No. 32: Brittney MacKinnon
Souvenirs of Japan, items of longtime love, Brasilian Skies by Masayoshi Takanaka, Gattaca, and Wednesday eve yoga
Brittney MacKinnon is a Toronto-based designer, creative director and co-founder of Body of Work, a Canadian-made sportswear company she founded with her partner. The couple does the design, creative direction and everything in between. Brittney on starting the brand:
We started Body of Work from the very pure desire to create something of beauty and quality with references to classic sportswear and the tranquility of nature. Living in the city, I find myself longing to have more time spent in nature, so creating the Body of Work world has been a very cathartic experience as it can feel very replenishing to immerse myself in the natural world when designing, creating concepts or going on photoshoots.
Last year they released a sneaker with SAS that I am always wearing.. excited for their full womenswear launch in June. From Brittney —
I. a book
Souvenirs of Japan is a newly-published book by friends of ours, Sofia Nebiolo and Christophe Victoor, a Paris-based couple with a passion for discovery. It is a beautiful book of recommendations from their many travels to Japan through the lens of art and design. This September we will be hosting a Body of Work pop-up in Tokyo and this book has been a great source of inspiration as we plan our trip. We will be there for two weeks and I look forward to visiting some of the museums, restaurants and shops recommended in the book.
II. a thought
I've become someone who finds joy in getting a lot of use out of my things. I try to purchase something with the goal of owning it and using it for at least ten years. I have one pair of earrings, Sophie Buhai hinged earrings in silver, and they truly work with everything. I wear them for every occasion. I am on my third pair of Martiniano Glove flats in over ten years (only needing to replace them because I run them into the ground). Even when it comes to buying books, I try to purchase with the intent of reading the book over and over again. If I don’t think that will be the case, I won’t purchase it. Every year I re-read “Too much and not the mood” by Durga Chew-Bose, one of the most comforting books in my library. I feel a certain comfort in knowing what I like and continuing to return to the things that I love.
III. an album
Brasilian Skies by Masayoshi Takanaka (1978) is one of my favourite albums. It brings so much joy and lightness, you can feel the artist’s joy through the music. Masayoshi is a jazz fusion musician who blends music styles seamlessly, it is a must-listen.
IV. a film
Gattaca is one of my favorite films. Released in 1997, it features Uma Thurman, Ethan Hawke and Jude Law. It is beautifully made with a deeply emotional story. From the costume design to the use of colour and the set design, stylistically, it is unlike any other science fiction film. It is truly a mesmerizing film and one of the films that sparked my love for the genre.
V. a routine
I have practiced yoga for many years but I never had a consistent routine until a few months ago. On wednesday evenings, I attend a weekly vinyasa class with my favourite instructor, Fiona, and it has become a priority for me. I feel a stronger connection between my mind and body and it provides me with a much needed moment of respite in the middle of the week. Learning to breathe has become one of the biggest changes I’ve observed in my body since practicing regularly. The last few months of consistent practice have been a real source of joy for me.
~ bulletin ~
los angeles
On view: Li Songsong’s The Past at Pace Gallery. Ed Ruscha’s Now Then at LACMA. Yoora Lee’s Shadow Etched in Stone at Nicodim. Carole Vanderlinden’s A Slipping Glance at Karma. Ella Kruglyanskaya’s See Saw at Jeffrey Deitch. David Kordansky Gallery presents Skin of the City, a solo exhibition of paintings made between 1980 and 2000 by Martha Diamond (1944–2023). Olive Diamond’s show To Be Sung and Remembered at Anat Ebgi — read her affection archives feature here. Alina Perkins’ La Fiaca at Fernberger. Catherine Goodman’s New Works at Hauser & Wirth downtown. Hannah Brown’s show Hollow Pond at Anat Ebgi. Oliver Lee Jackson’s Machines for the Spirit at Blum. Basquiat show at Gagosian. Inner Space featuring JB Blunk, Minjae Kim, Isamu Noguchi and more at Future Perfect.
Saturday: John McAllister’s Sometimes Splendid Seeming… Stellar Even.. Ripping at James Fuentes.
new york
On view: Joe Bradley’s Vom Abend and Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato at David Zwirner. Danielle McKinney’s Quiet Storm at Marianne Boesky. Tanya Merrill’s Watching Women Give Birth on the Internet and Other Ways of Looking at 303 Gallery. Cara Nahaul’s Tender Island at Alexander Berggruen. Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within at Noguchi Museum. On behalf of The Brooklyn Home Company, Hollis Taggart Gallery curated an exhibition inspired by artist John Graham’s legacy – John Graham Comes Home – at the townhome he resided in during the 1930s in Brooklyn Heights. Andrew Pierce Scott and Leo Kaspar’s Robusted at TIWA Gallery. Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi’s Racconti (The Tales) at Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery. Sissòn’s Waiting to Exhale at Allouche Gallery. James Fuentes presents Color Codes, a selection of paintings by Kikuo Saito from the early 1990s. The Whitney Museum’s Biennial. The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism at The Met. Christopher Wool’s See Stop Run at 101 Greenwich St. Max Lamb’s Inventory and Jay Sae Jung Oh’s Savage 2.0 at Salon 94 Design.
Affection Archives is a weekly look into the archives of yours truly (Arielle Eshel) and humans I admire. If you’d like to add an event to the bulletin, DM on Instagram @affectionarchives or reply to this email.