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Tina Fey As Tinkerbell & More. Fabulous New Disney Shots from Annie Leibovitz



Disney & Annie Do it Again.
Just released late yesterday from Disney Parks, a new fabulous series of images for the “Disney Dream Portrait Series” of celebrity photographs shot by Annie Leibovitz as Disney extends it's “Year of a Million Dreams” celebration throughout 2008.(All photos courtesy of the AP, Jan.28 and 29,2008)


Above: Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, left, is portrayed as Wendy Darling, beckoned by dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov as Peter Pan and actress Tina Fey as Tinker Bell(below), in a scene entitled "Where You Never Have to Grow Up,"


Above: Singers Jennifer Lopez, portrayed as Jasmine and husband Marc Anthony as Aladdin from Disney's "Aladdin," soar through the Arabian night in part two of a dream scene entitled "Where a Whole New World Awaits"

Above: Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg is portrayed as the Genie from Disney's "Aladdin," in part one of a dream scene entitled "Where a Whole New World Awaits"

Above: Actress Jessica Biel is portrayed as Pocahontas in an image titled "Where Dreams Run Free"

See every beautful Annie Leibovitz celebrity portraits for Disney here in large color with credits and cast.

And here are some fun 'behind the scenes" shots:





Be sure to see all of the Annie Leibovitz Disney Dream Portrait Series here

Lovegrove & Repucci's Sense of Humor Matches Their Products




I've long been a fan of the tongue-in-cheek creative design duo, Nicholas Lovegrove & Demian Repucci. Having posted their Concerto Table, their deliciously delightful New York Delft Collection plates and their fun and funky Fido bag on several social shopping sites as well as on my own lists at thisnext.com over the past 2 years, I was tickled to see their latest "ad" for their New York Delft Dinnerware.



New York Delft Tableware:

The classic tradition of Dutch Delft craftsmanship hits the streets of New York City. Presenting the ‘New York Delft’ Porcelain dinnerware collection. Each place setting is made of fine porcelain and has five pieces; a dinner plate, side plate, soup bowl, cup and saucer.
$100 five piece place setting

cup and saucer is also sold separately for $20.

The Concerto Table (combo ipod docking station, desk and dinnertable)


specs:
Dimensions: 70”x58”x29”
Electronics: Apple AV Connection Kit with remote control, compatible with all iPods
Speakers: 2 x 50watt two-way speakers, 6.5’ x 1”
Amplification: 130watt
Materials: Finish plywood, poplar, stainless steel
Finishes: Bright white or black high gloss enamel
Price: $14000 usd + shipping


The Fido Bag:


Vinyl bag with nylon inner lining. Detachable 'head' bag for carrying keys, cards, phone or other valuables. Also in brown or black. And on sale right now.

They describe their work as follows: Lovegrove & Repucci’s work focuses on the emotional response and experiential relationships created through contact with the designed environment. Encompassing product and furniture design, brand design,interior and graphic design and fashion, we continue to produce provocative design solutions for our clients as well as for the Lovegrove & Repucci collection.

You can purchase the above items here.


More of Lovegrove & Repucci’s work can be found at:
www.lifeobject.com
www.demianrepucci.com
www.neurothetic.com
www.restaurantism.com

Michel Gondry's Be Kind Rewind,
Accompanying Art Exhibit & Sweding



Be Kind Rewind, an exhibition of new work by Michel Gondry, opens at Deitch Projects on February 16, 2008, shortly before his identically titled film is released in theaters.

Be Kind Rewind is a film about two childhood friends living in Pasaic, New Jersey, trying to make ends meet. After one of the characters accidentally gets his brain magnetized by a local power plant, he visits the video store his and unknowingly erases all of the video tapes in the store’s inventory.



The characters decide to make their own homemade versions of popular films in a junkyard behind the store. These new “sweded” films—recreations using commonly available, everyday materials—prove to be more popular with the customers than the originals, making the two friends local celebrities.



For the exhibition, Michel Gondry will be recreating the video store in the gallery, complete with a back lot containing a variety of movie sets where visitors can make their own renditions of films. All videos created in the gallery can be viewed and rented in the store. About the project, Gondry states, “I don’t intend nor have the pretension to teach how to make films. Quite the contrary. I intend to prove that people can enjoy their time without being part of the commercial system and serving it. Ultimately, I am hoping to create a network of creativity and communication that is guaranteed to be free and independent from any commercial institution.”



Be Kind Rewind is Deitch Projects’ second exhibition with Michel Gondry. In September 2006, the gallery presented The Science of Sleep: An Exhibition of Sculpture and Creepy Pathological Little Gifts, which coincided with the release of his film by the same name. Deitch Projects’ involvement with Michel Gondry reflects the gallery’s interest in presenting projects of creative people working in fields related to fine art who approach their medium similarly to artists of painting and sculpture. Michel Gondry’s work is exhibited in the tradition of conceptual and performance art, not only as a commercial film.



Jack Black and Mos Def star in Be Kind Rewind, a unique comedy from Academy Award-winning writer/director Michel Gondry (Dave Chappelle's Block Party, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).



Black stars as a loveable loser stuck in a life that's too small for his big dreams. But when he unintentionally erases all the tapes in a video store where his best friend (Mos Def) works, he devises a plan to satisfy the store's few loyal customers by re-creating and re-filming every movie they decide to rent. Be Kind Rewind features a cast that also includes Danny Glover, Melonie Diaz and Mia Farrow. It is scheduled for a February 22, 2008 release.

I have removed the trailer from this post because the auto-start feature was making the blog take too long to load. But you can see it here.

The movies' official website is filled with fun bits about "sweding" and lots of interactive fun. They've even 'sweded' a myspace page for michel gondry:



So, if reading about and watching the trailer just aren't enough fun for you, you can 'swede yourself' on their site by picking from a movie genre and uploading your pic to the cover.
Like so:

Also, the site Film•Ick has a fun collection of Gondry's sketches for the film. See them here.

get your fun wallpapers and downloads here.

Addendum: despite being a great fan of some of Michel Gondry's work, I think this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. I don't even recommend renting it.

Avian Architecture (aka birdhouses)


Despite what's happening in the human housing market, birds just seem to be getting nicer and nicer places to live these days.
laurasweet's "modernbirdhouse" picks


Above are just a few of the beautiful and unusual homes created for our feathered friends. Click on each pic above to be taken to details and purchase information.

Also, worth a mention are:

J. Schatz Egg bird houses and feeders


Jonathan Adler's Ceramic Birdhouses

Marcel Wanders' Bird feeder for Droog Design


Celine Shenton's bird estate

Perch! designs Birdfeeder

Eva Solo's Bird products

To see even more, click here.

Art LA 2008: what to do this weekend.


ART LA 2008

ART LA, the New Los Angeles International Contemporary Art Fair, takes place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium ( Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401-3295), January 25 - 27 2008. The fair presents 60 top international and Los Angeles based galleries representing an informed cross-section of today's contemporary art trends and directions.

A partnership has been instituted between the fair and the 2008 edition selection committee to help select from the submitted applications. The exhibiting galleries at ART LA are an even balance of established blue chip and emerging galleries, all presenting the most progressive, international art work being produced today. 30 exhibitors hail from the immediate Los Angeles area, 30 are from the rest of the United States and abroad.

The fair is designed to spotlight the Los Angeles art scene, its prominence within current international artistic trends, while bringing influential international galleries and their artists work for the interested art patron and collector alike to enjoy. The finest examples of contemporary art work will be available for view and sale.



Public Fair Dates and Hours:
Friday, January 25, 12 - 8pm
Saturday, January 26, 12 - 8pm
Sunday, January 27, 12 - 6pm
•1-day pass $15 or 3-day pass $25
•Tickets are available for purchase at the box office during the run of the fair.
Advanced tickets may be purchased on-line by clicking here.

Click here for a list of exhibitors.

ART LA 2008 is proud to be held during the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium's impressive 50th anniversary.

Hotel Pucci: A Synthesis Of Art, Architecture, Furniture & Style

What happens when you put fabulous architects, furniture designers, lighting designers, rug designers, artists, photographers and interior decorators under one roof?
You get a stunning new hotel: Hotel Ralph Pucci. An LXR Hotel.
Opening Spring 2008


LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels has signed an exclusive deal with esteemed furniture design gallery owner Ralph Pucci to develop the first Hotel Ralph Pucci. The Georgetown Inn will undergo a transformation and debut as the new 96-room Hotel Ralph Pucci in Spring 2008, and be the first of its kind in a unique collaboration between a design visionary of Ralph Pucci’s reputation and a stable of highly-respected designers of furniture, lighting and rugs, along with noted photographers.

   
Above: The Facade of the Georgetown Inn before transformation to Hotel Pucci. 

Ralph Pucci never set out to run the country's best modern furniture gallery,but a post-college foray into his parents' mannequin business led to a meeting with French design legend Andree Putman...and he was hooked. Every three months, Pucci fills his New York and L.A. showrooms with the work of international talent such as Putman, Patrick Naggar, Vladimir Kagan, Jens Risom and Paul Mathieu, among others.

 
Above: Ralph Pucci 

 

 Originally known for his innovative and visionary mannequin collaborations with world famous illustrators, fashion designers, pop artists and super models, Ralph Pucci later added furniture and art to his repertoire, representing design legends Andree Putman, Vladimir Kagan and Chris Lehrecke, building his business into the country’s leading modern furniture gallery. With the launch of the hotel, Pucci will be introducing his modern design vision and philosophy of discovering “the new and the next” in the heart of Georgetown. “For the hotel design, every aspect of the hotel from the rooms to the public spaces will be custom-designed and reflect a new philosophy. The hotel will be elegant, modern and timeless,” said Ralph Pucci. 

 

For this exclusive LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels Ralph Pucci property, Pucci has created the broad design concept and has selected architect/designers Pilar Proffitt and Robert Bristow to bring this vision to life. Proffitt and Bristow will design the facade, lobby, restaurant, guest rooms and baths, and will furnish these spaces and one floor of guest rooms.

 

 Pucci has selected five of his artists to provide the furniture for each of the guest room floors. These designers include Robert Bristow's "warm minimalism”, Jens Risom's "mid-century modern," Patrick Naggar's "modern luxury," Paul Mathieu’s "sculptural elegance”, and Christophe Delcourt's "tomorrow’s classics”.

 

 Hotel Architecture: We are aiming for a quiet architecture that reflects this spirit and provides a quiet backdrop for the furniture, photography and people that live in these spaces. --Robert Bristow and Pilar Proffitt

 

Featured Floors: 

Robert Bristow- Warm Minimalism:  

Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Robert holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and Master of Architecture degree from Virginia Polytechnic. Upon receiving his Masters in Architecture, he landed a prized job as chief assistant in the office of the legendary Paul Rudolph, the father of Neo-Brutalism. Ironically, he moonlighted in another office, that of Aldo Rossi. Several years later, Robert moved to Boston to work in the architectural studio of Peter Forbes, one of the foremost practitioners of minimalist architecture. While working in these offices, Robert set up his workshop and began crafting his own furniture ideas. The furniture he made attracted attention and was purchased outright by several high-end design stores in New York. As a high-end retail network evolved in the US, Europe and Asia, the furniture found it's way into some of the finest collections in the United States. Robert joined Ralph Pucci May of 2004. 

Patrick Naggar- Modern Luxury:  

Patrick Elie Naggar is a French artist, architect and designer who received his degree in Architecture (UPLCi) from the Ecole des Beaux Arts and a Masters degree in Urban Studies from the University of Paris. Naggar considers architecture as a central knowledge, encompassing interior design, furniture design a catalyst of the ideas, forms, plastic and artistic trends in order to create objects and spaces for our environment in the spirit of our times. Patrick joined Ralph Pucci in 1997. 

Jens Risom -Midcentury Modern:  

 One of the first designers to bring the traditional Scandinavian values of function and craftsmanship to the United States, Risom was part of a new vanguard that helped establish post-war America's leadership role in the world of modern furniture design and manufacturing. Born in Copenhagen on May 8, 1916, Risom was highly influenced by his award-winning architect-father who encouraged Jens to pursue academic studies in business and contemporary design. After completing two years at the Business College of Niels Brock in Copenhagen, Risom worked briefly for Danish architect Ernst Kuhn and he created several furniture designs for Gustav Weinreich of A/S Normina in Copenhagen. Risom's early designs for Normina were shown at the Cabinetmakers Guild Exhibition in 1937. Jens Risom joined Ralph Pucci in 2005.

 Christophe Delcourt- Tomorrow's Classics:  

French born, Christophe Delcourt graduated Cours Florent, Paris in 1988, and in 1989 studied at the Theatre Ecole du Passage. With a keen interest in designing furniture and objects, Delcourt opened his first studio in the Marals area of Paris in 1998. Since then, he has designed for restaurants, hotels and boutiques and has exhibited furniture and lamps at Joyce Gallery in Paris. In 2001, Ralph Pucci International became the exclusive representative of Christophe Delcourt Designs. 

Paul Mathieu-Sculptural Elegance:
 

French designer, Paul Mathieu, based both in New York and Aix-en-Provence, exhibits his signature style in his furniture collection for Ralph Pucci International. Mathieu is a progressive designer who gained his reputation through both his international interrior design projects, as well, as, his product designs for companies such as Ecart. An unmistakable benchmark is evident in the graceful and elegant modernism infused in Mathieu's work. His furniture combines the unassuming harmony of nature, blending sinuous curves with tailored geometry. Mathieu's designs combine richness and depth of woods with the comfort of upholstery and with detail. This results in a refined statement of clean, luxurious simplicity. Paul joined Ralph Pucci in 1999. 

Art: 
All of the photographers work will be displayed on different floors in a collaboration with each of the distinctive designers in pairs presenting Jens Risom with Christopher Makos, Christophe Delcourt with Antoine Bootz, Robert Bristow with Paul Solberg, Paul Mathieu with Gail Leboff and Patrick Naggar with Diego Uchitel. 

Christopher Makos studied architecture and worked as an apprentice with the artist, Man Ray, in Paris. Since the early 1970s, he has developed a unique style of boldly graphic photojournalism. He is the author of two books: White Trash (1977) and Warhol: A Personal Photographic Memoir (1988).

   

His works have appeared in magazines such as Rolling Stone and Esquire. He served as a contributing photographer to Warhol's Interview magazine and was a close friend to Andy Warhol. Presently, Makos maintains an active photography studio in Manhattan, hosts an interview show, Makostyle, for television in New York, and exhibits his photographs, prints, and paintings widely throughout the United States and Europe. 

Paul Solberg: Paul studied Anthropology in Cape Town, South Africa, and worked on a land conservation project in Bophuthatswana. Solberg’s photographs have been published in Publisher’s Weekly, Ocean Drive, Elle, Home Miami, Lucky, and European publications, View of The Times, Vanidad, Alter Ego, among others.
   

 Paul’s work has also been shown in New York and throughout Europe from: Ralph Pucci (New York), Young Gallery (Brussels), Flo Peter’s Gallery (Hamburg) and most recently at Paris Photo with Galerie Baudoin Lebon (Paris), and ARCO art fair in Madrid. 

Antoine Bootz' talents earned him simultaneous success in both the fine art and commercial photography worlds. He has enjoyed many solo and group shows of his photography in his native Paris, France and his adopted home, New York City.

   

At the same time he has had the opportunity to work on advertising campaigns and editorial projects for Calvin Klein, House & garden, La Redoute, and many other prestigious clients. He is repped by Judy Casey. 

Gail LeBoff was born in Brooklyn New York and currently lives and works in Vermont and New York. She is the recent recipient of the prestigious Louis Tiffany Biennial Award. Her work has been exhibited extensively and is in many major collections such as the Harvard Museum, Norton Museum, and Brooklyn Museum."
 

Gail Leboff's photographs are large-scale mysterious landscapes. They are quiet and mesmerizing. Whether of swans in a winter stream or birds in migration these images call you back again." Argentinean born photographer 

Diego Uchitel moved from Buenos Aires to the United States after high school to attend film school and eventually found his true calling. He has been photographing the world's most beautiful subjects for twenty years. 
 

Uchitel is renowned for his elegantly arresting photographs. His work is often described as less photographic and more painterly. You can contact him via his rep, Jed Root. 

Floor Coverings:

 

Madeline Weinrib, a New York city based artist, has been designing carpets since 1998. She is the grand-daughter of Max Weinrib, the founder of ABC Carpet & Home. Weinrib studied fineart at Marymount College, New York, and has exhibited her work at New York's De chiara/Stewart Gallery and at Art in General. She has served on the faculty of City College in New York city, where she has taught drawing. Her paintings have been on view at Glenn horowitz Gallery in East Hampton, NY. Madeline joined Ralph Pucci in 2006. 

Lighting: 

David Weeks originally from Athens, Georgia, attended the Rhode Island School of Design to study painting and sculpture and where he earned and MFA in 1990. Weeks moved to New York City where he worked as an associate to jeweler Ted Muehling in his Soho store. In 1996 he founded the Brooklyn based David Weeks Lighting studio. Since the studios inception, his product line has grown from desk lamps, sconces and ceiling fixtures to include floor lamps, elaborate chandeliers and mobiles. Merging industrial materials and organic forms, David Weeks lighting draw influence from eclectic sources such as mid-century European modernism, machine age industrial design and kinetic sculpture. David Weeks designs are marked by an uncommon attention to detail and evocative materials: spun aluminium and steel, oxidized metals, porcelain shades and silk covered electrical cords. Especially notable are his large scale mobiles. 

To add to the distinctive design elements on property, Ralph Pucci will also collaborate with menswear designer, TOMER to design all hotel uniforms, inspired by the jazz greats of the 1950’s. 

Additionally, Hotel Ralph Pucci will display the works of a different artist, rotating every 4 months, in the lobby of the property. 

Location: Hotel Ralph Pucci 1310 Wisconsin Avenue, Georgetown, Washington DC 20007  

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