OLIVER STONE: SOUTH OF THE BORDER Dazed Digital sits down with the controversial director to talk about his two polar opposite films of 2010 and who the funniest politician in South America is Text by David Hellqvist | Published 28 July 2010
"And this is where we're building the Iranian atomic bomb" President Hugo Chavez says smiling, pointing at a building in Venezuela's capital Caracas. For a man who's sincerely disliked by a big portion of Western society, Chavez has a great sense of humour. And when he's not hanging out with super model Naomi Campbell, he's showing American film director Oliver Stone where the army officer come politician grew up (hilariously, Chavez's weight breaks the BMX kid bicycle he sits on while riding around the spot where his childhood house used to stand). The chat, plus Stone's trip to a handful of other socialist countries on the continent, is part of the filmmaker's second 2010 cinema release, South of the Border. After interviewing Fidel Castro in 2003, Stone must have felt like infuriating right wing America even more, and went to Venezuela to find out for himself what was going on 'down south'.
Only months after the release of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Stone is back in the headlines with South of the Border, which he pitches somewhere between a documentary and a feature film. The first half an hour is a collage of comments from US news readers and opinion makers. No matter what side you agree with, it is painstakingly clear that there's a high level of media ignorance towards both Chavez as a person and the beliefs he, together with a few other South American politicians, stand for. Like many other Stone films, this one will evoke emotions. Not everyone, many Europeans included, have failed to be impressed by Chavez and his political comrades. In the film, this suspicon is dealt with by the former Argentinean president, Néstor Kirchner, who said he "hadn't seen any other dictators win as many elections". Dazed sat down with Oliver Stone and fellow film maker and South American expert Tariq Ali...
Dazed Digital: What was the main ambition, the main thought behind making the film? Did you want to show Americans and Europeans a different side to South American politics? Oliver Stone: Yeah, I did. I think that was the motivation, I think Chavez made it possible because I went and interviewed him, he was very accessible and open and he said 'don’t just believe in me, ask others', He sent us to six of his neighbours and we heard it from them too that there’s a change going on in this continent. I’ve obviously heard huge criticisms of Chavez that seemed to focus on him as another dictator. It’s a real 'right' versus 'left' battle in the sense that it’s been focused on Chavez and his personality cult as opposed it being about a real structural reform.
DD: So you went down there to see Chavez and you ended up seeing all these other guys… Oliver Stone: More importantly, we went to see the economy, to see the change in the mentality, the concept of independence from the United States!
DD: The change of mentalities in their own countries? Oliver Stone: Yes, the mentalities in their countries. Independence from the United States, not a fear of mutual respect. This is a very important concept that we have not, that the United States, have not learnt. Mutual respect. If the guy from Ecuador says to the US 'I will give you a base in my country, but I want a base in Miami', he’s saying it very clearly, why should you have a base, why should we have six or seven bases in Columbia, why? We should ask ourselves what gives us the right to interdict our point of view on their situation.
DD: But did you feel that also want to show the American audience what was going on in South America? Oliver Stone: I wanted to show them enough already, can’t you wake up? Is this Empire completely insane? That we are actually harming the people in the world, we’re constantly fighting against the people that are trying to help them.
DD: I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but there were scenes that were actually quite funny, we found ourselves laughing in the audience. Oliver Stone: No, I think we took the approach to keep it relaxed - which we don’t do, we don’t get that in our country, but I don’t know about England.
DD: On that note, where did you have the most fun, where did you enjoy yourself the most - who was the funniest President to hang out with? Oliver Stone: I think they're all very honest people, they’re people from the people. They represent their countries, they want change so they tend to be serious reformers. It’s a hard job because they’re always being criticised. Evo Morales [Bolivia's President] is an Indian, he doesn’t laugh very much… Tariq Ali: He can be lighthearted but he’s very restrained whereas Chavez has an enormous sense of humour. Oliver Stone: Yeah, I’d say Chavez is probably the funniest out them all!
DD: Is it a coincidence that you’ve released two films this year that are about financial opposites in a way? There’s one about capitalism and one about socialism? Oliver Stone: Yeah, there’s a lot of truth to the fact that Wall Street is responsible for a lot of the economic misery of South America. But Wall Street is a dual use system, like nuclear weapons, and it is an engine for much good in the world. The movie is a different beast altogether, because it’s an entertainment vehicle. But in that movie, Shia LaBeouf is a young man who is an idealist trying to good with capitalism. He’s basically working for advancement of a clean energy company.
DD: So you’ve managed to find an angle in that as well? Oliver Stone: Oh, Wall Street does a lot of good, my father worked there. I’m not condemning everyone at Wall Street.
DD: And, obviously with the first bit in South of the Border with the news collage showing news readers and so on… Oliver Stone: It’s a matrix. The reality has been flipped on its head. They really have achieved an Orwellian world where peace is war and freedom is slavery, kind of concept. [Laughs]. Think about it - Orwell couldn’t have written it. Orwell would think this is a nightmare. If you confuse people if you say the earth is flat and the earth is circular, well it can’t be both therefore the earth is going to be kind of a combination. The concept of the earth is flat is acceptable. No?
DD: Do you think that the political landscape has change greatly since Obama took over? I mean the American attitudes towards Latin America? Oliver Stone: No! [laughs]
DD: But is that because you think he hasn’t done enough? Oliver Stone: No, it’s the same state department down there, the same group of people, there’s been no reform. Obama has kept the same people in power. Hilary Clinton has gone down there several times. She’s been more to the right than Obama has. [Bold] She’s been critical of Chavez, she’s been trying to divide these people from each other.
DD: Can you see any change on the horizon? Oliver Stone: No, not yet, but Obama did shake their hands, and that gave them hope.
DD: What was the reaction to the film in the United States? Oliver Stone: At best they said ‘Oh, I like the film, it’s engaging, I follow it’. But it’s obviously not true!
DD: Looking at the films you’ve done over the years – both feature and documentaries – there are often political undertones. Are you driven by a social or political agenda? Oliver Stone: No, I think for me it’s been a personal journey towards enlightenment or trying to find out what happened. I was raised completely on the other side, in a republican, ethno centric American privileged school. Castro was a bad guy, communism was monolithic, I grew up with the standard clichés. And in the 60s I went to war in Vietnam, as a willing soldier. And I don’t think my education really began till I got brain washed in the 70s.
DD: So you wouldn’t say that you have some sort of radical plan? Oliver Stone: No, I’m trying to find out what works. I mean I didn’t know about South America till I went there. You have to find your way in this life. Castro is a monster in the united states, what I did with Castro is amazing because I still can’t believe I did it. I didn’t realise I’d get in to such hot water. I am rather naïve.
DD: What's next for you? Oliver Stone: We’re doing a 'Secret History of the United States'. It's a ten hour long documentary. I’m trying to show the bigger patterns, the story and the things that were reported but unremembered. And im trying to go into the whole issue of how the US shaped itself from 1900 to 2010 into this empire...
DD: Wow, and when is that due? Oliver Stone: It comes out in the cinemas next year hopefully...
Dazed Digital, the online sister of monthly magazine Dazed and Confused, has just hired David Hellqvist to be its commissioning editor. Dazed Digital posts exclusive videos interviews, behind-the-scenes fashion reportage and exclusive features. PRWeek catches up with Hellqvist to find out what he wants from PROs.
David Hellqvist: Dazed Digital editor Describe Dazed Digital Dazed Digital is a unique editorial platform; a web-based magazine with daily updates of original content. Like the Dazed & Confused magazine, we focus on in-depth and intelligent coverage of worldwide fashion, music, art and photography, using our network of contributors throughout the world.
You have just joined. Are you planning any changes? There will be a Dazed Digital design overhaul later on this year, but in terms of editorial coverage it won’t change a great deal.
Who are your competitors and what makes you different? There isn't really any direct competition. Other sites might have either a bigger audience or a more niche expert area, but we cover our brief in an insightful way with original content. This means no one else can claim the same authority in our line of work. We have made it our job to unearth worldwide talent using all the means that make the digital presence our strongest asset.
What makes a good story for you? A new angle, an interesting person, a boundary-pushing brand or an exciting event.
Of which story are you most proud? Personally, I like the stories with a slight current affairs angle. I was happy with our election coverage, because we made it appeal to a younger audience. I’m also pleased when we can give a young designer, musician or artist his or her first bit of press and media attention.
What tips can you give PROs to get coverage? Try to imagine if it would fit our audience. Often PROs just take a chance and email over completely irrelevant issue, events and brands and end up wasting both mine and their own time.
What are your own personal media must-haves? Dazed & Confused, The Guardian, Twitter, Fantastic Man, Monocle, Fashion in Politics.com, AnOther Man and Nowness.
What is your latest circulation figure? We have 2.5 million page views a month and 200,000 unique visitors, but we also use our ever-growing social media network to communiacte with our audience. Currently, the Dazed Twitter following is 102,000 and the Facebook page have 46,000 fans.
What is the best contact email for the editorial staff? David.h@dazedgroup.com
JAMES GARDNER: SUBVERSIVE GLAMOUR The New York City-based digital media entrepreneur might very well be the best connected photo blogger ever as his Subersive Glamour site shows... Text by David Hellqvist | Published 24 May 2010 Photo by James Gardner
Who's the most connected New Yorker? Who goes to all the best shows and the most exclusive parties? Well, that's impossible to say, but James Gardner, AKA Subversive Glamour, sure is a contender to the title. Born in the UK, Gardner has been NYC-based for many years, and when setting up the photo blog two years ago he made it his mission to get all his famous friends - and celebrities he just bumped into - to pose with him in front of his Blackberry phone. That's right, Subversive Glamour isn't fed by some state-of-the-art technology, just a normal camera phone. But the low-fi feeling of the equipment is easily matched by the glamour and flamboyant hedonism that Gardner documents by night. During the day though, Gardner is busy setting the agenda of digital media and opening up the boundaries of internet consumerism through his work at Createthe Group, a creative and interactive web agency that Gardner founded and is now the CEO of. So whatever time of the day you find him, Gardner is always tinkering away in cyberspace, working hard to entertain you. Dazed Digital spoke to him about Subversive Glamour...
Dazed Digital: How would you explain Subversive Glamour to an outsider? James Gardner: Subversive Glamour is an alter-ego that has become a caricature of myself.
DD: What is the main objective behind Subversive Glamour? James Gardner: To entertain!
DD: Do you take all your images on your Blackberry? Why? James Gardner: Yes! Always with me, instantaneous, intimate... And that's my thing!
DD: How, When and Why did you start Subversive Glamour? James Gardner: I was at my upstate house one weekend in late 2008 and set up Tumblr and Twitter accounts. I quickly became obsessed, and it gave birth to Subversive Glamour. We talk about the power of social media to our clients and my Creative Director, Diana Hong, said I had to embrace it. It turned into something that is a lot of fun and people seem to enjoy it...
DD: A lot of images feature yourself - do you treat it as a diary blog? James Gardner: I guess I would call it a tongue-in-cheek diary blog, I know it's a little ridiculous... especially the Subversive Glamour 'Blue Steel' pout!
DD: What's Subversive Glamour's USP compared to all other blogs out there? James Gardner: I'd like to think that there aren’t too many CEOs with an alter-ego, a micro blog and a fashion addiction out there.
DD: Sometime I get the feeling I'm flicking through a magazine when I look at Subversive Glamour - is that the reaction you want? James Gardner: Sure... if it’s digital, glamorous, glossy and a little naughty...
DD: You work with digital pioneers CTG; do you think the future of media is totally and unconditionally digital? James Gardner: Not totally, but it's certainly a huge part, as I think people now realise.
DD: As a Brit living in NYC, what do you miss the most with the UK? James Gardner: I'm very lucky to have clients like Burberry and Dunhill in the UK that require frequent trips back so I don't miss too much...but my family of course...
DD: And the least? James Gardner: Grey skies!
DD: A lot of your images are party snaps - how does NYC compare to London (and other world cities) in regards to their party scene? James Gardner: NYC is high-glamour-cool-downtown-strong-cocktails, London is high-fashion-street-looks-hot-music-lots-of-not-so-strong-cocktails, Paris is tres Gay and Milano will not be the same without Plastic!
DD: Do you see yourself as a photo journalist, a fashion observer or more of a business man? James Gardner: Can I be all three?
DD: What's next for Subversive Glamour and James Gardner? James Gardner: For Subversive Glamour, a cocktail and some BB snaps.... for James Gardner & CTG, lots more exciting digital innovations!
Catch Subversive Glamour on the blog, Twitter, Vimeo and Blip FM
TURI MUNTHE'S DEMOTIX Citizen Journalism crusader Munthe defends free speech but worry about the future of media ....from a plane to Kazakhstan... Text by David Hellqvist | Published 30 April 2010
Sometimes you can't trust anyone but yourself. Everyone has agendas, even major news organisations. Why are they telling us this, but avoiding saying that? News, like everything else, can be angled and made to sound and look a certain way. Who better to tell the world of events but us, the people. Now, in our technologically advanced world, this has been made possible. High speed internet, digital cameras, mobile phone videos, constant travelling - those are the means by which Citizen Journalism is created. But the will, determination, stubbornness and courage must come from inside us. Turi Munthe not only have those qualities himself, but also the ability to help others develop their own Citizen Journalism skills. Through his Demotix news organisation, thousands of people are now able to tell their version of what's happening around us....
Dazed Digital: What's the purpose of Demotix? Turi Munthe: Demotix is an open news wire: it connects freelance reporters, photo journalists and video makers, as well as amateurs and activists, with the global media. Demotix was established to do two things: 1). Create a free-speech platform where anyone anywhere can safely upload their news stories, photographs, video and soon audio. 2). Provide a truly global, instant, multi-media, 2.0, collaborative, alternative newswire service to the mainstream media. We want to massively expand the pool of news sources available to the global news media.
DD: When and how did you set it up? Turi Munthe: Demotix launched in January 2009, from an attic (rather than the proverbial garage). I set it up with my partner, Jonathan Tepper. I had the journalism and politics background, and Jonathan had years of finance and banking behind him. Since then, we've won and been nominated for about a dozen international awards and have seen our contributors' stories on the front pages of the New York Times, Guardian, Wall Street Journal and around the world. It's been an extraordinary ride.
DD: Where did the name come from? Turi Munthe: 'Demos' means people in Greek. It's where we get the word democracy from. 'Demotic' simply means 'of the people' - and that, of course, is what our newswire intends to be. 'Demotic' is most commonly used to describe demotic Greek and demotic Egyptian - the languages of the street in ancient Athens and ancient Thebes. It was using these 'street languages' that Champollion was able to read the Rosetta Stone and ultimately decode hieroglyphics. We loved the idea of a language of the people - a 'street language' - that opens up the world, and that's how we got to Demotix. The final 'x' was a nod to the web (and to Asterix, Jonathan and my favourite cartoon as kids).
DD: Citizen journalism - what's the biggest Pro compared to 'normal' media? Turi Munthe: I think there are three massive Pros to citizen journalism - and they are the reasons citizen journalism will continue to be a critical resource to news gathering going forward.
- 1. Accidental News: No professional journalism organisation can pretend to be everywhere at once. In fact, most of the big organisations are stripping back. An open platform like Demotix is able to cover the 'accidents' of news in a way no mainstream news organisation could cover - like the now infamous picture of Henry Louis Gates being arrested in front of his home. That image made the front cover of Time Magazine, and the snapper (who made many $1000s from it) was a neighbour who just happened to be look out of his window at the right time.
- 2. Censorship: Whether it's because of violence, or political crack-downs or simple logistics, there are a lot of critical news stories that professional journalists just can't get to. We saw it in Iran in June 09, in Haiti with the earthquake, in Afghanistan with the elections in Taliban-held country: in each case, Demotix had local reporters and courageous amateurs on the ground sending us stories and images.
- 3. Collaboration: We love this shift in the way news is reported. Before the web, you could write in to your local paper on the off-chance they'd publish your letter. Today, the comments stream of any halfway decent article is crammed with information, and all serious media has realised how important 'civilian' participation can be. One of my favourite examples is the Guardian's treatment of the expenses scandal: where the Telegraph trickled the information out drip-by-drip, the Guardian put it all online and built a widget so that everyone could get stuck into deciphering the mess. The advantages for us at Demotix in having dozens of contributors in every city is that, with big news stories, we get a 360 degree view and a collaborative news story.
DD: Any Cons? Turi Munthe: Most of the news on Demotix is produced by local freelancers, professionals and a few highly dedicated amateur news reporters. It takes a certain eye both to find a story and to tell it properly (not to mention the time and dedication), and these are skills that most people do not have.
DD: Where are getting most reports from right now? What's the Number One hot spot on the globe? Turi Munthe: It changes with the news stories of course. As I type, Demotix is deep in the thick of Thailand's Red-Shirt movement, all over the troubles in Greece and of course the UK election. Last week it was Iceland, next week who knows. But, I suppose we have really particularly good coverage from Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Africa is difficult for us because of internet connectivity, and Latin America is slower because we haven't yet launched in Spanish.
DD: Do you travel around yourself? Turi Munthe: I'm typing this response in a plane to Almaty, Kazakhstan, where I'll be talking at the Eurasia Media Forum. Next week, I'll be in Caracas talking at a Digital News conference, the following week in Thessaloniki to talk about innovation, and the week after that in Rio where I'm moderating a big UN conference on cross-cultural dialogue and new media. So yes. I tend to spend 3-4 days in a country, trying to meet as many journalists, photojournalists, editors and political activists/opposition figures as possible. We're not trying to tell the official story. We are always looking for the underbelly.
DD: It's mostly picture based, or do you have pure copy journalists working for you? Turi Munthe: All our stories are picture of video led for two reasons: multimedia is much easier to verify than text, and it's also far easier to licence. We will get to text, but that will be after audio. Text is, as you suggest, the trickiest element in the equation because it's so difficult to verify.
DD: Your aim is to 'rescue journalism' - from who? Turi Munthe: Today, only four US newspapers even have a foreign desk (NYT, WSJ, LA Times and Washington Post). The BBC doesn't have single staffer in Latin America. Industry reports suggest that over 100,000 journalism jobs were lost in the UK and US in 2008-2009 alone. The same picture emerges all over the news world. Who is responsible? - some combination of the recession, and an advertising nose-dive, but most of all the internet and free content: in other words, money. Demotix, which already has 3,000 active contributors in 190 countries around the world, runs on almost nothing and is based on a variable cost model, unlike all the big legacy players out there. We have broken stories from Gaza to Ghana, and we think we have found part of the solution.
DD: Is this the future of journalism? Turi Munthe: The future of journalism, in our view, is collaborative. I see professional journalists becoming more and more independent, newspapers and broadcasters run by editors more than by journalists, and I see a huge role for participative media like Demotix. Our aim is to become the 'AP' of freelancers, only bigger, deeper, quicker, more local and more global, and a lot more democratic. That we can only do because of forces - economic and technical - that are revolutionising the news media today. It's an extremely exciting time to be involved in the news.
DD: You want to promote individual citizen journalism - do you think that the mass media today is too closed and reliant on only a few key players? Turi Munthe: Read Nick Davies' Flat Earth News and you'll see how reliant today's media is not only on a few key journalistic players but on the gigantic machine that is PR. Yes - definitely - there are far too few players in news media today and they give a monolithic view of the world. In the hard news space today, only AP and Reuters (with Agence France Presse a poor man's third) even pretend to cover global news and the two big players don't have anyone in over 40% of the world's countries. That's appalling in a 21st century that is supposed to be defined by connectedness and information overload.
DD: What's next for you and Demotix? Turi Munthe: From a media perspective, we're launching Video, Audio, and eventually text. From a business perspective, we're looking at a number of really interesting partnerships now around the world (from South Africa to Latin America to Egypt to the US) which will give us access to reporters and distribution all over the world. And from a personal perspective, more travelling and talking. Demotix is activist on free speech and civil liberties issues, so it's good to get out and shout about it. Plus I seem to get in the way in the office...
AMAZING STEVE MASON Former Beta Band singer launch eponymous and career-best solo project in collaboration with pop producer Richard X Text by David Hellqvist | Published 28 April 2010
For the lucky ones to catch it, Beta Band's Farewell tour in 2004 was a sad moment. The UK lost one of its finest, daring and experimental bands, but gained - as it turned out - several musical offspring in the Scottish band's immediate break-up period. The other Beta Band members formed The Aliens whilst singer Steve Mason started up a handful of solo projects; Black Affair and King Biscuit Time being the most successful ones. All good, but Mason, and his fans, were missing something. That little extra ounce of confidence that Beta Band had when they were at the top. Along the way, it seems, that missing piece of brilliance found its way back home and now, recording under his own name (always a good sign), Steve Mason presents 'Boys Outside', an album that distinctively leaves you with that great Beta Band taste in the mouth, but still manages to push on through to the other side, ie forward pushing music and new grounds to explore for Mason. Produced by Richard X, of Girls Aloud and Rachel Stevens' fame, it has just enough pure pop ingredients in it to melt perfectly with the experimental sound craze that Steve Mason is finally serving up.
Dazed Digital: What’s the main difference between this album and your previous solo project under different names? Steve Mason: On my previous records I was unfocused, it was me trying to find a sound I felt comfortable with. I enjoyed Black Affair, but for a while there I had five or six MySpace accounts going. Way too many to keep track of…
DD: Are you using your own name now because you have finally found a sound you’re comfortable with? Steve Mason: Yeah, I wanted to bring it all together. I feel comfortable with this sound, it’s almost like I’ve grown up. I have no longer any pseudonyms to hide behind and I take full responsibly myself for this album.
DD: How did this change come about? Steve Mason: Age, I suppose, and I was running out of band names…
DD: Isn’t Richard X an odd producer choice for a predominantly acoustic album? Steve Mason: Well, it’s not all acoustic - half of it is electronic. It’s also piano led and inspired by R’n’B music. The aim was to make seamless and forward thinking music, so Richard fitted perfectly in! This is my most complete solo album - it feels properly finished.
DD: How did you two meet? Steve Mason: Richard came to see Black Affair play live and said he’d be interested in working together. I had always wanted to use a proper pop producer, even when I was in Beta Band; high glossed pop mixed with very experimental music.
DD: Is the collaboration continual? Steve Mason: Yeah, I would like it to be, but next time he might charge me for it!
DD: What influenced the album? Steve Mason: Me, how I feel, my relationships. People I meet and see. Things I hear, politics and the state of the country.
DD: There are definitely similarities between 'Boys Outside' and older Beta Band stuff - Do you miss the band? Steve Mason: I don’t think it sounds like Beta band, it might have echoes of it, but that makes sense since I wrote the music for Beta Band. But I want to go forward, not backwards. I would be ashamed if I had to go back in time to find inspiration for my music
DD: Any chance of a Beta Band reunion? Steve Mason: Yes, when hell freezes over! You should never say never, but I would have to be a madman to reform Beta Band now….but then again, I am quite mad…
DD: What do you reckon about The Aliens? Steve Mason: It’s not bad but it’s not my bag.
DD: Lost & Found is a great single, tell me about the video! Steve Mason: It’s not about me as you might think. It’s a about a dream I had where a suicide pact between a boy and a girl goes wrong. It’s directed by a couple of guys who call themselves John Major’s Daughters. They showed me some French films with a hint of slight danger in them as inspiration. I just love the old man in it – no one has old men in their videos these days!
DD: Someone labeled the album ‘electronic soul’ – what would you call it? Steve Mason: I don’t agree or disagree with that. Journalists love making up names for different kinds of music. They called Bets Band’s music for Folktronica. This album is me, it’s Steve Mason. That has always been the thread running through my music.
DD: You have fought off depression several times, is music a good or bad weapon for that? There is that age old question if ‘we listen to pop music because we’re sad or are we sad because we listen to pop music… Steve Mason: Dunno if it helps, but what I do know is that there is an enormous feeling of satisfaction after finishing off an album. There’s a feeling of not having wasted away my entire life…
DD: Favourite track from the album? Steve Mason: It has to be Stress Position!
'Boys Outside' is out Monday 3 May on Domino/Double Six
PHARRELL WILLIAMS' TANK FURNITURE US rapper and producer takes on furniture design in chair collaboration with the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris Text by David Hellqvist | Published 16 April 2010 Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli Courtesy Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris & Miami
When super producer and big time rapper Pharrell Williams suddenly got an urge to design furniture, there was no stopping him. Thanks to his friendship with Parisian gallery owner Emmanuel Perrotin, Williams has been able to see his design ambitions come true. The chairs presented at the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery are actually Williams' second batch. They were preceded by a chair inspired by Love and a sculpture in collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. This time around, Williams looked towards War for inspiration. Dazed Digital spoke to the multi-talented creative....
Dazed Digital: Is the War theme a natural progression on from Love, which was the theme for your last furniture project, or were you just influenced by the state of the world we live in? Pharrell Williams: I don't think that it's a natural progression, the series is called Perspective and they were both based on the way I felt at the moment I designed them. My inspiration and ideas are often based on curiosity stemming from things that I don't know about, or things I like to explore.
DD: Is it an 'angry' chair then? Pharrell Williams: No, not at all. I'm not angry about anything. The Tank Chair follows the first design concept of me putting myself in someone else's shoes to understand what and how they are feeling. Here I focused on young men and women who join the military and put themselves in a position that can not be reversed, and end up in wars far from home, often not understanding why. The chairs are also in baby colours which clearly steers away from anger on purpose.
DD: How does the War theme show itself in the chair? Pharrell Williams: Hmmm, the tank tracks?
DD: Are you moving on to other interior design ventures? Pharrell Williams: Yes, I'm willing to accept any challenge that I'm curious about, especially artistically. I have been blessed to be introduced to people who believe in me and give me the opportunity to challenge myself.
DD: How did this project come about in the first place? Pharrell Williams: A good friend of mine, Sabina Belli, introduced me to Emmanuel Perrotin. When I explained to him the ideas I had, he was very supportive and after teaming up with Domeau & Pérès, we created the first Perspective chair which was shown at Emmanuel's Paris gallery. The rest is history, as they say...
DD: Your 'main job' as a musician is creative as it is - does your creativity know no bounds? Pharrell Williams: I don't believe that there should be any boundaries to creativity. If that was true, I would not be where I am today.
DD: Any new music coming our way? Pharrell Williams: Sure, I'm basically in the studio everyday. I recently switched over to Logic which allows me to keep working while I'm on the road or at home so I'm never away from creating music. Besides working with other artists, we are putting the finishing touched on the new N*E*R*D album "Nothing" which will be out late spring. I'm really excited about the album: Shae, Chad and I are ready to take N*E*R*D to the next level!
Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin 76 rue de Turenne, Paris, 75003
DUGGIE FIELDS IN BROKEN HEARTS APPEAL Colourful and quirky artist joins impressive art line up for British Heart Foundation gala Text by David Hellqvist | Published 12 April 2010
To raise some well-deserved money for a great cause, the British Heart Foundation is holding an art auction at The Dorchester hotel in association with Christie's auction house on Wednesday the 14th of April. The event, entitled The Mending Broken Hearts Appeal, hopes to raise £50 million by selling off donated artwork by the likes of Damien Hirst, Sir Peter Blake, Gavin Turk, Jonathan Yeo and Duggie Fields, who Dazed Digital stole a quick chat with...
Dazed Digital: How did you get involved? Duggie Fields: Brad Faine asked if I would. I have worked with him over many yers and happened to bump in to him when he was on his way to a meeting about the project.
DD: Tell us about your art piece? Duggie Fields: It's a digital work drawn with a mouse, but using the computer to produce a virtual image in as close a way as I would make something with a paintbrush on a canvas.
DD: Did you produce several pieces? Duggie Fields: I worked on three or four other ideas first that got quite over complicated before I decided something simpler would be more effective. I came up with the concept of this combination as I was going to bed one night, tired and frustrated with way the earlier ideas were going.
DD: You're in fine company. who's art piece would you buy and why? Duggie Fields: I haven't seen most of them yet, but indeed it is quite an impressive array of artists. There are quite a few that I am looking forward to discovering when I get to see them.
DD: Who's the lady in the image? Duggie Fields: She is possibly based on Raphael Madonna, but I have forgetten! I have been working on a series of Madonnas for some years now. I started this version a couple of years ago, she was originally looking at the child. I did a version first without it, and then this one with the anatomic heart where the child's head would have been.
DD: What are you up to otherwise? Duggie Fields: I'm currently working on a landscape canvas based on views along the road the castle of Sezzate, an area in Tuscany, Italy, that I have been visiting and painting over the last few years.
HEDI SLIMANE X ROLLS ROYCE Photographer Slimane turns his eye and camera lens towards Rolls Royce, while Beck records the car engine for a Dazed Digital Exclusive Text by David Hellqvist | Published 09 April 2010
He might have been far too young to drive one, but Hedi Slimane's obsession with the affluent car make Rolls Royce started when the photographer was only six years old. Sketching the car over and over in his note pad, little did young Slimane know that the car epitomises everything he would later on in life be known for, both as a fashion designer and as a photographer; pure luxury, explicit shapes and superior quality. Whether documenting London's rock scene for a photo book, or rewriting the the rules of menswear as Creative Director of Dior Homme, Slimane has always brought those exact qualities to his work. Add to that his adolescent Rolls Royce fascination - which resulted in the purchase of two 'Triple Black' RR models - and the photographic collaboration between the two was just a question of time. Here, and on Nowness, we bring you the evidence of Hedi Slimane's life long love affair with Rolls Royce. His attention to detail and way of transforming ordinary car details into objects of desire is not only a testament to his skills as a photographer, but also shows that it is difficult to make a Rolls Royce car look bad...
SANG BLEU ISSUE 5 Tattoo slash fashion magazine launches new issue with European tour of parties Text by David Hellqvist | Published 08 April 2010
New magazines hit the shelves every other week, it seems like. Most of them are gone by the next. Sang Bleu was founded in 2004 so it isn't exactly new (although still young), but it proves that a good idea and hard work will get you through a tough financial climate and an equally difficult publishing business. The magazine was launched as a tattoo magazine, but Sang Bleu will aesthetically please whether you believe in the power of ink or not. Founder and editor-in-chief Maxime Buchi is just about to drop issue 5 of Sang Bleu on his faithfull readership. The content ranges from features on "contemporary art, fashion, and humanities to tattooing, body modification, fetish and BDSM" and totals an impressive 308 pages. As always, the Sang Bleu style has attracted not only the finest photo subjects and text topics, but also excellent contributors. As a massive Thank You to the readers, Maxime will not have just one launch party, but four. Check out the Sang Bleu Facebook page for details on the London edition.
Dazed Digital: Sang Bleu started out as a tattoo/fashion publication - was there a gap in the market? Maxime Büchi: I wouldn't speak in terms of market. I didn't have a notion of what the market was, really. I just catalyzed a certain spirit I could experience on a daily basis at that time. There turned out to be a relevant market though.
DD: Do you still have a strong tattoo angle? Maxime Büchi: Of course. Though I wouldn't say the tattoos are an angle; they're a necessity. From my point of view, it simply has to be addressed if I want to continue to depict what is the most advanced and experimental in today's artistic culture.
DD: Is the new issue also a double issue? Maxime Büchi: In one sense it is. This time, literally. It is only issue 5, but separated in 2 volumes, wrapped together.
DD: Who's on the cover? Maxime Büchi: Cedric.
DD: What else is good in this issue? Maxime Büchi: Haha, what a tough question. If it is inside, it has to be good! Really, what is good is the general spirit, the overall quality of the material and the organisation of it all as an editorial object. There has been a long road between issue 3/4 and issue 5. The editorial team is getting more coherent, I don't always have to explain what I am trying to do, which saves me a lot of time that I can instead dedicate to creative aspects & reflection.
DD: You are doing launch parties all over Europe - Are you turning into a touring party organiser? Maxime Büchi: Haha. Really, what we're doing is closer to gypsies endlessly roaming the world than some kind of Rock tour. I couldn't care less about filling clubs, what I like is to meet the contributors, the followers, have a chat if I can, create bounds, exchange smiles. That's what I feed myself on.
DD: Do you have many tattoos yourself? Maxime Büchi: I do. Many. Some big ones, some small ones.
DD: A particular favourite ? Maxime Büchi: Not really. They all relate to different times and events. They are me, my past, my present.
DD: What's next for Sang Bleu? Maxime Büchi: We are developing the publishing house with Jeanne-Salomé Rochat. It is called "Sang Bleu éditeurs" (pretty straight-forward innit?). Under this label, we have started to publish art books, essays. There are many things we want to do. Sang Bleu magazine also has to evolve, because for now, we are still investing in it, and we would like to find a way to make it financially self-sufficient so that we can start to invest in these other projects. Among others, I am also working on one called 'Monographies' which consists of a series of experimental "sex-movies", uniquely published on internet. We just finished the first one in collaboration with Emmanuelle Antille.
Want to get hold of a copy? It's available at Oki-Ni
London Launch Party: Saturday 10th of April 8pm - 3am The Alibi, 91 Kingsland Road High Street London E8 2PB
FRIEDRICH GRAY SPRING SUMMER 2010 FILM Designer Ben Pollitt collaborates with photographer Tim Richardson on an atmospheric fashion film Text by David Hellqvist | Published 23 March 2010
The Australian label Friedrich Gray, AKA designer Ben Pollitt, tells the sartorial story of an atypical neo-gothic hero. Silhouettes are slim and dark, often in leather and denim. Now based in the southern hemisphere, Pollitt has spent time in New York and his travelling experiences shine through his tough and moody designs. At the same time, the local and native influences are equally important. That's all obvious when looking at the film Pollitt has produced in collaboration with film maker and photographer Tim Richardson. The result is an eerie but beautiful art piece, boosted by Richardson's cinematography and Pollitt's sharp tailoring. Dazed Digital spoke to both...
Dazed Digital: Why use an alias, and where did Friedrich Gray come from? Ben Pollitt: I figured the label shouldn't be based around my name, but that of a character who's story becomes the enigma of the brand. The literal references were Caspar David Friedrich and the experimental band "Gray".
DD: You mostly use dark and monochrome colours - is that why you don’t ‘believe’ in seasons? Ben Pollitt: I use that palette to provide continuity amongst collections, the garments can then be mixed and layered. I feel the darker colours are easier to wear and add an anonymous element. So yes, the palette compliments the longevity of a garment's relevance.
DD: Often we see you using tight bottoms and loose tops – do you like playing around with proportions? Ben Pollitt: I like the idea of distorting the silhouettes. Framing the contours of the legs, letting the upper body float on it its plinth.
DD: There is menswear in the film as well – where do you feel most at home? Ben Pollitt: I move through both in a natural way, what's happening around me shapes where I want to be, it shifts daily. They have different meanings to me. Menswear is a little more self indulgent as I can wear the garments, where as women's its more conceptual.
DD: A favourite piece in the collection? Ben Pollitt: The full length digital printed Merino wool dress with the leather arms. Emma wears this while traversing the rocks.
DD: Is leather, which you call "the second skin", your preferred fabric? Ben Pollitt: It is the real skin in our garments. I like to experiment with washes, finishes, mixing it with contrasting weights and textures, and using it tightly and draping it off the body.
DD: There are some haunting and eerie nature shots in the film – is nature a big influence on you? Ben Pollitt: It was for this collection. I visited an Edward Burtynsky photo exhibition and I was moved by the natural composition forms in his rock quarry series. We used the ridge lines to create interesting shapes and contours. The film was shot on the location of an old quarry by the coast, a truly mystical and voluminous place.
DD: What else inspired the collection? Ben Pollitt: Leading up to the filming of the collection, we played the DJ Hell album Teufelswerk on high rotation to keep us moving. It has some really great tracks that helped drive the creative and allowed for a journey under pressure. I always have an album for a collection.
Tim Richardson is a New York-based photographer and film director. His work have been seen in, among others, V Magazine, Interview and Dazed & Confused. Of late, Richardson has also published several books, including the recent Physical Frequencies. His second film, Procession, was shown at the Strasbourg Film Festival.
Dazed Digital: You both photograph and shoot film – where are you creatively at home? Tim Richardson: Recent projects like my Augmented Reality shoot with Katie Shillingford have become about integrating both mediums - sometimes simultaneously. The beauty of film is that it allows a more flowing connection to the model. It's more like visual choreography and has evolved to influence the way I shoot stills. So my way of working - my creative home - has really shifted to cover both mediums.
DD: Do you often work with fashion designers, such as Friedrich Gray? Tim Richardson: I've worked with several fashion brands in the past. My relationship with Friedrich Gray is unique in that the project evolved from a my long term friendship with Ben. Knowing one another for several years meant that the project was a free creative exchange and that Ben trusted me that much more to interpret Friedrich Gray on to film.
DD: What’s the Pros with such a collaboration, compared to the bigger Nike and YSL jobs you also have done? Tim Richardson: A young label like Friedrich Gray is a far more personal kind of project - both for Ben and myself. The smaller scale of the brand means that Ben and I worked very closely on the film from beginning to end. Also by nature of having a smaller budget the creative process is focused more on innovation and experimental approaches to achieve a clear aesthetic statement.
DD: Any Cons? Tim Richardson: The budget is usually the biggest Con, which is no surprise. It just forces you to be more resourceful.
DD: Do you have any formal photo/film training? Tim Richardson: I was an art director for four years, working with both photographers and film makers. So my training was 'on the job'.
DD: Where did you shoot this film? Tim Richardson: We were looking for a location with an epic, almost 'science fiction' terrain. The extreme 'geology' and sun blasted coastline of Kiama, just outside Sydney, was perfect. To me, the location is really the third character in the film.
DD: Was there any obstacles during the filming? Tim Richardson: The main obstacle was the landscape. Our shot list was very ambitious - which meant constant movement - a lot of climbing and heavy lifting to get around the terrain. The blasting sun also took its toll on the crew, giving most of us a tan of the very red variety...
DD: How does working with fashion aesthetics compare to commercial and art work? Tim Richardson: I've always felt like fashion is an aesthetic collision point. Historical and contemporary cultural references meet within the creative process of designers and image makers in a way that is unlike any other medium. By its very nature fashion photography and film demand a kind of constant visual innovation. Other fields like art and commercial work require a progressive aesthetics - but not at the same heightened speed.
DD: Can you give any examples? Tim Richardson: I just finished a film for installation at the Venice Biennale - a collaboration with UK choreographer Rafael Bonachela. We started work in August 2009 and the work is showing in Venice in June 2010. For me art means I stay with a project for so much longer, its demands a different kind of attention. What attracts me to fashion is a sense of constant evolution.
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