Andreas Franke’s Stavronikita Project in Barbados

Andreas draw my eye earlier this year with his Vandenberg underwater exhibition. Vandenberg was really an excellent idea although some of the photo-manipulations presented were not as carefully made as I would expect for someone with his stunning portfolio.

His new exhibition ‘the life above refined below‘  (part of “The Sinking world”) is now underwater and waiting for people to visit in the wreckage of SS Stavronikita at Barbados.

The SS Stavronikita lies at the bottom of the ocean at 13.8 N, 59.38 W, right off the Caribbean island of Barbados. It is the spot Andreas Franke has discovered and chosen to stage a game full of overflowing decadence and exuberance.

A traveling salesman, the Stavronikita fell victim to a devastating fire over 20 years ago and with no hope for recovery it was lowered into the silent depths to lie there – fossilized into an artificial reef which one thought would sleep for all eternity.

For his new exhibition Andreas has chosen Rococo as his overarching theme which somehow, due to the general colour tones given by the artist looks incredibly beautiful under the filtered underwater light. This time around the feeling you get is of a more seductive and extravagant era of luscious and scenery that reminded me a lot of works like Marie Antoinette (film) which give the Rococo.  a slightly, more modern format.

Those who search for life at its fullest on land will search in vain. They will have to dive to a depth of 24 meters. At 13.8 N, 59.38 W.

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Featuring Caroline Madison

It is such a beautiful feeling to reminiscent and being able to remember the first steps of an artist that you know and being able to compare and cherish how much they grew as artists and as personalities since you’ve first met them.

Caroline was born in Dijon, and I guess in many ways it makes sense, for all that enjoy fine wine know that there is no glass more red and full bodied than those of Burgundy and no woman more seducing and enchanting than those born where the fine vines grow.

Caroline is a traveller, she spent 4 years in Scotland studying but for all the time I know her she never stopped going places. Sometimes to visit her beloved galleries and museums others to see new cities and places.

It was in one of those travels that I had the opportunity and the privilege to meet her. Her friendly, open and passionate disposition followed by a beautiful smile that could brighten the coldest London night were only a small portion of the reasons I consider her a good friend.

I think that one of the defining attributes of Caroline is the fact that her work and her choice of photographers is influences heavily by the things that she loves and holds dear in her hearth. He love for the pre-Raphaelites like Rossetti and Sir Franck Dicksee as well as her adoration of Impressionism in many ways spill within almost every piece of her work.

 

For more amazing photos
Visit her website: http://www.carolinemadison.com/

I hope you’ve enjoyed this feature I know I did
What do you think of Caroline’s work?
Do you have another artist that you think he or she should be featured?

Featuring Kassandra Leigh Purcell

It’s hard to believe it but I have been watching her talent grow for 9 years now. Kassandra started as a self-portrait photographer and managed to evolve into a multi talented girl with an aptitude for modelling, costume design, an exquisite ability for make-up and stage set-up and last but not least extremely good Photoshop skills. I really don’t know of many people that are so good into doing so many things around their art. Since then Kassandra started to also photograph other models with amazing results, a thing that comes only as a testament to her skills.

Kassandra, or Kayleigh as people used to know her as when she joined deviantArt, managed within the years of her carrier to bloom and bring her work into a whole new level by keeping her ideals and style solid. At this point there are hundreds of aspiring young artists to try to follow her footsteps and use the same methodoly and style she established, if this is not a sign of success, what is?



 

 

You can find more of her work here: http://kassandraleigh.deviantart.com/

Follow her work, like here Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Unseelie.Allure

The two faces of a drag queen

Photographer Leland Bobbé’s world of photos expresses the modernity of humanity, humanity in the third millennium.

In his portrait series ‘I mezzi drag di’ (“The means of drag”, or “Half drag”) for Vogue Italy, Bobbé brilliantly depicts the two faces of drag queens—“the Nietzschean ‘overman’: the man that goes beyond, who is beyond. Not male, not female, not biological”, according to Vogue Italy.

In ‘Half Drag’, the split-faced images show men changing themselves and finding their feminine side in parallel to their masculine side—exploring the concept of contemporary queer and sexuality—clearly showing the difference what wonders make-up can do.

Though the images look as if they’re made of two separate faces and joined together, they were not constructed in post-production.

“These images are part of an ongoing series of portraits of Drag Queens in half drag. With this series my intention is to capture both the male and the alter-ego female side of these subjects in one image,” Bobbé said.

“Through the power of hair and makeup these men are able to completely transform themselves and find their female side while simultaneously showing their male side. These are composed in camera and are not two separate images joined together.”

More:
Vogue Italy

Leland’s personal website

 

John Crawford: Aerial Nudes

John Crawford is one of New Zealand’s best known photographers. His portfolio of commissioned and uncommissioned works is diverse in subject matter and mood, yet unmistakeable in its use of light and its natural, simple style.

John says his aim is to capture images that have a high degree of interest and contrast, don’t look too technical, and are easy to look at and enjoy.

His corporate projects, undertaken with some of the country’s top design and communications firms, have included shoots for Lion Nathan, Fletcher Challenge, Fonterra, CHH, Air New Zealand, Ports of Auckland and NGC.

I found this particular project quite brilliant, John connected two completely different types of photography, aerial and nude into a unique, innovative and, quite honestly, a beautifully arranged collection of images. It made me smile but at the same time appreciate it for what it was.

So go ahead and enjoy, and do let me know what you think.


For a full artist’s portfolio please visit: http://johncrawford.co.nz