"Hitch"

Having been told his next film after Vertigo would be a failure and a long-drawn out financial loss, British born director and film producer Alfred Hitchcock defiantly made his move in the filming of Psycho.

Famously known for his twisted endings and suspense thrillers, he was worried about being solely labelled as only known for this type of cinematic genre. He wanted something different, to set a new benchmark in American film. Filming the movie on a constrained budget of around $800 000, Psycho had begun it’s process in black and white and on a spare movie set.  

The plot of Psycho was loosely inspired and based on the crimes of the Wisconsin murderer and grave robber Ed Gein. The film centers on the encounter between a secretary, who ends up at a secluded motel after embezzling money from her employer at the motel's disturbed owner, Norman bates, and its aftermath.  

“Hitch” just knew. After cleverly marketing the film in unique ways , by word of mouth, and by use of 'shock tactics', on its first release, Psycho became his best-known film, and later on, a global cult picture. Perhaps what made it stand out from the clutter of movies in the 50’s & 60’s was its then controversial shower scene , naked suggestiveness and shrieking horror music during the famous shower scene. Sticking to his original vision, Hitchcock set a new benchmark for American cinematography, and horror genres.

Having seen the latest motion picture (2013) on his 'behind-the-scenes' story of the making of Psycho starring Anthony Hopkins, I was inspired by Hitchcock's eccentric persistence and creative abilities. 

                

Surrealist Movement

My happiest memories in school (there were few) were during my art history lectures, where I’d get lost in the theory and history of surrealist painters and how they found their influences. I decided to do a little revisiting on one my favourite surrealist artists, Salvador Dali.  

Born in Figueras, Spain, Dali was an only child, who was said to have developed an intense and quite egocentric nature. His imagination was so intense that he claims to recall intra-uterine images. He described them as ‘paradise’ and ‘the colour of hell’ with ‘soft, warm immobility’s’. 

Dali's childhood urge was to be a cook, but he started painting at the age of six. Soon he showed signs of aggression and was sent away by his parents to live with a family friend, Pitchot, also an artist. His desire to do the exact opposite of his friends and stamp his uniqueness upon the world sought to precipitate itself in violence. In one such incident, Dali, while walking with a friend, pushed him off of a fifteen foot high bridge onto the rocks below. Further, Dali almost numbed the situation by watching the companion’s mother take bowls of his blood out of the room and calmly ate a bowl of cherries. Dali's acts of sadism and masochism didn't cease with time. One of his sources of enjoyment was throwing himself down stairs. 'The pain' he said, 'was insignificant, the pleasure was immense'. Pleasure and pain seemed intimately entwined. Dali wanted both.

Dali used to stand on his head for substantial periods of time to induce hallucinatory images. Amongst Dali's most famous friends were Picasso and Freud. Indeed much of the surrealist movement can be paralleled with the work of Freud at that time. Psychoanalytic theory purported to explain and interpret dreams, hidden unconscious desires and the tapestry of symbolism thereof. This is the foundation of the surrealist movement.

(source: http://www.surrealists.co.uk/dali.php)

Urban Education

This 2013 lookbook by Topshop really caught my eye in store. I love its bold mix of "fresh prince of Bell-air meets Rebel 90's high school, What do you think of it? Wearable ? shop it here 

Romantic Photography : Lisa Blake Photography

Id like to dedicate my latest blog post today to a friend of mine, Lisa Blake, who is truly talented at photography.  We did a morning photoshoot together on Saturday, and were both so pleased with how the photos came out. I especially love the romantic feel and the soft pastel colours that came out in the pics. Thanks Lisa !

All Hail Converse !