ISSUE #12 Is OuT!

Be in form, stay in form: that’s the imperative of the present era. And it’s not just a question of shape, today you have to know where you’re going and stay on track. Temptations abound, and they’re not confined to overindulging tastebuds. Sport is good for you, physical activity keeps all your senses awake. The artist and activist Guido van der Werve travels the world and sizes it up with his movie camera, through art and music. Translating it into images that border on the sublime, because you can meditate while walking, effort becomes transcendental.

Sport can also be an art form, indeed a lot of sports gear evokes modernist paintings through its studied cut and colours. Then there are the artists who practise sport and the sportspeople who are the subjects of artworks in museums. For Jamel Shabazz, photography is an act of love to give dignity to and honour minorities who do not have a voice; his images that show youngsters and teams united by a common aim are breathtaking. Jamel also expresses his concern for the current state of the world ravaged by wars, poverty, xenophobia, corruption and the serious problems linked to global warming. He believes that the artistic community has the key to making this world a better place, by using the common language of creativity to raise awareness, because if this generation goes under, all those to come will suffer. And the millennials aren’t contemplating their navel, either. Cult skater and surfer Evan Mock has turned to photography, interpreting contemporary life with a freshness that comes from the way he approaches sport. Emma Breschi, a model, creative and ocean activist, surfs the waves in Sri Lanka, only to discover how much the sea has been invaded by garbage and plastic. The surprising images of her specially commissioned photographic feature express the anxiety and alarm aroused by this ecological tragedy, caused by indifference and the wrong choices. Hers is a desperate cry to remind us that tomorrow will be too late.

Plastic and the legacy he’ll pass on to his children and grandchildren, are also a big worry for the 30-year-old musician and model Sam Way. He deals with fear by taking things lightly but with commitment, because you need discipline to pursue two different careers simultaneously. The world can be saved by beauty and conscious choices, and two stunning young beauties are a living example of this. Alexina and Valery model clothes that are the height of fashion and always will be. Because they’re chosen and made with care, also by masters of the arts and crafts.

A great Italian soccer player, Gigi Riva, was also a master in his field, and not only due to his sporting prowess. No one could beat him for class, elegance, or respect for his teammates and fans. And which was the art school that pioneered respect for humanity and sustainability at the highest level? The Bauhaus, which placed the accent on form that was born from function, and this year celebrates its centenary. No waste, no frills. The beauty of form created from the necessity of being functional. The Bauhaus legacy still stimulates many minds, but with conflicting results. Nowadays the word “design” is often used lightly to indicate decorative objects that have nothing to do with the original spirit of design, as taught by the great teachers at the school founded by Walter Gropius. Unfortunately, it’s become quite a habit to draw on a legacy of the past to justify or seek to give depth to pale copies of years gone by.

There is another big anniversary coming up this summer, in August: the 50th birthday of Woodstock, the three-day event that was the quintessence of the hippie counterculture, and its swansong. When the idea of freedom and rights linked to self-expression is taken to the extreme, it actually curbs freedom. New constraints, new barriers are created. New needs are born, and in satisfying them our independence is increasingly lost. Recognizing form is important, because it teaches you to respect others.