Surviving Suspiria: Dario Argento's cult creation

jotta listened as Italy’s horror legend Dario Argento (director of Deep Red, Suspiria, Tenebrae, Opera and Sleepless), and his long-time composer Claudio Simonetti of rock-supergroup ‘Goblin’, spoke to an audience of cult fanatics and horror freaks.

Argento and Simonetti helmed a panel discussion before both were bestowed with a Lifetime Achievement award by cult film festival, Cine-Excess for their work on the ground-breaking super-nartral thriller Suspiria. The award coincides with the July re-release of Argento’s 1977 horror masterpiece.

Widely regarded as Argento’s best work, the film is highlighted by the chilling atmosphere set by the Goblin soundtrack. Suspiria is set in a German dance academy where horrific acts of evil witchcraft terrorize the students, and the audience, from the very beginning. It is the first of the trilogy ‘The Three Mothers’, in which the beings of an evil underworld attempt to wreak havoc among the living.

Simonetti composed scores for Argento’s films since 1975, working almost exclusively together, they are the Hitchcock and Herrmann of the cult crowd. Together they make a formidable duo - not just for their wild-eyed and macabre appearance, (a look that’s mirrored by the audience’s dress code). Argento’s films are hailed as outstanding contributions to art house horror, inspiring experimentation in all aspects of cinema, from surreal cinematography to theatrical set design. Europe’s leading horror director, he was extremely influential during the 70’s, known for shock tactics that pushed the boundaries of conventional cinematic style.

Many of the questions thrown to Argento during the discussion expose the audiences desire to categorise and theorise his work. They demand to know why he makes certain choices in his films: What is the underlying meaning? What is he trying to say about the role of women? Why such a fascination with disfigurement? Answering in Italian, his translator relays his elusive replies, ‘Again, Argento says he doesn’t know why he decided to make the films this way, it just came into his head and he did it.’ At this point our presenter, who did his MA on the films of Dario Argento, looks lost. 

Argento explains his surprise at the immense positive feedback his films have received. It seems that, somewhere in the dark recesses of his imagination, he had stored a goldmine of excessive and outlandish violence and supernatural gore. It was a slap in the face to existing rules of filmmaking and something people were dying to see (pardon the pun). His huge fan following, the vast amount of literature and homage paid by countless directors, are all testament to the relentless success of the genre of which Argento is a pioneer.

When probed about the remake of Suspiria by David Gordon Green later this year, Argento seems excited, happy that a new generation will be able to appreciate the film. Simonetti is more blunt. He has but two cynical words for the new director, encapsulating what is at the very heart of Argento’s imagination, the originality, the impossibility to explain or to repeat it. “Good Luck”.

Argento returns to the cinema this year with a new scholtastic horror starring Adrien Brody and Emmanuelle Segnier, Vincent Gallo and his daughter, Asia Argento. The title, Giallo is a reference to the genre that he himself has mastered, there is no release date set for the film as yet.

by Esther Bradley

Ashley Boer

Fabric artist Ashley Boer’s youthful energy, delicate detailing and feminine textiles have carried her across the pond to work for New York designer Philip Lim. jotta talks inspiration, American life and the subtleties of textile design with this compelling new talent.

Since graduating from Chelsea College of Art, Ashley Boer has made significant headway into the textile field. After completing her graduate collection, 'This Little Game Called Life', Ashley went onto work with Ann-Sofie Back during Stockholm fashion week, and is now enjoying life in Williamsburg.

What first drew you to studying and consequently working with fashion and textiles?
I started an Art Foundation and my tutor let me run wild, any boundary box I had struggled to fit at school she broke down and encouraged me to try everything. It was then that I found myself in the textile/fashion pathway. However, it was the process of starting from scratch, how knitwear comes from a spun yarn or print starts with creating your own colour, that really caught my attention. It was at that point that I really knew what I wanted to do.

How would you describe your designs?
I design in a very naive and feminine way. I love the way that fabric on the female form seems to have no restriction. The naivety in my work comes from my drawings and colouring in, I spend weeks painting before prints and colour develop. I paint with watercolour and ink creating lightness and a youthful energy to my designs.

How have your designs progressed since you graduated from Chelsea College of Art?
Now I have learnt the process of adapting my style so that I can design with others, being able to take my ideas and feed them into a designer’s vision. Two heads are better than one and I enjoy the process of applying textiles to fashion.

Is it a handmade craft, for example, do you knit your own knitwear and screen print textiles?
I create all my own fabrics, the prints are developed from drawings, paintings and collages. I manipulate them in Photoshop and Illustrator and print digitally. For textured print surfaces I use screen printing and for subtle colour effects like white on white. For knitwear I dye all the yarn to selected colourways and then knit on fine gauge knitting machines or hand knitting for chunky detailing.

What fashion designer or brand would you most like to work with?
After their last shows Comme des Garcons has become my new obsession. I have always been an admirer of Japanese design, its simple individualism has always been a weakness for my attention, however, the Fall '09 collection to me was the perfect balance between silhouette, construction, and femininity. The layers and colours were perfect... Yes, I think this is definitely a little future goal.

Where do you find your inspiration?
I am influenced by a lot of film work, my last personal project took a lot of inspiration from director Sofia Coppola, I admire the atmospheres she creates with image, for example the attention to sunlight; be it in the difference between summer and spring, or early-morning to dusk. This delicate detailing I find I can translate to weights and tones of fabric, I enjoyed exploring her themes of femininity and entrapment and how I could capture this by creating contrasts in fabrics, it pushed my imagination.

What projects are you working on at the moment?
Currently I have my hands tied up in New York as the Fabric Artist at Phillip Lim. I am working on his women’s and men’s collections for Spring '10 with the other designers, drawing and painting away. It is exciting to be involved in a company, to see the process from start to finish on a larger scale rather than being concerned on the limitations you place on yourself when creating your own small collection. I have also just wrapped up a few projects that I was working on with Ann-Sofie Back, Swedish designer; I was assisting her in designing a window display for Stockholm fashion week, her show invitations and a project for SHOWstudio.

How is living and working in New York compared to life in London?
I live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn which is very sleepy compared to Manhattan where I work. Williamsburg reminds me very much of where I lived in London and is probably the only place in NY where you hear other English voices. I think the working environment differs from place to place but I do love that in New York I am based in the garment district, which is so handy, it means I have buttons, dye, fastenings and threads on my doorstep!

By Jack Moss

Richard E Grant Talks Films and Memories

Last week the Cochrane Theatre at Central Saint Martins was host to a chap who many view as the quintessential British actor, Richard E Grant. Born and raised in Swaziland, it’s hard to believe that he isn’t British at all.

In conversation with Vladimir Mirodan, (Chairman of the Conference of Drama Schools and a member of the Executive and Council of the National Council for Drama Training), Grant was there to discuss his own experiences of writing and directing Wah-Wah, his 2005 film for which he has recently published a set of memoirs, “The Wah-Wah Diaries.”

Having kept a diary from a very young age, Grant was inspired to write about a time in his life that is bookended by two very traumatic experiences; the first witnessing his mother having sex with his father’s best friend in a car where he was apparently asleep in the back seat, aged 10, and the death of his father years later, who he reveals to be a violent alcoholic.  The interview is peppered with fantastic insights and anecdotes into his professional influences.  From his praise for his mentor, Bruce Robinson (director of Withnail & I) to his utter contempt for the incompetent French producer of Wah-Wah, simply cited as the “quadruple barrelled s**t f**k”, as both her forename and surname are double-barrelled.

Most interesting of all was his account of the big screen preview of Withnail & I; not only was he horrified at his performance, Grant was genuinely convinced that he had ruined not only his own career, but that of director Bruce Robinson.  He even offered to return the money he was paid for the part.

The audience was both entertained and charmed by Grant’s quips and revelations of his first forays into scriptwriting.   Mirodan sings praises for “The Wah-Wah Diaries”, claiming it should be included on all scriptwriting course reading lists as it covers the full breadth of experience a novice writer and director will encounter.   

By Vesna Pavlovic

Hyères 2009 Teaser

We could have been forgiven for thinking ‘inspirational’ was just an overused buzzword when we set out at Hyères Festival International de Mode et de Photographie. But after three days of superb exhibitions, unbridled creativity and sea air in a sleepy Provence town, it felt like the only word to use. 

Dedicated to unearthing new talent in the realms of fashion design and photography,  Hyères has been gathering momentum for twenty four years, under the direction of Jean-Pierre Blanc. Its nucleus is the Villa Noailles, an early modernist house perched high up in the hills above the town of Hyères where during the festival it hosts exhibitions and installations in the many rooms and terraces.

Ten young photographers and designers set up camp with their portfolios, subject to scrutiny of public and industry figures alike. Tim Walker fronted the photography jury while Kris Van Assche headed an illustrious fashion jury that included Jefferson Hack and Fantastic Man’s Gert Jonkers.

Previous winners of the festivals’ prizes showcased new work, while the likes of photographer  Steven Meisel and fashion imagery pioneer Peter Knapp hosted their own retrospectives. Shuttle buses were on call to whisk punters to the beach where fashion shows were staged daily in a grand marquee. Awards may have been handed out, but anyone will attest to the fact that, at Hyères, it’s the taking part that counts.

Sunday’s downpour may have been the first time the festival has seen rain in its quarter-of-a-century history but it didn’t dampen spirits. Hyères’ energy is one that seeps in and leaves a glow in the cheeks, if not a suntan.

Stay tuned for our Hyères Festival International de Mode et de Photographie video special, with interviews from Diane Pernet, Jefferson Hack and Kris Van Assche, amongst others.

By Imogen Eveson

Lucy and Bart: genetic manipulation and beauty expression

Creative collaborators since 2007, Lucy McRae, an Australian ballerina turned body architect, and Bart Hess, a Dutch design forecaster, tell jotta about making mundane materials magical, a love of being in front of their own camera and a desire to create anthropomorphic fashion.

How did you meet? 
We met working at Philips Design on a project that accelerates a vision for next generation sensitive technology mounted under the skin. It was clear when working together we had a similar vision and from there it started.

What are your backgrounds?
(Lucy)I trained as a classical ballerina for fourteen years and went on to study Interior Design at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Since moving to London, and now Holland, my work has been taking new directions and in many ways this has been influenced and dictated by the cities and the people I have around me. I have been working as a Body Architect at Philips Design in a far future design research programme exploring the human body and technology. I have a new studio in the Red Light District and am developing projects around moving image and fashion. I naturally gravitate to the unusual and outlandish, it’s what I like doing and being part of.

(Bart) In 2007 I graduated from the Design Academy in the Man and Identity department. This department looks at finding new materials, forecasting trends in fashion and culture. I made a collection of fake fur that touches on elements of fetishism, human instinct and new animal archetypes. With that collection I did not try to mimic real animal kingdoms but create a fantasy world of my own. 

What inspires your work together?
Very ordinary objects and materials inspire us. If we are looking for new inspiration for a project we go to the supermarket and have a look around. With our newly found material, we exploit its limits and explore its every possibility. It is amazing to see how a material can change in appearance and original purpose when you incorporate the skin and body.

Do you see your work fitting into a specific genre? Is it performance art? Is it dance? Is it sculpture?

We think our work is a reflection upon society and current technologies, but we have no specific intended audience or genre. During Dutch Design Week in 2008, we had a live ‘plastic surgery session’, where we manipulated faces of the audience. Some reactions were quite extraordinary when they let us totally transform the folds of their skin and face.

How do you create each work? What sort of process do you go through from an idea’s conception to its realisation?
As we work we allow ourselves to make mistakes, we find new possibilities for a material. We are both model and photographer and don’t need to explain or give reason to a concept we want to create. It’s like working in an upward spiral we make each other more and more enthusiastic as the day goes on.

How do you source your materials and what inspires you? There seems to be many unconventional ‘clothing’ materials, such as those in the Germination and Grow on you series, how do you go about sourcing and obtaining materials?
'Grow On You' was an experiment with washing up liquid, water and food dye. We had no idea how the liquid would react or drape over the body we only had an idea of what silhouette we wanted. The material and its behavior ultimately defined the end result working fast before the foam dropped off the body.

How does your background in dance effect the way you work?
I have an idea of what shapes I can create with my body without seeing them in a mirror. For example in Evolution I knew what I wanted to see and where my arms and legs should be placed. Bart learnt fast, too, and now he also knows what positions look good. We both like being in front of the camera!

Do you see your work as being within the trajectory of artists such as Orlan or is this predominantly a fashion venture?
We work in a primitive and limitless way that does not rely on fashion but on instinct. We start with a single material, exploring volumes on the body and ways of re-shaping the human silhouette. We just enjoy experimenting with materials.

Tell me about Hook and Eyes. How did it come about? With this sort of shot are we being asked to read into anything, is there a deeper message being relayed? Or should we take it for surface value?
Hooks and Eyes happened in an afternoon of sticking things on our face, contorting or skin and creating temporary expressions not usually possible. When we made this image we were discussing issues around plastic surgery and the boom of the ‘monoaesthetic’. I guess subconsciously this was our reaction. 

If you could create any “genetic manipulation” what would it be? 
We have an imagined fantasy brand, which is a fashion that grows from the body. It is part human, part animal, self replicating and devoid of a brand name. Grown at different densities and viscosity, it lives and breathes with us.

 

Check out more of their work at www.lucyandbart.com 

By Eleanor Weber

Sounds Like Teen Spirit

This grin-inducing documentary follows four heart-achingly earnest kids on their quest to win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Find out how to see a special preview screening and Q&A with director Jamie Jay Johnson.

First time feature director Jamie Jay Johnson is a sucker for the lovable loser. His past short films include World Mini Golf `Championship and a film about the slowest ever Olympic swimmer. His fascination with the ultimate geek fest that is the Eurovision Song Contest began while he was stuck at home with two broken legs watching TV, including Lordi- the heavy-metal monster band from Finland winning the 2006 Eurovision.

"I've always enjoyed the spectacle and pantomime of the adult contest,” Says the
The Central Saint Martins graduate and all-round nice guy, “When I heard there was a more homemade kid's one where they wrote their own songs I was like 'why has nobody made a film about this?'"

And so began the research for Sounds Like Teen Spirit, which entailed flying around about 14 countries from Ukraine to Georgia, to Sweden and Portugal to meet all the potential entrants, “then I basically just chose my favourite four that I most wanted to hang out with."

Jamie has kindly given jotta a bunch of fantastic prizes, including tickets to the preview screening, followed by a Q&A with himself and producer, plus one of the limited edition Tatty Devine designed SLTS wristband’s and a copy of the fist-punching soundtrack.

Hand-picked by Jamie, the buoyant soundtrack includes some Eurovision legends like ABBA and Sebastien Tellier – and the added bonus of some crooners and shakers, "We did think of trying to keep it all Eurovision-y, but Roxy Music, Henri Mancini and The Singing Nun worked too well so we broadened it out a bit."

"I've known Harriet from Tatty Devine when we were on Foundation together at Central St Martins.” Jamie says of the collaboration with London pop jewellery favourites, “I've always liked Tatty Devine's work and they've sold a range of single and pairs of odd socks I made once, so when the film was ready I got them into a screening and said I'd love them to do something as a limited edition tie in with it. Luckily they really loved it and came up with the bracelet idea. They're genius's, and I think their spirit of fun and playful pop-ness goes well with the film."

We don't want to give too much away, as this is a film everyone has to see for themselves – a joyride that had me bouncing in my seat along to each song and my heart dropping with each contestants pitfall. Ans we'll save the hard questions for you at the Q&A.

To win a pair of free tickets to the preview screening and Q&A at the Ritzy next Thursday May 7th at 6.30, plus a copy of the soundtrack and one of the special Tatty Devine, 'limited edition, not for sale in the shops' Sounds Like Teen Spirit bracelets, answer this question correctly-

'Teen Band Trust from Belgium feature in the film using a special technique of pouring rice on their drums for a dramatic 'rice explosion' effect... but which country is their rice of choice (Basmati) originally from?"

Send your answer to editor@jotta.com by Wednesday May 6th to win.

Mysterious Letters is a collaboration between Michael Crowe and Lenka Clayton. United by a shared ambition to post a personal letter to everyone in the world, the pair started their mission in the small village of Cushendall in Northern Ireland.

They spent 2 weeks locating and spying on villagers, finding things personal to them to write about and eventually succeeded to write 467 unique letters to every house in the town, which arrived en masse around April 14th.

Clayton and Crowe crafted each letter so that they were familiar, perky and slightly perplexing. 

Some as simple as, “Just a quick note to say that as I was passing your lovely home recently I noticed a crow land on your roof then take off again after a bit. With very best wishes from lenka + Michael.”

“We hope these beautiful unsolicited letters will prompt neighbourly discussion that will spread across the town, promoting community curiosity." Explains Lenka on her site, "The art work consists solely of the discussion between the recipients about what on Earth these letters are, who sent them and why.”

When compared between neighbours, no two were the same, the art stunt sent ripples of bemused confusion through the sleepy little town. The first chapter of an ongoing project, they hope to write a personal, hand-written letter to every household in the world- no mean feat! I'll be checking my post in hope.

 

Michael's site

Lenka's site