Innovative Mannequins Arrive at New Santa Monica Place

Amidst the still-under-construction structure, fleets of hard hats and roving construction workers, I was invited for an early look at Santa Monica Place’s 120 breath-taking mannequins created by over 100 of some LA’s most creative forces. Headed by The Mannequin Collective, the project brought together local artists, designers, fashion industry leaders and community members to transform plain mannequins into magical works of art. I was floored by the ingenuity, variety and hard work that was put into each mannequin. As an artist myself, it was powerful to see the same, white object transformed over and over again in a vastly different ways with equally provocative and inspirational results. Perhaps most interestingly, each mannequin reflected the designer’s own personality and perspective with brutal clarity–whether they were starkly simple or cluttered, messy or perfected, designed outside the box (sometimes literally) or well-within established conventions.

I hope you will take the opportunity to discover these inspirational mannequins for yourself at the new Santa Monica Place.

All pieces will be entered in a contest for which the prize is a $10,000 scholarship awarded to Otis College of Art and Design in the name of the winner, providing creative education and opportunity to students.

Thank you to all the artists for participating and thus inspiring others.
Thanks so much to The Mannequin Collective and Santa Monica Place for making it all possible.

Below are some of my favorite designs. You may view photos of all the mannequins here. From this link, you can also vote for your favorite from the 5 juried winners or participate in Operation Mannequin Hunt for a $250 gift certificate to Santa Monica Place (going on from August 17th to 23rd).

Some behind-the-scenes shots:

Down with discrimination! Prop 8 struck down!

At Docuvitae we are in a celebratory mood today! We just heard the news that a federal judge in San Francisco decided that gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marriage, striking down the highly controversial Proposition 8 ballot measure approved by voters in California in 2008. It’s a very strongly worded decision.

“Proposition 8 cannot survive any level of scrutiny under the equal protection clause. Excluding same-sex couple from marriage is simply not rationally related to a legitimate state interest.” — Judge Vaughn Walker

Discrimination should be outlawed, not same-sex marriage!

In light of the news, I’m posting one of my favorite wedding photos, shot at one of my very first weddings. The frame is a double exposure, shot on a Diana, a vintage plastic camera, the moment after Johnny and Bill were pronounced married. The setting sun reflecting off the window behind them, directing your eyes to the pair of floating hands (caused by the double-exposure), created a divine quality, that I always enjoy interpreting as approval from above, so to speak.

Johnny is one of my oldest and dear friend. His wedding day inspired me to change my photographic path and build Docuvitae because he showed me that wedding photography and being an artist are not mutually exclusive. Thank you, Johnny. This victory is for you, and the many others to follow your footsteps.