and make things
Move slow
For immediate release:
DOMINIC DIMARIA UNVEILS A ONE-OF-A-KIND ART BOOK: FASHION, FILM, AND A LITTLE CHAOS
Los Angeles, CA — Global mixed media artist Dominic DiMaria has spent the last four years doing something radical in today’s hyper-paced, algorithm-chasing world: slowing down.
His debut solo art book TRASHGOD is a meticulously crafted antidote to the churn of fast fashion and fleeting trends — a cinematic, analogue, tactile journey through seven original couture looks, designed in house and captured in ten cities across four continents.
But don’t expect a sleek runway show or a tidy Instagram grid. DiMaria made this project with broken vintage 35mm cameras, expired film, and available light, capturing the unique vulnerability and honesty you only find in the handmade.
“I wanted to do a fashion project that wasn’t about creating yet another streetwear brand,” says DiMaria. “Or even a brand at all. It’s not a brand. It’s a method of character design, informed by cinema.”
The couture pieces, designed by DiMaria and fabricated with master tailor Barbara Olivas, are as unconventional as their origins. The textiles — antique brocades, vinyls, and corduroys — were sourced from vintage Middle Eastern and European upholstery collections, transformed into garments that carry their own histories with an intense focus on individuality and silhouette.
Each model handpicked for their personality, some professional and some amateur. The locations? Everything from city streets to the artist’s studio space to the models’ homes, creating a raw, vulnerable, global backdrop for stories to emerge.
“There’s sort of an umami thing about shooting in a space that someone lives in,” DiMaria explains. “There’s a subtle familiarity. The energy is different, there’s no ‘look’ — it’s real, imperfect, and full of surprises. You can’t stage that kind of intimacy. It literally cannot be reproduced on a set.”
The result is a book that feels more like a living, breathing anthology than a static object. Each look belongs to a character, each character to a world, and together they form a story that is delightfully hard to define.
The book’s visual narrative unfolds against a backdrop of classic cars, performance motorcycles, and contemporary art, nodding to DiMaria’s wide-ranging influences, weaving a rich tapestry that enhances the project’s cinematic essence.
“It’s a conversation starter,” DiMaria adds. A love letter to imperfection. And maybe a little chaos.”
Shot in cities like Los Angeles, New York City, Milan, London, and Dubai, the images pull you in with their rich textures and analog imperfections, rejecting the slickness of digital photography and containing no post production.
This is art you can see and feel — a participatory experience in an increasingly passive digital world.
The book retails for $99 USD and is available in the US and Canada starting November 30, 2024, exclusively on https://dimaria.art/
For more information, images, or to arrange an interview with Dominic DiMaria, please contact:
Email: bookdimaria@gmail.com
Follow: @theatricalrelease
About Dominic DiMaria
Dominic DiMaria is a global mixed media artist whose work blends photography, fashion, and cinema. With a commitment to detail and a talent for crafting the unexpected, his projects offer a timeless alternative to disposable trends.
Official artist portraits @shotbykeish.