SUNDAY PSALMS 101

Steve Shaw For Kanye West Louis Vuitton Campaign

Image Credit: highsnobiety

EASY, BREEZY CONVERSATION...

Picture It: New York City, April 18, 2009

A young up and coming arts & culture writer is merrily strolling through the land of forbidden known as THE VILLAGE when suddenly he makes a discovery.

HARK, he replies and goes over to futher research his finding.

Young Man: Hello Sir! This work is quite extraordinary. Is it yours by any chance?
Older Man: Yes young man. Thank you for your kind words.
Young Man: (hands the older gentleman his card) My name is Tyrus Rochell and I'm an arts writer with a lovely little space on the world wide web called I.HEART.ART.
Older Man: My name is Zorroz
Young Man: Your name is what?
Older Man: Zorroz
Young Man: Could you please spell it? I don't understand.
Older Man: Z-O-R-R-O-Z S-P-I-C-E-R
Young Man: Oh now I see. How fantastic!
Older Man: How do you pronounce your name?
Young Man: It is pronounced Tyrus.
Older Man (gives me a look): How do you pronounce it?
Young Man: T-Y-R-U-S like C-Y-R-U-S
Older Man: Oh I see.
Young Man: Yes. So what is your inspiration and why do you paint?
Older Man: I dont have an inspiration and my father was a painter so I do the same.
Young Man: Brilliant! How much are your works?
Older Man (seen admiring my t-shirt): I like your t-shirt man. It is inspiring me right now. My mind is ticking.
Young Man (flattered and tosses his hair back coyly): How much are your works?
Older Man: The smaller ones are $20. That is reasonable, right?
Young Man: Absolutely! My money is funny so this is right on target. But I am afraid I cannot patron you today sir as I do not carry cash on me ever (shows him my red mongrammed GOYARD wallet). But I will be sure to catch you the next time, okay?
Older Man: What is your name again? HA! I have your card; I was only joking.

(He winks, I smile and I go on with my day)

THE END

Converse Conversation Portraits by Stephen K. Schuster

With their 1HUND(RED) Series coming to an end, Converse held a private event last night at Aquavit in New York City, allowing campaign participants to speak about the efforts of PRODUCT (RED) in Africa. Amongst the chosen attendees were 50 industry movers and shakers with a dinner hosted by Converse Sr. Global Director of Visual Arts Scott Patt, musician Lupe Fiasco, and Executive Chef of Aquavit Marcus Samuelsson. The event was documented by photographer Stephen K. Schuster, snapping shots of the some of the nights important guests. Participants of the 1HUND(RED) Series Sneaker Collection have included the likes of Hiroshi Fujiwara, Billy Joe Armstrong, Terrence Koh, and the aforementioned Lupe Fiasco (Pictured Above).





Source: COMPLEX

PORTFOLIO I: Shimeon

Shimeon
Male
23 years old
New York, Arizona


Mayhem #263732
Model

MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/Shimeon7

Details
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 175 lbs
Shoe size: 11
Hair color: Black
Hair length: Short
Eye color: Brown
Ethnicity: Black
Skin color: Brown
Experience: Very Experienced
Compensation: Depends on Assignment

TateShots NYC: Jeff Koons

Gering and Lopez x Matthew McCaslin's "CROSSROADS" x 04.23.09/6-8 pm

MATTHEW McCASLIN
CROSSROADS

April 23 – June 6, 2009
Reception: Thursday, April 23, 6-8pm

GERING & LóPEZ GALLERY is pleased to present Crossroads, a solo exhibition of recent works by New York based artist Matthew McCaslin. Known for his installation and video work grounded in industrial materials, McCaslin continues to explore the dualistic nature of physical and metaphysical space, and the point at which the two converge. He juxtaposes the organic form of the human body against the synthetic materials of modern industry in a diverse and playful mixture of installation and object to craft mystery and beauty. By transforming mundane materials into aesthetic objects, McCaslin produces the experience of the sublime contained within the gallery context.

Inside Out, a large installation dominating half of the gallery space, is composed of a field of metal studs arranged to reveal a semi-transparent structure. Four fluorescent light fixtures hang both vertically and horizontally at different heights and depths within the large cube. As the viewer walks through the piece, she experiences the absence of human presence within the incomplete structure. The partially lit utilitarian materials create the mysterious impression of an ominous power source fueled by the electric potentiality of industry.

Additionally, there are two photo-based wall reliefs comprised of digital prints of deep space nebulae affixed with mixed media objects including audibly ticking clock hands and chewing gum. The combination of ordinary, functional items with images of outer space reinforces the idea of the frivolity of daily life within the greater cosmos. McCaslin has also created a sculptural light piece consisting of fluorescent black light bulbs and a flat-screen TV that plays a video of slowed lightning footage. The black lights generate an electrically charged atmosphere in the gallery while the television suggests the viewer is watching the storm from a window.

Lastly, McCaslin includes two of his signature totemic light sculptures. Sharing the title He or She, the pair is connected both visually and electrically by a single black cord. Both are made of flexible, metal electrical cables, porcelain light fixtures, light bulbs, and receptacle boxes with a switch that turns the pieces on and off. When lit, the mirrored incandescent light bulbs reflect against the wall, adding an ethereal dimension to the sculptures. In these pieces, McCaslin explores the multiple facets of interconnectivity, uniting his objects both physically and through a less tangible force of energy as naturally occurs in human interactions and power dynamics.

Matthew McCaslin was born in Bayshore, NY in 1957 and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He received his BFA from the Parsons School of Design, New York, NY in 1980. His work is in many international public collections including the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN; the Jewish Museum, New York, NY; the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany; the Sprengel Museum, Hannover, Germany; the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX; and the Museum of Modern Art, Saint Etienne, France. He has exhibited extensively in galleries and museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; Kunstmuseum, St. Gallen, Switzerland; the MMK Museum fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany; the Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA and Galería Javier López, Madrid, Spain. His work will be included in two upcoming group exhibitions: Slough at David Nolan Gallery, New York, NY and N'importe quoi at the Musée d'Art Contemporain, Lyon, France. Matthew was a recipient of the Gottlieb Foundation Award in 2008.

Please join us for a reception with the artist on Thursday, April 23, from 6-8pm.

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm. For further information and images please contact Lauren Cicione at 646.336.7183 or info@geringlopez.com.

SOURCE: Gering & Lopez

Cerasoli Gallery Presents: Glamour and Gloom - John Grande, Franziska Klotz, Nick Potter

PRESS RELEASE – For Immediate Release

C E R A S O L I gallery presents the fine art work of three painters invoking various photographic genres in their work: John Grande in Gallery One, Franziska Klotz in Gallery Two, and Nick Potter in Gallery Three at the Cerasoli Gallery (8530-B Washington Blvd in Culver City). Opens April 18, 2009, and remains on view through May 13, 2009. Opening reception is Saturday, April 18, from 6pm – 8pm.

In Gallery One, contemporary painter John Grande’s oil on canvas portraits often resemble archival budoir photographs cleverly interwoven with archetypal gender narratives. Grande’s approach to painting is influenced by high fashion photographers such as Annie Liebowitz, with whom the artist worked as a printmaker for years. His doll-like subjects are rendered in high relief with dramatic light and dark contrasts, reflecting both innocence and idealistic beauty as well as eluding to underlying chaos and mystery. Inspired by life and the consequences of its destruction, Grande’s paintings touch on enigmas of sexual culture and stereotypes while investigating the connection between art and fashion. Grande’s work has been exhibited worldwide with solo shows in Canada and the United States.

German-born artist Franziska Klotz collects, tags, and archives snapshots, which she then reconfigures as paintings that are often contradictory and dreamily abstract. Klotz’s deconstruction and composition process is not unlike the creation of a recipe whose end result no longer bears any resemblance to its original list of ingredients. Klotz’s layering technique allows viewers to make connections organically, rather than immediately: the representational quality of the paintings are embedded deep within the works. Delicious pastel hues are engulfed in shadow, cloaked in encroaching darkness and discord, conflating references to Monet and De Kooning. In many of Klotz’s large-scale paintings, brush and spackle paint applications coincide with graphic elements and aerosol techniques, further emphasizing Klotz’s consideration of the boundaries between depiction and abstraction, image and afterimage, expression and impression.

Influenced by the banality of everyday spaces in his native England, Nick Potter’s current works use architectural spaces and images of desire to explore the implicit interrelations between class, materialism, isolation and anxiety. Visually seductive, photo-real depictions of familiar Modernist settings and subjects constitute Potter’s compelling and, at times, unnerving imagery. Utilizing a gorgeous, sliding scale of grays in his black and white works, Potter employ elements of simplification and abstraction to build tension and to sow the underlying sense of anxiety and foreboding of our post-Cold War society within his dewy utopias. Potter’s recent exhibitions include a 2008 show at the La Salle University Art Museum in Philadelphia. He is an Associate Professor at Cal State University, Fresno.

C E R A S O L I gallery is located at 8530- b Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232, and is open Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 6pm. For additional information contact, Freddi Cerasoli at freddicerasoli@cerasoligallery.com or (310) 954 5974 Website: http://www.cerasoligallery.com

SOURCE: Elemental Consulting

THE LAST BARON OF NEW YORK on Advocate.com

Artist Baron takes his act from Jersey to New York -- paying homage to everyone from Grace Jones to Aretha Franklin -- with his new album Celebrity.



An Advocate.com exclusive posted April 15, 2009

The Last Baron of New York

Artist Baron has always been a star: with good looks, raw talent, and an unwavering determination to outshine everyone around him. A multidisciplinary artist, Baron is back with his sophomore CD, Celebrity, a 14-track collection of pop-meets-electro beats. Equal parts Jungle Brothers, Esthero, and Labelle, Celebrity is a celebration of enjoying life to the fullest.

Influenced by an array of musical artists (David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, and Goldfrapp, to name a few), Baron's critically acclaimed debut, Troubled Man, was met with rave reviews. Now, fueled by the success of his club-banging new single, Baron is ready to show the world how to "Party With b."

To read the article in its entirety, click HERE.

David LaChapelle: “If I could choose any period to have been an artist, it would definitely be the Baroque”

The artist-photographer discusses his affinity with the dynamism, drama and spirituality of 17th-century art

By Adrian Dannatt



Star artist-photographer David LaChapelle is a committed fan of the Baroque, whether the show opening this month at the V&A in London or the exhibition at the Bargello in Florence, “Living Marble: Bernini and the Birth of the Baroque Portrait Bust”, which he singled out in these pages as one of the best happening this year. Any connection between this “porno-chic” snapper notorious for ultra-gloss images of decadent celebrity-culture and Catholic 17th-century devotional imagery seems considerably less improbable after pondering their mutual devotion to high artifice and grand effect. For LaChapelle (surely an almost baroque name in itself despite his all-American origins in Fairfield, Connecticut) builds his vast, labyrinthine images with a scale, grandeur and drama whose excesses rival those of any Pietro da Cortona painted ceiling. Like baroque art, LaChapelle’s work always strives for direct emotional involvement, a visceral appeal aimed at the senses, to impress even the simplest visitor. Like baroque artists, he explores repeated and varied patterns, abundant details, thunderously bright polychromy, all in deliberate promotion of a populist conception of the function of art. Thus LaChapelle has coined an iconography that is direct, simple, obvious and dramatic, its broad and heroic tendencies suggesting not only the intensity and immediacy of the Baroque but most importantly its overall sense of awe.

More after the JUMP.

via TAN

Jeff Koons-" The Post-Pop Superstar"

The Post-Pop Superstar

An in-depth study of Koons's entire oeuvre to date. Limited to 1,500 numbered copies, each signed by Jeff Koons

From kinky to kitsch to conceptual, Jeff Koons’ art is anything but conformist. Since he stirred up the art world establishment in the 1980s with his unapologetic basketball sculptures and stainless steel toy blow-ups, Koons has been known as somewhat of a bad boy—a reputation he confirmed in the early 1990s via works depicting him having sex with then-wife Cicciolina, the Italian porn star-cum-politician. But at the same time he charmed the art world with Puppy, a 40-foot tall floral terrier that now resides at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Koons’ exploitation of the banal, in the aggrandizement and/or embodiment of kitsch and pop imagery, has become his trademark; detractors may delight in their naysaying, but Koons’ work commands millions at auction and his position at the forefront of contemporary art is indisputable.

This exhaustive monograph begins with a biographical essay by Ingrid Sischy who tells the personal story of a dedicated artist unwilling to compromise his work even in torrid times. An essay by Eckhard Schneider sees Koons from a European perspective. Arranged in chronological chapters by work groups, the main body of the book features art historian and critic Katy Siegel’s detailed analyses alongside hundreds of large-format images, tracing Koons’ career from 1979 to today. Fans of Jeff Koons’ work will find in this publication not only a sumptuous book-object, but also the most comprehensive study of the artist’s work ever published.

Also available: The Art Edition, limited to 100 copies, each with an original artwork by Jeff Koons.

About the editor:
Hans Werner Holzwarth was a photographer before launching a corporate design firm. He has collaborated on book designs with Robert Frank, Nan Goldin, Albert Oehlen, Richard Prince, Kiki Smith, and John Waters. For TASCHEN, he edited Jeff Koons, Christopher Wool, and Art Now Vol 3.

About the authors:
Eckhard Schneider was head of the Nordhorn Municipal Gallery 1976-89, business manager and artistic director of the Kunstverein Hannover, 1990-2000, and Director of Kunsthaus Bregenz 2000-08. His is currently general manager of the PinchukArtCentre in Kiev, Ukraine.

Katy Siegel is an associate professor of art history and criticism at Hunter College-CUNY, and a contributing editor to Artforum. She has written extensively about modern and contemporary art including, most recently, catalogue essays on Richard Tuttle, Takashi Murakami, and Dana Schutz.

Ingrid Sischy is a Contributing Editor for Vanity Fair. A former staff writer, photography and fashion critic at The New Yorker, she was editor in chief of Interview, 1989-2008. She has profiled Keith Haring, David Hockney, Jeff Koons, Nicole Kidman, and Madonna, among many others.

SOURCE: Taschen

Smithsonian Names Architect for National Museum African American History & Culture

WASHINGTON, DC.-The Smithsonian today announced that Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup is the architectural team chosen to design the National Museum of African American History and Culture to be located on the National Mall near the Washington Monument. The selection was made by a jury chaired by Museum Director Lonnie G. Bunch III. Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup was among six architectural firms that entered a design competition in January of 2009.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with this talented team,” said Bunch. “Their vision and spirit of collaboration moved all members of the design competition jury. I am confident that they will give us a building that will be an important addition to the National Mall and to the architecture of this city.”

Philip G. Freelon, FAIA, speaking on behalf of the Freelon Adjaye Bond team, said “This is an incredible time for us as designers—and this museum represents a unique opportunity to give form and substance to the powerful vision that has been established by the Smithsonian leadership. We are truly honored to have been chosen as the architects from such a distinguished list of competitors.

In describing their competition entry, Freelon said, “Our model illustrates a design concept—not a finished building. The design process now begins in earnest with the full engagement of the museum and Smithsonian Institution staff. Together, we will advance the ideas that have been explored to date in an inclusive and collaborative environment.”

Freelon Adjaye Bond said in its design concept materials, “The National Museum of African American History and Culture—the institution and the building—embodies the African American spirit. Majestic yet exuberant, dignified yet triumphant, the building will be worthy of the museum’s vision, and its prominent place on the National Mall.”

The team selected by the Smithsonian consists of four firms that have joined together for this unique project—The Freelon Group, Adjaye Associates, Davis Brody Bond and SmithGroup. The Freelon Group will be the architect of record and Phil Freelon will serve as the design guarantor— making sure that the design reflects the values and priorities of the museum and the Smithsonian. The Freelon Group designed the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture in Baltimore.

David Adjaye will be the lead designer. He designed the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, Norway, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. Davis Brody Bond is involved in the planning, design and execution of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center in New York. The firm also led the restoration and expansion of the New York Public Library. The SmithGroup is an international architectural and engineering firm with offices in Washington, D.C., that designed the Normandy American Cemetery Interpretive Center in France.

The building design will take up to three years, with construction to begin in 2012. Set to open in 2015, the museum’s total cost is estimated to be $500 million, including design. During the design phase, the Smithsonian will seek approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. In addition, the Institution will continue to consult with other Washington, D.C., agencies and organizations, including the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Park Service and the National Coalition to Save Our Mall.

Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup was one of 22 teams that responded to the Request for Qualifications in summer 2008. The six firms selected to participate in the design competition were announced in January 2009. The architectural team will work directly with the Smithsonian’s contracting office to respond to the formal Request for Proposal.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was established in 2003 by an Act of Congress. Although it does not have a building yet, the museum is collecting artifacts; conducting seminars and symposia, including a recent two-day program on Black Power; gathering African American oral histories for StoryCorps, a joint program with National Public Radio and the Library of Congress; and creating traveling exhibitions such as “Let Your Motto Be Resistance.” In addition, the museum has its own gallery in the National Museum of American History, which currently is exhibiting “The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise.”

Jury members for the design competition were:

Lonnie G. Bunch III (chair), director, National Museum of African American History and Culture
Mike Bellamy, P.E., director, Smithsonian’s Office of Engineering, Design and Construction
Robert Campbell, architecture critic, Boston Globe
Maurice Cox, director of design, National Endowment for the Arts
James A. Johnson, member of the museum’s council, vice chairman of Perseus LLC and former chairman and CEO of Fannie Mae
Robert Kogod, member of Smithsonian Board of Regents and chair of the board’s facilities committee and president of Charles E. Smith Management LLC
Sheryl Kolasinski, AIA, director, Smithsonian’s Office of Planning and Project Management
Franklin D. Raines, member of the museum’s council, former chairman and CEO of Fannie Mae and former director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget
Linda Johnson Rice, co-chair of the museum’s council and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company Inc. (publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines)
Adèle Naudé Santos, dean of the School of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and principal architect for the San Francisco-based firm, Santos Prescott and Associates

via AKN

To Be Continued:Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton

A brief snippet of the Multicolore Spring Pallete. To be continued......

Flick of the Day: Sham Ibrahim 'RIHANNA' Portrait-Its His World.

I am not sure Rihanna would have liked to be immortalized in this way. I understand the concept but maybe the taste factor isn't the best. Thus she is a celebrity and in the spirit of Warhol her vulnerability has been stamped for the world to purchase.

Artist Profile: Jose Parla on Walrus TV

21st Century Hustle-Interview with Stanley Lumax "My Life, My Work"

Stanley Lumax is definitely the “X” Generation’s Clark Kent: Advertising Executive by day and Photographer by night. I am sure you are familiar with most of his work including AND1, Nike’s “The City is Watching” campaigns and most recently Converse’s “Running” Print campaign. Does this Jersey-bred, Temple University educated and Brooklyn- rooted Ghanaian warrior have what it takes to carry to the torch of Gordan Parks and keep it burning?(Interview after jump)

SOURCE: 21st Century Hustle

MEET THE SPARTANS....AT THE DAZED GALLERY

This month, Dazed features an exclusive exposé on The Spartans of New York – the homeless street fighters of Union Square who came together in the summer of 2008 to create a disciplined community founded on hope, mutual respect and brotherhood. To celebrate the launch of the issue, The Dazed Gallery is presenting an exhibition of photographs of The Spartans by James Mooney, the Irish photographer who has documented their lives. Below is an extract from this month’s feature by our editor, Rod Stanley. For more of the article, click HERE.

The Spartans opening party takes place on Thursday 23, April, 7-9pm at The Dazed Gallery, 112-116 Old Street, London, EC1V 9BD

"THE SAMBURO" at CLIC GALLERY

Clic Bookstore & Gallery Presents

"THE SAMBURU" by Lyle Owerko
424 Broome Street, New York
212-219-9308
www.clicgallery.com

Opening Reception:
Thursday, April 16, 2009, 7-10 pm