Photographers, graphic designers, writers, artists, fashion kids… it seems pursuing a creative career has become a slightly predictable choice; unsurprising when we consider the infinite assortment of potentially inspiring stimuli we are exposed to daily. ‘Inspiring’ can be such a vague, daft word, but warranted in this here context.
Sydney freelance photographer and successful art world survivor Cybele Malinowski has been in the game for quite a few years after finding her niche in live music photography, and we can only presume has been exposed to her fair share of inspiration. Not surprisingly, she cites the raw, un-orchestrated works of Anton Corbijn as a muse of sorts. Corbijn’s most famous work is photography of 70’s post-punk supremacists Joy Division, stark and sincere illustrations of what the band were at the time.
So Malinowski put together a short stop-motion film that she admits “has no meaning. Just a pretty song, a pretty girl and some pretty clothes”. After being told by a director friend that the video sucked as per the footnote on her blog BangBangDot:
When I made this short fashion video I showed it to a director friend. I asked him to be brutally honest. He was. He said it is like so many photographer’s videos. A series of photos pieces together with movement, and sound, and no meaning. This has plagued my mind for months, in fact, has discouraged me from uploading my clip.
She was all “fuck that! I like this thing and I’ma post in on my blog”. And guess what, wise guy? Though devoid of ‘meaning’, this clip entitled Russian Folk is a whirlwind of aesthetic loveliness, free spirits and is delightfully easy to digest. Nothing wrong with that, we say. Ten points Cybele.
By Melissa Kenny
