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2006-08-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

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FILM////COMING ATTRACTIONS...

2006-08-21T01:03:00.000-07:00

LA///THE DATE FARMERS x NEW IMAGE ART

2006-08-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

Farm Boys: Carlos Ramirez & Armando Lerma

The Date Farmers came in from the California desert (where their family farms dates) long enough to debut an impressive show of new work, "Nadie Me Quiere" (Nobody Loves Me) at West Hollywood's New Image Art gallery on Saturday nite. Drawing inspiration from modern Mexican street art & graphics, Chicano lowrider, jail & gang culture, Catholic iconography and traditional Mexican & Indian crafts, the boys blend their influences into a postmodern amalgam that they execute with ease. Working collaboratively, the two channel their vision into pieces executed on a variety of found objects from wood paneling to sections of corrugated metal, passing off painting duties one to another at will. The end result is an incredibly varied output that represents a unique example of modern Chicano art. As if that weren't enough, they're some of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Some people just have it all...

Rounding out the show was an installation by fellow artist Gary Garay replicating a traditional Mexican zapateria with handmade cardboard shoes, boots & sandals surrounded by paintings and a customized Mexican helado cart...

The show runs through September 9, proceed to New Image Art ASAP...

New Image Art's Marsea Goldberg (middle) with her Silverlake posse...

GARY GARAY

NEWS///THE "GNOTORIOUS" B.I.G...

2006-08-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

GNARLS BIGGIE

In the circle of life, everything comes back around again, as is the case with the new posthumous supergroup "Gnarls Biggie". Much like Dangermouse jumpstarted his career by blending Jay-Z's "Black Album" with the Beatles' eponymous "White Album", before moving on to found Gnarls Barkley, Brooklyn-based duo Sound Advice (aka: Elsewhere & K. Ross) have mashed-up their hometown hero's oeuvre with Gnarls Barkley's debut disc "St. Elsewhere" to create the hybrid album "Gnotorious". Of course, the whole thing is illegal as hell and not commercially available, but for now the album exists online for your listening pleasure at Gnotorious.com. Grab it without leaving a trail on Limewire by downloading Wiretap for free, recording the tracks as you listen & importing the files into iTunes...

DOG DAYS...

2006-08-19T03:49:00.000-07:00

YouTube is a wonderful thing. Click HERE to enjoy...

NYC///THE WEEK IN REVIEW...

2006-08-19T03:41:00.000-07:00

When Stuntboy's (aka: Erik Foss) not busy scoring dust, he's on the scene in the NYC with his camera at the ready. Peep some highlights from last week's misadventures...

Chris "DAZE" Ellis works for a better NYC...

Paris Hilton's (aka: the Praying Mantis) birthday bash at the Marquee was a fiasco.
Guess which one of these is the birthday girl...

The Mantis' clown car...

Chickenhead & Quicksand alum Sergio Vega handled the comic relief (which was much in need) while Paul Sevigny, Purple Magazine publisher Olivier Zahm & a gal pal kept it fab...

Meanwhile, in Chelsea, Steve Aoki (aka: Kid Millionaire) & The Cobrasnake were
on hand to jump start the body rock at Stereo...

Where actor Leo Fitzpatrick showed off his new pet Ewok & the Droog crew was in full effect...

THE ATL///BUFF MONSTER x SOUTHERN BELLES...

2006-08-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

It's hot as hell in the ATL so Buff Monster had no problem getting the ladies to take it all off & become human paintings on the southern swing of his US "Soft Serve" tour this week. Club Django was the spot for a nite when the crew set up shop to screen some original T-shirts for the fans & post up on some young, nubile flesh. Rappers Supreeme were on hand to keep the painted bodies rockin into the wee hours. Let's just say these were the most "legal" photos from the nite...

Buff gettin' in where he fits in...

Unfortunately, these paintings weren't for sale...

Durrty South in the house...

Everybody wants some...

Buff's hardbody club...

Dacks double dippin...

Fuck Hyphy, you gotta keep it Krunk!...

Supreeme & the clientele...

NEWS///REVOLVER REVELATIONS...

2006-08-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

Author Ray Newman isn't a music journalist or really even an author, but as a Beatles fan, he's written a shockingly good 103 page virtual book (in PDF format) on the most important album of the Band's career, Revolver, that's available as a free download by clicking HERE. This month marks Revolver's 4o year anniversary, so dig in and try to figure out where the modern music industry went wrong...

While we're talking about Revolver, check out this amazing
James Jarvis rendition of the classic Klaus Voorman original...
(click image to enlarge)

SNEEK PEEK///THE MAD DR...

2006-08-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Keep it tuned to Supertouch for more details...

AT A GLANCE///SKETCHBOOK WEDNESDAYS...

2006-08-16T01:03:00.000-07:00

This week's entry in the little black book comes from O.G. NYC street art legend & Rock Steady Crew member Doze Green, who gave these two pages an extra dose of the mystical creative energy that he travels the world in wild pursuit of. Known primarily for his epic expressive paintings, it's in Doze's pen & ink work that the fine subtleties of his masterful linestyle come to light. That's artspeak for "he draws like a straight-up badass"...

(Click to enlarge...)

Up close & personal:

NYC///LIVE FROM LIT LOUNGE...

2006-08-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

From all nite rocket-fueled throwdowns at his bar, Lit Lounge, to prowlin the streets of his native stomping grounds of the Lower East Side, NYC, by day, Stuntboy, aka: Erik Foss always keeps the camera off safety. Peep the weekend's flix...

FULLY LIT: aNYthing's A-Ron gets suicidal behind the bar while Neck Face lives the dream...

Tristan Eaton kikin it with the Vice squad. DJ Smal Change won't play 50 Cent...

Dark side of the moon...

Street artist Haculla kickin it with Baker Boy "The Sza"...

Streetside: The Boys of legendary art bar Max Fish @ 6am, music video shoot @ 3pm...

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs takin control at McCarren Park Pool...

Where artist Maya Hayuk came prepared & one of Russia's finest kept the pulses quick.

MODA///BARRACUDA de LOS ÁNGELES...

2006-08-15T00:53:00.000-07:00

Dyslexia runs in la familia Barracuda...

LA streetwear hotspot Barracuda has just launched their latest line of branded apparel, "Barracuda Mal Vivientes," with a range of T-shirts & hoodies emblazoned with Miguel de la Barracuda's signature Mexicano imagery including the too-sick-for-words "La Virgín de los Hijos de Putas" zip-up sweatshirt. Thank Supertouch when you don't have to wonder where to get that "Amexicana" T-shirt that Lupe Fiasco's wearin in his first video dropping any minute now...

Barracuda LA, 7600B Melrose Ave..

FASHION///HYSTERIC MINI...

2006-08-15T00:41:00.000-07:00

Can't bear the thought of spending more to dress your kids in the finest imported rock couture fashion than you do on yourself? Then stay the fuck outta Span of Sunset where you'll find the newest HYSTERIC MINI gear including the incredibly rare Mike Giant baby blanket! Available for in-store purchase only, don't sleep...

LA///KENT WILLIAMS' "AMALGAM"...

2006-08-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

Williams' subtle SAMO shout-out...

Master painter and renowned comic/graphic novel artist (Vertigo's "Blood," and "The Fountain") Kent Williams took his already untouchable technique to the next level when his show of new paintings & drawings, Amalgam, opened at LA's venerated Merry Karnowsky Gallery on Saturday. Consider this show the perfect antidote to LA's endless supply of vinyl toy culture-derived group "art" shows...

On exhibit through Sept 9 at Merry Karnowsky Gallery, 170 S. La Brea, LA...

(Click images to enlarge)

VERMONT!///WORN OUT...

2006-08-14T00:46:00.000-07:00

Vermont isn't the first place that springs to mind when one thinks of art shows, but for a minute now a very cool gallery called Pursuit (no website) has been quietly operating under the art world radar, and doing a damn fine job of serving up tasty shows to a captive audience (thank god Burton's in town). Last week saw the opening of their latest show, "Worn Out: A Collection Of Handmade T-Shirts," which featured over 50 contributing artists, including A-Ron, Neck Face & Aaron Rose, and drew a crowd of NYC hipsters out of their studio apartments for a weekend of hippie summertime splendor, Vermont style. Supertouch NYC correspondent Erik Foss (aka: Stuntboy) was on hand for the spectacle...

(Click images to enlarge...)

Stuntboy vs Kong. Found public porn...

T-shirt Molotov Cocktails. A room with a view...

Rockers NYC x Mark Gonzales...

Cheech Wizard meets the World. T-shirt beer cozies...

The backlash begins...

Jeff Phillips x Dash Snow...

Neck Face x Aaron Rose...

Stonie Tweety x Alice Cooper...

Hung out to dry. The afterparty: Jim Murphy, Tino Razzo & Señor Scary get amped...

Only in Vermont: electric violin jam session. Seth chills with Mark Razzo...

The lost Zeppelin cover...

Have skate, will travel...

Old school throwdown at the Burton bowl.

Stuntboy gets ready for the swimmin' hole...

And everybody runs...

NYC///RVCA IN THE NEWS...

2006-08-13T00:02:00.000-07:00

Continuing their current infatuation with the modern streetwear industry, the New York Times has published an article in this Sunday's paper on surf/skate/art apparel upstarts RVCA. Read on...

OFF THE WALL AND OFF THE HOOK

By Guy Trebay

Costa Mesa, CA.
Decades collapse into each other. This happens constantly. One moment you find yourself in a crowd of X Games fans just out of puberty, ogling death-defying stunts performed by people barely old enough to vote. Hours later you are at a party filled with people from this same X Games age cohort rubbing shoulders with musicians from some faraway Planet of Yesteryear: ex-members of Devo, say, or Weird Al Yankovic.

This occurred Aug. 5 at a factory alongside a taxidermy studio in a semi-industrial section of this coastal city in Orange County, where a couple of former surfers have somehow managed to build a multimillion dollar company on the basis of exporting a quirky and persuasive visual variant of old style Southern California cool.

Five years ago, the surf and sportswear company Ruca was nonexistent. Now, a label that began as the fashion equivalent of a garage band is booking annual sales of over $20 million and, more important, is being touted as the next big thing. “Ruca is where Volcom was a decade ago,” Andrew Asch, retail editor of California Apparel News said this week, referring to another one-time indie label that became a sportswear behemoth. “It’s like they’re a rock group that’s on the verge of hitting it really huge.”

There was something instructive about the mood of the party, held at Ruca’s headquarters in celebration of an art collaboration between the label, the artist KRK Ryden and Mark Mothersbaugh, a former Devo musician who has long made art and who now earns his living writing scores for films.

Out in the chilly Pacific air, people gossiped, drank Red Bull and vodka, dandled babies and sat around on canvas-covered poufs in a closed parking lot while someone played that most charming of musical anachronisms, the theremin.

The rhythm-of-the-spheres vibe felt oddly appropriate since the unstated dress code seemed to be time travel. There were people dressed as Ward Cleaver did in the 1950’s, and an equal number of people dressed, as Pete Doherty does, in 1960’s rocker style.

All of it had something to say about the amalgam of bohemianism and mainstream business that has helped Ruca attain cult status: clothes that are whimsical, rendered in an eccentric palette and with cuts that are almost Wal-Mart generic (although far from Wal-Mart cheap: a pair of board shorts costs $52), yet so offhandedly stylish that Ruca clothes are now sold at 400 stores in the United States as well as shops in 18 countries, among them the Parisian boutique Colette, perennial arbiter of hipster chic.

That Ruca’s vendors include both hard-core surf and skate shops and places like Bloomingdale’s SoHo and Fred Segal in Los Angeles — presumably that is where movie people like Josh Hartnett, Sandra Bullock and Ewan McGregor buy their Ruca stuff — are part of the brand’s high/low, hard-core/mainstream appeal.

Last year, when Reebok went looking for a label sufficiently cool to design limited-edition sneakers under a deal licensing art by Jean-Michel Basquiat, the obvious choice was Ruca, explained Chris Noyes, whose business card identifies him as the brand’s lifestyle representative. “They’re always in touch with the grass roots of the cultures they come from,” Mr. Noyes said.

Make that culture, singular. Pat PM Tenore and Conan Hayes, the two Ruca partners, are both wave riders of long standing. It was Mr. Hayes’s decision in 2001 to forego a lucrative pro endorsement contract, put up a $20,000 grubstake and sign on to Mr. Tenore’s vision of an active sportswear label that drew inspiration from “skaters, musicians, surfers and graffiti writers” that helped get the label off the ground.
The concept then and now, the designer said, was to “promote the genuine integrity of these subcultures while giving back to the community,” a statement that could easily strike the hollow note of a beauty queen’s coronation speech.

Yet, however intended, the label’s link to communal subcultures makes sound business sense. Few niches are tougher to exploit commercially than cool, and so it is probably logical that Ruca sponsors a rock band, has built a skateboard half-pipe inside the company’s headquarters and underwrites regular art exhibits like the one by Mr. Ryden and Mr. Mothersbaugh.

“Of course we want to control the world, like everybody else,” said Mr. Tenore, 33. His unlikely route to that goal is through Ruca’s Artist Network Program, an ongoing collaboration with artists who create images for limited edition T-shirts, which are then sold with the proceeds partly earmarked for charity.

The list of Ruca collaborators would be immediately recognizable to board sports cognoscenti: the artist and skateboarding legend Ed Templeton; the painter (and skateboarder) Aaron Horkey; the graffiti artists Eklips and Neck Face; and the conceptual artist Donny Miller, whose new book, “Beautiful People With Beautiful Feelings,” is among the more droll recent commentaries on pop culture’s durably seductive banality.

“I wasted all my pretty years on you,” reads the legend on a T-shirt Mr. Miller designed for Ruca’s new line, the phrase printed above the eyes of a comic book seductress from the 1970’s.

Ruca also publishes the ANP Quarterly, a handsomely quirky, free (and advertising-free) magazine filled with dispatches from points all around the creative and cultural perimeter.

In a single issue one may encounter Hanna Fushihara, a New Yorker whose Little Cakes gallery is run out of her Lower East Side apartment, or Wendy Yao’s quirky Los Angeles boutique, Ooga Booga; or Ian MacKaye, the founder of bands like Teen Idle, Fugazi and the Evens; or snapshots from inside the Smell, the indie/punk/dance/funk club in Los Angeles; or an interview with Laurie Lazer and Darryl Smith, who run the Luggage Store, a gallery in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. One might stumble upon a chat with Thomas Schmidt, the schizophrenic zine creator who in the early 1990’s, under the name Earl Parker, put out a wildly influential publication called Polyurethane Monthly from his home in Kansas City, Kan.

It was Ms. Fushihara of Little Cakes gallery who pointed out in an ANP Quarterly interview the existence of little pockets of “weirdos” like herself living all over the country, “making music, touring, sleeping on each other’s floors, having weird plays, lots of costumes and masks, posters, self-released CD-R’s, records, etc.” It doesn’t matter anymore where one lives, she added last week in a telephone interview. “You could be in Idaho or Iowa and be connected,” she said. The point by now is beyond argument. And yet what are the odds that the matrix for a series of creative encounters would turn out to be a board shorts manufacturer in the part of Orange County known as Velcro Valley?

“It’s about the way I grew up,” Mr. Tenore said, referring to his discovery of a world of kindred spirits among skateboarders, graffiti artists, surfers and cultural outsiders, generally. Mr. Tenore’s own “turbulent, mostly fatherless and short childhood” was spent partly in the Bay Area and also in part with relatives in the Philippines. His family’s support came from his mother and also a maternal grandfather, an American of Chinese-Filipino ancestry who worked two jobs, as both a janitor and security guard, almost until the day he died.

During his teens, Mr. Tenore found a job at a surf shop, where his eye for style eventually evolved to the point where he opened a store of his own. He was always, Mr. Tenore explained, acutely sensitive to the fine points of slacker and surf style. (“I wore my pants three sizes too large,” he said, before it was fashionable to do so and later switched to Dickie’s with legs he tailored to look pegged.) But if fashion as a form of self-expression came naturally to him, Mr. Tenore said, a career in the apparel industry was never part of grand scheme.

“I fell into it,” Mr. Tenore said last week before his party, as he flopped atop a cushion on his office floor. “The business people don’t like to hear this, but sometimes it’s better not to have a plan.” •

Source: NY TIMES

FASHION///JOHN VARVATOS x CONVERSE...

2006-08-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Johnny V's rock fashion cred is intact with Iggy on board...

Rock fashionista John Varvatos has given the streetwear world a glimpse of things to come with his newest collaboration with Nike subsidiary Converse. Taking the body of the iconic rocker sneaker, Varvatos has given the original Chuck Taylor lowtop a simultaneously subtle & radical revamp by retooling the canvas upper with a staggering 38 eyeholes through which a thin set of shiny elastic laces are threaded, giving the kix a certain combat boot chic. Intended to be laced up permanently and worn as a slip-on, the limited-edition shoes also feature aged, cream-colored rubber sidewalls & toe caps and a very cool clear sole through which the OG "All Star" logo is visible. To top it off, the kix come packed in a beautiful box with a metal carrying grommet and a John Varvatos-branded cloth travel bag.

Varvatos fans should note that this collaboration is just a glimpse of things to come as the designer's full apparel line with Converse is set to drop at select streetwear shops in the fall. Just in time for "Rock-tober"...

Click HERE to preview the full John Varvatos x Converse Fall 2006 fashion line...

NEWS///RICK'S NEW ROCK...

2006-08-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

The original (and recently departed) Superfreak, Rick James, finally scored the ultimate "rock" last week when this giant black monolith bearing his image and the incredibly fitting lines "I've had it all, I've done it all, I've seen it all" was positioned above his resting place in Buffalo, New York, to mark the second anniversary of his death. Apparently this passage was chosen by the family in lieu of James' requested "Cocaine is a helluva drug" line...

SF///UPPER PLAYGROUND IN THE HOUSE (& HOME)...

2006-08-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

Upper Playground in association with FIFTY24SF Gallery plans to introduce a new line of artist-embellished housewares with the launch of a series of throw pillows featuring art by U.P. regulars Sam Flores, Herbert Baglione, Jeremy Fish, and Dave Choe. The 18" x 18" headrests will be available at the brand's original San Francisco outpost as well as their new Portland location...

(Click image to enlarge...)

LA///KEHINDE WILEY IN THE SKY...

2006-08-12T02:52:00.000-07:00

South Central native turned NYC transplant Kehinde Wiley finally got his ups on the LA skyline when his new art billboard was installed above LA's premier sneaker spot UNDFTD on LaBrea Ave this week. Replacing Craig Stecyk's stark image from last month (pictured below), the new image—a detail of Wiley's "Three Graces" painting— is a stark contrast in its hyper-Rococo decadence. Says Wiley, "With the work I'm doing now, I'm interested in history as it relates to bling-bling. In places like Harlem, people ornament their bodies, love Gucci and Versace... I'm interested in certain types of French Rococo ornament that end up as faux décor in shopping malls or in Michael Graves's faux neo-classicism, for that matter."

For all Wiley's fine art literacy, the true bottom line is the sensibility of his youngest viewers: "I want my work to look as familiar to young kids as it is to seasoned art historians who know all the references. What appeals to me about painting is something that has cultural fluency."
See more of Kehinde Wiley's work HERE...

(Clik imges to enlarge.)

LAST MONTH'S BILLBOARD: CRAIG STECYK'S "ROAD TO NOWHERE"

FILM///COMING ATTRACTIONS...

2006-08-10T01:13:00.000-07:00

Hollywood's penchant for remaking original Hong Kong features continues, this time with Edison Chen's star vehicle "Infernal Affairs" recast as "The Departed". Directed by Martin Scorsese, it stars Leo DiCaprio & Jack Nicholson in an Americanized reprise of the original tale. If you claim to love Clot & all things Edison but haven't seen "Affairs" yet, hit up your Netflix now, it's bound to be better than the remake...

Click HERE to watch the trailer...

On the Rock tip, Steven Blush's (of Seconds Magazine fame) literary manifesto on the history of hardcore punk, "American Hardcore," will see the the light of the silver screen this Fall filled with cameos from legends like Keith Morris & Ian MacKaye, and period photography by people like Ed Colver and Glen Friedman...

Click HERE to watch the trailer...

*Special thanx to the dark overlord...

NYC///THE URBAN TRAILER PARK...

2006-08-10T00:49:00.000-07:00

The ratio of green parks to brick buildings on NYC's Lower East Side is especially low, but Kim Holleman's mobile "Trailer Park" installation seeks to put an end to that by bringing a quiet oasis to the street of her choice anytime she wants. It may only seat six people at a time, but you never have to worry about stepping in dog shit...

ESSENTIAL FILM///FAVELA RISING...

2006-08-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

It's won just about every award possible since being showcased in limited venues late last year and now that the stunning Brasilian documentary Favela Rising directed by Jeff Zimbalist & Matt Mochary is being released en masse in the US and abroad, it should be considered essential viewing...

Favela Rising is about Anderson Sa, a man who, after his brother is murdered by police, is inspired to create the AfroReggae movement as a peaceful alternative path for youth amid the violence of druglords that plague a Rio de Janeiro community. At first, we see the truly horrifying statistics of killings in Rio favelas, particularly Vigário Geral, where Sa lives. Much of this is fueled by drug gang wars with one another and police. The only economic option that appears to be available to the kids in the favelas is working with the drug gangs, as most other means of employment earn starvation wages. That's what makes Anderson Sa's work in this film so amazing. With a commitment to ending violence, he works to grow an alternative community to that of the drug gangs that provides opportunity and status for the youth of the favela through music. Frankly, it's amazing he has survived to watch this new option succeed as children take up drums and dance instead of guns. It should be noted that in keeping with the optimistic undertone of the film, the makers of Favela Rising are giving all proceeds from the film back to AfroReggae and the community.

Click HERE to watch the trailer...

While we're talking about Brasil, it's time to mention the new record by by Adrian Quesada & Ocote Soul Sounds. The soundtrack to a fictitious movie, El Niño Y El Sol is the creation of Martin Perna and Adrian Quesada, from the groups Antibalas and Grupo Fantasma respectively who have banded together to create a stunning collection of Brasilian-style Afrofunk:

LA///KEEP ON TRUCKIN'...

2006-08-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

Billboard, overpass & delivery truck hits on the rise in Lost Angeles...

AT A GLANCE///SKETCHBOOK WEDNESDAYS...

2006-08-08T23:01:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday's post from the little black book comes from Barry McGee, aka TWISTER. No explanations necessary on this 2005 double-shot entry from the legendary innovator...

THE O.C.///DONNY MILLER x RVCA x MARK MOTHERSBAUGH x KRK RYDEN...

2006-08-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

Donny Miller: "I can't help it if I'm prettier than all women. Sorry in advance..."

On Saturday, August 5, SoCal clothiers-to-the-art-stars RVCA (pronounced "roo-kaa", not R-V-C-A...) hosted "Dos Mutatos," an art show of work by Devo member Mark Mothersbaugh and KRK Ryden, at their private Costa Mesa compound. It's kinda like the Manson Family compound but with way more rich, blond, OC kids & skate ramps. It was a private affair & you needed a special purple VIP wristband to get in. Art star Donny Miller had two. The following is his unbiased account of the evening...

All text and photos by Donny Miller:

So, this is at RVCA in Costa Mesa. They had complementary valet parking. The sign should have said that, so people wouldn't have had to ask how much it cost.

Let's just start off by saying, Starpower! Weird Al was super nice. Apparently, he is working on a death metal album. Just kidding. Outside the lighting was really moody...

The show was very colorful and all of that, but who really cares.
I'll get to that in a bit. Let's just look at the girls who came to the show:

Left: This girl would only have her photo taken with her boyfriend, so I cut him out
when I took the picture. Right: I know this girl and she is a sweet, sweet, sweetheart.
"Look, I'm the girl at the ice cream truck. I spilled ice cream all over my jacket.
Can I use your face to clean it off?"

Left: This woman went up to Mark and hugged and kissed him and told him what a big fan of Devo she is. I tried getting her to strike a pose, but she was like "hurry up." I told her I was a roadie for Weird Al and she slipped me her phone number. Right: "Oh, look. I'm trying not to look hot. Oops, I looked hot." I think I can see her nipple with the flash here. Boobs like this are like my favorite. Perfect. Let's give them a cute name. "Mouth muffins." God, I'm such a jerk...

Left: This girl worked the bar. I told her she looked like Lindsey Lohan and she did for a second. I think she looks more like my friend Dave's girlfriend. Very nice of her to pose for me. Right: Some girls are just not comfortable posing...

Left: Look at those eyes. They say things like "hummus" and "pita bread"... Right: These two were really cool. I told them I was taking pictures for a softcore porno magazine and they were into it. I'm thinking now that it would be easy to make pornos and that might be my next "art" project.

Now for the regular people:

Left: Grant Brittain and his lovely family. (Son is off camera, getting food.)
Right: Mickey Avalon, mid-handshake.

Left: Ed and Deanna Templeton. Both super wasted...
Right: Leo Romero, mid-high-five.

Left: Sometimes a girl can't not look hot. Here is an example.
Right: Devo member Gerald V. Casale. He has a pose for every picture.

Paintings by KRK...

Left: Mark and this guy were talking. I was videotaping at the same time. I was asked by Jamie to get a picture of Mark and KRK. Right: This is a security guard and she was primping in the reflection of the window. There was a light around the corner and she kept count of how many times someone kicked it, but she never moved it. The last count was 22 times. She was good at her job. Actually, she was...

Art by Mark Mothersbaugh. Left: Mark told me this was a Middle Eastern fundamentalist. Right: These are all business cards...

Left: Pat (RVCA owner) and his model son who your girlfriend will leave you for if you're not looking and he isn't trying. Right: KRK waving goodbye...

Donny Miller's new book Beautiful People With Beautiful Feelings
is available now, click HERE to order...

NEWS///A SLICE OF NERD HEAVEN RIGHT HERE ON EARTH...

2006-08-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

From the Too-Good-To-Be-True files: Japanese toy company Bandai has announced the release of this 5-foot tall fully articulated remote-control Gundam action figure. Designed for "men in their 20s to 40s," the monstrosity costs $3000, weighs 77 pounds, includes a ginormous black gun, 14 moving parts, and an infrared remote. Owners must secure their own female handlers...

LA///THE HISTORY OF LA GRAFFITI ART AT MELT GALLERY...

2006-08-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

After publishing the epic first volume of the "The History of Los Angeles Graffiti Art," and hosting a recent booksigning and live graffiti writing event at LA's Melt Gallery, co-author RELAX checks in with Supertouch to talk about the history of the art & the future of the movement...

Tell me about "The History of Los Angeles Graffiti Art" book project. What inspired you two to undertake the project?

The book stems from a dream that Wisk and I had about bringing to life the entire culture and history of the LA graffiti scene. Volume 1 spotlights the beginning of the movement—the pioneers, pieces, black books, articles, etc. from 1983 to 1988. We plan to have four volumes published, covering 1983 to 2006.

What differentiates LA graffiti style from NYC or Midwestern styles?
The one distinct difference between LA graffiti and other cities—and even the world—is the fact that we have had gangs way before graffiti. That element alone has had much influence on LA’s style in recent years.

AUGUS x iPod...

How did LA graffiti develop differently from its NYC counterpart?
With NYC, it was all about subways, which died in the ’80s, and nice wild styles. LA had buses, which were killed back in the day, and gang-style writing. So the city formed its own identity relatively quickly. Keep in mind that LA is much more wide open than New York. We were always bombing freeways, freights, walls, you name it. One major advantage is our weather; it’s always warm here. So these environmental factors also helped to shape LA style.

Vintage ATLAS & REVOK.

What unique elements did the LA writers bring to the movement?
LA brought the twisted wild styles, which became more relevant in the early ’90s with crews such as AWR, MSK, and LTS. Those crews single handedly influenced many writers.

How would you describe LA style to someone not in the know?
We have so many styles that it's hard to put a label on it. But I think crews like KOG, MSK, LTS, NCT, CBS are crews that have established styles that are very distinctive to LA.

Vintage SIZE & WISK.

Is there one writer that stands out as the father of the entire movement?
Wow, it depends who you ask. But I would have to say Soon. He was from New York and came out to LA in 1984. He immediately just blew the whole scene up. His style was so much more advanced than most if not all writers at that time. He alone inspired many LA legends.

Is the scene as vital as it ever was?
Definitely. Although it’s not the ’80s, when you could basically do what you wanted. Now we have cameras, ghost teams, and snitches! But it’s important for the whole world to know that LA stands strong and has some of the illest, dopest writers on the planet.

CHAKA, SER & WISK.

Who are the most important modern LA graffiti artists?
Wow. It’s hard for me to answer that since I have respect for all writers. LA writers such as Atlas, Revok, Luxer, Fishe, Saber, I could keep going. They all have distinctive traits to their styles and how they contribute to the LA graff scene.•

LIVE PAINTING AT MELT GALLERY, LA, JULY 29

Contact Melt Gallery to purchase original paintings from the event...

NEWS///UPPER PLAYGROUND INVADES PORTLAND...

2006-08-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

San Francisco underground art hotspot Upper Playground has opened the doors to its new emporium in Portland. Situated in the heart of Downtown, the slick gallery & retail outlet helps to solidify the city's burgeoning art scene by giving its roster of core artists including Mike Giant, Sam Flores, Jeremy Fish, Estevan Oriol, Dalek & Ricky Powell to name a few, a Northwestern outlet for their prodigious output. (It also gives Nike employees an excuse to spend their paychecks...)

The new digs, before & after...

Artwork on display by Esteval Oriol (left) & Phil Frost/Ricky Powell.

Jeremy Fish & Aesop Rock signed copies of his their new book, "The Next Best Thing". Afterwards, Aesop rocked the house...

The day after: U.P. artists Saber & Sam Flores got up on the ultra-hip Jupiter Hotel...

LA///"SURJURY" GETS UNDERWAY...

2006-08-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

LIVE FROM THE OPERATING ROOM
AT 181 MARTEL

Surf/skate brand Hurley got a new lease on life when clothier Darren "DR" Romanelli & artist Alex Pardee had their way with the brand's archive, weaving together a rough tapestry of new threads under the moniker "Surjury". The line debuted at the Hollywood hotspot 181 Martel where an onslaught of rabid fans braved the crush to get a look at the next level display. Afterwards, it was off to Liberace's old penthouse suite (with rooftop pool, of course) for a proper LA throwdown...

Alex Pardee surveys the operating room...

Romanelli x Pardee x Nike...

The toxic twins...

El producto...

The crush...

Chicks dig guys in bands: Berko perform in Liberace's living room...

Four more reasons to love LA...

Tim Biskup in his Flock of Seagulls phase. Nice wings...

The Pardee posse. When Buff Monster's away... Lady Zell on the town.

Kind of blue. Why can't all couples be this kick ass?...

Uhhhh, what were we talking about?...

Kix on parade: Easter Eggs x Lifesavers...

Quien es mas macho?: Everlast x Nacho Libre. Ministers of culture: Kinsey, O'Shea, Romanelli, Wyett, Baseman, & Bodecker.

Additional photos by Yev "The White Russian"...

USA///SOFTSERVE SUMMER TOUR REPORT...

2006-08-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

An appropriately phallic beginning...

It was like an episode of "Boys Gone Wild" when Buff Monster's "Softserve" US summer art tour kicked off last week in Miami. Making their way across the US in a convoy of motor homes, the crew, including Buff, Steve Aoki (aka: Kid Millionaire), Members of the Dim Mak & Hydrahead records crew, Mark The Cobra Snake, Came Crashing Design's Blake E. Marquis, and associates of the Rockstar Games cartel put the hurt on Florida, trashing hotel rooms, swimming pools, Dairy Queens en route to wreak more havok at the Trafik tradeshow in South Beach. One southern wasteland down, twenty-five days left & 49 states to go...

Ride the lightning: Tour kickoff in Orlando, let the games begin...

First stop: Miami. Ambiguously hetero tour boys love the pool...

Buff Monster gets busy on a mural at Trafik with help from Freegums' Alvaro Ilizarbe & Came Crashing's Blake E. Marquis...

Blake E. Marquis on the polka dot tip. Steve Aoki with Buff's favorite groupie...

Behold the beauty of the tradeshow booth. Kid Millionaire & The Cobra Snake snap some
shots of the ladies...

Tradeshow art in a pinch. The Motor Homies...

LONDON///WHAT'S THAT SMELL???...

2006-08-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

Painting by Banksy

"OOOH, THAT STENCH..."

London’s Lazarides Gallery launched its "Stench: Seventeen Artists Kick up a Stink" group show on Friday, August 4th, featuring art by Antony Micallef, Conor Harrington, Banksy, Polly Morgan, Faile, Invader,and Jamie Hewlett, amongst others.

Art by Zevs & Kelsey Brookes.

Since its launch earlier this year, the Lazarides gallery has fast established itself as London’s premier venue for the display and sale of ‘cult art’, as the gallery’s eclectic collection of artists has been called by Londonites. Although these artists—including internationally-renowned graffiti king Banksy and fine art taxidermist Polly Morgan—have massive cultural influence worldwide, they have largely been ignored by the established galleries in England until now.

Art by Adam Koukoudarkis & Jamie Hewlett.

Situated on Greek Street, in the heart of Soho on the site of a former S&M shop, Steve Lazarides' space (a registered historic building) now serves as the center of a hub of the downtown artistic community, attracting a steday flow of hipsters and celebrity clients like Christina Aguilera, Robbie Williams, Damien Hirst, Kate Moss and Jude Law...

The scene on opening nite. Taxidermy by Polly Morgan.

Lazarides Gallery: 8 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 4DG; Tel: 0203 214 0055; info@lazinc.com; online at L azinc.com...

NEWS///ARTHUR LEE R.I.P…

2006-08-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

REMEMBERING PSYCHEDELIC ROCK
LEGEND ARTHUR LEE

Arthur Lee, the leader of Love, a pioneering 1960’s LA psychedelic rock band, died on Thursday, August 3rd in Memphis at age 61 of Leukemia.

One of the most important West Coast folk-rock/psychedelic bands, Love was also the first widely acclaimed cult/underground group. During their brief heyday–lasting all of three albums–they drew from folk, hard rock, blues, jazz, flamenco, and even light orchestral pop to create a unique & darkly psychedelic sound of their own.

Love was formed by Lee in the mid-'60s in Los Angeles when he was only 20 years old, and was one of the first integrated rock groups. The band lived in a house once owned by Bela Lugosi, and the covers of its first two albums show the members in the garden there. Love built up a strong following in hip L.A. clubs and became hugely influential on the scene. An early inspiration to the Doors, it was Arthur Lee that convinced Love's record label Elektra to take a chance and sign Jim Morrison & company, thus launching the otherwise unknown band's career.

Love's first two records “Love” (1966), and “Da Capo” (1967), were beautiful psychedelic treatises, and after almost falling apart due to interpersonal conflict the band managed to release its third record, “Forever Changes” (1967), widely acknowledged as one of the finest rock albums of all time. Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant later cited it as one of the most influential records he’d ever heard.

Shortly after “Changes” hit shelves, Lee disbanded the group. Several albums followed in the late '60s and early '70s, which, though credited to Love, are in reality Arthur Lee and backup musicians–none of whom had the musical skills of the original Love members. In 1970 he recorded an album’s worth of material with his old friend Jimi Hendrix, though only one track, “The Everlasting First,” was released.

Lee toured again in the early 1990’s, and seemed on the verge of reviving his career, when in 1996 he was imprisoned for illegal gun possession. He served almost half of a 12-year sentence at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, Calif. When he was released from prison, in mid-2002, he began to tour almost immediately and released a critically acclaimed live rendition of “Forever Changes”. •

Watch Love live on YouTube.

NEWS///LOLLAPALOOZA x SHEPARD FAIREY...

2006-08-05T02:37:00.000-07:00

Lollapalooza festival founder Perry Farrell has begun hosting a series of video interview segments with artists & icons called "Lolla Lives Webisodes" on our perennially favorite site, YouTube. Don't miss his current four-part installment with Shepard Fairey where the two discuss Shep's 17-year artistic legacy, Andre, their pair's shared love of Banksy & the phenomenon of art toys...

CLICK TO WATCH: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

SÃO PAULO///OS GEMEOS COME HOME...

2006-08-05T00:40:00.000-07:00

On July 27 the dynamic street art duo known as Os Gemeos ("The Twins") opened their first ever solo exhibition in their hometown of São Paulo, Brasil at the progressive Fortes Vilaça Gallery. Titled "O Peixe Que Comia Estrelas Cadentes" ("The Fish That Ate Shooting Stars"), the show features a staggering array of works by the physically identical brothers. The dreamlike quality of the pair's collaborative artwork is evident throughout the exhibition but manifests itself most prominently in the show's epic centerpiece, a giant sculptural installation of a man in a boat floating on mirrored water surrounded by painted walls adorned with surreal images and icons. As if all that weren't enough, the boys painted the entire outside of the building to resemble one of the giant yellow heads of their signature characters. Simply a staggering exhibition of the highest magnitude.

Extra special props to the Wooster Collective and Beautiful Crime for obtaining crucial images of this remote installation.

NEWS///NYC///MISS ROCKAWAY GETS UNDERWAY...

2006-08-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

RIVER DANCE: DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI
WITH THE MISS ROCKAWAY ARMADA

by Geeta Dayal, The Village Voice

If all goes well this week, a huge, scrappy flotilla of homemade rafts—crafted out of junk scavenged from the streets of New York City, powered by biodiesel fuel and fry grease, and packed with artists, performers, and assorted crazy people—will be set free in Minnesota from the banks of the Mississippi. Grandly titled the Miss Rockaway Armada, the project was initially conceived by New York street artist Swoon and fleshed out by a dedicated volunteer team of about 25 people, many of them veterans of art collectives with names like Visual Resistance, the Floating Neutrinos, the Infernal Noise Brigade, and the Madagascar Institute. Several of these raft-builders hail from New York, but they are heading for distant shores, knowing full well that their project wouldn't last long on the Hudson or the East River. Plus, as Swoon notes, "there's something so American about this myth of the Mississippi—it's totally in our imaginations. There's not very much explaining to do. You just say the words 'Mississippi raft . . . ' "

The raft nearing its final stage of completion.

Jeff Stark, local authority on all things odd and madcap mastermind of New York's Idiotarod shopping-cart race, is among the die-hard recruits. "I'm always attracted to crazy projects, and this is firmly a crazy project, so of course I'd want to do it," he says. Stark has made several sacrifices for the project already, including a heroic fall into the filthy Gowanus Canal during a test run with a raft that suddenly capsized.

Despite several setbacks, the group remains undaunted, with plans to travel an approximate 700 miles down the river from Minneapolis to St. Louis over the next month. Along the way, they plan on stopping at various towns to host vaudeville theater, music performances, and arts workshops. "We are taking cues from Johnny Appleseed, traveling medicine shows, nomadic jewel box theater, and of course that old radical Mark Twain," they write on their website—a manifesto of punk-rock possibility fused with New York ambition.

The rafts are built almost entirely from garbage—disused plywood, bits of rope, foam rescued from dumpsters, donated nails. "We want this to be an experiment from a totally nonexpert level on sustainable technology," says Swoon. The engines to power the propeller, custom-built by a team operating in San Francisco, are two vintage Volkswagen Rabbit diesel engines souped up to run on waste veggie oil. The group envisions several satellite rafts surrounding the main one—a bicycle-powered raft, a raft holding a zine library, a raft with a garden, and perhaps even a raft with a skate ramp, according to A'yen Tran, one of the team members. The project seems intentionally and almost absurdly convoluted, in contrast to, say, the notorious "boat punks" known as Evan and Dave, who travel down the Mississippi each year using far simpler methods. "There's definitely a New York–ness to the way we're doing things," laughs Swoon. "We're just stressed out! We're stressy people, like, 'Aaaah! We have to arrange this! What are we going to do?' The fact that we have a fucking website, for chrissakes."

The Miss Rockaway Armada logo designed by Swoon.

To the capital-A art world, Swoon is a rising star with two pieces in MOMA's "Printmaking Now" exhibition and a successful solo show at Deitch Projects last year. Several other members of the project have equally impressive résumés. But Miss Rockaway has operated almost entirely underneath the radar of the capital-A art world. The group raised almost $50,000 by throwing benefits and rock shows, tending bar at parties, and quickly organizing an auction, hosted in Holasek-Weir Projects in Chelsea, of art donated by high-profile friends and comrades, such as the U.K. provocateur Banksy, who sent over a big package of work, gratis, by himself and other artists in his collective Pictures on Walls. "It was kind of shocking how many artists, within a 48-hour period, all stepped up to the plate and offered to give their work," enthused Tran.

Will they succeed in mastering the Mississippi? "There's a terrific chance of failure, but that's what's so thrilling about it," says Stark. "That's why you sign up. You don't sign up because it's a sure win."

For more information check out Missrockaway.org...

Source: Village Voice

NEWS///SOUTH PARK x THE WORLD...

2006-08-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Check out the ad that ran in this week's entertainment trades congratulating Matt & Tre on the recently announced Emmy nod for their "controversial" South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet", which dissected the Church of Scientology and was banned by Comedy Central under pressure from Cruise and the church. It was permanently pulled from the station's rotation after being aired one time, but was put back into circulation by the network following last week's Emmy nomination. Sign of the times...
Watch the entire episode in three parts on YouTube by clicking Here, Here, & Here...

PARIS///FAFI AT COLETTE...

2006-08-03T23:50:00.000-07:00

Running through the end of August is French artist Fafi's "Girl's Room" installation at the always hip Parisian hotspot, Colette. It's scary when a girl's room is this cute. Certain thoughts should only be entertained in France...

WEEKEND ART DRAG...

2006-08-03T22:46:00.000-07:00

WEST SIDE (or die...)

HOLLYWOOD

Surjury (Dr Romanelli x Alex Pardee x Hurley)
181 Martel Gallery
Opening party Saturday, August 5th 6-10PM
181 Martel @ Beverly
Dr Romanelli took a scalpel to surf/skate clothing brand Hurley's archives with help of executive coroner Alex Pardee. Don't miss the results...

Group Show: Mark Gleason, Danny Heller, Matthew Price, Yosuke Ueno, Christopher Umana and Martin Wittfooth

La Luz De Jesus Gallery
Opens Friday, August 4th, 8-11PM (through Aug. 27th)
4633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles

PASADENA (where you at?)

A Group A Part: Bill Barminski, Enrique Chagoya, Kara Maria, Bean Finneran, Dan Douke, Sean Cheetham, Marina Forstmann Day
Mendenhall Sobieski Gallery
Opens Saturday, August 5th, 7–9pm
40 Mills Place (in the alley across from Johnson Motors)

NEWS///NEW ORLEANS THROUGH SPIKE LEE'S EYES...

2006-08-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

After a year of filming on location in the ruins of New Orleans, Spike Lee's new four-hour documentary, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” will debut on HBO this month. Read about it HERE...

BROOKLYN///A STUDIO VISIT WITH STASH...

2006-08-02T23:43:00.000-07:00

STASH holds a sample of his Coleman Camping Japan plush fat cap.

Stepping into the Brooklyn art studio of graffiti/streetwear legend STASH is like walking into a time capsule. Iconic examples of artwork from the heroes of modern street art & culture vie for attention on nearly every surface of the large, open workspace. New artworks in various stage of genesis compete for space with clusters of toys, vintage spraycans & deadstock kix. It's a fanatic's dream come true. Unfortunately, it's also off limits to civilians. Supertouch takes you on a guided tour. (Click images to enlarge)

STASH's most iconic image. Banksy's future vision.

The early days of KAWS.

Ultra-rare STASH signature kiddie kix. Futura's war machine.

Custom STASH sound system. Painting by Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh.

For the history books: Zephyr x Noc. Dondi White, R.I.P. ...

STASH on the wall & in progress...

A vintage Futura character study.

"The Message", by Shawn Barber. One from the old days (guess who?...)

Vinyl fetish in full effect...

Incredibly rare Lee Quinones study & finished painting. Too sick for words...

Mode II birthday wishes. Nort x Tron.

Nuyorican style. STASH AF-1 painting by Dave White.

Marc Newson Nike Z-Doc originals. It's painting time...

Vintage Zephyr & Doze Green canvases.

Andre the Giant: A portrait in steel. Vintage Phil Frost portal.

Vintage Futura & Martin Wong (RIP...)

Full-on Can Control...

Back in the day. Grown men play with toys.

Calavera bros: Mark Dean Veca & Misha.

Vintage Rick Griffin ink. Zap Comix crew sigs: Robert Williams, Rick Griffin, S. Clay Wilson, R. Crumb, Spain Rodriguez, Victor Moscoso, & Gilbert Shelton.

Shepard Fairey's homage to The Man in Black. Dalek to the third power...

The maker's mark. Deadstock sample of STASH's first Nike collab.

BROOKLYN///BANKSY SPRINGS ANEW...

2006-08-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Supertouch allies the Wooster Collective posted some primo shots of Sir Banks' latest wallie in Crooklyn. The urban legend continues...

BARCELONA///SABER x DAVID CHOE x MONTANA PAINT...

2006-08-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

David Choe & Saber made it look easy when they created a handful of spraycan masterpieces for their Upper Playground sponsored show of artwork at the Montana Spray Paint shop & gallery in Barcelona last Thursday nite. (Click the big image to get a glimpse of the week's progress...)

Montana Shop & Gallery, C/ Comerç, Barcelona, España

AT A GLANCE///SKETCHBOOK WEDNESDAYS...

2006-08-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

This week's post from the little black book comes from "Philly Phil", aka: Phil Frost. Phil snuck this one into the book when I wasn't looking at 11:49am on March 14, 2005. We were at a friend's studio and Phil was sitting next to me on a couch tossing off drawing after drawing in his own sketchbook with a Japanese brush pen. He grabbed my book to take a look through it and broke out this drawing in full stealth mode...

TOKYO x HONG KONG///DR ROMANELLI & JOSE PARLA TAKE JUNE 13th WORLDWIDE

2006-08-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

Darren Romanelli, Takashi Murakami & José Parla

TOKYO///CELUX///JULY 27

Brothers-in-art Darren "DR" Romanelli and José Parla expanded the scope of their "June 13th" dynasty when they took their collaborative aesthetic to the Asian cultural epicenters of Tokyo (at the private members-only luxury shop Celux) and Hong Kong (at the renowned Joyce boutique) last week. At the core of the duo's exhibitions (named for the artist's shared Spring birthday) were numerous hand-cut-and-sewn Romanelli leather jackets and canvases customized by Parla with his inimitable layers of calligraphic script, accented by products from VisVim (shoes), Anachronorm (denim), and Dita (sunglasses), all bearing the marks of the two artists. In honor of the show's Eastern locations, Parla collaborated with one of the oldest traditional Japanese Bizenayki ceramic companys to create a series of original pottery for the exhibits. The company, fronted by artist Hijame Kimura, has been a family business for 13 generations, adding an additional layer of meaning to the collaboration.

Parla in action building up layers of writing for one of the Celux show's key pieces.

Examples of the custom VisVim kix (shown left with Anachronorm denim bearing Parla's custom painted patches).

The VisVim moccasins featured hand-sewn leather "skirts" by Romanelli bearing Parla's handpainted script and a custom "XIII" perforated logo specifically for the event.

Japanese sunglass brand Dita created special glasses bearing an engraved June 13th logo treatment on the lens and custom painted carrying cases.

Bizen pottery's Hijame Kimura. Parla & Kimura sign wooden boxes to house the collaborative ceramics produced for the shows.

Parla's influence was heavily felt in the earthenware pieces.

An installation view of the products at Celux. Parla shows off one of the show's centerpieces in the open air.

Opening nite at Celux, before & after.

Opening nite: Young Kim with fashion designer Masahiro Nakagawa. Parla & Romanelli with Sophnet's Kiyo, artist Yonehara, Yurika, and friends.

Hijame Kimura, actor Waris & Parla. Romanelli & Parla with the Dita crew.

HONG KONG///JOYCE///JULY 29

Moving on from Tokyo, Parla & Romanelli set up shop in the Joyce boutique in Hong Kong's elite Pacific Place mall. Opening nite saw a crowd populated by local Pop stars and streetwear aficionados including the Clot crew.

The June 13 aesthetic became more futuristic in HK.

Leather jackets & paintings displayed together blew minds.

Parla spent hours customizing the shop's environment.

Parla & Romanelli with the local HK crew on opening nite.

NYC///DOWN ON THE STREET...

2006-08-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Lower East Side/Village/SoHo by foot in the summertime heat...

NYC///RICH JACOBS AT FUSE GALLERY...

2006-08-01T02:42:00.000-07:00

Legendary curator & underground artist Rich Jacobs took a break from his hectic worldwide touring schedule to break out a show of fresh work at NYC's Fuse Gallery last Saturday nite. In attendance was a who's-who list of Lower East Side art royalty and hungry art collectors. Supertouch brings you the breakdown with a little help from photo savant, Erik Foss.

The man of the hour. The ladies understand Rich's work.

Rich with Rockers NYC founder Sean Reveron. NO skating in the gallery...

Art writer Carlo McCormick & RJ. Stuntboy gets close to style maven Lisa Cooper.

Everlast with Rich & his new acquisition. Cheryl Dunn & Co. mob Mr Jacobs.

Jamie O'Shea gets tight with Jane Risien. Stuntboy holds it down in the House of Pain.

Jewelry designer-to-the-stars Mimi So, artist rep extraordinaire
Louisa St. Pierre & artist Tristan Eaton...

Contact Fuse Gallery NYC to purchase artwork by Rich Jacobs.

FEATURE///JAMES JARVIS INVADES LA...

2006-07-31T01:14:00.000-07:00

THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES
OF "MR. POTATO HEAD"

English artist James Jarvis is renowned for his iconic, simple drawing style and "potato headed" characters. A comic artist whose work transcends the limits of two dimensions, Jarvis' aesthetic translates effortlessly to the world of designer toys where his signature style and humor distinguishes his characters in an increasingly overcrowded marketplace. On the eve of the opening of Jarvis' show of preparatory drawings for his latest illustrated book "Vortigern's Machine And The Great Sage Of Wisdom" at Hollywood's Melt Gallery, Supertouch drops in on our boy from across the pond to reflect on the phenomenon that is the James Jarvis show.
(Click on artwork to enlarge.)

Your art and toy figure style is iconic. How long did it take for your art to develop such a totally cohesive look? What influenced the simple, streamlined aesthetic of your work and characters?

It is a never-ending process. I started thinking about my particular perspective on my cartoon characters while at college. I decided I didn't want to draw people and I didn't want to draw anthropomorphic animals. I have always been interested and inspired by the ideals of Modernism—and still am—and I tried to bring some of that form-follows-function ethos to the creation of a cartoon character. I read a Paul Klee quote: "All true creation is a thing born out of nothing." I like the idea that my characters are their own thing entirely. Hence the potato-heads I draw now. Comic imagery has long been a serious inspiration for modern artists but in many academic circles comic imagery is written off.

Do you consider comic art to be serious art? Why do you think someone like Lichtenstein can get away with calling glorified comic paintings art while other work by so-called "comic artists" is generally considered "low art"?
I have always considered comics and cartooning as the highest form of art. The creation of whole universes with a pen and paper is an incredibly powerful thing. I think a lot of painting can seem turgid and flabby in comparison. There are painters who draw on cartoons who I love; Phillip Guston is one example. But as far as I am concerned there is no hierarchy.

How much of you is in your art and characters? Is your work very autobiographical?
Simply by being a product of my imagination one's work cannot not reflect one's character. But for me that is an unconscious thing. I don't like art that is self-consciously autobiographical.

Artist Andrew Brandou & Linkin Park DJ Joe Hahn in the installation room.

Tell me about your process of character development. Are your characters based on real people?
Sometimes a character simply emerges from just drawing. It is quite instinctive. Sometimes it comes from imagining a particular haircut or costume, and a character is defined by that. Sometimes it comes from re-imagining a real person as a potato-head.

Your work is often narrative, how does the pressure of needing to tell a story with your art affect the work?
I think that without narrative it is hard for the characters to say much about anything other than themselves. Telling stories means you can deal with all sorts of themes. But dealing with characters within a narrative context can make them less iconic. Outside of a specific narrative, cartoon characters are about only themselves. This can be very interesting as well. It is what I admire and envy in KAWS' work: a mysterious, iconic quality. With "VM," the whole project wasn't conceived as a pure, artistic statement. It was a collaborative effort between my business & creative partner, Russell Waterman, and me. We wanted to create something that had the potential to become a mainstream cultural artifact. That process is still closely tied to my own personal artistic process (that is what makes the preparatory drawings interesting), but the collaborative nature of it means I can't afford to be as indulgent as I would be drawing something for myself.

Do you feel your art is particularly English?
I like drawing Cavaliers and Roundheads. I'm not sure about shaping my creative vision—I think that is defined by so many things. But I think my sense of humor and general air of cynicism is very English. With regard to translating internationally, I don't know. I think the spirit of the characters does. With something like "VM," which is very verbal, I am not so sure. But visually, I think the appeal is pretty universal. I think the fact that the characters aren't human contributes to that.

Ladies Love Cool James. An overzealous fan displays his Jarvis sleeves.

Tell me about your new book Vortigern's Machine.
I had long wanted to create a book in the tradition of Tintin, Asterix and Lucky Luke. My previous attempt at a comic book, "World of Pain", was quite self-indulgent and although I am quite pleased with it now—and hoping to return to that world in the future—I did not want to go down that route a second time. Russell and I were realizing that with Amos we wanted to create something that was a bit deeper than what we were doing with the In-Crowd. We wanted to put narrative at the forefront of things so we could make something that could move into the realms of animation.

Tell me about the genesis of your personal toy label, Amos toys. What drove you to start your own brand and what are the drawbacks and benefits to producing all of your own merchandise?
Amos was started because Russell and I wanted to take the toys we were making for Silas away from the fashion world. We think that toys and fashion should have nothing to do with each other. The benefits are that we are independent and responsible for our own destiny. I think there has been a lot of second-rate product made in the name of designer toys. I think that when the "craze" element of the scene dies down, only the designers of substance and with something to say will remain. Hopefully I am one of them. I don't really collect anything. I am trying to improve my running times, I suppose that is a form of collecting.

What do you make of this whole collectible art toy & sneaker obsession that's going round now?
Don't get me started on toys and trainers. Shoes are for wearing. I can't see them as a form of culture. I would love it if Nike sponsored me as an athlete (I wear their shoes for running), but I don't want to choose a new color for a retro pair of sports shoes.•

Click HERE to watch a sequence of James painting a mural for his show at Melt Gallery.

To purchase original artwork by James Jarvis contact Meltdown.

Opening party photos by Yev the Mad Russian.

NYC///NECK FACE x RICH JACOBS x DELIVERY VAN...

2006-07-29T01:53:00.000-07:00

Rich Jacobs & Neck Face teamed up to kill one very lucky delivery van on NYC's Lower East Side on Friday nite. In less than 15 minutes the white whale had a new lease on life and the boys had escaped into the shadows...

NYC///DONNY MILLER x ETNIES...

2006-07-29T00:43:00.000-07:00

Subversive artist Donny Miller helped skate shoe company Etnies celebrate their 20th anniversary Friday nite at the company's flagship showroom in SoHo. On display in the space's lower gallery level were original paintings by Donny, copies of his latest book "Beautiful People With Beautiful Feelings," and a pair of his newest signature artist series Etnies shoes, making their debut at the event. Featuring interchangeable printed inserts with elements of Donny's art reproduced on them that can be inserted into clear side logos on the shoes and deluxe artist designed packaging, Miller's sneakers allow for countless customized variables.

For more info check out Donnymiller.com...

Photographer Shawn Mortensen & Donny round up some fans. Donny does a little wrangling with artist rep extraordinaire Louisa St. Pierre...

Donny's Etnies Artist Series signature shoe with
packaging and interchangeable side logo inserts...

Detail of Donny tongue & heel logos...

Interchangeable shoe logo inserts and baby-themed sockliner...

Donny Miller Etnies as modeled by the man himself...

Donny's got the look that kills...

Deep thoughts don't come cheap...

NYC///CREATIVE SPACES///A STUDIO VISIT WITH WK INTERACT...

2006-07-28T02:29:00.000-07:00

French transplant & street art/pasteup legend WK Interact (no particular meaning, he just likes the ring of it) does all his work in stealth mode. Day or night, the subversive artist can be found prowling the streets of NYC & beyond like an urban guerilla. Wearing a variety of disguises, WK is able to hide in plain sight and get up on any/everything right under the cop's noses (and sometimes straight in front of them). Needless to say, entering the innermost sanctum of this art rebel is a rare occasion afforded only to members of a closed circle. It is with great pride that Supertouch is able to afford our readers with a glance into the mind of a mad bomber...
(click images to enlarge)

WK hard at work on "Project X"...

The mobile crime lab...

The bare essentials. WK cornered...

Briefcase bomber: Leather straps secure files containting several spray stencils which can be inserted into the matching hole on the bottom of the case. With the case positioned on a flat surface (like a car hood) the enclosed can of paint can then be sprayed over the stencil behind the cover of the open lid of the case thus avoiding detection...

The stand-in. Anatomy of a murder...

Thinking outside the box(es)...

WK on the wall of his own studio gallery...

A babe in the woods...

The tools of the trade: Customized signature spary can display & WK brand military gear tricked out for urban warfare...

The lineup...

WK's on the gas. Scene of an upcoming skate crime...

What's behind door #1?: The front door to WK's former store on the LES was hit by nearly every writer in the city. It's been turned into a custom "Batcave"-style closet displaying all of WK's essential bombing gear...

Creative clutter...

Skate bomber: This allows WK to skate through the city with paint on board for impromptu spray sessions...

Knight of the round table...

Anatomy of an arsenal. No refunds, no exchanges, no returns...

Click HERE to visit WK Interact online.

NYC///THE WEEK IN ROCK...

2006-07-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

A lot can happen in a week's time in NYC. Here's a flashback to the highlights of life on the Lower East Side as seen through the eyes of Stuntboy (aka: Erik Foss)...

Summer in the city always brings out the ladies...

Last Friday legendary (and long disbanded) tropicalia group
Os Mutantes rebanded for a stunning one-time concert at Webster Hall.

In order to raise money to fund the Miss Rockaway Armada's mission to sail down the Mississippi in the name of art, artists David Ellis & WK Interact donated their artwork to the cause which was then auctioned off at Jessica Murray Projects.

In attendance were revelers Brent Barber, Sikh actor Waris (from The Life Aquatic) and girliefriend. The scene was a houthouse of art buying hipsters...

Miss Rockaway organizer Swoon presided over the entire affair while artist
Eric White ate his ice cream like a good boy...

Uglydolls took over Giant Robot's NYC space when David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim
brought their creations to the East Village...

Where they showed along with artist Keith Jones. This guy made
sure everyone outside knew he was riding his bike with "no hands".

Whitney Biennial-ista art star Dan Colen gets loose at Lit Lounge
at Leo Fitzpatrick's birthday party where Wet Nurse killed the crowd
with The Gonz in attendance...

AT A GLANCE///SKETCHBOOK WEDNESDAYS...

2006-07-26T04:26:00.000-07:00

About five years ago I started a sketchbook to capture fleeting doodles by my close circle of artist friends. As the editor of Juxtapoz Art Magazine for a decade (from 1996 to June 2006), I've always been surrounded by a huge array of creative individuals who tend to spend their free time doodling on every blank surface available. Needless to say, this black book managed to catch its fair share of errant masterpieces & serves as a loose encyclopedia of original art from a crucial era in art history.

The first offering up is a nice Pointman portrait from one Leonard McGurr (aka: Futura, nee: Futura 2000), inked at his multicolored lego desk deep within the bowels of Recon HQ. Check back on Wednesdays for a weekly update...

NEWS///DR ROMANELLI SCHEDULES HURLEY FOR SURJURY...

2006-07-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

Darren “DR” Romanelli has just announced his fashion collaboration with US surf/skate clothing brand Hurley, the first line created for his own new fashion label Surjury. As the name implies, Romanelli attacks known brands with a surgeon's eye, slicing, dicing & de/reconstructing the original garments until they surface as new, stylistically improved pieces. Each garment can be identified as a handmade DR Surjury original by a small scar & stitches-shaped logo that Romanelli applies to each individual item. With artist Alex Pardee on board, the mad DR was given access to surf label Hurley’s archive which he proceeded to dissect, lobotomize & transplant into a new Frankensteinian line of hand-cut & sewn pieces that will be unveiled at LA hotspot 181 Martel on August 5th. Pardee created a series of biological reconstruct-themed paintings to accentuate Romanelli's Surjury M.O. which extended most notably to a series of Nike Sabaku shoes that also went under the DR's knife. An undisclosed run of the super-limited kix by Hurley's parent company will be released at the Martel opening, surely sending LA sneakerheads into a feeding-frenzy...

For more information check out 181 Martel & Dr Romanelli online.

PLASMA ENVY///PANASONIC'S QUEEN-SIZED TV...

2006-07-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

Panasonic confirmed that size matters when it announced that it will begin selling a 103-inch flat-panel plasma television in the United States in time for this year's holiday season. The screen’s 90-inch length and 48-inch height makes it equivalent in size to four 50-inch TV’s, and with the frame and speakers, it measures nearly nine feet by six feet, approximately the size of a Queen-sized bed. The TV, priced at $70,000, weighs about 450 pounds and has to be shipped in a box with a specially designed suspension system. So will the people who stay home and sit on the couch in front of it for the rest of their lives, experts predict...

TOKYO///TERRY RICHARDSON x HYSTERIC GLAMOUR...

2006-07-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the opening of the newest Hysteric Glamour shop in Aoyama, the rock fashion label's visionary founder, Nobu Kitamura, held an exhibition of Terry Richardson's photos last Friday. Titled ”Manimal,” the show featured more than 50 pieces (including many never seen before) personally selected by Nobu, a close friend of Richardson's since Hysteric published the NYC-based photographer's first book. On hand to spread the love were roving Supertouch emissaries Dr Romanelli & international man of leisure José Parla...

Check out Hysteric Glamour online for more decadent debauchery...

Terry Richardson kicks it with Japanese photographer Yonehara. Parla kicks it with the ladies...

Dr Romanelli and Yone have one thing on the brain, and it's not this guy...

Ah, girlfights...

FEATURE///AN INTERVIEW WITH DZINE...

2006-07-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

DZINE'S STREETWISE PSYCHEDELIA

Up-and-coming art star Dzine cut his teeth writing graffiti in the streets of Chi-town for years before moving on to the lofty world of fine art galleries & museums. As he readies for his next show at the Museum of Art in Puerto Rico, Supertouch catches up with Chicago’s favorite son for a quick reality check… (click images to enlarge)

Tell me about your days as a young artist in Chicago.
My initial introduction to graffiti, which led to my introduction to the art world, was seeing the documentary "Style Wars" on PBS when I was thirteen. I started a crew called Aerosoul with fellow writer Casper and put together a team of people that now have families and still do some work and shine in their own right today. Growing up in the Midwest was tricky since we were always caught in the middle of the movements on the coasts. Probably because of that, overall, Chicago’s graff style was unique. Back then, early influences were with crews like the FEDS and ABC and artists like Take2, Crazyman, Trixter, Slang, Orko, Upski, and Fesski. These guys are some of the early pioneers and took a lot of chances with their street work illegally or politically. We also had a great radio show on Friday night in Chicago with local disc jockey JP Chill on WHBK college radio. This guy would advertise all the new hot pieces that would go up and play all the underground hip-hop coming out of Chicago. The culture beyond graffiti in New York intrigued me, so I was investigating people like Lightning Rod and the Last Poets. This led me into investigating the period of the ’70s and ’80s punk and disco and art scene in New York, where I feel had an energy in the art world that will never be replicated.... pure magic.

"Love Junkee". Upper inset: guitar painted for Eric Clapton

When did you move from doing graffiti in the streets to painting on canvases or doing large-scale installations?
When I was about 22, I made a conscious decision to really try to be a full-time fine artist. I was doing commercial work and making some money, but I decided I didn’t want my work ending up on T-shirts at the local mall. I wanted my work preserved for 500 years. My intention was never to bring my graff/street work into commercial galleries or museums. I like to translate that raw energy I had when I was working in the street into the studio now. Sometimes I will incorporate elements of tags into large site-specific work. I think this element crosses boundaries in certain parts of my installations. But for the most part, I concentrate on making big, beautiful, bad-ass paintings.

"Hero Heroin East". "Sampler" installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

Is it easy for graffiti artists to make the jump to the formal gallery world?
I like the fact that the guerilla element of graff was for the street and for a certain underground public. It was our own communication. However, I think contemporaries like Barry McGee, José Parla, and old-school artists like Lee Q and Futura 2000, have successfully translated this. I have the utmost respect for them. It just hasn’t been a mission of mine personally. However, I do think that certain artists who came out of the early New York scene and never got their due is sad. These are creative people who have inspired a young generation of musicians, designers, and big corporations. They should reap some of the benefits financially. Why should Sprite and McDonald’s capitalize on the graff/hip-hop culture they helped shape and not reap the benefits?

"Inova". Detail of a typical bejeweled painting surface.

Your style is very and reminiscent of artists from the ’60s and ’70s. Were you consciously influenced by psychedelic artists?
I’m definitely intrigued by psychedelia, but more with the music that came out of Africa and with dub style. My father was a salsa musician, and my brother introduced me to early electronic house music. Then I fell into the hip-hop world, so music has always been an inspiration to me. My work is about layering, the same way a DJ makes a track, layer upon layer. I like making something that is flat but contains an element of perspective and plays a trick on the viewer’s eye. That’s why I incorporate EnviroTex, a thick shiny resin/plastic, and apply thousands of tiny glass beads as a finished element to the work to give it that extra sense of depth. I want people to react to my work the way they might react to a great song—with a sense of melancholy or happiness or reflecting back on good memories.

"Punk Funk I: The Lost Kingdom"

You painted a guitar for Eric Clapton recently, how did that come about?
Eric had been interested in working with young contemporaries, and he liked the energy of what some graffiti artists were doing. An old friend introduced us long ago, along with Crash, Futura, and Lee. Crash started doing a lot of work for him, including a guitar, and then recommended other artists to do one for him as well. I think its cool that someone like Eric Clapton is in touch with what is going on. I mean, the guy’s a legend, and it shows that he’s always investigating.

Views of "Kamashastra" installation at the Baltic Center for Contemporary Art, UK

What’s coming up next for you and what type of work will you be doing?
I have my first artist book, "Stealing Dreams", being released next month in conjunction with my solo exhibiton at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. I’m especially looking forward to the book. It is designed by Cody Hudson/Struggle Inc and has a soundtrack by DJ NUTS from Brazil. Both came through like true champs and made this a special piece. I’m also preparing for shows in Chicago, Tokyo, and Barcelona.

Dzine & his son in Chicago. Dzine installing "Gangster Boogie" at Palais de Tokyo, Paris

Last words?
Stay humble and don’t sleep… •

“Beautiful Otherness”, a solo exhibition by Dzine at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico opens August 6th and runs through December 2007.

FULLY DUSTED...

2006-07-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Check out some sick car dust "paintings" over at Supertouch allied site the Wooster Collective. These guys always come up with some out-of-the-way art from the streets of the world...

FASHION///TOKYO///DR ROMANELLI x JOSE PARLA x BALANCE...

2006-07-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from their whirlwind tour of Japan this week on a mission of June 13th, Darren "DR" Romanelli & Jose "EASE" Parla check in with Supertouch to shout out to hot upstart streetwear brand & retailer Balance. Founded in 1996, by Tanushi Tomoki. Eda Ryuske and Kabaya Kentaro, "Bal" as it's commonly known, has been one of the leading emergent underground apparel brands with a focus on innovative graphics and fine quality. The company's image is masterminded by artist Eda Ryuske, a native of Okayama, Japan, who is inspired by everything from Sci-Fi & vintage graphics to '60s artist like Tadanori Yooko, and executes the label's designs in an inspired range of colors & materials. As part of the company's focus on art, Bal sponsored José Parla's first solo Japanese exhibition in 2001, "Personal Alphabet", at Exrealm gallery which resulted in the collaboration between Bal & Parla on a signature clothing label for the brand called EASE Exclusive.

For more information, check out BAL online at Blnc.co.jp...

Photos by Jose Parla & Dr Romanelli for June 13th Asia office

NEWS///SABER x DAVID CHOE x UPPER PLAYGROUND x MONTANA SPRAY PAINT...

2006-07-23T22:42:00.000-07:00

Just Announced: San Francisco-based art house Upper Playground & Spanish spray paint company Montana will present a show of artwork by legendary graffiti artist SABER & painter David Choe on July 27th at the Montana Shop & Gallery in Barcelona, Spain. Stay tuned to Supertouch for more details...

Montana Shop & Gallery, C/ Comerç, Barcelona, España.

LA///DOWN ON THE STREET...

2006-07-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

New hits from Shepard Fairey on Sunset & Banksy's army on Melrose...

(Click images to enlage)

NEWS///MARK GONZALES TOY SNEAK PREVIEW...

2006-07-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

Thunderdog Toys, in conjunction with Krooked Skateboards will be releasing a super-limited run of new vinyl effigies of Mark Gonzales' classic "Shmoo" character in late 2006. The figure was designed by Mark Gonzales, conceptualized by Tristan Eaton & sculpted by Three Zero. Six colorways will be made and production of each will be strictly limited to 100 pieces or less. Stay tuned for more updates...

SAN DIEGO (ComiCon)///SUPERFRIENDS DRAW-A-THON AUCTION...

2006-07-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

(Drawing by Mark Ryden, Camille Rose Garcia, Tim Biskup & Baseman)

San Diego's annual ComiCon draws freaks, geeks & the criminally undersexed to the city by the water every year, including the most notable examples: Camille Rose Garcia, Tim Biskup, Mark Ryden & Gary Baseman. As per their usual custom, the quartet have done a series of collaborative drawings on-site with the help of some of their fellow itinerant artists, to be auctioned off at the Last Gasp Booth on Saturday & Sunday, July 22 & 23. Don't sleep...

Drawing by Camille Rose Garcia, Mark Ryden, Tim Biskup, Shag, Baseman & Ron English. Baseman supervises Camille's session.

Camille & Mark Ryden (with daughter Rosie) in action.

Drawing by Baseman, Mark & Rosie Ryden, Shag, Frank Kozik, Camille Rose Garcia & Ron English.

FEATURE///STASH AT LINEAGE GALLERY...

2006-07-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

STASH: OFF THE WALL IN PHILLY

As legendary New York street artist STASH readies for the opening of his show of new paintings "Alphabet City" at Philadelphia's Lineage gallery, Supertouch checks in with the underground art star to see where his head's at.

What year did you start writing graffiti, and was STASH your original tag?
Around 1982-ish. Damn, am I old! I had a couple of different things going for a minute back then, identity-wise, but none worth mentioning...

How did you get into the scene and who were you writing with in your early days?
I got into the scene by being a city kid I guess, and I was surrounded by a lot of different influences. In terms of style, I guess my biggest inspiration would have to be my friend DUSTER.

What's your opinion of modern graffiti & tagging? Is there too much? Not enough? Did things change when kids stopped bombing trains?
All of the above. Of course writing has changed since the days of bombing trains. It evolved as heads had to find a new surface to express themselves. Modern graffiti is amazing, heads GO THE FUCK OFF! The tagging seems to be harsh at times, but understandable. Etching fluid? We didn’t have that then, but chances are I would have used it if we did, so who am I to say?

Has your attitude changed towards graffiti now that you're older & a father and business owner? How would you react if your office building got bombed or your son got caught painting a wall?
My kids are too young, so no worries there! As far as getting bombed, fuck it,
happens all the time. We’re due for a paintjob at the office. That’s life…

Do you still consider yourself a graffiti artist or do you think you've moved into the Pop Art world?
It’s hard to consider myself anything other than a graff artist. I don’t know,
maybe a graphic artist?

(NYC, 2006: STASH doing his thing on a wall & discussing game with streetwear
legend Shawn Stüssy)

Does graffiti-based imagery lose something when it's painted on a canvas for an art gallery instead of in the street. How is your artwork different when you paint "STASH" on canvas instead of a wall?
Well, myself, I like to use and paint the icons of the spraycan movement as well as some lettering now and again. It’s a bit different than when I just painted my name. Painting in public can be stressful as well as exciting, but I much prefer to be in my studio.

Tell me about your newest series of paintings about to go on display at Lineage Gallery in Philly. What was your inspiration and what direction were you trying to go with these new works?
It’s all about the spray nozzle, AKA "fat cap". Tools of the trade revisited on a new medium. I got to work with these serious fine art printers to create a one-off original set of canvases. I’m super excited about the 60" halftone spray cans. I created about 27 new pieces for the show in all. •

"Alphabet City" runs from July 21 – August 20 at Lineage Gallery in Philadelphia...

SF///UPPER PLAYGROUND x SAM FLORES...

2006-07-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite art-based streetwear brands, Upper Playground, plans to release two canvas slip-on sneaker designs by painter Sam Flores this Fall called "Deer" & "Gorilla" featuring images of Flores' signature characters in animal garb. Now when your friends are standing around comparing Dunks and Stabs you can thrown down your "Gorilla" steez...(click to enlarge)

LA///BUFF MONSTER ON THE UP-AND-UP...

2006-07-19T02:37:00.000-07:00

In the past two weeks LA's own Buff Monster has been on an urban rampage in the great western abyss. Love it or hate it, try and stop him. Peep the fresh meat...

(Click images to enlarge)

SAN DIEGO///MORE SECRET HEAT FROM SDCC...

2006-07-19T02:14:00.000-07:00

A quick preview of two more of the hottest exclusive releases to drop at San Diego ComiCon this week. Pushead's handpainted Secret Base Skullpirate comes with an exclusive hessian bandana while Tristan Eaton's newest Thundermutt comes packed in a wooden box and contains a real machine gun round engraved with his company Thunderdog logo hidden away inside the figure's body. Both will be expensive & long gone. Don't sleep...

NYC///STUNTBOY GOES CONEY...

2006-07-19T00:51:00.000-07:00

Summer in NYC wouldn't be complete without a hot, humid, mid-July jaunt to a place where toothless photographers can feel right at home: Coney Island. A rock 'n' roll connoisseur above all else, the Isle's annual Siren Music Festival was reason enough for our boy in black to hop a train to the land of the beautiful people to take in the sights, sounds and smells of Manhattan's pleasure palace. Ogle the highlights...
(click images to enlarge)

The ladies of Coney Island made Stuntboy feel immediately at home...

On Coney you can git in where you fit in...

Super Snoopy x Super Satan...

The minions of Pushead were out in force, as were the action figure body possee...

You can take the girl out of the Lower East Side but you can't take the LES outta the girl...

The Siren stage was ground zero... for unbridaled bursts of interpretive dance.

Everyone knows Coney Island is a family-oriented place...

We won't even describe what Stuntboy did with Mr Pig. B-Boy invert in full effect...

Coney is for lovers...

Ladies Love Cool Coney...

After a quick bite (uh, gum...) it was time to check in on the Mr Asia contest...

After a long day Stuntboy was ready to "bump his ass off" in the Bumper Barn...

NYC///aNYthing GOES ON A THURSDAY NITE...

2006-07-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

Yo, be aware: it's stone cold lampin' on a Thursday nite, July 20, with the "Oscar Madison of photography" when streetstyle anti-hero Ricky Powell signs copies of his new PowerHouse book "Public Access" at A-Ron the Don's LES hotspot aNYthing from 5–7. Ladies, you're ALL invited to the afterparty...

TEXAS///LONE STAR ART STARS...

2006-07-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

TEXAS: DON'T MESS WITH DANIEL JOHNSTON, CLARK FOX, AUSGANG, RON ENGLISH OR GIBBY HAYNES...

When the group show "Power Pathos" featuring all-star native Texan underground artists opened earlier this month, residents got a taste of some of the best pop art the state has seen in ages. The highlight was Ron English's masterpiece, a twisted version of Picasso's famous anti-war painting "Guernica" populated by alternating visions of his two children Mars & Zephyr. Reclusive artist & legendary (now well-behaved) Butthole (Surfer) Gibby Haynes was long overdue for some art world attention and blew minds with his paintings and tapestry woven from cereal boxes. Of course, we miss the old days when crazy, fat Gibby would have painted the walls with cow shit & terrorized the audience with a bullhorn, but any Gibby is better than none. Dig some highlights of the weeks before opening nite...

From the jump Ron English knew he was painting the most important piece of his career & was painting at top speed...

...Until halfway through the installation, when he got loose and found religion on some local billboards.

Gibbey Haynes spent 100 hours weaving his "cereal box tapestry". Mom & Dad Haynes couldn't be prouder...

Ron English's son Mars thinks being in his dad's paintings is "kick ass"...

Ron's daughter Zephyr just hopes the boys at school don't see them.

Ron put the finishing touches on 'Guernica' just in time for opening nite & the media circus of gun-toting journalists.

To celebrate, Daniel Johnston took Ron English antique shopping for a vintage Stay Puft Marshmallow man. Ron English splurged & bought Zephyr her first car...

HOTLANTA///UZI DOES IT...

2006-07-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

The ATL got a little bit hotter on Saturday nite when "My Uzi Weighs A Ton" Opened at Art On 5 Gallery. Atlanta-based artists came together to create artwork based on the theme of gun violence in a town that's running high on urban conflict & low on controversial art shows. For more info check out the show's official website...

The Joker by Fabian Williams. Artist Cruz holdin' it down in the ATL...

Art by Dan The Man & Charly Palmer...

'The Death of Plastic Art' by Michael Thrush.

Public Enemy DJ Lord on the 1s & 2s. Dennis Byron of the Atlanta Voice and artist/show organizer Dubelyoo packin much heat...

NEW MEXICO///OFF THE WALL ON THE REZ...

2006-07-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

This just in from the Rez in New Mexico. Mickey Mouse, Navajo style:

"Rez Fink has struck again somewhere on a high canyon wall in New Mexico where only a handful of people will ever see it. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. All natural ingredients were used. 'Some god damn crazy ancients'. That's what they'll say one day. Some of my Navajo brethren might think it's sacrilege, kinda like going to the edge and looking over but not jumping. Fuck it, I guess I did jump, but my spirit was in the right place. Maybe it was just heatstroke..."
—RF

(Click images to enlarge)

NYC x LA///TUESDAY NITE 2DO...

2006-07-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

WEST SIDE

If you're in LA don't miss an excuse to hang out with Detroit artist Glenn Barr and have him sign a copy of his newest book "Haunted Paradise" at his Billy Shire Fine Arts release party, Tuesday July 18 from 6–9 pm. If you havent' seen Glenn's latest show of paintings, consider this the perfect excuse. (For more info on Glenn Barr, check the Features tab of the website for a full story on his latest show)

Billy Shire Fine Arts, 5790 Washington Blvd, Culver City, Billyshirefinearts.com.

EAST SIDE
P.S.1's 30th Anniversary Roller Disco @ The Roxy, 515 West 18th Street
(between 11th and 12th Avenues), Tuesday, July 18, 8 p.m. to midnight
Featuring:
Warm Up’s Curator DJ Spun (Jason Drummond),
Duane Harriott of Negro Clash NYC and Audio Archeology,
and Jeannie Hopper of Liquid Sound Lounge and WPS1 Art Radio
Tickets: $30 (Ticketweb.com); Skate Rental: $5 or better yet, bring your own...
The proceeds of this event will benefit P.S.1’s Annual Fund.

LA///DOGGYSTYLE...

2006-07-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

The hotter it gets in LA, the longer his tongue gets...

Flix by Soosan Joon Silanee

VINTAGE NYC///JEAN-MICHEL x PUBLIC ACCESS TV...

2006-07-17T01:16:00.000-07:00

Came across some amazing vintage footage on YouTube of Jean-Michel Basquiat being interviewed by Glenn O'Brien on his NYC public access cable TV show "TV Party" in the late '70s. O'Brien looks like a Ramone with a back-to-school haircut and he's about as exciting as a long nap, but the footage of a fresh, young Jean-Michele with a crazy pointy pre-dreds mohawk is priceless. This is pre- "Downtown '81" and all the fame, drugs, & excess (including death) that came after it. Click HERE to watch...

For those who don't know "Downtown '81", click HERE for a quick bit of catch up:

While we're on the subject, check out an interesting firsthand recollection of Jean-Michel by the artist's personal assistant in 1983, John Seed...

FILM///THE BARNSTORMERS 360°...

2006-07-16T00:58:00.000-07:00

For those who slept on this Barnstormers documentary when it dropped on DVD, it's time to play a bit of catch up. It's been out for a minute, but worth the search. Filmed on location in North Carolina, 360° traces the process of the graffiti & painting collective via time-lapse action as it decorates several barns and outdoor structures in their trademark style. Founded & led by North Carolina native David Ellis, along with partner Michael Houston, The Barnstormers counts among its members as many as 30 New York & Tokyo-based artists, including José Parla, Swoon, Sasu & Rostarr, who create large-scale, wild-style, post-graffiti collective murals on old barns, tractor-trailers, & shacks in rural North Carolina. To order the movie or find news on the gang check out the Barnstormers' official site...

UPDATE///PUSHEAD SDCC PREVIEW...

2006-07-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

JUST ANNOUNCED: Pushead will make a rare appearance at this year's San Diego ComicCon, as part of his 25th anniversary celebration. It is being called "125 Minutes of Pus..." as Pushead will only be present for 2 hours and 5 minutes, (starting @ 4:25 Thursday July 20th) and all the items for sale will be available for that amount of time only. When "125 minutes" is up, anything not sold will be boxed up forever. The special SDCC limited item will be the "Came from the Sea" Skullpirate, manufactured by Secret Base, and is the first Skullpirate being released outside of Japan. Each figure will come with a signed tag and a special Skullpirate bandana. The run is limited to 125 pieces and the price will be $75.00. Also available will be a limited edition (25 pieces) "Jar of Pus" Circus Punk for $100. Super-secret specially handpainted one-of-a-kind pieces by Pushead including a few KAWS x Pushead Companions (pictured above) will be the to-die-for-items for the diehard (and wealthy) Pus fanatics. Get there early...

NEWS///NEW DPMHI SKATE DECKS & TRUCKS...

2006-07-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

London-based style authority DPMHI has just announced the release of their new line of artist -designed skate decks and the DPMidentifier series. Here's the rundown: (click on images to enlarge)

•MHI Artist Series Decks: MHI C.R.E.A.M. Skateboard Deck: Graphic based on artwork from the Autumn '06 mhi collection; MHI De Lys Skateboard Deck: Graphic based on mhi 'Fleur De Lys' graphic from the Autumn '06 mhi collection; MHI x Gonz Skateboard Deck: Graphic based on 'Priest' artworkn by Mark Gonzales, to commemorate the Gonz exhibition and figure release at dpmhi, Soho, London this October; MHI x Futura Heavy Industries Skateboard Deck: Graphic based on an artwork from Futura's New Works exhibition at the DPMHI gallery in '05, this is one of the first releases from FHI (Futura Heavy Industries) collabo line with MHI.
•DPM Identifier Series 1 Skateboard Decks: Six different camouflage variants:
MHI Sikh, Bonsai Forest, Bonsai Step, FU Splinter, Desert Hex, Tigerstripe
•MHI Peacekeeper Series: MHI Peacekeeper Skateboard Decks: The latest in MHI's series of skate decks, with artwork inspired by the UN logo from maharishi's clothing collection; DPM x Destructo UN Peacekeeper Truck: DPM have teamed up with Destructo to release this super limited truck, clad in an artwork based on the DPM logo and UN logo. Made from weapons grade aluminium, all these trucks come with Destructo's lifetime guarantee. A matching limited edition T-shirt & helmet will also be available.
•DPM x Destructo DPM Truck: As well as the UN Peacekeeper truck, DPM and Destructo have teamed up to bring out a series of trucks based on the DPM Identifier Series 1 camo patterns. All six patterns will be released sequentially, the first being Tibetan Elemental Tigerstripe DPM.

For more details check out Dpmhi.com...

NEWS///SPECIAL MARK RYDEN BOOK SET TO DROP...

2006-07-14T00:55:00.000-07:00

JUST ANNOUNCED: Set to drop sometime during the week of July 16–22 is a special limited boxed edition of Mark Ryden's latest Japanese book, "Fushigi Circus". The special deluxe version includes a special signed hardbound edition of the book, an 8" x 5 1/2" signed and numbered giclee print, and a special edition bookmark, all packed in a 10 1/4" x 7" fabric covered box. The run is limited to 250 editions and the price is $350. Sales are limited to one per person and no advance orders are being accepted. Keep your eyes peeled & fingers crossed. Order online at MarkRyden.com

NEWS///THE REBIRTH OF SLAMxHYPE...

2006-07-14T00:33:00.000-07:00

Authoritative sneaker/streetwear site & Supertouch ally SlamxHype.com has just been relaunched as Version 2.0 with a new look and loads of new features. Loving the new banner graphic. Don't sleep...