BALISE

Buddy Wakefield delivers a riveting special performance of The Gentleman Practice at the Sunset Temple Theatre for Innermission Productions.

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:36:00 +0000


The Gentleman Practice Tour Poster, with information added by Innermission Productions. Used for educational purposes.

his past Friday, January 28th, Innermission Productions (sponsored by Planned Parenthood) kicked off their V-Day benefit production of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues with a special show by Buddy Wakefield, stopping by the Sunset Temple Theater for his Gentleman Practice Tour.

Buddy Wakefield is a two-time Individual World Poetry Slam Champion featured on NPR, and the BBC, signed to Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records and now writing the eponymous book of his present tour for Write Bloody Publishing. In 2004, supported by Norman Lear, he won the Individual World Poetry Slam Finals at the International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In 2005, he won again and has gone on to tours with Derrick Brown and Anis Mojgani, as well as tours with Ani DiFranco.*

After a rousing chant of the c-word at the end of the excerpt performance “Reclaiming Cunt,” Buddy Wakefield took the stage, admitting it was an unusual overture for his show about masculinity and authentic identity. After asking the audience to breathe, reminding us that air “is the good stuff, and all we need,” he launched into a two hour tour-de-force. The charm of the relaxed tone of the show amplified the power of Wakefields’ deft skill in words.

The proceeds of the entire production, which will include the original Vagina Monologues, as well as the companion piece A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and a Prayer and the all-male response MENding Monologues will benefit playwright/performer/activist Eve Ensler's V-Day, a campaign seeking to end violence against women by spreading information and engaging the arts in events throughout February across the world.

San Diego/University Heights V-Day 2011 by Innermission Productions has also selected a local beneficiary: San Diego’s very important Center for Community Solutions, which among its countless services for abuse survivors has San Diego’s only Rape Crisis Center.

“Forgiveness,” Buddy Wakefield explained patiently, “is giving up all hope for a better past.” It is accepting what happened in order to move forward. Eruptions of agreement punctuated the rapt peace of the attentive patrons of the Sunset Temple Theater tucked behind Claire de Lune."We are not tragedies," he insisted, on human resilience.

Wakefield, a poised man with a resounding rich voice and a wit that flows instantaneously, comments frequently on letting go, but earlier work reveals a long struggle with the Why. “Yeah if you ever wanna come inside just knock on the spot where I finally pressed STOP,” he expounded, exasperated, “playing musical chairs with exit signs. I’m gonna cause you a miracle when you see the way I kept God’s image alive.”

Wakefield’s strength is his entire person. He has an active, physical presence, and a verbal carte blanche that at times gushes incessantly like the uninhibited clamor of a best friend. The effect of the ebb and flow, the entreaties for mindfulness mingled with the sharp observations of our condition, emanates into the inspired resonance that is Wakefield’s profoundness.

His insights, his command over his own poetry that he delivers with thespian carriage, meshed with humorous quips and anecdotal tangents, held the audience spellbound in the sentimental, empathetic, and challenging material.

Being helped along by audience volunteers—a woman piano player, a man on the ukelele, and a man with flowing hair who plays a twelve-string guitar named Josh that he humorously at first called “Moon Unit”—the show is a kinetic experiences that ambles gracefully through earnest pleas and critical tirades that portray Wakefield’s forgiving and kind worldview juxtaposed with a weary awareness of personal pitfalls. Wakefield admitted that he is ready now for a bit of “stillness,” on several acres of land with a man he is “very much in love” with.

Gentleman Practice closed with an unfinished love poem, being built throughout the days on the road in mobile phone self-texting from gleams of inspiration, that reveal how much his love is on his mind. But that fragmented piece, unpolished, delivered choppily, bore the most sincere and solemn joy of the show, leaving many in tears. Gentleman Practice—retrospective of a decade of pain and joy—ends upon the advent of love.

The whole show is, one realizes, actually a grateful, gorgeous ode.

Please see all of Innermission's excellent performances of the monologues this coming season. The coming dates are: The MENding Monologues conceived by Derek Dujardin and directed by David Kelso - 2/9 and 2/12 @ 8pm. A Memory, A Monlogue, A Rant and a Prayer edited by Eve Ensler & directed by Kym Pappas - 2/10 @ 8pm & 2/12 @ 2pm. And last but certainly not least, The Vagina Monologues directed by Carla Nell: 2/8 and 2/11 @ 8pm, 2/13 @ 2pm. All events from now on will be at the Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd, San Diego CA 92116.

Buddy Wakefield // Center for Community Solutions // Innermission Productions: VDAY 2011 // VDAY.org

*Bio information supplied at buddywakefield.com

New pieces exhibited at MCASD’s Jacobs Building starting January 23rd, 2011.

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 03:03:00 +0000

Digital still taken from MCASD.org. Used for educational purposes only.

n “Madame Curie,” Jennifer Steinkamp finds and beautifully amplifies the consonance between two of Marie Curie’s great passions—gardening and physics—in her eponymous immersive video installation experience. Twigs, branches, stems, stalks, and blossoms—of plants selected from Edie Curie’s horticultural writings in her biography of her mother, Marie—gyrate, bunching together and pulling apart, in a convincing fibrous ebb.

The nuances of Steinkamp’s sophisticated algorithm believably evoke the restrained, tentative tug of scapes and internodes grappling as they swish in wind. I followed a single stem across the screen to see where the loop restarts, but I was surprised at the excellence of the video’s loop. The masses of flowers ramble realistically and beautifully, yet after awhile one wonders: Are they being blown about, or kneaded by invisible hands, or are they growing?--Germinating in seed like a botanical homunculus, waiting to emerge?

Walking into the dark room, with its three large panels, and the projection’s varying scale The installation warps the room’s interior by pushing at the visual plane. Plants mound up and bulge from the wall, then contract and make small black clearings that drop the wall away, playing optically with the spatial boundaries of the room. It is a serene, meditative space, that evokes the stimulating peace Curie may have found spending countless hours nurturing growth and cultivating beauty.

Madame Curie’s two Noble Prizes and her longtime work developing theory of radioactivity, hardly needs immortalization. But Steinkamp’s tribute to Curie’s love of gardening is a commemoration of the powerful versatility of creativity.

oan Jonas’ “The Shape, The Scent, The Feel of Things” is an exploration of the Southwestern United States delves crudely into themes of cultural proximity and juxtaposition, parallelism, cross-exposure versus contamination. The folksy effect of the exhibition at times seems to ponder, what is the most direct way between a concept and its execution. Jonas desires to landscape an idea, letting disparate propositions take root and harmonize with the geography, in a similar fashion to the random settlements and their sprawl across the Southwest. The video/sound installation tucked around the corner of the exhibition space reveals the process of artistic creation, the video contextualizes the exhibition as a gallery of processes and visceral interpretation, asking the question: Can the rough but indulgent delivery easily elicit a cerebral response? The accomplished Joan Jonas, a noted performer, and a pioneer in video art, has a lovely, direct manner of doing things, reflected in this exhibition in which, much like her performances, the gratification being aspired for appears to be the immediate. Beyond "Can Do," it is a "Just Do It" attitude.

Raul Cordero’s exquisite linen oils, that together have been presented as the sliding-puzzle-esque “Hendrickje,” blending text and flourishes of polyester resin that either marry or marr the images are well done, striking, and polished. The collages explore the effect of additions to an image. Do they lose context by being pastiches? Is the deconstruction of Rembrandts’ “A Woman bathing in a Stream (Hendrickje Stoffels?),” which is the foundation for the work, anarchic? Does it have meaning beyond its own existence and aesthetic dynamism? It’s thrilling work.

I must give special recognition to a piece that references Filipino culture. Rita McBride’s 1990 sculpture “Toyota” returns to view at MCASD. The material and motif of rattan furniture, very popular throughout the Philippines, is exclusively used to construct the body of a Toyota. Although the actual car came first, the Toyota sculpture is so expertly crafted that it can be seen as a precursor to the eventual mechanical copy. The sculpture, and its technological counterpart, can be together be viewed as a triumph of Asian design and precision. It reveals the ingenuity and engineering prowess that is as much instinctive in a country still considered by the world to be developing as it is in a neighboring country much considered to have arrived.

Finally, in Matt Mullican’s “Untitled (Cosmology, History, Language, Arts” oil rubbings of contemporary glyphs suggests that science can appear essentially mystical. The artistic depiction of icons in this piece, in its print-block esque bleeds and muddling, strips the context of our daily symbols and what is left behind seems arcane and mysterious.

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego // Jennifer Steinkamp // Joan Jonas // Raul Cordero

PLEASE NOTE: Balise is presently on hiatus but is planned for relaunch with new branding at an indefinite date in 2011!

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 01:31:00 +0000

Dear Readers, there is some great new content on the way! Although we have not published for several months, we are still writing! Stay tuned for some fresh reviews of artistically meritorious events and exhibitions in San Diego (and beyond), critiques, and theory soon! You will be kept posted here! Down the road we also plan to re-brand. Can't wait!

Dean Mozian: Coming of Age in a Zombie Apocalypse

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:18:00 +0000

What's your occupation?

I produce a webseries (I Am Not Infected - www.iamnotinfected.com) and work at an independent production company (Ambush Entertainment - www.ambushentertainment.com) assisting producers on feature films.

I find stories that I want to tell and get the right people together to make the vision a reality. Graphic design is also a hobby of mine. I really enjoy working with graphics both for web and motion graphics for video. Often times, whatever I happen to be working on at any given moment, will probably pass through my hands at some point or another in this more tangible manner.

I love laughing and I'm kind of a video game/tech nerd so really any joke about video games or a nod to them would definitely tip someone off that I had a creative hand in that particular project. I also LOVE food and eating. In a short series, I wrote a character who eats something crazy in all of his scenes.

You were recently screening the web series in Indianapolis last week, correct? What was that like?

Yes, we were invited to screen at a gaming convention called "Gen Con" which takes place every year in Indianapolis, IN. They also have a film section and so they invited us to screen and speak on a few panels. It was a blast! It was great to see people enjoy what I've been working so hard on for the past 2 and a half years. The show was incredibly well received. Honestly, it's the most rewarding thing I get from it. I had people come up to me that had seen the show online and really liked it -that, specifically, was like experiencing a new emotion. I was ecstatic.

The I Am Not Infected trailer.

What is I Am Not Infected about? How did you come to produce it?

I Am Not Infected is about 3 idiots and another idiot trying to escape Los Angeles in the zombie apocalypse. One of my best friends from college graduated and moved out to LA a year before me. While in LA, he and 2 of my other college friends came up with the idea. I moved out a few months after that, really liked the idea and the rest is history.

I Am Not Infected is about a subject that gets treated fairly grimly in George A. Romero's works, the "28 (Time Measurements) Later" franchise, etc. But I Am Not Infected joins a new tradition of humor in the zombie apocalypse scenario... what inspired the overall tones and themes of the series?

Man, that's a great question. Well, the way we always see the zombie apocalypse is from the scary side. If you watch the opening scene from 28 Weeks Later, it's terrifying. We kind of wanted to turn the genre on its side and look at it a different way, through the eyes of 4 college idiots
both as a comedy but also as a sort of social commentary.

I like to think that I don't have a big mouth and am not opinionated in a pretentious way but living in los angeles has been an eye-opener in a few ways. There's not really a usual thing I like to comment on, it's just whatever I think is outstanding at any point in time. Whatever strikes a... drum... in my heart.

How do you avoid being bored in L.A.?

I live in an awesome house with 3 of my best friends! However, I'm also a very independent person. I can find a lot to do by myself. Running and working out is up there. I love reading Engadget and anything science and technology related. I usually check out whats on Digg and I love IGN for video game stuff.

When you worked at Apple and the film vault (the Modern Video post house), did you miss your social life?

When I worked at Apple and the vault at the post production house, I really didn't have a ton of social stuff going on. If I had any free time, usually, it went to the project- I Am Not Infected. It was hard for a little bit. After a month or so, I embraced the lifestyle and would coordinate going to the gym at 2am when I got off work. I was definitely motivated. I always told myself I'd have to do things like working 2 or maybe even 3 crappy jobs before I got somewhere better. Luckily, I loved working at Apple and the post house was in the industry I wanted to work in.

Describe the finding-a-job process?

The whole job hunt process- I never really looked at it as "finding a job." I just wanted a way to make money so I could keep making films and tell stories I wanted to. I didn't really care what it was. But I did 3 unpaid internships before I was able to land a job in the entertainment industry- vault clerk at a post production house. In order to continue working on my personal projects, I worked at Apple from 8AM to 3PM then 4PM to 2AM at the post production house. I did this for about 5 months while also producing I Am Not Infected which eventually landed me a pretty sweet job at indie production company, Ambush Entertainment where I am now.

What is your inspiration?

What really inspires me are other producers. I really like seeing other work. It motivates me to make my projects better than before in any and every way possible. I'm also a huge fan of Steve Jobs. While he is an executive at Pixar, his work at Apple is what really inspires me. Apple has such a special way about them. Every one of their products is better than the last, both in design and innovation. This may be a strange comparison for some, but it's what really drives me to make everything I do better than what I did before.

What are your favorite Pixar movies? Why? How do they reflect what you'd like to do?

My favorite Pixar movies? I like all of them but definitely, The Incredibles - that's actually my favorite movie. I've seen it probably 20-30 times. When I was a kid I was huge into the super-heroes, action figures and video games. The Incredibles basically touches on all of that. The action is a lot of fun, it's funny at times and the graphics and animation is beautiful.

What does a producer do? How does a producer learn to do it?

A producer is responsible for finding the project and/or story and getting it told. This means finding the right people to help make the story in such a way that the producer thinks the audience would like. In terms of learning how to produce- really, you just need to know how films get made. Making your own films definitely helps. Once you understand the process, the business and the ass-kissing, you know what stories you like and what stories you don't. Then it's just a matter of execution down the list.

What kind of stories do you like finding?

You know, for being such a computer/tech/video game nerd you'd think I'd have a huge boner for sci-fi. I don't. I like sci-fi, a lot, but I really love coming of age stories. The Sandlot, Freaks & Geeks, That 70s Show, The Wonder Years. I think growing up is a story that will never get old. Everybody, at some point will be able to relate to it and it has such potential to touch an audience in a way that most movies and TV shows don't and can't.

Why do you think people love watching coming-of-age stories? Do they enjoy watching the choices a character makes? Do they enjoy watching failure and overcoming failure? Why do we find it funny?

I think people like watching coming of age stories because almost everyone can relate. If you're a kid watching The Sandlot, you can usually relate for the obvious reason s- but if you're an adult, you relate for different reasons. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's because you love baseball.

I love The Wonder Years. I used to watch it when I was in middle school and I could relate because I was basically living that, you know? But I remember my mom liking it because it reminded her of when she was a kid.

For me, it's not so much the choices a character makes or them overcoming an obstacle so much it's about the experience they have and the adventure they go through.

What makes watching coming of age films, particularly the ones that are comedy, kind of funny? In that time of our life, we tend to take our adolescent problems and status seriously. Is retrospect part of the humor?

You are just bangin on all cylinders with these questions! This is a good one.

I think we, as a viewer, subconsciously remove ourself from the protagonist when things go bad and seeing something ridiculously bad happen to someone else can be funny. If you watch Billy Madison, every time something bad happens to Adam Sandler we detach ourselves and laugh.
Retrospect is definitely part of it.

I think that whenever we watch one of those movies we relate to a character as if we are them but when something bad happens to them we remove ourself subconsciously and laugh at them. The character isn't us anymore. We're looking at them in the third person. It's all psychological. If you watch That 70s Show- you want Eric Foreman to succeed. He's our protagonist and at least for me, the one I relate to. It's hilarious when his dad Red makes of him though and so we all laugh. It's serious for the character but I guess we enjoy watching people fall in the light setting that is comedy.

You also have a band correct? What are they all about?

I also play drums in a band - Barbed Wire Radio. I've been playing the drums for about 14 years. I played in a punk band in high school. I just wanted to play music in front of people. So when I moved out here, I wanted to find someone to rock out with, ya know? A friend put me in contact with a guitar player, we played every week for about a year, added a bassist and now we've been playing live for 3 months.

Music is a very, very big part of my life and playing in a band is a great way for me to release certain creative energy that I can't when making a film or designing a graphic. There's just somethin' about having a couple shots of tequila, grabbing a Red Stripe and rockin' out on drums in front of a crowd of people. The shows coming up will be kind of last minute because our priority is recording right now.

What works for you to keep you motivated? What would you encourage others to bear in mind? Also, how do you find satisfaction on a regular basis while the bigger dream is still distant?

Being motivated isn't difficult for me. In fact, for most artists in this industry, I don't think it is. If I'm working on a project, usually, I have a personal connection to it and I just want to do it all the time. I just want to finish it and work on it. It's mine.

How do I stay satisfied until the dream is real? No matter what anyone does, there's always something that can be done better whether it's the entire project or parts of it and so even if I won the lotto and could make a 100 million dollar film, I'm sure that there would still be things about it I wish I'd done better. So I try to focus on certain things. That's not to say I neglect other aspects of my projects - not at all.

I'm a perfectionist who's accepted that nothing's perfect. So for the things I work on now, I do the best I can in the time I'm given with the money I have.

What are some ways we can see your work?

You can check out my webseries at iamnotinfected.com, and you can check it out on youtube - www.youtube.com/iamnotinfected. You can check out Ambush Entertainment's website - ambushentertainment.com. You can also follow me on twitter - @deanmozian, and my personal website - http://www.deanmozian.com, which needs a serious overhaul!

When should we check back in on you?

Probably in a couple of months. You should check back in late September, early October. We're currently crewing up to shoot the finale of the show!

"Greenlit" website, with The River Why's Zach Gilford (Dare, Friday Night Lights). http://www.greenlit.org/ Designed by Dean.

The Super website, a new film from Ambush Entertainment starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, and Kevin Bacon. Dean also designed this site. http://www.thecrimsonbolt.com/

To see more episodes of I Am Not Infected, go to IAmNotInfected.com.

Banker's Block Collective: The Tin Can Alehouse

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:53:00 +0000

Thursday's Banker's Block Collective, and the monthly Colour Palette, showcase the Tin Can Alehouse's dynamism as an art gallery, local music venue, and dance spot. Owner Kelsey Allyn Breunig, Sarah Yassine and Bryan Wingen give us the scoop on this week's poppin' promo party!

his Thursday night, Banker’s Hill will be spiffing up and greeting San Diegans for Banker’s Block Collective, a block party spanning four businesses and a slew of artists and djs. The Tin Can Alehouse, SRO Lounge, Broken Heart Tattoo and JG Color Studios will all hold event specials for the big night. “We think of Banker’s Hill as roughly between the area around Barrio Star on up to the area around Caliph,” says Jen Guerin, one of the founders of the event. Banker’s Hill, formally recognized between Upas, Date Street, the 5 freeway, and Little Italy, known originally for being an affluent residential neighborhood thus earning its name. It is currently turning into an independent commercial center comparable to the nearby uptown neighborhoods that, too, had for many years been considered up-and-coming.

The Tin Can on 5th Avenue, which took over the bar Brothers, is a venue that is spaciously cozy, a large wooden box of a room with a gallery style layout. The bar stretches lengthwise in the room, opposite of a wall that’s great for hanging and showing art. It is long and reaches back to an area where the bands usually set up. Meanwhile, towards the front, a DJ booth is tucked away in a nook next to the front door. It is perfect for hosting hybrid art/music events like Banker’s Block and Colour Palette, the monthly First Thursday-style art opening.

arah Yassine, owner Kelsey’s roommate, friend, and co-worker, says: “I love the Tin Can for a number of reasons. The first one is personal. Kelsey is one of my best friends and roommate. I watched her pretty much start from scratch. When she first took over, it was a hole in the wall that hadn’t had a prolific amount of shows before, and she turned it into a music venue.

Sarah Yassine, photo provided by Sarah.

“She worked really hard make it what it is. She’s starting to get bigger names to come in there and pushing to build it up as a hot spot in San Diego. I also love the Tin Can because I work there, and I see Kelsey, as a woman, deal with a man-run industry and doing a really good job at it. I also love the Tin Can because I’ve never had a bad experience there. Everyone who goes is really awesome, and the venue really supports the local music scene and bands that are not widely known. It supports the whole music subculture.”

Knowing the vibe of the Tin Can, Sarah Yassine assisted with booking the acts for this event. “I’ve loved Rats Eyes for a long time,” Yassine says, “Gabe Serbian [of the band] is one of my good friends. I picked them because all the dudes in Rats Eyes are friends of mine, and I’ve known most of them for years. They bring in a really good crowd. Terramoto was Gabe’s suggestion, the group is made up of a bunch of people who either used to be, or also love, 80’s hardcore punk bands. Since I’m from the east coast and since I loved hardcore punk when I was a teenager, booking Terramoto is pretty exciting. Mario, who runs Black Box recording studios in Golden Hill and is well-known around town, is in Terramoto. Dimitri has also been a friend of mine and also brings in a really good crowd.”

DJ Dimitri Dickinson, photo taken from his Facebook.

“I met Sarah, it was just one of those things, you know,” DJ Dimitri says, “met through a mutual friend. She's really cool and I'm glad to be a part of the event.”

DJ Dimitri’s hip hop dance parties are some of San Diego’s best parties. Recently back from a Booty Bassment party up in Portland, DJ Dimitri is pumped about the Banker’s Block party: “Most of the events I play at are Booty Bassment related,” he says, “but I do play other genres though, and I expect to be playing more rock based records for the show seeing the line-up. I'm actually not sure what they want me to play though. I used to do a night with Mario Orduno of Art Fag Records called Expressway To Yr Skull where we played punk, post-punk, rock, oldies, and everything in between. I even used to do a black metal radio show on a pirate station in San Francisco, so, I'm prepared to play whatever at this point! I'm just going to come prepared and gauge the crowd when I get there.“

elsey Allyn Breunig, owner extraordinaire, was down with Jen and Charles' proposal for the event several months ago. "We definitely need to make more people aware of our little block over here, its a perfect spot for an event such as this," Breunig says. "The Bankers Block event is great, I feel like it will show San Diego that we have something over here in this neck of the woods worth sharing, and that we want to share it with everyone. I feel like those who haven't been over here will be able to experience it at its best, when its poppin, and maybe leave having had such a great experience that they will tell all their friends to come check us out!"

Kelsey Allyn Breunig

The Tin Can is Breunig's opportunity to share her list of wants for a crackin' music venue for anyone who seriously loves music. Acts as well-established as The Album Leaf and Stereo Total have played there, beefing up the Tin Can's cred. "My vision for the Tin Can was at one time way out of my league, but is slowly but surely becoming more and more attainable. I saw it as an opportunity for bands of all degrees to get out there and play for a crowd that is really into seeing them, not just going out to go out, you know? A place where bands like The Album Leaf or Stereo Total can come play for a smaller, much more appreciative crowd, and be right in there with them, not up high on a stage, with giant security guards blocking the view. I also saw it as a place where local bands can come play and feel at home and comfortable, and welcome. I like that I have a place where I can lovingly welcome bands from all over, whether it is in town, or from out of town to present their music to an interested crowd, and leave feeling satisfied with their experience. It makes me so happy."

As the Tin Can gains popularity, it also gains support. "I would love to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have been so supportive of me," she says, "and have continued to lift me up as I have worked my little butt off to get this bar going. I appreciate the love and support so much. Sarah and Bryan especially in regards to this event, they have taken the reigns to prepare this night, I have a lot on my plate, so it is hard for me to get to everything, and Sarah was more than glad to help me out with booking this event, being great friends with all the talent for this night, and has done a great job doing so. Bryan has sort of become my in house art curator, because again, I did not have time to start working out artists and such for our monthly art shows. Dylan and Bryan - the boys behind the Colour Palette, have done an amazing job setting up these art shows, it is so wonderful to see this venue grow and grow, it makes my heart soar."

Breunig trusts Sarah Yassine immensely with her booked acts, because Yassine understands that the Tin Can isn't about limiting who takes the Tin Can stage. "I love music," Breunig goes on. "I guess I am a perfect example of 'those who cant do, teach' - 'those who cant play, book' and I love putting shows together, its my art I guess. Now that I have been booking for a little while, about 1 year, I have realized that it is not necessarily what I like that matters, its putting bands together that complement each other, and build off of one another. I will not say that I love all music, but I will say that I appreciate musicians and what they are trying to do, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that when they play the Tin Can, they leave happy, feeling good, and inspired to keep going.

She's also excited about the Banker's Block bands and DJ Dimitri, crediting their immense talent that ensures they bring a strong musical experience to the table rather than fade into the back: "I really like that Rats Eyes and Terramoto will be playing, definitely a harder night of music than one would think for an art event, but I really like that this is how it is going to go down. I am also really excited to have DJ Dimitri Dickinson come out and spin, it will be an honor to have him. I really hope that this event is a success and we will be able to do it more and more as the years go on, because I know that Bankers Hill will continue to grow as a place on the map for people to come to."

Banker's Block will be a great night for the Tin Can, and Breunig feels fortunate to be able to share this great venue that she conceived of with the San Diego community. "I feel really lucky that this is my life, and what I do," she says warmly. "I apparently did something right along the way."

ryan Wingen is also curating additional artists for the Tin Can for Banker’s Block. At the Tin Can will be this month’s Color Palette artists, Julia Kim and Anthony Levas. Another Banker’s Hill promotional party, the monthly art opening and month-long exhibition is organized by Bryan Wingen and Dylan Clausen.

“I'm stoked and a little surprised to be a part of this, seeing as it's totally coincidental that my stuff is in the Tin Can the month of the Banker's Block,” says Julia Kim, “in general, I like making large-scale drawings. There isn't much of a thread running through them except that they're consistently kind of unfinished looking, and are somehow ultimately about a kind of mental myopia. We can't grasp something while we're in the thick of it.”

Bryan Wingen, from his FB.

“I like Julia's simple style,” Wingen says, “but the detail she brings is great. Julia is so talented, and once I saw her blog, I knew I needed to put her work up and get people to realize we have some hidden talent in this city. I like having people who haven't really shown before. Anthony is a long time friend and I've always followed his work before I even really knew him. He captures a time and what he was feeling [in his art].”

Ultimately, Wingen thinks Banker’s Block is a great promotion of the neighborhood and of the Tin Can Alehouse. “I like the idea of having Bankers Hill put on the map. It's a cool block with a diversity of people and places. Hopefully it will bring more attention to that part of town and be really regular. And it showcases the Colour Palette too, which is nice, and the art direction we plan and are going down. See you Thursday!”

Banker's Block Collective: A Visit To JG Color Studios

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:48:00 +0000

Artist/Interior Designer Jennifer Guerin and Artist Charles Page gear up to establish Banker's Hill as an artistic hot-spot with politically-charged work in LOVEKILL, for the inaugural run of the Banker's Block Collective.

nside JG Color Studios is a warm, ochre light flowing in from the gold-soaked streets of Banker’s Hill in the afternoon. The illuminated room, walls covered in panels of different finishes and colors to show JG’s interior wall surface options, is energetic and clearly in preparation of an exhibition installation. Canvases rest on ledges and on the floor. One waits for more work in an easel. A duct-taped form of a woman’s chest and arms sits at the foot of a large table where paintings with encaustic surface-work gleam in the late day sun. Jen Guerin, who launched Ox and Olive and was a contestant of HGTV’s Design Star program, hands me a Banker’s Block flyer. She and artist Charles Page have just returned from flyering the neighborhood. Banker’s Block, kicking off this Thursday, August 19th, will be a seasonal collective event, started by Guerin and Page, showcasing artistry and promoting the businesses in Banker’s Hill.

Charles is discussing the many project ideas he and Guerin had, that they’ve had to edit down and prepare for future Banker’s Block Collective events. “We wanted some video of illegal street art, and we have some footage now-” Page says.

Jen goes on: “So you’ll see that at the second Banker’s Block Collective. We’re gonna do this about every three months. That’s what we’re hoping for right now. We really want to get it where it’s something like Kettner Nights and Ray At Night, but we don’t wanna do it that frequently because we want to have a bigger body of work.”

Charles agrees. “We want it to be really organic. We want people who come to this neighborhood already to have an excuse to come out and get drunk together.”

Jen laughs and finishes: “I think really, again, to see the diversity of the block, and to see that this block is starting to happen for people.”

harles Page will be showing two series simultaneously, one based on the Lotería – A Mexican game-of-chance card game, and another inspired by the tragic trafficking of abducted children into mercenary life. “Children are a common theme,” Charles explains, “and loss of innocence. [In the pieces there are] the child soldiers, and I play with gray tones but also experiment with color within the pieces. I found the color symbolizes existentialism. The color could represent their souls. Even though they are little kids who go around killing people, they are still little kids. There is a beauty that does exist even in war-torn areas.”

“These butterflies are a motif. What comes first in this environment? The colored butterflies or the ones that have gone gray?” I ask.

Charles says, “I felt that it was missing something when I added the color, the gray butterflies are the bridge between actual life/want from life/the beauty from life, and what you actually see. No matter what happens to you, you think about it [in a different way from its reality]. There’s a sort of romance, I think, in the atrocities of life. You know, you could have the worst things in life happen to you and people would still say: you know what? I’m glad, I’m stronger, I’m better [because of those things]. Essentially, the [relationship between the colored butterflies and the gray butterflies] represent perception of reality. I think from a more [technical compositional] standpoint, it really brings the painting together."

“Do you think, then, that these child soldiers are still innocents, in spite of what they’re doing?” I ask.

“What I’m toying with here is just the facts. It’s a fact that they are killing people. But it’s also a fact that they are little kids. So it’s hard to say whether they are still innocent. It’s a really interesting question. I first got into this topic by books I’ve read, their memoirs. They’re running around, twelve years old, naming themselves Captain Lord of Death. So they’re just little kids playing war, but they’re actually killing people. When I was a little kid running around, I called myself Captain America, and ran around pretending I was playing war. They’re doing the same thing, except, they’re not playing. When we talk about loss of innocence, it’s through no choice of their own. They’re kidnapped. So what is innocence? The things that you do, or the decision to do those things?”

His more graphic pieces, the Lotería, combine the traditional Lotería card layout with contemporary logos related, at this time, to street art. “I’m mixing in street art/ graffiti objects. This one, La Mascara, uses the number 31, because I’m 31 years old. In another piece is featured a spray-paint can, and it’s called La Pintura, and the number is 16 because that’s when I first really started getting into graffiti art.

“My mom’s from Mexico, so I’m Mexican-American, and I grew up with these. It is an experiment in discovering myself and who I am. It’s a series of personal identity. An exploration of me through the tools I have in art. We’ll see what comes out of it. These [pieces] are just happening on their own.”

Jennifer points out that “It’s interesting because when we first met, we talked about the Lotteria. It’s a reading tool. And I’ve always collected them as well.”

Charles goes on: “Jen and I have been collaborating on her pieces. I’ve been doing some of the backgrounds and Jen is using the Dick and Jane series. So the theme is children in this show. We’re also collaborating on some of these graffiti-inspired pieces on which she’s doing her encaustic work.”

ennifer Guerin explains that the Dick and Jane series is her version of the Lotería. “When I was a kid,” she says, “they actually used these flash cards. I really zoned in on the composition: the naked legs, the boys wearing skirts. The Dick and Jane can really be turned around into a sexual connotation, but it was used as a learning tool. In fact my friend, who adopted two Russian children, used the entire Dick and Jane series to teach them English. I just find it fascinating.

“I’m using toy soldiers, all those little ones that boys played with, to make a chandelier with. I’m also going to be selling them as little earrings.

“Why the chandelier,” I ask, “as opposed to other pieces of furniture?”

Jen says “I’m an interior designer, and one of the things I like to do is use toys – things that you wouldn’t normally see [used] in design. The more that you have something in a collection, it can actually look pretty neat. When you look at them in the chandelier, you can’t at first tell they’re even soldiers, so you’re actually seeing these toys in something that’s decorative.

We’re also doing tee shirts. Mine will be Lotería tee shirts…”

And Charles says “I’m doing some that say ‘the bees knees,’ ‘the bomb shizzy,’ ‘the cat’s meow,’ and ‘lovekill.’ I just think it’s funny, I’m taking those from the bio I wrote on my site. I’m gonna do some lotteria shirts too, like La Mascara would be a tee shirt.”

The fading figures of the Dick and Jane series, and some of the outline work, leads me to ask: “Are the Dick and Jane paintings finished?”

Jen replies that “They’re still going. Charles and I work very differently. He starts and finishes [a single painting at a time] pretty much. I actually, when I went to fine art college, have them all have the same look and finish them up around the same time, because otherwise they can be different for me. The translucency is so that you can see the graffiti and the drips, you see the deterioration, is what I want. Charles is very opaque, mine will have translucency.

“The other thing is the homeless bodies sculptures that we’re actually going to have in the front window. This one we’re working on is me wrapped up in Saran wrap and duct tape, which is pretty scary to be cut out of when we’ve had a few beers – but it’s a brilliant idea. We’re going to be dressing them and they’ll be holding signs. That was actually Charles’ idea, so it’s pretty powerful to bring in how big the homeless situation is.

“I’m actually friendly with a lot of the homeless in the neighborhood and you can see that their downfall was probably either drugs or mental illness.”

“Do you think these Dick and Jane cards,” I ask, “were intended to be innocent because it was developed in a time we wouldn’t ‘go there’? Or is it subversive on purpose, somewhat?”

Jen nods. “Yeah… It’s almost like, you know, Disney movies that have a little bit of adult humor. My favorite one is this one where she’s doing a cartwheel. It took me awhile to realize that her dress was completely open to everyone standing behind her. Granted, that happens when you’re a kid and don’t care… but at the same token, the composition could have been done differently. The Dick and Jane series is actually done very beautifully, the colors, the how it portrays the innocence of the family center. They still make them through Scholastic. They’ve never updated them: they kept the vintage drawings and the simple text so that children could learn how to read.”

Outside, a homeless person bangs on a drum bucket, drawing our attention for a moment. The sun has finally begun to set behind the tall buildings of downtown, and the light in JG Color Studios changes, turning deeper amber. “This is very politically-charged work, which is awesome,” I point out. “Do these themes have anything to do with Banker’s Hill?”

Jen thinks about it. “No, our particular art has nothing to do with Banker’s Hill… In future Banker’s Blocks we do have more pieces that have to do with [the identity of this area]. But for this event we just wanted to do something from our hearts, and pour our hearts out.”

Jennifer Guerin's website // JG Color Studios website // Page Studios website // Charles Page's Brooklyn-based Arts Collective "Discover My Essence"

Jay Tagg: Summer fun and keeping the dream alive. {Intercept}

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:24:00 +0000

Photographed by Scott Eisen.

I intercepted singer/guitarist Jay Tagg on his way to work.

Where were you just at, and where are you on your way to?

I'm never really anywhere. I'm not a good planner and I don't like to live life like I'm on a path to anywhere specific. I just like to wander all around and go day to day and see how things go. I played in bands, I toured, I worked a little, I lived, I loved, I laughed. I don't have much of a career at this point. I play music and enjoy myself. Some people may look at that as a bad thing, but lifes too short to not do what makes you happy. My next step is to to head back out on tour. I'm heading down to Philly in 5 days and I'll be touring and playing guitar for a band out of that area for a while.

Lately, I've been writing more music, jamming with some other musicians, partying!, eating, drinking. The usual summer activities of a 20-something-male [laughs].

I like to stay out real late. I like the night time, when most of the world is asleep and I get to enjoy with 1/100th of the usual crowd. I like the quietness of night, I appreciate it because the rest of the time it's not so quiet. You can just sit and think and relax. Relaxing helps draw out the bigger energy when you're playing and need to motivate a crowd, so yes, definitely, I need the counterbalance.

Jay (left) photographed by Scott Eisen.

Keeping the dream alive! Writing lyrics? Writing about your experiences? Um... processing your recent forays in the music industry?

I haven't been writing any lyrics actually. I've been writing guitar parts and vocal melodies but no ink to pen stuff. I've learned A LOT about the music industry, mistakes, etc. If I knew at 21 what I know now, I'd be golden [laughs].

What bands have you been in through the years?

Brilliant Misstake was my first real band. I sang and played guitar. It was the first thing to really introduce me into playing shows in front of people. I kept getting good feedback about my voice over the singers in the bands I was playing guitar in [before], and if they weren't going to get better, I was just going to do it. I just sang what I wanted to sing and hoped for the best.

Lannen Fall was my serious project that lasted the past 5 years. I also played guitar and sang. We played rock music with strong poppy choruses. We wrote what we knew about, being 20-something-year-old guys, never diving to far into the "deep". We liked to have fun, and play as many shows as we could.

(Note: You can read their farewell announcement here: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=19248048&blogId=532471600)

I'm sure fans out there want to know... what do you like in your friends? AND, what do you like in your lady friends. And what would get her upgraded to girlfriend. Basically how can just about anyone get you into their life!

I hate drama and bullshit. I'm super laid back and I like people who are the same. I like fun and try to be pretty outgoing. I am easy to get along with, I think. I don't know exactly what it is, but sometimes I'll just really click with someone and a friendship is made.

For lady friends? Pretty much the same, but I guess extended a little further. I've actually only seriously upgraded 1 girl in 28 years to girlfriend status so it is NOT easy [laughs]. I've dated a bunch but I'm very picky. If I can hang out with you, and really spend time with you more than as your friend.... you've got a good chance. Like I said no drama, no bullshit. And a lot of girls are really into that in their 20s. But there are a few out there who aren't.

Do you think drama and bullshit followed you as the lead singer in a band? Does it have to do with what is perceived by what girls project into band front men.

I don't know if it was necessarily that. And I wouldn't say it has anything to do with looks. Or hell, i don't know. I think it all boils down to insecurity. If you're insecure, you're going to let it affect other things in your life. And the first is usually the guy you're dating. He must be cheating on you, and wanting to sleep with every girl ever! [Laughs]

Top five bands and artists and what you love about them individually, and what they have in common?

I can't do top 5 lists. There are too many. So I will go with a random 5 that I love. Butch Walker. My biggest influence ever. He is the man, his energy, and everything he puts into every show is amazing. And he writes ridiculous songs. Jeff Buckley because of his voice and soft poetic style. Van Halen because it got my into playing guitar. One of my biggest guitar influences. Jason Lancaster of Go Radio (ex Mayday Parade), I love his voice so much. I got to tour with him for a month in 2008 and he is one of my favorite singers out there. A lot of soul and passion in his voice, even singing pop songs. Sam Cooke because he's Sam Cooke. Soul for days.

Who would you like to thank, anyone in the world, anyone in history, and what exactly would you say, before they disappear into the time/space continuum?

Adolph Rickenbacker for inventing the first electric guitar. I would literally just say "thank you". It shapes everything I know and love about music today and without it, none of it would have been possible.

A great moment, photographed by Scott Eisen.

Listen to Jay's singing on the three tracks shared below! Enjoy!

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Interview: Amanda Marie Pangle

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:28:00 +0000

What is your occupation?

Artistically, I consider myself a painter, though I occasionally dabble in other mediums. To generalize, I suppose, I am a 2D artist, as long as it’s on paper or canvas. My occupation otherwise, I am a cashier at a Japanese grocery store, something that I hope will change in the near future.

What are your primary artistic mediums? Why do you use them? What do you express in your art? What visual language or reference imagery inspires you personally in your art? How would you characterize your aesthetic?

My primary artistic mediums are pencil, india ink, and watercolor. I use them because I like that they’re kind of earthy, but they also get some really vibrant hues but don’t look latex-y like acrylic, and I get to use a paint brush but still work quickly. I use pencil to lay everything down. I use india ink to make the colors pop, to give it a raw feel. I think femininity, all things woman are references that I frequently draw from and am inspired by, or nature. I would characterize my aesthetic as natural woman-ness.

Where did you grow up? How did that affect either the narrative in your art, the technique, the content, or all of the above?

I grew up in the Imperial Valley, the desert just east of here heading towards Arizona. It’s a place that has polar opposites, but tends to often be washed out from view, if that makes sense. It’s conservative, agnostic, pagan, and atheistic. Though sometimes I tend to believe that I am the only one that thinks that. It’s a place where there’s no real definition, life is what it is there. It changes but doesn’t change. I feel that it made my work change rapidly but still carry it’s essence, somewhat like handwriting, it slowly evolves over time, but is still for the most part the same even if you’re not writing about the same things that you once did, or will eventually write, or if you change the way that you hold your pen. Honestly, I am not sure how it influenced my narrative, maybe from naive exploration to sexual discovery? Everything in the valley is slow, it feels like it hasn’t been touched by technology or media in the way that more metropolitan areas have, it’s like it’s never occurred to people out there that amazing things and amazing people are everywhere even in the dusty abstract places like the desert. I feel like it influenced my focus on woman-ness barren-ness and fertility.

Amanda, photographed by photographer Sergio Bastidas, shot at some dunes just east of Brawley, CA called Glamis.

Is there a distinct interest in femaleness in your art? Or do you consider it the opposite, or a balance? How important is gender in , your art?

There is definitely a distinct interest in femaleness in my art, gender is very important, because I feel as though I am exploring what it means to be a woman, admire women, and love women. Gender is very important in my art because I try to create a presence of woman power in my work.

What female issues matter most to you?

I was really inspired by the feminist ideology as a teenager, but as the years past I came to realize much of those issues had been resolved. I am aware that there are still quite a few issues that haven’t, but I honestly haven’t lent much thought to it. I have been more concerned with aesthetics than issues, I have been really out of the loop politically speaking.

How do you execute a piece?

My creative process usually begins with a fixation on aesthetics. I find a photo or model that intrigues me and begin by sketching out the figure with intervals of staring into space, sipping on coffee or tea. Usually when I’m working on a project for myself I try to make it as true to life as possible at first, and then as I get closer to finishing I put in lines or ink blots, whatever I can do to make it look raw. When I am working on a project that is for a client I try to stick to making the piece look as true to life as possible and omit the raw elements, because usually that’s not what they’re interested it.

How important is perfectionism?

Perfectionism tends to play a major role in my art, and is usually what keeps me from either finishing a project or not spending what seems like an eternity on one piece. So it’s usually a battle between trying to perfect a piece and allowing it to take on it’s natural form.

Would you consider yourself a sentimental artist or an idealistic artist?

I’m not really sure what of those two categories I would consider myself to be. I think that it’s an blend of both depending on where I am at generally in my life and what I may be working on at the time. But I think more often than not I’m probably a sentimental artist, because I usually work on projects than are captivating to me on a personal level than for a general audience.

How does sexuality enter into your art? Do you feel you speak blatantly about it, or is looking for sexual identity in your art a misread of it?

I think that I speak pretty blatantly about sexuality in my art. Right now most of my pieces central focus is women’s sexuality. I think of my art as sexual exploration, things that sometimes I may or may not be comfortable saying aloud. In my work I try to build up tension with the characters either in romantic situations, sexual oppression, sexual liberation, and sexual prowess.

In a perfect world, what would a first-time viewer of your art have already seen and loved in the world that would help them to fully appreciate your pieces?

It’s hard to say because I personally have such a broad range of interests, some related, others not so much. Easily anyone that’s read or skimmed through Vogue, W, etc. I draw a lot of my inspiration from fashion magazines, which I usually use as references, considering I currently do not have access to live models. Or Facebook, I like to steal people’s profile pictures, because people tend to post dynamic and epic looking pictures of themselves, I like to think of Facebook profile pictures as art, hopefully nobody tries to take me to court for copyright infringement or what have you.

Was there any one thing, book, comic, movie, or t.v. show, that really inspired you as a young person?

To be honest, it’s difficult to think of one thing that I feel really inspired me as a young person. I feel like if I tried to come up with one thing it might as well be an extravagant lie. I didn’t really watch a whole lot of T.V. or movies, and I thought comics were things that only existed in cities to be honest, comics were hard to come up on. Although, I have read many books at least a few thousand, and there really wasn’t just one book, although, I have to say I was really obsessed with Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne from age 8 to about 12. I had a copy that had these really beautiful painted illustrations and footnotes with information about some of the different things that came up in the story such as history, art, geography, religion.

How do you struggle with your projected intention versus the projected interpretations of others?

I honestly haven’t really thought about that all that much. These days I have been just working to create things for myself so I haven’t really taken into consideration viewers interpretation of my work. Let me get back to you on that one when the struggle becomes more apparent.

As a blogger, what is the relationship between or versus sharing your visuals and sharing your words? What are you expressing by these two mediums?

Lately my blogs have been mostly visuals, but the times that I have shared words in place of visuals I feel as though my words can be rather clumsy, whereas with visuals I feel like I speak more fluidly.

Why is a fluidity in communication important to you?

Fluidity is not so much important to such extent as I really appreciate fluidity in communication. I tend to believe that these days fluidity in communication is a dying art. I think that technology has really butchered people’s ability to communicate with each other.

Do your emotions impact your art in a significant way?

The way that my emotions impact my art is whether or not any art gets made. But usually when I’m working on a piece I do separate my personal emotions from those in the piece itself.

Why is a separation out of your emotions important to your creative process?

If emotions were more of a part of my creative process I don’t think any art would be made, I’d be too busy thinking about my feelings.

What are the next opportunities for people to see your art online or in person?

Right now I have work on Tumblr (http://margotsorchid.tumblr.com/), and I am not currently showing work anywhere, but hopefully not too far off into the future, I’ll let you know if anything comes up.

When would be a good time to check back in on you?

Any time!

Meeting "Buffy" franchise creators at Comic-Con!

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:41:00 +0000

As if Friday's "The Joss Whedon Experience" wasn't enough Whedon mania, Whedon also performed a Dark Horse signing for his Eisner/Diamond/GLAAD award-winning Buffy Season 8 comic book series, followed by a Jo Chen and Andy Owens signing on Sunday. IDW (love, love, love this comic book "house") has been releasing the Angel: After The Fall (and a slew of other subtitles, but basically a continuation of the Angel storyline beyond Season 5) and those have been phenomenal. Though I wouldn't characterize the recent appearance of Angel characters into Buffy's "Twilight" arc as a true cross-over of plot (YET), fans have been anxiously awaiting obvious signs of the fraternal Buffyverse twins series' disparate plots converging in a more obvious way. With L.A. having gone to hell and back, and Angel having esoteric knowledge about the universe... well, just how much does this feed into the new apocalypse in Buffy that appears to be catalyzed by, well, Buffy herself?

For those who haven't experienced Buffy Season 8's action-packed story (SPOILER ALERT), it picks up several years after the events on "Chosen" (the series television finale in which Buffy and Willow use the scythe's essence to harness slayer strength for all potential slayers all over the world, taking a vote from the potentials present for the final fight in Sunnydale, CA) and Angel (in the episode "Damaged," a psychologically disturbed girl awakens to slayer powers and, after being pursued by Angel Investigations, eventually goes into the custody of Andrew, who leads a slayer cell in Italy, where in the episode "The Girl In Question," Angel and Spike pursue "Buffy"). The comic explores Buffy and her team's efforts to collect the slayers and help train them to fight evil, but also shows how corrupt leadership and bureaucracy create cracks in the Slayers that can be taken advantage of by recently-out-of-the-supernatural-closet vampires who attempt to integrate with humans and give "full" disclosure of their existence. Recently, the series took many twists and revelations, bringing many of the franchise's most memorable heroes and villains back into the story in unexpected new alliances.

Read more about the Buffy creators we met, including Jane Espenson pitured above, and see photos of the meetings and the signed works, after the jump!

First, we met Jane Espenson (who wrote "Harmonic Divergence," "Harmony Bites," and the entire "Retreat" arc from Season 8!), currently writing and co-executive producing Battlestar Galactica and Caprica, and was the executive story editor for Buffy over at Mutant Enemy Productions. She was gracious and very welcoming, and I was starstruck considering she had been credited for writing and co-writing 23 episodes, including some of my favorites!

"Band Candy," (grown ups turn into teenagers on the inside, and keep their unfortunately aged features HAHA) "Earshot," (Buffy can read minds, impress her teachers, get to know her friends, become very unpopular as a result, and, oh yeah, her head almost explodes from the deafening adolescent whining around her) "A New Man," (Giles copes with unemployment and turns into a monster, DAMN that sucks) "Superstar," (Why is Jonathan the center of the universe?) "Checkpoint," (The Watcher's Council makes a futile attempt to be important for Buffy, guarding the only information that she needs to know: that Glory is a goddess. Oh, and Willow is a demon?) "I Was Made To Love You," (It's okay to feel bad for the violent sexbot!) "Doublemeat Palace," ("The double-meat medley is PEOPLE!" Except it isn't... it's something far far worse.) "Same Time, Same Place," (Willow goes through some invisible-girl syndrome like in "Out of Mind, Out of Sight," and oh yeah the Gnarl peels your skin off and eats it while you watch) "Storyteller," ("Good evening, gentle viewers...") "End of Days." (Buffy's always right. Am I the only one who doesn't find this annoying? I love her! Everybody fall in line damn it!)

Speaking of her writing, she also wrote "Flooded," and as I mentioned earlier in this blog, we met Todd Stashwick, who was the M'Fashnik demon in that episode. I dont truly get that 6 degrees game, since, if I meet anyone, doesn't that make them just one degree from me? But, anyway... met Jane Espenson = wrote "Flooded" = Todd Stashwick was in it = met me while promoting his web comic "Devil Inside." That works right?

Many thanks to you, Jane Espenson, because as I said: "From Special Features to Comic Con," meeting you was truly a dream! I know you were there to promote your work for BSG and Caprica, so I held off on the many questions I would have liked to ask. Maybe at the next Con! :)

Andy Owens works hard for the Buffy comic series, his inks make vivid Georges Jeanty's excellent pencils, bringing shadow and depth that makes each action-packed frame flow beautifully through the bright Scottish highlands, the darkness of the Tokyo cityscape at night, and recently, the subtly lit mists of Tibet. I had a chance to tell him how exquisite his work is for the signing. I overheard him say that he was one of the fans who even enjoyed the movie. I told him that I, too, loved the franchise through its many incarnations, including the original feature film, which was my gateway into the series. I could just tell that it was a special story with a powerful feminist message. How cool for someone working in the Buffy franchise to actually admit a love for it! Meeting Andy Owens was a better experience (in terms of sharing the Buffy love) than meeting and attempting to speak with the show's actors...

Jo Chen does the comic series' elegant cover art. Her work is expressive but focused, with gorgeous visible stroke work that evokes a smoky feel, and she nails the original cast's features to help the fan base engage with the comics as a true canonical continuation of the series. Her art is not bold, but beautifully soft, not vivid, but dreamlike and sophisticated. I told her this much when I had a chance to speak with her for the signing.

Although to the occasional chagrin of many clueless Con-ers, ending with the Buffy musical episode really is paying tribute where tribute is due. I credit Buffy the way I credit Sailor Moon, in that it was on the backs of projects such as these that the entertainment industry could experience truly significant change. When Buffy debuted in 1997 and went to the con in 1998, it connected with a then-mainstream (now crazy loyal fan) base where it was no longer enthusiasts of esoteric sci-fi/fantasy/horror that identified with Comic-Con, but a much broader constituency who were able to be introduced to other things through being at the con. I say the same for Sailor Moon, which brought elegant mainstream anime into the Con after years of Gundam-esque robotic male-oriented programs and manga (I love Gundam!) and also revitalized the magical transformation girls genre. Thanks goes to Joss Whedon, whose story of taking back the night, and touting of the capable hands of a seemingly insignificant girl, has captivated millions and guided so many -- not just women, but say, a gay ethnic boy growing up in a San Diego suburb reading Michael Ende -- to true empowerment.

Event Review: Some Comic-Con Booth Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:41:00 +0000

＼（＾∀＾）メ（＾∀＾）ノ I HEART GUTS

(left) A happy pancreas!

At the I Heart Guts booth, I caught up with my friend Chuva, whose friend Wendy Miller conceived and illustrated the adorable hard-working body parts that smile sweetly, as if harvested from "a dissected Hello Kitty"!

There is something very moving about seeing our organs portrayed with sentience. I think it touches a part of our psyche to understand how our insides are our friends and can have personalities, and that all those parts work in concert to orchestrate our health and well-being!

More Comic-Con Days Favorites review (and PHOTOS, including signings!) after the jump!

＼（＾∀＾）メ（＾∀＾）ノ Archaia

Archaia, whose Eisner-award-winning titles include "Mouse Guard" and "The Killer," truly create amazing, high-quality, artistically meritorious comic work.

Nichol Ashworth of "Fraggle Rock" was signing merchandise and posters. The Fraggle Rock comic franchise by Archaia, which promises to be welcoming to new fans of the franchise, presents a series of heart-warming and humorous adventures with the Fraggles, such as Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober and Red. Nicole Ashworth was not only really nice, she was hilarious, and I bet her humor worked its way into the Henson fantasia known as "Fraggle Rock."

Janet Lee was also at Archaia, doing a signing for her upcoming comic series "Return of the Dapper Men." She was very approachable and mentioned that "Return" would be an homage to Maurice Sendak and Jim Henson. Sendak needs no introduction as the author and illustrator of "Where The Wild Things Are," which recently was adapted for the screen by Dave Eggars. But, I did speak about Sendak's illustration of E.T.A. Hoffman's "The Nutcracker" and how it went on to be the concept art for "Nutcracker: The Motion Picture," by far my favorite portrayal of the Nutcracker onscreen and a holiday staple program in my life (as iconic to me as "Wonderful Life" or "34th Street"). She also explained the premise: in a world where, abandoned by adults, children roam free in a time-stopped reality between days, until the appearance of exactly 314 dapper gentlemen descend to re-start time. The series will debut in October and I will definitely be picking up a copy. in the meantime, I will keep going back to the Archaia site to track new developments and further release dates! Thanks Janet Lee!

＼（＾∀＾）メ（＾∀＾）ノ Mugo / Strange Kiss

Strange Kiss, the online gallery featuring diverse collections of toys and art, has a mission of bringing true artistic emotion back into a world of status-quo merchandising. The toys offered at Strange Kiss were indeed unique, beautiful, and playful, contextualizing the "cute" mission that is at the center of Strange Kiss: "a secret positive war brewing" by which we must embrace what we truly love in the world and bring individual perspective into a hegemonic art society.

David Foox's "Organ Donors" toy series is a whimsical take on transplants: rather than heads, each of his characters have organs attached to their necks, implying that the personality of each character demonstrates the persona-equivalent of that organ's function. But there is also that inescapable goriness that gives the dreamlike scenario a dark edge.

MUGO, or Music On The Go, is a line of mp3 player/flash drive hybrids housed inside a toy. The product is pretty amazing in that the technology plays the mp3s stored within but also can store other data files, connecting to your computer via a USB drive. The notion that our mp3 players and flash drives can be one unit that looks so darn attractive.. these Mugos are the techie totem! :)

Currently, four limited edition designer versions are available for purchase, including artist Julie West's "Raindrop Girl," pictured to the left.

I hope to be buying MUGOs for some family members for Christmas pretty soon! :)

＼（＾∀＾）メ（＾∀＾）ノ Poketo

At first glance, the Poketo booth looks like a kick-ass stationary store, but it is perhaps one of the finest purveyors of art accessories, apparel, and, yes, stationary, based in Los Angeles.
Every piece of merchandise possesses both function and beauty. I personally love the Japanese design franchise Muji, and while reminiscent, Poketo incorporates aesthetic into the utilitarian items. You are met with vivid, beautiful colors when you go to their booth, as well as a slew of products you never knew you needed... badly! These limited edition finds will fit into any aspect of your daily life, and will keep you creatively motivated.

＼（＾∀＾）メ（＾∀＾）ノ DEVIL INSIDE

In Artist's Alley, Todd Stashwick and artist Dennis Calero were touting their new web comic series definitely destined for beautifully bound anthology release in print (just my opinion!) "Devil Inside." Calero did several signings, including Marvel and Dark Horse in addition to manning his table with Stashwick.

Calero's work includes Acclaim Comics' Sliders (I watched that show's reruns every single day) and Magic: The Gathering; Platinum Comics' Cowboys & Aliens; IDW Publishing's Masters of Horror: Dreams in the Witch House (has anyone else seen that creepy human-faced Lovecraft rat Brown Jenkin from that MOH episode? It'll stay with you against your will...); and Marvel Comics' X-Factor. He also drew an arc of Legion of Super-Heroes for DC Comics and his new Marvel series, X-Men: Noir, was released by Marvel in December 2008. X-Men Noir: Mark of Cain was released in 2010. That same year, he drew the Dark Horse Comics relaunch of the character Doctor Solar.

Stashwick is really cool and always greeted me and various friends (I often escort people's first round through Artist Alley, I like seeing the tables evolve with new art and new faces) with warmth and consideration. Knowing my friends and I are Whedon fans, he had no problem mentioning his work on tv in Buffy and Angel, when he would be better known as series regular Dale on The Riches and as Frank in The Air I Breathe (a truly good film that fables a cross of intertwining lives affected by a crime mob and philsophically based on the Chinese proverb of life as an integration of four emotional corner stones: Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow, and Love; fairy-tale in the best sense of the word).

Cannot wait to let some issues go up and then review this series, I enjoyed the first two episodes and enjoy the traditional serial strip format. The illustrations are vivid, gritty, and harmoniously realized, and the writing could be described the same way. It's a comic with a strong masculine voice whose exposition is definitely giving the sense of holding back what will probably be an epic story! Check out the comic, which currently has two episodes up, here: http://www.toddstashwick.com/comic.asp

FOX/FX, ABC, S.S. Wilson, Adrienne Wilkinson at Comic-Con

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:01:00 +0000

Day 3 and Day 4 of the Comic Con, most of the activity had transferred from Hall H to being primarily on the merchandise Exhibit Hall floor.

Master Amano at the "Shinjuku" panel.

In Room 8, I was able to meet a personal, and true, legend: Concept artist and illustrator Yoshitaka Amano. Many know him primarily due to his illustrations and concept art for the "Final Fantasy" franchise, and from "Vampire Hunter D." He was at the Con this year promoting his collaboration with Mink for the Dark Horse novel "Shinjuku." Mink shared his story of surprise, in that a mutual contact pitched Mink's intention for Amano to illustrate maybe just the cover or a few pages of the novel, and Amano shot back asking to illustrate the entire book. Many panel questioners gave credit to Master Amano for their own careers in illustration, and also asked him how they could buy even more merchandise. Amano said that before, he would post rare items on his site and do blitz sales for first comers, but that in the future he would like to perhaps create a stronger storefront. People, though, seem to forget that Amano himself is a fine artist, and merchandise does not really factor into the sales model of most artists, who otherwise sell original work. Mink, however, said there would plenty of Shinjuku merchandise!

More Comic-Con Days 3 and 4 review (and PHOTOS, including panels!) after the jump!

Ballroom 20, the second largest panel venue at Comic-Con, was once again host to a majority of television network panels. Days 3 and 4 of the Con featured Fox/FX and ABC programs. The cast of "The Cleveland Show" did a hilarious table reading of an entire Comic-Con themed episode, for which a trailer was also screened, which should air in the next season. Seth MacFarlane in character as Stewie, over unvoiced footage of the "Down's Syndrome Girl" song, in the "Family Guy" panel. Matt Selman ripped Seth MacFarlane a new one, or rather the same old jab that MacFarlane has been fighting off (fielding humor comparisons to "The Simpsons", and inter-show public roasting) during "The Simpsons" panel: "[MacFarlane] has the same show three times."

The "V" panel had Scott Rosenbaum teasing revelations to some of the show's cliffhanger questions: What is the red cloud? We will find out, and yes it is happening globally. What are the humans needed for? We will find out, and we will also find out definitively why Anna is interested in Tyler. Rosenbaum also accidentally admitted the name of "Diana" as Anna's mother whom we will meet. Fans of the entire franchise know Diana was the name of the guinea-pig-eating High Commander in the '80's series. Contemporary "V" is not a sequel but may draw upon some of the original franchise narrative to provide a retcontinuity. Laura Vandervoort admitted that she liked "getting slapped by my mother," portrayed by Morena Baccarin. Scott Wolf didn't know yet if his character had an aneurysm or if the V's planted it.

Katey Sagal said her husband, Creator Kurt Sutter, never really surprises her when running ideas by her for his show "Sons of Anarchy" at their panel. She also said her character Gemma will get very familiar with a gun and kick some ass in the forthcoming season. Fans of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" were especially treated, to a screening of an entire episode in which Dee gets pregnant. Actress Kaitlin Olson was very pregnant during the "Sunny" panel. She and actor/Creator Rob McElhenney are expecting their first child this August, so good for her for being able to do the Con panel. Missing alcohol, she joked: "This baby really ruined [drinking]."

See the Ballroom 20 Panels photos in the slideshow below:

The usually slammed hall leading into the Sails Pavilion where registration takes place.

The Sails Pavilion.

The Dole Banana Boat at port in the San Diego bay.

"Dexter" fans participated in the Game On "Kill" game by applying the free "Dexter Slash" temporary tattoos on their right cheeks. The slash is an incision Dexter makes to draw blood from his victims and saving the blood sample on microscope slides kept in a box.

The descent down the escalators when the early line into the Exhibit Hall is finally allowed to enter.

S.S. Wilson (above, right), writer of "Short Circuit" (such a heartwarming robot tale that arguably spawned the empathetic robot plot-line for generations after!) and "Tremors" (which scared the crap out of me when I was younger!) promoting his new novel "Fraidy Cats" (signed bookmark, left)

Adrienne Wilkinson (right), who played daughter Eve of "Xena," and was on "ER," "Charmed," and "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," also featured her performances, as well as "Angel," as the owner of "The Blue Note" in the episode "Orpheus," (featuring a Buffy cross-over with Willow).

Fans await in the line of the Nickelodeon panels ("Sponge Bob Squarepants," "Fairly Odd-Parents") early Sunday morning.

Fans close out the Con by participating in the beloved Buffy "Once More With Feeling" musical episode sing-along!

Brian Froud also led a panel attended by the "Dark Crystal" superfan (right) costumed as Kira.

A walk from San Diego Cruise Port down Broadway, then Fifth to Convention Center.

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:20:00 +0000

Dear San Diegans,

Please enjoy my photos below (after the jump!) of our beautiful city in the summer.

- EmpyreanM

USA Networks, Showtime Networks Inc., Sailormoon! at Comic-Con

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 05:28:00 +0000

Yesterday kicked off the first day of Comic Con (minus Preview Night), San Diego's annual popular arts event. There was the usual: major networks and comic book companies promoting upcoming films (such as Salt, Red, and Tron: Legacy) and successful comics and television series, but Comic Con is bigger than ever, once again transforming the downtown cityscape into a pop wonderland. I sat in Ballroom 20 from USA Network panels to Showtime panels.

Some highlights were definitely the antics at the "Psych" panel (see the photo story below), and Willie Garson animatedly moderating the "White Collar" panel. Matt Bomer was charming, but not rakish -- rather, he was sweet, humble, and very relaxed for the "White Collar" panel. Bruce Campbell was slipping dollar bills to anyone who would stroke his ego, and being his usual lovable self for the "Burn Notice" panel, where a "Burn Notice" prequel film involving his character was unexpectedly announced by Jeff Wachtel, president of USA Networks, who admitted: "What the world needs right now is more Bruce Campbell!"

Tv's Nancy Botwin (Mary Louise Parker) of "Weeds" compared her character to Scarlett O'Hara, in that "She thinks she's gonna make up for [her parenting mishaps] later. Like, next month she'll take them on a family outing." As we all know, Scarlett had a tendency of putting off serious thoughts for tomorrow, often quipping: "I'll think about that later." Victoria Morrow revealed that she and the writing team saw grisly things during police-sanctioned tours of the Mexico-U.S. "no man's land" in east county San Diego, and when faced with the question of the Botwins experiencing a downward spiral in the upcoming season, said that the Botwins have been constantly in a downward spiral and that seeing them resolve the barrage of misfortune is the center of the show. Is it possible that the fan asking that question somehow distinguishes apart Agrestic as a stable period and Ren Mar/Tijuana as a beginning of a downward spiral? Feigning normalcy in Agrestic doesn't cover up the fact that the Botwins have been in a tornado upon Judah Botwin's death! This is a credit to Mary Louise Parker and the entire "Weeds" cast for making shit-hitting-the-fan look appealing to suburban television watchers! P.S. Victoria Morrow, when asked if Season 6 was the last season of "Weeds," said "No." :)

Also, Jennifer Carpenter clarified that though the "Dexter" audience is privy to Dexter's true nature, her character of Deb Morgan does not connect the dots to his serial killer tendency due to a lack of knowledge that the audience has to an advantage. "She's putting the puzzle together," Carpenter explained, "but it's not going to read 'My brother is a serial killer.'" She also said that, "Harry [Morgan] raised both of us," therefore Deb possesses aspects of Harry that Dexter possibly lacks, but both represent Harry's dual nature. The panel seemed impressed when a fan asked if the show would explore the reason the Dark Passenger can inhabit Dexter's host persona, suggesting a sentience in the Dark Passenger apart from Dexter's consciousness. That may border on United States of Tara material, and definitely a subtle nod to the book series' more esoteric content, but Executive Producer Sara Colleton (though explaining that since Season 1, the show has presented orignal material building from the immediately previous seasons and that the writers make a conscious effort to not read the books) still suggested that traces of that line of questioning will be present in Season 5.

The early morning line to get into the Exhibition Hall. I love the "True Blood" (Showtime) advertising overhead!

More Comic-Con Day 1 photos after the jump!

On a set with props from "The Walking Dead," an up-coming AMC series, from the network that brought you "Mad Men"!

A friend trying out the Glee Karaoke Revolution game! ♫ Set me free why don't you baby? Get out my life why don't you baby! ♫

That's a thumbs up for the Lego Threepio and R2D2!

Buffy Season 8 does a great job of keeping the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spirit alive in a Twilight age... (The Dark Horse area)

Odin's "Thor" Throne. Thanks Marvel Comics!

Some models acting as "Programs" in the digital world of the Tron: Legacy area (Disney).

Todd Stashwick (The Riches, Heroes, The Air I Breathe; and, notably for us Buffy fans, the M'Fashnik demon in "Flooded" from BVTS S6, and Vocah demon in "To Shansu in L.A." from Angel S1), co-creator of the new and expertly-illustrated, engagingly written "Devil Inside" series!

Lego has been hitten' 'em out of the park! A great Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, of, of course, the Harry Potter series (Warner Brothers).

Rock Band 3, from MTV Games and Harmonix.

David Lizerbram, panelist of Comic Book Law School: Hot Topics at this year's Comic Con! So proud to know him, wish I had the Friday pass!

...And of course, Sailor Moon! :)

Reena Leone, Social Media Coordinator at Digitaria, doing her Comic Con coverage and taking temporary shelter at the Ugly Dolls area!

I'm the hugest fan of the Puppet Master metaseries. Andre Toulon makes the BEST totems of vengeance!

Yoshi!

Bruce Campbell and Tim Matheson sitting for the "Burn Notice" (USA Network) panel at CCSD.

Tim DeKay and Matt Bomer of "White Collar" (USA Network) sitting for their panel at CCSD.

Marsha Thomason and Tiffany Thiessen (does Kelly Kapowski need an introduction?!) sitting for the "White Collar" (USA Network) panel at CCSD.

Thomason, Thiessen and DeKay repartee.

Willie Garson (Stanford Blatch of the Sex and the City metaseries) moderating the panel for his new show "White Collar" (USA Network) at CCSD.

Curt Smith of Tears for Fears singing "Shout" at the "Psych" panel (USA).

Dule Hill (left) and James Roday singing "Shout" with Curt Smith (middle; Tears for Fears!) at the "Psych" panel at CCSD!

Dule Hill and choreographer Jason Samuels Smith doin' some ill tap dancing!

New Executive Producer (to the show "Dexter"; formerly of "24") Chip Johannessen, and Dexter himself, Michael C. Hall!

Mary Louise Parker of Weeds (Showtime)! She's sitting in the "Showtime Anti-Heroes" panel at CCSD.

The very focused Mary Louise Parker (I say focused because I really think her performances have a studied looseness that is just so damn expert!) with writer/co-producer Victoria Morrow of "Weeds."

The talented Jennifer Carpenter taking a seat next to James Remar (Harry in "Dexter," Richard in "SATC"!).

The Morgans! The beautiful, splendid, luminous, clever Jennifer Carpenter and the darkly handsome, focused, eloquent Michael C. Hall sitting for the "Dexter" (Showtime) panel at CCSD!

They're amazing!

I have to go watch White Chicks again... I love her comedic performance!

Exhibition Review: "VIVA LA REVOLUCION" at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego // Public Commissions around metro San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:41:00 +0000

The really cool thing about hunting down the public commissions on the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego's site locations map is that, as you turn a blind corner or approach a building, you are, for the first time, consciously looking for art. All graffiti suddenly jumps out at you from wooden fences or dirty stucco. Familiar buildings now seem to contain secret scavenger hunt clues. You watch dark fuzziness from a distance turn into a vital piece of work from a famous street artist, or merely clarify into the shadows of tree boughs. Exiting MCASD's tour de force, "VIVA LA REVOLUCION," in their downtown Jacobs Building, map in hand, you find first the Vhils piece on a wall and smile with your newfound street art knowledge. But by the time you reach 16th, you are thinking about placement the way a street artist does.

To a San Diegan, our sleepy, small town "big city" is about familiarity: knowing where places are without paying real attention to hard directions. Knowing landmarks and cardinal directions, knowing general areas, not being able to direct a stranger somewhere--it's all part and parcel to the casual lifestyle we enjoy in this beautiful city by the sea. But thanks to "VIVA LA REVOLUCION," suddenly there are new landmarks throughout the metro area. A presence of famous art now available for free public consumption. And you hunt them, experiencing the city with an alert mind rather than the casual manner we do everything else here.

"VIVA LA REVOLUCION" is an enormous artistic gift to San Diego, and yet, San Diego makes it possible. We keep a rather pristine city, so street art is still relatively noticeable. We glance it on walls, and double-take. Usually we move on, not feeling we are supposed to be seeing anything relevant to ourselves. Street artists play on that filtration process. Context is immediate in "VIVA." Guest Curator Pedro Alonzo, drawing upon Shepard Fairey's favoritism of the important work of Basquiat and Keith Haring, informs us that these two artists adopted the "style and systems of the streets." The exhibition brings together 20 international artists from 10 countries, who appropriate cities' physical elements, icons and signage to create profound socially-conscious work in a lowbrow visual dynamism.

Shepard Fairey, Banksy, Invader, FAILE, Blu, Dr. Lakra, Barry McGee, Os Gemeos, Swoon, Vhils, and a particularly moving piece by JR ("Women Are Heroes," showing his epic intervention on Morro Da Providencia in Rio de Janiero) all contribute excellent, breathtaking work.

Moris' 2010 work "Landscape 7" portrays wistful, nostalgic American suburban dwellings in dreamlike murals on recycled materials in a gritty, desolate installation. The elongated basketball hoop of "Stax," a 2009 piece by Mark Bradford, is filled with papier-mache balls, suggesting the pliant nature of cultural tradition. The Date Farmers' 2010 piece "Ghost Dogs" shows sentinel hounds as town criers reacting to violence (a genuine canine behavior). The intriguing naming history of UCSD's Thurgood Marshall college is the content of William Cordova's "untitled (lumumba-zapata)."

"Moshi Moshi," a 2007 piece by Ryan McGinness showing a visual library assembled in baroque busyness reveals --in its enormous, overwhelming collage-- the meaninglessness of our escapist consumer fantasies when they converge on each other. It also highlights a flat, stone city's utilization of bright Pantone color matching to draw us out of the gray urban surroundings into exotic wishful thinking. A further point: McGinness' "The True Knowledge of Things" depicts a busy border of mutli-colored layered arabesques, from which a pile of icons is developing in the center, implying that out of the din of images in the world we still glean a small heap of personal meaning.

Dzine's tricked out "chrome" lowrider-esque pedicabs demonstrate the fleeting newness in car customization (old electronics adorn gilded carriages), the futility of expiration-date novelty investments. But the pieces also celebrate customization as a means of personal expression, and the romanticism of the carriage ride. David Ellis' "Busted Flume," with compositions by Roberto Lange, is a trashcan from which emanates scattered percussive strikes that converge into a rhythm, for awhile. Then it deconstructs into a din again. It is a great parallel to the actual shifting powers in a city. The sudden punctuations of synchronicity: a logic in an event sequence reveals itself. After that synergy, however, there is a dissolution and we must cope again with psychic uncertainty.

Stephen Doitschinoff's (CALMA's) room of work is a powerful criticism of Catholic hypocrisy in Brazil. Esoteric, mystical symbolism abounds in his pieces, including an installation (of a kneeler surrounded by rows of open-faced Bibles before a mural in which guts are shared between a skeleton and a dark figure (signifying perhaps, in a style similar to Gaugin, the world beyond). Are the shared guts a passing on of life energy between death and resurrection? It is an allegory of the gory, truly macabre imagery in the promise of Christian salvation.

Akay's video documentation of complexly designed, whimsical graffiti machines sets out to make fun of the extreme lengths street artists go to place their work, but what does it really imply to switch out glass-enclosed bus shelter advertising posters for ones that say "Buy A Life" ("Graf Mobile"), or spray-painting rainbows with a six-in-one-sprayer ("Robo-Rainbow") all over decrepit walls? There is a social interventionist mode here that may be the sincere element to the otherwise amusing observation Akay is making about the street art community's dedication. And it is that dedication that Shepard Fairey spoke of in his KPBS radio interview with Maureen Cavanaugh. In true street art, he said, there is an element of risk and passion. In the gallery context, I argue, the risk has not departed the process. The physical risk of doing vandal work on the streets may not be present, but having to articulate a meaningfulness, in an eloquent manner, acknowledging artistic lineage, making an artist's statement, and entering into the contemporary art world that at turns rejects and exploits you -- is risk. A big one that faces most artists. The risk of personal integrity and the decision to ultimately think about the the future of the work is where, I think, the social intervention evolves into an even greater movement than a rebel yell. The artists of "VIVA" provide the clear message that helps others understand the work, maybe parting with the niche political audience for awhile and accepting mainstream exposure. But that, I think, is where revolutions gain momentum: in the decisions made by ordinary people.

- -- --- -- -

Special thanks are in order to Lucia Sanroman for her work in bringing this exhibition to San Diego. Yes, I read the entire wall text. Thanks also to all the San Diego foundations and individual donors who contributed to basically the best artsy Sunday I've had in awhile. :) Especially since all the Little Italy galleries are closed on Sundays!

Slideshow: PRIDE San Diego 2010 // Parade

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:46:00 +0000

From Normal Street, west on University Ave., south on 6th, ending at Upas... a streaming rainbow representing "One World, One Heart, One Pride."

Please enjoy the slideshow of my photos below:

Shepard Fairey in San Diego // South Park

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:36:00 +0000

Populist artist Shepard Fairey drew a crowd (an "ad-hoc art community" were my original and much better MCASD-retweeted words) as he appeared to be initiating a mural on Wednesday, July 14th. The phase of work was unclear but the first positive-space elements (ornate gold Venetian-esque motifwork) were going up by early evening. Residents and a lot of the casual guests at the Holiday Matinee/Threadless pop-up craft event were browsing and photographing the very gracious Obey Giant team. Having seen "Exit Through The Gift Shop," I couldn't help but feel a little bothersome ogling, but remembered that at this point in his artistic career, Shepard Fairey is definitely used to it (granted, the cover of night seems to be his typical "installation" time).

Shepard Fairey (as part of a curatorial team interview for KPBS radio yesterday morning) discussed the positive aspect of transitioning his aesthetic into the gallery context, citing the consumption of the street-art visual language by graphic design as a good impetus for returning to the gallery as a means of critically engaging with a graphic style that has a tendency to be rendered meaningless by commercialism. I particularly liked his idea/solution dichotomist approach as I think that demonstrates the value of the creative industry, and his admitted mindfulness of an insider/outsider strategy to facilitate a transformation of intellectual engagement for an art world that dwells, in my opinion, in a gray relativism.

"Outsider street art was an absolute necessity to me," Fairey said. "I didn't want to pander to the art system."

- - - - -

More photos after the jump!

Bonus! -- Context:

Event Review: "Anybody Can Be Cool... But Awesome Takes Practice." Holiday Matinee's Craft Night Pops Up In South Park

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:40:00 +0000

<<- click flyer to see official event details.

Holiday Matinee, the East Village-headquartered creativity blog, gave a much-needed shot to South Park this past Wednesday, July 14th, thanks to Station Tavern and the Whistle Stop hosting their pop-up shop event. Although there was merchandise, this was no vendor fair, but featured artists, a studio, and a non-prof. It was another really cool intervention (the other being Shepard Fairey's street art being erected for MCASD's Viva La Revolucion exhibition) on this sleepy little hamlet that calls Juniper and Fern its main streets and was known to most locals as a part of Golden Hill for a long time. Sure, the idyllic is at times punctuated by beloved 'booty basement's at the Whistle Stop, but this mostly serene neighborhood has emerged as an artsy favorite residential district in the past decade. As South Park, it is still growing into the San Diego consciousness, our disparate neighborhoods benefiting from scene experimentation.

This event, also a stop on Threadless' Everywhere tour (they'll be back for the Con!), had people designing tees whimsically with sharpies in Threadless' Airstream trailer (with Charlie's encouragement!), flicking the wheel spinner at Holiday Matinee and getting a neat online destination on a fortune scroll, and picking out a neighborhood tee at Sezio. Loulou Bijoux sold charming apple slice necklaces, while Yeller showed a selection of artist books (we bought 3!) and laid some great groundwork in promoting their hotly anticipated show "Where We Sleep" at Subtext Gallery. Josh Boston's art hung on the walls of Station Tavern, and left almost everyone with a great, pumped-up feeling. Not to put that energy to waste, most denizens only had to walk around the block to catch Obey Giant at work on their piece.

I had to bounce before Sleepwalking DJs (didn't wanna miss that) and Bob Nanna (of Chicago and Threadless) did their things at the Whistle Stop After-Party (remember that party as the Sleepwalking old school Party? maybe it was all an upgraded coincidence?), I was bummed to have missed my zoo-pal Frank Green play with Greg Gibson.

Holiday Matinee, I request that you strike again! More photos after the jump!

My little guy doing his thing! :

BONUS -- Also a part of the fun: this van!

Interview: Teddi Rogers

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 14:38:00 +0000

What is your occupation?

I consider myself a working artist. I am also currently employed at the front desk of Pure, a yoga studio on the upper west side, and I am in search of employment as a figure model.

When you entered SMFA/Tufts, what did you consider your primary mediums? What did you consider your primary aesthetic?

When I entered SMFA/Tufts I was interested in pursuing a career in fashion design or in photography. I was specifically interested in fashion and ecological photography. The idea of working as a fine artist was completely absurd to me- out of the question. I was coming from a traditionally technical background regarding drawing and painting, but at the time I was completely in love with the instant gratification of the photographic process.

Your fingers go in a lot of pies, what gives you the guts to go after diverse mediums rather than to see them merely as interests?

It has nothing to do with guts, but more to do with shiny object syndrome. I lack discipline, patience, and concentration. It is something I am struggling with right now. As a creative person I have always been drawn to any and every creative outlet, which has been great because I have gotten to experience a lot of different disciplines. I don't regret straying into any of these areas, because I believe that they have enhanced my creative vision and skill, but I am at a point in my career where I would really like to challenge myself to focus, so that I may be able to develop strength in only the disciplines that I am really committed to. I am incapable of half-assing anything, so when I would begin to explore a new medium I would throw my whole self into it, but true strength takes years to develop, and this is an understanding I am now trying to commit to.

How did you get to do work on "Normal Adolescent Behavior"?

I got to work on "Normal Adolescent Behavior," because my costume design teacher, at the time, was costume designing the movie, and I was lucky enough to intern with her. I've always been a pretty strong decision maker, but all of my experience in the field of costume design really strengthened my trust in my talent, and in the validity of my choices and opinions.

Were you starstruck to have worked with Amber Tamblyn (The Ring 2, and Joan of Arcadia), and Stephen Colletti (Laguna Beach)?

I was familiar with their work, so it was fun to meet in person someone who you've only seen on screen.

Why did you move to New York City after returning upstate initially upon graduating?

It was always my plan to move to New York City. I'm completely in love with the city. The opportunities and inspiration that it brings to the artistic practice are unending, and I feel at home here. Once I found full-time employment as a floral designer and roommates, I moved in.

You worked in a Boston floral shop before moving back to NY, and then you worked in a floral shop there, becoming a designer. What lured you into the floral industry?

I've been working in the floral industry since I was a Junior in High School. It is a creative and stable career, and I feel lucky to have come across it at such an early age. It is something I will always be able to do if I need to find work, and it's fun.

What is the same and what is different about the creative process between event design and vis art composition?

I look at all art and design practice as made up of the same fundamentals, composition, color, texture, etc. Event design always requires some element of collaboration, whether it be with other designers, or just the client, good communication is imperative. Sometimes this is true in the fine arts world, but not always. It depends what your practice involves.

Your three main career bullets are so dramatically distinct from each other. Do you feel you access different parts of your brain in order to accommodate those processes?

Yes and no. As I said to your last question they all originate from the same place, and even the way that I conceptualize my choices is very similar throughout each process. This is probably why I have been able to so easily jump from discipline to discipline; I look at it all through the same eye. Whether I am creating a painting, or designing the flowers for someone's wedding I'm going to be making conceptual choices and technical choices, which reflect my conceptual choices. This is my creative process.

Recently you became very interested in body work. Is this influencing your current art? How?

The body has been a consistent theme in my work for as long as I have been creating work. Even before I was aware of the concept of exploring a single idea or body of imagery, it is clear that I have always been drawn to human physicality. I'm really trying to embrace that now, and explore it as deeply as possible.

You also recently transitioned from oil to acrylic, what lead to that? What new material are you adding to your portfolio that wasn't in it before?

To be perfectly honest my initial reason for using acrylics, was as a replacement for oil paint being that I do not have access to an appropriate space for oil painting right now. But as I use acrylic more and more I am really beginning to love it. It is forcing patience, and it is forcing me to work in layers, which is really adding to the work. I am also noticing texture beginning to develop that is unique to the medium. I really want to push these different elements, and learn how to play with them more.

I'm adding a lot of painting to my portfolio right now.

How did you come to create the skin series? From the florist shop to the finished product, what was your initial experimentation that lead to this?

As is the nature of most exciting, new discoveries, I came upon the idea for the skin series completely by accident. I was taking a fashion/art class at the SMFA, and as an answer to one of the assignments I covered an old bra with white rose petals. I also cut holes into it, and sewed around the holes. The initial piece was beautiful, but over the next few days it morphed into something else, something beautiful, grotesque, and disturbing. I had no idea that the materials would react in this way. I found the imagery created, completely fascinating, and I have been working with the same materials, striving to push this relationship between the beautiful and the grotesque, ever since. It had nothing to do with me working at the florist... other than free resources.

Do you consider yourself a sentimental artist or an idealistic artist?

I don't really know if I fall into either of these categories. My goal for my artwork is to provoke a sentimental response. I want the pieces to resonate with my viewer on an emotional and visceral level, but I would not characterize my process as a sentimental experience. My immediate reaction is to jump to the side of idealistic, but I don't think that's a fair judgement of my practice either. There are definitely moments where I experience the process in a very emotional way through frustration, pleasure, or fascination, but then there are moments when I become very methodical. There are times when I have a set process and goal in mind, and am looking too much towards the finished product to fully experience the process. I am trying to recognize when I get like this, this impatient, and pull myself back into the moment.

What is your creative process, in brief?

Over-conceptualizing an idea to the point where I don't create any actual work for a long time, and I realize that is ridiculous, and I need to just jump in.

Jump in, and remember that I learn best from creating work, not thinking about creating work.
Sketch out some ideas, think some more, pick the one that I'm actually passionate about, excited by, and run with it.

What is your best advice to anyone who has fledgling interests in different things but they don't know what to pursue? Also, how would you encourage someone in their networking effort?

Pursue everything, but know when to cut yourself off. Keep what you love, and take what you can from the excess. Networking is uncomfortable, but necessary, so just force yourself to do, because you never know who will inspire you, who you will inspire, or who will change your current trajectory, and that is exciting.

Where can people either physically or digitally see your work?

www.teddirogers.com, my apartment in NYC, my parents' house, coming soon to a gallery, museum, art space, any space, near you I hope! www.teddirogers.com again

When would be a good time to check back in on you?

It has been my experience that small changes happen on a daily basis, which leaves me looking back on 6 months that look nothing like my present life. I love this, and hope it's the only consistent element of my life, so check back when ever you want, and I will have something entertaining to put on the table.

Interview: Stefanie Caril Vermillion

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 04:30:00 +0000

What is your gay activist superhero lady name?

My gay activist superhero lady name is Miss Rainbow

Miss Rainbow, what are the mediums you have used in your activist-related artwork?

I have primarily used screen printing and had my work featured in a movement called Event Horizon which was a project used to alert the community about social issues.
http://www.event---horizon.com/about.html

What do you think is so powerful about a screen-print? Is it the fact that you can make so many reproductions at one time? How does that factor in to the whole "spreading awareness" thing?

I really love working with screen printing because like my primary photographic medium (pinhole) there is a rawness to it. You really have to get your hands dirty and connect with your project on not just an emotional level but a physical one. Of course, the mass distribution factor is appealing and important to me and is a big reason why I took the opportunity to speak out about my feelings on gay rights when this project was presented to me.

What are your feelings about gay rights?

Wow, where do I begin? I feel like calling it Gay rights is restricting at times. Mostly because I look at this issue as a Human Rights issue. I have always been interested in how humans share the space around them and how they are allowed to share that space and why.

I feel like love is something that can not be tamed or restricted or ruled. It angers me to my core to think that I can choose to walk down an aisle one day and say "I do" and have a wedding when my brother can not. It saddens me to see that level of restriction on a such a raw uncontrollable feeling like love.

I decided to take that energy and propel it into something positive. I not only make art but I donate money and sign legislation to change the way this country views this. People who oppose it often say to me that this is not an issue worth pursuing and that this is a social issue not meant to be in politics. This may be true as I believe the government should not tell citizens who they can and can not marry, love, have sex with etc. but it has been dragged into our laws and so must be discussed to be changed.

And I also feel that the people who oppose this so violently don't understand why it must be talked about because they aren't having to fight for their Human Rights. I feel like in a country like the USA that touts itself on having such freedoms we should live up to that in all capacities.

How does that issue present itself in your current home, Austin, TX? How was it different from Boston?

In a strange way Austin seemed more laid back than Boston. When I did this project and put the broadsides up there were a few people in the community that didn't want to see them. They seemed uncomfortable and didn't ask me a lot of questions. I took it in stride because being in Boston as an Art Student not a lot of people take you seriously. In Austin, most of the community doesn't care if you are gay or not gay just as long as you are happy. I have to say that for Texas there is a reason why Austin is called weird. The community is about being local and close. There is a sense of understanding and peace here that I felt Boston lacked.

Is it less of the competitive sense, and more nurturing?

Definitely. In Boston everything always felt very urgent and restless. Everyone was always questioning and exploring which was an amazing energy to be apart of, but it also meant you always had to be on your game. You couldn't really lose track of who the next big artist was going to be.

So what is your creative process in screenprinting? Ive seen your shirts as well as posters. I know the posters featured text very prominently.

My creative process with screen printing is a simple one. I think you have to understand the limitations of a medium before you can commit to using it for a project. For example, the Broadside project was perfect for screen printing because I needed the posters in mass quantities and once you get a rhythm going you can crank out quite a few within an hour. Typography is something I fell in love with as soon as I got to Art School. As a poet I have a natural attraction to words but it became more than that. I began to understand the relationship between text and how it shapes our interpretation of the world around us.

In my broadsides I used very bold and striking text to draw attention to the statistics, but used Blackadder to add a more romanticized interpretation to the words that headlined the broadsides. Typography is all about choosing the right font for the task at hand.

If I had used a font like Times New Roman or Helvetica the broadsides would have melted into the background of the T stations and sidwalks. No one would have paid them any mind because those are fonts that surround our daily life.

So now on to your photography. I've seen so much of your work, from early to current as of a year ago. Your black and white photography is very interesting, you don't seem too interested in creating the whitest white point. How do light and dark values come into play in true pinhole photography? Your camera kicks so much ass.

First of all yes, my camera does kick so much ass! I used to shoot my pinholes in an oatmeal can and make paper negatives (which I have supplied an example of called Anna Pinhole). That process was fun but very tedious. When I got my film pinhole camera it opened up a medium format world of pure pinhole bliss for me.

You are right about the whitest white in my pinholes. Light has always been the most important element when I go on a shoot. I tend to shoot in the early evening when the sun is just about to set. I find that is the time the light is most ripe and spreading the most interesting cast on the landscape. I like to envision the world as a doll house when I am shooting with my pinhole. Everything looks less real and more fantastical almost like a dream. I like to be surprised and I always am with pinhole. It allows me as an artist to not overwork my pieces and to trust in my instincts because they are usually right.

Yes but whats amazing is in spite of the dreaminess, you still make sure to anchor it with some objects being clear. How important is focus when youre relegated to a tiny canvas space in a pinhole photograph?

You are quite right, there is always an anchor in which I must tether the image to. Most of my pinholes are voyeuristic and I am rarely up close and personal to an object. I like to observe from afar and take in a whole scene. Understanding the light, elements and concept is extremely important to me. I work fast and meticulously, if I don't feel a scene I leave. I don't linger and try to make it work. Focus is something that can't be contrived or it will feel that way to the viewer and me.

That really seperates pinhole from other forms of photography, doesn't it? Other photography, particularly commercial, is about constructing an image, messing with lighting, and composing, sometimes from scratch, sometimes "recasting" an existing place or scene and messing with it to get the desired image. Pinhole, to me, sounds more like a meditation of finding images in the world, at the right moment?

True, I have to admit one of the reasons I like shooting with my pinhole is that I have ultimate freedom. I don't need to lug around lights & umbrellas and sets. Nature is my set, the sun is my light and the world is my subject. I have infinite possibilities and I prefer to work alone. I have a lot of chatter going on in my hand when I go on a shoot so the less distraction the better.

It's really cool, collecting the light into the hole, and hoping that the image also got collected and it isnt just a jumble of dark and white shapes! So, in terms of making a series to be shown, what are some subjects you are tinkering with or would like to tinker with in order to create a cohesive show?

It is exciting, but sometimes it doesn't work out. I get a lot of images that look like nothing more than shadows. Currently, a lot of my photographic work has migrated into investigating family. I am interested in how where you come from shapes how you view the world around you. The faces that you see your whole life and what they mean to you. It is amazing what one can capture of people you know so well when they are not looking. How that familial connection can be broken or distorted in an image. A lot of m work has been focused on outward inspection and now I feel like I need to make an introspective pilgrimage in order to understand where I fit into the world I explore in such detail.

So in your family-related work, is it straight up protraiture, or is it also about objects?

Portraiture. I need to approach it finally. I have avoided it for so long, but it is time.

How do you think gay rights might surface in this new series?

I think a lot of that would depend on my brother and how much he would let me in. What he would feel comfortable with letting me explore. It takes a certain amount of bravery to allow yourself to completely let go and let someone in all the way. But I know he is as committed to this cause as much as me and he trusts me. I also trust him, which is important to trust your subject especially when it becomes more emotional. You have to let down your guard and have an honesty flowing in both directions.

What do you think is the relationship between an artist and viewer, then... in terms of honesty?

That is trickier because as a viewer you can't expect total honesty. You have to allow yourself to have a suspension of disbelief depending on the subject matter. Sometimes the art you may see is not rooted in reality so one can not expect realness. That is what is fun to me though, the tug and pull between fiction and non-fiction. This ties back into why I love pinhole so much, because sometimes people can not decipher if my subjects are real or not. I leave it up to the viewer's interpretation, because as an artist you can not micro manage how people interpret your work. Once you choose to display your work publicly it becomes subject to many critics.

You return to certain images a lot. Care to volunteer a few of your favorite things and why you come back to them? How does what you listen to and read, or how do other artists, influence you?

I am attracted to flowers a lot because they show me the vulnerable side to nature. They are proud and strong for a time but eventually die. I shoot a lot of out door scenes from inner city to landscape mostly because I am interested in exploring these environments that humans have created. I am intrigued with why we create spaces and then abandon them, for example movie theaters, parks, etc. I like to imagine that what those spaces were like when they were busy and full of life. Perhaps it is the nostalgic side to me but I find the depiction of these spaces when they are lonely fascinating because I have that inner dialogue going on in my head.

As for music I like, I have to remain true to my favorite band that is Everclear. The music still resonates within me a raw, have to move, won't take no for an answer vibe that often motivates me. It has been the background noise to a lot of interesting times in my life. I also love Mazzy star and even named my kitty after her (thanks to Amy for introducing me to her long ago!). Her music sounds like it is traveling to me from a distant room filled with incense and vanilla skies.

Sorry to interrupt you, but you recently met Everclear, right?! What was that like?

Seeing Everclear was an amazing experience for me. I had been listening to them since I was about 14 so it has been a decade of waiting. The band has evolved a lot since I started listening to them, including new members. However, Art Alexakis is definitely the heart and soul of the band and I made sure I was first in line so I could see him up close at the base of the stage. He is a brilliant and energetic performer and I loved all the songs he sang. It was surreal to see this band live since it is something I have wanted to do for so long, when it was actually happening I couldn't believe it. He played old favorites like Strawberry and Heroin Girl but also played more recent songs like Portland Rain. The opening bands were local Austinites, The Pons and Motel Aviv. They both were really good and had a lot of energy to pump up the atmosphere. When Everclear took the stage though, I was sucked into a moment I never thought would come, and it was awesome. At the end of the show I snagged the set list Art was reading from and got him to sign it. He also gave me one of the picks he used during the show with his name on it. Everything lined up in a magical & perfect way. I have to say that some people fear that meeting their icons will never live up to the image of them in their head. For me this was not the case. Everclear was everything I thought it would be and more.

Okay, please continue telling us about your favorite things.

My two favorite books of all time are Scented Gardens for the Blind by Janet Frame and She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Scented Gardens is all about a girl in her own fantasy world where a dung beetle who wears an apron is her only friend. This book reminds me of my childhood and the fantastic worlds James and I used to create. That sense of living in your own head and saying to people, "What do you mean this isn't real life!"

And She's Come Undone touches on what growing up as a girl is like. It also spurred within me a special connection to whales, as one of the characters develops a connection to a dying whale. I remember in the book the dying and glazed over eye is described and the sense of weightlessness something so large seemed to have in the water resonated this idea within me that we are all connected somehow.

My favorite artist of all time would have to be Bethany De Forest. She is a dutch artist I found in high school when I first started shooting in pinhole. She inspired me so much that she was the driving force behind my exploration of pinhole. Her website is http://www.pinhole.nl She is so talented, I adore her work. Adam Fuss, Sophie Calle and Barbara Ess are more of my favorites. Their imagery is ethereal yet somehow rooted in this plane. They understand human nature and portray it in all its dark and beautiful subtleties which I appreciate. I applaud them for their artistic bravery and they often remind me to take risks.

You want to play a word game?

YES!

YAY!

Weee!

Okay, I'm gonna give you a word, and you're going to give me its opposite! Dont think too hard about it! Okay: RAINBOW

Monochrome

Peach

Green

Snowflake

Acid Rain

POUR HOUSE

Umi

Awww. Okay now I'm going to ask you about favorites. Okay? Just answer with your favorite item.

Ok.

Favorite music video?

Beyonce, "If I Were a Boy

Wow! Why?

I love the story it tells and how it is in Black and White. That sense of being a woman in man's world and how crushing it can feel at times. Yet, she empowers with the way she approaches the song.

Awesome answer. Okay... Favorite '80's movie and WHY!

Haha, oh no! I hate to admit it but I really like Romancing the Stone!!! Wow, can't believe I am revealing THAT dark secret. I just like how hard Kathleen Turner tries to resist Michael Douglas and all the cheesy and weird ways the movie was shot. It's all so deliciously ridiculous.

HAHHAA NO NO THAT MOVIE IS SO GOOD!

I love it so much! Whew, so glad you have seen it.

What's your favorite '90's movie and WHY??

I am sure James remembers that movie... Ever After. I love Drew Barrymore, she is so beautiful and smart. She really epitomizes the creative successful woman to me. I also love the take on the fairy tales in that movie, how it makes it more real. More honest. That good things can happen but it isn't all glitter and magic pumpkins. It is real people coming together to create magic.

Favorite restaurant?

Boston: Rod Dee Thai Austin: Counter Cafe and Diner 24

I think Ro Dee is gone?!?!?!?

It sadly burned down. I don't know if they ever rebuilt. :(

Coutner Cafe is soo good! The pimiento cheese sammiches!

I know! I love them. You would like Diner 24, its new. They have delicious fries.

Okay... favorite comfort food that you make?

Homemade macaroni and cheese with goat cheese and hot sauce

YUM! HOT SAUCE REALLY? Gosh that sounds amazing. Favorite hot sauce?

Louisiana Hot Sauce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Hot_Sauce

What are the next five ways we (the audience) can see your work somehow?

Right now the only way is through my website: http://www.stefanie-vermillion.com

I will also have my tshirts for sale on my Etsy account soon: http://www.etsy.com/shop/svermillion

Yay

Yay!

When should we check back in on you?

June 24th 2011

It's a date!

Yay!

Hey Stef, do you think they figured out we are close friends yet?

They better!

Exhibition Review: "The Colour Palette" presents Dylan Clausen and Bryan Wingen

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:20:00 +0000

Last night, July 2, 2010, the inaugural Colour Pallette kicked off in Banker's Hill's Tin Can Alehouse. The beloved neighborhood bar contributed its main wall to the art of event creators Bryan Wingen and Dylan Clausen. Bryan presented the "Stripe" photographic series, which presented a series of mixed straight-up, and unconventional, portraiture, of individuals (among them, two dogs!) wearing a found "ugly" sweater of red and white striped reminiscent of the American flag. He had each subject pose in front of an actual American flag (sans the stars), and both the sweater and the flag were mounted above a galley next to the bar. Meanwhile, Dylan presented a series of liquidic, atmospheric watercolors and inks, characterized by his trademark graphic-inspireed linework and muted primary pallette. The overall effect of the two series' side by side, with the Tin Can's lighting, is a soft scarlet glow emanating off the wall, drawing the some sixty guests to look closer, but to also keep a distance from the energetic aura of the bold works.

It is remarkable how small the sweater physically is, but the thickness of the flag stripes in the background clue is in to the height and span of each model. The models seem, and are, for the most part, amateur, and they appear both comfortable and uncomfortable. Their comfortability seems rooted in the fact that they are being shot by a trusted artist, but as can be expected, the notion of occupying an artistic space often leaves people unsure of what they should be doing. Wingen expertly gives them a guided freedom, to feel both loose and directed, and the resulting photographs are immediately intimate. Rather than detached voyeurism, the photos seem conversational to the viewer, as if we ourselves are engaging with these people who fidget before us, concerned about our judgment.

The photos are processed in a vintage cast that immediately evokes a sense of American nostalgia. There are 50 traditional portraits total, and 12 photographs in which we see the subjects interact not only with the flag and sweater, but with the studio space. Deliberately cutting off upper bodies, or obscuring the face with objects such as a beach ball or a red and white striped helmet, these more playful photos might illustrate the photographer's process of commandeering a shoot, while also exploring his own evolving perspective of deconstructing a shoot.

Above: Two portraits from Bryan Wingens' "Stripes" series.

"I found the American flag in a thrift store. Originally, I was just going to shoot girls and the flag," Bryan explained, and it was going to have more overt tones of risk and adventure, a series that is now going to be a completely different set (that he is still working on). "The sweater I found caught my eye. The way the series is presented from left to right is the chronological order of the photos. Playing on the themes I was originally thinking of, I still wanted to do portraits of youthful America. I tried to think of interesting faces," that complemented the interestingness of the ugly sweater, "and I think this is a time when there's so much weird shit in the world, and kids should be more involved. It's illegal to wrap a flag around you, that's where the notion of the sweater came in, because it reflected the flag."

"I have so many vintage coffee cans [whose images] inspire me. Bob Dylan, '60's nostalgia, and even just the warmer yellows throughout the shoot, all serve as my inspiration."

Bryan noted that at times the models gave a sad vulnerability that he felt captured the spirit of this era. "We're here now," he declared, responding to the tendency for American youth to shirk their native land in favor of supposed greener European pastures, "we need to realize that we should go back to the basics. We need to stop hating America and to be more American, I'm so excited about the tattoos some of the models have, because it further drives the theme of social acceptance and participation. That's why the last shot in the series is a self-portrait, because I didn't want to exclude myself from participating."

"lost love" by Dylan Clausen

"tights" by Dylan Clausen

Dylan's work is eclectic, unified by distinct soft strokework juxtaposed against illustrative linework. His subjects include a Buddhist dog, several vomiting figures, and two headless figures whose heads are locked in an embrace. But though the images contain some grotesqueness, they are portrayed as beautiful. The vomit in the piece "primary vomit" is a vomit of vivid color. In a piece in which religion is being purged, the vomit is a purple plasma in which are suspended glittering crosses. The bodies of the headless figures in "Lost Love," and their united heads in the background, have a theatrical beauty, a sense of narrative. Each piece is a foray into different fantastical worlds, a world in which experiences are beautiful by default, even if the experiences themselves are sad. There is a liberating feeling in seeing this perspective in art, Dylan almost demands that the world be felt as beautiful, and admits that his decisions are primarily aesthetically-charged.

However, aesthetics does not in any way make shallow the deeper, more emotionally resonant subjects. Instead, it is the interplay of flatness and depth that analogizes the tension between beautiful and grotesque. In "tights," the ground is mottled, containing deep, watery shades. However, they do not portray the shadow of the feet on the floor. If they aren't figurative shadows, what are the shadows? Indeed, these worlds are ones in which at times shadow, along with light, does not take on the characteristics of its real-world behavior. The series is also a great mix of contemporary and fine art. The larger the scale of the pieces, the more impressionistic and gestural the marks are. The smaller the pieces, the more meticulous and precise the illustrations are. In "Goodbye Friend," the Buddhist dog is lovely in realization, in big, landscape-like brushwork, counterbalanced in subject and in style by a more graphically-depicted suit and tie that the dog is wearing. The direction of "Goodbye Friend" is a real departure from the other pieces, which are more consistent to one another, and the tenuous balance between glazed build-up and decisive bold linework dances across the large (indeed, largest) piece.

"a squat" by Dylan Clausen.

"umbrella" by Dylan Clausen

"I think subconsciously, I'm obsessed with floating in water," Dylan explained, "I listen to music when I paint, which is an immersion as well. I think that tends to give my paintings their fluidity." Dylan used to work in black and white, but has drifted towards the primary colors. "I try not to draw too much from yellows and reds, so that they punch more."

"I know my work doesn't have a continuous vibe (in terms of imagery)," he shared further, "but the overall vibe is ambience. I like people to feel calm when they view my work. Beauty is important, and also finding it in the grotesque. I modify grotesqueness to become pretty. I add color. My art is my fantasy. It's like being stoned in the sense that these are worlds on a dimmer, not bright worlds. Their illustrative quality comes from growing up watching anime and cartoons. I'm aware that in real life, there are no hard lines the way they there are in cartoons. So I try to portray cartoonistic worlds as a nod to my inspiration. These places are about lightness and happiness, not humorous per se, but the recurring liquid and clouds and atmosphere--the driving force is magic."

仲良し(*･∀･)／♡＼(･∀･*)だよ
More Photos from The Colour Palette at Tin Can Alehouse, July 1st 2010:

Interview: Stacie Maree Willoughby

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:53:00 +0000

What is your occupation?

Artist, Poster Maker, Book & Record Buyer

What led you to your art form?

I like to draw so I found a niche that worked for me.

What mediums do you use for your posters?

I use whatever feels right at the time...a lot of pen & ink, various markers, watercolor, colored pencil, sometimes collage, and I've even used charcoal and acrylic paint from time to time.

What’s your general creative process?

I get the information (words that need to be included, the tone of the event, etc) and then I start drawing, and then, eventually, I finish. That's it!

All images in this interview are used by courtesy of Stacie Willoughby and are owned by her and (((folkyeah))).

To what extent does your knowledge of the band influence the art? Do you also take a strong cue from the words? Do you consider the aesthetic that the band itself projects?

I work with my knowledge of the band, the venue, the overall theme of the event, to the extent that it is helpful in the direction I already felt like taking. I don't really take a strong cue from the words unless it's funny somehow. I do consider the aesthetic, but 'consider' is the key word. I'm kind of spoiled in the sense that I only do this because I get to do whatever I want, and that's really the only way the picture will be a success anyway.

How would you characterize the relationship between text and image in your art?

Text IS image. Text is a picture, a form, in itself. We are just so trained to read those images as symbols for other things that we tend to look past it, but it can be really interesting to have certain forms to work with which are abstract but can be skewed and made to fit and match the rest of the picture.

Do you think a drawing can overcome the meaning of the text? Even though text is image, if you were to use the word "butterfly," and drew flocks of birds streaming from that word... will the mind connect their association and try to make sense of the whole image? Will it just be confusing? Can we take the intended meaning out, and re-define it by its proximity to other images?

Well, first of all when I was talking about that, I didn't mean that the meaning of the word was the image. I meant the physical shape of the letter itself was the image, for example the letter A, in and of itself, as an image, without the meaning of that letter, and so on. It's like Duchamp and "This is not a pipe", sort of. The shape of the thing is what you pay attention to, not the meaning behind the shape of the thing.

You have to train yourself not to immediately assume something about the shape, and thereafter you can manipulate it in new ways. This is especially useful with the alphabet, because if you are going to make pictures with words in them, the words will ruin the overall effect if you are not able to use them as any other shape, for your own amusement, to the benefit of the overall composition. That's why I've never liked posters with typed words over them; to me they become mere advertisements, with a little picture included, rather than an entire picture with all its parts intact. This is what is so great about hand drawn posters by Mucha and Toulouse Lautrec and all of them, they really knew how to use text.

Secondly, I happen to have this thing called synaesthesia, which is a condition that causes the senses to overlap, and in my case, a fairly common and low-level form, letters all have very distinct colors that are part of their very essence, so if I am looking at text in black, in the back of my mind every letter still possesses its own hue, and this is true if I just hear words as well. The reason I bring it up is because of your example of the birds and the word "butterfly"...I think it's important to develop an ability to see things in their physical form, with as little meaning as possible, in order to be able to recreate anything even remotely new.

This is why I love Escher, and optical illusions, and even abstract art. I think it's important to be able to see something in front of you and not immediately associate it with everything else like it. Association between things is wonderful, really, but if you foster the obvious, you will find nothing new...you will just be carried along unconsciously down the same stream to all the same conclusions.

Last but not least--I think that having words in your composition really takes the pressure off the meaning of the piece, by which I mean people do not need to worry so much about why they are looking at it, what the "point" of it is....it's a sort of espionage... this, while also lending a lot more meaning to the words themselves and what they stand for, or at the very least causing some kind of growth of possibility in the minds of those who see the juxtaposition. In short, the combination causes excitement, confusion, some kind of energy to be emitted. I can think of no better outcome from showing art.

Your art has a special integrity in being hand-made. What lead to that decision?

I like to do things with my hands! It's so much more fulfilling for me, more in-the-world, than looking at a computer screen. Things like printmaking and letterpress are also interesting to me, but personally I really like to manipulate images with my hands alone, pencil to paper, and drawing text allows me to treat it as imagery and to maneuver it however I need. I also have a real love of the design from the days when everyone hand-made their signs and advertisements. In this day and age, it really stands out, in my opinion, which kind of all goes back to the idea that taking the extra time in any act is really worth it. It's one thing to have certain processes made faster and more convenient, but when that starts taking over the actual making of art, it's kind of missing the point. Why should I spend LESS time doing something I enjoy? I'm sure some people can do wonderful things on the computer, but I personally can't feel it. It's not art to me. And with posters, why would I want to go to an event where the poster was sort of shat out in five minutes? That makes me feel like the entire event is going to be like that. Now, it might NOT be, but if people don't put their all into every aspect of the event, then that's minus some excitement points on my part.

I'm not saying that people who make posters on computers are the ones who do it in five minutes, I can only imagine that's extremely time consuming...I was actually referring to scribbled stuff in that particular case...

In the hand-made process, is there something of magical realism in it, doing it by hand imbues it with energy and life?

That is very interesting. Some would argue that a computer is just another form of tool, no different than a pen, but I feel that anything with a screen diminishes the real somehow, as though it were one further step removed. I certainly can't explain it very well, but I feel like the skill you use on a computer is limited--there are keys, and a mouse, and some people have those drawing pads or whatever they are, but the skills you learn by hand with the different implements are endless.

Is it not true that the very purpose of a computer is to make things easier for us somehow, to allow us to do many more things faster than we could without them? And that is so much my point, that every minute spent in the doing of something that takes many of them is fully necessary to the spiritual experience of creation. When I lose time in front of a computer, I feel like I have been drugged. When I lose time in a drawing, I feel like I have been meditating. I have respect for the skills of people who make things on a computer, but I just haven't so far found what they make to be remotely intriguing as art, not do I particularly wish to trade in my methods for theirs. It's an issue of personal taste, of course, but I feel pretty strongly that it's more than that too. I guess not everyone who makes a sign or an advertisement is trying to create something timeless and engaging, but why the hell not? Why spend time on something so disposable when you could spend that same time doing something more? If we live in capitalism, and the idea is to make money, can there not be more to the experience as well? Can we not make money while making the most of our existence here together? To do any less is obscene.

Of course, bottom line is I'm all for people doing whatever it is that brings them to a point of feeling alive, and who am I to judge?

What feels weird to you about overly-polished computer-generated art? Is it a visceral reaction, like finding it cold and dead in a way?

It is a visceral reaction, and one I really find difficult to explain. It definitely leaves me cold. You know when you look at a painting in a museum and you can see the strokes? And while you stand there you know you are standing where the artist stood, not on the same ground but in the same space in front of the painting, and you can imagine holding the brush, and you are transported suddenly across time to that day when that stroke was laid down? It is amazing. I was completely astounded to find that out, when I first went to a museum and really paid attention...when you first learn about things, you think that some knowledge passed on is the same as experience, but it isn't at all. Anyway, the same is true when I come across any art or any creation, a garden even, a building, where I can feel that feeling.

There is so much to the act of making and creating, the idea of putting your whole self into it, and it's not pretentious at all, it's just--it is the silent thing that puts you in contact with the life source, and stops time. It really just pulls you right down to the center of things. It is meditation, and prayer, and the knowledge of the body as well as the mind, in an act of unity. There is a lot that we are losing by trying to speed everything up and get more and more crap done faster and faster with less and less effort.

So if I can't feel all that from art, it isn't art to me, and if I had my way everything around me would feel that way, art or not. Of course, everything someone makes in order to communicate something of his or her essence and experience to others is art to me. That's pretty much the definition. When you are told what to communicate, it isn't really art anymore. That being said, I don't even always make art. But I strive to do so.

Aside from client-based work, what does your art that you make independently tend to cover in content? What imagery and issues speak to you?

All my art is made independently, because I don't take direction in my imagery from my clients, or almost never. If I do, it's because it's something I would draw anyway, but even that is rare, because I don't want to have to think about what the finished product will be. That's not entirely up to just my conscious mind, you know? It just comes how it comes.

As a professional, how did you bridge the gap between being an artist who wasn't making money to an artist working with (((folkYEAH!)))?

I just did what I wanted to be doing and eventually I was asked to do it professionally.

What books do you like buying? What records? Any favorite genres, authors, and musicians?

I become fascinated with different things as they come into my path, with no particular pattern. It's like floating down a giant river with endless tributaries.

It's a huge part of my daily life, reading and listening and finding out. I kind of blank out when asked these sorts of questions.

I did just finish reading some Joseph Campbell and Carl Sagan and now I'm going to read Bataille's "Erotism" because when I was hiking the other day I had this incredible experience
where a tree branch that felt like a skeleton claw sort of ran through my hair while I was really thinking hard and all these ideas I'd had about death and sex sort of congealed, and then that book crossed my path so here we are. I've going through a pretty heavy classical music and opera phase, mostly the really dark stuff...it's not nearly all I listen to but it's definitely holding my attention most strongly at the moment. That and the most confessional ghost-causing musical tales I've ever found, which are by The Broads.

What is your best networking advice for someone shit scared with no visible social skill?

I really dislike networking as its own goal. As long as you are thinking about what you can get out of others, you aren't going to get shit, and rightly so. That being said, no matter what you are doing with your life, it is good to be open to the opportunities that are presented by being around other people, having conversations with them, finding mutual interests, and then following up on that. Find what you have to offer others and then offer it to them. There's nothing to be afraid of, and if you're inexplicably afraid, you just have to do it anyway, or else waste away.

I like this idea that your art is commemorative. It is about making a moment in time special, because posters become valuable if preserved, and for years to come they will travel the world and have meaning for so many people, even people who WEREN'T there. Do you feel very connected to a mission of honoring a moment by making a poster?

Only beforehand! I love the idea of causing people's energy to rise in accordance with an event so that when the time rolls around, they have that much going for them no matter what. It's hype for a good cause rather than empty hype... it's contagious, like "Oh well this thing could turn out to be amazing, look how much effort everyone put in! I better be sure to be ready for anything!" Every time I've had an amazing experience with others in a setting like a concert or a party, it's always because the people are in the right frame of mind for it to happen. In times like these, sometimes it's hard enough for people to show up at all, let alone be able to show up ready to have fun and follow where the energy takes them. I want to push that likelihood as much as I possibly can.

As for things being collectible and all that, isn't it true that a thing is much more collectible when the event was a success? Like there was so much energy that even more than just the idea of the good time that was had is still in the air? I think nostalgia is generally not so great a thing, except maybe when some hope is raised that energy can be found again, when each new generation comes into its own and discovers that it can make things happen, remake the world in its image. Or even better, when the same generation can find that out about itself through each phase of their lives. That's how I felt when I saw the old psychedelic rock posters, so, great if that's how people feel about these...but not as relics, you know? Only as magically imbibed instruments of living large.

What are the next five opportunities for people to see your work (online or otherwise)?

I have a new line of t-shirts coming out for Vanishing Elephant, an Australian menswear company, and I have a show in October at Candystore Collective in San Francisco, and my new website is nearing completion; there are a couple of poster shows and art shows in the works that aren't set in stone yet; and I'm working on some covers for a new 7" label that's coming out of Oakland soon...

(Also, check her out on Facebook: Notes from Below -- Posters by Stacie Willoughby. Please note, you must be a Facebook member to access the content.)

When should we check back in on you?

Whenever the mood compels you!

House Boi celebrates its 3rd year, so I decided to update my Yelp. :)

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 01:24:00 +0000

http://www.houseboisandiego.com/

Happy Birthday House Boi!

Under a French Quarter balcony and the auspicious black and white striped entry awning lay the enormous windows of House Boi, occupying a New Orleans architectural revivalist building. The interior basks in the signature citrusy shade of permanent green light, and several vignetted sitting areas have clothing and merchandise carefully/casually laid out, showing its potential place in your home. Modern pieces of metal and resin commingle with earthy, wooden exotic furnishings. The entire feel evokes a sense of Western romance (buckles and leather goods), meets rocker (studded black jeans and wristbands), an aesthetic concept that is immediately upscale Californian cowboy, with metro-grooming but still deliciously scruffy, who also travels the world.

Between major Hillcrest streets Center and Richmond, tucked between CoShow realty and Cohabitat, and just down the block from Bite and Mama Testa’s, lies the year-old neighbour House Boi. House Boi has been a presence in the tri-community area (North Park, University Heights and Hillcrest) for three years, once occupying a place further up University Avenue at the foot of the hill near Georgia, and happily moving into its new home in 2009. Part of the move was an expansion of floor space, opening the door to more merchandise. House Boi now has, among its established brands, Hard 8, Gypsy 05, La Familia, True Honor, Fender & English Laundry and partnerships with many San Diego-, Phoenix-, LA- and San Francisco-based jewelry, accessory and visual artists.

Once upon a time, House Boi’s success lay in the gay customer of two years ago: sexy, urban sportswear with an eclectic bachelor pad of worldly curiosities, Buddhist and Hindi icons, and contemporary barware. There were a few furniture pieces, mostly bar stools, and some cabinetry. This first iteration of House Boi captured a sensual, rough around the edges, gay magnate… the exact type of man who would enjoy the staffing of house boys, and would buy their uniforms from the same store he got his weekend casual wear. It worked really well and sold its wares like hotcakes.

In the advent of Prop 8, the 2008 election, and most recently the shut-down of Universal Hillcrest near Vermont St, House Boi has expanded its cross-section to include the modern day gay American: a socially-responsible advocate who seriously collects fine art, enjoys high-fashion tops and rock and roll jeans, and supports local businesses that in turn support the local gay community. House Boi has entrenched itself with brilliant cross-promotional marketing for many Hillcrest businesses such as Bourbon Street, Numbers, and Bite. It frequently shows its latest merch at fashion shows in the above mentioned nightlife hotspots, and also participates in all of the big San Diego liberal community fundraisers. House Boi is one of the most popular boys in town.

It was just over a year ago that I, recently transplanted back to San Diego from Boston, looked up the most highly recommended shops on some San Diego culture blogs, and “House Boi” kept recurring. The day I walked in, Ari immediately connected with me and my partner, recommending businesses left and right, talking about art and music, and turning what could have been just a curt welcome into a conversation that held meaning. Since then, we have remained ever-faithful patrons to this important San Diego landmark. Recently, House Boi celebrated its third birthday in high style, and when Ari so graciously took time away from mingling to take photos for this review and allowed my camera free reign to snap away, I realized he always will be among the helpful, supportive patriarchs of this community, urging all of our artistic leanings and being the cool, approachable guy he always had been.

Come to House Boi on a typical weekend night and you’ll still find gyrating gogo dancers, a vodka bar hosted by painted toned-bodied sprites, and DJ Marcel, a Hillcrest favorite, spinning. Paul, who has been such a strong element of my patronage to House Boi, will be behind the saleswrap smiling warmly, and Ari Clare, the beloved and welcoming owner, will be on the floor speaking eloquently about the quality and integrity of his merchandise.

It is still the sexy, urban boutique. But among House Boi’s customers you will see prominent local figures, scores of hip three-piece families (including same-sex parents) saying howdy, Adam4Adam madams (the straight girl-besties that are the backbone of the gay community), and yes, straight men who want to look good to everybody, of many ages, races, and affiliations. That’s the kind of diversity a San Diego landmark hosts, and House Boi enjoys that wide customer base with much-deserved loyalty.

Go after the jump to read my very first Yelp review of House Boi!

House Boi
5 Stars on 2/17/2009

House Boi sits near Texas street, along University Avenue in North Park's hilly gate leading up to Hillcrest. From this in-between location, House Boi provides a needed style bridge between the dominant shopping areas. House Boi is a must-see, an essential stop in your shopping day as you make the climb up University Ave. in your mini-cooper. Theirs is a varied assortment of casual menswear and accessories, home accessories, and fine art, as well as a selection of gifts and novelties, all selected under the wise auspices of owners Ari Clare and Alex Wheeler, whose charm and approachability are widely reputed. Barrerras sculptures of recycled glass, sold here, make the perfect conversation piece on your coffee table or receiving table in your entry foyer. An assortment of leather cuffs, belts, and metal goods provide the sexy finish to even your most relaxed stepping-out ensemble. House boi seems ideal for the upscale man, a weekend guy who may be a high paid ad exec, the very type that just might employ a house boy or two to handle the domestic concerns of his home... and this sensuality is carried through every piece of this store, which in reality caters to all lifestyle shoppers, offering style options across all price points.

If you fancy the attractive models on their promotional posters, you've just met the 'boi's of the house, as these men can often be seen in the store for events, or covering shifts when the owners are enjoying a day off. House Boi's fleet of gorgeous houseboys make a great incentive to stopping by several times in one week, just to see and chat with your favorite sales clerks.

On my work desk sits a modern styled champagne flute with birds in flight etched into it. It is a singular statement of style which I have purposed to house a weekly flower arrangement... big headed flowers such as hydrangeas which look so elegant in the clean lines of their vase. This is one of House Boi's items, which are so cool that you add more functions to their original use. Frosted glass high balls with black toile-esque printings on them are great for scotch, or an amaretto sour. But I find that a limed melon with mint canapé would be served attractively in a set of these glasses. Shell teaspoons are adorable caviar servers, but could also beautify your kitchen table as scoops for salt and pepper. House Boi has many unusual items you didn't know you wanted but now HAVE to have, adding flair to your serveware or transformed for another use entirely. What once was meant for your bar may end up on your work desk.

I had the pleasure on my first entry into this store of meeting Ari Clare, one of the owners. He makes it apparent right away how much of his own friendly, artistic energy emanates throughout the store. He is generous and helpful, especially to newbies in town, and will happily tell you where in San Diego to find good eats, art, and even other stores. It is this easy-going nature of the owners that makes House Boi so browsy, you could spend a half hour or more perusing the offerings of this boutique. Sign up for their email updates and you will be enticed to come back again and again to see their merchandise. Already developing a great reputation in the blogosphere, House Boi also has developed a loyal clientele who know when they want something hot to wear for the next boogie at Universal up the street, or want to pick that one bit of hot decor to impress whoever they just took back to their flat after a quick bite at Lalo's after the club.

Source: Yelp (http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=itcz-TcrjTGN0uD3sLEG2Q)

A Special Message from DJ Marcel Hetu: San Diego Pride Discounts

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 22:31:00 +0000

Hello Balise Readers, DJ Marcel here, and I wanted to ask my friend Marcel to help me blast these ticket prices to all of the San Diegans participating in pride this year!

Pride is upon us with tons of different events in the works. I have the opportunity to offer discounted tickets to some of the events this year to friends of mine. Presale tickets are available at a discounted price for POPCICLE and SALVATION PRIDE at HOUSE.BOI (located next to Baja Betty’s). Presale tickets for T-DANCE ON THE BAY are available at OBELISK BOOKSTORE.

The following tickets are available for the next two weeks directly through me (I will hand deliver them for cash payment). I can offer these as an official party host (see: http://www.billhardtpresents.com/html/the_party_hosts.html). I do not profit from the sales of these tickets. I also will not charge a service charge. I will only have these for another week and many have already sold. Let me know if you want me to save some for you.

Marcel

Friday, July 16 THE PRIDE BALL 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM
DJ, TWISTED DEE
DJ, MANNY LEHMAN
The Abbey, 2825 Fifth Avenue
600 Limited Tickets - Ages 21 and up.
Individual Tickets Price: $ 30.00* Advance / $40.00* Day of Event
* Additional retail outlet service charge may apply
MY PRICE: $20.00

Saturday, July 17 THE POOL PARTY 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
DJ, WAYNE G
The Handlery Hotel, 950 Hotel Circle North
400 Limited Tickets - Ages 21 and up.
Individual Tickets Price: $ 30.00* Advance / $40.00* Day of Event
* Additional retail outlet service charge may apply
MY PRICE: $20.00

Saturday, July 17 CIRCUIT DAZE 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM
ROSABEL
DJ, ABEL & DJ, RALPHI ROSARIO
The Hall of Champions, 2131 Pan America Plaza
1800 Limited Tickets - Ages 21 and up
Individual Tickets Price: $ 50.00* Advance / $ 75.00* Day of Event
* Additional retail outlet service charge may apply.
MY PRICE: $40.00

Sunday, July 18 THE ZOO PARTY 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm
DJ, PHIL B
MOTO BLANCO
The World Famous San Diego Zoo
3500 Limited Tickets - ANY AGE
Individual Tickets Price: $ 85.00* Advance / $ 100.00* Day of Event
* Additional retail outlet service charge may apply.
MY PRICE: $75

Sunday, July 18 FETE ACCOMPLI 10:00 PM to 4:00 AM
OPENING DJ’s:
DJ, Luis Perez, San Diego & DJ TAJ, San Diego
CLOSING DJ’s:
DJ, YINON YAHEL, Israel
DJ, TONY MORAN, NYC
On Broadway Event Center, 615 Broadway
1800 Limited Tickets - Age 21 and up
Individual Tickets Price: $ 50.00* Advance / $ 75.00* Day of Event
* Additional retail outlet service charge may apply.
MY PRICE: $40

VIP WEEKEND PASS FOR ABOVE EVENTS
MY PRICE: $200

To order these passes from DJ Marcel Hetu, hit him up on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/marcel.hetu or ask me to connect you.

Interview: Tom Patterson

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:21:00 +0000

Job: I'm an actor.

Weren't you just in Sarasota, FL? What for?

Yeah, I was down in Florida for about three months. Kate Alexander, who is the Associate Director for Florida Studio Theatre, in FST’s production of Shotgun , had cast me.

First I guess I should tell you a little bit about what was happening with the play. Shotgun is a new work by John Biguenet and was picked up by the National New Play Network.

The NNPN is a sort of alliance of regional theaters who develop new work, and FST was one of three member theaters to pick up Shotgun . All three get credit in a "rolling world premiere" which, in theory, is to help promote new plays. All of this is to say I owe everyone involved a great deal because it led to me getting a job.

Shotgun itself about two families in the months immediately following Hurricane Katrina, one black and one white.

When the play opens, my mom has died. My father and I are moving into half of a shotgun apartment, hence the play's title. From there, you can sort of imagine the crucible. You have five characters, are wounded and sort of lost, and most not entirely comfortable with one another.

Image to the right, below - Tom Patterson as "Eugene" (left) with William Peden as "Beau" in National New Play Network rolling world premiere of "Shotgun" at Florida Studio Theatre

The play is about New Orleans, clearly, but it’s also about people living with death, which is something we all have to do. That said, I'm proud that it can remind audience that New Orleans isn't recovered. It's in the process of recovering and has been abandoned by the government and the collective American conscious.

You went to Tisch. What a privilege!

Well, I went to Tisch because it was in New York and part of NYU. I really didn't look at it beyond that.

Heh. Tisch was five years ago. I went to the undergraduate drama program which... has a lot of faults. I liked some of my teachers. Vicki Hart and Per Brahe were very influential. As far as professional advantages there's a lot more schools that offer a better "in" as far as the industry is concerned.

I received some good training, but I felt the program, as a whole, is unfocused. I've been out for a little while, and while I think there are programs that might serve you by getting you in the room, ultimately its up to you to bring the goods. You can look up any alumni list and see there's people who work and people who don't. A program can be a boost, but it won't give you jobs. Man, school was a while ago. It's not really something that I think back on or try to reason out. When I auditioned, I think I came in with the idea that I'd be famous a year after graduation. Now, I want a Tony.

It's not that I don't look back, it's just that I don't think where I went to college has a massive influence in my current career or lack thereof. NYU didn't grant me a "launch" and I feel everything I have I've hustled for.

Taking Shotgun as an example, what is your creative process? How do you originate another being?

Shotgun was interesting in that it was a new play. There was no real blue print for it in the way that you have for, say, The Glass Menagerie or Arms and the Man. This is a piece that isn't in the audience's collective conscious.

It's fun in that you get the idea no one has really done this before you, or in the "rolling world premiere" of the NNPN, maybe only one person has. So you're doing something brand new, but that's a challenge too. With older plays that are in the cannon, the audience and the actor sort of know where it's supposed to go and what the story is.

There really isn't a set pattern I follow. I look at each character and think about what this play needs, what this style needs, what I need to do to make this person feel alive. I think acting 101 is "what does my character want, how does he get it." That's the beginning and ending of it. Then when you're filling out the character, you think of the different colors your painting needs. If there's one thing I do consistently is read and re-read the play.

How is acting related to the arts as a whole?

Well, that's a pretty broad and heady question. I suppose art is all connected in that human experiences are connected, other than that I'm not much of a philosopher.

An actor interprets so the professions are sort of similar to all performing arts in that you're an interpretive artist.

So for you, acting truly is a vocation, not merely a means of self-expression?

Yeah, it's a job. You show up for work, act, and get paid for it and we have unions. There's an old joke where an actor asks what his motivation is and the director responds "your paycheck." And sometimes it becomes a grind and you just wanna get through the performance or the rehearsal. That's not to say you can't have an artistic experience and that your job isn't art, but it is a job.

Are you an instrument, or a creator, ultimately?

Both, but your job is to interpret the writer's work.

Tom Patterson as "Sergius" (second from left) with (from left to right) Maura Malloy, Heather Stuart, and Conor McGuigan in "Arms and the Man" at Electric Theatre Company

What is your Holy Grail role? How have you been kinda preparing for it through the ages?

Haha, there's a lot of roles I want to play, but I'm not really picky about it. Tom in The Glass Menagerie. I wanna do more Shaw.

What do thespians do recreationally?

I would say the biggest recreational activity amongst actors is complaining about how they're not working enough. You have to find a way to stay active, but I think actors tend to be diverse as anyone else. I play board games; I have a friend that bakes. Eventually we'll get a summer softball league together.

Do you consider yourself sentimental or idealistic artist?

Desperate isn't an option? I dunno if I'd say either, because I'd sell out to hawk Taco Bell in a commercial in a second. Maybe that's wrong because I actually enjoy Taco Bell. Let's say McDonald's. Nono, you're missing the in between. I don't explore emotions, I go after what the character wants and emotions rise up as a result. And I try to be loose enough to play as well. That's the whole of it, man, you just wanna be able to play around on stage and see if you can tell the story.

Maybe idealistic because I don't consider myself sentimental? I really don't consider myself either. I have ideals. I have the desire to transform and tell the story. So probably idealistic, because while I like being self-indulgent and look-at-me-audience-I'm-crying I'm not necessarily motivated by feelings of tenderness or nostalgia.

As an actor, do you compartmentalize your personality? Does it ever get United States of Tara bad? D.I.D.?

(Laughs) I don't think actors develop dissociative identity disorder. My approach to a role doesn't entail living the character. That doesn't work for me, and I can't live as a different person while I'm working. It comes back to "what does the character want." During those few hours when you're on stage, you go after what the character wants. That along with any physical work you've been doing and any style work you've been doing creates a different person.

You have these different energies going into the character as far as desire and behavior, and different objectives that should be crushed or satisfied by play's end. Now sometimes I find it difficult to put these to bed and I bring some of the play home with me, which isn't healthy for me as an actor. It's not how I wanna go about it.

My life is my own, actors aren't crazy. I mean, they are, but not in the way that they switch between personalities to suit different life crises. And, no, I've never had that sort of last moment in Highlander where Conor MacLeod goes "I am everything."

As an actor I'm just trying to be honest and have an experience on stage, in that moment, with my other actors and the people that showed up to watch that night.

Ah okay, so you acknowledge some actors can’t act well in just ANY role. Its kind of like a challenge is presented to the entire acting world, and people have act-offs to find who can best bring a role to life? It’s really a job, and it’s really a competition of skill.

What you call "act offs" we call auditions. I don't think there's ever been an actor that's been right for every role ever written.

Is it weird or difficult for an actor to concede to the skill of another? Or is it more like: there’s a cornucopia of roles, I hope we all get one some day?

For me it is, but I'm sort of intensely jealous of people better than me. Especially if they're younger and more successful than me.

Do you want me to include that?

Sure.

Okay lets play a word game. First response, like the pregnancy test, ok?

Sure.

“BEST PLAY”

Hamlet.

"Contrivance"

iPad.

"Distortion"

Those mirrors at amusement parks.

"Scenic Route"

My career.

"Jell-O Mold"

Bill.

"Destiny"

Something that they talk about in fantasy movies that doesn't really exist.

"Art"

A really cool set design.

What are the next five ways we can see your work?

Oh holy shit. Well, hopefully I'll be back down at Florida Studio Theatre. I had a great time there and I'd love to go back. I'm writing something with a friend of mine, and I'll be sure to let you know if we ever get around to doing that. And of course you can see me at any number of open calls or auditions. (Laughs) I also did some funny stuff with my friend Risa 'cause we're hilarious. It's called Beastwood Park:

Okay, Tom Patterson, when should we check back in on you?

Gimmie six months and we'll talk.

Florida Studio Theater [] John Biguenet (Playwright)

* Rife, Susan. “REVIEW: ‘Shotgun’ a vivid exploration of post-Katrina life in New Orleans.” Q&E. Sarasota Herald Tribune. 10 Apr 2010: http://aande.blogs.heraldtribune.com/11710/review-shotgun-a-vivid-exploration-of-post-katrina-life-in-new-orleans/?pa=all&tc=pgall&tc=ar

Coming Up: The Colour Palette @ Tin Can Alehouse

noreply@blogger.com (by empyreanm) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:23:00 +0000

Be there! It's going to be hot. I have known Dylan forever and his watercolors are illustrative and charming. Also look out for their interviews here on Balise, coming soon! Look after the jump for a piece from each artist!

by Bryan Wingen

by Dylan Clausen