Blog — Page 177 of 277

Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear 1715-2015

Exhibition and Book by Prestel Publishing

Powerhouse Museum

Sydney, Australia

Ah, the Weather Girls.

Their oeuvre and specifically their song “Reigning Men” has left its imprint on popular culture and in this case the fashion industry as it inspired Sharon Takeda to modify the title of said song to fit the exhibition of a spanning three hundred years of menswear based on a thousand piece acquisition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2008, which was purchased by the museum from the European collectors and dealers Martin Kamer and Wolfgang Ruf.

Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715-2015 became the world's largest exhibition of men's clothing staged to date, running the gamut from outfits worn by aristocrats, dandies, macaronis, mods, punks, metrosexuals and everything in between.

The exhibition finally found its way down under following its debut in Los Angeles in 2016, where it is currently on display to coincide with a worldwide renaissance of menswear.

The exhibition is organised thematically, which has the advantage over a chronological arrangement that individual pieces can be show next to each other in juxtaposition to compare and contrast the past and the present along with the evolution in between.

Needless to say that no matter if you are an initiated fashion aficionado or not, it proves to be difficult not to be intrigued by the discovery of how what eventually became the norm in the 21st has evolved to the current state and the connection between seemingly unrelated cultures and how they have influenced each other that are expertly pointed out, think East / West or Military / Leisure wear.

The exhibition was carefully curated by the Powerhouse’s senior curator Roger Leong who accomplished a to create an eclectic cross section of very different ways of dressing away from what the mainstream perceives to be the norm.

The attention to details does not stop with the menswear but extends to the accessories and hairstyles of the mannequins giving the exponates another dimension and adding historical significance.

Prestel Publishing’s book is not unlike the one on Anton Corbjn an opulently illustrated essential accompaniment and extension of the exhibition, documenting three hundred years of men’s fashion. Following the curatorial path that forms the foundation of the exhibition, it traces and captures the essence of different eras and helps in develop a new sense of appreciation for fashion no matter if you are into tailored garments from Savile Row, Zoot suits or the subversive designs of Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo.

A feast for the eyes that goes beyond mere fashion as it documents cultural interactions and developments.

Radio Birdman

Manning Bar

Sydney, Australia

October 5, 2018

Outlining the impact the brilliant and notoriously volatile Radio Birdman has had on the evolution of punk rock and the independent music scene at large would necessitate a flip chart. Yes, people go on about The Saints. Rightly so. The “I’m stranded”
7” is unsurpassed. However, when it comes to the package, the mélange of protopunk, confrontational attitude and manic energy that manifested in Radio Birdman’s songwriting made them my favourite pre- and first-wave-punk band from the land down under.

It had been a long rainy day and quite a bit of hustling had to be done to make it on time for the performance of Radio Birdman. The fact that a band that was originally founded in 1974 changes not only my mood but also the dynamics of the room within minutes of hitting the stage is testament to their legacy.

Based on the solid foundation that is the band’s motor, i.e. Deniz Tek’s guitar work, Radio Birdman in 2018 sounds like a well-oiled machine that sonically assaults the audience with a contemporary version of the essence of what made bands like The Stooges, Cramps and The Clash and MC5 the mavericks they were.

Serenading the audience with his angst laden vocal delivery and his charismatic stage presence, Rob Younger adds to the vibe that eventually became part of the DNA of bands like The Wipers. Pip Hoyke’s keyboards adds nuances that enhance the exuberant musical prowess of the accelerated dueling surf guitars in a melodic yet frantic manner, which finds the sold out oratorium reveling in it.

A fantastic and powerful performance with no unnecessary word lost in between songs and devoid of nostalgia – Radio Birdman is a legend that has not lost an iota of relevance and is a force to be reckoned with that you would not want to miss out on if you ever get the chance to witness them.

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Photos by T

A Midnight Visit

Sydney, Australia

October 3, 2018

Immersive theatre is a genre for itself. Forget sitting in seat and merely losing yourself in the world it presents by engaging the imagination.

Then again it does neither imply that interaction and participation is an integral component or that the site needs to be specific.

However, all of the aforementioned tends to play a part and add to the total that, if it is done well, becomes much more than the sum of the individual parts.

Enter the triumvirate that forms the team of creatives behind A Midnight Visit, i.e. Kirsten Siddle, Danielle Harvey and Simon Hayward. What they have accomplished is the creation of a world that simulate all five senses, and by meticulously paying attention to details, create scenarios that do not only serve as a backdrop but also as a hands-on museum and art installation: Worlds within worlds than can be explored by audience member as they follow the implicit directive to touch, playfully interact, encounter with the performers and solve puzzles, which makes each facet uniquely personal depending on the route you decide to take.

Summa summarum – the audience is being taken on a journey, which is framed by a story that is based on the foundation of the stimulating oeuvre of Edgar Allan Poe. What makes the production of A Midnight Visit outstanding is that it not merely draws on the prevalent themes that pervade Poe’s lyrical emissions, e.g. culpability, afterlife, (sub-)consciousness, anxiety, hysteria and delusions, but manages to not only allude to and refer to his works but creates a coherent whole out of seemingly disparate pieces and a red thread is spun without forcefully enforcing it.

Employing performers, video projections, installations, sets and soundscapes in a two story abandoned warehouse, the collaboration between Broad Encounters and Groundswell Productions results in an evening that does not bank on previous knowledge of Poe’s work as the production can be enjoyed for what it is face value, but it certainly adds to the experience and it is interesting to see their idiosyncratic take on the characters.

Not unlike Edgar Allan Poe, A Midnight Visit evokes profound feelings yet allows you ample space and opportunity to fill in the blanks – it provides a canvas upon which you project your reactions and fears.

The orchestration of the event is well-paced and the fact that the excitement of sharing a space and become part of the immersive extravaganza does not wear off throughout the experience, is testament to the success of A Midnight Visit – a visit that culminates in the Raven’s Nest, a customized pop-up bar that extends the experience with themed drinks and a well-curated ambience before visitors are unleashed into the night.

A Midnight Visit is something you want you would want to immerse yourself in before the residency ends in December.

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Photo provided

Plants with Bite

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

September 27, 2018

We have had a chance to get an exclusive preview of The Calyx, the inner sanctum in Sydney’s Royal Botanical Gardens being transformed by Venus flytraps, Sarracenians as well as many other fascinating carnivorous plant species for the new exhibition Plants with Bite.

Plants with Bite marks the fourth display at The Calyx, following Sweet Addictions, All About Flowers and Pollination.

The tenet of exhibitions at The Calyx is to both inspire and educate the general public as well as the next generation of scientists and horticulturists via the display of plants that are important and worth talking about.

Carefully curated by the scientists at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney under the benign guidance of the Garden’s Director of Horticulture, Jimmy Turner, the carnivorous plants have been catalogued and identified in a bid to preserve them for future generations.

With the abilities to thrive in the most adverse conditions by luring and devouring insects, this exhibition is a coup and a feast for all senses. The exhibition is staged in an engaging manner that tells the story of the bizarre world of these plants, which illustrate the wonders of evolution.

Apart from the display comprised of over 25,000 plants, the tantalizing extravaganza is enriched with hands-on activities, interactive workshops, and an augmented reality application that can be downloaded to appeal to every eager learner’s style.

The free exhibition is framed by retro Movie Poster Exhibition along with an Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Movie Night, which is quite fitting given the nature of the devious specimen on display.

Plants with Bite is nothing less than an astounding and eye opening exercise in horticulture – featuring the most extensive vertical interior display in this part of our earthround it challenges preconceptions about the fauna and floral food chain.

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Photos by @k.a.vv

1-2-3-4

Anton Corbijn

Prestel Publishing

It is not exactly the best-kept secret that I harbor a weak spot for Depeche Mode, a band that has accompanied me ever since I started listening to music. Now, Depeche Mode is an example par excellence for a band where the total is much greater than the sum of the individual components, as the individual solo careers and the protagonist’s own outputs attest to. Yet it does not merely come down to the band members as without one Anton Corbjn, who has been the man behind pretty much all of Depeche Mode’s visual emissions – be it videos, photos, stage sets or artwork – the image of Depeche Mode and the way they are being perceived would be dramatically diminished.

1-2-3-4 is a comprehensive collection of the photographic oeuvre of Anton Corbijn. It shows the craft and art of a photographer and director that has left his idiosyncratic imprint, elevated careers and given a deeper dimension of everyone who has been fortunate enough to work with him.

Opulently illustrated, this tome of my favourite among the many great releases of Prestel Publishing house with hundreds of known, candid, behind-the-scenes and unknown depictions of everyone one from Nick Cave to Metallica, David Bowie to Nirvana, Lou Reed via U2 to R.E.M., the Rolling Stones to Siouxie and the Banshees.

The book appropriately portrays why luminaries and artists let him have AAA access to their worlds

A profoundly beautiful book showcasing punk, grunge, pop and rock 'n roll legends that should not only be an essential part of any music lover’s library as it is not only a feast for the eyes – it transports you where the artist is at – but also anyone remotely into photography.