ENTERTAINMENT (4)
Interview with Artist POLO
Written by Hong Kong Journal
Interview with Artist POLO
Based in Hong Kong since 2003, Paul-Alexandre Michel Albert Bourieau, a.k.a. POLO, creates monumental and iconic works of art collaborating with architects and landscapers for influential corporate clients and private collectors all over the world. Born in 1968 in Nantes, France, POLO studied Art at the Accademie of Nantes before joining the legendary French stone masons guild, the "Compagnons du Tour de France". He began exploring the duality between sculpture and architecture while working on projects such as the Musee du Louvres, the American Center in Paris and Notre Dame du Haut of Le Corbusier and honed his skills in sculpture in the Italian historical ‘stone city’ of Pietrasanta,
FULL INTERVIEW COMING SOON
Best Moments of the “Asian Oscars”
Written by Charlotte Goff
Highlights of the Asian Oscars
Macau welcomed the cream of the Asian film industry to its House of Dancing Water Theatre on 27th March, 2014, where it played host to the eighth annual Asian Film Awards (AFA). Since 2007 the AFA have been organized and held in Hong Kong, and this year's move to Macau marked a thrust towards the more international. For the first time, the awards were organized in collaboration between the AFA Academy (AFAA), the Busan and Tokyo International Film Festivals, and Hong Kong International Film Festival Society. The so-called “Asian Oscars” are unique in gathering the continent's most talented film professionals to one place and are held to encourage cultural exchange and collaboration in the film industry, to push filmmaking in the region to greater heights, and to celebrate the achievements of filmmakers and stars in the last year.
On Tour with Bob Gruen
Elton John Retrospective
IN 1970 I was hired to photograph a young piano player from England who was going to open a show at the New York City’s Fillmore East theatre for Leon Russell. His name was Elton John. I remember thinking how hard it is to get an interesting picture of someone playing piano. It’s a very large instrument and the player is usually just sitting behind it. But Elton John is not the usual piano player. He is one of the most exciting performers I’ve worked with. He doesn’t just sit at his piano. He jumps around it and on top of it. Sometimes he leaps straight into the air with only his hands on the keyboard. And he’s still playing! He also wears onstage the most flamboyant and colorful costumes and outrageous glasses.
I enjoyed working with Elton for the next several years. At the Fillmore in the spring of 1971 I got a nice and arty double-frame photo of him with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Then I photographed him twice at Carnegie Hall, and later at Madison Square Garden. At Carnegie Hall, his mother made a surprise backstage visit.
On Tour with Bob Gruen
Alice Cooper Retrospective
I first photographed Alice Cooper in 1971 when he played at the legendary Fillmore East in New York City. It was one of the most theatrical shows I have ever seen. Alice goes a lot further than just standing and singing into a microphone; he acts out each song with simple but effective props. During the show he was strapped in a straightjacket, tries to break out, and ends the show in an electric chair. In later shows the electric chair was replaced by Alice getting hanged by the neck from a gallows. Later came a guillotine, which remains part of his act today. Alice has said that his show is about being the bad guy punished for his evil deeds, like a real life horror movie with a rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack.
By 1973 I was working more with Alice, who up to that point had several top 10 hits and was becoming a well-known act. The band had rented a mansion in Connecticut and I photographed them there. One of my favorite pictures is Alice looking very comfortable wearing a jacket with stuffed white rats running up the front and on the sleeves. On another occasion Alice came to my studio with the great radio DJ Wolfman Jack to make a Christmas picture with Alice as Santa Claus and Wolfman Jack sitting on his lap like a little kid.
The complete article is available in Issue #273. Click here to order from Amazon
