Visionofsplendor - Vision Of Splendor

FAREWELL PETER O'TOOLE

2ND AUGUST 1932- 14TH DECEMBER 2013

"No one should ever know where conduct ends and acting begins," he confides. "Conduct unbecoming. That's what acting is. It's people doing it, not for themselves, but for the audience. That's the magic, baby. That's what matters. That's what an audience remembers." PETER O'TOOLE

Thank you for the magic! 

Wonderful interview by Sarah Standing

www.gq-magazine.co.uk

http://www.nowness.com/media/embedvideo?itemid=2305&issueid=2083

INTERMISSION: ICARUS RISES DIRECTED BY THOMAS GIDDING'S via NOWNESS

Bvlgari Hotels & Restaurants

Bvlgari Hotel Uluwatu Bali Indonesia

Bvlgari Ginza  Shop and Restaurant Tokyo Japan

Bvlgari Hotel Milano Italy

Bvlgari Hotel London Opening Spring 2012 in Knightsbridge .

I had a lovely dinner in the Bvlgari Mialno's gorgeous garden, and I have visited the spectacular one in Bali. Seems that Bvlgari are doing a very good job with their hotels.

Shame they can't have an outdoor garden restaurant in London, Hyde Park is only across the street. Maybe they will do a roof terrace , the views would be beautiful.

All Photos Via http://www.bulgarihotels.com

Brazilian Chic

Aline's family home in Jau

Aline de Almeida Prado Atalla was born and brought up in the beautiful area of Jau in the State of Sao Paulo were the land is dotted by emerald green landscapes and Fazenda's (farms and plantation houses)  were they grow coffee(the best ever!), sugar cane and cattle. The land expands as far as they eye can see and at night the sky is a blanket of stars.

With a  fashion degree from Sao Paulo's Marcelina College and IED Instituto Europeo di Design in Milan, design was all ready in Aline's blood. Her career started with interior design and jewellery. This knowledge led her to put all her talents into one place in the creation of this line of handbags named Lane Prall which is a combination of letters taken from her name. Her experience in jewellery inspired the design of her ornamental handles which are made from materials such as resin and metal and are inspired by Art Noveau , Art Deco and Nature. The resin, brand identity, is first sketched by the designer. Then each piece receives special treatment, the wooden moulds are hand carved  and then the resin gain color and brightness through the painstaking work of the goldsmiths

The exotic materials which the bags are composed of come from her knowledge of using them in her interior design work. The company cares about sustainability, and therefore, all materials are free from heavy metals, as well as the exotic skins, that she uses, stingray, alligator and python-are exclusively purchased from farms that comply with rigorous rules management, and sustained, controlled by IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources). Her bags are hand made, one by one, by craftsmen who carefully turn a dream into reality. Aline does not follow trends, and the main goal is to create timeless bags, following her intuition and always looking for the perfect finish and the proportion of its parts. The bags are made to order and can take around 60 days to be produced.

This only a small selection of her beautiful collection, to order or enquiry please email Aline directly on her email alinealprado@gmail.com.

Que Maravilha xo

Images via Aline de Almeida Prado Atalla and landscape pictures of Fazenda Atalla taken by Vision of Splendor.

Murray Fredericks

" The Photography is not a documentary, I don't even call it landscapes as such. It's about space, it's about the mind's relationship to emptiness and a visual representations of that" Murray Fredericks

 Australian born Murray Fredericks is no ordinary photographer, he sets of on solo journeys to remote locations for weeks at a time, with only the horizon line as his point of reference, using time-lapse sequences to shoot these surreal and magical images.

He deliberately avoids any animal, natural or human features that would give his work a sense of scale to his pictures. His work connects you to earth and draws your vision to infinity, solitude and fortitude, it is yet very human and otherworldly at the same time.

Whether shooting in Lake Eyre Australia or a remote glacial vastness of Greenland, both with constantly changing weather, storms, rain, Aurora Borelis , the Sun, the Stars and the Moon are what keeps him company.

Watch the Salt Documentary a fascinating look into his journey that the final product speaks volumes of. I encountered his work in London Hamilton's Gallery Murray's where owner Tim Jeffrey's had hosted his first solo UK exhibition, I was so enchanted that I bought a piece on the spot, not something I have ever done, but oh so worth it, I stare at the beautiful horizon everyday and it brings me a sense of peace and lightness.

Click on the Short TimeLapse sequence called Iridium it is mesmerizing, he also has been featured in National Geographic and his works sit in the private collection of Elton John,Valentino and National Portrait Gallery amongst many others.

www.murrayfredericks.com.au/projects/salt/video/Iridium_733.webm

www.murrayfredericks.com.au

To buy or view his work contact Hamiltons Gallery his representative in London,

www.hamiltonsgallery.com

TODAY IS VISION OF SPLENDOR'S 2ND BIRTHDAY! 

Enjoy the show. x

Totally Crazy for Elise Dray

Bo Goia Dragon Earring in White gold, White, Grey & Black diamonds.

Bo Aigle Earrings, White Gold and White & Black Diamonds.

Hypocampe Ring , Black gold, Grey & Black Diamonds.

Bracelet Black Leaf, White Gold , White Diamonds & Onyx.

Bague Siamoise, Black Gold, White & Black Diamonds & Blue Sapphires.

Bracelet Peace Flower, White Gold & Black Diamonds.

Bague Hibou, Black Gold , Onyx , Black Diamonds & Rubies.

Bague Muguet, Black Gold , Black Diamonds & Red Sapphires.

Collier Aigle. Yellow Gold, Black & White Diamonds.

Bo Feuille de Latanier Earrings, Yellow Gold, Tigers Eye and White Diamonds.

Bague Serpentine, Rose Golds and Brown & Black Diamonds.

Bo Leaf Earrings, Yellow Gold, Malachite & White Diamonds.

Bague Papillion, Rose Gold & White Diamonds.

Bague Hippie Croix , Yellow Gold & White Diamonds.

As I was browsing for jewellery to drool over I stumbled upon a piece that made me blink a couple of times in rapid succession. What was this ? A Dragon Earring made of Black and White Diamonds.

I quickly researched this genius designer and fell totally in love with the world of Elise Day. Dragons, Wings, Leafs, Serpents, the Mythical World,  are some of her subjects for her pieces, yes we have seen some of these used before but the design is done in such a clever and beautiful way that I had such a hard time picking a few to chose for this post.

Based out of Paris her shop is located in 7 Rue de La Paix, How come I never saw it before! How wonderful to find someone as unique as her. Can't believe no one stocks her here in London and only one shop in the US.

Get on her website to see even more choice,

J'Adore Elise Dray xo

All Photos via www.elisedray.com

The Imagination of Eva Menz

Born and Raised in Munich Germany Eva Menz chandeliers and installations are out of this world. Pieces can are customized in different sizes and materials to best suit your space. Crystal waterfalls and birds flying into the sky all with names like Free as Bird , Galaxy and Vortex, her work is unique and ethereal.

Trained at the Prestigious Central Saint Martins in London, Eva has accomplished a spectacular portfolio of work. Now I just need to find a bigger home to fit one of the pieces or hang one outside of my building if all else fails.

You can find her workshop in Notting Hill, or Browse her website to see more of her designs in different spaces such as Hotels, Restaurants , Yachts and private homes.

Let there be light xo

Eva Menz Design

10 Claredon Cross

London , W11 4AP

Tel +44 (0)20 7243 8292

www.evamenz.com

Visions of Sebastiao Salgado

The Nomadic Nenets Yamal Peninsula Siberia 2011

The Nomadic Nenets Crossing the Ob river to enter the Arctic Circle, Yamal Peninsula Siberia 2011

The Nenets : What made us survive all these hundreds of thousands of years is our spirituality; our link to the land. 

The Nomadic Nenets Family Yamal Peninsula Siberia 2011

The Reindeer of the Nenets Yamal Peninsula Siberia 2011

Oil Wells Greater Burhan Kuwait 1991

Oil Wells Greater Burhan Kuwait 1991

Oil Wells Greater Burhan Kuwait 1991

Dinka Man covered in Ashes which sterilises the skin against insects and parasites Sudan 2006

Okavango Delta, Botswana.

Omo Valley Ethiopia 2007

The Anavilhanas covering 1000sq km if Amaziona Rio Negro Brazil 

Two Mursi women, Omo Valley Ethiopia 2007

Yacare Caimans in the Patanal State of Mato Grosso Brazil 2011

A Yali man in the Jayawijaya mountains of Irian Jaya, West Papua 2012

The Mentawai Siberut Island Indonesia 2008

Zo'e Tribeswomen, State of Para Brazil 2009

Church Gate Station, Western Railroad Line, Bombay India

Coal Mines Dhanbad Bihar India 1989

Macaroni Penguins in Zavodovski Island, The Sandwich Islands 2009

Miner Standing up for himself Serra Pelada Gold Mine Brazil 1986

Figure Eight Serra Pelada Gold Mine Brazil 1986

Ladder Serra Pelada Gold Mine Brazil 1986

Arizona

Upper Xingu Kamayuva Shamans Brazil 2005

Namibia 2005

The Mentawai Siberut Island Indonesia 2008

Elephant Seal Calves on South Georgia, Barren Island on the South Atlantic 

Sebastiao reading his Sumo size book Genesis by Taschen

Genesis Exhibition at the London Natural History Museum 

  The look in the eyes of the Seals, the brutality of the life of the miners, the intoxicating beauty of our natural world The Patanal, The Okavongo Delta, the dunes of Namibia and the incredible lives of the tribes from Siberia to Java Indonesia that live the same way for thousands of years. God do I live in a bubble in London. 

These images just stir so many emotions in me, amazement, respect, sadness, anger, love but mostly awareness thanks to the courageous and humanitarian "photo-god" Sebastiao Salgado. 

The love and sensitivity this man has for this planet has been recorded in many photo essays and books ,some of the images I choose are from  "Workers"  on labour all over the world , "Migrations" on the displacement of people due to famine and war and now Sumo sized Genesis is "  My Love Letter to the Planet" a project that took Sebastiao into a journey of 9 years and over 30 journeys of trekking, canoeing, ballooning and travelling to the ends of the earth to visually connect us back into our planet, its tribes and its beauty that is still here.  

" We need to recover our instincts, to learn more about nature"

 " I wanted to give others the opportunity to see the nature of a pristine planet " 

I wish I could make these pictures bigger as you can only skim the surface of their power here. Luckily the Natural History Museum in London is showing a retrospective of Genesis until the 8th of September 2013. 

Otherwise you can get The Collectors Edition of the Sumo sized Genesis designed and edited by Salgados wife Lelia Wanick Salgado published by Taschen and also a custom made bookstand designed Legendary Japanese Architect Tadao Ando.  

There is more information on the websites below of other work and books. A lot to read and learn. 

Thank you for bringing us back the wonders of that still exists in our world. May they always be here for generations to come..

Genesis Exhibition at the London Natural History Museum

Amazonasimages

Taschen

Chinese Splendor

Raise The Red Lantern via National Ballet of China

Yellow Chinoiserie Wallpaper via NSR Handcrafts Co.

Wedgewood Jasper Conran Chinoiserie Green via Matching China

Raise the Red Lantern Film by Zhang Yimou

Midnight Blue Chinoiserie Wallpaper via Made in China

Mint Green Chinoiserie Wallpaper via de Gournay

House of Flying Daggers Bamboo Forest

Ralph Lauren's seems to have China on his mind, this is my favorite  collection in years.

I see some influence from Bernardo Bertolucci's wonderful 9 Academy Award winning film The Last Emperor which had incredible costumes, music and set design.

Also the colours in this collection made me think of Director Zhang Yimou films, The stunningly visual House of Flying Daggers with its incredible vibrant Jade Green Bamboo scene, the reds and blacks from both Hero and Raise The Red Lantern which was also made into a Ballet by China's National Ballet.

On 8.8.2008 Zhang Yimou directed the unforgettable Beijing Olympics opening Ceremony. So wish I could have been there.

Here are some links to view clips of these wonderful movies,

The Last Emperor www.criterion.com/films/254-the-last-emperor

House Of Flying Daggers www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLkedDMb8vI

Raise The Red Lantern www.youtube.com/watch?v=vivaoPZhIH8&feature=related

Hero www.youtube.com/watch?v=srFhXDZhUZI

http://www.ballet.org.cn/en/home.htm

www.ralphlauren.com