Designer Style: Marloes ten Bhömer

The couture shoes of Marloes ten Bhömer incorporate a multitude of design elements and materials not typically used in fashion. She does this in order to break down the preconceived notions of what is a fashion accessory. Art and design and fashion all rolled into one, definitely a love at The Rathaus.

Biography:
Born in Duiven, the Netherlands, Marloes ten Bhömer studied product design at the Higher School of Arts Arnhem before receiving an MA in design at the Royal College of Art in London. Marloes currently focuses on innovating footwear. Her cutting edge, distinct shoe designs offer an alternative to existing design languages and typologies. They have a design language that is built on clean lines, materials, and construction techniques that are closer to design and architecture than women’s fashion. They allow women the incredibly rare chance of freedom from conventional style clichés and codes, because they do not conform to the existing codes. Her work has been exhibited in London, Tokyo, Germany, the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Melbourne and Washington and has been published internationally. She is currently setting up her independent shoe label MARLOESTENBHÖMER ®.

posted by: Tricia Rock

Street Style: Lawrence, KS

Downtown Lawrence, KS on a sunny Saturday afternoon makes for some great people watching. Check out these street style shots we snapped of some unsuspecting passersby.

posted by: Tricia Rock
photos by: Sara Rock

Something to PITCH About

Apologies if you can’t stand puns…but what about puns that relate to a good cause, like a philanthropun? Creative Pitch is a collaboration of Chicago’s advertisers and designers who work together to salvage materials and supplies headed for the dump, and then redirect those materials to “under served art programs” in the Chicago metro area.

Brainforest, the founding creative agency behind Creative Pitch, is hosting “Something to PITCH About,” the second annual fundraiser from the Chi-town group. Hosted at Lumen (839 W Fulton Market St) on Thursday, May 28, 2009 from 6 to 9 pm, guests will be supporting the organization with a $20 donation in advance, or $25 at the door.

It’s no secret that arts programs are suffering from fiscal shortages in schools across America, so it’s refreshing to see a group of people organizing and supporting arts education. Even if you don’t live in Chicago and you can’t make it for the music and drinks, a donation to Creative Pitch will help keep the arts alive for future generations. Thanks to Creative Pitch for leading the way in the necessary fight to keep art alive in education.

posted by: Scott Starrett

Watch: Battle in Seattle

How much do you know about the WTO (World Trade Organization), and how much of what you know did you learn from a national news source? An open discussion and/or criticism of the WTO is rare in the mainstream media. The supposed “riots” in Seattle during the 1999 WTO Ministerial Conference is what most Americans recall about this institution and the strong reaction it provokes. But one has to wonder about why those angry groups chose to disrupt what is supposed to be a nice peaceful set of trade negotiations in the first place. If you rely on the story painted by major media sources your view of the clash between protesters and authorities in 1999 is limited at best.

This limitation comes from the pervasive “if it bleeds it leads” notion shared by newspaper editors and television producers alike. The NY Times and CNN won’t get big revenue dollars by informing their audience about the infrastructure of the WTO and the massive control it has over our day to day lives. Mass media’s marriage to ad revenue means the viewer determines the content by tuning into what interests them most, and responsibility aside, media outlets get viewership by condensing and sensationalizing complex situations like the WTO protests. The general populous prefers good vs evil dogma to a substantive investigation into the complex inter-workings of the super powered multi-nationals that control the world economy.

Ten years later Stuart Townsend hasn’t forgotten N30 (November 30th, the day in which most of the protesting took place) and has made an attempt to bring the issue back into the zeitgeist. Townsend’s 2008 directorial debut ‘Battle in Seattle’ is the story of the 1999 WTO protesters who successfully blocked off intersections leading to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, sending home delegates and eventually shutting down the negotiations.

‘Battle in Seattle’ is a fictional account of the events that took place within the heart of the protests but is firmly based on reality. Most of the protest scenes you see in the film are an amalgamation of  hours of footage taken by the protester’s, all of which are available through YouTube.

Critics point to the film’s flux between documentary and action/drama aesthetic as a distraction from the message, while anarchists complain that the black bloc property damage demonstration was overshadowed and watered down. But criticisms and filming techniques aside, Townsend’s efforts to bring the World Trade Organization and its policies into the “main stream” are commendable. With a knowledge of the WTO comes an understanding of globalization at the hands of multi-nationals and other corporate entities like the World Bank, IMF, and Federal Reserve. Private entities whose policies control much of our economy and therefore our society.

‘Battle in Seattle’ trailer:

by: Scott Starrett

Artstew Magazine

Many of you may know that last month The Rathaus was featured in Lawrence’s own Artstew Magazine. The magazine, which has been released off and on for the past couple years, is the print version of local artist and web designer Scott Stewart’s Artstew.org. However, with The Rathaus edition of the magazine Stewart kicked off what he hopes to be an ongoing monthly thing. Looking for a new avenue for what’s going on in the art community of Lawrence, KS and surrounding areas? Artstew Magazine is a great new source. Stewart features artist interviews, previews of upcoming art shows, gallery visits, and more. And for an added bonus, the magazine is completely free. Check around Lawrence, KS this weekend for the new issue of Artstew Magazine that includes, among other things, an interview with artist Lee Shiney, currently showing at Pachamama’s, and an interview and gallery visit with internationally known street photographer and Lawrencian, Gary Smith.

Stewart is always accepting submissions for the magazine. Contact him at artstewweb@gmail.com to get your work or upcoming show featured. He also has some very competitive advertising rates for artists and businesses alike.

You can find Artstew Magazine at many of your Lawrence favorites including White Chocolate, Henry’s, Mirth, Casbah Market and more.

posted by: Tricia Rock