Artist

Malaland

Female

New York, NY

United States

DIY Chameleon

Profile Information:

What best describes your role in the industry?
Artist
Tell us a little about yourself! (details or get declined)
As a teenage girl I was rather shy. It was partly due to my scoliosis, which affected my posture, and in my opinion made me undesirable. Compliments from friends, family or strangers, even all the attention from guys, didn’t help. It wasn’t until I asked my sister to take some posed pictures of me, when I changed my mind. That “photoshoot” made me feel good about myself for the first time in my life, despite my flaws. Seemingly the same girl as the one I saw everyday in the mirror, but for some reason different. More confident, happy and full of life and not the one lamenting over her flaws. I am sure many of the ladies here know exactly what I mean. The power of an image is truly amazing. No wonder the same word describes style, personality and appearance of celebrities. Illuminated by that discovery I started taking self portraits and found my style in pin-up and retro photography. Also I get to pose for other wonderful photographers and artists. It turned out to be a life altering experience. Since then I had corrective surgery of my spine, which left me with a big scar on my back, but instead of feeling self conscious about it I embrace it. Largely thanks to the confidence I gained from my pin-up modeling.

In my self-portraits I embark on the journey through the years of the changing image of a female. Most of my work is based on or inspired by illustrated vintage magazine and paperback covers, for I find them visually stunning and absolutely captivating. Each and every one tells a fascinating story, but they also serve as a general visual and aesthetic guide to the era, and hint at how women and sexuality were perceived and portrayed during different times in history.
I am not a fan (to say the least) of chauvinism, violence, abuse or smoking, but take guilty pleasure from those vivid images and a certain comfort in knowing that they are not real. Not to mention the fashion sense and fabulousness of the participants. No matter what the situation they find themselves in, they are always flawless. Mischievously powerful, even in ties. Not bad, just drawn that way.
I concentrate on the “Golden Era” of American Illustration, but also like to occasionally play with different genres and time. In the process of "trying on" these different roles I get to explore myself as a woman. One instance I am a femme fatale, then I am a damsel in distress, scamming villain, or a baby doll.
Being on both sides of the camera presents double challenge, but it also is twice as much rewarding. I love being able to decide myself of the theme of the photos, enjoy immensely finding fabulous props, preparing myself and arranging my shoots. This absolute control over the creative process is very gratifying, however I do hope it is not all just self-indulgence, but it also amuses the voyeur…
To see more go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/malamastroberte/sets/
Here I would like to present my pin-up images, in the style of my favorite classic pin-up artists.
Thank you for stopping by!
Mala Mastroberte

PRINTS
If you like one (or any number!) of my images and would like it on you wall, ceiling, floor... or wherever you wish to put it... Please contact me and I will have it printed for you in your desired size on high quality paper or canvas. And they look awesome BIG! if I may say so myself.

MODELING

I am not a professional model, but have tons of experience posing. Mostly for myself, but also for other artists. If you have an interesting idea and think I am a gal to realize it with, just contact me.
I love anything imaginative, have some acting skills and a very “pliable” face. Body not so much, since I have a metal rod in my back and a beautiful scar along my spine, which I am very proud of. So except for anything very bendy, I am good for almost anything, as long as I like the idea. Especially if it involves classic, retro, glamour, pin-up and noir styles. I have extensive vintage wardrobe, shoe, prop and wig collection, all of which can be used in your project.
Also I am up for long distance collaboration. You can tell me what you need and I will shoot it myself.

GRAPHIC DESIGN/ART

I am pretty versed in Photoshop and have extensive knowledge on classic and vintage styles. Also can do retouch and image restoration.
Official Website or Tumblr Link:
http://malaland.artistswanted.org/
Facebook or (gulp) MySpace Link:
http://www.facebook.com/malaland
How did you find PL? (Who referred you?, What site was the link on? What keywords did you search?) Be detailed, It helps us advertise and thank people!
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