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Now living in Los Angeles, O'Shea has not entirely given up the less remunerative struggles of being an editor. Post-Juxtapoz, O'Shea has just signed on as editor of Spread ArtCulture, a new quarterly art-and-design magazine from New York, and is lining up his myriad allies to start an art magazine of his own, in which all those careers he's launched in the last decade will be rubbing shoulders with their "official" art-world counterparts. [+/-] more profile.. [+] Japanese profile.. |
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LONDON///BANKSY SPEAKS… BANKSY has finally broken his silence about the recent spate of third-party shows of his artwork, including the current “Banksy vs. Warhol” exhibit, by issuing the following elegantly calligraphed statement:
UK///BANKSY BEATS THE SYSTEM…
From the unbelievable but true files comes word that rail workers in London employed to remove graffiti around stations and on trains have been given emergency art lessons so they don’t paint over pieces by BANKSY. The training comes after an “unenlightened” worker recently painted over one of the artist’s landmark murals of a monkey blowing up a bunch of bananas with dynamite on Leake Street near the Waterloo tube Station. In an effort to ensure that no more of the artist’s work is destroyed, all city cleaning contractors have been told to notify managers whenever they encounter graffiti that might be Banksy’s, which is then examined by the city’s resident art experts. Here’s the best part: After determining that a piece is in fact genuine, the graffiti may then be removed and auctioned for charity…
SPEAKING OF MURAKAMI…
Ever see this amazing Japanese commercial for TAKASHI MURAKAMI’s previous LOUIS VUITTON handbag collaboration? The animation was produced by his own KaiKai Kiki studio and is only the first in a series of upcoming animated features and shorts set to hit screens in the upcoming year… (Thanx, G…)
LONDON///DATE FARMERS IN THE RAIN…
Supertouch buddies (and official Paper Magazine “Beautiful People”), THE DATE FARMERS, finally made it big across the pond when the venerable LEONARD STREET GALLERY (in conjunction with MARSEA GOLDBERG and her LA-based NEW IMAGE ART GALLERY) hosted their solo show “Sacred Clowns and Dog Warriors.” Of course, the boys weren’t able to actually attend their own opening last Friday as they were only given a 12 hour window in the country after immigration officials learned that the duo had shown up for commercial purposes without proper work visas (hint: don’t tell the customs officer you’re “on vacation” while carrying a box of tools through the airport). Apparently Londoners appreciated the (more…)
LA///STYLE GUIDE///KAZUO RISING…
Here at Supertouch, we leave the streetwear reporting to the streetwear blogs, but after seeing the debut collection from upstart fashion brand KAZUO we just had to drop a dime. Founded in Little Tokyo in downtown LA in 2007 with a street date of Spring 2008 for their premiere, the company filters classic forms and styles (sorry, no allover prints or size XXL here) through their Tokyo-based design team’s innovative eyes, rendering iconic garments in top quality fabrics accented with modern details like radically engineered seams and hidden iPod pockets and headphone leads, and fabricating them with a couturier’s attention to detail right down to the immaculately tailored seams. Aiming to bring a refined, high-end Japanese street sensibility to the (more…)
LA///PRODUCT PLACEMENT///MURAKAMI x LOUIS VUITTON x MoCA…
It’s been officially confirmed that a corporate LOUIS VUITTON shop will be situated smack dab in the middle of TAKASHI MURAKAMI’s forthcoming retrospective exhibit at LA’s MoCA (Oct 29—Feb 11), the appropriately named “© Murakami.” A first for an American museum, the company owned and run shop will offer limited-edition handbags and small leather goods featuring Murakami designs including the ones shown below at prices ranging from $875 to $920. The rub? The nonprofit museum receives (more…)
WTF??? FILES///POLITIKKKS///TRICKY DICK…
Supertouch blogger MARK RYDEN would like to urge everyone to spend a few minutes with our true president, DICK CHENEY, circa 1994: We think Ministry needs to do a remix of this video asap…
YOUNG GUNS///THE WORLD OF MIKE SUTFIN…
When we got a copy of the new album “At War With Everybody,” by Chicago-based hardcore band PUNCH IN THE FACE featuring another zombified masterpiece by one of our favorite young artists MIKE SUTFIN, we realized we were long overdue in singing his praises. A Bay Area-based illustrator with ridiculous rendering chops working in just about every style possible, Sutfin has been busy in recent years churning out fantastic examples of his own hybrid brand of “Heavy Metal”–meets–Pushead fantasy art for record companies, Magic cards, the Star Wars merchandising empire, comic books, and skate brands like Hollywood and Foundation, firmly establishing himself in a world largely overpopulated by lesser talents. For a closer look, check out Mike’s site, where you can also purchase recent merchandise and browse a fairly extensive gallery of recent artwork…
NYC///STREET POLITIKS///WK INTERACT BRINGS THE WAR BACK HOME…
In protest of the ongoing Iraq war, Supertouch’s own WK INTERACT has taken it to the streets with “Stage I” of a new series called “Bring Me Back” featuring images of US army soldiers, who he calls “the most exploited group of human beings in recent history,” bearing the iconic slogan. The mad Frenchman dropped a grand total of 14 pieces in Manhattan and Brooklyn in the last 24 hours and is now gearing up for the (more…)
SHRED CITY///MONDAY MORNING BUCKETHEAD…
BUCKETHEAD vs JIMI TO THE DEATH:
SOUNDS///MAX ROACH, RIP…
Definitive BeBop drummer and musical prodigy MAX ROACH has given up the ghost at age 83. RIP, sir…
LONDON///INSTITUTIONALIZED///GOD SAVE THE GALLERY…
2007 marks the thirty year anniversary of one of punk rock’s most celebrated landmarks, the release of the Sex Pistols’ debut album, “Never Mind the Bollocks…,” and artist Jamie Reid’s equally legendary and (at the time) incendiary imagery that accompanied it. Celebrating the depressed and debauched era that spawned the musical genre, London’s BARBICAN CENTRE has staged what could best be described as a lopsided retrospective of art in the era of Punk, “Panic Attack!: Art in the Punk Years.” Make no mistake, this is not a show OF punk artists but rather an exhibit exploring artists working IN and AROUND the era of punk in the late 1970s and early ’80s in Britain and the United States, at a time when both countries were a breeding ground for (more…)
TOYBOX///PETE FOWLER & MICAHEL LAU’S NEW PLASTIC FANTASTIC…
p>  “Pets and Owners,” by Pete Fowler Yeah, the “designer vinyl” toy market is completely flooded with less-than-exciting (to put it mildly) product these days, but as always, legendary creators PETE FOWLER and MICHAEL LAU continue to come correct with beautiful new offerings. The forthcoming “Pets and Owners” series of mini figures from London-based artist Pete Fowler is the latest addition to his fantastic “World of Monsterism” series and all figure sets come packaged in special cylindrical pet food cans. From the pioneering Hong Kong-based Michael Lau, comes the “friends and family” series honoring his musical and artistic influences. The must-have items here, of course, are the black-on-black “MO76 Future,” and “MO77 Womax” figures paying tribute to Futura and James LaVelle. The only catch? These editions are fan club exclusives available only to the faithful who signed up at Mindstyle.com…
SOUNDS///100% HOT SHITE…
The crazy gorgeous Maya “M.I.A.” Arulpragasam’s phenomenal new record “Kala” doesn’t drop till next Tuesday (we’ve been rocking our advance for a month nonstop and we’re still not sick of it) but that shouldn’t stop you from getting down to her refreshingly low-tech advance video singles for “Boyz,” and “Bird Flu” right now. For even more viewing pleasure, non-epileptics can fry their optic nerves at the Sri Lankan bombshell’s seizure-inducing ultra-80s throwback website, Miauk.com. Don’t say we didn’t warn you…
SEATTLE///IN THE GALLERY WITH JIM WOODRING…
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Unfortunately, we weren’t able to attend the opening of one of our favorite artists, JIM WOODRING, when his intimate solo show featuring original drawings, paintings, and sculptures debuted at Seattle’s GAGE ACADEMY OF ART last Friday. Thanx to the good people at Fantagraphics, however, we’ve got shots from the event. For those not acquainted with Woodring’s career, his colorful brand of visionary psychedelia, inspired by frequent frog-centric hallucinations as a child, is truly unique and characterized by the artist’s (more…)
UK///PURE HYPE///”BANKSY vs WARHOL”…
“Wow, has it really come to this—already?” That was the question on our minds here at ST as the farce that is “Banksy vs Warhol” (a third-party show unsanctioned by either artist’s camp) opened at THE HOSPITAL gallery in London last Friday. The collection of privately owned works by the two Pop artists (including a London street piece by Banksy hijacked by a fan with a blowtorch) served to compare and somehow correlate the generationally removed pair as their influence on modern culture reaches near-ubiquity in the public consciousness. Long the leader of smart streetwise rebellion, Banksy—mainly at the hands of his fans and third party dealers and auction houses—is fast approaching the point of complete oversaturation (he hit “fad” status ages ago) and is probably no more than a step away from becoming tourist art (see below). The show’s boring, mostly late-period Warhols of the (more…)
NYC///STUDIO VISIT///INSIDE JUDITH SUPINE’S BUSHWICK HIDEAWAY…
Supertouch’s Grammy-winning art correspondent & all around man-on-the-street in NYC, DANTE ROSS checks in with one of the street art world’s fastest-rising stars, the misleadingly-named JUDITH SUPINE, for a closer look at an artist on the verge. READ ON: (more…)
ESPANA///GOMEZ BUENO’S YACHT ROCK…
Venice, California-based Pop artist GOMEZ BUENO celebrated the opening of his lavish, sold-out, sailing-themed solo show, “A Toda Vela” at Palacete del Embarcadero gallery in historic Santander, Spain, by grafting his images onto boat sails and rocking out in the bay. Reports that Steely Dan was his soundtrack of choice remain unconfirmed. They do art better in Europe, just look at this venue fit for a king…
KEEP LOOKING: (more…)
FILM///MICHEL GONDRY’S “BE KIND REWIND”…
Arthouse director extraordinaire MICHEL GONDRY’s upcoming film “Be Kind, Rewind,” a comedic examination of the state of artistic and media rights is set to drop this December and promises to be his funniest offering to date. In the film, Jerry (Jack Black), is a junkyard worker who attempts to sabotage a power plant he suspects of causing his headaches. Doing so, however, inadvertently causes his brain to become magnetized, leading to the unintentional destruction of all the VHS movies in his friend’s (Mos Def) store when he comes in contact with them. In order to keep the store’s one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a tenuous grasp on reality, the pair hilariously re-create a long line of mainstream films including “The Lion King,” “Rush Hour,” “Ghostbusters,” “Back to the Future,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” and “Robocop,” with handheld video cameras, using themselves and their friends as the stars. SNEEK PEEK THE PREVIEW:
BOOKSMART///JAMES JEAN’S “PROCESS RECESS VOL. II”…
We can’t get enough of JAMES JEAN’s artwork, and with prices of his incredible original paintings fast approaching the stratosphere, his printed “Process Recess” portfolios are the closest most people will ever get to taking his artwork home. His newest edition, ”Volume II” is about to hit stands following the beautiful limited edition version that quickly sold out at this year’s ComiCon. Head over to Jamesjean.com now to reserve your copy… HAVE A LOOK INSIDE:
PARIS///ART CRIMES///$70,000,000 IN STOLEN PICASSOS RECOVERED…
Police in Paris (the ones with the funny car sirens) have recovered three major PICASSSO works worth a combined $70,000,000 USD that were stolen in February from the apartment of Picasso’s granddaughter, Diana Widmaier-Picasso, while she was asleep. None of the works were damaged and three people have been arrested at the time of the recovery. The two paintings were family heirlooms depicting Picasso’s daughter Maya and his second wife, Jacqueline Roque. It is believed that the pieces were simply too famous to be moved on the black market after being stolen…
BROOKLYN///ART CRIMES///THE LAST FLIGHT OF THE “TURTLE”…
Continuing the trend of Banksy-style art/publicity stunts, heroically named Brooklyn-based multimedia art agitator DUKE RILEY got himself in some serious hot water with the feds this week when he paddled his latest creation, a wooden replica of America’s first submarine called “The Turtle” up alongside US ship the Queen Mary 2 which had just docked in Red Hook. Fearing a terrorist attack, the Coast Guard were called in and Riley’s floatie—which he spent the last five months constructing almost entirely out of Oak—got impounded. Riley, however, got all the press he needed for his forthcoming show this fall at Chelsea’s MAGNAN PROJECTS. Check out the NY TIMES‘ coverage of the fiasco: (more…)
SF///INSTITUTIONALIZED///BRIDGING THE GAP…
In a bold move of sheer personal force, billionaire founders of The Gap, Donald and Doris Fisher have announced their bid to privately fund the design and construction of a new modern art museum in San Francisco that would be located in the city’s Presidio area. The new museum would be privately owned by the Fishers and showcase the couple’s extensive collection of (more…)
SK8 THING///CHRIST ALMIGHTY…
Twenty years later and still no one flows like HOLMES…
NEW ZEALAND///BMW’s VINTAGE AUTOKUNST…
BMW’s first “Art Car” (what you thought Scion thought this up?) was created by Alexander Calder in 1975 and since then the incredibly selective program has hosted some of the legends of modern art including Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney, and even dark outsider Ernst Fuchs. Now, the German automaker is touring its rolling art collection and this week saw a preview of the New Zeland installment at the Auckland Museum of Art. Featuring vintage chariots customized by ANDY WARHOL, FRANK STELLA, ROY LIECHTENSTEIN, and Australian artist KEN DONE, the exhibit brings out some of the company’s most amazing vehicles with incredibly “period-correct” graphics. HAVE A LOOK: (more…)
FILM///U CAN’T TELL KANYE NOTHIN’…
Supertouch’s ERIC WHITE strongly urges you not to sleep on the genius that is the latest video from KANYE WEST for “Can’t Tell Me Nothin” featuring the equally brilliant ZACH GALIFIANAKIS and WILL OLDHAM. Too funny for words. Hats off to Kanye for having the vision…
FRIDAY FREAK OUT…
This Friday enjoy some clips of our favorite children’s show of all time: KURE KURE TAKORA, aka: “Gimmie Gimmie Octopus.” Broadcast on Fuji TV in Japan from October 1973 — September, 1974, with a total of 260 shows, each three minute episode revolved around the central character, Takura, a tree dwelling octopus (of course) who coveted everything in view of his spyglass, saying “KURE, KURE! (I want it).” Truly akin to Sesame Street on bad acid, it was one of the most surreal shows to ever air and the template for decades of inimitable Japanese weirdness to come…
BK///THE WALLS BELONG TO US…
This week Supertouch’s DANTE ROSS dropped in on the charity art auction “The Walls Belong to Us” to aid imprisoned graffiti artist KET, aka: Alain Ket Maridueña. Behind bars and facing several graffiti-related felony charges in multiple boroughs, his artistic peers showed their support by donating original pieces of art to be auctioned for the benefit of his legal defense fund which could easily be exhausted as his cases come to call in the next few months. For more info on Ket and his cases, click HERE, to bid on original artwork by Barry McGee, Futura, Haze, Dondi, and more, click HERE. READ ON… (more…)
NYC///STUNTBOY’S SUMMER VACATION…
Our manchild on the scene in the NYC, Erik Foss, aka: STUNTBOY (who’s gone quite a long time without an accident, thank you) has had a very busy summer. And he barely even leaves his bar/art gallery Lit Lounge/Fuse… (more…)
SAN DIEGO///RON ENGLISH’S COWGIRLS…
Flashing back to last weekend’s COMICON geekfest in San Diego, we take a look at RON ENGLISH’s own bride of Frankenstein in the making: Cathy The Cowgirl come to life. From canvas to vinyl to flesh, it’s been a long time comin. HAVE A LOOK: (more…)
FILM///DONNY DOES VIDEO…
Supertouch’s own guerilla artist-at-large DONNY MILLER has just completed his new video for noise punks THE LOCUST. It’s repulsive and disgusting, and we love it…
SF///USUGROW RISING…Wednesday, August 1st, 2007
Checking in with one of our favorite new artists USUGROW, Supertouch gets an exclusive sneek peek at the setup for his joint show with artist NATE VAN DYKE at San Francisco’s Upper Playground gallery, opening tomorrow nite, August 2nd. Debuting at the show alongside the pen & ink master’s incredibly affordable original works, is Usugrow’s new book featuring a beautiful black on black cover and images of his best works to date. Each original piece of artwork comes displayed in a frame custom made in Japan and stained black with Japanese calligraphy ink. Don’t miss out. HAVE A LOOK: (more…) |
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