art morsel

I went to Bergamot Station is past weekend with some friends, and we visited the Brendan Monroe show @ Richard Heller. Style-wise, I don't think this is Monroe's best work ever, but I did enjoy the content of the show. I like the way his abstraction resembles organic forms at the microscopic level, and how he jumbles up the context and scale of said abstraction by inserting the human figure.

This piece, although lacking the figure, drew me in. Having a spontaneous childlike association, I imagined this piece as depicting a single, essential atom of macaroni and cheese. Initially comforting, and then kind-of gross, right?


Brendan Monroe
The Cell Who Remembers the Sun
26 x 20 Inches, Acrylic on Paper
2009

Portrait of Katherine

...It could also be called, "Portrait of a Best Friend."

Kat just came out to L.A. from Georgia for a wedding, but I managed to commandeer most of her west coast hours (and even an extra one, thanks to the end of daylight saving!).

We got to catch up on tons of stuff, including our lack of [insert excuse here] that keeps us from doing just-because creative work. She came up with the brilliant charge of making each other's portraits during our free Sunday evening time slot.

We each got an hour, and were confined to using a digital 35, two small strobes, and my bedroom.

This is it:


Now, none of this was necessarily in the front of my mind during the shoot, but I love this depiction of her, because it reflects where she is in her life right now. I especially love the pensive body language, because she is someone with whom I can always share the endless cycle of questions and answers with. We have had so many adventures together, from late-night shooting in L.A., to hour-long train rides to Coney Island, to driving and camping along the Appalachian Trail. She is a thoughtful and steadfast soul sister (not to mention, a great photographer), and I love her to pieces.

Homage to the Rebel

A salute to the iconic James Dean as Jim Stark...


Homage to the Rebel, by Secret Ultra M.

This image is a tidbit from a menswear/lifestyle shoot I art directed last week. It's part of a project I have been collaborating on with some talented friends;

Photographer: Kim Garcia
Model: Preston Vanderslice
Stylist: Corban Poorboy
Art Director: Mariann Marcum (me)

These peeps are so good at what they do, and I loved spending the day working with them. Thanks, you guys!