That George Lewis Jr. is one cool cat. Crusin’ down the street in a ‘68 Cutlass, the artist known formally as Twin Shadow was kind enough to have Matt along for the ride, who snapped the above shot for the current issue of the Grid.
Be certain to pick up Twin Shadow’s latest release, the self-produced Confess, out now on 4AD, and enjoy the video for Five Seconds, the lead single off the new LP.
While plaudits for his writing are numerous and stories of his high-society schmoozing infamous, Matt and I were attracted to the rumpled elegance that defined the aesthetic of Truman Capote, and paid homage to this in a photo series dedicated to him. Teaming up creatively, we combined my affection for the writing and frippery of Truman with Matt’s eye for detail and passion for that Slim Aarons look, and came together on something that is both fitting tribute and uniquely its own.
Our focus was on Truman before he fell into caricature of himself, taking particular influence from his youthful good looks and the rakishly tousled demeanour that only a burgeoning alcoholic can pull off. We shot in and around Saratoga Springs, NY, the home of artists’ community Yaddo, a spot that was of particular importance to the development of who Truman Capote was to become. Credit to Yaddo for letting us use their gardens, the astonishing Adelphi Hotel, the National Museum of Dance, Hall’s Antique Wooden Boats, and our Truman-esque subject, Marc-Andrew Smith.
Hold the phone while Matt gets technical - “I wanted to keep things simple. I wanted to shoot with a camera that would allow me to shoot natural light very well (even at dawn and dusk) and one that enabled me to shoot interior stuff at a high ISO, using only lamps in dimly lit rooms. Thanks to Headshots, I did some tests with the Nikon D800 and really liked how it looked - at 6400iso and even 12800iso. I haven’t shot with a Nikon in years and it took a little bit of getting used to, but after a day of testing I was really loving the camera. I loved the size of the D800 files and how well they took my rich vintage colour palette editing, with noise that looked quite filmic. The mirror image in the series is shot at 12800iso and the sharpness and quality of the file was awe-inspiring. I look forward to using the Nikon for more of my creatives, as it really gave me everything I wanted in a camera.”
A nod to taste-maker Lawrence Schlossman and Four Pins for the love. We’re glad that you feel the work is tiré à quatre épingles.
Ride the jump for the entire series.
Zippin’ up his boots, Matt gets back to his roots, by taking a look at several of his favourite photographs taken in Norfolk County…
“ Though born in England, I moved to Turkey Point (in Norfolk County, Ontario) when I was thirteen years old. My parents bought a campground, and for the next five years I lived amongst it. It was a great place to be a kid, as it was though I had a whole new batch of friends living in my backyard each summer. I went to high school in the next town over, Port Dover, where I attended Port Dover Composite School. I lucked out, as even though I was a relatively rotten student, teachers Mrs. Shantz and Mrs Hourigan let me embrace my artistic side. It was during high school that photography sunk her claws into me, notably through my co-op placement at Silver Parrot Studio. I was around sixteen at the time, and on my very first day I was asked by studio co-owner Cindy if I shot. That sounded cooler than anything I’d ever heard before, and that day I knew I wanted to be a professional photographer - even if just to answer that question with a resounding yes!
Most of my work has been influenced by growing up in a small town - from drinking and getting frisky in the woods to sitting around campfires, it was a great place to be a teenager. At the same time, I couldn’t wait to move to the city and become a big city person - which I did, and am happy as all hell to live in Toronto. I do find myself driving the near-two hours down to my old stomping grounds more often than I thought I would, often to use my favourite old spots as backdrops for shoots. Last summer alone I shot my two biggest creatives, Hands on D*ck and 2 Stroke, near Delhi and Turkey Point respectively, which goes to show that Norfolk County still holds its influence over me.”
It’s almost a certainty that very few nights are a blur of fake blood and inverted crosses; cue our photoshoot party with Anchorsand…
Though not necessarily Satanists in the Anton LaVey or Aleister Crowley mold, burgeoning brand Anchorsand are without question a little bit wicked. Matt first became acquainted with the lil’ devils through MuchMusic’s reality show Disband, where they were members of a group called Guttershark. He hit it off with the band, and kept in touch, so it was no surprise when two of the ‘sharks called up and asked about Matt shooting the look book for their new clothing company. Despite a small budget, Matt was happy to oblige, hooking up sponsorships with comrades at Jägermeister & Pabst along the way; and when a never-to-be-named fraternity offered up the decrepit depths of their basement as a soiree spot, the final nail was in the proverbial coffin.
Not one to miss a good old-fashion get together, Spot Cinema stopped by to document the amoral affair - thanks to Mike & Mark for the vile (in the best sense of the word) video. Be sure to mind the spilt blood as you levitate over the jump for rest of this sinful series.
Hottest day of the year? Nothing like a cool award at Cannes to chill off to! We’ve recently discovered that Matt’s work with BBDO New York has garnered the Silver Lion award, for their collaboration on Gillette’s Odor Shield Antiperspirant campaign - the Dry Armpit Informant, the Dry Armpit Affair & the Dry Armpit Bluff. A special congratulations to the team from BBDO: David Lubars, Toygar Bazarkaya, Raj Kamble, Paul Vinod, Apoorva Kale, Daniel Aykurt and Ben Griffiths. Also, as a little bit of a bonus, are some shots of the ads in action; straight from Singapore. Follow the jump for more. Kudos!
Today the Passing Shot takes you to such exotic locales as Windsor, Ontario & Longeuil, Quebec, for a series of bawdy experiences in low-budget motels. These shots are steeped in vintage sleaze, paying tribute to the tones and aesthetics of olden day erotica and celebrating Matt’s penchant for staying in the cheapest spot he can find, when travelling with his team for work. Featured amongst the fleabag-fetishism are shots of Hollywood’s Econolodge, Matt’s favourite, and several motels that are no longer with us, including Motel Canada, just outside of Montreal, and the strip of motels on Lakeshore in Toronto, which were a camp and kitsch wet dream. There’s a whirlwind of depravity after the jump, including a cartoon portrait of Matt by the Pizz and enough impropriety to make Larry Flynt proud. Needless to say, NSFW - unless you happen to work in the San Fernando Valley…
1961 was an upside-up year, unless you were:
Patrice Lumumba, a cast-off Cuban, on Dara off Dubai, a Parisian Protestor, Tyrannical Trujillo, a Czechoslovakian Jet-Setter, or a Governor’s son in the Jungles of New Guinea…but Barbie gained a Boyfriend and Ham the Chimp found Himself a Hand to Shake - an upside-up year after all?
Shots for 1961 magazine; an offbeat portrayal of burgeoning adulthood in an anxious age, as seen through the glossy eyes of Golightly people. Help from Sonia Ryan and Kari Fisher, on makeup and hair, respectively. Venture post-jump for the remainder of the series.
Snaps of Jay’s perennial fan favourite José Bautista grace the blog today. These images were shot for Sharp Magazine at the Rogers Centre (the SkyDome, in my heart), and were styled by Donovan Whyte. Hop over the warning track for more dingers from Matt & Joey Bats.
New commercial work; a collaboration with Paul Riss, for Manulife. The rest of the series can be viewed after the jump, including one set in Boehmer Restaurant - the most accommodating location that Matt has ever had the privilege of shooting in. Thanks to Donna Irvine, for her ever-immaculate wardrobe and propping skill, and to Sandra Yang, for her work with hair and makeup. Also post-jump is one of the ads in print, from today’s Globe & Mail, as well as some puckish behind the scenes behaviour from the talent.
