While in San Francisco recently, I had the ultimate good fortune of being swooped up at SFO by the artist Henry Lewis & dashed immediately to his beloved painting studio on a remote street in a far off corner of the Mission district- ie.Henry’s world. Being privy to the process, inspirations and under-painted canvases of someone with such incredible talent is truly awe-inspiring.. like peering into a magic lantern or charting the inner-workings of a magical wind-up mockingbird.. yeah!
Henry -ever the dandy- in sunlight and a brand new feather amulet necklace.
My favorite painting [well its hard to pick faves, but this one always stands out in my mind] is his portrait of NAS. ‘Hip Hop is Dead” hilt, NY robes, Bling and..that inscripted halo- Ah-mazing!
The walls are a work of art in and of themselves.. all manner of ephemera, post its, regal/warrior imagery, scribbles, jokes, and a little tag from yours truly [SSP- its an inside joke the Henry & I share..]
“Please Take Me Off the Guest List” is a collaborative book [out this Sept 7th] which was created among friends including photographs by Nick Zinner [of Yeah Yeah Yeahs epic-ness] along with graphic layout by Stacy Wakefield and prose-like essays from Zachary Lipez.
Pre-order your 1 of 250 limited edition signed copy [which also come with a 7" and one of Nik's 4x6 prints] from Akashic books
These profoundly moving images, captured by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information, are some of the only color photographs taken of the effects of the Depression on America’s rural populations. I am particularly drawn these few from Southern Colorado and Pie Town, New Mexico… the melancholy stillness is stunning.. and the sky!!
Ouray is just north through the mountains from Durango and has some of the most incredible, natural Hot springs.. it was also a mining town. There are such compelling vistas in both these places, the Narrow Gauge railroad linking the two, which are literally etched into my heart. To see this part of the world in the Fall is earth-shaking…
A Serbian immigrant genius inventor that shook the world with the invention of the alternating current… has my heart. He is an underdog, to this day.. in the shadow of big mean Edison. A/C vs D/C.. watch this video to hear the real true story!
Also the semi- fictional account [and a pretty epic love story in my humble opinion] is recounted in the book by Amanda Hunt called ‘The Invention of Everything Else’…
These beautiful photos Lele took of our own little ‘O’ for Vice style make me really happy. Though I am not sure which animal Othelo would be… He is nothing less than spirited. True. Talented. Funny….He’s probably a bird or small mammal. I welcome your input, world…
Love the BB bullet necklace in this shot- that’s how we do in the family.. propers.
Some may call these kind of things landfill fodder, others- the highest form of collectibles.. and still others- inspiration for a story about Spirit Animals. I would be the latter… and I would also be one of these animals every day if they made hats like this for actual people..
Whichever term you prefer, I strongly suggest spending a little time at TOY TOKYO where you will without a doubt find something for you or a loved one to enjoy and enjoy and enjoy…
Kubrick Be@rbricks come in a million iterations.. And they may even feel like a spirit animal to you.
No Snake Eyes, but the Tracker is not too shabby for a G.I. Joe…
Visit the store at 91 2nd Ave in the East village or online: http://www.toytokyo.com/
OHWOW presents TV Baby, the self-titled debut from Brain McPeck and Matt McAuley from A.R.E. Weapons. More than a feature length album, TV Baby comes packaged in a genre defining 52 page book with artwork from Jim Jarmusch, Leo Fitzpatrick, Nate Lowman, Agathe Snow, Rita Ackermann, Spencer Product, Tom Jarmusch, Hanna Liden, Adam Greer, Aaron Bondaroff, Paul Sevigny, Ry Fyan, Aaron Young, Spencer Sweeney, Alan Vega, Dan Colen and Dash Snow plus many more… Including: a Foxy photo of Jerry in a Bing Bang Vivienne choker by Brandee Brown… yup!
I saw this downright enchanting deerskin halter-top at What Comes Around Goes Around.. And ALL I could think is how dope [to me] this would look as the shirt part of perfect a white Helmut Lang suit. I guess that’s kind of Spirit animal.. or at least an honest assessment of my contrasting Human dichotomy.
If you happen to be looking for Spirit Animals.. The Natural History Museum in Nyc is the place to see all manner of God’s great fauna [albeit very well preserved yet un-alive ones]. The life-like environs for the museum’s collection are a spell-binding view of a world which, in some cases, no longer exists.
Its the Caribou who melt my heart.. EVERY time.
Dioramas are the meticulously painted illusionistic reproductions of a natural environment on a curved painted backdrop behind three-dimensional figures- in this case animals. Read about the fascinating roster of artists that worked on these mammoth [no pun intended] landscapes like Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Horsefall below:
I recently saw these stunning photographs by Hamid Sardar entitled “Dark Heavens: Hunters and Shamans of Mongolia” at Tibet House Gallery in Chelsea and it sparked a ’something’ in me. The tenderness and the deep rooted connection between Human & Animal is a poignant narrative that has existed, well since time immemorial…
After living in Nepal and exploring Tibet and the Himalayas for more than a decade, Hamid went to Outer Mongolia in 2000 to document the nomadic tribes and their way of life. Following horse-breeders, bear-hunters, wolf-tamers, eagle-masters and reindeer people on their seasonal migrations and hunting expeditions, Hamid’s photographs focus on an ancient and enduring feature of nomadic civilization – the totem-like practices and beliefs connecting people to a fabulous pantheon of spirit-animals.