A brief appreciation of the work of Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Slightly NSFW - Mirwais "Naive Song" from Production
Nearly twenty years after Les Rita Mitsouko, Mondino choreographed the removal of Mirwais' cabaret makeup to the infectious beats of French electronica. Admittedly, I really love trashy French house music and this is a particularly fine example.
French Advertisement for Spontex Sponges
French Advertisement for Kodak
Neither unknown nor underappreciated, Mondino's place in fashion, photography and directing is rock solid. Before the days of YouTube, I would pay attention if I heard of a Jean-Baptiste project, but how the hell would I ever be able to see French commercials?
Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" from Building the Perfect Beast
It would be wrong to leave the reader with the impression that Mondino's talents are restricted to frenetic overloads. The Henley "Boys of Summer" video swept the MTV Music Video Awards and is a beautifully shot, wonderfully restrained, example of the best of the 1980s.
In addition to Mondino's considerable directing talents, he is also a tremendous photographer who continues to amaze. Mondino's Page
Jean-Baptiste Mondino at wikipedia
Comprehensive music videography at mvdbase.com