One more Oscar thing.

Madonna and Lourdes at last night's Oscars.

They grow so young so old so fast.

Image from JustJared.com

Pre-moticon.

The first issue of i-D, August 1980. Designed by Terry Jones.

I have a love hate relationship with online slang. The internet land shorthand can get out of hand, and the elllloonnngatttiiiiooonnn ooooffff woooorrrdddsss drives me bananas, but the one thing I couldn't do without are the winky, smily, sad-faced little emoticons that help make typed-word-only convos a little more human. In this post, I pay homage to one of the first major communication vehicles to make big-time use of the graphic representation of an emotion: i-D Magazine. See it winking at you? It's been doing that since it's first issue (above) published 30 years ago. I was just reading a NYT article that cited the name of the fashion glossy and I winked back. Here, in all of it's glory is the winky wink and it's long tradition of cover girl imitations.

Why the wink? Because it's cheeky like all things British should be. Thanks for so many years of so much fun i-D. Wink on.

For a good time visit the i-D cover archive.

Deeper and Deeper.

I forgot how much I liked this music video. And then, I remembered.



The '70s makeup? Sofia Coppola eating a banana on the couch with Debbie Mazar? A Meisel-era Madonna? Warholian actor and all around creepy guy Udo Kier? I love it all. I even have a soft spot for the super sentimental shot of Madge's balloons--inflated with pure, pink, innocence--getting snipped free by the aforementioned creepy guy. Nostalgic goodness for the first day of your work week.

Gaga Makes Madonna Eternal.

Just a few short years ago Lady Gaga's Alejandro video probably would have sent my inner Madonna fan into a borderline rage. There are so many spot on references to the Mad one; the video is directed by Steven Klein a'la Madge's 2003 "Unbound" W shoot, has a strong bullfighter influence a'la Take A Bow, is filled with half naked muscle men a'la Express Yourself, and sports so much religious symbolism that it nearly matches the then-shocking Like A Prayer in tone. Madonna's greatest hits are all there and an argument for style biting would make a good case in court, but here's the thing that staves off any resistance to Gaga based on her appropriations of Madonnaisms: Gaga makes Madonna eternal.

Madge has been disappointing her long time fans for years now. Her product has been undone by her ego and her refusal to grow old. She's not a twenty-something pop princess anymore and while I encourage any woman of any age to do whatever they want, the repeated close-up, jumbotron shots of her crotch humping the air (then a guitar, then a few backup dancers) during her Hard Candy Tour that I witnessed at MSG was more than a little cringe worthy. It wasn't sexual age-defying rebellion, it was debasing convention that reeked of "Hey, Rhianna, I can do that too." desperation. But, the sight of Gaga mounting a dancer from behind in her Alejandro video is, well, radical and titillating.

Gaga is the continuation of the seeds that Madonna sowed. She progresses beyond the mere button-pushing and eroticism to something a little more accessible and democratic. Madonna made way for ubiquitous female sexpressionism, but Gaga embraces the freaks among us and isn't afraid to look weird. Madonna was adored by a pretty public. Gaga is the LES glamgoth princess gone mainstream. Madonna licked, Gaga bites. Careful.

But, there too is another thing worth mentioning. Madonna is legendary for her epic ego. Her mountainous "I'm gonna rule the world" ego that created a library of stories of demands, quirky behaviors, and big-headed bitchiness. Again, in order to create the path she did, most of this empathy-blind bulldozing was necessary, and it was her bitchiness that made way for Gaga--the pop star with a heart of gold. My love for the Gaga was sealed, and then resealed in two separate instances. First up was the Bad Romance video which still thrills me, second was the moment she cried on Oprah thanking her Little Monsters for their support and fandom. Heart-felt tears never tipped over the lids of Madonna's bot-eyes. They didn't have to, but I'm happy to have a softer version of my hero to watch. Gaga can keep biting, because she's doing it for all of us who love art, fashion, music, dance because it makes us smile and maybe well up. Is it weird that Gaga makes me cry as an adult? She certainly woulnd't think so. I feel like if I cried in front of Madonna she'd smack me. Which I'd take like a woman raised on her, but I wouldn't prefer it. That's just my girlie truth. Ok, enough. Watch the video.

Madonna should be proud.

One/One-Thousand: Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

A portrait of the artist: Mondino and his work.

Jean-Baptiste Mondino began his career designing album covers in the '80s. His initial ambitions were musically inclined even beyond his subject matter. He released two singles that charted in Europe with different collaborators before he found his way into photography. But, his musical leanings never left him. He's shot tons of pop stars for iconic album covers, editorials, and has directed some of their best videos. His shots have a stark intensity to them, whether they are black-and-white, soft hues, or his signature bright colors, the mood is always emotionally afecting.

His still work is so great, but some of his videos are simply classic. Here are a few clips of his work in motion:

One/One-Thousand: David Lachapelle

Lachapelle's blazing photo of Alexander McQueen. Nothing is added in digitally, it's all happening.

There's something overexposed about David Lachapelle, but I think it's intentional. His work, his aesthetic has been so used up in current culture that I've avoided profiling him. I thought his look was so over and pop media was as saturated with Lachapelle as his acid-bright color pallet. But then I meandered through the world of Youtube and found this lost Lost promo from the UK, and I was reminded of how his cinematic style is always executed so well, whether he's shooting a TV advert, or a fashion spread.

Lachapelle was an explosion in the '90s. He took fashion photography and cranked all of its knobs up to the max. The colors, the action, the props multiplied like so many bunnies--it was allso incredibly novel and necessary. The Maximalism of the '80s was splashed all over Lachapelle's work, but with an ironic edge that tugged at your laugh lines, and elicited a smirk rather than a sneer. Lachapelle's work was the extacy to the coke (think Guy Bourdain) of the '80s, and the club culture with all of its attendant substances and throbbing beats are where Lachapelle got his start.

A job at Studio 54 led to a meeting with Andy Warhol which led to a permanent spot on the team of Interview Magazine. From there Lachapelle just skyrocketed, and brought his tranny, club-hopping friends with him. His splashy style was perfect for the candy-sweet '90s and his work found a home in Rollingstone Magazine before long.

The standout feature of Chapelle's shots has always been their theatricality. The colors are so loud you can practically hear them, and the sets are works of wonder. Either painted in vibrant hues or stocked with row after row of poppy prop, the environments Chapelle and his talented team create are storytelling tools. A Chapelle portrait is no ordinay celeb snap, it's often an uber-heightened documentation of someone's persona, like when people claim they can photograph your aura. For instance, there's Pamela Anderson and her giant breasts hatching fully formed from a simple egg, there's Gaga surrounded by tiny, plastic bubbles, Madonna dancing in the streets with a block full of motley fans.

David's fashion work for Italian Vogue, I-D, and Delicae Vitae has all the same pop and crazy circumstance. Shoe stories are boltered by bodybuilders, and designer pieces are donned by models made to look like dolls. It's all like a dazzling disco on too much amphetimines, or rather maybe just enough. His style is everywhere, yes, but that too is a testament to his talents. Lachapelle is his own universe, and I love to visit through his photos.