AS IF Magazine Issue 11 Sofia Boutella

BOSCO SODI KEHINDE WILEY MICHEL COMTE MICK ROCK SOFIA BOUTELLA AND MORE

2017 / ISSUE N° 11

+888.214.6858 | AUDEMARSPIGUET.COM

TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM. THE VALLÉE DE JOUX. FOR MILLENNIA A HARSH, UNYIELDING ENVIRONMENT; AND SINCE 1875 THE HOME OF AUDEMARS PIGUET, IN THE VILLAGE OF LE BRASSUS. THE EARLY WATCHMAKERS WERE SHAPED HERE, IN AWE OF THE FORCE OF NATURE YET DRIVEN TO MASTER ITS MYSTERIES THROUGH THE COMPLEX MECHANICS OF THEIR CRAFT. STILL TODAY THIS PIONEERING SPIRIT INSPIRES US TO CONSTANTLY CHALLENGE THE CONVENTIONS OF FINE WATCHMAKING.

MILLENARY IN PINK GOLD

AUDEMARS PIGUET BOUTIQUES: NEW YORK | BAL HARBOUR SHOPS | BEVERLY HILLS | LAS VEGAS | BRICKELL

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16 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

20 OBJECTIFY / WHITE HEAT Blinded by the light; the hottest color for spring and summer is white and here are our top finds!

23 PERSON OF INTEREST: DAVID HART New York’s go to men’s

designer.

NOVIS New York’s latest women’s fashion designer to emerge on the scene.

30 THROUGH THE DECADES AS IF celebrates Furla’s 90th anniversary with a fashion editorial highlighting their anniversary bags.

40 OUT THERE / CEREMONY Nurture your spiritual needs while you travel with our top hotel recommendations that will encourage complete devotion.

46 MONOPOLIS Max Mara’s pre-fall collection is a masterful convergence of Italian craftsmanship, Creative Director Ian Griffith’s feminine silhouettes, and Chinese artist Liu Wei’s interpretation of contemporary society.

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70 COMTE Visionary fashion photographer, Michel Comte, has taken on the art world with epical art exhibitions that include photography, painting, sculpture and installation. Working side by side with his creative partner, wife and muse, Ayako, the couple continue Comte’s legacy of captivating works that grip the viewer.

96 SUGAR & SPICE Exploring Marchesa’s Couture and Notte collection in a whimsical fashion editorial.

126 HEROES Artist Kehinde Wiley references historic Old Master paintings while creating his over-sized artwork of urban brown-skinned men and women from around the world. The result are colorful, dynamic, and confident moving portraits that command space.

152 SHOULDER LENGTH Showcasing this season’s fashion trends. Focus: shoulder.

164 THE HISTORY OF ROCK The seminal rock photographer of our era, Mick Rock, captured the most memorable images of our larger-than-life musical icons.

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MAX MARA PRESENTS

“PRISM IN MOTION” A project in collaboration with artist, Shantell Martin Celebrating the Max Mara Spring/summer 2017 Eyewear Collection

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LIMITED EDITION ARTWORK BY

ku.oc.sdlefime g.www

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XX PETITE PUTTO A Renaissance look at high-end jewelry.

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XX SOFIA Sofia Boutella’s background in dance gave her a strong niche following, but it’s her presence on the big screen that has producers and directors calling. Starring in two films this summer—The Mummy and Atomic Blonde— Boutella is about to become a household name.

XX AFRICAN SUN Join us on a luxury trip to an ecoresort safari in Zambia, Africa.

XX STORY OF A SHIPWRECKED SAILOR AS IF’s Fine Art Editor, Kim Heirston sits down with Mexican born artist Bosco Sodi for a rare and intimate interview that recollects the artist’s earliest roots, his current works, and his connection to Wabi-Sabi.

XX AS IF YOU CAN HAVE IT TOO Shopping directory from editorials and where to buy it.

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PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER CREATIVE DIRECTOR Scott Fishkind fishkind@asifmag.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTOR, PHOTO DIRECTOR Tatijana Shoan shoan@asifmag.com DESIGN DIRECTOR Diego Pinilla Amaya

ON THE COVER

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Diego Pinilla Amaya, Manos Daskalakis FASHION DIRECTOR Stacey Jones jones@asifmag.com ART DIRECTOR Kim Heirston heirston@asifmag.com BEAUTY DIRECTOR Veronica Webb webbdelgatto@asifmag.com LIFESTYLE EDITOR Elisabeth Jones-Hennessy

SOFIA BOUTELLA Dsquared2 silk, mesh and pony skin dress with beading Tiffany & Co. necklace in platinum with diamonds

Table of Contents Images Photographer Peter Sebastian petersebastian.com Hair and makeup by Maja Provstgaard majaprovstgaard.com

ADVERTISING SALES AND DISTRIBUTION David Llewellyn INTERNATIONAL SALES AND MARKETING Alexandra Schmitt EDITORIAL/EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS Georgia Harrington COPY EDITOR Naomi Sanderson, Zoe Paige AS IF INTERNS Easton Self, Kristen Brink, Briege Ryan GENERAL ADVERTISING INQUIRES advertising@asifmag.com

ISSN 2324-8904 C 2017.

PUBLISHED TWO TIMES A YEAR BY AS IF MEDIA GROUP, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANY REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. THE PUBLISHER AND EDITORS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY UNSOLICITED MATERIAL. OPINIONS CONTAINED IN THE EDITORIAL CONTENT ARE THOSE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE PUBLISHERS OF AS IF MAGAZINE.

SUBSCRIPTION AND DISTRIBUTION REQUEST subscriptions@asifmag.com ALL OTHER INQUIRES info@asifmag.com

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SECOND VOLUME AS IF / ISSUE 11

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or those of you who are faithful AS IF readers, you will know that we like to feature high-end jewelry. Whether we’re talking about diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls, these treasures from Mother Earth have their own character and story. And, when shaped by the hands of master jewelers’, earth’s historical scripts become works of art. One of the challenges we face while composing each issue is finding creative ways to present such pieces. For this issue, I turned to the Renaissance Masters for inspiration, and lo and behold, my muse was staring me in the face. My son, General, 11 months old, is by now a seasoned veteran behind the camera lens, thanks to his photographer mother. Taking Raffaello Sanzio’s Angeli painting as my cue, we went about creating a set and bedecked it with fruits, flowers, and General, who was adorned in nature’s finest jewels. You can see the results of this project in our story, “Petite Putto”.

Sofia Boutella is a familiar name among people in the know, but don’t feel off the radar if she isn’t a household name for you; that will soon change. Boutella is Hollywood’s hottest ingénue. Her dance background gives her a strong niche following, but it’s her presence on the big screen that have producers and directors calling. While working with Sofia for this issue, it soon became clear why her star is on the rise. Her presence is nothing short of electric. Her dance background allowed her to move uninhibited for my lens, as if her goal was to hypnotize my camera, which she succeeded in doing.

All of our issues are special to us, and two people that helped make this issue special are photographers Michel Comte and Mick Rock. When I started my career as a photographer, Michel Comte became a mentor. Never proprietary over his craft, he was always willing to share ideas, instruct, and boost my confidence. It was my pleasure to photograph and interview him and his wife and creative partner, Ayako, for this issue, and it was an honor to showcase his poetic and captivating work.

My husband and I are children of the ’70s, and like most of our generation, we grew up with rock photographer Mick Rock’s images plastered all over our bedroom walls. He photographed our rock idols exactly as we saw them: iconic, larger than life, untouchable, breathtakingly cool, and damn pretty. Going through portions of Rock’s monumental archive made it nearly impossible to select images for this feature. “History of Rock” aims to capture the legacy and importance of Rock’s work.

We are also privileged to feature the works of extraordinary artists Kehinde Wiley and Bosco Sodi. Wiley’s monumental paintings of urban brown-skinned men and women invite the viewer to contemplate society’s preconceived perceptions of urban culture. And Sodi’s monolithic paintings have such a sculptural presence that they seem to transfix the viewer into a state of meditation.

Issue 11 will also take you to the Luangwa Valley in Zambia for our story “African Sun.” With adventures including adrenaline-fueled safari rides and luxurious bubble baths in a soak tub built for two, our stay at Norman Carr Chinzombo was nothing short of magical.

With our tribute to Furla’s 90th anniversary collection, our story on Max Mara’s collaboration with Chinese artist Lui Wei, and a showcase of Marchesa’s breathtaking pre-fall collections, this issue aims to satisfy the visual appetite of our readers.

PETER SEBASTIAN There is something unique in every photograph taken

by Peter Sebastian. Peter is a fine arts and fashion photographer based out of Risskov, Denmark with a highly conceptual and minimal approach. Educated as a photographer in Denmark with a Master’s Degree in Photography/London. He started shooting in 1984 as a still life photographer and then changed focus to fashion and people in 1992. Travelled the world for many years - shooting fashion. Peter lived in Paris, London, Vicenza and Amsterdam and is represented in New York

ANDREEA ROBESCU Is a multidisciplinary artist based in Barcelona. Born in Bucharest, Romania, Robescu grew up in a family of artists. At age 12, Robescu shocked audiences with her canvases of nudes drawn in charcoal. Always experimenting, she continued her artistic journey but instead as an Interior Designer. Later, alongside her partner Andrei Robu, she learned more about graphic design and gained valuable experience in working with corporate clients. Her art breaks the boundaries of how he body and facial features are illustrated through photography in the fashion industry and by using a more relaxed, playful and empowering way. Bold colours and abstract shapes play a big part of Andreea’s work. She’s creating powerful visuals using everything from markers to acrylics, pencils and ink, sometimes even her bare hands, making the whole process a very personal one. Her energetic illustrations attracted the eye of various global brands and publications.

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Explore a world of icons in art, fashion and culture.

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mag.com AS IF MAGAZINE features intimate profiles on the biggest names in art, fashion, and culture. We spotlight individuals who have

made an indelible creative mark in our zeitgeist, inspire us through their creative visions and move us through their creations.

asifmag.com is at the epicenter of a growing and passionate community consisting of cultured trend-setters at the intersection of art, fashion, design, travel, and culture.

Log on and subscribe today to receive our bi-annual print issues, exclusive web content and weekly updates including shoppable videos.

WHITE IS RIGHT AND ALL THINGS LIGHT—FROM YOUR HOME TO YOUR WARDROBE, BRING ON THE BRIGHT! Curated by ELISABETH JONES-HENNESSY www.elisabethjoneshennessy.com

1 1 | New Zealand based potter, Jeremy Cole has created flora-inspired lighting collections using white bone china that are so delicate and intricate they rival the real thing.

All Cole’s pieces are collectable, hand-made, and signed by the designer.

Jeremy Cole, Cymbidium Ming Vase, $1490. jeremycole.net

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2 | There is no accessory more classic than the pearl, and Mikimoto is synonymous with pearls.

These timeless pearl and diamond droplets are the only accessory needed for any important night out.

Mikimoto, A World of Creativity white South Sea cultured pearl droplet earrings, $23,500. mikimoto.com

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3 | When it comes to chic, understated dressing, Celine is the go-to brand. This sheer jersey dress can be paired with your favorite white lingerie or spandex, or daringly on its own.

Either way, you’ll turn a few heads when entering any room.

4 | The first ever champagne especially created to be enjoyed over ice, the taste is slightly fruity and extremely refreshing. No luxury beach vacation is complete without enjoying a bottle of Moët Ice Impérial from your lounge chair.

Celine, bright sheer jersey woven dress in optic white, $3,750. Clasp Cabas black bag, $5,000. Plimsole sneaker in white with red accent, $590. Available at Celine 870 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10021 Phone: (212) 535-3703

Moët & Chandon, Moët Ice Impérial, $59.00. us.moet.com/ Our-Champagnes/ Moet-Ice-Imperial

5 | Artist and jewelry designer Joji Kojima is known for theatrics.

Made from resin, brass and stainless steel, this Dancing Skull ring from the Midnight Dance collection, literally floats from your finger and does the entertaining all on its own. No wonder fellow artists like Lady Gaga are fans of his designs.

Joji Kojima, Dancing Skull Ring. Price available upon request. jojikojima.com

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6 | Crystals hanging over your head must produce good vibes! Long-term Swarovski collaborators, Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard of Fredrikson Stallard have designed the new Glaciarium collection of crystal lighting components and chandeliers, combining precision-cut facets with fluid forms. Adding the latest in LED technology,

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these chandeliers seem to have come straight out of the future.

Swarovski, Rock from the Glaciarium collection by Fredrikson Stallard. Price available upon request. swarovski.com

7 | The hottest lingerie brand to hit the scene, Fleur du Mal’s white crochet lace balconette bra and underwear are bound to make any night a naughty and nice one.

Fleur du Mal, crochet lace Balconette bra, and crochet lace Cheeky underwear, $128, $65. fleurdumal.com

9 8 | Designer Prabal Gurung’s fresh all-white look screams sensuality.

The deep V-neck tunic has button detailing on the sleeves and the white leather midi-skirt is high waisted with a pierced car wash hem. Together, a chic outfit that easily transfers from day to night.

Prabal, top, skirt $695, $3495.neimanmarcus. com

9 | The Goldmund Apologue Anniversary wireless speakers brings unparalled sound to any environment with an intense, built-in amplification totalizing 3600W for a pair.

Integrated high level of design, ease of use and installation, these speakers can be customized in white for a clean and modern design aesthetic.

Goldmund, Apologue speaker. Price available upon request. goldmund.com

10 | Nature and technology fuse seamlessly in Studio Drift’s utterly fantastic light sculpture where dandelions are hand-picked then glued seed by seed to LED lights, which are then connected to threedimensional bronze electrical circuits. The result is an emotional and intellectual vision.

Studio Drift, Fragile Future.

Price upon request.

Carpentersworkshopgallery. com

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16 11 | Iconic western photographer Jim Krantz has partnered with renowned furniture brand Modernica to create a collection of 50, limited edition, Way of the West Chairs, each numbered and signed. The classic mid-century modern fiberglass shell chair is handcrafted and is used as a literal canvas for Krantz’s western imagery.

Jim Kranz & Modernica, The Way of the West Chairs Collection. Price $695 to $745. jimkrantzprojects. com/way-of-the-west/

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12 | Evoking primitive artwork reimagined for a modern aesthetic, L’Objet’s Celestial collection is not only a textural design statement, but when adorned with spikes also adds an edge.

L’Objet, Celestial bowl on stand (large), $875. l-objet.com

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13 | These silvery white slip-ons give you a bird’s eye view of two of London’s most iconic sites: the London Eye and Big Ben. Take a bit of London with you wherever you go!

14 | From the runway to real life: this is the shirt of the season! Proclaiming what we should already know, and a staunch reminder that gender equality is not something to take lightly.

Cocorose London, Carnaby Westminster, $65. cocoroselondon.com

Dior, cotton T-shirt, $710. Available at Dior boutiques nationwide 1-800-929-Dior

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15 | Chic and simple, this minimalist solid wood table and matching benches are a perfect addition to any beach house escape.

Lukas Machnik, Monument table + benches, $10,800. lmd-studio.com

16 | “Perles de France” is the new craze for caviar aficionados. These white pearls are the eggs of escargot, and their unique subtle flavor with aromas of mushroom, heather and bark, have made white the new black.

Bellorr Caviar, Perles de France. Price starts at $82 for 30 grams.

France-caviar.co.uk

David Hart

Place of Birth: Baltimore, Maryland Place of Residence: Brooklyn, New York Occupation: Menswear Designer What is David Hart: David Hart is a menswear brand rooted in historical references and nostalgia updated for the modern guy.

What is your mission for the brand: The goal is to get guys excited about dressing up again. Denim, t-shirts, and biker jackets have become the uniform of today and the guy in a suit is the new rebel.

Who is the David Hart customer: Creative intellectuals.

Describe your creative process: My process always starts with an image. My grandfather was an avid photographer who documented family life and I was always intrigued by how people dressed for daily life. That’s always the starting point.

Favorite part of the job: I love seeing my clients feeling great in their clothing at events or on the red carpet.

Clientele include: Andy Samberg, Paul Rudd, Leslie Odom Jr., Dan Stevens, Ryan Gosling, Alan Cummings, Daniel Radcliffe, & Joel McHale.

David Hart info@davidhartnyc.com

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• PERSON { of } INTEREST •

Name: Jordana Warmflash

Novis

Place of Birth: New York City (Upper West Side) Place of Residence: New York City (Chelsea) Occupation: Fashion Designer

What is Novis: Inspired by the art world, Novis offers a range of optimistic womenswear beautifully constructed from luxurious fabrications.

What is your mission for the brand: Fashion enables people to express and create their identity – I aim to design clothing that enhances a woman’s sense of confidence, signals her independence, and celebrates her irreverence.

Who is the Novis customer: A happy, cultured, go-getter and independent thinker who appreciates the power and energy of color, pattern and texture.

Describe your creative process: Each collection is generally inspired by art: I always start the creative process by researching art or artists whose work I find inspiring, that I feel could be a good jumping off point for a collection. First I develop a color story and source fabrics and yarns. Next, I work with our amazing vendors to develop custom fabrications, prints, trims, and knit stitches. Lastly, I begin sketching and draping the collection and, of course, making tweaks and changes along the way. I really look at the process as organic and I am forever making adjustments. Once 90% of the collection is sketched out/draped – we start a muslin/proto process and then fittings, revisions and then on to the final sample collection!

Favorite part of the job: Receiving positive feedback from happy Novis customers.

Clientele/Fans include: Taylor Swift, Taraji P Henson, Gillian Jacobs, Carrie Coon, Tracee Ellis Ross, Annaleigh Ashford, Tamu McPherson, Christene Barberich.

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19 21 17 | Smoke and flames are the name of this sneaker game. Don’t mess with anyone wearing these bad boys.

GUCCI, Ace low-top sneaker with flames (men’s), $695. Available at select Gucci stories nationwide, Gucci.com

20 18 | A backwards future seems to be a sign of the times and Gucci is one brand that definitely has their finger on the pulse of society these days.

GUCCI, Future Osiride leather top handle bag,. $2,980. Available at select Gucci stories nationwide, Gucci.com

19 | The newest collaboration to hit the streets, the “rock” shoe,

by Japanese designer Issey Miyake and Dutch shoe brand United Nude. Combining design philosophies, the project elaborates on Miyake’s concept of ‘Ten Sen Men’ (point, line and surface), and continues United Nude’s steady approach to shoe design as architecture. Together,

they have created a shoe that is both conceptual and cool, and surprisingly comfortable.

ISSEY MIYAKE x UNITED NUDE, Rock Sandals, $450. isseymiyake.com

20 | Get beach ready in this white hot Karla Colletto one-piece swimsuit with front laceup detail. Cleavage made adjustable by pull strings adorned with chic little tassels at the bottom.

Karla Colletto, Lace up Entwined suit, $334. net-a-porter.com

21 | This may look like just an average T-shirt, but looks are deceiving. Wixson Paris have created the most luxurious T-shirts to hit the market. Made with 100% cashmere this is one T-shirt you will truly want to live in!

Wixson Paris, Zach vicunacashmere t-shirt, $2330 wixsonparis.com

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26 22 | Telsa’s new Model X is a breath of fresh air, literally! The cabin is equipped with a medical grade HEPA filter that strips outside air of pollen, bacteria, viruses and pollution, providing riders with the cleanest air on the road. The ultra-sleek Falcon Wing doors allow for easier access to the third and second rows; plus, the seats in the second row recline independently!

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This seven seater SUV has a 100 kWh battery providing 295 miles of range and accelerates from zero to 60 in 2.9 seconds.

Tesla, Model X, $85,500 tesla.com

23 | This understated white edition of the classic Royal Oak Offshore Diver with stainless steel case and white dial and strap is the ultimate accessory for the fashionable man. Telling time doesn’t get cooler than this!

Audemars Piguet, Royal Oak Offshore Diver in white, $19,000. audemarspiguet.com

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24 | In need of assistance, how about MoRo, the human-size assistant robot developed

by Ewaybot Technology?

With MoRo’s six jointed arms, adaptive grippers, 360º field-of-view, wheels that can navigate indoors and outdoors, as well as real-time voice control, MoRo may just be the soul mate you have been looking for!

MoRo Robot. Approximately $38,000.

Ewaybot.com

25 | Mobile living has never been so fabulous!

This functional, flexible, mobile home can be used for living, or a work space where ever you want it to be. This contemporary structure also comes smart home ready and you can control the coodo’s shutters and lights from your smartphone.

Coodo. Prices vary.

Coodo.com

26 | Master of minimalism—the Jil Sander brand continues to parlay her message of less is more in this ultrachic mod white uniform.

Jil Sander, white Maiorca jacket, Minuetto shirt, white Morris pant, $1160, $470, $640 mr.porter.com, jilsander.com

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32 31 27 | From the Rick Owens Home Collection, this white marble urnette is a grounding force in any décor setting.

Rick Owens, Marble Urnette, $13,420. lmd-studio.com

28 | Hamptons Salt Company are leaders in the foodie revolution making the common table staple salt the must-have chef accessory. Straight from the Mediterranean, this aesthetically pleasing salt has large pyramid like white flakes giving it an almost glistening effect on any food it touches, not to mention a delicious addition for your palette.

Hamptons Salt Company, artisanal Finishing Salt, $14.99 (14oz).hamptonssalt. com

29 | This S.T. Dupont lighter is not only the world’s slimmest luxury lighter, but with its revolutionary design, the side-mounted igniter delivers a wind-resistant jet flame that’s powerful enough to light up anytime, anywhere. A literal meaning of having “heat in the moment”!

Dupont, White Slim 7 in white lacquer, 186.00. st.dupont.com

30 | A bike with no gear shifting and requiring virtually zero maintenance? Seems like a dream come true thanks to Martone! Made of double wall aluminum, these 2 gear automatic hub bikes are light, strong and seemingly magical.

The red chain adds a fun pop of color to the pure white model.

Real Diamond, $1000. martonecycling.com

31 | The sky’s not the limit for PowerRay’s new underwater drone.

Explore the depths over 150 feet away and discover hidden treasures, or become a better fisherman with the sonar fish finding system!

PowerVision, PowerRay underwater drone Intermediate package: $1788.00. powervision.me

32 | Designer Paul Cocksedge’s Compression Sofa pays tribute to the beauty and nature of different materials and their interactions. A smooth slab of white Carrara marble is compressed into a large rectangular block of foam to create a solid nest. This functional work of art take the home’s “statement pieces” to another level.

Moooi, Compression Sofa, $17,325. moooi.com

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ANNIV E

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FURLA * * * ’ * s * *

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H G U O R TH S E D T HE D E C A

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Photography by TAT I JA N A SHO A N Illustrations by A NDRE E A ROBE S C U * Styled by M A NE DUP L A N for A R T DE PA R T ME N T Makeup by E L IS A F L OW E R S for BE R NS T E IN & A NDR IUL L I * Hair by LUIS GUIL L E R MO for FA C T ORY D O W N T O W N Nails by A NGE L W IL L I A MS for AT E L IE R M A N AGE ME N T

FURLA

2000s silver with circular studs, gem “eyes” bag

FURLA

90s black, orange, white with silver chain top handle bag

FURLA

80s black with denim patch and silver studs bag

FURLA

70s silver with reflective circles and rings bag

FURLA

60s black, white, red, vinyl record player bag

FURLA

50s multicolor “jukebox” bag

FURLA

dot bow, black and white ruffle bag

40s red and white checkered print with black and white polka

FURLA

30s tortoise print with white fur bag

FURLA

20s silver with beading and gem appliques bag

To nurture your spiritual needs while you travel AS IF shares our top seven monasteries and convents that have born reborn as luxury hotel experiences. These former houses of worship have been sumptuously appointed, and their soothing vibes will encourage complete devotion.

Ceremony

Aman Amanfayun Nestled amongst tea fields, woodland and lush groves of bamboo, sits Amanfayun, a luxury resort and hotel, and a spiritual sanctuary informed

by Chinese tradition and Buddhist monastic culture.

Situated in West Lake, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Amanfayun proves the perfect

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getaway for travelers looking to escape urban life. Walk through lotus blossoms, over quaint wooden bridges, and pagodas to visit seven Buddhist temples, all accessible by foot and hold prayer sessions open to visitors. Amanfayun embraces the layout of a traditional Chinese village

with winding stone footpaths and shaded courtyards, some dating back over a century.

Practice Tai Chi, meditation, or enjoy Chinese massage and treatments based on local flora. End your day with restaurants and teahouses offering traditional Chinese fare as well as western cuisine.

Aman Amanfayun 22 Fayun Lane, West Lake Street West Lake Scenic Area, Hangzhou, China

L’Hostellerie Del’Abbaye De La Celle Nestled amongst vineyards and steps away from the Candelon Mountain sits L’Hostellerie Del’Abbaye De La Celle, the quaint French country inn that was once a 12th Century abbey. Michelin Star chef, Alain Ducasse took over the property in 1999 and renovated it in 2011 to pay homage to its beauty and

history. The estate boasts several gardens, vineyards, and ancient cypress trees, while two natural springs provide water for the fountains and vegetable garden.

The swimming pool has been built on the remains of a Roman home, and what was once the abbey’s chapel is now a boutique where you can find local

deli products, linens, a variety of decorative keepsakes from the region, as well as Ducasse’s cookbooks. And of course, the restaurant cannot be missed!

Michelin-starred since 2006, there you will find ever changing seasonal menus filled with their homegrown vegetables and local produce.

L’Hostellerie Del’Abbaye De La Celle 10 place du Général de Gaulle, 83170 La Celle en Provence, France, +33 4 98 05 14 14 abbaye-celle.com

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Martin’s Patershof

Martin’s Patershof Karmelietenstraat 4, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium +32 15 46 46 46 martinshotels.com

The unique history of this Franciscan church can be seen throughout what is now Martin’s Patershof Hotel. In 1232 the Franciscan order of The Friar Minors established themselves in the Belgian town of Mechelen. By the end of the 18th century they were driven out by French revolutionists, and when they were permitted

to return, they built a neoGothic church and cloister. It was then temporarily seized by the Germans during WW II, and by the late 1990’s they sold the building. In 2006 it was acquired by Martin’s Patershof who thoughtfully converted it into a hotel. The soaring ceilings, grand pillars, original stained-glass windows

and commanding spaces have been thoughtfully emphasized through the use of light and contemporary furnishings.

Their premium suite sits on the site of what was once the altar and offers a Scandinavian sleeping system with a custom-made mattress cover made from camel hair and horse mane.

Kruisheren Hotel Maastricht Kruisherenhotel Maastricht’s Kruisherengang 19, 6211 NW Maastricht, Netherlands +31 43 329 2020 designhotels.com/hotels/ netherlands/maastricht/ kruisherenhotel-maastricht

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Dating back to the 15th century, the former Kruisheren cloister and adjoining Gothic church have been transformed into a design hotel: Kruisherenhotel Maastricht’s, located in the heart of Maastricht’s historic city center. This 60-room hotel

combines the medieval architecture of the original monastery and Gothic church, as well as pieces by Philippe Starck and Le Corbusier proving that modernism, contemporary, and medieval periods strike a thoughtful balance between past and present.

The interiors, by Dutch designer Henk Vos and lighting designer Ingo Maurer create unparalleled ambience throughout the hotel and guest suites. Pillow menus are offered to ensure a good night’s sleep on the custom designed Kruisheren bed.

Parador Santo Estevo Back in the 1920s King Alfonso XIII turned dilapidating monasteries, castles and monumental buildings into government-run hotels to boost tourism while preserving Spain’s history.

One such monastery, formerly Benedictine run and dating back to the 6th-century, is Parador Santo Estevo. Tucked away in the northwest Galicia region of Spain in River Sil Canyon, this building has three incredible cloisters: one Romanesque, one Gothic, and the third Renaissance. In what was once the monastery stables, is now Restaurante Dos Abades serving Galician cuisine, which is rich in seafood. And since the property is surrounded by oak and chestnut trees, one of the main ingredients found throughout the menu is chestnut. And when you are not relaxing and listening to the subdued sounds of religious music in the Renaissance cloister, or walking through the picturesque gardens, you can enjoy one of the many seasonal spa treatments.

Parador de Santo Estevo Monasterio de Santo Estevo 32162 Nogueira de RamuĂ­n, Province of Ourense, Spain +34 988010110 parador.es/en/paradores/ parador-de-santo-estevo

Argos in Cappadocia Uchisar 50240 Nevsehir, Turky +90 384 219 31 30 argosincappadocia.com

Argos in Cappadocia What was once an ancient monastery in the village of Old Uchisar, Hotel Argos in Cappadocia has meticulously restored the remains to reveal underground tunnels and caves that offer guests a truly unique place to stay and an unforgettable experience. The 51-room hotel

offers a variety of guest rooms and suites among the seven different mansions connected by the underground tunnels, which also house its private wine cellar. Cappadocia is located in the Anatolian plains of Turkey and looks like the setting for a psychedelic fairytale

with its volcanic peaks and honeycombed hills. So, when guests are not enjoying the view of Pigeon Valley from Seki Restaurant Lounge, or sightseeing in a hot air balloon, they can luxuriate in their own in-suite swimming pool as part of one of the Splendid Suites.

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Monastero Santa Rosa The history is in its name.

Monastero Santa Rosa was once a 17th-century convent that well-off families from the Amalfi Coast would often send their eldest daughters in lieu of marrying them off and distributing their wealth. Today, after a 10-year, multi-million

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dollar restoration, this convent has been resurrected into a lavish boutique hotel destination. The 20-rooms have sea views, long corridors are hauntingly beautiful with original confessionals, art and iconography, and this property is known for their spa treatments

that use healing balms created by the monks in the 14thcentury. Lush terrace gardens are overhung with fragrant jasmine and climbing roses, and you can relax in the infinity pool that has been built into the cliff and seamlessly blends into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Monastero Santa Rosa Via Roma 2, 84010 Conca dei Marini SA, Italy, +39 089 832 1199 monasterosantarosa.com

SANDS POINT PRESERVE A Gold Coast Estate on the Long Island Sound

Seasonal Celebrations, Cultural Events, Family & Adult Nature Education, Adult Yoga, Meditation, Wellness Retreats, Mansion Tours, Private/ Corporate Events, Open Seven Days SandsPointPreserve.org 516.571.7901 • info@sandspointpreserve.org 127 Middle Neck Rd, Sands Point, NY 11050

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wool sleeveless dress, calf leather lace-up boots, leather belt, leather and metal studded cuffs.

Max Mara

f the last 10 years of fashion were to be categorized by a look or movement, it would be the confluence of fashion and art. Once completely separate worlds, we are now seeing crossovers and partnerships. One such marriage can be seen in Max Mara’s capsule and preFall collection in collaboration with Chinese artist Liu Wei. Together with Wei, Max Mara’s Creative Director, Ian Griffiths created another worldly collection where fabrics, colors, and shapes paint a story of a brave new world.

By simply looking at Wei’s work, which explores 21st century socio-political concepts with skepticism and satire in a variety of media—painting, drawing, video, installation, photography and sculpture—resulting in both color burst canvases, and dystopian landscapes represented by sculptures of monuments and cities made from dog chews, it’s hard to imagine how the luxury Italian cloth-

ing brand and Wei can come together to create a collection where both voices can be heard. Yet, these two forces found common ground, a synthesis, and created a daring and elevated collection worthy of the powerful women who wear it.

Art is not a new territory for Max Mara, whose DNA has always been immersed in the arts. Founder, Achille Maramotti was an avid art collector and supporter of the arts. Today, in the Italian town of Reggio Emilia, once home to the first Max Mara headquarters, stands Collezione Maramotti, a distinguished museum housing over 200 modern and contemporary artworks. It is this brand’s unique history, along with Griffiths’ strong vision for Max Mara (Griffiths received his Masters in architecture and fashion from the Royal College of Art in London, England) that enabled them to work side by side with such an artist while still parlaying their message of sophistication, confidence, power and femininity.

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fur and silk sweater, calf leather gloves

Max Mara

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wool crepe skirt, calf leather gloves, calf leather top handle bag.

Max Mara

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AS IF: Ian, can you tell me how this collaboration with Max Mara and artist Liu Wei came about? What aspect of Wei’s work inspired you to take on this project?

Ian Griffiths: I fell in love with Liu Wei's work in 2010 at the Dreamlands exhibition at the Centre George Pompidou in Paris. I love those sculptures that depict the city as a living organism, and that struck a very deep chord because Max Mara too is concerned with the city for that reason. Liu Wei was one of the first names that sprang to mind when we decided to collaborate with a Chinese artist.

AS IF: The world created by Liu Wei, in which the Max Mara woman lives, is called Monopolis. Tell me about this world, and the role the Max Mara woman plays in it.

IG: It's a confusing, labyrinthine, organic thing, disorienting, but also staggeringly beautiful and presenting enormous opportunity. The Max Mara woman is there because it's the only place to be if you want to succeed. Proud, confident and sophisticated, she walks through the city like she owns the very streets.

AS IF: Where did you personally find inspiration to tackle this dynamic collaboration?

IG: I wanted to do more than simply apply motifs from Liu Wei's work in a decorative way.

That would have been a superficial approach that would not do justice to his work. I wanted to unlock the essence of his work and create a world around it. Monopolis is the ultimate city, a synthesis of the multiple themes that run through his work—relentless evolution, contrasting emotions of disorientation and exhilaration, and so on —these are the things that shape the Max Mara collections. The problem was to find a visual identity for this common ground. I started by rereading and rewatching utopian/dystopian novels and films; Brave New World, Erewhon, Gattaca, Soylent Green and so on. But the one that really fired my imagination was Blade Runner, which I consider to be more film noir than sci-fi. The character played by Sean Young has a specifically 1940s look, which led me to the great actresses of the 1940s, particularly Joan Crawford, whose voice featured in the soundtrack for the show.

So, all these strands of thought are woven together in the project with the intention of portraying a strong Max Mara woman conquering Liu Wei's concrete jungle.

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fur and silk sweater, wool crepe skirt, leather belt, calf leather lace-up boots.

Max Mara

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fur effect sweater, wool crepe skirt, calf leather pumps, leather belt, calf leather gloves.

Max Mara

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AS IF: I read that the concept of the collaboration came from observing the many points of intersection between both your worlds. Can you describe those points of intersection?

IG: It has been said that Liu Wei and Max Mara share a common affinity for the tactile qualities of materials. I guess this is true, but for me the principal intersection is the theme of the city, and narration of the experience of living in the urban environment. That's what made this project a genuine meeting of minds; Max Mara and Liu Wei are exploring the same ideas from different perspectives. If you like, Liu Wei, as an artist, portrays the realities of a situation or experience and I, as a designer, attempt to provide products which address those realities - in short, clothes that make life in the city a bit easier.

I've always had very strong ideas about the distinction between an artist and a designer.

In a sense, this project centers on a dialogue between myself and Liu Wei about that distinction, and Monopolis represents our thoughts on where those two worlds overlap.

AS IF: You are both coming from different sensibilities. Ian, you have been with Max Mara since 1987 and have been leading the charge in interpreting the Max Mara message and heritage through a monochrome color palate and luxurious fabrics.

Lui Wei isn’t characterized by a singular look or direction, but excess, corruption, aggression, satire and humor are found in his work. What were the challenges faced while developing functional styles that merged both these seemingly opposite perspective?

IG: Because I've been at Max Mara a long time, I feel I have completely assimilated the Max Mara philosophy and can take risks. It wouldn't be possible to approach a collaboration like this without a certain amount of confidence. At our first working meeting in Shanghai, Liu Wei was very clear that he believed the fabrics should have a raw, unfinished quality.

On the surface, that's an anathema to Max Mara, but I felt it was fundamental to the integrity of the project to achieve that rawness. The resulting dialectic between rawness and the polish for which Max Mara is famous is what makes this collection modern. We did it Liu Wei's way, and it worked.

“ Monopolis is the ultimate city, a synthesis of the multiple themes— relentless evolution, contrasting emotions of disorientation and exhilaration, and so on —these are the things that shape the Max Mara collections.”

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“ I've always had very strong ideas about the distinction between an artist and a designer. In a sense, this project centers on a dialogue between myself and Liu Wei about that distinction, and Monopolis represents our thoughts on where those two worlds overlap.�

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AS IF: Would you say Monopolis redefines or repositions the Max Mara woman? And if so, tell me about this new definition or position.

IG: I think this collection cements our views on empowering women. In the 1980s we talked about power dressing, a kind of uniform for women who wanted to be taken seriously.

As they have pushed through the glass ceiling, Max Mara has travelled with them. It's a quasi-feminist story. Today, uniforms don't work; women want to celebrate their success in the way they dress. They want well designed clothes that on the one hand project their strength and confidence, but at the same time allow them freedom to do what they have to do. That applies equally to the women who have been wearing Max Mara for years on the long climb to the top, and the young women who are just starting out.

AS IF: What were the challenges faced working with an artist who isn’t versed in creating works that have a function, such as clothing that must be wearable?

IG: That is the essential difference between an artist and a designer. My job was to take on Liu Wei's thoughts and develop them into a real product. That's not to say that the result is a compromise; on the contrary, our mutual respect allowed us to discover the terrain where Liu Wei's art meets Max Mara's design.

AS IF: What does the city mean to you? I am not referring to Monopolis, but cities in general.

IG: For me, the city means culture. When large populations come together and mix, artistic, musical, and literary ideas start to bounce around. That includes fashion too, of course.

Cities are the fertile ground where new ideas take root and grow.

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wool sleeveless dress

Max Mara

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calf leather top handle bag

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crepe de chine tie neck blouse, silk viscose blend printed pants, calf leather gloves, leather belt, calf leather clutch (worn as belt)

Max Mara

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“ The idea of fashion as I see it, is people consume fashion and observe it from outside and its’ perpetual changing pertain at once to the future and to the past.

In this sense, I see that it helps accelerate changes that happen in the realm of art.”

LW: There were less expectations, but more excitement from the observing and attempting point of reference. I listened carefully to Ian and the team’s ideas and suggestions, and I tried working around that in ways I am familiar with. Ian was responsible for the creation of the beautiful garments, and he also would ask for my suggestions. I trust his knowledge and experience, and tried not to get in his way!

AS IF: Liu Wei, as an artist whose current interest involves exploring land and cityscapes, what inspired you to collaborate with Max Mara and use the human body as your subject?

LIU WEI: I was approached by art curator, Francesco Bonami who introduced me to Mr. Guidotti. Mr. Guidotti visited my studio in Beijing and invited me to collaborate with Max Mara. It has been very exciting. I have previously worked with Mr. Bonami on other occasions, and we have known each other for a long time. I was less concerned with the human body during the collaboration than Ian Griffiths’ was, I was focusing more on creating a context that is appropriate to the human body that was presented by Ian and Max Mara. In the beginning of my practice, I had works such as, Hard to Restrain, or It Looks Like A Landscape, which was a sole dedication to human bodies and the desires at work within them. In recent years, I tend to create environments for the said human bodies to wander, or lose themselves in.

AS IF: This was the first time you worked with a fashion label, what were some of the expectations and challenges you faced in having to create functional works like clothing?

AS IF: You were asked to create a vessel that would carry Max Mara’s heritage through to today. Your mission was about how women, accompanied by Max Mara, would envision themselves crossing a terrain which feels like a world created by you. How did you begin to envision and craft such an idea?

LW: Through conversations with Ian I got to know his idea on the contemporary heroine.

But, the creator of the stage, or the world, was less important than the fact that it was made ready for an ideal figure.

AS IF: Many have complemented you for your innovative use of materials in this project. Can you describe the ways in which you utilized materials?

LW: The materials used are not really special, innovative or novel, because I think it’s important to use materials that are available in the everyday life. I am interested in materials and mediums that will not disrupt my perception of things. I prefer it pure. I used discarded books and raw building materials, such as tin plates, canvas, metal boards, et cetera. These are the most common materials of the urban environment, and they represent the changes and developments of the city.

AS IF: We know that art influences fashion, but you have said that art is substantially influenced by fashion. Can you explain further?

LW: The idea of fashion as I see it, is people consume fashion and observe it from outside and its’ perpetual changing pertain at once to

the future and to the past. In this sense, I see that it helps accelerate changes that happen in the realm of art. And, sometimes it is bolder than art when it deliberately tries to alter the relationship with its viewer/consumer who is very dear to it.

AS IF: Visually, the relationship between the design of this capsule and your previous artwork is clear, but what other aspects of your own work were you trying to convey through this collaboration?

LW: I have been attempting in my own practices over the years to explore immaterialities and the material, and a certain idea of a false reality, a reality that seems incredible and can bring about new perceptions. Constructing the world, that was what I had in mind.

AS IF: You exhibited your work as a part of the “Post-sense, Sensibility, Alien Bodies and Delusion” exhibition.

The purpose of the exhibition was to create art that wouldn’t be collected by Western audiences, which reveals the extent of resentment against the west.

When working with a Western fashion label that is opening stores across the east was there a conflict of interest?

And how did you deal with that theme in your work?

LW: It was less about “Western audiences”, and less about resentment against the West; one has to be really naive to do that. It was about the twisted, distorted, complex relationship between the “East” and the “West”, if such dichotomy can really stand firmly. As the theme of that 1999 exhibition has it, it was about experimenting and exploring the sort of things that were emerging in the society.

In hindsight, we can even say that art movements, as such, helped shaped the world as the globalized one we live in today. Max Mara, myself, another fashion brand whether it be Western or Chinese, another artist for example, all belong to the same reality. I do not see how there was a conflict of interest.

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wool/silk blend sleeveless dress, calf leather lace-up boots, leather belt, calf leather gloves

Max Mara

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wool contrast sweater jacket, silk blend knit top, leather belt, calf leather lace-up boots

Max Mara

Opening Portrait and Interview by Tatijana Shoan Photography by Michel Comte

’s career as a photographer began when Karl Lagerfeld gave him his first professional assignment shooting the Chloé campaign back in the 80s. Since then he has become one of the most internationally acclaimed photographers working in fashion, and is considered one of the greatest portraitists of our time. His many fashion advertising projects include Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes, Givenchy, Armani and Versace. His evocative and seductive photos of celebrities reveal sides of these heavily guarded creatures we are not accustomed to seeing—a topless Sylvester Stallone, veins popping, eyes covered with the petals of a rose; a heated Miles Davis gripping his trumpet in a desirous embrace; a warrior-glam Carla Bruni, teeth brandished through curled electric red lips. Comte was also responsible for the infamous nudes taken in the Elysee Palace of France’s First Lady. Geraldine Chaplin said of him, “he is a knight errant of photography: a vagabond, an adventurer, a nomad with a camera”.

In recent years Comte has been collaborating with his wife and muse, Ayako Yoshida Comte. Together they have approached film with the same sumptuous eye Comte is known for. Their last film, The Girl from Nagasaki is a stylistic interpretation of Puccini’s opera, Madame Butterfly, in which the tragic heroine is obsessed with an American pilot. The film premiered closing night of the 2013 Naples Film Festival and later screened at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Over 20 books of his works have been published in multiple languages, and he has had exhibitions at prestigious museums and galleries around the world, such as Peggy Guggenheim in Venice, Grand Palais in Paris, He Xiang Ning Art Museum in Shenzhen, and most recently Palazzo del Governatore in Parma.

Comte’s capacity to portray provocative yet vulnerable sides of his subjects result in unforgettable, matchless and masterful images. The photographer’s gift lies in his ability to never take a subject for granted, but rather to approach each one as if assessing a landscape for the first time and documenting the discovery.

Ayako

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Mother and Child, 2014 The Kiss, 1973 AS IF / ISSUE 11 75

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“I started as an art restorer.

I worked with Yves Klein, and with Warhol for a year.

I worked with many of the contemporary artists, and just by mere coincidence I became a photographer.�

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Ayako & Michel AS IF: Tell me about your recent Neoclassic project, (Ferré e Comte/ Dettagli – Grandi interpreti tra moda e Arte) that was on exhibition at Palazzo del Governatore in Parma?

Michel Comte: It’s a very large installation, which is very hard to explain if you haven’t seen the show, but the basic theme is how men in power— from Hitler, Mussolini to Napoleon, all the way to Gianni Versace—who embraced neoclassicism have fallen. Hitler built his empire on this vision of neoclassic supremacy, which was designed by his architect, Albert Speer.

He wanted to create these cities, his vision of the world, on the history of neoclassicism. Real neoclassicism started in 1834, but it was influenced by Phidias in early Greece. The epitaph of neoclassicism is the Parthenon in Rome.

Hitler basically used neoclassicism to gain power. Before that was Napoleon. There is the famous painting, The Coronation of Napoleon

by Jacques-Louis David, and David was the epitaph of neoclassic painters during his time.

All Napoleon’s designs and furniture had been neoclassic, and he wanted to pretty much surround himself with neoclassicism. Strangely enough, Versace’s empire was neoclassic. He had neoclassic villas, neoclassic furniture, and if you look at the Versace emblem it is also neoclassic. He built his empire on neoclassicism.

In short, my exhibition is an installation of some of the pillars of power and their destruction, the beauty and physical protection of neoclassicism, and falling into its decadence and its demise.

AS IF: Is this a series of photographs?

MC: There are large photographs, gigantic canvases, sculptures, videos, and a very large installation piece. I’ve never done anything like it before, it’s a very big show.

AS IF: I didn’t know you also painted and could sculpt. Were you into art before you picked up the camera?

MC: I started as an art restorer. I worked with Yves Klein, and with Warhol for a year. I worked with many of the contemporary artists, and just by mere coincidence I became a photographer.

With this show I am going back to my root.

AS IF: You were discovered by Karl Lagerfeld who gave you your first assignment for Chloe. Tell me about that moment?

MC: It was at a museum dinner that was quite illustrious. There was a big, crazy group of people, as there were in those days. Karl started to explain that he didn’t have a campaign for Chloé because (Helmut) Newton’s pictures didn’t come out. A few days later I walked up the stairs to the Chloé showroom with exactly three prints. I showed them to Karl and he said, “Okay, tomorrow you shoot the Chloé campaign.” And that was my first published work ever. I was booked on the spot.

AS IF: What were the three prints of?

MC: A portrait of a man, a portrait of a woman, and the third print was of 12 people exercising in a line at a gym. It was a very funny picture.

There was someone on the dumb bells, another one lifting weights, everyone was doing something different, but they were all in a line, and they were quite interesting characters like out of a Warhol film. He thought that was very funny, and that’s what he saw when he gave me my first job.

AS IF: I know you have also been working more and more in film. Your last film, The Girl from Nagasaki was full of gorgeous stylistic imagery that we have seen in your fashion photography. Why did you choose this story to tell?

MC: We were approached by two opera houses to create sets when I had an accident and almost lost my vision. I couldn’t work. I had always wanted to do an opera. In all the opera performances I have seen, the audience was older, the average ages were 45 and up. So, my wife Ayako and I started to develop a contemporary art installation inspired by opera. We planned to do a contemporary ballet with Polina Semionova so we started creating it. I had spent an enormous amount of money creating these installations that were really gorgeous.

We were already so deep into the project, and had spent so much money creating these installations and environments that we decided to make a movie. So, we developed the screenplay and started making the film. We financed most of the film, which was a very big mistake that I’ll never do again. At least it got incredible reviews and amazing acclaim. Now, we are

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Neoclassic

going into our next film, which is another big undertaking. It’s all worth it in the end.

AS IF: What is the next film about?

MC: It’s called The Fig Eater, and it’s an adaptation of two literary works: one is the novel The Fig Eater by Jody Shields, the other is the case study “Dora” by Sigmund Freud. My film is about a story of a young girl in Vienna, based on Dora,who gets brutally murdered when the film opens. It is a story of incest, family dysfunction, and decadence. It will be a very hard film to look at, there’s plenty of violence, and it’s extremely sexual. Freud’s most controversial case study on his patient Dora was a pseudonym. She was an adolescent diagnosed with hysteria after alleging her father

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was having an affair with his friend’s wife. Her father in turn pushed his friend towards his daughter to keep him occupied. Freud claimed her hysteria was due to sexual repression! As The Fig Eater opens, Dora has been murdered.

She was a very good painter. My film is based on this.

AS IF: You are now working with your wife, Ayako, who’s also your muse, and images of her appear throughout your current neoclassic exhibition. What is it like photographing your wife, as opposed to models and celebrities?

MC: I love to photograph her, and I film her all the time. She is extremely photogenic. I don’t think I have one frame where she doesn’t

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Ayako

“Ayako is from Japan, and Japan has always been a very strong influence for me.

She is very open and free, unlike many other Japanese, and she is always elegant, never loud or crass.�

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look good, I don’t know how she does it. She doesn’t care about being a model or an actress, she just cares about doing what she’s doing.

Maybe that’s why she is so great in front of the camera. She was an incredible actress in our film. She played the role of Suzuki, and I was amazed at how good she was. She gave an incredible performance.

AS IF: Has your esthetic changed since working with her?

MC: Ayako is from Japan, and Japan has always been a very strong influence for me.

She is very open and free, unlike many other Japanese, and she is always elegant, never loud or crass. She’s a costume designer, and also a very gifted sculptress. She is currently working on a very big TV series project designing costumes for these strange, other-worldly characters, and is using very interesting materials such as plastics. She is a really interesting woman actually. My esthetic is still my esthetic, but Ayako inspires me every day.

you’re booked on the Concorde tomorrow morning at 7am. I took the Concorde to Paris the following morning and took a connecting flight to Marrakesh. I was then taken to a beautiful palace filled with candle light and Franca said, I want to buy this house with you. We bought the house and shared it for the last 16 years. You remember that house, Tatijana, we celebrated one of your birthday’s there.

AS IF: That house is one of the most magical and inspiring homes I have ever been in.

MC: She told me I was one of the only people in the world who she would ever share a house with because everything she has I have, everything she wants I want. You know, when I am working on something I always ask myself, would Franca like this? Would Franca do this? I have now become incredibly close friends with her son, Francesco Carrozzini.

AS IF: Who and what have been some of your favorite subjects?

MC: Artist Louise Bourgeois, and filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

AS IF: Tell me about working with them?

MC: Bourgeois is one of my favorite artists. I got an opportunity to do a show with her about 15 years ago. I was very honored to be a part of it. She was like a child; you know? Here was this incredible 90-year-old woman with the innocence of a child, and the spirit of an old

Ayako & Michel

AS IF: Your very dear friend, Franca Sozzani passed away last year. I know how close you both were. Can you tell me how she helped shape your career?

MC: She didn’t just shape my career, but as well a handful of photographers you know.

We were her hand selected group of photographers; there was Steven (Meisel), Bruce (Weber), Peter (Lindbergh), myself, and a little

later Ellen von Unwerth. That was basically the Italian Vogue family, and is still today. There are a couple of new ones, like every once in a while you’ll see a story by David Sims or (Mario) Testino. But, the four photographers I mentioned− mainly Steven, Bruce, Peter, and me, we were like brothers and she was our muse. It’s a very beautiful story how we met. I had lunch with Alexandra Liebermann in 1984/85. Alex said, there is a young girl I want you to meet who is going to go far, and you will not just work together, but you are going to become great friends. She was still at Per Lui (magazine), and I had already been working for Italian Vogue. Alex told me to go to Milan to meet her, she’s already waiting to have lunch with me the following day.

So, I got on a plane and I met Franca. She had long, golden hair, and we had a great lunch.

A week went by and she called me and said, I want Miles Davis for the cover of Per Lui. I said, ok, who is going to take care of it? She said, you! I started asking questions like, who is doing the production, etc., and she said, don’t waste any more of my time, get Miles Davis, or do you want me to call Annie Leibovitz? I right away knew this is the way things were going to be. I never asked her how anymore. It had been that way for the last 35 years. We really became very close friends. One day I got a very funny phone call when she said, I want to talk to you, come to Marrakesh. I told her I couldn’t because I was buying a house in Connecticut.

She said, you need to come to Marrakesh now,

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Anjelica Huston

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Ayako & Michel at “Life Ball”

soul. She was one of the most extraordinary human beings I think I’ve met. And as far as Kurosawa, I received a phone-call not long before he passed away. He wanted to be photographed by me, so I was flown to Japan and was his guest for 24 days in Tokyo. That was my first experience going to Japan. What an incredible thing for someone to experience! He was the second most honored person in Japan aside from the emperor.

AS IF: How do you choose your subjects?

MC: It’s more like they choose me, Tatijana.

People come to me, they want to be photographed by me. Like Robert (Evans), he was photographed by Helmut (Newton) and me basically, and almost nobody else. There’s Jeremy Irons, Willem Dafoe, Sophia Loren, I’ve work with them for 25 years, and built long lasting relationships. There’s also the young muses like Langley Fox Hemingway, Ruby Stewart, and Cuba Tornado Scott, these young girls who we follow and create worlds around.

People have a way of finding me.

AS IF: Your portraits of celebrities and personalities show different facets and

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character traits than we are typically used to seeing. You show another side of them.

What is your mission when you set out to photograph celebrities, and how do you get them to be so intimate with you?

MC: I really don’t know, Tatijana. I’ve photographed you a few times, and once for Italian Vogue. Years ago I was at The Ritz and I photographed Claude Montana’s wife Wallis (Franken). She took all her clothes off, laid in a chair, and spread her legs wide open. It was the middle of the night she said, take my picture, and I started taking her picture. She was totally nude. It is a very famous picture. Maybe because I don’t try people trust me, I really don’t know. It’s about being in the right place at the right time.

AS IF: I think that’s where your gift lies, because in photography there is persuasion involved in getting your subject to trust you to do something, but in your case they are doing it before you even have to ask.

MC: Yeah, pretty much so!

AS IF: (Laughing) That’s a nice position to be in.

MC: People have asked after I take their

The Girl From Nagasaki, 2013

“People have asked after I take their picture, how did you get me to do that? I tell them, I didn’t, you just did it!”

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Ayako Yoshida & Mariko Wordell from The Girl From AS IF / ISSUE 11 87 Nagaski, 2013

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Suzu from The Girl AS IF / ISSUE 11 89 From Nagaski, 2013

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Sir Christopher Lee from The Girl From Nagaski, 2013

Pedro Almodรณvar

picture, how did you get me to do that? I tell them, I didn’t, you just did it!

AS IF: What is the Comte aesthetic?

MC: Less is more.

AS IF: How would you describe the type of photographer you are?

MC: I don’t know… maybe more of a visionary than a photographer.

AS IF: What is beauty to you?

MC: Beauty is soul.

Mariko Wordell from The Girl From Nagaski, 2013

AS IF: What turns you on?

MC: The unknown.

AS IF: Who are your muses and who are your heroes?

MC: Ayako is my muse. My father is my hero.

Kurosawa, Antonioni, Visconti, and Salinger are also heroes and inspirations of mine. Also, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.

AS IF: Have you photographed the Dalai Lama?

MC: Yes, many times. I also did a 1-hour film with him. We went to Prague where we created an installation film set, and conducted a

very long interview. We were alone with only three 35mm cameras. It’s very haunting. I plan to do a series of films like that, exactly the same format.

AS IF: If you were to be remembered for one photograph, which image would it be?

MC: Oh my God, that is hard to answer… I think it would be the one of Louise Bourgeois in profile. It would have to be accompanied by an epitaph that reads, anything can be forever if you carry your beauty inside out. My father turned 90 last year and he is still like a young boy, it’s unbelievable. Beauty is deeper than the skin.

AS IF: What’s next for you?

MC: I’ve been working on a project for nearly 25 years called, Light. It’s about global impact and the decline of the ice masses. It’s a three book volume published by Steidl. It will be accompanied by an installation that will include film and sculpture. The exhibitions will start in December. Some of the installations will be 10 miles long covering entire mountains. This is the biggest project I have ever done.

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Mariko Wordell from The Girl From Nagaski, 2013

“Ayako is my muse.

My father is my hero.

Kurosawa, Antonioni, Visconti, and Salinger are also heroes and inspirations of mine. Also the Dalai Lama who is a very good friend of ours.�

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Sugar&Spice

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COUTURE Photography by Tatijana Shoan Styled by Mane Duplan Hair by Moiz for The Wall Group Makeup by Claire Bayley for L’Atelier NYC Starring Alyona Subbotina and Katty Trost for Trump Models Story photographed at Hempstead House on the Sands Point Preserve

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M ARCHESA

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NOTTE Photography by Tatijana Shoan Styled by Mane Duplan Hair by Luis Guillermo Duque for Factory Downtown Makeup by Claudia Oyanedel for Makeup Forever Starring Alyona Subbotina and Katty Trost for Trump Models Story photographed at Hempstead House on the Sands Point Preserve

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TATIJANA SHOAN artwork by KEHINDE WILEY

portrait and interview by

Artist KEHINDE WILEY

heads a revolution fueled by beauty, gentility and grace. His large-scale paintings, of mostly marginalized brown skinned men and women from around the world, are finding their rightful place on the white walls of art institutions around the country. The artist references historic Old Master paintings that portray strength, purity, power, and pride. He appropriates the poses as references for his subjects, whom he casts on the street. Unlike their 17th-century white predecessors who are disassociated from contemporary life, Wiley’s heroes, by virtue of their clothing, background, and gait, become endearing and at times vulnerable, in the warmth of the painting’s totality. ¶ Wiley’s singular style is a fusion of wildly disparate looks, that include French Rococo, Islamic architecture, West African textile design, and urban hip hop. His paintings force the viewer to contemplate subjects, whose attitude and attire both contradict and embrace their decorative backgrounds, while both enveloping them and at the same time, spitting them out.

Kehinde Wiley’s paintings command space, crave attention, please and titillate in their grandeur and confidence.endearing and at times vulnerable, in the warmth of the painting’s totality. ¶ Wiley’s singular style is a fusion of wildly disparate looks, that include French Rococo, Islamic architecture, West African textile design, and urban hip hop. His paintings force the viewer to contemplate subjects, whose attitude and attire both contradict and embrace their decorative backgrounds, while both enveloping them and at the same time, spitting them out. Kehinde Wiley’s paintings command space, crave attention, please and titillate in their grandeur and confidence.

black light

After Sir Joshua Reynolds’ “Portrait of Doctor Samuel Johnson” 2009. Archival Inkjet print on Hahnemuhle fine art paper, 30 x 24.5 in Edition of 6

decide to find my father in Nigeria. My mother didn’t want me to do it, she was concerned I’d be disappointed. Their relationship was conflicted, but I needed to scratch the itch I had. A lot of that urge stemmed from being an art student, and I had a camcorder! I wanted to document the journey of finding, and meeting my father. There was this sense of the hero’s journey. Africa and my father became a personal desire, but also a tool to understanding who I was. We as artists want content, a story to tell, and if I can turn over a couple rocks in my own backyard, boy, I could really work this thing! (Laughs) I was so naïve! I didn’t realize how emotionally taxing, and real life this shit was! I was a naïve young artist who imagined what the scene would look like, and thought mom would be very happy, but it didn’t work out that way at all!

AS IF: Life didn’t imitate art.

KW: Not at all. It never does. The romantic in me was lost in that trip. This idea of who my father would be, how he would be towards me, how he would look, what the country would be like, didn’t match up to what I had imagined. Instead, I was confronted by the cruel indifference of the world. It reminded of me of being out in the wild, and looking up in awe at a majestic mountain to admire its beauty, and suddenly an avalanche buries you alive! Sure, nature and life are fabulous and beautiful, but she’s also a real hard girl!

a new republic

Bound 2015. Bronze 65 x 45.5 x 44 in Edition of 3

AS IF: You were born in L.A. to an African American mother, and Nigerian father you never knew. When you were 20 years old you went to Nigeria to find your father and learn about your paternal roots. What did you find upon meeting him? And, what did you learn through that experience that you apply to your work today?

Kehinde Wiley: That’s a very good question, and it’s good to go there because I have very few conversations about that. It is really crucial in terms of my understanding and interest in Africa, but also my interest in the rest of the world. My mother sent me to art school when I was very young, and to Russia to study art when I was 12, and that plays a huge role in the mind of a kid growing up in South Central Los Angeles in the 80s. My whole world view started in the inner city, and all of a sudden I’m hanging out with Soviet kids in a small forest village outside of Leningrad. I soon learned language is both a barrier and a tool.

Very few people spoke English, so I had to study Russian, and that made me an internationalist from the get go, which is an advantage privileged children from the wealthy elite have. Because my mother did that, it made it easier for me to

AS IF: What actually happened?

KW: I set-up a number of encounters via networks of Nigerians in California, and I was able to make contact with people who lived there. I didn’t I expect people to invite me into their homes, which they did, and I didn’t realize the level of poverty on the ground in places like Oshodi. I stayed with a family who was unbelievably poor. They embraced me as one of their own, the son of a relative who made it out and lived in California.

We slept on the ground, and rats would walk across our bodies as we slept. They travelled from city to city with me, mainly to visit architectural departments helping me find my father.

AS IF: Your father is an architect?

KW: We knew that he had studied architecture in UCLA and USC, where he met my mother.

AS IF: You really had no idea where your father was?

KW: I knew his first and last name, and what he studied. We had no address, no photographs, nothing. Nigeria is the most populated country in Sub-Saharan Africa, so it was really tough. I would go from department to department, each time being let down more and more. Finally, someone said to go with his last name, and to that area of the country where his name came from, which was Cross River state. I went to Cross River state, and to the University of Calabar’s architecture department, and found his name on the door. He was the head of the department! I have footage from when I first walked up there, and you can

Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha 2012. Oil on linen, 96 x 72 in

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the world stage: jamaica

Portrait of Mary Hill, Lady Killigrew 2013. Oil on canvas, 72 x 60 in

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Alios Itzhak 2011. Oil and gold enamel on canvas, 96 x 72 in

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iconic

King and High Priest 2013. 22k gold leaf and oil on wood panel, 40 x 24 in

see how the camera starts to shake. Finding my father was a fantasy, and all of a sudden it became real. I walked in and talked to the secretary who informed me that he was not in, but he looked at me and said, I believe you, you look just like him. I didn’t have a place to stay, so he let me stay with him. He worked with my father for 15 years, he told me he would take me to my father who was in another city three hours away where he had another office, and that’s where I first met him. The secretary went in first to explain the situation… (laughs)… before you freak-out there’s a kid out in the car. It took an hour for them to finally let me in! I looked across the room and saw a really big desk, and a really small man. I was expecting this godlike father figure, and instead I found a very thin, frail, paranoid, fearful man who didn’t know why I came or what I wanted. He tried to pretend that he didn’t know who I was, but I had a letter.

My mother was an extraordinary letter writer, as was he. They would write long letters back and forth, and I really got a sense of their relationship, and the conflicts through these letters. After that letter he couldn’t pretend any longer. He said, so you must be my son. He said it just like that. My mother was pregnant with twins when he left, and she already had three children at home, and was going to college. She had actually contacted him asking for baby names so we could have

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proper Nigerian names as twins. She even went to Nigeria to find him, but didn’t have any luck.

Her suspicion was that he was being hidden.

AS IF: Did he name you?

KW: My mother gave us names from a competing tribe (laughs), so if my father ever met me and my brother it would be a barb!

AS IF: Your mother’s no joke!

KW: Yeah, she was studying African linguistics, so she knew very well how to get the knife in there!

AS IF: How has this meeting with your father informed your work?

KW: The first thing I did when I got back home was paint portraits of him, because I didn’t know what he looked like. There is also a connection with my extended family, cousins, brothers, and sisters that I didn’t know existed. I went on subsequent trips to the ancestral village of my father where I’m related to everyone. I started to get a real sense of grounding: radically so. There are relatives buried in the back of the village that go back thousands of years, it’s epic! Growing up with an African-American sense of self, your sense of history is very truncated: it starts with slavery, and ends with slavery. Whereas with this experience… wow! Is that really my story? Is that

memling

After Memling’s Portrait of a Man in a Red Hat 2013. Oil on wood panel in artist designed hand fabricated frame with 22k gold leaf gilding, 16.5 x 12 in

my DNA? So, my interest in Africa starts from there, and my interest in a global practice starts from there. It only makes sense that as I leave Yale and start my investigations around gender and masculinity, the performance of self, and hip-hop as it relates to jockeying for male posture, that I ask the question; can that be compared to who we actually are in this body? So that’s the first story, but then almost very instantaneous, is the moment I start getting a little success and go on the road that I realize it’s a global picture. It’s about how these constructions of identity are seen by kids in Nigeria. The same hip-hop we are watching in America is being watched in households in Brazil and Sri Lanka, so why not go out to the rest of the world and start telling stories in whatever way I can? It’s been a really joyous experience to be in places like Israel working with Ethiopian Jews and their fractured sense of self and identity.

What does nationhood mean, or the question of authenticity, for example? Same applies to my portraits of guys from the favelas in Brazil. I used the grand political sculptures in the city center of the old Portuguese colonial power, and had kids from the shanties and favelas take-on those poses. My worked started from the itch to go out in the world and conquer something at 19 and 20 - that first conquer. So, it’s really interesting that you started the conversation with that.

AS IF: I would imagine that that quest is what landed you in Beijing where you have a studio and live half the year. But first, tell me about your mission, and why you endup in Beijing?

KW: My work has certain impulses, itches that need to be scratched. As an artist you don’t want to shut yourself down by saying, my project is defined by these four corners. Ultimately, it’s a type of discovery, yet there’s a decidedly political component to my work. I’m talking about a type of revolution, a type of liberation that I take very seriously, and it is serious. It’s the stuff that people have fought and died for. I have the privilege of dealing with nuance in an age where some of the more foundational aspects of personal freedom have already been addressed. I have an ability to empathize, and find connectivity between the American story, the black story, the sexuality story, and the gender story; all of these partnerships where one is being shoved out on the periphery.

I don’t possess the authority to speak from the center, but I have the authority to speak from the periphery. I don’t have undisputed access to the canon, but what I do have undisputed access to is my point of view from the edge, which often times is much more striking and exciting than the stale, old, centrifugal point of view. The point of view from the edge enabled me to understand what really makes me strong. I was able to take

The Chancellor Seguier on Horseback 2005. Oil on canvas, 108 x 144 in

advantage of the fact that art is portable, and my ideas are fertilized by being elsewhere. Look, there is nothing more foreign than being a black man on the streets of China! When I first got there I met this thin, unknown guy named Ai Weiwei.

Together we’d go through fabulous parties!

AS IF: (Laughs) That’s incredible!

KW: Oh, it was insane! He had a restaurant, and his brother and I would stay there all night discussing ancient Chinese poetry and pottery. I wanted to have a studio there, they were cheap, and this was before I was making money. I tried it out for one month, then back home my career started to pick up, so I was able to keep studios in both New York and Beijing. I also met my first boyfriend in Beijing, so I had a love affair there and would spend three months in New York, and three months in Beijing. Before I knew it life in Beijing became very real.

AS IF: You once said when you first visited a museum as a child, and saw monolithic paintings of majesty by the Old Masters, the experience was like witnessing hundreds of years of trying to coax reality into form. Would

you say you are coaxing reality into form, or are you creating another reality?

KW: Well, I think a revised version of saying a hundred of years of coaxing reality into form, would be to say there’s been a massive project of research and development all devoted to the aggrandizement of the male ego! The idea here is that we are making powerful people feel exactly that, and we are using artists as tools to arrive to the point of self-actualization. What I am trying to do is transfer that feeling of I’m beautiful, I mean something on this planet, I’m worth looking at, I’m worth luxuriating over, and allow others to share in that shine. I am not interested in tearing down the castle or saying, how dare white men from the 1700’s feel that way! No, I think everyone should be able to feel that. I get a lot of criticism for that by-the-way, since some people do believe you have to split the baby. I’m in love with painting, I’m in love with the practice of painting, and the history of it. I understand that a lot of it is built on the backs of black and brown people. Much of the glory of the Louvre in Paris, and other grand palatial structures happened because there were people chopping sugar cane on an island somewhere. What I want to do is to create a

rumors of war

Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps 2013. Oil on canvas, 108 x 108 in

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The Virgin Martyr St. Cecilia 2008. Oil on canvas, 101.5 x 226.5 in

stained glass

Saint Adelaide 2013. Stained glass in aluminum frame, 96 x 43.5 in

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“What I try to do is replicate how I see people I grew up with—cousins, brothers, friends—who fall into the hip-hop uniform and attitude, and how society sees them. There’s this dance that has happened publicly, and then there’s the person inside the clothes”.

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Carry out the Four Modernisations of the Fatherland 2007. Oil on canvas, 96 x 72 in

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Le Roi a la Chasse 2006. Oil on canvas, 96 x 72 in

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scenic

St. Andrew 2006. Oil on canvas, 96 x 84 in

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down

Morpheus 2008. Oil on canvas, 108 x 180 in

language that both builds upon what’s already been put into place, but also evolves in real time and starts to speak the language of now.

AS IF: Your subjects choose their poses from a variety of reference poses shown to them.

How does giving them a choice inform your work?

KW: Well, it’s a transfer. The story of the artist coming into the studio and deciding everything is an important part, but the illusion of portraiture is that it reveals something about the sitter. And my question is, is that actually true? Is it ever possible to reveal anything? I have my suspicions in both directions. I’m suspicious that portraits never do that, but I’m also suspicious that by offering choice there are aspects that reveal something through the poses that are chosen.

AF IF: You’re very much involved in the scouting process, and you scout your subjects on the street. How much of that process goes into influencing how you’re going to approach that portrait?

KW: There’s this thing that happens when I approach people on the street: they just don’t get it! I go through a lot of rejection, especially in New York. Street casting is hard, it’s humiliating, and it’ll kick you off of your high horse really fast.

When I finally get people who understand what I am doing, and they’re posing for their portraits they have an interesting array of attitudes. There’s the reluctant model look, the excited model look, the eager to please look, and my camera captures all those nuances. I try to preserve that attitude in the paintings: that anticipation, excitement, and celebration.

AF IF: When you shoot your subjects you tell them to wear what they feel good in.

KW: One of the more interesting ones was in Haiti. The constant narrative we hear about Haiti is famine, the earthquake, and poverty. I wanted to tell a different story, so I created a beauty pageant and went on television and radio and said, if you think you’re smart enough, and beautiful enough, showup on such and such day and you can be the face of Haiti. There was no hierarchy, you can be a beauty pageant girl, you can be a farmer’s daughter, a store clerk, whatever. Women in the thousands showed up, and I decided that there would be no judging, it would be by chance, an extreme form of lottery. So, we had this motley crew of winners, and whatever they wore that day was what they were painted in. It was a grand social experiment surrounding beauty, desire, nationhood, competitiveness, and desirability. It was a very different way of looking at that nation as well.

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The Two Sisters 2012. Oil on linen, 96 x 72 in

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AS IF: Who are the many people in your paintings—I don’t mean the subjects themselves, but the characters as symbols—who are they?

KW: That’s a very good way to put it, they’re symbolic types, and when you’re dealing with types you’re limiting people down to essential components. We’re talking about black men who are often times characterized by hyper sexuality, propensity towards sports, anti-social behaviors, and what I try to do is go beyond the type, the cartoon, the stereotype, and find the flesh. Even though my sitters take on crazy heroic poses, there’s something very sympathetic about them.

That’s somebody’s child, someone’s lover, and it takes a sympathetic witness to create a real human portrait. What viewers respond to is a kind of gross inability to see a lot of young black men as vulnerable. One of my favorite pieces is the smile video performance where I ask young black men between the ages of 18 and 35 to smile for an hour and hold it. The smile quickly starts to decay into muscle spasms, drooling, and into a sort of prison of one’s own. It references Andy Warhol’s endurance films, it references the body as prison, it references the prison’s industrial complex itself.

It’s a response to society’s inability to see these bodies as vulnerable, and in return they have to pretend to be nice, pretend to be acceptable, it’s a performance of being a good negro and what goes with that. All that is alive in that piece.

AS IF: I find vulnerability and sensitivity in your backgrounds. What is the relationship between your subject and your background?

KW: The background wants to demand space, it wants to push the subject out of the way, and the subject wants to push the background out of the way. It’s a fight between who gets to be fabulous, and who gets to be present. There’s the foreground/ background historical conversation in paintings, and in landscapes specifically, as to how a portrait fits in space. Foreground is about the most important thing that happens, background is about the less important thing that happens.

It’s also a timeline: background represents the past, and foreground represents the present. The relationship between landscape and time, and the importance of social standing has existed for hundreds of years, and what I try to do is mix up some of those hierarchies. We see black and brown people occupying heroic poses, and we also see the background demanding to have its moment to shine. But it also challenges some of our notions of male, female, the decorative, the beautiful, the aesthete. How does a background full of beautiful cherry blossoms affect the way a viewer thinks about these boys? It can be really revolutionary on a very basic level.

AF IF: How do your own emotions inform your work?

KW: What I try to do is replicate how I see people I grew up with—cousins, brothers, friends—who fall into the hip-hop uniform and attitude, and how society sees them. There’s this dance that has

happened publicly, and then there’s the person inside the clothes. My work is about those intersections between the trappings of the uniform, while finding a careful, embracing way of presenting this person who I have respect for and love.

Those are my emotions. That’s my point of view.

Only someone with my biography can create the work that I do. It’s created by virtue of my empathy, by virtue of my life story. Whether it be the deprivations of growing up on welfare in South Central Los Angeles with six siblings and a single mother, or the luxuries of being able to travel to some of the most opulent museums around the world, and understanding both those languages.

AF IF: Complete this sentence for me. I paint because…

KW: I don’t have anything else to do! (Laughs) I can’t do anything else. I’m really useless in the world without it. My mother hobbled me with art classes. I started at the age of 10 or 11, and I learned very quickly that I was good at it, it was my one trick. And I work the hell outta that trick!

the world stage: haiti

Venus at Paphos 2014. Oil on linen, 60 x 48 in

Place Soweto (National Assembly) 2008. Oil on Canvas, 96 x 72 in

AS IF: How do you think the results of this presidential election is going to influence your work and your audience? (*Note: this interview was conducted prior to the election).

KW: I think it’s gonna make my mission audible for a lot of people, but it’s not gonna change my shit. I said, he’s going to win. I know he will. I know my country. I know what he’s selling. I know what his allure is. He has his priorities incheck.

He knows he is going after Mexicans because to go after blacks and queers is unacceptable.

He knows his boundaries. He knows he’s gonna divide America into left and right, high and low.

He knows he is gonna play on some of our reptilian notions of dignity and grace. He knows that one of our cleaving and foundational problems has to do with what we used to call white trash and negro problem - at least I’m not black. How do we really talk about the issues that people who voted for Donald Trump are talking about?

Those issues are economical, and have been ignored by both parties, and he knew that. I have been talking about those issues in my work for years. Donald Trump will be self-serving, that’s his track record, but what’s interesting is that

we actually have an unprecedented opportunity to exercise power. If I take myself out of it, if I stop being offended by all the racist and sexist talk a lot of people can’t get beyond, what we find is an opportunity for America’s underclass to find a voice.

AS IF: Tell me about the power of color?

KW: I think we should talk about light, rather than color. The reason I say that is because painting is about light. It’s about the way light bounces off of things, and the way it hits a subject’s eyes. But, it’s also about the way we have thought about divinity, the way we have thought about God. Every time we look at a Tiepolo ceiling fresco in Venice for example, there is a resplendent light behind Jesus, or a crazy light coming from the chest of the divine. The message is that light is the presence of God, it’s the presence of the rational, the known world. Light is good, dark is bad. So light is something that exists in our understanding of grace in a very extraordinary way, and what I’ve tried to do in more recent years to actually use light, to harness it, and as such, stained glass has taken on an importance to me. I launched an exhibition in Paris at Petit

The Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte 2014. Oil on linen, 83.5 x 63 in

de Palais of stained glass panels celebrating the story of the Christ, but seen through the Black Lives Matter movement. I am talking about the death of young black boys depicted through the transfiguration of the body of Christ. It’s an interesting show.

AS IF: Tell me about your upcoming exhibition at Sean Kelly gallery?

KW: The show is called, Trickster, and it’s a literal play on the trickster figure that existed in so many cultures. But, who’s playing the tricksters? The tricksters will be like the coyote figure; Mami Wata, the serene; Eshu-Elegba, the god of confusion in West Africa. The people playing the tricksters are some of the most important contemporary African-American and African artists. We’ve got Glenn Ligon, Kerry James Marshall, Nick Cave, Wangechi Mutu, Mickalene Thomas, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye − such extraordinary artists, thinkers and painters. I am painting my contemporaries, artists who are creating some of the most intense and important work. They’ve become my characters, they’ve become the tricksters who are shape-shifting and changing the way we see ordinary lives.

AS IF: Your work has a social message, and social impact as well. The people who have been a part of your work have said they have been transformed by being a part of it. Your work is effective.

KW : You’ve pointed out a phenomenon. I have been on the road for the last few years with my show, A New Republic, and have noticed that every place I go people come out of the woodwork. The attendance numbers for these museums have sky rocketed, and the demographics have changed.

All of a sudden people who don’t go to museums are showing up. There’s a hunger for this type of image making, and these types of questions that are being asked. I’m scratching an itch in people I wasn’t aware needed scratching. It also says a lot about the viability of institutions like museums, and saying yes to artists like me can have an impact on the survivability of such institutions. Sure, they’re elitist and point to what our culture demands of our intellectual capacities, and I stand by all that.

I stand by a certain amount of elitism; we should set the bar high for ourselves. But, the question is setting the bar high for whom? And if you set that bar high for people who happen to look like me, and of my ilk, you’ll see that society will respond.

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Santos Dumont-The Father of Aviation II 2009. Oil on canvas, 78 x 156 in

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Hilfiger Collection iconic cardigan, fringed skirt Dylanlex Porter silver plated necklace with Swarovski crystals

p h o t o g r a p h y by

Tatijana Shoan s t y l e d by

Stacey Jones m a k e u p by

Victor Henao for Bernstein & Andriulli h a i r by

Naivasha Johnson for Exclusive Artists using Pureology Haircare n a i l s by

Angel Williams for Atelier Management

L E N G T H

Ellery Tennessee dress Jimmy Choo Hustle flat Lulu Frost Marjorelle studs

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Marc Jacobs silk dress with wing sleeves, Kiki platform buckle boots Dylanlex Lily earrings with Swarovski crystals, Stylist’s own vintage belt Jimmy Choo Vivien metallic spotted suede clutch

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Moncler Gamme Rouge coat, red shirt-dress Aya Muse crocodile choker Furla Hashtag mini crossbody bag Jimmy Choo Romy 100 shocking yellow pump

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DSquared2 tiger print puff sleeve dress, crystal encrusted satin heels, metal and enamel bracelets and earring

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Simone Rocha black peony swing dress, black twill knot sleeve coat, black nappa leather boots Maison Fabre fur and leather gloves

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY SHAWN BRACKBILL. PHOTOS COURTESY OF DISTINCT DAILY WWW.DISTINCT DAILY.COM

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READ SLOWLY AND SEE

Mick Rock Portraits of Mick Rock by

Tatijana Shoan shot on location at Gansevoort Meatpacking District Hotel Interview by Scott Fishkind / All images by Mick Rock

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JULIET HAD FAMOUSLY ASKED ROMEO. THE ANSWER IS, A HELL OF A LOT. CASE IN POINT: LEGENDARY ROCK PHOTOGRAPHER,

WHOSE NAME TELLS HIS STORY. DUBBED "THE MAN WHO SHOT THE 70s", HIS IMAGES OF ROCK'N' ROLLERS ARE JUST AS NOTORIOUS AS THE MUSICIANS HE PHOTOGRAPHED, AND IN SOME CASES SOLIDIFY THE ARTIST'S PLACE IN HISTORY AS MUCH AS THEIR MUSIC. TAKE THE EPOCHAL IMAGE OF FREDDY MERCURY ON THE COVER OF QUEEN'S "QUEEN II" ALBUM, WHICH HAS COME TO DEFINE THE ARTIST. OR THE INFAMOUS SHOT OF ZIGGY STARDUST ON HIS KNEES GIVING WHAT SEEMS TO BE FELLATIO TO MARK RONSON'S GUITAR, AND, OF COURSE, THE HAUNTINGLY POWERFUL PHOTO OF LOU REED ON THE COVER OF THE "TRANSFORMER" ALBUM.

It’s not just his images that make Rock the man that he is: his stories, antidotes, and devilishly witty humor are just a few of the many things that make the photographer a larger than life personality deserving of the camera’s focus. So, it’s not surprising that after over 40 years of being behind the lens, Rock has become the subject of the biographic documentary, Shot!, produced by Vice Media. Shot! chronicles Mick’s entry into the world of rock ‘n’ roll photography, his relationships with his most famous subjects, his near death experience, and his resurrection.

As a fan of both Rock and his work, I met with him once a week for several months at the Mercer Hotel and would sit for hours, transfixed, listening to him recount stories of what life and the music scene was like in the 70s and 80s. From the birth of glam rock in the UK with David Bowie, to the underground rock scene in the bowels of NYC with Lou Reed— my two idols growing up—listening to Rock made me feel as though I was in their presence.

Mick Rock is the type of guy every boy and girl growing up in the 70s dreams of having as a friend. He was there, in the middle of it all, witnessing rock history in the making, and documenting it for all to see. Rock’s career doesn’t end there; today’s talent continues to seek him out. The Misfits, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Michael Stipe, The Chemical Brothers, MGMT, Daft Punk, and even Kate Moss have been subjects of his lens.

His photographs tell another side of rock ‘n’ roll’s history; they offer candid glimpses inside the private lives of some of our musical heroes, as well as create heroes out of them.

Mick Rock is unquestionably the seminal rock ‘n’ roll photographer of our era.

"WHEN I GOT TO NEW YORK IT WAS LIKE FUCKING SODOM AND GOMORRAH GONE BERSERK! LONDON WAS NAUGHTY, BUT NOTHING LIKE NEW YORK."

AS IF: Mick Rock, is that your real name?

MR: It is. When Lou Reed first met me he used to say, “I know your name really isn’t Mick Rock, it’s probably Michael Rockburger, and you’re not from the UK, but somewhere out on Long Island!”

getting wacked-out on absinthe, sex and drugs. You know, something happened when I took the LSD: I began to see. There was no vision sense in the household I grew up in, my parents were lovely people, but they were more book oriented.

AS IF: You were born in London, educated in Cambridge. How did you wind up getting involved in rock photography?

MR: I was introduced to hashish my first year at Cambridge, and the hippie thing was all over. And, like any self-respecting hippie student I took LSD, which was really powerful during those days. Once you took it you couldn’t move! This one time friends and I were at one of our friend’s homes and his parents had money, and he had a camera that he didn’t use. So, I picked it up and started taking pictures of this girl who was with us.

AS IF: Do you think of yourself as an artist?

MR: I thought of myself more as a poet. I used to write stuff. But then the beast came upon me!

AS IF: While you were tripping?

MR: Yeah, I didn’t even know to wind the camera. I probably wouldn’t have picked up a camera if I hadn’t been high. A few days later my friends remembered I took some pictures, so we opened the camera and there wasn’t any film! At that moment I didn’t think of becoming a photographer, but I knew I liked it.

I liked looking at people, it fascinated me, so I started to take pictures. Then somebody said to me, “there is a local band who needs photographs and they can pay 5£.” It was better than hustling quick deals of hashish so I took it. There were a couple of other gigs, and then I shot stuff for friends. I was enjoying it, but I needed to get my fucking degree because my mother would be pissed if I didn’t. By the time I was 12 years old she was telling everyone I was going to go to Cambridge.

AS IF: What were you studying at Cambridge?

MR: Model languages and literature. My brain was filled with symbolist poets who write about

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AS IF: What kind of music were you listening to then? Was music an important part of your life at the time?

MR: Buddy Holly’s Peggy Sue was the first record I ever got. I liked Elvis, but I loved Buddy Holly and the Crickets, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles of course. A lot of them wrote their own music, which was unusual. They were also getting involved in production, a complete revolution before my time.

AS IF: Your first major shoot was Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd.

MR: Syd was going solo and the photos were for the album, Mad Cat. There wasn’t any money in what I was doing, but you didn’t need a lot of money to live in London or New York back in those days, that’s why creative people came to the cities.

AS IF: What other artists were you shooting at the time?

MR: I remember shooting a couple of jazz albums, a very obscure folk singer, and then I shot Rory Gallagher’s first three albums in ’71, ’72 and ’73. This was right in the middle of the glam explosion.

AS IF: So that was three years of shooting and getting high?

MR: Yeah, but I was learning too. I didn’t take LSD while I was shooting, that first time was a one-off experience. I was spaced out in some

ways, but if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do something properly. No whining, no excuses.

AS IF: Was there a particular time, whether pre or post Bowie, that it clicked in your head, this is something I could actually be good at?

MR: No, I never turned professional physiologically. I would try things out, fucked around with stuff, and I learned as I went along. I did a couple of soft nude sessions for magazines.

And then Bowie released Hunky Dory, and he had a bit of a following.

AS IF: An underground following, or was he on the radio?

MR: It was in ’69 with “Space Oddity”, which was a top 10 hit in England, but people thought he was a gimmick.

AS IF: A one hit wonder.

MR: Yeah, and he was effectively a one hit wonder for about three years before he wasn’t anymore.

AS IF: Did you know who he was when you first met him?

MR: I knew that track vaguely, and I wasn’t that interested. I was listening to “Truckin’” by the Grateful Dead, Astral Weeks by Van Morrison, and things a bit more psychedelic.

I loved Bob Dylan, and I found out about this American band, The Velvet Underground, and thought wow! They were fucking buried so deep underground.

AS IF: But that was a little bit later, no?

MR: No, not really. Velvet’s first album was released in ’67, and it was with Warhol who built their reputation. Warhol seemed like he was taking a fucking piss at society with his Campbell Soup cans, and he had these weird people hanging around him, so he quickly built a little rock ‘n’ roll following. He acted like he

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"I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE PICKED UP A CAMERA IF I HADN'T BEEN HIGH. A FEW DAYS LATER MY FRIENDS REMEMBERED I TOOK SOME PICTURES, SO WE OPENED THE CAMERA AND THERE WASN'T ANY FILM! AT THAT MOMENT I DIDN' T THINK OF BECOMING A PHOTOGRAPHER, BUT I KNEW I LIKED IT."

didn’t know what the fuck was going on and didn’t care, but he knew exactly what he was doing, and he absolutely cared. So, he had this great act going on. Seeing that album cover, and seeing Lou Reed’s name… it didn’t look or sound like any other kind of music I ever heard.

AS IF: How did you get the gig with Bowie?

MR: I got a couple commissions to write something on him and take his picture. So, I went to meet him early March ’72. I remember his plugger, this little blonde lady Anya Wilson.

She took me backstage to meet Bowie. I remember there being a little banter about names because I had found out his name was really David Jones. The interview was almost more important than the photos. I was like a journalist, it was another way of making money where I could supply both the pictures and the words. In fact, one of the pieces I did for Bowie was for Rolling Stone magazine. I took half a dozen pictures, and I started to show one of them in my later exhibitions. I didn’t show it for years because I never thought it was very interesting: it’s just him sitting. But, people want to see this stuff too, because David really doesn’t need to do anything. That’s why I’ve done two books on him.

AS IF: You became very good friends with him?

MR: We became good friends because it was just about being pals and taking pictures, it wasn’t about money because these pictures weren’t worth much then anyway. I was doing other gigs for magazines, and I was making money writing because I could scribble due to my Cambridge education. David once called me empathetic. I was a bit different from the regular photographer.

AS IF: You were capturing and covering the most important time in Bowie’s career.

MR: I was right at the beginning of Ziggy Stardust, so there weren’t many people around.

But, within three months he was playing in front of 1,000 people in Oxford Town Hall. The guitar fellatio shot with Mick Ronson was an image that really got around, especially when it got to America. And David would talk about being bi-sexual and would put on lipstick and drive people crazy. Mick wasn’t gay and the photo isn’t meant to suggest they had a thing, David was just trying to bite Mick’s guitar. For the first time people started to ask, who took this picture? Then along came Lou, and along came Iggy. I shot their music videos because we were mates. I wasn’t looking for money, there were no outlets for these videos anyway.

AS IF: What was the progression of you becoming more of a live photographer?

MR: It was Rory Gallagher who got me into live photography because one of his covers was a live photo; and then Bowie.

AS IF: When you were shooting personal pictures of Bowie didn’t he say, “Mick captures me like I see myself”?

MR: Yes, he was talking about a very specific session for Club International magazine for that interview I was telling you about. This was not that long after I met him. I shot him at his house. I had no equipment, just one little photo thing you plug a bulb into. I had that little cheap flash that I shot the live stuff with Bowie and Ronson with.

AS IF: Was that the beautiful, innocent session with his red hair sitting by a window with his reflection in the mirror?

MR: That’s exactly it. I also shot pictures of him in his son’s pink bedroom, which was all dolled up. I shot him in the red boots, and outside wearing flared out blue trousers. I did those three shoots over a week’s period. I was also going to concerts and shooting him, and I loved that!

AS IF: Were you inspired by what he was doing?

MR: Oh totally…I think in a way he hypnotized me. The other thing with David was he was fun to hang out with, and he was oblivious of me when I was shooting. His mind was totally somewhere else. I have so many candid pictures where he is making himself up.

AS IF: He styled himself?

MR: He had a little help from Freddie Burretti, but Freddie didn’t come to the gigs.

He’d find stuff from Japan, and was collecting pieces in London. He’d throw a bone to David and if it interested him he’d incorporate it. David was like that with musicians too. He inspired them, and then he fed off of what they brought to the table.

AS IF: Were you instrumental in crafting any of that?

MR: Well, I did do those four videos so that’s instrumental in something. The first one, John I’m Only Dancing, was shot in four or five hours on the stage where he was going to perform that night. Basic lights almost like a still shoot.

The other three were Jean Genie, Space Oddity, and Life On Mars.

AS IF: When David’s popularity started to rise did it occur to you that you were on to something?

MR: I always thought I was on to something.

I saw them as more than just rock ‘n’ rollers, but great artists. That’s what interested me. I mean, I worked with Dylan, The Stones, and with McCartney on a video, but what David was doing was totally new, it was cutting edge. Here comes Lou Reed, David Bowie and Iggy Pop, and they’re fucking charging, and they’re upsetting people because of their sexual ambiguity.

AS IF: What brought you to New York?

MR: I had been coming with Sheila, my first wife, but Lou wanted to expose me to New York. Lou Reed − he was something. If he was your pal, he was your pal. If he hated you, be careful.

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Syd Barrett with floor boards CU. London, 1969 | © mick rock

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Bowie. Earls Court, London, 1973 | © mick rock

Bowie in Mirror. Haddon Hall, UK, 1972 | © mick rock

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Andy Warhol and Lou Reed. NYC, 1976 | © mick rock

David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, The Terrible Trio. Dorchester Hotel, London, 1972 | © mick rock

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Bowie. Earls Court, London, 1973 | © mick rock

AS IF: Was privacy a concern for any of the artists you were shooting?

MR: No, not really. I think they felt I was one of them, and what was I going to do with the pictures anyway? There weren’t any real outlets for these photos. Plus, I’m not a backstabbing bastard.

AS IF: It must have been hard to keep up with the sex, drugs and the lifestyle.

MR: Not just the rock ‘n’ roll, but that whole glam rock underground thing, which was bisexual, but pretty. I was fascinated, but I wasn’t too sure I wanted to fuck anybody. We were upsetting the straight society, and just having fun. When I got to New York it was like fucking Sodom and Gomorrah gone berserk! London was naughty, but nothing like New York.

Lou Reed, Mick Jagger, David Bowie Cuddling. Café Royal, London, 1973 | © mick rock

Lou Reed and David Bowie Kiss. Café Royal, London, 1973 | © mick rock

AS IF: Did he take you under his wing?

MR: In a sense. He’d take me with him to certain places. After the Bowie tour I hung with Lou for another two or three weeks in New York. This was late ’72. I took some performance pictures, and had already shot him in London during his Transformer tour. In New York he was taking me to the underground, the heavy gay underground.

AS IF: Did you bring your camera with you?

MR: Not in some of these places. It’s probably better that I didn’t. You didn’t see cameras around. You got to remember this was ’72, and you had to sneak out of the closet. The thing about the gay movement was it was so rebellious and over the edge. You didn’t have

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to have sex with men to hang out. I knew a lot of gay men and bi-sexual men and I enjoyed their company, they were very creative.

AS IF: Who were some of the people Lou was running with at the time?

MR: He was running with all kinds. I remember meeting some priest, a guy from the military, a really heavy gay guy, and I remember going with him to an apartment in Carnegie Hall to meet his friend who was a huge Judy Garland fan and had all of these recordings of her.

AS IF: Didn’t he have a girlfriend at the time?

MR: He had a wife, his first wife. They didn’t have any children. I think there is a verse of her singing in “Pale Blue Eyes”.

AS IF: Were you shooting just for yourself at times?

MR: Oh yeah, I shot a bit of sexy fashion, and I did other album covers. I shot Bob Marley, Tina Turner, Ozzy Osborne, Dolly Parton. The money I was making with David Bowie, Lou, Iggy, and Queen wasn’t going to pay me enough to live. The interesting thing about copyrights, which obviously interests me a lot more now because mine are worth so much, is back then nobody’s were worth anything in the rock ‘n’ roll game. I also shot some S&M stuff, but I wasn’t operating ahead of Robert Mapplethorpe.

AS IF: Did you meet Mapplethorpe?

MR: Yeah, I met Robert in ’76 in New York with Lou. Lou took me downtown to this portrait gallery. We go up the stairs into this loft, I didn’t know what to expect. We opened the door and there was a photo of a nice black arse with a fist up it! It was his X exhibition. Mapplethorpe’s pictures I like best are his flowers because initially he was a graphic artist. I have a couple of pictures of Robert looking very young and cute in front of a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger that he shot.

AS IF: What about Warhol?

MR: I shot him for the cover of High Times magazine on one of my trips to the Factory with Lou. Truman Capote was there dressed as Santa, and I have tons of photos of them together, most of which have never been seen.

That was Christmas of ’79.

AS IF: Have you archived everything?

MR: Not the way I should. I suppose if I started digging I’d find stuff I forgot about because subjects like David and Lou have dominated. I also got the first picture of Lemmy (Kilmister) from Motorhead.

AS IF: Do you think your photography might have helped catapult an artist? How important is the photography to the career of an artist?

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Bowie Wrist Slash. Scotland, 1973 | © mick rock

Bowie Sax full-length #I. London, 1973 | © mick rock

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Pink Debbie Harry. NYC, 1978 | © mick rock

MR: I’m not sure that is a question I can or should answer. I make no claims. There’s a lot of definitive images of David because he mutated throughout his career, and certainly of Lou with Transformer, Iggy with Raw Power, and that definitive Queen shot, and Joan Jett.

AS IF: They’re all iconic images.

MR: Well, that’s what people call them.

AS IF: You have a documentary about your life and career. How did the film come about?

MR: About five or six years ago I was approached by the people who made Man On

The Wire, about the French tightrope walker who walked tightrope between the Twin Towers.

I respected their work, but I couldn’t work with them because every time I thought about them I would think of Man On The Wire and it would trigger my acrophobia. It’s not their fault, it’s my problem. When I was approached by the producers of Shot! there were three things I said I wanted: First, I wanted a director under 40.

Second, I didn’t want talking heads, because I didn’t want it to be visually prosaic. Thirdly, it had to include work I’ve done the last fucking new millennium! The movie poster is important, because right at the top you see Daft Punk peaking over like the future is waiting for me.

AS IF: Do you have a favorite shoot or photograph?

MR: It depends on the hour of the day, the day of the week, the month of the year, or whether I’m having my period.

AS IF: What did you learn from David?

MR: The unique charisma of some of my early subjects is what electrified me; I felt like I was feeding off of them. But David… just watching David… he was a gracious human being. He was a boy, and he had a bit of fun, but I saw him as a kind of magician and I was fascinated.

Lou it was different, but he was the New York magician and David the London magician. And

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David Bowie, Life On Mars, London 1973 | © mick rock

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Lou Reed Transformer cover. London, 1972 | © mick rock

Iggy Pop Raw Power album cover. London, 1972 | © mick rock 186

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Iggy Pop Back Bend. London, 1972 | © mick rock AS IF / ISSUE 11

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Blue Iggy. NYC, 1978 | © mick rock

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Bowie Praying on Knees. Chicago, 1972 | © mick rock

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Bowie/Ronson Guitar Fellatio. Oxford Town Hall, UK, 1972 | © mick rock

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Bowie and Ronson Lunch on THE Train to Aberdeen. UK, 1973 | © mick rock

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kate moss with litemeter. NYC, 2002 | © mick rock

Tim Curry Pink Gloves. Rocky Horror Picture Show. UK, 1974 | © mick rock

of course, David and Lou loved each other. And of course there’s Iggy just to keep it really raw around the edges. I know Iggy, and I’ve photographed him in more recent years too. But with David everything came into focus. I saw him as a piece of art that kept mutating. David worked fucking hard. He was super bright and well-read for someone who left school for his art at 15 like a lot of the English rock ‘n’ rollers like Pete Townsand, like Syd, like Lennon, like Keith Richards, Jimmy Page. And with Lou we’re dealing with the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll revolution.

It’s exciting and everyone is pretty, there were no ugly people around.

AS IF: You went through a very difficult period. Can you tell me about that time?

MR: When I was in the hospital after my quadruple heart bypass surgery the two people that sent flowers was first Lou, then David. So, I know they always loved me. But, I was broke, and being broke is not fun, especially with a serious cocaine habit. I had the IRS up my ass, I had a child, I owned nothing, I was in debt, and I got a messy reputation because of my cocaine habit. The quality of my photography didn’t suffer, but I became less and less reliable in terms of meetings and delivery times. Eventually, the phone stopped ringing.

AS IF: Did you know about David’s illness?

MR: Yes, he invited me on his very last tour, which he had to truncate because he had a stroke. They never spoke about it. They postponed it, but it was a permanent postponement. And they misdiagnosed him. David would say, I’m doing fine Mick. You know, he’s fucking David Bowie and I’ve been through my own changes in order to rebuild myself. I had heart bypass surgery and my reputation was not so great. I could barely get any work.

AS IF: It really is an amazing story to have come back from that.

MR: In a way it is. I had floated so easily in those early years, and never had to think philosophically about it. I was shooting, I had no agent, I was just floating on the edge of culture like Fanny Go Lightly. I hadn’t had that life test, which I needed to have. But thank god for Allen Klein and Andrew Oldham who paid for my doctor’s bills, because not only did I not have it, I had no health insurance. When I look at it I realize

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Lou Reed Holding Head. London, 1975 | © mick rock

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Kate Moss wearing Lou Reed tee. NYC, 2002 | © mick rock

Queen II album cover. London, 1974 | © mick rock

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Hedwig movie poster. NYC, 2002 | © mick rock

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Ramones End of Century album cover session. NYC, 1979 | © mick rock

Madonna. NYC, 1980 | © mick rock

Daft Punk. Las Vegas, 2009 | © mick rock

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Joan Jett I love Rock'n' Roll album cover. NYC, 1982 | © mick rock

the pit I had dug was very deep. I started to understand money, and little by little I started to understand what I had. My yoga practice was key to my rebuilding, as well as my massage and meditation. I started doing Hatha Yoga with the teachers of B.K.S Iyengar in London in the autumn of 1970. Except for the Madcap Laughs sessions with Syd Barrett in ’69, I have never done a photo session without first doing a yoga workout and a 10-minute headstand, even during my 20-year cocaine madness from the winter of ’76 to Christmas ’96 when I had my quadruple heart bypass surgery. The good thing was that I was not into heroine or alcohol. I never drank. I’ve had a kidney problem, but never a liver problem. Whereas Lou died because his liver transplant didn’t work, and David died of liver cancer. I think the cigarettes got them. They quit smoking years ago, but they fucking chain-smoked for 40-years and that laid the foundation I believe. I stopped 20-years ago because god put his hand on my shoulder when I had my heart attack.

AS IF: That’s quite a journey.

MR: And now we are in the new millennium and rock ‘n’ roll photography is starting to be

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taken seriously. The exhibitions and books started happening, and I began selling prints.

And, of course, there’s today: I shot Snoop Dog, Lady Gaga, Mark Ronsen, I shot new Iggy pictures, new Debbie Harry pictures, I shot Kate Moss, I shot the Yea Yea Yea’s, and Pharrell. I’m back in the present, which was the first thing that was important to me. Then this documentary project came, and then the second book on David, which I didn’t hustle, the editor of Taschen came to me. I had already published a book on David with them, but they wanted to tell a different story and show different photos because they knew I had a huge archive. The interest in Ziggy has come full circle because he looks so modern. Lady Gaga is obviously influenced by him, as was Madonna. David, Lou and Iggy invented modern rock ‘n’ roll. I not only took photos of them individually, but at a key time when the three of them were together.

AS IF: The sacred triangle.

MR: I’ve given it two titles, The Terrible Trio, and as the years rolled on, The Unholy Trinity. And they were. They disturbed the culture in ways that is hard for anyone to imagine today.

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TRUMAN CAPOTE AND ANDY WARHOL. NYC, 1979 | © mick rock

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SOFIA S O F I A

B O U T E L L A

PHOTOGRAPHY AND INTERVIEW TATIJANA SHOAN HAIR BY LUIS GUILLERMO FOR FACTORY DOWNTOWN MAKEUP BY CLAIRE BAYLEY FOR L’ATELIER NYC USING LAURA MERCIER NAILS BY ANGEL WILLIAMS FOR ATELIER MANAGEMENT USING MAXUS

Tiffany & Co. Metro five-row bangle

SOFIA Dancer and actress Sofia Boutella’s feminine angular features and fairy-like frame belie her power beneath. Her single handed handstands solidly mount her to the floor while her legs move in propeller-like motions, eventually catapulting her into the air in gravity defying gazelle-like flight. Hip-hop moves such as freezing, floating, and airflare are executed with the precision of a panther on the hunt. This classically trained ballerina from Algeria became the world’s most sought after female hip-hop dancer before becoming Hollywood’s most exciting import.

Boutella was born in Algeria where she started studying ballet at the age of five, before the civil war transplanted her and her mother to France when she was just 10. It was in France where she was introduced to hip-hop and soon found herself dancing for Michael Jackson and Madonna, before landing the coveted Nike commercial representing the quintessential Nike woman.

To watch Boutella dance is not just entertaining, it’s transforming. She is an artist who uses her body to tell a story.

It’s not surprising that Hollywood came calling soon after she moved to Los Angeles. Her break-out roll came in 2012 in the film, StreetDance 2, which lead to the blockbuster hit, Kingsman: The Secret Service. Boutella’s acrobatic portrayal of a sword-wielding badass with prosthetic bladed legs brought her rave reviews and the attention of the producers of Star Trek Beyond. In Star Trek Boutella once again proved her abilities as the most physically gifted star in the business.

However, this dancer-turned-actress has been yearning for roles that challenge her as an actress. With two movies coming out this summer—The Mummy starring in the title role opposite Tom Cruise, and Atomic Blonde where she shares a love scene with Charlize Theron—this may be the moment Boutella has been waiting for.

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Van Cleef & Arpels Noeud white gold and diamond bracelet Marchesa fit and flare gown and back scarf drape

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SOFIA AS IF: You are a classically trained dancer and have become one of the most sought after hip-hop dancers appearing in Nike campaigns and music videos. When did you decide to turn your sights on acting?

Sofia Boutella: The decision to become an actress was random. I was staying in Paris with a friend, and at the time there weren’t any dance agencies in Paris, so when a job came up it was passed along through word of mouth. My friend told me she was going to a casting for a movie, and asked if I wanted to come along. I went with her; it was for a movie called, Dance Challenge, directed by this amazing contemporary choreographer from Spain, Blanca Li. I ended up booking the role of the love interest to the lead actor. I really loved that gig! After that film I started taking acting classes, I got an agent, and worked on a few projects in Paris. But, I wanted to stop because I felt like I haven’t given dancing a proper go. So, I stopped acting and just carried on dancing, and started working for Nike and Madonna. It wasn’t until I moved to LA when I was 24, that I decided to study acting again.

About a year after moving to LA a movie came along called StreetDance 2, and that drew me more towards acting. I started to feel conflicted

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between acting and dancing, so decided to put my focus on acting and stopped dancing for two to three years. I felt I was hiding behind the fact that I was a successful dancer. I’m not the kind of person who likes to do two things at the same time because I feel messy and without structure or organization. Looking back, I’m happy I took the leap of faith towards acting.

It was worth it. But, I didn’t work for two years once I made a decision to not dance anymore!

AS IF: What was that period of time like for you?

SB: I was broke! People would tell me about a music video I could work on for a couple days to make money, but I wouldn’t take it out of principle. I needed to focus on acting. Part of me now wonders what propelled me? It’s interesting now when I think about it—it seems terrifying and it seems impossible—at the time I felt as though I didn’t have a choice. That was the only thing that made sense.

AS IF: You were born in Algeria and moved to France with your family when you were 10-years-old after the Algerian civil war broke out. How was your transition into French culture?

SB: My family, from both sides, fluctuated between working class and middle class. My grandfather was a colonel and my father was born in Germany because my grandfather worked in Germany before working in France and China. My father’s side travelled and moved around a lot. My mom’s side was the same. The French people had a big influence on Algerian people. I’m lucky my parents were well educated in the sense that they had the chance to go to school and study hard. When I grew up, everyone around me spoke French, and my dad moved to France when I was little; my mom and I stayed in Algeria. My parents separated when I was four and I would see him every now and again. He is a composer. He spoke-out against the political party in Algeria, which was a very dangerous thing to do, so he always kept an eye on us. It got to a point when my parents decided it wasn’t safe for my mom and me to stay in Algeria. I went to school one morning and came back to an empty house, we went to the airport and left for France. My parents didn’t tell me we were moving to France for fear that I might tell my friends and classmates; it just wasn’t safe for us if people knew. France always seemed like a land of opportunity, a place where you could get candy, toys and whatever you wanted.

When I was growing-up in Algeria there was a 6 p.m. curfew, and there were no toys and candy. There was nothing. You were able to get butter, and there was only water through the faucet for one hour a week, so my mom would fill a big barrel of water for the whole week.

If we ran out of water we’d have to travel for miles to get more. It was so primitive when I think about it now, but it was all I knew for the

first 10 years of my life. When I first arrived in France I thought it was amazing. And then, little by little, I started to understand what it meant to leave a country like Algeria. My sanity started to slowly dissipate because I was an Algerian in France and never felt that I could ever belong. We also lived very humbly. My mom bought me just one pair of shoes, and I had very little clothes. I was never cool in school in France either. I was always trying to find a sense of identity. It was hard.

AS IF: Do you think trying to find your place in this new culture is what drew you towards hip-hop dance?

SB: Maybe, maybe… I started studying ballet in Algeria when I was five. There was only one class in the country and that’s where I was dancing. When I moved to France I needed to find a dance class because I needed to feel like myself, feel like I belonged to something. Dance kept me focused and in a frame of mind that felt safe. As I grew up I started to go out on my own to feel my independence, and I would come across hip-hop dancers and would see how they had a sense of identity and nobody told them what to do, what to dance, how to dance, or where to begin. What they were doing seemed like a philosophy. They had freedom of movement, and I yearned for that. The mentality and the depth of it drew me in. It was the free spirit that attracted me because that is how I felt inside. Hip-hop gave me a sense of freedom and identity.

AS IF: Tell me about your move to the United States?

SB: I was on tour with Madonna when my mom and I didn’t have money for our apartment and we lost it. I told my mom to find something small for herself because my tour would last for another year, so she found a small apartment in Paris. Towards the end of the tour we were in Tokyo, and management asked me where I wanted my return ticket back to be, and I said LA. Before the tour we rehearsed in LA for three months so I had an 0-1 visa, and when the tour finished I had about three more months on the visa so I went back. That was 10 years ago and I’m still here! The jobs I had done with Nike and Madonna earned me enough money to stay.

AS IF: How difficult is the transition from dancer to actress? And what are the fundamental differences?

SB: The transition felt seamless because it made complete sense to me. When I was 17 and got the film, Dance Challenge, I just thought, wait a minute that’s not that far off from what I do with dance! I’ve danced ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, and a part of me felt like I was never best in one discipline, but was best at merging. When the Nike commercial came out people saw me as a hip-hop dancer, when in reality I am not a hip-hop dancer, I’m primarily a ballet dancer. I’m just

“I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS TELLING A STORY AS A DANCER, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS YOUNG I DIDN’T FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS DOING. BUT, I UNDERSTOOD LATER THAT I DANCE FROM A PLACE OF STORY.” AS IF / ISSUE 11

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“LOOKING BACK, I’M HAPPY I TOOK THE LEAP OF FAITH TOWARDS ACTING. IT WAS WORTH IT. BUT, I DIDN’T WORK FOR TWO YEARS ONCE I MADE A DECISION TO NOT DANCE ANYMORE!” good at mixing both disciplines and applying what I learned in ballet to hip-hop, which I think makes my hip-hop lighter, more flexible, more delicate. I dance from a place of emotions and feeling. I can watch dancers and see them do major tricks and be really powerful, but not always tell a story. I can watch dancers who maybe aren’t as talented physically, but they can draw me into a story and touch me, move me. I was aware that I was telling a story as a dancer, because when I was young I didn’t fully understand what I was doing.

But, I understood later that I dance from a place of story. Also, when I am acting I have to find my character’s body language, and that comes from dancing. Acting makes sense that way for me.

AS IF: You have two big films coming out and the roles are very different. First, tell me about your role as the Mummy?

SB: I was in Dubai wrapping Star Trek when I got the script for The Mummy. I had just gone through long makeup hours with Star Trek and when I read The Mummy I knew I’d be in for more long makeup days. I was also afraid to play a monster, especially at the scale this character would be. I knew that this was going to be a big studio movie, and Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe were not yet on board. I love movies so much, and I love story telling so much, but I want to do something that is meaningful and speaks to me directly, and I didn’t think this was the right part so I initially declined. My agent told me that the director, Alex Kurtzman, still wanted to meet me. I told Alex about my concerns about monsters in movies in general, and what interests me about monsters or bad guys in movies is why they are bad, we need to understand where they are coming from because people don’t just all of a sudden become bad! He totally understood where I was coming from and told me that what I read was a primary draft to get the production started. He promised to work on the script and my character. He showed me a bunch of story boards that had my face all over them, and of course that is very flattering. I left that meeting thinking, I just met an incredible human being and someone who is

genuinely nice. He didn’t try to bribe me; he was genuinely truthful. I said to myself, just say yes and do your best, and if it turns out not being what you expected it doesn’t matter. I’m so happy I said yes because in the end Alex got me the rewrites he promised and created the character I was hoping for. He brought the character another dimension. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I hope it translates. You know, if you give me a character I’m going to care about it, and I think he appreciated that.

Then, two months after I said yes, Tom was on board. I remember saying to myself Jesus, thank God I said yes! Then Russell Crowe was on board and that would have been another crying shame if I declined. All in all, I love Ahmanet, the character I play who’s the Mummy. I love her.

AS IF: What was it like working with Tom Cruise?

SB: It was really lovely. He’s so passionate and so knowledgeable. He shared so much of what he does with me. We spent hours and hours on set and outside set talking about the character. He is fascinating. He loves movie making so much, he loves being on set, and he is very hands on. I absolutely adored working with him. I would love to work with him again.

AS IF: Tell me about Atomic Blonde. You play Charlize Theron’s lover, which is a stretch from the super hero characters we are used to seeing you play. Tell me about preparing for your role and working with the academy award winning actress?

SB: I was presented with that script when I was finishing Star Trek and I thought this is brilliant I don’t have to be in an action movie wearing heavy makeup, fantastic! Plus, the director was David Leitch, and the fact that he saw me in this role and didn’t see me as some action figure was exciting and challenging for me. I just loved the whole idea. We were in Budapest for several months prepping for the part. I spent a long time with Charlize and David talking about character. The character I play is French. I brought a sense of naiveté to her, which is interesting because she is a French spy. And though Charlize’s character

and my character get together in the movie, I don’t think they are lesbians, they just felt a connection and went for it.

AS IF: Explain that connection.

SB: They felt a connection when they met, and I think they wanted to explore that connection in an amorous way, in a pretty physical way.

We have a sex scene and I’ve never done a sex scene before. I love that my first sex scene is with Charlize! She made me feel safe and protected. Honestly, the first time I met Charlize I couldn’t believe how gorgeous and beautiful she is; she’s also widely intelligent.

She is such an amazing actress. I was blown away by someone who is not only beautiful, but incredibly good at what she does. I found that very inspiring. She is also a woman who doesn’t take anything for granted; she works hard, she cares hard, and she has been so sweet to me, and so loving and sharing. I sound like a broken record, but everyone I’ve worked with has been so fantastic to me. I feel genuinely lucky.

AS IF: Who have been your biggest influences and inspirations?

SB: I won’t be able to list just one person.

Everybody came at different times and for different reasons in my life and have had an impact on me, genuinely. I’m very intrigued by people. I just love people, so when I meet someone I just come with nothing but love, and it has been given back to me in very beautiful ways so far. That’s how I see it.

AS IF: Describe your perfect project?

SB: I’d say being with the perfect group of people who all want to do the same thing, and where everyone’s intentions are simple, pure and genuine. Collectively, we would translate a story that matters that will then serve others.

AS IF: Do you have a wish list of directors and actors you’d like to work with?

SB: Oh yes, I do! I’d love to work with Paul Thomas Anderson, I’d love to work with Robert Eggers, I just saw The Witch, which was fantastic. I’d love to work with Michel Gondry, Jacques Audiard, Wim Wenders, Gus Van Sant, Ang Lee, Alejandro Iñarritu, Alfonso Cuarón, Derek Cianfrance, Nicolas Winding Refn, Denis Villeneuve, and the director who directed A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. I would also love to work with Meryl Streep and Daniel Day-Lewis.

AS IF: So just a short list, then?

SB: (Laughs) AS IF: Where do you see yourself in five years?

SB: I can’t see that far ahead, I can’t even see myself next week! But, no matter what I’m doing I want it to be in a truthful place, or else I’ll be miserable. That’s all I wish for myself.

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AFRICAN SUN PHOTOGRAPHY ΑΝD TEXT

BY TAT I JA N A S H OA N

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T H E Y E LLOW A N D O R A N G E hues of light were like soft brushstrokes of watercolor as they gently saturated the mist from the river and dew on the leaves of the trees.

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TH E SU N WAS HOVE RI NG just above the horizon late on a tepid afternoon in June when we disembarked from the singlepropeller plane that had picked us up in Lusaka, the capitol of Zambia, and brought us here, to South Luangwa, in eastern Zambia. I had come with my husband Scott to go on safari, our first ever, and a lifelong dream of ours. A guide from Norman Carr Safaris picked us up in an open Jeep and drove on endless dirt roads for about an hour, passing through the village of Mfuwe along the way, where laughing children chased our jeep and women were selling live chicken roadside, until we reached South Luangwa National Park. After another 30-minutes of driving through expansive plains where we had to maneuver around bushes and trees we finally arrived at our destination, Norman Carr Safaris Chinzombo. The camp, silhouetted against a lavender-and-pink sunset, was situated across the Luangwa River, which we now had to navigate by boat. The river was full of curious hippo, who would pop their heads up out of the water as they swam towards us to get a better look. Upon docking we were greeted warmly with smiles, hot towels, cocktails, canapés, and a bonfire before being taken to our room to drop off our luggage and freshen up before dinner. Our room was so beautiful, if I wasn’t so excited about seeing the animals I would have never left it. Referred to as “villas”, this expansive luxury tent made of thick olive khaki hovered just above ground on a wooden platform, and was down the river a few meters from the main camp’s lounge. The entire length of the villa’s “wall” facing the river was open

EVERY MORNING SCOTT AND I WOULD WATCH THE SUNRISE FROM BED. THE YELLOW AND ORANGE HUES OF LIGHT WERE LIKE SOFT BRUSHSTROKES OF WATERCOLOR AS THEY GENTLY SATURATED THE MIST FROM THE RIVER AND DEW ON THE LEAVES OF THE TREES. 256

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O U R V I LL A was so handsomely designed with low amber lighting, canvas and woods, that it made us feel as though we walked into a Ralph Lauren Ad.

to allow the full experience of the views.

Every morning Scott and I would watch the sunrise from bed. The yellow and orange hues of light were like soft brushstrokes of watercolor as they gently saturated the mist from the river and dew on the leaves of the trees. At sunset we rolled down the mosquito netting to keep the bugs out, and not to miss out on the views, and at night thick khaki was rolled down to keep out the cool night air and any roaming animals. Our villa was so handsomely designed with low amber lighting, canvas and woods, that it made us feel as though we walked into a Ralph Lauren Ad. We also had a private plunge pool and a large free-standing tub built for two that we took full advantage of in the evenings. It was our own private paradise.

The story behind this safari camp is also worth mentioning. The late founder, Norman Carr had a mission in life to preserve the land and its wildlife, to reduce man’s footprint on the environment as much as possible, and to promote his vision of eco-tourism, an idea that Carr conjured up decades before it became part of the exotic travel lexicon. Our camp at Chinzombo, along with several other camps in Zambia, is the result of Carr’s extraordinary efforts, which began in 1950 with little more than six rondevaals (mud huts).

NORMAN JOS E PH CARR was born in 1912 to British colonials in Chinde, a port town on the African coast in what is now Mozambique. He was sent off to boarding

school in England at the age of seven and did not return to Africa to live full time until about ten years later, this time to work as an elephant control officer in the Luangwa Valley in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia.

After serving as an officer with the King's African Rifles in North Africa during World War II, Carr returned to Zambia with a radical idea: to educate villagers about the importance of their local wildlife and to get them involved in its conservation, while benefitting from it financially.

―continues at p. 00

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‘ O U R PA R E N T S had to escort us to school and teach us about the different animal footprints and droppings so we knew where they had been. As we grew older we could look on the ground and say, ‘Okay, this is a buffalo zone so we have to divert ourselves.We grew up with the mentality that it was us versus the animals.’

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AT S U N S E T we rolled down the mosquito netting to keep the bugs out, and not to miss out on the views, and at night thick khaki was rolled down to keep out the cool night air and any roaming animals.

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CARR RETURNED to Zambia with a radical idea: to educate villagers about the importance of their local wildlife and to get them involved in its conservation.

BAS ICALLY, Carr introduced what, at the time, was a unique way of interacting with the environment, respecting both the natural landscape and local Zambian traditions—conservation through tourism.

Individuals may have been living in Africa in this way privately, but no one had succeeded in putting these philosophies into practice.

That is, until Norman Carr came along.

In 1950 Carr persuaded paramount Chief Nsefu of the Kunda people of the Northern Province to set aside part of his tribal land, which Carr would turn into a game reserve where animals roamed freely and hunting was banned. In return, Carr would take paying visitors on safari in this game reserve, and a portion of the money gained from the experience would go to

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Chief Nsefu’s tribe. The chief was mystified as to why people would want to pay to watch the animals, some of which he and his people considered a nuisance, but he agreed to the experiment.

“When I was a little boy, wildlife was everywhere,” remembers Cedric Koma, one of our Senior Guide’s at the camp.

“You'd see elephants roaming through the villages and they would steal our food, as would the baboons. Our parents had to escort us to school and teach us about the different animal footprints and droppings so we knew where they had been. As we grew older we could look on the ground and say, ‘Okay, this is a buffalo zone so we have to divert ourselves.’ We grew up with the mentality that it was us versus the animals.”

Abraham Banda, our other chief guide said, “What needs to be understood—and this was important to Norman—was that a lot of the communities living on the periphery of the wildlife sanctuaries did not appreciate wildlife in the same way as the visitors. Locals are constantly fighting with elephants that are raiding their fields and stealing food. Growing up, my brother and I would be sent out to our field to try to keep the baboons out, we would never look at one and say, ‘What a beautiful baboon.’ Lions might occasionally eat people, and guinea fowl and impala are meant to be eaten, so trying to convince villagers to conserve wildlife was a farfetched idea, but Norman was a visionary and knew how to do it.”

CARR’S PL AN WORKE D. Not only did foreign tourists, such as Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, come to his camps, but Africans living in the urban centers of Zambia also visited. Carr helped develop the model that allowed local communities to profit from their land, but more than that, he established schools to educate their children, whom he would later employ at his camps.

“Norman was always involved not only in tourism but in community conservation where he would sponsor a school, and that is where I met him when I was a boy,” explains Banda. “His belief was that for the future of conservation to be viable, you needed to involve the younger generation.

Norman would take kids into the park and show them how to watch animals from a visitor’s perspective. This is how I started to appreciate wildlife. When I grew up I decided to go into conservation. Now, on my days off, I take my wife and kids into the park. We love it; it is part of our lives.”

“The locals loved him,” say’s Koma. “They nicknamed him Kakuli, which means ‘Old Buffalo.’ I wish the old guy was around today so he could see how his efforts have impacted us.”

Carr passed away in 1997. The Norman Carr Safari is no longer owned by the Carr family, but it was purchased by the group Time and Tide, which shares Carr’s vision to ensure that the eco-tourism experience is one of high luxury for a few visitors, the high-paying, low-volume model promoted by Carr, that continues to benefit both nature and the local communities that rely on it. ―continues at p. 00

‘LOCALS ARE CONSTANTLY FIGHTING WITH ELEPHANTS THAT ARE RAIDING THEIR FIELDS AND STEALING FOOD. SO TRYING TO CONVINCE VILLAGERS TO CONSERVE WILDLIFE WAS A FAR-FETCHED IDEA, BUT NORMAN WAS A VISIONARY AND KNEW HOW TO DO IT.’ AS IF / ISSUE 11

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DAVI D WI LSON , Managing Director at Norman Carr Safaris remarks that “interestingly, non-consumptive tourism models started from hunting, and Norman started out as a hunter. Hunting was the initial entry into this area and into this way of life, but Norman saw that there was much more good to be had through the safari experience. At Norman Carr Safaris we employ over 140 people, that’s 140 families who benefit, and that has a significant impact on the people in this community. Typically, hunting employs far fewer people and the benefits are much less.”

The camp where we stayed, in Chinzombo, has been thoughtfully designed to immerse guests in a tranquil environment. The main communal area of the camp, the lounge, is an open design concept providing views of the Luangwa River and beyond. The masculine

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bar area is what I imagine Carr’s study would have looked like: rustic leather bar stools, a globe, telescope, rich woods, and photos of Carr and his early exploits pepper the bookshelves. Many nights Scott and I enjoyed a whisky while imagining we were Ernest Heminway and Martha Gellhorn.

There is a circular sofa at the foot of the bar, and another on the dock arranged around a large firepit.

On one particular day our early morning sunrise watching ritual was pleasantly interrupted by a happy masseuse and an in-room spa treatment. We were pampered with homemade foot scrubs, massages, and an aromatherapy foot soak. But our mission on this trip was safari, so once we dried off we set-out for game watching since the best time for it is in the early morning. A breakfast of hot oatmeal and eggs with fresh

fruit, yogurt, and warm bread was made over a large open bonfire and by 5:30 am we were out in an open Jeep with Cedric Koma and Abraham Banda as our guides.

Koma and Banda are heralded across the region for their acute tracking skills. They do not bring guns on safari, instead they rely on their knowledge of the bush and animal behavior. By studying animal tracks and droppings, they can tell the time of day when they passed by, what and where the animal ate, and where they might be headed. By listening to birds and noticing their flight patterns they can pick up the signs that an animal is nearby, what kind, and where they might be. Koma and Banda can detect all kinds of scent in the wind, and can predict behaviors when the air is still. ―continues at p. 00

T H E C A M P where we stayed, in Chinzombo, has been thoughtfully designed to immerse guests in a tranquil environment.

The main communal area of the camp, the lounge, is an open design concept providing views of the Luangwa River and beyond

EVERY MORNING SCOTT AND I WOULD WATCH THE SUNRISE FROM BED. THE YELLOW AND ORANGE HUES OF LIGHT WERE LIKE SOFT BRUSHSTROKES OF WATERCOLOR AS THEY GENTLY SATURATED THE MIST FROM THE RIVER AND DEW ON THE LEAVES OF THE TREES. AS IF / ISSUE 11

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On our second day we came upon a pride of female lions. They were the epitome of grace and elegance as they scattered across a dry river bed, in search of a high spot where they could have a cat nap. The sight of these great beasts filled me with gratitude and, I must confess, brought me to tears.

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OU R GU I DE S assured us that we were likely to see leopard, impala, elephant, hippo, giraffe, zebra, baboon, and vervet monkey, and we were not disappointed. Since Zambia is not as heavily trafficked by tourists as Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, and South Africa, few game watchers are encountered, which offered us the precious opportunity to explore and discover the land uninterrupted.

We desperately wanted to see rhinos, but we were told that, sadly, the rhino in Zambia has been poached out of existence.

Forty years ago Zambia had one of the richest populations of rhino in Africa, but by 1998 they were gone. Norman Carr and other wildlife conservation organizations tried to protect the rhino here but failed.

This harsh reality added a poignancy to our visit, and our appreciation for the animals we did see only deepened. “Rhino are very gentle animals,” Banda told us. “They are easy to approach, which is why they were such easy victims.” My father once said to me that humans are exterminators by nature.

A generalized sentiment I find to be true, which only education, awareness, and social responsibility can hopefully cure. In fact, the reason Scott and I chose Norman Carr Chinzombo to experience our first safari was much in part to the man and his mission, and efforts Norman Carr Safaris make to preserve the environment and protect the animals.

I also wanted to see lions, as I am a huge cat lover. “Lions here cover very large territories,” Koma explained. “The park is

very large, so we sometimes go several weeks without seeing them. They were here not too long ago, so there is a big chance that they will not return for some time.” However, on our second day we came upon a pride of females. They were the epitome of grace and elegance as they scattered across a dry river bed, in search of a high spot where they could have a cat nap. The sight of these great beasts filled me with gratitude and, I must confess, brought me to tears.

On another day we came upon an unbelievable sight: giraffes, impalas and baboons peacefully sharing the same watering hole, in what I can only describe as a Maxfield Parish setting. It was dreamlike.

“All the vegetarians are friends,” explained Banda. “Baboons and impala are also good friends except in November when the impala have their young; baby impalas are a delicacy for baboons whose diet consists of about 20 percent meat. All other times of the year they travel together; baboons act like an alarm system for approaching danger, and they will climb fruit trees and throw the fruit down for the impalas.”

ON EVE RY SAFARI day, by mid-morning we would stop for tea, a tradition left over from colonial times. Our guides always picked picturesque spots for tea time, and from the back of the jeep they would pull out water, biscuits, a variety of teas, and coffee.

Our guides collected any half eaten biscuit and half cups of tea and coffee to dispose at the camp, as it is forbidden to leave any waste, even biodegradable, behind. A few hours later we would head back to camp for a buffet lunch, a quick nap, and by late afternoon we headed back out in the Jeep again. By sunset our guides would find yet another gorgeous spot where we would park for a cocktail and watch the sun go down, called, appropriately enough, sundowners.

Once again, the back of the Jeep was transformed, this time into a fully stocked bar. Nothing rounds out a perfect day quite like a dry martini and a blood-red sky.

W E F E LT SO S M A LL in that enormous park where nature reigns supreme—it was the perfect reminder of our place in the world.

Evenings at the camp were spent dining at the communal table, which we shared with other guests and where stories of the day’s excursions were told. One such story was shared by Norman Carr’s son and his wife, Adrian and Gid Carr who have lived in the region all their lives. One year during the rainy season Adrian and Gid came home to find the place flooded to their knees. As they walked through murky water Adrian came across a black mamba snake (one of the deadliest snakes in the world) curled up on their bed. Upon seeing Adrian, the snake made its way to him and wrapped itself around his leg. Adrian slowly pulled out his revolver and shot the mamba, remarkably without shooting his own leg! However, in death the mamba’s muscular body tightened and bit him repeatedly. Luckily by this time it was the snake’s nerves causing the reaction so no venom was extracted in the bites! This adrenaline filled story was told between dinner and dessert, which was prepared by a skilled chef, and all the produce and proteins are sourced from the local village, a true farm to table experience. After dinner, we all moved to the bar and hung-out on the sofa encircling the fire pit to soak up the remains of the day. Once we retired to our room and prepared for bed, (looking under it for snakes) the sounds of hungry hippos filled the air. Not long after, baboons started to frolic on top of our tent. We felt so small in that enormous park where nature reigns supreme—it was the perfect reminder of our place in the world.

THE REASON SCOTT AND I CHOSE NORMAN CARR CHINZOMBO TO EXPERIENCE OUR FIRST SAFARI WAS MUCH IN PART TO THE MAN AND HIS MISSION, AND EFFORTS NORMAN CARR SAFARIS MAKE TO PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND PROTECT THE ANIMALS. 282

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Story of a shipwrecked sailor

Interview by KIM HEIRSTON Artwork by BOSCO SODI

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UNTITLED, 2015 Ceramic glaze over volcanic rock 90 x 60 x 80 cm Photo by Ricardo Guzman, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

As an art advisor, I am 99.999� of the time responsible for introducing my clients to an artist. However, my first encounter with Bosco was precipitated by the search for the perfect 20-foot-long mural for the atrium of a collector's home on Gin Lane in Southampton. At first, I proposed Sol Lewitt. Then, we discussed Teresita Fernandez.

We looked at Ugo Rondinone. However, one day, my client showed me a magazine photo with a magnificent vertical ultramarine blue painting, entitled Blue Pangea, suspended at Hotel Matilda, in San Miguel de Allende, México. It was stunning. It was striking. It was theatrical. “This,“ my client said, as she pointed to the photo, “is what I want“. Of course, I was immediately on board. Working with Bosco on the eventual commission was a total dream. The result of his herculean efforts: a 230-inch-wide miracle, entitled Relato De Un Naufrago. This cobalt blue monochrome is as welcoming a presence as is the view of the Atlantic.

Although I was already aware of Bosco’s work, that moment put into motion a chain of events that has resulted in what most certainly will be a life-long friendship. Since then, I also had the pleasure of working with him on the installation of several works at the Shelborne Hotel in Miami Beach. Ever the consummate and professional Bosco, and his team, brought everything home-magnificent gold, silver, and black pigment paintings, and golden rock sculptures—on time, and within budget. In addition to collaborating, I have enjoyed spending many beautiful moments with the artist in his studio out East, both at the Southampton project site, as well as my own deck in Bridgehampton, as well as over tea and Coronas in The Gallery at the Carlyle. The only place I haven’t hung out with Bosco is at Casa Wabi, his foundation/hotel on Mexico’s Oaxaca Coast. This is something I long to do. Surely, it will come to pass.

As I write this introduction, I am also working on a book, tentatively titled, An Artfull Life. This visual memoir will chronicle my twenty-five-year journey as an art advisor; the artworks that have inspired me, the artists with whom I have collaborated, and the destinations to which I have travelled - all in the name of art. To me, Bosco personifies what it means to live an artful life. Like so many artists I admire, he displays a keen curiosity, adoration, and appetite for experience. Bosco embodies a larger of life spirit that I would imagine one would experience when in the presence of say, Diego Rivera, or even, Pablo Picasso - artful lives, indeed. It's just so much damn fun to be in his presence!

Born in Mexico City in 1970, Bosco Sodi is renowned for his close examinations of the natural, artistic, and spiritual realms through his investigations of material. The son of a chemist, the artist has positioned elements of natural and geological phenomena at the heart of his practice. Widely regarded for his richly textured, vividly colored large-scale paintings, Bosco’s work delves deeply into material exploration, the creative gesture, and the spiritual connection between the artist and his work. While carefully planned and executed, his approach also gives way to various unpredictable forms and reactions. Informed by such abstract expressionists as Mark Rothko, as well as l’art informel and the bright hues of his native heritage, Sodi’s work probes the expressive possibilities of material, and the metaphysical connections between artist, viewer, and artwork.

Bosco Sodi’s ongoing pursuit of the impermanent and accidental stems from his deep-rooted interest in the Wabi-Sabi philosophy. This Japanese view honors the beauty of nature's unpredictability, impermanence, and ultimate imperfection. In this light, Bosco focuses primarily on the execution and process of creating work, rather than on the finished product itself. The artist’s work has been the subject of exhibitions at such prominent institutions worldwide as the Bronx Museum, New York; Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Spain; and Instituto de Mexico en España, Madrid. This year, Museo Anahuacalli, in Mexico City, has honored the artist with an important solo exhibition of his work. The artist’s paintings have been acquired by major public and private collections, including the De La Cruz Collection, Puerto Rico; JUMEX Collection, Mexico City; and Luis Barragan Foundation (Vitra Museum), Switzerland, among many others.

AS IF: To a certain extent you are actually still an alchemist. You have described your process as “a game of mistakes in a laboratory of chemicals,” for which you are always in search of “the right recipe”. It is interesting that chemistry is such an integral part of your background. Where was your father employed? To what degree did he discuss his work in your presence? Do you enlist your father as collaborator?

BS: My father is a chemical engineer with a PhD from MIT. My sister, Carla, and I grew up surrounded by experiments of all types. It was certainly a fun and creative childhood.

He had a very unique approach to everything, and I believe that I have acquired this trait from him. He is persistent and experimental – he keeps trying until he has exhausted all options. I often go to him for advice on materials, processes, etc.

AS IF: Can you give a specific example of one experiment your father conducted in the house?

BS: One time, we were trying to make grappa.

During the distillation process the entire project burst into flames! We almost burnt down our house. Anytime you’d open our refrigerator, you would find all kinds of concoctions and experiments inside.

AS IF: Can you tell me about an instance in which you consulted your father for advice regarding a specific material and/ or process?

BS: Yes. While perfecting the process of firing my Clay Cubes, I had trouble “cooking” the sculptures in the kiln, as it was unable to reach high enough temperatures. So, my father made changes to the design of the kiln, which allowed me to inject oxygen to the fire, and cover the top. This solved the issue.

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UNTITLED, 2016 Ceramic glaze over clay 116 x 29 x 29 cm Photo by Kevin Kunstdat, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

AS IF: You came to be a professional artist later in life. What did you do before? What does maturity bring to the table?

Bosco Sodi: As a hyperactive child with an attention deficit, my mother enrolled me in art classes for therapy. Since then, the only moments in which I have ever felt at peace within myself, have been while creating… In this sense, I have been an artist and making art all my life. However, in terms of my profession, I actually planned to follow in my father’s path, and when I finished high school I began to study chemical engineering. After three semesters, I quit and started to work with him in the field. It was not until my early 20s that I realized that in order to be happy I had to do what I truly love. That was, and has always been, making art. So, my wife Lucia and I decided to move to Paris where I began painting every day as a way of life. I think maturity helps you to make better decisions as an artist and in your career.

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AS IF: In your view, what is the role of the artist?

BS: First of all, an artist must be honest and do what he really believes. We have an obligation to have a strong social engagement. We must be the catalysts for change.

AS IF: In October 2014, you founded the Casa Wabi Foundation in Oaxaca, Mexico.

What was your goal in establishing the space? Do you feel that you have accomplished it thus far?

BS: My goal was to give back to my fellow artists, as well as to the low-income communities in Mexico. I wanted to embrace a different approach to social work, by involving art. In a sense, there is always more that one can do.

But, I think we are doing a great job. We have had more than 120 artists in residence, and we work with more that 5,000 people from the local communities, mostly children. It has been very interesting and fulfilling. We are a young foundation, but I think we are getting there.

AS IF: What is your criterion for choosing artists who participate in the foundation?

Describe the program.

BS: There is a committee that selects the artists who come from different disciplines and countries. We invite six artists to the residency at a time. Each stays for one to three months. We provide a room and studio, and cover all costs of living. All that we ask in return, is that they do social work involving their practices within the local communities. It has been a great success.

AS IF: Describe the ideal client. Can you give me an example of such a collector?

BS: I see collectors as people that walk with me on part of my road. A collector is someone that, in the end, lives with something that I created and that is a part of me. I have been very lucky to develop true friendships with some of my collectors. In the case of one of my very young Japanese collectors, I admire his bold approach in creating an amazing collection. I like that his collection is very open, and includes a diverse variety of works—from modern, to minimal, to contemporary—he buys what he really likes. He is not afraid of taking risks. Maezawa has commissioned me to do a very large silver painting, which I travelled to Japan to create over the course of two months. This was a challenging process because of the size. He is now a good

collector of my work. Another example is one of my Mexican collectors, who is a pioneer in contemporary art collecting in Mexico. His curiosity has really shaped the Mexican art scene.

I admire his tenacity and his energy. Certainly, when he purchased the massive Organic Blue painting, which measures 157 x 472 inches, it created a special connection. That work is very special to me. He has helped me very much, and was a breakthrough in my career. I am extremely grateful for that. And, indeed, by now, I consider him a friend.

AS IF: What has been your most meaningful exhibition, project, or commission, to date, and why?

BS: My current exhibition, Elemental, is at Museo Anahuacalli, in Coyacan, Mexico. I think this is the most solid show I have ever done. It is a mature show, representing a serious shift in my approach because of my inclusion of installations. From here on, I will continue to feature more installations in my shows.

Bosco Sodi Installation view of Solo show Malpaís,

AS IF: If you could curate your dream exhibition with your work as its nucleus, what would that show look like?

BS: If I had the chance, I would curate a show including, first of all, the artists that have been influential to my work. These certainly include:

Paul Kasmin Gallery, Los Angeles, 2016 Photography by Ruben Diaz, Courtesy of Paul Kasmin Gallery

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Antoni Tapies, Marcel Duchamp, Mark Rothko, Henri Matisse, Richard Serra, Anselm Kiefer, Paul Klee, Jannis Kounellis, Joan Miro, and Robert Longo. I would also include all of my artist friends, with whom I have shared parts of my life. These friends would include: Ugo Rondinone, Michael Joo, Izumi Kato, Anton Lamazares, Damien Hirst, and Keith Tyson, amongst many others. The two, combined with my own sculptures and paintings, would create the story of my work, and my life.

AS IF: Could you pick one of the influential artists you mentioned and tell me why you find the work interesting?

BS: Antoni Tapies. In fact, he was one of the reasons I went to live in Barcelona at one point. I was very lucky because I met him and he invited me to coffee at his home and studio. I still remember the name of the street:

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Zaragoza. I also met his wife, Teresa. The conversation we had that day was a very important moment for me as an artist. I presented my work to him, and he liked it. He was very encouraging.

specifically believed that art was not about being schooled, but that a good artist looks at everything as a young child would. Only that sense of wonderment and innocence could produce simple, honest, pure work.

AS IF: Along with Antoni Tapies, you have said that Jean Dubuffet has inspired you.

What, in particular, about their work/ processes speaks to you? Aside from their obvious shared interest in earthy materials and richly-textured surfaces (namely sand and dirt), what else about these artists attracts you?

BS: I admire the way they manage materials and texture, the freedom and energy of their works, the casual way in which they create like a child, and how the artists actually enjoy and have fun in the process. They both share a very casual way of painting. A simplicity. Dubuffet

AS IF: Do you recall the first work of art that ever moved you?

BS: Yes. It was The Goldfish, by Henri Matisse.

We had a poster of the painting at my home when I was very young. I remember spending hours staring at it, imagining the fish alive. The color and movement within the work inspired me.

AS IF: I hate to interject politics, however, there have, as you know, been some ugly stereotypes drawn by our recently elected president. In a way, he has brought your country into sharp focus. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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Bosco Sodi

Bosco Sodi

UNTITLED, 2013

UNTITLED, 2016

Mixed media on

Mixed media over

canvas

canvas

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120 cm diameter

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Photo by Kevin Kunstdat,

Photo by Kevin Kunstdat,

Courtesy of Studio

Courtesy of Studio

Bosco Sodi

Bosco Sodi

"An artist must be honest and do what he really believes. We have an obligation to have a strong social engagement. We must be the catalysts for change."

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UNTITLED, 2015 Mixed media over canvas 200 x 310 cm Photo by Kevin Kunstdat, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

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Bosco Sodi Installation view of clay cubes, Casa Wabi, Oaxaca, 2015 Photography by Michel Zabé, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

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UNTITLED, 2016 Mixed media over linen 186 x 186 cm Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

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UNTITLED, 2016 Mixed media over canvas 200 x 200 cm Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

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UNTITLED, 2013 Bronze Approx 112 x 40 x 40 inches Photo by Kevin Kunstdat, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

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"Ignorance is very dangerous. I believe that the president is even more dangerous for the future of United States than he is to the future of Mexico."

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BS 2263 Bosco Sodi

UNTITLED, 2016 Mixed media over canvas 150 x 150 cm Photo by Kevin Kunstdat, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

BS: Ignorance is very dangerous. I believe that the president is even more dangerous for the future of United States than he is to the future of Mexico. In the end, Mexico is an ancient culture and we have survived all kinds of problems for thousands of years.

AS IF: Have any other specific parts of Mexican history/culture informed your work at all?

BS: When I was young my parents took Carla and I on a trip to see all the Mayan pyramids, and certainly it was a shock for me to see them for the first time. To see all the pyramids full of plants and ruts in the middle of the jungle, and then the Mayan Stelae. With the patina of time, and the cracks, that was the closest to threedimensional paintings I had seen. That had an important impact on me. Now, I like to call my paintings Stelae for the tri-dimensionality.

Bosco Sodi Bosco Sodi in Red Hook Studio, New York, 2016 Photography by Charlie Rubin, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

AS IF: You once said to me that New York is a "hard" city. No one could argue with that.

As an artist, what is the “hardest” part?

BS: As an artist, New York City is hard because there are so many of us. There are so many good artists, which makes it very difficult to find your own spot in which to survive. Still, it makes you give your best. I know that I’m one of the lucky ones.

AS IF: I am currently re-reading the Old Testament. From a literary and philosophical standpoint, what books have had a significant influence on you?

BS: Zen In The Art Of Archery by Eugen Herrigel was given to me by Tapies when I met him 18 years ago. The book talks how in Japan (The Zen Philosophy), the process is much more important than the outcome, a good process always means a good outcome. It taught me to forget the final result and to focus on the process. Another book is In Praise Of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki. The book made me understand how complementary light and shadows can be, if you learn to balance the two. Zorba The Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis is another important book. The positive way in which Zorba sees life is inspiring. The book teaches us that the simple approach is often the better one. Renoir My Father by Jean Renoir is a book made by the movie director, Jean Renoir, about his father, the great Renoir.

It is a beautiful book about the relationship between a father and son. Lastly, The Autumn of The Patriarch by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is simply my favorite book. I have read it, maybe, five times. I just love the magical realism in this book. I have a copy signed by the author, which says: “to Bosco, from his Patriarch, Gabriel Garcia Marquez”.

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UNTITLED, 2011 Mixed media on canvas 19 x 188 cm each, 324 x 188 cm overall Photo by Kevin Kunstdat, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

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Bosco Sodi View of Casa Wabi, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2014 Work: Bosco Sodi,

Untitled, 2013. Mixed media on canvas, 200 x 280 cm Photography by Michel Zabé, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

AS IF: Family is so clearly a centering force in your life. You and your beautiful wife, Lucia, have three adorable young children. How do you juggle family life with the demands of your peripatetic world-wandering art career?

BS: We have three kids. Bosco, 13, is the eldest; Mariana is 12; and Alvaro is eight. I try to have as much balance as possible, and spend as much quality time with them as I can.

I make an effort to include them in my travels, and take them with me on as many of my trips as possible. They have been all around.

Richard Diebenkorn had an epiphany. The artist said that the bird's-eye-view of the desert offered him new ideas in terms of treating a flat plane. Thus, the Berkeley series was born. With respect to your practice, have you ever experienced such a eureka moment? What landscape experiences have affected you the most?

BS: I have had many such moments. There is not one in particular. I love observing nature.

I am always observing the trees, dry lakes, mountains, and natural forms around me. I like to observe nature. It is a way of life.

AS IF: Tell us about your upbringing, your mom, your siblings?

BS: I had a lovely childhood, and was always surrounded by a lot of family. My mother and father both come from very large families and we were always spending time together. My mother is a philosopher with a master’s degree in Marxism, and, like my father, she loves any kind of art expression. So, we grew up with constant exposure to museums, concerts, books, the theater, and the cinema. I have one sister, Carla, as well as three half-brothers. In addition, I also grewup with four cousins who are essentially brothers to me.

AS IF: Spirituality, on some level, has provided an underpinning for artists from Vincent van Gogh to Francesco Clemente.

For instance, Yves Klein was a serious student of the esoteric, mystical discipline of Rosicrucianism. Klein pursued a radically philosophical life, seeking absolute truth through his investigation of pure pigment – specifically, the hues of the burning flame: immaterial blue (son), immortal gold (father), and corporeal pink (holy spirit)… Other examples include Rothko, who was a disciple of Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism; Warhol, whose early childhood was steeped in Catholicism; and Clemente, who is deeply immersed in both Buddhism and Hinduism. How do you situate yourself within this trajectory?

AS IF: While travelling over the Berkeley hills on an airplane from Albuquerque to San Francisco in the spring of 1951,

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Bosco Sodi Installation view of show Ag, Galería Hilario Galguera, Mexico City, 2015 Courtesy of Galería Hilario Galguera

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"As soon as the first crack in the surface appears, I stop, and let the painting create itself. I try to embrace the accident and the non-control throughout the process, in order to achieve a unique outcome."

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Bosco Sodi Installation view of

Pangaea at The Bronx Museum, New York, 2010 Photography by Kevin Kunstdat, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

BS: I would situate myself, I think, close to Buddhism, and the aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi.

I am interested in the transience of time, the relinquishment of control, and how the accidental makes life unique. I believe that all of something’s importance lies in its process. As I mentioned before, if the process is good, the outcome will be good. It is not the other way around. For me, the essential and engaging part is the process, and the outcome is secondary.

philosophy when I was around 14 years old.

I realized that I was very connected to it and was unintentionally already practicing it, in a sense. A friend gave me a photocopied article about Wabi-Sabi and I began to read it. I was fascinated. It was an incredible moment for me because I already unconsciously had so many ideas in common with the philosophy. Then, I began to research, and bought/read anything that had to do with Wabi-Sabi.

months at a time, two to three per year. So, he actually introduced us to the culture at a very young age. I love Japan - the minimalist aesthetics, the people. I have life-long friends there. The country inspires me and, in a sense, it has always felt like home. Since 2004, I visit Japan at least two times per year. To give you an idea, each one of my kids have been there four times. I love the country and the more I go, the more love I have for it.

AS IF: Which came first? Were you initially attracted to Wabi-Sabi views because of your practice in painting? Or, did your introduction to the philosophy inspire your artistic process?

BS: My introduction to the Wabi-Sabi inspired my artistic process. I began to read about the

AS IF: When was your first visit to Japan?

What is it about Japanese culture, in addition to the Wabi-Sabi philosophy, that stirs your creative soul?

BS: The first time I went to Japan was in 2004.

However, my father traveled to the country a lot when we were young – for one to two

AS IF: Describe the process of making one of your pigment paintings.

BS: I like to do it all by myself – from the stretching of the canvases, to the mixing of the paint, and the application of the pigments.

It is a very physical process. I begin by working on the canvases horizontally. I apply layer

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Bosco Sodi Installation view of Solo show Yügen, Blain Souther, London, 2016 Photography by Peter Mallet, Courtesy of Blain Southern Gallery

upon layer of the matter that I had prepared by hand. As soon as the first crack in the surface appears, I stop, and let the painting create itself. I try to embrace the accident and the non-control throughout the process, in order to achieve a unique outcome. I’m very interested in the tri-dimensionality of painting.

AS IF: Let’s talk about your foray into sculpture. I know that your recent exploration of this territory is incredibly complex and nature-oriented. As I recall, for your Golden Rocks series, you venture to the Ceboruco Volcano near Guadalajara, Mexico, to lift massive stones that have been created as a result of centuries and centuries of climate change. You, then, encase the natural rocks in gold glaze, and fire them for three days at 1,260 degrees. As a result, very few survive. Through this “controlled” happenstance, you turn the organic relics into “precious objects of desire”, as you have called them. You said, “Each rock is like its own universe,” I would like to hear, in your words, a bit about your more recent series, the Clay Cubes. Would you take us through the process of realizing these sculptures?

BS: I like the process of this series very much.

When you work with clay, you have the four elements involved: Tierra, Agua, Aire y Fuego (Earth, Water, Air, and Fire).

AS IF: It sounds like the band!

BS: I think this is extremely interesting and special. We begin with an abstract form; from

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which I create a cube in the human shape. This is done by hand, without a mold or direction. I let the work dry in the shade for two months, before I move it to dry under the sun for one month. Finally, the structures are left in a rustic kiln, in which we create a fire using wood, or coconut skin. This, again, is the process that my father helped me to perfect. It is what gives us different textures and colors within each cube.

Hatje Cantz recently released Bosco Sodi, Clay Cubes, a book dedicated to this series.

AS IF: Was there something missing in flat paintings/reliefs that sculpture allows you to more deeply explore?

BS: The sense of touching, of being in contact with, and exchanging energy with the work is specific to sculpting. I use the hands much more. I can experience the feeling of the fresh clay. It is a completely different animal.

AS IF: Whenever I visit your studio, it has been you and only you (and, on occasion, your studio manager, “Super” Mario). You mentioned working alone. However, it seems as though “aloneness” is actually central to your painting practice. Is this the case?

BS: Yes. I like to work alone and do as much by myself as possible. I enter a kind of trance, which is disrupted when more people are present. It is important that the paintings capture something that is more personal and delicate.

AS IF: Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what’s on your playlist?

BS: Yes, I love music. This, for me, is the ultimate form of art expression. I usually work while playing jazz, Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Nina Simone.

AS IF: At the suggestion of a well-known collector, Robert C. Lehrman, I recently read Beatles Vs.Stones by John McMillian.

Chose one, and explain.

BS: The Beatles, by far. My mother loves The Beatles and I grew up listening to them. She would tell me a story about, when she was young, she met Paul McCartney in the lobby of a hotel. She saved an autograph that he gave her at the time. For me, the Beatles are purer and original.

AS IF: What is the best exhibition/project/ installation you’ve seen in the past twelve months?

BS: The Alberto Burri exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum. I simply loved that show. I love his work and I that of all the Arte Povera artists.

AS IF: Are there any young artists whose work you would like to bring to our attention? What advice would you give to that artist, or any young artist entering the art world today?

BS: There are very interesting young artists who come to my mind now. These are Amy Feldmann, Mario Navarro, and Cristobal Perez Garcia. To these artists, I say: work, work, work. That is the most important thing. Be honest with your work. Then, things will come.

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UNTITLED, 2010 Mixed media on canvas 186 cm diameter Photo by Kevin Kunstdat, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

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UNTITLED, 2011 Mixed media on canvas 250 cm diameter Photo by Kevin Kunstdat, Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

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Bosco Sodi Studio Bosco Sodi, Red Hook Studio, New York, 2014 Photography by Kevin Kuntsdat Courtesy of Studio Bosco Sodi

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The Story of Ellis Island is the Story of America…

Neglected for many years, the buildings of the Ellis Island Hospital remain closed.

The windows shuttered and doors bolted against the elements. A place where millions of immigrants were treated and much of our approach to modern medicine was first deployed, saving countless lives.

You can help bring to life the spirit of immigrants everywhere, while preserving an historic treasure. To find out more about the project to Save Ellis Island, visit our website at saveellisisland.org Get a first hand look – Purchase a ticket to tour the unrestored buildings with Save Ellis Island, Inc. at www.statuecruises.com “Hard Hat Tour”.

Proceeds from the tour support the continued restoration of Ellis Island.

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YOU CAN HAVE IT TOO! A shopping guide for some of the products featured in the editorials of this issue

THROUGH THE DECADES

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neckline and slit skirt in iridescent lace, $6,995, special

com); Marchesa Myrna shoe, price upon request (akh-

multicolor “jukebox” bag, $198 Page 37 Furla 40s red

order only; Marchesa Myrna shoe, price upon request,

grp.com). Page 124 Marchesa Madison ivory ball gown

and white checkered print with black and white polka

Page 103 Marchesa Dhalia soft ivory and nude tulle ball

with intricately beaded yoke neckpiece and asymmetric

dot bow, black and white ruffle bag, $198 Page 38

gown with bodice and ¾-length sleeve with a delicately

tiered tulle skirt with horsehair detail, $3,495 (marchesa.

Furla 30s tortoise print with white fur bag, $198. Page

layered skirt, covered in a trickling floral threadwork of

com). Page 125 Marchesa Kensington blush strapless

39 Furla 20s silver with beading and gem appliques

ivory and silver, $9,995 Page 105 Marchesa halter neck

fully-embroidered fit and flare gown with textured tulle

bag, $198

a-line ball gown with textured skirt and bodice in pastel

trumpet skirt, $3,595

rainbow multicolored tulle ruffles, $9,995, special order

MONOPOLIS

only Page 106 Marchesa pleated Grecian gown with

SHOULDER LENGTH

Page 48 Max Mara wool sleeveless dress, price

plunging neckline in iridescent lace details and fabric

Page 152 Hilfiger Collection iconic cardigan, $330;

available upon request; calf leather lace-up boots, $990;

flower corsages, special order only; Marchesa Margaret

fringed skirt, $690 (tommy.com); Dylanlex Porter silver

leather belt, price available upon request; leather and

shoe, $995 Page 107 Marchesa Wilshire ivory and nude

plated necklace with Swarovski crystals, $900 (dylanlex.

metal studded cuffs, price available upon request (Max

off-the-shoulder dropped waist ball gown in tulle with 3D

com). Page 154 Ellery Tennessee dress, $2225 (ellery.

Mara, 813 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10065, 212-

ribbon and organza insert embroidery, horsehair detail

com); Jimmy Choo Hustle flats with galaxy star print

879-6100) Page 50 Max Mara fur and silk sweater,

in skirt and ¾ sleeves, $10,995 Page 108 Marchesa

on suede with studs, $1195 (jimmychoo.com); Lulu

price available upon request; calf leather gloves, price

Sage ivory mermaid gown in mixed engineered laces

Frost Marjorelle studs, $235 (lulufrost.com). Page 155

available upon request Page 51 Max Mara wool crepe

with tulle skirt, $6,995 (marchesa.com); Marchesa

Marc Jacobs silk dress with wing sleeves, $3,800;

skirt, $535; calf leather gloves, price available upon

Margaret shoe, price upon request (akh-grp.com).

KIKI platform buckle boot, $3,350 (marcjacobs.com);

request; calf leather top handle bag, $1500 Page 53

Page 109 Marchesa Daffodil fit and flare ivory plunging

Dylanlex Lily earrings with Swarovski crystals, $360

Max Mara fur and silk sweater, price available upon

v-neck gown with detachable cape flutter sleeve in

(dylanlex.com); Jimmy Choo Vivien metallic spotted

request; wool crepe skirt, $535; calf leather lace-up

re-embroidered lace with all-over 3D organza flowers,

suede clutch, $1,075 (jimmychoo.com). Page 156

boots, $990 Page 54 Max Mara fur effect sweater,

with cape $7,995, without cape $6,995 (marchesa.com);

Sacai red coat, $4,560; red scarf, $1,015 (at Sacai

price available upon request; wool crepe skirt, $535; calf

Marchesa Marcia shoe, price upon request, (akh-grp.

Japan and Sacai Tokyo Aoyama flagship store). Page

leather pumps, $515; leather belt, price available upon

com). Page 110 On left: Marchesa halter neck Grecian

158 Moncler Gamme Rouge coat, price upon request;

request; calf leather gloves, price available upon request

gown in black lame with fabric flower corsage details,

red shirtdress, price upon request (available at Moncler

Page 61 Max Mara wool sleeveless dress, price available

$5,495, special order only (marchesa.com); Marchesa

Beverly Hills, 328 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA

upon request Page 62 Max Mara calf leather top

Margaret shoe, $995 On right: Marchesa spaghetti

and moncler.com); Furla Hashtag mini crossbody bag

handle bag, $1500 Page 63 Max Mara crepe de chine

strap gown with cascading ruffles in black lame, lace

(furla.com), price upon request; Jimmy Choo Romy

tie neck blouse, $595; silk viscose blend printed pants,

trim and fine glass organza with 3D sequin flower

100 patent pump in shocking yellow, $625 (jimmychoo.

$565; calf leather gloves, price available upon request;

corsages, $6,995, special order only (marchesa.com);

com); Aya Muse crocodile choker, $300 (ayamuse.

leather belt, price available upon request; calf leather

Marchesa Marcia shoe, price upon request (akh-grp.

com). Page 159 DSquared2 tiger print puff sleeve

clutch, price available upon request Page 67 Max Mara

com). Page 114 Marchesa Chelsea ivory and nude

dress, price upon request; crystal encrusted satin heels,

wool/silk blend sleeveless dress, price available upon

sleeveless fully embroidered gown with soft tulle a-line

price upon request; metal and enamel bracelets, price

request; calf leather lace-up boots, $990; leather belt,

skirt overlay, appliquéd illusion tulle bodice, and dye-

upon request; earring, price upon request (dsquared2.

price available upon request; calf leather gloves, price

to-match chantilly lace underlay, $2,995 (marchesa.

com and DSquared2, 402 W Broadway, NYC).

available upon request Page 69 Max Mara wool contrast

com); Westerleigh ivory strapless slim fit and flare lace

Page 160 Miu Miu wool coat, $3,195; knit sweater, $595;

sweater jacket, price available upon request; silk blend

gown with 3D floral appliqués, $2,645 (marchesa.com)

terry cloth stole, $895 (miumiu.com); Hermès natural

knit top, price available upon request; leather belt, price

Page 115 Marchesa Notte high-low tulle gown, $995

Barenia double wrap strap, $2,750 (hermès.com); Lulu

available upon request; calf leather lace-up boots, $990

(zappos.com); Marchesa Marcia shoe, price upon

Frost Jardin brooch, $250 (lulufrost.com). Page 162

request (akh-grp.com). Page 117 Marchesa Meadow

Co flounced sleeve ivory jacket, $1,250; cropped wide

SUGAR & SPICE

ivory fully embroidered slim-fit gown with plunging

leg pant, $795 (neimanmarcus.com); Hermès matte

Page 98 Marchesa Heather a-line, hand-draped ivory

halter neckline, layers of tulle godets, and intricately

alligator strap with steel case watch, $7,650 (hermès.

tulle gown with illusion yoke, 3D rose flower embroidery

beaded chain on back, $3,295 (marchesa.com). Page

com); Simone Rocha black nappa leather boots,

and peek-a-boo sheer bodice details, $5,995 (marchesa.

118 Marchesa Notte a-line guipure lace gown, $995

$1410 (available at Simone Rocha, 71 Wooster Street,

com. Page 99 Marchesa Cielo Ivory off-the-shoulder

(farfetch.com). Page 119 Marchesa Brooklyn ivory cap-

NYC and simonerocha.com); Furla Selfie shoulder

dropped waist ball gown with satin-faced organza

sleeved ball gown with 3D petal embroidered organza

bag, $628 (furla.com); Lulu Frost Marjorelle necklace,

draped bodice, laser-cut organza and tulle flowers,

bodice and layers of tiered organza with horsehair

$395, Andalusia necklace, $475 (lulufrost.com).

YOU CAN HAVE IT TOO! Page 163 Simone Rocha black peony swing dress,

Snowflake necklace featuring diamonds set in platinum,

with diamonds, large, $10,500 (tiffany.com) Page 244

$4,560; black twill knot sleeve coat, $2200; black nappa

price upon request (vancleefarpels.com). Page 224

Ashoka by William Goldberg earrings set in platinum and

leather boots, $1,410 (available at Simone Rocha, 71

Rosetta Getty folded off the shoulder camisole, $840

18k yellow gold with 8.48c diamonds featuring 22.08c

Wooster Street, NYC and simonerocha.com); Maison

(selfridges.com); Rosetta Getty wrap panel trouser,

Gemfields emeralds, price on request (ashokadiamond.

Fabre fur and leather gloves, $320 (maisonfabre.com).

$1,200 (altayer.com); De Beers Mosaic diamond

com); Leibish & Co. ring set in platinum and 18k yellow

necklace with white diamonds set in white gold, price

gold featuring 8.16c Gemfields Zambian emerald and

THE HISTORY OF ROCK

upon request; Enchanted Lotus band pink and white

fancy yellow and white diamonds, $35,500 (leibish.

Page 168 John Varvatos Scarlet Soft jacket, $1298;

diamonds set in 18k white gold, $11,000.(debeers.com)

com) Page 245 Fabergé emerald Emotion Charmeuse

asymmetric vest, $489; Pima Cotton crewneck,

Page 225 Dsquared2 silk, mesh and pony skin dress

ring set in 18k yellow gold featuring an oval Gemfields

$98.00 (johnvarvatos.com). Page 171 John Varvatos

with beading, price upon request (dsquared2.com);

emerald center stone and over 300 round, pavé-set

double breasted military coat, $1498; asymmetric vest,

Tiffany & Co. earrings in platinum with diamonds,

emeralds, $37,000 (fabergé.com). Page 246 Kimberly

$489; Motor City pant, $398

$50,000; necklace in platinum with diamonds, $640,000;

McDonald one of a kind rose cut Gemfields Zambian

ring in platinum with a 5.13-carat round brilliant diamond

emerald drops with diamonds set in 18k green gold,

SOFIA

with smaller diamonds, $815,000; Paloma’s Melody

$28,525; gold agate pattern studs with Gemfields

Page 209 Tiffany & Co. Metro five-row bangle in 18k

five-band ring in 18k white gold with diamonds, $26,000

Zambian emeralds set in 18k yellow gold, $9,700

white gold with diamonds, medium, $26,500 (tiffany.

(tiffany.com).

(bergdorfgoodman.com). Page 247 De Beers Double

com). Page 211, 220 Marchesa fit and flare deep

Row Eternity Ring with fancy deep greenish yellow

v neckline gown and back scarf drape, price upon

PETITE PUTTO

diamond and white diamonds set in white and yellow

request (marchesa.com); Van Cleef & Arpels Noeud

Page 228 Tiffany & Co. Fringe earrings in platinum with

gold, price upon request (debeers.com). Page 248

bracelet featuring diamonds set in 18k white gold, price

pear-shaped and round brilliant diamonds, $135,000

Graff round diamond wave motif bracelet, diamonds

upon request (vancleefarpels.com). Page 212, 222

(tiffany.com). Page 229 Tiffany & Co. Enchant Daisy

77.31cts, price upon request (graffdiamonds.com,

Rosetta Getty folded off the shoulder camisole, $840

ring in platinum with diamonds, $9,000 (tiffany.com).

Graff New York 710 Madison Avenue 212.355.9292).

(selfridges.com); Rosetta Getty wrap panel trouser,

Page 230 Graff multi shape diamond Bombe

Page 249 Fabergé emerald chandelier earrings

$1,200 (altayer.com); De Beers Mosaic diamond

ring, diamonds 25.42cts, price upon request

set in 18k white gold featuring Gemfields Zambian

necklace with white diamonds set in white gold, price

(graffdiamonds.com, Graff New York 710 Madison

emeralds and white diamonds, $38,000 (fabergé.com).

upon request; Enchanted Lotus band pink and white

Avenue 212.355.9292). Page 231 Graff multi shape

Page 250 De Beers Drops of Light high jewelry necklace

diamonds set in 18k white gold, $11,000; Enchanted

diamond necklace (Diamonds 87.76cts), price upon

with white pear cut diamond and white diamonds

Lotus band champagne and white diamonds set in 18k

request (graffdiamonds.com, Graff New York 710

set in platinum, price upon request (debeers.com).

white gold, $5,500 (debeers.com). Page 213 Beau

Madison Avenue 212.355.9292). Page 232 Tiffany &

Page 252 Tiffany & Co. earrings in platinum with

Souci Diamant Bis top, $3,900; wolac dress, $4,700

Co. Schlumberger Maltese Cross clip of diamonds in

mixed-cut diamonds, $125,000; Victoria mixed cluster

(justoneeye.com); Cartier Juste un clou ring 18k white

18k gold, $13,000 (tiffany.com). Page 233 Van Cleef

necklace in platinum with diamonds, $100,000 (tiffany.

gold, diamonds, $4,050; Juste un clou bracelet 18k

& Arpels Boucle ring featuring 2.70-carat pear-shaped

com). Page 253 Tiffany & Co. necklace in platinum with

white gold, diamonds, $12,600; Himalia earrings, 18k

DIF diamond solitaire set in platinum and diamonds,

mixed cut diamonds, $215,000 (tiffany.com).

white gold, diamonds, pearls, $7,550 (cartier.com).

price upon request (vancleefarpels.com). Page 235 De

Page 216 Max Mara wool double breasted coat,

Beers Sakkara diamond necklace with white diamonds

$3,190 (Max Mara, 451 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA

set in white gold (debeers.com). Page 236 De Beers

90210); Audemars Pitguet Millenary hand-wound

Phenomena Glacier three row bracelet with white

watch 18-carat white gold case, entirely set with

diamonds and white gold, price upon request; Arpeggia

brilliant-cut diamonds, glare proofed sapphire crystal

five line diamond bracelet with white diamonds and

and casebook, crown set with an any cabochon, water-

white gold, price upon request (debeers.com). Page 237

resistant to 20 m, $78,300 (audemarspiguet.com). Page

Sarah Hendler Shirley earrings set in 18k yellow gold

217 Max Mara Techno jersey legging, $425 (Max Mara,

with Gemfields Zambian emeralds and pavé diamond

451 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210); Dsquared2

spears, $14,500 (sarahhendler.com). Page 238 Tiffany

velvet and crystal encrusted belt, price upon request

& Co. cuff in platinum with mixed-cut diamonds,

(dsquared2.com); Tiffany & Co. Metro three-row

$575,000 (tiffany.com). Page 239 Tiffany & Co. Victoria

bangle in 18k white gold with diamonds, $17,500;

mixed cluster band ring in platinum with diamonds,

five-row bangle in 18k white gold with diamonds,

$22,500; Victoria band ring in platinum with diamonds,

medium, $26,500 (tiffany.com). Page 218 Jason Wu

$16,500 (tiffany.com). Page 240 De Beers Phenomena

asymmetrical fringe floral jacquard dress, $2,995.00

Glacier three row bracelet with white diamonds and

(jasonwustudio.com); Van Cleef & Arpels Snowflake

white gold, price upon request; Arpeggia five line

necklace featuring diamonds set in platinum, price upon

diamond bracelet with white diamonds and white gold,

request (vancleefarpels.com); Van Cleef & Arpels

price upon request (debeers.com). Page 241 Graff multi

Snowflake earrings featuring diamonds set in platinum,

shape diamond chandelier earrings, diamonds 16.89cts,

price upon request (vancleefarpels.com). Page 223

price upon request (graffdiamonds.com, Graff New

Jason Wu asymmetrical fringe floral jacquard dress,

York 710 Madison Avenue 212.355.9292). Page 242

$2,995.00 (jasonwustudio.com); Van Cleef & Arpels

Tiffany & Co. Enchant Heart Key pendant in platinum

4

AS IF / ISSUE 11

MAXMARA.COM