Cool Hunting
| 12 November 2008view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Tony Stamolis: Frezno
by CH Contributor
Fresno, CA-born photographer Tony Stamolis’ new book "Frezno" examines life in California’s sixth largest city with vivid, stark and honest imagery. Stamolis captures his hometown, once a beacon of booming surburbia, with a seedy, fluorescent pallor.
The cover shot—two shirtless youths wearing KISS-inspired makeup and black jeans and standing under high-voltage electricity towers—sets the tone for Stamolis’s return-to-home pictorial essay. Other images show a masked man tending marijuana crops; one portrait depicts a heavily tattooed man with his back to the camera flaunting a bold “Frezneck” emblazoned in green script across his shoulder blades; and another captures a lone shaggy skater making use of an empty swimming pool, his shadow contrasting the decaying cracks in the bowl.
Rounding out the portraits, still life pictures, like Christmas tree holders carelessly strewn on what appears to be a store shelf, offer more subtle hints at Fresno life. While Stamolis lives in New York and has shot for the New York Times, Black Book and Giant, his intimate relationship with home resonates in the familiarity with which he approaches his subjects. The downtrodden Fresno that Stamolis depicts is an affectionately up-close look at pure Americana frozen in the frame.
Stamolis celebrates the book launch 20 November 2008 at Stricola Contemporary in New York City.
Buy a copy from Amazon or Powell's.
More images after the jump.
Kehinde Wiley: Down
by CH Contributor
by Ariston Anderson
Those lucky enough to catch Brooklyn-based painter Kehinde Wiley's last Deitch show, complete with a live marching band performance at the opening, know a Kehinde Wiley show is as much about an experience as it is about the stunning portraiture he's known for.
Wiley has gained fame for depicting contemporary subjects—he scouts for models in the streets—mashed with French Rococo style and mythological stories, all to challenge stereotypes of African American males. His new body of work, "Down," is comprised of seven large scaled paintings that draw on German Renaissance artist Hans Holbein's painting "The Dead Christ in the Tomb," as well as historical paintings of fallen warriors. Like previous works, these paintings all feature young men from Brooklyn. The scale and complexity of these new works makes them a must for in-person viewing to truly get that Wiley experience.
Down
Through December 20, 2008
Deitch Projects
18 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
map
tel. +1 212 343 2954
Mophie iPhone Battery Charger Giveaway
by Karen Day
Being constantly on the hunt means we're on the go more often than not, leaving us in constant need of more juice for our iPhones. Mophie's iPhone 3G battery pack steps in extending our time on the phone and on the road by way of a rechargable battery that powers phones through an unobtrusive case-like attachment.
We're giving one away to a lucky CH reader, simply go to the bottom of the page, click on Contact and select "Mophie Juice Pack Giveaway" from the drop-down menu. We'll pick at random from entries received before 11:59 pm EST on 13 November 2008.
If you don't want to take your chances, get your own from Mophie for $100.
Stephen Wiltshire
by Lost At E Minor
British artist Stephen Wiltshire is known as the "human camera" for being able to render images of entire cityscapes in uncanny detail after only viewing the real scenes once. Wiltshire's abilities stem from his autism, but his pieces are no less stunning. Perhaps Wiltshire's condition isn't truly a disability, merely evidence that our species is still evolving.
Alexandra Cassaniti's Summer Bummer Collection
by Karen Day
Winter might be coming but we found a whole new way to channel a west coast vibe with Alexandra Cassaniti's "Summer Bummer" collection. Alexandra's philosophy? It's always summer somewhere. We love the feel-good concept as much as we like the nonchalant weirdness of her neoprene beret and "hairy surfboard," shaped by world class surfer Craig Hollingsworth.
Already known among followers of fashion for her silkscreened totes, Alexandra fills out the collection with a range of travel and lifestyle accessories for men and women, including wetsuits and bike bags—all inspired by the beaches of California and hand-crafted in the U.S. and presumably useful both as a functioning wetsuit and for flaunting the retro-'90s Body Glove look. Totally crazy items, like the long-billed lemon cap and heat-activated colorchanging sunglasses in Sherbert-colored, Wayfarer styles, are as lighthearted and easy to love as summer.
For an extra dose of Cassasniti's brand of west coast style and to make you more jealous of California living, check out the online campaign, with video shorts directed by Spike Jonze. (If you're pressed for time, skip to the third one down.)
Summer Bummer is available for preorder on the Alexandra Cassaniti website or at Opening Ceremony.
