Boxing Clever

Boxing Clever..

Ok so I just got back from The Annroy Gallery, a stylish component of the legendary photographer Rankin's new development in Kentish Town. I was at the launch of Alex Box The Make Up Artist - a photographic collaboration between Rankin and international make-up artist Alex Box. Alex has worked with the likes of Alexander McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld, Gareth Pugh and Stella McCartney and is creative director of the hot new make-up brand Illamasqua. It was definitely an A-List fashion affair with guests including super stylists Karen Binns and Johnny Blue Eyes, leading designer Gareth Pugh, supermodels Erin O' Connor and Anouck Lepere, Dazed & Confused editor Jefferson Hack and presenter George Lamb. Most importantly, the photos themselves were truly inspirational. One of my favourite shots on show was a series of portraits of a female model, in the style of Leigh Bowery. Her make-up morphs from totally white in the first shot to black in the last. However, it's the series of images in between that are truly remarkable. Using the model in the way a painter would use a canvas, Alex had layered pigments, textures and colours in such a way as to create an avant garde 3D living sculpture. Elsewhere, the lines between art and photography were blurred further still, with some portraits featuring intricate illustrations applied on top of the image in post production. Digital photography has paved the way for a new generation of image makers, with the latest technology allowing artists to push the boundaries of creativity. If you're an art fan you have to see this exhibition. It is beyond inspirational. If you can't get to the exhibition, all is not lost. Alex Box the book is available to purchase via the link below.

Alex Box is published by Turnaround (£50) and the exhibition runs at the Annroy Gallery, Kentish Town from 23 October - 22 November.

http://www.turnaround-uk.com/alex-box