A Note of Intent

There are three blogs I plaster with posts, this being the one that holds just about everything. As from today I've imported all my previous posts from Playing Dead onto here in an attempt to clean up my most popular outlet of creative juices. Here, you will find reviews and articles about various bits of media I've filtered through my eyes, brain, guts to bring to you all nice and shiny.

Enjoy.

Death March

A long overdue explaination;

things have become a lot more complicated since Christmas. I've been constantly ill, stressed and generally had other things on my mind than this blog. Any of these blogs. It makes me sad to see how long ago my last posts were and how little contact I have had with my friends on Blogger. However, while life looks up perhaps I'll find myself touching up the keyboard a little more often. Please don't say I spoke too soon.

My attention has been drawn from the likes of Luke Worrall and Agyness Deyn to the beautiful Eliza Cummings (featured in the March editions of both i-D & D&C, which are very worthy of your money). Frankly, she's much more up my street and Agyness Deyn has gone past her sell by date anyway. Her new hair has wrecked any appeal she once held.

Music has been making steady progress. iTunes has seen a lapse in new tracks being added; Ladyhawke, Kings of Leon, The Strokes, DJ Hype/Andy C, Underoath, Norma Jean, Lady Gaga and The Rocket Summer are a few of the latest additions. Most frequently played are 'Lovegame', 'Reptilia', 'My Delirium', 'Desperate Times, Desperate Measures', and 'So Much Love'.

Seeing as it was my 19th birthday last month, my film collection has expanded to include the likes of Chicago, The Rules of Attraction, Nighty Night Series 1 and Burn After Reading. TV's been interesting as the new series of Skins has been running a few weeks now and is turning out to be rather good! Red Riding was today's pick, written by Terry Gilliam who came in to speak to my course last month and was very humble and helpful. Check it out on 4oD if you missed it on the telly this week.

Other than that, my status is currently 'ill' shortly followed by 'poor' and 'mildly concerned'.
More to follow, I asure you.

Fight Club

Say hello to Tyler. He's been on my wall for a while now, so I thought it's probably time to do the introductions and welcome him into the circle of love that is, Pageturners. 

Tyler Riggs is signed to Red Models Management of NYC and joins the current wave of delicious young male models who know how to hold their own style. Appearing in several issues of D&C and i-D, he's been popping up in many unexpected places and can't even be classed as a 'new boy' anymore. Models.com provided me with his polaroids, which are pretty stunning. Pretty boy.

Elfish and ridiculously good at sexy frowns, Tyler would make a great vampire/zombie. His portfolio is full of dark, moody shoots which only exaggerate the paleness of his skin and those pouty red lips of his. Like an angelic choirboy with a demonic streak of evil, Tyler Riggs is captivating and startlingly beautiful. This bad boy could bite me, any day.

Square eyes

Films I have seen in the last seven days that you really shouldn't miss:

Zack and Miri Make a Porno dir. Kevin Smith

And those I plan to watch in the next seven days which hold promise:

You'll need square eyes for this attractive looking bunch. All worth a watch, without a doubt, and chocolate milk. Everything needs chocolate milk.

I Think I'm Paranoid

After a quick (or not so quick) catch up with scanning in articles, tonight's entertainment has so far consisted of watching Paranoid Park on Youtube and an online party via msn. Back up, from the October 2008 Piracy issue of i-D, a feature and fashion shoot with Paranoid Park star Gabe Nevins. So far to say as his pretty face reminded me how I've meaning to get round to watching Gus Van Sant's skate film and hit up the tube to check it out. 

The article:

Pretty boy growing up so fast. Let's hope those looks don't fade and he keeps his mean gaze for lens' that are worth the while. Don't give up on the screen working, you held my attention and it's a hard thing to do, boy.

The film:

Like I said, been waiting to see this since it came out, just never had time or lost all the movie shops or something. My critical eye was pleased. Pleasantly so.

Gus Van Sant hasn't made a film that I've seen and disliked. His casual pace, long shots and beautiful frames hold me captive in Elephant, Last Days, Drugstore Cowboy, his segment in Paris, je t'aime and now Paranoid Park. The binary oppositions in the construction of Van Sant's work do everything for him, I do not get bored and I do not feel tired, I watch and take in and feel voyeuristic and part of that world all at the same time. 

Gabe Nevins is enthralling as a doe-eyed, naive protagonist. Supporting actor Jake Miller is just as convincing, although a couple of the other 'non' actors pulled off the streets are questionable, in my opinion. For example, Lauren McKinney has the same aura about her that ten year olds have when they know they are being watched and play up their act. However, generally Van Sant's 'real' acting technique works and works well. 

The plot is simple, juxtaposed and takes piecing together, while not purposely leading the audience in a wrong direction. In fact the denouement is fairly obvious right from the start, from the premise of the film even, it is the way that Van Sant leads us through the story that makes Paranoid Park worth watching. 

For those who appreciate well placed cuts, good editing, skateboards and the boys that ride them, puppy eyes and sideways caps, 'realism' and Van Sant's distinguished cinematic style. 

From the ashes

The British are on an uphill trawl to regain their reputation for fierce personality, patriotism and spunk. Since Team GB's record achievements in the Beijing Olympics, our sporting success has continued on and off the field, with Lewis Hamilton claiming the title of youngest Grand Prix Champion and the growing hype surrounding our own Olympic games in London 2012. The rise of fresh faced artists and models has boosted the UK back into the spotlight of international appreciation. British music has come back around to a peak and the country's renowned acceptance for experimental and collaborative sounds has succeeded in bringing back the panache that the UK music scene had been struggling to maintain. 

Icons of Britain come in all forms, but there is no denying that, as the media capital of the world, England is most often seen represented by people. Not just any people; beautiful page turners and screen workers who explode from the streets of London to the homes and cities of millions of people all over the world. The faces of this country say a lot about the innate British spirit, and I'm inclined to believe that it is the revival of unique style and flair in fashion that has put London back onto the industries map.

Ash Stymest

From skater to page turner. Ash Stymest is a tender seventeen years of age and currently, my face of Britain. Signed to Models1 this year, Ash has climbed from three pages in i-D to full cover shoots for Japanese Vogue Hommes and new zine on the block, Spanish Electric Youth. The first time I googled his name all that came up was a picture of him as a kid with his band. Now there are pages of model profiles, blogs and artists releasing photographs, scans and news about where we will see Ash's face next. 

Apart from obviously being flawlessly beautiful, Ash's 'look' follows the recent trend of punk rock youths being dragged off their BMXs and into a studio. Luke Worrall, Josh Beech, Daisy Lowe and Alice Dellal, as well as Converse's latest poster boy, Frank Carter (Gallows) all sport an edgier, body modificated style. Fashion has subsequently fallen into step and all year the catwalks have been previewing darker, S&M and punk influenced collections. Models1 continues to hold advantage over other agencies, with a constant stream of young British faces being added to their books, including the now celebrity model, Agyness Deyn from Manchester.

Electric Youth's British issue is due for release late 2008. This edition is solely about the great Brits and includes Ash, Luke Worrall, Pixie Geldof and more. Although the choice of young people to represent the best of British talent might be questionable, Luke and Ash make the whole enterprise worth a read. Also photographer Alasdair McLellan (i-D) shot the issue. Their website is currently under construction and available in a stripped back form here. 

December's Dazed and Confused will feature a spread with Ash and Josh Beech. Photos were released this week to preview the issue, to see the full collection visit Nicola Formichetti's blog. The pair look great together and hopefully this won't be the last time we see them working on the same shoot. As everyone knows, androgynous beauty is at the top of my hot list, and this series pays tribute to the delicate balance of masculinity and pretty boys that should make up any bed scene. Photos by Brett Lloyd.

And so we reach the conclusion of the post. The new British models turning pages all over the world are the new icon of what it means to be from the UK. Ash Stymest happens to be one of the many that represent my country as how it is, or should be, excitable, spontaneous, unique, creative, imaginative, distinctive and determined. Punk ethics might seem a little hardcore to apply to the British spirit, but the matter of fact, rebellious attitude that the new wave of models have is a way of life, stripped down to personality rather than a facade of contacts and high up parents. Today's face of Britain is Ash Stymest, because he is youth and he is passion.

Trails

It's been a while, I know. Things are hectic to say the least. Being a student isn't as easy as everyone makes out. I mean, there are so many parties to throw and spirits to drink and fish to feed. Gets a little tiring. 

Joshing. 

Life's great. By far, this is the best time of my life, aside from all those little infinite moments that are stored up in the back of my head, but I'm saving those for a rainy day. 

As for TODAY, it seems there is a fair bit of catching up to be done, beans to be spilt and reputations to shred so lets get down to the dirt and roll around like pigs.

1 

Dude, Where's My Car?

Last King of Scotland

La Jetée

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2

3

Moderno Infinito
Faulkes
Vladimir Borowicz
5 Pianos
Jon La Joie

On the front of everything else, Flat 260 and 110, now collectively known as 'Flat 370' are getting on great still. In fact, I almost spend more time round their flat than I do in my own. Elvis lives. Tamworth rocks. London is a long way away and I wish train tickets weren't so expensive. Projects due in this week I haven't started and oh my, 

posts of pictures. To be continued.