I love seeing bands start from scratch, evolve, and get over. But it ain’t so bad to catch them when they’re ripe and ready for world domination, either. Such was the case at the Troubadour on Monday night when METZ and White Lung took the stage, coming all the way from the Great White North. (more…)
Holy crap! Long Beach: Work in Progress really happened. The scenario seemed too good to be true: Come up with panels to illustrate and demonstrate the underrated heritage and upside of a city that I’ve been digging since I was a teenager. Crashing culture, colliding communities, and the power of subcultures–I’m all over that. Above you can see Long Beach skaters/activists Chad Tim Tim, Justin Reynolds, Paul Kwon, Dallas Rockvam, and Levi Brown with Pulitzer Prize winning food writer Jonathan Gold.
The event took place in the historic Edison Theatre, which was built in 1917 as the Nippon Pool Room and went through phases as a sporting goods store, foot clinic, and beauty salon. Most recently it was home to CSULB’s theatre troupe but has been shuttered for five years until it was opened by the city just for Friday’s event. Keynote speaker John Jay (W+K Garage) spoke on the the creative crisis–how the need for creativity is at an all-time high in business, the arts, and society in general. His manifesto was followed by authors Cara Mullio and Jennifer Volland’s very cool study on local Case Study House architect Edward Killingsworth. (Yes, I bought a copy of their brand-new Hennessey+Ingalls book on Killingsworth and had them sign it.)
Jonathan Gold’s seemingly stream-of-consciousness-yet-completely-in-control ruminations on things he likes to eat in Long Beach (framed by recollections of sailors at The Pike, a roller-coaster decapitation, and bad metal shows at Fender’s) was so good it almost made me cry, and was followed by an otherworldly panel on Long Beach music moderated by my friend and member of The Vandals Joe Escalante. Somehow, he was able to balance the early hardcore punk stories of his longtime colleague Jack Grisham from T.S.O.L. with peeks into Little Cambodia via Dengue Fever’s Zac Holtzman and Chhom Nimol (who played an acoustic preview of a brand new song). Is that a mash-up of subcultures or what. The final panel was about the importance of skateboarding to Long Beach culture and its future with Justin, Chad, Ricki The Dude Bedenbaugh, and Paul. Of course, it ripped and generated a ton of responses.
The long day was capped by a round table discussion handled by jeffstaple and words from District 2 Councilperson Suja Lowenthal. Very legit to get seals of approval from a king of street culture and a city respresentative. And so awesome to witness my worlds colliding right in front of my eyes, with Jack and Joe (above, left) from years of going to punk shows to Tanya, Julia, and Renzei (above, right) from my current efforts to help the team build Long Beach (and everywhere else) through culture labs and backers in business.
Keep an eye out for more photos and even a video to be leaked in the near future… But until then I think the message of Long Beach: Work in Progress can be applied to anyone’s hometown. Look for what’s cool about it, and then seek to understand, grow, mix, and share it for the benefit of all.
I was in teacher mode for the second time in a month. This time, I was in Orange County to a room of 30 or so kids ranging from 6 to middle school. Why not show them that custom figures can be art? From the first time out teaching, I learned that there’ll be one who can’t get a start. How do you overcome this? I asked her some question and get negative answers. “No, I can’t do that, no I don’t like that.” My trick was to get her holding a pen. I told her to start by writing her name on the bottom and coloring the base of the figure a solid color. Next thing I knew, she was off to the races. Of course at the end, I said, “good job, it came out fine.” And she said, “no, it’s not.” But I came back with, “I think so” and split out before she could reply negatively. The styles ranged from coloring clean to abstract assembly – most of the works was in a style that I couldn’t fathom. Somehow this project was green lit and disguised as part of a “career day.” Yes, someone or a few among this bunch will go on and do art and maybe they’ll remember custom figures too.
I think the figure below has the cutest cat face ever. Who taught this kid how to do the eyes like this? …and green nose? Love it. I could go on about the goodnesses of each piece. There’s something in all of them that I like. Well, most of them, even from the one who couldn’t get a start.
Thanks Kizuna, DKE, OCBC and JANM.
Tons of kids, each with a custom figure.
See how tiny the girl in orange with the pink glasses is? She’s 6 and did a great job with her figure.
Gary Baseman
The Door is Always Open
Did you ever question Gary Baseman’s work? Were his strokes too thick? Are the characters too cartoonish? Did the absence of a fine controlled line thwart your viewpoint of his basic schooling? Is he too low brow? Was Cranium too commercial? Was it his multiple Emmy Awards? Did he talk your ear off?
After a slow walk through of The Door is Always Open at the Skirball, you’ll see a comprehensive execution of a concept that revolves around family, history and memories. Regardless of what you might have thought about him or his work, from here, like Monopoly, go back to Go. Gary Baseman is a legend.
Yes, his strokes are thick and perhaps at this point, quite economical. His volume of works filling in the self designed wallpapered rooms depicting his childhood home is captivating. It’s a barrage that seems like it’ll never end. Yes, they can become a blur, but that’s ok. Whether you gravitate towards one piece or you remember a few things about a few pieces, seeing the span of work tells his story. The details in the execution of the exhibition layout are equally amazing.
The characters are cartoonish. It’s his vision and life’s work. This isn’t him jumping on a bandwagon. He’s helped create it. He’s been working and developing his style for a generation. Most of us surround ourselves with toys from at best, the last few decades. Many of us collect from the last few years. Baseman displays his collection of toys and statues from the 1930s. A completely different reference point.
Controlled fine lines? It’s there, and he can do it. In fact, some pieces from 1982 show that he has or had technique and patience. Would he say, “That was so 1982.” Perhaps he’s over it.
Low brow is just a title, and whether if he is or isn’t shouldn’t matter at this point. If he is, and he illustrates a deep upbringing through an exhibition, then it’s low brow at it’s finest. He prefers “Pop Surrealism”.
Cranium? Perhaps it is commercial, but it’s a vehicle that most artists wouldn’t deny. It’s a fun game and it brings families and friends together, which fits into his overall art theme. The same can be said with his multiple Emmy award winning project, Teacher’s Pet – and you can’t shoot photos in that room.
Yes, Baseman has talked my ear off and with that, is his passion. His latest conversation was about his Jewish family history, Concentration Camps and it’s relationship to this exhibition at the Skirball.
Photo set by Dean Gojobori
Last week’s Evens gig at The Vex was great. As the progressively heavier sound of their albums implies, the live show has become more rocking as Ian Mackaye and Amy Farina’s musical partnership rolls along. What once may have been called “stripped down” or “simpler” in comparison to the members’ previous, more “punk” bands is now just plain raw with all the energy of the aforementioned, more plugged-in projects. Yes, the married duo from D.C. encourages singalongs these days but their vibe is fully charged and anything but folky. With as much anger and insight as ever, now tempered by humor and parenthood, Ian sits but just barely as he plays his baritone guitar. A substitute for Fugazi? Not exactly but they’re playing vital songs that are honest, meaningful, powerful, and sometimes even lovely. (more…)
Earthquakes in China happen, and the results are usually swept under a rug. China is nearly the same size as the US which means a huge vast land especially away from the coasts, but what happens when a disaster happens in a poor zone? Death, bad services, no help, which then translates to less news and for those who live elsewhere? It’s a disaster that’s forgotten or overlooked when meshed with “our” own problems. We hope the survivors can get past this without our attention. (Buzzfeed – Earthquake)
14th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival – Asian Showcase! All on April 29th.
The Asian Showcase will feature the Regional Premieres of Key of Life as the Japanese Spotlight, A Werewolf Boy as the Korean Spotlight, and One Mile Above as the Chinese Spotlight.
Key of Life is a highly comedic tale of a down-and-out actor who decides to take over someone else’s life — only to find himself filling the shoes of an elite assassin.
The mega-blockbuster from Korea, A Werewolf Boy, follows an elderly South Korean woman as she reflects on the time when her family took in a feral boy whose fierce loyalty resulted in a painful sacrifice. The film stars, Song Joong-Ki, Park Bo-young, and Yoo Yeon-seok.
The multi-award winning film, One Mile Above, is the inspiring and true tale of a young man who picks up his late brother’s challenge of cycling to the highest point in Tibet. The emotional power of the film is matched by the stunning beauty of the Tibetan landscape.
7:15 p.m. – Key of Life (Kagi-Dorobo no Method) (2012, Japan, 128 min)
7:30 p.m. – A Werewolf Boy (Neuk-dae-so-nyeon) (2012, Korea, 122 min)
8:00 p.m. – One Mile Above (Kora) (2012, China, 90 min)
10:00 p.m. – Post Screening Gala (Fashion Island, Newport Beach)
I have waited and waited and waited for this one to come up. I didn’t want to be the one who brought up this guy from the tombs of baseball. But it’s not the tombs. Sean Ochinko isn’t the guy I remembered as a kid and giggled when his name came up. Ochinko is in the minors, currently. Who was I thinking about?
Let’s back to why I’m giggling. Chinko means penis and Ochinko I suppose is the honorific of penis. So in the end, this guy’s uniform is a joke in Japan.
Years ago, another similar name stood firm. Bob! Bob Owchinko with the “w”. Owchinko. I remember laughing every time an announcer would mention his name. “It’s Bob Dick pitching!” He played a 10 year career that remained fairly unremarkable, but he did carry that familiar name. Meanwhile, check out Kotaku‘s article that pokes more fun at meanings of foreign names in Japanese.
The Wall Street Journal’s Japan Realtime reports on an interesting show at London’s Wellcome Collection, “Souzou: Outsider Art from Japan”. The venue is intriguing – a home for the collection of a wealthy pharmaceutical magnate who traveled the world and collected art and objects related to medicine – an interesting residence for this particular group show.
The artists are all disabled beneficiaries of Japan’s social welfare program, Haretari Kumottari, which is engaged in the arts as a means of self-expression for marginalized members of society. Over 300 pieces represent the work of “disabled” people with no formal training in the arts, but an uncanny knack for creativity and imaginative expression. They look like a pretty capable bunch to me.
The show is being blogged about, featured in international media, and perhaps raises the aesthetic bar for some people who thought Outsider Art was just scrap metal welded into zoo animals by people who’d never been to a zoo. Now it’s also Gundam mecha made out of shiny twist ties! It definitely looks like a show worth checking out if you’re in London. It runs through June 30th, with free guided tours, and a ton of educational events tied in.
We’re not really fans of the label “Outsider Art”, but it’s not going away as long as it still appeals to the mainstream art market that relies heavily on “Insider” art existing. The WSJ article seems a bit behind the times on the rise of the Japanese art world beyond what makes it to MoMA, but they still get kudos for spotlighting Souzou.
The work being shared from this show brought me back to 2006, when Eric was invited to be a juror for Takashi Murakami’s GESAI art festival. GESAI has been pivotal in opening up the Japanese art world to more than just the juggernauts, and creating access and exposure for its “outsiders”. I was lucky enough to go in 2008, and was completely blown away by the wall to wall magic. Every other exhibit booth had work that felt completely original, earnest and gallery-worthy. It felt like home, and we all came back from that trip re-energized and enthusiastic about what supporting artists meant to all of us.
I love when art can do that, when it can create (sometimes inadvertently) a world that you feel a part of. I’m not sure the Souzou artists would want us all up in their heads, but I thank them for sharing these pieces which brought me back to a very special experience, and a reminder of how powerful creative expression can be.
Kowloon Walled City. It’s remembered again. It’s a shame it was destroyed!? Imagine thousands living on top of each other in a place that was built upon itself. Just the illustration is amazing. In a past GR issue, we interviewed Greg Girard the photographer of this crazy building and dreamed that we walked through the place. (Gizmodo – Kowloon)
I don’t talk about my day job here very often, but I think that a lot of you will appreciate this. Imprint Culture Lab is a company that showcases up-and-coming, under-the-radar, and imported ideas. Eric Nakamura actually helped kickstart the earliest ones, bringing in high-powered friends from the worlds of streetwear, tech, otaku, and craft. I’ve been helping out with the newest one, which takes place in the home base of Imprint and its sister company interTrend.
The topic was born when the founder of Imprint/CEO of interTrend Julia Huang (above, right) told me that her companies were moving from a high rise to the second oldest building in Downtown Long Beach. I created a job for myself documenting its renovation, digging into the building’s sordid past as a psychic temple, researching the local history, and showcasing the community’s energy and upside in a blog. While sitting in on a meeting to choose a direction for the next Imprint, Long Beach seemed like a perfect choice to me. With the company investing and placing roots in the neighborhood, it was time to give back and grow it.
Long Beach: Work in Progress, which takes place next Friday, will have four panels. Authors Cara Mullio and Jennifer M. Volland will talk about their new book for Hennesy+Ingalls on Case Study House architect Edward A. Killingsworth. On the subject of music, Joe Escalante from The Vandals (above, left) and Jack from T.S.O.L. will represent Long Beach’s first generation hardcore punk subculture and Chhom Nimol and Zac Holtzman will talk about their relationship Long Beach’s Little Cambodia. (more…)
Dumbfoundead on NPR, listen to a story that’s as serious as can be about the MC in LA. “Sketchy mustache.” Nice. (NPR – Dumbfoundead)
Why is this here? It turns out late Senator Daniel Inouye enjoyed this bean soup. (Senate – Bean Soup)
The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup Recipe
2 pounds dried navy beans
four quarts hot water
1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until they are slightly whitened. Place beans into pot with hot water. Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Dice meat and return to soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter. Add to soup. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.
The JANM Gala Dinner is an annual event. In 2006, I received a Visionary in the Art award and since then it’s been 3 Biennale Exhibition and a Zen Garage show along with some fun events. Yet, it’s not that much. Last night honored the late Daniel Inouye, the highest ranking politician who was Asian American. Along with him, 2012 was a tough year for Japanese Americans and the night honored them too. The thing about their great accomplishments isn’t about their “day jobs” that’s what they did 9-5. It’s the huge list of things they’ve done outside of it. That’s where they shined.
The silent auction included special lunch with George Takei. That would be fun no matter what.
Norman Mineta, Greg Kimura, and Gordon Yamate. Thanks much for the work, y’all and thanks Gordon Yamate. Glad I didn’t drink the vodka.
What seems like bean soup is actually the bean soup that Daniel Inouye used to eat. It’s the actual recipe for the soup from DC. Evidently, he’d invite people to eat bean soup with him if you donated a certain amount to a certain place. It was nice to have it with him. A great idea for the night if you think about it.
After party shenanigans. That’s a silhouette of Edwin Ushiro waving against a projected photo of… Edwin Ushiro waving. Photo from GR Biennale 3
The bear that gets pushed around and bullied, it’s Bartholomew Punchyface. Imagine how far indie plush has come. The quality is amazing. Check out the details in the photos. The sleeve and knee patches are doubled up like how some of us used to do it back in the day. The pants are actually cords! The back butt area has BVDs that’s loose enough so you can give Bart a wedgie! The belt is really a belt! Yes it’s a plush, but this one is deluxe compared to the rest. See the pics. Great work 3DRetro, we’re not just saying it.
Review by Carlos Lopez/AngryBananas
After 30 minutes of playing Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, it’s quite clear that this is not your typical Metal Gear game. But is this a good thing or bad thing.
It’s nice to see a special preview for art. Takashi Murakami blows his art up to epic spaces with his exhibition Arhat. It’s frankly fit for a museum and it’s pretty much at one at Blum and Poe Gallery in Culver City. Three spacious rooms, plus, it’s a great place to see art. Preview night is private and the big opening is saturday. I wish I could go to that too. The work is impressive and massive, even his small pieces are epic. For those of you who are curious, the subject matter includes some Kaikai and Kiki and the self portrait of Murakami, himself, but the newer pieces include what look like yokai, religious imagery, and plenty of influence from Japanese great of the past, Ito Jakuchu.
That’s a portrait of myself with Luke Chueh. The pieces we’re reflected in is a beautiful metallic sculpture. Yes it has KAWS like eyes. Maybe they really are KAWS eyes, but it would be funny if it’s Murakami doing a KAWS, right back at him.
Sorry, no R. Kelly in Mandarin, but The Atlantic just published an great story about being gay in China.
Blind dates, filial duties, beard brides, lesbians moving in together. This story has it all.
