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“I DON’T KNOW IF YOU REALIZE THIS, BUT YOU KINDA STAND OUT…”
I’m about to go on another Nikita shoot (www.nikitaclothing.com). Don’t know where we’re going yet, but here are some snaps from the last summer shoot. It was the 7th shoot I’ve done with them and I love those weird, intense trips we take. Usually Rúnar & Heiða, who run the company, throw a dart at a world map and off we go. This time they were aiming for The Bahamas and the dart hit Tampa. So we went to Miami.
One day we were shooting in what we thought was this really picturesque area: run down houses, all painted in pastels and lined up along massive, wide streets. We parked the cars and started shooting on a street corner. After a while I realized certain cars were cruising by us veeeery slowly with alarming regularity. I was starting to feel a little apprehensive when a police car drove up and asked us where we were from.
"I don't know if you realize this, but you kinda stand out."
Waving around expensive electronics while hanging out with a bunch of cute girls, who are feverishly dancing to gangster rap while simultaneously peeling off their clothes on a street corner in one of Miami's roughest ghettos was not his idea of blending in, apparently.
He told us there had been 5 armed robberies that same morning in that same neighborhood and we'd be well advised to get the hell out of there, fast.
"Welcome to America," he added sarcastically before driving off.
So we drove off to the Fashion District, where the girls could dance without being shot and raped.
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TONIGHT IS THE OPENING OF MY FIRST LOS ANGELES SHOW!
Tonight is the opening of my first Los Angeles show: “Work In Progress” at Blythe Projects in Culver City.
It consists of images from my ongoing project “Conditions” as well as footage from the short film I’m working on, “Come To Harm."
The photographic project explores how peoples conditions, whether they are social, economic or psychological, are reflected in their physical appearance.
The 15 minute thriller "Come To Harm "tells the story of Stefan (Björn Thors), a man who’s life is in turmoil after a series of personal tragedies. When he senses an intruder in his house he spirals first into panic, then into an encompassing state of siege. As tension builds the prospect of an inevitable catastrophe looms on the horizon and the reasons for Stefan’s erratic behavior are gradually revealed.
The proceeds from the print sales of Conditions will be used to fund the rest of the filming of Come To Harm. By purchasing a print from the series, benefactors directly fund the production of Come To Harm and will be acknowledged in the credits of the film.
Work by artists John Andolsek and Mark Schoening will be on display, in addition to new work by sculptor Anthony James, paintings by multidisciplinary artist JK5, and video art by filmmaker and Masses founder Matt Amato. The Masses is an international art collective headquartered in Los Angeles, with a focus on film, music and fine art.
The show runs from today, 23rd of January, until the 25th of February. I hope to see all of you there!
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Blythe Projects, Culver City Arts District, 5795 West Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles
www.blytheprojects.net
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Who? Me? Model?
We spotted Tashauna on Hallandale Beach while shooting swimwear for the Nikita streetwear collection SS/2010. She was there with her girlfriend and her girlfriend’s mom and immediately caught our eye. She’s from Jamaica, but lives in Liberty City in Miami, a seriously dodgy area that we had been politely escorted out of a few days earlier by the police, who were afraid we'd be murdered. Stupid tourists. She’d never modeled before and looks like she could kick your butt. Or bust a cap in your ass.
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BLOODY WELL SORT OUT YOUR WEBSITE!
Since I take my camera everywhere and consequently need a place to stash all the pictures that keep piling up, I’ll gradually be trickling them into this section, along with other stuff that I deem worthy.
And since my mate Crispin has been telling me for years to “bloody well sort out your website,” I’m dedicating this first entry to him.
Crispin is a tropical creature that thrives best in temperatures well above 35° C, in areas bounteous with food and drink. These rare and intimate pictures are taken in his natural habitat.
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- 2009: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec