Hustler of Culture

Brooklyn - Afro-Punk Festival 2008 (07.04.08 - 07.13.08)

Call For Entries: Queens International 2008

Queens International 2008
(December 2008 – April 2009)

An invitation to artists of all media, who currently live and/or work in the borough of Queens to have their work reviewed for possible inclusion in the exhibition. Previous incarnations of Queens International can be viewed here.

DEADLINE: August 1, 2008 (postmarked)

Homegirls Prom Night

June 29, 2008 - 4:46 p.m. - Lincoln Heights, CA

Once a year me and my homegirls take a family portrait together. This year, we got all dressed up for prom. Rucas rock!

Kufstein - "Parallel Universe" (07.03.08 - 07.05.08)

sugarFISH Dinner

June 28, 2008 - 5:45 p.m. - Marina Del Rey, CA

Kazunori Nozawa's latest venture sugarFISH opened doors to a lot of fanfare a few days ago. The highly spoiled and educated LA-sushi community was buzzing about the new joint. I immediately made plans with a few friends to dine here.

sugarFISH is located in a mall in the Marina Del Rey blending in with its high end bobo neighbors. It's bright, modern, and sleek. There's an unexpected high tech component to the restaurant (Sapient co-founder and sugarFISH partner Jerry A. Greenberg had some obvious influence) with a digital menu offering fairly simple omakase options. Choosing from three different “Trust Me” menus, the dining experience is straightforward and comforting. Eat the freshest fish, pay a set price (inclusive of tip and tax) and enjoy the Nozawa quality and taste you've grown accustomed to. The seafood maestro's motto, “Don’t Think, Just Eat," rings true here.

A few facts:

* Kazunori Nozawa's son, Tom Nozawa manages all the kitchen and food responsibilities. We hear Nozawa's number one protege is also in house.

* sugarFISH is open for lunch and dinner and at this time, does not take reservations. For a no hassle experience, dine early, around 5:00 p.m. After that, anything goes.

* Famed former Apple creative director, Clement Mok is sugarFISH’s brand designer and head of marketing. Most peeps won't know who he is but for those who do, his touch is obvious.

sugarFISH by SushiNozawa
4722 1/4 Admiralty Way Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Phone: 310.306.6300
Mon - Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm | Sun 12 - 9 pm

Barcelona - "TRUSTNOBODY / LTW / WeAreReversible" (07.02.08 - 07.05.08)

Stolen Art Alert: Barry McGee + Clare Rojas

Reposted from Unaesthetic:

I am posting this for Barry, Clare, and the RVCA staff.

The above two pieces of art were stolen from the SF RVCA store two days ago (not during the opening). They are from permanent/private collections and, without going into detail, have a great deal of sentimental value to the artists.

I don't want to go on a rant, but I'm having trouble holding back on this. To me there are only two conceivable reasons a person would do this:

1. You really really love this person's work and cannot afford it.

OR

2. You did it to make money.

The problem with #1 that it strikes me as an interesting dichotomy for one to seemingly have a large enough respect for the artist that they would risk doing something like this, yet knowingly be causing damage to the artists, gallery owners, and art scene in general. When this happens, everyone involved is much less likely to participate the next time around which is bad for us all. A knife in the back is an odd way to show love...

The problem with #2 is that naturally when fencing art you're going to be selling it at a drastic loss while simultaneously increasing your chances of being caught trying to do so. If we were talking about something you stole from the Louvre - yes, maybe I can understand that may be a risk worth taking for some people who stand to gain a few million out of it; but in all honesty what do you stand to make out of this deal, a couple hundred dollars? Not many buyers are willing to obtain knowingly stolen art by these artists.

If you have any information about this, or means of having the artwork returned - there will be absolutely no questions asked and no legal efforts made to follow up on you or any involved parties. They just want the pieces back. You may contact me privately (art@unaesthetic.net), any of the RVCA staff (415-701-7822), or set up an anonymous third party to communicate through.

peace.

Godzuki Pre-Haircut Portrait

June 27, 2008 - 5:30 p.m. - Santa Monica, CA

Godzuki's been acing his handsome boy modeling school classes. This is his last day in his full winter coat. It's summertime, which means it's time for his annual lion cut! New do pix, coming soon!

LA - Disruptive Patterning Collaborative Event w/ Sumi Ink Club (07.01.08)

Disruptive Patterning Collaborative Event w/ Sumi Ink Club

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008, 8pm

Hanna Rose Shell and Los Angeles-based artists Sumi Ink Club invite visitors to participate in the building of active models to explore the underlying principles of becoming invisible. Participants are encouraged to experiment with methods of obliterative countershading and disruptive patterning. In addition to reconnoitering for concealed human forms, visitors work together to transform discrete animal shapes into an abstract mass indistinguishable from its background environment. Each line is used to form a field of real and potential illusion, as participants obliterate and decorate, continue and disrupt, reveal and obscure the marks made by others in the interest of creative collaboration. Sumi Ink and brushes will be available for all. Sumi Ink Club, founded in 2005 by Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara, holds regular public meetings in which many hands collaborate to create seamless topsy-turvy drawings using sumi ink. This event is for all ages.

LA - OUTLET14: Taalman Koch Architecture (07.01.08)

OUTLET14 / Guests: Taalman Koch Architecture : 07 01 08

Tuesday July 1, 2008
DRINKS 7 pm / Talk starts at 8 pm

MANDRAKE BAR
2692 S. La Cienega Boulevard (Located between Venice Blvd and Washington Blvd.)
Los Angeles CA 90034

Taalman Koch Architecture is a collaborative and culturally focused architecture firm in Los Angeles. Founded by architects Linda Taalman and Alan Koch, the two are known for their unique ability to creatively partner with artists and collaborative teams in their projects. Growing out of their experiences working directly with artists in the TRESPASSING houses x artists project and the Dia : Beacon museum they developed a method of thinking about architecture that empirically responds to the situations presented to them. Rather than apply a singular formal language or strategy to a body of work, they strive to uncover op portunities, actively looking to allow influences outside their previous experiences to shape their present perspectives. Their attention to the immediate project at hand has resulted in highly sensitive architectural projects that emphasize the experience and phenomenological results over the discrete image or object. Through collaboration with artists in other disciplines and borrowing from other industries they attempt to direct architecture broadly and without prescribed rules.

NYC - "Plastic Bag Happening" (07.01.08)

db in Da Hood

June 26, 208 - 1:33 p.m. - Venice, CA

Spotting danah boyd in real life these days is like catching sight of a unicorn. It's rare, but sometimes it happens. So when a last minute lunch opportunity was presented to me, I grabbed it.

Strangers beware. Watching the two of us talk can cause an inexperienced voyeur to spontaneously combust. I think in another decade I will be able to sit across from danah and blink my eyes and she'll totally get what I'm saying. Either that, or she'll be studying our new forms of social interaction. Whatever. If we're hanging, I'm happy.

NYC - Reproduce & Revolt/Reproduce y Rebélate Book Event (06.30.08)

Reproduce & Revolt/Reproduce y Rebélate RELEASE PARTY

Monday, June 30th, 7-10pm
Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen St., NYC
(One block south of Houston, a block from the 2nd Ave. F train)

A collection of over 500 political graphics, Reproduce & Revolt/Reproduce Y Rebélate contains original art granted by the creators to the public domain, to be freely used on political posters, flyers, and campaigns. A bilingual (English & Spanish) book, it also includes a history of the reproducible political graphic and a design how-to for anyone interested in using the images in this book to help change the world. A powerful collection of graphic work by some of the world’s most active and interesting political propagandists, street artists and socially conscious graphic designers. Over 100 artists from over 25 countries are included!

Nodeblinky!

My office needs some more decoration! The Nodeblinky by Image Mode (cousin of GRL) is like, epileptic flare! I want!

The Nodeblinky has 28 LEDs and electronics to control them all. It can play over 2500 unique combinations of patterns designed by the Image Node crew. It has 4 modes and 4 levels of brightness. On the lowest levels of brightness, it will run for 5-7 hours on a rechargable 9V. (It will run for 20-25 hours on a disposable 9V as well)

The Nodeblinky is sold as a kit that you can assemble. All you need is a soldering iron, some solder, and a nippy cutter. If you are in NYC, we will be throwing Blinky Tupperware Parties at the FATlab in East Williamsburg in July and August. Clear, detailed instructions for assembling the blinky are available here.

A Nodeblinky Kit costs $40
An assembled Nodeblinky costs $80

If you want to show off your real mad soldering skills, pick up a few kits. Buy yours here and help some Burners move their stuff west. Every order helps. So please order plenty!

LA - Conversations with Artists: Chaz Bojorquez and Vincent Valdez (06.29.08)

Conversations with Artists: Chaz Bojorquez and Vincent Valdez

Sunday, June 29 | 2:00 pm

This informal conversation between artists from the exhibition Los Angelenos/Chicano Painters of L.A.: Selections from the Cheech Marin Collection—graffiti artist Chaz Bojorquez and figurative painter Vincent Valdez—offers insights into contrasting views of Los Angeles.

Brown Auditorium | Free; tickets required | Tickets are available at the box office one hour before the program begins

LA - "Self Help Graphics & Art" (06.29.08)

SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART
Annual Print Exhibition & Fair
June 29, 2008

12:00P.M..-5:00P.M.
3802 Cesar E. Chavez Ave
Los Angeles Ca 90063
(323) 881-6444

Exhibition opening in our Brooklyn Gallery of Three new Atelier Series
Print Sale upstairs of Various Prints

Atelier #50 Maestras V Curated By Yolanda Gonzalez

Includes the following Artists: Judy Baca, Barbara Carrasco, Magda DeJose, Carol Es, Emilia Garcia, Yolanda Gonzalez, Aydee Lopez, Poli Marical, Gina Stepaniuk, Linda Vallejo

Sweet Corn

June 24, 2008 - 9:08 p.m. - Culver City, CA

Team GG fed us some sweet corn, a refreshing salad, and grilled Argentinean beef. It was yummy!

links for 2008-06-24

• The Moment - T Magazine - New York Times Blog
  "The Moment is a daily blog that spans the T Magazine universe of fashion, design, food and travel." I'm honored to be on their art blog roll! w00t!
  (tags: Art Blogs Architecture Design Culture Fashion NYTimes)
• Remembering George Carlin
  Good night, George Carlin, you funny fuck.
  (tags: Comedian Culture Obituary NPR)
• Console Makers Embrace Indie Game Developers
  Console makers, where were you in 2002 when we were trying and vying for your support?! Better late than never, I guess.
  (tags: VideoGames Wired Xbox Publishing Games Business)
• From Pickles to Paintings in New York’s Lower East Side
  Galleries are relocating to the LES. For the cubanos, I'm sure.
  (tags: NYTimes Art Artists Gallery Manhattan Business Friends)
• 100 Essential Jazz Albums: Online Only
  Richard Brody and David Remnick's top 100 list of jazz albums.
  (tags: NewYorker Music Artists Culture History Jazz Lists Reference Reviews)

NYC - "Constraction" (06.28.08 - 08.09.08)

CONSTRACTION

TAUBA AUERBACH
JOE BRADLEY
PETER COFFIN
XYLOR JANE
MITZI PEDERSON
ARA PETERSON
CURATED BY KATHY GRAYSON

JUNE 28 - AUGUST 9, 2008
OPENING SATURDAY JUNE 28, 6 - 9 PM

CRUNCH YOUR INVITATION!

DEITCH PROJECTS
76 Grand Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 343-7300

LA - “Natural History Museum Part I” (06.28.08 - 07.16.08)

Carlos Ramos
“Natural History Museum Part I”

Opening Reception Saturday, June 28, 2008 from 7 to 10pm
On View June 28 until July 16, 2008

Corey Helford Gallery is proud to present “Natural History Museum Part I”, a solo exhibition of new works by Los Angeles artist Carlos Ramos. For his first solo show in Los Angeles, Ramos replicates the natural history museum experience for his audience, fusing the natural world with the art world. A series of twenty four large-scale paintings based on classic grand dioramas and a special installation of skeletal structures will transform the gallery into an epicenter of flora and fauna. The concept of the exhibition is based on Ramos’ childhood fascination with natural history museums and the “authoritative” impression they made on him growing up. Developing a show around a cohesive theme as well as expanding the size and scale of his work mark an exciting new direction for the artist, which has allowed him to explore environments and characters more freely than in the past. Open to the public, the reception for “Natural History Museum Part I” will take place on Saturday, June 28 from 7 to 10pm and will be on view until July 16, 2008.