Category — Mad Crushin’

Robyn Von Swank is a psychic. Years ago when I first met her she was obsessed with bacon and soon after it seemed the world went crazy for the crispy breakfast treat. Later, she was enamored with the classic film Point Break and now everyone’s getting wet at Point Break Live. Coincidence or magick!? I think it is the latter. Miss Von Swank’s knack for capturing macabre whimsy through her lens can make you believe she has a few tricks up her sleeve. Her incredible sense of humor paired with her appreciation for the spookier things in life (and death) make her work a lot of fun to watch. Just who is this ever-evolving Canadian ladywizard with an uncanny ability for predicting absurd trends you ask?! Let’s find out!

+ How did you learn photography? Did you go to school or were you mostly self-taught?

Completely self taught. When I was a teenager I would document everything around me at all times, and eventually I just caught on to how the camera worked.

+ How would you describe your photographic style?

Delicious.

+ Who are some artists that you consider to be major inspirations?

Photography wise I am a huge fan of Eugenio Recuenco and Ali Mahdavi, and of course everyone who ever took part in the early development of Photography. I love me some Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes and Tintypes. Those are actually my biggest influences.

+ What are some of the different kinds of influences you look towards when coming up with ideas for photo shoots?

That is such a hard question because it could be a plethora of things. Sometimes it’s the lighting idea, the atmosphere, or it could just be the new outfit! My favorite shoots are unplanned and sporadic when there is adventure involved. I love just getting in the car and going somewhere…. not knowing what we will find.

+ Which non-living person would you have done anything to have as your subject?

John Hunter in his museum surrounded by his 3,000 specimens. HOT.

+ Tell me about your childhood. Were you always drawn to the darker side of things?

I was a weird fat kid who liked to draw comic books about cows and dress up with my cousin to perform hardcorely awesome renditions of ABBA in the suburban back alleys of Winnipeg. Actually, a lot of my inspirations for everything, especially stories, come from being a child and those worlds you can create then and only then.

+ What films are you obsessed with and consider as influences on your work?

Dude, do you want your entire interview to be this? I love movies lady. Alright, top 10. No, 15!
Heavenly Creatures, Tideland, Adaptation, Silence of the Lambs, Suspiria, Jacob’s Ladder, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Spiderbaby, Opera, LA Story, Batman Returns, The Beyond, They Live! and Even Dwarves Started Small.

Right now I am pretty obsessed with Werner Herzog and Paul Verhoeven. I love insane old weirdos and want to hold hands with them.

+ Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Don’t suck. If you do, stop it. I mean, don’t stop taking pictures. Just stop sucking as a person. That is, if you do suck.

Practice. I didn’t learn overnight. All the technical information is right in front of you, both on the internet or in your camera itself. Oh and if you don’t periodically HATE your work and think you SUCK ASS, then you won’t learn anything new. At least that’s how I do it, stress!

+ What’s next in the world of Robyn Von Swank?

Well MARLOW, I have actually just directed 3 music videos, yes 3! Two of them are for the band Mortiis, and one for Combichrist. They will be able to be seen in about a month or so on my website, www.vonswank.com

And I am extremely interested in the continuation of directing as well as writing. Lately I have been working with some of my biggest horror heros and it’s been amazing. I can’t wait to share more stuff with you. But for now, here are some candid behind the scenes photos….

Robyn on the set of Combichrist’s video for “Sent to Destroy”

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You can follow more of Robyn Von Swank’s work at her website, vonswank.com !

I’ve been Mad Crushin’ on Paraphernalia‘s enchanting accoutrements for quite some time now, falling in love with several designs of hers that I have purchased for both myself and my girlfriends. Taken from the pages of childhood fairytales and 18th-century science books come ready to wear pieces of art for us girls who fancy wearing an Albertus Seba specimen along with our diamonds and pearls. The charming Ms. Vanda was sweet enough to chat with me about Paraphernalia and the inspirations for her creations.

+ How did you get started making jewelry?

I’d always wanted to do something, some sort of art, since I was child. I tried all the usual crafts before letting my love of vintage illustrations take over. I had quite an extensive collection due to some Zine-making adventures a few years past, and realized no one was using them like I wanted to! So I started experimenting, and Paraphernalia was born!

+ Where did you grow up? Did it influence your designs?

I grew up is Cascais, Portugal, about 10 minutes from the sea and 30 minutes from Lisbon. I live in the UK now, and I think I’m more Portuguese than ever! Both my parents were scientists when I was growing up – my Mother is still a Biologist, and my Father the captain of a research ship. I grew up surrounded by scientific and astronomic charts and maps, and I can definitely see that coming out in the work I do!

+ What is your design process?

Sometimes I’ll have an idea and go hunting through my images to bring it about, but mostly I just fall in love with some images and then I’ll have to use them, the images themselves informing my design. For example, the Fauna brooch collection came about because I had so many animal pictures that had funny or amusing expressions on their faces that I had to design something around them. The Migration collection was designed during a particularly bad bout of cabin fever, and the Moving collection appeared fully formed in my mind while walking to the supermarket!

I have the slightly OCD thing of having to design collections and not single pieces, so they all usually came about through a whole night’s process – sometimes five, sometimes ten pieces at a time, though I’ve broken that rule a couple of times. I can’t help it, I have to have a theme and consistency throughout. I have beautiful images I’ll probably never use since they can’t be incorporated into a collection.

+ What sorts of things fascinate you?

The intricacies of the images I collect – I honestly think it’s becoming a lost art. Masks, fauna and flora charts and maps – I’m obsessed with maps! Taxidermy, though I think I might like it more in theory than in practice. I love, and collect, anatomical drawings, toys, models, charts, anything I can get my hands on. Milagros, ex-votos and all religious kitsch. Curiosity cabinets. Hands – I collect them as well!

+ What have been your favorite pieces out of your collections and why?

The Anatomica Heart was my first creation, it has remained a best seller and it’s one of my favourites, even if it’s a pain to cut! It’s still the one I wear most. I really like my new Scientia Collection, especially the Medica necklace, because the combination between the skeleton and the pearls is somewhat unexpected.

+ Are there any other jewelry designers or fashion designers you admire?

I love Imogene and Annie, Sudlow, Star of the East and Madame Fortuna on Etsy – I appreciate originality but as I usually wear my own pieces I tend not to look to much at other jewellery designers! I don’t really follow the designers of big fashion houses – I tend to find the whole obsession a little boring. My on-line stalking tends to stick to illustrators and artists, like Allison Sommers, Matt Cipov, Berkeley Illustration, Caitlin Quiet, Bombus, Magic Jelly and Aussiepatches. I want to have like a million of their babies!

+ What are your other interests and hobbies?

What I do is a pretty much full-time obsession, but I do read a lot of comics, watch a lot of DVDs (while working as well!) and could probably spend my entire day reading design blogs. I have a thing for typography and product design, and I love photography – it would be what I’d do if I had another life!

+ When you started Paraphernalia was it just a side project? Did you anticipate it becoming so popular?

Very much so, and never in my dreams! Well, that’s not true – I didn’t start a shop expecting it to fail! I was doing a PhD in History at the time and loathing every minute of it – I’d taken my BA and MA in Religions and Theology, which is a much more lively and interesting subject, and was in desperate need of a creative outlet. I was giving some serious thought as to how I could give up my scholarship but not get stuck in the limbo that comes with having an MA (the plan has always been to become an university lecturer), so I opened up an Etsy shop and tried it out with five Anatomica necklaces. It took off after a couple of months, and it’s been growing ever since!

+ On the path to starting your own company what sorts of challenges did you face?

Customer service! Don’t believe any seller (especially on-line) that says they delight in it, it’s not true. Most customers are complete angels, but a few make you want to throw the computer out of the window. The joys of the postal service losing packages can be a daily struggle, and a very frustrating one since it’s totally out of your control. Not being able to switch off, not even on holiday – you can just go to bed for the night and you’ll have a full inbox by morning! However, the perks are considerably superior to the hassles – I set my own schedule, don’t have a boss, don’t have to commute, and I get to do something I love – even if it’s cutting the 1000th Goldfish! There are people all over the World wearing something I made, and that’s a feeling you can’t beat!

+ What advice would you give someone who wants to start selling his or her own creations?

Be as original as you can possibly be – I know it’s easier to copy someone who’s selling well, but you’d be letting yourself down, and, well, it’s just wrong! Try to make your work instantly recognizable, it’s the best marketing tool you can have. Social networking sites can work extremely well for promotion, and familiarize yourself with wonderful blogs like Modish, Decor8, Design for Mankind, Creature Comforts, Design is Mine, Mixed Plate, Indie Fixx and Poppytalk – then write to them about your products! Blogs, not traditional press, are the ones that will bring in more sales, every time.

+ What’s coming up next for the wonderful world of Paraphernalia?

Ooh, the Wonderland Collection is going live in a couple of days! I’m pretty excited about this one, since I’m a huge fan of Tenniel’s illustrations. There’s even a bit of glitter! I have ten Fauna bracelets making their debut at the beginning of September as well. The biggest thing, though, (for me!) is that we’re moving back to Portugal around April next year, to downtown Lisbon! Can hardly wait!

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Paraphernalia jewelry will not only make you look like even more of a stunna, but it’s affordable too! And on top of that, agentlover.com readers get 10% off! Just go to http://shop.paraphernalia.nu/ and enter the discount code: HELLOLOVER at checkout!

Have a great weekend everyone!

XO,

Marie

Ello putanos! It’s time for another unveiling of one of my crushes…San Francisco comedian Mary Van Note. When I first found out about Miss Van Note and her bawdy standup style, my first thought was,”Who is this pervert in a polka dot dress and why isn’t she my BFF!?” Her recently debuted IFC.com web series, Gavin Really Wants Me, details her hilarious journey to woo the sexy mayor of San Francisco and his 90210-esque hairdo. Today she chats with me about Pee Wee Herman, sex tapes, and her vintage style.

+ How did you get your start doing stand up?

Well, I went to college at UC Santa Cruz. I transferred there from a community college, so the first quarter I was there I wanted to take class that would be fun and would be a place to meet potential friends. I saw “Stand-Up Comedy” in the class schedule and just thought, “Sounds like fun.” I didn’t like stand-up comedy at that point. I hated what I saw on Comedy Central. I didn’t know much about comedy. It wasn’t until I started the class when I learned about comedians like Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Andy Kaufman, Victoria Jackson, Judy Tenuta.

It was a great class because my teacher, Doug Holsclaw, didn’t try to teach us how to write a joke. He simply said, “Do 5 minutes on your childhood,” and then the next few weeks we’d be watching and critiquing our classmates. I happened to go last on the first assignment, so I was able to learn from my classmates’ mistakes. I went up there with my five minutes and had the best set of my life. I was incredibly nervous, but my teacher said, “Keep it.” And that’s how the stage persona of Mary Van Note was born. I’m myself onstage. Maybe just a bit exaggerated.

I realized around that time that I had actually done standup before. The first, first time I did standup was in middle school. At my 7th grade talent show I did another comedian’s act. I had seen this comedian on TV who sang a song about toast while wearing a toaster around his neck and banging it with a spoon and a fork. I looked this up online recently and this comedian’s name is Heywood Banks. So even back then I appreciated weird, silly, conceptual comedy.

+ What was your childhood like? Was Little Mary Van Note the class clown growing up?

I was definitely somewhat weird growing up. I wasn’t loud in class or anything, but amongst my friends, I was always goofy. In middle school I would fall down on purpose to get laughs. Later in high school I became real quiet and recluse. I’m still a pretty quiet person, but I’m still weird, so I guess that explains where I’m at now.

+ Who are your comedic role models?

As a kid I loved cartoons and Pee Wee Herman, of course. I loved watching Pee Wee’s Playhouse. I’m also totally inspired by 80s movies like Better Off Dead. I freaking love that movie. That has been my favorite movie since I was a tween.

It wasn’t until after I started stand-up when I started to learn about comedians. One of the most influential and inspiring comedians for me is Andy Kaufman.

+ Are there any funny ladies of today that inspire you and make you laugh?

Most definitely! A lot, in fact. Contemporary funny ladies I love are Maria Bamford, Kristen Schaal, Jen Kirkman, Natasha Leggero, Tig Notaro, and Sherry Sirof.

+ How do you feel about the morons that say shit like “Women comedians just aren’t funny”?

It bothers me, but it bothers me more that it bothers me, so I try not to let it bother me.

+ Recently Vanity Fair did a cover shoot of today’s hottest female comedians where each woman dressed up as a trashy Hollywood starlet. Which one of those tragic tabloid darlings would you have impersonated?

I was actually part of that shoot, but I decided to be Anna Nicole Smith. And I was really literal with my interpretation.

+ Your new IFC show, “Gavin Really Wants Me”, is about your pursuit of SF Mayor hottie Gavin Newsom’s heart. What would your dream date with Gavin be like?

It would be filled with dildos, hand-holding, rose petals, ice cream, ice skating, boning, and messing his hair up. Just messing it all up.

+ Can you give us any tips on how to get the attention of the papi chulos of our dreams?

Yes. Learn how to make a good beef roast. I season mine with salt, garlic and sage.

+ One of the things about you that caught my eye was your cute and girly style. Since I love talking fashion, I have to ask you who your style icons are.

Oooooo! I love clothes and shoes and pretty old things! I’m a huge fan of vintage dresses. I guess early on, it had to have been Drew Barrymore, who back in the day wore vintage clothes and sported daisies in her short bleached hair. I guess Betty Page too, though you’d think I’d look rockabilly or suicide girl-ish except I don’t have tattoos and I hardly wear makeup. She inspired my bangs and my collection of old vintage lingerie and stockings.

I’m definitely pretty classic. I’m not into a specific style, either. I dig 60s looks as much as the 40s and 50s. I like to dress up when I perform, like I’m some kind of indie songwriter rockstar. Lately I’ve been attracted to really girly dresses with flowers on them, ruffles and lace. I’m on the lookout for a nice GunneSax sleeveless sun-dress in my size.

+ And lastly, what would the Mary Van Note sex tape be called?

I LIKE DICK.

Simple. To the point.

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In addition to standup, Mary also displays her comedic talents through hilarious zines, YouTube videos and one of my favorite things, dirty cross-stitch! She made the “Cochina Puta” cross-stitch I gave Reyna for her birthday [making her responsible for Mexican mothers everywhere to now be wary of my friendships with their daughters]. Don’t forget to check out her new series Gavin Really Wants Me on IFC.com! New episodes are up every weekday for the next couple of weeks. And for even more Mary Van Note, check out maryvannote.com and her myspace.

Happy Monday everyone! With the launch of my Paper Doll, I thought it would be the perfect time to interrogate the lovely lady behind all the artwork on agentlover.com, New York-based artist Gea Philes!

+ You were born in Chile. How old were you when you came to the States?

Yes, I was born in Santiago, Chile. My family and I took the long bumpy way to America when I was 8.

+ Did you have an artistic childhood? I imagine a mini Gea* doodling decapitated unicorns when all the other kids were busy drawing tulips and teddy bears.

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing. I enjoyed tracing mostly when I was younger. Would get a comic book and put tracing paper over it and copy it. The decapitated unicorns didn’t come until I entered Junior High School.

+ You live in New York , which I am sure is a constant source of inspiration. Are there any other places in the world that fuel your creative spirit?

I can’t say NYC inspires me too much, it’s a love/hate relationship with this place. Don’t mind me, I’ve been here too long…I’m just grouchy. If I had to single out a place that fuels me, it be probably space.

+ What artists do you admire?

I admire the ones that make work I can stare long and deep enough to feel like they understand what’s going on in my psyche. The balance of beautiful and grotesque, evil and kind, a good sense of humor is always welcomed too. To name a few: Trevor Brown, Andy Warhol, Suehiro Maruo, Henry Darger, Stu Mead, Ichiba Daisuke, Francis Bacon, Gustav Klimt…

+ I’m envious of people who can draw because of their ability to manifest whatever images pop into their heads. Is there an occupation or even just a hobby that you’ve really wished you could learn?

Occupation…I wish I was a flight attendant specially, now with news of virgin space, so very 2001.

+ Does music inspire your art? Do you listen to anything when you are working?

I do listen to a lot of music. It doesn’t directly inspire my art but it does help me adjust my mood. I’m pretty sensitive in that way. A song can either make me cry or want to bash something…it comes in handy when I’m tackling certain subjects in my work.

+ Since you are a big fan of the cinema and even make your own short films, have you ever wanted to get into filmmaking on a larger scale someday?

I would love to…but I’m too much of a scatterbrain and money of course is the issue. Right now I am attempting an animated short. No flash, just very old school way of doing things. We’ll see how long that takes to do. Most of my short films (gawd this is making them sound so much more prestige then they really are but the next part won’t) run under one minute cause I use the video option on my camera. I hope this animated one will be at least more than 5 minutes long

+ Five things you are obsessed with right now:

Crunchy peanut butter, my ex-boyfriend’s big nose, World of Warcrack, LOST, my cat (always and 4ver)

+ What are your goals for your art?

Book or comic book, I’m not picky. It be nice to have something in print (more then just a couple of pages)

+ What’s next in the world of Gea*?

Updating my website…I keep getting scolded for that. >_<

Sorry I know its been years!

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You can follow more of Gea’s art and adventures on her website, myspace and her new film blog, A Beautiful Fraud Called Cinema.

When I first saw the Flickr photostream of Baltimore-based graphic designer and photographer Jim Lucio, aka Defekto [center above], I thought I was looking at an underground John Waters film. His Polaroid captures of wonderful eccentric characters naturally struck a chord in my lil’ heart. I always appreciate a good chronicling of a three-ring circus and Defekto’s pictures never fail. Let us have a gander at what makes this man tick!

+ How old were you when you first were interested in photography?

I was probably about 16 when I first started having fun with photography. I remember dressing up my little sisters a couple of times, but my mom kind of got pissed when I wanted them to hold knives.

+ How did you learn? Did you go to school or were you self taught?

I would say I’m basically self-taught, though when I was 17 I took a basic intro to photography class and later I took some filmmaking and editing classes–that was in San Francisco. Much later I took a refresher semester at the International Center of Photography in NYC. I’m still learning–and honestly, I haven’t really learned much over the years! Maybe I don’t like perfection because that means I have to work harder. Perfection doesn’t stimulate me. Any decent photo student can have perfect lighting and composition, but I think I have just turned imperfection into part of my style. And individual style is much more important to me.

+ Who and what are your main influences for your work as far as people, film, music, books etc?

I have so many influences. I love pop trash culture. Bad movies, lurid paperbacks, exploitation movie art, weird toys…etc. I don’t know that music has influenced my photographic work, though a band will sometimes form or come through town that is exceptionally visual and that is inspiration enough to want to shoot them. I am an avowed true crime junkie and I love the old detective and crime magazines–they were just so filthy and raw. I especially like posed photos of busted hookers or junkies with their eyes blocked out. Somehow that bar across their eyes always just seemed so much more exploitive.

+ Are there any photographers that inspire you?

When I was a kid, I saw a photo of a child wearing a rubber Frankenstein mask and that was the first time I bothered to find out who took the photograph. I thought, “That’s something I would do.” It was Ralph Eugene Meatyard. Cindy Sherman’s “Film Stills” probably influenced me in some way and I love Diane Arbus and Joel-Peter Witkin. I love their subject matter, in the same way that I actually really like Terry Richardson’s work. I don’t know how many times I’ve had people email me or comment on a photo on Flickr and ask if he’s influenced me or saying something I shot is “very Terry Richardson”. I actually never even knew who he was until people started suggesting that I was doing what he does.

+ If you could do a shoot with any historical person from the past, who would it be and what kind of scenario would you like to put them in?

Hmmm…that’s a hard one. For some reason Josephine Baker comes to mind. She was beautiful and had the best props…banana skirts and live ocelots. I would love to have taken photos of Colonel Sanders! He could have roosted in a hen house surrounded by big big plump chickens.

+ Is there anyone you would like to work with nowadays?

Yes. Photo editors at major magazines, celebrities, starlets, wannabes, visual weirdos, exhibitionists… and in my book, the unknown, regular Joe’s are just as interesting and captivating as any celebrity, so I will always want to just work with the people who happen to be around me.

+ What cameras are your favorite to shoot with?

I have been using a Polaroid Spectra for over 20 years. In the past two years alone I think I’ve gone through 5 or 6 of them. I recently got a medium format Speed Graphic…the same camera that Weegee used. I got a Polaroid back for it and will eventually use it, but I’m dragging my feet because I’m probably afraid the photos will turn out bad because I hate learning how to use new equipment.

+ Most memorable shoots? Funny things that happened? I’m sure there have been TONS.

Most of what I do is just so off the cuff and quick that it never feels like a “shoot”. I just sit someone still for a minute or two and snap. I do have a lot of friends in bands and they frequently ask for photos…and those are usually not paid and not particularly fun either. It feels more like work and less like art to me. I did meet The Goddess Bunny several years ago in LA and I was very excited to photograph her. I had her dressed in a Rainbow Brite nightgown and bonnet. But the photos turned out like crap, so that wasn’t very funny. And I didn’t even have my Polaroid camera with me.

+ Was there a time in your life that you wish you could have captured on film but didn’t? If so, what was it?

60s NYC would have been fun. When I was a teenager I was fascinated with Andy Warhol and the whole Factory crowd. They all looked so good and were all incredibly fashionable….oh, but that was before my time. In “my life”…. well, I lived in NYC from 1993-2002 and I regret not having picked up my camera much. I saw so many wild and crazy things and crossed paths with enough celebrities and interesting people that my portfolio would look a lot different now if I’d been carrying my Polaroid with me wherever I went.

+ If you weren’t doing photography or graphic design, what would you want to be doing?

I’m basically a frustrated filmmaker. I used to work on an animated show at Nickelodeon and still think that one day I’ll have my own show. Or just make porn that turns people off instead of on…I have some good ideas.

+ What’s next in the world of Defekto?

I have a couple of shows later this year that I’m excited about. One is a collaborative show with Chase Lisbon of Supercult fame and the other is a solo show with the tentative title: Icons of Baltimore. I’ll be working on getting photographs of everyone I consider a serious mover/shaker or important person who has come from Baltimore or currently lives here. I’m really excited about this show. And basically, I just need to promote myself a little more and start getting paid to be “Defekto”.

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You can soak up more Defekto goodness at his website, at his flickr and you can now pre-order his new book, MONDO DEFEKTO: The Polaroid Photography of Jim Lucio!!!

xoxo,

Marie