Dirty But Sophisticated IV
Words: Aubrey Bramble

Appearing:
February 2, 2008
Czar Vodka Bar, Ybor City

Dirty But Sophisticated has become the annual event for the Tampa culture vulture seeking complete sensory stimulation with a minimal time and energy commitment. For one magical night each year, the organizers of DBS bedazzle us with an impressive offering of music, art, fashion, multimedia, and more, blowing our minds and boisterously ushering us into a shiny new world of inspired and colorful delights. Not content to rely on the same formula, DBS is a constantly evolving and maturing affair, one that persistently raises the bar for both its own ambitions and the ambitions of the creative community throughout the other 364 days of the year.

It is in this manner that Dirty But Sophisticated IV promises to entice, arouse, and challenge its audience once more — and yet for the very first time — with an exciting evening of boundary-mixing treats on February 2, 2008. The setting is once again the familiar Czar Vodka Bar & Imperial Theatre, but the event promises to be nothing short of revolutionary.

DBS IV organizers Becca Nelson and Vanessa Fernandez wanted to turn the standard format thoroughly on its head this year and posed the question, “What happens when you throw four creative minds together for four months and charge them with the task of collaborating to create fashion and art for a cross-disciplinary art show?”

The answer?

Something brilliant. And something you will have to see for yourself to truly understand and appreciate. Consider yourself warned.

Nelson and Fernandez selected four groups of four creators from the cream of the crop of local talent, each consisting of a fashion designer, a photographer, a visual artist, and a salon. According to the girls, “The fashion designers are charged with the task of creating, from scratch, four looks for ultimate presentation in a runway show to happen at the event. The visual artist is asked to collaborate, in which ever way he or she chooses, with the designer and create artwork to be shown the night of the event. The photographer will document the creative process and the collaboration between the designer, the visual artist and the stylist.  All final works by the artist and photographer will be on display at the event, as well as shown in projections and slide shows that will be incorporated into the runway show. In this way, DBS IV goes beyond a celebration of art; it is now a celebration not only of the product, but of the organic creative process itself.”

Each group had four months to organize, establish, and execute its design and along with the group presentations, the event will include musical direction by Mike Blenda. Guest DJ Si Young of Plastic Little will also be in attendance, with NYC’s own Oxy Cottontail stepping up for hostess duties (and later a killer DJ set). Supporting DJs include Maynard and Ryan (Sarasota DIRT), Mega, and Crate Bros.  Art direction has been orchestrated by Jay Giroux and Brandon Dunlap.

It all goes down Saturday February 2, 2008 at 10:00pm, with a VIP Artist’s Hour sponsored by Veuve Clicquot from 8:30-9:30pm. Screw the number III. From now on, IV is going to be your new lucky number.

Collective A:

Jay Giroux
With a background firmly rooted in skate and street culture, Jay Giroux has developed a creative process and product which reflects his desire to connect the disparate aspects of the pop continuum – music, skateboarding, fashion and club culture – to a fine art aesthetic informed by the relation of form and function, and theory and practice. His work is characterized by the goal of inviting individual interpretation, and using a work of art as not a final object but the opening of a dynamic dialogue.
jaygiroux.com

Pyramid Photography
Pyramid Photography is a commercial business and art collective launched in early 2007 by artists Mitzi Gordon and Bradley Paul Valentine. The group encompasses two primary facets: (1) Participating in art shows as a creative collective, and (2) Creating high-quality images and designs for events, portraiture, musicians and other clients.
pyramidphotography.com

Bentley Salon
Though they are in their first year of business, Bentley Salon is at
the forefront of style and innovation in the Tampa Bay area. Not only are Bentley's internationally-trained team members known for their friendly professionalism, they are also known for their integration into the local art scene. Owner Scott Bentley is revered for his forward-thinking and solid work ethic. With their warmly personal approach to style, The Bentley Salon team is making a difference in the world one haircut at a time.
myspace.com/bentleysalon

Theo Wujcik
ira.usf.edu/GS/artists/wujciktheo/wujcik.html

Collective B:

Marina Williams
Born in Saint Petersburg, Florida Marina Williams obtained her BA from New College of Sarasota where she photographed native tribes in Peru and began her quest with underwater documentation in places like the great barrier reef in Australia. In the summers she lived in New York and interned at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and assisted at CUE a non-profit gallery in Chelsea. In October of 2007 Williams completed her MA in Film and Photography from the University of East London with a photographic video art installation. Working as both clothing designer and photographer such work is focusing on music, the past, modern existence/the now, the future and love.
marinawilliams.com

Anthony Zollo
Anthony Zollo is currently a senior studying at the Ringling College of Art and Design, where he is majoring in Painting with a minor in Printmaking. He uses mixed media to create lucid spaces containing arbitrary combinations of imagery. The images he uses are usually recycled and re-produced in alternative or contradictive processes.
myspace.com/azollo

Lynda Bostrom
Whether she's making conceptual art for her thesis or creating 2-D designs, Lynda Bostrom strives to keep her work fluid, easy, and fun to look at. Many of her themes deal with ideas surrounding the transformations taking place within nature. Death and suffering are as much a part of life as flowers and unicorns, so these topics cannot be avoided when making art. There is an optimistic undertone to everything she creates and the visual characteristics of death or suffering are not apparent or even important; they've been transformed into something beautiful and hopeful.
lyndabostrom.blogspot.com

Tribeca Color Salon
Tribeca Color Salon is a small, eclectic South Tampa salon. Our team of color and cut specialists work together to create the best look for you. We feel that you are not just customers, but family, so you receive a warm welcome every time you stop by!  Our mission is to provide Tampa Bay technically advanced professional hair services in a friendly environment. Brandon Wagner, creative director for Tribeca Color Salon, has over 16 years experience and leads a team of young, well trained stylists that are always hungry to identify fresh new trends.
tribecasalon.com

Collective C:

Brandon Dunlap
There are many people who have grown up with a lot of sensory over-stimulation from advertising, video games, music and television. Brandon is one of those people, and he therefore appreciates those who blur the lines between fine art and what is commonly considered "low art": graphic design, illustration, graffiti, comic books, etc. He continues to be influenced by poster and street art, while at the same time looking to artists who tread the line between the gallery / museum and the more accessible outside world.
brandondunlap.com

Ivanka Ska
House of Ska is the first "Fashion House" to enter St. Petersburg, Florida. It is owned and operated by designer, stylist, and producer, Ivanka Ska. This fashion house is not your average fashion house. Within it lies an elite group of local models, painters, designers, and other artists. Ivanka was born in Poland and moved to St. Petersburg in 1995. She is a board member of Gala Corina, Channelside Committee to Save Art, and St. Pete Art Beat.
ivankaska.com

VLVT Lounge
V L V T® lounge is located at Salon Lofts in St. Petersburg, Florida where each style is individually crafted by the most influential dry-cutters; a revolution in the approach to cutting hair. With 30 years experience in the hair industry, Albie brings to the Tampa Bay area a cutting concept and method not found in this market. After working with John Sahag in his Madison Ave Workshop for 10 years and touring the globe with John, surrounded by top fashion models and celebrities from the entertainment and music world, Albie brings the personalized "dry-cut" to St. Petersburg. "The shapes and color are one of a kind, designed with the individual in mind."
myspace.com/vlvt

Victor Griley
myspace.com/vgriley

Collective D:

Chris Parks
Chris Parks is a trained graphic designer working for clients such as Hurley, Nike, The Cartoon Network, Spike TV, David and Goliath, Reax, Iron Fist, The Merch Company, Zap, O’Brien, Polaris and several advertising and design firms. In 2006, Chris opened Pale Horse Studios (formerly Blackout Creations) a graphic design studio and art gallery in downtown St. Pete.
palehorsestudios.com

Ben Chmura
myspace.com/benchmura

UBU Salon
myspace.com/ubucolorsalonandhairgroup

Cat Melnyk
myspace.com/cmelnykphotography