BugHouse

From records turned into coffee tables and prints of audio setups, to “Future Fossils”, the folks at Bughouse are making great art and various creative home furnishings.  The LA-based company is comprised of Jeff Klarin and Rebecca Johnson, who both contribute art & design to the Bughouse.  Art prints, mixed media, and furniture are all available on the site, and exhibit a sense of design and marketability melded with a focused aesthetic.

In addition to re-imagining our favorite audio setups in two dimensions, we really love the Future Fossil work, which casts modern tools in the light of history.  Overcome by dust and dirt, the Nikon particularly feels like a fish out of water, and forces us present-day livers to imagine a future in which we are merely an era passed, a small (and equal) step in the timeline of creative evolution.  In either case, it’s clear that Jeff & Rebecca are focused on asking questions from a slightly different plane than most – which is exactly what we at IPMM think art is for. We applaud Bughouse’s aspiration to ask new questions, flip things on their head, and create.

Enter the BugHouse – HERE

Christian Tagliavini

Christian Tagliavini melds photography, design, and cubism in a truly inquisitive aesthetic that feels like a bit of a revelation.  Two dimensionality fuses with 3D to trick ones perception, stimulating the eye’s mind (not minds’ eye).  His photography often feels the way a museum exhibit does when on display, except in this instance, it’s accompanied by a surreal sense that the presentation is actually alive.  At once combining notions of fashion, anthropology, surrealism, and graphic design, Tagliavini hits on various keynotes successfully.  Contrived (in a good way), the calculated and direct approach of each piece radiates a certain confidence of vision that’s palpable and seductive.

Enjoy Tagliavini’s entire portfolio – HERE

The Other F Word

The fact is, the majority of these men had such rebellious standards growing up, and its because their parents were either never around, didn’t care, or just left. All teenagers are angry at something, but these individuals took it to extremes. Now that they have families and can provide for them, they go out of their way to make sure their children never feel the pain they were subjected to. Flea makes the point that his parents weren’t focused on the job at hand when it came to raising him, and how they probably agreed with the famous angry statement of, “I brought you into this world.” For Flea, he states a polar opposite, that he was in this world, but that it was his daughter who brought him to life and kept him from falling into a deeper hole.

The Other F Word is what many didn’t expect to find after 1980’s, Decline of Western Civilization, a film that showed the derelict lifestyle of many of L.A.s top punk acts of 1980. People may not be surprised by the sudden turn around of values in these subjects who are known worldwide for yelling “fuck”, but make sure their kids never curse. From watching them on the road, to taking their kids to school, The Other F Word proves that the book has more substance than the cover and punctuates the massive power love has on us all.

Andrea Kaiser

Papa Issue

No matter when we pay them a visit, we find incredible, inspiring, and forward-thinking work.  Although we obviously appreciate their vision, we try not to get bogged down in statements hinting at objective truth – the reality is, we love their curation.  We also agree with their premise, which states that there is a cultural tie that unites Latin America, in art, history, religion, food, etc.  The unitive element is culture, and we applaud their ability to curate such a vibrant collection of output.  Their simple and streamlined web presence makes the art the focus, as well it should be. Go enjoy the site, there’s plenty for all of us.

In addition to giving our view, we often like to provide a few words from the horses mouth. As such, we’ll let Papa Issue tell you who they are in their own words:

“PAPA ISSUE gathers talented professionals from the Latin world with several objectives:

1. To discover talent and show it to the world.

2. We believe the Latin world has its own identity

and characteritics that sets us apart from the rest of the world.

3. Inspiring every living creature.

4. To be a useful book for professionals and artists for anyone seeking new talent and for those who are interested in the Latino visual world.”

Bianca Green

Brosmind

Brosmind

Iris Encina

Maria Luna

Natalia Revilla

Engage with new art for hours on Papa Issue – HERE

Misha Gordin

Misha Gordin’s work is spellbinding.  A testament to the dark room, Misha is known to be meticulous about creating these incredible images, which he sketches ahead of time. With intent much different than a photographers’, Misha is dedicated to using realism as a way to get to the surreal.  He’s not capturing a moment, he’s creating one (most of which maintain an eery Jodorowsky-esque hue, truly setting the work above and beyond.)

It’s both deeply conceptual and painstakingly crafted, putting an opaque foot forward and requiring a rich interaction.  Dark, and full of contrast, the work has a sharpness that feels like someone dialoguing in through dreams; as if processing half-thoughts through creation, rendering stunningly impressive photographs. Spend some time with these, reality will greet you again in a few minutes.

Misha Gordin’s website is called BSimple.com

Tasos Chonias

The talent and precision evident in these paintings is astonishing.  Hitting the retina the way a photograph would, the scenes contained herein feel like much more than renderings; these places feel absolutely real, places in our world.  The effect of light injecting itself into each of these rooms warms these otherwise static, being-less glimpses.  Greek artist, Tasos Chonias has clearly honed his attention to detail, as well as an incredible ability paint in HD.  These photograph-esque pieces contain an eery contrast that makes us wonder intently about the possibilities suggested by the light creeping in through that window. This is definitely not for the casual art collector, but the brilliance is undeniable, and the paintings themselves are a ton of fun to look at. However, if you have 10k that’s burning a whole in your pocket, we’d say… go for it.

Follow Tasos Chonias’ work via his blog – HERE

IPMM Exclusive Interview: Rick Wojcik of Dusty Groove

On the first day of snow, which came late this year, IPMM happened to be checking in with Rick Wojcik, Owner/Operator of Dusty Groove. Located on Chicago’s north side and arguably the best record store in the city, DGA is known to multitudes of vinyl aficionados the world over, due to the vast success of their online store, which has no doubt made dreams come true for those whose fingers were too far away to get anywhere near DGA’s crates.

As always at IPMM, we’re up front about our bias’, and Dusty Groove gets our nod because of their impeccable taste and eclectic selection. From HipHop classics and singles, to Brazilian rarities, African funk records and other choice LP’s, we can’t stop finding records we love when investigating their stock.  We’d seal Rick’s retirement plan with one winning lottery ticket, but until then, we know we can find something to ease our need at Dusty Groove. Rick Wojcik tells us just how DGA has built and retained such an incredible collection of records, as well as massively loyal customer base to back it up.

- – - – -

IPMM: How did Dusty Groove come to life?

RW: It’s a very long story — but the short version is that we were real record fiends — big collectors and DJs, always buying records all the time — and at one point we decided that we needed to do something to support our habit, so we started Dusty Groove online in early 1996 — as a way to sell off some of the extra records we were buying in our travels.

IPMM: We have to say, after vetting many a record store here in Chicago, we are faithful DGA customers. Do you think it’s mostly your selected blend of LP’s and CD’s that brings people back?

RW: Thanks, that’s very nice to know. I’m not sure what it is that brings people back — but I can say that as big record buyers ourselves, we’re always committed to keeping something fresh out there in the racks. Sometimes that’s not easy — especially with labels closing down as much as they have been lately — but we live for the music we sell, so it’s also a pleasure to track it down.

IPMM: The majority of record stores are  limited to predominantly rock music. To what do you attribute that trend?

RW: … I’d say that overall, rock music has probably been one of the larger selling genres of the past few decades — so I’m sure that’s part of it.

IPMM: We have to say, what IPMM loves about DGA is the eclectic palette that includes a lot of amazing African, Brazilian, and Latin stuff, but also your dedication to HipHop.  We definitely relate to a similarly broad spectrum of creative output. Were any of those genres first loves for you, continued loves? How does the shop’s current curation relate to your musical preferences specifically.

RW: Yes to all of those questions — and partly as an answer to the one above, too. When we started Dusty Groove, it was really as a way to offer an indie record store that didn’t just specialize in rock — and which also had kind of an eclectic specialty too. Often, so much of the music we loved was an afterthought in more mainstream record stores — kind of a second-tier of what they’d stock — or stuffed in the back as a miscellaneous category in more rock-related shops. And although there were some great jazz and soul music stores when we first started out, we also knew that they were kind of isolated in the market — maybe a bit tough to approach for folks who weren’t complete specialists in those genres. I also have to say that we did draw some inspiration from amazing record stores we saw overseas — hip shops in Tokyo and London who were also very inspirational to us in crossing genres in our tastes.

IPMM: We talk to a good amount of touring musicians, some to whom we’ve recommended you guys… People often reply, “Yea! I love Dusty Groove.” You guys started as an online retailer, which has allowed you to garner support and loyal customers from around the world. The shops’ stock just help with that tremendously…

RW: Actually, we actually never wanted to be a store ourselves — we thought we’d just fill a good need by being a mail order outlet. So for our first few years, with no shop in Chicago, we had a much larger following outside of the city than locally — but we’re also really happy that we’ve been able to open a store here, and tie ourselves to the city too — because Chicago is very important to us. It’s where we’re from, what made us, and what still continues to really inform the way we enjoy music — and we continue to be very proud to represent Chicago to a larger global audience.

IPMM: So when we stopped by today, you had to run off to check out a private collection. How often do people call ya to come check out hordes of LP’s?

RW: We get calls all the time — but not all of them are good ones. We’ve got a great reputation for paying very good money for collections — but part of that is finding the right collections to buy. There’s a lot of junk out there, so we’re always working hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. But at the end of the day, we also just love records, too — and we love to put out bargains for our customers — records at 99 cents that are still pretty darn great, just not that valuable to collectors.

IPMM: What’s your take on colored vinyl, 180 gram pressings, and other boutique stuff like that? There’s clearly a lot of money in reissued deluxe packaging on blood red plastic (ehemm, Blood Sugar 20th Anniversary), and some people claim a difference in sound quality. Please, opine.

RW: I guess I agree with you that it seems like there’s a lot of money in these different pressings — but to us, there seems to be nothing better than original vinyl if it’s in good shape. I mean, sure it’s great to see some of these fancy pressings, but I’m not sure we have ears for anything other than the music — and as long as a record is pressed well, it always sounds great to our ears. These days, I’m more impressed with the outside packages the labels have been doing — the really cool covers, expanded booklets/notes, and all the other really good stuff — including the drive to really include some great extra tracks, bonus singles, and things like that — all of which definitely get my extra record buying dollar.

IPMM: Despite our growing collection of LP’s, we tend to reach for that handful of records that either captivates our mind or commands us to move. When you’re ready to revel, what few records are you puttin’ on your plate at home?

RW: Hmmm . . . I’m not sure that I’d use the words “few records” — because honestly, I’m always digging up something new, and I’m always listening to a wide variety of music. I definitely have some things I return to over the years, but there’s no real regular rotation — just an erratic array of things I’m always getting turned onto.

IPMM: How has your view of the business changed with the resurgence of vinyl? You opened in 1996, what was the climate like then as far as vinyl sales as compared to now, and how do you feel about vinyl re-establishing its place in today’s marketplace?

RW: We were vinyl-only at the start — not so much by design, but because so much of the music we loved hadn’t made it to CD yet. But now, it’s kind of the reverse — and because of the amazing CDs out there these days, we actually sell a lot more CDs than vinyl. It’s not that our vinyl sales have dipped — it’s just that the amazing world of CDs has risen to compete with the compelling array of music on older wax. So the resurgence of vinyl is great, but for us it’s just business as usual — although I guess it’s nice to see the format get some new respect from the rest of the world too!

IPMM: What was the record that got you hooked on music?

RW: That’s kind of hard to say. I grew up in Chicago, with loads of great AM radio — like the old WLS — and that was a constant array of different hits in different styles — and that was probably my first real inspiration for music, back when I was a little kid.

IPMM: What advice might you have for someone who thinks they have what it takes to open a successful record store? Dare we ask?

RW: I’m not sure if my advice is record store-specific — but like any small business, if you love what you do, then all the challenges of running a business can be enjoyable ones. It’s never easy, but at least you feel like you’re doing the work for your passion. But definitely don’t expect to die a rich man!

IPMM: What was the best live concert you’ve ever been to?

RW: Another tough one. I’ve had so many great musical experiences — but it’s usually a combination of factors — my mood, the particular night, the people I’m with, and so on — always a very personal thing that sometimes has less to do with the actual performance, however great that might be.

But at the end of the day, I’m definitely more of a record guy than a concert guy — so that’s where most of my energy goes.

BUY AS MANY RECORDS AS YOU CAN @ DGA – HERE 

And check out the entire IPaintMyMind Photo Set from our Visit to DGA – HERE!

A Lull : Confetti Reprise + Winter Tour Dates

TOUR DATES

1.12.12 Replay Lounge
Lawrence, KS / BUY TICKETS #

1.13.12 Hi Dive
Denver, CO / BUY TICKETS #

1.14.12 Kilby Court
Salt Lake City, UT / BUY TICKETS #
w/ Nurses

1.16.12 Manny’s
Billings, MT / BUY TICKETS #

1.17.12 The Badlander
Missoula, MT / BUY TICKETS #
w/ Sick Kids XOXO

1.19.12 Mississippi Studios
Portland, OR / BUY TICKETS +

1.20.12 Comet Tavern
Seattle, WA / BUY TICKETS +

1.21.12 Red Room Lounge
Spokane, WA / BUY TICKETS +

1.23.12 Rickshaw Stop
San Francisco, CA / BUY TICKETS +

1.24.12 Odd Fellows Hall
Davis, CA / BUY TICKETS +

1.25.12 Muddy Waters
Santa Barbara, CA / BUY TICKETS +

1.26.12 The Echo
Los Angeles, CA / BUY TICKETS +

1.27.12 Tin Can Alehouse
San Diego, CA / BUY TICKETS +

1.28.12 Club Congress
Tucson, AZ / BUY TICKETS #

1.30.12 The Mohawk
Austin, TX / BUY TICKETS #

1.31.12 Dan’s Silver Leaf
Denton, TX / BUY TICKETS #

2.1.12 Conservatory
Oklahoma City, OK / BUY TICKETS #

2.2.12 MOJO
Columbia, MO / BUY TICKETS #

2.3.12 The Rozz Tox
Rock Island, IL / BUY TICKETS 

2.4.12 The Sett at UW
Madison, WI / BUY TICKETS #

# – w/ Deleted Scenes
+ – w/ Deleted Scenes & Ravenna Woods

IPMM Exclusive Interview : Scott Lickstein of Nowhere Limited

Our interview with Scott Lickstein marks a first for IPaintMyMind, in which the interview is conducted by two of us. In an effort to provide a well-rounded inquiry, IPMM Artist Liaison and Digital Collage Artist himself, Sonny Kay, and IPMM Founder, Evan La Ruffa both threw their questions into the mix. The result is what we think aptly addresses process, technique, philosophical approach, and more, in our continued effort to provide intelligent and dynamic coverage.

In the first half of the interview, SK does his thing, and in the 2nd, Evan asks his questions. The images Scott dreams up are testaments to conceptualism and coalescence, and we’re always going to be keeping an eye on what’s coming next from his corner of the world. As part of a recent thesis about concept v technique, Scott proves that it lies somewhere in between (as with most dichotomies).  In a world where the digital is ubiquitous, we find able tacticians few and far between.

SK: How did you arrive at digital collage? Are you formally trained in either this or other traditional media?

SL: Collage has always been important to me. Many of my earliest memories recall sifting through newspapers and magazines on the floor and delighting in the juxtaposition of form, texture and color. All through my childhood I thought of two dimensions as a wholly different space that I could occupy and manipulate with omniscient power.

In high school I took courses in painting, life drawing and sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and went on to get a degree in general fine arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. My training in computers has been informal but intense. I’ve been lucky to learn from and interact with some brilliant people.

SK: Has the immediacy of working in digital changed your attitude towards other forms?

SL: I consider the digital space to be another arena to broadcast an admixture of my conscious and subconscious mind. It’s important for me to share the images that flicker on my cave wall. There are infinite ways for this to happen so I tend to look for new territory without renouncing my turf.

SK: What comes first – the source images or the concept? In other words, do you set out to illustrate a specific idea, or do you “free associate” stuff until you hit upon something that works for you? If the former, do you make sketches first?

SL: When I started working conceptually as an artist, I felt like a rough fish swimming through seemingly empty waters. Over time, bits of debris began to stick to my surface. My heart stayed the same but my shape began changing and I started to grow and the larger I got, the faster I grew. My course changed as I caught light in different directions and masses that accumulated on my surface either held tight or snapped off and became food for scavengers. Of course, I am responding metaphorically, but for me, this allegory has cracked the egg and chased off the chicken.

SK: Do you find that people have preconceived ideas about the medium (Photoshop) due to it’s “easiness” or accessibility?

SL: I’ve never liked Photoshop™, it always felt like an advertising tool to me. The images that I generated from that program years ago had an indefinable quality that time and again countermanded my sensibilities as a fine artist. I currently use an amalgam of open source and long dead applications that I’ve tweaked into my own incoherent device. It has no name and it is for me only. I can’t think of a single easy thing about working digitally as a fine artist right now. It is a dense jungle that is currently only visible to us on the far edges of the horizon.

SK: You seem to readily embrace the various tools (smudging, etc.) the application has to offer. In my experience, people (typically other artists themselves) consider these “off limits”, presumably because they achieve instant results. Do you ever find yourself defending your choices in that regard?

SL: There exists, seemingly beyond my control, an aggressive tendency to my process. It is a firm attitude that drives the work forward. Backpedaling, particularly when it comes to technical skill feels completely unnatural to the way that I work. Since I started my journey as an artist, I have smudged pixels, charcoal, chalk, graphite, ink, colored pencil, raw pigment, clay, tempera, acrylic, oil, gouache, dust, lard, wine, tea, coffee, saliva, snake feces and many other media both traditional and experimental. I haven’t always liked the results but I keep plugging away.

SK: How did your collaboration with Ian Gamache come about? It would seem that your chosen mediums might present some challenges with regards to collaborating (as in digital vs. traditional mediums) – can you shed some light?

SL: Ian and I met more than a decade ago. At the time I had been working with Elisha Sarti on one of the earliest online galleries which continues to this day under the name, NOWhere Limited. ( http://nowherelimited.com ) Ian had submitted a package of drawings and Elisha and I both loved the work and invited him to join our fray. One day, a little over a year ago, I downloaded one of Ian’s images and quickly made some alterations and sent it back to him. We made more than fifteen pieces that first night and decided that it was a worthwhile pursuit.

Our long distance collaboration occurs on Facebook under the name of Trespass. ( http://www.facebook.com/trespass.art ) It is a fitting term for the way that we collaborate. It’s primarily a visual relationship in which we each view the others’ work as source material. The process generally does not include passing back and forth, new works arise and are presented to the public without discussion. The only rule is that there are no further rules. It’s that freedom that keeps the engine running smoothly. We have never met in person but now that I have moved to NYC a meeting seems inevitable down the road. Some physical Trespassing will surely transpire.

SK: What’s with all the Van Gogh references?

SL: My first inclinations toward art were grounded in historical reference. I have since devoured huge amounts of reading on the subject from Lascaux to last week. I reference art history in general because it is something that has fused with me. It’s a daily habit that excites and inspires my work and play.

EL: You dabble in drawing, painting, photography, and collage… but collage has seemed to take precedence as far as your recent output… First off, is that assumption true? If so, why do you think that’s been the case?

SL: It’s funny, since we’ve settled in NYC I have spent most of my time in painting mode. Over the past year, we’ve led a nomadic lifestyle, basically following the art. Most of our life has been in storage and we had been traveling through large chunks of America. The portability of working digitally still allowed me to accomplish a tremendous amount of work without maintaining a traditional studio. Our new place has a ton of space so naturally things are changing.

EL: Conversely, through what medium did you start creating?

SL: Visually I began to understand the fundamentals of drawing with graphite and colored pencil hunched over in the back seat on road trips. It was a great way to fast forward otherwise boring transport and I really learned to control the tools under adverse conditions. I was also involved in a multitude of expressive concerns including writing, bmx, basketball and break dancing.

EL: Are you determined to make a commentary with every piece or does it suffice to make a stunning image with little ethos?

SL: I want physical and mental freedom for all and I resolved long ago to enjoy those freedoms on a personal level.

EL: What is a common theme that drives your work? Regardless of the output, I generally find that ideas are cyclical. Do you find this to be the case as well?

SL: Occasionally I have been able to track down the genesis of a complex idea with certainty but it is not an easy task. Most thoughts go up like sizzling flares for me. Some die out immediately, many explode into great colors and patterns and some just keep rising…

EL: Name an artist or musician IPMM readers should google right now.

SL: I love a wide range of music and almost always have something playing. Today for instance, I listened to full albums by Social Distortion, Kurtis Blow, Tangerine Dream, Stevie Wonder, David Lynch and CAN. Tomorrow will be very different.

My visual taste is best found through my work as co-curator of NOWhere Limited ( http://nowherelimited.com ) and through my writing on the contemporary art blog, LOOK INTO MY OWL.( http://lookintomyowl.com ) Wait, you just wanted one name, right? Heh.

SCOTTLICKSTEIN.COM

Ignacio Chávarri

Igancio Chavarri’s work falls into line with our aesthetic priority at IPMM, which takes a conceptualist point of view. While the incredible ways in which people create the things their ideas have brought them are important to learn about, we care about the idea behind the piece just as much.  While process and knowledge are clearly important to craft, art should be about presenting new possibilities and asking new questions through creative output based on unique, personal paradigms.

That’s why we love’ Dog-God and Sobre Los Cuellos so much. Neither of which command technical skill unparalleled by any other human, but they do evidence questions previously unasked. Spanish multi-disciplinary artist Ignacio Chavarri is clearly someone who’s mind resides outside the box. He’s studied at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has shown in Japan. We’re sure he has many hats yet to discover.

Dog God

Sobre Los Cuellos

Sobre Los Cuellos 2

The wide-ranging creative output of Senor Chavarri can be found – HERE