KISS ME Movie Poster
Posted on 12 April 2012 | No responses
I shot this image for the KISS ME movie poster. The L.A. graphic design firm Coldopen designed it and they did an awesome job! Thanks for making me look reeeeaaaallll good, you guys. =D Check out the rest of their entertainment advertising work, very cool stuff! (Even though I got a little spoiled for Game of Thrones, Doh! Still worth the look.)
Thanks to actors Shawn Frausto and Raúl Castillo for being so deeply in character. Without them, I couldn’t have gotten this shot. And of course, thanks to Jules Nurrish for making this awesome film and assembling such a rad cast & crew! The movie is actually screening at UCLA tomorrow night, so I totally can’t wait to see it on the big screen!!! Check out this sweet trailer of KISS ME (…I love this song and the cinematography!):
I just love movies and movie posters, so it’s always a joy to work on them. One of my favorite movie posters of all time is still Hitchcock’s Vertigo by one of the great designers of the mid-20th century, Saul Bass. I also love the epic Clash of the Titans movie poster (the original film by Ray Harryhausen, not the crappy newer 3D one).
Here’s two other posters I shot, one for the documentary Hooters and the other for narrative film Cooler (which has now been renamed to Sunset Stories).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the KISS ME poster and that I see you at the movies sometime. Let’s all go to the lobby…
New Works: Elemental Birds, El Danito and Mazzy Star
Posted on 13 March 2012 | No responses
This is my piece for the Elementals Birds multi-media art installation curated by Inga and Andy Hamilton. A traveling installation, it’s already exhibited at the Richard F. Brush Gallery at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. This Thursday it is going to open in the R-Space at The Linen Rooms Lisburn in Northern Ireland!!!
p.s. I’m on Instagram now! My life is complete.
What’s really awesome about the Elementals Birds exhibit is that it’s a special experiment where the curators asked the participating artists to physically embody feelings of peace, harmony and goodwill into their work so that it would become the manifestations of thoughts and action.
I chose to work with a simple cow print because I am moving into a far more minimalist phase in my life — I’m purging the majority of my possessions and putting only the most meaningful things into a small storage pod to make myself more mobile. But I also chose that specific animal pattern because in the last year, even a stubborn bullheaded Taurus like myself (one that usually prefers to maintain the status quo) openly embraced the wicked winds of change, learned how to fly and gained freedom in the process.
I am so incredibly honored and grateful to have been invited to participate in this art installation. The project gave me a lot to really meditate on and it was refreshing to work on something that wasn’t about making something look cool, but about being totally honest and positive. So I send my deepest love and gratitude to Inga and Andy, and to all of the artists and galleries that have made this experiment a reality. For more info about the art installation, please check out the blog!
In other recent art, I drew a portrait of my friend and fellow filmmaker El Danito, who is an amazing creative soul, not to mention a Fulbright Fellow. I promised him long ago that I would draw his beautiful face someday, so I decided to surprise him on Valentine’s Day. (Dani, thanks for being a friend and an inspiration. Oaxaca calls to us both!)
Speaking of Valentine’s Day, I released this little homebrew video of me and my friend Natalya Oliver performing a cover of Mazzy Star‘s Into Dust on Feb 14th. I hope you guys enjoy! Much thanks to Natty for spending a silly afternoon with me to make a spur of the moment video without any real practice together — I know we’re gonna make more fun videos in the near future. And thanks to my guitar teacher Jared for all of his guidance with my plinka-plink-ing, which I love to do so much.
I’m feeling extra grateful for everything today for some reason, so I just want to thank you for checking out this blog post. Yay!
Now off I go to finish cleaning out my studio before I move out at the end of the month. Much thanks to Jen, Michael, Zarah, Derek, Valeria, David and everyone that bought and/or helped me get rid of all my stuff. You guys are awesome friends. It feels very liberating and I’m looking forward to being able to travel more now. Discardia = fun fun fun!
Flickr Pix: HI FASHION @ Los Globos
Posted on 28 November 2011 | No responses
So this happened last Saturday night. Even though it was a Mustache Mondays party. Now I’m confused about what day of the week it is.
It was another glorious performance by Hi Fashion! Everybody was dancing! Even I couldn’t help but dance, which is hard to do when you’re carrying a camera bag that feels like a sack of bricks. Their music is like rocket fuel for your feet!
If you ever get a chance, go see them live! I mean it! For all you New Yorkers, Hi Fashion has FOUR upcoming performances in NYC this December, including a double header with one of my favorite bands, Heloise & The Savoir Faire!!! (I LOVE this song!) I totally wish I could be in NYC so I could bear witness to THAT amazing show and have my eyeballs and eardrums melt into a gooey mess. Somebody, please take video footage!
Get more info about their music and upcoming performances on their website, Facebook and Twitter!
Here’s some of my pix from their show on Saturday. And you can see the whole Flickr set here:
And if ya haven’t seen it yet, here’s the music video I shot for the band, directed by the amazing Rick Gradone and edited by the awesome Juli Vizza! They rule!
SO POMO Music Video Production Stills
Posted on 4 November 2011 | No responses
Here’s some production stills I shot for Metahuman‘s So Pomo music video, shot on campus at Pomona College in Claremont, California. Really great cast and crew, and super fun song! I had an awesome time on set. I mean, come on, how often do I get to work with rappers, a mouse mascot, a dancing vagina, hula-hoopers and cheerleaders on a football field? Good times, my friends!
You can see the whole Flickr set here:
I’ll let you guys know when the music video is officially released online. But in the meantime, it’s screening tonight and tomorrow at the following locations:
LA Transgender Film Festival
Friday, November 4 · 8:00pm – 11:00pm
Echo Park Film Center
1200 North Alvarado Street
Los Angeles, CA
GET HAPPY (short films program, 80 mins)
Saturday, November 5 · 4:00pm – 9:00pm
The Renberg Theatre
1125 North McCadden Place
Los Angeles, CA
For more information, check out the Metahuman website!
Happy Halloween from my lil’ Turtle Doves!
Posted on 31 October 2011 | No responses
The best part of Halloween isn’t the slutty Black Swans nor the buckets of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and candy corn. Nay! The very BEST part of Halloween are all the dogs in costumes!! (Though if you ask me, every day is a good day to put costumes on dogs.)
Thankfully, my dog Peanut loves a good costume! Honey, not so much, but she’ll tolerate it for a tasty treat. I call this matching costume series, “TURTLE RECALL“.
You can see the whole series in the My lil’ Turtle Doves Flickr set. What can I say? …I LIKE TURTLES.
Last year, my Sweet Pea was dressed as a “GRAPE Disappointment” or a “GRAPE Joy“, depending on how you interpret his expression. (His name is Peanut though, so maybe he’s just a Grape Nut.)
And on that note, me and my pups bid you a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! \(◔◡◔)/
p.s. If you like dogs in costumes too, check out one of my favorite websites of all time: BeeDogs.com! It would beehove you to click this link, as it will keep you buzzzzzy for hours!
For Sale: My totally RAD childhood from the ’80s!
Posted on 12 October 2011 | 1 response
Hi guys! This is my friend, Zarah. She’s an eBay expert and she’s going to be selling my awesome collection which is mostly toys and memorabilia from the ’80s. She’s going to start this weekend by eBay-ing my Thundercats, Transformers and TOMY Robots. And every couple of days, she’ll be posting everything from Madballs to M.U.S.C.L.E. Men, G-Force to G.I. Joes, graphic novels, statues, lunch boxes, video games, and lots of strange rarities. (How often have you seen a mint-in-box Pegasus from Clash of the Titans? And did I mention that I’ll be selling the 8-foot long U.S.S. Flagg aircraft carrier? Yup! It’s the good stuff!)
By Jaga!! Why, you ask, would I sell so much awesomeness? Because I really want to go to Buenos Aires this year, no matter what it takes. So I’m ready to go full on discardia on my massive collection in hopes to raise enough dough to get me a plane ticket to Argentina (and a bite of dulce de leche while I’m there). By the power of Grayskull, I’m finally ready to let go of my past so I can run face-first into brand new experiences!
But don’t worry, Zarah’s photographing everything, so I still get to keep my memories. Besides, most of my actual collection was borrowed and photographed by my friends for the pop-culture book, Just Can’t Get Enough: Toys, Games and Other Stuff from the 80s that Rocked. So I already feel like my childhood playmates have been immortalized in publication.
And I’m just happy knowing that this stuff is going to go to people who will love and cherish these things as much as I do. (Like Duke and Lady Jaye said, “Knowing… is half the battle!” YO JOE!) With that in mind, I fondly say goodbye (or Hasta luego! — gotta start practicing Spanish) to Skeletor, Hulk Hogan, Jem and the Holograms, Panthro, Shipwreck, ALF, E.T., Pac-Man, Princess Allura, the cast of FAME, and of course, Lando Calrissian. Thanks for all the good times!
Here’s a sneak peek of some of the stuff that’s going on auction. Tough luck on plush Snarf though. Zarah’s already called dibs! =)
So if you like this kinda stuff (or know someone who does!) and wanna help me travel down Argentine way, please check out my LOVEBAZAAR eBay seller list page every few days to see what Zarah’s put up. She’ll also be selling my really rare vintage stuff from the ’30s and ’40s on Etsy. Follow my Twitter, if ya feel like, that’s where I’ll be posting her listing updates.
LINKS:
• eBay Seller: LoveBazaar
• ETSY Shop: loveablan
• Twitter: loveablan
My pix in the new book, Amazing Everything: The Art of Scott C
Posted on 11 October 2011 | 1 response
Hey friends! Some of my photos from COMRADE Magazine are published in the new hardcover art book, Amazing Everything: The Art of Scott C! It just hit the stores today!
Scott C is an AWESOME dude. And he makes AWESOME art. Everything he does actually IS amazing. He’s like an evil genius, only he’s a really good guy. So he’s like a good genius. Yeah, he’s pretty rad. Which is why I highly recommend picking up his new art book. I saw a sneak peek before it hit the presses, and it’s just pure and delightful. His wonderful art always brings a smile to my face and a deep chuckle in my belly. And, there’s a foreword by Jack Black. It’s sure to amuse, I’ll bet.
You can order it on Amazon, or pick it up at Gallery Nucleus and other fine book stores and art galleries. (Check out some preview pages!)
ROCK ON, Scott C!!! May we have another breakfast of champions at Swingers real soon!
Flickr Pix: S.F. Folsom Road Trip
Posted on 10 October 2011 | No responses
I recently took a drive up north to shoot coverage of the band Hi Fashion, for their performance at the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco. Folsom was a trip! I haven’t seen THAT much leather since I was in the Design Within Reach showroom, looking at sofas.
The Hi Fashion live set was just totally amazing and the crowd of thousands were just happily dancing in the streets to their music. So great! I’m sure they’ll be posting videos soon.
The whole S.F. trip was just rad. I got to spend some quality time with the band (they are a barrel of laughs and inspiration) and reconnect with old friends, Dara from my childhood and Devon from my crazy art school days at SVA. I also got to squeeze in a portrait session with author Tania Hammidi for her upcoming book project. And I got to eat my weight in roti from my favorite Indonesian restaurant, Borobudur. (I could take a bath in that dipping sauce.)
On the last night, me and Layla went bar hopping until we eventually wound up at the Lexington. While I was there, I got photographed for a social interaction art project blog. Pretty funny. I’m not gonna post the link though, because I look fairly intoxicated and my shirt is, for some reason, wet. (I was carrying a lot of drinks, ok??)
Anyway, back to the whole reason for the road trip –– next to the band’s spectacular live performance (which involved fantastic dancers and exploding cannons), the other best part of the trip was the hotel slumber party. What, you might ask, is a slumber party with Hi Fashion like? Well.. it’s kinda like THIS!
Total gigglefest! These guys are seriously the BEST band to ever tour with, every person on their team is just awesome! They’re just some of the nicest, coolest, funnest, most professional people in the music biz that you could ever meet. I really hope I get a chance to travel with them again soon.
Anyhoo, here’s some random pix from the S.F. trip:
You can view the rest of the pictures in the following Flickr set (please note, you will have to login to see the restricted photos — let’s just say there was a whole lotta ****s and ******s at Folsom. Oh my!):
And be sure to check out some of their fab music videos on the Hi Fashion YouTube channel! Just like the signs at the Market Street Cinema marquee says, “See the beauty! Touch the magic!”
p.s. After I left the band and headed down the Pacific Coast Highway, I wound up in Big Sur. And that was another craaaaazy story altogether.
Flickr Pix: KISS ME Production Stills
Posted on 30 September 2011 | 1 response
Here are some of my favorite stills from filmmaker Jules Nurrish‘s latest film, Kiss Me. You can see all 500 pix in the following Flickr set:
It was a really fun production, the narrative about a boxer questioning whether or not he should continue to fight. We shot some scenes in an old school boxing club in L.A. that has this amazing mural of Muhammad Ali, and an authentic smell of sweat and determination soaked into the dusty walls.
Great location, and the actors were just fantastic! You really felt for them when you heard the *thwack* of the punches landing. The boxers were so much fun to photograph. On one particularly busy shoot day with a ton of extras and people milling about, I totally laughed out loud when I overheard someone say: “I may be a lesbian, but these are some HOT guys!” I concur.
BIG props to the awesome cast and crew, they’re all champions in my book! And I hope to work with them in or out of the ring again someday soon. Be sure to check out Jules’ website http://www.julesnurrish.com for info on when Kiss Me is released and see some of her other work. (I’m a fan of her short film Hard Times about an all-female heist. “It’s all fist fights and stolen gold in the Mojave desert with a rock and roll soundtrack.” Watch it on Vimeo!)
Now onto the pictures… Round 1! Ding ding!
Flickr Pix: HI FASHION at Mustache Mondays
Posted on 19 September 2011 | 1 response
Happy Monday! Speaking of Mondays, here’s some photos I took from a live performance of HI FASHION at the Mustache Mondays party @ La Cita (Los Angeles) back in July. You can check out all the photos in the whole FLICKR Set here: :::[ HI FASHION @ Mustache Mondays / La Cita ]:::
Their live shows are always a marvelous spectacle to behold, so if you’re in San Francisco this weekend, they’re performing at the Folsom Street Fair (“The grand daddy of all leather events”) on Sunday afternoon! Check out links to listen to their music and find info for upcoming shows on the Hi Fashion Facebook page.
Holler if you’re hitting up the Folsom festival and planning to see the HI FASHION set. I’ll be there with my camera and bells on. Or whatever accoutrement is most appropriate.
À bientôt, j’espère!
About Love
Love Ablan is a photographer, cinematographer, multimedia artist and professional vagabond currently based in Los Angeles. She's often found playing the guitar or ukulele on the beach, running through airports with lots of camera bags, and talking to animals and strangers about current topics and the weather. She's the kind of girl you read about in New Wave magazines.
<3
See her portfolios at http://lovelovesyou.com.