Linda Evangelista In W’s Art Issue, November 2009

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W’s magazine version of a controversial pictorial brings an artist in the spotlight: Maurizio Cattelan. As opposed to the bad-taste controversy offered by Vogue Paris with Lara Stone, Maurizio Cattelan portrays sweaty armpits and religious matters on glossy fashion magazine paper reality.

As I am an already declared fan of funny art, art that makes you smile, I cannot fully enjoy this very refined pictorial put together by W Magazine and Maurizio Cattelan. (the story continues right after the jump with more images!)

Linda Evangelista W November 2009 cover

I surely feel grateful for Linda Evangelista: she’s always a beautiful sight for nostalgic eyes. But pushing religious imagery in fashion magazines doesn’t make me tick or tack. It only raises my eyebrows in a wrinkle-making artsy reaction! It’s the W raising-eyebrows way, they don’t stray much from the gloomy path they usually take when it comes to issuing a new number from the W artsy-glossy mag. But it’s far from being the enjoyable fashion I deeply sough after!

Linda Evangelista W November 2009

Last year was about breastfeeding and celeb taking pictures. This year is about religion and sweaty arm pits. What’ll be for next year’s November issue, W? (via)

Linda Evangelista W November 2009 Cattelan

Linda Evangelista W November 2009 Maurizio Cattelan

Linda Evangelista W November 2009 1 Linda Evangelista W November 2009 2 Linda Evangelista W November 2009 3

12 comments

#1 Adriana on 10.16.09 at 6:54 am

I like the cover. I also love Linda on it. So much better than that L’Oréál commercials!
I’ve no problems with the religious theme here. I don’t mind to poke a bit of innocent fun at the Vatican and the Pope. I’m a former Roman Catholic, I do respect people’s religious ways and feelings, but I wonder if the Vatican and the Pope are so respectful against their followers. Yes, I know this has nothing to do with fashion, I agree with you Kpriss on that point. I’ve more objections against a woman posing as a dog with a letter in her mouth. Ugh….

#2 Ellington on 10.16.09 at 11:52 am

Sometimes I think that some artist and some fashion people try too hard to be clever. And when that happens it falls and fails.
Linda does look good like she always does though, but in this case the medium is not helping the message to be conveyed.

#3 kpriss on 10.17.09 at 6:19 am

Thank you, girls! From the bottom of my fashion-loving heart! I knew I could count on your aesthetic sense to back me up on this strange art W-thing!

As for Linda, yep, she’ll always be a beauty!

#4 baen on 10.17.09 at 9:20 am

I see your point, but the map of America made from beef is so true, repulsive and destructive of our planet. It’s so awful, I like it.

#5 kim on 10.18.09 at 6:58 pm

I don’t know…personally, I don’t see anything wrong with the religious photo. It’s very common, especially in Latin American countries for these types of processions where a statue (yes, Linda is supposed to be a statue here) of the Virgin.

Actually, I’m enjoying every photo, and I guess it’s because I’m equally a fan of fashion and art with my ears tuned into to the political world. The cover is quite provocative, especially for Americans. However, my favorite picture is the one where Linda is lying is the huge empty closet. We get to see a bit of Linda’s curves, which isn’t so often these days, but there’s such stark emptiness there. It’s beautiful and depressing at the same time. I just like it…a lot.

#6 Adriana on 10.19.09 at 12:48 pm

Actually I like that “empty closet photo” more and more “I go to sleep I’ve nothing to wear, meh…!”:))
Same goes for the cover. Linda’s face is priceless here. Oh is it really that provocative? I hadn’t notice that and still don’t…..
Hmm, I wish I could print that photo without the texts…..:)

#7 kpriss on 10.20.09 at 5:53 am

I always appreciated things that made me smile. Things, no matter how unimportant, that made me feel happy! Yes the cover picture is pretty heavy-intended. But the “someone has to take the blame” ideology is for the weak and the shallow. So you see, for me, that picture is the wrong choice for an artsy cover. Because it represents something that shouldn’t exist anymore. People should learn to be responsible for every second of their lives. For every thing they do. Because somewhere, at some level, it matters! Everything matters! And we’re responsible for our own acts. Throwing the blame at someone else is not art. Is lame.

#8 me-me on 10.20.09 at 8:46 am

They’re all great photos that make one think, but for the life of me, I don’t get the one where Linda is on all fours crawling through the wall with the letter in her mouth. I know art is supposed to make you think and it’s not always easy to interpret, but this one REALLY has me baffled!

#9 Adriana on 10.21.09 at 4:49 am

“People should learn to be responsible for every second of their lives”. Right, but that’s not always how it works in reality! It’s true until a certain extend. But there are influences that interfere with that philosophy. Actually it happens all the time “that somebody is to blame” for another’s person misery……
We should be responsible for our own doings as much as is possible. As much as it is on our own league……….

#10 kpriss on 10.21.09 at 5:59 am

You know, this article actually came at the very same time as an episode from my favorite TV series (Lie to me, you already know…); it was a pretty tragic one, as d’habitude they only air positive, optimistic plots with generally happy endings. But this one time they did a “it has to be someone’s fault” thing. And a girl was left without a mother and a father after the father took out his anger at someone else for having been lied to and deceived by the system. How do we know when it’s “our own league” ?

#11 Adriana on 10.21.09 at 6:18 am

We do not always know when it’s “in our own league”. It’s often something we can only realise when the damage has been done…….Then we need our strength, our believe in ourselves to make it right again. And that’s not always easy. That’s the only answer I can come up with…..

#12 pashmina on 11.12.10 at 6:07 pm

Responsible, Responsible… what ever happened to Carefree? Seems inappropriate in a world of banking crisis etc, but as long as no one else is left picking up your bill then let your hair down once in a while. You’ll feel better for it!

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