Blog — Page 137 of 277

Hi-Fructose: New Contemporary Fashion

Thames and Hudson

Chances are that if you harbour a modicum of interest in fashion, art and the interactions of it, you have come across the entity known as Hi-Fructose Magazine, which has firmly established itself on the firmament of boundary pushing artsy and aesthetically exciting visual explorations. I would go as far as claiming that Hi-Fructose has long ago managed to transcend the confines of merely depicting art and fashion and started to exert an active impetus on the contemporary fashion game.

Every now and then, Hi-Fructose emits a book – one that graces coffee tables and the New Contemporary Fashion is not an exception here.

In essence, what we have here are close to three-hundred pages that are filled to the brim with what can be best described at the apex of avantgarde.

Framed by essays and illuminating interviews, this oversized tome embraces fashion in an idiosyncratic way that does not merely live from the mere depiction but shows on every page that skill- and artful composition as well as curation is at work here with an eye for detail that is a joy to behold.

While many art books waste space and indulge in effortful edginess, the DNA that pervades Hi-Fructose and this book is informed by an acute sense for nuances, personal and at times intimate insights, artistic flair and an overall spirit full approach.

Needless to say that at time the exuberant temperament of invested artists and passionate creators shines through, but overall a wide spectrum is documented in an informed, inspiring and coherent manner.

The book is – as everything Hi-Fructose related – a quality product, i.e. the binding, photographic reproductions and materials used have been carefully selected and add to the overall charm.

A book that is testament to what can happen when fashion and art collide.

The Lavazza Italian Film Festival

Palace Cinema

Sydney, Australia

September 17, 2019

Eighteen years since its inception, the Italian Film Festival is going stronger than ever with what can be considered a unique array of over two hundred movie theatres engaged each year.

Gradually grown to a major event, the 2019 incarnation of the festival has grown in both in extent and popularity to a point where it currently manifests the biggest celebration of Catalan cinema outside the confines of the land of calves.

What adds to the charm of the gala is that in Sydney, the home has been firmly established by Palace cinemas, a family business dedicated to showing the cream of the crop of both contemporary and classic Italian flics.

Showcasing more than twenty-six of the newest emissions of the idiosyncratic Italian movie industry alongside classic cinematic gems, special presentations, Aperitivo nights and receptions across screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Byron Bay from 17 September, the Sydney opening proved to be an exercise par excellence for what the ole world has to offer.

Leonardo D’Agostini’s comedy drama Il Campione set the tone of the opening night with a contemporary take on friendship and backstabbing in the context of the multi million-dollar business the sport soccer has become in the current day and age.

With a not exactly heavy plot, D'Agostini’s debut was a light-hearted and accessible moral lesson to ease one into the spirit of this Italian extravaganza, the opening night of which was framed by the best the cuisine of Italy has to offer in terms of food, drinks and music.

There are for sure many ways to pay homage to what Italy has to offer the world but the Australian incarnation of the annual film fest is certainly one of the more accomplished ones.

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Just when one thought that one had identified pretty much the cream of the crop when it comes to craft beers and specifically IPAs, a contender pops up that one had almost managed to overlook: BentSpoke is a micro-brewery situated in Canberra, Braddon, an environment that lends itself well to the creation of beer because or its pristine water supply.

BentSpoke’s Crankshaft IPA is a hazy beauty with its orangey and amber coloured nuances that hint at the fruity and citrussy aromas that it emits. Not unlike a West Coast IPA it is creamy in texture, the top of the roof is tickled by sweet caramelly notes, which are counterbalanced by a nice bitterness that sandwiches just the right amount of piny hoppiness.

In essence, this is one hell of a flavourful nuance of North American hops create the foundation for a dangerously more-ish experience that ticks all the right boxes on the palate and its flavour profile is calibrated in a manner that is rarely found in the world of Indian Pale Ales.

BentSpoke Big Nut Black IPA is a boutique-y new emission that is, as the name suggests, on the nutty and roasty side of the flavour spectrum. While the aforementioned flavours dominate, the trademark malty notes with resiny and piney hops round out the palate.

The golden BentSpoke Sprocket IPA Review is part of the BentSpoke Drifter Series and delves into aromas of the tropical kind that are again framed by hoppy bitterness of the Mosaic kind without lacking a distinct malt character.

Clocking in at a punchy 7% ABV, this is almost too easy to drink that made a great constituent of a Boilermaker with a whiskey from a Hebridean distillery.

BentSpoke’s Red Nut is a Red Ale with a medium, clear caramel-coloured body with a tan cappuccino foam head that leaves patchwork lace on the side of the glass as it goes down. The spicy aromas are intriguing and are enriched by tropical nuances, which are grounded on a solid malt base.

What tickles the nostrils, is continued on the roof of the mouth with peppery highlights, which are juxtaposed by biscuity malts. Again, a masterstroke in flavour calibration.

Now, let’s culminate this instalment with one of my new favourites: BentSpoke Cluster 8 IIPA

A limited-edition batch Imperial/Double IPA with a whopping 8.8% ABV that combines all the best parts of the brews.

Tropical fruits, resin hops galore and a delicious dankness comprise this beauty, whose IBU is off the charts.

As mentioned in the beginning, in a world of novelty IPAs with eye-catching artwork on their labels, I almost overlooked BentSpoke - a mistake I shall not make again.

Book of Beasts: The Bestiary in the Medieval World

J. Paul Getty Museum

Based on an exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Book of Beasts: The Bestiary in the Medieval World the focus is firmly on what became known as the “bestiarum vocabulum”, a relict from mediaeval times that was in essence a sammelsurium comprising depictions, illustrations and elaborations on beasts both real and imaginary, framed by moral lessons.

Divided into five central themes, this tome is nothing but fascinating and a feast for the eyes as the foci are shown with a vibrancy the intricacy of the details of which are mind-blowing.

Based on concepts that are largely based on the Christian bible, beasts were used to signify the symbolism in a bid to portray deeper meaning, the layers of which are leading down rabbit holes of myths that are enhanced by vivid imaginations.

The depictions are iconic and are borderline atavistic in that they still to this convey and hold significance no matter how far you consider yourself removed from the beliefs they originated from.

Not unlike fairy tales for adults, there is wonder and bemusement in equal measures and one of the more interesting takeaways is that most of the “beasts” are not only still omnipresent in our lives but have established themselves as integral stereotypes.

A truly wonderful book that is a unique hybrid of encyclopedia, storybook, history book and one on art and apart from all that a feast for the eyes that serves as a sheer endless source of inspiration.

Monet: The Late Years

Kimbell Art Museum

If the claim that impressionism is light holds true, Claude Monet was the equivalent of the sun as what he emitted affected the world of art in every facet. The later years were defined by a hiatus caused by the departure of his second wife and eldest son, after which he reinvented himself through a deep dive into abstract large scale works that were channelled through the lenses of an artist that suffered from cataracts.

The opulently illustrated book showcases more than sixty canvases that are arranged according to themes and a chronological timeline, which towards the end shows the artist revisiting some of his earliest paintings and reinterpreting them.

What I have always found intriguing about Monet, is how powerful his paintings are despite the serene environments and floral focus they were centred around. Towards the end of his career, he managed to create panoramas that created an immersive, all encompassing experience, specifically by adding additional dimensions to his earlier work.

Subtleties in terms of colourful nuances and the dialogue between lighting / shading, add depth and room for interpretation far beyond the realm of what meets the eye.

His failing eyesight certainly contributed to the intrigue of his latter paintings that became intensely abstract, with subject matter blurred beyond recognition and with that borderline expressionist and very bold.

If so far you have only been familiar with Monet’s water-lily paintings, this catalogue will be a treat as the range of his oeuvre is surprisingly diverse.

A great ode to an artist that was obsessed by the desire to paint the natural world– a desire that was only amplified during his late sensitive years and the outcome of which are what became known as his greatly imaginative large-scale Grandes Décorations.