Acura, the automotive luxury brand, presented their latest model, the all-new 2010 Acura ZDX four-door sports coupe, in Miami on Thursday, February 25th, at the W South Beach. The event launched a seven-city tour featuring the vehicle and the works of renowned photographer Erik Madigan Heck. The Acura ZDX was designed with as much creative freedom as Erik Madigan Heck’s works - making the partnership between the artist and Acura a natural fit. At 26-years-old, Heck is an established fine art and fashion photographer who has shot the collections of the world’s finest designers including Valentino Garavani, Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier and Helmut Lang. Last night, I had the opportunity to interview Heck.
MBS: What is your favorite type of photography?
Heck: Well, I shoot mostly fashion photography but for this event, I wanted to show a balance between some of my landscape and figurative work. I also segmented the pieces based on color.
MBS: How did your partnership with the new Acura ZDX come together?
Heck: The concept for this new car was developed by a team of young designers (at the new Acura Design Studio in Torrance, California) who are all around my age. They were looking for a similar artist to represent their newest creation. In that respect, it works really well.
MBS: Have you ever been in Miami and is there anything you"re looking forward to experiencing?
Heck: Never been in Miami! I haven"t been able to explore it as much as I would like to but I definitely love the beautiful weather.
MBS: What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
Heck: I did a shoot for a Belgian fashion designer, Ann Demeulemeester, and I was a huge fan of hers for years. Ann"s clothing is very expensive and she is a highly sought after designer. But, one day I did a photoshoot for her and she absolutely loved it so we became friends. It was like becoming friends with your hero. It was awesome!
Erik Madigan Heck is also the Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director of Nomenus Quarterly, a hybrid online/print publication that features the world’s most influential artists, institutions and fashion designers. To see more of Heck"s work, you can visit his websites:
http://maisondesprit.com/ or http://www.nomenusquarterly.com/. Beware: his work is AMAAAAZZZING (I think he"s MY new hero)!!!
http://maisondesprit.com/ or http://www.nomenusquarterly.com/. Beware: his work is AMAAAAZZZING (I think he"s MY new hero)!!!
After my chat with Heck, I returned to the exhibition where a crowd surrounded the new 2010 Acura ZDX. While some guests mingled, others couldn"t help but sit inside the stunning coupe-like vehicle to see the panoramic glass roof. If you"re interested in viewing this car yourself, then note that these Acura ZDX Launch Parties featuring Erik Madigan Heck will travel from Miami to Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C., culminating in New York City on April 8, 2010. I definitely see why Acura scheduled Miami as their first stop on the tour!
Guests at the 2010 Acura ZDX launch event in Miami