Hasta La Ideas

Mysticism and skeletons collide in a Reykjavik designer and illustrator’s work

For a slightly more sinister take on tribalism, Icelandic renaissance woman Harpa Einarsdottir (better known by her valiant design pseudonym Ziska Zun) is a wildly imaginative illustrator, stylist, fashion designer, multimedia artist and farmer. While her mediums vary, her cosmic style fascinatingly blends the Day of the Dead icon, La Calavera Catrina, and elements of a warrior princess.

Ziska describes her recent solo exhibition “Skulls & Halos“—a darkly psychedelic display of illustrations and painted bones—as “all about our endless inner fight between right and wrong. We all carry some old skeletons in our closet and some get too heavy, it’s my way to find inner balance and say farewell to the past, make peace with myself and carry on in my way to become a better person.”

The tension between her more macabre impulses and her manipulation of them makes for enigmatic depictions that speak to her theatricality and rich fantasy life. Putting the experience from her former fashion line Starkillers to use, Ziska spent the past four years designing costumes and characters for the online role-playing game World of Darkness and films, also finding time to freelance as a stylist for magazine photo shoots. She explains “It’s good to be able to have variety in creation and do different projects, it’s a freedom that I want to hold on to as best as I can.”

When asked where she sees herself in five years, Ziska tells us she tries “not to think about that too much, life goes in mysterious ways, I just want to have fun and be good one week at a time.”

Photos by Craig Thomas

Photography great Mick Rock’s new book and exhibition

by Matt Spangler

Photo books flaunting the great faces of rock ‘n’ roll sometimes seem to outnumber the actual musicians presently vying for their shot. But when one of the last legendary lensmen like Mick Rock takes up the pages, the pictures are worthy of that precious space on your coffee table.

The idea of rock photography itself, following the Internet’s democratization of the photographer’s star status, will never quite be the same. Rock is among the last of the classic rock photographers, with contemporaries like Danny Clinch, whose own stardom is intrinsically linked to the bands he shot. Arguably the modern-day nightlife photogs Mark “Cobrasnake” Hunter, Last Night’s Party and Nicky Digital carry the torch down the path blazed by Rock, but aren’t likely to wield the same genre-defining influence as Rock has on the American perception of music.

Celebrated as “The Man Who Shot the ’70s,” his images help visualize what we know today as rock ‘n’ roll. A portrait of an unknown David Bowie launched Rock’s career in 1972 and he since spent the next four decades capturing the who’s who of rock royalty. With a special mix of talent and right-place-at-the-right-time, his career was established.

“London in the late sixties and early seventies was a hotbed of creative interchange. The prevalent hippie philosophy united all manner of artists, musicians, filmmakers, models, designers, actors, writers, and photographers into a unique and fertile community. My timing was excellent. Curiosity and circumstance drew me into the flame of rock ‘n’ roll.” said Rock. The exhibition “Rock: Music” on view at NYC’s Morrison Hotel Gallery—aptly located in the former CBGB space—coincides with the launch of Rock’s new book, “Exposed: The Faces of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” The exhibition features large format prints of some of the most distinctive music portraits of all time, including rare photographs from sessions with Syd Barrett, Iggy Pop and Bryan Ferry and video art from Dean Holtermann.

“Exposed: The Faces of Rock ‘n’ Roll” is Rock’s latest book and is a retrospective that includes 200 previously unseen and unpublished images from over 40 years of work. It includes images of ’70s legends David Bowie, Syd Barrett, Lou Reed, Blondie, Queen, Iggy Pop, the Sex Pistols, Andy Warhol, Rocky Horror and more mixed with the new guard of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Killers and Lady Gaga with a sprinkling of multi-genre heavyweights like Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys and Kate Moss.

Soon following the New York opening, the exhibition will move to London at the Idea Generation Gallery and runs concurrently until mid-January 2011. Fitting for a man who helped define the connection between the two cities, with music being one of the relationships defining characteristics. With British bands Radiohead, Coldplay and 2010 Coachella headliners The Gorillaz still serving as stadium selling forces in America, the British invasion defined by the Beatles, Bowie, and partially Mick Rock seems stronger then ever.

As the pages of his book, the party to launch the exhibition was filled with a diverse mix of rockers and artists like Andy Rourke and Harif Guzman. Watching Rock in the pit of the concert shooting with his digital camera, he didn’t let his legend restrict his unbridled enthusiasm for English rocker Adam Green as he snapped flashy pics of the pretty young things with a smile on his face. If anything it reveals the secret of many great photographers—most of his famous subjects are his friends.

“Exposed: The Faces of Rock ‘n’ Roll” sells online from Chronicle Books and Amazon.

A new photo blog turns its back on traditional street style portraiture

Casting the lens on NYC’s backside, Downtown From Behind stands out from among the fashion-blog mayhem for its altogether unconventional spin on this increasingly standard form of style photography. The newly-launched site showcases back views of bicycle riders on the streets of lower Manhattan, creating “an environmental portrait for each street and its subject.”

The upshot of photographer Bridget Fleming’s effort to document the 200-plus streets of Manhattan located below 14th street, Downtown From Behind showcases an eclectic cast of individuals ranging from local architects and designers to stylists, decorators, musicians, artists, hoteliers, chefs—anyone who has an impact on their specific downtown neighborhood, be it through their profession or just by living in the area, Fleming notes.

Despite her subjects’ faces not being visible, Fleming’s particular brand of photography is revelatory in an entirely different way—the surrounding streetscapes not only convey a sense of where they are, but their belongings also tend to indicate where they’re headed. The approach further reinforces the connection between subject and destination, such as the shot of designer Frank Alexander balancing a massive bouquet of flowers over his shoulder, or chef Andrew Carmellini of Locanda Verde captured with a whole baby pig strapped across his back as he pedals his way to his soon-to-open restaurant, The Dutch. The compositions are particular and make a lasting impression without falling back on devices of typical figurative work.

Downtown From Behind also encourages “green awareness through cycling,” partnering with philanthropic organization Little Ambitious, who lends support to young inventors and designer using sustainable processes.

We sit down with R.E.M.’s frontman to learn about his latest creative initiative

When we found out that Michael Stipe was visiting Levi’s photo workshop in NYC to conduct a project of his own last Friday, we of course headed down to learn more. There within the tall white walls of the former gallery, dozens of young creative types lined up, all anxiously awaiting their brush with one of American music’s greats. As participants full of awe and admiration reached the front of the line, 7-inches and ‘zines piled up next to Stipe, who quietly greeted each person, explaining how they would take the next photo before sitting for the following one. After the last subject shuffled through, we sat down with the man whose career spans musician, filmmaker and artist to learn more about what brought him there, his thoughts on brand collaborations and karaoke.

What inspired you about the space initially?

It’s got a great provenance in that most New Yorkers know it as Deitch Projects, so some of the creative stuff that’s happened in this particular space is pretty legendary and this is a pretty awesome follow-up. It’s a very different thing, but I like the openness of it. I guess Levi’s is paying for it, but I think it’s really cool—whoever had the idea to do it.

For our generation, working with brands was really problematic, no one wanted to be a sellout. But more and more that seems to be just what’s happening, do you still have a choice?

I think you do have a choice and my band R.E.M. for instance, have never accepted any endorsement for any purpose that was not artistic. So the line that we draw is a fine line, but anything that is an artform or anything that is artistic or creative, like a film or TV show or some collaboration that makes sense, we’re okay with lending or allowing our music to be used, or our name to be used for something like that as opposed to having a tour sponsored by a brand.

Obviously, this is somewhere in that gray area and that’s part of what makes it a little bit interesting. It’s responding to the needs of the market in the 21st century, but it happens to be a very cool company that’s doing it and it seems fairly no-strings-attached. So I’m happy to participate.

How did the space lead to what you’re doing here?

This thing? This very simply is a response to a moment in time. In 2010 we find ourselves in—it’s not a DMZ, it’s not a no man’s land—it’s like a middle space between what is still photography and what is a moving image. Technology has advanced to the point now that the most recent professional cameras actually don’t take still images as much they take short films and then you find the frame that you want to be a still image.

I think that 10 or 12 years from now that is going to radically alter the way we think about what a still image is. And so what we did today is something that goes back to the very beginning of moving imagery with Eadweard Muybridge of course. It takes this very simple idea of a still image and animates it simply. In our case, we’re putting it through a Mac and doing a repetitive action that’s easy to understand.

How did you choose the subjects?

I just wanted it to feel really democratic, kind of like the space. And I didn’t want to do anything myself, I didn’t really want to own it. I’m happy to own the idea or to have participated in the idea, but I didn’t feel the need to take a picture or be one of the participants in the piece itself.

I like how in a way it’s a little bit like a self-portrait daisy chain. I think that term has good and then very sexual connotations, it doesn’t have to have sexual connotations! If there’s a bad connotation, please strike that remark. Your image is being taken quite democratically by the next person in line, who takes the next person in line.

As an artist I’m thinking about and dealing right now in sculpture with the bust in history. I’m not certain that there’s a 21st-century response to what a bust is as a sculptural thing.

What is the historical significance of the bust that inspires you?

Before photography and moving film there were more limited ways in which to capture someone’s likeness. In the case of world leaders, death masks were made—or life masks, in the case of William Blake. I’ve seen a copy that Patti Smith took and made into her version of a 21st-century bust.

This would be in a way, research for me on my version of a 21st-century bust. I’m actually coming away from this with this feeding the other work I’m doing outside of music. This is an idea at the moment. The only sculptures that people know of mine are actually quite limited. There are no busts, that’ll come this year.

Why bust as opposed to a portrait?

It allows me to be able to see—if I’m looking at someone—maybe they’ve got a great personality, but I’m looking at them and going, is this someone who from three dimensions would create an amazing piece that would speak beyond me or beyond my desires as an artist, but might provide comment or commentary or inspire other people who have no idea who this person was. So it’s taking something that’s quite subjective and trying to, in a very positive way, objectify it.

Do you mind telling us about your tattoo?

This was one I had done in the early ’90s, it was maybe 1993 or ’94. Now it’s a part of me, I don’t remember the original intent. I don’t think it matters.

What’s your favorite song for karaoke?

Oh, good one. ‘Justify My Love’ by Madonna. It’s so retarded, it’s spoken word so you can really have fun with it if you’ve had a few beers too many, and people respond to it well. The easy thing for me is Jimmy Webb songs, Glenn Campbell songs that he wrote because I can actually hit the notes…unless they pitch it higher or lower than my particular range.

Photos by Karen Day

Kill time creatively with Amy Sedaris’ clever new book on crafting

If Carrie Bradshaw embodied the modern woman of the early 2000s, then Amy Sedaris (who made a few cameos on the show) might be just the clever lady to lead us out of the Great Recession and into the next decade. Along with her crack team of outfits and misfits, Sedaris’ new book on crafting assembles a host of DIY projects for “anybody who’s looking for a simple, creative way to kill a lot of time.” From crafting for Jesus to knowing your knack for knick-knacks, “Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People” details how, with just a few pennies, well-adjusted adults and those “hampered by a defective brain” alike can construct a fake candle or coconut bikini.

Fifteen chapters cover curious crafts like crab-claw roach clips and crepe-paper moccasins, along with practical insight like which kind of glue to use with different materials and how to avoid disasters like feather asphyxia. Amy Sedaris for president 2012.

Available November 2010, “Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People” pre-sells from Amazon.