silencio...

Ever time I watch the trailer for this upcoming film, the Artist, I nostalgically sigh, it highlights breathtaking scenes!  
Hollywood in the late 1920's when silent films begin to transition into films with audible dialogue . . . yes please. 

The last movie that left me speechless was La Môme (La Vie En Rose) where Marion Cotillard's portrayal of Édith Piaf was peerless.  The leading lady in the Artist is Argentinian born French actress, Bérénice Bejo, who happens to be married to the French director of the film, Michel Hazanavicius, hmmm...stunning wardrobe!  Isn't the image below surrealistically yummy?  


Photos borrowed from the official French site, click here.

The haute bohémienne...Loulou de la Falaise (4 May 1948 - 5 November 2011)

I used last weekend's copy of the Financial Times as a base-membrane inside Babas Bohème's cage earlier this week, and this morning, as I was cleaning the shredded remnants, she highlighted a story I had somehow missed titled, The haute bohémienne with an innate approach to fashion. It was an obituary for Loulou de la Falaise, (model, muse and jewelry designer) who passed away Saturday, November 5, 2011 at the age of 63. Now, I must admit that I had no idea who she was before this morning...how? I don't know...but what a family tree. . .Thank you Babas!

Quote under picture of Loulou with YSL, 

Legend has it that she was baptized not with water but with Schiaparelli's famous perfume, "Shocking".

Here are a few fast facts about Loulou. . .but warning, there are so many more.

> She was born Louise Vava Lucia Henriette Le Bailly de la Falaise. WOW!
> Her father was Alain de la Falaise, a French aristocrat and her mother was Maxime de la Falaise, 
   a model and fashion muse herself for Elsa Schiaparelli and an Andy Warhol socialite.
> Loulou de la Falaise was a friend and inspirational muse to Yves Saint Laurent.
> Her first marriage in 1966 (AT THE AGE OF 18!) was to Desmond FitzGerald, the Irish Knight of Glin.
> Her second marriage in 1977 was to Thadée Klossowski de Rola, son of the French artist Balthus.

I feel like a need to read a book about her life...too many incredible details.  the guardian published an informative obituary, read here.
Image below of Loulou by photographer, Richard Avedon, 1970.

when I was a child...

It's difficult to ignore the influence LOCATION has on what we create and who we become. . .don't you agree? I often wonder who or what I would have become if I had not been relocated to Los Angeles, California when I was a child.  I also reflect on, what I will be creating 20 years from now, as a result of my recent relocation to Montreal?. . . I have been thinking a lot about this lately, so much so that I've started a new ambitious project.  I'm still working out the details, but the drawing below is a preview.


Even though I am French, I cannot think of one of these pictures being painted in France. Every one of these pictures is American, from New York.  I love this city, its clean-cut look, its sky, its buildings, its scientific, cruel, romantic quality. 
Louise Bourgeois from the book, Louise Bourgeois, La famille; pg 70

© Viviana de Loera. 
This drawing was inspired by a childhood picture of the French-American artist, Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010), when she was 11 years old.  

Some have mentioned that I really drew myself...

Solitary confinement...

Oh yes, my petite Labernois, Babas Bohème, is getting bigger and stronger.  She puts quite a performance when she sleeps and when she wakes up.  It breaks my heart to incarcerate her, but it's a necessary evil when I absolutely need to get something done without interruption or when I must leave the house.  Most of the time she falls asleep, but if she wakes up before I get home, well her cage is a mess.  
After her solitary confinement episodes, she often leaves behind inspirational compositions. . .hence the picture above.  (Hmm, maybe there is a book idea here). Oh how frustratingly rewarding it must feel to shred that newspaper!  Poor Mr. Porter, somehow he survived unharmed, this time! 

A lullaby to Hollywood...

Lana del Rey's song "Video Games" seems to be everywhere...my favorite indie station, KCRW, plays it at least 5 times a day.  
Do I like it?...hmm...I'm not sure yet.  The video is a bit bizarre! It's so Valley of the Dolls meets Blade Runner (Blade Runner because of the opening inferno shot) meets Dogtown and Z Boys. Well, I guess Hollywood itself is an outlandish reality for many.  Where did "Lana del Rey" come from?  What do you think, is she singing to the I want to be famous crowd or is it a love song? I think it's a lullaby to Hollywood...


Watching the video, click here...hmm, I can't believe I'm going to admit this, but I think I miss palm trees. . .Montreal doesn't have any!

Café de flore...

If the film, Café de flore, (by the Québécois director, Jean-Marc Vallée) comes to your local theater, I strongly recommend you go see it. I recently made time to watch this film and Vanessa Paradis completely blew me away.  The film has two parallel stories; one takes place in present-day Montreal and the other in 1969 Paris.  To be honest, I wish Vallée had just focused on the Paris script, because even though the Montreal scenes were beautifully shot, they are distracting.  BUT, Vanessa Paradis's performance makes the film completely worth it and unforgettable.  She plays, Jacqueline, a mother who is wholly devoted to her son with down-syndrome. . .an intense and cathartic mother-son relationship. WOW! 

Undermän

. . . is the Swedish term for the base in pair acrobatics. The base, usually a man, is the one who lifts and supports, overshadowed by his partner’s acrobatic skills. Under in Swedish also means wonder or miracle. Quote from Cirkus Cirkör.


I've been obsessed with Cirkus Cirkör (a contemporary circus company from Sweden) ever since I stumbled upon their website a couple of years ago. I'm dying to see them perform in person.  Oh, if they only came to Montreal! Can anyone reading this post make it happen? Undermän is their latest production currently touring in Sweden.  The whole lumberjack look cracks-me up! Check out the video below. . .the triadic melancholic storyline is uniquely fabulous and real.


Image below borrowed from here.

. . .Undermän is a documentary contemporary circus show that does not only share spectacular acts and the stories of missing what once was. It is a performance where the artists stand in front us, here and now, as themselves, and give everything they've got to reach their dream of letting go, having fun, throwing themselves into the unknown and trusting life to catch them. . .Quote from the director, Olle Strandberg


ENSEMBLE: Mattias Andersson + Peter Åberg + Matias Salmenaho

MUSIC BY: Andreas Tengblad . . . the "troubadour" of the story?

Idea and direction: Olle Strandberg Producer: Lisen Boalt Technical producer: Stefan Karlström Lighting design: Eero Auvinen Lighting technician: Kamilla Hultman Sound technician: Felicia Hamberg Tour manager: Emma Therkelson Photography: Mats Bäcker

Food is a costly antidepressant!

I would love nothing more than to spend an entire day with Maira Kalman just chitchatting about nothing and anything.  I should invite her to come to Montreal, but perhaps not during the winter season, hmm.  I have a feeling she would find the Québécois as hysterical as I do.  (FYI, I mean this with love!)

She recently illustrated Michael Pollan's popular book, Food Rules an eater's manual, and I can't wait to get my hands on it.  Kalman's colorful contributions are priceless, but kudos to Pollan for the obviously enlightening quotes.  A few excerpts below...

Place a Bouquet of Flowers on the Table and Everything Will Taste Twice as Good.

Cook.

Eat When You Are Hungry, Not When You Are Bored.

I wonder if this book will cure my uncontrollable potato chips fetish.  Are they really horrible?. . .even if they're the Natural Reduced Fat Sea Salted Potato Chips by RUFFLES?

Mark LOVES sweets and I've been hooked on the salty-sour stuff since birth.  Mmm, I blame those spicy Mexican candies from my lovely childhood!

**Maira Kalman illustrations borrowed from here.

PART 2: La piel que habito..."Art is a guarantee of sanity"

(Quote by Louise Bourgeois, 1911-2010)


for Part 1: La piel que habito...click here.


I experienced Almodóvar's latest film, La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I live In) last week and it left me in a pensive mood for days.  I read the synopsis, saw the beautiful trailer, and was lured by the gorgeous publicity shots for months. . .but nothing prepared me for the skillfully gruesome masterpiece.  Almodóvar is a genius.  I'm particularly glad he didn't cast Penelope Cruz for the part of Vera, because Elena Anaya portrays her beautifully.  This film is not for everybody, but if you're already an Almodóvar fan, you'll be in awe for days. FYI: Antonio Banderas is fiercely good. 


I'm most elated with Almodóvar's respectful homage to the French/American artist, Louise Bourgeois, who recently passed away at the age of 98. If you are familiar with her work,  you'll understand the leading female character, Vera, with great richness.  


After you watch the film, I invite you to come back to this post and study how I've grouped the selected images below. . .

Quien me quiera amar,  
amará tambien lo peor de mi, con ardor. 
(Buika, "Por el amor de amar")

Why Have You Run So Far Away? 
(Louise Bourgeois, head with pink fabric,1993)

Arch of Hysteria 
(Louise Bourgeois, 1993)

Image credits (from top to bottom)
1. Elena Anaya as VERA with "healing" mask. Image borrowed from here.  
2. Louise Bourgeois UNTITLED, 2002.  Image borrowed from the Cheim & Read Gallery website.
3. Close-up of VERA borrowed from here.
4. Image of Spanish actor, Jan Cornet, as VICENTE.
5. Louise Bourgeois sculpture: Nature Study, 1984.
6. Louise Bourgeois, The Couple (detail) 2007.  (Gouache on paper, suite of 18, Collection Louise Bourgeois Trust, courtesy Cheim & Read Gallery, New York and Hauser & Wirth Gallery, London. © Louise Bourgeois Trust. Photo: Christopher Burks.)
7. Image of Spanish actor, Jan Cornet, as VICENTE.
8. Louise Bourgeois head with pink fabric: "Why Have You Run So Far Away?" (1999).
9. Close up of VERA. 
10. Louise Bourgeois black head with flowers, credit details unknown.
11. Elena Anaya as VERA in arched position borrowed from here. 
12. Louise Bourgeois sculpture, Arch of Hysteria, 1993. Bronze, polished patina, hanging piece, 83.8 x 101.6 x 58.4 cm., Courtesy Cheim & Read and Hauser & Wirth, Photo: Allan Finkelman.


A climactic piece of the story is revealed through a scene where the Spanish singer, Concha Buika, sings the songs, Por el amor de amar (For the love of loving), and Se Me Hizo Facil (I found it easy), which can be found in her latest album, adequately titled, En Mi Piel (In my Skin).  Watch the clip below.

Meet Babas Bohème...our MIRA puppy.

2 weeks ago today, Mark and I picked up our puppy, Babas Bohème, from the MIRA foundation's training center located about 45mins east of Montreal. We will be fostering this cutie for a year. And yes, I know, it will be extremely hard saying goodbye to her after 12 months, but this is our way of giving back. 


MIRA logo below.

  

A few fast facts about the foundation. For more info click HERE.

Founder:  Founded in Quebec, Canada by Éric St-Pierre in 1981.

Mission: Trains and provides dogs (free of charge) for individuals with visual and motor disabilities, and children with disorders such as autism.  

Breed: "Labernese" : half Labrador / half Bernese Mountaing dog.

Our job as foster-parents: Socialize her and teach her basic discipline.  

Professional training is done by MIRA experts.

 

We call her Babas Bohème. 

She was born the 25th of July.

The pics above are of Day 1: (left) The day she left the training center for the first time, she fit inside a medium-sized basket. (right) First steps into our studio. She felt at home instantly!

Babas: (Unofficial name) Spanish for drool. 

Bohème: (Official MIRA name) a. French for bohemian. 

b. A person (as a writer or an artist) living an unconventional life usually in a colony with others. (According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary). 

She's a big-fluffy puppy full of teething energy! 


We took her apple-picking last week and she loved it.  
She was seduced by a plethora of sweet smells. 
Although, I did find it curious that she didn't try to eat or play with the apples, 
only the grass, leaves, and branches.

Perhaps this explains why she's infatuated with my green babies at home.  
She barks at them and then eats their leaves...hmmm.
I better put a stop to this soon.

Mark and I have been looking for puppy toys, 
but there are very silly things out there . . . 
not good enough for our puppy! 


And so, 
I decided to make her a couple of Charles and Ray Eames inspired birds 
out of old fabrics. 
The solid red bird was created out of an old pair of childhood winter tights. 

The patterned bird was created from a piece of 1970s curtains that once adorned my grandmother's house in Mexico.  I loved these curtains growing up! 

What are they stuffed with, you wonder? With several pairs of Mark's old socks and my old Victoria Secret's bra "stuffers" from those teenage years. (I have no idea why I saved these!)

She plays with them, tries to kill them (should I be encouraging this behavior?), sleeps on them, etc. It's extremely rewarding witnessing such glee!  

NOTE: I do have to stitch them every now and then.  Those baby teeth are fierce!