BUT, IS IT ART?
LOVE BAILEY @ITSLOVEBAILEY photography by Michael Donovan
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ISSUE TEN - WINTER 2014
PUBLISHER Todd Edinger EXECUTIVE EDITOR / FOUNDER Jenn Cress EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Katerina Simonova EDITOR-AT-LARGE Alec Friedman ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Ariel Collin Stark-Benz & Angelo Tirambulo – That Thing NYC DIRECTOR OF ONLINE STRATEGY Kelli Carlson-Jagersma SOCIAL MEDIA Matt Ford WEB CONTENT COORDINATOR Jake Freeman INTERNS Joan Choi, Amanda Brohman, Anwar Robert, Jensen Turner ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES advertise@creemmag.com
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ISSUE TEN - WINTER 2014
VISIONARY, DREAMER, TEACHER, INNOVATOR, MENTOR, MAVERICK, GURU, FRIEND IN MEMORIAM ALEX CALDERWOOD JANUARY 28, 1966 – NOVEMBER 14TH, 2013
0 4 A r t x lo v e
6 6 I N S TA N T G R AT I F I C AT I O N
0 8 R ya n b r a d l e Y
66 Resonance
1 2 p u b l i c r e l at i o n s
7 8 M e m e n to m o r i
18 Joshua king
82 THIS FLESH
22 It’s no good trying
8 8 WA S T I N G AWAY
32 In flux
9 6 WA S H E D U P
38 Fresh ink
104 BOUND
42 reviving ophelia
1 1 0 f o ox
50 archetype
1 1 2 FA S H I O N A S A R T
62 eye of the beholder
1 2 0 S O M E T H I N G B O R R OW E D
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Winter 2014
These two subjects are constantly
a limitless supply of knock off Louis
Cattelan’s work in person will have to
scrutinized and questioned, the ingre-
Vuitton handbags. The faux pashmina
sustain me instead.
dients and methodology taken apart
guy on the street corner in SoHo has
So, at what point is art no longer
and judged relentlessly. Even after
an abundance of the skull scarf, he is
art? In my puzzlement, I come across
the most rigorous logical analysis, the
right next to the guy with the fruit cart
this by Seth Godin, “Art is the work
final conclusion is still unable to rest
where you can get 5 bananas for $1.
of a human, an individual seeking to
in certainty as the beholder ’s whimsy
What was once one-of-a-kind, special,
make a statement, to cause a reaction,
can override reason. Why are they so
and limited has traveled through the
to connect. Art is something new, every
hard to define? Once, art was limited.
diffusion stream and is now mass-pro-
time, and art might not work, precisely
It started with craft, beautiful function-
duced and counterfeited, created with-
because it’s new, because it’s human
al object, and then it evolved to beauty
out the consent or knowledge of the
and because it seeks to connect.”
as its sole function. The artist made
original artists. If the skull scarf is art,
it, tangible and singular. Commercial-
then does that mean the fake version
genius lies? Could it really be as sim-
ization and the Industrial Revolution
sold on the street is art as well?
ple as “it is art because you say it is?” The knock-off on Canal Street never
lead us to Marcel Duchamp and Foun-
Imitation might be the sincerest
tain. The definition of art continues to
form of flattery but this is not a case
intended to be art, it was intended to
expand until we arrive at Andy Warhol,
of appropriation to the sake of new
be profitable and nothing more. It was
“Art is what you can get away with.”
creations, new works of art. In this case
never human. Those Cattelan plates
Given enough time, the once con-
the imitation strips the original of its
and mugs intended to drive commerce
tentious becomes accepted, photogra-
genius and the counterfeits (even if it
first, obscuring the human and by ex-
phy and fashion, for instance. Art and
is identical in fabric, print and style) is
tension the art.
the practitioners of art abhor clearly
an unflattering remnant of the origi-
defined boundaries and specific roles,
nal. A photocopy of a photocopy of a
floor plans at the Tate Modern in Lon-
so the question “Is this Art?” can never
photocopy. None of the genius that was
don and head straight for The Seagram
rest. We are artists after all, how can
imprinted on the original remains and
Murals by Mark Rothko. I love them.
you expect us to color inside the lines?!
we are left with a hollow shell of com-
It’s been 10 years since I’ve seen them.
mercialization and opportunistic greed.
In the dimly lit gray room (just as Rot-
Queen collaborated on the skull scarf,
Where did we lose the art? Where did
hko had envisioned), the murals pulse
since then it has become the signature
the genius go?
with intensity. Time, space, intellectual
Damien Hirst and Alexander Mc-
6
Could the intent then be where the
accessory for the fashion house. Takashi
From the museum design stores, there
I by-pass all the tourists reading the
discourse on what is art disappears.
is a line of plates and mugs inspired by
The dark reds envelop me and we are
edition signature handbags for Lou-
Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Fer-
silent together. Words are not necessary.
is Vuitton. Keith Haring with Tommy
rari. A solar light wall hang by Olafur
A meal by Thomas Keller is art. As
Hilfiger, Tom Sachs with Nike, Matt
Eliasson and Frederik Ottesen. Monet’s
is Bleach by Nirvana, Ham on Rye by
Groening with Comme Des Garcons, the
Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies
Charles Bukowski, Calvin and Hobbs
list goes on.
painting is translated into a luscious
by Bill Watterson, 2046 by Wong Kar-
throw. In these cases, entrepreneurial
Wai, The Artist is Present by Marina
Murakami created a line of limited
In each of these instances, there is still some adherence to the general
vendors have not hijacked the works
principles of singularity and creation
but it is co-created by the museum
Schumann of Bread and Puppet the-
by the artists. Each of the collabora-
design stores with the consent of the
ater, I could go on. What makes it art
tions was limited, keeping the scarcity
artists (okay, maybe not Monet).
is not dependent on the medium, how
element in tact even if we can’t stay
The objects are both functional and
frequently it is reproduced or how it is
true to the object being one of one.
beautiful. They endeavor to bring
distributed. When you are in the pres-
The artists are the creators of these
a little bit of art into the everyday.
ence of art, you know it.
wearable objects of beauty; function
Morning coffee from a Cattelan mug
is re-introduced to what is considered
with a bloody-yet-humorous “I Love
is a feeling, an unquantifiable one. It is
art. I am the first to admit that I am
You” imprinted on it might remind one
not a collection of ingredients or what
covetous of the Hirst/McQueen limited
the dual nature of love itself. What is
you do to the ingredients. Rather, in
edition scarves.
the purpose of art if not to challenge?
both art and love, it is the magic that
Maybe that is how art is like love. It
Except, when I am in the MoMA store
happens when you encounter it, be it
Keith Haring sneakers and the Muraka-
and surrounded by these artful objects,
those opening chords or how you feel
mi/LV handbags as art until we consid-
I wish I were in view of the original
in that vintage Dior.
er counterfeits. Down on Canal Street in
instead. There is no desire to adopt
New York City, one can easily find an
any one of these items into my home.
Algerian or a Chinese hawker and find
The memory of what it felt like to see
We feel confident in claiming the
ART X LOVE
Art connects, transforms, challenges, changes, and nourishes us. It defies logic and boundaries. ø
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Winter 2014
IT'S NO GOOD TRYING
22
photography Mara Zampariolo @ MEDIUM-GREY styling Lisa Jarvis @ MEDIUM-GREY assisted by Yama Ko
WINTER 2014
hair Shuko Sumida nails Typhaine @ JED ROOT makeup Dariia Day and Maniacha Fialkina @ B4 Agency
digitech mmanuel @ BePong Paris BTS video Alexandre @ MEDIUM-GREY model Gwenola @ Just WM
Thanks to: Olivier Lafrontière Sophie Ragon, Nordine Rharrabti Sonia Gollino, Chloé Bonnard
Winter 2014
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It’s no good trying to place your hand Where I can’t see because I understand That you’re different from me Yes, I can tell that you can’t be what you pretend And you’re rocking me backwards And you’re rocking towards Songwriter SYD BARRETT Published by Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
The red and yellow mane on a stallion horse It’s no good trying to hold your love Where I can’t see because I understand That you’re different from me
31
Yes, I can tell that you can’t be what you pretend The caterpillar hood won’t cover the head And you know you should be home in bed It’s no good holding a sequined fan Where I can’t see because I understand That you’re different from me Yes, I can tell that you can’t be what you pretend Yes, you’re spinning around and around in a car With electric lights flashing very fast IT’S NO GOOD TRYING
Winter 2014
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REVIVING OPHELIA Written By Cory Tallman
43
Misunderstood, maligned and menaced perennial paradox. Her ultimate tragedy often serves as an inspiration for artists: Waterhouse, Delacroix and Millais painted her. She’s permeated pop culture as an appropriation for both Kristen Dunst and Kyle Minogue. It’s the commonality of her struggle, the familiarity of her grief that compels us to keep looking.
photography ALEX FALCAO styling SVITLANA FORGEAU/ LITTLEDARLING
hair MARIA DØSVIK makeup MARIA DØSVIK FOR YVES SAINT LAURENT
retouching ALEX FALCAO assistant WASHINGTON LUIZ
model SOFIA G @ STARLET BY RAVENSBORG MODEL MGMT.
REVIVING OPHELIA
Winter 2014
RESONANCE 70 photography KIRT REYNOLDS styling RAUL GUERRERO hair & make up JAKOB SHERWOOD @ ARTISTS BY NEXT
RESONANCE
photo assistant AARON RYAN models PAUL BOCHE @ FUSION ALEXEY GALETSKIY @ DNA
shorts by Min Lee.
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Winter 2014
MEMENTO MORI 78 Written By Cory Tallman
oblivion by leaving a physical remain behind. A tangible testament that “I was here, I lived – I created.” The concept of death, the image of decay – these
“Death exists, you soon will not” – art manifests this awareness that consciousness struggles to deny. The power of the grotesque, the obscurity of death and oblivion – art makes these ideas whole and comprehensible to us. It closes the gap separating “you”, and all that is not you. Horror and decline in art
the viewer’s sense of themselves.
death is as close to meaning as we can get.
Children are a genetic bid for immortality.
photography ASSAF MATARASSO
MEMENTO MORI
Winter 2014
DF: The “Rabbit”...I often wonder where
LZ: Your work is rife with symbolism that evokes nature, astrology, and Masonic
that rabbit came from. His signature long ears
creem
ative spirit and artistic activities...and it is easy to understand why...the sun, the light makes painting here simply exquisite.
emblems. Can you tell us a little about
NYC provides me the opportunity to hack
your work and how these symbols relate
that face perhaps it is not a rabbit after all. I
to your vision?
had desired to make a zodiac for every Chinese
and chop at the canvas with a brush and wet
Year (Dragon, Snake, Horse etc.) but I have be-
paint, but LA provides me the opportunity
DF: I once knew a man whose wife and
to slowly run my brush across the canvas
boat were stolen by another powerful man only to find that man head back to his “lab”
people born in the year of the rabbit, it is easy
delicately, almost sensually. It is just a new experience and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
and alchemically formulate a storm in the ocean, an angry storm that broke the sails
fun, loveable, and humorous...the qualities of
LZ: Tell us about your new series of currency
and forced the boat back to shore - the return
the rabbit. I feel the rabbit speaking to me, qui-
called Impossible Kingdom.
of his wife and boat now affected. With that
etly pushing me to make him the limelight of
in mind, every painting I work on, I effec-
my work and constantly demanding (in a kind
tively infuse my intention. Whether that
gentle rabbit like manner) to be included and
denominations and the beginning of a life long
intention is filled with the rage of a righteous
never excluded...and how can you deny that of
project to build out the accoutrements of a civil
soul angry at the mistreatment of the weak
anyone asking so politely. The rabbit seems to
society...the story is just beginning to emerge!
or puny or filled with the intention of a crazy
reach me from the ether from the cosmos and
LZ: Does painting currency suggest a com-
artist whose soul burns for the beauty of a
I wonder what spiritual intelligence I have c
mentary on the art market, or the act of
DF: The Impossible Kingdom Dollars (IKD)
exchanging money for creative ideas?
moment to extend beyond the ephemeral
DF: YES and YES. Everybody likes the idea
- my work is filled with pure emotion and
the rabbit.
intention. It is angry, raging, crying, burning,
LZ: Do you think fashion and art should
of printing money and I very much like the
and filled with Universal Love.
intertwine? How would they converge in
idea of making art...it seems natural to blend
the world of FOOX?
the two and make art money, which is ex-
-
DF: Fashion and Art are totally intertwined...
able pure unadulterated MAGICK.
changeable for real money. It’s a little bit of
LZ: Your work frequently delves into
for fashion is BORNE of art (not the other way
a head trip for me the creator of the work but it
Materialism, Universalism and Humanism-
around). I have noticed that even with my
is also quite an excellent study in the dynamics
three qualities that together could be t
nails dirty, long and jagged, my hair unwashed
of the art market...and one that will only fully
aken seemingly negative. Yet your work has
and unkempt, and the slight salty sour smell of
become realized years from now when the rarity of the work is fully understood. There must
a spiritual and positive quality, can you explain how you’ve used these three quali-
very fashionable crowds at Fashion Week par-
be hundreds of millions of $100 bills but there
ties to create an optimistic and fantastical
ties, why? Well, I just assume it is because true
are only 10 prints of my art money. The rarity
world in your paintings?
art from the soul MUST always trump shallow
belies its value.
obscure meaningless materialistic “fashion.”
DF: Everyone desires what is coming to -
I do, however, sometimes wish I had cleaned
Basel Miami? DF: Art Basel Miami 2013 is a wonderful
THING is desirable on a spiritual plane and in
up good because the fashion people are always
the material plane. ONE WORLD GOVERN-
so well put together and quite sexy. I suppose
FOOX moment. Please check out my live paint-
MENT sounds scary to some but how else shall
fashion is sex and art is soul. They do meet but
ing and ritual symbol making on Saturday
not on the same plane and rarely truly under-
the 7th of December at Soho Beach House (all
stand each other.
day event), on the 4th of December I will be
humanity reach the stars and expand beyond
But, to be truly fair, I have seen some
showcasing a selection of my work on a super
our solar system? What if I was to tell you
fashion that I feel is art. Check out my friends
luxury yacht with Burgess Yachts. Hip and
that Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn - actually every
at Hip And Bone from Montreal...they are
Bone has kindly donated a $20,000 crocodile -
art and love. LZ: Although you travel to New York
fully painted with...RABBITS by FOOX…after
frequently, has relocating to Los Angeles
all: rabbits are eaten by crocodiles.
are holding ourselves back but not for much
changed your work or perspective at all?
LZ: Your work is rife with symbolism
longer. The positive aspects in my art are the
DF: Yes...LA is a city made for the creative
TEEMING with life and on those planets
but that cry is unanswered. LZ: In 2011- the zodiac year of the Rabbit—
that evokes nature, astrology, and Ma-
spirit. Never before could I have imagined
sonic emblems. Can you tell us a little
such an epically inspirational place as LA. I
about your work and how these symbols
already feel my best life work emerging from
relate to your vision? DF: I believe in an ordered universe,
you were focused on rabbits in your work,
this space and I bow deeply and with respect
collaborating with my pal Patrick McMullan.
to the Tongva People, the native spirit of this
but how can it be ordered without it
Tongva People are known for their deeply cre-
being chaotic first? One hand must wash the other. ø
I notice that rabbits still make appearances in your work, what is the symbolism?
FOOX
111