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Elle aime l’energie, réfute les poses statiques. Mari Sarai, signe Astrologique Lion, mariée à Tomo, photographe japonaise basée à Londres propose un artwork saisissant, érotique tant dans ses projets personnels que sur des contrats commerciaux. Ses clichés projettent une énergie palpable et incontournable. La subjectivité sensuelle et les esquisses de violence sous-jacente forcent la comparaison avec les travaux d’Helmut Newton (dumoins la référence). Elle y apporte son naturel, sa décontraction et bien entendu sa vison féminine. Souvent pieds nus, toujours en mouvement, Mari Sarai joue avec la lumière, les corps, l’attitude, les décors.

Mettre à l’aise les models est son leitmotiv. Toujours à l’affût de nouveaux lieux, “always scounting for locations”,  Elle aime visiter les appartements de ses models. Lorsque les dit-lieux se prêtent aux conditions du shooting, les sujets peuvent alors se donner corps et âmes à Mari. Tous soulignent la légèreté de ce moment, et au combien il est “cool” et agréable de s’exposer devant son objectif. Par “Tous”, j’entends Paloma Faith, Pixie Geldof, Takeshi Kitano, Daisy Lowe, Duran Duran, La Roux ou encore the XX…entre autre. Il est préferable de suspendre cette énumération, car bien trop longue.

A Noël dernier, sort son premier livre de photo baptisé NAKED. Cet opus commencé il y environ un an et demi sous la coupe d’un gros éditeur japonais, est un éloge à l’érotisme. Les corps vibrent sous son objectif, c’est excitant, sensuel, suave avec un léger parfum sadomasochiste…à peine masqué. Les contrastes sont intenses et l’exposition éblousissante, chaque courbe tendue de ces corps qui se donnent sont mis en lumière. Lors de sa sortie, l’ouvrage (signé par Mari) est vendu en exclusivité chez Art Wednesday. La distribution se poursuit parallèllement à Londres et au Japon notamment chez 3939.

Ces clichés de Mari Sarai s’incrisvent dans la dynamique  porno-chic ou trash-chic/trashic/tragique. Ils n’ont pourtant rien à voir avec les travaux de Yu Tsai ou Tom Ford. Il existe dans son oeuvre un puisant souffle de désinvolture et d’insouciance. Les models se donnent à une autre femme, sans retenue, l’orchestration n’est pas au rendez-vous. La spontanéité est palpable. Il y a ce je ne sais quoi, cette odeur de shooting entre filles après un douzième shot de mauvaise alcool de patate. Les corps sont débarassés de leur notoriété, de leur bienséance. On a envie de remonter le temps et de se caller dans le petit fauteuil, dans un coin histoire de participer au shooting et d’être le spectateur amusé de cette nudité décomplexée. Naked II est en cours et devrait paraître cette année.

Mari Sarai collabore avec de nombreux magazines (Dazed and Confused, Glamour, I-D….). Récemment, on lui doit  la couverture du METAL (issue mars 2010) et celle du HARPER’S BAZAAR (issue avril 2009). Dans le dernier numéro de L’Officiel Paris, elle nous offre un shooting glamour au possible, avec des models vampées à la Guy Bourdin. C’est colorful, vibrant, 70′s, ça fleure bon la décadence.

Mari Sarai parvient parfaitement à conjuger l’aspect personnel et l’aspect commercial. Elle apporte sa valeur ajoutée avec agilité, une main de fer dans un gant de velours. Elle signe notamment la campagne de GOGO PHILIP dont la ligne de bijoux vintage remporte un franc succès en Angleterre via Topshop. Kurt Geiger, ME&ME, SHEL’TTER ou dernièrement ALDO font également parties de son portfolio de clients aux côtés de Nokia et Reebok.

L'Officiel Paris

Gogo Philip campaign

Coté vidéo, Mari Sarai réalise en collaboration avec Emma Mc Farlane, un court surréaliste pour le Glass Magazine. Un autre facette plus noire et profonde est alors à l’écran: I am/Eye am/I am. Elle est également la photographe du projet photo  House of Organza qui regroupe les créations vaporeuses de Piers Atkinson, Judy Blame, Craig Laurence et Dr Noki, pour ne citer qu’eux.



Mari Sarai pense que le dernier paradis sur terre est Okinawa Island,  se sent galvanisée lorsqu’elle porte sa veste Balmain noire et se montre peu. Ci-dessous, une opportunité de la voir travailler sur le shooting du groupe Duran Duran.

STAY TUNED!

www.marisarai.com

http://mari-sarai.blogspot.com

ENGLISH TEXT

Immersion in the Mari Sarai’s polished  erotic universe

She loves energy, can’t stand motionless poses.  Maris is leo, her  husband’s name is Tomo. This japanese photographer based in London propose an erotic and breath taking artwork equally in her personal and commercial contracts.  Her pictures show off such an obvious energy. Due to her sensuality charged and provocative artwork, we could of course draw a parallel between Mari Sarai and Helmut Newton (almost think about it). She insufflates her naturalness using her feminine sharp eye as a key added value. Often barefooted, always in motion, Mari Sarai plays with lights, bodies and scenes.

Make sure to put models at their ease is her leitmotiv. “Always scounting for locations”, she uses to visit  models’s places and checks if they could be suitable for  a photo shoot: the perfect set up for the models to give themselves body and soul to Mari. The models comments are laudable; it’s so special and “so cool” to made a shooting with Mari. When i say models, i am talking about Paloma Faith, Pixie Geldof, Takeshi Kitano, Daisy Lowe, Duran Duran, the XX,… just to name a few. The list is too long, better to stop here.

Last christmas, Mari Sarai launches her first photo book called NAKED. Started one year and half ago, this opus ordered by a big japanes editor sounds like a praise to erotism. Nude bodies are stirred under her camera lens, it’s exciting, sensual, strong with a light perfume of sadomachism (pretty heavy in fact…). The contrasts are very intense, the exposure is dazzling. The curves are tense, nervous and fantastically sexy. NAKED was available first at Art Wednesday and signed by the artist. Meanwhile, the book was availbale in Japan, and now all around UK at 3939 shop  for example.

The Mari Sarai work could be classify in the porno chic or trash chic/trashic/tragic category. But don’t be mistaken, it is far from the pictures of  Yu Tsai and Tom Ford. In her work, there is a powerful breath of offhand manner, liberty and lightness, without orchestration. Those women to women moment are spontaneous, a kind of friendly private party after too many shots of bad vodka. The bodies are realeased from their fame and the rules of polite society. You wish to go back in time, and get there, sit down on the couch, being eyewitness of this free nude show. NAKED II is actually in progress.

Mari Sarai collaborate with most of the high fashion magazines (Dazed and Confused, Glamour, I-D…). She shot the cover for METAL ( march 2010 issue) and Harper’s Bazaar (april 2009 issue). In the last issue of L’Officiel Paris, she realised a stunning photo shoot so colorful, glamorous and seventies…pure decadence.

Mari combines easily the personal and the commercial sides and always pop in with her add value: an iron hand in a velvet glove. She signed the GOGO PHILIP campaign, the succesful brand of vintage bijoux sold through Topshop. Se worked as well with Kurt Geiger, Me&Me, Shel’tter, and lately ALDO. Reebok and Nokia are also part of her eclectic portfolio.

Versatile, Mari realise a surrealist short film in collaboration with Emma Mc Farlane for the Glass Magazine. We discover a deep and darker side. She was in charge too for the House of Organza photo shoot and glorified the diaphanous creations of Piers Atkinson, Judy Blame, Craig Laurence and Dr Noki, just to name a few.

Mari Sarai thinks that the last paradise heavenly is Okinawa Island, feels galvanised in her black Blamain jacket and don’t showcase. So take your chance to see her at work on the Duran Duran photo shoot video.

Photography: Neil Kirk
Styling: David Nolan
Hair & Grooming: Gary Gill for Monroe, using Wella Professionals and Mac Pro
Models: Charlie France & James Smith at Models 1, Joe Sanders at D1 and Douglas at Premier

Photography: Micaela Rossato
Styling: Britt Marie Kittlesen
Hair: Gregory Alan for SALAON GRAFIX
Make up: Kumiko Hirose
Set Design: Chelsea Maruskin
Models: Kim Woo at WILHELMINA & Stephanie Lee at ELITE

© Micaela Rossato

Micaela Rossato:

Styling: Britt Marie K
Make Up: Erin Parsons @ Pure Management
Hair: Gregory Alan
Models: Alicia @ Elite, Kara @ Wilhelmina & Marlena @ Q Management

Will Thom:

Styling: Georgina Hodson

Will Thom:

Neil Kirk:

Styling: David Nolan
Grooming: Gary Gill
Models: Andre & George at Premier

© Micaela Rossato, Will Thom & Neil Kirk respectively

See below for a preview of each of the stories and go to theglassmagazine.com for stockists.

Neil Kirk:

© Neil Kirk

Micaela Rossato:

© Micaela Rossato

Will Thom:

© Will Thom

Auto Focus by Susan Bright is available now and published by Thames & Hudson. Click the pic. Thanks!

http://www.theglassmagazine.com/forum/article.asp?tid=1614#title

You may recall, how, a few posts ago I boldly stated that I hadn’t bought a magazine in positively ages. Well. That changed. Because I fell in love with the premiere issue of Glass Magazine. The whole thing had my heart thumping an exuberant yes (seriously. It was like a crush, I swear). And I had to have it. So I scooped up the British magazine and carried it home with me, purchased with a random puny commission check from my last job. (I totally accepted that blow with grace).

Anyway, it’s the photograph above by Sarah Moon that very well may’ve sold me (which says a lot because there are lots of amazing words and interviews and even ballerinas and Grace Kelly in there). In the magazine it’s huge. It smacks you (or at least me) in the face like the gust of wind it looks as though that little girl is holding her head up to with reverence. Standing on a somewhat dilapidated city street, with a backdrop of the forest and a smattering of leaves and dirt sprinkled at her feet it’s as though she closing her eyes trying to smell the fresh air, feel the wind sprouted from the rustling leaves of trees, defiantly willing herself to be there. Like Dorothy and her ruby slippers clanking her heels together and willing herself home. But maybe all she has is a backdrop. She doesn’t necessarily get there. Maybe imagination is okay, though. Because it can take you absolutely anywhere. But, you know, this picture of a girl almost makes me think, too, of that moment when you’re a kid and you take your last grasps of your favorite unrealities and hold onto them for dear life. For just another moment. Defiantly. Here, it’s perfectly captured. So that its never given up. You can look at that picture and always feel that moment of that’s a strange mixture of peace and defiance.

“When I photograph, it is just a reaction. I need to be there a bit more.” -Sarah Moon (Glass Magazine)

Naturally, there were other pictures of hers in the magazine itself, and I scoured the web for some for you as well. And, what I found interesting, is a commonality between many of them (besides stunning color use). See if you can see what I mean:

Are these pretty ladies shy?

Are they embarrassed?

Maybe, they’re the little girl grown up. Hiding from realities. Contently daydreaming away.

Maybe it’s like one of those situations when you stick out and people are looking at you (because you look oh so fabulous?), and at first you feel amazing, you feel like a rockstar. But then they just keep looking.

And you start to feel on display. You start to wonder if maybe they’re looking at you because you’ve got something stuck in your teeth. Or, you’re trailing toilet paper on your shoes. Or you’ve spilt something all over yourself and haven’t realized it yet.

Tired of the spotlight. Tired of being looked at. Maybe you just want to go back to make-believe. It’s easier when you’re in your pretty dress and your eyes are closed, when you’re not really looking. Because you can be anywhere. You don’t even have to (pretend to) be a grown up.

But eyes open isn’t so bad either, really. Sometimes reality is better than make believe.

I take pictures even if I don’t have a camera. I love many, many, many things. I love music. I love what I do. I live! Hobbies? I mean I am interested by many things so I can’t really say. I mean it is living. It’s having friends. It’s having love. I do not have a specific hobby. It’s difficult to distinguish one thing from another. It’s true that I take pictures but sometimes I take them without taking them. I see something and think ‘that’s a picture’. It’s a way of looking a bit more. -Sarah Moon (Glass Magazine)

(Look a bit more)((while imaging, too!))((what do you think their stories are?)))

Inspiracją do zdjęć i filmu (wersja Glass magazine online nastawiona jest na  filmy modowe) były koronki, herbata i ciasteczka. Zdjęcia robiła fotografka Nicole Nodland , z którą nigdy wcześniej nie pracowałam, a okazała się po prostu rewelacyjna. Ta drobna blondyneczka swoim temperamentem zarażała wszystkich a na koniec zdjęć strzeliła lufę wódki   Musze przyznać, że byłam pod jej wielkim wrażeniem.

Oto pare fot z backstage’u

Dodam jeszcze, że jakiś czas temu czytałam artykuł o sesjach dla Vogue’a. W sład ekipy wchodzą tam między innymi ochroniarze, którzy pilnują biżuterii. I daleko nie szukać, także i u nas było dwóch wielkich facetów w garniturach, którzy opiekowali sie biżuteria Bulgari wartą ok Ł20 000 za sztukę. Ja, sroka która łapie się wszystkiego co się świeci, nie odmówiłam sobie przyjemności paradowania w niej przez całe dwa dni