SuperNatural over Super Bowl

I guess you can call this my future-celestial-fantastical-paranormal mood board of sorts. I was kinda-sorta-not really watching the Super Bowl and since this post has been in the works for a while I decided to 'multi-task' as I have no idea what is going on. 


I got super excited this past week when in my art history class we discussed Paolo Uccello's 15th century painting of Saint George and the Dragon. 

I don't know if it's embarrassing that the first thing I thought of was The Paper bag Princess...If you don't know who Robert Munsch is then you didn't have a childhood. Seriously, it is such a classic and the girl saves the day!

I caught the fantasy bug early... although all kids books are about dragons and monsters and what not.


Continuing on my dragons and Renaissance painting tangent the next 'fantastical' thing I thought of was Hieronymus Bosch's seemingly ahead-of-its-time painting The Garden of Earthly Delights, specifically the depiction of hell with its ghoulish depictions of the punishments that await every manner of sinner.

This painting haunted me forever after I first saw it and with good reason. There is something about it that makes it seem so futuristic and paranormal. You can spot some downright ridiculous shenanigans if you look hard enough. I spy a pig wearing a nun's habit, a backgammon game, a deadly symphony written on a man's behind, a speedboat and several ice skaters...

I was then brought back to Alexander McQueen's winter 2010 presentation collection with it's Gothic shapes and gilding... and screen print of Bosch's version of hell:

You can see this part of the scene on the front of the garment... eerie eh?

This is one of the dresses from the ready to wear collection of the same season and again we have the Bosch garden. It's an intellectual Halloween costume.

Then last week in Paris, Giorgio electrified the Couture shows:

From the instant the first look appeared on the runway it signaled something very different was happening for Armani Privé this season. Many called the Armani-Gaga collaboration the cause of this futuristic turn, which is leagues away from his old Hollywood film siren show of last season...

Some of the costumes Armani has designed for Gaga's Monster Ball Tour.

The dress that caught our attention, a modified Privé creation from the Spring 2010 show.

... However I saw a different sci-fi reference in the show:

Tron Legacy much? The funny thing was that Olivia Wilde, one of the film's stars, was in the front row... coincidence, I think not.

It keeps going... in my architecture class this past week we were discussing the genius that is Frank Lloyd Wright. While looking at some of his Prairie homes we tripped over his designs for his ideal suburbs called Broadacre City, I particularly love the futuristic motor vehicles and the helicopter pods... the aforementioned Miss Privé could suit up in her Tron gear and pop to work in one of these contraptions.

There is something that fascinates us with the future, space and flight.


All this futurism reminded me of a high school classmate's studio work. 

Charles was several years above me and I remember seeing his final Art exhibition and A) feeling terrified that this was the standard of work I would have to live up to and B) being superbly interested in his unique fantasy inspired style of painting.

- Monumental Ruins of an Unfamiliar Future

I want to believe, I really do...

I see definite sci-fi influences in his shapes and style... but I also see some film imagery... Like District 9, the new Star Trek and the ever iconic X Files (above) which I really would like to start watching except I get ridiculously spooked.

- Urban Decay

C'mon Wall-E are you feeling it? Or just me then.

-Entropy Stage 2

Another StarTrek inspired painting? I see warp speed but also a boxcar graveyard, like from a railroad.

Finally, English painter John Martin is coming to the Tate Britain (I just applied for an internship at the Tate Modern... very last minute, as usual). Anyway, I'm super excited as I'm not super knowledgeable about English Romantic painting.

- The Great Day of His Wrath  (1853)

His work often deals with religious and apocalyptic scenes and it, like Bosch, seems disassociated with its time. I was particularly interested in the celestial aspects of his paintings and it led me to court Christopher Kane's Resort 2011 collection which I am dying to get my hands on... anyone want to fund my shopping trip. Wishful thinking, I know.

To quote Bryan Adams 'tonight we have the stars' and who wouldn't want to own something starry. Kane's collection is inspired by 'flaring nebulae, as seen by the Hubble telescope' (Style.com) and I'm pretty positive that this collection will be the closest I will ever get to space (unless I get involved with NASA quickish). It's ethereal and beautiful, I mean, space is so damn colorful! I need to be listening to Muse's latest two albums Black Holes and Revelations and  The Resistance, both have wonderful spacey undertones. Blast me to the ends of the universe and maybe I'll come back.

It's been a trip


- Life is good

[Paperbag Princess, Broadacre City, X Files, Tron Legacy, Gaga and Armani 1 & 2, Prive Gaga, District Nine, John Martin]

Listening to: the music from the Alexander McQueen 2011 Spring Show (which can be seen here)
Observations: Two days til OUAs
Craving: A time machine, where did my weekend go?