jason jagel

SF based artist jason jagel has just launched his

new website. you might be familiar with his work

on album covers from MF DOOM to MADLIB.

despite having an expansive knowledge of fine art

and composition his work is far from pretentious

and always manages to possess a style truly his own.

check out his new site:

http://jasonjagel.com/

*artwork by jason jagel

**image sourced from jasonjagel.com

update on the konbit shelter project

a few weeks back we posted on socially concious

artist swoon and her latest, ambitious project

in bigones, haiti.

here's an update on it's progress. you can still help

support it by buying a print. check the link below

and do your part for a really good cause.

** images supplied by upper playground

***artwork by swoon

AN UPDATE ON SWOON AND THE KONBIT SHELTER

PROJECT IN HAITI

BIGONES VILLAGE, HAITI [12.28.10] -- On December 21st,

Swoon and The Konbit Shelter Project team left for Haiti

to begin construction on single family adobe style homes.

After the team finished construction on a community center

in Bigones Villages this past summer, they left Haiti

promising to return to the village to help rebuild further

but unsure about how it could potentially happen.

Through the generous donations of friends, strangers,

the purchasers of Swoon's Walki print and a Rockefeller

grant, the team was able to put the plans in motion to

return and make their promise a reality.

Over the last eight days in Haiti, the team in Bigones

has assembled a team of workers from the village and

have begun to lay the foundation of the first Konbit

home. The initial home is being made for a woman

from the Bigones village who gave birth to a baby girl

while the team was in Haiti last and has been living in

a tent for nearly a year. Through the process of building

this home the team is aiming to also educate the workers

they've employed to learn this low-cost and highly durable

style of construction so that the idea can propagate itself

organically through the Haitian communities.

For those that would still like to contribute to the project,

there are a few remaining Walki prints which will be on

sale until January 1st, 2011 or until they sell out - 100%

of the proceeds from the sale of the print go towards the

Konbit Shelter Project. The Walki print is a touching

portrait by Swoon of a boy named Walki who lives in the

village of Bigones and spent time with the Konbit Shelter

team at the community center building site this last summer.

The print is made of a three-layer screenprint on handmade

Indian jute paper measuring 13" x 21" and is limited at an

edition of 300 signed and numbered prints. The print is

available online at the Upper Playground Web Store.

RELEVANT LINKS:

The Konbit Shelter Project: http://www.konbitshelter.org

Walki Print: http://shop.upperplayground.com/p/SWOON

-WALKI-PRINT-KONBIT-SHELTER-PROJECT/UP40610PT

ABOUT SWOON:

Swoon is a Brooklyn-based artist whose life-sized

woodblock and cut-paper portraits hang on walls in

various states of decay in cities around the world.

She has designed and built several large-scale

installations, most notably the Swimming Cities of

Switchback Sea at Deitch Projects in 2008. Her pieces

have been collected by of The Museum of Modern Art,

The Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Tate Modern.

Major pieces have appeared at PS1, Yerba Buena

Center for the Arts, and Black Rat Press. Swoon

has been traveling for the past several years creating

exhibitions and workshops in the United States and

abroad. Her artistic process is predicated on the

belief that art is an immersive, provocative,

and transformative experience for its participants.

Although Swoon’s aesthetics can be seen as an

outgrowth of street art, her engagement with ethical

living and making art share a close kinship with the

idealism of off-grid, barter-based cultures and

economies based on sharing. She uses scavenged

and local materials and embraces print media as a

potent means of action for social change.

ABOUT THE KONBIT SHELTER PROJECT:

The Konbit Shelter Project was created with the

idea that a group of artists, engineers, architects

and builders could pool their individual knowledge,

resources and time to make a lasting difference in

post-earthquake Haiti. Konbit Shelter is a rebuilding

initiative, which uses dome-style structures and the

super-adobe technique of earth bag architecture to

create sustainable, inexpensive and dependable

housing for the people of Haiti. While the structures

are extremely resistant to natural disasters, they also

have the major benefit of being comprised of 90%

earth and requiring no specialized scaffolding and

understructure to build - making it a viable option

for the people of Haiti to continue building on their

own once they learn the method.

ABOUT UPPER PLAYGROUND:

Based in San Francisco, CA, Upper Playground

is the leader in today’s progressive art movement

with its innovative apparel and accessories line

and art galleries. Since 1999, Upper Playground

has been recognized as a catalyst for the fusion

of fashion with fine art. UP apparel and accessories

are designed by local and international artists

including Sam Flores, Jeremy Fish, Estevan Oriol,

David Choe, and Alex Pardee. The Upper

Playground collection is sold in over 300 boutiques

worldwide and online. In addition, Upper Playground

has stores and galleries in San Francisco, Berkeley,

Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Mexico City and London.

http://www.upperplayground.com

____________________

the konbit shelter project - street artist 'swoon' making difference in haiti

swoon has been a household name in the world of
street art for the past few years. her handmade
approach, employing the painstaking medium
of wood cuts for her wheat-pasted characters
has earned her a solid reputation based on hard
work, dedication and a serious amount of heart.

long concerned with socio-political content
swoon's latest and perhaps most ambitious
is the konbit shelter project. here, she and a
group of artists, architects, builders and
engineers have pooled their knowledge and
resources to makea difference in post
earthquake haiti.

swoon has created a print to help raise funds for
the project (image is posted above). for more
information on the project you can check out
the run down from upper playground who
have teamed up with swoon on this print:

Swoon and Upper Playground Present:

The Walki Print for The Konbit Shelter Project

San Francisco, CA [12.15.10] -- New York based artist,
Swoon, has teamed with creative lifestyle brand,
Upper Playground, to release the limited edition
Walki print - 100% of the proceeds from the print
will go towards support of The Konbit Shelter
Project.

The Konbit Shelter Project was created with the
idea that a group of artists, engineers, architects
and builders could pool their individual knowledge,
resources and time to make a lasting difference
in post-earthquake Haiti. Konbit Shelter is a
rebuilding initiative, which uses dome-style structures
and the super-adobe technique of earth bag
architecture to create sustainable, inexpensive and
dependable housing for the people of Haiti. While
the structures are extremely resistant to natural
disasters, they also have the major benefit of being
comprised of 90% earth and requiring no specialized
scaffolding and understructure to build - making it a
viable option for the people of Haiti to continue building
on their own once they learn the method.

At the center of this project has been NYC-based
Swoon, whose intricate wheatpastes and paper-cutouts
have been seen on the walls of countless cities and
galleries. While humanitarian architecture and street-
based art that Swoon is known for appear to be vastly
different mediums, the concepts behind them remain
the same to her: "To bring things of beauty to people
where they are, where they need it. To turn up where
you are not expected to be, and to make everything
out of love."

During the summer of 2010, the team behind The Konbit
Shelter Project traveled to the village of Bigones, Haiti
with the goal of educating and employing the local
residents while constructing a community center using
this technique. Now, the team will be returning again
on December 21st to begin construction on single
family homes, and the sale of Swoon's Walki print will
immediately go towards funding the construction of
these homes.

The efforts of the individuals involved in The Konbit
Shelter Project are an amazing example of people
doing everything in their power to give back. While
we who make up the general public don't always
have the time and resources to do incredible things
like this on our own, it's important that we support
those who take it upon themselves to do what we
can not - which is the idea behind the sale of Swoon's
Walki print.

The Walki print itself is an immediately touching
portrait by Swoon of a boy named Walki who lives
in the village of Bigones and spent time with the
Konbit Shelter team at the community center building
site this last summer. The print is made of a three-
layer screenprint on handmade Indian jute paper
measuring 13" x 21" and is limited at an edition of
300 - all proceeds from the sale will go towards
support of the Konbit Shelter Project.

The print will only be on sale for a limited time
until January 1st and is priced affordably at $125
so that as many people as possible can be
involved with this unique project. The print is
available exclusively online at the
Upper Playground Web Store.

RELEVANT LINKS:

The Konbit Shelter Project:
http://www.konbitshelter.org

Walki Print:
http://shop.upperplayground.com/p/SWOON-
WALKI-PRINT-KONBIT-SHELTER-PROJECT/
UP40610PT

Upper Playground Web Store:
http://shop.upperplayground.com

ABOUT SWOON:

Swoon is a Brooklyn-based artist whose life-
sized woodblock and cut-paper portraits hang
on walls in various states of decay in cities
around the world. She has designed and built
several large-scale installations, most notably
the Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea at Deitch
Projects in 2008. Her pieces have been
collected by of The Museum of Modern Art,
The Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Tate Modern.
Major pieces have appeared at PS1, Yerba
Buena Center for the Arts, and Black Rat Press.
Swoon has been traveling for the past several
years creating exhibitions and workshops in the
United States and abroad. Her artistic process is
predicated on the belief that art is an immersive,
provocative, and transformative experience for
its participants. Although Swoon’s aesthetics can
be seen as an outgrowth of street art, her
engagement with ethical living and making art
share a close kinship with the idealism of off-grid,
barter-based cultures and economies based on
sharing. She uses scavenged and local materials
and embraces print media as a potent means of
action for social change.

ABOUT UPPER PLAYGROUND:

Based in San Francisco, CA, Upper Playground
is the leader in today’s progressive art movement
with its innovative apparel and accessories line
and art galleries. Since 1999, Upper Playground
has been recognized as a catalyst for the fusion
of fashion with fine art. UP apparel and
accessories are designed by local and international
artists including Sam Flores, Jeremy Fish,
Estevan Oriol, David Choe, and Alex Pardee.
The Upper Playground collection is sold in over
300 boutiques worldwide and online. In addition,
Upper Playground has stores and galleries in
San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, Portland,
Seattle, Mexico City and London.

http://www.upperplayground.com

***images sourced from upper playground.
artwork by swoon.

end of an era.....for a while

very sad news indeed, max fisch will be closing its
doors on january 30th 2011. forced out by high rent
as all the good people seem to be, they will close their
ludlow st. location and reopen at another.

make sure you get down there and grab a pbr for the
road.... january 30th is sure to be a big one!

check the paper mag run down for more information:

http://www.papermag.com/2010/12/its_official_max_
fish_is.php

image sourced from: http://www.papermag.com

the underbelly project - update

here are some more photo's from the phenomenal
underbelly project that is happening somewhere
below new york city....

if you find it let us know....!

http://gothamist.com/2010/10/31/the_
underbelly_project.php?gallery0Pic=4#gallery

**image sourced from the gothamist and originally
posted on vandalog

kristin gladney

we had the lovely kristin working in the studio this week.
i'm glad i took the time to check out her food & travel work,
some really beautiful shots in there.

if you have any time to spare today you'll be in for a treat:

http://www.kristingladney.com/

**image sourced from kristingladney.com

the underbelly project

new york has played home to many infamous underground
movements. one of the latest is so underground there are
only a handful of people who know where it is.

buried below the city in abandoned subway station
the underbelly project features 100 of the biggest
names in graffiti & street art. work began back in
2009 and names like faile, gaia, anthony lister and
a ton of others have made it down there. the original
entrance to the space has been closed up and unless
you're a serious die-hard or an mta nyc employee
the chances of you catching a glimpse really slim
to none.

for some more background check out this article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeq
M5jfWR4N9gZaDCVTpEdfNCrJATqQg?docId=CNG.
2700a1814657e888bc9b9c0864a99dad.3e1

the site for the show itself is still under construction
but you'd imagine they'll do a solid recap in the near
future:

http://www.theunderbellyproject.com/

**images sourced from gaia's blog on juxtapoz.com
***credits to garrett, RJ and workhorse

today's tune

here's what we're listening today at the studio. enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRCao607WH4
&feature=related

oh, and we're also loving a little horace andy. all reggae, all day.

CMJ tips from paper magazine

if you're feeling a little overwhelmed by all the goodness
on offer from the CMJ music marathon here's a simplified
list from paper mag.

take a deep breath, pick your favorites and take advantage of
these free shows...

view the full list on the paper mag website:

http://www.papermag.com/arts_and_style/2010/10/cmj-
2010-new-york.php

**image sourced from papermag.com

mural arts month in philly

this october is mural arts month in philadelphia.
the mural arts board, lead by jane golden, continues to
strengthen the heart and soul of a truly special city with
their amazing projects.

if you can't get down there on the chinatown to chinatown
bus you should at least check the website for a little
inspiration.

also, keep your eyes and ears peeled for the documentary
on philly's prized steven power's / ESPO mural project
'a love letter for you' which premieres october 27th
at a private screening but should be available soon after.

check the mural arts site here:

http://muralarts.org/

**image sourced from the mural arts website

re:form school - art for education

re:form school is bringing the creative community together
with the aim to set the wheels in motion for reform of the american
eduation system. artists involved include a few you should have
heard of: maya hayuk, gary baseman, shepard fairey, swoon,
& FAILE among others.

the works will occupy the entirety of the recently closed st. patricks
school in soho, which was one of nyc's oldest schools.

there will also be an online competition to get the international
creative community involved, entries close on september 30th, 2010.
you can can check the guidelines & find more info on the show here:

http://reformschool.letsredu.com/

the show will run from october 9th - 11th, 2010 from 10am - 6pm
at the st. patricks school, 233 mott st. nyc.

this is a really good chance for you to get involved and show your
support for a cause that often gets overlooked. education shouldn't
be something reserved for those with the funds to access it so do
your part to change it!

*images sourced from re:form school website

the original copy at MoMA

as always MoMA bring an unbelievable variety
of exhibitions. one that we're particularly intrigued
by explores the use of photography as a means to
further study sculpture in it's various forms.

spanning from 1839 through today it includes the
work of such seminal artists & photographers as:
man ray, marcel duchamp, robert frank, herbert
bayer, david goldblatt and many more.

the original copy: photography of sculpture, 1839-
to today runs at MoMA through november 1st so don't
miss it.

for more information check their website:

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/970

**photograph horscht p. horscht for salvador dali's
dream of venus, 1939.
**sourced from moma.org

erik otto - video interview

if you won't be finding yourself in SF anytime soon
check out the video interview with artist erik otto
on his upcoming show.

tomorrow is never promised opens at white walls
gallery on october 2nd, 2010.

watch the video, it's a beautiful insight into the work
of a truly special artist.

watch it here:

http://www.erikotto.com/

** image sourced from erikotto.com

icp reopens september 24th

summer's done and all good things must end, except at icp!
beginning september 24ththey'll have some great new exhibitons
coinciding with their fall return.

the mexican suitcase features images from the spanish civil war
as shot by robert cappa, gerda taro and chim (david seymour).
opening on the same day will be cuba in revolution which will
feature images from the year 1959, an unarguably dramatic chapter
of the cold war and one of the most significant political events
of the twentieth century.

for more information please check the icp website at:

http://www.icp.org/museum/exhibitions/upcoming

**photo by raul corrales, sourced from icp.com

tokion is now factory magazine

new york based tokion magazine has had a colorful
and creative upbringing. it graduated from its young
adult, more d.i.y style a few years back with a larger
format and a more high-fashion/art focus.

now it seems they are getting their masters and things
have changed again. tokion has become factory and you
can download a fee digital copy for yourself and see exactly
where there heading with this new chapter.

download it here:

http://www.zinio.com/delivery/login.jsp?of=500346307&
_requestid=10484986&_requestid=10484986

legitimate graffiti sites

an ACLU of sorts is being formed by graffiti artists, for graffiti
artists. the 'urban art foundation' was unveiled during the
meeting of styles which took place at P.S 14 in patterson, n.j
this past weekend. calling for landmark status to be applied
to pieces of historal significance, such as those by artist
steve powers aka ESPO. the foundation will also raise legal
funds and create a database of attorney's for those charged with
graffiti-related crimes.

not everyone see's the positive effect this soon-to-be non profit
could have. fred kress, co-founder of C.A.G.E (citizens against
graffiti everywhere) stands strongly by his beliefs, "we're trying
to take down graffiti on every level." kress believes that graffiti
is a crime, not an artform. "we want to see them reformed or
locked up and I would like them to pay restitution. these are
vandals, certainly not artists. if it's so artful, why aren't they
doing it on their own cars and homes?"

regardless of your stance on graffiti. love it or hate it there's no
doubt it's here to stay. the presence it has within popular culture
and influence on visual culture cannot be ignored. it will be
interesting to see the effect a foundation of this nature can have
in bringing understanding from the broader community to
what graffiti is all about.

for the full article in the wall street journal please check the
following link:

http://mobile2.wsj.com/device/article.php?CALL_URL=
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704147
804575455932861284588.html

**image sourced from the wall street journal
photographer: bryan derballa

jean-michel basquiat: the radiant child

this should be a suitably epic documentary. it debuts in l.a
tomorrow, august 20th but should be on the way to
a screen near you soon. check the films website for more
information on where it's playing, the artist and watch the
trailer....

http://www.jean-michelbasquiattheradiantchild.com/

**image sourced from the above website

22 ways to say black

swarovski crystals latest collaborative fashion offering
employs the talents of the long list of designers they call
friends. names like phillip lim, donna karan, lanvin,
alberta ferretti are just a few who took part in swarovski's
take on the timeless staple, the little black dress.

each designer used swarovski crystals to customize their own
version of the little black dress for the project. another one
you may have heard of, giorgio armani, had this to say about
22 ways: "couture is the purest expression of a designer's art,
it is an opportunity to really explore the possibilities of fashion
without the commercial constraints."

the project began last year and was unveiled at paris couture
week in january. having traveled from france, to beijing then
onward to new york city the dresses will be sold at auction this
september. one hundred percent of the profits will go the
american cancer society.

for more information check their swarovski website at:

http://www.brand.swarovski.com/Content.Node/presscentre/news/
news-fashion/lbd.en.html#/en/presscentre/news/news-fashion/lbd

**photo by derek blasberg, sourced from vmagazine.com

http://www.vmagazine.com/2010/07/dark-crystal/

hipster: the dead end of western civilization

if you love hipsters, hate hipsters or in fact are a hipster
it might be worth while perusing this gem of an article
by canadian writer douglas haddow.

recently published in adbusters the piece gives a pretty
spot-on summary about what it is that hipsterdom contributes
to society as whole, and the kind of change, growth or
benefit we have seen come from this movement of sorts.
that is, nothing.

check it out here on the adbusters website:

https://www.adbusters.org/magazine/79/hipster.html

**image sourced from adbusters.com

artists making it in detroit

it's no big secret that detroit is an extensive catalogue
of urban decay. amidst this mass of deterioration there is
a thriving, welcoming community of artists who have
made a this city home.

detroit is the optimum environment for an artist rising -
a place where you can basically run free to create and use
what is available to do so.

the article and slide show from the new york times are super
interesting. check them out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/arts/design/04maker.
html?ref=design

** image sourced from nytimes.com