Bagarre - Lemonsweet (Kinky Afro edit)

well.. they've done it again.. they have used a piece of my illustration work for their own use..!! and I'm very happy about that! thanks guys!!


Bagarre - Lemonsweet (Kinky Afro edit) The original version produced by Giovanni Ricoveri in 1982 will be available on February 1st 2010, and from what I've heard already, and know from Kinky Afro's past remixes, this one will be just as cool as the last but with new twists and slightly variously different emotions!

become a fan on facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/serkankoc.ayvalik?ref=ts#/bagarrelemonsweet?ref=mf

NEW WEBSITE

Hello,


I'd like to announce my new website, www.streykatt.com . It's a website of a variety of photographic works, shot by me. It includes fashion, personal, backstage, front row, and publications & exhibitions.

Also, in the "BUY NOW" tab/page, one can purchase my new book, "No Die No Sore Lover...", or customized images, available by arranging, via e-mail, your request.

The site is very new and undergoing some navigational changes, otherwise, it should be easy to follow!

thanks!!

Kinky Afro Disc Jockeys OUT April Fool's 2009

Collage by: bobby collins
(click the flyer to hear the recently promoted track)

I've been going to these parties called 'Los Ninos' in (Antwerp) Belgium for a while and always ended up becoming a lost mijo afterward... the music, people, locations were (are) always different.. different in the sense that you're not really sure what to expect at first, (but of course, one does know to expect something interesting), as the location changes with each party, as well as the dj line-up, thus, offering a new wave of ninos.

From the people who bring us Los Ninos (Wilfred and Manu), and coinsiding with Wilfred's Birthday, debuts Fingerspitzengefuhl on August 23rd 2008, at and in a swimmingpool in Bruxelles, and introduces Kinky Afro Disc Jockeys for the Italo tribute for the first two parties. I arrived a bit late to the first party (like only one hour left). Regardless, I made shanpshots of friends and some of what was going on. One day while going through the pics, I had an idea to compose a collage of the party and send it to Wilfred for his birthday.

In turn, and unexpectedly, Wilfred posted the collage on the 'Finger' site, which, in turn, prompted the Kinky Afro Disc Jockey's to contact me, asking to use the work for an up and coming cover of their debut track titled:
Sarah Dash - Low Down Dirty (Kinky Afro edit)





After the following party in Antwerp, which featured artist Hassan Huseyin Oylum's interpretation of the 'Finger' logo, I took it upon myself to make another (this one I like more).

Collage of Fingerspitzengefuhl Party in Antwerp by: bobby collins





To view photos I shot and reinterpreted just click on the image below...

Trashin' Tulsa with Austin Lucas

Model: Austin Lucas
Photography: Bobby Collins


Model: Austin Lucas


It's summer time here in Tulsa Oklahoma USA and I am totally bored... well... I am not doing the things I would prefer to be doing.. in fact, it is great to see and be temporarily living with my longest known friend, but he works 9 to 6.. I'm limited to what I can do here with the lack of a proper transit system and no car, not knowing any other people here, as it's not easy to meet people without transport... furthermore, leaving me to be inclined to search on-line for people.. yeeeah! Craig's List? or some googled site? neither really offers any usable results.


As fate would have it, a reprieve came my way! My friend went on holiday with his family for two weeks.. leaving me the car and an opportunity to consider doing a photo shoot! I wanted to shoot something that reflected my attitude against the system here, such as, shoot a nude male model, outdoors, with well recognized landmarks or brands (by Tulsans), typical to the mid-west. I couldn't find any kind of proper styling that would offer the lawlessness I was about to engage in, so with an old thought in mind, to make pieces out of plastic bags, I chose clear plastic "trash" bags to make patterns from, out of pieces from my own closet, so that the model wouldn't be "nude", by symbolically, covering up the things that human beings have (or guys, hehehe) have or acquire, such as genitals and/or tattoos, piercings, with trash bags.


Somewhat inspired by Helmut Newton's nudes, Larry Clark's photographic record of his teenage years here in Tulsa, as well as Slava Mogutin's nationalistic approach, I decided to go for it! Prior to and during the pattern making, I searched on an on-line modeling site called Model Mayhem, where anybody can be a model.. I have to admit though, there are quite a few good models there and many of them are just trying their luck. I did a search and found about 7 guys.. contacted all of them, but only two had agreed to nude photos, while the others were completely against nude images. So no matter how creative the project was supposed to be, as these non believing party pooper model wannabe's were strictly hoping for some kind of Abercombie and Fitch campaign photos, and/or harboring some homophobic tendency, they politely declined.


However, the one I was most interested in anyway, Austin Lucas.. was quite young (18yrs) and with tattoos, bleached out hair and very slim and lengthy, agreed to be shot. Upon further scrutiny of his photos, I noticed that there was a logo on some of them, reading SaggerzSkaterz.com.. a porn site! I was quite pleased because I really wanted someone who was very young and photogenic, with attributes such as his, and who had no problem being nude! Austin Lucas is his stage name, and he agreed to do the shoot.. knowing that he could possibly be jailed and given the label of a "sex offender", because here, in the authoritative state of Oklahoma, and propably many others here in "the land of the free", if you even piss outdoors, away from your private property or designated places, you are "exposing" yourself and putting peoples moral lives in jeopardy!


I was very nervous about shooting him with this in mind, because I believed that, I too, could have been condemned to this title. We did our first location diagonally across from the Wonder Bread factory, in their parking lot for the Wonder Bread 18 wheelers, along a busy street. We were interrupted by an undercover police officer who pulled into our parking lot and staked us out for about 15 minutes.. luckily I devised a way to quickly cover up this obscenity if in case, someone should happen to complain. As for the rest, well I just took chances.. remembering one guy's reply to me on Craig's List that he was having a private pool party in an exclusive residential area of Tulsa. Of course I didn't go, (too shy for that) but hours before the shooting, I did contact him to ask to use his pool for my own needs.. hehe!


Unbeknown to me, I had a possible devastating scenario when developing, days after I dropped off the film at the photo lab. I received a phone call from the lab telling me that they are not able to continue with my order because it appears that I have photographed a nude minor and that I need to provide proof of his age, otherwise, they are obligated to report my images to the authorities!! I was shocked and somewhat bewildered.. freaked out for about two days.. the audacity of the call.. I felt that at any moment Chris Hanson from NBC's "Dateline" was going to come to my place with Austin and some camera crew with slanderous questions regarding what was I thinking! Luckily, that didn't happen and I was able to show them to you! I hope you like them, and if you would like to know how you may obtain one or more, please feel free to contact me!

My First Book

Photographic and Poetic ArtBook For Sale

no die no sore lover ...

By bobby collins

Book Preview

A kind of semiotic photo-book, elegizing (hence the title) the now extinct, love relationship of two people who could not hold on to love as they first knew it, by substituting the typical and most popular symbol of love, the heart, with a dinosaur. It is not to say that these two ever had a symbol at all. But for one, it has now changed, as illusions of this, inundate his mind with adjectives, such as, destructive, scary, solitaire, exciting, to name a few.

One can find the short story poem, towards the end of the book, useful, as it may seemingly better explain this point of view in words.. however, it'll be up to the reader to decide!

(a short video will soon be available as well on-line)

Director Marie Alice Brandner-Wolfszahn

A music video produced and directed
by: Marie Alice Brandner-Wolfszahn
track from the video
''PPOP''
track by: Miss Kittin and the Hacker

UPDATE: THE ORIGINAL PROJECT THAT YOU WILL READ ABOUT IS NO LONGER UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR PPOP, THE TRACK BY MISS KITTIN, THUS, MISS BRANDNER-WOLFSZAHN HAS DECIDED TO ALTER THE VIDEO TO BE CONDUSIVE TO SOME OTHER PROJECT.
I was originally visiting with Marie, when she asked me if i'd like to do the hair & make-up for her video. I hardly do this any more, unless it's for the new faces board at an agency or whatever, but the chance to work on a project with her was very inviting, so i agreed.

In the end, it was brought to my attention that she was still in need of casting the "fox" or "wolf" man, so after sitting around for many hours and not with much make-up, (because my equipment was not in berlin), I asked, "hey Marie, if you need a wolfman.." and before I could finish she said that I would be great for the part!

Behind the Scenes

Photos by: Johan Deletang

As Life's Night Ebbs...

A series of my personal interpretation of Vanitas in both a literal Latin translation and/or art style images of exanimate contemporaneously fashionable guys depicted as sexually vulnerable ephemeral manikins. There's a few in every city!






Jean Paul "Jeanius" Paula: Summer 2008 Amsterdam
























Antonio Ramos: Spring 2008 Berlin
























Jey Crisfar: Winter 2008 Brussels
























Colin Batch: March 26, 2008 Brussels

























Tom Tom Cap de Ville: Spring 2008 Paris

























Yam a.k.a. RAT DEXTRINO: Spring 2009 Berlin










Tony: Winter 2004 Bruxelles

Jean Baptiste Biche

SYPHILIS PREVENTION CAMPAIGN WITH EX AEQUO, 2009

www.jeanbaptistebiche.com

One day, while at my favorite cafe of all time, Fontinas, located inconspicuously in the center of Bruxelles (as most things there are), Jean Biche had mentioned that he was working on some project and asked if I would like to be a part of it. I totally said yes, but I did that in my own head.. in reality, I just responded calmly and matter of factly, "sure, I'm free.. when?".

A few weeks prior to that though, I had timidly asked him to consider me for an illustration...I don't know... that if he was to ever think that that would be inspiring for him, to ask. That came sooner then later! And now I have this super Rodin-esque illustration of myself!

I'm in awe with his freehand illustrations, and feel made privy to being one of a few, who will ever be depicted by his microscopically precise and stylishly accurate LED strokes... he uses pencils too!

The campaign was to bring an "awareness" to the trendy fashionistas and artsy fartsy throngs who roam within this village; so that, not even they, are left out from becoming enlightened by and visually stimulated over, the awareness that this indiscrimintaing attraction syphilis has on people is actually a part of our life too. What I most appreciate about this city is that no one seems to be exempt from having a personal friend like this, as people really mix well here, for the most part, considering the political climate of this small country as a whole. So it works very well and pleased to be a part of it!

Valeria Farina's "The Morning After Dress"

Signorita Farina, a student at the Royal Academy of Fine Art Antwerp, was invited by Sameheads, an underground boutique in Berlin, to exhibit her dress along with these images we shot together with model Corazone from Antwerp but who is now at Ford NY. Was a fun opening, as, quite a few people, designers, editors, and shoppers, passed by to have a look.

Lars Paschke

At the end of spring, 2008, fashion designer Lars Paschke, was finishing his last year at the Royal Academie of Fine Art Antwerp. I had met him the previous summer in Berlin with my friend Valeria Farina, of whom, you may read about in my blog.

I was visiting with Valeria during the end of spring 2008, and started to find inspitaion and direction from her and Lars, along with the city of Antwerpen itself, for that matter, Belgium. As some of you may know, Antwerp (phonetically close to the Dutch word ontwerp for design.. however the word Antwerp is said to mean something of a man-made layout of the city itself.. ok enough of me trying to show off my knowledge of antwerp.. i'm probably wrong anyway!) has many well known and avant-garde fashion designers, as well as international magazines, world renown artists, and historical events, (if you consider diamonds, petrochemical industries, and toffees to have historical value).

As a requirement of the academie, Lars had to provide a portfolio of the line he prepared for the year end examination, and he, by the reference of Valeria, asked me if I would shoot it. We didn't have much time, or options, so we shot it in his bedroom, which was a bit small but functional after removing much of the furniture.

I had shot with digital, which I dislike using for most projects, especially this one, because his line was so craftfully made. The photos turned out pretty well dispite my distaste.. it appeared to be more of a lookbook then a fashion shoot, however it was what he needed in the end.

I decided to use the images of the "lookbook" shoot and some I had taken of him just organizing the clothes and props for the shoot, to make computer illustrations of the line and incorporate him in the images.

By: Bruce LaBruce

One summer nite in 2007, while out at a bar, I ran into Bruce and his model Jose, who had just arrived to berlin from Barcelona.. I had already met Bruce a few weeks before, with my then hubby to be and was hoping to have the opportunity to work with him; I was thinking more behind the scenes, but he asked me if I wanted to be the second guy in his "Voleur" editorial for Pref Mag; a Gay magazine from Paris..I give vague mention to this in my first book "no die no sore lover..."

Sadak

Funny how things can go sometimes! Summer 07.. it was truly one of the best summers I had ever experienced, but that was more towards the middle of it. I had just had my first photo exhibit in Europe, a small photo exhibtion (collaboratively) at Ideal Showroom in Berlin. While there, I had just broken up with someone. I decided to remain in Berlin after the 'break-up', because going back to Amsterdam was just not something I could see myself doing! The whole time I was in Berlin, I was preparing this exhibit and never had a good chance to socialize during that time, due in part, because of the crappy situation with this ex! So as we were boarding the train, I simply let the doors close and watch him roll away towards Amsterdam!

That was crazy because I really didn't know people there and I hadn't completely confirmed to my friend Sasa (Sasha)that I would be staying with him.. but he did tell me, if I needed a place to stay to call him! If u look in the dictionary for the word 'sweetheart' there his picture will be!

I had met Sasa about 6 months earlier at the Berghain one superly amazing moment there at like 11 am. I contacted him to let him know about the exhibit, thus, I filled him in on what was going on in my life! So after the train doors shut, I called him, went over, and he offered me a place to stay for the rest of the summer, and from that moment, the most amazing summer was about to happen!

Anyway, while things were just normal day to day living moments (at least for me anyway), Sasa had a friend coming to visit from Switzerland, with whom he had been planning to shoot his latest womens line. Samo arrived and things were pretty fun!
He told me some nice stories about his work and studies. It was really one of the first times I had actually spoken about photography with another photographer.. I hadn't went to school, yet he found a way to make the subject about photography rather than comparatively speaking about it. There were still so many things I didn't know or realize, as I just work from instinct with minimal technical knowledge in mind.. (that doesn't mean I don't know it, it's just that I only consider it during a nano second), but he, however, thinks of the post production while shooting, which got me thinking that that is exactly what I like the most about a shoot.. the next best thing about shooting is the actual taking of the pictures. So now a days, I consider the post more conscientiously, thanks to Samo!

The day before the shooting, Samo was preparing himelf for it. He wanted to test the lighting and asked me if he could shoot me for that. I agreed (cause I love being shot! ) but I wanted to dress up in some of Sasa's mens pieces. In the end, we went with just one. Sadak fans will know it! ;D




My Shoot Day of Sadak...





A few days after Samo went back to Switzerland, Sasa and some friends were planning a night out. I was still a bit down from my break-up, and hadn't really been out of the house. Sasa urged me to come out, get some air, meet new people. It would be my first time to this bar called Moble Olfe. Once there, I was not in the mood to stay. It was so crowded and I was still feeling a little scrupulous over how I should be feeling after the break-up.. after a few beers however, those scrupules went down the urinal along with all that beer!

To start a new story, (the one that can be interpreted in my book "No Die No Sore Lover") I did notice an interesting guy this night.. the one I am head over heals about in my book "No Die No Sore Lover". We met, bla blah, fell in love, yea yeah, planned to marry, etc and so on, and ended up photographing him wearing an older line from Sadak.

Fashion Documentation/Editoial of "Déranger"

Bogomir Doringer is many things to me, but in this work that I photographed, Bogomir will always be someone who gave me a very good platform to be able to produce something that is well appreciated! At some moment, I was asked by Bogomir if I would like to photograph and interpret the filming of "Déranger", behind the scenes. "Déranger" is a concept by Bogomir that show's examples of alienation, isolation etc., in a public space, while, it just so happens, the subjects/models are wearing his latest collection for f/w07 in Paris during Fashion Week f/w '07. It was a very inspiring experience for me because it was the first actual artistic challenge for myself as a photographer, where I was pretty much free to interpret as I would like. After post work on the images, we (Bogomir and I) were invited to exhibit at Ideal Showroom in Berlin. From that, my images were published in a few independent mags, such as, Dong (Paris), Someone's Garden (Tokyo) and a few Serbian mags!
"You Wear It Well / Got A Minute?"
Here's a look at the finished project of the collaboration of the three minute video, "Deranger" by Bogomir and Avant16. WINNER of the 2nd Edition of "You Wear It Well/Got a Minute"

Studio 80: Amsterdam

After a few weeks had passed, and upon returning to Amsterdam from working in Paris, the promoter of club Studio 80, in Amsterdam, had proposed to Bogomir to install a kind of perfomance art piece. Bogomir agreed to this and decided that the idea, for him, would be to unintrusively and inconspicuously, while witholding announcement, introduced his "dolls" (as they have been ostentatiously labled by someone in Paris), to the crowd of clubbers, to capture their integration with them, and to have a reaction about this during the night. I followed the "dolls", photographing them during their "performance" and manipulated the images to show that even thought they were knowingly in and at a crowded club, by people who were there, that they were actually alone due to who (or what) they are or represent! To me, on this night, they were just another couple of "aliens" in a univers well know to many of us! ;D
www.bogomirdoringer.com/

Rude: Portraits of State

black superman - 2001 , bobby collins
Photo by: Ruud van der Peijl
Fotomuseum Den Haag
- summer exhibition 2005 - Portraits of State - Photo Museum The Hague



At the end of spring or early summer of 2001, I was living in Amsterdam, NL. By that time, I had been living there on and off since 1998. What brought me there was a dutch friend of mine who was living in NYC at the same time I was. I was a freelance hair & make-up artist and represented by Stockland Martel and working every week. During my trip to Amsterdam for the Gay Olympics, I fell in love with the place. People were easy going, and fairly stylish, but my main interest was, with these other two attributes in mind, to be able to escape from NYC. Things had changed so dramatically just after the first two years after having arrived to NYC in 1992 from Upstate Ny, from where I am from.

In 1994, Mr Giuliani had become Mayor Giuliani, and promised to bring change to the city and that he did. Most well travelled people know what changes he made, of which, were not particularly welcomed by many liberals, clubbers and promoters, artists or gays who lived there. Things just started to become absurd; gay bars closing down in the east village, no smoking weed or cigarettes in bars anymore, no dancing in bars or you could be fined, no taking up two seats on the subway (meaning if you have a shopping bag sitting in the empty seat next to you on the subway car, some undercover person will fine you $50 or $75 for it). Just unbelievable things.

I had had enough of this totalitarianism. I felt like I had missed out on the civil liberties that people a few years older then I had had. I was working my ass off, turning down jobs because there were too many commercial clients I had acquired that I could keep up with. I wanted out and to develop a sense of myself, without worrying about doing minor incriminating things, such as moving my knees to a beat in a bar!

To get back to the point about Amsterdam, I went there unknowingly imagining that I would find my new home. I had so wanted to find some new place to live, and I knew that it wouldn't be in the USA, I mean after all, where could a high end, up and coming, 20 something live after having lived in Manhattan for so long. I searched for the best agent in Amsterdam, after about the third visit within a 6 month period. I remember it like it was yesterday, only because it was such a pivotal part of my life that hinged on my being able to escape the hectic and somewhat empty life of living in NYC. I found The House of Orange and made an appointment to show my portfolio. By that time, it was looking undeniably great so I kept the old Frank Sinatra song in my head... " if I can make it there I'll make it anywhere NY, NY, bla blah!

That whole summer had had nice weather, but on this day, at 6pm, it was pouring. I entered the office, which I believe was on Princengracht, very close to where I was living. My clothes were drenched as I had not used an umbrella ( I hate umbrellas)and I remember very clearly, John Kottenberg (the owner of The House of Orange) saying to me after I had said I was sorry for being so wet, "Oh that's ok, you can take off your clothes!" I knew I was in after that, despite of the fact that the disdainful head booker, kept telling John, in English, to "think about it first".. right in front of me (Dutch people love to speak Dutch in front of you if they want to hide what they are saying if you don't understand it), appearently she didn't have anything to hide! ;D

I was now working internationally with my NY agent and The House of Orange, still able to enjoy my brand new 3500sq foot/325sq metre loft/studio on w38th street in Manhattan, and be able to get away to Europe on a more regular basis. just a little note, but at that time, I had just started taking photos of people, that was why I got the big ass loft!

By the end of spring or early summer of 2001, I was now living full time in Amsterdam. but also at this time, things were no longer progressing well with The House of Orange. Too many differences which led to a sour ending. However, I had worked with and had met some very creative and interesting people who had started to inspire me to take on photography. One such person was Ruud van der Peijl, a stylist from The House of Orange. Although I don't remember having worked with him immediately on a job, we had frequented a club called The SupperClub. I believe it was there that he had asked me if I would like to be photographed, by him, for a project he was undertaking. His inspiration for my image, was from some book I can not recollect, of which, had a photo of a black guy as Superman. Of course I agreed, because I like to be photographed, but wasn't sure why he didn't ask someone who is actually black. I wasn't really concerned because I wanted to try to pass and moreover, I just wanted to be a part of the project! I came to realize that 'black' was meant as a metaphor, like from his image titled 'Black Madonna' (below)
black madonna - 2004 , nicky boulton-hooft & lauren hooft




At the end of his endeavor, he organized an exhibit of some of the images at The SupperClub in Amsterdam, where my image had hung for a while.. unfortunately I wasn't around at the time to see it. Later on, I discovered that it was being placed, as a solo exhibit, at the Museum of Photography Den Haag 27 August – 13 November 2005, titled 'Ruud van der Peijl: Portraits of State'. It went further on to becoming a coffee table book with the title 'RUDE Portraits of State'. Only last year did I finally pick up my copy of the book from him at his place. It had just slipped my mind somehow! Hope it didn't seem "rude" because I love it! Bedankt Ruud!



Portraits of State is a Gesamtkunstwerk: an art work that creates an all-round environment for viewers to experience. Each of the portraits of more or less well-known subjects is of interest in its own right, but also functions as part of an installation. The visitor enters a distinguished residence in which the walls are hung with photographs, as if in a family portrait gallery. The installation is strongly theatrical in feeling, with ostentatious framing, red coconut matting on the floor, mirrored walls, dramatic lighting effects and subdued music. Van der Peijl’s background as a fashion designer, exhibition designer and stylist is clearly apparent.
Van der Peijl breathes new life into the neglected genre of the studio portrait.
Museum of Photography The Hague