Steven Meisel-An inspiration story-day 112.1

A very disturbing but beautiful video.
Woman like dolls, prefab faces and empty expressions. Looks like a statement against the industry itself where the polished photoshop reworked models have similar, too perfect faces.
Face of the future? I hope not.

Information file:

VOGUE ITALIA STEVEN MEISEL SEPTEMBER 2012 COVER VIDEO
FILM BY GORDON VON STEINER // ITALIAN VOGUE
FEATURING CAROLYN MURPHY
PRODUCTION BY PRODn / ART + COMMERCE 

Stay off the art-An inspiration story-day 112.1

Quote on the website of Team Detroit: "We're just like an ad agency. Only better".

That's attitude, and that's what I like.
What I like too is their campaigns. (At the end, it's the work that counts, no?)
I particularly love the one where they use posters to reach tech-savvy teenagers to choose for an education at The College for Creative Studies, Detroit’s iconic art and design school. 
Poster ads with lines like: " 1 of 5 teenagers will experiment with art" or "How long have you been photoshopping?" Or what about this one:  "I found this in your room, we need to talk.", where a worried mum holds up a great pencil drawing and looks up to her teenage son.
Based on the typical anti-drug language governments use to communicate with teens, this over-dramatic satire of family issues between parents and kids are hilarious and works perfectly.
These ads were running viral like crazy, picked up & spread by the same tech-savvy teenagers. Their post were based on old school print media like local metro paper and posters at the local movie theater, a choice made by the guys from Team detroit.

The clear message: Stay off the art, kids.

More about Team Detroit? http://teamdetroit.com/work.php

eco shower-A life story-day 111.4

In our garden, about 15 minutes drive from our home, we live the basic good life.
As we have no power, no water, and no wifi, we have to bring all we need with us.
So water is transported in large bidons, and on hot summer days, we sometimes miss fresh, running water, let's say a shower or something....
Well, last weekend we installed this great invention in one of our trees: the solar powered shower.
No need to say, at 30°celcius, it was our best buy this season! 

Golden oil-An inspiration story-day 111.3

It was a few weeks ago, when we had a lovely diner at Peter & Suzy's place. You know, the guys from design heaven 'DESIGN BLABLA'.

When we asked for the secrets behind Suzy's mouth watering dessert, they popped this olive/almond oil on the table.

This oil, made since 1878 somewhere in the south of France, was flavored with almonds and prunes. The taste was so powerful, so delicate, so we took a spoon and tasted it pure. Great pure taste, sun ripped and velvety soft. The secret of this Le Blanc L'Huillerie? Artisanal nut oils, pressed at a stone mill in Burgundy. 

Later that evening we tasted lustrous gold, bronze and copper tones of grilled groundnut, almond, hazelnut, walnut, pine kernel and sesame oil, or the cool green of olive, pistachio and rapeseed oil...

Next trip to France, we make a detour for some 'shopping de l'huile'.

http://www.huile-leblanc.com/

For the ones that don't want to wait till their next vacation, can visit the shop in Paris.

6, rue Jacob, 75006, Paris

Sun for Flamingo-An inspiration story-day 111.2

Not a review about the latest bar concept of Brussels bar guru Frédéric Nicolay that's been open since June 2012, but a small post about the amazing idea of putting reflecting mirrors on top of a neighbors roof, to reflect sun rays to their terrace.
I just love it, and when I last landed there for a quick lunch, I could see it actually works!
Natural light is been caught by twenty something mirrored dishes, turned towards the sun. Subtile but once you noticed you keep on looking.

Bar Flamingo is situated in the Alhambrawijk, on the corner the Lakenstraat opposite the KVS.
Try to visit on a sunny day, seek some (reflected) sun and admire at the same time this genius innovative mirror composition, that even looks like a work of art on the omnipresent satellite dishes.

Flamingo

169, Lakenstraat

Brussels

 

Next week we go to Damien Hirst-An inspiration story-day 111.1

Next week, Saturday September 8th, we go to London, to see ( I know it's very short notice) the fabulous Damien Hirst exhibition at Tate Modern.

I'm looking forward to see it again, and to discover new work.

I was In New York September 2000 so 12 years ago when Hirst showed.  Larry Gagosian held the Hirst show that moment called Damien Hirst: Models, Methods, Approaches, Assumptions, Results and Findings. 

100,000 people visited the show in 12 weeks and all the work was sold.

I was there, by accident, and since that day, I'm a huge fan.

Full report on The Squid Stories next week, at the closing weekend of the show!