A thrift store find, specifically a vintage leather skirt, inspired Matt’s latest creative, featuring model Stephanie Sandiland and nightlife impresario Mark Holland. When Matt stumbled across an ‘88 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine, the pieces of this creative puzzle were firmly in place. Credit to Jordana Maxwell, of Judy Inc, for her winsome work on hair and makeup. Ask your chauffeur to drive you past the jump, for the remainder of the leather-bound lechery.
Matt Barnes is an east-ender at heart, having lived in amongst the pre-gentrified scoundrels of the Riverside area during his definitive big city days. He is now, however shamed as I am to admit, a certified sell-out; loft-live/love/laughing in the well-to-do west-end, but I’ll try not to hold that against him. It was his rascal roots that led him to a familiar stomping ground for today’s series; the Queen & Broadview haunt that is Jilly’s palace of peelers, a spot as infamous as the subject he was commissioned to photograph in her unhallowed halls - television personality & glamour model, Tila Tequila. Tila requires little in terms of biography from me, as most of her story has been played out in the enthralling theatre that is reality tv - a story nowhere near as black and white as these photographs of her…
The bawdy backdrop of an exotic east-end institution is a fitting milieu for the lustful Tila Tequila - pervert’s row is past the jump, for both the deviant and the curious minded.
The safeword was Beater; perhaps that was the wrong choice…
A bevy of bondage gear on four living tributes to de Sade & von Sacher-Masoch, tarted up and touring round Toronto in a ‘72 Chevy Van? This was to be no ordinary advertising shoot. Collaborating on an idea straight out of the debauched mind of Associate Creative Director Dave Tupper, Matt and a crew of tainted talent walked the night - a perverted parade in the name of Beater Bikes and their Bikes Built for Punishment tagline. Who would have thought that one could fetishize the buttoned up world of urban biking this easily?
Thanks to the thick-skinned talent of Tiff, Ashley & Shyla, who were abetted along the way by an anonymous leather-clad South African slave-boy. Credit also to Sandra Yang of Judy Inc. for Hair & Makeup, and James Waring for his assistance on the behind the scenes video.
Ride or be ridden, masochist and sadist alike, over the jump for the remainder of the series.
Love is the message, in Matt’s ad for Showcase’s Beauty & the Beast - a new series that has a little in common with the tale penned by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, and a lot more in common with the series of the same name from 1987, starring Ron Perlman - the 2012 version sees the loveliness provided by Kristin Kreuk and the loutishness from Jay Ryan. Matt used his favourite male model Joseph Cannata & long time model pal Ashley Hoolans for the shot, and once again turned to Sweetpea’s Kristy for floral favours. The show airs each Thursday at nine, on Showcase in Canada, and on the CW in the United States.
Nothin’ beats a besuited badass, clad in Tom Ford playing a Les Paul - especially when said badass is the polarizing dragon, shark, & venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary, in Matt’s shot for Harry Rosen. As Mr. O’Leary is something of a six-string scholar, it made perfect sense to shoot at the Twelfth Fret guitar shop on the Danforth - Kevin seemed particularly attached to the Les Paul that he played, perhaps as it was picked out for him by our resident hep cat musician/assistant Papi? Dig the National steel guitars behind Kevin, as seen on Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms album…
Don’t miss the accompanying video put together by Spot Cinema for Harry Rosen, which can be seen here.
Let Them Eat Cake, a Toronto-based wedding cinematography company, has been on Matt’s radar for some time now - in fact they’ve collaborated in the past, though mainly in the guise of their Spot Cinema brand, combining on several behind the scenes videos for various projects. They are a real cut above, especially when it comes to wedding videography, injecting a curated creativity into all the work they do. The films on their site showcase the brand splendidly and attest to their attention to detail, which is why Matt was thrilled to partner on their advertising and branding imagery.
Sharing the spoils, as always, is a talented team, one which includes Stuart Farndell (wardrobe), Dylan Hanson (hair/makeup & wig design), Lee Lindfield (set construction - with Anita & Papi’s painting partnership), Derrick Elyea (prop styling) and Emma’s Country Kitchen (catering) - special mention for the dandy Cobb salad.
To have your cake and eat it too, slice a piece off the jump and enjoy the rest of the series.
Just a one-shot-spot today, but boy is it burly!
Matt embraced his inner Mr. Fix It when he met up with Mike Holmes, with the task of photographing the contractor/tv personality for his new series, HGTV’s Holmes Makes It Right, in which the Halton Hills hunk takes to renovating disaster-struck dwellings. This programme echoes an earlier Mike Holmes series, Holmes in New Orleans, where his “Make It Right” motto was employed in fixing up a home hit by Hurricane Katrina - keep an eye on HGTV for air dates.
We’ve relaunched Matt’s Official Website with a slew of shots, so stop by and give it a gander - and if you haven’t already, you silly bugger, follow Matt on Twitter!
Whether or not you dig Jay Garrick or Barry Allen, Matt’s latest collaboration with Fuse Marketing for Interac is sure to make a Flash fan out of even the most vile villain. Interac’s new Flash service, explained best over at Fuse, looks to speed up one’s shopping and to also do away with the trouble of carrying about those diabolical dimes and knavish nickels, by allowing contact free, PIN-less transactions on a debit card - perfect for the sort of small purchases that one would usually use metallic mintage for. Matt’s tongue in cheek campaign for the new utility was conceptualized by the fine folk at Fuse, and was developed in tandem with Art Director John Rocca - full credits can be found here. Kudos must also go to artist/jack-of-all-tradesman Lee Lindfield, whose work on the backdrop was instrumental in pulling the collective creative caper off.
Streak past the jump for the rest of the campaign.
Be forewarned: this post may contain awful blue punnery…
Matt’s latest of Canadian chanteuse Keshia Chanté came like a bolt from the blue, especially when one considers that they only put this brilliant series together a month ago - credit to Janet Jackson & Dee Daly for their expert hair & makeup efforts respectively, and to Donovan Whyte for his work with wardrobe. Fingers crossed for Matt and Keshia to collaborate again soon; if this shot is anything to go by, it’s sure to be as hot as blue blazes!
Saddle up to a honky-tonk-treasure from Matt’s archives and a jingle-jangle set of country & western, fuzz, bakersfield sound & rhythm & blues! New work from Matt to come later this week, which should put a smile on even the saddest lil’ cowboy ‘round the ‘ol ranch - y’all come back soon now, ya hear?
