

a someday-series

2012-01-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

See this series of photographs above? (Disclaimer: not mine, I don't know whose they are)

Well, someday I’d like to do a project like this. Maybe I shouldn’t call it a project—it’s something a lot more intimate and personal than that.

But you see—someday I want to photograph a person. Just one.

And I want to photograph them every season at the same place.

The thing that stunned me is that I’ve been doing this all along, sort of—sometimes I photograph her, sometimes I don’t; but I want to be very serious about this future endeavor of mine (not that I’m not serious about this current arrangement).

And, to make it more different and complex, I want it to be the same date, every month and year. And I guess that would mean that this person is someone I wouldn’t be able to see very often, save for the day(s) we’d meet to honor this arrangement.

But the more and more I think about it, the more improbable it seems.

First off—who…?

And second of all—is it possible for two people to meet at the same place on the same date every year—no matter what?

I hope so.

Class Actress - Bienvenue

2012-01-25T18:57:00.002-05:00

"Bienvenue" by Class Actress
Directed by Clement Gino and Gregory Faure
Featuring: Elizabeth Harper (Class Actress) and Sina Araghi

for a rainy day

2012-01-24T22:05:00.001-05:00

rain rain rain by mathieuschreyer

JUST DO THIS, 'TILLY.

2012-01-22T02:25:00.002-05:00

If you want to submit digitally, here are the instructions:

e-mail your janx as an attachment to chantillyandromeda@gmail.com
include the following information per piece:

name
grade
date
English teacher
art teacher (if applicable)
type of work (art, poem, short story, etc.)
title of piece
brief description of your piece

P.S. It took me roughly 20-30 minutes to design this, so you can definitely take 5 minutes to fill out a form and turn it in to Andro with something you've already created, no?

just my type

2012-01-16T19:26:00.001-05:00

If your name is Erlend Øye and you are ~~the love of my life~~ a musical genius/the vocalist of Kings of Convenience and The Whitest Boy Alive and wear matching glasses, you fit the description.

2012-01-15T22:06:00.000-05:00

<p>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://mrsandmanjr.bandcamp.com/track/rich-girl-hall-and-oats-cover"&amp;amp;gt;rich girl (hall and oats cover) by Supernova Sky Ride&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;</p>

Personally, this is a very special song to me, because of E., I guess.

2012-01-14T18:35:00.002-05:00

2012-01-14T14:36:00.004-05:00

I'm learning to live again--without you.

Outtakes:

Portfolio of a Creative Mind

2012-01-13T23:13:00.001-05:00

Portfolio of a Creative Mind from Matteo di Pascale on Vimeo.

week 2

2012-01-13T22:58:00.001-05:00

Monday, Jan. 9

snow shoot with Ariana

Tuesday, Jan. 10

Wednesday, Jan. 11

Exclaimed very loudly in AP Spanish, "SOY LA BOMBA" in front of the class.
Cried from laughing for the first time ever (you’d think that i would’ve experienced that before…) in AP Spanish.
completed Calc homework and actually felt that I understood what was going on in class for once in my life/the first time in a few months seriously
slept through 90% of Government but raised my hand like a boss (while being half-asleep) when Miles said, “Raise your hand if you’re listening to me.”
played Taboo for the first time in my life. while eating fried chicken.
got shit done. knocked off 5 out of 7 things on my to do list just for today (e.g. applied for FAFSA PIN)

Thursday, Jan. 12

watched Pan's Labyrinth for the first time in my life. I didn't get to finish it, though...
had the most ridiculous portraits taken of me using someone’s Mac’s Photo Booth during Human Anatomy
Got accepted to VCUarts

Friday, Jan. 13

Attended swim & dive meet at Oak Marr; it's the first time I've been back in years and it's the first time I've mentored someone in photography on a one-on-one basis.
Wrote three scholarship essays within 1.5 hours and submitted them.

Saturday, Jan. 14

FAFSA

Sunday, Jan. 15

Anjali - we painted and planted the tree, we grabbed Starbucks in the morning, we talked, it was wonderful
my throat hurts

P.S. the two Polaroids/Instaxes were taken during newspaper on Jan. 11.

2012-01-13T22:44:00.001-05:00

I've decided that I'm not completely over Blogger yet and people actually still use Blogger, so I'm going to start recapping my life in brief for each week on here just to utilize this blog more often. Basically I'm just extracting snippets from my diary entries on Tumblr.

just my type

2012-01-11T15:03:00.001-05:00

Starting a "just my type" tag for future posts. Interpret the label as you wish.

"You're in a dream."

2012-01-11T00:56:00.000-05:00

12:52 a.m.

I was in bed for about twenty minutes and I dreamt of you and the school. The school’s walls were painted my favorite shade of blue and plastered with giant cutouts from vintage fashion magazines. As we approached the main stairway, I explained to you the significance of the color blue to me while gesturing at the cutouts on the walls. You walked farther from me, and suddenly we were sitting in this cafe that exists in the school in my dream, you were sitting a table away from me, I got up and I felt that you were literally in arm’s reach, I think that was the closest I ever got to being lucid in a dream because I kept repeating to myself, You’re in a dream, you’re in a dream, but I shoved the seat and table away from me that were separating you from me and I took one big step and I was going to grab you and hug you and all the while you’re in a dream kept resounding throughout my dream, I don’t know where the actual sound came from, but the moment my hands reached you, I felt some invisible force very abruptly and literally yank me away and I woke up immediately.

Now I am cold and out of bed and tired again (and that pile of Calculus won't solve itself, damn slope fields).

Reality became my dream, my dream became reality, what difference does it make when in the end it seems that it doesn’t matter where we are, dreams or reality, we are never together?

My dreams tell truths.

just my type

2012-01-10T23:51:00.001-05:00

future soulmate, take note.

she's a maniac

2012-01-10T21:37:00.002-05:00

Maniac reworked to something more beatastic in the modern sense.

And the original Maniac (from Flashdance), which is still pure gold to me.

snowy scenery in transit

2012-01-09T20:13:00.000-05:00

JANUARY 9, 2012

on the bus back home

past a field i've always wanted to shoot in

The Valley covered in snow

The Valley Path

Silhouetted trees as they can only be in the winter

Home

1

2012-01-08T01:38:00.004-05:00

outtakes

week 1 - we'll hate what we've lost but we'll love what we find

I am finding ways to start this year off properly.

the only reality

2012-01-07T02:12:00.001-05:00

January 7, 2012

The Only Reality

Inspiration tends to strike me after midnight.
This is still a work in progress, but I have a great idea and vision in mind. It might take a while to complete, though.

2012-01-05T19:52:00.004-05:00

I would give up loving someone if I could since I don't think it's right to try to persuade someone to love you back (this was one of the things that bothered me about 500 Days of Summer--unrequited love absolutely sucks, but it's douche-y and terrible to try to force a girl to love you when she just doesn't have feelings for you). EDIT: If it's meant to be, forcing your feelings onto people is not necessary. They will love you regardless of whether you ask them to or not. I don't think true love can be forced.

But it's not all that simple. You can't just willfully stop loving someone or stop having feelings for someone all of the sudden. Or at least I can't. I don't think it's possible for me to stop loving someone (or something) once I've started. And it's not at all possible for me to control who I fall in love with and when that happens. I've got no defense against love, none at all.

(Aside: it astounds me now to think that practically all of me and all that I stand for is dedicated to love, based on love, and in search of love, whether it be in a profession or a person or both or many.)

I considered a question and a thought. I don't know if I'd want to stop having feelings all of the sudden or if I'd want to stop loving someone all of a sudden.

The thought that came to me today was: isn't wishing you weren't a love with someone (who doesn't return your feelings) a bit selfish just because of the accompanying pains and aches?

Does that make any sense? Does anyone know what I am saying?

I don't know.

2012-01-05T06:05:00.001-05:00

Yesterday,

I lost; the realization and acceptance today made me sigh and smile a little, not out of happiness, but not out of bitterness, either, I'm not sure why I smiled but I did.

I've been very tired of hoping and expecting anything at all.

I clung to every word you ever said.

I starved and thirsted as though I had been wandering the desert for months (months! good grief, can you believe it? because I never thought I'd be this way) searching for your words, the sole oasis in a forsaken and unforgiving land, but all I ever found was nothing but a mirage of you and sand, lots of sand, sand everywhere, grains of sand, a swarm of sand, sand dunes, sandstorms.

Love is the only adversary I have lost to, and love will always be the only adversary I will ever lose to.

But I'll never lose love, or at least I most strongly believe I will not.

reality and impressions

2012-01-03T21:10:00.000-05:00

This photograph reminds me of the painting Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer (Wanderer above the Sea of Fog) by Caspar David Friedrich, yes? The similarities are astoundingly uncanny.

2012-01-03T16:41:00.001-05:00

<a href="http://mountmoriah.bandcamp.com/track/the-letting-go">The Letting Go by Mount Moriah</a>

Learn to Let Go

2012-01-02T17:54:00.003-05:00

Tashaki Miyaki - Somethin' Is Better Than Nothin'

2012-01-02T14:34:00.002-05:00

Tashaki Miyaki - Somethin' Is Better Than Nothin' from The Sounds Of Sweet Nothing on Vimeo.

I love everything about this--the [melancholia] mood, the dream vibes, the jellyfish, the ocean vibes, the black-and-white, the underwater/swimming scenes. I love it.

sex music at its finest

2011-12-30T15:33:00.003-05:00

Lovage - Stroker Ace

Velvety, lush and still classy, this just OOZES SEX. The one YouTube comment at the top says the truth:

This song is so dirty that i have to switch to porn when my mom walks in the room

If I saw Anna Calvi live, only god would know what I'd do.

2011-12-29T19:13:00.004-05:00

Anna Calvi - Baby It's You (Live - Somewhere Along The Line, Part One)

It's not the way you smile that touched my heart.
It's not the way you kissed that tears me apart.
Many, many, many nights go by.
I sit alone at home and cry over you.
What can I do?
Don't want nobody, nobody
Cause, baby, it's you.
Baby, it's you.
Is it true what they say about you?
They say you'll never, ever, never be true.
It doesn't matter what they say.
I know I'm gonna love you any old way.
What can I do?
What 'bout you?
Don't want nobody, nobody.
Baby, it's you.
Baby, it's you.
Baby.
It doesn't matter what they say.
I know I'm gonna love any old way.
What can I do?
What 'bout you?
Don't want nobody, nobody.
Baby, it's you.
Baby, it's you.
Don't leave me alone.
Come on home.
Baby, it's you.
Baby, it's you.
You know I need your lovin'
You know I love you.
Baby, it's you.Baby...

pages for me (and you), from me

2011-12-27T14:28:00.001-05:00

The most recent entries from from my everything book.

Polaroid courtesy of Diana, shot by Ksenia.
It's never like how we imagined.
My body is a cage that keeps me from dancing with the one I love but my mind holds the key. Inspired by m'deer, my house key, the song covered by Arcade Fire and my human anatomy class.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T21:54:00.001-05:00

Hope you guys have a happy holiday!

Sometimes, I think...

2011-12-23T01:14:00.000-05:00

80s throwback

2011-12-20T20:00:00.001-05:00

Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
great 80s vibes.

Puro Instinct - Stilyagi (feat. Ariel Pink)

2011-12-19T12:20:00.000-05:00

December mixtape teaser

2011-12-17T22:04:00.001-05:00

Here's a teaser for my December mix, which will be up on 8tracks next week, and also the preview of the mix cover art.

Meant to be blasted in your car on a night drive:
Austra - Beat and the Pulse
Beat and The Pulse by Austra by goincase

Good vibes/you might be able to dance to this:
Wolfmother - White Feather (Tiedye remix)

This cover rivals the original by The Shirelles:
Anna Calvi - Baby It's You
Baby It's You by Anna Calvi

Perfect winter acoustic song:
Fleet Foxes - Blue Ridge Mountains

Most badass song:
Karen O, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover)
Immigrant Song - Karen O with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross by Fluke Hawkins

waiting for a plane

2011-12-15T18:44:00.001-05:00

Suddenly I feel everything around me being pulled out like a rug
Everything’s being swept away from under my feet
People are jetting away into all different directions literally
Have you ever seen the blur the ground becomes
When the plan takes off the runway?
I feel like I’ve become part of that blur
Stuck somewhere down on the ground
standing
still
waiting

Twin Shadow - Changes

2011-12-13T22:30:00.003-05:00

curiosity

2011-12-13T15:08:00.001-05:00

may have killed the cat; more likely
the cat was just unlucky, or else curious
to see what death was like, having no cause
to go on licking paws, or fathering
litter on litter of kittens, predictably.

Nevertheless, to be curious
is dangerous enough. To distrust
what is always said, what seems
to ask odd questions, interfere in dreams,
leave home, smell rats, have hunches
do not endear cats to those doggy circles
where well-smelt baskets, suitable wives, good lunches
are the order of things, and where prevails
much wagging of incurious heads and tails.
Face it. Curiosity
will not cause us to die—
only lack of it will.
Never to want to see
the other side of the hill
or that improbable country
where living is an idyll
(although a probable hell)
would kill us all.
Only the curious
have, if they live, a tale
worth telling at all.

Dogs say cats love too much, are irresponsible,
are changeable, marry too many wives,
desert their children, chill all dinner tables
with tales of their nine lives.
Well, they are lucky. Let them be
nine-lived and contradictory,
curious enough to change, prepared to pay
the cat price, which is to die
and die again and again,
each time with no less pain.
A cat minority of one
is all that can be counted on
to tell the truth. And what cats have to tell
on each return from hell
is this: that dying is what the living do,
that dying is what the loving do,
and that dead dogs are those who do not know
that dying is what, to live, each has to do.

-Alastair Reid

muse: Katrina Hoernig

2011-12-02T00:57:00.001-05:00

My latest muse is Katrina Hoernig from this editorial shot by Billy Rood.

watermark from Billy Rood on Vimeo.

I can hardly wait for these films:

2011-11-28T22:28:00.001-05:00

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Dec. 21)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Jan. 20, 2012)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

The Great Gatsby (Dec. 25/26, 2012)

They are all adapted from novels.

You definitely need to read at least the last three books, if not also The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (though this one isn't exactly for the faint of heart).

mixtape for a blue mood

2011-11-27T15:02:00.001-05:00

Snakehips

2011-11-25T19:17:00.001-05:00

i-DJ: Snakehips by i-D online

exercise: big bass

2011-11-18T23:49:00.001-05:00

Three things you might want to know about this (and me):

I created this as an exercise. Just like how people practice instruments and sports, I practice with typography and design.
I love wordplay and I love it when I can incorporate it into designs.
Someone told me I had a big ass today/has told me many times...I swear that I don't.

~~Also, I really wish there existed a jazz duo on the double bass named Big Bass so they could use this as their cover art or something...~~

pre-project

2011-11-13T01:01:00.001-05:00

Idea 1

Idea 2

I like taking the initiative to experiment and "doodle" around with graphics and stuff. I've figured out some techniques that I'll want to incorporate in my next project.

These are some of the experimental pieces/rough drafts I worked on today.

[mixtape] sweet november pt. 1

2011-11-11T23:01:00.001-05:00

This week has been good in terms of music discovery, so I thought I'd share because everyone ought to give these a listen.

Work Drugs - "Flying Zambo"
Flying Zambo by Work Drugs
I love the guitar riffs and the dope sound. It just occurred to me that many chillwave and lo-fi groups have a very similar sound (the same goes for groups of any genre really), and not everyone can produce something catchy. I probably listened to a hundred different songs this week, many of which are chillwave-y/lo-fi, but only a few groups and songs stood out to me. Work Drugs' sound is fantastically catchy and noice.

Craft Spells - "After The Moment"
After the Moment by CraftSpells

The Whitest Boy Alive - "Inflation"
The Whitest Boy Alive - Inflation by cocamix
I would recognize Erlend Øye’s voice anywhere--I love it. He is the vocalist of Kings of Convenience, too.

Weird Dreams - "Joan"
joan // weird dreams by sexmusic

Cloud - "Turning"
Cloud - Turning by rjcf
Heard this in the bookstore when I was visiting the arts program at VCU. I don't think I'd ever heard of it before. This was made in the early 2000s. Amazing. It reminded me of Clazziquai Project (favorite Korean group of all-time) and their house phase.

Here's a song to kick off your weekend:
Class Actress - "Weekend"
Weekend by Class Actress

And I've been obsessively listening to my favorite shoegaze band, The Radio Dept.
The Radio Dept. - A Window

Note to a few.

2011-11-08T11:33:00.002-05:00

2011-11-07T23:00:00.002-05:00

the end

Work Drugs - Flying Zambo

2011-11-07T20:30:00.000-05:00

Flying Zambo by Work Drugs

project hap (1-3)

2011-11-06T21:21:00.003-05:00

Remember how I told you that I'd be doing a mixed media project involving graphic design, photography, and haikus about people?

Yeah, it's actually happening. I have made three hap (haikus-about-people) posts already. Here they are:

hap #1: mum
whenever she walks,
she brings a cool breeze with her,
and away she goes.

hap #2: Clementine*
Cuando contigo,
Siempre espero que
Habrá una vez más.
(It’s not perfect, but it’s the truth.)

hap #3: Untitled, a series of three

1.
今天是阴天，
我等了你这么久，
但你都没来。

2.
Fell asleep in class,
I dreamt of you and your smile,
Why do you haunt me?

3. Explanation
Hoy, yo escribí
Dos poemas para ti
Porque te amo.

I'm welcome to all graphic/design ideas since I'm designing these into square posters.

Also, I'm not sure how long this project will go on.

Maybe it'll go on forever because I love everyone I write about and I write about them because I love them.

discovery of Nov. 5

2011-11-06T01:45:00.000-05:00

The oxeye daisy is also commonly known as the love me not flower.

愛 vs. 爱

2011-11-05T16:24:00.003-04:00

Though I have learned simplified Chinese for the majority of my life, I started off and set my foundations in traditional Chinese. One of the few things I retained from the traditional form is the character for the word love:

愛

That’s how you would write it traditionally, and that’s how I still write it—interspersed in a sea of simplified characters. I grew up thinking that the complexity of the word in its original form was beautiful—far more beautiful than its simplfied counterpart, 爱.

Love is complex and complicated.

please wear this on your sleeve

2011-11-03T22:20:00.001-04:00

NOV. 3
How can I be expected to mask unhappiness?

2011-10-24T00:19:00.001-04:00

Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours (feat. Irfane) - HD from Ed Banger Records on Vimeo.

Just officially discovered this song. I mean, I've heard it before, but it was on a mix and I didn't know who the artist was.

Also, I'm pretty sure that Poolside sampled this in their song Do You Believe, yes?

[photojournal] OCT. 22

2011-10-23T21:06:00.003-04:00

it's raining

2011-10-19T22:55:00.003-04:00

2011-10-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

I used to think while looking at fashion editorials that I didn’t really care about the clothes and that they were inconsequential compared to the models.

But I learned most recently, through first-hand experience, that clothes and styling are actually very essential to the overall image—whether the main focus is the fashion aspect or not.

Things like the choice in clothing—long sleeves or t-shirt? monochrome or print? white or black? or both? open-toed or closed-toe shoes?—which may seem like nuances to an average joe, contribute to the mood and aesthetics of a shot. They can either make a shot or break it.

I have an increased respect for stylists now.

Also, I just browsed through the most recent editorials today and saw this one shot where I thought, “It would’ve looked better if she [the model] had kept her mouth closed.“ Little things like whether or not a mouth is open or closed in a shot—that’s important, too.

October obsessions (music, pt. 1)

2011-10-16T23:53:00.002-04:00

Caged Animals
"Girls On Medication"

Caged Animals - "Girls On Medication" from Cluster 1 on Vimeo.

"Teflon Heart"
Caged Animals - Teflon Heart by LuckyNumberMusic

Twin Shadow
"Forget"
Twin Shadow - Forget by demiliv
"At My Heels"

Laura Veirs- "July Flame"

Flight Facilities - "Foreign Language (ft. Jess)"
Flight Facilities - Foreign Language (feat. Jess) by future classic

traffic (or lack thereof)

2011-10-15T17:07:00.002-04:00

This type of remark--NO.

2011-10-14T00:00:00.001-04:00

Using the word "gay" or any other homophobic slur as an insult--just--NO. These words aren't synonymous with "stupid" or "lame" or anything besides the sexual orientation of a person. People who use these words to demean others have no integrity and deserve no respect. Learn to use words correctly and properly.

Redondo Beach - He Would Make Her Like Winter

2011-10-13T21:01:00.001-04:00

Oh my god I am a little bit in love with this song. It's beautiful, dope, such good vibes. And there's this tinge of deja vu...or it's like a piece of a pleasant dream.

The music video is also quite fascinating--especially the closeup of the snail.

2011-10-11T23:57:00.003-04:00

寂寞

2011-10-10T00:13:00.002-04:00

day 2: 寂寞

feeling kind of blue

2011-10-08T17:00:00.004-04:00

My latest project. Inspired by a blue mood and Miles Davis. What I've learned over the course of two hours: a lot of Illustrator techniques that I ultimately didn't incorporate into this. Also--take advantage of your emotions and really tap into them. Don't just sit there feeling blue. Go and do something with it.

old blood, young blood

2011-10-06T21:24:00.006-04:00

Sometimes I am convinced that the most brilliant of photographers, artists, or people in general right this very moment are not the legends and icons who rest on the strength of their reputation/the name they made for themselves decades ago but the youth—people of the younger generation, people who are blazing their own trails right this very moment.

I also strongly believe that it’s a shame that so many young people are underestimated, overlooked and dismissed because of their supposed lack of experience and reputation.

A decade or two from now, or maybe even a couple of years from now, the people of this young movement will be the ones to open the world’s eyes. The youth of this generation will become the legends of the future; and yet another new, brilliant and young crop of visionaries will arise, filled with the potential and determination to surpass their predecessors.

2011-10-03T19:09:00.001-04:00

Gareth Pugh SS2012 by Matthew Stone

College feat. Electric Youth - A Real Hero (music from the motion picture DRIVE)

2011-09-18T15:16:00.001-04:00

College feat. Electric Youth - A Real Hero (music from the motion picture DRIVE) by College

2011-09-09T14:54:00.003-04:00

Newspapers are so versatile. You can use them for everything. I, for one, rely on my stash of the Times to do the majority of my school projects. They're a constant source of creative inspiration. You can do newspaper blackouts and cutouts. You can tell your own story with them. I also believe that newspapers make the perfect clutch accessories. Anyone clutching a newspaper on the go has a boost in sophistication, in my opinion. And of course, the primary function of a newspaper is to inform. Can you imagine living unaware of what's happening all around your world? I can't.

Within two days, I had listened to this song 131 times.

2011-09-06T22:50:00.000-04:00

"Our Deal" by Best Coast, directed by Drew Barrymore

MTV Supervideo - Music - Best Coast

2011-08-31T22:38:00.002-04:00

Sexy Sushi - Sex Appeal

2011-08-31T14:47:00.001-04:00

Sexy Sushi - Sex Appeal by klozetkapagi

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT DREAMING A LITTLE BIGGER?

2011-08-29T21:07:00.001-04:00

I believe everyone should consider the following:

I sincerely believe that all around me, there are great people—people capable of great and amazing feats. If only they realized that about themselves! If only someone could grab them by their shoulders, look them in the eye and shake some sense into them(!)

I swear it—all around me, I see so many types of people. Good kinds of people.

I see…

Beautiful people (literally and figuratively)
Amazingly intelligent people who are also very caring and passionate

There are so many things they could do. And I might be crazy, but sometimes, when I look at these kinds of people, I get a very good idea of what they could do (great things, trust me)—but I’ll bet they’d never even dream of it.

I’m convinced that some could become models—the kinds that will strut down the runway.

I can picture many becoming successful businessmen, lawyers, doctors, etcetera.

I can see the bestselling-author in some of my peers.

I can see the dancer. I can see the artist. I can see innovators and entrepreneurs.

And even if I don’t know these people—I’m just sure that, way out there, there are people whose lives could have changed significantly if they only realized what they were capable of and let themselves go at it.

I’m 100% sure that if there was an impetus, these people could become forces to be reckoned with. They’d go down in the books. I’m sure of it.

A little anecdote I’ll always remember in relation to this is the one that my middle school orchestra director told my class: she once had a violinist who just couldn’t really get into it. He/she was getting discouraged. But when she (my orchestra director) suggested that the person try out a different instrument—like the bass—that violinist-turned-bassist flourished and eventually went on to become a professional bassist.

So you see—I think that there are many great people. People with amazing potential. But they’re not in the right place (literally, or figuratively, as in—they’re not in the right industry or career or whatever). They’re not in the place they’re meant to be. Either that or they don’t realize that they’ve got a lot going for them; or they don’t realize what they themselves might be good at.

I think that many people just need a push from someone or something to open their eyes and minds so that they’ll really get to shine.

Chloé is the best.

2011-08-29T17:21:00.000-04:00

Chloé is my favorite fashion house. I have probably already made a post about that before, but whatever. I'm just suddenly re-discovering Chloé and loving it even more than before. It's lovely, chic, and refined. Not pretentious. Very natural. 70s.

Love, Chloé

Making of Love, Chloé

Chloé pants

this is what you call real and raw beauty.

2011-08-23T23:41:00.001-04:00

This is Tatjana Patitz gracing the cover of Elle France in 1989.

Photoshop was released (first to Macs exclusively) in 1990.

Tatjana has always been one of my all-time favorite models. And even with that, I think this cover is exceptional. She is exceptionally, incredibly beautiful. Tatjana's beauty shines through this cover even without the help of Photoshop, retouching, or any kind of digital embellishment.

Absolutely stunning.

Lou Doillon for Vanessa Bruno S/S 2010

2011-08-22T23:51:00.000-04:00

I could've sworn I'd posted this video before. But I guess I haven't. I saw this way back when it was first released. It's a very beautiful fashion film. The music is perfect (YACHT and Chilly Gonzales!), Lou Doillon has got such a great personality, and the aesthetics are impeccable. This is just a very lovely short film ad.

Bon Accord

2011-08-21T23:52:00.000-04:00

Bon Accord classifies itself as a chillwave/dreamwave/shoegaze group. That's right up my alley. But I didn't really get chillwave vibes. I got more dreamy vibes. Listening to this puts me in a dream. It's very soothing and unobtrusive. I love "Lopsided."

<a href="http://bonaccord.bandcamp.com/album/huish-park-lopsided">Huish Park / Lopsided by Bon Accord</a>

cvlt classics

2011-08-19T20:58:00.001-04:00

Just listen. It's got great vibes. #1 by CVLT CLASSICS

You are never far from adventure.

2011-08-19T20:20:00.000-04:00

AUGUST 19, 2011
Lessons learned from traveling with Frankie:

Today I did the usual: cycle between 30 minutes to an hour.

And I changed my route up.

As usual.

It’s not like I am especially bent on changing my route up; but I’m not opposed to it either. But invariably, something always happens on my runs that prompts a change. It’s usually pedestrians who get in my way when I’m trying to coast down a sidewalk.

That was the case today.

So instead of turning back home on my preferred route, I went the opposite direction—all the way to a supposed dead-end. There’s an area that is fenced off. I have gone out of my way to pass by that area, but I have never actually gone through it.

Of all days, I didn’t bring my camera today because it was out of batteries. And I didn’t want my aunt getting on my case (she always asks me why I have to bring a camera even when going for a ride).

I really regret not bringing my camera.

I got around the fence (which was pretty easy) with Frankie and headed down the sidewalk…only to find that it ended and fed onto a very uneven, paved asphalt path (like the highway roads).

It curved to the right, away from view.

I know an adventure beckoning when I see one.

So I coasted down the curve…

and suddenly found myself coasting downhill; down a very long and very straight (and empty) road adjacent to the highway.

Route 66.

Damn it was an unbelievable experience.

The sun was on its way to set. Its rays beat down on my back. I loved the warmth of the late afternoon light. And what I loved even more was the way the golden light fell on the path, illuminating it.

I loved the contrast.

The warmth of the light and the emptiness and desolation of the once-worn road.

It was hard to believe that this empty road was right next to a highway filled with cars streaking by.

I’m always afraid that I will run out of places to shoot at (given that NOVA is an area that gets quite repetitive at times), but today it occurred to me that I am never far from adventure no matter where I am.

So I have listened to this song 60 times between yesterday and today...

2011-08-18T00:37:00.000-04:00

It's been on repeat. Non-stop.

Clara Klein - "Madman"

It's beautiful, simple, and I get this quiet vibe from it that I love. I would like to use this song in a film someday.

dope music

2011-08-16T01:54:00.000-04:00

You should probz listen to TOKiMONSTA's entire EP Creature Dreams. It's very chill and dope. Here's one of my favorite tracks from the album:

"Stigmatizing Sex"

This is also pretty dope. And cosmic. Love:

NOIR CŒUR - “TOTAL NIRVANA”

And also I must confess that I love Kylie Minogue's music. But anyway.

the brothel

2011-08-16T01:53:00.000-04:00

Du Juan by Vincent Peters for Numéro China September 2011 (via FGR)

I love this photograph because it brings back a memory about Taipei.

One night, my cousin (who is approximately thirty years old) took me out for the first motorcycle ride of my life.

It was the most exhilarating and liberating experience of my life. I still remember that ride vividly—lights and all flashing by, us leaving it all behind in a trail of darkness, cool wind whipping past, the throaty roar and rumble of the motorcycle tearing through the quiet night, the thrill of being caught in a throng of motorcyclists waiting side-by-side at a red light—I remember everything.

But when we got off the motorcycle at this village, my cousin took me through this alley to get to a little shop. We passed by a very dark and quiet alley. There were women loitering around outside the alley (which was lined with adjacent little shacks/inns) next to each doorway. As we passed through the alley, I peered into each doorway (they were all open) and interestingly enough, all I saw were women in rather vibrant dresses and Buddhist altars/shrines in every single one of those inns. I thought it was very curious to see a shrine in all of them.

As we got out of the alley and headed onto the main street, my cousin asked me if I knew what I had just passed through. I didn’t know. He thought for a moment as we walked, trying to search for the right word in English. And then he said one word:

“Brothel.”

Our walk dissolved into silence.

I think this photograph captures my memory very well.

Those women would just lean against the wall; some dressed more provocatively than others; and their glances would linger on us as we passed by them. I could feel their eyes on us as I walked by.

Sometimes, my cousin and I would pass by a businessman or two, outside. And sometimes, when I peered into the inns, there would be a man or two in the lounges/foyer.

One brothel stands out in my mind.

I peered into it and saw this gigantic wooden staircase that wrapped around the foyer like a serpent, and it was lined with beautiful women every step of the way.

It wasn’t till I had walked away from that alley and found out what it was that I wondered, very pensively, if those women had chosen to be there—if they were there of their own volition—or not.

2011-08-05T21:54:00.002-04:00

Pumped Up Kicks (Foster The People cover) - Owl Eyes by melcrawford

Growing is Forever

2011-08-03T18:44:00.000-04:00

I often think that it's a little clichéd to use The Album Leaf's songs in nature-y/quiet films like these, but this was thought-provoking and compelling.

the benefit(s) of being young

2011-08-02T17:51:00.000-04:00

Although I would love to grow up so I could pack my bags and get on with my life in a big city, I do believe that being young has its advantages. (Or you can make it work to your advantage.)

People don't take you seriously. It sucks sometimes. But this is good in case you ever need to break the law or do some shady stuff. If you get in trouble, people will tend to punish you less harshly (compared to an adult/"grown-up" breaking the law or doing something wrong). They're more dismissive because of your supposed youth (which guarantees ignorance, apparently). Speaking of ignorance...
People think you're ignorant because you're young. You can prove them wrong. They won't know what hit them.
I dunno. There are plenty more benefits to being young (aside from the obvious--health-wise, etc.), but that's all I can think of for now.

"To Die For" for Charlotte Olympia F/W 11 by Jam

2011-07-31T23:20:00.001-04:00

I love fashion films--they're often decadent, almost always very aesthetically-pleasing, and very interesting. This one is no exception.

A film by JAM for Chalotte Olympia's autumn/winter collection starring Portia Freeman. It's got great aesthetics. Definitely cinematic. I love the lushness. And I love, love, love the red fishnet and lips.

Charlotte Olympia - To Die For from Charlotte Olympia on Vimeo.

Young the Giant - "I Got" in The Open Session

2011-07-31T18:21:00.000-04:00

I've finally found a band whose sound I love even more outside than inside the studio. They sound fantastic live--even more so than on their CD recording! Oh my god. This song has got such happy, summery vibes. I love the acoustics.