The Baby Animals- please indulge me for a moment!

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/concerts/?autoplay_id=6050151

The Baby Animals

Picture this, its 1991, you're under age, the internet has not made it to the mainstream and Australia's Wonderland is a hot place. And I don't mean temperature. At the tender age of thirteen years old, my best friend and partner in crime, Caroline and I were to attend the first rock and roll concert I was to ever experience. Ok, so the location was a roller coaster park in between the Australian Sydney western suburbs and farming land, but none the less- no parent of ours was going to be present. Well, not counting the ones that drive you there and back.

It was the first time I experienced live music that made me feel like I could be anything, do anything and most importantly, be anywhere. The event gave me a passport to the land of freedom, independence and absolute joy. Not only was rock and roll to be the instigator of what would then follow, my endless search for years afterwards for that same high, but Suzi De Marchi, the lead singer of The Baby Animals became my rock goddess. She was the epitome of nineties cool. With her fashionably cut hair, her hard edged yet feminine attire and her husky voice, she was unstoppable in my eyes. Her songs made references to subjects I was just starting to become intrigued by at thirteen- love, superficial guys and a painful world. All the "rock inspired" fashion that exists today- in my version of the world- Suzi started it all. Suzi was rocking shiny tight pants before Kate Moss knew breakfast was the most important meal of the day.

As you can tell, I have a strong sentimental attachment to The Baby Animals. Even more so today. After almost twelve years since their break up, The Baby Animals are back!!!! Currently on a small tour in Australia only, their last gig is on this weekend on the Central Coast, the day after Australia day (27th January). They will also be re-releasing their old stuff and bringing out some new material. Check out http://www.myspace.com/thebabyanimals for more details.

So the inevitable has arrived and it is due to that first concert I went to so many years ago, in my home country. That concert spawned a now age old quest for finding amazing music, people and events. Today I find myself living in New York City, far, far, far away from Redfern and Suzi's first performance in Sydney in thirteen years. I saw her first when I was thirteen and now seventeen years later, because of that inspirational concert, I would say, that indirectly influenced my need for adventure and excitement, has lead me to to living overseas and not attending their amazing comeback. The irony is obvious. She was a very cool lady and, while I humbly sing to Youtube clips of a concert that I am heartbreakingly missing out on, she is still very, very cool.

Marc by Marc Jacobs

I once read somewhere that Marc Jacobs to New York, is what Top Shop is to London, Chanel to Paris and Prada to Milan. Putting it that way, I totally understand the obsession of Marc Jacobs that captures the New York fashionista sensibility. Personally, as a young woman new to New York City, I am particularly captivated by his diffusion line Marc by Marc Jacobs. Not only because it's West Village store sits contently across the road from my favorite cupcake place- Magnolia- giving me warm and fuzzy feelings inside, but the designs are generally more realistic for the average young New Yorker, often being bought out by teenagers, and also price wise not so unrealistic.

The Spring 2008 collection show cased last year, has been my introduction on what I will be influenced by in the on coming Spring. Of course, I won't be wearing everything (if anything), but I will definitely be inspired in terms of colours, lines and composition of outfits. Below are some of my favorites from the collection. I am thoroughly enjoying the navy blues, as I have recently got over my navy blue trauma brought on by years of school uniforms. I am loving the yellows, whites, reds, mustards and overall nod to more concise tailoring.

Maybe it's just me growing up, but I am reveling in the lady like trends (still after what seems like the last five to ten years), being spliced with a bit of punk and rock and roll. I know it's suppose to be all Foho (as opposed to Boho) this Spring/Summer, but with the pink hairspray coming back, I'm not entirely convinced.

Juno

Played by Ellen Page, Juno is a knocked up sixteen year old who decides to give away her baby for adoption.  As any teenage pregnancy could hope for, it turns out to be a huge learning curve for her.  Her hot best friend (Olivia Thirlby) sticks by her while her classmate Bleeker (Michael Cera), the father of Juno's baby, carries on being her classmate and friend.  She is fortunate to have parents (JK Simmons and Allison Janney) who support her and add to the dry comedy of the untimely event in their daughters life.

Juno's persona seems to be carefully orchestrated in an unbelievable overly adult manner.  I can see how a teenager can see themselves in that light, but her teenage character crosses the border of witty sixteen year old to sixteen year old written by witty adult.  I get the whole, sometimes verbal diarrhea can be funny ala Gilmour Girls- but the format is more suited to a half hour episode rather than an entire feature.

As likeable Juno is, it's the only strength the film has to offer.  The film dumbs down the event and it's complexities and for a brilliant idea to begin with, I am left unsatisfied with the characters and their lack of unpredicatbility, which would have suited the film perfectly.  Also starring Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner.

Zaria Forman

When I first met Zaria Forman we were in a bar playing Connect Four.  As a new comer to New York, I was surprised by her warmth and unaffected glow, unusual for the seriously bohem Lower Eastside of Manhattan.  On our second meeting, we were at her group exhibition "Works on Paper"(showing at the DFN Gallery till February 2nd, 210 11th Ave at W. 25th st, 6th floor. http://dfngallery.com/), where I found her beauty extended beyond her demeanor and poured into her artwork.  Born in South Natick, MASS, grew up in Piermont, NY and now residing in Brooklyn, New York where her studio is also.  Her influence stems (among others including her own mother who is a fine arts photographer) from her childhood of traveling all over the world to remote landscapes.

"In my work I explore moments of transition, turbulence and tranquility in the landscape and their impact on the viewer.  In this process I am reminded of how small we are when confronted with the powerful forces of nature.  The act of drawing can be meditation for me, and my hope is that the viewer can share this experience of tranquil escape when engaging the work."

Currently represented by Allen Sheppard Gallery, at 530 W. 25th St, New York, NY, Forman has exhibited in over eighteen exhibitions, eight of them in New York and one in Florence, Italy.

http://zariaforman.com/

Other exhibitions Zaria Forman's work can be viewed are:

Soltice December 22- January 22 2008

David Floria Gallery

Aspen, CO.

Group Exhibition (Ongoing)

RARE Gallery

Jackson Hole, WY

Catherine Minnery & Zaria Forman February 8 - March 7 2008

The Mikhail Zakin Gallery

Demerest, NJ

Palm Beach 3 January 11- 14 2008

Palm Beach County Convention Center

West Palm Beach, Florida

Hanna Liden- photographic artist

Hanna Liden is a Swedish artist based in New York City.  "I often think of the photos as stills from a movie".  Most of her photographs are taken near Stockholm where she grew up.  

Her collection has been shown in the women- owned Rivington Arms gallery in New York.  //rivingtonarms.com/rarms/artists/hanna_liden/index.php?artsm= 0

A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book

"For the past three years Frank Warren has invited people of all backgrounds and nationalities to send him creatively decorated postcards bearing secrets they have never before revealed. He has shared these PostSecrets on his award-winning blog, www.PostSecret.com, in an internationally traveling art exhibit, and in three electrifying books: the bestselling PostSecret, My Secret, and The Secret Lives of Men and Women." Amazon

My husband received this book from his co-worker as a Kris Kringle present. We were both really intrigued by the book and showed it to a friend of ours who tells us that we all saw this book together four months ago, and which I can't recall at all. Maybe I wasn't ready for it back then..

Lula magazine- my one true inspiration for this blog

This just says it all really. Fabulous.

Bat For Lashes - Whats a Girl To Do

I love Natasha Khan. Awesome video, gorgeous musician.

Fafi for Mac Cosmetics

For lovers of make-up and femme graf, here is your latest crush...

Fafi

"Born and raised in Toulouse France, Fafi's strong presence in the graffiti and fine arts scene was first witnessed on her hometown walls in 1994. Back then, as she was painting and hustling, her sexy, funny, and sometimes aggressive girl characters made the whole world look and help kick-start a whole new graphic language; by exploring feminity through stereotypes, and using it to her advantage, she drew enormous attention and thus started to travel the world with thousands of Fafinettes in her brushes and paint cans. Europe, USA, Japan, Hong-Kong, the planet is a playground. And it's only started."
Fafi profile on http://www.fafi.net












Now an old favorite of mine, Fafi has also combined forces with Adidas, Sport Le Sac and now Mac cosmetics- I nearly died when I found out!

Decoder Ring - Somersault

An Australian movie called Somersault released in 2004. It's a film about love, loneliness, beauty and new beginnings. This film took my breath away for it's sentimental notations to snow and Jindabyne- for all those kids in Australia who didn't grow up in snow and only saw it when friends or family arranged "trips to the snow" may understand what I mean. I felt this would be a great start to the theme of my blog as it really was the beginning of a chapter of a whole range of inspirations for me that are still relevant for me today.