ISO50

RSS

ASGER CARLSEN: HESTER

4_hflat

4_img1226worklastcroppedflat

4_img1489flat

4_img3981workflat

4_img4028

4_t5a6889printworknewflat

4_t5a7700flat

4_t5a7751workflatwork3flat

4_t5a8788flatnew4flatfinal

The fantastical black-and-white nudes of Asger Carlsen‘s Hester series are nothing if not provocative. The NY-based artist works in limbs and lumps, torsos and bulges, constructing figures that are human and yet not quite, and “shooting” them in gritty greytones. The resulting images are alternately grotesque, graceful, and thought-provoking. If you can suppress your gag reflex long enough, Carlsen’s deformed forms possess a strange beauty, and an unblinking skepticism about photography’s capacity for realism.

Posted by: Todd Goldstein | Twitter: @armsongs

Tom Croose + Severed + Falko + Function

Posted by Jakub



Do you all remember Tom Croose? he just posted a beautiful remix up on his Soundcloud that I must have missed.

I found this Severed Heads cut on Resident Advisors Top Mixes of 2012. Its one of those perfect synth pop unearthed gems.

I put together a certain style of tech house for my DJ sets, so i’m careful with my selection because I want their to be that synth heavy end, bright driving rhythms and not a big build because i’m more into a break that bleeds into the “drop”, its more entrancing for the crowd. In this Falko track there’s the perfect example of that plus it has that unique drive to it that pushes it forward and not soo much upward.

Atmosphere is very overused in describing music but Function does a great job here, sound like there’s air added, everything vibrates in a cold bright space, takes me back to some early Detroit mornings.

Valhalla: Sweetgrass Productions

2013-01-07_0920s2013-01-07_09162013-01-07_0917d
Over the past few years the creativity and aesthetic of the ski movie has reached exciting new levels. Whether you’re remised about it or not, the days of the Warren Miller lifestyle film are quickly fading, if not already gone. Studios like Sweetgrass Productions, Sherpas Cinema, Teton Gravity Research, and Solomon Freeski TV – among others – have redefined the genre with next level editing, production and storytelling.

Presented here is the teaser for Valhalla, a Sweetgrass Productions film set to be released in Fall of this year. I love the aesthetic they’ve created, and can’t wait to see the full movie if this is any indication of how it might turn out.

Posted by: Owen Perry Instagram: @Circa_1983

Honorable Mention Albums of 2012

Posted by Jakub

hmloscil

Loscil – “Coyote”
Sketches from New Brighton (Kranky)

hmclams

Clams Casino – “Leaf”
Instrumental 2 (Self Released)

hmonu

Onuinu – “Happy Home”
Mirror Gazer (Bladen County Records)

hmblack

Black Marble – “A Great Design”
A Different Arrangement (Hardly Art)

hmsilent

Silent Servant – “Temptation & Desire”
Negative Fascination (Hospital Productions)

To round up the album portion of the best of 2012 I wanted to add honorable mentions in no particular order. These artists didn’t just build around a single, they had quality albums for listening and kept true to the art.

Scenes from Death Valley

IMG_3398IMG_3736IMG_3726IMG_3637IMG_3500IMG_3521 IMG_3512IMG_3509IMG_3418IMG_3751IMG_3785

Had a chance to explore in and around Death Valley last week with my new favorite lens, Canon’s 24mm F1.4. Stumbled upon a few ghost towns, countless abandoned mines, including one that a migrant had used as a shelter, and even Charlie Manson’s old getaway truck, still preserved in the one of the driest climates on earth. What’s nice about this particular 24mm prime is how it’s fast as it is wide, which makes it great for shallow depth of field in landscape photos, and a perfect tool for capturing shots indoors, in tight places.

Roloff Beny

DSC_1915-3DSC_1916DSC_1927DSC_1923DSC_1931DSC_1932DSC_1945DSC_1954DSC_1962DSC_1938DSC_1911DSC_1912DSC_1936

Complete Set of Photos Here

During the holidays I stopped in at a used book store and came across a wonderful photography book by Canadian artist, Roloff Beny. ‘To Every Thing There is a Season: Roloff Beny in Canada’ is a photographic essay exploring Canada during the 1960’s. The book contains poems, landscapes, portraits, architecture, and graphic design that is visionary for the time it was printed. Like a Boards of Canada album, the book puts my mind in a cozy, nostalgic place.

A little research reveals that the book was the official Canadian gift to visiting heads of state during the country’s 1967 centennial year. He’s also authored a number of other acclaimed photography books I’m hoping to pick-up in the near future.

Beny’s work is included in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario. In 1971, he was made an officer of The Order of Canada. In 1984, at the age of 60, Beny passed away from a heart attack in his Roman studio overlooking the Tiber.

You can view a more complete set of photos in this FLICKR SET I put together.

Posted by: Owen Perry | Instagram: @circa_1983