Never one to do things by halves, M.A.C’s launch of their Fall ’09 makeup collection in NYC was truly inspired. Three distinct artists were asked to create a line and the resulting palettes and portraits were as diverse, unique and colorful as M.A.C’s concept of beauty.
Painter Richard Phillip’s muse was an austere and glamorous Venus; alluring and aloof, haughty and vaguely disapproving, she demanded your attention, resented your gaze and managed to seduce you anyway.
Her noir-ish, retouched perfection stood in stark contrast to photographer Marilyn Minter’s sparklingly gritty, sweaty and spontaneous, last days of disco, fallen showgirl interpretation. The “captured moment” quality of the image, combined with the extreme close-up of her muse, created an incredibly intimate, glittering abstraction. If Minter’s work had been wearing a g-string, I would have tucked a twenty in it. Instead I just blushed (in Heritage Rouge) and took one last furtive glance before averting my eyes and saying ten hail Marys.
Illustrator Maira Kalman’s lyrical sensibility was readily translated in her innocently mischievous collection– neon lime and bright turquoise eye liner clashed harmoniously with mustard orange and electric violet eyeshadow. Sit down with Maira’s muse over a bowl of leek soup and pumperknickel toast, and the conversation might turn to Proust, the suffragettes and Dvorak’s cello concertos before she has to run to her to her 4 o’clock appointment with her psychoanalyst.
And while I, for one, may plead the fifth on yellow frosted eye shadow or fuschia glitter for my peepers, I know that someone out there will wear it and wear it well. I salute and/or air-kiss you in advance and am….inspired!
— Claire
Just the one image ? I tried clicking on the other artists' names, but only got the MAC black page -
Claire's descriptions too tantalising ...
Julia, St Kilda, Australia
Posted by: Julia Murray | October 16, 2009 at 07:42 AM