Month: February 2018

Action Bronson: Large and In Charge

Cross your straight shooter best friend, a little wild and surreptitious in nature, although nurturing a keen sense of intuition, and someone who is usually spot on, with the outward appearance of a clunky, beardy beast of a man with a sense of humor and imagination. The result? You get out-of-the-box rapper/chef Action Bronson.

"I am a f**king fat white boy. I have to be able to rap. I don't have the look. I don't have the typical slim dude, fancy boy look. That's not me. I have to be able to rap, there's no other choice or I get eaten alive," the outspoken artist said to online music source xxlmag.com.

Truthfully, when you glance over Action Bronson, you ask yourself which genre he fits into. The New Yorker from Flushing Queens is a bit of a misfit in the ultimate sense of the word. He's unapologetic and stubborn with a sense of loyalty and fresh ideas. Born to an Albanian father and Jewish mother, he inspires a new avenue for rappers.

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Kenzo Takada: Introducing Fashion to Japan

Everyone knows that Paris is the fashion capital of the world. The pinnacle of fashion success lies in the heart of France. With that being said, making it to the top is anything but a walk in a beautiful Parisian park. Kenzo Takada is a prime example of the hard work that it takes to make it in the Paris fashion world.

Kenzo, born in Himeji, Japan in 1939, is the first Japanese designer to be recognized by French fashion professionals, while also being considered one of the most influential ready-to-wear designers. Kenzo first became interested in fashion after looking at his sister's magazines. He knew that Japan was no place for a fashion designer, so it wasn't long before Kenzo was on a boat to Paris intending to only stay for six months. However, as soon as he landed in Marseilles he knew this would become his new home.  

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Steve McCurry: Capturing the Deeper Truth

The 21st century has marked some of the most heightened technological advancements. Who would have thought that Facebook would lead to quick international communication? Or that the "selfie" would actually become a part of everyday language? Through social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook have created a world of photography for the everyday person. Though unprofessional and mainly edited using filters, people are constantly communicating through the lens of their iPhone, making human connections that exemplify what relationships can become.

For one man, American photographer Steve McCurry, this is exactly what the evolution of photojournalism is about. Born in 1950, McCurry has documented over 30 years of evolving photography, clinging to people-centered art. The connections, the emotions and the words that are silently projected from his work are eloquently depicted in years of travel and experience.

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Wangechi Mutu: Exploring the Exploited

Her work is complex and has multiple meanings and even some contradictions that hold truth. Her means are peculiar. Rather than a paint brush and a canvas, she uses magazines, pornography and even animal skins to create elaborate collages. Wangechi Mutu’s style is nearly impossible to define. It resembles the work of Pablo Picasso with the way her designs play on abstraction while simultaneously referencing surrealism with her darker themes. Mutu is primarily known for her perspective of women’s bodies, especially African women. She critiques the manner in which society objectifies women by using the very tools that society utilizes to sexualize women in the first place such as magazines and pornography, which are two mediums that are known to objectify women and their bodies.

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