1. Never call yourself a Ninja, when clearly you’re not.  
2. Never give us Jessica Simpson on a good day (see below)    

When you’ll never come close to the Loggins on a bad day.

“I need to go to Africa every so often. I feel free there. Everything is so simple, so poetic. Everywhere you go, everyone you meet, you cannot help but be amazed and inspired!”

It is this passion that led Laurent Elie Badessi to journey many times in Africa to photograph indigenous tribes for his “Ethnological Fashion Photography” project. His prime goal was to study the impact of photography on autochthons that have never been exposed to this medium, or very rarely.

To succeed in creating these very unique images Badessi and his team lived in little villages with different ethnic groups all across Niger: the Haoussas, Peul Bororo, Kanouris, Gourmances, Djemmas, Fulanis, Beri Beris and Touaregs, sharing their food and habits. He adopted the ‘Negotiated Photography’ method, which concept is to involve the models as much as possible in the photo-session by letting them choose the poses, the clothes, the make-up, the accessories, the time, the location…even the camera angle.

“The main catalyst between our occidental culture and all these different cultures was the ‘clothing’, which is the element that I decided to use as the main vector for these photo-sessions”.

What made this particular experience truly remarkable was the defiant independence he encountered, especially with the Peul Bororo, a highly nomadic group that accepted him and his camera slowly over time. “First I took some Polaroids of my teammates and shown the Peul Bororo the results. Little by little they started to feel comfortable and came to me, expressing their curiosity towards this magical tool the ‘Camera’. When they first saw their image on the Polaroids, they could not really understand! I would point out what I had captured on the photographs: their hat, their accessories and all the different elements… then they would recognize themselves and laugh, some would place the photos on their heart. It was a very unforgettable experience, because until then the only image of themselves they knew, was their reflection in the water or in the mirror”.

“The photo-sessions were such a great success that they took place everyday after the common tasks. The men would spend hours doing very elaborated make-up, which they usually wear for special occasions. Around 5 p.m. when the sun was starting to set and the day to cool off, the more adventurous would pose and the others would line up behind me, watching carefully their mates, before taking their turn in front of my camera ”.

“A couple of days later, I placed a rug in the center of the village and displayed clothes that we brought along from Paris by designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Azzedine Alaïa, Marithé & François Girbaud, Claude Montana, Paco Rabanne. They loved them and tried on every single piece! They styled themselves by incorporating these clothes with their own, their accessories, their jewelry and swords. The women were more timid, they did not participate as much as the men, but were nevertheless very creative. Because the dresses we brought were too short (according to the tradition the women cannot show skin above the ankles) they placed them on top of their own. The mix of fabrics with the contrast of vibrant colors and delicate textures became the ultimate fashion statement!”

Laurent Elie Badessi also shared his passion for photography with the Touaregs another very nomadic group, which is known for trading goods throughout the Sahara and the Sahel regions. He traveled with them in the Tenere desert and the surrounding lands, capturing on film their natural elegance.

“Les hommes bleus du desert (the blue men from the desert) as they are called, posed with great dignity in front of my camera. Because they don’t wear make-up even during the fantasias or other important occasions they really focus on the clothes. To protect themselves from the heat and the very violent sand storms; the men always wrap a chech (scarf) around their face, which make their very dark eyes appear hazel. We met many groups of Touaregs during our journey in this very isolated part of Africa and we were always amazed to see them rise in the horizon like a mirage and gradually appear in front of us on their camels, impeccably dressed and so noble”

“One of the most revealing aspects of my study was the special attitude the autochthones granted me in comparison to the rest of the team. I was different. I was the one taking their photographs. The camera and the ability to capture permanently their image were something totally amazing to them. I think because they could not really explain it, they were a little bit more distant with me. They would watch all my actions, even when I was not taking photographs, they tried to figure out how I could catch their appearance and perhaps their spirit! If they wanted to communicate with me, most of them would do it through my teammates. They always checked that I had everything I needed and gave me the best food. They unquestionably thought I had some magic in me!”

The vivid images, which resulted from this experience, offer a rare insight into the beauty, rituals and lifestyle of different populations of Niger. They ultimately reveal the cross cultural fluidity of all human experience. Ideas about cultural superiority dissolve as the richness of diversity seeps through.

Leave it to Google to keep saving the world. The search engine has introduced Blackle (www.blackle.com), the normal Google home page but entirely in black. By simply changing from a white background to black your computer uses less energy, thus saving watts, thus making sure polar ice caps don’t melt, thus saving baby polar bears.  Shout out to Parker Davis, a Glitterati friend and esteemed associate for giving us the scoop on Blackle.  

I remember when I first came to NYC from Indiana, that the idea of wearing wellies never crossed my mind. How I got through so many wet days in my hometown and my campus - I will never know. When I came to the city and after sloshing around in my flipflops and enjoying the wonders of wet jeans that never really dry, I realized that wellies were an essential and could be made into a fashionable item. Since that time, I have been a fan of the wellies and who doesn’t love the idea of splashing into a puddle when you know you’re covered? But this made me wonder - what is the next step to the wellie? Now I am a huge fan of Marc Jacobs and Hunter Boots - as I have both of these but there are times when possibly the rain is not so intense and you need something fashionable and weather friendly. Enter Swims who knows how to make you happy by satisfying both needs. First, swims allows you to wear your favorite shoe and to merely apply the rubber outershell to transform your shoe into a rainproof piece! In addition, there are fun colors that let you make  a statement and without having to don the typical boot/jeans look.  On a hot day when you don’t mind the occassional drip, this shoe suddenly becomes your first shoe of choice when the sky begins to well up. www.swims.com Kimmie Editor - See Pretty Things http://www.seeprettythings.comEditor - Kitten Lounge http://kittenlounge.typepad.comEditor - Social Divahttp://www.socialdiva.comFounder/Publicist - Bliss NY PRLaunches April 1stDesigner - Kitten Couturehttp://www.shopkittencouture.com 

OuttaContext posted a brilliant blog on the ongoing debate regarding Flickr and adding video. Citing Godfrey Reggio’s “Still Images” this blog is a must read and watch for anyone still unsure what side to take. http://outtacontext.com/life/archive/000495.shtml  

Myth-maker,  New York avant garde Performance Artist and musician, Laurie Anderson presented her latest mad scientist release titled HOMELAND which occurred high on the hill at UCLA ala Castle Royce Hall in Los Angeles on the 10th of April 2008. HOMELAND was performed by a distinguished supporting ensemble featuring Anderson on violin, keyboards, vocals and samples.

A Laurie Anderson concert can only be experienced and understood when it is metaphorically compared to the great allegory feature, the Bride of Frankenstein.  The 1935 horror film was directed by James Whale, starred Boris Karloff as the “Monster”, and is arguably one of the most prolific horror films to date. Please click on link if you’re not familiar with this masterpiece.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tG-ulMN5v4

The comparative sub-plot from the book involves the Monster promising to leave Frankenstein, and the human race, alone only if Frankenstein will create a true soul mate. Frankenstein creates the female monster, but never brings it to life, deciding instead to destroy it. The classic novelist Mary Shelley critically wrote the great narrative in 1816 noting that her sole intention in writing the Monster tale was to teach a moral lesson shared where self destruction is within us all.

As a metaphor, Frankenstein is being persecuted by the village towns-people, the scene where the Monster encounters a gypsy family. In trying to steal the meat the family is roasting, the Monster burns his hand in the campfire.   The Monster escapes through the forest seductively following the sounds of a lone musician playing Franz Schubert , ?”Ave Maria” on his violin.

The Monster desperately seeks respite in encountering an old blind hermit living alone and secluded.   The blind man thanks God for purposely sending him a destined friend.  In revelation the Blind man teaches the Monster how to express himself in spite of instructing foreign words such as “friend” and “good.”  However, two lost hunters stumble onto the cottage and recognize the fugitive monster. In self defense, the Monster attacks them and  accidentally burns down the cottage while  the hunters lead the blind man safely away from a last attempt at salvation. 

Laurie Anderson’s performance of Homeland represents the basic nature of a Greek tragedy vis a vis “The Bride of Frankenstein” -  where everybody is doing what they think is right and yet things will inevitably go disastrously wrong for everyone.  Like the words of the Blind man Laurie Anderson invites you to a new theater of metaphor in sharing. 

Welcome my Friend

Whomever you are

Come in My Poor Friend

Now tell me who are you

Perhaps you are affected too

No one will hurt you here

I cannot see and you cannot speak.

Come…

 Laurie Anderson is the visionary blind performer of our time who goes beyond criteria in sharing the new language of Homeland with the Monstrosity of our Time.  Like a true soothsayer, Anderson  departs a given lesson before the apocalyptic destruction of fire.  Homeland addresses the vulnerabilities and fears of Americans, with insecurity of increasing alienation, loneliness and loss of freedom.  Homeland is the blind man which can not see but only instill a new vision of intimacy for the time.  HOMELAND paints a unique musical portrait of contemporary America where two of thy lonely lost children (Audience and Artist) can finally come to rest together.

 Amen

 The Phantom Street Artist Lost Angeles 2008

The adult entertainment industry is a sexual circus filled with performers, acrobats and an array of other spectacles. From an outsider perspective it can be an intimidating world of vixens, starlets and studs. Michael Grecco’s book “Naked Ambition” peels away the glitter, makeup and self-tanner to reveal the individuals behind this billion dollar industry.

At first glance Grecco’s images show the typical stereotype - the buxom blonde with a waist half the size of her bust, the tattooed fetish couple, the salacious twinks and the barely legal girl from the Midwest. Delve deeper into the book, look past the breasts and beasts and one can find people (not performers) who break the silicone mold. Naked Ambition redefines the idea of a porn star and truly shines a light on the real person inside the shell we label an adult entertainer.

Ah shucks. Thanks Folgers! 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and much too often the beholder is a photographer.

In a world where fine art photography is dominated by the surrealist notion of beauty, Drew Tal is conducting scientific experiments on his computer to find a common definition of beauty and what that entails. Studies indicate that to find something beautiful indicates a scientific process occurring in your mind. One might think beauty is something that is raw emotion and has nothing to do with chemicals or brainwaves. In actuality, its a cause and effect reaction occurring in the brain cause by one’s past and previous experiences with life, beauty and your definition of all that is glorious.

For more information go to pointofviewartgallery.com