Dark room dreams get lost in the flat screen #1

The Shoe a short film by André Saraiva

“It’s a character very close to any young French guy who likes to flirt with girls in Paris.”

  André aka Monsieur André aka Monsieur A, born Andre Saraiva. He is a French graffiti artist. He paints a distinctive stick-figure character, usually with a top hat and an 'X' in place of one of the eyes. He started doing graffiti in 1985.
  Born in Sweden, he became famous in the late 90's with Mr A, a cartoonish character with a round head, a cross and a circle for his eyes, a big smile and very long legs, which he used to draw all over the streets of Paris. André was formerly married to French/American electro artist, Uffie. From Parisian street artist to international nightlife buiseness man, restaurateur and hotelier, André Saraiva has a knack for adding a liberal dose of cool to anything he touches.
  André Saraiva pulled from his personal experiences as a modern day bon vivant for his directorial debut "The Shoe", but the artist and club owner also channeled the cinematic ghosts of his leading man.  Saraiva drafted a gang of his friends for the film’s cast, including Fitzpatrick, Saraiva’s paramour Annabelle Dexter-Jones, French actor Nicolas Duvauchelle , actress Joséphine de la Baume and model Poppy Delevingne.

Part 1

Part 2

Filipe Marinheiro

Qu'est-que c'est? #1

  Death Cab For Cutie is an American band formed in 1997. Oftenly quoted as a Indie pop, Indie rock, Alternative rock or even as an Emo band (which I personally disagree), Death Cab for Cutie started as a solo project developed by the vocalist Ben Gibbard. He released a cassette named "You Can Play These Songs With Chords" which was surprisingly successful and that was when he decided to expand the project and recruit a full band.
  Death Cab's songs are mainly marked by deeply emotional and metaphorical lyrics combined with calm and soothing music. There's always some changes from album, but they always keep their identity. As well as some other great alternative American bands they had a great help on their acknowledgement by the TV series "The O.C.".

  14 years later, their 7th album is out and it's named "Codes and Keys". It's less "guitar-based" and a lot "merrier" than other albums which has made some people say they are turning commercial. I guess they're just moving with the times. Ben, who is "the brain" behind songwriting, got married with Zooey Deschanel after the 2008 album "Narrow Stairs". I'd like to think these are happier times he's living.
  The first video from this album is You Are A Tourist. It was the first live, scripted, one-take, music video shoot ever. Between the choreography, light-up suits, and laudable direction by Tim Nackashi, the result was really good and it turned into a moment to remember.

Nuno Trindade

Toy Machine signing at the garage

"Veni, Vidi, Vici!"
Fame, fortune and happiness are what describe those guys from Toy Machine skateboarding co. In this post fans (wanna be) signed everywhere over their bodies, Layton is caught skating on the street and the officer gives him a bill to pay, people "plank" and the most ordinary comments are written on everyone's body! AWSOME!!!

Youri Spaninks Amaro 

Une fille dans le monde #1

 "Graffiti" is an art that just a few understand! The object of art itself is a way of expression where several strong and wonderful colours are what we keep in first place. For others it doesn't matter nothing, for a few it is a journey trough a brand new world, each point of view is reflex of each different perspective, in the end, each person has is own way of appreciate art.

  There are many "graffiti" lovers, one of them is Élsio Menau! Born in 1984, in Quarteira, Portugal. Since very young he was related to art work, but was in 1998 that he started to give his first steps inside street art, later in 2001 he created "Policromia", an artistic collective that is still operating.

   Inside is work, Menau has as priority: strong colours, where originality is one of his biggest characteristics, this gives him the tittle of great "figure" at the "graffiti" world in Portugal. In "Monsters", one of his main themes, he shows his creativity and skill in combo by using a kind of "egg form" that he generally uses in several of his works.

  Part of our population, all over the world, doesn't see "graffiti" as a way of expression, but as a way of vandalize propriety, public or private. Personally I agree with that idea, but I recognize as well this "strange" kind of art, in spite of sharing the opinion that it should be practiced in proper spots.

  The artist is a member of society which creation respect and accesses the public space in such a way that turns upside down our vision about what we can create.
  In my point of view "graffiti" is an art, since like as any other kind of expression it follows some basic social rules, and so it will be, logically, admired and respected by society. 

 Joana Do Ó

L'espace d'art #1

  I'll never forget the day I was skating at a plaza somewhere in Setúbal and I meet Marco! The guy was totally drunk and he started to "shout" about the way how I should do a trick. Since that day I'm still in touch with him and sometimes we still skate and develop some projects together.

  He is an Artist with capital "A" that I can tell you mates, I've never seen such a person before, he is totally different than anyone else. Marco Tainha that is his name, he is a surfer, a skateboarder, an artist and above everything a friend! For several years he was a rebel boy (I guess that boy still resides inside him) and he has been always "avant-gard" at the surf scene in Portugal. Currently we live in the same town and I visit him often at his "lab", if we can say so, generally we grab a beer in the pub next door and we go to his place and there he shows me new surf boards, shapes, graphics, ideas and stuff that he is working out. Marco is a very talented "Surf Board Designer" and his work reaches perfection. At the present moment he has a project called "Blood Brothers" together with a friend and in their spots at the internet they show "to the world" what is the new raw object of art.

  I couldn't start this section of posts about art in Rêves en Rouge without present my tribute to him, one person who always supported my causes, objectives and points of view. Thanks man!  

 

Youri Spaninks Amaro