Glass Magazine – Faith – Audrey Tautou

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Glass Magazine - Faith

Winter 2011 - Issue 8 - Audrey Tautou

According to the English dictionary, faith is defined as a ‘confident belief in the truth, value or trustworthiness of a person, idea or thing, not based on any logical proof or material evidence’ - a seeming paradox in our age of science. And so it was with this enigmatic idea in mind that the ‘Faith’ issue of Glass was created. We set out to explore the many manifestations and guises of faith and the incredible feats that have been achieved through simply possessing it. We have all felt, at one time, an irrepressible need to believe in something higher or better than ourselves and it is this primordial and illogical urge that typifies what has come to be defined as our human condition.

Starting us on our journey, the phenomenally talented and beautiful Audrey Tautou speaks to us on her life as an artist and stars in our first ever haute couture fashion story photographed at the legendary Hotel de Crillon in Paris. We pay tribute to the insurmountable skill of the couture ateliers and in our special fashion report we travel to China to discover whether the future of these iconic European artisans could in fact lie in the hands of a discerning new Asian customer. And we ask various professors to decipher the role of ancient philosophy in modern day China and whether the lessons of Confucius, now held dear in the West, still have a role to play in today’s burgeoning superpower. In a bid to understand the contentious yet massively powerful role of faith – specifically religion – in photography, we speak to ten of the most prolific artists exhibiting today to discover why religion still holds such a strong influence over seeming atheists.

In art, trailblazer Ed Ruscha speaks to us on the greatness of words, and we conclude our two part special report on the rise of China’s art market and ask, will the bubble burst? In travel we profile the most innovative hotels around the world, and in our Space section, luminary architect Steven Holl explains how public spaces are the DNA of democracy – an idea he is pioneering in China. To conclude our exploration, we speak to Red Cross director Sir Nicholas Young who reveals the most powerful act of faith of all – that of generosity. Because to give, one must have absolute faith that one’s gift will be used wisely and one must give without assurance of receiving in return. We hope that you will enjoy our small offering and will be encouraged to pursue or discover your own faiths, however multifarious they may be.

“In solitude where we are least alone” - Lord Byron
Stefan Giftthaler and Luca Termine recreate the modern sailor with a vintage touch

With model Aiste Regina using NARS cosmetics

“Be a sinner and sin strongly but more strongly have faith” - Martin Luther
Jason Hetherington shoots film noir inspired beauty

Architect Steven Holl expresses the need for humanity in architecture and the poetics of public spaces

Glass meets the talented and beautiful Audrey Tautou
for a couture photo shoot and interview in Paris

“Beauty is power; a smile is its sword” - Jon Ray

David Byun shoots angelic rose-tinted beauty with the latest Chanel cosmetics

Glass learns about the exemplary work of the British Red Cross
and discusses the challenges facing the organisation today

Peter Yeoh examines the role of faith in photography
and asks some of today’s most accomplished photographers for their opinions

Glass delves into the history of Chinese philosophy and its role in modern China

Glass examines the role of the crucifix in fashion and its descent from divinity to decadence

Ed Ruscha talks to Glass about his extraordinary life and groundbreaking work

“This luminous chaos of divine thoughts” - Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel
Micaela Rossato and Britt Marie K show us how to do sophisticated colour blocking