MARCH 2013 Issue • 302
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FEATURING: KEVIN THOMAS GARCIA, MATTHEW MURPHY & 8 MORE AWESOME PHOTOGRAPHERSBLEEP 1
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Are you in need of vocal lessons? Fear not, Miranda is here. We chat with her alter ego (read: the incredibly talented Colleen Ballinger) about making a splash on YouTube and seeing her dreams come true.
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ON THE COVER Kevin Thomas Garcia and Matthew Murphy are two of the hardest working photographers in New York. They lead an all-star roster of ten photographers in this, our special Photographers Issue. Find out when they began taking photos, what they think of Photoshop and what their favorite subject to shoot is.
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DRINK UP!
Our Cocktail Connoisseur is back! Nathan has three fresh cocktail recipes that are perfect as we head into spring. Hope you’re thirsty, because these look delicious. BLEEP 3
Letter from the Editor March is an awkward month. Winter isn’t really over take the mundane and turn it into a moment. I love yet but spring is trying to peek through the freezing photographers. clouds. When I was in elementary school, by the time March came around, we were fully in “spring” mode. We’ve all become photographers haven’t we? Cell But I grew up in Texas phones have made that so winter is basically the possible for us. Even my three days in January pictures here were taken where it’s cold, so I didn’t with my Instagram have a great perspective feed. (@RyanCBrinson on it. if you care to follow me) We have the ability Now, I live in New now to document our York, it’s March and I’m lives without having freezing, though all the expensive equipment retail stores already and formal training. have their bikinis in the displays in the windows. But in this issue, we It’s a strange month. have ten amazing photographic artists So it made sense that I and being able to both wanted to do something feature their work and a little different with this show their faces is really month’s issue. Rather cool to me. We’ve got than highlighting an more than 60 pages of artist you’d find on the photographs that run front of a stage, on the the gamut from scenes screen of your laptop or in your iTunes library, we of nature to performances from legends (Liza!). decided to feature the men and women whose faces you rarely see: the people behind the camera. It’s an honor to feature these folks and it’s an honor to have been able to work with some of them in Photographers might be my favorite type of artist. past issues of BLEEP. As a matter of fact, five of our They take someone else’s art and accelerate and previous covers have been shot by some of these magnify it in a way that makes people want to buy photographers. It feels good to be able to honor into it and embrace it. They take a person’s face and them and showcase them as artists, not just names tell a story with it. They take a picture that could on a byline. be a tourist snap-shot and make it a scene. They
Ryan Brinson Editor-in-Chief
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E S E H T F 60 PAGESROAPHERS’ WORK! PHOTOG BLEEP 5
ANOTHER BEN HUMENIUK CARTOON!
Editor-in-Chief Ryan Brinson Editor at Large Julie Freeman Design/Decor Editor Lisa Sorenson Culture Editor Rachael Mariboho Business & Audience Development Manager Sarah Rotker Cartoonist Ben Humeniuk Cover Photography by Matthew Murphy, Kevin Thomas Garcia and Leslie Hull Feature Editors: Juan Lerma Writers: Caleb Bollenbacher Amy Lane Danielle Milam Courtney Shotwell Lisa Sorenson Laura Seitter Alex Wright Feature Contributors: Katherine Morgan Nathan Robins All articles and photos are the property of the writers and artists. All rights reserved. 6 BLEEP
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P E E L bliPs B BEYONCE AND ADELE MAY BE GETTING ALL THE MUSIC PRESS RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE ARE FOUR OTHER LADIES THAT YOU NEED TO BE TAKING NOTE OF. THEY MAY NOT BE AT THE TOP OF THE BILLBOARD CHART, BUT THEY CAN OUTSING MOST EVERYONE ON IT. THESE FOUR BROADWAY GALS HAVE TAKEN THEIR TALENTS INTO NEW ARENAS AND I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF LISTENING TO ALL OF THESE ALBUMS. NOW IT’S YOUR TURN. -RYAN BRINSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Here’s what you need to know about “O’Farrell Street,” from SHOSHANA BEAN: It’s as close to perfect as a soul album can get. Bean spent years blowing audiences away with her voice on Broadway, but this album finds her at home in her element, singing songs about love and heartbreak. It’s almost as if she was born in the wrong decade because she fits so perfectly into this soul music that is at once throw-back and yet undeniably current. She’s crafted an album with all the love and care she can muster and the end product is beautiful. I was carried away on “Water” and I felt like she was telling my story in “Blood From a Stone.” This is the type of album that wedges itself into your soul and stays there for quite some time.
WWW.SHOSHANABEAN.COM 8 BLEEP
2012INREVIEW editor’s picks
MORGAN JAMES is brilliant. I will be bold enough to go ahead and say it. Her voice isn’t the typical Broadway diva voice either, which is refreshing. She is able to inject feeling into each syllable she sings and can convey something more than just what the lyrics say. Her latest album, “Morgan James Live” is a true testament to a talent that’s only just begun to be recognized as it should be. Live albums can be tricky but when your voice is as unique and emotive as hers, it was the perfect choice. Singing the songbook of Nina Simone, James finds herself in the enviable position of being able to sing Simone’s music without worry of being compared to the legend herself or being called a copycat. She’s that good y’all. Don’t miss her in Motown on Broadway this spring either.
WWW.MORGANJAMESONLINE.COM If you haven’t heard EDEN ESPINOSA’s “Stone Cold Sober,” you’re missing out on a moment. She has vocal abilities that aspiring performers study because just when you think she’s sung as high and as powerfully as a human should be able to sing, she somehow takes it one step further. Eden has one of those voices where she can sing anything and on her album “Look Around,” she gracefully moves between genres. She wowed audiences in Wicked and in Brooklyn: The Musical on Broadway, but on this album, she shows her versatility and continued power as a singer. And again, “Stone Cold Sober” is a step beyond amazing.
WWW.EDENESPINOSA.COM CAISSIE LEVY is one of our favorites here at BLEEP, she even graced the cover of our Broadway issue in 2012, and she didn’t disappoint with the release of her newest album, “With You.” Levy revisits some of the songs from her hefty Broadway and West End credits but rather than presenting a karaoke album of showtunes, she flips the songs and ultimately recreates them as her own. Her voice is one of the clearest on the stage currently and this eclectic set of songs is a perfect showcase for her. My personal favorite from the set is “Walking In Space,” a track from the revival of Hair she was in. What’s cool about it is that if you didn’t know it was a musical theatre song, you’d probably never guess it from the way Caissie has interpreted it. She’s one of a kind.
WWW.CAISSIELEVY.COM BLEEP 9
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thenatural
ARTIST
by AMY LANE
Water has a hypnotic effect on me. The vast, limitless expanse of the ocean never ceasing, always in motion— The roar of a waterfall, so soothing we try to replicate it on sleep machines in our land-locked homes— The adrenaline rush of a coming storm with steady, fat drops of rain— A fresh, cool springfed pool defying gravity to rescue weary Southerners in the summer— I wasn’t always a water person. On the classic conversation-starter, I tend to pick the mountains over beach. Less humidity, more activity—that was my reasoning. Over time I’ve claimed a new philosophy: why choose? It occurred to me while hiking solo on a remote trail in the Smoky Mountains. You are never far from a dappling stream in these mountains. Water seeps through porous rocks and greets you at each turn of the trail. The constant sound of water became my traveling companion through that hike; I can no longer separate mountains from water. Their harmony is forever recorded in my memory. Water permeates the senses like no other element and is tied to so many recollections. The quenching taste of cool well-water from my childhood home--the summer days spent in creeks catching crawdads--the first (and last) time jumping into a lake from cliffs far above—a warm shower washing dirt and sweat down the drain--skipping rocks, diving under forceful waves-praying desperately for rain. .. Thoughts of water coincide with deep, primal feelings 12 BLEEP
of fear, comfort, need and awe. Water is a master artist bringing towns and civilizations into being; its influence still shaping our geography today. It explains many of our seemingly illogical winding urban streets once tied so closely to the flow of water. Its presence can make or break a site. Settings from ancient Mesopotamia to dusty western hamlets to the drought-stricken Midwest owe their existence to rivers, streams and aquifers. The importance of water is clearly marked upon the pages of our history and will continue to determine our future. As a nation that has taken for granted the life-giving properties of water for generations we should strive to appreciate and conserve our water while sharing clean water systems with less fortunate countries. According to the United Nations, twothirds of the world’s population is expected to face water scarcity by 2025. Bringing it closer to home, a U.S General Accounting Office report in 2009 showed that water managers in almost 40 states anticipated shortages by 2013. The future is now. It is time to not only enjoy, profit from and become inspired by the beautiful resource of water. It’s time to bring water conservation to the public’s awareness as a cause worthy of as much attention as the economy, health care and unemployment. For in an America with a shortage of good-quality water, all of the above issues suffer. The same hypnotizing resource that inspires art, poetry, creativity and recreation is also our very lifeline.
REEL LIFE
by Alex Wright
Y’all I’m still a Mississippi girl
I
was called an ignorant racist this month. I was chatting with this guy at my friend’s brother’s birthday party, and about five minutes into our conversation, he asked me where I was from. Mississippi, I replied. His response: Oh, so you must own slaves. Just like that. Not an ounce of humor or irony in his voice, just, you must own slaves. Needless to say, I was incredibly offended. He apologized and said, well, I’m brilliant, and from what I know about the South, everyone owns slaves…Clearly, I’m the ignorant one in this situation, right? I’m not going to begin to make excuses for the South’s tumultuous past, or even our sometimes rocky present. It is a sad fact that racism exists in the South, but it is also a cruel truth that racism exists everywhere. Furthermore, to judge me as a racist based off of where I’m from…well…that just makes you prejudice. Sadly, however, I will admit that statements and stereotypes like that have caused me great trepidation when it comes to telling people where I’m from. I always seem to be walking a tightrope—I’m not West Coast enough for Los Angeles, and I’m no longer Southern enough for the South. God forbid I have friends like those Republicans or that I associate with those Liberals. Ironically, a few weeks after this unpleasant incident, the South came to Los Angeles. The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles hosted a Mississippi Grammy reception because my hometown of Cleveland, Mississippi has been chosen to house the next Grammy Museum. It might seem like a random choice, especially considering my hometown doesn’t even have an airport or a movie theater and will now have the second ever Grammy Museum in the world. A quick look at Mississippi’s musical heritage, though, and the choice will become clear: we are the birthplace of the blues and of Elvis, Muddy Waters, Faith Hill, and BB King—to name a few—and we boast more Grammy winners than any other state. To put it in the words of the Los Angeles Grammy Museum,
“without Mississippi, there would be no American music.” One trip through the Mississippi Delta and you will encounter some of the best music you will ever hear—soulful tunes drifting out of juke joints and run down shacks, bluesy harmonica riffs that send chills up your spine. Mississippi is also one of the most literary states, an ironic statement considering everyone likes to paint us as some large collection of hicks that can’t read or write. Faulkner, John Grisham, Eudora Welty, and Tennessee Williams are just a few of the famous authors who hail from our apparently completely illiterate state. For being such a small state, we have sure become a breeding ground for artists. It must be something in that thick air and muddy water. The Mississippi River that rages and fits with a godly power that no one has seemed to be able to tame or even describe, save for Tennessee Williams. The soil and clay from the banks that the famous potters and sculptors Lee and Pup McCarty mold into their beautiful pieces of earthen art. And our main contribution to the world, our music: music that was born out of the spirituals and work songs from the African American community. To know your art you must know yourself. The longer I am away from home, the more I know my home, and the more I know myself. It isn’t always pretty or perfect, but good God it’s true.
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#designereyecandy by lisa sorenson
With the resurgence of a desire for mid century modern, and influence from those design eras from the 40’s to the 1970’s, has come a few unexpected suspects in design trends. Various materials, color palettes and patterns have strut their comebacks into the 21st century as we look to those past eras for inspiration and new takes on classic ideas. We’ve welcomed, with open arms, wallpaper… though not with your nana’s floral patterns. We’ve embraced the lines and textures from inspiration such as “Mad Men” and “Pan Am,” pursuing their slightly naughty use of low, sleek furniture and sexy texture combinations of herringbones and velvets. Color blocking? Bring it on 1960’s. We want more. In a field of ever changing trends, needs, desires and clientele, I lean on classic elements to keep my designs at the top and afloat the waves. I have a meticulous eye for these retrospective elements in interior design and there is a fine line between “absolutely!” and “…too soon…” So imagine my surprise when this next trend started catching my scrupulous eye. Brass. Yes. I said it. BRASS. Now it may not seem harmful to the common ear as we’ve been in the vintage, hipster, modge podge define yourself era for years now and a little brassy seams to fit right in there. But, read you this, from a design stand point, we are on the end years of getting those shiny brass doorknobs and offensive, dated fixtures OUT of homes and spaces. Now it wants to come back?! Walking through Dallas market in January gave me mixed emotions and, though only momentarily, I found myself losing my metallic finish identity in a brass trending marketplace. Always pushing a luxe mix of all metallic finishes: golds, silvers, pewters, platinums, bronzes, I’ve seen the sophistication, spunk and finishing touch this mix can bring. Well brass has just been added to my party…and seemingly, everyone else’s too! Clean lines and
even some classic fixtures redone in this golden brown metallic coloring is perhaps what swayed me. A trending palette of yellows and grays are perfectly complimented by brass accents in light fixtures, accessories and wall décor in showrooms. The smooth coffee bronze was wafting through pendants and sconces galore. Brass nail heads and hardware parade about furniture pieces and brass figurines and vintage inspired tchotchke’s may way into shelving and vignettes. With my wheels turning and my Instagram snapping, my brain reconciled the new take on brass, and arrived at an urgent desire to implement! While I am convinced the clientele side of design is not yet ready to embrace this particular resurgence, I’ve got my brass bag packed and anxiously await the opportune time to really let this brassy #designereyecandy shine…but not too shiny.
ARE YOU ON INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER? FOLLOW @ DESIGNERLISA AND HASHTAG #DESIGNEREYECANDY FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE DESIGN FINDS! BLEEP 15
the
AWARDS by Rachael Mariboho
Another award season has ended, and we at Bleep are providing our annual round up of our favorite moments and performances from this past year. Last year we created our own award, The Streep, in honor of our most honored actress. So, without further ado, we present this year’s Streep recipients. Our thanks again to artist Kristen Graham who created a likeness of the great Meryl Streep to “hand out” to our winners.
BEST AWARD SHOW OPENING—THE TONY AWARDS There were some good montages and funny jokes at the various awards shows this year. However, the best opening goes to the Tony Awards for using the cast of The Book of Mormon to knock on the doors of celebrities and try to share the book of Mormon. A rousing opening song and dance number by host Neil Patrick Harris followed, which made this the most entertaining opening of the awards season. TINA FEY AND AMY POHLER AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES Yes, there was more than one. But our favorite goes to Fey and Pohler who brought the house down with their comment that Streep, who was too ill to attend the Golden Globes, had the flu and “was amazing in it. She steals it; she steals the flu.” BEST PERFORMANCE MOMENT—THE CAST OF LES MISERABLE No, they did not all sing on key. But watching Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, and the rest of the talented cast perform the anthem “One Day More” together was a sublime experience. In this three-minute performance, they captured every bit of emotion and passion that is emblematic of this epic story. AMY POHLER AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES While Pohler and Tina Fey were practically perfect in every way with their opening monologue, the best line of the night and the award season goes to Pohler for her reference to Zero Dark Thirty. Addressing the controversy surrounding the torture in Kathryn Bigelow’s film, Pohler remarked: “I haven’t really been following the controversy over Zero Dark Thirty, but when it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron.” Well done, Amy, well done. 16 BLEEP
BEST STAGE—INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS Yes, the stage at the Academy Awards was magical; it was what I imagine the sets in Baz Luhrmann’s forthcoming The Great Gatsby will look like. However, this award has to go to the graffiti backdrop at the Independent Sprit Awards. As host Andy Samburg pointed out “I love this set; it’s got a real edgy, 80’s hip-hop vibe going here. Nothing says punk rock like a grainy photo of graffiti on a huge LED screen.” BEST DANCE – CHARLIZE THERON AT THE OSCARS Who knew Charlize Theron was the reincarnation of Ginger Rogers? While Channing Tatum may have been slightly out of his element during their dance number in the Oscar opening, Theron glided across the stage with grace, beauty, and more than a modicum of talent. Someone find her a dance film now. BEST SONG—JENNIFER HUDSON AT THE OSCARS Normally an award like this would go to one of the acts at the Grammy’s, but none of them can hold a candle to the virtuoso performance Jennifer Hudson delivered at the Oscars. Belting out the showstopper “And I am telling you,” the song that essentially won her an academy award in 2007, Hudson blew even the most cynical audience member away with her incomparable voice. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A DUO—KRISTIN WIIG AND WILL FERRELL AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES Maybe Tommy Lee Jones didn’t get their humor, but these two turned their introduction of the best actresses in a musical or comedy into a dazzling comedic performance. From the moment they walked onto the stage with stunned expressions to them handing a globe to Jennifer Lawrence, they were entertaining and hilarious. This is how to poke fun at movie stars in a witty, non-offensive but still funny, way. Unless the star you are poking fun at is Tommy Lee Jones. BEST MONTAGE—BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS Once again the BAFTA’s provided the best film montage of the season. While the film clips they chose were brilliantly put together, they added a touch of drama by having avant-garde singer/songwriter Paloma Faith perform a live version of Inxs’s “Never Tear Us Apart.” While her unforgettable voice and equally unforgettable gold headdress would have been spectacular enough, the addition of a choir singing backup while slowly making their way down the aisles and past befuddled stars like George Clooney made this performance even more extraordinary. BEST AWARD SHOW MOMENT OF THE ENTIRE SEASON—DANIEL DAY LEWIS AND MERYL STREEP Call me sentimental, but there is something quite profound about the greatest living actress giving the greatest living actor his third Academy Award. What made this moment even more outstanding was Day Lewis’ joke that he was originally supposed to play Margaret Thatcher (the role Streep won her third Oscar for) and she was Spielberg’s first choice to play Lincoln. While humorous, it also reminded people that when it comes to embodying characters, there is no one greater at it than these two. BLEEP 17
the intersection by
caleb bollenbacher
About a Bowie I won’t claim to understand David Bowie. He’s more chameleon than man, slipping from one style to another as quickly as he changes outfits, and quite frankly he’s a genius. And nobody understands genius, especially not as erratic a genius as this. That’s why, even though I will never fully comprehend Mr. Bowie, I was not surprised when he announced last month he will be releasing a new album, entitled The Next Day, in March, even though it’s been a whole ten years since his last LP. Even though it has been almost forty years since he first announced his retirement. But I guess that brings us back to the ‘erratic’ part…and a bit of an intersection as well. What I love most about Bowie, and what, in fact, launched him from relative unknown to worldwide superstar, is his constant overlap between song and story. For those of you who aren’t all that familiar with rock history, David Bowie’s big coming out party was when he stepped on stage as Ziggy Stardust, a red-haired rock god from another planet. From that moment on he became legend. The aforementioned retirement, all the way back in the summer of ’73, was indeed announced by Bowie, but what it really referred to was the character of Ziggy Stardust and the saga that included two albums, dozens of soldout tour dates, and a fabricated back-story befitting a science fiction novel. The ginger alien glam rock king was no more. But of course that wasn’t the end. Bowie still had more stories to tell: Aladdin Sane, Halloween Jack, The Thin White Duke, and many more, each with their own fantastic tales. It should come as no surprise that Bowie has enjoyed 18 BLEEP
a rather successful crossover career as an actor as well. After all, he spent so much time in his musical pursuits acting, living as characters in order to fully embrace their story and allow his audience to share these other lives with him. This mix of life imitating art and vice versa is a fascinating aspect of Bowie’s life, and its legacy is fixating still today, decades after Ziggy Stardust walked the earth. Acts such as Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and Gorillaz are constantly engaging in the overlap of storytelling even as they serenade us. In many ways the concept album, in all its tale-filled beauty, is going the way of the dinosaur. Gems like Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust album, with their broad scope and colorful characters, are becoming increasingly rare. The mindset behind them, on the other hand, is still very much alive. So in that sense, maybe I can relate to David Bowie. I can’t sing, and you’ll never catch me in a catsuit, but I too feel the need to tell a story, to let a story come alive through me. A story may have made him, but now it’s Bowie who is making the story. I’m eager to find out what’s Next.
m a r t y
o n e
t h o m a s
p r e s e n t s
n i g h t
o n l y
march 4th 2013 8:00pm Record Release Concert new world stages 340 west 50th street new york, ny 10019
11:00pm
After Party/Encore Performance featuring guest artist EDEN ESPINOSA
industry bar
355 west 52nd street new york, ny 10019 TICKETS $35.00 purchase online at www.telecharge.com or call 212.239.6200
limited seating
advanced purchase is recommended
www.martythomaspresentsdiva.com follow @martysdivas
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beauty & the bean courtney shotwell by
Men of March There is a pre-cursor to this column. Bear with me. Read through it. I know what you’re thinking. This is not a synopsis of March Madness. The intention of these typed words are to shed new light on men as a gender. Why is it that women feel that men don’t step up to the plate? If there are good men out there, they’re all taken. Right? Why do doors close in our faces? Why isn’t the southern gentlemen mentality nation-wide? Why aren’t we being won over by the opposite sex? Complaining. This is what I hear in day-to-day conversations. Locker rooms, work, coffee shops. The same conversations are verbalized. The same advice is given. It’s all the man’s fault, right? He isn’t following through with our expectation of what he should be. He isn’t emotionally available. He isn’t helping around the house. He isn’t picking up the kids. He isn’t going to the gym like you would like him to. He doesn’t understand where you are coming from and it’s all his fault. I am taking it upon myself to say it. Stop. Stop the complaining. Stop the negativity. Stop the discouraging pillow talk. As a woman, I am tired of hearing it. I am tired of hearing women harp on how awful men are. I am exhausted when I listen to a woman talk about how her husband isn’t measuring up. Let me defend the men in our world. Ladies, don’t kill me. Hear me out. I realize I am going against a cultural normality here. It can’t all be at the fault of 20 BLEEP
a man. We need to take ownership of what we aren’t doing for them. When was the last time he was encouraged? When was the last time he had your undivided attention and your full support? When was the last time that you showed up and were the woman you are supposed to be? What I think most women don’t realize is their ability to influence. Our ability to influence can change the course of our relationships. Have you ever seen a man whose wife believed he could do anything and everything he sets his mind to? Have you ever heard this verbalized? I have. He’s on top of the world. Her ability to be naturally feminine allows his masculinity to rise up inside of him. Do you think the First Lady doesn’t have influence over our nation? She goes to bed with the President every night. Laying political views aside, what would our nation look like if she spoke words filled with death to him as they lay in bed at night? I am not belittling the fact that there are legitimate issues in relationships. They exist. Relationships are complicated. There is no need to go into detail on it. I have seen the results of encouraging the opposite sex. I am asking women to go against the grain and look at communicating with the men in our world differently. I have encountered friendships and relationships with men that make me want to be a better woman. I want to be the friend, girlfriend and wife that makes a man want to be a better man. Our culture thinks I’m crazy for what I just said. I’m okay with that. Set a new standard.
CREATIVE pages
Imagination Illustrated:The Jim Henson Journal by Karen Falk Danielle Milam
5 OUT OF 5 MUPPETS “As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us that world of make-believe continues into adulthood.” Jim Henson Jim Henson. His name alone stirs joy filled emotions in all who hear it. Perhaps the most widely influential creative mind of the 20th century, his work has in the past, and still continues, to affect us all – regardless of age, gender or nationality. The book Imagination Illustrated allows the reader a sneak peek into the workings of Henson. It’s essentially a photo scrapbook of Henson’s projects. Inspired by a little red book where Henson wrote all of his musings, it’s an engaging timeline of his creative life. The foreword by Lisa Henson, Jim’s eldest daughter, is a treat. She lauds how her father’s creativity was a way of life. His creative nature wasn’t something fleeting – it was something he exuded with each breath. As a result, Henson is known for merely a fraction of the projects he dreamed up. This book reveals to the reader a behind the scenes look at Henson’s biggest projects but also immortalizes those ideas that never came to fruition. Through reading Imagination Illustrated,
I’m inspired by Henson’s continual forward movement. The man never rested in a project. While he was working on Sesame Street he was also having the first meetings for The Muppet Show, writing commercials for various products, and dabbling in the new technology for live action television. Achieving the goal was just never enough. There was always a new venture around the corner. Henson was masterful at making the impossible possible. My favorite page of the book shows the filming of Kermit and Piggy riding bikes for the movie The Great Muppet Capper. At a time when the technology couldn’t create the scene for them, Henson’s imagination became the key to solving the problem. The black and white picture shows a man high up in the air on a crane manipulating a marionette puppet on a bicycle. Ingenious. Henson’s creative spirit has forever changed our world. From projects he was intimately involved in, like The Muppet Show, to projects he influenced post mortem, like Avenue Q, Henson has forever altered the course of children’s programming and mainstream entertainment. He once said, “My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here.” Rest assured Jim, you have. MUST READ FOR: EVERYONE! ANYONE WHO WISHES TO LEAVE THEIR CREATIVE MARK ON THIS WORD; ANYONE WHO HAS EVER SMILED BECAUSE OF A MUPPET. Want more book reviews? Check out www.daniellesviews.blogspot.com
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The Cocktail Connoisseur
B
Nathan Robins
eing a Texan relocated to the Northeast, I can’t overly express my joy at the oncoming Spring. Dealing with heavy snows and frigid temperatures has lead to dichotomous drinking these past few months from warming Irish Coffees to tropical martini derivatives imbibed in effort to send the mind somewhere sunny. Here, I hope to provide a few drinks to be enjoyed throughout the coming months, strong notes for those still chilly nights and bright crisp flavors in honor of the longer days. Despite it being the season of blooms, I have avoided using floral liquors, having over-used them previously, but that’s no reason not to investigate them. I always recommend trying things such as Crème de Violette or St. Germain (Elderberry flower liquor). Both of these pair remarkably well with a wide range of flavor profiles. I add one or the other to many gin based drinks and generally speaking, they compliment lighter spirits well and turn sparkling wines into something luxurious. Particularly earthy spirits can, to a degree, clash with floral liquors, so avoid things like Scotch and certain red wines but otherwise a splash can reawaken old classics and inspire new concoctions. On the matter of new concoctions, included in the Irish Citrus Smash are bitter imbued ice cubes. While I wish I could claim this simple yet brilliant idea as my own it was inspired by Brad Thomas Parson’s book, ‘Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All’. To make them fill an ice cube tray with water and add a drop of you bitter of choice to each section. The bitters, flavoring liqueurs made of alcohol and extracts, gradually change the flavor of the drink as the cubes melt. Personally I have taken to drinking everyday things like soda with angostura bitters flavored cubes, the subtle spiciness suggests something exotic and deliberate. The coming months have some of the most alcohol laced holidays of the year: St. Patrick’s Day, Spring Break, Easter. Though the last may only apply in my family, always drink smart and drink well.
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The Vernal Equinox
The onset of spring is signaled by the days drawing longer and spreading more warming sunlight. I tried to capture a bit of that sunshine in a glass with this brunch appropriate beverage. The stand out ingredient here is the Meyer lemon juice. While you could substitute a typical lemon, Meyer lemons have a notably different flavor. They taste like a tart citrus hybrid with strong herbaceous aspects, almost
as if thyme or basil were mixed in. While this is a fairly sweet drink it can be toned down by adding additional unsweetened cranberry juice and vodka. Given the ever expanding catalog of flavored vodkas being produced the rum could be replaced with coconut flavored vodka, and any number of citrus and fruit flavored vodkas could be incorporated into this flexible drink to better match a meal or an individual’s preference.
2 oz. Vodka ½ oz. Coconut Rum ½ oz. Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice 1 oz. Orange Juice 1 oz. Pineapple Juice ½ oz. Cranberry Juice Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a wine glass filled with crushed ice (or clean snow).
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Irish Citrus Smash
A smash is a traditional cocktail classically made with a base spirit, gin and whiskey being popular, combined with muddled lemon pieces mint and sugar. This variant is considerably less sweet than a traditional smash and packs a punch so should you choose to imbibe on St. Patrick’s Day, be careful. In place of the mint, botanical flavors are provided by Irish Mist, an herb flavored whiskey liquor. Lactic acid and orange rind replaces the lemon pieces,
2 oz. Irish Whiskey ½ oz. Irish Mist 6 drops Extract of Lactart 4 large strips Blood orange Peel Orange Bitter Ice Cubes Place peel in the bottom of a highball glass, muddle/ crush to release oils add other ingredients and stir vigorously.
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providing a bit of tartness and flavor without the sweetness of juice. Lactic acid or Lactart is a flavoring agent popular during the era of soda fountains, and thanks to renewed interest in soda and innovative cocktails, it can now be found in many stores and online. As discussed previously, the ice cubes contain bitters, orange bitters in this case, though if you don’t have time to make them a few dashes will suffice.
The Ice Breaker
The winter months were bitterly cold at times but the days are beginning to warm and the ice and snow are receding from the sidewalks and streets. In celebration of the fading frost, I present a simple yet flavorful drink with a visual twist. Grand Marnier provides a sharp citrus backdrop while the gin, assuming one with sufficient botanicals is used, brings complexity. Orgeat syrup is made from almonds, sugar and floral infused water; rather than have the nutty taste one might anticipate of almonds, it imparts a clean sweetness many associate with confections as almond extracts are added to many decorating icings. The glasses for the drink are prepared by drizzling concentrated simple syrup into
them while the syrup is still hot. To make the syrup combine a quarter cup of sugar and slightly less water in a sauce pan over medium heat; stir to dissolve the sugar and add any desired food coloring, then allow the mixture to boil until it bubbles and the bubbles grow to be about the size of ping pong balls. If the syrup is boiled too long caramel flavors can be introduced though this could be an interesting addition. Carefully drizzle the still warm syrup into glasses using a spoon or bottle, it should cool quickly and harden on the sides of the glass. As the drink is consumed the hardened syrup will gradually dissolve and fade away.
2 oz. High Quality Gin 1 oz. Grand Marnier 1 oz. Orgeat Syrup Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously, strain into prepared glass.
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THE REALITY OF D
ONE OF OUR FRIENDS, MARKUS LACARIA, LETS US IN ON THE “GLAMOUROUS” LIFE OF BEING AN UP-ANDCOMING DESIGNER IN TODAY’S GLOBAL CREATIVE MARKET. 26 BLEEP
MANY PEOPLE THINK IT’S EASY TO GET STUFF MADE IN CHINA FOR DIRT CHEAP. YOU MUST HAVE HEARD OF, OR KNOW, THAT ONE PERSON WHO “GOES TO CHINA AND BUYS, LIKE, ALL KINDS OF STUFF AND COMES BACK AND SELLS IT FOR LIKE, TEN TIMES WHAT IT COSTS”. Well….that’s probably not entirely true. This is what might go on in the background, and the reality of dealing with original manufacturers. When I go to China to manufacture products I design, I grow a thick beard so they think I’m older. I’m 25 years and they wont believe me if I tell them that, and think I’m a child, so I say I’m 30. When I’m in China I have to wear a mask because its polluted pretty bad and I have a strange condition where
DESIGN
I can get allergic reactions by smelling something in the air. This is kind of scary and I had a near reaction once, but I managed to truck it out. Necessities at all times I carry: My EPI pen, passport, all my cash (stashed on me, sometimes up to 10K), a bag, iPhone (not in use as a phone though) and toilet paper. Living costs: $10 hotel a day Breakfast: Noodles with rice bread $1 Lunch: All kinds of delicious authentic chinese food $2.50 Dinner: Noodle bowl, friend dumplings and tofu $2.50 $16 per day
I take who I need to take out for dinner and karaoke. I bring them local cigarettes, and take their friends and family out too for dinner. I’m in the middle of mainland China, about 30 hours in by train and bus where no one speaks English, I don’t speak Chinese. Sometimes I have a large amount of cash on me and 150 lbs of luggage (three separate suitcases). I get picked up on a scooter by people I don’t know and taken to factories where I’m not completely safe. But somehow I make it through. It’s not always the sweetest job, but it’s exciting, because at some point you do what your most afraid of doing. -Markus Lacaria Creative Director, Luigi Sardo
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JUST KIDDIN HAS RELEASED THEIR FIRST EP OF 2013 ON NEW YORK BASED HOUSE IMPRINT NURVOUS RECORDS - A LABEL THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON SHOWCASING THE PRODUCERS OF TOMORROW. WE BLEEPIN LOVE THAT. THEY’VE CREATED REMIXES FOR PARACHUTE YOUTH AND THEOPHILUS LONDON, AND THE UK BASED DUO HAVE GAINED INDUSTRY RESPECT FROM THEIR ORIGINAL RELEASES ON TOP BILLIN, LA VALIGETTA, SWEAT IT OUT AND PARANOIAK. THERE ARE NO LIMITS ON THIS DUO’S SOUND. THEIR SEDUCTIVE MELODIES AND SMOOTH HOUSE RHYTHMS ARE DESIGNED FOR DANCE-FLOOR CONNOISSEURS AND CASUAL CLUBBERS ALIKE.
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PHOTOS BY SETH WALTERS
MILLIONS OF VIEWS ON YOUTUBE. SOLD-OUT PERFORMANCES ALL OVER THE WORLD. BROADWAY’S BIGGEST STARS ARE HER BIGGEST FANS. SHE’S A PHENOMONON.
COLLEEN BALLINGER IS:
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? Santa Barbara, Calif.
had no intention of anyone ever seeing them. When I posted the first video, I noticed that I had one or two negative comments from complete strangers and I WHAT WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU REMEMBER couldn’t believe someone actually thought Miranda SINGING FOR AN AUDIENCE? was a real person. So I continued making videos and When I was five years old I sang a song called “Baby addressed my “haters” by purposefully trying to piss Jesus” to a plastic baby doll in front of a very large them off. Thus, Miranda was born. church congregation. I had no desire to do this, but my mother bribed me with an awesome Barbie doll HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOUR VOICE LESSON wearing a ridiculously tacky silver gown. VIDEOS WENT VIRAL? I had no idea what it meant, so I was terrified. WHAT WAS THE FIRST STAGE SHOW THAT MADE The only time I had ever heard the word “viral” was AN IMPACT ON YOU? in reference to an infection, so I assumed something When I was really little, my grandfather took me to terrible had happened to my computer. Then I realized see a community theater production of My Fair Lady I was an idiot and got excited. and I absolutely loved it. In the middle of the show, he HOW DID THE SUCCESS leaned over to me and said, OF YOUR VIDEOS CHANGE “You’re going to be on that WHAT YOU DID/WERE ABLE stage one day.” He inspired TO DO IN FUTURE VIDEOS? me so much to sing and be I was working three jobs on stage. When I was 15, I when Miranda went viral. I got in my very first musical. worked for a Princess party Anything Goes… in Outer company, I was a singer at Space (That is exactly what Disneyland and I was a nanny. it sounds like. All of the sets I started traveling almost were inflatable). I had two immediately after the videos lines and I was only partially went viral. Jim Caruso of “Jim hidden in the big tap number. Caruso’s Cast Party” was the I thought I was very cool. first person to contact me about performing live as my WHAT IS YOUR character. Shortly after, many PERFORMANCE BACKGROUND? other people in NYC started asking me to make I started taking voice lessons when I was 10. I went appearances at their bars, clubs, etc., so I bought to Azusa Pacific University for vocal performance with a plane ticket and started performing. I haven’t the intention of pursuing a career in opera. I quickly stopped since and that was almost four years ago. realized that I hated singing in 18 different languages Now my career is to make videos and perform all over and focused more on musical theater. I graduated the world as a crazy girl wearing too much lipstick. It’s with a bachelors degree in vocal performance. amazing! THE FIRST MIRANDA VIDEO APPEARED IN 2008. WHERE DID SHE COME FROM? WHAT WAS THE CATALYST? Miranda is a combination of untalented people I found on Youtube, and girls I couldn’t stand in my vocal performance department. The videos were a complete inside joke with a few close friends and I
YOUR FIRST LIVE SHOW WAS AT JIM CARUSO’S CAST PARTY AT BIRDLAND IN NEW YORK. WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT DOING A FULL, LIVE SHOW? What surprised me most was that people liked it! When Jim asked me to do a show, I was terrified. I had to turn a three minute Youtube video into an hour BLEEP 33
long show and keep people entertained. It was a lot of work, but I’m so glad he asked me to do it. Because of him, I created a one-woman show that I now tour the world with. I’m coming back to Birdland in March for the 15th time and I couldn’t be more excited! WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN AFFORDED YOU THROUGH PERFORMING AS MIRANDA? So many amazing things have happened because of Miranda. The first thing I would have to say is that I’ve had the amazing opportunity to travel all over the world with my show. In the last four years I’ve performed in London, Australia, Ireland, Canada, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, Seattle and more. It blows my mind! I feel very lucky. Last year I appeared on the popular Nickelodeon show “Victorious” as Miranda. If you had told me four years ago that Miranda would be on Nickelodeon I would have called you a liar. Last but not least, I got the opportunity to give my childhood role model, Sutton Foster, a voice lesson on stage in front of 1,000 people. I absolutely idolized her through my teenage years and when I found out I would be giving her a voice lesson I couldn’t believe it. It’s definitely one of the best performance experiences I’ve ever had in my life. YOU’RE AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMER. BEYOND MIRANDA, WHAT’S NEXT FOR COLLEEN? I’m constantly working on projects outside of Miranda. I audition as often as I can and I try to perform as myself whenever possible. My personal Youtube channel “PsychoSoprano” is growing rapidly and it’s very exciting! I make comedic videos with my friends and family and do behind the scenes clips of Miranda. It’s amazing that I film my life for a living. Not many people can say that. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? My dream is to have a family and be successful doing what I love. Sounds very cliché and I’m pretty sure it’s the exact definition of “The American Dream,” but it’s completely honest and true. WHAT’S IT LIKE HAVING YOUR OWN BOBBLEHEAD? It’s weird. It was my father’s idea. He called me one day and said “I think Miranda should have a bobble head!” I jokingly responded with, “Okay, go for it.” Well, he did go for it and now there are 1,000 bobble heads in my parents garage that they package and ship every single day. It’s like I have my own little sweat shop and my parents are the workers. Of all the things in my career, I think that is the one thing people would be most jealous of.
WWW.MIRANDASINGS.COM MAKE SURE TO SEE MIRANDA AT BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB IN NYC MARCH 5-7. WWW.BIRDLANDJAZZ.COM FOR TIX! 34 BLEEP
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THERE’S EVEN MORE TO BLEEPIN’ LOVE
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a r g o t o h P the 38 BLEEP PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY, KEVIN THOMAS GARCIA AND LESLIE HULL
e u s s I s r e h apkevin thomas garcia
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old cemetery.
WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER? That’s a tricky one. I don’t know if there is one thing that sets me apart from any other photographer, because we all have our strong points. I came into the career through the theatrical world, so I do think it gives me an eye as far as headshots and production WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A photos go. I believe that anyone can take a good PHOTOGRAPHER? photo, but there has to be something more. You My grandfather always had a camera around his need to be able to make an emotional connection neck and I sort of fell into it while I was on tour with with your subjects so that you can tell the story. “Mamma Mia!” the musical. I picked up a camera out of boredom and never put it down. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT NOW? WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, Although I love working with actors, singers and WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? dancers, I would have to say shooting live events is I have always shot people. Something about having my favorite thing to do. Something about getting the connection between myself, the camera and a lost in a dark theatre or concert hall really gets me person is pretty magical. I also love to get lost in an going. NICOLE “SNOOKI” POLIZZI SHOT EXCLUSIVELY FOR NEXTMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY, KEVIN THOMAS GARCIA AND LESLIE HULL
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I was a military kid, so I have lived in a bunch of different places. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and when I was very young the family was transferred to San Juan, Puerto Rico. From there we moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where a lot of my extended family still lives. When I was 12, we were transferred to Cape May, New Jersey where my parents still live and I call home.
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ABOVE: RACHEL POTTER AND JOHN CAROL IN BROADWAY BARES, A BENEFIT FOR BCEFA
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TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO MEMORABLE? One of my most memorable shoots was early on in my career. I was still on tour with “Mamma Mia!” when the company asked me to shoot the productions photos for the new cast coming in. I was scared to death, but seeing my photos on the billboards at the Princess of Whales Theatre in Toronto was an exhilarating feeling!
many of whom are featured in this issue and seeing their work continually inspires me. Two of my favorites are Annie Leibovitz and Mark Abrahams.
WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? One of the reasons I keep on trucking is because you can never know it all. No matter what your skill set, or what level you are on in your career, there is always something to learn. You also can’t beat the feeling of getting the “shot”. HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME That is one of the reasons concerts and theatre are so IN HOW YOU CREATE? amazing to shoot. When you go through the images There is no denying that the medium has changed, and you are instantly transported right back to the digital is here to stay. At least as far as the work I do, moment, it’s amazing! digital editing it essential, but I was taught to as much work as possible in the camera. For me, the editing WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? process if just about fine-tuning the work you have My dream is to keep growing and learning. I’d love already done, after all, these are photographs and not to settle into some form of celebrity portraiture mixed paintings. with shooting theatre. WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? I have a pretty inspiring set of photographer friends,
WWW.K TGNYC.COM
RIGHT: BRAD GORESKI SHOT EXCLUSIVELY FOR NEXTMAGAZINE.COM
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“YOU ALSO CAN’T BEAT THE FEELING OF GETTING THE “SHOT”. THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS CONCERTS AND THEATRE ARE SO AMAZING TO SHOOT. WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE IMAGES AND YOU ARE INSTANTLY TRANSPORTED RIGHT BACK TO THE MOMENT, IT’S AMAZING!”
kevin
MORGAN JAMES PERFORMING AT 54 BELOW - EPIC RECORDS
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I was photographing the most beautiful dancers in the world. As I continued honing my eye, I was fortunate enough to find a lot of support through the connections I’d made as a dancer. My health began to improve and I was able to take on more freelance work photographing dance companies and promotional materials for dancers and actors. During my first year as a photographer I happened to meet Andrea Mohin, The New York Times staff dance photographer, at a performance and decided it was as good a time as any to put myself out there and try to build connections. She was incredibly supportive from the start and threw my name around to a few photo editors at The Times who brought me in for an interview and offered me a job as a freelancer for the Arts & Leisure section, where I continue to work to this day. Through that opportunity, I was able to build contacts with venues around the city and expand my portfolio.
WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A PHOTOGRAPHER? When I first moved to the city I was a dancer with American Ballet Theatre. I joined when I was 17 and had spent my whole life reaching toward that goal. Shortly after turning 21 I came down with what was essentially chronic mono, which lasted two years and ended my dance career just as it was getting started. I was homebound and desperate for a creative outlet, so I went on Amazon and spent my last bit of savings WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE to purchase a Canon 30D kit. To this day, I can’t tell CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER you what really possessed me to choose photography PHOTOGRAPHER? other than the need to let my mind explore something My career as a professional dancer has been new while my body dealt with illness and the end of such an important part of developing my eye as my first passion. a photographer. I think all the years of training helps me understand shapes of the body and fully WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, understand that a split second difference can make or WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? break the shot. Additionally I aim to capture energy Over the first few months, I would walk around at its peak and showcase subjects that are moving my neighborhood and take pictures of anything both physically and emotionally, which is always a that caught my eye. Additionally, I was still under fun challenge. contract with ABT, so I was able to go in and photograph rehearsals, which was an unbelievable WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT testing ground for my development. Few things, in NOW? my opinion, are harder to photograph than dance, In case it hasn’t been apparent yet, I love to be in and it was this practice that allowed me to learn the the theater or a studio working with dancers and fundamentals of photography. Plus it didn’t hurt that actors. That being said, I also find a lot of joy in all my
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PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY, KEVIN THOMAS GARCIA AND LESLIE HULL
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I’ve been lucky enough to get a taste of quite a few locales in my life. Even though I was born in New York City, I spent most of my formative years in Montana, which provided quite the contrast to the city life I first knew. For anyone that has been to Big Sky Country, they know Montana is one of the most scenic locations, so to grow up with both small town comfort and big city exposure (via my parents who made sure we got back to New York at least once a year) was invaluable to my development.
matthew
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RYAN STEELE PHOTOGRAPHED FOR BROADWAY.COM
shoots. I enjoy being around people and think one of the most fortunate parts of being a photographer is that we are given the opportunity to pull people out of their shells and make them feel empowered.
has carved out and hope to reach those levels one day. Another inspiration is Chad Batka, who is an unbelievably talented photographer in the theater and music world. I first came in contact with his TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY work as a fellow freelancer at The New York Times, MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO but now his images are popping up everywhere. His MEMORABLE? portrait work is stunning, as is his live performance A most recent highlight was the first shoot I did photography. He just gets energy and emotion, not for Broadway’s Kinky Boots as the official production to mention his lighting and technique are beautiful photographer when they were out of town in as well. I really look up to him. Chicago. Walking into the theater alongside so many people I’ve idolized since I was young was an honor. WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? There’s nothing like the thrill of getting to capture One of the strangest things after coming to this world-class artists creating something magical. career through the end of my dance career was the realization that, unlike dance, photography HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME is a passion that I can continue until the day I die. IN HOW YOU CREATE? That freedom is liberating and daunting, as is the Digital editing is definitely a part of my process, realization that there’s no end to educating myself in but I don’t consider myself a post-production this world. There’s always a new lighting technique to photographer. The goal is always to get the image as try or a new post-production process. finished as possible in camera, but I do love to amp up the contrast and colors in my images to really WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? make them pop. I want to keep challenging myself to produce new imagery each time I step into the studio or into the WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? theater. The worst feeling, to me, is complacency, so The first that comes to mind is Andrew Eccles, who my dream is to keep searching out new opportunities is a prominent commercial photographer who I think in the dance and theater world and hopefully, in the beautifully straddles the line of fine art and high-end process, provide people with a beautiful image to get commercial campaigns. I see his name pop up on a lost in. television ad campaign one day and then a Broadway WWW.MURPHYMADE.COM poster the next. I really love the career path that he
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“ONE OF THE STRANGEST THINGS AFTER COMING TO THIS CAREER THROUGH THE END OF MY DANCE CAREER WAS THE REALIZATION THAT, UNLIKE DANCE, PHOTOGRAPHY IS A PASSION THAT I CAN CONTINUE UNTIL THE DAY I DIE. THAT FREEDOM IS LIBERATING AND DAUNTING, AS IS THE REALIZATION THAT THERE’S NO END TO EDUCATING MYSELF IN THIS WORLD.” 50 BLEEP
matthew
KEIGWIN + COMPANY
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I grew up in Marion, Iowa, a small town not far from where Grant Wood made his career. You may recognize our sister city, Cedar Rapids, from the Ed Helms comedy of the same name. WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A PHOTOGRAPHER? I was a photobug all throughout high school but it wasn’t until college that it became a real passion of mine, and eventually my career. WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? I would go through rolls and rolls of film in high school documenting my social life. Then I started using my camera’s panoramic setting to photograph cloud formations. I would drive miles out of the city just to get an unobstructed view of the sky. That lead to my passion for landscapes. Then on a hiking trip in New Mexico I realized the power of the panorama. The landscapes there were too vast to capture in a single photograph. That began my experimentation with multiimage panoramas.
WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER? I look at photography as my way to forever document God’s creation in a particular moment in time. I know that when my photos are seen I am sharing the beauty that is His creation. I wasn’t given many talents, but I know I can take a darn good photo. I’m not being cocky about it, I’m just thankful of the gift God has given me. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT NOW? My favorite subject to shoot is live performance. Theater, rock shows, dance, etc. There’s something very special when set design, light design and the performer unite in perfect harmony, and in that 1/200th of a second you can understand what the whole performance was about. I am also very passionate about my fine art photography. Additionally I’m getting into time lapse photography, which I’m very excited about! TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO MEMORABLE? There was a day on my hiking trip in New Mexico that was especially grueling, hours upon hours of
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rocky uphill climbing. It seemed like it would never WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? end. But at the end of the trail was this vast meadow Like I said before my inspiration is God, but if I had that was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever to name some influences they would have to be Joan seen. My dad called it The Land of Ahhh’s. And it truly Marcus, Douglas Kirkland, Todd Owyoung and Peter was awesome, in every sense of the word. This is Lik. where I took my first multi-image panorama. I’ll never forget that day and the wonderful payoff after that WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? back-breaking climb. I continue to make photos because it makes me happy, and more importantly, it makes others happy. HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME Being able to move people emotionally with my work IN HOW YOU CREATE? is the only reason I continue to do what I do. Very important! I could not create my fine art without digital post processing. But it’s not everything. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? Knowing how to take a good photo is more than My dream is to one day have my own gallery, setting your camera on auto and if it’s not perfect “I’ll publish a few books of my work and to some day fix it in PhotoShop.” But in today’s age the photo is have as many photo credits in the Playbill Broadway only getting started in the camera, especially with my Yearbook as Joan Marcus. (wink) work.
WWW.SETH-WALTERS.COM
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BELOW: HAIR SHOT FOR BROADWAYWORLD.COM, LIZA MINNELLI, AND ONCE (OPPOSITE PAGE) SHOT FOR PLAYBILL.COM BOTTOM: KELLY CLARKSON.
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I grew up about an hour and a half outside of New York City in the Hudson Valley.
Moments people might overlook and not think are important but to me those few seconds make up my favorite photos.
WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT PHOTOGRAPHER? NOW? I grew up studying fine arts but once I took my first My favorite subject isn’t a specific person or photography coarse in high school, its all I wanted to subject but I love to create images that document an do. I was either out taking photos or spending hours important moment in time. Images that will hopefully printing in the dark room. be looked back on and are a part of history. WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO My family and my home were my first subjects. I MEMORABLE? basically took photos of anything that could fit on my I’ve been very lucky and had quite a few memorable roll of thirty-six frames. shoots. There are certain performers I’ve always dreamt to photograph and one that comes is Liza Minnelli. WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE When I begin working, I never thought I would get to CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER point to photograph such a legend. I got a phone call PHOTOGRAPHER? one day asking me if I would like to photograph her I think everyone sees differently and when I go into show in Staten Island. I couldn’t say yes fast enough. a shoot, I have a list of shots I need to get. But I also I was on the ferry shortly after. I arrived to find out like to challenge myself. When I’m shooting, I try to I was the only photographer and I could shoot from get as many photos of off-beat or quiet moments. where ever I thought was best. I chose to be right up
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front by the stage. The show started and it was one of those unreal moments where you always hoped to get to but it was actually happening. Another more recent project I was lucky to work on was documenting the experience of a few Broadway shows. I photographed everything from the costumes, performers, audience and the theatre. I was standing in the wings during a Broadway show and I can remember seeing shows as a kid and being completely amazed by it all and getting to witness everything through my lens years later was unreal.
WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? Music and theatre are my biggest inspiration. They are my most reoccurring subjects in my work. Its what inspires me and makes wants to create images. Three amazing women photographers who continue to inspire my work are Amy Arbus, Catherine Opie and Joan Marcus. WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? Everyday is different and there is always something new to photograph. It’s not just a record of shows and people I photograph, but also my life and experience.
HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME IN HOW YOU CREATE? I honestly don’t do much editing to my images. I’m WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? a documentary photographer and I would like them I’m living my dream. Being able to take images to stay authentic but I do think the digital world has everyday is really all I could want. allowed me to get my images out faster and easier.
WWW.MONICASIMOES.COM
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ABOVE: THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD SHOT FOR PLAYBILL.COM SELF PORTRAITS PAINTED BY MONICA HERSELF.
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? Maracaibo, Venezuela.
with my personal aesthetic & make it relevant in the industry. After six years of doing it and being criticized for it, you are seeing it more and more in editorials. I always knew I was ahead.
WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A PHOTOGRAPHER? My parents told me I was always taking pictures since WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT I was a child. Family trips, portraits of my mom and NOW? sister whom I supposedly used to dress up and place My career has expanded so much at this point that next to windows and direct them. I can still remember anything that allows me to be experimental makes those shots. After I was a physical therapist’s assistant me happy to be quite honest. for a few years, it wasn’t until my ex-wife got pregnant that I started taking pictures again. I decided to give TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY photography a try and applied to Parsons. MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO MEMORABLE? WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, This is a hard one. Every shoot leaves me with a WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? new lesson. But I guess I did an editorial, “Domestic I’ve always photographed the human body, women Disturbance,” for a fashion magazine here in New and men. I guess there is a relationship to the fact I York, and I was very inspired by Gregory Crewdson’s studied human anatomy in my previous career. I also series “Brief Encounters,” and I turned it into a fashion believe there is just something to be said about the story. I had vintage cars on set, an amazing house and women’s figure and its sensitivity and sensuality. On team behind me. It was great shoot and editorial. the other hand, the shape of the male anatomy is highly sexual and intimidating. HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME IN HOW YOU CREATE? WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE I’m not sure ‘important’ is the word. I come from CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER the real basis of photography, film. I think digital PHOTOGRAPHER? photography has expedited the process and We all see different things, photographer or not, decreased the percentage of making irreversible but I guess I have been trying to be very experimental mistakes. I think more than important, it has become
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convenient. Nothing compares to film. I think Breton, Tierney Gearon, Meisel, David Sims, Sorrenti, knowing the basis of photography gives you a big Ritts, Nan Golden, Jeff Wall… I mean, I can go on for advantage in the digital world. Then again, those that pages and pages! have grown in the digital era are blinded to this fact. I truly believe each artist must know art history to see where many of our views come from and how WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? they have been done and transcend. Another tough one. I will have to start with before photography. I think the masters of painting are the WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? ones who inspire my photography and my lighting That’s simple. Because I have not told my story. Till abilities. Masters such as Caravaggio, George De then, there are a lot of edits to be done. la Tour, Fragonart, Rembrandt and lately George Bellows, are couple of the many painters who l look WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? up to. When it comes to photography, I’m deeply in It’s what I’m living right now and where my career is love with the cinematic aspects of the work produced heading: transitioning into the moving image, music by Fabien Baron and Steven Klein. It’s simply erotic, videos, cinematography and solidifying my brand dark and melancholic. Then we have photographers and company, RAM IMAGERY, LLC. like Jurguen Teller, Man Ray, Hans Bellmer, Andre 68 BLEEP
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? Born and raised in Cameroon West Africa, in the capital city of Yaoundé. WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A PHOTOGRAPHER? I try not to limit myself to just photography. I consider myself an artist and photography just happens to be one of the many gifts God has blessed me with. After I moved to United States, I was able to truly embrace my gift and the doors of opportunities that opened for me.
CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER? I pride myself on being a true artist, someone who sees beauty from the simplest things to the most awkward things. My ability to stand behind the camera makes me one of many photographers, but my versatility in styling, posing and coaching the model throughout the shoot allows me to stand out as an artist. I can look at my subject and in two seconds can determine the right look, lighting, set, pose and ambiance that will look great on them.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, NOW? WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? I especially love beauty shoots as well as women My first actual shots were amateur, but with each and men’s fashion editorials. new picture came maturity and knowledge. Initially, I was very fascinated with nature, architecture and TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY people. I still vividly remember my first big shoot, I MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO spent two hours taking pictures of different images MEMORABLE? of snow and the intricate details of winter weather. It The most memorable to me was the first fashion was truly breathtaking. shoot I did for M.V.C by Misty Chanel, a new designer in Dallas. This was the shoot that gave me the WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE confidence boost and validation that I was ready, and
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it also was a plus working with such a close friend. WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? The shoot was impromptu but we were able to pull it The joy I get when taking photos is the main reason all together with a frantic nerves and a short deadline. I keep doing what I do. I am very passionate not only The pictures came out amazing! about what I do, but also about the people that help my creativity come to life. HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME IN HOW YOU CREATE? WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? Digital imaging has been key and has also become My ultimate dream is to open up my own studio. a lifestyle for me. The effects take the picture to the Right now I work from my home garage (which isn’t next level and ultimately bring it to life. bad at all) , but I will love to have a great space where I don’t only take pictures, but where I can also entertain WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? my clients as well as offer working spaces for other My main inspirations are the people I get to meet artists to give them a very unforgettable experience. every day and photograph as well. With each new With hard work, I hope to see my work in the most face I meet, a new idea and concept is born. renowned publications so that I can showcase my talent to the world.
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ABOVE AND ON FOLLOWING PAGE: MODELS: KARL DREXEL & OLIVIA VANDENBERG (THE DRAGONFLY AGENCY) WARDROBE STYLIST: JUAN LERMA HAIR AND MAKEUP: MEGAN TYLER RIGHT: SPRING 2013 COLLECTION (JERRY_KAYLIN) DESIGNER: NINE MUSES (JERRY MATTHEWS AND FRANCESCA VIAMONTE) MODEL: KAYLIN ROGERS (KIM DAWSON AGENCY) HAIR AND MAKEUP: LANA ADAMS NAILS: JESSICA TWI NGUYEN OPPOSITE PAGE: MODEL: REMY RYAN (WALLFLOWER MANAGEMENT) HAIR STYLIST: JEFF IVISON MAKEUP: LESLIE WHITMORE WARDROBE STYLIST: MICHELLE EVANS
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? In Midlothian, a tiny town south of Dallas, Texas.
or catching them at an unexpected moment rather than just a “pose.”
WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A PHOTOGRAPHER? I suppose I figured it out when I began doing freelance work in high school.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT NOW? Models and anything fashion related. That’s the girly side of me.
WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? Remembering back as far as possible, I believe it was seventh grade. My friend and I would get inspired every week after watching “America’s Next Top Model.” I’d pretend to be the fashion photographer and she’d be the model. Funny I say “pretend,” but these were to be MySpace worthy by the end of the night each week. I remember one week, we teased her hair into a giant mess tangled with leaves, flowers, and twigs. She couldn’t brush her hair for days!
TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO MEMORABLE? It was an old series I did a while back called “The Secret You’ve Been Hiding.” When I look back on it now, I become super critical and start thinking, “Oh, I could’ve executed this differently,” or “I could’ve spent more time on that,” but that’s how we grow and improve. The reason it’s so memorable to me, though, is because I was so inspired by a story that I had created and knew that it would take effort. I was just proud of this series because it was a cohesive body of work that I wrote to, and I love writing. I haven’t written in a while.
WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER? Not that there aren’t other photographers who see it the same way, but I really enjoy portraying the models’ personality through the photograph. That,
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HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME IN HOW YOU CREATE? Very important. I get mixed opinions on how photographers feel about digital editing, but it’s a big part of my work. In fact, it’s half the work for me. I like that people can recognize it’s mine without actually knowing that it’s mine in the first place, and I believe a lot of that has to do with my post work. I used to love drawing and painting, so I still get my fix through Photoshop.
WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? It’s what I love to do. I also love to make people feel beautiful. No, I don’t always enjoy lugging my heavy camera everywhere I go, that can be exhausting. However, when I have a creative concept in mind, I know that it’s going to be hard work, but so worth it in the end. I like knowing that in order to create something amazing, you really have to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Oh, and sacrifice a lot of sleep.
WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? As far as my work goes, I’m inspired mostly by music, movies, fashion, magazines, etc. As far as business goes, I’m very inspired by successful people who are famous yet humble. I hope to remain humble throughout my career, especially if in the fashion industry.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? I have a lot of dreams, actually, but my main goal is to be a fashion photographer. I feel that once students all over the world are using my work as inspiration in their school projects to demonstrate “their” dream, then I know I’ve accomplished mine.
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I was born in Wichita, Kansas but I have been in Dallas since I was four.
angles and ways I can ask them to pose. There is everything to see from my lens, down to the final image.
WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT PHOTOGRAPHER? NOW? I knew I wanted to be a photographer after watching My favorite subject is mainly models. I want to “America’s Next Top Model” in the early years and continue to pursue fashion photography, so I want coming across an Elle magazine when I was about my portfolio to represent that. I want to also help 18. I always kick myself because I really didn’t get into build models portfolios, so I love to test shoot as well. until I was 22. TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? MEMORABLE? When I first started I took pictures of co-workers, All my shoots are a real learning experience, so as friends and random things outside like plants. Also I I grow, it is becoming more memorable. One time I took a lot of myself…just being honest. was helping my friend, who is a jewelry designer, and we shot outside to promote her brand. After shooting WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE a few, I showed her a few images while the model CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER changed and she started crying. I was like “please PHOTOGRAPHER? don’t cry,” but it was fulfilling knowing I helped I really do not have a concrete answer for that her and now she is doing great and her business is because my style has changed very drastically over booming. the past few months, so I’m style playing around with my niche’. However when I shoot, I have a trust with HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME my subject that is unbreakable so it makes what I see IN HOW YOU CREATE? through the lens very easy compared to a random It has become more important to me only because object or person. I see different light opportunities, my style I’m doing is darker or not as pretty. I call
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it “ugly” pretty, so I use it to add a different spin to the overall picture versus totally butchering it. As I WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? mentioned earlier, I want and like to test shoot with I continue to take photos because I strive to let models so I really like natural looks. I may just enhance people see how I feel. My work is generally an color or clean the face a tad but nothing where you expression of how I feel, and I want people to feel know it’s different. that. I am far from perfect and my photography may not be as well, but I want the meaning of my work WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? to touch people. I take photos to learn and see life I am inspired by tons of photographers; I research in a new way. By just adjusting angles or lighting, photographers and images all day long as my hobby something that looked horrible now looks beautiful. or my version of fun. I love looking at the current fashion trends because in photography, I want to WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? be as fresh as I can. I love looking at Asian culture. My dream is to travel to different parts of the world The poise and dignity they carry themselves with is and continue to do fashion photography. I want amazing and I love all the subcultures it brings. I love to work with the best agencies in the world, and I bizarre things that are not typically pretty, whether it want them to be able to call me whenever they have is model, clothes, or a picture; I love to see the beauty models that need pictures. I want to not necessarily in everything (because everything is beautiful in its be a brand, but a name among the fashion elite. own way). WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/COURTNEY.LADDIMORE
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? Rowlett, a suburb of Dallas, Texas.
live, work or go there? If it were an actor, why would I want to cast him or her?
WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT PHOTOGRAPHER? NOW? I took a small digital camera on a family cruise in high Food! I think it’s something I’m good at shooting, school, after which my stepmom complimented my but most importantly, I almost always get to eat the “eye for photography.” From there, I joined my high subject after I’m done! school’s newspaper photography team and things took off. TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, MEMORABLE? WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? The shoots that are most memorable to me are the Leisurely, I shot landscapes and architecture. Once ones I do just for the love it – for myself. The ones that I joined the newspaper staff, I was taking editorial come to mind are vacation and nature shoots. shots, candid portraits and athletics. HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE IN HOW YOU CREATE? CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER Truth be told, I think I’m a better retoucher than I am PHOTOGRAPHER? a photographer, although I think I enjoy the shooting I think I decide what makes the subject beautiful and more than I do the editing. I’m also so thankful for try to capture that. If it were food, why would I want digital editing, and I really don’t know what the job to eat it? If it were architecture, why would I want to was like before it came along.
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WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? Like most photographers, I taught myself and I’ve learned to trust my own vision. I definitely try new things when I see something cool another photographer is doing, but those attempts usually fail. I’m at my best when I’m not inhibited by someone else’s vision. WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? As much as I enjoy it, I rarely get to leisurely take photos. For other shoots, it’s a way for me to exercise my creativity. When I’m working with actors, especially ones that really need direction during a headshot shoot, I enjoy coaching them and learning what works for different people. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? To do good work and to get married.
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WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I grew up in Manhattan, but primarily Harlem. WHEN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU WERE A PHOTOGRAPHER? I started shooting in 2008 when a co worker of mine let me borrow his camera, but I really started investing in my craft as a photographer in 2010.
makes me look at things differently. Since I was a kid, I always viewed things as If they were a photograph, so that helps to find photographs in almost everything.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT TO SHOOT NOW? I love shooting people, mainly tourists because everything is new and fresh to them. I shoot a lot of cityscapes and architecture as well. One concept WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SHOOTING PHOTOS, I find my self shooting frequently is monotonous WHAT DID YOU TAKE PICTURES OF? situations in life [such as] a man spraying water on a I was really good at shooting landscapes and city sidewalk during the summer. So simple but I see nature shots. I wanted to be a National Geographic a whole story behind it. photographer. TELL ME ABOUT A SHOOT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY WHAT MAKES WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE MEMORABLE TO YOU. WHY WAS IT SO CAMERA LENS DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER MEMORABLE? PHOTOGRAPHER? It was around 2011 and I was interning for a I think my experiences and my thought process photographer. He had a huge shoot for a magazine
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during fashion week. Besides being around great influence my work. people and fashion, the shoot was more a creative exploration of the city, models, and the clothing. That WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO TAKE PHOTOS? shoot showed me there still can be a creative and It keeps me sane. I also love what photographs do to imaginative element to fashion photography. the imagination. It makes us think beyond the reality of the photograph. We still have our own unique HOW IMPORTANT HAS DIGITAL EDITING BECOME perceptions of what is going on, what happened, and IN HOW YOU CREATE? what will happen. Digital editing has helped me explore and expand concepts in my work that would be naturally WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? overlooked. I embrace digital editing but I make sure My dream since I was a kid, before I even knew I wanted not to abuse it in my work . I want my image to speak, to be a photographer, was to be commissioned in a not my editing skills. museum like the Guggenheim or the Met without being dead. WHAT/WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? Human interaction with each other and with our surroundings but also photographers like Alfred Stieglitz, David Gibson and Robert Frank. They set a WWW.EDUCATEDRISKS.COM blueprint that inspires me everyday. They definitely
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ALEXANDE
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ER DIJULIO
PORTRAIT BY BRANDON LYON STYLING AND WRITING BY JUAN LERMA HAIR AND MAKEUP BY JERRAD TRAHAN PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANCE BY BRENT HUGHES FASHION ASSISTANCE BY BAILEY HAHN ALL OTHER PHOTOS BY BRENT HUGHES WITH BLEEP 103 ASSISTANCE FROM KRISTEN HUGHES.
THE EAST COAST ART SCENE WAS GETTING ALL TOO FAMILIAR FOR DALLAS BASED SCULPTOR ALEXANDER DIJULIO. HE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PHILADELPHIA, AND ATTENDED THE MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART IN BALTIMORE. HIS WORK HAS BEEN SOLD IN HIGH END ART GALLERIES IN NEW YORK, DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY AND WASHINGTON D.C. IN AN EFFORT TO EXPAND HIS HORIZONS AND EXPLORE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PART OF THE COUNTRY, AND HIMSELF, ALEXANDER MOVED TO DALLAS WHERE A SURGE OF CREATIVITY HAS PUSHED HIS WORK TO NEW LEVELS.
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WHAT PROMPTED YOUR INTEREST IN ART? I always liked drawing so much as a kid, and my parents were always so supportive of that. As I grew up I was always better at drawing and painting than Geometry and Biology. My high school had this art major program and it was really awesome. It came time to talk about college and my teacher asked if anyone was considering art school. I decided to go to The Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER GRADUATING COLLEGE? I decided it would be a really good idea for me to to move somewhere else besides living on the east coast, since I had lived in so many different places in the same area. Location is so important to me, and I was curious to know what it was like to live in another cool city, and make art there. I had visited some friends in Dallas and I loved it.
WHAT IS YOUR MEDIUM OF CHOICE? WERE THERE ANY OTHER PLACES YOU Sculpture and installations. My foundation lies in CONSIDERED MOVING TO? drawing but there came a point where I just didn’t I could have stayed in Baltimore, I was happy there, want to do it anymore. I really got into working with but then nothing would have changed. California objects, and space. always sounds enticing, Los Angeles or San Francisco, and Chicago is really cool too. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST TASTE OF THE LIFE OF A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST? HAS DALLAS INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE ANY NEW When I was in college I got the opportunity to show WORK? some work at the Jordan Faye Contemporary Gallery Absolutely, I got a job at Forty Five Ten, a very upscale in Baltimore, and sold a piece. It was an amazing fashion boutique in Dallas and I learned a lot about the experience. WHAT CAME NEXT? While I was a junior at M.I.C.A. I applied for this New York Artist in Residency program. I ended up moving to New York City and lived and breathed art for about 6 months. I figured out a way to get credit for school through the residency so I was literally devoting all my time to my art. After the residency was over, I moved back to Baltimore to finish school.
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way people are here. I noticed a gleaming facade to the city of Dallas. Everything was so clean, so well kept. Many, many people in this city are interested in dressing well and being manicured and looking nice. Peoples attitudes also matched that, Southern Hospitality was a concept lost on me. I started thinking about what materials could represent or work as signs or symbols of those aspects to life here and I started working with tar and crude oil. Also because of working at Forty Five Ten, I was exposed to Geode jewelry designed by Kimberly McDonald , I was inspired by the sparkly, crystal quality of the jewelry. There was no way that I could afford these pieces, so I started making my own crystals. I created a borax solution that adheres to almost any object and you can watch as the crystals grow across spoons. The first time I ever heard the term “Yellow Bone” or “Red Bone” to refer to African Americans was in Texas. It was such a strange concept to me that
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there would be varying levels of an ethnicity. I created a piece from found wood and little red and yellow candy bones. I also came across an emergency blanket. It is basically a super heat conductor it magnifies your body heat by 30 times its normal temperature. I was attracted to the shiny gold aspect of the blanket, and it made a lot of sense to start working with it to represent how fancy people are in Dallas. WHAT IS NEXT FOR ALEXANDER DIJULIO? A lot of things will be happening. I plan to branch out and work with more people. To explore more collaborative art shows with my roommate Samantha McCurdy, and SCAB Socialized Contemporary Artists Bureau. Also, focusing and spending alot more time in studio to expand upon the foundation I have already set for myself. Get more in depth with my work and work in a different scale than I have before. TO SEE ADDITIONAL WORKS, INFORMATION, AND LINKS PLEASE VISIT WWW.ALEXANDERDIJULIO.COM
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by Katherine Morgan
SCARLET, Student, 17 from Seattle, WA
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? I usually go with whatever I like. A lot of my clothing are from thrift shops, because there is a strong chance that no one else has that item. I don’t really look at fashion magazines all that often, so I just find something that I like and I buy it.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE THAT YOU’RE WEARING? Definitely my Doc Martens. I’ve had them for over a year now. I have several pairs, most of which were given to me by mother mother. Actually, a lot of my clothing is from my mother’s closet. I love my Docs because they are perfect for the Seattle weather. They keep me from getting too dirty.
WHAT IS ONE THING THAT WILL NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE? I think that sooner or later everything will go out of style. I mean, Docs were really in style during the 80’s, but then they kind of disappeared from mainstream style for a while. But if you ask me, I think Docs and blue jeans are the two things that will never go out of style.
CHECK OUT SCARLET’S ETSY SHOP: WILLOWALLOW.
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bleepquiz Nicollette Mollet
Photographer
I am... young. I’m here because... my parents met at a party, fell in love, got married, then... well, you know. What makes me happiest is... my friends and family. The color that best represents me is... all of them. What I hope to accomplish today is ...make it to class in one piece. My best friends are... the three best friends that anyone could have. I can’t live without... spaghetti. Between an Olympic champion or an Oscar winner, I’d rather be... the Oscar Winner. I can still technically eat whatever I want, in this case. If I wasn’t me, I’d be... Kristen Wiig. I like it best when you... touch me there. Just kidding, that’s vulgar. God is... everywhere. I’m hungry for... spaghetti. I cry... laugh, eat, sleep, and breathe. I don’t fart though, I’m a girl. Style means... expressing yourself. I want to go... potty... but I’ll hold. The most obnoxious sound in the world is... probably my laugh. What makes me weak is... seeing the people that I love get hurt. At this exact moment, I’m passionate about... my future and career. I crave... spaghetti. Like, all the time. My inspiration... can be found anywhere. BLEEP 111
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