Sidepiece by Charlie Knepper

May 27, 2025

Photographer Charlie Knepper’s debut book Sidepiece doesn’t ask for your permission — it simply exists, like a blurry night out that starts at 2 a.m. and ends sometime after sunrise. It’s messy, intimate, sexy, confrontational, and, above all, honest. Part portraiture, part diary, Sidepiece is a raw archive of queer youth living, loving, and sometimes fucking on the fringes — without apology.

What is a sidepiece? “Honestly, it can be whatever you want it to be,” Knepper says. “But for me, it’s about being outside the lines — outside traditional relationships, outside societal norms. It’s not about shame.” And the work reflects that ethos: shot mostly in New York, the images are immediate and emotionally charged, capturing bodies in motion, vulnerability in between poses, and the seductive chaos of chosen family.

Photography Charlie Knepper

It’s not about shame

I wish I saw something like this when I was younger

There’s a playful provocation that runs through the book. When asked if he’s slept with everyone featured, Knepper laughs: “No comment. I’ve done some damage, but not everyone.” That energy — part confession, part myth-making — pulses throughout the pages. It’s a document of queer life without moral boundaries, but not without heart.

More than anything, Sidepiece is about visibility. “I wish I saw something like this when I was younger,” Knepper says. “This isn’t about labels. It’s just about being a young New Yorker, breaking some rules, figuring it out with your friends, and living with no apologies.”

In a culture that still urges people to hide their mess, Knepper offers a tender middle finger. Sidepiece doesn't glamorize destruction — it simply acknowledges that the path to becoming yourself is rarely neat. And sometimes, the sidepiece is the real story.

Art

End of the World

May 30, 2025

'End of the World' is a new ballet piece bringing together a distinctive collaboration between dancers and musicians to tell a deeply emotional story of personal loss, change, and quiet resilience. Set to an original composition by multi-instrumentalist Zach Tabori from his upcoming album.

Shot outside the traditional stage setting, it allows viewers to experience the nuance of these ballet dancers in a much more personal and raw context. The dancers long-term friendships adds a level of intimacy and trust into the piece which translates a closeness that makes them feel authentically connected. Tabori's composition, End of the Fucking World, serves as the emotional backbone of the ballet, intertwining melancholy and resilience, beginning with a hauntingly sparse arrangement, gradually building to a rich orchestral climax that mirrors Shayer's journey from grief to hope.

Directed by Stephanie Gotch
Choreographed by Gabe Stone Shayer & Stephanie Gotch
Featuring Indiana Woodward, Zimmi Coker, and Gabe Stone Shayer
Music written and produced by Zach Tabori
Orchestration arrangement by Suzie Katayama & Zach Tabori
Violin Charlie Bisharat & Joel Derouin
Viola Zach Dellinger
Cello Cameron Stone
Bass Tim Eckert
Director of Photography and editor Lucas Flores Piran
Photographer Brian Boulos
Second Camera Dwight Cassin
Gaffer Forrest Shearer
Location Gina Gibney Dance INC

End of the World marks an important return for Shayer. After twelve years at ABT, he left the company and addressed the racial inequalities he experienced as a black dancer in a predominantly white industry. The choreography within this piece mirrors Shayer's own struggles, with the music acting as a reflection of his introspective journey, stepping into a different creative space- one where he reclaims dance on his own terms. "In the case of this piece, I was presented with the music to work with,” says Shayer. “And suddenly I could feel myself coming back, through Zach Tabori’s melancholic tone. It felt like a symbiotic narrative about what I’ve gone through—and that gave meaning to my pursuit of creating a means of expression, a purpose for dancing."

And suddenly I could feel myself coming back, through Zach Tabori’s melancholic tone

Tabori's relationship between music and ballet is special, he explains “My favorite piece of music is The Rite of Spring—which is technically a ballet,” says Tabori. “To me, ballet is the original music video. If you want to use a visual to show how a piece of music is supposed to feel, you use dance. I wanted to bring that idea into this project.” Which he successfully achieved with the depth and emotion within this choreographed piece by Gotch and Shayer. Gotch makes a great point when it comes to the ballet industry in that “It’s an art form that speaks volumes without words, but too often it’s only seen onstage, in a theater. Ballet has always been—and will always be—my first love. We simply hope to share ballet in a way that feels more accessible, allowing viewers to experience it outside the traditional theater setting.” This accessiblity of sharing the artform of the ballet, and it's integration into the mainstream media has been well executed within this partnership.

To me, ballet is the original music video

Art

PRESENTE CONTINUO: the intimate ties between then&now

May 29, 2025

Artist and visionary Ivano Atzori is giving us an extensive look into his genius with the launch of his brand new book titled PRESENTE CONTINUO. Created in collaboration with C.P. Company, the book is filled to the brim with photographs and stories, offering us a chance to take a deeper dive into his artistic world and multifaceted inspirations. Beginning his journey in the early 90’s under the pseudonym DUMBO, Atzori has a unique way of fusing counter-cultural essence with the art and fashion of the mainstream. His innovative point of view was instrumental in shifting the world's perception of Milan, presenting it as an inventive place where contemporary art and unique voices could collide.

The book tells the story of Atzori’s undeniably meaningful impact on Milan’s cultural fabric while paying homage to the voices of those who have influenced and supported him along the way. Reflecting C.P. Company’s efforts to support valuable creative initiatives, the book is curated in a way that can ignite a passion for artistry and innovation in any reader. Combining an emphasis on the underground with intimate sentiments, PRESENTE CONTINUO illustrates the importance of carrying forward that which has formed the present moment.

Words by Abby Dillingham
Cover photo by Sha Ribeiro

Vivienne Westwood, One Size Fits All, 2010

Risk, Gee &, Chiste. Outtake One Size Fits All, 2010

Federico Peltretti, Coney Island, New York, 2007

Starting May 30, PRESENTE CONTINUO will be available to purchase on presentecontinuo.com, cpcompany.com, and at the C.P. Company flagship store in Milan, Corso Matteotti 7.

Art

TOILETPAPER visits Fotografiska Berlin

Now, that visual universe explodes into three dimensions with ToiletFotoPaperGrafiska, the duo’s first major Berlin exhibition, open at Fotografiska Berlin through August 2025. Think magazine spreads brought to life: immersive, disorienting, surreal, and sexy. "It’s like being invited to the best party of your life, where everyone is wildly intoxicated and you’re the only sober person in the room," Maurizio and Pierpaolo said. Visitors are pulled into a world of pool-sized banana pits, garish visual riddles, and worlds that defy logic and resist explanation.

After years of letting their images do the talking, office finally got a few words out of Maurizio and Pierpaolo.

TOILETPAPER feels like a high-gloss fever dream. Where did the original idea come from?

It came from a very specific need: we didn’t want to talk anymore—we just wanted to scream through images. TOILETPAPER was born as a silent manifesto with the volume all the way up. A way to say everything, even the opposite, without ever really explaining ourselves.

How did you come up with the name?

We wanted something essential, universal, and a bit annoying. Everyone uses toilet paper. Every day. It's democratic and we liked the idea that the images could be torn up, used, and thrown away. Like certain thoughts you just can't flush out of your head.

What makes an image a “TOILETPAPER” image?

Is there a rulebook or just a shared gut feeling between you two? If it makes you laugh and provokes a little, then it works. When an image is both disturbing and desirable, then it’s TOILETPAPER. But above all, if it sparks a debate—if it raises more questions than it answers—then it hits the mark.

we didn’t want to talk anymore—we just wanted to scream through images

Do you think that your experience in commercial photography has influenced the imagery you choose?

Of course. It’s like using the enemy’s weapon against them. Advertising teaches you how to seduce— we use that seduction to take you to places you never meant to go.

If TOILETPAPER had a smell, what would it be?

Spaghetti al pomodoro.

So much of your work delicately balances discomfort—chopped-up fingers, lipstick on teeth, raw meat. What role does disgust play in the visual language of TOILETPAPER?

"Unease is a trigger. When you can’t look away, even though part of you wants to, it works. It’s that feeling of ‘I wasn’t ready to see this—but now it’s burned into my brain.’" questa come risposta?

Spaghetti al pomodoro

Your images walk the line between attraction and repulsion, humor and horror. How do you know when you’ve found the right balance?

If it doesn’t make you a little uncomfortable, then it’s not TOILETPAPER yet. The perfect line is where you start laughing—and immediately wonder if you should feel ashamed.

Has there been an image that made you laugh out loud?

All the pictures with animals always put me in a good mood. For example the one about the polyamory of cats hugging each other.

we use that seduction to take you to places you never meant to go

If the world ended tomorrow, and someone found a copy of TOILETPAPER buried in the rubble—what would you want them to understand about humans?

We disappeared because we took everything too seriously, and nothing seriously enough. And yet, we tried to be funny—sinking with style in a bathtub full of rubber ducks.

What is the last thing in each of your search histories?

“How to escape an interview gracefully”.

What’s the weirdest thing in your trash cans right now?

Our youths.

What’s your ideal office?

On a beach in Costa Rica.