Jon Clark - The Ultimate 'Look'

Based on Patrick Suskind's famous book Perfume,  Illustrator Jon Clark shows that the links between reading and consuming the written word are closer than we may imagine.  By examining the indulgence of one mans greatest passion, his sense of smell, and the relationship with the emotional meaning that scents may carry, Clark's skin imprints insinuate that the link between the murderous intention of the central character and fashion's obsession with procuring identity through the decorated body are intertwined.  As the book goes on, smell assumes such an importance that it becomes close to the building bricks of human interaction.  Charm, innocence, courage, godliness - all of the just scents, all of them within Grenouille's reach.  It is this obsession with procuring the perfect scent that will make Grenouille fully human, thereby allowing him to consume and envelop himself in the originator of the scent, subsequently allowing Clark to mirror fashions cosmetic desire to uncover the ultimate 'look'.

The Pillow Book - handwriting more important than the surface of the face

The Pillow Book is Peter Greenaway's movie (1996) which dramatize the ceremonial of calligraphy on human skin. The brush's slight caress on the body and the mystery of those signs, develop an irresistible eroticism.  The film's central character, Nagiko flees from Kyoto to Hong Kong, where eventually she finds work as a fashion model and begins to seek lovers who will fulfill her dreams. For her the appearance of a person's handwriting is more important than the surfaces of his face; she wants to be used as a book, to be written on, to be read.

Her fetish ties in with two ancient Japanese artistic practices. One is the art of tattooing, which can be much more elegant and artistic than in the west, and is used by the yakuza as a way of bonding with their criminal brothers.  It can be seen as a form of submission - to the will of the tattoo artist, to the will of the group dictating the tattoos, or simply in the willingness of a person to be used as an object.

The funniest thing I have read today.......

Sometimes, it does one good to see what other people are saying on their make up blogs....or maybe not.

"Women often think about what guys want, but what about when applying their makeup? When it comes to makeup, what women find attractive can be completely different than what men find attractive. This brings us to the topic of what men want women to know when it comes to our makeup. Luckily, the handsome men around me enlightened me to their opinion on the subject and guess what? Too much makeup is a big DON’T."

Laugh? I almost smeared my lip gloss. Almost.

Destination Uslu

While browsing 10 Corso Como in Milan this weekend, I came across the decorative cosmetics brand Uslu Airlines and their wonderful videos that support the use of a cosmetic grade airbrush system, "bringing the ease and beauty of airflow to make-up".  The micronized liquid airbrush make up is available in a variety range of shades and can be used as foundation, rouge, eyeshadow and lip colour.    But ultimately it is the unrestrained way in which the brand proposes users engage with airbrushing that will be so exciting for the future of make up that I find particularly enchanting.

Video from Hasselblads Victor Magazine - 2007

I don't CARE if you have seen this before...I LIKE it.

First Impressions - Marked

Marked

"The marked series is an investigation into the residue left behind by jewellery, the physical presence and sensations which resonate on the skin after a piece has been removed. This project uses skin as a self-referential mechanism and demonstrates how surfaces can be gently manipulated to respond to ephemeral embellishments.  The premise behind the marked series is the ability of skin to transmute into temporary articles of jewellery, in addition to the more common role as a site for adornment."  

As seen on Klimt02

Kim Joon

Cradle Song - Vivienne Westwood - 2009

Korean artist Kim Joon explores the human skin as an extension of canvas and tattoos as a manifestation of human desire.  Using animation photography, Joon creates three-dimensional human figures over which he meticulously grafts human, animal and artifically-created skin. These figures are then covered in bright patterns of "tattoos" made from logos of designer labels and traditional Asian imagery. His work explores the idea of the tattoo -- a major taboo in Korea -- as an expression of secret desires and hidden pain.

Cradle Song -Montblanc, 2009

 

Cradle Song - Ferragamo, 2009