Madonna Monday!

In 2003, Madonna teamed up with the amazingly talented fashion photographer Steven Klein for a project that was part photography and part performance art. The project was called X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS. The duo set out to create something that was unique and bold. The result was a first for both of these artists and would set the stage for a working relationship that continues to spawn visually stunning results. It's quite difficult to describe what X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS is all about. The lengthy photo shoot which was also filmed resulted in a video and pictorial installation that would travel the world. I was fortunate enough to see the installation when it was showing here in New York at the Deitch Projects in SOHO back in 2003. The videos were edited in a very unnerving fashion. The clips are stuttered and choppy as they jump from frame to frame. A few of the clips from the project are included below as are some of my favorite shots from the installation. Klein shot Madonna in various locations with all of scenes more bizarre than the next. The photography is abstract, compelling and dark. With much of Klein's work, as well as Madonna's, what is presented is done so in a way that you can interpret in many ways.

The blog, Robjn.com, had this to say on the work: Madonna presents herself as a performer in a landscape where she creates and brings her ideas to life or death. Steven Klein's intention was to work with Madonna as a performance artist, creating a situation where she could respond directly to the camera without constraint. The project is not about photography of celebrity, but about the person and the passions beneath the surface. Klein sees Madonna as a messenger, asking people to wake up and confront the dehumanizing forces in the contemporary world. Rather than the packaged glamour that one might expect from the collaboration of a pop star and a top fashion photographer, the work is raw and menacing. The spirit is apocalyptic. Madonna and Steven Klein enter into a subconscious realm of primitive fears and desires. The work has a religious passion and a sexual charge. The theatricality increases with the intensity of the emotions.

This is one of my favorite things that Madonna has done. I love it so much because it was extremely cutting edge. This wasn't simply a new video for MTV. This project was new territory and she was delving in to another artistic realm. This was an art spectacle that would tour the globe and reach audiences that may not typically be interested in Madonna's work. For those of you who saw Madonna's  Reninvention Tour, the videos shot for X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS were used in the opening of the show. If you click HERE, you can download a PDF of photos from the installation. Thanks to Robjn.com for sharing your experience. It truly was a very very cool thing to see. Madonna's work with Klein continues. Madonna websites have stated she is planning another "large scale" project with Klein for release next year. I'm excited to see what the two will create again.