Are you planning a visit to the La Brea Tar Pits, or perhaps a potentially unpleasant family reunion? Here’s the perfect shoe for you! Created by the wild Iris van Herpen, this dreamy dinosaur-toothed ankle boot is all business on the top and Nurse Ratched on the bottom!
Your Chexy attended the L.A. Photo Show held earlier this month, where this photo absolutely floored me — from the wonderful mind of photographer Liz Steketee (pronounced “Steketee”).
Liz uses images from her own family’s history, digitally manipulated with other images, to rewrite her own history as it suits her. The idea fascinates me. The above photo is one of her relatives (an aunt, if I recall correctly), with her son’s face superimposed on the image. It is so stunning and arresting, I had to stop to talk with her. Here is the description of her “Reconstructed Memories” series in her words, from her website:
“Reconstructed Memories is a unique print series that uses my personal family photographs to rewrite history from my vantage point. By choosing unrelated images and digitally manipulating them into unlikely combinations, I build new memories. I forge new relationships, address old confrontations, imagine difference experiences, and face old demons. I disrupt linear narratives and recompose events, establishing my family history as a construct. Once these new snapshots have been finalized digitally, they are printed, aged and weathered according to their appropriate time period. This rebuilding of memory has allowed me to establish my own version of reality, as I prefer it. Reconstructed Memories takes the form of a unique print series as well as a series of reconstructed “false” family photo albums that adhere to my revisionist history.”
The above image is another breathtaking shot from the Reconstructed Memories series. The idea of manipulating one’s own visual history is so compelling! What would you do with yours?!
See the rest of this captivating series by Liz Steketee here. Be sure to check out her “American Snapshots” as well.
Actor, writer and director John Paragon created and played the hilarious Jambi character in “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” for which he received 5 Emmy nominations for writing and co-directing. He also wrote many of the episodes, and wore this spiffy turban!
He starred in his own special, “The Paragon of Comedy” and in such cult classics as “Eating Raoul” and “Echo Park.” He had a recurring role on “Seinfeld” as one half of a gay couple. Paragon is now a creative consultant for Walt Disney Imagineering and appeared in the recent Broadway resurrection of “Pee Wee’s Playhouse.”
Here’s a clip from a live 1981 performance of the show in Los Angeles. Long live Jambi!
Carole Cook, 84, appeared last night at the Paley Center’s screening of the Carol Channing film, “Larger Than Life.” Miss Cook is the star of such kitsch classics as “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” and “Palm Springs Weekend.” She is neither surprised nor startled. She is merely fabulous. Hair by Technicolor. Makeup by Dupont.
“West Side Story” remnant George Chakiris, 77, attempted some type of facial expression. Greek chic! This is a very convincing weave. I’m not sure if he’s about to smile or weep.
Michael Learned, 72, the mom on “The Waltons,” looked relaxed and alert, perhaps shocked, I’m not sure. Goodnight, John Boy.
Conservative Republican Connie Stevens, 73, with a spectacular lipliner fail, with some type of hair that looks like it’s been infiltrated by makeup left on a pillow. Those are not maggots, that’s part of her dress.
The effervescent Ruta Lee, star of 1954′s “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” is giving Lithuanian glamour, and a makeup applied with more force than a “Drag Race” contestant. Don’t you just want to kiss her? She always looks like she’s chewing gum. Labas rytas!