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Brand Trophies (Gucci, Nike, LV, Cartier & More) By Artist Pucci de Rossi



above: Gucci is written in the stylized horns of Rossi's Shopping trophy

What at first appear to be stylized wall mounted animal head trophies made of steel, wood, ceramic, plaster and leather, when examined more closely, contain famous brand names such as Cartier, Gucci, Prada, LV, Danone, McDonalds, Coca Cola, Nike and more (some surreptitiously) within the horns.


above: Nike swooshes are hidden within the wooden stag horns

Pucci de Rossi's Brand Trophies, also referred to as 'Shopping Trophies' or 'Metropolitan Trophies', are a commentary on marketing and a comparison of contemporary art with the tradition of hunting*. A surrealistic representation of how trademarks and brand names have infiltrated our society to such a point that they have attained an almost mythical significance. Even when taken out of their natural context, separated from the products they represent, they continue to have loyalty and value attached to them.


above: Installation view at the galerie Anne de Villepoix

Each trophy is hand-crafted and there are multiple versions of certain pieces in various materials as you will see from the images below. The show exhibited at galerie Anne de Villepoix in Paris under the name of Têtes bizardes » (trophées de chasse métropolitains) in 2003.

Gucci:


Prada:


Louis Vuitton:

Cartier:

Fendi:

Dior:

Coca Cola:

McDonalds:


Nike:

Nike -Texas:

Danone:

Others in the collection are simply ornate:


*An article about the series written by Alexandra Senes
Brand Tyranny


above: Pucci de Rossi (photo: Anne-Sophie Granjon)

The designer Pucci de Rossi, a sort of Italian Gyro Gearloose (the Disney-created madcap inventor) has always tended to joke about everything. The focus is now on his provocative logo sculptures. 

Hunting in Le Marais district of Paris: magnificent and disconcerting, weird sculptures are growing on the walls of a Parisian gallery in the "Shopping Trophies" exhibition. These trophies, with their sensuous and erotic curves, like some kind of extra-terrestrial fauna slain in the course of an imaginary hunt, are set to disconcert us by exhibiting between their antlers familiar logos such as those of Nike, MacDonald’s, Cartier, Gucci and Prada. 

Their creator, Pucci de Rossi, has always pushed luxury to its limits, asserting both its usefulness and uselessness.

This time, he alienates everyday realities from their usual meaning by juxtaposing them with their apparent opposites: nature versus culture… brand culture. A tone of cynical derision together with a craftsman’s expertise testifies to the symptoms of an industrial society polluted by logos which endlessly invade our field of vision. Values which consumers, for want of any clear direction, identify with when making their purchases. Values which have become a refuge in a world that is undergoing an identity crisis.


Customisation in limited series.
These sculptures display a panorama of an era. Through them, Pucci questions and subverts the image of advertising. These luxury brands, trophies of a kind (an insult to the language of hunting), which we flaunt more or less ostentatiously, these exotic antlers are the mouthpiece for anti-consumerist messages. With the arrogance of a seasoned "domestic hunter", Pucci sets out to explore and reflect on this. Now that he has got over the monochromatic silence of his minimalist period, his liberated and unpretentious trophies speak out amid the cacophony of provocative logos. Pucci uses these capitalist symbols and logos as the instrument of his revolt. "We are all prostitutes who’ll go with the first punter."

Far removed from political manifestos, his art plays with the customisation of limited series, and his sculptures stage an ephemeral image of a certain section of our society. In keeping with this sense of humour, these logos are an inspiration to the imagination, showing how an independent mentality could be exhibited. Depending on your mood, you could exhibit your fascination with chaos and your hatred of confusion on a wall in your apartment. Provocatively, Pucci takes a particular prop or pretext and invents a new form of media, developed from his work: creative resistance to globalisation. "Globalisation is a subject I find both troubling and challenging and which I considered sufficiently important for me to tackle and do something with."

Exorcising the marketing element 
"Paradoxically, by exhibiting these brands, I am, in effect, glorifying them. But it is also an animal that I have slain and defeated. A way of exorcising it." Being allergic to marketing, he does not censor himself: from his condemnation of the power of multinationals to anti-globalisation demonstrations, everything is the object of his critique. And should one suspect him of wanting to "act like a cheap salesman", he transforms his client into a vengeful buyer who ends up by following him, willingly, thanks to his lively language that overrides jargon. (published in magazine Jealous n°64, Octobre 2003)

images courtesy of the artist, made75 and the gallery

Pucci de Rossi

One Super Sexy Italian. The MAS Sport 42 Luxury Yacht.





Designed by yacht designer and architect Paolo Rossi, the luxurious 42 foot long Italian yacht, the Mas 42' Sport, is an exclusive vessel rich in refined details and decor, both on the exterior and the interior. Great attention was paid to the overall design as well as the details.

Exterior:





exterior details:



even the anchor is beautiful:


Its elegance is matched with power; in fact, the twin engines can drive the vessel at a speed of more than 50 knots.






Interior:
The Mas 42 Sport cabin can comfortably host up to 10 people. The exclusively designed interior is made with special materials and accents. Inside you'll find fine woods, modern lighting, a bed for two, stainless steel hardware, fold out leather banquettes, a modern and discreet bathroom with a mirrored backsplash and glass wash basin, a small refrigerator, a microwave, a sink and a tv.










With a overall length of 41.50 ft (12.64 meters), the Mas Sport 42 has a top speed of 54 knots and a cruising speed of 40 knots. It has a fuel tank capacity of 317 US gallons (1200 liters) and a water tank capacity of 90 US gallons (340 liters).

Life on board:











Okay, I'm ready. Who wants to go cruise the Italian Riveria with me?

About MAS shipyard
The shipyard blends creativity and technology with history and tradition. This tradition, in fact, inspired the acronym MAS, Motoscafo Anti Sommergibile Antisubmarine Boat).

This type of boat was the creation of Italian genius during World War I and used for its outstanding excellence in technical and tactical combat solutions. The poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, a fan of this technology, enthusiastically renamed it Memento Audere Semper (Remember Always to Dare). Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, a precursor of the futurist movement, called it a dynamic symbol of innovation. Its last heroic Captain was Prince Junio Valerio Borghese, who boldly led the X-MAS fleet. Today, MAS has revived this renowned and glorious vessel and is ready to entrust it to today’s brave Captains.

MAS YACHT
MAS S.r.l.
Via Roma, 8
22026 Maslianico (CO) - Italia
phone:
(+39) 031 34.21.35
(+39) 031 33.47.158
info@mas-yacht.net

Montblanc Unveil's Two-Faced Watch, The Metamorphosis



above: The Montblanc Metamorphosis in action

One of the most talked about and exciting new watches at this year's SIHH was Montblanc's TimeWriter 1: Metamorphosis. One watch, that through methods from the art of automaton construction, changes into another watch, right before your eyes.



By moving a slide down or up, this timepiece changes from a wristwatch with hour, minute, second display to a chronograph and vice versa.




TimeWriter I: One watch – two faces


The first watch of the TimeWriter series, the Metamorphosis, is based on the Montblanc chronograph calibre MBM 16.29 and derives its name from its unique dual functions and faces: By moving a slide down or up, the Metamorphosis changes from simple time indication to a chronograph and vice versa.

The first face: The Classic Time
In the standard timekeeping mode, the watch displays hours, minutes and date and has a rather conservatively elegant appearance with Roman numerals in classic silver and black colours. The lower half of the dial displays an unusual circular date display.



A sliding mechanism starts the transformation process of the watch: By pressing the slide on the left-hand flank from “10” to “8” the watch starts with its metamorphosis process that lasts approximately 15 seconds and magically transforms it from the time indicating mode into a chronograph.

The second face: The Chronograph
The metamorphosis itself can best be compared to a scene change at the theatre: wings of the dial open up, slide under one another, and disappear to the left and right beneath the middle section of the dial.



After the transformation, this masterpiece of mechanical timekeeping presents a face devoted entirely to the chronograph function. Emphasising the watch’s second function as a sports timer, the face displays Arabic numerals with red markers. The subdial, in the form of a rotating disc, now takes the stage as the minute counter. The existing hands and dials assume new roles as part of the chronograph.

The two inventors, Johnny Girardin and Franck Orny, came up with the idea of a timepiece that could literally and mechanically change its appearance before our very eyes. For over a year, they worked alongside the designers and watchmakers in the Institut Minerva de Recherche en Haute Horlogerie to transform their initial idea into a watch.


above: the inventors of the Montblanc Metamorphosis Franck Orny and Johnny Girardin

Although the principle of a watch with different functions is nothing entirely new, the way in which the Montblanc Metamorphosis transforms itself from one watch face to the other, has never been seen before. It is a highly complex process, involving 50 individual components that move technically synchronously. The mechanisms involved in this process are so new and innovative (The complication adds 315 extra parts to the original 252 parts of the Minerva Kaliber 16-29 hand-wound movement) that they’ve been registered for patent.

The Metamorphosis watch will only be available in a limited edition of 28 pieces. Price is still unknown as of yet.


all information and images courtesy of Montblanc.

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