Vinyl Revisionists

I'm proud to be one of the exhibiting artists in Vinyl Revisionists. Opens Friday, March 30, 2012 at Warner Brothers Records in Burbank, CA.

Tellason Denim

I'm a fan of Tellason denim for obvious reasons...they're made in the USA and use high-quality materials. Pete and Tony are also passionate about their product, which is always key.

I wear Tellason almost exclusively for all of my artistic endeavors (painting/wheatpasting/stenciling/collaging/screenprinting) as well as many of my domestic assignments (gardening, splitting firewood, cleaning gutters, etc).

LOUD FLASH: British Punk on Paper

A little late with this posting, but above is a small sampling of 'Loud Flash: British Punk on Paper' exhibit from Honor Fraser Gallery in LA. It's a well-curated and very rare selections of prints, flyers, zines and other ephemera from the personal collection of Brit, Toby Mott. No doubt, THE most impressive presentation of the era that I've ever seen...most of which, in terms of design, is absolutely brilliant.

Press release from Honor Fraser:

Honor Fraser is pleased to announce Loud Flash: British Punk on Paper, opening Saturday July 16, 6 to 8pm, and on view through August 27, 2011.

This exhibition is a compelling portrait of a particular moment in British popular culture, at the bitter end of the post-war period. It tells its story through a unique collection of several hundred posters, flyers and other ephemera assembled by artist and erstwhile punk, Toby Mott. With the passion of a true fan and an artist's eye for an image, he has gathered the evidence of the short life and premature, messy end of British Punk. There are iconic images by artists such as Jamie Reid and Linder Sterling, as well as flyers, gig posters, and zines, crudely cut and pasted by anonymous hands. A fascinating collection of political material supplies further context of a nation of unrest, torn by extremism, recording attempts by political extremes of both left and right to co-opt the power of youth.

Ephemeral and throwaway as each of these objects were, collected together they tell, in uniquely immediate and visual terms, a part of the history of Britain, the history of ideas, and the history of art. Punk has always exerted a fascination, but perhaps never stronger than at this moment. The legacy of punk has permeated modern culture and society, and its visual vocabulary infuses much contemporary art, while the punk spirit resonates in particular with the anti-elitist, DIY ethos of today's young, blogging artists and musicians. This exhibition recalls the anarchic spirit of authenticity and amateurism, the volatile and ambiguous celebration of negativity, creativity, violence and protest that was Punk.

REFERENCE LIBRARY/Taliban Don't Surf PT. 2

My previous post, below, showed some of the content and concept of the Taliban Don't Surf print. Above are a few aspects of the craft of the design; from first thumbnail sketch (dated 2/21/11) and notes, to illustrating type specimens and creating other analog elements for use in the collage. After a few dozen digital comps, films are ripped, screens are coated and burned, inks mixed, paper trimmed and registered and squeegees pulled.

The final product, a two color, 18" x 24" screenprint, on 100# archival, black stock is available now (6/30/11) via 1xRun.com.

REFERENCE LIBRARY/Taliban Don't Surf

A few pieces of digital ephemera that serve the story of the upcoming Taliban Don't Surf print, available June 30, 2011, exclusively at 1xRun.com.

BAD

Big Audio Dynamite played a secret show in Los Angeles last night as an unofficial part of the post MOCA/Art in the Streets exhibit...great to see Mick Jones, Don Letts and the rest of the crew rock a packed house.

Superstonic Sound: The Rebel Dread Doc on Don Letts

Although this trailer views like a mishmash of archvial (but still great) footage, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this new doc on Don Letts, Superstonic Sound.

And, as you already know, I'm a fanatic for all things Don Letts.

REVOLUTIONS/SHEPARD FAIREY

Opening this Saturday night, March 12, 2011 at the Robert Berman Gallery, Revolutions: The Album Cover Art of Shepard Fairey. He and his crew have been working hard to finish a lot of new prints and related material for the exhibit. It's a great homage that celebrates the ability of music to influence and inspire.

“Long before I knew about art galleries or even street art, I was excited about album cover art, if only because it was the visual counterpart to the music on the records I loved. Album covers conjured a euphoric association with the listening experience. Most of my earliest home-made tee shirts were stencils based on punk album covers. I’ve had some very moving encounters with art in my life, especially in the street, but almost nothing can compare with the first time I heard the boots marching and first chord of the Sex Pistols’ Holidays in the Sun, or the air raid sirens leading into “too black, too strong” on the intro to Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, or the opening guitar scream of Black Flag’s Rise Above. Those songs did, and still do, make my arm hairs stand up. Music is visceral and accessible, but also has the additional powerful layers of the lyrics, with their content and politics, and the style,politics, and personalities of the musicians themselves. No matter how much I love art, or try to convince myself of its relevance in society, the fact remains that music is a lot cooler and way more able to reach people’s hearts and minds… but I’m a populist and I look at this way: I may not play an instrument, but I’m gonna rock it hard as nails anyway. With my art I try to capture the same energy and spirit that makes music so powerful and democratic. REVOLUTIONS is a celebration of all the great music and accompanying art that has inspired me over the years.”
- Shepard

Photos courtesy of Obey Giant and Obey Clothing.

A Child of the Jago

I've been quietly watching the dandy sophistication of A Child of the Jago for a few years now, and I'm definitely a fan. Jago is the English label that Joe Corre and Barnzley have created and evolved into a strange mixture of luxury fabrics, exquisite craft, and raw, provocative imagery. Not surprising, I suppose, after considering both the genetic background and subcultural heritage of the two masterminds...

It was a great surprise last night when a +44 number appeared on my phone, and the voice on the other end was Barnzley himself. We had a great conversation about all things Zoltar, Special Needs, 33, Peoples Republic, Agent Provocateur, House, Sex/Seditionaries, World's End and the like. Hopefully we'll be able to work together in the near future.

"No rubbish."

Thanks, Barnz!