In Rapture

A collaboration between two siblings, one an art historian and the other a photographer. We seek to traverse time and space through the diasporas that have made us and through the myriad futures which have yet manifest themselves.

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WHITE FOR THE ANCESTORS//ELYSIUM

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

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WHITE FOR THE ANCESTORS

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

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THE MIRROR SERIES

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

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THE MIRROR SERIES

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

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THE MIRROR SERIES

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

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THE VOID

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling: Rachel Newman

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ALIEN ANCESTORS//ETERNITY

"With the exception of hydrogen, which formed when the universe itself was created, almost all of the atoms in our bodies have been forged either in the deep interior of stars, or within the explosion of these stars at the ends of their existence." -- from "The Illusion of Permanence" in "Living With the Stars" by Karel and Iris Shrijver In this series we investigate the idea, held by several cultures, that our ancestors were extraterrestrial. We begin to question the myriad of ways that they may have manifested in human bodily form.

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

Jewelry: Chris Habana

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A WAKING DREAM

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

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A WAKING DREAM

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

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OCEANIC FEELING

"Oceanic feeling" is a psychological term coined by Romain Rolland in a letter to Sigmund Freud. He wrote of, "...the spontaneous religious feeling which is the simple and direct fact of the feeling of the eternal (which can very well not be eternal, but simply without perceptible boundaries, and as if oceanic.)" Freud then popularized the term using it to describe a oneness with the world or limitlessness.

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

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THE MYSTIC The word mystic is derived from the Ancient Greek word meaning "secret" or "concealed." In some senses mysticism can be understood as union, or oneness, with the Absolute, the Infinite, or the Divine. Many mystics sought this oneness in deep isolation from the world. Caves were such a spaces. The sensory deprivation experienced in caves was understood in many cultures to have a psychotropic quality, a setting for divination and the dwelling-place of oracles.

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

Jewelry: Chris Habana

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THE MYSTIC The word mystic is derived from the Ancient Greek word meaning "secret" or "concealed." In some senses mysticism can be understood as union, or oneness, with the Absolute, the Infinite, or the Divine. Many mystics sought this oneness in deep isolation from the world. Caves were such a spaces. The sensory deprivation experienced in caves was understood in many cultures to have a psychotropic quality, a setting for divination and the dwelling-place of oracles.

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

Jewelry: Chris Habana

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GREEN AND GOLD

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

Bakelite Necklace: Wilbur Vintage, Philadelphia, PA

Vintage Satin Gown: Thrift Store, Monte Rio, CA

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THE PEINETA or MANTILLA COMB

The white-washed adobe wall, wrought iron, and old gravestones seen here belong to Mission Dolores. Built in 1776, the structure is the oldest standing building in San Francisco, California. The costume is inspired by the "majas", a style of dress the originated at this time in Spain, the colonial power that built this mission. The practice of draping lace mantillas over high combs called peinetas originated in 18th century Spain. Lace mantillas became popular during the 17th and 18th century in Spain and were often depicted in portraits by the famous Spanish artists, Diego Velazquez and Goya. This photo was taken in the graveyard, which is next to the mission. With the construction of the missions, the Spanish facilitated a mass genocide of the native people of California. Over 5,000 native people were buried in mass graves here, which are now covered by an elementary school playground next to the church. Dating back to 1776, the Mission Dolores Cemetery was a burial place for early Catholic settlers and some 5,000 Ohlone and Miwok whose land was stolen during the Spanish and American conquests of California.

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

Tortine Peineta: Estate Sale, San Francisco

Mantilla: Lace, Fabric Outlet, San Francisco

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THE EMBELLISHED KAFTAN

Although the kaftan had existed for centuries throughout the former Ottoman Empire, Persia, and North Africa, it found its way back into European fashion in the 1890s when Alix of Hesse wore a traditional Russian kaftan during her coronation as Empress of Russia.

Photography: Alexander Newman

Styling and Art Direction: Rachel Newman

Vintage Moroccan Robe: Held Over Vintage, San Francisco, CA

Vintage Karakul Hat: Anastacia’s Antiques, Philadelphia, PA

Earrings: Kenneth Jay Lane

Septum Piece: Chris Habana

Ring: Static Vintage, San Francisco, CA