Rent my Face

Found this image yesterday, taken by Felipe Narvaez, and posted on instagram. It may be the most appropriate(d) commentary on modeling we've ever seen peering through a sticker-monacle eye:

Observe. Slow Down, Shoot. Submit.

www.ishotkatemoss.com

What's in a name?

Every now and again, the ishotkatemoss.com project hits marketing and publicity snags when people advertise our name and the project with capital letters. We are quick to correct them and often are met with questioning, repeated misstatement or mere confusion.

A promotion to the panel at The National Arts Club in NYC

The most recent example was our participation in a panel on Public Art, in which the press release initially indicated the involvement of the “I Shot Kate Moss” project.

The curator and moderator where both wonderful in adapting and understanding but it brought forward a long held idea that writing about the project name, and the rationale behind not capitalizing, was in itself an important topic.

The decision not to capitalize seemed to come quickly and naturally upon the project’s inception. Even though it is the idea we are constantly being sold, Kate Moss (contrary to what we are being sold) is not an object and therefore we have no desire to objectify her.

Grammatical Rules include: Capitalize Product Names and Objects - “Actual product names and brands and other objects of distinction are capitalized.”

Kate Moss inscribed a book entitled 'kate' to a Kate

Kate Moss, the person, is not the topic of our project. We look towards her as a metaphor, as an image, a changeling, a chameleon that is then interpreted and misinterpreted. “kate moss” means that we were exploring an idea not a person, not an object, not a business name, not a title, not a product, and not a defined brand. The construct, for our purposes, is “kate moss”. 

So once this was determined, and as we stated to the world that we had shot her, and asked others to do the same, what benefit was there in defining the person doing the exploration and shooting as “I”? It is not about me. It is not about you, as the participant, observer or reader. The themes we are exploring are universal and, as such, we determined the “I” should not be the definitive first person pronoun … did you know that English is the only language that actually capitalizes the personal pronoun? (Think of “je” in French, “ich” in German, “yo” in Spanish, and of course “ego” in Latin). This is also why “we” always try to write from the perspective of more than one person on this blog.

So, we came to “i shot kate moss” … now if the computer would just stop auto-correcting the “i” to “I” it would be greatly appreciated!

What has been interesting is that, as we explored our own rationale, we thought through other instances that we have found non-capitalization and attempted to understand the reasoning.

In today’s society, the impact of the digital age is profound and in a funny way it is irrelevant whether urls and hashtags are capitalized … furthermore, imagine writing an email or comment onto a web site solely in CAPS LOCK and think of the change in the interpretation of tone …

But rather than worrying about the implication of today’s digital media, let's look towards the implication of conscious decisions around not capitalizing names as there are a few notable cases of people who have brought this question to our attention:

e e cummings seemed to be the first that came to mind, however, wikipidea tells us that this is a red herring: “Cummings's publishers and others have sometimes echoed the unconventional orthography in his poetry by writing his name in lowercase and without periods (full stops), but normal orthography (uppercase and full stops) is supported by scholarship and preferred by publishers today. Cummings himself used both the lowercase and capitalized versions, though he most often signed his name with capitals.

The use of lowercase for his initials was popularized in part by the title of some books, particularly in the 1960s, printing his name in lower case on the cover and spine. In the preface to E. E. Cummings: The Growth of a Writer by Norman Friedman, critic Harry T. Moore notes, "He [Cummings] had his name put legally into lower case, and in his later books the titles and his name were always in lower case." According to Cummings's widow, however, this is incorrect. She wrote to Friedman: "You should not have allowed H. Moore to make such a stupid & childish statement about Cummings & his signature.”

So goodbye “e e” and hello “E. E.”

Two other prominent names come to mind: ‘k.d.lang’ and ‘bell hooks’.

The internet, in all of its wisdom offers some answers as to ‘why?’ these two revered people choose this path, highlighting the effort to “subvert grammar prescriptivism” and that “… capitalizing certain letters unfairly privileges those letters at the expense of other letters, thus perpetuating the hierarchical and oppressive nature of written language that the entire patriarchy is built upon.”

While we could find little about k.d.lang’s decision, bell hooks’ position has great depth and meaning:

From blackpast: “Gloria (Jean) Watkins attended racially segregated public schools in Hopkinsville (Kentucky) as a child.  She performed poetry readings for her church community and was heavily influenced by her great-grandmother, Bell Hooks, who was known for her sharp opinions. As a writer, she chose the pseudonym, bell hooks, in tribute to her mother and great-grandmother. She decided not to capitalize her new name to place focus on her work rather than her name, on her ideas rather than her personality.”

A still from Beyoncé's Partition

bell hooks recently came to further prominence when in May, 2014 she labeled Beyoncé a ‘terrorist’ for how she chooses to appear in her music videos – illuminating, according to NewStatesman as “one of the thorniest debates in feminism”:

 

“hooks made the terrorist remark during a discussion entitled "Are You Still A Slave?" at New York’s New School, after fellow panellist Janet Mock talked about feeling inspired by Beyoncé’s video ‘Partition’. “It was freeing to have Beyoncé showing her ass, owning her body and claiming that space”, said Mock. But hooks disagreed: “I see a part of Beyoncé that is, in fact, anti-feminist, that is assaulting, that is a terrorist . . . especially in terms of the impact on young girls.” She continued: “I actually feel like the major assault on feminism in our society has come from visual media and from television and videos.”

Sound like a familiar topic? Can we think of someone whose image is widely circulated and used in visual media that many may deem a ‘major assault on feminism’?

There is far more to this than we are able to explore, particularly in the context of names, so we will leave it to Claire Hynes, and her interesting article “Is bell hooks right to call Beyoncé a terrorist?”

However, this controversy does bring us back to a question of objectification. And specifically, whether the way someone represents their name impacts our views.

dana michele boyd is a scholar who has also written extensively regarding her decision to not capitalize. She (or should we say ‘she’?) discusses a number of topics including the politics of capitalization. But of most interest to us was when she asked herself the question “What's in a name?”: “Isn't a name simply another unique adjective for me? A label? I am not my name; my name is simply another descriptor of me. Should i weight that descriptor as anything more valuable than the other adjectives used to describe me? Obviously, i care about my name - i've gone out of my way to change it too many times to suggest otherwise. But do i believe that capitalization shows the appropriate value?” 

A still from Michael Sharp's 'I AM KATE MOSS'

Screenshot of Matías Velásquez's contact

But what about Kate Moss? What about other people named “Kate Moss”?

What about the utilization of the moniker “Kate Moss” and the circulation and interpretation of those letters written “K-A-T-E_M-O-S-S”?

How does that idea of a name change when it is written into a star in a pavement, used on a number plate, tattooed onto your thigh or graffiti-ed into a corner where people urinate?

Found instagram photos from: @viniciusdota, @toooldtoskatepunx, @llcoolljm and @j_mather

Now, while we do think the lack of capitals in our title is important, we do come at it with a sense of humor and are no way arguing against the use of capitals within our language … so we leave the last word to “shiftless”, who on the Straight Dope Message Board, “In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)” topic titled “When people insist on using lower-case letters for their names. . .” wrote:

  

“Capitalization is not an arbitrary rule, it is there to help understanding. The classic example: "I had to help my uncle Jack off his horse. Those who insist they are not subject to conventional capitalization rules are looking for an attention-grabbing hook. Good for them. I'm happy they have a nice, safe outlet for their artistic spirit. They can color outside the lines and claim the lines are trying to control them too. My artistic spirit tells me to write other people's names however the hell I feel like, even capitalizing against their wishes. I'm just wild and crazy that way!”

So, if you want to promote this project, write it however the hell you want! Go crazy!

observe. slow down. help jack off. shoot. submit.

www.ishotkatemoss.com

Complaining about nipples?

Recently, in order to celebrate Ms.Moss' big day, @nicostandard's posted a semi-naked kate pic. Unfortunately, his ability to share the image was limited. 

After being censored he posted the following image and wrote: 

"So apparently my #katemoss #birthday picture contravened instagram's strict (read sexist) decency guidelines. I think #DonaldTrump #nipples are more #offensive. Let's see what #nannystate Instagram has to say. #instagramisforpussies #freethenipple"

In further communication with ishotkatemoss, Nico wrote that "They (instagram) took my non-trump picture down as it was offensive apparently. How are female nipples more offensive than male nipples? Pretty sexist and out of date I feel"

This reminded us of our own censorship problems with instagram, as documented in Censorship and Racks and felt it worth highlighting in more detail. Upon further investigation, this is not an isolated incident for kate and other, even over the last few days:

@villoid had the exact same challenge and reposted an image and stated:

 "Our last post was deleted so we've covered the problem (nipples) with some cocktail emojis. Raise your glass then drink it for Kate Moss who turned 42 YESTERDAY."

villoid, went on to promote themselves and ended with a kate quote "Never complain, never explain" - KM" and the hashtag #freethenipple. 

As always, the comment section can offer moments of, if not clarity, at least interesting misspellings:

 

·  asliisen: Omg this cured all the world's problems god bless #nipples ugh they're disgusting

·  _mircea_masserini_: Why female nipple are banned but not male nipples? From the anatomical point of view they are she SAME thing! It's not a genital area!!! Instagram has a hypocritical and discriminatory policy.

·  s.kyli: @instagram ur sexist policy needs 2 go :)

·  kaydiprincipe: What's wrong with nipples @instagram

·  melissa_manchester: Ohmylord! 100% of us have nipples! #chandlerbing even has three. You need to get a grip @Instagram Don't kowtow to the nonsensicalness 

·  _heyungmoneycurious, what is the difference between a male nipple and a female nipple? not only are your rules sexist, but idiotic. Please get your shit together, thank you @instagram

·  graceelizabethward: You should copy and paste some acceptable male nipples over the top

·  heathermorneau: Ugh can't get over the fact that @Instagram still sexualizes female nipples yet not the male counterpart. So sexist. And the part that makes the least sense is how, since the only difference in appearance between them is the amount of fatty tissue beneath them, anything but that is being covered by these 'edits' we are forced to post in order to abide by the rules

Free the Nipple is an equality movement focused upon the double standards regarding the sexualization and censorship of female breasts started by activist and filmmaker Lina Esco. And yes, we do use the hashtag in our own posts to highlight the hypocrisy as it relates to the issue of double standards relative to male/female censorship.

However, as we worked through such social media policies again, it is evident that distinctions are not made based on the gender of the person in the photograph or even the inappropriateness of an image. A determination, and therefore censorship, is made based on a specific promotional hashtag.

It is evident that a great deal of images that most in society would deem more challenging that that of kate are free to stand in the public domain of social media ... i.e. you can post an image such as this:

or this:

 

then there would be nothing wrong ... however, if you added "#nipples" then your image is automatically problematic!

(thanks to @bigasscityz_  and @goregeous_sexy_dudes for their respective contributions to our analysis ... we are equal opportunity here at iskm and are happy to show the craziness and hypocrisy of all)

Such social media policies again raise questions of free speech, decency, censorship, image distribution and what is in fact appropriate?

So, you see, we should in fact be complaining about our right to freely hashtag as we wish! If you want to post the following pictures:

or this: 

then we should have every right to tag it with #nipples!!!

(thanks to @houseofhold and @diaryofamadschnauzer for their respective contributions. We don't breed discriminate either)

Maybe we should start our own movement "#freethehasthag"!?! Rather than delve more deeply into a topic that if it wasn't so sad would be hilarious, we will wrap things up turn back to the comment section in response to villoid's censored kate image ...

·  lstuhl: Ummmmm, but you explained and kinda complained. Not very Kate...

Yes, a moment of clarity ... ishotkatemoss, not very kate

Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

www.ishotkatemoss.com

 

Photographer Series #26: elhamshotkatemoss

Elham Goodarzi was born and raised in Iran. Currently residing in Tehran, Elham has studied architecture and, through her instagram feed, she documents day-to-day life while also highlighting her artwork that distinguishes her history, culture and perspective on the modern world. 

Elham's artwork recently posted on instagram

In the wake of our exploration (in Photographer Series #25) of Maria Sheila Miani's insertion of today's fashion icons into well known impressionist paintings, ishotkatemoss was particularly attracted to Elham's collages that utilized miniatures and other Persian symbolism contrasted with modern western imagery.

iskm: How would you describe your artwork? 

Elham Goodarzi (EG): My artwork is created influences by time; the time that has passed, the time that will come and the time that I'm currently living. And the fact that, in my opinion, there is no more that much of difference between “eastern” culture and “western” culture. And what we currently have at least in my country is a combination of different cultures and some times it’s weird but necessary.  

iskm: Do you feel that the interaction of time and influence, is specifically unique and different in Iran?

EG: Well I think you can experiment with this interaction in Iran more than any other place. We had a rich and brilliant culture and fortunately we kept it for hundreds of years and now the interaction between our heritage and what we have now has created this big contradiction in our lives. On the other hand we have a growing western culture and our desire to reach a modern lifestyle. The combination of all of this had influence my work a lot.

Elham's collage, "Brought out of heaven"

iskm: Is your work primarily collage?

EG: Well I don't always do collage but collage is one way for me to put my ideas on paper as soon as possible. I also use video arts as well. I see all this as a process, a process to come up with an description of my life and sometimes just putting colors on canvas of attaching pieces of pictures together seems not to work out, so I have to search and experience other ways like digital art or even architecture.

iskm: Why do you use images of kate moss?

EG: Kate moss is the girl that everyone wants to be and everyone wants to be with. Of course, not everyone ;)

iskm: Even in Iran?

EG: Kate Moss is a sample and picture of what everyone wants to be. Of course in Iran like anywhere else in word people have ideals and none, in many respects, of them are that far from what Kate Moss is and Marilyn Monroe was once.

iskm: How do you search and choose your source images? Are you looking for specific styles? Specific artists? How do you select the image to insert?

"Kate Moss turns saint"

EG: It is all about the idea and picture I have in my mind and how I develop that. Most of the images in my works are from the internet. Often I search for something specific. Sometimes what I choose is something completely different and sometimes what I see in my searches changes my whole idea. I usually don’t do any specific changes to the image just have to crop them.

iskm: You use Persian miniatures often in your collages - why?

EG: The choosing of miniatures is a clear reference to my Persian culture. Persian miniatures amuse me in so many ways. Particularly the way that it stops time and in its weird perspective tells you a story.

iskm: Can you explain the idea of contrasting an ancient form, such as miniatures, with the modern expression of a playboy image?

EG: I have had this thing with Persian miniature for quite a long time. I see miniatures as a strong way to tell a story on one small piece of paper, modern life fits in miniature quite well. Even with a Playboy picture.

iskm: Why playboy imagery specifically?

EG: Playboy is a manly company with manly products. In that context I had to offer all those men a present. So what’s better that a Playboy bunny as a gift?

iskm: Has playboy been present in Iran for some time, or only arrived recently? 

EG: Playboy never had been present in Iran as far as I know, but everyone accesses the internet and so you can see the images anytime you want.

iskm: Is any of the content you are searching for, playboy or otherwise,  ever blocked? Do you have trouble accessing images?

EG: About the internet, sometimes there is trouble with some websites but people know how to deal with them. And I guess besides that problem we can access any content.

iskm: Much of your artwork comments on the role and/or perception of the role of women and their sexuality. Can you speak to how and why you choose such symbols and engage in such conversation?

EG: What I was trying to tell was what everyone are whispering, but yet are afraid to talk about it. I guess some people still are shy about their sexual life and generally their personal life. But today we are far away from anything personal. All we want to do is to create a world that everyone else thinks we are living, even if we are not living that life. My conversations are based on daily real interactions that are funny but still very true.

"Hyper Sexual in Castle"

iskm: Do you think that Iran is still whispering about women’s rights? sexuality? fashion? porn? media? etc

EG: Of course it does just as other the rest of the world is. We access media and modern life styles quite the same as other countries (most of the people from other countries however think we don’t). Of course the picture that is present in media of Iran is different from what it is in so many ways.

iskm: Which artists would you most want to most see involved in ishotkatemoss?  

EG: There are so many. One of my favorite artists is Robert Rauschenberg. I started wondering about collage while looking at his work. He is one of the greatest artists of all time and the presentation of his feelings through art has influenced me a lot. I think that if Raucshenberg had wanted to collage with Kate Moss, he would create something as interesting as de Kooning’s Marilyn Monroe.

And while we can only dream of seeing a Rauschenberg kate, you can actually see more of Elham’s work and ongoing perspective of life in Iran at www.instagram/elhamgoodrz/.

And so whether you are in Tehran or New York, remember to ...

Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

www.ishotkatemoss.com

Who owns your image?

Another year, another image. I think that may be the ishotkatemoss motto for 2016. We have done a reasonable job of avoiding the person “Kate Moss” as opposed to focusing on images of an idea of kate moss.

But, as we begin the new year, an interesting controversy regarding Kate herself, her ‘rocker’ husband (Jamie Hince) from whom she has separated, family, memory, ideas, love (or lack thereof), image making, modeling, photography and expression has surfaced.

From The Sun today:

Kate Moss’s fury at ex Jamie Hince’s plan to publish a series of photographs of her The model wants to ban the release of the snaps taken over the course of ‘doomed relationship’

“KATE MOSS and JAMIE HINCE are at war over private snaps of the supermodel.

… the rocker was looking to publish a series of arty pictures taken in the course of their doomed relationship, with a potentially lucrative coffee-table book deal in the offing.

But Kate is desperate for Jamie not to profit from her image and is trying to stop the release of the pictures, claiming she has ownership of them.

A source said: “Jamie took thousands of photos of Kate during their time together, he considered it a hobby. He pretty much documented their entire time together and has film, digital and print images as part of his collection.

“Jamie also has a handwritten diary and scrap books featuring stuff they did together. But Kate wants these to remain private and is furious with Jamie for even considering publishing them for his own profit.

“The pics essentially show Kate really letting her hair down and living life to excess.

“You can understand why there is such a demand for them.”

Jamie held an exhibition featuring photos of Kate in New York in 2014, and a topless snap of the supermodel made it onto the invite … (The Sun) learned Kate was unhappy with the revealing picture being used and it was one of the reasons she didn’t attend the event.

… Jamie, currently based in New York, had been seeing Victoria’s Secret model JESSICA STAM but the relationship ended last month. No doubt he racked up a reasonable collection of snaps from that romance, too.”

Hince, when asked about Kate in the context of his exhibition and including so many images of the supermodel stated: "My wife's very photogenic. So I love taking pictures of her."

Some of Hince's image's of Moss

Yes, but does Hince own her image? And, what does she think of being constantly photographed by her partner? Before hazarding a guess, we can go back in time and look for a pattern here … 

A few years a go, Kate revealed what it was like to shoot her iconic Calvin Klein Obsession campaign with her boyfriend at the time, photographer Mario Sorrenti. Klein booked Sorrenti to shoot the campaign after looking at Sorrenti's book, which was full of shots of Moss.

"Calvin was clever, he saw from the pictures that it was obsession, and it really was an obsession," she said. Sorrenti and a 17-year-old Moss ended up spending over a week shooting photos at a deserted little shack on the beach. Moss said:

“I'd wake up in the morning and he'd be taking pictures of me. I was like, 'Fuck off!' I lay like that [naked on a couch] for 10 days. He would not stop taking pictures of that. But, he's Italian, you know? He was like, 'Lay down, I'll tell you when we've got it!' We probably had it in the first roll.”

The couple broke up after the photoshoot. "… we split up after that," Moss said. "When you're in a relationship with a photographer and they start abusing that relationship - and being like, 'I want you to do this, and I want you to do that' - it makes you go, 'No'. I didn't want to work all the time, but he'd be like, 'Get up on the roof, take your clothes off,' and I would think, 'Fuck off!' Now I understand that kind of thing a bit better, capturing an image, but at the time I was 17."

So, when does a photographer stop shooting? Or maybe the question is, when does a model stop modeling?

When does someone famous stop being a celebrity? When does the image of Kate Moss stop being an idea of a brand? It appears, never. Not even when she sleeps. The threat of an image is ever present.

Hince photographing Moss

Maybe she should get into a relationship with ishotkatemoss, as we, for one, are not interested in creating more images of her. We are only interested, given that her image is ever present,  in reinterpreting  previously created images of the idea of kate.

Guess we will continue this path in 2016 as her image continues to linger.

Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit

www.ishotkatemoss.com

The Dark Side?

It has been a big week, and as things calm down, we should take stock of kate's role in our awakening. You see, The Force even extended into the realms of kate and fashion ... or did kate extend into the realms of Star Wars?

Little short for a stormtrooper! Image from Mac Lewis Creative in LA

Kate or the Clone Wars? Image from Luis Mejia Ubidia in Lima, Peru

Can you see her calling someone a "scruffy-looking nerf herder" when she gets off her flight?

Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

May kate's Force be with You.

www.iskotkatemoss.com

Photographer Series #25: mariashotkatemoss

Maria Sheila Miani lives with the history of fashion in Milan. She studied to be a fashion editor in both Europe and the US, has had articles published in Vogue.it and Vogue Italia magazine, and works for Italian blogger and fashion designer Chiara Ferragni. Maria also comments on her perception of fashion and the industry through her own art projects.

Maria's "But first let me take a selfie"

“As soon as I came back from LA, I decided I wanted to reach an audience of people who share my interest for fashion. People who feel fascinated by this world, who are inspired but do not necessarily want to be a fashion designer. Therefore, I began creating personal projects, not just for my own sake, but to share with others.”

iskm: How would you describe your art practice?

Maria Sheila Miani (MSM): Liberating and personal. Each of my art projects are born by ideas that I have while walking on a streets, cooking, reading. From an idea, I try to express something bigger, a feeling or a perception I have of the world.

iskm: Can you explain your “Is Art in Fashion” instagram project?

MSM: “Is Art in Fashion” is a a series of collages. I select a famous painter (Van Gogh, Picasso, Salvador Dalì, Manet), select a number of his works and then I pick a fashion model and I insert her in the various paintings.

Kate & "Still life with melon and peaches, 1866"

iskm: How did it come to start?

MSM: One day I was doing my daily walk in my city, Rome, and I saw a poster advertising an exhibition of the famous French painter, Henri Matisse. It showed a table with a bowl of fruit and I thought that it would look cool if I put a model in the painting – a collage! That is how it started.

iskm: How do you choose the source artist and art?

MSM: First of all I pick an artist. Usually I try to choose one that interests me in that particular moment, either because I have recently studied the artist or because I see an exhibition of his work. If I feel more connected to the artist, I understand better what he wanted to portray and therefore I can choose which model to insert. I research his style, in which century did he live, to better understand his background and then select 10-15 of the artist's works.

Kate & "Portrait of Lady Gonzales"

iskm: And the choice of model? How/why do you choose the model and the artist to pair?

MSM: I always try to pick a model whose features are completely in contrast with the kind of people that are in the paintings of the artist. For instance, for Gauguin’s works, which portrait exotic women from a very primitive lifestyle in Tahiti, I chose to use Daphne Groenveld as the model. Her features are completely the opposite of Gauguin’s kind of women. She is pale, blonde, has huge lips and bambi eyes. In most fashion editorials she resembles a Barbie doll and wears very expensive clothes. For Vermeer’s paintings, which are set back in the 17th century when women wore very modest clothes and behaved in a very reserved manner, I inserted Gisele Bundchen, the most famous Brazilian model whose lifestyle is all about yoga and sports. She also has an incredible body that fashion magazines love to photograph in swimsuits and short dresses.

Kate & "The Absinthe Drinker"

iskm: How do you do then create the collage?

MSM: I open every painting in Photoshop and begin inserting various pictures of the model, each from a different editorial. I usually insert 3 to 5 images, the ones where the model seems to be interacting with the painting, before I find the one that best suits.

iskm: What was the initial pairing? How long before you came to use kate?

MSM: The project began with Lily McMenamy and Matisse then moved to Kate Moss as soon as I finished the first series. When I began the project I was living in Rome, and I would be working in my sitting room, where we keep the television. I would see Kate Moss daily, during tv spots.

Kate & "Parisienne study of Ellen Andree 1874"

iskm: Why kate with Manet?

MSM: Kate Moss and Manet together are invincible. They are both considered “rebels”.Manet is the father of Impressionism, one of the most important art movements that completely changed the perception of art and its relationship with reality. Even more, Manet lived in a century when women were obliged by society to behave, to wear a certain type of clothes and had limited possibilities. Kate Moss instead is a rebel, a rock and roll woman who would never follow these rules.

iskm: In your opinion, has kate also “changed the perception of art and its relationship with reality”?

MSM: I guess you can say that Kate Moss image has been reproduced so many times that she belongs to a mass media culture. It was natural that somebody would use her image to transform it, and if this person is an artist, then to create art. Especially in the digital era, when you can find tons of images of such a famous person, it is easy to take these pictures and make them yours. Kate Moss managed to create a universe around her, made of her lifestyle, personality and career path. People feel drawn to her because she has made her life memorable. I, as an artist, can see so many different aspects of her in her pictures that it is almost natural to create something out of them.

Maria's "Love Doesn't Hurt, but Betrayal Does!"

iskm: One of our favorite pieces from the series is Manet's “La Muerte del Torero”. Why did you use a kate playboy image for this collage?

MSM: When I chose Kate Moss from Playboy, l could see a connection between the dead torero on the floor and her, on the ground too, with a very intriguing expression. To me, in that collage, she seems worried but at the same time she has a “killer-gaze”. She just killed her lover, you betrayed her, and her look seems like she is about to do the same to you, if you will tell somebody. This is how my imagination works, this is how I create my collages.

Kate & Manet's "Nana, 1877"

iskm: You always reference the source artist as “he”? Have you ever worked with a female source artist? If not, why not?

MSM: I am using painters that date back to many centuries ago. I studied the history of art, and until the last century, it is really hard to think of a famous female artist. To me, it is not only to know the name of the artist, but I want to know their life and what they wanted to express through their art.

iskm: And you refer to the models as “her”. What about male models?

MSM: I won’t wait to use a female painter to insert a male model. I have not used them yet because the male fashion has become popular only recently. I can think of many famous male models, but very of them have a strong image as female models such as Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell or Coco Rocha.

iskm: You have used kate in other series - you had an image of her within your legolize-fashion series. Can you explain this project?

MSM: My Lego project consists in making a Lego version of the fashion world. I began by doing magazines covers, because they are so iconic and recognizable. However I recently began doing fashion campaign too. Gucci, the fashion brand, contacted me to make me be part of the second series of #GucciGram. Therefore I lego-lized their Fall 2015 campaign.

iskm: Life imitates art! How do you see the work relating to the “Is Art in Fashion”?

MSM: Both works are an expression of my imagination. Even more, it's how I like to relate to the fashion system. I believe it is a very fun and creative world from the surface but it is actually made of hard work. Which is the ingredient of my projects.

Kate & "Luncheon on the grass"

iskm: Which photographers/artists would you most want to most see involved in ishotkatemoss?

MSM: I am in awe of many artists. I think that I would really like to see how Darcel Dissapoints creates Kate Moss with his style. What I like about him is that he created this figure, and managed to create and entire world of real characters.

You can see more of Maria Sheila Miani’s imagination at www.mariasheilamiani.com and on instagram @mariasheilamiani.

And just like Manet and Maria, you too can Observe. Slow Down. Shoot. Submit.

www.ishotkatemoss.com