Jean Seberg & Baptiste Giabiconi | remixed

Seberg from 5 to 7 | 2011 | mixed media on paper

Baptiste in Tom Ford | 2011 | mixed media on paper

My current series of drawings has been inspired by street art so I decided to play upon that inspiration even more by creating two new versions/variations of previous drawings.  Here I used the same hand-made stencils that I used for the originals (which you can see here and here) but played more with the colors, the graphic lines and the goal to "further" the pieces by including subtle cultural references...

With Baptiste, I outfitted him in Tom Ford sunnies and suit -- which (being head-over-heels for fashion) I thought was fairly humorous since Baptiste has such a strong history with Karl Lagerfeld (I know, I know it's an offbeat detail that few would understand...but still... :)  And with Jean Seberg, I drew on her the same fur hat that Corinne Marchand tries on in the beginning of Agnes Varda's 1962 New Wave masterpiece Cleo from 5 to 7 (a film that followed on the heels of Godard's Breathless -- in which Ms. Seberg starred.)  This also is a subtle beyond subtle reference but, as I write this, I actually think it's more fitting to think of these "cultural references" as more like inside jokes than widely understood suggestions.  Much better that way, no?

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend -- I can't believe Spring's almost here!
All the best,
M

Tom Ford

Tom Ford (with horse) | 2011 | oil pastel on paper

detail shot

Tumblr

I have started another blog, Morgan Nelson * Art (created not to replace this blog but to compliment it) over on Tumblr (http://breathlessvintage.tumblr.com)

Here's a bit about it:
Art is many things.  Yes, in my work it takes a more literal, single definition but in my life I find it in everything — because art is also fashion, cute guys, a good conversation, an intimate moment, a secret (the good kind that you’re allowed to tell), a spot of sunlight landing in a reflective prism on the wall…  In my world, art takes many, many shapes and covers many definitions.  The best way for me to summarize it is to say: art is a feeling…more specifically, it’s that warm feeling that you feel in your chest after something…good.  It’s not just a profession or an act to me, art is a comfort in living.  And that is what this blog is about, to share all those things that feel “art” to me, here in this digital realm.


Hope you'll check it out (and follow it too!)

Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine Poster | 2011 | mixed media on paper

A few weeks ago, I saw this tweet from Blue Valentine (@BlueVmovie) on Twitter announcing a contest on Facebook for a Ryan Gosling-signed Sundance-edition movie poster.  Immediately, my love for Sundance and proper fan-girl admiration for Mr. Ryan Gosling lit a proverbial fire under me and I jumped over to Facebook to enter.  Well, knowing how things go (i.e. not winning something you really want to win), I anticipated such an event and set out to create my own version of the poster (call it solace, inspiration, etc.)

So, here it is!  Honestly, this is a little something new for me style-wise -- which is good!  I enjoyed working on it a lot.  It was akin to an art marathon and became quite the process since, despite having not used pens for a while, I picked up right away on my tendency to work in painstakingly detailed layers of ink :)  ...which means lots of man hours!

At first, I was set to compete it simply and as true to its pure pink origin as possible but I veered off that course and opted to take more "artistic license."  (I feel like I could easily insert a license/driving metaphor here but I will contain myself...)  With this, I decided to create my own font with the goal for it to embody an urban, graffiti edge with the naivete of bubble letters -- as I said, something new.  Also, I created a heart that their shoulders and shape of their arms seemed to create, to make for a different meaning in the embrace.  And one more little artist's detail to point out: it is a bit faint, but I drew a small heart over the 'i' in 'Michelle.'  Notice how it's broken between the two sides of the white line?  That was my way of addressing the theme of heartbreak woven throughout the film.

I'm really happy with the end result.  Hope you all enjoy it, too!

All the best,
M