Saturday, April 26, 2014

Photographer Series #6: cindyshotkatemoss

Now that the easter egg hunt is over, we return to our normal programming ...

Cindy Hinant is an artist interested in representations of women in art and the media making her a natural to join the www.ishotkatemoss.com family! 
An image from Trampstamps, 2011

A great deal of Cindy’s art focuses on women taking or losing control of their own sexual image.  As an example, her series Trampstamps shows found photographs of Playboy tattoos that “signify that the wearer is not just a passive toy for the boys, but an active individual who claims her own status as a sexual object”. In the presentation of these images Cindy questioned “the notion that tattooing a logo on your skin is liberating, and (she) is suspicious of the idea that a brand devoted to men’s pleasure can symbolize empowerment and sexual freedom for women”. Her work has been exhibited widely including exhibitions at the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami and the Museo de Arte El Salvador. After learning of her work, and following on from Keren Moscovitch’s submission to iskm, I thought that Cindy would be the perfect artist to get us over the egg hunt!

iskm: How/why did you select the source image/s that you did?
Cindy Hinant (CH): I found images of Kate because I was googling 'celebrity upskirts'. 'Upskirting' is the practice of taking unauthorized photographs from below a woman’s skirt. In most of the US (and in many countries) it is legal and not considered a violation for photographers to take these photos as long as it is in a public place. These photographs function in a moral grey area as they can be viewed as candid shots that are an invasion of privacy by the paparazzi or as intentional actions performed by celebrities as a marketing strategy. A long time fetish genre, upskirting was popularized by Britney Spears and Paris Hilton circa 2006. Today it is more prevalent among “B list” celebrities and seems to be a rite of passage for child stars into adulthood. I think the upskirt is an interesting tactic for celebrities to develop their sex-icon image without being labeled as a 'slut'.

An 'upskirt' of kate that we will not do the honor of crediting
iskm: Kate poses naked often so there is an even stranger voyeurism at play in attempting to get an upskirt photo of her specifically. Why do you think this is?
CH: I can't say why Kate has taken so many upskirt photos, they could very well have been inadvertent (she wears underwear in most of them). The upskirt is not about nudity, it’s about being exposed. It allows for a voyeuristic desire which is much more subversive than any magazine spread. These photos are also “candid” in that they show us the “real” star, rather than the photoshopped version of Kate available in other media.

iskm: What did you do to your chosen Kate Moss image and why?
CH: Most upskirt photos are taken as the celebrity exits from a black town car or limo at night when they are most likely to be wearing some kind of short cocktail dress. I 'paint' the images black in photoshop, which unifies the series and flattens the background. I also flip the images upside down; it makes them difficult to read, and slows down the pace at which the viewer processes these images which I think gives more time to consider the strange phenomena of upskirting. I also find it funny to flip them … they are 'upside-down-up-skirts'.

iskm: In a very strange way, this voyeurism reminds me of Kohei Yoshiyuki’s “The Park”. I am repulsed by the original idea yet very much want to see your interpretation:
Some examples of Cindy Hinant's Upskirts (Kate), 2014
iskm: How do you feel your approach to photography affected your submission to ishotkatemoss?
CH: I’m not a photographer. I work with a lot of found images but I almost never take a photograph. I’m interested in representations in art and in the media that seem to empower women while effectively demeaning them. Often sexualized media personalities are presented as if they have taken advantage of the present gender biased culture that we live in and they are seen as empowered because they have 'chosen' to be objectified and thus seem to have mastered their sexual power for their own fame and success. It’s a way for a lucky few to take advantage of a corrupt system under the guise of 'girl power' while enforcing negative stereotypes. Kate Moss uses her body to her own advantage while perpetuating a system that discriminates against women. I don’t blame her specifically, but the culture of treating women as objects, of which she is a participant, is a problem. 

iskm: Which photographer/s would you most want to most see involved in ishotkatemoss?
CH: Ei Arakawa. Everything he touches turns into a beautiful poem. He did an installation/performance last year and one of the materials he used was trashy celebrity perfumes. I’m sure he could make a Kate Moss work that would make us all reconsider her legacy and our own.

Cindy’s work is fascinating and important. She will be featured in the forthcoming book New York, New Wave: The Legacy of Feminist Artists in Emerging Practices by Kathy Battista plus some of her pieces will be included in the upcoming exhibition Please Kill The Mainstream, curated by Giuseppe Ruffo and Pietro Tatafiore which is opening at the Galerija Zecevic on April 28th in Belgrade, Serbia. More information about these projects, and her work, can be found at www.cindyhinant.com.

And like Cindy: Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.




Wednesday, April 23, 2014

sold ... ishotkatemoss-on-bruceweber's-egg #23: April 23rd

Sotheby's was the scene ... and 37 eggs were on display and awaiting the auctioneer's gavel, including Bruce's ...
While she waited, the radiant light of a neighbor egg gave kate a warm tone and made her skin glow:
 The crowds moved to their seats ... 
kate was Lot #15 ... 
and after much frantic bidding and $18,000 later, the egg was SOLD!
 On the way out, a final glance towards the top of the egg gave us our last submission from the hunt:
 (Oh, and for those wondering, the Jeff Koon's egg was purchased for $900,000)

Observed. Cracked. Beaten. Whisked. Boiled and Poached.
Over and (sold) out.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

moss's egg... ishotkatemoss-on-bruceweber's-egg #22: April 22nd

 
The egg has gone from Del Frisco's Grille, only to (we believe) reappear at Sotheby's this evening. So there are no images to share yet for the day. 

At the closing of the online portion of the auction, Bruce Weber's egg logged 52 bids and the price stood at $14,200 in support of the Elephant Family charity!

This roving reporter will do his best to send a final dispatch, for your benefit, dear reader, so we can lay this egg (to rest).

In the meantime, and in the honor of the egg hunt, we here at ishotkatemoss.com have delved into conspiracy theorists claims that the world revolves around kate ... and have definitive proof, yet again, that this is the case!

According to Wolfram Math World: the web's most extensive mathematics resource, the term for an oval whose construction is illustrated in the following diagram is ...
... "Moss's Egg"!!!

It just so happens, that not only Bruce's egg  but that all eggs were this exact shape! Chance, we think not.
The universe has a funny way of making us ...
Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

not in all its glory ... ishotkatemoss-on-bruceweber's-egg #19: April 19th

So, a trip or two to Rockefeller has finally paid off. The plaza, in all of its well trodden tourist splendor, is inundated with a diverse range of colorful eggs, many of which are quite spectacular (more information is at: www.thebigegghunt.org).

However, Bruce's egg of kate could not be found. After much questioning and assistance, the egg was located in a a dark indoor corner of Del Frisco's Grille, far far away from its contemporaries! 'But for why?' my dear reader's ask, given that we all at www.ishotkatemoss.com are avidly looking for said egg ... 
Well it turns out that "due to some nudity, it was determined that Bruce Weber's egg should be placed in a more controlled environment."

Kate and egg, in all crinkled and sun bleached glory, could not be seen by our impressionable youth. Given that Weber's images are from various marketing campaigns, I found this actually quite an insightful decision.

While I very much respect the hunt as an event for people young and old, this does make things a touch more difficult for image creation but we will continue our photographic journey, as committed, for the remaining days.

I am expecting that there will most likely be quite a bit of reflection (both literally and figuratively) given the journey we have been on with this egg plus due to the fact that the plexi-box is stored behind the Grille's thick window glass. 
 
Apart from what images can be scrounged, we will keep our eye on the auction to see how much this egg will contribute to the total raised (at the time of going to print, there have been 39 bids for this egg with the price getting to $5,700!). Quite short of Mr Jeff Koons egg - currently the leader at $420,000 - but impressive none-the-less. Bidding ends online at midday on April 22nd before the action will hot up at Sotheby's.

There are not many days left of this particular hunt so remember to: 
Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit ... to the egg.

Friday, April 18, 2014

while we wait ... ishotkatemoss-on-bruceweber's-egg #18: April 18th

... for the egg to resurface, here are a some additional images from the past few weeks:
Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Monday, April 14, 2014

dark matter ... ishotkatemoss-on-bruceweber's-egg #14: April 14th

... is a type of matter hypothesized in astronomy and cosmology to account for effects that appear to be the result of mass where no such mass can be seen
Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

they say it's your birthday ...

... many happy returns to Zev Jonas, the founder of www.ishotkatemoss.com
Installation photo of Daniele Buetti's I am too old for this shit perforated photographic print on aluminium lightbox
To celebrate ... Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

dog chasing cars ... ishotkatemoss-on-bruceweber's-egg (intermission)

I know you will not believe me, but it turns out that this egg hunt will only be over when a certain Ms.Moss finds it ...

As we walked past today, a number of paparazzi were hanging around the upmarket hotel around the corner ... apparently she was on her way from the airport. Suddenly they sprinted off as it turns out she was booked in a different lodging and she was simply trying to shake them off! Obsession, like a pack of wolves on the calvin klein scent!

What would I do if in fact I caught her, I wondered? Reminded me of that line from the joker:


Maybe we would ask her to send in an egg selfie?

Dear Kate ... Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

weathered vein ... ishotkatemoss-on-bruceweber's-egg #10: April 10th

... whether vain?
Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

splitting ... ishotkatemoss-on-bruceweber's-egg #5: April 5th

An egg?
BPD?
The atom*?
Nope, just kate ...
Honey scars I'll keep you near
*You're looking at stars that give you vertigo
The sun's still burning and dust will blow
Honey scars I'll keep you near
Horace Andy

Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

ishotkatemoss-on-bruceweber's-egg #1: April 1st

Happy April Fools' from all at www.ishotkatemoss.com

We kick off the month with the first in the egg series. This from - our founder - Zev Jonas, taken through the roof of the plexi-glass eggshell:
Jonas' Plexi-Glass Tears














Man Ray's Les Larmes de Verre







Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.
www.ishotkatemoss.com