A Conversation with Kaws and José Parlá

Photo: Life and Times

José Parlá and KAWS. Two kindred spirits catapulted from the underground to the contemporary art world, still gaining international acclaim every passing year. Although, the work is vastly different, each man possesses a distinct visual language and an evolving maturation. Despite the polar influences, there’s one city they both call home – Brooklyn. Having recently exhibited in Los Angeles – José Parlá showing at OHWOW while KAWS was exhibiting at Honor Fraser- both artists experienced a homerun of sorts on the West Coast, but are happy to be back at headquarters in New York. We visited Parla’s Fort Greene studio to overhear the boys wax poetics on their roots, gardening, and the good ‘ol days. [Moderated by Jauretsi Saizarbitoria]

After an Anti-Semitic Episode, a March With a Message

Eric Michael Johnson for The New York Times

Two days after the sight of flaming cars and anti-Semitic graffiti horrified a heavily Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, residents, elected officials and others took part in a march on Sunday against hatred and intolerance.

The police were still investigating the burning of three parked cars on Ocean Parkway and the spray-painting of swastikas and anti-Semitic slurs on benches and the initials “K.K.K.” on the side of a van. The police are treating the episode as a hate crime. No arrests had been made by late Sunday afternoon.

New Supermodel Video For Jay-Z’s “Empire State Of Mind”

An ode to New York City starring: Selita Ebanks, Karlie Kloss, Constance Jablonski, Jourdan Dunn, Daphne Groeneveld, Edita Vilkeviciute, Hailey Clauson, Josephine Skriver, Zuzanna Bijoch, Shu Pei, Kristina Salinovic, Martha Streck, Toni Garrn, R’el Dade, Andi Muise, Ataui Deng, Chantal Stafford-Abbot, Kelsey Rogers, Ashton Phillips, Fabiana Mayer, Sabrina Nait, Sydney Edmonds, Claire Collins, Brenda Mutoni, Naoumie Ekiko, Sonia Niekrasz, Paris, Kaitlin, Lina, & Tian

http://lifeandtimes.com/

“Empire State of Mind” by JAY Z feat. Alicia Keys used with permission from Roc Nation/SC Enterprises/Life+Times.

Executive Producers — Life + Times, Devin Chanda and Dustin Nakao-Haider for Scheme Engine
Director — Justin Wu
Producer — Danny Dewes for Scheme Engine
Directors of Photography — Ben Vogel and David Raboy for Scheme Engine
Editors — Matt Mitchener, Dustin Nakao-Haider, & Ben Vogel
Makeup — Adam Maclay for Senses New York Salon and Spa

http://schemeengine.tumblr.com

No “Art in the Streets” for Brooklyn Museum: New York Changes Mind About Street Art Show

We’ve just been forwarded an email sent by the Brooklyn Museum to a street artist in the “Art in the Streets” show, currently on view at the MOCA. The Brooklyn Museum was scheduled to be the next shop in the show’s tour, but that’s no more.

Read the letter from Brooklyn Museum Director Arnold Lehman below:

I am writing with the unfortunate news the Brooklyn Museum must withdraw as the second venue for “Art in the Streets.” I asked our curator, Sharon Matt Atkins, for your email address so that you might hear this news directly from me.

Florence & The Machine Start Recording New Record At Abbey Road Studios

Florence talks about recording a new record, performing at the Met Ball in New York and working with Baz Luhrman in her newest blog post on florenceandthemachine.net:

Temples, McQueen And New York Dreams

Mon 16 May, 2011

Hello everybody!

I haven’t written one of these in a while; sorry for neglecting you. I do hope this finds you all just splendid.

I’m back in Blighty now; the birds are singing, the summer’s nearly here, I miss you all and hope to see you soon.

We’ve started recording the new record, excitingly, at the famous Abbey Road Studios. Haven’t quite managed to get our pictures taken on that legendary zebra crossing yet, but we do spend a lot of time looking over at other people’s attempts. Lying down in the middle of it seems to be popular, weirdly. Bit dangerous if you ask me.

“David Bowie, Artist” Exhibition Opens Tomorrow

Tomorrow the Museum of Arts and Design’s latest exhibition, David Bowie, Artist, opens. If there’s an artist deserving of recognition from a museum not fixed around music, it’s Bowie. He has more natural swagger in his thumb than some musicians have in their entire careers. Or, as the good people at MAD put it, Bowie is a “constant innovator in performance-based practices.” Word.

MAD’s retrospective includes a film series and kiosks showing music videos, interviews, concert footage and other audio-visual documentation. The film series, which will include screenings of The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Hunger, and Labyrinth, starts on June 3, but the kiosks and other parts of the retrospective are open to the public starting tomorrow at 11 a.m.

For more information about the film series, click here.

David Bowie, Artist
Tuesday, May 10 to Friday, July 15
Museum of Arts and Design
General Admission $15

Source

Art Show: Sweet Toof – Dark Horse @ Factory Fresh

Opening April 29th, 7-10pm
On view till May 22nd, Gallery is open Wednesday – Sunday from 1-7pm

Having chewed up the streets of London’s east end, British artist Sweet Toof takes a bite out of the Big Apple with his first New York solo exhibition, Dark Horse. Revealing a new series of original works, Sweet Toof’s Trojan Horse greets the city that never sleeps ‘til Brooklyn at the freshest factory in town.

Benefit Art Auction: Japanese Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami

I just found this at Known Gallery’s Blog. Toy Tokyo and TT-Underground Gallery are hosting a benefit art auction to help the relief efforts for Japan with contributions by Ron English, Shepard Fairey, Ewok, etc. 100% of the proceeds go to GlobalGiving.org, so make sure to pay them a visit! There will also be an Ebay auction site: TT-UndergroundJapanBenefit.
I think it’s wonderful how so many artists use their talent to help other people in need! Props to Toy Tokyo, the artists contributing and also all the other artists who have donated their work to other relief efforts like Jeff McMillan, Joe Hahn, Jean James, Gary Baseman, Mike Shinoda, David Choe, etc…!

Participate in my art contest!

Gary Baseman: Walking Through Walls @Jonathan LeVine Gallery

Gary Baseman
Walking through Walls
Gallery I
Solo Exhibition

March 5, 2011 through April 2, 2011

NEW YORK, NY (February 2, 2011) — Jonathan LeVine Gallery is pleased to present Walking through Walls, new works by Los Angeles-based artist Gary Baseman, in what will be his second solo exhibition at the gallery, and first solo show in New York in six years.

Leprosy, Plague and Other Visitors to New York

When New York City’s health department revealed last weekend that three people had contracted cholera, it was a reminder that the city is not just a world capital of arts, business and the like — but also of exotic diseases.

If a disease has cropped up in the world, there is a good chance it will eventually find its way to New York City through the diverse travelers who cross the city’s borders.

For instance, several people every year are found to have a biblical disease, leprosy, though health officials say no one has to fear catching it in the subway. In 2002, bubonic plague, more commonly associated with the 14th century, found its way to New York City through two travelers who came from a ranch in New Mexico, where the disease is endemic in flea-bitten wild animals like prairie dogs.