The Serai

London Culture Galore Autumn 2012

I love London in September & October the sun is shinning, no really it is! The city is really having an amazing year, Jubilee and Olympics and now Art, Design, Theatre and anything in between take centre court. This is just a very small selection of many upcoming exhibitions.  

For more information on and to purchase tickets click on the links below .

Let the Culture Games Begin! xo

www.somersethouse.org.uk

Valentino:Master of Couture

www.tate.org.uk

Pre Raphaelites Victorian Avant Garde

www.hamiltons.com

Murray Fredericks Hector

www.halcyongallery.com

Pedro Paricio Diary of An artist and Other Stories 2007-2012

Guido Mocafico

Lampropeltis getula nigrita

Roses

Boiga dendrophila melanota

Nature Morte aux Huîtres

Vipera Wagneri

Audemars Piguet Tourbillon répétition minutes squelette

Dendroaspis viridis

Salmopoeus irminia

Naja nigricollis

Bouquet de tulipes

Vipera aspis

Smith & Wesson 44 magnum

Vipera Ammodytes

Snakes, Guns, Spiders are not my favourite things in the world. Would not want to be at close range with any of these things. Flowers, food and watches on the other hand  are always part of my life. Guido Mocafico does convert my terrified view into one of beauty and awe, nature dangerous as it may be is designed to perfection just as a gun can be admired of its incredible craftsmanship. Not sure if I would hang some of these images in my bedroom but anywhere else the visual impact they make is mesmerizing.

Hypnotic xo

GUIDO MOCAFICO Italian, born in Switzerland in 1962, lives in Switzerland and works in Paris. Guido Mocafico studied Photography at Vevey school in Switzerland. Specialized in still life photography, his most recent images are published in magazines such as Numéro, Numéro Homme, Paradis, V Mag, Vogue US, Vogue France, Men’s Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The Face, Wallpaper He works for major brands such as Gucci, Chanel, Clarins, Shiseido, YSL, Clinique, Dior, Bvlgari, Armani, Hermès. Alongside his commercial and advertising activities, Guido Mocafico has developed a series of long-term personal projects, destined to be published in books and shown as exhibitions.

His work can be found at the following Galleries,

Hamiltons Gallery 13 Carlos place London W1 K 2 EU U.K. T / 020 7499 9493/4 www.hamiltonsgallery.com

BERNHEIMER FINE OLD MASTERS E.K. BU Fine Art Photography Brienner Str. 7 80333 Munich Germany T / +49-89-226672 www.bernheimer.com

All photos sourced via,

www.guidomocafico.com

Long Live The Queen

Majestic: The artist's impression of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee flotilla recalls Canaletto's famous painting, River Thames with St. Paul's Cathedral on Lord Mayor's Day, c.1747-48

Newly Crowned Queen on the Cover of 1956 Empire Day Pamphlet.

Flags Regent Street and all over London.

Brora Shop Front

Royal Barge for the Diamond Jubilee Flotilla

Elizabeth by Cecil Beaton

Diamond Jubilee Cake baked for The Queen by The Military Caterers which took more than 500 hrs to make.

Tower Bridge with British Flag Colours for the Jubilee via Press Association

Don't Mess with The Queen

Hackett Jubilee Windows

Anya Hindmarch Jubilee Windows

Love her smilling.

Harrods

The Queen in a Hardy Amies white lace ensemble on her tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1953-1954. Look at her tiny waist.  Photo: Rex Features

Coronation Day

Mama and Son

Buckingham Palace

The Windsors

Rendering of Diamond Jubilee Stage at Buckingham Palace

Coronation Dress by Norman Hartnell

Long Live The Queen.

Convent Garden Union Flags

This weekend London and the rest of the United Kingdom will be in full splendor for our Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee to celebrate 60 years of her reign.

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! xo

Sources via,

www.telegraph.co.uk

www.dailymail.co.uk

Food is Art II

Maggie Austin started her career as a classical ballet dancer, then having been accepted at L'Art de la Patisserie program at the French Pastry School, Maggie trained with the best world renowned chefs and pastry champions learning the top techniques in this art using the finest of ingredients. She Graduated from the program with honors, after which was accepted for internship at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago , a Mobil Five Star, AAA Five Diamond and 10 time James Beard Foundation Winner that is recognized as one of the finest restaurants in the world.

Truly an Art, her Haute Couture cakes are just perfection, inspired by Edwardian Botanical prints, fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen and Carolina Herrera, Flowers , textiles and more. They are lovingly made by hand at her Washington DC Studio, yes even the flowers are made from sugar, impressive. I have never seen such elegant and beautiful cakes, there are such perfection that you just want to throw yourself a party to have one made.

Just Splendid xo

All Images via,

www.maggieaustincake.com

Leonardo da Vinci

"Leonardo da Vinci :Painter of the Court of Milan is the most comlete display of rare surviving paintings ever held. This unprecedented exhibition, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, brings together sensational loans never seen before in the UK"

                                                                                                        The National Gallery

I am so excited to see this show, London Culture at its best. GO NOW, but make sure you buy tickets in advance they are giving time slots, I presume so it does not get overcrowded. The website explains everything so prepare before you go.

Enjoy!

The National Gallery

Trafalgar Square

London

WC2 5DN

www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Video on the exhibition

www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/leonardo-live

Most photos via The National Gallery and Taschen

HERMES SPLENDID VISIONS

The First Step in The New Century : Party of Princes Paris 2000

Colour and Fantasy Paris 2004

Indian Fantasies (Colour) Paris 2008

Year of Africa : The Traveller's Room Paris 1997

Argent Contemporary Paris 2011

Travel the world with the stupendous windows of Hermes Paris. Pure Creative genius! I think I will make this into another series, there are so many to choose from.

I wonder if they hire more than one team to do the window displays. What an amazing job, wish I could do that. I shall investigate this further, in the meantime enjoy your journeys.

www.hermes.com

Photographer:  Prabuddha Dasgupta Model:  Kamai Sidhu

http://www.nowness.com/media/embedvideo?itemid=2515&issueid=2183

INTERMISSION

Elephant Polo : The Kings Cup

VIA NOWNESS

www.nowness.com

America Inedependence Day

Photo via Jasper Johns

Photo via Pam Glew

Photo Via Restoration Hardware

Photo via O Magazine

Photo via Marie Claire Magazine

Photo via Country Living

Photo via Country Living

Photo Unknown

Photo via Martha Stewart

Photo via Urban Outfitters

Photo via Martha Stewart

Photo Via Juan Jose Martinez

Photo via Habitually  Chic

Photo via Home Sweet Home Decor

Photo Via Flickr Beverly & Pack's

Photo via Cottage960

Photo via Reuters

Photo via Catherine Malandrino

Photo via Habitually Chic

Photo via Disney

Happy Fourth of July ! xo

Cathleen Naundorf

Hamiltons Gallery in London is Exhibiting for the first time the works by German Cathleen Naundorf. Her Haute Couture series titled  "Un Rêve de Mode", Cathleen had the incredible opportunity to work with the greatest couture houses, Dior, Chanel, Valentino, Elie Saab, Lacroix & Gaultier. her work is so outstanding that the she was given complete access to choose gowns from their archives for her production of this series.

Her attention to detail is obvious as she researches her work thoroughly , cataloging her journey in handmade journals that develop into her storyboard. Including text, sketches, composition, everything carefully thought of, the models, hair, makeup, locations. Would love to see that journal, there will be a book published on her work sometime this year.

I have seen two of her images at Hamiltons stand in the PAD Fair London and they were breathtaking , they really are from another era, I believe that Cathleen Naundorf is going to rise as fast as a Shooting Star.

Dast ist Wunderbar xo

Exhibition is on from 1-31 March 2012

Hamiltons Gallery

13 Carlos Place

London

W1K 2EU

Images via ,

www.cathleennaundorf.com

www.hamiltonsgallery.com