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Gentlemen, Start Your Laptops:
The Asus-Lamborghini VX2 has arrived


Unprecedented Power and Style

Click on images to enlarge

Total Lamborgnihi Experience
The Asus VX2 is designed to give users not only the impression of the Lamborghini spirit but innovative materials and details are incorporated to make the notebook look, feel and run like a supercar. The sensational design starts with the signature colors of Lamborghini yellow and black with each one cast with aluminum-magnesium alloy and carbon fiber, respectively.

Lacquer-Finished Hood
The notebooks with gleaming piano painting surface of Lamborghini yellow and carbon fiber black not only stands out with breath-catching beauty but is also tough for enhanced LCD screen protection.

Exquisite Craftsmanship
The VX2's design is all Lamborghini. Its gleaming yellow or black piano painting surface and genuine leather palm rest communicate premium quality at one touch.


Top-end Horsepower
Powered by an Intel ® Core ™ 2 Duo T7500 processor, and an NVIDIA 8600GT 512MB dedicated graphics engine, the VX2 will run Windows ® Vista ® Ultimate (included) like a spin around the track.

The Convenience of a Docking Station
The VX2S-A1B comes with a docking station that makes synchronizing your data a breeze. No disconnecting a tangle of wires.

Solid Privacy Protection
Data security is uncompromised with built-in fingerprint scanner that reads from the live layer of skin, preventing common skin surface conditions from impairing scanner accuracy.

Ride in Style
Wheel-rimmed fan lid for cooling ventilation is one of the underlying surprises that makes the VX2 computing experience full-scale.

Wireless Live Communication
The built-in 240
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The New Transporting Movement
Based on the latest Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology and Windows® VistaTM operating system, the VX2 offers a dynamic computing experience with blistering speed.

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The 15.4-inch high resolution glare-type and high brightness widescreen displays vivid colors and sharp details with zero bright dot guaranteed. Exclusive Splendid Color Enhancement Engine provides optimum image performance for the most enjoyable viewing experience.

Long Lasting Battery Life
Mobility is further fueled with extended battery life that empowers better productivity. ASUS Power4 Gear eXtreme power management extends battery life up to 20-25%, providing a reliable and continuous operation power.

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The VX2 accommodates the need for a quick connection of peripherals, power and communication devices. Whether at home or in the office, it offers advanced practicality and time saved when leaving and returning to the desk.

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Artists Design Bags for Fair Trade.
Auction & Exhibit next week!

Bags of Goodwill



twentytwentyone are honoured to launch Bags of Goodwill, an exhibition and auction to raise awareness and funds for the Fairtrade Foundation.

Bags of Goodwill will show one-off creations by 40 world-renowned designers during London Design Festival. 19-25 September. To be held at our River Street showroom, the event is being generously supported by Cappellini.

The unique bags will be available to purchase via sealed bid. The highest bidder will be contacted at the close of the exhibition, with all monies going to the Fairtrade Foundation.

Ross Lovegrove, below left: Eero Aarnio, below right:



The unique bags will be available to purchase via sealed bid.

We have approached important international furniture and product designers to customise or create a design directly onto twentytwentyone's cotton tote shopping bag. The only consideration being that their design reflects their philosophy towards design and makes a consideration towards responsible design.

The entire exhibition will be available to view online from 19 September 2007.
It will also be on display at the:

twentytwentyone
showroom from the 19 - 25 September from 10am - 5pm. (12pm - 5 pm on Sunday 23 September).

The following designers have committed to the project; Alexander Taylor, Alfredo Haeberli, Andrew Stafford, Arik Levy, Barber Osgerby, Claesson Kovisto Rune, Damian Williamson, Doshi Levien, Eero Aarnio, El Ultimo Grito, Ella Doran, Enzo Mari, Gijs Bakker, Gitta Gschwendtner, Giulio Cappellini, Harri Koskinen, Ineke Hans, Jasper Morrison, Jerszy Seymour, Kenneth Grange, Konstantin Grcic, Lucienne Day, Marcel Wanders, Mark Holmes, Matthew Hilton, Michael Marriott, Michael Sodeau, Michael Young, Naoto Fukasawa, Noways Says, Patrick Norguet, Pearson Lloyd, Robin Day, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Ross Lovegrove, Sam Hecht & Kim Collin, Sebastian Wrong, Shin Azumi, Tom Dixon, Tomoko Azumi, Tord Boonjte.

Robin Day: Kenneth Grange:


Shin Azumi: Marcel Wanders:


El Ultimo Grito: Sam Hecht & Kim Collin:


Bids may be accepted until midnight on the 25th September via goodwill@twentytwentyone.com.

If you would like to receive a reply email notification at the launch of the online exhibition please email goodwill@twentytwentyone.com with the word launch in the subject line.

twentytwentyone
wanted to move away from using polythene shop-bags and have sourced a manufacturer to produce Fairtrade and organic certified cotton bag. We consider the bags to be a perfect blank canvas and envisaged a series of commissioned designs to reflect the activities of twentytwentyone. The idea for an auction to raise money for charity was borne out of this concept.

19-25 September

Bags of Goodwill
twentytwentyone
18cRiver St
London EC1R 1XN

New British Baazar, Bling and All...



HARPER'S BAZAAR
British Harper's Bazaar showcases new logo and achieves world exclusive by placing 200 Swarovski crystals onto each London newsstand copy



The September issue of British Harper's BAZAAR reveals a brand new look.



To celebrate the new look Harper's BAZAAR, each logo of the September issue on all 50,000 London newsstand copies will be studded with 200 Swarovski crystals. This is the first time a UK magazine cover has undertaken such an initiative. It is also a global first as consumers will be able to purchase this specially produced collectors item on the newsstand.

Publishing Director, Tess Macleod-Smith comments," The move to the international logo is the natural next step for the brand and we wanted the first issue with the new logo to look as beautiful as possible. Working with Swarovski, the world leaders in cut crystal, has made it possible to achieve a dramatic visual presence on the newsstand and provide consumers with the opportunity to purchase a unique edition of Harper's BAZAAR."

The move to the new logo brings Harper's BAZAAR in line with its sister titles around the world and consolidates our position as an iconic international fashion brand. Since becoming Harper's BAZAAR new life has been breathed into the title and Editor Lucy Yeomans produces the very best fashion, features and lifestyle coverage each month in order to stimulate and entertain her readers. Already the changes have reaped success with record ABC figures and the highly esteemed PPA Award for Consumer Magazine of the Year.

The move to the new BAZAAR logo is the next step in the magazine's evolution and the September issue at 400 pages, 200 of which are editorial, is the biggest and most beautiful issue to date.

http://www.swarovskisparkles.com/fashion/harpersbazaar.html

The Story Behind the Iconic Chanel Bottle




I am not a famous enough 'blogger' to receive Assouline's publications to review, but my friends over at NOTCOT are.

And in the beautiful Chanel publication put out by Assouline, there was a bit of folklore that is so interesting, but hard to believe.

I have reprinted the article from NOTCOT for you, so the first person voice you're reading is that of Jean Aw.



Of the many stories, myths, and just all around Chanel lore that i can’t seem to get out of my head yet (expect a few more posts just so i can clear my head)… the one i woke up with that was driving me crazy was that Coco Chanel designed her first Chanel No.5 bottle to perfectly match the shape of Plaza Vendome (where the Ritz is, and where she basically lived… although her apartment for inspiration and taking guests was just behind it on Rue Cambon… but more on that in a few days). They also claim that it is unknown whether this matching shape was intentional… and its not like THEY had google maps back in 1921. So i HAD to check. The designer in me had to know for sure, while the rational part of me assumed the Chanel folks wouldn’t just make something like this up. And as you see, they weren’t kidding. Below, more images… and also some quick pics from the Assouline set of Chanel books they left on my bed… its really fun to see the old sketches of the bottles, and even how they have evolved over the years… but still fit the Plaza Vendome proportions.





New Chanel Campaign Breaks With Keira Knightly: Coco Mademoisellle




Hot from the newswire:

NEW YORK, 12 (UPI) -- British actress Keira Knightley has reunited with her "Pride & Prejudice" director, Joe Wright, for a short film called "Coco Mademoiselle."

In it, the Oscar-nominated screen star plays the role of a modern-day incarnation of French style icon Coco Chanel.

"Coco Chanel's strong personality, her bold temperament and her charisma were impressive," Knightley said in a statement. "There was no one like her in the world ... her impact went beyond fashion and transformed society by liberating women in both a real and figurative sense."



Shot in five days in Paris, the short film was directed by Wright and overseen by Chanel artistic director Jacques Helleu, the man who has developed the image of Chanel for 40 years.

The film's theme song, "L-O-V-E" is performed by Grammy Award winner Joss Stone.

A national cable television flight of 30- and 60-second spots is scheduled to debut Sept. 24 through Oct. 7. but you can see it now if you can't wait, by clicking here.

In April 2006, Knightley became the new face of Chanel, starring in high-profile advertising campaigns and following in the footsteps of Nicole Kidman, Ali McGraw, Catherine Deneuve, Vanessa Paradis and Anna Mouglalis.

© Copyright United Press International. All Rights Reserved
.



excerpt below from the NY Times:
The public will be able to start watching the commercial later this week on the special Web site, which will then be renamed cocomademoiselle.com. The spot will subsequently make its way onto Web sites like mtv.com and vh1.com as well as onto television, including Chanel’s first buys of commercial time on American broadcast networks in 15 years.

The campaign for Coco Mademoiselle is being created internally at Chanel by executives who include Jacques Helleu, the company’s longtime artistic director. An interactive agency, the Vanksen Group, is working with the internal creative team on the digital elements of the campaign.

The campaign has a worldwide budget of at least $10 million, according to the trade publication Women’s Wear Daily. Chanel executives are not discussing the budget nor how much of it is being devoted to online initiatives, but it clearly is far more than the company has ever spent in cyberspace.
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Below are a few example of the online component which goes into great depth about the style and the items in the apartment of "Mademoiselle":





and there's some neat 'behind-the-scenes' stuff on the site as well:



Click here and check it out for yourself.

Mr. Rogers Neighborhood On LSD: The paintings of Amy Bennett

I inadvertently stumbled upon Amy Bennett's work the other day and boy, am I glad I did. Now a new fan, I'd love to share with you this woman's unique take on suburban landscapes.


Above: Dig, Amy Bennett 2007, oil

Below are some images of Amy Bennett's work. Done in oils, her works have a surreal and almost photographic quality, until one looks closer and sees both the darker narrative and the craft.

What looks like a set of dollhouse furniture is actually an oil painting telling a story of what at first glance looks like Mr. Rogers neighborhood, but upon closer inspection is a revealing glimpse of the human condition.

Below is both the artist's statement as well as an interview which will give you far more insight into Amy's work than my amateur observations.

While Amy also paints interiors, I am far more fond of her aerial paintings and her 'dollhouse' bisected homes which is what I've opted to share with you here.


Above: Property Line by Amy Bennett


Above: Losing It


Above: Paying Respects


Above:name unknown


Above: Everything Passes


Above: I Am Begging You


Above: Send Us A Signal by Amy Bennett

AMY BENNETT - ARTISTS' STATEMENT:
In 2002 I began a series of aerial view paintings of apartments. Inspired by short stories, and game boards, I created floor plans to relate the dramas of residences in close proximity. As reference for each painting, I made model apartments from foam core, and furnished them with dollhouse miniatures. Over the past year, I have incorporated perspective and worked from a more normative point of view. My current series of paintings depict one family living in a modest home, isolated in a wooded landscape. I am working with common themes such as transition, coming of age, domestic responsibilities, and loss. I am interested in the awkwardness of a group of people trying to coexist and relate to one another, the fragility of relationships, and the uncertainty and anxiety of growing up. In the same way that we develop our concept of home, I have created these images, through memory, personal experience and imagination.

For this series, I designed, constructed and decorated a 1:12 scale wooden model with a removable roof and walls. Building the model prompts me to imagine the character of individual family members, as well as their relationships to each other in search of what it means to live in this house. My imagination fills the house with history, memories of significant events or moments, traditions, and daily rituals. I think: this is the room the sun floods every morning; this is the spot where the platter was thrown to the floor; this room used to be for sewing, but now there is a crib. While adjusting my model for each painting, I am considering the narrative role of order versus disarray, and the potential to make the condition of the house and arrangement of objects describe the occupants as well as consequences of incident. The model becomes a stage on which to develop the psychological implications of belonging to a particular family, with all of its dramas, struggles and familiar routines. Rather than illustrating these moments specifically, I attempt to invoke the feelings they elicit. I am exploring how distance between characters in compartmentalized spaces can create tension or a sense of tenderness, doubt, humor, or isolation.

One of my challenges is to invite the viewer to form his or her own connection and narrative. By removing a wall or ceiling, the viewer is privileged to explore a fictitious family’s private life, a home that is simultaneously cozy and unsettling. The house becomes a fishbowl, whereby the viewer may empathize with the occupants’ seemingly mundane existence.


Above: Throwing Fits


Above: Exposure


Above: Hail

Below is an interview with Amy Bennett by Jenny Ziomek for NY Arts Magazine:

Amy Bennett is a Brooklyn-based artist who builds dollhouse-sized models of neighborhoods to stir up her imagination and to begin to create intricate and detailed stories of the families within it. Her paintings are striking, allowing the viewer to take a look into compelling and often dark homes, and reflect an extremely well-polished craft.

Jenny Ziomek: Describe the process of your work from conception to execution.

Amy Bennett: At the moment, my primary interest is in the cumulative storytelling effect of my paintings, in creating a group of narratives that may overlap and intersect to give a sense of history to a fictional place. So, I begin with determining the setting. My current series is set in a rural/suburban, New England influenced neighborhood. There are a couple of big farmhouses, but the rest of the houses are more varied and appear to have developed on the subdivided land of the farmhouses. I made a seven-foot square model to paint from, complete with a dozen or so houses, cars, trees, fences and even telephone wires. The streetlights and houses light up.
I started making the neighborhood by collecting some model railroading materials, assembling house kits and making a couple of garages, and lots of trees. I laid out the houses on a big sheet of paper on the floor. I traced the layout onto the paper and transferred it to the landscape that I had sculpted out of Styrofoam. The model required quite a bit of time to assemble, but it also gave me time to really think about the dynamics of the neighborhood. As I created each property, I considered who lived there and developed rough character sketches for the residents. I jotted down some of the stuff I came up with, but other residences were unforgettable because they were based on people I've known or houses I've been in. One house might be based on my grandparent's last home, while another might be what I imagine their house was like when they were raising a family (so they're neighbors with younger versions of themselves), while another house might be loosely based on a family I read about in either a newspaper or a book. Regardless of where the initial inspiration comes from, the houses and occupants all become fictionalized so that I'm free to invent.
Each painting usually begins with a feeling or moment, and could belong to a sequence of images. I'll then try to set up my model in a way that best gets my idea across. Playing around with the model is key to helping me develop narratives and images. Often, the model surprises me with something better than the scene I initially imagined. Also, lighting usually plays a key role in achieving the right mood. I usually document this play with my digital camera and then look through all the different things I tried, to see which arrangement and which lighting works best. Afterward, I set up the model accordingly. On average, I spend about a month working on a painting. Once it's finished, I brush on layers of polymerized oil, sand it and a final coat creates a glass-like surface.


Above: Misgivings

Above: Salute To Water Bodies

JZ: Your work is rich in narrative content, how do you construct this narrative?

AB: Reading, paying attention to the news, listening to music and my own experiences all trigger images, and then I think, what happens next? What prompted this? How does this effect another character? While this is happening, what else is going on—in the next room, across the street? Then I have this narrative that I can try to depict through my model. I just have to be flexible enough to let my model influence the narrative, too.

JZ: I find it interesting that you construct three-dimensional worlds and then present them in a two-dimensional painting. Have you ever presented the two side-by-side? Have you ever used photography, either as a tool during your process or as a final product?

AB: I displayed my model house alongside the series of paintings I made from it at my first solo show in Chicago at the Linda Warren Gallery. I hoped it would give some insight into my process, but I think it was misinterpreted as an installation, as an artwork in itself. I think of the model as a still life. I also consider photography as a means to an end. I use it as a kind of sketching tool in exploring different arrangements, compositions and vantage points. Painting from the model is very slow and meditative, and I think it suits the quiet content of my work much better than photographing it. Plus, the challenge of translating the three-dimensional to the two-dimensional is one that I thoroughly enjoy.

JZ: You say in your artist statement that some of your work is inspired by the “uncertainty and anxiety of growing up.” What was your personal experience of growing up, and how does this play into your work?

AB: I grew up in Maine. My parents were public school teachers and I am a classic middle child, with two sisters. My personal experience definitely does inspire many images, but I'm a very private person and always feel compelled to fictionalize, alter or distort my experiences before I'm comfortable enough to use them in my work. In fact, just by transferring my experience onto the model, it becomes changed, more interesting and, somehow, less embarrassing.

JZ: How do you come up with your titles, and how do they play into the paintings?

AB: Often, the title comes right at the beginning, along with the initial idea for the painting. But, sometimes it's more difficult to pair an image with words. The paintings are specific scenes, but they are open to different interpretations, so I try to use titles that don't direct the read too much.

JZ: Many of your titles are about waiting: for example, Waiting, Waiting For You to Come Home and Hours Passing Slowly. Why have you chosen this as a theme in your artwork?

AB: I frequently depict dramatic situations, but I also find many mundane scenarios to be interesting and true. A lot of time is spent waiting, whether it's for a bus or the right person or for something else to happen. I think a lot of my paintings have that feeling, of being on the brink.

JZ: There is a definite theme of "home" in your paintings. Why is this a chosen topic of focus? Do you take any of your own experiences of home, either growing up or as an adult, and project them into your artwork?

AB: I have been setting my paintings in the home because it is where people let their guard down. Their public persona is shed in the privacy of their homes. Maybe it’s because I live in New York City, where our private space is so limited. I'm most interested in when the private becomes accidentally public and is exposed across lawns or overheard through walls.

JZ: Why have you chosen to render homes as plastic-looking and dollhouse-like?

AB: My narratives are fiction and are set in a fake world. The house/model becomes a stage on which to explore a psychological or emotional experience and the way people try to relate to one another. I'd like to emphasize realism and faithfulness to this kind of experience over the way things look. I am not documenting the reality of a specific place, but creating a place that the imagination can project itself onto. That's just what a dollhouse is for.

JZ: The perspective in your paintings (which is generally a bird’s eye view, if not outside of the home at a great distance) makes us, as viewers, feel separate from and almost voyeuristic towards the scenes that we are looking onto. Why have you chosen such a perspective?

AB: A bird's eye or distant view is like an omniscient narrator where the viewer/reader is privileged to more information than a more limited perspective would provide. By zooming out a bit, so that more of a scene is revealed, you get the sense that what you're seeing is just a small part of larger puzzle. By seeing the proximity of one home to another with an awareness of the various dramas and events that each has experienced, the viewer is invited to discover narrative connections and to empathize with the characters.

JZ: Where and when can we see your upcoming shows/events?

AB: I just had a show in LA at Richard Heller Gallery in January 2007. I'm currently working on a show for this September at Galleri Magnus Karlsson in Stockholm. My work can be seen online at www.amybennett.com.
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At present, Amy has a solo show in Stockholm:

BURIED
Solo Exhibition
August 30 - September 30, 2007

Galleri Magnus Karlsson
Fredsgatan 12
S-111 52 Stockholm
Sweden
+46 [0] 8 660 43 53
www.gallerimagnuskarlsson.com
info@gallerimagnuskarlsson.com

here are a few pieces in that show:




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You can also find Amy's Work at the following galleries:

Richard Heller Gallery

Linda Warren Gallery

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Not to be missed are two other wonderful painters who have their own unique style of painting suburbia:

Rick Monzon and his dreamy surreal suburbia

Danny Heller's Nightscapes of LosAngeles

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