The Artist As Dictator. Phillip Toledano Explores Narcissism and Self-Delusion in Kim Jong Phil.

Most popular blogs and sites have been sharing images from Phillip Toledano's A New Kind of Beauty series (photographic portraits of extreme plastic surgery), because people love that creepy stuff. But Toledano is an artist of many talents that express his unique perspective on the world.

In his project, Kim Jong Phil, Toledano has replaced dictators Kim Il Sung, Laurent Kabilla and Saddam Hussein in pre-existing art with images of himself. The project reflects his personal philosophy revealed in his own words below.

I think a great deal about what it means to be an artist.

I reflect on the elaborate psychological mechanisms required to pursue something so elusive, so ambiguous. I often wonder: ‘Am I talking to myself?’

I don’t make work for other people, but as an artist, I need to be in dialogue with the world that exists beyond my overpopulated cranium. I’ve concluded that to be effective-to be functional-I must guzzle an eye-popping cocktail of delusion and narcissism.

It occurred to me that being an artist is a great deal like being a dictator.

Just like a dictator, I must live in a closed loop of self-delusion. A place where my words and ideas always ring true. A gilded daydream of grandiosity. There can be no room for doubt. I must be convinced that I have something vital to say. I must believe that the world is waiting in keen anticipation to hear my message.

For my palette, I’ve copied pre-existing dictatorial art. Paintings from North Korea, statues of assorted dictators (Kim Il Sung, Laurent Kabilla, and Saddam Hussein). I had these works re-created in China, and each instance, I’ve replaced the great leaders with myself. -- Phillip Toledano, 2011

I insist, ladies first. Oil on canvas, 30x40 inches:

detail:

I'll be back for the dog. Oil on canvas, 30x40 inches:

You have so much to learn, and I have so much to give. Oil on canvas, 50x60 inches:

International world global domination. Oil on canvas, 40x50 inches:

detail:

It's true. I'm utterly fascinating. Oil on canvas, 30x40 inches:

detail:

His royal equestrian majesty. Oil on canvas, 30x40 inches:

A sporting chance. Oil on canvas, 30x40 inches:

Love oils the cogs of revolution. Oil on canvas, 30x40 inches:

I love the smell of adulation in the morning. Oil on canvas, 20x30 inches:

Mr Toledano as Saddam Hussein. Bronze, 20 inches:

Mr Toledano as Kim il Sung. Bronze, 20 inches:

Mr Toledano as Laurent Kabila. Bronze, 20 inches:


About the artist:

above: A portrait of Phil taken by his father

Phillip Toledano was born in London to a French Moroccan mother, and an American father. He believes that photographs should be like unfinished sentences. There should always be space for questions.

Phillip’s work is socio-political, and varies in medium, from photography, to installation.

His work has appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times magazine, The New Yorker, Esquire, GQ, Wallpaper, The London Times, The Independent Magazine, Le Monde, and Interview magazine, amongst others.

See more of his work here

Be sure not to miss his moving and personal photo essay Days With My Father.

Metal Jewelry For The Tips Of Your Fingers. Nail Rings by GWAAN.

GWAAN, handmade jewelry out of Italy, has a whole new way to bejewel your hands with their Nail Rings, jewelry for your fingertips. Two styles, both in gunmetal grey, one rounded and one pointed with an inset black crystal.

Rounded Nail Rings in Gunmetal:



Triangle Nail Rings in Gunmetal With Black Crystal:




Buy them here

Gwaan also has an etsy store with other items here

The Skull Workstation Is One Funky Fiberglass Office Pod From Atelier van Lieshout.

The AVL (Atelier van Lieshout) Skull is a strikingly designed one-person workstation made of a polyester fiberglass shell with a built in wooden bench and desktop on the interior.




The object shows unmistakeable resemblance to the so-called Skull Rooms that Atelier van Leishout designed at the end of the nineties. This is from the same designer who also brought us the Wellness Skull and the Sensory Deprivation Skull. The AVL Skull is build out of two polyester skull parts, which are ‘riveted’ to each other with bolts.





On the inside a solid wood work surface and a seat have been mounted, which are accessible via a small opening in the one side.




Once inside, the user is closed off from the outside world, just like in the Skull Rooms, and can work on tasks that require more concentration. The light falls inside through a narrow entrance and a ‘porthole’ on the other side.







Dimensions: h174cm x 169cm x 178cm
Price: € 7.203

Available colors:
Beige / Beige RAL 1001
Bruin beige / Brown beige RAL 1011
Pastel licht roze / Pastel pink RAL 3015
Pastel violet / paste violet RAL 4009
Pastel blauw / pastel blue RAL 5024
Ivoor / Ivory RAL 1013
Lichtgrijs / Light grey RAL 7035
Diep zwart /Black Pastel RAL 9005
groen / Pastel green RAL 6019

About The Designer:

Joep van Lieshout of AVL is one of the most successful and best-selling artists in the Netherlands. He is known for its huge 'human' objects of colored polyester, like a womb, a penis or intestines. Van Lieshout was born in Brabant (1963, Ravenstein) but AVL studio is located in Rotterdam.

Visit Lensvelt for more information

Go on, Take It Lying Down. The Horizontal Shower With Ambience Tuning Technology.

Dornbracht presents an expansion of their groundbreaking shower technology, Ambiance Tuning Technique, through the addition of a new application: the Horizontal Shower. With the Horizontal Shower, for the first time showering with the Ambiance Tuning Technique can be enjoyed lying down.



The application combines six water bars recessed into a broad shower field above a reclining space, along with an eTOOL as the main operating element.





Just as with vertical shower, the horizontal shower the user can also choose from among a variety of pre-programmed choreographies, offering a range of settings for water temperature, intensity and quantity. The user can decide between Balancing, Energizing or De-Stressing effects.



These pre-programmed choreographies combine temperatures and volumes of water at the different outlet points and enhance your individual bathroom rituals. The outlet points can be combined in various ways within the system architecture. There is a central control element for operation, the eTOOL.

The eTOOL:


The innovative control panel eTOOL is optimally incorporated into the overall appearance thanks to its minimalist design, while at the same time offering the greatest operating comfort. All the basic functions can be immediately accessed by pressing the appropriate button once. A ring of light around the appropriate button provides intuitive feedback when the flow rate and the temperature are changed.



all images courtesy of Dornbracht

Dornbracht

Geek Chic. Tetris Swimsuit and Tetris Leggings for Retro Gaming Fans.

I introduced you to Black Milk Clothing of Australia and their fabulous leggings and swimsuits a ways back.

Since then, they continue to create more geek-chic designs like this "Retro Gamer" pattern they've put on a one piece swimsuit and leggings. Inspired by the popular classic video game Tetris, the swimsuit and leggings are limited editions.

The Retro Gamer Swimsuit:


Designed by James Lillis and made of Polyester/Nylon/LYCRA®, the one piece swimsuit is available for purchase here.

The Retro Gamer Leggings:
 

Designed by James Lillis and made of Polyester/Spandex, the leggings are presently sold out, but they are busy making more.

Vidal Sassoon Dies But His Cuts Live On. A Look At The Hair Master's Muses And Styles.

above: Vidal Sassoon with some of his models donning his famous cuts

"My idea was to cut shape into the hair, to use it like fabric and take away everything that was superfluous." - Vidal Sassoon