Pop Life
FlashbackIt hard not to smile, or laugh out loud, when looking at Alan Fear's paintings, either in admiration of the pop stars or the wonderfully surreal pathos of the scene depicted. For him it's about how great/stupid humans/life can be and how 'the pointlessness in life is the point to life.' We're struggling to choose a favourite, there are too many to love. Hop over to It's Nice That's article for more plus insight into his process and an inspirational quote or two from Alan. Images courtesy of Alan Fears.
08.06.17
Harlem Renaissance
FlashbackIf Hyperallergic's in depth article on the Harlem Renaissance exhibition is anything to go by, Gather Out of Star-Dust is well worth venturing to the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University in Connecticut, even with just days to go. Featuring ephemera, maps, photographs, manuscripts and way more from a period when “African American cultural and intellectual endeavor surged into the American mainstream” according to Melissa Barton, organiser of the exhibition, this is one show bound to excite the senses and inform the mind. Images: Stephen Longstreet, illustration ...
#archivefever . 13.04.17 
70s Dinner Party
FlashbackAt first glance we thought the fish in this seafood mousse had been the victim of a graffiti attack. It turns out its just one of many dinner party dish wonders in Anna Pallai’s book 70s Dinner Party, a spin-off from her sometimes stomach-churning but always surprising 70s Party Tumblr. Tempt your taste buds on It's Nice That.
07.12.16
Erwin Blumenfeld
FlashbackErwin Blumenfeld: From Dada to Vogue is currently showing at the Osborne Samuel Gallery in London. While well-known for his evocative and experimental fashion imagery for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, the work here is mostly early and includes prints, drawings and collage, which can be seen in the all-encompassing catalogue for those of us dreaming of a trip to London. Thanks to Creative Review for the head's up. Images from top:Erwin Blumenfeld, Kaleidoscope for Dayton’s Oval Room, New York, 1964, Silver Gelatin Print, Osborne Samuel; Erwin Blumenfeld, Shadowed Silhouettes, 1953, Silver ...
08.11.16
X-Ray Visionary
FlashbackWe can highly recommend Hyperallergic's fascinating article about a 1930s osteopathist called Dr. Dain L. Tasker who used his X-ray machine to learn more about the anatomy of plants. Another amazing find in the archives. Image: Dr. Dain L. Tasker, “Eucalyptus X-ray” c.1930s.
#archivefever . 12.07.16
Cassette Capers
FlashbackWe thought reports of a return of the cassette were unlikely, but it seems it has caught on. In some circles, the mixtape is back, while for others it's about form as seen on This Is Colossol's comprehensive roundup. For Dropbear its a fusion of the two in their retro affair clip for track Quack Fat by Opiuo featuring 200 odd cassettes channeling 1980s style video games (above). Stateside a 30 deck symphony called No Flats, No Sharps (below) has just wound up in Washington's Transformer Gallery, which we heard about via Hyperallergic. Some current bands are even releasing their new music ...
13.05.16
Mug Shots
FlashbackIn the fast paced world of advertising, classics can come into being a little quicker. London's Harvey Nichols put surveillance footage to good use for an inventive and clever ad campaign for their app about a year ago. We are still hitting reload for a smile. Watch it at It's Nice That.
21.04.16
21.04.16
Art Addict
FlashbackThe aptly titled Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict is an arresting documentary from Lisa Immordino Vreeland focusing on the extraordinary adventures of one of the art world's pioneering spirits. The official trailer and Nowness's evocative excerpt offer two different perspectives into an astonishing life complete with surreal beauty where it's all about art and love. It's any weather viewing. Images: Roloff Beny/Courtesy of National Archives of Canada and courtesy of the Peggy Gugggenheim Collection Archives, Venice.
#archivefever . 19.01.16
18 to 80 in just two minutes
FlashbackMore flash forward than flashback, From 18-80 in Two Minutes is a sensuous short film directed by Bart Hess depicting more than the effects of ageing using marble and latex. It's to be see on Nowness as part of their sumptuous Define Beauty series.
26.11.15
Archived
FlashbackMuseum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MKG) has just made accessible via its online collection an awesome, and somewhat haunting, collection of costumes from the 1920s. It's a tragic tale involving two Expressionist performers and the costumes they wore made by Minya Diez-Dührkoop. Head to Hyperallergic for the full story or the archive to find more wonders.
#archivefever . 19.11.15
VHS
FlashbackDebuting in 2004 in New York, the Found Footage Festival screens clips from VHS tapes picked-up in markets, garage sales, op shops and dumpsters. The brainchild of comedy duo Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, the festival has proved popular with audiences across the US and Canada, in part due to the nostalgic charm of analogue technology in a digital age. Fast forward to It's Nice That to learn more or skip to the FFF's archive. You just don't know what you'll find.
02.07.15
A New York Life
FlashbackOne hundred years is a long time to wait, but McCauley “Mac” Conner's first solo exhibition, A New York Life, has just opened at the MCNY in New York. Charting the years following World War II, Mac's work helped to redefine style and culture in the USA featuring in magazines and advertisements for popular brands of the era. It's great to see recognition for this centenarian granted. Image: Illustration for "How Do You Love Me" in Woman's Home Companion, August 1950, Gouache on illustration board. © Mac Conner. Courtesy of the artist.
16.09.14