No. 36: Cobey Arner

Hotel Costes mixes, Kings of Leon's live performances, a Dallas Cowboys T-Shirt, the Plum Blossom incense and Souen.

May 09, 2024

Cobey Arner is a photographer and musician in the New York premiere indie rock band, Rebounder. He’s photographed images for J.Crew, Marc Jacobs, The RealReal, Bode, Rosette and more. Thank you Grace (Miss

Jelly Sandwich

) for introducing us because these five picks are GOOD. From Cobey —

I. a collection of mixes from a 5-star hotel

In the 1990s a man named Stephane Pompougnac became the inhouse DJ and music curator for Hotel Costes, the famous Parisian hotel (I’ve never stayed there but I did buy their candle which is quite good). Stéphane, once a busboy at the hotel, made mixes which included his friends and favorite house tracks. The compact disc was at its height and the hotel sold hundreds of thousands of copies of these compilations. Now they’re all on streaming and Apple Music even gave them their own curated playlist. At some point I’ll track them all down on eBay because the artwork for each mix is really good, but for now I’m going to queue up mixes on Spotify - perfect for photoshoots, getting work done at the house, in the headphones on an electric Citi bike, etc. There’s 15 compilations in total so plenty to sink your teeth into.

II. a Kings of Leon Youtube rabbit hole

Growing up in the South, getting into music, starting to play music in the late aughts / early 2010s, there was one band that captured my attention. Kings of Leon’s early records are still classics in my opinion, with Aha Shake Heartbreak being my personal favorite. I’ve recently gone down a few Youtube rabbit holes of early performances before they hit it big with 2008’s Only by the Night. A few favorites include Live @ at Roskilde (2008), the official music video for The Bucket (2005), and Live @ Hammersmith Apollo (2007) [Nathan’s pink drum kit feels really ahead of its time]. The songs hold up, they look fantastic, and there’s just something about seeing a band on the precipice of global success. Often labeled “The Southern Strokes” I’m surprised they were never shot by Hedi Slimane or featured in a Dior campaign.

III. a T-Shirt

I love this Bruce Weber photograph. One thing I love about it is the t-shirt worn by the girl on the left. After months of combing the internet I found the closest version to the OG that I could. Love the font and the classic Americana feel of the logo. I don’t care about Dallas or football but this shirt is cool. I’ve already photographed someone in it but I’m excited to get some wear out of it over the summer.

IV. a scent

I used to work @ a furniture / home goods / design store in Nashville. While working there, I got put onto the wonderful world of incense. Every week I would use my employee discount to take home a new flavor of Japanese incense, Shoyeido making some of the best offerings. When I moved to NYC, I found this incredible bang-for-your-buck incense “Baika-ju” available @ Scent Bar. The box has 150 sticks for $15. I can burn through them and not even think about it, plus it’s a much better alternative to the dreaded nag champa. Great scent that makes me feel calm and at home. Sometimes I’ll take it on tour to rid green rooms and hotel rooms of their odor. “Plum Blossoms" recipe of high-quality sandalwood, cinnamon, and subtle spices creates a fresh aura, like a forest in springtime.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

V. a macrobiotic feast

About once a week I find myself craving Souen. I order the macro plate every time with avocado, salmon, and tofu dill dressing. (Sometimes I’ll get the sweet potato fries if I’m feeling really crazy.) It feels like a factory reset for the body. I don’t take photos of my food cuz I’m not a freak but you can imagine a giant pile of steamed vegetables with zero seasoning. The interior of the restaurant has zero frills and I can usually be in and out in under 30 minutes on a weeknight.

~ bulletin ~

los angeles

On view: Camille Claudel sculptures at the Getty Museum. Clare Woods’s I Blame Nature and Coco Young’s Passage at Night Gallery. Bella Foster’s It was a Dark and Stormy Night at the Pit. Max Xeno Karnig’s The Most Beautiful Boy in the World at Castle Gallery. Marcus Brutus’ Lotus Blossom at Harper’s. John McAllister’s Sometimes Splendid Seeming… Stellar Even.. Ripping at James Fuentes. Ed Ruscha’s Now Then at LACMA. Yoora Lee’s Shadow Etched in Stone at Nicodim. Carole Vanderlinden’s A Slipping Glance at Karma. Basquiat at Gagosian.
Friday, May 8: Group show with my friends Dylan Hayes (read his Affection Archives), Mariah Krey and many more talented humans. Come by to see the show, hang and enjoy Lovely Bunch cocktails & bites.

new york

On view: Lindsey Adelman’s A Realm of Light — a collection of oil lamps — at TIWA Gallery. Simone Bodmer-Turner’s A Year Without A Kiln at Emma Scully Gallery. Dubuffet x Giacometti at Nahmad Contemporary. Second solo exhibition of French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle, featuring five works of her late-career Tableaux Éclatés, at Salon 94. Alessandro Twombly’s Etruscan Painting at Amanita. Andy Woll at 1969 Gallery. Group show curated by Aaron Stern, Hard Copy, at WSA showcases a collection of large and small-scale xerox prints — read more about in Stern’s newsletter. Kazuyuki Takezaki’s Before Spring at 47 Canal. Lauren Quin’s Logopanic at 125 Newbery. Sedrick Chisom’s … And 108 Prayers of Evil at Clearing. Jennifer Rochlin and Mary Heilmann’s Daydream Nation at Hauser & Wirth 22nd St. Eve Ackroyd’s Second Body at Turn Gallery. Frank Lebon’s One Blood at Entrance. Yves Klein and the Tangible World at Lévy Gorvy Dayan. Group show A Study in Form (Chapter Two) at James Fuentes curated by Arden Wohl featuring Ann Craven, Jenna Gribbon and over 70 other artists. Peter Shear’s Accident Report at American Art Catalogues. Rob Davis’s The Golden at Broadway. Joe Bradley’s Vom Abend and Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato at David Zwirner. Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within at Noguchi Museum.

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.