New work – In conversation with three women
‘In conversation with three women’
Julian Baker
A triptych comprising ‘Male Pattern Blindness’ London, November 2010 / ‘Eye Contact’ London, February 2013 / ‘Bifocal’ London, March 2013
Shorter – a short stories iPhone app
I tried to take Will Ashon’s portrait. Somehow things got mixed up and it ended as an iPhone thing. Here’s what we have to say about it…
Shorter is an app for iPhone and iPad featuring a collection of eighty nine very short stories by Will Ashon for very short trips. A random story is chosen for you to read each time the app is opened. Making it an ideal companion for travel (a story between stops) or toilet breaks.
New stories will be automatically added at unexpected moments, magically sent over the airwaves without having to download the app again, with a little red dot marking their arrival.
Buy “Shorter” from the App Store for 69p
Will Ashon is the author of two novels “Clear Water” and “Heritage” both published by Faber and Faber. The app comes decorated with a lovely illustration by Timothy Hunt. It costs 69p, less than a penny a tale and will last longer than a Mars Bar, unless you are an exceptional slow eater.
Here’s what other people have said about it…
“…excellent value for money; the stories never disappoint with their surreal take on early 21st-century life” – Nicola Presley, The Literary Platform.
Read the full review
“A dead-on depiction of early 21st Century life that soon gives way to something much wilder and stranger. The best collection of short stories I’ve read in years.” – Matt Thorne (Cherry, 8 Minutes Idle, Prince)
“Funny, smart, playful, twisted and devastatingly precise” – Peter Hobbs (The Short Day Dying, I Could Ride All Day In My Cool Blue Train)
A portrait of Anna Maltz
Anna Maltz
Artist, knitter, activist
I discovered the work of Anna Maltz happening upon an apparent portrait of a family wearing what can only be described as knitted nude suits. The little girl examining her father’s woollen penis. The image was posted uncredited on an internet notice board accompanied by a litany of incredulous comments.
It had to have been the work of an artist – a simple and wonderfully executed concept that throws open all the moral and social contradictions in public displays of nudity. I would see it pop up again in unexpected places, each time eliciting a search to find the creator.
When Sasha Baron Cohen premiered “Bruno” in Berlin wearing a similar outfit a year later I made a concerted effort to find the artist, to express my admiration and congratulate her on finding mainstream exposure. Emailing Anna I learnt the Bruno costumes were not by her.
Artists frequently have their ideas purloined by advertising, take Gillian Wearing’s “Signs that say what you want them to say” and the Volkswagen advert by BMP DDB. In a “creative” industry not crediting a concept is ironic as well as unjust.
It’s probable Baron Cohen was unaware of her work but I would be surprised if no-one in his team had not seen the image, given the similarity in the versions. Five years had passed since Anna exhibited her suits and the emergence of the ones to promote Bruno. It seemed a shame to me that the latecomer and conceptually less brilliant version may become the one posterity remembers. So I thought a formal portrait of Anna in her creation would be in order. I must admit that I may also have had a sneaky desire to try one one for myself.
(Although we corresponded it took a while for the portrait to happen, since, for a while, Anna thought I was asking her to pose nude. A lesson learnt and now I state clearly when propositioning artists and authors that I’m expecting them to keep their clothes on.)
Nicholas Royle’s “First Novel” – which isn’t
First Novel by Nicolas Royle | Nicholas Royle portrait by Julian Baker
I received a copy of Nicholas Royle’s new novel “First Novel”, which of course isn’t. It’s his seventh.
I mention this not just because you should be informed and therefore go out – immediately – to buy a copy, but also since it features my portrait of the author on the dust jacket back flap.
The Quietus think it good enough to write about… thequietus.com/articles/11181-nicholas-royle-first-novel-interview-q-and-a
Nicholas Royle not only writes wonderfully dark tales but runs Nightjar Press, a venture I much admire for doing many things well: excellent short stories; independent publishing; objects suitable for leaving as a surprise under your lover’s pillow and making things just because one can.
Of “First Novel” The Independent say “This is a novel that demands to be read more than once”. So you could say “I’m reading ‘First Novel’ for the second time”. If you wanted to.
Featured on the Art – das Kunstmagazin site
www.art-magazin.de/kunst/58933/akt_now_aktfotografie
“Art”, a magazine from Germany has just published an interview with me on their webs site, as part of their “Akt Now” series looking at contemporary nude photography.
It’s in German by the way. But there’s pictures.
Pairing: Andrew Wyeth vs. Noritoshi Hirakawa
“Christina’s World” Andrew Wyeth | “Tanja’s World” Noritoshi Hirakawa
“Christina’s World” by Andrew Wyeth, 1948. Tempera on gessoed panel, 81.9 cm × 121.3 cm (32¼ in × 47¾ in)
“Tanja’s World” by Noritoshi Hirakawa, 1999. Silver gelatin print, 33 x 52 cm (13 x 20 1/2 in.) Edition of 10
arthistory.about.com/od/famous_paintings/ss/andrew_wyeth_christinas_world.htm
www.christopheguye.com/artists/noritoshi-hirakawa/w5/unbenannte-ressource1.html
New work – Coupled, Friends #8 (Happy Christmas)
“Coupled, Friends #8”
London, December 2012
From the “Coupled” series
… and Happy Christmas to each and everyone of us
Shorter app – stories by Will Ashon (aka my first iPhone app)
I once did some work for the man who designed Bluewater, which led me to read Clearwater, a book by Will Ashon. I liked it. So I wanted to take his portrait. By some curious twist of fate this translated into “shall we make an iPhone app”.
So we did.
It will be available soon from all good iTunes stores for iPad, iPhones and iThings. It features 89 very short stories by Mr Ashon and because every book needs a cover and because fate has already played a hand, why not, I thought, ask Timothy Hunt better known as Fickle Fate to draw some nice pictures for it. Which he did. Which was nice.
So there you go. My first iPhone app featuring stories from Will Ashon and a drawing by Timothy Hunt. I’ll let you know when you can buy a copy.
Perhaps a celebratory portrait is in order?
New work – Niagara
“Niagara”
Julian Baker
London, October 2012
From the Skintones series
A portrait of Coppé
Coppé
Musician, TV presenter, martian
Julian Baker
London, September 2012
Pairing: René Magritte vs. Michael Haneke
"The Lovers" by René Magritte, 1928 | "Funny Games" directed by Michael Haneke, 1997
“The Lovers” by René Magritte, 1928. Oil on canvas, 21 3/8 x 28 7/8″ (54 x 73.4 cm)
“Funny Games” written and directed by Michael Haneke, 1997. 108 mins.
www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=3692
www.imdb.com/title/tt0119167/
Alpine – Hands
Playing with memes from our imagined adolescent girl rituals, crashing together Susannah B’s schoolgirls, sleep-overs and Lizzie Borden. Lord of the flies in the Valley of the Dolls: come up your own glib pop psychology.
The song’s pretty good too.
Pairing: Yves Klein vs. Alain Robbe-Grillet
Photo from the making of Yves Klein’s Anthropometry, 1961 | Anicée Alvina photographed during the filming of Glissements progressifs du plaisir by Alain Robbe-Grillet
Yves Kline “Anthropométrie de l’Époque bleue” 1960
Dir. Alain Robbe-Grillet “Glissements progressifs du plaisir (Successive Slidings of Pleasure)” 1974
www.yveskleinarchives.org/works/works1_us.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Klein
thisisquietcool.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/glissements-progressifs-du-plaisir-1974.html
www.imdb.com/title/tt0070116/
Pairing: Guy Bourdin vs. Ren Hang
For Vogue Paris by Guy Bourdin, 1976 | Ren Hang, 2012
For Vogue Paris by Guy Bourdin, 1976
Ren Hang, 2012
http://theredlist.fr/wiki-2-16-601-793-view-fashion-1-profile-bourdin.html
http://renhang.tumblr.com
Josh Mond’s video for Mayday Parade’s “Kids in love”
I saw a still from the video float by my monitor recently and a little reverse image searching from Tineye led me to Josh Mond’s video for Mayday Parade’s “Kids in love”. It’s two years old but appears to be relatively unknown. Musically it’s American trash pop. But that’s not why I’m posting it, if you don’t like this genre I suggest putting on a favourite tune before hitting play. The visuals aren’t synced or relevant to the tune’s structure. The director it seems, took the songs title and used that as his starting point for the storyboard.
So why am I posting it? I make no bones about being a huge admirer of Ryan McGinley. Quite simply my favourite artist photographer. And it appears that he is admired by Josh Mond too. For the brief could have been written “…make me a video inspired by ‘I know where the summer goes’…”. You could argue it’s derivative but McGinley hasn’t made films, and Mond made Martha Marcy May Marlene (my favourite film poster of last year) so let’s just agree it’s a pretty fabulous ride whatever the inspiration.
For the record I play Big Deal’s cover of Alex Chilton’s 13 as an alternative soundtrack. Something about the clash in pace and ensuing loss of innocence adds a little pathos. But then I’m a soppy git.
Featured in Juxtapoz and Alricon
My work has been featured in two online magazines recently.
There is something pleasantly surprising to find a mention of yourself in a publication that one actually reads. Juxtapoz is a printed art magazine that also curates an online space showcasing more outsider aspects, which now includes a selection from my Skintones series. Well worth following besides it just featuring me.
www.juxtapoz.com/Erotica/photographs-from-julian-baker
Alrincon is a site which knows what side of the art-or-porn debate it’s on. Clue: it’s not art. So when my work was mentioned I was a little hesitant but the review is surprising pleasant. To save you clicking through here is the salient part…
No all photographers look for hot and beautiful girls. Some go further and look for something more deep. Photographers who try to capture the soul, the spirit, the inner… tell a story. Julian Baker, for example…
… under a headline of “Julian Baker doesn’t take photos of models, he shoots people”. In fact it’s one of the more thoughtful things that’s been said about me in a blog, so thank you Alrincon.
www.alrincon.com/en/blog/julian_baker_doesnt_take_photos_of_models_he_shoots_people.html
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