The Serpent

“If the account given in Genesis is really true, ought we not, after all, to thank this serpent? He was the first schoolmaster, the first advocate of learning, the first enemy of ignorance, the first to whisper in human ears the sacred word liberty, the creator of ambition, the author of modesty, of inquiry, of doubt, of investigation, of progress and of civilization.”

-Robert Ingersoll

 Stella Tennant by Paolo Roversi for W magazine

 Raquel Zimmerman by Nick Knight for Alexander McQueen SS10

Photo of a tree snake taken in Kruger Park, South Africa

Collage & The Little Prince

Made from photos I took on a trip to Asia.

Ever read the book The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery? This picture reminds me of the surreal interplanetary worlds he inhabits. My friend and I were discussing the book once, and both agreed we loved it for its delicate themes of beauty and individuality. They made a feature film of it, but it just doesn't compare (does it ever?). With the book, you build the character up in your head, turning him into your own special person, whose identity is interwoven with your own. In the film you can never really forget that you're watching a child actor in a dated film, and the whole illusion is destroyed.

The Little Prince (1943)

The Little Prince feature film (1974)

David O'Reilly

This guy is absolutely outrageous, his films are so cleverly detailed, featuring psychedelic visuals packed with symbols of popular culture (especially animation: Japanese Manga, Disney, 3D software, computer games), and ridiculous soundscapes. The way he references and combines such seemingly recognisable styles and images into a wacky mash-up universe of his own is incredibly effective and challenging, taking your brain on a stimulating trip.

His latest piece, Story of Genki??? has a swooping structure, showing the creation and evolution of a fantastical super being and its rapid journey, all in just 57 seconds:

Story of Genki???

His 2D creations are also very intense:

Poster which appears on a wall in Story of Genki???

 

Character development

 From the film  ????? ?????? ? ????? ?

Poster for his 17 minute film The External World (which I would highly recommend you watch!)

Have a look at his short films and other creations on his website:

davidoreilly.com 

SHOES

 As misogynistic as high heels are, they are terribly interesting as pieces of material culture. From the Rococo extravagance of the French courts, to the 1950s fetish club, and finally the ridiculous creations seen on the catwalks today, these wearable sculptures will undoubtedly perplex the archeologists who may unearth them in a few millenia.

   

Art deco cinderella - Nicholas Kirkwood 

 

Vertebrate - Dsquared

  

Chain-mail/wood/mercury - Pauline van Dongen

 

Dystopian bondage - Rodarte

 

Liquid spines - Alexander McQueen

     

Constructivist ponyskin - Aperlai

 

Space ballet - John Galliano

  

Reptilian claw - Dior (that poor toe!)

An ideal dinner party

If I could attend one dinner party in my life, this would be it. Dali's take on the state of existence is fantastic; he was enthralled by the space that flickers between the conscious and the subconscious. That realm is quite the experience. The fringes of our consciousness, where normally rational and linear thoughts melt into one another, perhaps revealing deep truths about our identity, our insecurities, our loves. Apparently Dali would sit in his chair with a tin tray on the ground, holding a spoon above it. As he began to snooze, his grip would relax, the spoon would clatter onto the tray, and he would paint the things he had seen while they were fresh in his memory.

Solipsist: Short film by Andrew Thomas Huang

This film absolutely fascinates me. I'm unsure if the artist intends for it to be read in any specific way, but I loved just watching it and seeing where it took my mind. I just find it so tactile, so incredibly lush. The first scene is such a beautiful depiction of being absolutely engulfed by something. The rattling beads, feathers and tassels slithering over their bodies made my skin crawl, I want to writhe in a dense mass of these textures. Then slowly: electric pops and squeaks. A community of craft-project aquatic beings, gradually growing more numerous while their bizarre interactions became more frenzied: a battle, a dance, a mating ritual? Finally the psychedelic sand, melting into itself, the endless potential of human thought, the umbilical connection, the surreal explosion of grains billowing out into organic clouds. What a feast.

The motivation

I deliberated for a while over starting this blog. Some blogs I find quite egotistical and silly, so I was reluctant and a little nervous that anything I produced would be perceived as narcissistic and mediocre. But then, this is the era of self publishing, and I started to see the internet as a lovely launching ground for ideas. Imagine if everyone in the world would one day have the means and motivation to publish their thoughts and inspiration on a whim? A global network of insights into peoples' minds already exists in Facebook, but i think blogs can only enrich this network further, they have a depth to them which I find appealing. So I am shedding the anxiety and laziness and starting this collection of thoughts, visuals and other assorted inspiration.
 
On a side note, having this receptacle for ideas will free up my brain, allowing it to occupy itself with new thoughts. I have always found the act of writing things down quite cathartic. When I know the idea is solidified somewhere to refer back to, I can stop worrying about forgetting it.

Feel free to respond to anything I post, exchange of opinions is always appreciated.

South Africa

Taken on a trip in January:

 Abandoned building, the Karoo

 Dead seal, Sandown Bay

 Pair of male lions, Kruger National Park

 Zebra family, Kruger National Park

 St. James beach, Cape Town

Arctic Terns swarming, Sandown Bay

Interview with a James Rosenquist painting

Interview with a James Rosenquist painting

In 1964 pop artist James Rosenquist completed a painting of Hollywood actress Joan Crawford, copied directly from an advert she had appeared in endorsing Camel cigarettes. Joan Crawford Says is housed in the Pop Art section of Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany, and I’m here today to interview her. After a warning from security staff that I am strictly not to photograph her, I approach the artwork. Her frozen smile and a strong smell of stale gin are what greet me when I walk up to the canvas. The glossy lips part slightly and her eyes sparkle as she acknowledges me with well rehearsed sincerity.

Joan: Hello darling, so lovely to meet you!

ThePeakingMannequin: Lovely to meet you too Miss Crawford.

Joan: Darling! Call me Joan. May I interest you in a deliciously mild Camel cigarette?

TPM: No, I’m alright thank you.

Joan: They’re very good, I insist you have one. Martini? Gin and tonic?

TPM: It’s nine in the morning...

Joan: And?

TPM: Never mind, I’ll just get straight into the interview if you don’t mind.

Joan: Well, actually I do mind, this is my home and you will do as I say. You will call me Joan Dearest. And you will have a Martini. And a deliciously mild Camel cigarette. Right now.

TPM: I’m sorry, we seem to have got off on the wrong foot, I didn’t mean to offend you Joan.

Joan: Joan what?!

TPM: Sorry, Joan Dearest.

Joan: There, that’s better now isn’t it? Let me light your Camel cigarette.

TPM: Thank you... May we start the interview now?

Joan: We will start the interview when I say, understand?

TPM: Um... Okay?

Joan: Okay what?

TPM: Okay Joan Dearest, sorry.

Joan: Stop apologising, you sound like a grovelling little shit, pull your shoulders back too. And what the hell is wrong with your jacket? I can tell that it’s been hanging on a wire hanger. I hate wire hangers. It makes clothes look cheap. Cheap and nasty. If you put more effort into your appearance it would really pay off. But then again you can’t polish a turd. 

TPM: Excuse me?

Joan: I apologise, I forget sometimes that not everyone can look like me. I put a lot of effort into this you know.

TPM: Oh, do you have a daily beauty routine?

Joan: Finally, a worthwhile question. Yes, I rise daily at 4.30 AM, scrub my face with a soap flakes and a pumice stone, and then rub it down with pure alcohol. After that I’ll soak my entire head in a basin of frigid water and ice cubes, before steaming my pores open with an industrial strength hairdryer. Open pores are very important as a receptacle for my powder. I use only the best Italian white lead powder on my face, then apply a tinge of blood to my cheeks and lips to give them a healthy glow.

TPM: Your own blood??

Joan: No, of course not! What ridiculous ideas you have in that silly little plain-looking head of yours, stupid boy. No, I get it from my daughter, Christina. Children’s blood is best, it keeps one youthful. Finally I curl my hair with a red hot poker and dowse it in wood varnish until it hardens into my lacquered quaff which I so favour. A touch of mascara and I’m done!

TPM: Wow, you really are a painting. Are you a fan of James Rosenquist’s work?

Joan: Who?

TPM: Never mind. What is your view on art?

Joan: Well I collect it myself, I have a number of gelatine prints of me in my earlier films adorning my walls. I also maintain a collection of porcelain dogs, Shih Tzus, Daschunds, that sort of thing. They take pride of place on my mantelpiece. They really are my children.

TPM: What about your actual children?

Joan: Those little ingrates! I can’t stand brats, they distract me from my goals. Why, just last week I was rehearsing in my parlour for an upcoming role, it’s all very hush hush, but anyway my daughter Christina comes in whining about a picture she’d drawn. I said, Mummy’s busy, I said. But the little shit persisted. Luckily I have very sharp nails, I have a diamond edge nail file you see. Anyway the picture ended up in ribbons on the ground within a matter of seconds and the girl learnt her lesson. Don’t interrupt Mummy when she’s working! (laughs)

TPM: What are your style secrets?

Joan: I always say, no one likes a round bosom. I get my brassieres made personally by a New York steel welder at great cost, but I feel it’s worth it to maintain that conical shape which is so alluring. Also, I never wear anything but the latest Parisian gowns. Anything less than that starts looking cheap. Completely cheap and nasty. This Schiaparelli I’m wearing now cost more than you would earn in ten years, probably twenty. I had some spare cash left over from my Haiti fundraiser you see, so I said screw it, sixteen hundred and eighty seven gowns are not enough. I’m frivolous like that, it’s a side of me people don’t often see, I can be fun. Finally, I never leave the house without a fur, even in summer. I would rather swelter in mink than let people think I’m poor.

TPM: Wow. I have no words.

Joan: (laughs) It’s a common reaction darling, I’m used to leaving people speechless. It comes with the territory of being a starlet. It’s interesting, you see, because people always manage to find words around Bette Davis, she’s very plain looking in my eyes. Blondes are so pedestrian. I always say you can measure a starlet by the words she takes away. I’m witty like that, you see. I’m actually working on writing a comedy picture at the moment.

TPM: Is it about a sell-out, phony, abusive, alcoholic, menopausal actress, past her prime and trying desperately to cover her own insecurities by attacking anyone who might see her for what she really is?

Joan: Yes! Camel Cigarette?

****