Get INSPIRED by BITNB Artist Keaton Henson. He just sold out the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and NPR is premiering his lastest music video for “You”.

We’re having our first SAMPLE SALE of 2013 with Generic Surplus! Get ready. April 12 & 13. Deets here.

Tattoo Nation, the documentary and “true story of the ink revolution,” explores tatts and body mods and it’s at the Arclight for one week only!

This Friday night, BITNB artist Travis Millard has a solo show, “No Pressure”, opening at THIS Los Angeles…

Check out this video preview to see the amazing work Travis has in store for this show…

The exhibition will be the second-to-last one that THIS will be having, so come on out and support!

Travis Millard, “No Pressure”
THIS Los Angeles
5906 N. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles CA 90042

Opening reception: Friday, March 22nd, 2013 – 7 to 10pm

-edward

This coming Monday, February 4th, Alexis Gross presents “GODSPEED & THE GLORY BOUND”, a photography show featuring work from Blood is the New Black’s very own Ramon Felix and Carey Quinton Haider. Full details below…

“GODSPEED & THE GLORY BOUND”
The Gallery (next to the Burgundy Room)
1621 North Cahuenga Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90028

Monday, February 4 – 8pm to 1am

-edward

Iconograph #2 from Them Thangs Editions is now available…
Curated and published by Justin Blyth, this 80-page magazine features work from 32 international artists, including BITNB artists Joel Evey, Carey Haider, Andrew Kuykendall, Dan Monick and Justin Blyth himself… Available for purchase now on their website.

Them Thangs Editions presents Iconograph #2, curated and published by Justin Blyth, with contributing editors Hassan Rahim, Justin Van Hoy & Andrew Pogany.

Due for release on January 23, 2012, Iconograph #2 is the second print offering in an ongoing series that gathers an eccentric collection of visual media and literature exploring the contemporary use of Ritualistic Iconography—the systems of symbols, mythic representations, and religious imagery from which we seek meaning.

Iconograph #2 features work from 32 artists from around the world, including Michael Willis, Adam Tullie, Carey Haider, Andrew Kuykendall, Eliot Lee Hazel, Julien Langendorff, Daniel Albrigo, Curtis Kulig, Dan Monick, Cleon Peterson, Joel Evey, Max Snow, Ward Heirwegh, and Department International, among others. It also includes a literary portfolio with writing from Barry Graham, Ernest Hardy, Larry Fondation, Maya Stocks and others.

Iconograph #2 is an 80-page curated document, offset printed on an 8-color Heidelberg press in Belgium, in an edition of 750. It is privately funded and contains no advertising, promotion, album reviews, or horoscopes.

The publication is dedicated to the untimely passing and memory of Justin Van Hoy, a renowned artist, gallery owner, and friend.

-edward

Check out Strange Lands, a group art show curated by Christopher Daniels- featuring Blood is the New Black artist Josh Slater!!

The show will be up at Cindy Rucker Gallery in NY, New York from December 15- January 27th! If you’re in the New York area, be sure to check it out!

Blood is the New Black artist, Panos Tsagaris, is having an exhibition @ Kalfayan Galleries in Athens

If you’re in the area be sure to check it out!
Panos Tsagaris’ website
Shop Panos Tsagaris for BITNB here

Blood Is The New Black artist, Owl Eyes, has a limited-edition custom-print leggings line called Goldnbones.  Recently, pop star Carly Rae Jepsen wore Goldnbones leggings for her performance at the 2012 MTV European Music Awards (it was blogged about on Music Fashionland here).  How rad!

Check out some of the leggings on the Goldnbones website (Carly Rae was wearing the Apotropaic Leggings)
You can also shop Owl Eyes for Blood is the New Black here

We got in touch with artist of the month, Dan Rocca, to ask him a few questions for the blog. Here are his answers:

Blood is the New Black: Your art has a tendency to differ greatly from one piece to the next. In 5 words or less, can you describe your style?

Dan Rocca: Psychedelic, abstract, obsessive, loose, simple

BITNB: What sort of things inspire you? Who or what would you say your influences are?

Dan: I’m so inspired! I feel like I’m going to burst open with ideas. Sometimes I feel like I can’t keep up with how inspired I am. I get inspired by music, films, everyday things, pretty much anything could inspire me if I see it in the right way. I also stay relatively up on bigger picture things like politics, sciences, and philosophy, and those things really keep me thinking and moving.
My influences are often hidden even to me, and often feel sub-conscious. I love the work of so many artists, it’s hard to know where to start. I’ve recently been looking at the work of David Hockney, Julie Mehretu, Guido Molinari, Walton Ford, Ryan Trecartin, and Jenny Holzer, just to name a few. I’m also influenced by people in my local community of artists; Alex Mackenzie, Amanda Nedham, and Tristram Lansdowne, also just to name a few.

BITNB: How did you come to be associated with Blood is the New Black?

Dan: Mitra contacted me almost two years ago. I’m not sure how she found me, I think on the internet.

BITNB: Your interview in the new issue of the BITNB zine says you’ve been working on new large-scale drawings, can you tell us a bit more about those?

Dan: Yes. They are fairly stark compositions made of large sections of pattern that form the rough shape of structures or monuments. The one I’m working on right now is some sort of reflective pool with giraffe-ish spots and tree-bark towers around it. The mark-making is very tight and obsessive and small, but the works are large scale, lending to an overwhelming quality.
I’m working on a painting too that’s similar in method, but in color.

BITNB: You also mention your plans for sculptural and video work, have you developed these projects any further?

Dan: I’ve been using garbage to make little constructions and objects. I’m really enjoying the process of trying to be satisfied with something made out of throw away things. It’s a real challenge for me, as I am normally very separate from garbage. It stretches my creativity to see what I can do with it.
The video work is a bit slow going right now; my main video-buddy went on a personal journey to Japan, so I’m still just working on ideas right now, until I get my own camera. I want to heavily incorporate the music and sound work I’ve been doing, which I have been doing a lot of as always.

BITNB: Any other mediums you’re interested in working in?

Dan: I have a few older, drawing fragments that I’m going to be using for collage backgrounds. I really enjoy trying out different ways to make pictures. I feel like I pick medium based on whims, visions, or inspirations. Sometimes I just start working and see where it takes me. I also keep testing out 3-d imaging software, but I don’t know about whether I’ll do anything with that yet.

BITNB: What are 5 things that Canada does better than the US?

Dan: I haven’t been to too many areas in the US, I imagine there’s a lot that I don’t know. I’d say food standards, healthcare, international relations, winter, and landscape painting.

BITNB: If you could live inside one movie for a day, which would it be and why?

Dan: This could be so many movies really, if it’s just for a day. The best movies aren’t necessarily the ones I’d want to live in for a day and vice versa. I keep coming back to Star Wars Episode 2. I think that would be the best if you just had a day; you could do anything from explore far away worlds to take a load off at the local pub. In episode 2 there also wasn’t a full scale war yet, so there would still be veritable freedom of movement, and less Jar-Jar than episode 1. The main reason for star wars though would be that I could use the force, which is a childhood dream. I could also meet and maybe even hug an ewok. Runner up movie would probably be Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure, mainly because they have a time machine and they were cool dudes.

BITNB: We have just diagnosed you with multiple personalities – can you describe them?

Dan: One personality is social, aware, quick, loves to chat on any subject, silly, just wants have fun and party. One personality is the extreme opposite; very serious, quiet, socially awkward, studious, and disengaged in physical reality. Another one of my personalities is like William Hurt’s character from Altered States, a scientist in search of the first thought. Another is a dark and mysterious rock star, who plays all of their shows in a smokey anonymous haze, and is some sort of acrobatic ninja. I also have a personality that paints wearing pajamas and a beret. I’m not going to give them names, that would make them too real.

BITNB: Top 5 Songs to play while the world ends:

Dan: I love music so much, my answers keep changing. The end of the world would suck, especially if I had to pick only 5 songs. I guess for now I say these 5:

The Caretaker- A Stairway To The Stars…. this song is like a gate to a peaceful spirit world.
Jim Ferraro- Channel 3…. a good trigger for some nice early memories.
Leonard Cohen- The Butcher…. this could be any Leonard Cohen song, I couldn’t go out without hearing some Leonard Cohen!
Pink Floyd- The Great Gig In The Sky….a good one to get drunk with some people and just wail.
Whitney Houston- I Wanna Dance With Somebody…. what a great voice!

Check out Dan’s website
and his work for Blood is the New Black

Check out this short vid by Blood is the New Black artist Bobby Whigham!!

Gi Myao is BITNB’s Featured Artist this month! Here’s an interview we did with her to help you get better acquainted with the amazing Gi. Graduate from Central Saint Martins, she now works as a fashion illustrator and art director.

Blood is the New Black:  HOW WAS IT GROWING UP AS AN ARMY BRAT? DO YOU THINK IT HAS INFLUENCED YOUR WORK?

Gi Myao:  It gives me discipline and determination. My dad’s principle is ‘either don’t it or do it 100%’. I don’t think I would have arrived at where I am today without it. I have never missed a drawing class since I was four, when other kids were playing I was filling my sketchbook.

Blood:  IN YOUR BIO, YOU STATE THAT YOUR FAMILY IS VERY NON-ARTISTIC, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR CREATIVITY COMES FROM?

Gi:  Even though none of my family members are artistic but they all have a big passion for life, for me that is the biggest motivation of creativity.

Blood:  WHAT WAS IT LIKE AT CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS? AS A SCHOOL KNOWN FOR EDUCATING MANY OF TODAY’S GREATEST ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS, WAS IT INTIMIDATING TO KNOW THIS OR DID IT SERVE AS MOTIVATION?

Gi:  I was a very rebellious kid and I hate to be told what to do so CSM really suited me. The biggest advantage was you get to explore who you really are and given the freedom to whatever you want to create. I don’t think anyone in CSM wants to be the next Alexander McQueen, they are there to create their own path.

Blood:  WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN FASHION ILLUSTRATION? DID YOU ALWAYS ASPIRE TO WORK IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY?

Gi:  I did not particularly choose illustration, whilst I was studying Fashion Design at CSM I was always able draw very well, based on my many years of drawing and painting training. Therefore my illustrations and print always received the most attention. I won an illustration award in my final year only by submitted few pages from my sketchbook so it seemed like a path I naturally fell into.

Blood:  DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE.

Gi:  If I have to set myself in a specific style I would say I’m really North London girl. In daytime I wear a biker jacket and vintage t-shirts and Levi’s, I go out at night I put on a silk dress and fur coat.

Blood:  THE PHOTOS ON YOUR BLOG ARE PRETTY FANTASTIC. DO YOU ALSO DABBLE IN PHOTOGRAPHY?

Gi:  Get a kick-ass camera ! It saves you all the hard work. I have a Canon Mark 2.

Blood:  CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR CLOTHING LINE, KITTENS ARE PLAYING?

Gi:  Kittens Are Playing is a little personal project for me. Limited run artsy T-shirts using only organic fabrics and water-based inks. The brand still needs lots work once I can put more time on it.

Blood:  DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FASHION DESIGNER OR HOUSE? WHO IS IT CURRENTLY AND WHY?

Gi:  I really can’t say I have a particular favourite, what makes fashion so wonderful is because it’s super versatile and every season is different. I wore Ralph Lauren on my wedding day and in my wardrobe the most labels you will find are Acne, A.P.C. and Miu Miu.

Blood:  IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE QUITE THE JETSETTER, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CITY?

Gi:  I would say Spring in Toyko, Summer in London and Paris, Autumn in Hong Kong and Winter where ever my family will be.

Blood:  HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED WITH BLOOD IS THE NEW BLACK?

Gi:  I love Blood Is The New Black is such a free spirited brand, so I asked Mitra if I can be involved and she

Blood:  AQUA-COLORED HAIR: FUTURISTIC OR FASHION FAUX PAS?

Gi:  Fashion faux pas

Blood:  IF YOU COULD LIVE INSIDE ONE MOVIE, WHICH WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

Gi:  Fifth Element ! Who wouldn’t want a ride in a floating taxis driven by Bruce Willis and automatic Chanel eye shadow applier.

Blood:  ONE DIRECTION OR JUSTIN BIEBER?

Gi:  Bieber.

Josh Slater sent us this awesome video he directed for YOU., edited by Spencer Campbell

Check it out!

Josh Slater website
Josh Slater for BITNB

It’s September and BITNB has a new artist of the month: Owleyes – get weird with us, now.

After finally meeting with Owleyes after working together these past few months, Mitra skipped the general fluff questions and got to the heavy stuff right off the bat.

BITNB: You term your creative process “alchemical transmutation”, can you explain this more?

Owleyes: Sure! Well what is an alchemical transmutation first off? It the transforming ov base metals into noble metals. In the hermetic tradition, the transformation was not that of metals but ov the spirit. An alchemy ov the heart, the purification ov the self, becomes my practice, to seek out the undesired elements in my self and turn them into “esoteric gold”. This I believe is the true nature ov alchemy.  I take the internal and turn it outward, when I am in that zone, as people call it, every image I choose at the moment has charge to it tied directly to some element ov what I am attempting to alter in my spiritual struggle.  That is how and why I started creating these digital icons, to help myself over come some major sorrow and darkness that came into my life, right after my mother passed in 2006, the only thing that seemed to help process what I was going through, was to spend hours immersed in the digital crucible, first scanning in images from various synchronous sources or pulling directly from the internet, which I see has an endless flow ov living data, I would pull together an odd assortment ov raw images that pulled at my core for one reason or another. Then the process ov the cooking would begin, chopping them up smashing sacred symbols together with gnarly stills ov a corpse or some fancy pic ov food. The outcome was a living visual, living in the sense that it was made in the computer, charged with millions ov miro processors and points ov light that feed the image into my brain.  These digital relics then are shoot off into the data into the electronic astral plane, where it goes off on its own to live and connect to others that resonate with the icon. To establish contact, this connection is actually a major part ov the process for me, this image, that I made while really fighting and attempting to change my sorrow, now linked others who have gone through some type of darkness.  The process lead me to LA, it’s how I have found my true community and family. These simple collage images have actually saved my life and opened a whole new world, filled with amazing talented people whom I respect and love deeply. That’s it in a nutshell, Jodorowsky has a great name for it too, he calls it Psychomagic. Where you change your life by acting in a whole new way that you would, creating situations for yourself that push you into new way ov seeing.

BITNB: Can you tell us more about reality grids and how they’ve been guiding you through Los Angeles?

Owleyes: I love talking about reality grids!  I discovered these things at a pretty early age, and through some major psychedelic work I performed in my teens, I found myself in various corridors between realms. Portals would open up and drop in some pretty bizarro people in my life and I would find myself living an episode of Twin Peaks.  LA has tons ov these portals. I have come across some pretty major players in the transdimensional community. They are all around us, THEY are us, as I have come to understand.  Not to go deep into it, but I believe that reality is pretty much a slight ov hand trick, there is only so much information our brains can process, in order live day to day in this cosmic grid, we have to order and catalog everything with logic and reason, so we don’t go start raving mad and start talking to trees or walking around like a mime carrying half a mannequin torso strapped to our body in some sort ov hermaphroditic state of purity. In other words, we are all ape shit crazy, crazy for NOT thinking we are crazy! The reality grids are all around us, some ov them are rice paper thin, and we may walk right through some other world and not even bat an eyelash, then when we get home and flip on computer, we think about that odd woman on the street that had a twinkle in her eye when se looked at you, or that moment when you reach for the phone to call your friend, then the phone rings and it’s your friend. You just had a circuit crossed in your reality wire, you tapped into the field that is always there. I always think its funny when a friend freaks out about some over the top synchronicity that happens, or sees it as some omen or sign, these synchronicities are happening all the time 24 hours a day to us, we are just tuning them out.  We pretty much have to, in order to pay rent, otherwise, we would be walking around with a plant for a hat talking to some alien or angel that we meet outside the 7-Eleven.  This pretty much my day and night, I’m still not sure how or where I am going with all this, but as the years progress I have found more and more people who get it and we all hang out and go on walks or go visit other weirdoes and make snarky comments to each other about some odd ball reality blip that smacked us around. I guess to sum that question up; I would say reality grids run my life.

BITNB: So weird, you used to work at an American Girl cafe, which American Girl doll is your most favorite?

Owleyes: Oh man you called me out! Yes its true I served at the American Girl café for 11 years!!! First in Chicago then I opened the NY store, and then moved to the LA branch. I loved being around the crazy imagination ov the kids, but I had a pretty insane experience the week I quit where I fell that the corporation was sucking my creative energy to pull into revenue, total Philip K Dick moment. I then had a full on vision while at work, that I voiced to my coworkers, that the RED HAT SOCITEY  (those retired woman that wear all purple and fancy red hats) were going to come in for tea at the café and sit at this certain table, and make me a honorary member ov their sect!! Needless to say, everyone laughed at me and thought I was just being weird, they even checked the reservations to see if there was group coming in … nothing. The very next day, I opened the doors to the café and there they were! The RED HATS!! A group ov these ladies decided to come in for tea, their table number was the very table I had seen in my vision, my coworkers sort of freaked out. Then the group inducted me into their clan because they like my service so much!! After that experience I quit, 11 years at the doll had turned me into a Manchurian Candidate (reference to the Frank Sinatra version where they have the brainwashed soldiers at the garden party), I had had enough! Anyway, my favorite doll was Samantha Parkington the Victorian era doll, I also liked Kailey Hopkins, the Cali surf girl who wants to save the tide pools and had a body board.  I still can’t believe I did that for 11 years! So weird.  

BITNB: You’ve previously stated that collaging helps you to “[rewire] the flow of data”, helping you to “decode, coded messages”, what messages are you trying to decipher?

Owleyes: That is a damn good question! The more I think I have figured something out, the more I realize that I just don’t know crap! I have run the gambit ov things, dealing with angelic commands, demon attacks, ecstatic visions, and paranoid delusions ov massive conspiracies, the quandary ov immortality. I have a pretty rickety astral map I have fused together out ov bits and pieces ov answers I have found here and there. I sort ov feel that every thing that we come in contact with on a day today basis is all connected to some larger picture, the outer world reflects the inner world, as above so below, as the saying goes. So if one starts to put that to practice, one begins to notice a code being formed, that code, should one be able to decode it, well, BOBS YOUR UNCLE! You get to open door number one and walk into bliss or something like that. Plus it’s a really good way to pass the time, some people watch TV, I like to connect dots, although some may say I am connecting dots where there are not even any dots, I say to them, how can you be so darn sure there are no dots there? I also like to share my findings with people, it is not for everyone, but for those ov you who know what I am talking about, we have lots to discuss. They are on their own missions and I love the times when my mission and their mission intersect. It’s like playing an intense game ov cosmic bingo. Images are sacred and should be shared with people, every one is on a sacred path, I am just here to help as much as I can and find my own truth.

 BITNB: How long does it generally take to complete a collage? How much of this process is manual versus digital?

Owleyes: I work both digital and manual, some ov my manual collage I can work on for several months, I make these “analog Photoshop” pieces, where construct layers ov collage on transparences then make ink washes on transparencies and layer them on the rig I made, I then photograph them with various light filters shining through them all, those take a while. The pure digital collage, are really channeled, those I go into more with some sort ov emotion I need to deal with, those can be made in minutes, I have no idea what comes through when I make those. The analog collage are more ov me trying to “make:” something I envision.

 BITNB: Your art has been referred to as ‘digital hieroglyphics’, what messages are your collages conveying?

Owleyes: The work I produce and send out into the electronic astral realm are decently encoded with elements I have channeled from astral data clouds (natures’ imagination), sacred symbols that already carry a strong charge I smash up with something pulled from an episode of Alien Nation or some inoculums face shaped out ov bread, I feel these bizarre surreal chance meetings of the sacred and the profane have a humorous element to them, that is a key element. Humor is a very profound way to breech ecstatic vision.  I do not infuse any sort of doctrine or try and direct people to believe in certain truths, I only hope the images serve to trigger the viewers own sense ov wonderment and spiritual self. We are living in a world unlike anything that has come before us, unless you subscribe to the theory that we HAVE been here before, and we are just caught in a big loop, the whole ancient alien thing, we are actually living computers or whatever the story goes. Anyway, the messages I hope to spread are ones ov love and light, that uplift peoples spirits and fill them with humor. We are bombarded with an over saturation ov negative imagery shoved on us by mega corporate brains.  Every image I channel and release has a mission, to help infuse the spirit and inspire the imagination ov others, to show them they can create anything they want to, no matter what everyone else is saying.  I love putting my work on clothing and now I have started making leggings, I love that! I love seeing these digital icons jump off the computer on to people bodies. I think the more people become used to seeing scared imagery wrapped around the body, the more we as a culture will start looking for stronger and more internal symbols ov the spirit. Some may see that as profane, or some may even see that as, what’s that saying, casting pearls before swine? Well that is the most arcane bunch ov hogwash I have ever heard. First ov all EVERY ONE IS SACRED!  Our bodies ARE temples, and if a kid wants to wear a t-shirt with tons ov sacred symbols all mashed up on it, then what is that doing? It’s externalizing her/his need for a spiritual connectivity. It is also broadcasting that need to everyone one around. This starts a chain reaction, the sacred and the profane together at last all having a party! It’s about time too!

BITNB: You’ve mentioned that you used to hear voices when you were younger, to which your mother told you were angels and demons, do you still communicate with them? Are they a regular part of your creative process?

Owleyes:  Yes, its true, I have been dealing with that my whole life.  I am pretty sure that incident I had at American Girl was a psychotic break. Though I feel like what some people would have been like, “damn I’m crazy, checking my self into a hospital for schizophrenia”, (which I was diagnosed with- whatever) I feel like we all have some sort ov dealings with these other elements in us and outside ov us. Its how we chose to deal with them that matters, a little bit psychomagic.

 BITNB: Which philosopher has most influenced your work and creative process? Which philosopher do you despise?

Owleyes: Well it’s a known fact I love Jung and despise Freud, for the apparent reasons. Although I would like to this time to say that the teachings ov Jung, Robert Anton Wilson, Philip K Dick should be taught in high schools, with Jodorowsky as a runner up. Throw in some Terence Mckenna, Ram Dass and a little Brion Gysin, and you have yourself perfect brain bomb cocktail for the kiddies.

BITNB: What (if anything) do you enjoy most about Houston that you just can’t find in Los Angeles?

Owleyes: Besides the fact my father lives there, there is not a single thing I miss about Houston. Now the woods in East Texas will always have a big place in my heart, since that is where I had my first transdimensional experience.  East Texas is like one big David Lynch film, Houston is a pretty dark sludge pit, but the up side is that some ov the rawest otherworldly musician and artists come from that vortex.  I have a few friends still living in that void, churning out some pretty sick work; I have mad love for them.  No, LA is my home, I absolutely love this city.  The mystical history ov this town is unlike any other in the US. I don’t even know where to start, this is the image factory for the world, and its pretty much all based in some sort ov occult or spiritual practice when you get to the roots, WTF?!! Not to mention that here, I don’t have to walk this path alone, or feel like I have to hide my ideas or feelings, there is a whole community here for me that I love and the loves me and supports me.  This is the keystone city for change.

 BITNB: Is December 21st the end, or just the beginning?

Owleyes: It’s totally the beginning!  I think it’s the end ov time, as we know it, the unveiling ov illusions and the start ov a new utopia that is within us. Free our selves from the imitations of three-dimensional space.  I am not sure what is coming, but I have run the gambit ov possible scenarios, and I am sure that what ever is in our future has something to do with the creation ov bioengineered living computers, and the discover ov time travel.  Thank you all for taking the time to read my rant! LOVE IN LIGHT  J

Visit Owleyes’ website

Check out Owleyes’ designs for BITNB here

Curated by Mike Kelley, “This largely forgotten experiment is but one of several in California that reflects the region as a haven for visionary culture that persists to this day. Shangri-LA investigates this legacy, the amnesia of progress and current notions of Utopia. The exhibition combines installation, art, presentations and sound by a current generation who thrive in the shadow of the pioneers of independent thought. Shangri-LA is on display from August 17 through September 1.”

The show features BITNB artists, Owl Eyes, Josh Slater, and Sumi Ink Club! Make sure you guys check it out-
The opening reception is tonight from 7-10pm @ Synchronicity Space (713 N. Heliotrope, Los Angeles, CA 90029)

Synchronicity’s website
Owl Eyes’ website
Josh Slater’s website
Sumi Ink Club’s website

Shop Owl Eyes for Blood is the New Black here!~
Shop Josh Slater for Blood is the New Black here!~
Shop Sumi Ink Club for Blood is the New Black here!~

- Cam

BITNB artist, Hannah Stouffer, will be having a solo show at Antler Gallery in Portland, Oregon on August 30th!!–

“Antler Gallery is proud to present Magic of the Woods by Hannah Stouffer (www.hannahstouffer.com)

The San Francisco-based artist is set to open her latest series, a collection of fantastical landscape paintings, on August 30th as part of the Last Thursday event in the Alberta Arts District.

Hannah is incredible talent who has worked with a wide array of high profile commercial clients (Christian Dior, Nike, Disney) while simultaneously advancing her fine-art career with gallery shows and installations at many prestigious galleries and spaces throughout the United States.

Working largely in ink on paper her artistic outpourings offer a reflection of new-age viscera. Sprawling and overlapping layers of vibrant color build an unnatural wilderness shrouded in a supernatural effervescence.

Throughout her body of work, feminine decorative embellishments are counterbalanced by macabre motifs, the animal kingdom, and the never-ending pursuit of illustrating explosive emotional transcendence.
Stouffer is best known for the incongruity of intricately executed imagery and shadowy, ethereal themes.

The show will run from August 30th until September 24th.

Neil Perry & Susannah Kelly
Co-Owners at Antler Gallery
www.antlerpdx.com“

- The artwork featured in the flyer will be sold at Antler as a limited edition print! If you’re in Portland (or find yourself there before September 24th) make sure you check it out!

Hannah’s Website
Shop Hannah Stouffer for Blood is the New Black here

- Cam

It’s August!! And BITNB has a new artist of the month: Carey Haider!

Mandy sent Carey some questions so y’all can get to know him a little better

Mandy:  HOW DID YOU INITIALLY COME TO BE INVOLVED WITH BITNB?
Carey:  I originally found out about BITNB when it was first started and my friends shop carried it. Quite a few of the artists that the brand exposed me to I became a fan of.  I guess this season just felt like the right time to make babies. Also the owner Mitra is a Waylon Jennings fan and that enough is a reason for me to want to be involved. I’m pretty simple. The small things excite me.

M:  WHO OR WHAT, WOULD YOU SAY, INFLUENCES YOUR AESTHETIC MOST?
C:  Life is my biggest influence. I tend to capture the things around me or what I do day to day. Growing up I played in my dad’s motorcycle repair shop and as I got older I got Harleys of my own. That is why a lot of my work involves motorcycles since it is something I like to spend time with.  Also road trips to small towns, wild women, rowdy friends, and just that whole idea of the last ride before the crash is what influences and or is a common subject in my work.

M:  CAN YOU DESCRIBE A BIT OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
C:  I can never seem to focus and am always on the move. Needless to say I never really sit down and say this is what I want to do or look at a magazine and say I want to make something like that. Most of my photographs are spare of the moment pull the camera out and capture the moment documentary style. On the other end when I create fashion photographs I usually just come up with a theme while I am in the shower then call a friend and say today you are modeling and I’ll even buy you a taco and a shot of whiskey.  This next shoot I am doing I got conned into getting the girls airbrushed portraits of themselves….it’s like they think I am rich or something.

M:  YOU WORK WITH A VARIETY OF MEDIUMS SUCH AS GRAPHIC DESIGN AND MIXED-MEDIA BUT SEEM TO HAVE A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON PHOTOGRAPHY, WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO IT MOST?
C:  I started out as a fine artist then got into graphic design as a way of making a living. Photography became a hobby along the way and I realized it was one of my favorite things to do. I have always been a fan of realism and artists like Norman Rockwell so the camera was my tool to capture this imagery since I cant draw realism. I also like how photography is instant and I am not sitting for months working on a oil painting.  I don’t have the patience or focus to ever finish something that takes that long.

M:  WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WHOLE INSTAGRAM PHOTO CULTURE?
C:  Personally speaking I do not participate in Instagram and never will. I don’t have time to look at low quality photo’s that people take all day long or do I really care what people are doing.  I would much rather take out a camera and take a photo of something that will actually give it justice and leave me with something I can take away and enjoy looking at. To each their own.

M:  CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CRAZIEST SHOOT IN 5 WORDS OR LESS?
C:  Heroin, crack, fake boobs, death.

M:  YOU’RE NO STRANGER TO THE T-SHIRT GAME EITHER, YOU HAVE YOUR OWN LINE, BLACKTOOTH.  WHAT INSPIRED THE LINE? WHAT’S UP NEXT FOR IT?
C:  I actually quit making t-shirts quite a few years ago I just never took the website down.  What started in 2002 ended up being a solid 6 years of seasonal lines before I burned out and did not want to look at another t shirt. I was inspired by pop culture, dark humor, and just really putting whatever I felt like on a shirt at the time.  I have started to come around in the last year or so and have been doing some freelance design.  I really have no plans of creating another line in the new future unless it takes form of supporting a product I am making. I tool around all the time with starting a business I just have not yet found the time to pursue it 100 percent.

M:  AND YOU MAKE MUSIC TOO (YOU’RE REALLY MAKING US LOOK LAZY, DUDE!) – WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON CURRENTLY?
C:  I play my guitar every day however, I barely record anymore. I used to record a lot when I was working from home now my studio just collects dust. I hope to some day find time to sit back and record some more tunes.

M:  WHAT EXACTLY IS WOLFGANG MANOR?
C:  Wolfgang Manor is my house. Four years ago I was driving through a Portland neighborhood called Felony Flats; named after the high crime rate and noticed this Bavarian looking house with a for sale sign in the yard. It had a creepy vibe to it and I knew I had to buy it.  I filled the house with a bunch of taxidermy, mainly all which are bears and I just felt the name Wolfgang was perfect for it. The 8ft bear in my living room is named Wolfgang as well. It translates to traveling wolf which is a phrase I really like.

M:  YOUR TOP 5 SONGS FOR A BADASS ROAD TRIP?
C:  Warlocks- House of Glass
Waylon Jennings- Outlaw Shit
Aerosmith- Crazy
Guns N Roses- Patience/Momma Kin
13th Floor Elevators- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

These are also the songs I would want to listen to when I die.

M:  IF YOU HAD TO BE TRAPPED INSIDE OF ONE MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
C:  The Smashing Pumpkins-1979  This video reminds me of summer time and being on a road trip with a couple good friends.  If I could get in a car and drive from town to town for the rest of my life I would do it. The whole video is about youth and rebellion and I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for breaking rules and laws.

M:  ANY PARTING WORDS OF WIDSOM?
C:  The best things in life are free.

Carey’s website
Check out Carey’s designs for BITNB here

Back in May of 2010, Hannah made this awesome video with the help of some of her friends and a lot of magic

Check it out!

Hannah’s website
Browse Hannah’s designs for BITNB here!

- Cam

Check out this video of Hannah’s process of creating art/daily life

READ OUR Q&A WITH HANNAH & CHECK OUT HER DESIGNS FOR BLOOD IS THE NEW BLACK

HANNAH’S WEBSITE

- Cam

Check out the new images by BITNB artist Carey Haider

Carey Haider website
Browse Carey’s shirts for BITNB here

- Cam

Bevels, drop-shadows, rainbow gradients, clip art.  Recently, graphic design has reverted to it’s retro aesthetics.  Designers are calling the style “retro chaos”.  This new genre of design celebrates errors, mistakes, and glitches by combining old 90′s computer clip art with purposefully failed designs.  Also known as “data bending”, this style allows artists to explore different forms of anti-art as it takes what were once considered ‘mistakes’ in graphic design and turns them into nostalgic masterpieces.

It’s like, “a 90s computer graphics tutorial on crack”, says Justin Blyth, BITNB artist.  Recently he created a rad retro chaos video for the TED Global Conference in Edinburgh.  CHECK THE VIDEO OUT HERE

More work by Justin Blyth:
    

Justin Blyth website
Browse Justin’s shirts for BITNB here

- Cam

Hannah Stouffer will be exhibiting her Visceral/Visible Installation at Kinfolk Studios in Brooklyn, NY.
The opening reception is on Thursday, July 26 from 7-12pm — If you’re in Brooklyn, make sure you check it out!

Hannah Stouffer website
Kinfolk’s Blog

- Cam

Edition of 100!
3.5 inches.
Heat sealed backing.
Signed, numbered and dated.

GET YOURS HERE !!

Josh Slater blog

- Cam

In 2010 our July featured artist Hannah Stouffer made a 5 week journey through the American South via train. She was kind enough to make this incredibly entertaining video documenting her antics.

Enjoy!

Read our Q&A with Hannah & check out some of her designs for Blood is the New Black in our store. For more of her beautiful work visit her website.

Hannah Stouffer is an incredibly talented San Francisco based artist who works in both commercial and fine art.

Cameron emailed her a bunch of random questions, here are her awesome responses:

Cam:  DO YOU FIND IT CHALLENGING BEING ESTABLISHED IN BOTH FINE ART AND COMMERCIAL ART?
Hannah:  I’ve found a pretty good balance in having them both lend themselves to each other. I don’t know if my formula is similar to that of others, but I keep the base of the majority of my work for the purpose of gallery and personal use. I develop my work this way, experiment with new themes and stuff, then all of the commercial work falls into place after that. I’ve found that by doing this I can be the most true to myself…

C:  WHAT IS THE MOST COVETED PIECE OF ART WORK THAT YOU OWN?
H:  Like the most famous?? Oh I don’t know, I’ve collected a bunch of shit over the years, and given things away when I get sick of looking at them. My favorites are a little collection of black and white Richard Coleman illustrations, and a Donny Miller print he gave me during a studio visit/interview I did with him for Juxtapoz. I have a couple rad Skinner pieces, sold my Neckface, couldn’t stand my Dalek pieces anymore… I take my own work to thrift stores all the time when I don’t know what else to do with it…. I even got an email from a dude one time that was like ‘ I found your work at a Goodwill in LA, but I didn’t buy it…’ Ha… thanks…

C:  YOU HAVE 72 HOURS WITH WAKA FLOCKA AND CAN GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. WHERE DO YOU GO AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
H:  FLOCKA!! OHLAYDOET!! Actually I really just wanna hang with Gucci- but Waka can be my in.. we don’t gotta do much, just like eat some BBQ or something, maybe I could try on his Bart Simpson chain… just like regular shit, like bff shit. We’ll get milkshakes and Popeyes, get our hair did..

C:  YOU WENT TO SCHOOL FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT WORK MOSTLY IN ILLUSTRATION- WHEN DID YOU BEGIN TO FOCUS MORE ON ILLUSTRATING? DO YOU PREFER ILLUSTRATING TO PHOTOGRAPHY?
H:  I’ve always drawn, I’ve been pretty engaged with art my whole life. Photography was a good outlet (thanks to my pops) that I had access to early on. I learned a lot about my attractions to color and composition this way, and pushing the limits of photography to be as weird as they possibly could. I haven’t taken photos in forever, everything I ever need to see is on tumblr now, but better.

C:  YOUR WORK IS INCREDIBLY DETAILED! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE A SINGLE PIECE?
H:  Thanks! It depends where my head is at and how much caffeine I’ve had. Anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks or even months. I tend to work on an entire series at the same time, so I’m creating 10-20 pieces over the course of a couple months. I don’t know. Its difficult to sit down with 1 piece and be like ‘Ok, this is what I’m doing’ As soon as I try that I’ll get sick of it, confused, bored, frustrated or snacky like 100 times.

C:  HAMBURGER OR CHEESEBURGER? WHERE IS IT FROM?
H:  Pearls Deluxe in San Francisco. Hands down. Cheeseburger, avocado, mushrooms, onions, all of it- with so much ketchup, so many fries… all the fries. Gawd!!

C:  DESCRIBE YOUR INSPIRATION PROCESS, HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH NEW MATERIAL?
H:  I sift through a lot of web shit, flea market shit, library books, and old periodicals when I can come across them…. I like to think that I do a fair amount of research. Sometimes inspiration can be kind of dry if I let my mind wander, but the more focused I stay, at being in my head I guess, the easier it is. I can usually find inspiration almost anywhere- like the inside of my eyelids if I keep up the weirds.

C:  WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON INSTAGRAM AND THE NEW ‘FAUXTOGRAPHY’ MOVEMENT?
H:  I don’t’ really care. Whatever. I play the game sometimes, I guess I like it. I mean, my dog is cute too, my lunch was delicious, I love my new shoes, my beau, this tree whatever… Its funny, its like NEWS for all of us short attention spanned computer kids that really just wanna hang out with our friends but are too detached to really do anything about it. It’s a good source of inspiration at least…

C:  DOUCHIEST MEGACLUB YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO?
H:  Jesus. Does LA count? I don’t know, somewhere in LA, I think it was some club on Hollywood. I didn’t get the memo to wear white, or black or whatever it was so I just got really drunk. Though, that point where you just stop caring because you don’t give a fuck about ANYONE around you is always really freeing. I don’t remember why I was there, oh, I got dragged out for some birthday, but I remember it was like the BIGGEST deal in the world to get in. So stupid. Oh, Vincent Gallo and Paris Hilton at the Roosevelt that one time was kinda fun…

C:  YOU RECENTLY ILLUSTRATED A SICK MURAL INSIDE OF THE DIOR HOMME SAN FRANCISCO STORE, CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT?
H:  Awww, thanks! Yeah, that was awesome. It was also the week before Christmas 2011, so it was really freaking insane- and they were in the middle of construction with it so I was literally drawing amongst tile saws, grinding sanders, dust and like 400 maintenance men, and then a bunch of high fashion merch. that I wasn’t allowed to touch. Actually it was a really amazing experience- they approached me and I had a total of 3 days to complete the piece, and pretty much full creative control. It’s there permanently now, and everyone in there knows me by name, which is pretty cool- so when I go into use their fragrances at least its not too weird…

C:  SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
H:  I’m getting ready to dive into this 40 foot long installation wall at Kinfolk Presents in Brooklyn this July, and a show at Antler Gallery in PDX in August… um, what else… still working on pulling a new series of landscapes together. I took a really amazing/terrible watercolor class at city college recently, I think I’ll do some more of those. I still want to learn to airbrush, and play piano… and um…. I don’t know, a handful of commercial shit too I guess…

C:  BATH SALTS EPIDEMIC OR ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE?
H:  I can’t believe they sell manufactured bath-salts in head shops that turn people into face eating zombies. What the hell is wrong with everyone?? I kinda just think cannibalism is on the rise… or maybe its all part of the plan..?

C:  COURTNEY LOVE vs. A BEAR- IN AN ALL OUT BATTLE TO THE DEATH, WHO WINS?
H:  Probably Courtney Love, she’ totally a scrapper. But I’m totally cheering for the bear- to just like rip her head off in one swoop and dance around in those weird lace rags and wear her nosejob on a bear necklace… then he could high five Macaulay Culkin about it. That would be tight.

Hannah Stouffer’s website

- Cam

Bullett Media and Guerilla 24 are hosting a party to present new works by BITNB artists, Brendan Donnelly and Sterling Bartlett.  The opening is on June 20, 2012 at Crewest Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles.  There will be free t-shirt giveaways and booze so make sure you RSVP at rsvp@bullettmedia.com!!

Brendan Donnelly website
Sterling Bartlett website
Crewest Gallery website

- Cam

BITNB artist, Keren Richter, recently teamed up with Nick Cope, expert in design/build, to complete an installation mural at the Opening Ceremony store in Los Angeles.  Keren, an illustrator/designer, says the pair worked from 7:00pm to 4:00am for a week straight to complete their project.  The mural is comprised of a pattern of blocks which Keren states, represent “abstracted city-scapes, which grow and tumble playfully along two opposing fifty foot walls.”

Make sure you go check out the permanent installation at the Opening Ceremony boutique in LA!

Keren Richter website
Nick Cope website
Opening Ceremony website

- Cam

Bobby Whigham brings the party.

Mitra sent him a bunch of weird questions. He sent back a bunch of weird answers.

Mitra: Bobby, what is your favorite Pizza topping?
Bobby: Pepperoni and a summer favorite is Pepperoni and pineapple.

M: Do you always play with your food?
B: Bon appetit

M: When did you get your first camera
B: Let me take you back to my 2nd grade birthday party. It was at the amazing roller skating rink “Spinning Wheels” – the must have place to have your party. I was anticipating getting a bow n arrow set because I wanted to be the black ninja turtle which I made up in my head. Not only did I get the my toy bow n arrow set, but my mom surprised me and got me a neon green teenage mutant ninja turtle 35mm camera the color of ooze.

What made this camera special was every picture taken had an image of one of the turtles printed on the actual photo once you got them developed.

M: What’s your favorite subject to photograph?
B: Models, and normal people. Youthful girls and boys with attitude and personality.

M: You were recently in NY for a while, do you think this has affected your photography?
B: I honestly don’t. I was so busy working on two TV shows I hardly had anytime to shoot. If it offered one thing it was a few new location ideas.

M: Britney – Love or hate?
B: It’s Britney bitch. Gimme gimme more!

M: Can you do the NKOTB Hangin’ Tough dance?
B: I’m more of the tootsie roll era

M: Who do you think your work speaks to?
B: I hope a broad audience

M: What’s next?
B: A very small short fashion film, the S/S 13 look book for Rxmance. A few shoots including one inspired by Sailor Moon, TLC fanmail, 2000 baby one more time tour and Coco from SWV’s nails.

M: Tell me about Capricorns for Lindsay?
B: It was a beer pong team name myself and one of my best friends Ally Mullen had. Ally and I share the same birthday, and love for Lindsay (she needs to get her act together we’re both on verge of falling out of love).  Our team was so good and we were tweeting at Lindsay the whole time. If we won she was going to come out of rehab a star…. We ended up losing.

M: Three words that describe you.
B: Janet Jackson everyday

Don’t miss this Travis Millard opening in San Diego on Friday!

Digging a Hole, Looking for Something

New work by Michael Krueger and Travis Millard

Opening Reception: May 18, 2012 (6-10pm)

Double Break is delighted to announce Digging a Hole, Looking for Something, an exhibition of new work by Michael Krueger and Travis Millard. Coming to us from Lawrence, Kansas and Los Angeles, CA respectively, Krueger and Millard will bring new drawings, prints, ceramics and more. Both widely exhibited and admired artists, the two first connected at the University of Kansas and have long drawn inspiration from one another. Both artists explore the figure of the “common man,” displacing the mundane and the mythic from everyday life, weaving threads between past and present. Their search for the sublime in this densely hyper-visual yet vacuous post-industrial age is rife with humor, longing and discovery, as is apparent in this selection of new works on view at Double Break. The opening reception is Friday, May 18, 2012 (6-10pm). Please join us!

About the artists:

Michael Krueger was born on January 5, 1967 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Michael’s artwork reflects a deep interest in American history, contemporary American culture, and personal memoir. He has given over 100 lectures and workshops including, Cranbrook Academy of Art, RISD, City College of New York, Edinburgh College of Art and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA. He has recently had solo shows at Sunday L.E.S., New York, NY, Steven Zevitas Gallery, Boston, MA and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Recent group exhibitions include, KRETS Gallery, Malmo, Sweden, Baer Ridgeway, San Francisco, CA, Ambacher Contemporary, Munich, Germany, Glasgow Print Studio, Scotland, UK, Adam Baumgold, New York, NY, Dolphin Gallery, Kansas City, MO, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL, NY The Drawing Center, New York, NY, Cade Tompkins Projects, Providence, RI, Frans Masereel Centrum, Kasterlee, Belgium, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Museum, Philadelphia, PA and the Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA.

Travis Millard grew up in Olathe, Kansas and founded the Fudge Factory Comics operation in 1997. His work reflects a personal examination of the beauty and absurdity in common things, random and on repeat. Travis’ work has been published on numerous platforms and exhibited widely in the US and internationally. Including work for Foundation Skateboards, Stereo, Volcom, Vans, Burton, Chronicle Books, Cartoon Network, Titmouse and others. Travis currently lives in a cabin near some coyotes on the backside of a hill in a Los Angeles fire zone.

Opening Reception: May 18, 2012 (6-10pm)

Open to the public (and free!)

Exhibition runs through June 16, 2012

Double Break

1821 5th Ave

San Diego, CA 92101

619.238.2325

info@doublebreakstore.com

www.doublebreakstore.com

www.facebook.com/DoubleBreak

www.twitter.com/DoubleBreakSD

BITNB artist Skinner‘s latest solo exhibition, “The Undermining Satanic Energies Of An Incongruent Suburban Sickness”, is currently on view at Cotton Candy Machine in Brooklyn, NY.

Best known for his super-colorful demonic paintings with detailed linework, Sacramento-based Skinner returned to New York in April to put together this large body of work. “The Undermining Satanic Energies…” consists of original paintings, prints, and monster masks — all showcased in front of large, 3D murals painted on the boutique’s walls. Guests at the crowded opening were given 3D glasses with which to take in all of the neon monster fun.

The exhibition runs through May 6th, so if you’re in New York, there is still a bit of time to catch it! While you’re there, be sure to also check out Skinner’s recently released book, “Every Man Is My Enemy.”

Photos courtesy of Sara Antoinette Martin and Cotton Candy Machine.

Skinner, “The Undermining Satanic Energies of an Incongruent Suburban Sickness”
Cotton Candy Machine
235 South 1st Street
Brooklyn NY 11211

-edward

Join Demonbabies for a night of art, music and fun showcasing work created by the makers of the mid-90s Metro-Detroit Public Access Television Show 30 MINUTES OF MADNESS in Echo Park on Saturday!

This mixed-media retrospective will celebrate the 20-year legacy of 30MOM including original artwork, music, and video made in and around the show.
This is a gathering place for all fans and creators of locally-produced installation art, zines, drawings and video art!

30 MINUTES OF MADNESS
SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH 2012 8PM–2AM | NO COVER

Rafa’s Lounge Art Gallery

1836 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

DJ Sets by DR. DISKO DUST (aka John Ryan) and Demonbabies (Jesus Rivera)

Want to know more about 30 Minutes of Madness? Check out this killer video and donate to their kickstarter too!

The boys at the Uprising Creative are some of my favorite scumbags. And judging by our sold out “Choppers and Sluts” tee they must be one of yours too.

They made a show with DVS, but even better than the shoe (sorry – I prefer cowboy boots….) is this video. Crime fighting, beer guzzling, moto riding super heroes are just up our alley.

-Mitra

Josh Slater’s Forever Vision.

Tune in and drop out.

“With “GET READY, JUNGLE HEAT.”, Norris/Steak aims to aggressively explore the role of the mouth in human sexuality; correlating the moist humidity of men and women’s mouths to that of the wet heat of a jungle. Using a visceral, inkblot-drawing style influenced by Jean Cocteau, Allen Jones and the early commercial work of Andy Warhol, Norris/Steak delicately abstracts his compositions. He softens the seamy subject matter for the viewers’ gaze, coaxing them to examine in detail something that would perhaps normally make them uncomfortable.”

Okay. Lots of rad shit is happening here. Steak’s drawings have a wonderful storybook quality to them that adds tension and je ne sais quoi to the sordid subject matter. Beach London is an amazing art gallery complete with a print shop offering exclusive prints, zines, and artist books. And they have a Café upstairs, so there’s simply no excuse for you to leave. In conjunction with GRJH, Steak Mtn. has also collaborated with Beach London on a limited-edition scarf to effectively display your misanthropic disposition without saying a word.

More info here

RSVP via Facebook here

A bunch of our fantastic artists are in this show! Don’t miss it, tomorrow only!

Rebuild the Dream, MoveOn.org Civic Action,  Russell Simmons, Occupy the Dream and SEIU

Present

ALL IN FOR THE 99%

Saturday, March 31, 2012
10:30AM – 6:00 PM

400 S. La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Artists, musicians, writers and activists unite to amplify the voices of the 99%, demanding and end to Citizens United and calling for real campaign finance reform. The ALL IN FOR THE 99% gallery will be open to the public with music, readings and visual art from over 80 of the nation’s most celebrated artists including Robbie Conal, Kimberly Brooks, Chris Johanson, Cheryl Dunn, Sage Vaughn, Glen E. Friedman, Shepard Fairey, Skullphone, Kenzo Digital, Megan Whitmarsh, Retna, Daena Title, Kelsey Brookes, Deedee Cheriel, Maya Hayuk, Mel Kadel, Ashley Macomber, Deanna Templeton, Estevan Oriol, Neck Face, Ione Skye, Curtis Kulig, Jill Greenberg and Cleon Peterson.

Brought to you by:

Rebuild the Dream, MoveOn.org  Civic Action, SEIU, Occupy the Dream, Courage Campaign, Apple Via & Co, spaceland, slake: Los Angeles, Evolutionary Media Group, Greco Decor, the Embassy, Art Not War, New Image Art, FitzGibbon Media, Color of Change.org, POWER, CHIRLA, Presente.org <

www.allinforthe99percent.org

While you’re gallery hopping in NY today stop by The James Cohan Gallery to view A Ray Array by Sumi Ink Club’s Sara Rara.

Reception for the Artists: Thursday, March 29, 6-8pm

March 30 through May 5, 2012

533 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10001
T: 212.714.9500
F: 212.714.9510
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm
info@jamescohan.com
www.jamescohan.com

James Cohan Gallery is pleased to present Not a Particle or a Place but an Action, an exhibition of works by California-based artists MAURICIO ANCALMO and SARAH RARA, opening on March 30th and running through May 5th, 2012. This will be the first New York gallery exhibition for both artists.

Sarah Rara’s hour-long film A Ray Array (2011) comprises 15 visual and aural essays on the idea of interference, that range, in the artist’s words, “from the failure of a message to be discernable, to sudden interruptions, visual disturbances, the interaction of two sound signals, instability, and optical effects.” Fingers twinkle in the sun; a felt hat spins; a stained glass moon slowly turns. A Ray Array is a wonky, wordless and amused bit of science that harkens back to Ed Ruscha’s early meditations on the banal and John Baldessari’s Surrealist, saturated Pop while also defining a contemporary left-coast aesthetic—one that is disarmingly sincere, visually beautiful and unexpectedly spiritual.

SARAH RARA completed her MFA at the University of Southern California in 2011, and is renowned worldwide as a member of the experimental music duo Lucky Dragons. She has created performances and video installations at venues including the UCLA Hammer Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC; the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN; the Institute for Contemporary Art, London, U K; and the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France, among others. Rara lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

Curated by our first BITNB artist Keren Richter and designer Nanse Kawashima -a group show opening this week. The exhibition features work exploring concepts of mystery, secret societies, gossip, dirty secrets, veiling, camouflage… anything secretive.

Opens this Thursday, March 29th from 7-10 pm in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at 109 South 5th street #500. One night only.
SECRET showcases an eclectic collection of New York artists and their photography, painting, sculpture, and film. Talent includes artist & jewelry designer Hanna Sandin, painter Peter Demos, director Timothy Saccenti, illustrator Jenny Mortsell, designer Wyeth Hansen, photographer Glynis Selina Arban and many others.

Tonight in NY, The Wild & The Innocent featuring work by BITNB artist Skye Parrott

The Wild & The Innocent

A Photography Exhibition Curated By Jordan Sullivan

Clic Gallery
255 Centre Street, NY, NY

Opening Reception: Wednesday, March 28, 6-8pm
March 28 – April 16, 2012

Photographers //
Bree Apperley, Brendan Baker, Alexander Binder, Siobhan Bohnacker, Coley Brown, Patrick Buckley, Ana Cabaleiro, Samantha Casolari, Cody Chandler, Daniel Evans, Todd Fisher, Hannah Godley, Alexis Gross, Todd Jordan, Kohey Kanno, Mikael Kennedy, Collin LaFleche, Nicole Lesser, Jeff Luker, Jennilee Marigomen, Brian Merriam, Aaron McElroy, Skye Parrott, Emma Phillips, Henry Roy, Bryan Schutmaat, Brea Souders, Jordan Sullivan, Agnes Thor, Logan White
–
The Wild & The Innocent juxtaposes portraits of bodies and landscapes culled from various photographers’ personal archives. How do these pictures of the human body and natural landscapes relate to one another? How do the two, when shown together, affect our perceptions of nature and ourselves? The Wild & The Innocent seeks to complicate the modern oppositional relationship between the body and nature in order to explore the truths of our own transience and infinitude — our dual limitlessness and powerlessness — as reflected in the wilds of nature and the slopes of the human form.

Included in this exhibition are emerging and established photographers, many of whom often obsessively document their personal lives. These are photographers who constantly seek to reframe the ways we perceive our environment and bodies.

(Future) Blood is the New Black artist Owl Eyes is sharing his light art at the Pacific Design Center.

Stop by Tuesday for an idea of what’s to come next Fall from this awesome addition to our family!

We’re excited to announce a new venture from Blood is the New Black artist Hassan Rahim: Shabazz Projects.

http://shabazzprojects.com/

Shabazz Projects is a progressive publishing studio and idea platform. They’ll will be producing limited edition books, zines and objects with an emphasis on contemporary art, photography and fashion.
The first release, Ghosting, is edition 1 in an ongoing series of zines curated by a selected artist. More information is on the site, where it is exclusively available for purchase.

For those of you in New York, be sure to check out Double Acting Hinge  – Colby Bird’s first solo exhibition at Fitzroy

COLBY BIRD
DOUBLE ACTING HINGE
MARCH 16 – MAY 5, 2012
OPENING RECEPTION FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 6 – 8pm

Fitzroy Gallery is pleased to present Colby Bird’s first solo exhibition at the gallery, Double Acting Hinge. The title is the name of hardware often referred to as a “saloon hinge” that allows a door to be opened in both directions. The door itself therefore makes no distinction between “in” or “out”; this delineation is made solely by the objects, place, or structures on either side.

Upstairs, Bird is presenting 14 photographic works. In a departure from his usual mode of shooting, the majority of these photos were taken outside the home or studio, in locations such as Croatia, Florida and Texas. The photographs maintain their characteristic tension between interior and exterior spaces, often with mediating/dividing structures such as doors, windows, or natural thresholds.

The stilted nature of the images serves to force the viewer to consider the creation of the photograph, and to place the focus on not only on the photo itself but also the photographer, and the space beyond the plane of the photo.

The disparate camera formats utilized (4×5, 110, 6×7) are evident in the stark contrast in grain quality from photo to photo. Enlarged to exhibition size prints, photos taken on a Kodak 110 camera take on an expressionist look, while the photos executed in larger formats appear almost as windows, with little to no discernible grain.

Downstairs, Bird presents new sculpture, which is purposefully removed from his photographic works. This separate installation lends a hobby-room or home studio tone, and serves to accentuate the raw, labored qualities of these sculptures. The works are physically and thematically removed from the delicate technical expertise of the photos, and the pristine woodwork of their frames.

Double Acting Hinge will be on view March 16 through May 5, 2012 with an opening reception on Friday, March 16 from 6 – 8 pm. Fitzroy Gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am – 6 pm and by appointment. For further inquiries, please contact the gallery at 212.343.8670, info@fitzroygallery.com or visit www.fitzroygallery.com.

A bunch of BITNB artists are in this show. Get there early on Friday, it’ll get packed quick!

THIS los angeles is proud to present:

THESE FRIENDS 3.

February 24th – March 23rd

Opening reception this Friday February 24th, 7-10 p.m.

After two years at THIS los angeles, we are glad to announce our 3rd annual “These Friends” show.

Artists include:

Aaron Ruell

Alana Goldstein

Alex Prager

Andrew paynter

Andy Mueller

Andy Suriano

Annie Thorton

Anthony Anzalone

Arlie Carstens

Ben Venom

Bill Mcright

Blake Marquis

Brad Elterman

Brent Owens

Brian Montouri

Brian Steinhoff

Bruce Gilbert

Bryan Sheffield

Carlos Don Juan

Cassiel Getz

Chris Bettig

Chris Moore

Chris Pastras

Chris Wessman

Christian Moreno

Claire Weiss

Cleon Peterson

Clint Peterson

Cody Hoyt

Cole Barash

Corey Arnold

Curtis Mead

Dallas Clayton

Dan Monick

Daniel Gibson

Don Pendleton

Drew Heffron

Emiliano Granado

Emily Shur

Erin Althea

Erin Garcia

Geoff McFetridge

Gil Shuler

Graham Walzer

Greg Beyer

Greg Bojorquez

Hannah Hooper

Hassan Rahim

Herstel Baltrotsky

Jared Eberhardt

Jeaneen Lund

Jeremy Shockley

Jeremy Weiss

Jessica Wassil

Jessie Cowan

Joe McKay

Jon Huck

jon rajkovich

Jordan Rae

JRF

JT Helms

Juan Puente

Justin Donais

Justin Krietemeyer

Justin Waugh

KC Ortiz

Kelly Jones

Kevin E. Taylor

Kimberly Scola

Lee Corbin

Lisa Solberg

Louise Ingalls Sturges

Luis Farfan

Malia James

Mark Penxa

Megan Whitmarsh

Mel Kadel

Michael Coleman

Michael Hsiung

Mike Bertino

Mike Perry

Natas Kaupas

Nicholas Haggard

Noe Montes

Pose

Raymond Molinar

Rich Colman

Robin Laananen

Ronnie Günter

Rory Wilson

Ruben Fleischer

Ryan Allan

Ryan Lopez

Ryan Wallace

Sage Vaughn

Scott Toepfer

Sean Mcgaughey

Seonna Hong

Shawn Records

Sonny Kay

Steven Harrington

Steven Nereo

Suzannah Sinclair

Suzy Yun

Ted Gahl

Travis Millard

Victor Saldana

Will Bryant

Will Copeland

Zach Mccaffree

Zara Bucci

The exhibition is FREE, all ages and open to the public! See you here!!

THIS los angeles is located on Figueroa St and 59th in the historical Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

THIS los angeles
5906 North Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90042.

For press inquiries & presale list, please contact:
this@thislosangeles.com

323.747.5301

http://www.thislosangeles.com/

Some days you’re the seagull, some days you’re that poor, poor woman.

Watch it here.

Obsessed with this new video from artists Miktor and Molf.

From graffiti and street art, science fiction and tattooing, to cartooning, fine art, master shading and pristine line work -Paranormal Hallucinations will twist your senses and flip your head around. With so many different styles converging into one gallery the outcome will be exceptional. Come witness the divergent beauty of 16 Artists with different backgrounds, all united through one common medium used in their works; Pen . Ink . Brush .

Come check out some of Peyote’s work in Denver!

Said to have traveled through a vast number of galaxies before arriving at our current terrestrial grounds, the STEAKMOB* based out of Minneapolis, MN has created and curated a show that’s sure to bring the young blood, in everyone, out to play. Working exclusively from their notorious studio, Da Haunted Attic, the STEAKMOB* have created a body of work that encompass the nostalgia of being born in the 80s and living in the 90s. Though thematically similar, the body of work spans across many different kinds of form-making and exemplifies the over-processed-analog-loop element that has become a staple of the STEAKMOB* and it’s affiliates.

Involved in the show is the STEAKMOB* who is, at its core, Andrés Guzmán, Eric Gorvin, and Tomás Villaseñor. However, the over-arching collaborative nature of STEAKMOB* obviously necessitates the help from the homies. In this show the lineup boasts a select mash of illustrators and designers including Llew Mejia, Tuesday Bassen, Bill Rebholz, Anton Pearson, and Feng Meng Vue.

Indy Ink (indyink.com) at 84 S. Broadway, Denver, Colorado.

Josh Slater’s got a new zine out.

Black and White Laser / Purple Paper / A5 / April 2011 / Edition of 50

Grab it here.

You are invited to attend “Trophy Room” featuring new original artwork by Andrea Shear!
In addition there will be a “yard sale” happening in the brick room where previously shown work will be marked down to below-studio prices.

Trophy Room
Opening reception Aug. 13, 2011 7-10pm
Upstairs at the Market Gallery
1057 San Pedro Street  #201 at the corner of 11th
Los Angeles, CA 90015
free parking inside the gate on 11th
refreshments will be served

We’re excited see you there!

Come visit our friends at These Friends

These Friends at The Ace Hotel

Ace Hotel New York
20 W 29th St
NY NY 10001

Aug 12-31

Opening Reception

Aug 12th  8-11 PM

Thanks to This Los Angeles and the Ace Hotel.

Hannah Stouffer invites you to the Tropics this Saturday!

The TROPICS

727 Leavenworth St. San Francisco, CA 94109
7:00- 10PM Saturday, July 16th, 2011

The TROPICS is a small curated boutique in San Francisco’s upper Tenderlion district (727 Leavenworth St.) focusing on singularity, artist printed materials and feature apparel with a direct concentration on the illustrated line. Carrying a comparatively modest array, The TROPICS curated selection is currently featuring Blood is the New Black, SPRFKR, Beautiful Decay, Living Proof and Juxtapoz with works by specialty artists and their lines.

Born in Aspen, CO in 1981, San Francisco based illustrator Hannah Stouffer is best known for the incongruity of intricately executed imagery and shadowy and ethereal themes. Stouffer has maintained a strong presence in the illustration world while simultaneously exhibiting her work as both a commercial and fine artist for the past 10 years. both in and out of the Bay Area. With an extensive international client list, an impressive roster of galleries and a new position as the Illustration and Erotic Art Editor at Juxtapoz Magazine, Stouffer is now embarking on a new venture by opening her second shop in San Francisco, heavily involving her personal and creative counterparts.

Not to be missed. No seriously, don’t miss this.

“SUPERNATURAL? PERHAPS.”
New works by Heather Gabel and Christopher Norris (Steak Mtn)
Runs July 9th – August 10th 2011
Reception 6-10 pm July 9th at POVevolving Gallery
939 Chung King Road, Los Angeles, CA 90012
http://www.povevolving.com​/
http://www.heathergabel.co​m/
http://www.steakmtn.com/

POVevolving Gallery and Print Studio will host artists Heather Gabel and Christopher Norris (aka Steak Mtn) July 9th for a month long exhibit of their latest works. Heather and Chris have much in common, most notably a background heavy with design work for many bands. Both also share an obsession for the face melting powers of the darkest kinds of imagery while maintaining their unique and vaguely ironic interpretations. The title of the show itself is the perfect anomaly for these two visual artists, pulled from a Bela Lugosi/Boris Karloff classic; it personifies their attraction to the kitsch of the occult. The results of their insatiable appetites for a viscerally brutalizing aesthetic can be seen at POVevolving this July/August when they have their way with the space. The larger front room will showcase their fine art work; drawings and collages culled from their wildest dreams and worst nightmares, while the smaller and fittingly cave-like back room will serve as a living breathing archive of their cumulative efforts in design. Showcasing sketches, photocopies, original album artwork and shirt designs for such bands as Against Me!, Alkaline Trio, Rancid, Joan Jett, Garbage and Green Day assembled together for the first time.

Mel and Travis are coming to SF!

FFDG

248 Fillmore St.
SF, CA
94117

Saturday, June 11, 2011 (7-10pm)