For the last five years I have been obsessed with galaxy prints. In my wardrobe digitally printed NASA pictures have replaced polka dots. It began when I found a galaxy printed dress by Tina Kalivas in 2007, I didn’t buy it at the time because I was still a high school student and hadn’t spent hundreds of dollars on anything before, let alone a dress. I’ve since bought two dresses and one top from that collection, that I’ve been fortunate enough to find on ebay years later. I’m obsessed I tell you! I also fell in love with Christopher Kane’s Resort 2011 collection, which featured the most amazing NASA pictures on silks. I got not one but two scarves from this collection.
My Tina Kalivas Alpha Omega (galaxy) dress 2007
Tina Kalivas couture in April 2011 Oyster Magazine
Looks from Christopher Kane’s Resort 2011 Collection
Like a relationship that you’ve grown out of, it was time to move on and open my mind up to new patterns and prints. While I will never stop loving galaxy prints, I’m starting to love the look of crowds of people, particularly crowded beaches more. Late last year I got really into pictures of crowds at festivals and hippy gatherings, particularly old photos from Woodstock. Then I saw the work of Massimo Vitali at Agnes B in New York in December and was completely blown away.
The Italian artist Massimo Vitali has been photographing holidaymakers revelling on the shorelines of Mediterranean beaches for over 15 years. He has become a pivotal force in contemporary photography, with his arresting large-scale photographs of hedonistic and convivial gatherings on Tuscany’s beaches functioning as a social seaside documentary on the increased fragility of nature, the impact of urbanisation and the growing issues in Italian politics.
Vitali’s work is said to be an exploration of “the inner conditions and disturbances of normality; its cosmetic fakery, sexual innuendo, commodified leisure, deluded sense of affluence, and rigid conformism.”
All photographs by Massimo Vitali, check out Colony’s tumblr for more
I could spend hours creepily exploring the people and body language of these monumental works, but I also just love the random pattern that crowds of people make and the colour of the water.
So the search is on for the perfect crowd prints. If you have a picture of a crowded beach, bar, street, festival or anything please send us a link or email, I’d love to see it.
xx Jess
