RUSSELL JAMES, FASHION
PHOTOGRAPHER,
AND DONNA KARAN CO-HOST LAUNCH
OF
NOMAD TWO
WORLDS
A COLLECTIVE PROJECT ENCOMPASSING ART, MUSIC AND CULTURAL EDUCATION
DURING OSCAR WEEK IN LOS
ANGELES
IN ASSOCIATION WITH LOS ANGELES CONTEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS (LACE) and
DONNA KARAN'S URBAN ZEN
FOUNDATION
TUESDAY,
FEBRUARY 22 - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2,
2011
Los Angeles, CA. (December 16,
2010) NOMAD TWO
WORLDS,
to be held at
Pier 59 Studios West (2415 Michigan Ave, Santa Monica at Bergamot
Station),
is a sweeping, multi-media collaborative art project conceived by acclaimed
fashion photographer and director Russell James. Incorporating James' incredible
photography of Australia's most breathtaking landscapes, some of the world's
most beautiful women and interesting people, and the cultural backdrop of
Australia and America's ancient, Indigenous music and art scenes, the
NOMAD TWO WORLDS exhibition takes us on a modern day
journey of political importance as the embodiment of an emerging, positive
message of Reconciliation that is currently unfolding from the ashes of a tragic
collision of cultures.
As conceptualized and created by
Western Australia born Russell James, the exhibition focuses on three global
themes: Innocence - our indigenous past; Inhibition - our
conflicted present; and Discovery - our collaborative future.
Indigenous artists from Australia, including key Nomad artist Clifton
Bieundurry, have collaborated with James to create a set of unique, hybrid art
pieces, many new pieces of which will be premiered at the Los Angeles exhibition
as well as the first collaborations between NOMAD TWO WORLDS
and the Native American artisan community. Additionally, a
special project between NOMAD TWO WORLDS and the artisans of
Haiti will be announced. Brought together by President Clinton's Global
Initiative (www.clintonglobalinitiative.org), ONEXONE Foundation
(www.onexone.org) and Urban Zen (www.Urbanzen.com), several Haitian pieces will be previewed
and the full details of the special project and its supporters
unveiled.
The exhibition will also feature a
powerful music and video collaboration between Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas (a
Shoshone Native American) and a young Indigenous Australian music artist Corey
Webster whom Nomad met at Sydney's Redfern Community Center during an education
outreach program surrounding their Melbourne Exhibit in October of 2009 (which
may be viewed at www.NomadTwoWorlds.com). Additional music
and audio-visual presentations will run on several large screens in the gallery,
and integrate the Indigenous sounds, songs and stories of the collaborative
artists with the visual experience of the art itself, creating an immersive,
emotional, and insightful environment for the collection and it's viewers.
Vital to NOMAD TWO
WORLDS is its outreach to schools and community organizations to
assist them in visits to the gallery to experience first hand indigenous art,
music and culture directly from the indigenous community, artists and
educators. On designated Family Days, which will be held on
Saturday, February 26th and Sunday, February 27th, the
gallery becomes a space for children to have fun and learn through 'hands on'
lessons in indigenous music, dance and art directly from Nomad artists.
An additional adult
education program and symposium will be run out of the exhibition space by
NOMAD TWO
WORLDScharitable
partner in Australia Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (www.tichr.com.au), LA community partner LACE (www.welcometolace.org), a publicly supported 501(c)(3) organization, and that
has brought socially responsible art and messaging to the greater Los Angeles
community, and Donna
Karan's URBAN ZEN (www.urbanzen.org), a charitable organization dedicated to
the preservation and celebration of Indigenous cultures
worldwide.
NOMAD TWO WORLDS
was first shown in the US in January 2009 at Donna Karan's
Stephen Weiss Gallery in New York. The Melbourne Preview
Exhibition was held at the National Gallery of
Victoria.
NOMAD TWO WORLDS
will be open to the public Wednesday, February 23 -
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 10:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
daily.
SCHEDULE OF LOS ANGELES EXHIBITION
EVENTS:
All events to take place at:
Pier 59
Studios
West (2415 Michigan Ave, Santa Monica at Bergamot
Station)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22,
2011
NOMAD TWO WORLDS EXHIBITION
OPENING GALA hosted by Donna Karan and Russell James. Host
committee includes Heidi Klum, and others (list in formation).
Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas will also be honored for his
cross-cultural contributions to the
project.
7:00PM - 10:00PM
- Invitation
Only
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23,
2011
11:00 AM- 2:00PM ADULT
EDUCATION
SYMPOSIUM
Donna Karan/Urban Zen discuss the
importance of preserving culture from the artistic and creative side.
Professor Fiona Stanley from Telethon Institute for Child Health
Research (TICHR.com.au) discusses the impact of understanding and preserving
Indigenous culture and traditions on children's health, medical research,
education, family stability and communities worldwide.
Additional presentations
TBD.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25,
2011
7:00PM - 9:00PM
- PRIVATE COCKTAIL RECEPTION - Invitation only
ADVANCE NETWORK young leaders'
cocktail reception plus additional Nomad and sponsor guests.
DJ, live collaborative music, intro by Russell James, singing of the
paintings.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26,
2011
LACE FAMILY ACTIVITIES
DAY
10:00AM - 5:00PM
Open to general
public
LACE extends invitation and
encouragement to over 10,000 families and organizations in the Los Angeles area
to come experience Nomad Two Worlds. Kids are told the story
of the clash of ancient civilizations with the modern world (AU/US), of the AU
Prime Minister's public Apology, and of the importance of reconciliation and
renewed cultural pride in achieving a positive and collaborative future.
Didjeridoo lessons, painting activities and music videos make it fun and
interactive. Integration of Native American and Haitian
cultures into the music, dance and art activities as
well.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27,
2011
FAMILY ACTIVITIES
DAY
10:00AM - 5:00PM - Open to general
public, same kids activities as above. Supported by LACE,
URBAN ZEN and ADVANCE
NETWORK.
ABOUT RUSSELL
JAMES:
Over the past decade
photographer Russell James' images have become synonymous with provocative,
unique perspectives of many of the most prominent women of our time in the
worlds of entertainment, fashion and beauty. His works have appeared in leading
publications such as Vogue, W, American Photo, and Sports Illustrated, and have
been published in several fine art books by world leading art-book publisher
teNeues Publications, including the three-hundred page retrospective 'Russell
James' (2009) and his sequel 'V2' (2010). In August of 2007 Russell was awarded
the Hasselblad Masters Award, and in 2009 Russell joined the prestigious ranks
of Irving Penn and Helmut Newton as a resident artist of Camera Work, the
world's leading gallery for contemporary photography and vintage master works.
In September 2010 a series of James' images was inducted in to the 'fashion'
museum tour along side such greats as Richard Avedon, William Klein, Peter
Lindberg and many other master photographers of our
time.
Russell's diverse
photographic achievements range from exhibiting for brands such as Hermes in
association with Guggenheim to breakthrough advertising campaigns for global
brands, such as Rolex, Victoria's Secret, Evian and Revlon, to emotional
portraits of many of the world's leading celebrities, musicians and supermodels,
such as Scarlett Johansson, Halle Berry, Faith Hill, Barbara Streisand and a
host of others. He has been the subject of solo photographic exhibitions in New
York, Berlin and
Sydney.
Media Inquires
Contact:
Jennifer Gross / Tiffany
Caronia
Evolutionary Media
Group
Phone:
323-658-8700
Email: Jennifer@emgpr.com / Tiffany@emgpr.com
