It can be fun to collaborate!
Kinfolk Magazine Collaboration - Artistan Brunch
In honor of Thanksgiving tomorrow, how about we talk about a collaboration with art and food?! Designer Kyle Bean, photographer Aaron Tilley, and food stylist Lucy-Ruth Hathaway collaborated to reimagine how five famous artists would depict brunch in their art. The five artists that influenced this collaboration are Alexander Calder, Damien Hirst, Yayoi Kusama, Cornelia Parker and Salvador Dali.
The title of this collaboration is Artisan Brunch. The first photo (top left) was influenced by Alexander Calder’s mobiles. Damien Hirst influenced the avocado immersed in a formaldehyde cube. Yayoi Kusama influenced the dot patchwork on bread slices. Salvador Dali and Cornelia Parker influenced how Tilley photographed the series.
I found this collaboration super fun and playful. In fact, I am a bit bummed that there wasn’t more information about this collaboration. What I wrote is basically all the article said about them. I even researched to see if other articles said more but it was just the same article plagiarized on numerous websites. There is good news, however: two of the artists from this collaboration collaborated again in a project called In Anxious Anticipation.
In Anxious Anticipation
I also found this collaboration hilarious. I don’t know that it’s meant to be funny, but I thoroughly enjoy the irony. This collaboration was also done for Kinfolk magazine. After reading this article, I now understand the brevity. Kinfolk prides itself on minimal editorial spreads. Their hope is to invoke a sense of calamity in their viewers. That seems quite ironic for an art installment all about anxious anticipation. They wanted to break their own norm through this collaboration. However, I think they were successful in both of their goals because I actually did feel peace and enjoyment when looking at these “anxious” photos. I believe their minimalistic approach is the reason I’m so drawn to these collaborations.
I do wish I had a 360º view of the egg picture though. How in the world did they get it to float in mid air like that? I don’t see even a faint resemblance of a string. That got me thinking…I imagined these were actual pieces that one could go see in person. However, they may have simply taken the photos in actual action. I think that makes this art even more anxiety ridden. That means that the egg actually did fall and splatter. I am so intrigued now. I wish I knew. I guess that’s what makes these collaborations so successful. Two claps for Kyle Bean and Aaron Tilley.
I also love how this series is tied to a real lesson, too. We so often think about the “what if” questions. One of my favorite Bible passages is Matthew 6:35-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
It is so much better to anticipate what God has in store for us than the what if questions in life. Some of us go through life feeling like the ink is going to drop on the white shirt any second. How much better would our perspective be if we looked at a photo like this and realized that God was in control of the outcome. I think, in a sense, that’s why I can feel peace when looking at these photos. Interesting thought. Sorry, a thought with Jordyn can’t be anything but deep. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed looking at these photos as much as I did.
As for my own experience
I’ve done a few collaborations. Some that turned out well, some not so much. I would love to be a part of a collaboration as fun as this one. My collaborations often involve sharing video footage or working with my client’s ideas. I don’t often collaborate on fun projects outside of work. Maybe this will be my inspiration to do so. Sometime you need to break free from the routine of work to be inspired again. Hopefully I’ll take my own advice someday soon.
Sources
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2016/03/in-anxious-anticipation/
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/06/brunch-reimagined-in-the-style-of-five-iconic-artists/
The Holy Bible