WELCOME TO PYONGYANG BY CHARLIE CRANE

How do you photograph one of the most secretive countries in the world?

For Charlie Crane the answer was simple, photograph what they want you to see. If there is no possibility of getting underneath the surface then the answer was to photograph the surface itself. This series is taken from a larger body of work in Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea.

Although not commonly thought of as a holiday destination all these photographs have been taken at tourist sites throughout the city.

It took over a year for Charlie to get permission to go in with his camera: he was not allowed to take his mobile phone past customs and was met by two guides who were to accompany him at all times throughout his trip. At first they appeared robotic in conversation as if reading from a script, telling of their countrys great achievements. After a few days and many polaroids the guides became more relaxed and personable.

Working with such tight restrictions in a country once described as a Stalinist Disneyland was a real challenge but the result is the strongest body of work that Charlie has produced to date.

Charlie's first book Welcome to Pyongyang was produced in conjunction with Nicholas Bonner of Koryo Tours and was published in the spring of 2007 by Chris Boot.

SLAMXHYPE BY MARK RABADAN " PLACES TO HIDE"

KUNIHIKO MORINAGA OF ANREALAGE

apanese designer kunihiko morinaga showcases an 8-bit interpretation of the range of women's fashion,
from dresses and professional suits to athletic styles and sweatshirts, in the pixel-patterned fall/winter
2011/2012 collection of his fashion company anrealage. the line debuted during japan fashion week.

primarily composed of colourful square blocks of diverse fabrics, the clothing can appear relatively conventional from a distance,
but at closer range its unusual pattern is revealed. a line of shoes composed of similar materials, including pumps
that feature a blocky, cubic heel, fills out the collection. during the fashion show, models also donned coloured translucent
eyewear and accessories composed of individual squares and cubes, while a pianist echoed the theme with live music
reminiscent of early video games.

at the tokyo fashion event, morinaga also exhibited the anrealage spring/summer collection,
in which models wore plastic inflatables to distort their forms.

DAVID MAISEL BLACK MAPS

David Maisel photographs the forgotten, the unseen, and the invisible. In 2006, he captured the unclaimed copper canisters containing the ashes of patients who died at a state-run psychiatric hospital, originally known as the Oregon State Insane Asylum, between 1883 and the 1970s. The result was Library of Dust, a gorgeous oversized book and exhibition. Then in 2008, Maisel collected a series of "Black Maps," huge aerial photographs of strip mines, lake beds, and other large features that aren't easily recognizable out of context but reveal curious and provocative patterns and topographies. His latest project is History's Shadow, an exploration of memory and excavation through x-rays of artifacts from San Francisco's Asian Art Museum. History's Shadow is on display at the Haines Gallery in San Francisco until June 4. Later this year, Nazraeli Press will publish the series as a monograph, including a short story by Jonathan Lethem.