Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Before They Pass Away: A tribute to vibrant tribal cultures around the world

In his landmark project Before They Pass Away Jimmy Nelson captures the lives and traditions of the last surviving tribes who have managed to preserve their traditional ways and customs within our increasingly globalized world. The British photographer's epic portraits present these dignified inheritors of noble and age-old traditions in a proud spirit and in all their glory-a unique visual experience. This exquisitely photographed showcase for world tribal culture is not only a joy to look at, but also an important historical record.

Published by teNeues, this book showcases tribal cultures around the world. Jimmy Nelson not only presents us with stunning images of customs and artifacts, but also offers insightful portraits of people who are the guardians of a culture that they-and we-hope will be passed on to future generations in all its glory.

This historic volume is a must-have for any lover of documentary photography.


Before They Pass Away 
by Jimmy Nelson
Huli Wigmen
Indonesia + Papua New Guinea

Copyright © Jimmy Nelson

Kazakh
Mongolia

© Jimmy Nelson

Kui East Wigmen
Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea

© Jimmy Nelson

Ladakhi
India

© Jimmy Nelson

Samburu Tribesmen
Kenya + Tanzania

© Jimmy Nelson


Courtesy of the artist and teNeues

Featured on the Huffington Post

Monday, October 14, 2013

Louis Vuitton City Bags: A Natural History

Published by Rizzoli NY, A Natural History of Louis Vuitton City Bags combines a unique, appealing approach with almost a scientific play on iconic shapes.

The first comprehensive taxonomy of Louis Vuitton's City Bags, a range of women's handbags that date back to turn of the 20th century. Featuring the trademarks of the House, City Bags represent the most successful line of accessories in the history of modern fashion - and were instrumental in making Louis Vuitton synonymous with modern luxury.

These soft-sided bags grew out of the various pieces of portable luggage that were themselves packed inside the trunks and wardrobes that had long ago represented the heritage of the company.

A classic Natural History book, this work is presented in a canvas clamshell with marble paper and a set of eleven illustrated plates. This limited edition is on sale exclusively for Louis Vuitton stores and on louisvuitton.com.




Family portrait: From the trunk to the city bag
Photograph © Patrick Gries, 2013



Inside a Keepall, 1960S
Photo © Patrick Gries, 2013

Speedy, biodiversity

Steamer Bag
Photo © Nick Veasey, 2013

Spring-Summer 2012 advertising campaign
Photo by Steven Meisel, 2011


All images courtesy Rizzoli NY.

Featured on HuffPost Style




Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Sartorial Anarchy; Style and Sympathies by IKÉ UDÉ

Style and Sympathies include a selection of self-portraits from Nigerian born IKÉ UDÉ's critically acclaimed Sartorial Anarchy series and for the first time, the series will be broadly continued and presented. Udé's distinctive portraits, which poeticize colors, sumptuous fabrics, and composition, transcend the traditional aesthetic of portraiture by adopting a post-modern twist. The portraits show a highly stylized world of color and improvisational virtuosity, in which the artist employs men's fashion ensembles that have been culled from various historical times and geographies.

Udé has been engaged with this body of work since 2010, when the first photographs of this series were presented in the exhibition, The Global Africa Project, at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), New York.

Wherein he is dressed in varied costumes across geography and time, Iké Udé explores a world of dualities: photographer / performance artist, artist / spectator, African / post-nationalist, mainstream / marginal, individual / everyman and fashion / art. His photographic work is in the permanent collections of Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Smithsonian Museum of Art, and in many private collections.

Iké Udé lives and works in New York City.

Style and Sympathies is on view at Leila Heller Gallery, NYC.


Styles and Sympathies
IKÉ UDÉ
Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery

Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery

Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery

Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery

Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery

Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery

Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery

Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery

Style and Sympathies by Iké Udé
October 10 - November 9, 2013

Featured in the Arts section of the Huffington Post