how i spent my fourtwenty staycation

This is the lovely Kae Burke of the House of Yes and Lady Circus with a tiger mask on her head on a boat called the Queen of Hearts that I went cruising around on a few weeks ago.

This is my friend Mari on the floor.

This is an empty table that I thought looked nice.

This is some guy dancing who was also well-accessorized.

Kae is cute with and without a mask.

And head over to Relapse Magazine to see a portrait I shot of Brooklyn-based street artist Gabriel Specter in their new art issue, out on newsstands today (it’s on page 28).

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and one for all my friends

laurendarling — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:20:22 +0000

The Rotgut is part bar, part living art-installation and experiment, that artist and friend Duke Riley opened up a year ago in Greenpoint with friends Annie Evelyn and Sully in his former tattoo parlor, East River Tattoo. For one year, the secret social club has been open to the public on weekends, hosting karaoke nights, board game nights, and recently, late night baseball (that one, I can’t really explain). The Rotgut represents a lot of the things that I love about my community in New York – creative people who do creative things for no other reason than the creative act itself. The Rotgut really feels like more than just a bar; maybe that’s because you have to know where it is (it’s unmarked and unlisted), you have knock on the window to get in, and when you are there you feel like you are getting away with something; I’m kind of amazed it was able to last even a whole year without falling prey to the authorities. It closes forever this weekend, poetically, after one year of existence and I spent some time photographing the partners and bartenders who helped make it happen.

Duke

Annie

Sully

Ragan

Laura

Amanda

Meg

So here’s to making our own culture in New York!

Like Mickey Rourke’s character in Barfly said (which I had the opportunity to view at the Rotgut a few weeks ago in a special screening hosted by Benh Zeitlin) “…and one for all my friends!”

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get rhythm

laurendarling — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:44:51 +0000

Douglas’s ode to Johnny Cash.

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super sweet sweatsuit semiformal

laurendarling — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 17:08:44 +0000

Photos from Cheryl‘s most recent and epic party – the super sweet sweatsuit semiformal….

I’m super stoked to work with such and amazing a weird bunch of people! The Cheryl parties are always fun and wild and wacky and full of such good people. It was a great way to close 2012!

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life of the afterparty

laurendarling — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 04:33:57 +0000

Pics from a test I did this weekend with the super foxy Devon at Ford Models. Fashion stylist Jacob Glaser brought the clothes to life and prop stylist Emily Kellerman gave us a party we wish we had attended! I also worked with long time friend and magic-maker Dena Rutherford on hair and the wildly talented Seevon on makeup. Such a fun shoot – hoping to do more of this in 2013.

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pixelated spooky fun

laurendarling — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:54:01 +0000

I had the amazing opportunity a few weeks a ago to share my love for New Orleans and Instagram, at the same time. The New Yorker Magazine invited me to be a guest Instagrammer for their feed while I traveled to New Orleans for Halloween and Day of the Dead. Here are some of my fave images from the trip…

Exploring the #musicbox. #nola #neworleans #dithyrambalina #swoon

The Spanking Bar at #pornopticon.

Angry clown. #halloween #nola #neworleans

Lizxnn looked amazing! #halloween #neworleans #nola #costume #fellini

Costume designer @corinneloperfido in one of her creations. #halloween #neworleans #nola #costume

: My ride. #bicycle #newpinktights #nola #neworleans

Awesome mural of the legendary Ernie K. Doe outside of Euclid Recoords in the Bywater. #erniekdoe #mural #streetart #nola #neworleans

The lovely Amy Knoll of Bon Castor, a shop in the #bywater that sells handmade goods by local artists. @boncastor @aknollnola #nola @neworleans

Satsuma in the Bywater is one of my fave places to eat! #satsuma #cafe #bywater

Also in the Bywater is the fab Pop Shop, where I always go for awesome vintage finds. #popshop #bywater #neworleans #nola

Took a ride dow the #lowerninthward, the area in the city hit hardest by during katrina. #neworleans #nola

The #superdome. #nola #neworleans #saints

An altar for those no longer with us outside of @boncastor on the #dayofthedead. #diadelosmuertos #neworleans #nola

Friend @angeliska does tarot card reading in her sulpture at the #music box on the #dayofthedead.

: #dayofthedead parade. #diadelosmuertos #nola

#dayofthedead parade. #diadelosmuertos #nola #neworleans

Reveler at the #dayofthedead parade. #diadelosmuertos #nola #neworleans

: Reveler at the #dayofthedead parade. #diadelosmuertos #nola #neworleans

Self-portrait at the #dayofthedead parade. #diadelosmuertos #nola #neworleans

Quirky details all over this city! #nola, I love you!

You can see more of my pixelated camera phone photos if you follow me on Instagram at @misslaurendarling.

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shiny polished rainbows

laurendarling — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:57:20 +0000

Over the past month or so I have been working on a little story for a book to published next year. The book is called The Modern Manicure: A Visual History and is being written by the lovely Suzanne Shapiro and will be published by Prestel. I’ve had the opportunity to explore some neighborhoods in New York I don’t usually make it to, including Jamaica, Queens and the Flatbush area of South Brooklyn. I met some amazing women who spend hours on a weekly or monthly basis at different salons while their nails are painted, polished, gelled and bedazzled. It’s been an eye-opening experience seeing how expansive the world of nail art has become and how much time women spend inventing and researching designs.

Here’s a preview of some of the work I’ve done on the project…

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