Art Attack: Cecil Beaton's Other Genius

Nowness - aka the best website on earth - has turned the focus back to one of the original geniuses of fashion photography, the one and only Cecil Beaton. Beaton, who is most famous for his capturing of each and every glamazon of his day, from Marilyn to Audrey to Queen Elizabeth, has now been bestowed with the title of ‘magical diary keeper’, by having his collaged inspirations compiled into a new Assouline title, The Art of the Scrapbook, available at the end of the month. I have no doubt that the vibrancy of these frozen moments in pop culture will utterly delight the senses (and certainly at $250 a pop, the book will be a lot more reasonable than trying to score copies of a similar collectible titles from the 50's, which I have been trying to acquire for a good 3 years now... )

Talk of the upcoming book brought me back to my first discovery of Beaton’s ‘other’ work, when my ‘in-training’ eye was first assaulted with the wildly imaginative images that hovered perfectly between the worlds of fashion and art – specifically Surrealism – that were so intermingled during his earlier days of the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s.

One photo in particular stands out as my all-time Beaton fave: ‘The Soapsuds Group’ at The Living Posters Ball of 1930. Pictured at the left is the photographer’s sister and sometimes muse, Baba, along with her two friends, Wanda Baillie-Hamilton and Lady Bridget Poulett. As the title suggests, the three young debs are posing as soapsuds. Soapsuds in the most fantastical bathtub ever to be imagined, the three ephemeral beauties appear like archways which make way for the experimental future of The Factory, Exploding Plastic Inevitables et al, transforming rich girl portraiture into dreamy art. Magnifique, right?

Reading Rainbow: Grace Kelly Style

Everything has been coming up All American lately, and while the resurgence of some fashion icons begs the question "Where have you been?" or even worse "Who are you?", the resurgence of Grace Kelly more appropriately begs the question, "Wait, did you ever leave?" Us Postmodern fashion-inhalers have gotten so addicted to trolling for new inspirations, never satisfied enough to admit, "Yes, she was perfect. That's how we all should look forever and ever" that we kind of skip over the basics of glamazon 101, a course which begins and ends with the kind of style embodied by Grace Kelly.

The lovely folks over at Abrams sent me a copy of the new book Grace Kelly Style, which accompanies the current exhibit at the V&A in London, Grace Kelly, Style Icon which is on until September 26th. Split into the three public phases of Miss Kelly's legendary life, the book profile's Grace's style from her explosion onto the screen as a Hollywood star to her fairytale marriage to Prince Ranier of Morocco to her eventual role as Princess of Morocco. Ranging from her calm and cool tucked sportswear and circular Ray Bans by day to her stunning columnar on set dresses (my absolute fave of which being the dress she gets rip roaring drunk in with Bing Crosby and then Frank Sinatra in High Society, designed by costumer Helen Rose) to her opulent and stately royal gowns - Grace's clothes are always flawless, serene, otherworldly. At the very least, flipping through the pages of Grace Kelly Style should be a reminder of the pinnacle of glamour. At the very most, Grace brings us one step closer to fashion being considered a religion.

Reading Rainbow: Just Kids

The one thing I hate about reading a good book is that I seem to zoom through the lines and pages until the words basically slip through my fingers. Page 100, page 200 and then oh, shit... the void. This is the kind of experience I had while reading Patti Smith's recently released memoir of her life with photo god and unfortunate 80s-death-by-AIDS poster boy, Robert Mapplethorpe. While their relationship, first as lovers and then as friends, spanned almost three decades, Patti focuses largely on their first years together, when the two, mythical in their own right, waded the waters of the legendary New York scene in the late 60's and early 70's. 'Elders' like Andy, Holly, Lou and Bob weave in and out of the plot, catapulting the two into the big time.

I love that Patti shares the early years so candidly, that the two had nothing but each other, that they were so broke they could barely eat but managed on dreams alone. It's as if she's coaxing creativity, right? That after years of working in a creative field that's certainly not even close to as simple as 1-2-3, passion and undeniable talent really do get you somewhere! (It might not be the Chelsea Hotel, but it may just be Brooklyn, if you're lucky)

In honour of the volumes of work that the two produced together, check out some of my favourite Patti by Robert portraits below! No doubt you'll recognize some of her classic album covers (Horses, Wave etc), but knowing that these came out of the loving gaze of a friend is even better.

The Beginning of the End... Lolita vs. Lolita

After all my years of Lolita fascination, what d'ya know, I finally finished the book! I was expecting greatness, as well as great perversion, of course... what I got was all of that and about a thousand awkward me maniacally laughing on the subway in public moments. Is it just me or is Nabakov not only a twisted fuck, but a great comedic genius as well? One of my fave parts of the Nabakov's book (below) and Kubrick's film (above) is the scene where Humbert Humbert makes Clare Quilty recite a poem about why he is about to murder him, right before he does indeed do him in. Interestingly, this little scene opens the movie and ends the book... here they are in both forms... so wonderfully warped!

Because you took advantage of a sinner
because you took advantage
because you took
because you took advantage of my disadvantage
when I stood Adam-naked
before a federal law and all its stinging stars
Because you took advantage of a sin
when I was helpless moultng moist and tender
hoping for the best
dreaming of marriage in a mountain state
aye of a litter of Lolitas
Because you took advantage of my inner
essential innocence
because you cheated me--
Because you cheated me of my redemption
because you took
her at the age when lads
play with erector sets
a little downy girl still wearing poppies
still eating popcorn in the colored gloam
where tawny Indians took paid croppers
because you stole her
from her wax-browed and dignified protector
spitting into his heavy-lidded eye
ripping his flavid toga and at dawn
leaving the hog to roll upon his new discomfort
the awfulness of love and violets
remorse despair while you
took a dull doll to pieces
and threw its head away
because of all you did
because of all I did not
you have to die

Reading Rainbow: Fifty Dresses That Changed The World

While we'd have to admit that we ain't exactly saving lives (except for maybe Lady Gaga's), most of us fashionites would argue that major fashion moments really do change the world....well, at least our world.

London's famed Design Museum agrees with us! Their new book, 50 Dresses That Changed the World singles out the most notable dresses over the last century, spanning from Mariano Fortuny's multi-pleat Delphos dresses from 1915 to Hussein Chalayan's LED dress from his 2007 Airborne collection.

For any former fashion student, this book reads like a trip down memory lane. For any fashion newbie, this book is like the bible. But wait, where are the accoutrements you ask? Get this, they've released 50 Shoes that Changed The World too! Check out my fave looks from the book below:

From left: Madeleine Vionnet's Goddess Dress was a Grecian vision back in 1931, Gianni Versace's Safety-Pin dress, made famous by Elizabeth Hurley in 1994, Marilyn's Seven Year Itch Dress from 1955 made by Travilla.

A newer version of Yves Saint Laurent's 1965 Mondrian dress, Rudy Gernreich's Topless Dress, pictured here in 1970 with pastied-up models, Halston's breezy Halter Dress, pictured here at the height of disco daze with Marisa Berenson in 1977.

Reading Rainbow: Lillian Bassman Women

Not to take away from the death of the great Irving Penn, who died earlier this week at the age of 92, but I'd just like to obsess about the great (and still kickin' at 92 herself!) Lillian Bassman for a moment. The lovely folks at Abrams Books sent me their just-released retrospective of her work (thank you, thank you!!!!) and the massive 14x11 240 page book almost seems like too modest of a forum to reacquaint me with her ultra-glam ultra-captivating photographs.

One of the only female photographers of her time, Bassman was of the lucky few to be nurtured under Alexey Brodovitch (along with her longtime love and husband of 74 years, Paul Himmel). It was while working under the famed art director at Harper's Bazaar that Bassman started to experiment with screwing around in the darkroom, developing tricks to alter images using objects as simple as tissue paper and spatulas. "I was interested in creating a new kind of vision aside from what the camera saw," she once said.

Bassman photographed some of the most beautiful and famous glamazons of her era, including Dovima, Suzy Parker and Jean Shrimpton, but her ability to manipulate and blur beautiful faces like theirs is what transforms her work into art. Bassman may have come to age at a time when photography and art were not exactly simpatico, but it's safe to say that her work transcends both labels. What it is, is pure genius.

Reading Rainbow: Sara and Rebekah Maysles' Grey Gardens

It seems funny that although I've been on the reading train for the last few months, I haven't been able to quite figure out how to express what I loved (mostly) and what I didn’t love (just a little bit) about the books I was reading. Between Simone de Beauvoir’s Les Belles Images (total existential snore), Michael Chabon’sThe Mysteries of Pittsburgh (amazing and addictive as usual), Philip Roth’s Goodbye, Columbus (great but out of date in poignancy) and J.D Salinger’s Franny and Zooey (Franny kind of irritated me but Zooey sounds like a babe) – the one thing that really stood out as perfect for The Katie Girls is Sara and Rebekah Maysles’ ode to all things Edie, Grey Gardens.

The beautifully put together art book is half stream of consciousness sketches, collages and Edie to Edie dialogue and half memorabilia from their father and uncle’s archive (which apparently is in a pretty Beale-esqe state itself these days!)

The pages are full of even more Beale anecdotes and witticisms than in the film, like the evil prediction Little Edie got from a horoscope machine in Grand Central Station, "I'll never go near a computer again as long as I live. Never! I'll absolutely run!" Also, there is a disc at the back with even more forgotten Edie dialogue! Hilarious, enchanting and wild...I honestly couldn't love the Edies more if they were my own relatives!

Reading Rainbow: A Freewheelin' Time

Suze Rotolo's A Freewheelin' Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties is 'dont judge a book by it's cover' case in point. You'd recognize it, of course as the cover of Bob Dylan's '63 breakthrough The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, and Suze is of course, most recognizable as the gal on his shoulder. I had asked my Dylan loving daddy for the book a few months ago, and I had largely assumed it would read like the diary of an ex-girlfriend who had finally gotten her publishable forum.

What I learned however, was that Suze could never be cast as the woman behind the man - her story was too valid on its own of being shared. Suze cleverly weaves details of their innocent and passionate love affair (crushing love letters included) through the story of her Red Diaper upbringing (she was the child of Italian communists during the McCarthy era) and her role in the creative community of Greenwich Village. Amongst the anecdotes of characters, events and episodes - Suze never makes claims on Dylan, never alludes to their relationship being any more important than his to other women, regardless of how much the reader might want to protest. She is wholly honest, to the point of being heartbreakingly relateable.

If you've ever wondered how active or passionate you would have been had you been born some 40 years earlier, Suze is pretty hard to beat. You read her story and you just feel, well inadequate...

Reading Rainbow: Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris

We like to think of Reading Rainbow as our little reading corner with all different types of books. Some new, some old, some for the coffee table and some for the bed side table.

If you’ve ever been in a relationship (probably) or had a crush on someone (definitely), you know the effects that lust can have on mundane events or even objects. Suddenly the same old, same old becomes new and meaningful.

Cutie McCute – and total Katie Girl – Leanne Shapton chronicles a relationship and the items that mean the most in her new book, Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry. Not only is this book totally original but it’s also freaking cute. But the best part? None of it is true.

The book revolves around the idea of a fictional couple’s breakup. A fictional catalogue for a fictional auction house displays fictional mementos from the couple’s fictional relationship. As you read about each of these lost items now up for sale, you learn the story of these two individual people and the relationship they had together through their material mementos.

So, to recap: fake breakup + fake auction of fake relationship mementos = new book to lust over

ps. we borrowed this picture from amazon.com