For Commercial Break, one of the most anticipated exhibitions running concurrent to the 54th Venice Biennial, artist Richard Phillips – primarily a painter – tried his hand at filmmaking, creating two short ethereal movies, one starring Lindsay Lohan and former porn star-turned-actress Sasha Grey.

Grey’s film is a subdued night scene that follows her walking as if in a daydream through John Lautner’s famous Chemosphere house, owned by art book publisher Benedikt Taschen; while Lohan’s film shows the starlet plunging out of the crystal blue waters of an infinity pool.

Phillips, who makes bold pop paintings of celebrities usually rendered from imagery culled from magazines and the Internet, tried his first foray into collaboration with these two stars. The result has been two of the most talked about works among the show’s 150 artists, all of whom were asked to make 90 second films.

Realizing that with so many people in the exhibition he wouldn’t get much airplay, Phillips released the films virally first, to maximize exposure. The Hollywood Reporter caught up with the artist in Venice at the lavish Bauer Hotel to discuss his latest body of work.

The Hollywood Reporter: Had you been thinking about film for a while?

Phillips: I had not a single thought to make a film. I had decided that I wanted to take photographs of two actors, and I had been in communication with both for different projects. When this came up, I said well, if we can go to the trouble of setting up a shoot, why not bring video and try to get some motion footage of that.

Realizing I had no experience, I contacted my friend Taylor Steele, who is a legendary surf filmmaker. We set up our offices in Los Angeles to begin an incredible week of filming. We had the Chemosphere House so we were shooting in a work of art. We had one day each with the talent and we had a day before to practice out of Santa Monica.

THR: Were you actually making those directorial calls when it came time to shoot?

Phillips: Yeah. I made these storyboards that were based on my experiences watching Bergman’s “Persona” and Goddard’s “Contempt.” Those films really matched in a lot of ways the ideas of these young actors in a transformative moment, making a decision to live their lives in art and the consequences that ultimately befall that. With Lindsay, it’s very easy to work with her because she is an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She would always get it on the first take. With Sasha, she had a huge career in adult performance and a new career in cinema and television. The melancholy that happens in her film is something that you never see in her former career. In the work she did on “Entourage” and with Steven Soderbergh (“The Girlfriend Experience”), you’re still seeing her being positioned in relationship to her past and I wanted to let her be above that.

THR: Do you think both of these women gravitated toward an art related project because they are both trying to shift the idea that people have about their past?

Phillips: I think that could be assumed but the fact really is that the way I initially got in contact with them is about painting. So if you think about it in a film way you could say yes, it was on our mind to present them independently in this state of mind as they are today, as people and not as these media characters.

THR: Was it a challenge to edit down the footage to 90 seconds?

Phillips: I worked with Haines Hall of Spot Welders who had worked with Sofia Coppola on “The Virgin Suicides” and Doug Aitken’s big project at MoMa. He was extremely experienced in crushing huge amounts of footage into highly communicative short bursts. We started with Lindsay and the amounts of gorgeous footage we had gave me chills.

Source: Reuter

She’s always looking for a way to make a quick buck, and earlier today (June 16) Lindsay Lohan was spotted advertising Blue Cig electronic cigarettes.

The “Mean Girls” actress read a script on the balcony of her Los Angeles pad while using the product for all to see.

And according to a company spokesperson, LiLo is plugging the electronic smokes to improve her overall wellness.

“Lindsay is determined to better her career and her health and has started using Blu Cigs as a deterrent to lighting up.”

Source: Celebrity Gossip

I’ve added new high quality candids of Lindsay Lohan having rooftop barbecue at her house on June 13, 2011.

GALLERY LINK:

• (x031) Candids in 2011: Having Rooftop Party – June 12

Lindsay Lohan won a two-year restraining order Wednesday against David Cocordan, who allegedly has peppered her with unwanted attention since 2009. The actress had obtained a temporary restraining order last month in the wake of a May 5 text message that had Lindsay posting on Twitter, “im actually scared now.”

Cocordan, 38, had phoned and texted Lohan, 24, more than 100 times and come to her home at least three times, she told the court last month, leaving heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and magazine articles about her with his name written on them. He also had shown up at public appearances she’s made, according to court papers, and believed he was in a romantic relationship with her.

Cocordan had gone to Judge Stephanie Sauter’s courtroom on April 22 and told the clerk that he was Lohan’s fiance and needed to talk to the judge, TMZ reported, resulting in a courthouse request to police that they drive by the judge’s home to make sure she was safe. Sauter was presiding over Lohan’s criminal theft case at the time, and on that day had found her in violation of her probation. Lohan spent nearly five hours in jail before getting out on $75,000 bail shortly after 9 p.m.

Lohan didn’t attend the hearing Wednesday; she is currently under house arrest after pleading no contest on a misdemeanor jewelry-theft charge and getting a 120-day jail sentence. Because of jail overcrowding, she was allowed home detention with an ankle monitor, and began her 35 days of house arrest May 26.

After the monitor went off May 31, authorities paid a visit to Lohan’s Venice townhome, L.A. Now reported, only to find the actress at home, reading scripts and posing for a photo shoot on her rooftop deck. The device, which had malfunctioned, was replaced early this month.

Police believe Cocordan may be schizophrenic and off his medication, Lohan told the court in her May filing. Under the terms of the restraining order, he is not allowed within 100 yards of Lilo.

Source: LA Times Blog

The reality star Paris Hilton has a new hit reality show, entitled, The World According to Paris. The show premiered last week on Oxygen, and the second episode aired on the channel last night. According to a bonus clip of the show last night that was shown on a commercial break, Hilton is seen feeding the homeless as part of her community service. The name Lindsay Lohan is mentioned, as Hilton was mistaken for the star.

As showbizspy reports, Hilton was complimented on the earrings that she was wearing, and the women that paid her the compliment thought that she was Lindsay Lohan, and Hilton said: “I’m not Lindsay. If I were Lindsay, I’d be stealing the earrings, not giving them away.”

The star of course was referring to the fact that Lindsay Lohan was accused of stealing a necklace. Lindsay Lohan is reportedly focusing on her career. Paris Hilton has attained success, not just by various reality shows but also by being involved in other projects as well. She has launched ten fragrances, and she has designed as well. She has also appeared in films.

Source: Examiner

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith has spoken out about Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, saying the troubled stars haven’t done “half the stuff” she did at their age.

The 39-year-old mother-of-two makes her comments as part of an interview about parenting.

The Hawthorne star has two children with her Hollywood actor husband Will Smith – Karate Kid star Jaden, 12, and Whip My Hair singer Willow, 10.

But although her children have followed their parents into showbiz, Smith says she has no fears about how they will treat fame.

Speaking about her daughter, she tells Jet magazine: “She’s gonna have her challenges, we all do.

“People think that a perfect child is a child that doesn’t make mistakes.

“I look at the BritneySpearses [sic], the Lindsay Lohans, and all these poor young women out here who are going through it and, you know what, that’s part of it. Some of us survive, some of us don’t.”

The Madagascar star adds: “If I’d had a magnifying glass on me when I was their age… Those chicks ain’t doing half the stuff I was doing. If it’s meant to be, my kids are gonna be OK.

“At the end of the day, some of us make it and some of us don’t, and that’s life.”

Source: Monsters and Critics

She’s been plagued by stalker David Cocordan for awhile now, and Lindsay Lohan can breathe easy thanks to a Santa Monica judge.

The “Mean Girls” actress was awarded a two-year restraining order against the 38-year-old man, and Cocordan has agreed to the terms.

Among the drama so far, Cocordan had been showing up at LiLo’s court appearances, leaving gifts at her house, and sending her 100s of text messages.

Currently, Lindsay is serving her 120-day jail sentence under house arrest, though she’s only expected to be homebound for 35 of those days.

Source: Celebrity Gossip

Just days after her home monitoring bracelet mishap, Lindsay Lohan seems to be in good spirits – making the most of her time on house arrest.

The 24-year-old actress took to her Twitter account yesterday (June 3) to share the benefits of her condo lockup, writing, “Loving good music on a sunny day!”

Due to jail overcrowding, Lindsay will serve about a month in her Venice, California home after pleading no contest to misdemeanor grand theft.

Earlier in the week (May 31), Lohan’s faulty electronic ankle bracelet set off a false alarm, triggering authorities to believe she had broken her house detention.

Source:

Lindsay Lohan‘s electronic monitoring bracelet went off Monday, indicating she left the house and therefore violated the terms of her house arrest … but sources say it could be the result of a malfunction.

Probation staffers went to Lindsay’s Venice house, only to find her on the roof of the building sunning herself and reading scripts.  One source connected with the case tells TMZ … it looks like the device may have “missed a signal.” Translation: Lindsay didn’t leave the house and therefore didn’t cheat.

Sources tell us the Probation people gave Lindsay new monitoring equipment and that was that.

The Probation Department has not formally closed the matter, but one source connected with the case tells TMZ … “It looks like it’s been resolved.”

Source: TMZ

She’s currently holed up in her Venice abode while serving a house arrest sentence, but Lindsay Lohan made sure to take to Twitter to send a shout-out to the late Marilyn Monroe on what would have been her 85th birthday.

The “Mean Girls” starlet – who named her 6126 leggings line after Miss Monroe’s date of birth (June 1, 1926) – lovingly tweeted, “Happyy 85th birthdayy to mariyn monroe”

Joining in on the Twitter tributes to the legendary star was Kim Kardashian, who wrote, “Marilyn Monroe would have been 85 today! Bet she would still be so beautiful!”

Idolized by many of Tinseltown’s biggest names, Megan Fox sports a tattoo of Marilyn on her forearm while Mariah Carey recently named daughter Monroe after the blonde beauty.

Source: Celebrity Gossip

I’ve added new high quality candids of Lindsay Lohan at her Venice Beach Home on May 27, 2011.

GALLERY LINKS:

• (x010) Candids in 2011: At Venice Beach Home Balcony – May 27
• (x003) Candids in 2011: At Her Home – May 27

Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan, who was recently put under house arrest, is planning to spend her time painting. 

Lohan, who showed up three weeks early at Los Angeles’ Lynwood Jail to begin her 120-day jail term for a probation violation, was allowed to return to her Venice, California, property to serve the term in the confines of her own home. 

Dailystar.co.uk reported that the actress, who has been fitted with an electronic ankle bracelet, was spotted stocking up on art canvases and said she has decided to use her time to explore new hobbies. 

“She’s taking the time to relax, focus on her recovery and figure out her new game plan for her life and career,” said a source. 

The actress was last month ordered to to undertake a three-year probation, serve 120 days in jail and complete 480 hours of community service for jewellery theft and breaching the terms of her 2007 probation.

Source: India Times

Lindsay Lohan isn’t acting much on the big screen these days, but the troubled starlet could have a burning hot new career as a cigarette model.

Paparazzi snapped photographs today (May 28) of Lohan posing with an electronic cigarette in her backyard in Venice, Calif.

According to TMZ, the perfectly posed puffing pictures were forwarded around the Internet by Blu Cigs, the company that manufactures the electronic cigarette Lohan is taking a drag from.

“[Lindsay Lohan] is determined to better her career and her health and has started using Blu Cigs as a deterrent to lighting up,” said a spokesperson from Blu Cigs in a statement.

Although the photos are kind of odd, this could be a step in the right direction for the notoriously rebellious—and often out of work—Lohan.

Any work is good work, right? Right?

It’s crazy to think that just a few years ago, Lohan was a successful, promising young actress who also modeled for major high-fashion labels like Jill Stuart, Miu Miu, and Dooney & Burke.

Source: Gather

Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan has settled a lawsuit from a woman who claimed the star chased her in her car.

Sources close to Lohan have told TMZ.com that her insurance company paid for an undisclosed financial settlement with Tracie Rice.

Rice sued Lohan in 2008, claiming the Santa Monica car chase was “one of the most frightening experiences of my life’.

Lohan was arrested for DUI during the incident, after police learned she was allegedly drunk when she commandeered someone else’s car while three young men were inside.

The trio’s lawsuit against the actress is still ongoing.

Source: Monsters and Critics

The transition from child stardom to mature actor is a tricky journey, one successfully navigated by many of today’s most popular celebrities. But some popular teens—not all of them Disney affiliated—have employed particularly aggressive methods in the effort to distance themselves from the family-friendly characters they once played. And it’s not always pretty.

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan might have had her biggest hits with family entertainment (think Freaky Friday) but she broke from the good-girl reins pretty early in her career. She started hanging out in nightclubs before she was even old enough to vote, and caused so many problems on the Herbie: Fully Loaded set that studio execs chose to diminish her presence in posters for the movie due to “un-Disney-like behavior.”

Source: Zimbio

Are you ready for the next art star? Even if it happens to be Lindsay Lohan?

Thanks to the painter Richard Phillips, pop culture’s current tragic heroine is making a cogent leap from the tabloids to the art world. The vehicle for her transformation is “Lindsay Lohan,” a 90-second ad for her more sober self that Phillips directed. It debuts next week in “Commercial Break,” an upstart program of artists’ videos put together by Neville Wakefield for the opening festivities of the 54th Venice Biennale.

With the “Lohan” video, shot last month in Malibu, Calif., by the surf-king filmmaker Taylor Steele (and exclusively previewing here), Phillips is also banking on a new direction. Last we looked, he was strictly a painter, albeit one with a certain fixation on the power of media gods and goddesses to distract us from the people they really are.

“I’ve never made a film, not even on an iPhone,” Phillips said (by iPhone) from an exhibition hall near Zurich, where he was hanging “Painting and Misappropriation,” a show he first organized last year for the Swiss Institute in New York. “In some ways the video relates to my art, but it’s also a way to think about a new kind of portraiture.”

In “Lindsay Lohan,” the beleaguered beauty is captured mostly in close-up, and in attitudes that Phillips appropriated from two 1960s movie classics, Jean-Luc Godard’s “Contempt” and Ingmar Bergman’s “Persona,” starring Brigitte Bardot and Liv Ullmann, respectively. The skimpily clad Lohan stands in for each, appearing anguished, introspective, seductive, sleepy, hurt, querulous, innocent and always alone. The links Phillips makes between her and the roles that Bardot and Ullmann play in the films may be subtle, but they are distinct.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

“What fascinates me about Lindsay are not her problems but the way she embodies an eminence on the level of a Bardot or an Ullmann,” Phillips said. “She’s a combination of the fantastic and the real, which is what makes her so magnetic. She can also bring forward an existential presence that speaks to the isolated self.”
Both “Persona” and “Contempt,” he pointed out, examine those issues, and his brief psychological portrait of Lohan attempts to unite the irreconcilable differences in her divided personality.

The video repudiates the subtext of “Most Wanted,” Phillips’s show at the White Cube Gallery in London earlier this year. It included outsize portraits of famous faces belonging to Leonardo DiCaprio, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Dakota Fanning and the like, all based on red-carpet or step-and-repeat fashion photos – “spokesperson pictures,” as Phillips calls them.

This time out, he wanted to get beyond a public image widely exploited, or ridiculed, in the media, and past the celebrity endorsements and luxury-goods sponsorship that, he says, are what herald serious art projects today.

The 80 videos that constitute “Commercial Break” do something of the same. Presented by Dasha Zhukova’s Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, and sponsored by Post magazine for an iPad application, they will play on an unavoidable Jumbotron floating the length of the Grand Canal in Venice. Intended as a provocation to the art trade, each uses commercial means to speak for art in a city where all forms of public advertising are forbidden.

“Lindsay Lohan” certainly has the look of a commercial, though no one watching it is likely to have a clue what it’s promoting — other than Lohan’s determination to stay in the game. “I never met her before the shoot,” Phillips said. “We only texted. But she showed up on time and worked an entire day, and hit every take on the money.”

Richard Phillips’s “Lindsay Lohan” premieres next Wednesday in “Commercial Breaks,” and plays through June 5 along the Grand Canal in Venice.

LINDSAY LOHAN

A Richard Phillips Film

Directed by: Richard Phillips and Taylor Steele; Director of Photography: Todd Heater; Costume Designer: Ellen Mirojnick; Creative Director: Dominic Sidhu; Art Director: Kyra Griffin; Editor: Haines Hall; Color mastering: Pascal Dangin for Boxmotion.

Source: New York Times

There’s no place like home. 

Lindsay Lohan, 24, began serving house arrest Thursday morning at her Venice, Calif., townhouse after turning herself in to the Lynwood Jail hours earlier. 

“She is now confined to the interior premises of her home at all times,” L.A. Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore tells PEOPLE. 

Whitmore adds that Lohan surrendered to the facility at 5:02 a.m., where it was determined she was eligible for home confinement. The actress was fitted with an electronic ankle bracelet and released in less than an hour. No booking photo was taken.

Lohan had been sentenced to four months in jail after she pleaded no contest to stealing a $2,500 necklace, but jail overcrowding issues and the fact that she’s a nonviolent offender made her eligible for house arrest. 

The actress, however, is expected to serve 35 days of confinement due to good behavior and budgetary constraints. 

Whitmore declined to say whether any exceptions would allow Lohan to leave her home. But he previously stated that her ankle bracelet will not be detecting for drugs or alcohol. 

Lohan also serving 480 hours of community service – mostly at a downtown women’s shelter – and is expected to serve janitorial duty at the L.A. County morgue. At her last hearing, the judge forbade the actress to attend community service while under house arrest.

Source: People.com

Lindsay Lohan was prepared to have her pay for Gotti: Three Generations withheld until shooting was over if it meant she got the part.

The actress has been cast in the upcoming biopic which follows the relationship of John Gotti Sr., the head of the Gambino crime family who died in prison in 2002, and his son John Gotti Jr. There was speculation she would be involved in the release for some time before it was confirmed she will play John Jr.’s wife Kim.

Lindsay has experienced a host of legal and personal problems lately, spending time in rehab and recently being sentenced to prison for violating her probation. Due to her troubles there were claims she would struggle to find work, but she’s dismissed them.

“No there was no problem insuring me for this, they had to spend a little extra money. I can be insured it just costs a little extra,” she said. “I would have them hold my pay until after I’d finished if I had to because I love working.”

Lindsay insists her life isn’t as glamorous as many think. She doesn’t party all the time or spend all day shopping with friends, preferring to relax at her home in Venice Beach, California.

She paints and cooks while she is there and also enjoys watching TV. The star is one of the few celebrities to admit she doesn’t tune into high school singing show Glee though, revealing they upset her by poking fun at her private life.

“I don’t watch Glee… Well yeah I would [let them use my music], but they’ve made a lot of snarky remarks about me, I don’t know why they don’t have to do that,” she said on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show. “I think they’re all really talented though and their work schedules are insane from what I’ve heard… it’s seven days a week, which doesn’t even sound legal!”

Source: Film News UK

Courtney Love has revealed that troubled actress Lindsay Lohan turned to her for advice during her recent legal troubles.

The 46-year-old Hole rocker, who has battled drug and alcohol addiction in the past, told TheFix.com that Lohan sought her advice after she was arrested.

The 24-year-old former Mean Girls star has been in and out of rehab over the past few years for addiction issues and is currently preparing to go back to prison next month for violating her probation from a 2007 driving under the influence (DUI) charge.

Love told the US website: ‘Lindsay Lohan called me after she was arrested. The judge presiding over her case was the same judge who presided over mine. He was a very sweet man. I think he was an ex-alcoholic himself.”

She added: ‘I told Lindsay to just get it together and trust the judge, and Lindsay’s father called me for advice every day. I’m not even that friendly with these girls. What am I, a junkie Auntie Mame?’

Source: Monsters and Critics