Bring On The Wild Things.

TREND: The beloved children's book, Where The Wild Things Are, is again massively influencing the art world.

I know I’m not alone when I say that Maurice Sendak’s 1963 childrens book, Where The Wild Things Are, is a story that I’ve loved ever since my first time reading it as a child. It is no wonder then that there has been an explosion of artistic expression inspired by the story ever since the first trailers were shown of the book’s upcoming film adaptation directed by none other than the great Spike Jonze.

Movie poster for the film Where The Wild Things Are

One project in particular that caught my attention was Cory Godbey’s TERRIBLE YELLOW EYES, “…a collection of works inspired by the beloved classic, Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. …created by invited contributing artists and myself.” As Cory says in a description of the project which perfectly sums up my own feelings, "I don’t remember when I first read Where the Wild Things Are, but I do remember the feelings I had. At the time I lacked the vocabulary to express those feelings and now, how ever many years later, I find myself in the same situation." Nonetheless, here are some examples of the wonderful pieces from the TERRIBLE YELLOW EYES project.

A Year and Two Days by Cedar Leidigh for terribleyelloweyes.com

Where Someone Loved Him Best of All by Cory Godbey for terribleyelloweyes.com

"They're Not So Terrible" by Peter deSeve for terribleyelloweyes.com

From paintings to illustrations I knew it was just a matter of time before the Wild Things hit fashion, and sure enough, I was right.

Opening Ceremony x Spike Jonze "Where The Wild Things Are" Collection courtesy of HighSnobiety.com

Needless to say I am incredibly excited about the inspirational influence this book is having on creative minds around the world. I think the story of Max and the Wild Things represents many things, but in particular an innocence and creativeness of youth that is all but lost as we grow up and face an ever more growing list of responsibilities in our lives. That innocence and creativity is something that we all had at one point as children, and is something that I believe still exists within us. So I hope that with all of the amazing work that has been inspired by Where The Wild Things Are, as well as the upcoming film adaptation, we will see even more creative responses in the form of art, music, fashion, and culture. And perhaps every once in a while we can even take a few moments to nurture that small Wild Thing in each of us.

Costumes inspired by Where The Wild Things Are by Christian Joy for Urban Outfitters at Space 15 Twenty

The Relationship Between Technology, Art, and Fabric Prints.

TREND: The influence of technology on fashion.

While it may seem obvious to most people, I never really thought much about the idea of technology influencing fashion aesthetics aside from the gimmicky clothing integrated with the latest gizmos and gadgets that always seem to surface in fashion once every few years or so for a quick dose of novelty.

The MUSICGIR iPod integrated suit by Bagir

I think there is a far better indicator in fashion of the technology of a period, and that is in the prints on fabrics used in clothing. Having just finished a comprehensive project covering the collections from New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010, I couldn’t help but notice that the prints from Richard Chai looked an awfully lot like the Light Abstracts images from djspyhunter’s flickr stream.

Richard Chai Spring/Summer 2010 collection

Richard Chai Spring/Summer 2010 collection

Screenshot from djspyhunter's flickr stream

Seeing the two separate sources of abstract images/prints side-by-side made me realize that as we progress technologically, we will also be able to see the direct result in terms of fabric prints. That is not to say that we should expect to see a direct influence from the Web 2.0 or Tesla Motor’s first mass market sedan on runway fabric prints. Instead, as technology as a whole improves so will fabric printing technology. That means to a certain extent the printed fabric of clothing can serve as a technological indicator of the times.

Crocodile Print Dress by Christopher Kane courtesy of TOPSHOP.com

Rise Of The Post-Apocalyptic Aesthetic.

TREND: Expressing hope through a post-apocalyptic aesthetic.

For all that has been mentioned recently about how the economy is starting to recover, it seems that there is still a bit of “doom-and-gloom” lurking around our midst. In the two examples shown below from emerging photographer Jim Lind, a senior at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and the Levi's Go Forth ad campaign, the post-apocalyptic aesthetic remains a strong image in the media today.

Last Supper by Jim Lind

Levis ad from 2009 Go Forth Campaign

"ANGIE S. AND GRANT T. AT THEIR SUMMER HOUSE CALLED THE 'SKUNK SHACK'" courtesy of www.goforth.levi.com

It is interesting to note the differences in the way a post-apocalyptic aesthetic is communicated. Obviously Jim Lind’s use of imagery is far more provocative and dark, while the Levis campaign seems to romanticize the idea of a post-apocalyptic world by using bright images to “lift” the emotions of the viewer.

(As a side note I wonder if Levi's was thinking of the film, Mad Max 2, when they decided to use that beat-up car.)

Screenshot from the 1981 film, Mad Max 2, starring Mel Gibson

Another recent artistic project that reminded me of a post-apocalyptic world was created by the artist, Swoon, who built boats out of garbage to "invade" the Venice Biennale. Read the full story from New York magazine here.

Boats made of junk by artist Swoon

Having always been a fan of the Steam Punk aesthetic and perhaps an optimist at heart, I tend to favor the bright, romanticized version of a post-apocalyptic world over the dark, Terminator 2: Judgement Day style imagery.

Screenshot from the 1991 film, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger

Ultimately I think that any post-apocalyptic imagery, current or past, serves as a reminder of the same transcendent message: To appreciate what is truly important in life- not the objects that we produce and acquire, but the quality of the relationships with people that we have. It's like what New York magazine said about Swoon and her junk-boat crew, "This crew is Swoon’s big punk-rock family, and even though they’ll likely be broke after this project, they’ll take care of each other." And given all the problems that we're facing in the world today, I'd say that's a pretty relevant message for all of us.

The Implications of Paper Craft.

TREND: The global economic meltdown has moved artists toward more humble mediums to express their work- in this case simple, inexpensive paper.

For a while now I’ve been noticing a lot of paper craft in the art world. These projects have ranged from a 17-foot cardboard sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi, a perfectly crafted miniature replica of Howl's Moving Castle from Japanese director and artist Miyazaki, and even a Hermes Kelly bag!

Howl's Moving Castle by Ben Millet

17-foot tall sculpture of Mahatma Ghandi by Joseph DeLappe, a professor at the University of Nevada.

Hermes Kelly bag by Hermes courtesy of NotCot.org

Even more interesting was how closely some of the runway looks from the collections of New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010 resembled paper craft art forms. In particular I am referring to Marc Jacobs peek-a-boo jacket and the Marchesa dress shown below.

Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2010 collection

Marchesa Spring/Summer 2010 collection

Whether these designers were directly inspired by paper craft is less important than the idea of the organic movement of trends across cultures. In other words, this is the first time I’ve noticed a possible connection across art forms (in this case sculpture to apparel/accessories) which is pretty exciting. My guess is that the paper craft movement represents a desire for simplicity in today’s tumultuous global economy and the idea that elegant solutions can be achieved for a minimal cost, not to mention the continued importance of sustainability in using a material that can easily be recycled.