Elodie Silberstein, Patricia Alvarez - MEMORIUM #2

MEMORIUM #2

Performance 3pm to 4pm
26th November 2011

Camperdown Cemetery
189 Church Street
Newtown 2042

Free admission but RSVP essential:
elodiesilberstein@westnet.com.au

http://elodiesilberstein.blogspot.com/
www.elodiesilberstein.com

Press Release

From 3pm to 4pm on the 26th November, a limited audience will take part in a Victorian funeral procession orchestrated by artists Elodie Silberstein and Patricia Alvarez in Camperdown Cemetery. As would have occurred during a mourning ceremony in the 19th century, the audience will receive a black rosette to wear and mourning cookies to share.

Memorium #2 is to be a part of White Ribbon Day, the Australian campaign which seeks to prevent violence against women. The project investigates the mortality rate arising from domestic violence in the developed world. Intimate partner homicides account for one-fifth of all homicides in Australia. Of these, four out of five involve a man killing his female partner.

http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/uploads/media/Fact%20Sheet%205%20Facts%20and%20Figures%20What%20is%20violence%20against%20women%202009.pdf

During the remembrance ceremony, Elodie Silberstein will position a clay sculpture in the cemetery; this sculpture will steadily decay and in so doing will raise issues of loss, rituality, humanity and collective responsibility. The highlight of the event will be the singing performance of Patricia Alvarez.

During her creative process, Elodie photographed historic cemeteries such as Cimetière du Père Lachaise (France) and La Recoleta cemetery (Argentina). She collected pearl memorial flowers; and post-mortem photography which was used to help people cope with grief. This theatrical celebration of death shows a drastic contrast with that of the contemporary post modern pragmatic and individualist society in which death has disappeared from the familial and social spheres to move into the medical one. Elodie’s creative process is documented on her blog: http://elodiesilberstein.blogspot.com/.

Patricia described the project as “a wonderful opportunity to honour death and the cyclical nature of life. Although the subject matter is sombre and sorrowful, to lead a procession that commemorates life and death is a noble act. The sharing of ritual immortalises the intangible and is a reaffirmation to those that have died, that we too will die, and perhaps see them again. To grieve with others, acknowledges and unifies our connection to nature, and how in life, death is an eternal phenomena”.

Photography by Kent Johnson

Icon Brand - Hunky Dory - Pieces of Nowhere - Social Club !~)

Hip, Happening, with some restrained hipsterism meets surf culture (?) and inner city cool. Sure that's an unlikely culture-combo but the Icon boys seem to know how to make it happen. Or to put it another way, the Pieces of Nowhere, Icon Brand HS11 launch went off. As it did last time only this time more so! Yes its been a while since I went out and enjoyed myself quite like this.

So part in homage to the previous post 'its a mans world' I started this post with a series of portraits from the night, some of the people you may recognise, yes I'm sure you will. AND I am having a little Icon Brand giveaway-see the bottom of the page...
















And the bands played on, Jack Dawson, The Money Smokers - who seem'd to channel Mick Jagger and Angus 'Bon Scott' (lived and Drank) Young together..(last shot below). And Bridgemary Kiss all playing the very cool Darlinghurst rooftop venue, Hunky Dory Social Club!













If you see someone in the portrait shots you know, please get them to drop me a line; I think these shots may have a future well beyond this brief blog post. And- well, you-know; its nice to have a name on the picture if you get it hung in a major exhibition.. Well it would not be the first time!

Thanks to all the guys from Icon Brand, I don't know how you do it but do it you do! And thanks to the bands and DJs and the friendly barmen with the Sol beer and, well I din't try the Rekorderlig Cider but it looked very popular. and thanks guys for the goodie bag; mine contained not one but two little camera on chains! I cannot possibly wear two so I am giving one of the little cameras on a chain away, perfect for photographers; see T&C below.

Icon Brand
Jack Dawson
The Money Smokers
Bridgemary Kiss
Hunky Dory Social Club
Icon Brand on FB

All you have to do is 'like' my page and leave a comment under the Icon brands picture 'where you can buy Icon brand'. I will put your names in a hat at the end of the week (Sat 8th) and pull out a winner!



.

Hush Hush - Gossip Couture - Italian Pre-War Elegance..

Out of the Past and into the NOW!

When I received the invitation from Mauricio Alpizar for the Gossip Couture AW 2012 parade with a picture of I think the Andrews Sisters seated, all three in profile with those fabulous 1940s blouses and hairstyles; I immediately wanted to be there! But this was never going to be a show about that Golden period of the USA; no, it was about a far more European, luxurious and decadent period and place, the card was quite simply a teaser! Mauricio has drawn his inspiration from pre-war Italy; and if my cinema going experiences are anything to go by; it was very decadent indeed.

This collection has all the retro style and elegance I had hoped for, and although looking-back for inspiration it moves inexorably forward to a new modernity. This ability to move forward (while taking inspiration from the past), is to my mind one of the greatest hurdles for any designer to clear if they are going to make a success of New-Retro designs without simply being a mimic of the past.

The show opened with what seems to be a peek behind the curtain into a rather exclusive and luxurious Men's Club or was it the fantasy of a glimpse into an exotic 1940s Italian Bordello? Who cares, the stage was set - Decadence Full Seam Ahead! Lace dresses with gold silk slips, silk dresses, silk and wool blends, "turquoise and gold satin jackets with the softest of gold silk lining, little black dresses with the most intricate of beading," and menswear too...

But what is beautiful and desirable that can't be made even more so by the select addition of a few lovely jewels; Necks, Wrists, Fingers and Lobes where dressed by Tancredi Jewellers creating that final luxurious touch.

"for men, this time offering the lads cashmere and wool knits in vivid hues of jet red, gold and emerald, epauletted trenches of wool blend with highly detailed check lining, and gangster pants with intricate detail pockets front and back".

Thank you Mauricio for a wonderful evening and an even more wonderful viewing. And a thank you to my friend Katerina who assisted as a second set of eyes as I worked the camera making sure that no detail would be missed.

www.mauricioalpizar.com.au
www.tancredijewellers.com
www.theartlounge.com.au

Telling Stories in Pictures all over..

Kent Johnson, Sydney, Australia.

0433 796 863

kent@artcommunication.com.au

www.kentjohnsonphotography.com.au

www.fashionphotographysydney.blogspot.com/

Facebook Twitter Instagram

.

Bespoke Fashion Sydney - William Street Laneway Festival 2011

William St Paddington is Sydney's Fashion Street. I have been coming here for years and years often with a friend or stylist in tow.. These first portraits below are from the William Street Ateliers, yes - fashion made right here, made for you, designed-checked-fitted, and made right here in William Street. Neil Grigg and hats that set mens hearts racing on the head of their favourite filly. Andrew McDonald's fabulous and creatively designed leather shoes and bags; the moment you walk through the door you can smell all that real leather. Sylvia Chan, who (unless you have some kind of magical power of persuasion) only makes a dress once, because why would you do the same thing twice. Can you say Couturier... And I think we can all see what is happening at Matthew Lawrence Bespoke..

That of course is not the end of the handmade on William Street Paddington but if you are in a bit more of a rush, there is no shortage of designers and labels to take your pick from. I'm not going to go crazy trying to describe which-what-wear; you can choose. I do wonder though; even with the sun playing hide-and-seek all day Saturday, if opening up the street to pedestrian traffic in a more full time manner might not be a good idea. Perhaps even if it were simply from 9 till 5... No doubt that will stir the pot a bit; with pros & cons, of dropping things to the door...

And while as with any (or is that every) fashion event there were some DJs DJing. STOP. Listen. There was also the beautiful strains of the Bach Cello Suites floating down and following you along, being played on the street by the equally beautiful Markela Panegyres, who apparently comes all the way from Perth. What are they putting in the water over there.. So here it all is; Lingerie and Shoes, the Casual to what-we-wear when-we-go-out; boutique and bespoke; it's all here. The only real Fashion Street; William Street Paddington in Sydney? Take a trip, take your time; you decide.





















>






William Street Paddington

www.sylviachan.com.au
www.neilgriggmillinery.com
andrewmcdonald.com.au

www.jacandjack.com
www.whitesuede.com
www.dportfolio.com.au
www.thecornershop.com.au
www.nudiejeans.com
www.samiandsita.com
www.dearwood.com.au

Markela Panegyres Cello


.

The Russian Standard / Shop Til You Drop + Vodka = 30 Daze of Fashion..

You know I think I really have been being a little spoiled of late. And while its true that I was not gifted a huge fat complimentary Shop Til You Drop - World Square gift voucher to go shopping with.. I had my gaily coloured pink wrist band on, I was in the VIP enclosure (or corral as I have been calling them lately) I was surrounded by a bevvy of beauties; not least the lovely ladies from Russian Standard Vodka and their mesmerizing smiles.

As luck would have it I ran into a friend of recent acquaintanceship, fellow Miss Universe Australia judge Peter Sereno and together we saw our way through some Nandos Chicken Pita Pockets (say that fast with a mouth full) and a few responsibly served Russian Standard Vodka drinks. There was superb DJing from DJ Duo 'Rogers' from the stairs above our heads, a catwalk out in front with; mid way, the beautiful Sarah Stephens, MCing the event for fashionistas one and all.

But it all seemed a little like Zeno's Paradox; I was moving forward but getting no closer to the finish line, or not close enough to cross over to break the ribbon. Perhaps it had something to do with that other shopping night out. However if you are simply wondering what the night looked like; scroll down because it looked something like this...























Thanks to World Square, Shop Til You Drop, Nandos Chicken Pita Pockets & Russian Standard Vodka.