Anton Papich, of Anton+Prehn

And with a commanding presence, similar to an Andre Leon Talley, I had the pleasure of meeting up this week, with one of Washington’s premier fashion photographers, Anton Papich.

For the better part of the last 6 years, the leading name in creative DC fashion photography has been Papich. For magazine editors, models, designers, high-end boutiques, and more, if you wanted an elaborate, amazing shot and concept, you contacted Anton + Prehn. He has worked with some of DC’s elite and has helped, in my estimation, elevate the landscape of the possibility of what “can be done”, in this city. While lately, the lure of larger, more international, more grandiose shoots take him to his other base, (NYC, a few days a week) he believes Washington is right on the cusp of turning the corner and becoming a major art hub for the nation. Little by little, he sees people, publications, and print campaigns start to take more chances, and while it’s going to take time, he’s trying to do his part, with his work, in the hopes of making that metamorphosis. He’s seen these changes in only the past 6 years, and hopes that the number and level of talent, that does in fact exist here, rises to the top. And the man knows talent when he sees it. His team of stylists, hair + makeup and others, are among the best in the city. But he knows that it takes hard work and dedication, (and time) to make it, and to be successful and recognized for your work, and while it’s not a New York, it’s still a wonderfully diverse and progressive thinking culture of people, whom we both believe are ready for things like high-end fashion, high-end and risk-taking production and concepts, and things like districtcreatives.com.

Cheers to Anton Papich. One of the creative photographic forces in this town, helping lay the foundation for hopefully, years to come for the collection of us artists, to build and grow upon.

For more information about Anton + Prehn, visit their website.

-kk

be/dc

(Logo from be/dc website. Clickable link)

I’m a little tapas bowl. A little side of something-something. If you would like to try another dish, similar to the one you’re consuming, please click the link above… -kk

Longview Gallery

File under: Things we missed while I was overseas this past week…

Long View Gallery is pleased to welcome an exciting collection of contemporary art from the collection of Weber Fine Art. The show will feature an exciting collection of works on paper by a variety of national and international artists such as Nela Solomon, Zohreh Partovi and Pezhman from Iran, Peter Kuttner of Boston and Evans of Atlanta. The gallery, (city location at 1302 9th St. NW) sadly had the opening last Wednesday, but the show runs from now until the 24th of November, so check it out. -kk

Dirty Pictures Posters &C.

If anyone has any connections to Tom Waits, The Beach Boys, or PT Barnum, please forward your information to Anthony Dihle. His great style of silkscreen printing artwork awaits…

For a few years now, Dihle has taken his side project of silkscreen printing and made it into a wonderful little 2nd career. Sure, like all of us artists, he also has a “real” job, working for a architecture firm in Bethesda, MD, but his prints and collaborations with local and national recording artists are beautiful, stylized works of art, unto themselves. Influenced by but not limited to, RISD, old nintendo, toaster design, science, people, music, and “Fort Thunder”, in Providence, Dihle has made posters for such local artists as Alec Gross, The Bonapartes, and Greenland, and has also lent his talents to national bands such as The Shins and more. And he does it for fun! Claiming that he probably wouldn’t want to do it full time, as it is such a joy to him, (and citing the ‘ice cream taster job-arguement’) he says that he gets a sense of satisfaction out of working with the artists and other creative people to come up with a concept, and he would like to work more with them. And why not? His prints are exquisite works of art alone, and they bring together a complete picture of creation when paired with the singer or the song. Anthony is just another in a growing list of tremendously talented people living and working here in DC. For more on Anthony Dihle and his company see the optional excerpt.

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Ok, so here’s the deal. That top part is the “real” background. This bottom part, is my suck-up-ramblings of what this guy does… Ok, whenever I’ve worked with a recording artist, or with a client on a photoshoot, I tend to cater to their whims and needs and come up with a concept that suits the needs of all parties. I am not sure how Anthony does it, but the stuff that this guy is printing is the top of the charts. (God, that was a horrible play on words) He’s making these concert posters that evoke the same kind of “total experience” feeling that used to be associated with concerts, and making it his own. They have this sort-of nouveau-pop-post-modern feel to them though, in the way that the fonts are selected, colours are chosen, and the layout is cast. This is why I was cooing over them in the upper paragraph. They’re like mini-Warholian prints/concert posters, without being too pretentious or upper crusty-artsy. Personally, I feel that it’s people like Anthony, who are going to help bring DC in the next 10-15 years, to the forefront of the arts and creative culture world. So there. -kk

Walking the District Line

Ever find a shirt, or any article of clothing for that matter, that you liked, and you decided that you were going to wear that sucker every chance you got, because it was from a British designer and it just oozed cool? Yea, well Marshall Thomson has made that credo into a living and an ultra-cool store in Georgetown, called “The District Line”, and he wants you to check out how cool he, and the store is.

Blending in amongst the larger (chain) stores on Wisconsin Ave, Thomson has made the former Turi bag store into a den of anglophile-y goodness. Besides being more interesting and inviting than a majority of bars and clubs along that same strip, the team Thomson worked with creatively turned the interiors into a comfortable and extraordinary shopping experience. And oh yea, he sells clothes… Actually, he sells clothes you can rarely get in this town, much less this country. And as a bonus, he sells new and established British only designers who are coming up with some great creative Britannica imagery.

In addition to finalizing the store’s online launch in the next few weeks (stay posed to districtcreatives.com for updates!) Marshall is a well-connected cog in the wheel of DC’s art and creative scene, with friends associated with the Transformer gallery, DC United, and the DC’s Improv theatre, and is always a great reference for all things art and culture in this town. So, check out the store, check out the man behind the ideas, and hop the tube to Washington’s newest highbrow boutique. Oh, and try to find the changing rooms… -kk

Party Like It’s The 1900s!

Friggin’ amazing photo courtesy of Hayley Murphy, sweet styling by Angela Finney.

Whatcha doing this week? Workin’? Hustlin’? Listening to some badass band out of Chicago rock your mid-week, Wednesday night face off?! Here are your instructions – Clear your Wednesday night schedule, Get to Rock & Roll Hotel on H. St. NE, Watch ‘The 1900s’ play their unique brand of neo-Jefferson Airplane-uber-creative-post-pop-rock-funk-good-time music, and have fun. If you can’t make it, sample their wares on the myspaces. -kk

Close Encounters

(Quickly crafted jpeg from nowhere)

Thanks to a random and chance encounter with local legendary artist Tim Tate yesterday, I, like Richard Dreyfuss in “Close Encounters” have discovered that we’re not alone. …Come to think of it, I guess it could also be the Dreyfuss in “Jaws” as well. …Well now, almost every Dreyfuss movie is a series of conclusionary actions which lead you to… Wait. What?

The website for Artomatic is a database for all things art in this city, with profiles and pages telling the visitors about who is who and what is what in the community of art here in DC. Its serves another purpose though, (and for all of you that already know about this, bear with me because when I found this yesterday, I thought I had just found a cure for cancer.) and is the meeting place and foundation for the event that is ‘Artomatic’. From the website –

Artomatic is a month-long multimedia arts event that draws together visual artists, musicians and performers and brings their work to the community without charge. It was originally conceived as a way to break down the geographical and social segmentation of the Washington arts scene, to bring art directly to the public and to build cohesion among artists. The city’s ongoing development in recent years has diffused the arts community by breaking up pockets of artist studios. In addition, local artists are sometimes overshadowed by national blockbuster shows and federal landmarks. Artomatic provides a forum for all of our area’s artists to convene, perform and exhibit, strengthening the visibility, cohesion, and marketplace of Washington’s arts community.

Think about this… 30+ days. 90,000sq feet of space. 700 artists. Over 31,500 visitors. If you’re in this community, and you’re a creative type, and you’re not involved with this movement, waste no more time reading my sometimes sarcastic dribble, and head over to the site and check out the “Barry Bonds-ian”, districtcreatives-on-steroids web-page and movement that is, Artomatic.

Evenings at the Improv!

(Image from flyer for Fall 2007 WIT season)

Founded in 1986 and disbanded in 1992… (wait. wait, what? oh…) Re-founded in a basement of a Dupont Church in 1997 and evolving into what it is today, The Washington Improv Theatre is back for it’s um-teenth season of off-the-cuff silliness and unbridled mayhem this fall, (this 80-90 degree fall) with it’s “Up & Autumn” series of shows. Making its home no longer a basement, but now at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, in downtown DC, the group provides improv comedy at it’s best most Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, so check the schedule, and check out what theatrics, creativity and general humor in this town, (not on Capital Hill), actually looks like! -kk

Thinking Outside the Box – Andre Wells

Andre Wells is like a great movie director. When your with him, you get transported to his world, completely constructed by his ideas and thoughts, and the hours you spend with him in this environment, is something that leaves you satisfied, yet still wanting more.

Known for his amazing conceptual events and over-the-top parties and weddings, Andre is this city’s premier event planner. With a client base that includes pro athletes, top political figures, every glossy magazine in the city, and many, many more, Wells is proving that his style of over-the-top attention to detail, and complete and total experience is something that is working here in DC, and that finally, people in this city are becoming hip to the notion that it’s OK to do things a little different. Every event that Wells undertakes is a unique experience and I caught up with him last week at Leopolds, right after he had come from an event of his, held at Cafe Milano. I was blown away to hear the way he approaches planning events, is not unlike the way another artist paints his canvas, or photographer or director sets up his or her shoot. He sees the whole planning as his own personal canvas, and says that there’s only one shot at making something great. While we were talking and taking pictures over on Key Bridge, he noticed my electric scooter, and started asking me questions about it. (And eventually, took a ride) I asked him for an example of how he would approach planning an event, let’s say for the launch of the scooter, here in DC and he dove right in, giving me details that made me wish I had the money to actually do something like that. But that’s the way that he operates. Every event, every detail, right down to the smallest centimeter of fabric on the curtains, is a stone that needs to be overturned. Every person should be in the right place, and Wells has a vision, from the start of his events, to the ultimate completion, which is carried out with perfection and imagination. The man is simply the best at what he does, and is so because he’s not afraid to do things his way, because, as time and clients have shown, it’s usually the best and most creative way to do things. I am more than pleased to have Andre on board with this District Creatives project and I welcome him because I believe he’s an integral member of this artists community. For more images from this wonderfully casual shoot with Andre, click here. And for more information about Events by Andre Wells, call or visit his website.  -kk

Creative Profile #2.0 – Matt Sesow

“Animal Farm” – Matt Sesow, 2007

I’ll admit it. I always wanted to be a famous painter. They were always the super-sensitive types in art school, the ones who could play more than 3 chords of a Dave Matthews song on the guitar, and the ones who always, always got the hot girls. I envied them, and tried my hand at painting once, and every now and again I will pick a brush up and attempt to be the ultimate artists and “paint!”, but let’s admit it – My works are amateurish at best. But I love them, and though I’ll never admit that my paintings were “bad”, they couldn’t ever, ever, EVER hold a candle to Matt Sesow’s work. (YouTube Bio)

Working as an artist here in DC for the better part of the last decade, I spoke, via email with Matt this past week, and asked him what his feelings were, about being a creative type, working and making a living here in Washington, and this is what he had to say…

“I feel especially privileged (creatively, etc.) to be a painter in DC. For my style of painting, living in what many consider the most influential city in the world offers a unique set of opportunities. I enjoy the challenge of representing the times I’m living in through my paintings. I try to bring my personal experiences and raw style of painting to the canvas with as much expression as possible. I’m not happy with every painting I complete, but some days it’s the process of painting that makes me happier than the end result. My hope is to go on creating emotionally charged works for the rest of my life. Since starting in 1994, and going “full-time” in 2001, I estimate I’ve created over 5,000 unique paintings. Anybody wanting to visit my Adams Morgan studio to see the work up close is welcome. Please email or call me to make a reservation. Thanks for looking.” -Matt Sesow

This is the reason I started this website, and will continue to do so. It’s people like Matt, who work hard, and are making a difference in the way people think of DC’s art scene. He’s another stellar addition to the growing list of District Creatives, and I’m proud and honored to have him profiled. -kk

Creative Profile #1.0 – Michael Lanni

Michael Lanni is obsessed.

Lanni, the owner of the avant-guard florist shop VOLANNI, is obsessing over the details of the last 5 minutes of our conversation. It seems he, like others, (lately, as I’ve come to find out, in this city) are standing on the cusp of something amazing, that everyone wants, but not everyone knows what “it” is. You see, both of us are hip to the notion that Washington DC is “our nation’s capital”, but we both know and see that it’s so much more than that. I sat down with Michael in his South East studio this past week and we chatted about the direction of art, culture and DC as a creative hub for the world and the nation, and it seems we (as District Creatives) have a lot in common.

During our conversation, he explained to me that what he does is so much more than just arranging flowers and catering to peoples ideas. “I work with people and create an elaborate story with my arrangements, and make their event/wedding/special day/whathaveyou, even better.” Indeed, as Volanni in the past 5 years, has quickly become one of this city’s (and the nation’s) top names for event floral arrangements, amazing, out-of-the-box thinking for floral design, and just an over the top “idea man” for others trying to make it here, as well. Lanni believes in a creative theory that attempts to make new, rather than take completely from the past, and although he thinks that it’s somewhat important to know about ways that others may have approached the same problems, that it’s more important to realize that “it’s not the 60’s, or the 80’s or even the 90’s anymore. It’s 2007 and we need to address what 2007 is about.”

Born in the wonderfully peaceful utopia known as Detroit, Michigan, Michael had full-blooded Italian parents who gave him the opportunity to visit and study in Italy, which is where he really developed his spirituality, his meditation, and his methodology in what he does to this day. After Italy, Lanni lived in California and lived as a Yogi and fine tuned his inner self. Shortly thereafter, all of the collaborated efforts finally came together as he relocated to Ashville, NC, and met and worked alongside Perri Crutcher. It was then that Lanni knew he had found his life’s work. And for the past seven years, Lanni has lived, worked and build his company from the ground up, here in Washington DC, and has made the collaborated efforts of his life studies and his love for flowers, his passion.

“And that’s really what it’s all about,” he explains, “Washington is the heartbeat of America, and it’s time for us, as creative people in this great, progressive thinking city, to come forward and make people think about Art as the culture and tone that sets this town.” “People shouldn’t have to go to a big name store to get a processed piece of art to hang over their mantle or couch, you know? People in DC are smart, and have so much talent here, and we should be able to put out a new “vibe”, in DC, a new way to have people open their eyes and see that this is not just an uber-politico think tank, but it is it’s own vibrant art scene.” “I bring energy and creativity to every thing and job that I approach, and so many other people do as well in this city, and it’s time for us to show the rest of the country, that the late years in the 2000s can be something special, and we should begin and end the conversation with the town of Washington DC.”

An old boss once repeated the mantra, “Keep fighting the good fight…”, and never is that notion more true than when talking with Michael Lanni. He never puts the one client above another, and at the end of the day, is the most concerned with getting “his story” told. He is a passionate and energetic figure, but he’s just one of this many that this website is glad to get involved, and feature. He may be obsessed, but he’s obsessed about his career that he loves, and his life that is full, and is surrounding him with beautiful floral arrangements. We should all be so lucky. -kk

Demian Salon, in Adams Morgan, isn’t just a salon. …As much as one might think, with the chairs, blow dryers, clippers and scissors, and styling products a-plenty, Demian’s place isn’t just a salon. …And sure you can make an appointment to get your haircut, but what you’ll end up leaving with is something more than that. Based on a principal of bringing the beauty out of every customer, the owner and staff at the salon are trying to actively create something unique with every trim and cut, and are trying to combine artistry and technique with each and every person that walks in and out of the establishment. For a few years now, owner Demian has been setting the bar higher than most with his style, his business, and his overall knowledge of everything cool in DC, and is leaving his mark on this District with a sense of trend that seems to be slightly ahead of our curve. Check out one of this district’s most creative salons, over on 18th Street. -kk

Tattoo Paradise: (Part 1 of 2)

Along with local tattoo legend Chad Koeplinger (more on Chad this week) , Nikki Lugo and others, have been putting the their art and ink on all sorts of characters in the DC area. Along with her proud New York accent, Nikki has a tremendous eye for the classic, “Sailor Jerry-type/classic/traditional” of work, and she splits time between the Adams Morgan location, and the Wheaton, MD shop.  When I showed up last week, she was working on a huge piece for Casey Crawford, a Howard Univ. design major senior with an emerging clothing line.  (Also, more on him later this week too.) Nikki, one of DC’s few female tattoo artists, had just finished drawing the work up on Casey when I had come in, and by the time I was through shooting and talking, she was getting the ink to skin, and working on his next piece, which by no means was his first.  I’m always intrigued by tattoo artists, because it’s such a commitment to the craft and lifestyle, to create permanent and lasting marks on total strangers.  It’s an impressive and powerful medium, and I am glad to have Nikki, and others from this community, included in district creatives. 

Now, about my next tattoo…

-kk