There are several velvet-rope bars on Christie Street in Manhattan, in a section of the city formerly reserved for lower-income working class immigrants, especially Ukrainians, Italians, and Germans. The Europeans gathering on the outside of the ropes are hardly working class, however; everything they’re wearing is either designer or ironic, and the price they’ll have to pay a for bottle of champagne or vodka in the club is about what it would cost to have that bottle flown in singly in its own airplane seat.
Arts
Justseeds: Reminders of Emancipation and Justice
If in the last ten years you’ve traveled under the auspices of attending a lefty rally, protest, or conference, or you’ve spent time in a community center, a crusty punk group house, a union hall or a progressive bookstore, then you’ve probably seen some of the graphic arts distributed by justseeds.org. One particularly popular set of posters is the Celebrate People’s History series, organized by Justseeds founder Josh MacPhee. These posters, highlighting hidden and obscured histories of social movements, from the abolition of slavery to ACT-UP, show up in the most surprising and diverse contexts. In public school classrooms, they serve as the graphic curriculum equivalent to Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States, whereas in the social centers and bookstores of today’s leftist and sub-cultural movements, they serve as a constant reminder of the roots of struggle and of significant battles for emancipation and justice.
Such Hawks, Such Hounds Premieres in L.A.
Exploring the music and musicians of American underground hard rock from 1970 to 2007, Such Hawks, Such Sounds focuses on and charts the evolution of psychedelic and ‘70s proto-metal-derived styles (doom metal, stoner rock, desert rock, and space rock). Bands featured in the film include Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Dead Meadow, Earthless, Fu Manchu, Sleep, Comets on Fire, Kyuss and Nebula. A Q&A session with filmmakers John Srebalus and Jessica Hundley will follow the screening, as well as a live performance by San Diego-based Earthless and a DJ set by Tony Presedo. The trailer for the film as well as address and ticket prices are listed below:
Graffiti artist Banksy’s identity revealed
Since his stencil graffiti began to appear on buildings everywhere, graffiti artist Banksy has become a worldwide phenomenon. Though some dismiss his “art ” as clear criminal vandalism, others consider his work to be some of the most influential pop art of our time, with some celebrity collectors paying as much as £200,000 on his work.
And though these two factions don’t often see eye to eye regarding Banksy’s work, they can both agree on one thing: neither knows who the hell Banksy is.
Undigested Kernel: The Vacation Pictures Of Scott Harrison
Internationally renowned tattoo artist Scott Harrison puts some of his most original and most peculiar drawings on paper. Harrison, known for his unusual and twisted tattoo designs, inking up the likes of Master P, Kiki Smith, and Tony Fitzpatrick, showcases some of his most appalling and captivating work to date.
Area_2: 100 Graphic Designers, 10 Curators
Phaidon Press chose ten curators to compile a list of 100 of the “worlds most exceptional” designers to have emerged in the last five years in Area_2, the follow-up of Area (Phaidon Press, 2005). The book expands its perimeters to include designs from all areas of culture, not just print media. Its curators, an international group of esteemed professors, designers, and critics, took turns writing a short essay on each designer. Along with the essay, each designer has four pages showcasing their work. The designers, which span over 30 ountries, are arranged alphabetically and loosely placed on a grid-less (gasp!) page.
True Norwegian Black Metal
Photographer Peter Beste spent the last several years documenting the black-metal scene in Norway, infamous for its extreme fans, horror movie blood lust, and the occasional case of arson and murder. Beste documents the members of the Norwegian metal community, whose costumes include bloodied face pain, spiked weapons, and black leather. Most of the images are based around the communities’ pagan mythology, which is the central theme in the artists’ stage shows. Though the freshly severed sheep heads and nude crucified teenagers painted in sheep’s blood provide a wild shock, the most interesting photos are those that place the fans and musicians in context.
Aviva Yael Presents the Best Absolutely Terrible Tattoos
Aviva Yael, the previous fashion editor at Vice magazine, said, “As you can imagine, finding people that hate the same things as you is sort of crucial to living in New York, and I happily found that at Vice.” Her shrewd ability to pen snide one-liners came in handy for No Regrets, a collection of the best absolutely terrible tattoos each presented with a witty one-line explanation on why it was chosen.
Joo Youn Paek: Fusing Humor and Form with Function
Anyone who attempts to navigate a crowded street during a downpour knows that umbrellas are as cumbersome as they are convenient. Imagine a stranger walking toward you on a rainy day. As she gets closer, her umbrella contracts like a jellyfish, shrinking from a parasol to a mushroom, then expanding to its full size once you have passed. Ingenious! The umbrella knows its manners. This is the Polite Umbrella, the brainchild of Joo Youn Paek, an interactive technology artist. Paek explained, “It has simple mechanics. You pull on this handle and you can change the shape. This umbrella bows to other people on the street.”
Take a Deep Breath Opens, Asbestos to Appear on Culture Shock Radio
TAKE A DEEP BREATH group exhibition opened over the weekend at Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art. Co-sponsored by ALARM Magazine and Imeem, the exhibition runs though July 20 and features new works by Asbestos, Cherri Wood, The Dark, Kngee and Know Hope. Visiting international artists have also been extending their installation to works in the street to create a colorful urban landscape and striking imagery for passer-by.
Heavy Metal in Baghdad DVD Release and Chicago Screening
Heavy Metal In Baghdad (Vice Films) documents Acrassicauda – the first and possibly only Metal band in Iraq. Director Eddy Moretti and interviewer Suroosh Alvi of Vice magazine travel through the Middle East, tracking the band they’ve become infatuated with. They risk danger, donning flak jackets and are even escorted by armed guards just to tell the band’s story of woe.