NYC is not simply steel reflected off grey streets; it’s the green-yellow-red glow of a thousand stoplights. It’s graffiti on brick. It’s the peeling, golden veneer of lettering on an old apothecary window. Photographer Bettina Lewin and makeup artist Mark Williamson took inspiration from the layered patinas of New York to create colorful statement looks.
“NEW YORK IS LIKE A MEMORY TO ME, A MEMORY BUILT ON WHAT I SAW IN MOVIES. THE CITY IS LIKE BLADE RUNNER...IT USED TO BE AMAZINGLY MODERN AND SHINY, BUT NOW IT’S USED AND RUN DOWN. A PATINA FULL OF WONDERS”
— BETTINA LEWIN
“I’M ALSO A PAINTER. I LOVE COLOR AND GRIT. I WANTED TO ECHO THE TEXTURAL ELEMENTS IN BETTINA’S CITY VIGNETTES ON THE SKIN IN A WAY THAT WOULD BE DELICATE, YET PROVIDE EDGE AND DIMENSION.”
— MARK WILLIAMSON
“THE PAVEMENT IS OLD, AND THE COLORS TALK. THIS ‘NO PARKING’ SIGN WAS BEAUTIFULLY GRAPHIC AND PAINTED OVER MANY TIMES.”
— BETTINA LEWIN
“I LOVE TO TAKE THINGS OFF THE BEATEN PATH. THIS LOOK IS A BIT ROCK AND ROLL OR GOTHIC. A LOT OF RULES ARE BEING BROKEN. IT’S NOT TIMID AND SHY... YOU HAVE TO REALLY WEAR IT AND EMBODY THAT CHARACTER IF ONLY FOR ONE NIGHT.”
— MARK WILLIAMSON
“THERE IS A GRAININESS, A HARSHNESS IN BETTINA’S PHOTOS FROM THE STREET. FOR THE MAKEUP, WE ADAPTED TONAL RANGES TO THE IMAGERY, BUT I STILL KEPT THE MODELS’ SKIN LOOKING FRESH, HEALTHY AND FULL OF VITALITY.”
