What's Up Wednesday (Duke of Swann Photography Exhibition)

This past weekend saw the Duke of Swann open an exhibition of his famous photographic portraits. The photos have been covered in previous posts on our blog when they were first released but now will have their own physical exhibition in the Swann capital. Please follow the two links below for the two features on the photos by themselves.

http://daniel-s-world.blogspot.com/2014/10/wonderful-weekends-duke-of-swann-photo.html

http://daniel-s-world.blogspot.com/2012/10/wonderful-weekends-duke-of-swann-photo.html

The Swann Royal Art Gallery was the obvious choice for the Duke's second internationally acclaimed exhibit and also received much needed publicity of its own for it.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Swann, patron of the museum and the Swann Royal Society for Visual Arts was the guest of honour and host at the opening on Saturday evening.

First of the V.I P. guests to arrive was the world famous art collector and friend of the Duke of Swann, the Baron D'Rothchild and his wife.

The highest ranking Royal to be present at the exhibit and representing herself and her husband who couldn't make it was the Crown Princess Imperial. Both the Princess and her husband (the Duke of Swann's cousin) are featured in the photo series exhibition.

Inside the museum's main gallery the portraits are displayed in the format they were intended to be seen in, namely printed out very large and with no embellished frames.The clean cut lines and uncluttered design of the gallery lends itself perfectly for focusing all attention on the displayed art.

The photo portraits can do nothing but attract the viewers attention in sequence as they are set out in the gallery.

The full exhibit makes for a very impressive site of avant garde expression.

A media magnet, the "Punk Princess" the Princess Oktavia Von Hohen und Silberstein was also on the illustrious guest list and showed great interest in acquiring prints of the photo set.

Another featured Royal with a photo on the wall was the Princess of Wallachia, another cousin of the Duke of Swann. The photo series focused mainly on close family and intimate friends of the Duke.

As the guests and media filled the gallery the Duke of Swann wasted no time to begin mingling.

All present were clearly enthralled by the exhibit...

...and luxurious facilities allowed for respite amid the excitement.

The Duke of Swann is seen chatting to his cousin, Princess Kirsten Youssopoff who can be seen as the subject of the portrait on the wall behind them. The photos aim to capture the subjects personality and character as seen by the photographer who presumes to know the subject intimately. It also hopes to portray boldly the more unknown realities of the Royal persona in their duty as a Royal.

Here Princess Augusta is seen in front of her portrait. She opted to be immortalized wearing a tiara she was at that stage in the process of selling, ironically cementing her role in history, not just as a Princess but as a antique jewellery dealer.

The Duke of Swann also captured his sister and her husband in separate portraits.

The Duke has a very long and intimate friendship with his closest aide, Sir Charles Jennings. Descended from Royalty himself but now the personal secretary/chauffeur/bodyguard was given the honour of counting as one of the Duke's recognized inner circle with a portrait of his own.  Do you think the portrait captures the nature of Sir Charles, just from what we mentioned here?

The exhibit centers around three main female characters, representing three generations of Royalty and the Duke of Swann's own heritage. Here we see His Royal Highness next to the Crown Princess Imperial with her portrait. She represents the current generation of modern Royals marching boldly into the future. Another portrait of her husband, the pretender Emperor of the United Empire, is also on display at the gallery.

Each portrait is accompanied with a short poetic tribute to the subject. Here follows the one coupled to the Portrait of the Crown Princess Imperial: "Gently wild, humbly beautiful, naturally crowned. More of who she is inside than what she wears on the outside. This farm girl made princess will always beam an innocent smile outshining any of the grandest jewels at her disposal. Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess Imperial will make a worthy Empress if the United Empire ever gets restored. Regardless she will never be anything other than an amazing woman."

The next portrait in the series of three central characters is that of the deceased Empress Crystobel, taken long before her tragic assassination. The portrait drew much and very emotive responses from the gallery guests, some of whom, close family members of the Duke of Swann's aunt.

A matriarch, loving mother, wise planner, resolute, hopeful, refined and graceful. All these qualities shine through regardless of the title borne by Empress Crystobel, former co-regent of the now fallen United Empire of Scot-Britania. 

The next and last portrait in the series of three is not one taken by the Duke of Swann but owned through inheritance by him. It is exhibited in homage to the Duke of Swann's father who was the photographer and original inspiration for the Duke of Swann's interest in photograpy. It is clear from this portrait where the Duke of Swann got his "eye" for photographic opportunities and composition from. One could say that it was this very portrait that directly led to the Duke of Swann, years later, to do the whole series and exhibit.

The photo is of Queen Crystobel I of Scotney, mother to Empress Crystobel and grandmother to the Duke of Swann. She stands as testament of an old world foundation that now three generations later we all still build on. The photo stands as testament of talents and vision being passed from father to son regardless of intellectual disagreements and emotional hurdles. The photo, a state portrait taken by the former Duke of Swann as a gift for the Queen and people of Scotney, stands as the permanence of the concept of Royalty. Ironically, the original gifted portrait was destroyed during the 96 Revolution but the Duke of Swann had another original copy in his archives which is the one on display. 

 The Duke of Swann has, in the spirit of the original portrait and the exhibition as a whole, decided to donated the portrait to the Scot-Britanian Government as an official historic State Portrait. 

We close with the words the Duke of Swann stated in his opening address; "Images are truly powerful and we hope that these inspire this generation and the next to greater heights."

 To see more on the entire exhibit with all the photo portraits accompanied by their descriptions please follow the links shared above.

Wonderful Weekends (Duke of Swann Photo Set 2014)

Periodically His Royal Highness the Duke of Swann let's his artistic flair loose. In 2012 to the day, he did a magnificent range of intimate photos touching on the true identity of some of his close family relations who also just happen to be high profile Royalty. This gave the public a very rare and unique peak into the real people behind the crowns and also what a fellow member thinks about them. 

To see the previous shoot follow this link:

http://daniel-s-world.blogspot.com/2012/10/wonderful-weekends-duke-of-swann-photo.html

The Duke of Swann is back this weekend with a next installment of spectacular, yet candid and personal close-ups of those he feels close to and sharing his view on those.

Where in his first series, His Royal Highness used simple photography combined with filters and creative lighting, in this installment he tried his hand as some digital art experimentation as well. Here follows the series, also of previously not photograph-featured before, members of the Duke of Swann's "family".

From a different era than ours and dare I say a far more colourful one, comes a strength and versatile creativity that has set like cement as the foundation for the future. The iconic "Pop" Princess Augusta. 

To maintain and indeed increase in one's humour is truly a gift but to do so in the face of adversity is a choice and a hard one at that. Arch Duke Otto has taken his bull by the horns with a smile and so brings a smile to others. 

External embellishment nor assumption of any kind is required. My aunt has always just been what and who she is and has always been just that; A very nice Lady. 

Often "friends" may come and go with the weather and servants are just around for the money. Yet there are those rare individuals who stick it out through your dark times, who serve more than a mother and love deeper than a brother. My right hand, Sir Charles Jennings without whom the Principality of Swann will fail.

For all intents and purpose, the world does revolve around him, but not so in his own mind, there it all revolves around others. An icon of forgiveness, humble service and assuming responsibility for our collective past, His Imperial Highness, will to some never be anything other than His Supreme Majesty.

What's Up Wednesday (University of Johannesburg Jewellery Exhibition)

His Royal Highness the Duke of Swann was in Johannesburg South Africania last night to open a jewellery exhibition showcasing the talent of the University of Johannesburg's Jewellery Design and Manufacturing Department. It was due to the Duke's keen interest in and support of the jewellery trade in the country that he was very excited to take part in the events. 

His Royal Highness owns a jewellery firm in the city and sponsored his own workshop's involvement in the exhibit by financing a Barbie Doll scale tiara exhibit along with all the other accomplished exhibitors. The Barbie Doll scale jewellery was manufactured according to the Duke of Swann's designs by Daniel Swanepoel, the Duke of Swann's  Head Jeweller in South Africania. 

The scene at the University of Johannesburg's Faculty of Art and Design Gallery was abuzz with excitement. 

The Duke of Swann poses for his welcoming photo opportunity. 

The sleek industrial style gallery was the perfect venue to focus the attention on the avant garde jewellery. His Royal Highness was very excited to see all the work exhibited and found the cameras pointed at him a little distracting. 

The aim of the exhibit is to showcase as much of the best work that alumni have produced over the last two decades. It also explores the unique "look" that the university graduates have manifested with the possibility of being an almost recognizable brand in order to foster this aspect specifically in the future. 

Although bold and experimental, the jewellery did display a distinctly earthy and tribal atmosphere. 

The two story facility was perfect for this exhibit and lent a first world ambiance to this exhibit that for all intents and purposes faces the realities of third world challenges. 

The most notable exhibitor was Thato Radebe, winner of the prestigious Samsung Award for Jewellery Design. 

The Duke of Swann was quoted to say: "The raw surge of passion is clear in all the work. If that energy could be harnessed to the max, the Africanian jewellery trade would eclipse that of Europa in less than a decade."

Our Royal guest clearly also had his personal agenda to forward which was the work produced by his own company. His workshops specialize in tiaras as can be seen in these photos displaying some of the pieces. 

These cost effective pieces are not made for Royal clientéle per sé but from silver and synthetic stones to serve the needs of any client. 

However, the Duke of Swann's two Barbie Tiaras were quite the talking point of the evening. These were made by Daniel Swanepoel in 1/6th scale in the most exquisite detail. 

This detail photo of the one tiara shows its very fine craftsmanship and the settings of small stones. The design is distinctly "Bell Epoch". 

This more geometric tiara is almost Art Deco with a slightly fairy tale twist. It is also set with many small stones. 

When the crowd reached its maximum the Duke of Swann was asked to officially open the exhibit. 

His Royal Highness then announced the two speakers for the evening...

..the Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design Prof. Frederico Frechi and the Head of the Jewellery Department Dr. Judy Peter. It was truly an honour for the Duke of Swann to have been a part of this exceptional evening under the Africanian sky. 

For more information on the University of Johannesburg's Faculty of Art and Design, Jewellery Department, follow this link:
http://www.uj.ac.za/EN/FACULTIES/FADA/DEPARTMENTS/JEWELLERY/Pages/default.aspx

or visit the Facebook Page;
https://www.facebook.com/UJFADA?fref=nf

Wonderful Weekends (New Commemorative Postage Stamp)

In this day and age of emailing, postage stamps have become a virtually redundant oddity. Some young people do not even know what they are. However they will always have a place if nowhere else than in history and also like Royalty, in symbolizing timeless traditions. 

A week ago the new Royal Art Gallery was opened in the Principality of Swann. To commemorate the event, a postage stamp was printed. It employs one of the featured art works of the Duke of Swann exhibited in the gallery's maiden exhibition. 

The postage stamp was designed by a good friend of the Duke of Swann, as a surprise. A small percentage of the sales of the stamp will go towards the Royal Art Development Fund. 

We thank Arianne Solivio for her effort in creating the postage stamp.

What's Up Wednesday (Grand Opening of Swann Art Gallery)

Last weekend saw the belated but now much celebrated opening of the new Swann Royal Art Gallery. The event was hosted by the Duke of Swann who also exhibited his own art as part of the inaugural run of the gallery. 

The brand new state of the art gallery in the capital of the Principality of Swann promises to boost the arts in the small country as a first priority. However this initiative also hopes to showcase art from across the world in an effort to support the fine arts. 

The event was coordinated by Marelize von Engelbrecht. This close friend of the Duke of Swann and the curator of the Royal Art Collection has been closely involved with the development of the Art Gallery from its inception. 

The host arrived first in order to open the gallery and to welcome all the guests. 

Inside, the neutral colour scheme resonates with the outside of the gallery and gives it a calm if not slightly clinical feel. This is meant to to focus all attention on the art that is displayed inside. Here we see the arrival of the Crown Princess Imperial.

The opening included more of the Duke's friends than political or business associates. They did however include very wealthy and influential people. Here we see from left the Shahbanou of Perlistan and Princess Donatella of Romagna. 

The Lady Arcwhite has an interest in art collecting and sent her young business representative, Viscount Hays and his partner Donna Hernanda y Aragon to "scout" the exhibition. 

The Duke of Swann and Marelize von Engelbrecht open the gallery officially after the Duke of Swann's speech. 

One of the featured works of the Duke of Swann is this pencil sketch of a Spanish dancer, miraculously dancing herself from within a rose. It is called Her Name is Fearsome. 

This sketch juxtaposes the concept of joyful dancing with the thorny beauty of the rose. Spanish dancing does not just express the happy side of life but also the deep passions and even sorrow. The dress and fire also allude to the traditional train at the end of these dancing dresses. 

Princess Kirsten Youssopoff was interested in her cousin's football inspired painting. 

The painting symbolizes the concept of teamwork. In football every member of the team has a role and a relationship with and towards his teammates. What he does with the ball and how he does it is his highest priority. It is not about his own agenda but often passes the ball to a teammate rather than purely scoring. What will you do with the ball when life expects you to play in response to your fellow man? 

The Duke of Swann's aunt, the Dowager Princess of Wallachia was for obvious reasons interested in this Swann family related pencil sketch. 

The swan is the symbol of the Principality of Swann and the Duke's personal insignia. The subtle symbolism of the "ugly duckling" however has very special meaning to His Royal Highness. This makes this particular work the focal point of this very personality revealing exhibit. 

The Princess of Romagna was interested in buying this almost psychedelic water colour. 

This work called "Infinite Twirling" is meant to represent spinning whilst dancing. Attemting to express the beauty of movement in dance through the interpretation of line and color as seen from above. At the same time it very obviously exemplifies the famous "golden ratio".

This work is called the Right Hand of God. That should say it all. 

It is said that the most significant artwork for an artist to do, would be a self portrait. This approach expresses a very academic perspective and thus the self portrait becomes a concept of vanity. However in paradigm, I felt that if God existed He would be the ultimate artist and would have manifested His art in creating us, His mirror reflection  Thus He/God wanted me to do a self portrait as a mirror-like representation of Him/God painting us. As if we are the mirror/art work being created by God, reflecting God. As you look at this painting you should see yourself as the artwork being “painted by God”. The painting is called; “You are God’s self portrait.”

This painting is a progression from the former picture. In this painting we need to realize that God is indeed the artist painting us BUT that He is God, glorious in power and if He was to “paint” us it would be with fire!

One cannot fly without resistance. This painting is meant to "prophetically" envision the success of the art even in the face of strong opposition. This extends to the success of the Principality of Swann's new gallery.