Jason Jagel at FIFTY24SF Gallery

Image from FIFTY24SF
A Massachusetts native, this extremely talented, unique, and contemporary artist has been shown around the world in cities including New York, Barcelona, Tokyo, Seattle, Los Angeles, and more. Certainly not his first show, Jason Jägel opens yet another solo exhibition at FIFTY24SF in collaboration with Upper Playground. I'll Fly (Into Your Heart) opened April 1st and runs through May 26, 2010 in the gritty heart of San Fran. His work is heavily influenced by the music of today and the past decade, referencing not only the movement of today's underground music scene but his childhood loves of records and comic books.

His bold, vibrant colors and slashing edges juxtapose across his canvases in a flurry of controlled desperation and haunting facial expression. His multi-layered universe speaks volumes about the trials of today and nostalgia for years past. Don't underestimate the street artist of today; what strength they have in numbers doesn't directly correspond with the level of merit seen, but Jägel rises above his counterparts to truly shine an exquisite light on what artists are capable of today.

I'm partial to his paintings and drawings, but don't miss his album artwork as well. You're sure to recognize big names there, and perhaps even find some gems in your own collection. His installation work reminds me of the Mexican artist installations from the designers in the Azteca Series with a splash of watercolor palette sensibility, but that's just me!

Three Apples

To the millions of Sanrio fans out there, LISTEN UP. This weekend kicks off what should prove to be a great show in LA titled "Three Apples"; in honor of the 35th anniversary of Hello Kitty, this phenomenal event is unlike anything that America has seen before, taking place at Royal-T (LA's first Japanese-style cosplay café). Unless you've had first hand experience of the Japanese mania surrounding this iconic figure, you have no idea the impact it has made in our country and around the world. The fact that this cutesy cat has lasted through over three decades of worldwide fame and is recognizable in virtually every country in the world is a testament to the designer who created her, and her entire band of Sanrio friends!

Come view the work of many of the big contemporary artists today, including Amada Visell, Buff Monster, Frank Kozik, Friends With You (FWY), Gary Baseman, Huck Gee, Luke Chueh, Natalia Fabia, Ron English, Simone Legno, Tara McPherson, and more! Don't miss the Happy Hour specials on Saturday after the opening; the show runs from October 23 through November 15. Plenty of time to stop by and getting cheered up/ creeped out by the perpetually perky feline!

8910 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
T 310 559 6300
F 310 559 6633

Benjamin Jones at Quirk

Every city with any sort of arts community has their version of First Fridays- the nights when wine flows, friends gather, and galleries open their doors for monthly openings and small shows. Quirk is always the toast of the town in Richmond with their ongoing commitment to unknown artists and big names alike, as long as they are innovative and bright stars in their niche.

Friday, September 4th from 6-10 Quirk opens their Main Gallery to Benjamin Jones, "an internationally acclaimed artist whose small drawings are full of deep emotion and intricate, yet ambiguous, story lines. The images walk a line between humor and horror, seducing the viewer as he sees bits of themselves, the artist, and the fictional collide." His show of small works runs until October 17th, so there is no reason why you should miss this great show.

Sienna Gallery

Art jewelry is a booming underground niche in contemporary art circles. More and more galleries dedicated to the 3-dimensional handmade are popping up, my former alma mater Quirk included. Sienna Gallery is another space dedicated to the innovative, the craftsman, the wearable art that is taking hold in big and small towns alike. Nestled in Lenox, Massachusetts, this idyllic town has served as the perfect muse for generations of artisans; they specialize in the display of traditional and non-traditional jewelry presentations as works of art.

Sienna boasts a large, varied, and proud group of represented artists, such as Susie Ganch (Head of Metals at Virginia Commonwealth University), Sayumi Yokouchi (featured in Quirk's Sparkle Plenty 2), Barbara Seidenath (participant in Sparkle Plenty 3), Giampaolo Babetto, Lauren Kalman (an especially interesting artist whose unconventional unique work speaks volumes about body adornment and alternative social values), and a variety of assorted jewelers each making exciting statements about the way we present ourselves through ornamentation.


Lauren Kalman


Anya Kivarkis


Esther Knobel


Myra Mimlitsch-Gray

Visit Sienna Gallery to see more work by these fabulous artists, upcoming shows, previous exhibitions, and more!

Vinyl store in San Diego now!

The nearest Kidrobot store to me is in Los Angeles. Now, I'm sure LA is a great town. There's a ton of artsy stuff going on non-stop, it's a giant hub of the world, a really lovely place with lovely people... right. As much as I LOVE the 2 hour drive up there to buy overpriced (albeit cool) clothes and knick-knacks, I'd just as soon stay local and buy my vinyl wares in the neighborhood. Now, thanks to Gunnzo, I can do just that!

Gunnzo is located in Old Town San Diego at 2445 Juan Street. It doesn't look like much from the outside (the store is located in the left side of a house smack in the middle of an incredibly steep residental street), and the inside consists of a small front room which leads to a slightly larger and more angular back room. All of this is attached to a great back porch which opens into a small courtyard linking the other side of the house (I'm assuming). What it lacks in space it makes up for in cozy quality.

Chika Sasaki has opened the only designer toy store in San Diego as far as I'm aware, and I'm hoping it works out beautifully for her. I got to go to the "opening" party where every attendee got a free Mini Munny Mobile to decorate as they pleased! I got to talking with a guy there (Jesse? Maybe? Bad with names) and apparently this entire venture started from her own personal collection. From the sounds of things, it seems like she has more internet business than walk-ins, but I'm sure as the buzz continues she's going to find herself in a great spot to dominate the toy market in San Diego. Not only does she have a great collection of hard to find Dunnys, Gunnzo is the exclusive US retailer for MINDstyle Asia Exclusives.

The fact that this is a toy store by a toy collector means that some things are off-limits, but what is for sale isn't grossly inflated with outlandish retail upcharging. Yes, she's got to make a profit, and her collection is small but very thorough. Sasaki seems to have a good handle on what's available and what's coming, so I'm expecting great things from her.

Pritned Matter NYC

Nieves
An Exhibition
April 4 – May 23, 2009

Opening Reception
Saturday, April 4, 2009, 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Printed Matter is pleased to announce an exhibition with the legendary Swiss publisher Nieves. The exhibition will feature a full retrospective of Nieve's zine program since 2004 as well as a selection of the books published by the press since its founding in 2001. The opening reception will also serve as a book launch for new titles by Henry Roy, Katerina Christidi, Harmony Korine as well as the compilation Zine Box 2008. The exhibition will open on April 4, 2009 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Printed Matter, which is located at 195 Tenth Avenue (between 21st and 22nd Street) in New York City.

Nieves was founded in 2001 by Benjamin Sommerhalder, following the demise of his short-lived magazine Zoo. From the start, Nieves has published critically acclaimed, yet diverse, publications from a who's who of visual delinquents: Rita Ackermann, Linus Bill, Robin Cameron, Larry Clark, Marcel Dzama, Chris Johanson, Kim Godon, Spike Jonze, Harmony Korine, Ari Marcopoulos, Mike Mills, Rick Myers, Aaron Rose, Ed Templeton, and Andrew Jeffrey Wright to name but a few. The publications have taken on a variety of forms, from limited edition, photocopied zines, to more-formally recognized hardcover, perfect-bound and offset books. In the last eight years, Nieves has become one of the most talked about names in European publishing and Sommerhalder recently won the Jan Tschichold award, a prestigious award given annually on the occasion of “The Most Beautiful Swiss Books” competition.

Although I have collected artists' books for several decades, this is the first time that I have trusted a publisher's tastes and program to intersect so completely with my own. Perhaps this is because Benjamin Sommerhalder, who is Nieves itself, is not so much a publisher as someone taking pleasure in artists' zines and in the act of publishing.

AA Bronson
“Nieves”, The Most Beautiful Swiss Books, 2009



The exhibition will feature over 100 zines published by Nieves since 2004, making them available for reading and perusing. Also on view will be a broad selection of books published by the press since 2001. Nieves authors Rick Myers and Tim Barber will be on hand to sign their publications at the opening reception, which will also serve as the launch for four publications:

Henry Roy's new zine August is about cinematic and dreamy vision of Ibiza, where he spent his last summer holidays (and has been visiting many times since the late eighties). August is saddle stitched, black and white, and 20 pages. It retails for $8 and can be purchased at Printed Matter's storefront in New York City or online at www.printedmatter.org.

Katerina Christidi's C'est pas angoissant is a combination of charcoal drawings drawn from her large scale works and her series One Year Drawings. The figurative work creates tension as the artist describes “between the anxiety of existential discomfort and it's comical response evoked by human figures.” C'est pas angoissant is saddle stitched, black and white, and 20 pages. It retails for $8 and can be purchased at Printed Matter's storefront in New York City or online at www.printedmatter.org.

Harmony Korine's Devils and Babies is as the title suggests, drawings of devils and babies in the artist's characteristic brut style. Devils and Babies is saddle stitched, black and white, and 20 pages. It retails for $8 and can be purchased at Printed Matter's storefront in New York City or online at www.printedmatter.org.

The Nieves Zine Box 2008 is produced in an extremely limited edition of 20 and contains a complete set of the zines that produced in 2008. The authors include Keegan McHargue, Beau LaBute, Mari Eastman, Geoff McFetridge, Frédéric Fleury, Reala / Körner Union, Eddie Martinez, Susan Gianciolo, Anthony Record, Tal R, Jonas Delaborde, Beni Bischof, Himaa, Rick Myers and Stefan Marx. The Nieves Zine Box 2008 retails for $250 and can be purchased at Printed Matter's storefront in New York City or online at www.printedmatter.org.

For more information, please contact AA Bronson at aabronson @ printedmatter.org.

Printed Matter, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1976 by artists and art workers with the mission to foster the appreciation, dissemination, and understanding of artists' books and other artists' publications.

Printed Matter, Inc. has received support, in part, through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Altria Group Inc, the Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, The Cowles Charitable Trust, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, The Gesso Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Schoenstadt Family Foundation, The Roy and Niuta Titus Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and individuals worldwide.

Kill Pixie

Mondays are sometimes difficult for me, and today was no exception. Getting up early has never been an easy task, especially over a long period of time. Just ask Momma D- I assure you that even the mention of the phrase "morning person" around her will ignite her into such a frenzy of explanation about how I am simply NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE that your ears will literally bleed at the montage. Still, somehow after our debaucherous weekend filled with cooking spaghetti and re-planting our herb garden I managed to ooze my way out of bed this morning to get to work by 7 sharp. It takes me longer than usual to get into my normal work mode on Mondays after actively atrophy-ing my brain into mush over the weekend, so I was perusing some of my personal emails and came across Fecal Face's Kill Pixie interview. I'm sure that at one time or another I've come across his work, but the vivid colors really struck a chord with my addled brain cells not quite functioning on 100%. Also I am very jealous of his LA pad. I would hate to live in LA for any other reason besides art, but I think I would thrive there as an artist. Then again, that's what everyone says.

Regardless, here's some of his drool-inspiring work.




These are all taken directly from Fecal Face. He's got a few shows coming up, one in LA and one currently in Australia. Some life, right?!?

Japanese Young Artists' Book Fair

Last year I was lucky enough to be at Printed Matter in NYC for the 2nd annual Japanese Young Artists' Book Fair, and let me just tell you there are some SHARP book artists coming out of there right now. I picked up a few gems, and I'm sure this year is going to be just as spectacular. I actually caught it at 2 locations, the second being Spoonbill and Sugartown in Brooklyn, and this year it'll be in a variety of locations across the city as well (Kinokuniya Bookstore and St. Marks Book Shop along with the two aforementioned). Over 100 artists are participating, and it's going on from February 15 – March 8, 2009.

If you plan on being in the NYC area during the show, be sure to stop by one of the four locations. Book art is underappreciated and overwhelmingly beautiful to anyone who hasn't really experienced anything like it. I took a class about Book Arts at VCU last year, and it really opened my eyes to the entire world of tangible art that can be held and appreciated physically. There's definitely something to be said about the ability to hold something created in your hands. It's a great feeling.

I can't elaborate any better...

So I'm not even going to try. Everyone knows (or should know) who Shepard Fairey is, or at least recognize his work. I for one pee my pants when I see something new of his. It's become massively mainstream, but who is not stoked on his success?



THE INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART / BOSTON

FIRST MUSEUM SURVEY OF INFLUENTIAL STREET ARTIST SHEPARD FAIREY OPENS AT THE INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART/BOSTON

SHEPARD FAIREY: SUPPLY & DEMAND
FEB. 6 - AUG. 16, 2009


Boston, MA – On the 20th anniversary of the Obey Giant campaign, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston opens the first museum survey of Shepard Fairey, the influential street artist who created the now iconic Obama poster. Stickers and posters of the artist’s work have appeared on street signs and buildings around the world as part of a guerrilla art campaign of global scale. Featuring over 80 works, Shepard Fairey: Supply & Demand traces the artist’s career over 20 years, from the Obey Giant stencil to screen prints of political revolutionaries and rock stars to recent mixed-media works and a new mural commissioned for the ICA show. In complement to the exhibition, Fairey will be creating public art works at sites around Boston. On view at the ICA from Feb. 6 to Aug. 16, 2009, Shepard Fairey: Supply & Demand is accompanied by an expanded, limited-edition box set of Supply & Demand, the retrospective publication of the artist’s work, in addition to exclusive limited-edition prints only available at the ICA Store.

Shepard Fairey: Supply and Demand features work in a wide variety of media – screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works on wood, metal and canvas. These works reflect the diversity of Fairey’s aesthetic, displaying a variety of influences and references such as Soviet propaganda, psychedelic rock posters, images of Americana, and the layering and weathering of street art. While his visually seductive imagery draws in his audience, Fairey uses his work as a platform to make statements on social issues important to him. The artist explains his driving motivation: "The real message behind most of my work is ‘question everything."

Initiated by former ICA assistant curator Emily Moore Brouillet and developed by guest curator Pedro H. Alonzo, the retrospective exhibition examines prevailing themes in Fairey’s work including Anti-War/Peace, Leaders of Change, Hierarchies of Power, Music, Excesses of Capitalism, and Activism.



Exhibition Related Programs

Artist Talk: Shepard Fairey
Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, 6:30 pm
The subject of a new ICA survey exhibition, Shepard Fairey shares insights into his work which shifts easily between the realms of fine, commercial, and even political art. Tickets: $20 general admission; $14 members, students (with valid ID) and seniors. This program is made possible through the generosity of Vivien and Alan Hassenfeld.

OBEY Experiment
Friday, Feb. 6, 2009, 9 pm - midnight
On the opening night of his first museum survey, artist Shepard Fairey DJs at the ICA’s wildly popular Experiment party. Tickets: $25 general admission; $20 members and students with valid ID. 21 +

Lunchtime Gallery Talk
Shepard Fairey: Supply & Demand
Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, noon
Exhibition curator Pedro Alonzo shares his perspective on working with Shepard Fairey in a program tailor-made for the lunch hour. Free with museum admission. Space is limited. Free tickets are available first-come, first-served one hour before the program. Ticket holders receive a 10% discount at the Water Café. May not be combined with any other offer.

ICA/AIGA Design Series: Design as Social Agent
Saturday, April 4, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Bringing together speakers from the fields of design, street art, music, and politics, this day-long event frames Shepard Fairey’s work within the context of grassroots civic action, punk rock, and 80s graffiti and skate culture. Featuring Steve Heller, Elliot Earls, Nicholas Blechman, Luba Lukova, Cliff Stolze, Caleb Neelon, PIXNIT, and Mirko Ilic. Ticketing information TBD.

Bike Tour: Shepard Fairey Off Site
Sunday, May 17, 10 am
Sunday, June 28, 10 am
Exhibition curator Pedro Alonzo leads a bike tour of Fairey’s public work in Boston and Cambridge. Stopping at six locations along the way, Alonzo will talk about the context, content, and culture of the artist’s work and the relationships between graffiti, public art, graphic design, and advertising. The tour will cover approximately 10 miles. Tickets: $20 general admission; $15 ICA members, students, and seniors

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.ICABOSTON.ORG

The Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA 02210

www.icaboston.org

WWW.OBEYGIANT.COM

Robert Walz

As some of you know, I used to work at Quirk Gallery in Richmond, VA for about a year and a half starting as an intern and working up to an associate. Their niche is art jewelry, the major show being the annual Sparkle Plenty show every November/December. Anyway, before I left a year ago, they had started the Shop Show, focusing on flat works from mostly local and young up-and-coming artists.

(image taken from lorenholyoke.com)
The Shop Shows always caught my eye more than a lot of the crafty things that were in the main gallery, the difference being that the main exhibitions were chosen by Kathy (the Gallery Director) and the Shop Shows were chosen by Katie & Diana, the shop director and manager duo. Diana has a great eye for hip stuff, and has snagged some awesome shows.
Even though the Quirk site is down right now for maintenance, the Quirk Myspace page informed me that their current Shop Show is Robert Walz, a Richmond artist working with color.

(image taken from robertwalz.com)
I really miss being in this type of creative atmosphere, and being exposed to great art from all areas and levels of experience. I didn't have to even try to find out about new things or cool sites, they were just thrust on me every day. A lot of the business end of things were mildly lame, but I think I would appreciate it more now that I actually depend on a job for money (unlike the school years where I was only too happy to work for free!).
Anyway, the point is that I like what I see so far from this Robert Walz character. His site says it will be up Spring 2008, so hopefully that means by Spring 2009? If you are in the Richmond area, I'd recommend hitting up First Friday, which is today now that I think about it. It's the last First Friday with Sparkle Plenty 4 up, and since the Shop Show rotates monthly it's the last chance to see Robert Walz. So stop by and say hi to the ladies at Quirk for me. I miss 'em.

The Handmade Holiday

What: A New Juried Indie Craft Show in Richmond, Virginia that will exclusively feature the work of local crafters & designers.

Why: Buy Handmade & Buy Local this Holiday Season!

Who: The Richmond Craft Mafia, The Visual Arts Center of Richmond and some of Richmond's most talented indie crafters and designers.

Where: The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (formerly the Hand Workshop) at 1812 Main Street

When:
Preview Party - Friday
December 12th from 7 - 10 pm
Ticket Info

Open to the Public - Saturday
December 13th from 10 - 5
Free & Open to the Public

How: Come on out and support local carfters and designers this Holiday Season!
Vendors:
Amy Weiks Jewelry
April Scott Kids
Avant-gourde
Avenue Handmade
Bee's Knees Studio
Claire McDermott Designs
Crystal J Silks
Erin Taylor Designs
Ernst & Thistle
Essential E Paper
Face Metal Design
Gabriel Craig Metalsmith
Gwen's Garden
Hearts & Needles
Hershey Is My Baby
Jackson Sage
Jude Glass
Keen Designs
Lark Studio
Lorcom Lane
Maslodesigns
Miss Pickles Press
Modern Atelier
Modern June
Moneky & Me
My Precious Studio
Nicole Lee Designs
oelle m.
Phil Barbato
Popidiot
Pretty Silly Things
Serious Whimsy
Sew * Ono Apparel
Shannon by Hand
Silver Tree Art
Solos Glass
Tasha McKelvey
Team 8 Press
The Cupcakery
Twist Style

LINK TO HANDMADE HOLIDAY WEBSITE LINK LINK LINK LINK!!!!!

ray at night

In San Diego, they don't have First Fridays. What they DO have is an entire plethora of arts organizations at different times during the week, so basically it's like having First Fridays in different communities every week. Many of these I have yet to discover or attend, but the local one here is Ray at Night, which I guess started a few years ago. While it occupies a small amount of actual space, it seems to have a lot to offer.

Last night was my first night attending the Second Saturday event, and I didn't really know what to expect. I'd been into the Milo Shoes and Gallery before, but wanted to see some local galleries dedicated to younger artists or the contemporary movement. To be honest, the only one I really spent time in was 4 Walls with the Adapta Project, which was the work of Jorge Tellaeche.

This guy is the painter I want to be. Nature, color, free forms, and exploring the idea of using non-archival materials to achieve a sense of the immediate without an emphasis on longevity are all things that I've toyed with, but never mastered as he so obviously has. He works on wood, canvas (primed and unprimed), fabric (linen?) and he even had a shirt/dress that he had painted and embroidered. Just the layering work on his paintings were so intricate but maintained such spontaneity that my mind was blown. Really, after that, there was nothing worth looking at. We had some wine and left.

A promising first time.

Anonymous Gallery

I generally skip over even the emails that I've signed up for, but today I actually read my Fecal Face email for the first time in a while. I guess this isn't really a super update, but I was clicking around with that email as a starting point and came across the Anonymous Gallery in New York City. I definitely miss the gallery scene, and would love to take another week like I did last year to go around and observe artists at work and gallery shows. Basically this is just me feeling sentimental about art, and wishing I had some coffee before the electrician gets here. Oh yes, and Happy Halloween!

Domino!

The gallery shop director at Quirk, Katie Ukrop, is featured in this month's Domino Magazine, and there's been a flurry of press around Richmond about it! I saw this article on inRich.com, and the slideshow is a nice little peek into her home on Grove. I have to say, I absolutely love Katie and her family. They are some of the most truly wonderful, open, welcoming, and genuine people I have ever had the privilege of working with/for. Anyone who has anything bad to say about them has to answer to me.

The release party at Quirk was a fantastic little affair. I haven't been down to Quirk for awhile since I stopped working there, so it was really nice to see my former coworkers and catch up on all the gallery gossip. Sometimes it got boring working at a desk, but it was nice being surrounded by art and creativity. Hopefully I can find a good gig in California!

fecal face

Fecal Face just printed an article about old skate mags featured in a show at Needles + Pens. No big deal, just an awesome collection of memorabilia and stuff spanning a few decades. Be sure to read the article, but the pixxx are off the wall.