detroit: from rock-city to ruins by frank schwere


german born photographer frank schwere’s images depict the decay of america’s once shining beacon of industrialization. empty streets, burnt out shells of houses, industrial ruins, abandoned public buildings, vacant lots, derelict churches, weeds and potholes are today the face of detroit. devoid of humans, these images are reminiscent of war zones or natural disasters but in fact portray the results of failed politics and human neglect. exhibit at two rooms gallery through june 18th 2011. by dd

average life of man: no more than 20 years

image courtesy of natural history museum

years ago i was at my favorite chinese dentist in california due for a filling and i asked this eloquent doctor of mine, why it was that even though i brushed twice a day and flossed i had to deal with cavities? i said a lion for example, does little of that and seems to be keeping his pearly whites? the answer was mind opening. he said “well… there are really two reasons. for one, man in its natural state consumes a fraction of the sugar humans consume today, but more importantly our organs and bodies have not evolved as quickly as mans life has changed at his own hands. in nature you would have died of a virus, if not eaten by a predator by age 20.” i for one would have been dead at the age of 8 when i got a strep-throat with a fever of 103. without todays available antibiotics, the infection would have reached my heart and i would have met my “baker” long ago. i was telling this story today, and jr looked this up. sure enough the average age of cavemen was indeed 20. you would have mated at age 13 and been eaten by age 20. so count your blessing as most of us are now on borrowed time. by dd+jr

Daphne Guinness: Undressed

directed by brennan stasiewicz (creative exchange):

“featuring intimate footage of the icon at her fifth avenue apartment, the short follows the eccentric fashion patron and socialite as she prepares for her recent installation in the windows of barneys new york. the storefront showcased her collection of pieces by designer lee alexander mcqueen and a selection from the archive of fashion editor isabella blow, which guinness purchased in its entirety last year. the display culminated in a performance art piece in which guinness dressed for the met ball in one of the flagship’s windows, modeling a lilac feathered gown designed by mcqueen’s sarah burton. “she appears to me as someone always in a window,” says stasiewicz. “someone you can approach and see, but you remain on the other side.” this year brings a multitude of projects for the heiress: her sculptural armored glove collaboration with jeweler shaun leane (pictured in today’s film) will be exhibited by jay jopling in a private viewing in london later this month; and in september a retrospective at the museum at the fashion institute of technology will pay homage to her style. “daphne is someone to take pleasure in, and in many ways, someone who incites moments of wonder,” says stasiewicz. by dd

motown: martha and the vandellas


while we are on that topic, here’s another great clip. more than the song, i love the way they move in the first 50 seconds, so damn breezy and cool. just standing, their feet never move. i’m practicing this starting tomorrow morning… coffee and cigarette in hand. by dd