Two New Collections From Aesthetica | Artists and Writers

At Aesthetica we encourage creativity and innovation, fostering artists and writers through the Aesthetica Creative Works Competition. This year’s competition saw a fantastic response from across the world and the calibre of work presented to Aesthetica was superb.

We’ve compiled the finalists and winners from the competition into two excellent collections: the Aesthetica Creative Works Annual and the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual.

The Aesthetica Creative Works Annual is a stimulating anthology of new works that explore contemporary artistic practice, bringing together 75 artists who represent contemporary visual culture across a range of media.

Artists from across the world are presented in this collection, and through this international representation it’s possible to see works that are being produced today in different contexts; yet several of these works, although diverse in medium, explore related ideas. Many of the overriding themes are centred on identity, location, economy, 21st century alienation, politics and globalisation.

The works in this collection fuse the personal with the global and unite to communicate a wider message about the world in which we live.

Inside the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual you will find short fiction and poetry that will stimulate your imagination and inspire you long after reading.

Covering a broad range of themes, this anthology invites you to explore the different facets of contemporary life, resonating on many levels. This collection will ignite your passion for new writing, and you will return to it over and over again.

Pick up one (or both) of these beautiful Annuals online at www.aestheticamagazine.com/shop.htm


Captions:
Image 1: Blue Street #2 by Natalia Davis
Image 2: Sea Point Pool by Michael Meyersfeld
Image 3: Drawing Room with Pheasant by Roger Hopgood
Image 4: Flow by Simon Shepherd
All images from the Aesthetica Creative Works Annual 2012

Christophe Von Hohenberg | The Day The Factory Died | Coldharbour London Gallery

This December Coldharbour London Gallery will be exhibiting The Day The Factory Died, a collection of never-before published photos by acclaimed fashion photographer Christophe Von Hohenberg, of Pop artist Andy Warhol's memorial service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1987. Curated by Aretha Campbell, the exhibition will bring together letters from the memorial, photographs, as well as works by Warhol himself. Published in conjunction with the exhibition, is a bible-like 176 page book featuring a calvacade of celebrities from the world's of Hollywood, Fashion, Pop Music, International Society and Art.

Von Hohenberg, came upon Warhol's funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, whilst on assignment for Vanity Fair. His probing lens snapping beautiful black and white photos, capturing the swirl of celebrity that forced itself, shoulder-to-shoulder into the event, it was as if Andy Warhol had planned his own funeral, a dizzying crush of fame and fakery.

The images, in this exhibition, convey warmth and sadness, despite the high-glitz factor of that day. Bianca Jagger, her hair pulled over one eye...The Stern defiant chin of Claus Von Bulow, looking down on the proceedings and the poor fools below him. A hurrying Robert Maplethorpe, angry mane blowing behind him. And the wild-eyed mania of punk and pop fashion designer Stephen Sprouse, perhaps the most Warholian of the subjects photographed.

The imaginatively-designed book, by Daniel Stark of Stark Design in New York City, features endpapers of the day-glo, Stephen Sprouse-designed, Warhol camouflage aprons that waiters wore at the luncheon following the memorial mass. It also features a foreword by well-known art writer Anthony Haden-Guest on Warhol’s expanding and still-controversial legacy. The book as well features an essay entitled Time Capsule by New York cultural historian and curator Charlie Scheips, who collaborated with von Hohenberg on the creation of the book. Scheips draws together the events of that day, and the character of those times, both as a search for a lost, bygone era but also as a guide to for those too young to remember that halcyon era that Warhol profoundly influenced. The book features over 45 letters from many of the notable figures present that day as testimony to the influence which Warhol had on their own lives and times—in many different ways. It concludes with rarely-seen photos of the actual burial ceremony in Warhol’s native Pittsburgh; and ends with a never-before published 1978 photo of Andy Warhol by Bill Kornreich.

The Day The Factory Died, Coldharbour London Gallery, 7/12/2011 - 22/1/2012. www.coldharbourlondon.com

Captions:
Courtesy the artist

Photography Vs. Photography: Lara Jade & Joey L

Text by Bethany Rex

Each issue of Aesthetica features works by some of today's rising stars in photographic practice from around the world. This year's August/September issue featured the work of Lara Jade, a fashion, portraiture and commercial photographer who has worked with brands such as Sony and magazines such as Elle. Originally from the UK, Lara has relocated to New York City where she has collaborated with commercial photographer Joey L for LJ vs JL Photographer Shoot-Off, a photographic educational DVD which was released on 1 December. Lara took some time out of her busy schedule to speak to Aesthetica about the project and her current work.

A: First of all, could you tell us a bit more about your project LJ vs JL Photographer Shoot-Off?
LJ: Of course! This comprehensive photography tutorial DVD is a collaboration between me and photographer Joey L - we've been working closely for the past two years to develop an interesting way to share our knowledge and experience with amateur and professional photographers alike. The content has a comedic-aspect for viewing purposes (both 'rival' photographers competing to find who is the better photographer on a set number of 'challenges') but it is jam-packed with knowledgeable information: behind the scenes videos, interviews, technical information and Photoshop tutorials.

A: Are you both self-taught photographers? If so, when did you first start to develop an interest in being professional photographers?
LJ: Essentially our styles have been a process of self-learning and experimentation over many years. We both started photography (seriously) around the same time (around the age of fourteen/fifteen) and have honed our skills through trial and error and gaining knowledge by constantly working. My own personal journey began at the age of fourteen where I first picked up a camera and started experimenting with themes of self-portraiture and fine-art photography. For Joey, it's slightly more humorous: he started filming 'home movies' of dinosaurs (inspired by Jurassic Park) at the age of seven in his hometown of Lindsay, Ontario then slowly moved onto photographing bands and obviously those bands got more recognisable and in return so did his work!

A: The DVD represents two sides of the photography industry; commercial and fashion. From your experience, what are the essential differences here?
LJ: In my own opinion I think what makes the DVD content unique is that we're both young photographers working on different sides of the industry (I in the fashion and Joey in the advertising) but what is most recognisable is that we equally both work as hard developing and investing in our personal portfolios. Our styles are completely different but this is what makes the content interesting: the way we shoot and how we produce a shoot from start to finish is completely different and this is what we want to show other photographers - there's no two photographers the same, everyone is unique.

A: The DVD features a selection of ‘Challenges’. Was there an overall winner here, is something you were aiming for?
LJ: We have four shoot challenges on the DVD which are shot all over the world: Colour Portrait, Studio, On-Location and Shoot A Stranger. We had fun competing in the challenges and we were constantly curious to what the other photographer did, so there was a real element of rivalry involved! What we came to discover is that there is not an obvious victor - everybody shoots differently and the winner essentially comes to what you the viewer think. Ultimately we want to try and inspire each and every photographer with the content we share and hope that they interpret our ideas and knowledge into their own work.

A: Stepping outside of the DVD world, which photographers' work are you following closely at the moment?
LJ: Admittedly I don't try to look for inspiration in the obvious places - I'm always thinking outside of the box. I find the best inspiration in closed places - old books, movies, the fine-art themes in the masters of photography and in every day life. Some of the photographer's I currently find inspiration in are artists like Ellen Von Unwerth, Steven Meisel, Tim Walker & Richard Avedon. Being a fashion photographer there has to be some element of styling interest so I try to find that through individual characters; What are they expressing? What is their personality? What styles are in right now and how can I interpret that in my own work?

A: Finally, what’s the most exciting project you’ve both got coming up in 2012?
LJ: We are both expanding our personal photography portfolios (as well as any commercial work that comes our way) and I have a number of travelling opportunities next year for personal work and workshops. 2012 should be a great year for us both!

larajadevsjoeyl.com
larajade.com
joeyl.com

Captions:
Image 1 & 2: Courtesy Lara Jade
Image 3 & 4: Courtesy Joey L