Artist Series

Stussy is doing big things right now. Their support of the MASH crew was what turned me back on to the the clothing designer. I just recently found out that they are working with artists to create a line called, appropriately enough, their artist series. The newest shirts released come from the illustration works of Andrew Pommier. They are real fresh and have got some hot illustrations on them. I like what Stussy is up to.





Vince

Dollface

something on youtube by david huang. have you seen this? i may be out of the loop.
girls are messed
julez

Watch This

Matt Flint already posted this, but it's important. Watch it.




Vince

Blown Away!

Okay, so I'm going to go from throwing back my post to getting real fresh and new. I attended the MFA exhibition reception last night at Kresge Art Museum. The four artists work was all high quality stuff, but the work of Helena Craules stood out for me. The solid backgrounds layered with a pastel color pallet and images of the artists herself blew me away.

In her statement Craules writes, "I use the female form as a vehicle to express ideas of physical and psychological abuse, the way we view our bodies and the way we are perceived. Subsequently the form disrobed of most material can become a pastry to the male gaze and can therefore create thoughts of possession." Keep your eyes open for this work. It's out of control. I wish I could find more images to include here, but you'll just have to stop by the museum and check it out for yourself. I strongly recommend it. The show is staying up until April 26th and is free... so you have no damn reason to not check this work out.








As a small aside in this post about art that is blowing me away I think I need to include a statement about this cat Outasight from NY. Dude is super ill and if you care anything about what goes into your ears in the form of music it would do you well to give him a listen here or download his seven song EP here.

Vince

Chip Kidd

David Sedaris' new book comes out June 3, 2008, "When You Are Engulfed In Flames." The title, as I found out is superfluous, though it comes from a Japanese government issued instructional manual, something like... "What to do when the United States drops a nuclear weapon on you."
The cover is designed by Chip Kidd, a notable designer and author of "The Cheese Monkeys" (a semi autobiographical novel about a kid's first year as a graphic design major).
He came to Grand Valley to speak today, which I initially thought it would be about his new book "the Learners;" surprisingly, it was about his career as a graphic designer, and more specifically his tribulations with designing book covers. Especially the new Sedaris book; I got the impression he was at the mercy of what David wanted and the bajillion different titles Sedaris pulled out of his ass.
He gave personal accounts of how difficult authors, editors, and marketers can be, and as a designer you are at their mercy. He said this with more umph and f-bombs though so the lecture was undoubtedly funnier than me retelling it.

julez
his Website
his Band
Promo for "The Learners"
(and also this is a good art lesson in form and content)

Hip Hop

I know we try to speak about art most of the time, but if you don't consider Talib Kweli an artist... I don't know what to say to you. The new Talib and Mick Boogie album is streaming in its entirety on Myspace Music and it's out of sight. You know to expect big things with Talib, and you get nothing less than you expect. Loving the Webbie reference on the track Independent Amedeus Remix. Killing it. So Pumped.

Vince

Throwing It Back

So I've been gone for a hot minute. Been really busy finishing up some pieces and I haven't had time to update. During that time I was reintroduced to an artist that I forgot that I was really into. So we're going to throw it back for this post... If you don't like that you can tell me. I probably won't care though.

Jenny Holzer's body of work known as truisms works on different levels for different people. For me it works in the way that I'm sure she intended as suggested by the title Truisms. A lot of this shit I agree with and believe in. It also works in another way for me. I just think that her stuff is super funny/clever. It's hard for me to get into art in a public arena. I guess I just have a stigma against the words "public art." I don't really think she falls into that category, though. The fact that her art is installed in such places as t-shirts, banks, and golf balls is, to me, sweet as hell. Big ups to Jenny Holzer. She's still working too. Check her out if you don't already know about her. www.jennyholzer.com







Vince