our first project in 2012 is kind of an unusual one for us, but then again, we feel it’s about time – all too often we get asked about all these ‘other mono’s’: What is mono.graphie? And really, you run a fashion label? Well yes, kind of. Truth is: Our publisher, Kai von Rabenau, is a photographer in his other life, and has been running his studio under the name of mono.graphie since 2001. And mono.gramm is our ‘joint venture’ womenswear label since 2009 and specialized in dresses, that we help with the art direction and organization and special projects and general advice and hand-holding. What all these projects have in common is a shared philosophy and approach – hence the mono in all our names – applied to different media.

Anyway, when we were invited by the lovely Palette Gallery in Tokyo for an exhibition, we thought it’s a good opportunity to bring together these different activities and present them all in one space, since they come from the same studio as well. It’s kind of an experiment for us, which makes it all the more exciting of course, and anyway, like we said, it’s about time.

And thus, we will be showing an overview of mono.graphie’s photography practice, showcasing a selection of editorial, fashion and personal work, extracting a palette of colour and atmosphere from daily life; whereas our womenswear imprint mono.gramm will give a sneak peek into its playful light-handed approach to fashion design, and mono.kultur, of course, will display the first 30 issues of our uniquely popular interview format.

So if you happen to be in Tokyo next week, please feel free to join us for drinks and insights, accompanied by a conversation between Kai von Rabenau and Hiroshi Eguchi of Utrecht. And if you are not, but know someone who is, then make sure to share the invite for a hello and kampai!

All our best,
mono.kultur

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mono.position #04
Kai von Rabenau / Diaries
mono.graphie / mono.gramm / mono.kultur

03 – 17 February 2012
Opening / 03 February 2012 / 18 – 20 h
Talk / 18 h 30 / Kai von Rabenau & Hiroshi Eguchi / Utrecht

Colorworks Palette Bldg
1-14-2 Higashi-Kanda
Chiyoda-Ku
Tokyo

Weegee is having quite a moment. Right on the heels of the new West Coast Weegee exhibition Naked Hollywood: Weegee in Los Angeles, the International Center of Photography has put up a new show called Weegee: Murder is My Business. Focusing on the pioneering photographer’s most productive decade, between 1935 and 1946, Murder is My Business showcases the gritty, rough, and utterly arresting images that defined an tabloid sensibility for decades to come. These are tremendous photographs, showing Weegee’s innate understanding of how composition and tone can both document and manipulate. They also make clear how far tabloid  photography has fallen.

Weegee: Murder is My Business
January 20 – September 2, 2012
The International Center of Photography
1133 Avenue of the Americas
New York

Anthony Esposito, booked on suspicion of killing a policeman, New York, by Weegee

Lisa Kerezsi

Simone Massera

Nicolas Poillot

Mikhael Subtozky

Nice cross-dressing project by Canadian photographer Hana Pesut.

T’is the season of the year-end best of photobook list (good ones here and here), and while it’s tempting to show off one’s eccentric and refined taste, I think it’s nicer to narrow in on something fun (and cheap). I picked up Johnny Stiletto’s Vintage 80s a while back, and cannot be happier. Stiletto’s sly, off-the-cuff images of 80s London and its rumpled eccentrics are, unlike many projects these days, accompanied by informative and funny captions. Taken together, they really give a sense of the city at that time, as Thatcher’s arrival shredded its traditional Englishness, attacked its lower classes, and antagonized its youth. Stiletto’s eye is sharp and voracious, capturing pubs, newspaper vendors, artists, punks, and (especially) the London Underground with equanimity and passion.

Photography by Johnny Stiletto. Please visit his site for wonderful, extended digressions about each image.

Just in case you missed mono.klub #35, the video gives you an idea of Taryn’s mesmerizing eloquence and, of course, an interesting introduction to the concepts of her work.

Nan Goldin’s incredibly personal and emotionally potent photographs are major signposts in the recent history of photography, and have had an indelible influence on subsequent generations of photographers. Her photos also helped reveal our society’s deeply ingrained voyeuristic impulses. We are drawn to her photos not only because of their formal accomplishments, but also because of their raw, emotional power. With Scopophilia, her new show at Matthew Marks Gallery organized around our “love of looking,” Goldin tackles that voyeuristic need head-on. With a slideshow, an exhibition method intricately tied to her practice, and through prints, Goldin pairs her classic photos of love, death, sex, fun, and abuse, with images she took of painting and sculpture in the Louvre. This combination throws light on how viewers engage with her  photographs as both art objects and documents, and questions our commitment to the crises (of AIDS, sexual abuse, and drug addiction) they depict. Goldin’s questions are arresting. As they become canonized, are her images elevated (or reduced) to the level of Titian’s paintings? Does that diminish their power? What was their power in the first place?

Nan Goldin: Scopophilia
Matthew Marks Gallery
October 29 – December 23, 2011
522 W 22 Street
New York

Some/Things Magazine

Some/Things is a lush and luxurious bi-annual on fashion, art and culture, only more sophisticated than any fashion magazine you have come across. Leaning heavily towards the dark side of things, Some/Things have a distinct faible for Rick Owens, Pina Bausch and leaden skies, all wrapped up in felt and pretty boxes, immaculately printed and produced. And we mean immaculate – it’s sheer joy. There is no denying a slight scent of fetish and it has a price, but it’s one of the few publications that come close to being a work of art. Discover here.

Prejmer, Romania

We’ve discussed photographers and artists who use Google Street View before, but a novel project that pushes past those previous appropriations, Aaron Hobson’s cinemascapes is worth a look. Hobson isn’t interested in Street View’s potential for reaching documentary truthfulness, or in the bizarre compositions it captures, or in the visual texture of its pixelation; he creates cinematic compositions that hinge on how we perceive our every day life through the lens of film, TV, video games, and other visual pop. Hobson’s Street Views are like film stills grabbed from sun-kissed romances, stormy thrillers, gritty urban dramas, or nutty Irish comedies; they are a new and engaging use of what is fast becoming an important photographic tool.

Inverallochy, Scotland

Route 17, South Africa

Dog’s Island, Ireland

Sao Joao Del Rei, Brazil

Michael Wolf
25 November 2011 – 07 January 2012

Flowers Gallery
82 Kingsland Road
London E2 8DP