Shut up and drive.
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So what do you drive? Although for most city dwellers it’s a matter of, “Do you drive?” this was the question asked in New York earlier this week as MILK Studios presented ‘Wall to Wall: The Fusion Collective’ , with the help of vehicle heavyweight Ford. Curated by LEGS (MILK’s in-house creative team), with atmosphere courtesy of #BEEN #TRILL; i-D online witnessed an amalgamation of fashion, music, photography, film and technology presented in the form of an all-consuming gallery experience. Skateboarders and car enthusiasts mingled with Entourage star Adrian Grenier and America’s Olympic golden boy Shaun White at the Eyebeam in Chelsea, all in the name of Ford’s newest baby, the ‘Ford Fusion’. But it wasn’t all business, true to form #BEEN #TRILL created the sweet soundtrack for the night featuring an an impromptu hip-hop and techo set from A$AP Rocky.
The evening offered a unique gallery experience featuring six multimedia artists. Including Pharrell Williams and Tyson Toussant, who together form Bionic Yarn; Matthew Williams, previous Creative Director at the Haus of Gaga; and upcoming videographer and director, Nathaniel Brown. Most created original artwork using the word ‘fusion’ as inspiration (think of Burning Man but in a Brooklyn loft space). Cyril Duval, renowned fashion and conceptual art designer, held court in one corner, with his neon-illuminated cart installation, which doubled as a set of decks for his pal Venus X. While Mr Brown’s three-screen AV techno capsule laid claim to the other corner, leaving WIFE’S modern dance performance to take center stage. i-D online stole skateborder turned model, turned creative director, Nathaniel Brown for a few minutes, to get his take on the future of videography and not to ask him what car he drove.
How did you make the switch from the front of the camera to behind? I was actually skateboarding on Brooklyn Bridge when I got scouted by casting director Barbara Fitsper and from there, I shot a bunch of stuff for Barney’s and I was working with photographer Nick Haymes. He asked me what I wanted to do, and I said “Not this”, I wanted to be a director. He mentioned that the next shoot he was on, I could come on and I could take a video camera and shoot the shit. From there you’ve become a coveted videogrpaher, shooting with The New York Times, for Gucci and with cosmetics giant Sephora. Anything we’ve missed? I was fortunate enough just recently to work with Kanye (West) on Cruel Summer (7- screens experience).” So aside from future projects with Mr West, what’s next? I’m shooting a campaign for Dior in September, in Paris. And how do you see the medium of your work evolving for the future? I’m looking into narrative film making and art film making and how it can be transferred into a different place… a different space. I like to think of technology and what’s next. So you’re exploring how technology will affect your discipline as a film-maker? It’s visual film-making but it’s also aligning yourself with technology. Like the progression of computers and how we use social media today has developed over time… that’s how things are going to work with film-making and how you see movies. And that’s why me and Kanye did the 7 screens. How are we restricted to one screen, which has been around since the 20s or 30s? It’s not going to stay in that space forever and the exciting thing for me is thinking where is it going to go?
See more from our i-Society series here.
Text: Yety Akinola
Photography: Angela Pham/BFAnyc.com
From left: #BEEN #TRILL; Art-mosphere; Shaun White; Apple Yang and Gill Lu; Nathaniel Brown; Satisfy Sunohara; A$AP Rocky; Venus X; David X. Prutting and Jordan Watts; Patrik Sandberg and Jeanette Hayes; Theophilus London; Dustin Helgeson, Diana Maclean and Margaret MacLean ; Heron Preston and friend; Georgie Greville, Simon Castets, Sophia Lamar and Andrew Shore; Matthew Williams; Jennifer Murray, Sofi Green.
