Still at a loss for what to buy him? Perhaps this gift guide will spark some ideas. Click on the image to be whisked away to product and pricing information. Guides for Her, Baby and Home are forthcoming!

The items are (clockwise, from top left) Kehinde Wiley's latest book, Black Light, a Still Life NYC hat, William Ismael plates, WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie Kansai laptop case, Earnest Sewn x Victor Glemaud Collection sweaters, an Overachievers t-shirt, and a Canon g11.

Ruud van Empel is a Dutch photographer with a penchant for shooting gorgeous Black children in slightly fantastical, tropical environments. I was first exposed to his work via gallerist James Danzinger's blog, The Year in Pictures:

Van Empel’s trademark pieces are Rousseau-like creations picturing (mostly) black children in the middle of vibrant jungle or verdant landscapes. Created and collaged and using photoshop, they are made up of hundreds of individual photographs so that every detail shimmers with life. The photographs of the children are slightly manipulated in a way that makes them appear fictional. Van Empel’s work imagines a world somewhere between children’s books, paintings, and science fiction.

I understand that many people may feel a little queasy about the political correctness of such imagery, but looking at Van Empel’s pictures of both black and white children, there’s so much more visual oomph to the black subjects it’s easy to understand that the explanation is simply pictorial. Also the children are not so much pictured as unschooled natives but as sophisticated and elegant visitors to their edenic but strange environments.

In this post I've juxtaposed van Empel's work with old family photos shot in Liberia, West Africa circa 1955-1960. Though both images were shot indoors, you can be sure that the landscape just outside was not at all unlike the lush wonderlands depicted in van Empel's photographs. The two little boys are my father and uncle-- sophisticated and elegant yes, but hardly visitors.

The first ever Style Noir giveaway has arrived just in time for the holidays! Deborah Willis' recently released Posing Beauty: African-American Images from the 1890s to the Present features hundreds of inspired-- and inspiring-- depictions of Black Americans, beginning with the turn of the century and continuing to the present day, and I've got a copy to give away to one lucky Style Noir reader. Keep it for yourself or gift it-- although this will be difficult after you thumb through it, I promise-- to your favorite budding shutterbug.

Entry is simple: leave a comment about the best holiday gift you've ever received by midnight on Friday, December 11th. On Saturday, I'll toss all the gracious participants' names into a virtual hat and randomly select a winner. For two entries and two chances to win, fan Style Noir on Facebook, where I'm prone to posting lil' tidbits that don't appear here.

Bonne chance!

WINNER: Congratulations to AMINA, who doubled her odds by becoming a fan of Style Noir on Facebook. Thank you all for your participation-- some of the answers were truly lovely! Bryant, have fun in China! Amina, email your mailing address to stylenoir at gmail dot com and we'll ship your treasure out to you ASAP. Enjoy!

2009 MacArthur Fellow Mark Bradford creates massive collages out of found materials he gathers in his neighborhood in South Central LA. End papers, remnants of signage, string and other interesting bits are assembled into modernist master works that suggest not only literal cartography, but also figurative map making of the cultural and psychological varieties.

Bradford's first sale was his painting, "Dreadlocks caint tell me nothing," which was purchased by collector and philanthropist Eileen Harris Norton in 2001.

The artist is represented by Sikkema Jenkins.

Whom do we salute for the outstanding poster art for Precious (which hits theaters on November 6th)? Same artist responsible for the one I posted on Facebook?

I've been head over heels-- I mean straight bananas-- for these prints by DC-based artist Michael Platt for a while now. Not sure what's taken me so long to post them. Platt calls himself an "image maker" whose work is "grounded in the human condition." I prefer the simplistic but wholly appropriate, "visionary."

Most of this work, which features some familiar faces, is for sale. To view more work from this series or to inquire about making a purchase-- highly encouraged-- visit the artist's website, Platt Studio.

Today marks Rizzoli's release of Celebrations, the fifth book from floral couturier Preston Bailey. The Panama born event designer moved to New York in 1968 at 19 years old. He worked as a fashion model, then went on to open a clothing boutique. In the 80s, he was encouraged by his friend, interior design icon Vicente Wolf, to create floral arrangements for Wolf's clients. The rest is history. Bailey has used his talent of transforming humdrum spaces into fantastical experiences.




Bailey's roster of celebrity clients is nearly-- but not quite-- as impressive as his vision. Lucky for those of us whose budgets don't yet support putting Bailey and his team under our employ, Celebrations will be chock full of inspiration and ideas for throwing our own unforgettable fetes. Buy a couple copies at your local bookseller-- one for yourself, one for a deserving, party throwing friend. Which reminds me to tell you-- stay tuned for special Style Noir holiday posts and giveaways. You'll love them.