Once upon a time, there were two talented friends, each in their own field of excellence. The same insolence, the same sense of humor. One is more instinctive: video artist and photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino; the other more cerebral, brilliant with words and lines, designer Philippe Starck. From time to time, they call on each other’s skillful craziness. Such was the case for the Sanderson Hotel of London, totally designed by Starck: in the lobby were framed mugs of dogs stared at you all the way to the elevator: a gallery of astonishing canine portraits. But the duo really made a sensation at New York’s Hudson Hotel.
This time, the stars were cows…. wearing hats reminiscent of the Ascot Grand Prize. The hotel managers were not terribly amused by this horde of bovines even if they were wearing hats. The pictures were quickly relegated to the stables. All these pictures are currently on display at the Milk Factory gallery. A deliciously “dairy” festival that questions the audience. From “What are you doing in my stable?” to, more show-off, “have you seen my hat? and what about this one? and that one?”
In the exhibition pamphlet, Hermione – the cow’s name, i.e. Claude Deloffre- tells of her surprise to see a hoard of humans in her field harnessed differently than her daily visitors, the peasants. Hermione also explains how much patience it required to take her picture, because a cow chews… nonstop, making a “blurry muzzle”. A very slight break when “Her Gracious Majesty” the Cow swallowed. Then you had to be ready to shoot. And of course there are the flies that take up residence on the animal, flying around endlessly, circling, flirting nonstop. Almost pushing you to prefer the average theatrical animals, Madonna, Prince and the others. The cow is successively funny, chic, exuberant, feathery, blossoming.
“Hats off to the Cow!” Well done! One last comment from Hermione: “Still happy that the photographer didn’t try to pick me up… although…”
Goddam Mondino, yes, Hermione, he’s this kind of man! Anyway, hats off to the artist!
Paul Alessandrini
Oh la vache !
Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Until April 28, 2012
A Claude Deloffre idea
Scenography by Clémence Farrell
MILK Factory
5 rue Paul Bert
Paris 75011
