Street Fashion and its admirers...

I spent an interesting evening at an Art Exhibit Opening on Friday Night- The Sartorialist.

Apparently, this artist/photographer is quite popular, more so among the Savannah College of Art (SCAD) students where he had accumulated quite a following. I only just heard about it briefly on some events site and I thought, it would make a nice change of pace from the usual Friday night out to go to an art exhibit, especially of photographs and not abstract art which I despise. I was slightly looking forward to it more after I looked at some of the photos on his blog.

The enthusiasm didn't die when I got there. The place was packed, with guests spilling out everywhere. It was a fabulous event. There was everything you could ask for in a superbly planned event. The exhibit opened at the Hagedorn Gallery which is in a nice end of the Peachtree Hills area. It has ample parking space and a parking lot that's just calling for a block party. There were more people in there than could actually fit into the gallery so people just spilled out onto the parking lot. I guess the artist had no idea how much of a following he had garnered as well. There were two tables set up for my favorite part - free drinks, white wine and white wine, as the hostess jokingly remarked.

Being that this was an art opening of a noted fashion photographer attended by every art student in Atlanta, people were dressed ready to be photographed. This wasn't your average, let's-look-nice-just-because, it was more like, let's-look-as-quirky-and-as-high-fashion-fabulous-as-possible. Everyone had a little kink to them. It was more of the beatnik crowd: pierced, multi-colored hair, big hair, visible tattoos and high fashion thrifty clothes. I was thoroughly amused by it all. I was normal. So normal because I came straight from work.

There was the longest ass line ever to get photographed with the artist, and when I walked past him he was the smallest amazing looking man. His photos, which were no different from the ones posted online, were the same in person as they were online. Great personality but not so much. I can see the fascination, and I appreciate it but I am not fascinated by it. I wouldn't immediately think, "Oh I have to add this to my collection." I kept wondering, "Did he get these people to dress this good or was it a fluke?" Was he just walking by the streets of Paris or New York with his camera in his hand and oops, all of a sudden, there goes some person with a high fashion outfit, an "outfit with attitude" that's just begging to be photographed and good photo op just came about. Did he get them to sign waivers to use their images for commercial purposes? Or did he actually pay them? I wondered how that worked. He'd be hard pressed if he was located in Atlanta, he'd be in a dire situation looking for muses. Just saying.

See the thoughts that go through your head when you ride solo. Just marvelous thoughts.  

All in all, it was a good time.