All posts filed under: Art

Madness is part of Life by Ernesto Neto at Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo

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I came across this interesting exhibition called Madness is part of Life by Ernesto Neto which is being hosted at Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo on the trendtablet.com site the other day. I thought it was pretty damn cool and wanted to share it. Ernesto Neto is one of Brazil’s biggest contemporary artists. He creates large installations that often fill an entire space. His works are sensory intensive and works with touch, smell and sense. Through this title we would like to challenge some human positions which place us at the center of the universe, multiverse, etc. The idea that takes our mind out of our body as if it were something supernatural beyond nature, as culture would be out of nature and not part of it. Life is bigger than us and we are part of it; if there is a God, God is nature, we are a special little part, but still a part It is a sculpture from the family Balanço (Swing), made of a skin and a catwalk, this catwalk is in …

I want – I got Holiday Gift Guide – Part 1

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So, this year I lost my mind and I decided to create a holiday gift guide. I’m usually anti-gift guides because I’m not much of a Christmas person and gift guides are a shit ton of work. I don’t know what made me change my mind this year but here we are. People have told me this is a good idea, so I hope you find it helpful or amusing. This is the part one of four in the I want – I got Gift Guide series. I have so many favourite things I wanted to include. This gift guide is very much I want – I got. You’ll see things I want, things I got and other obsessions.  Some things are affordable and some aren’t but I’ve tried to mix it up. The list covers fashion, beauty, electronics, art, toys and booze. Basically, all the items on the gift guide are I want – I got approved. So, join me on this exploration of things I would love to see under my tree at Christmas. …

Heartbeats for Africa Online Print Sale – Starts November 15, 2012

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Heartbeats for Africa Online Print Sale – Starts November 15, 2012. The third Heartbeats for Africa fundraiser launches on November 15, 2012 at noon with a limited-edition print sale by top Canadian artists including Aleks Rdest, Deborah Moss, Susan Collett, Miguel Jacob, Brendan Canning and many more to benefit the Stephen Lewis Foundation. For the first year the fundraiser will take place online so art lovers from coast to coast can shop and support. You can view the full print collection here: http://heartbeatsforafrica.com/2012_Print_Sale.html The print sale will go live on November 15, 2012 at 12:00pm EST here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/heartbeatsforafrica

Long Cat Scarf by BECKSÖNDERGAARD

i got: Long Cat Scarf by BECKSÖNDERGAARD

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I received this lovely Long Cat Scarf by BECKSÖNDERGAARD from the Caroline and Matéo, owners of Canon Blanc during a little MasterCard Stylicity shopping trip. Check out an interview with them both for the MasterCard Stylicity Blog. It’s pretty obvious that as a cat lover I’d appreciate a scarf of a cat wearing a scarf. Very meta. This cotton scarf is lightweight but massive at about 1 ft x 2 ft. Normally, I only use light cotton scarves in the summer but I think the length of this BECKSÖNDERGAARD one will allow for multiple wrappings for warmth. BECKSÖNDERGAARD is a Danish accessory brand started in 2003 by Lis Beck and Anna Søndergaard. The line carries scarves with unique hand drawn prints, handbags, gloves and knits. The line is known for their eel skin leather accessories and the hand drawn prints. The scarves are hand made in India. BECKSÖNDERGAARD products are available in Toronto at Canon Blanc. Canon Blanc 679 Queen Street West Toronto images: the-dressingroom.com

I want – I got x Wendy Ding

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I’ve been lucky with getting illustrations of myself made. At Textstyle’s 4th anniversary party, Toronto based illustration Wendy Ding sketched me unbeknownst to me. I’m wearing a Mara Hoffman dress from Rac Boutique and a Nine West handbag.

I want – I got Greeting Cards by Eighty Seventh ST.

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Monica Smiley of Eighty Seventh ST. creates hand illustrated fashion inspired paper products. Monica is a Toronto based illustrator with a degree from Ryerson’s School of Fashion. eighty seventh ST is a chic brand of hand illustrated paper products with a high fashion edge. A whimsical collaboration of art and design, eighty seventh ST offers unique gift ideas from greeting cards, to art prints, and custom design projects that go beyond design borders. Our products are 100% designed and produced in Canada, and all products can be 100% recycled. In collaboration with eLuxe they produced the best event swag item ever: personalized, illustrated greeting cards. For every attendee to eLuxe’s open house there was a set of greeting cards with our own personal Monica Smiley illustration. Completely amazing!

60 Years of Designing the Ballet & The Tutu Project – Till September 2, 2012

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The Design Exchange is hosting two exhibits for The National Ballet of Canada: 60 Years of Designing the Ballet and The Tutu Project. Both exhibits will be at the Design Exchange until September 2, 2012. 60 Years of Designing the Ballet This exhibition offers an intimate look at the design of one of Canada’s most celebrated treasures – the National Ballet of Canada. The exhibition is organized thematically – highlighting the various ways in which the ballet as an institution is designed through hundreds of items from the ballet’s archive. The exhibition provides a private invitation into the world of one particular company. This exhibit brought me right back into The Nutcracker world again. I had to snap a photo of the Cannon Doll costume sketches and swatches. There are a lot of costumes to check out and set pieces to see up close and personal. You can even try on a tutu and try out ballet moves right in the exhibit. Admission is $10.20 for the 60 Years of Designing the Ballet exhibit. The …

Louie Gong x Manitobah Mukluks Gatherer Boot

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I have to admit I’m a bit surprised that I’m writing about Manitobah Mukluks. I’m not a fan of Mukluks and I usually cringe whenever I see people wearing them around the city. They are very popular and the Manitobah Mukluks company is as close to the genuine article as you are going to get. I’m a huge fan of Louie Gong though and he’s partnered with Manitobah Mukluks to create a boot even I can love. Louie Gong x Manitobah Mukluks Gatherer Boot is described by Louie: The eagle is a cross-cultural symbol of strength, leadership, and long-term vision. By portraying the eagle on a women’s mukluck with a diving posture, oversized claws, and open mouth, I offer symbolic acknowledgment of strong women of all backgrounds. When wearing this eagle design, each step represents bold movement towards your life goals and leading our families into the next generation. The grey Louie Gong x Manitobah Mukluks Gatherer Boot are pretty damn cool. The boots are available for Pre-order on manitobah.ca for $299 with delivery happening …

I played a Cannon Doll in The National Ballet of Canada’s The Nutcracker

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Just when I thought things couldn’t get more exciting and random in life I get an email from the National Ballet. They have invited me to take part in this season’s performance of The Nutcracker as a Cannon Doll. Traditionally, the National Ballet asks Toronto luminaries, personalities and politicians to join the production in this small role. For those of you not familiar with The Nutcracker story, the Cannon Dolls are colourfully costumed, Russian Petrouchka dolls in Act I who shoot a cannon into the audience to begin the battle scene. James Kudelka’s 1995 version of this evergreen seasonal classic is a perfect gem of a ballet, affectionate and reflective, at once cheeringly traditional yet freshly attuned to the rhythms and accents of the contemporary. Rarely have the dreamscapes and wonder of childhood fantasy, the allure of spectacle and the mood of reverie been integrated in such a seamless blend of dazzling stagecraft, virtuosic choreography and ravishing design. Kudelka’s gentle re-shaping of the narrative releases the story (based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Christmas tale) into new …

Technicolor Ultra Mall Book Launch – October 22, 2011

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Technicolor Ultra Mall Book Launch – October 22, 2011 It’s with great pleasure that I post about my good friend Ryan Oakley’s book launch. I always knew he would be published and it’s finally happened with his first novel, Technicolor Ultra Mall. The Technicolor Ultra Mall book launch is on October 22, 2011 at 3pm and is open to the public.  Ryan will be available to chat with fans. Most of all, Technicolor Ultra Mall will be available for purchase! Bakka-Phoenix Books 84 Harbord Street Toronto

The Machine

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The Machine is another creepy video I recently viewed. It’s not fashion related like the Miu Miu FW2011 Film “MUTA” by Lucrecia Martel but still well done. A feeling of dread stuck with me after the first time I watched it. “The Machine” is an animated fable following the path of an innocently forged mechanical creature. As his independence and knowledge of the world grows on his journey, as does his desire to conquer all that we encounters, from the pastures of a farmer to the realm of man’s entire world.

Noc Kupaly, Poland

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Noc KupaÅ‚y is a festival called Midsummer Night in English. They have a tradition of sending 1000s of paper lanterns in the air. It makes for spectacular video. Midsummer Night , also called night kupalnÄ… , kupalnockÄ… , Kupala , Sobótka or sobótkami – Slavic feast associated with the summer solstice the Sun , celebrated the shortest night of the year, which is usually (not including leap year) from 21 to 22 June (later eve of St. John – also commonly called St. John’s at night and then having many borrowings from earlier holidays – is celebrated with a 23 to June 24 ). Feast of fire, water, sun and moon, harvest, fertility, joy and love, celebrated in areas inhabited by the Slav peoples, Baltic, Germanic and Celtic, and also by some people coming from peoples Finno-Ugric peoples , such as the Finns (in Finland, St. John’s night is one of the most important holidays on the calendar), and Estonians. (source) via Colossal

Lanvin Dolls Spring Summer 2011

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The Spring Summer 2011 edition of the Lanvin Dolls collection is now available atLuisaviaroma. I don’t collect porcelain figures but I think the Lanvin stuff is fun.     The snowglobe is my favourite. images: www.luisaviaroma.com

CUTMR 2012 Call for Submissions – Ends May 31, 2011

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Come Up To My Room 2012 Call for Submissions COME UP TO MY ROOM 2012, The Gladstone Hotel’s 9th Annual Alternative Design Event January 26 – 29, 2012 (Coinciding with Toronto International Design Festival and the Interior Design Show) Submissions Deadline: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 ATTENTION: DESIGNERS, ARCHITECTS, VISUAL ARTISTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, SCULPTORS, WRITERS, MUSICIANS, SET DESIGNERS, PROP MAKERS, SOUND ENGINEERS, CERAMACISTS, TEXTILE ARTISTS, CRAFTS PEOPLE, FILMOGRAPHERS, PRINT MAKERS, NEW MEDIA ARTISTS and ALL CREATIVE MAKERS: The Gladstone Hotel seeks Expressions of Interest for innovative, cutting-edge, contemporary design and installation-based projects for The Gladstone Hotel’s annual alternative design event, COME UP TO MY ROOM. The ninth instalment of CUTMR will take place from January 26 to 29, 2012 at the historic Gladstone Hotel in downtown Toronto. Site-specific work will be mounted in the rooms and public spaces in the second floor Gladstone Gallery and ground floor spaces of the hotel. Ideal candidates for juried consideration are practitioners who approach their discipline with a radical personal vision, and who use design to converse, connect, collaborate and construct …

Garden of Roses: Denis Gagnon Interprets Alice at Luminato – June 10 – 19, 2011

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I love that Luminato and Lancôme bring Canadian designers to create beautiful art installations. Last season it was Mark Fast and this season it’s Denis Gagnon who is going gangbusters with good news this year. Garden of Roses: Denis Gagnon Interprets Alice is the name of the piece that will be on display during the Luminato festival in June. Inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, one of Canada’s iconic fashion designers creates a world of wearable fantasy. One of the most acclaimed Canadian designers of his generation, Denis Gagnon is noted for his bold traversal of the boundaries between the fashion industry and art. For over a decade, his concept of clothing as “moving sculpture” has informed his innovative collections for fashion lovers across Canada while also finding expression in the realms of pure creativity.  As a result, Gagnon, who began his career designing theatrical costumes, recently became the first Canadian in his field to have his work exhibited at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. In this installation, a one-of-a-kind dress surrounded by a …

Je m’appelle Denis Gagnon, A Documentary

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It’s Denis Gagnon news day at I want – I got. He has a documentary called Je m’appelle Denis Gagnon. It should be very interesting. Denis Gagnon, fashion designer, is putting the final touch on his latest collection. Confined in his basement, turned atelier, he instinctively assembles materials (glitters, Jersey, leather and silk). Denis returns to his home town of Alma (Lake Saint-Jean) where he meets up with family and old friends. During this visit home he shares his concerns, inspirations and perceptions as a creator. The “enfant terrible” of Canadian fashion is the subject of this new cinematic picture. Rather than solely focusing on the clothing, “My name is Denis Gagnon” is an intimate portrait of a complex character. Denis Gagnon presents himself as the artist behind enormous dark glasses. There is a trailer out too image: imdb.com

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at The Met, May 4 – July 31, 2011

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I have to get my ass to New York City to see the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit running from May 4—July 31, 2011 at The Met. The exhibition, organized by The Costume Institute, will celebrate the late Alexander McQueen’s extraordinary contributions to fashion. From his Central Saint Martins postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final runway presentation, which took place after his death in February 2010, Mr. McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion. The exhibition will feature approximately one hundred ensembles and seventy accessories from Mr. McQueen’s prolific nineteen-year career. Drawn primarily from the Alexander McQueen Archive in London, with some pieces from the Givenchy Archive in Paris as well as private collections, signature designs including the “bumster” trouser, the kimono jacket, and the three-point “origami” frock coat will be on view. McQueen’s fashions often referenced the exaggerated silhouettes of the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, and 1950s, …

unScripted: Opening Night Gala Performance Party – May 13, 2011

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Canadian Stage Visionaries are thrilled to present unScripted: Opening Night, the annual gala fundraiser in support of Canadian Stage, one of the country’s leading non-profit theatre companies. This unique celebration, which plays on the theme of backstage drama from the 1920s to the 21st century, will be held at One King West on Friday, May 13. The evening includes cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dancing, as well as exciting celebrity-curated live performances and dramatic installation spaces, inspired by the glamour of opening night at the theatre. Artistic concepts will be brought to life by a stellar roster of Canadian talent including fashion designer Evan Biddell, Republic of Doyle’s Allan Hawco, stage director Weyni Mengesha, filmmaker Charles Officer, visual artist Charles Pachter, Slice and ReVamped expert Kaitlyn Regehr, The Company Theatre’s Philip Riccio and unScripted event host, MuchMusic’s RAPCITY host, Tyrone “T-RexXx” Edwards. Proceeds from this fundraising initiative will support the youth and community initiatives of Canadian Stage, working to make the theatre experience more accessible to future artists and new audiences. The unScripted: Opening Night Gala …

The Roaring Twenties: Heels, Hemlines and High Spirits at The Bata Shoe Museum

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I attended the opening party for the new exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum: The Roaring Twenties: Heels, Hemlines and High Spirits. Born in the age of post-war exuberance, nurtured by the dynamism of the machine and seduced by the lure of the exotic, the Roaring 20s infused modern society and fashion with an energetic modernity. As hemlines rose, shoes became increasingly important for stylish women and many of the decade’s exceptional shoes illustrate the electrifying synergy between fashion and design. The Roaring Twenties: Heels, Hemlines and High Spirits focuses on the wardrobe and widening horizons of the “New Woman” and looks at how the myriad influences of the period such as cinema, jazz clubs, and world travel influenced the shape of fashionable footwear.(source) The Roaring Twenties: Heel, Hemlines and High Spirits exhibit is on now at The Bata Shoe Museum. It also has a series of lectures and events that you can view in PDF format for details. See all the photos I took at the The Roaring Twenties: Heels, Hemlines and High Spirits …

I want – I got does Toronto Design Week: SUNG Outdoor Preview 2011

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I attended some exhibits during Toronto Design Week from January 24-30, 2011. Toronto Design Week culminates with the Interior Design Show but many local designers showcase their exhibits at this time. It’s taken me some time to get my photos all together and organized. There is a lot of sorting, tagging, cataloging and purging of photos going on. It’s often a nightmare task I hate performing. It feels hella good when it’s done though. SUNG Outdoor held a special media preview for bloggers during Toronto Design Week. Bloggers got a chance to see the currently SUNG Outdoor collection and the special IDS11 Blackwatch collection. The limited edition SUNG Outdoor Blackwatch collection is different due to the colour scheme of black, blue and green. It was only available for purchase at IDS11 this year. Designer Alfred Sung and Saul Mimran, President of the Mimran Group were on hand to talk. See all my photos from the SUNG Outdoor preview.

I want – I got does Toronto Design Week: MADE at HOME 2011

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I attended some exhibits during Toronto Design Week from January 24-30, 2011. Toronto Design Week culminates with the Interior Design Show but many local designers showcase their exhibits at this time. It’s taken me some time to get my photos all together and organized. There is a lot of sorting, tagging, cataloging and purging of photos going on. It’s often a nightmare task I hate performing. It feels hella good when it’s done though. MADE at Home is the new Radiant Dark in a way. Julie Nicholson and Shaun Moore have moved on from that project to new pastures with the MADE at Home show. I loved the presentation of this show because it felt so familiar. Turns out, I’ve attended creative exhibitions at this apartment on Dundas West before. This was the former apartment of Siya Chen, who is an artist and held installations in her home. There is an accelerating culture of craftsmanship and creative labour which lives here. Julie Nicholson and Shaun Moore of MADE will introduce 28 new Canadian designs highlighting …

I want – I got does Toronto Design Week: Capacity 2011

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I attended some exhibits during Toronto Design Week from January 24-30, 2011. Toronto Design Week culminates with the Interior Design Show but many local designers showcase their exhibits at this time. It’s taken me some time to get my photos all together and organized. There is a lot of sorting, tagging, cataloging and purging of photos going on. It’s often a nightmare task I hate performing. It feels hella good when it’s done though. Capacity is a group design show that had it’s debut during Toronto Design Week. What is your capacity to understand? To withstand? To produce? To learn? To love? Is your cup half full or is it half empty? How much of who you are is what you collect? Is infinity possible? Ten of Toronto’s top industrial, graphic, textile and product designers– Maiwenn Castellan, Joy Charbonneau, Michelle Ivankovic, Arounna Khounnoraj, Erin McCutcheon, Katherine Morley, Nathalie Nahas, Ayla Newhouse, Ange-line Tetrault, and Kirsten White– grapple with the concept of ‘CAPACITY’ and how it applies to who we are and what we do.(s0urce) There …

I want – I got does Toronto Design Week: Come Up To My Room 2011

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I attended some exhibits during Toronto Design Week from January 24-30, 2011. Toronto Design Week culminates with the Interior Design Show but many local designers showcase their exhibits at this time. It’s taken me some time to get my photos all together and organized. There is a lot of sorting, tagging, cataloging and purging of photos going on. It’s often a nightmare task I hate performing. It feels hella good when it’s done though. Come Up To My Room is an event I thoroughly enjoyed covering when I wrote for BlogTO. The 2011 edition would be my first CUTMR event since 2009.  This also the first CUTMR post for I want – I got.  The photos look so amazing because my friend Paul Bailk was around to snap away. Come Up To My Room (CUTMR) is the Gladstone Hotel’s annual alternative design event. This year’s show, curated by Jeremy Vandermeij and Deborah Wang, invites artists and designers to show us what goes on inside their heads. Coming together in dialogue and collaboration, participants are limited …

Tagging the Mini Countryman at the Canadian International Autoshow

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MINI decided to have another event this year at the 2011 Canadian International Autoshow. Last year, MINI debuted the Beachcomber concept car with pin up models. This year, they took it to the streets and brought together some well recognized street artists to collaborate on an interactive project involving a matte black MINI Countryman. The all new, ALL-4 MINI COUNTRYMAN gets ‘INKED’ at the 2011 Canadian International Autoshow in Toronto. An unaware crowd of Autoshow patrons witness a team of street artists as they “tag” the matte all black MINI Countryman. Shock hits the audience as they see “vandalism” transform into a show stopping Creative Use of Space. One by one, street artists Elicser, Uber 5000 and Herbs take over the Countryman with strokes of white and silver creating a magnificent cityscape, live in front of hundreds of show goers.(youtube description) Luckily I had Paul Baik with me taking photos and I had my trusty N8 taking video. We both captured a lot of media. Here is a video that gives you the whole entire …