dave choe my man.

[Eric Nakamura]

Dave's my man... I wasn't going to tell you about this, but then there it was posted someplace else... rather than you find out from someone who may or may not even care about Dave... I'd rather you hear about it here..

March 25, 2004
:: David Choe ::
DAVID CHOE HAS FOUND GOD <-- just got out after 3 months in a Japanese jail. if you want the whole story, read the complete email. (note: we mean no disrespect to mr. choe by posting this email. it was sent out to his press contacts, so it's assumed that he wants others to read his story)

Even though I've never done crack or speed, I think witnessing for God and saving souls is like speed or shooting up, I just wanted to kick back and stay low key today, but I ended up talking about GOD from early this morning till 2 in the morning the next day , I was so tired and all I wanted to do was crash , but just then my crackhead neighbor was coming out of the laundry room and I just kept blabbing about God and I brought her to tears, and then I couldn't sleep, so I scrubbed the floors, and washed a huge stack of dirty dishes that aren't mine, like a junkie on speed, till 4 in the morning. I was scared and embarrassed of what people would say about me all day today, but I couldn't deny God anymore, and surprisingly the people I thought that would mock me, make fun of me, write me off , or call me crazy, stopped, and listened, really listened to me. I watched hardened emotionless, heartless cruel people just like me, cry tears of remorse today, and it makes me feel higher than a kite. Am I just a junkie now for men's sorrowful tears and souls as opposed to my life of crime? If so ,let it be, let me O.D. on GOD. I'm a junkie for the holy spirit and I don't even need a needle to shoot it into my veins to feel it's effects flow through me.

Let me slow down, I know I'm coming on to strong from left field. Most of you, probably think I'm joking right now, or being a fucking freak. But I kid you not. I haven't seen, spoken, or written, to all of you for at least 3 and a half months , some longer. On, December 18th 2003 a few weeks before Christmas , less than 24 hours after getting off a plane in Tokyo ,Japan, I was arrested, for Violent assault, I destroyed an undercover security guards face with one solid punch, I've never seen anything like it, the guys face literally exploded. and have been in a room the size of your closet ,behind bars, since then till just last week. Amazingly there are only 100 reports of violent crime in the city of Tokyo every year(compared to the millions of cases reported every year in America), in the final days of 2003 I became number 101. Since I was 5 or 6 the only 3 things I've ever excelled at is art, crime, and cursing. From an early age I was always fearless, and went and did shit no one else dared, because I had nothing(or thought I had nothing, unappreciative prick!), so I had nothing to lose, I also knew I wanted to be a great artist, but was led to believe all artists live poor lives, so I accepted my fate as a poor starving artist, I've worked every kind of shitty job you can imagine and also accepted the fact that I don't take instruction well, and don't work well with bosses. I had my own code of honor, justified all my own bullshit to serve my needs, I had a whole robin hood complex going, steal from the rich and give to the poor(and a lot of the time the poor happened to be me). Racking spray paint to rare expensive books, to a pack of gum, to sneaking into movies, to credit card fraud, looting, scams, robberies, groceries, auto theft, re-selling stolen drugs ,breaking and entering, sneaking onto planes and trains, etc. I've done it all. I've never said ,"no" to crime, I have always been down. I've lived a charmed, spoiled ,selfish life, I always get what I want, and no matter what I do or say it always ends up working out good for me, it seems I can do no wrong, I've spoiled myself . I always took care of my crew and anyone who needed help. I was always for the underdog. But in the end I was out of control. When I graduated highschool.i had no money but I travelled around the earth robbing, and stealing, and hustling. When I got back home in 1995 or 96, one of my best friends that I grew up with got 10 years in prison, for home invasion. Ironically he gets out this year(our 10 year reunion) when I went to go visit him in prison(10 years ago) he said to me" dave what am I doing here, how did I end up like this, you should be sitting on this side of the glass.you're the one that loves crime" These words have echoed in my head for the last 10 years, especially in the last 3 months behind bars. After that, I gave up that life for a little bit, only to return to it with a vengeance, I was(and am) a junkie for crime, I couldn't turn it down it's the only life I've ever known, , while most people dreamt of cars, and women, I dreamt of robbing banks. I can say having 2 parents that were'nt divorced, having the best friends and family that didn't encourage my retarded behaivior was the only thing that kept me from going over the edge, if I didn't love anyone and knew that no one loved me, I would go for broke, and would be dead or in jail for a lot longer right now, of this I'm sure. I always told myself, if the art ever starts to sell, and I make money I'll give up the hustle. And then all of a sudden about 5 or 6 years ago my dreams came true and the paintings started to sell. And then even more in the last 2-3 years when I 've been with MyLan. So all my heavy duty scams went out the door, And I stopped, but all the little petty shit stayed, and not because I didn't have the money, but because I'm an impatient mother fucker, and I know I can get away with it, when I'm waiting in a line at walgreens and the incompetent cashier is a fucking retard and the line is super long, and all I want is a pepsi, I say fuck it and rack it, I don't even have to think about it , I don't even consider it stealing, I even feel like they deserve it for hiring such incompetent workers. and it keeps security gurads in a job. without people like me, law enforcement would be handing out jay walking tickets all day.(see I told you I could justify myself) I have had no respect for rules and regulations, no respect for the law. Except my own. My whole life. In this day and age there are more people trying to make it as an artist than ever before, to actually make a living at it, is rare, to make a living painting and drawing what you want, as opposed to what other people want you to draw, is even rarer, to be appreciated worldwide, and get flown out ,wined and dined in other countries is fucking ridiculous, the fact that I've been given this amazing opportunity and all I end up doing is stealing every bike that's not locked up, graffitiing the entire city, robbing unsuspecting stores, and beating up the citizens of Japan is a true testament to my retardation and my self-destructive nature. this has been the most shameful, embarrassing ,disgraceful, torturous experience in my life . This I s why I've been gone for so long. This 3 months I've come to terms with my denial. I'm not robin hood.

[Eric Nakamura]

I'm a fucking idiot. In my time in prison, translation problems, after misunderstanding after misunderstanding occurred, and every worst case scenario that could happen,happened.., I read ever book in the prison library, wrote over 1000 pages in letters, did over 300 drawings and paintings with soy sauce(not counting the inmate portraits and prison guard portraits, that I gave away) made an outline for a novel that's over 600 pages, wrote and drew a prison graphic novel, kept ridiculously detailed journals(made lists, tons and tons of lists, my favorite all time, books, movie, artists, and then other lists like everyone I want to kill, fuck, everything I've ever stolen etc.),translated telephone book sized Japanese porno comics into English even though I don't speak Japanese, lost all my money, lost all my jobs, lost my health, lost my girl(if it was just jail , she could have stayed strong for me, but just short of cheating, I've behaved unbelievably inappropriately as a boyfriend ,which all came to light while I was behind bars, talk about mental torture, which she should have burned my house down and killed me when I stepped off the plane, but only by God's grace has she remained calm, and has stayed my friend and helped me though my inner turmoil. This is a first for me, I want to kill every single one of my last ex-girlfriends, or vice versa, so staying friends with my girl feels awesome. Being an artist true to yourself and being true to your art, and then also true to your woman is fucking hard, it's a tuff balance) got attacked with the worst case of acne since high school(there wasn't a clear surface on my face, I'm talking boils and puss bombs all over my face and neck, ever book I read in jail has my blood and puss on it, I looked like crater face , but the bible cleared up my acne better that Clearasil) my hair was falling out, my kidneys were damaged, I had 3 nervous breakdowns, contemplated suicide,benchpressed toothless 90 pound junkies,2 vs. 2 soccer games with rolled up socks thieves &junkies vs. Persians & yakuza, 2 prison fights and 1 prison escape attempt, 1 month in general population 2 months in solitary confinement, mastered the art or tantra, and had an orgasm that lasted 2 weeks, the only thing that entered my asshole while I was in prison was my pointer finger on one especially boring night, (WOW!), practiced drumming every night with my chopsticks, found God after telling him to fuck off 20 years ago, lost him again after 1 month, found his son, who -reintroduced me to his dad, until I finally said fuck it, and surrendered. His presence was everywhere, a tattered copy of the bible I only had for 3 days, porno novels that had bible verses scrawled in the borders. every time I denied him, I'd get another day, day another week, another month in jail until I finally surrendered and submitted it all to God. Put it all in his hands, and he cleared up my face , my health, and let me out of jail. I have God to stand on now, he is my back up, but I'm still a little lost I been gone for 3 months , so I figured hiding out undercover getting my head back together for a week or two wouldn't hurt, Everyone that owes me money I'll be coming for you soon enough, everyone that I owe money or artwork/paintings too, you'll get those soon enough, I'm looking at my room, at my house all my tons of rare, limited edition junk, and bullshit, why did I want all this meaningless bullshit in the first place, it's just stuff to replace real human interaction, I threw half of it out already giving the rest away, if anyone wants to buy any of my paintings for bargain blowout prices now is your chance to take advantage of me. I'm gonna get rid of all my shit, pack up the mini van, and travel around the country and then the world doing God's work, what that is yet, I don't know, I 've already hitched and hiked around the world several times doing meaningless irreverent bullshit, but this time I'll be doing right with Meaningful shit, Graffiti murals that aren't totally fucked up, zines's and comics that make you evaluate or re-evaluate your life instead of me usual theme of absolutely no redeeming values . I've found God, but I will never forget where the fuck I been and where I'm coming from. I'm scared, but I don't give a fuck anymore, I will die or go to jail for life , with a happy heart if it's for god's will. I'm sort of tired of creating tired, meaningless irreverent shit, I want to do something more meaningful, I mean really who are you? not name, birthplace, hobbies, occupation, shit like that, but really who are? what are you about? what are your beliefs? what do you stand for? I've always been fearless not giving a fuck what anyone thinks and go and do anything I want, until it came to God. My whole life my only vices have been grime, crime and sex, but you can't get over, your whole life. and not have it all come crashing down over your head, but life doesn't need to be this hard, but men are stupid, and have to touch it and feel it even though they know they'll get burned, they need to feel it for themselves. The shit I looked up to ,valued ,and respected is all bullshit, all it does is end in lonliness, heartache, remorse, regret, death, and prison, Frank Sinatra's "MY WAY" is a stupid fucking song for idiots.I know it's cliché' to find god at the tip of a needle, down the barrel of a gun, at the bottom of a bottle or behind bars, but fuck it, life is fragile and tragedy and heartache lurk around every corner. who the fuck is this self righteous prick, to say or tell anyone anything? I'm the biggest hypocrite on the planet right? Well I grew up a little behind bars, when little kids misbehave they get quiet time, or time out in the corner for 15-20 minutes, the adults get ,time out for months to years. But I been on my high horse long enough, I can go on all fucking night , I 've lost my voice from talking non-stop about god since I got out, and I need a rest, thank god for mass e-mails. I'll quit my preachy rant for now. I'm sorry if I haven't called a lot of you yet . I know I sound crazy ,but I'm not. I'm gonna stick around san jose for at least another month before I take off, you can call, write, or reach me here. Thank you for all the love and support, I fucking love all of you. I've let go of the hate. How will this change my art. We'll have to wait and see. It was easy to be religious and self righteous in prison because it's basically a military monastery or nunnery, there's no temptation, no where to stray, no drugs, or girls, but now I'm out in the real world again and my real test and battle begins. I used to say ,"I go where the day takes me." But today I'll be a cheesy fucker and say ,"I go where the lord takes me."I'll end this letter, with a song by a gay group called depeche mode, that I heard for the first time today. I need to be cleansed It's time to make amends For all of the fun The damage is done And I feel diseased I'm down on my kness And I need forgiveness Someone to bear witness To the goodness within Beneath the sin Although I may flirt With all kinds of dirt To the point of disease Now I want release From all this decay Take it away And somewhere There's someone who cares With a heart of gold To have and to hold

-DEPEcHE MODE

davidchoe.com www.antipodawear.com/choe guerillaone.com fecalface.com evilmonito.com giantrobot.com upperplayground.com galleryad.com 5colorcowboy.com ifilm.com(search "whales and orgies")
Posted by trippe at March 25, 2004 10:54 am
yippee... another few bucks for mel gibson's pocket. religion is evil, especially when people feel like talking about it and all that.

[tonybricker]

mind = blown

[acid_squid]

reminds me of the chemical-brun-on-the-hand scene in Fight Club... "What you're experienceing is premature enlightenment."

But, ending an emotional email with a dash of 'The Old Dave Choe':

I'll end this letter, with a song by a gay group called depeche mode...

makes me wonder about it all, though.

[Eric Nakamura]

This is something that Dave sent to a list of people, I was one of them. I wasn't going to share it, but then I saw it posted some place, and rather than it be rumors, I wanted you all to know that Dave actually sent this... It's been a secret where he's been for the last few months. I knew where he was...

But Dave's our friend, you've known him for a while through GR or other places... so thought you should know what's up...

eric

[YelloKitty]

:heart:

[sanjay]

can't he just cut off his ear as other great lunatic artists have done before him?

[Spiderman]

Poor Dave, Good luck.

- spidey

[Eric Nakamura]

Poor Dave? No way, he's going to have to live like most everyone else now. I doubt, he's going to rent or buy a van and disappear, but who knows... It's the sentiment, I think. Maybe... it's about the character change. Or not...

eric

[sanjay]

Originally posted by Eric Nakamura
Poor Dave? No way, he's going to have to live like most everyone else now. I doubt, he's going to rent or buy a van and disappear, but who knows... It's the sentiment, I think. Maybe... it's about the character change. Or not...

eric

did you take him up on buying his shit for cheap? corner the market on his work and then make a bundle...


[please remit 3% of gross for consulting advice :p ]

[Killjoy]

good for him.

[sumtinsumtin]

good for you dave, i hope he can stay happy.

[hippyjonny]

this would be a good april fools day gag

[macphisto]

if daves going to look for God, i hope he manages to do it without the help of any churches or anything like that. Church just confuses people. But, i hope he finds true happiness for himself.

[cabbagechild]

he must have one hell of a swing.

[Robocon^^]

Or he punched a calcium-deficient old man.

[akuma]

wow.... this is what i love about humans.

interesting to hear his thoughts about his work content and how he himself is curious to see where it is headed in this new direction.

really hope he sticks with it and doesn't crash hard if he can't hack this new lifestyle... go dave.






and fuck poor spidey.

[Asharak]

Wowsers.

[wonki wonki]

You know, some people experience revelations and personal growth without destroying someone else's face. Why did he do that anyway?

[Eric Nakamura]

Wonki Wonki

Dave is an impulsive person. Rather than getting caught and taken to jail, he chose to fight his way out of getting arrested. It's the same question you can ask anyone who resists arrest or goes on a high speed chase. Why...

Dave is in really high spirits, he seems to be starting a new life all over again. He's apologized for things that I didn't remember or had forgotten about. Who knows where it'll go, but Dave is happy, and he's trying to use his story and life so far to help people, that's more than what a lot of folks do.

eric

[RazeOner]

Sounds like he's movin on from his "Blue Period". Not sure if he experienced this but I've heard first hand that Japanese police/prison guards are extremely racist towards people of Korean decent. Sad though not surprising.

[Spiderman]

Yay, fuck spidey!

- spidey

[Ricky]

Originally posted by RazeOner
Sounds like he's movin on from his "Blue Period". Not sure if he experienced this but I've heard first hand that Japanese police/prison guards are extremely racist towards people of Korean decent. Sad though not surprising.

I think it has more to do with him fucking up a cop, and acting like he didnt commit a crime in a foreign country

[akuma]

what's the latest word on all this?

[sumtinsumtin]

i just read tha article, and that stuff with the choice of escape was some powerful stuff, i hope he's doin well, he's one of my most favorite artist.

what do they do to people in jail that makes them get all jesusafied?

i've seen this happen many, many, many times.

[montyburnz]

other reaction to the testimonial:
http://www.fecalface.com/news2/archives/001814.html

live long and prosper david choe

[cabbagechild]

he was photographed at some LA party by polaroidscene not too long ago wearing a gray T-shirt.

[Eric Nakamura]

Latest word? Like what?

[TypeFiend]

The piece he did in the most recent issue (10th ann.) about his jail time was my favourite of the issue. I'm not down with G.O.D. of the christian flavour, but I'm down with Choe, and hope he makes it thru with his new life direction, fo reals.

[akuma]

Originally posted by Eric Nakamura
Latest word? Like what?

he seem alright?

is his art diff? more specifically, is he still gonna run the art circuit like he had been, which to me seemed part of the catalyst to his problematic "previous" life... just wondering if any recent developments from such drastic words were delivered.

[hippyjonny]

a couple of weeks ago i finally got a chance to talk to him. we had the korean christian upbringing in common so we could relate on that level. he seems to have leveled off from the bible thumping person we read in his email to eric. he still strongly believes in god but with being out of jail and temptations aplenty, keeping focused on god is much more difficutl. i never talked to the old david but this one seemed very humble and eager to share in his struggles.

oh course i asked him about his art career and he said he has one more show in la he committed to before going to japan. but after that he said hes pretty much over the art scene as he knew it before jail.

he mentioned some projects he has lined up but i wont say anymore as its his business, but art is still very much a part of his life, i think hes just gonna refocus it.

anyways, im glad i got a chance to speak with him, seems like a cool guy to me.

[Eric Nakamura]

We'll see what happens, David is always an enigma. A dude who's cried wolf a bunch, done some funny things that sounds impossible, and now he's doing what he's doing. But most of all, I think he's a cool guy regardless of the doo doo throwing, slapping a black kid for no reason, and borrowing stuff. It's tough to beat his art skills.

[SDP]

It was a good article, and I'm thinking he's lucky he didn't get thrown in jail in Detroit or Mississippi.

[akuma]

thanks for the update derek

[Sumo]

Originally posted by macphisto
if daves going to look for God, i hope he manages to do it without the help of any churches or anything like that. Church just confuses people. But, i hope he finds true happiness for himself.

very true. good advice. every church has an agenda which may or may not stear you towards happiness. search withen yourself for true enlightenment. blah, blah, blah...i know.

[tangent23]

[non-denominational] amen + chaos/spiritualised strength to brother choe from his fellow travellers and esoteric wanderers...

:D:heart:

[charlos3000]

dave's van is the spot.

[ja.net]

how was the pizza? alas, I was not dressed for a tailgate party

[charlos3000]

we ended up drinking sake and eating bentos in front of the nijiya market. the food was kind of gross but, i was so hungry i don't think i cared.

[ja.net]

we ended up going to luna park and getting pork cutlets stuffed with mushrooms & gruyere

I was not hating life

[wonki wonki]

Dave Choe should read Russell's "Why I Am Not a Christian." Maybe it will spark a new direction in his art. Or not.

[SDP]

Why is it when people get fucked over they start believing in God, rather than believing in not shoplifting and belting people in the face? Because I gotta tell you, God won't keep you out of jail when you're out boosting retail goods and beating on security guards...

[akuma]

http://111minnagallery.com/photoalbums/appetiteformutilation/DSC01717.sized.jpg

David Choe is by far one of our all time favorite artists. The guy's talent is incredible. So when we stopped receiving his email updates months back we were seriously bummed. We then heard that he had been arrested in Tokyo while in town for a show and was sitting in a Japanese jail cell waiting to be released.
If you haven't yet picked up the 10th Anniversary Edition of Giant Robot, you should definately check it out. Not only is it a great issue, but it includes David's first person account of the whole experience.
On Saturday we were received a new update from David, the first since his arrest:
"hi everyone
i split my big toe open this week, it's a big bloody mess. it couldn't have happened at a worse time.
I been away for awhile. i started 2004 in a Tokyo prison cell, and it looked like it was gonna be a bad year, but things worked out.
I been drawing very little, and have mostly been practicing and making numb-chucks with my nephews, and have been getting my old band back together KGB (koreans gone bad, watch us play in San Francisco in september SOLEDIVISION.COM) i feel like beating the fuck out of my drums more than weilding a brush these days.
I have one last thing i gotta do before I take a break. I agreed to do this solo show in Los Angeles, at the Kantor Gallery right before i went to prison, so i will honor that agreement. it's funny because it's located at melrose and LaBrea, about 5 blocks from where i had my first art show at an ice cream shop, after all the galleries on La Brea told me to fuck off almost ten years ago. all of the paintings for the show are new. i did them right before i got arrested, and i was really fucked up, but no ones seen them yet, some mannequins were donnated by my mannequin manufacturer, i have about a dozen wooden sculptures that i made in between numb chuck practice with left over numbchuck wood, and i have only ONE new painting that i did after i got out of prison called, "SILENT DANCE". which i like alot. as always
there will be many affordable books and prints that I've been working on. I'm sorry that the original paintings have gotten so expensive over the years, but thats the nature of supply and demand. It should be a fun night, i know there's alot of you i haven't seen in awhile so come out and kick it.
DAVID CHOE
new sculptures and paintings
KANTOR GALLERY
FRIDAY JULY 9th 6-10p.m.
7025 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles CA 90038
tel: 323-933-6976 fax: 323-933-8976 | e-mail: kantorart@earthlink.net
(it's by the jiffylube across from pinks hotdogs)
I've sold many paintings in the last few months since i've returned from Japan, and have taken on a few highpaying sellout jobs this will give me some scrilla to take a step back. so i think after this show in L.A. i won't be doing any more of these for awhile. being in jail is sort of like vaction getaway, but i think i need to get away from everything for awhile and finish some things up, and tie up some loose ends in my mind. i can't even begin to thank everyone who's supported me and helped me through some dark days and all of my stupid bullshit, especially MyLan , and as always people who want to hate and keep talking shit,only make me stronger,I got nothing but love for all you fuckers. We don't all have to have someone die, get diagnosed with disease, get thrown in jail, or have some tragedy hit us to take a step back and see what it's all for. if you got the time and money, and even if you don't. i think you should take a vacation. don't be mad if I don't return your calls and e-mails right away. I think my toe and everything else is gonna work out ok. I'll see you all next week.
-DC
PS-does anyone know if those liquid bandages really work?
PSS-i'm in L.A. all week if anyone wants to paint.
PSSS- if you live in the bay area and you like to watch t.v. check out
KQED -PBS(i'm pretty sure it's channel 9)
on Thursday, Jul 22, 2004
KQED Encore
Up from the Street -- 2:00pm, 11:30pm
Experience artists whose work emanates from the street with Spark. Once a professional skateboarder, Tommy Guerrero channels the skate culture through his music and visual artwork. Next see graffiti artist David Choe, who has moved from the streets of Los Angeles and San Jose to the brink of stardom. He's self-published graphic novels, produced illustrations for magazines and mounted dozens of gallery shows of his paintings. Also check out reflections of "Life on Market Street: An Audio Archive," with the four-wheeled interactive artwork by the artist team of Wowhaus (thewowhaus.com).
for more info go to
http://www.kqed.org/spark/episodes/index.jsp
rebrodcasts
Friday, Jul 23, 2004
KQED Channel 9
Up from the Street -- 11:30pm
Saturday, Jul 24, 2004
KQED Encore
Up from the Street -- 2:30am, 6:30am, 10:30am, 2:30pm, 6:30pm, 10:30pm
KQED Life
Up from the Street -- 2:00pm
Sunday, Jul 25, 2004
KQED Channel 9
Up from the Street -- 11:00pm
KQED Life
Up from the Street -- 11:30am
Monday, Jul 26, 2004
KQED Encore
Up from the Street -- 2:00am, 6:00am, 10:00am, 2:00pm, 6:00pm

[akuma]

Wednesday, Jul 21, 2004
KQED Channel 9
Up from the Street -- 7:29pm


Like the sketches and murals that clutter his brain and blaze through his fingertips, David Choe confounds predictability. The South Bay graffiti artist is celebrated for startling visual intensity crossed with streetwise vision. He paints fast and furious -- using aerosol, acrylic and watercolors -- able to nimbly capture the slightest emotional serration. His works bridge two worlds and mindsets -- the street and the gallery.

As a young man, Choe earned a reputation as a talented, free-spirited, law-flaunting graffiti artist, hustler and world traveler. His self-published award-winning graphic novels, including "Bruised Fruit" and "Slow Jams," have attracted people clueless to museum art or graphic novel genres. David's talent for illustrating through words and pictures, minute details of hopelessness, boredom and inner turmoil earned him a cult following and equal amounts of criticism and acclaim for its flagrantly explicit and nihilistic nature.

The years passed and his work matured with subtle depth, dignity, beauty and richness. His paintings commanded higher and higher prices, he produced illustrations for high profile magazines and mounted dozens of gallery shows. In late 2003, Choe was invited to Tokyo to create a mural and participate in a group art show and while there he had a life-changing run-in with the law that resulted in him curled up in pain in a Japanese jail cell. The charges, "committing violence," stuck and he spent three months in prison, the bulk of time in solitary confinement.

While in jail, the last book he thought he would turn to was the Bible. Too cliché, too predictable, he thought. But like the born again junkies, rock stars and fallen actors before him, the Bible became his saving grace. In the episode "Up from the Street" Choe gives Spark his first on-camera interview since returning from jail. He talks about the incarceration, his new motivations and how his artwork may (or may not) change.


http://www.kqed.org/spark/episodes/index.jsp#226

u da man!

[Sid]

Reading this was really inspiring. David if you're reading this, hang in there and keep the faith. I know God will use your talents for his purpose. I think my life in some ways paralleled Choe's, in that I was a troublemaker. Once I tried to outrun the cops in my parent's volvo, they ran me off the road and landed on top of my car. Luckily I walked away without a scratch. Stupid stuff like that. Now I'm trying to read about God. In regards to David's art, I wanted to mention there's some incredible artists/musicians out there that are inspired by God but aren't the overly preachy cliche types you would think. One example is "Half-handed Cloud". His music is genius and he's a great artist too. He's played at Spaceland, Bottom of the Hill, CMJ Festival etc. But it's his lyrics that are quirky, funny, yet inspirational. Anyways, check him out sometime if you get the chance. But yeah, just wanted to say thanks for sharing.

[akuma]

documentary extraordinaire harry kim is working on a feature length david choe doc as we speak


should be good

[charlos3000]

give harry back to us, stop hogging him bay area.

[akuma]

and who do i run into tonight at the upper playground show but mista choe himself. good to finally meet & talk with the infamous one in the white t-shirt.
i was surprised & psyched cause he had heard about me through harry and now i might be animating the title sequence/credits on the new doc!

[akuma]

heard from harry this morning- it's official - i've been hitched to work on the new david choe doc!

[Zaius]

crap, that's awesome! congrats.

[ohsoquiet]

Originally posted by charlos3000
give harry back to us, stop hogging him bay area.

yeah!

[Phong-One]

Originally posted by akuma
heard from harry this morning- it's official - i've been hitched to work on the new david choe doc!

Congrats man, better not fuck it up or Choe is going to punch you out.

[Zaius]

Originally posted by Phong-One


Congrats man, better not fuck it up or Choe is going to punch you out.


for JESUS!

[akuma]

thanks yall, im really psyched at this opportunity


and imma kill it so he doesnt kill me :)

[Killjoy]

woah congrats dirty d. i hope you get lots of money for a fancy toupee made of horse hairs :).

[utinni2]

akuma is thee man.

[5.92]

Shit Dan you rule!

[akuma]

the rough cut of the doc "dirty hands" is out of contol

thanks for all the kind words, homies. a lil update on my involvement-post production crew is doing titles but im gonna lace visuals within the doc- harry kim is the fucking man for hooking me up. and he's in right ny getting cray cray & filming choe. he says he's gonna use this last footage to sew up the doc- can only imagaine...

[stinky]

this sounds great. congrats akuma.

[Ryan]

i had the chance to meet dave and harry last weekend saw him rockin a camera. i can only *pray* that they dont use any of the footage that i might have been remotely involved in.

[falcor]

wait who was harry?!! oh fuck. that's the night i needed to be slapped.

[akuma]

Originally posted by Ryan
i had the chance to meet dave and harry last weekend saw him rockin a camera. i can only *pray* that they dont use any of the footage that i might have been remotely involved in.

you're no stranger to the camera, i wont be surprised if you're in thurr


was this at the vice party? how was it?

[Ryan]

actually this was after.. i wasnt able to attend the vice jammy

[Denstradamus]

http://www.viceland.com/issues/v12n11/htdocs/bad.php

[cordani]

^noice won

too bad the majority of vice readers are utter toolsacks (read the comments) that still rock trucker hats





and there hasnt been any developments lately as far as the animation gig for the choe doc. harry has been working his ass off tryin to get it off the ground and will get to work on the post-production anim w/me afterwards...

[invictus]

The dollar bill thing was always iffy for me... easier just to use some saltwater in a spray bottle and fry the machine. The machines freak out and will either spit out massive quantities of soda, or massive quantities of money. Either way, you win!!

[herrokitty]

whoa two handed technique O__o

[HwaRang012]

Any updates on the doc, cordani?

[charlos3000]

www.dirtyhandsmovie.com

[sumtinsumtin]

^
thats some truth right there.

[charlos3000]

Originally posted by herrokitty
uh porn site?

fixed og link

[Robocon^^]

Originally posted by matu
A close friend of mine in the army was a hardcore atheist. He had a very rough life growing up(some seriously bad stuff)... God was something we just didn't discuss... he would get upset. When he came back from Iraq, the talked to me a lot about the bible, christianity, and God. I don't know whether he 'found' God out there, but he definitely seemed more open minded about it after he came close to being shot/blown up many times and seeing it happen to others.

were you trying to convert him before or something?

[Dr Jesus]

Way to threadjack matu.

[herrokitty]

it's relevant

[will]

Well.. I've called for a religion thread before.. Am I gonna have to do it?

[ja.net]

Can't wait to see this when it comes out, though I will be peeking through my fingers at a lot of it.

[will]

With respect to the creators of Giant Robot, and after years of consideration, I now have the following criticism to express: David Choe is a total asshole and his art is crap, and GR is not doing it's readers a service by continuing to print his worthless opinions in the section "Choe's Life." What was the point of the "sexy" pic of the girl in the bathtub? That David Choe can get laid? Who cares? <sarcastic, slow clap> I liked his stories about the Congo (even after his admission, true or not, that he had been "hanging out with hardcore Hamas terrorists" in the time immediately before going to the Congo. I'm sure those Israelis that have lost family members due to said terrorists would be happy to know that David has such great homies. But i digress. My point is that his travelogue of the Congo was a funny read, and a classic of GR ) but in the years later, he seems to have failed to develop as a person. let's consider 2004's piece on his being jailed in Japan because he thinks it's cool to steal things. He testified that he had had a religious experience in his time of incarceration (having worked professionally with high risk youth, I used to hear that bullshit all the time) and that he was giving his life to God. I see absolutely no evidence in the pages of GR that he has improved his attitude one bit. Or maybe the serious work of spiritual discipline just isn't cool to talk about? In any case he looked like a complete punk in that story and he seems to have failed to improve since.

What has developed is GR magazine, in many good directions, and I'm certain that many of your readers have also changed in positive and strong ways--and sometimes this may have been something that GR helped/encouraged/served as a catalyst for. Unfortunately for me (and I suspect that I'm hardly alone in my appraisal of David Choe and his sloppy, ugly, worthless art), everytime I read your magazine I have to see another couple pages of David Choe's laughable "insights." He may be your homie, but I don't understand what anyone could see in him. As far as I'm concerned, that arrogant prick will have to work in an orphanage for AIDS orphans in the Congo before I'll ever respect him.

On this, the release of the documentary about him, I'm taking the opportunity to piss on the parade. I'll continue to be a fan of GR magazine, but David Choe isn't doing anything good for the world, and I'm calling bullshit on his whole immature shtick.

Thank you for your time in considering my opinion, and good night.

[kcphd]

It seems kind of preposterous to put a moral litmus test on an artist as a pre-requisite to considering the value of his art, but if you know of any other artists doing comparable but superior work to Choe, please list them here. I'd be interested in contacting them. Thanks.

[Eric Nakamura]

Will your opinion definitely counts, there's a huge camp of folks who feel like you do. Yet there's a legion who love his art and pay grandly for it. Part of it is your perceived persona, the other part is actually real. I won't argue a thing, except that his art is a product of talent and hard work.

[will]

Thank You for understanding and accepting my opinion Eric. I understand and accept that he's your friend, and I see that he has talent. In my own life, I've come to take a few people to task for misusing their good minds and talents. David Choe is definitely one of these people I feel justified in taking to task, and I'll vote with my wallet; i.e. not patronize his books, toys, artwork, etc.

[lakeside resort]

do you expect artists to be good people? most artists are shitheads, especially the talented ones. it's like that thing in Art School Confidential about separating the art from the artist.

[lakeside resort]

anyway, they are no different from everyone else and just as likely, or unlikely, to be decent or upstanding.

[will]

do you expect artists to be good people? most artists are shitheads, especially the talented ones. it's like that thing in Art School Confidential about separating the art from the artist.


Yes. I expect people to be good people, especially artists.

I don't know what artists you know, but the ones i know and love are far, far, from being "shitheads." Quite the opposite.

[kcphd]

I don't know what artists you know, but the ones i know and love are far, far, from being "shitheads." Quite the opposite.

Can you name any who do similar but superior work to Choe? I think the very nature of graffiti would attract people who might not be considerate of other people's feelings/property.

[fmstlr]

what is 'good people'?

does being judgmental of others make you good people, or not?

[will]

No. But stealing shit, attacking people and vandalizing property in the name of an art that most people don't appreciate surely doesn't make you a good person.

[will]

Can you name any who do similar but superior work to Choe? I think the very nature of graffiti would attract people who might not be considerate of other people's feelings/property.

Basically, I don't agree with "graffitti art" and it's pompous, immature bluster of hipness. Is it cool for people to spray tag on your house? Then why is okay for david choe to spray tag on taxpayer-owned property to enhance his bad-boy cache (and, stock, for all you people that happily outlay valuable finances for his sloppy work)?

Then there's his discovery of "God." What was that all about? People that profess a conversion and then go back to being exactly what they were are nothing more than fools that expect me to fall for their bullshit. I guess "God's plan" for david choe was for him to take pics of naked women and publish them in Giant Robot magazine. That must be it right? That and overcharge patrons thousands upon thousands of dollars for art of questionable value. Surely he needs that much money. Surely "God" wants him to be a rockstar and make lots of money. Surely "God" must ... you get the idea.

I am not a Christian and I don't really "believe in God." Not really, not how others do. But I loathe spiritual dishonesty and the huckster instinct far worse than any other flaws. Does he work hard? Yes. He works hard at being an asshole and cranking out art that I don't like.

[djbadmonkey]

Can you name any who do similar but superior work to Choe? I think the very nature of graffiti would attract people who might not be considerate of other people's feelings/property.

i think the nature of hero worship turns a blind eye to the very deep pitfalls of the hero in question.

and yes, deeds do matter in the context of one's art. since art without the artist is meaningless. those who are naive enough to buy into the sham that is "virulent male rebel artist forging his way ahead via flawed paths" just simply don't know enough about the real costs or real modes of producing such a "legend."

I won't go so far as to say that dave choe is a giant asshole, or deserves a brick to the face--but i will say that he is SELLING something. Something that people obviously want to buy. Something that schlepping for Vice Mag, or shooting guns in abandoned houses in the desert, or pretending to hitch hike across america, or "going to prison" makes more "desirable" to a subset of society who is fairly easily separated from their $, for whatever reason.

[lakeside resort]

art without the artist is meaningless. but I think it's important to separate moral concerns, like the artist is a selfish prick or eats babies so his or her work is no good.

[kcphd]

To be honest, I am not a fan of Choe's work, but his work is at least as important as, say, Adrian Tomine's comics, and in doing a survey of Asian American graphic artists, if I were to dismiss Choe, that would be the equivalent of excluding rap/hip-hop from a mixtape because the genre is populated/defined by assholes/petty criminals.

I think the very worst outcome would be to have a collection of socially-progressive, inoffensive art that reflected the personalities of artists that would make for great, solid pals. Likewise, I'm not interested in having an art-shock gallery. I would like to meet people halfway and get someone who has something interesting to express without being a total sociopath, but the fact that no one seems to be able to offer a suitable alternative to Choe suggests that he is the top that his game has to offer.

But like I say, I'm not a fan, so am therefore pretty ignorant of this kind of art, so please school me and tell me who else I should be looking at.

[randall fairbrook]

deth p. sun

[djbadmonkey]

To be honest, I am not a fan of Choe's work, but his work is at least as important as, say, Adrian Tomine's comics, and in doing a survey of Asian American graphic artists, if I were to dismiss Choe, that would be the equivalent of excluding rap/hip-hop from a mixtape because the genre is populated/defined by assholes/petty criminals.

I think the very worst outcome would be to have a collection of socially-progressive, inoffensive art that reflected the personalities of artists that would make for great, solid pals. Likewise, I'm not interested in having an art-shock gallery. I would like to meet people halfway and get someone who has something interesting to express without being a total sociopath, but the fact that no one seems to be able to offer a suitable alternative to Choe suggests that he is the top that his game has to offer.

But like I say, I'm not a fan, so am therefore pretty ignorant of this kind of art, so please school me and tell me who else I should be looking at.

honestly, in my opinion, you should really be looking to no one--and i don't say this out of some misplaced sentimental appreciation for the "good old days"--but because i think paint, as a medium, is dead. I might venture to say that art, as a whole, is dead and has been supplanted by other forms of expression that have more relevance, more dynamism, more puissance, if you will. animation, film, perf art, web design, music, dance, photography, sculpture--it's a crowded market for "expression" and really with the advent of self web-publishing, we've got way too much "expression" going on. not nearly enough action (which, subsequently makes the role of the artist defining his art through action, even more central.)

and i think a bunch of well-adjusted, feel-good types making art that reflects all of this is the other side of the same coin--and the coin isn't that art today is missing it's mark--rather, that art has become a quantifiable commodity. Decorative, conversation pieces, that have as much potential to change the world as what curtains you pick from ikea, or the color of your rug. And that art has lost the capital A in front of it wouldn't be such a tragedy, if people weren't obsessed with living in a moment where "Art Matters" and would accept the fact that it IS commercial, it IS superficial, it IS an outdated premise. We can't have a constant supply of pollocks, manets, caravaggios, and in moving forward, art hit the brick wall decades ago and is now doomed to wait for the day when it becomes relevant again--when there's no electrical grid, no appliances, none of the convenient things that have supplanted its place in society.

[golivar]

what about Lady Gaga?

[randall fairbrook]

you should peep her or cop her or something




cosign

[lakeside resort]

The Moral of the Story: Can You Hate the Artist but Love the Art?

http://ethicist.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/can-you-hate-the-artist-but-love-the-art/

[newaza]

from the flickr of sean marc lee (http://www.flickr.com/photos/le_carabinier/), a photographer i'm a big fan of:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/4643465736_b146d14880_o.jpg

"This painting by artist David Choe was spotted at his recent show in Beverly Hills titled, "Nothing to Declare." (http://www.lazinc.com/exhibitions/70,david-choe-nothing-to-declare/).

I think he should at least buy me a drink, or two, or three. I completely understand that all artists have their references/steal/borrow etc etc because, well, I do the same. He probably had the photo lying around he grabbed off of notcot or whatever and just painted it quick style.

Again, not exactly angry and in ways stoked it inspired him....but I'm just saying you know?"

turns out this has happened before:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/major1deegan/388436888/

:/

[Robocon^^]

...kinda dulls the edge.

For someone who's built up a reputation for fucking shit up with reckless abandon.

Simple plagiarism...so sad and mundane...

[Denstradamus]

wow just read some of will's old comments here.

first of all the artists i met when i had a certain job, david choe was definitely the nicest.

yeah i hear those other stories too. it doesn't make sense to me. i think there's a quote that someone said about charles barkley: "he's a really nice guy who's pretending to be an asshole." i think this applies to dave.

here i was fucking around in retail after college and he actually is pushing me to pursue a career in science. he even gives me his number and asks that i contact a friend of his in SD who is in biotech to get me a job.

this is a kid who first discovered giant robot after reading slow jams. to say the least i'm a fan for life.

[Robocon^^]

When you see what he's done, It's obvious he's hard working, talented and driven. Its a letdown to see him stoop to copying fellow contemporary artists without permission for work intended to be sold in galleries.

Maybe he sees it differently and just goes with what whatever's around that grabs his attention.

[Denstradamus]

When you see what he's done, It's obvious he's hard working, talented and driven. Its a letdown to see him stoop to copying fellow contemporary artists without permission for work intended to be sold in galleries.

Maybe he sees it differently and just goes with what whatever's around that grabs his attention.

Yeah I totally agree. What I said wasn't in reference to your post, but to will's and some other posts way earlier in this thread.

Biting sucks.

[Olene]

...kinda dulls the edge.

For someone who's built up a reputation for fucking shit up with reckless abandon.

Simple plagiarism...so sad and mundane...

how is shop-lifting 'fucking shit up'? doesn't hardly rank if you ask me. if someone is buying this guy's art for his bad-boy reputation they're pathetic.

[Olene]

The Moral of the Story: Can You Hate the Artist but Love the Art?

http://ethicist.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/can-you-hate-the-artist-but-love-the-art/

i didn't read the article you linked to but just want to say the answer is NO. You MUST admire or have affinity with the artist as a fellow human being in some way shape or form in order to connect with the work on a deeper level... many times watching a documentary on the life and times of an artist will inform me of the unique mind that gave birth to the image and this enriches my understanding of the image, elevating the artist and the art in my mind as one and the same, an example would be How To Draw A Bunny - the film about Ray Johnson.

p.s sorry but I would not pay money to see any film about David Choe

[Denstradamus]

I honestly didn't know anything about "fucking shit up". I just knew he was a graf artist on the side. All that side shit antics I didn't learn about until after he blew up.

I just loved Slow Jams period. Slow Jams changed how viewed comics. Definitely not fucking Tomine. He opened me up to GR.

I would watch a movie on Choe and Clowes, but not fucking Tomine.

[Denstradamus]

i didn't read the article you linked to but just want to say the answer is NO. You MUST admire or have affinity with the artist as a fellow human being in some way shape or form in order to connect with the work on a deeper level...


That's a very sweet and romantic sentiment, but I completely disagree. I'm pretty sure most of the writers, musicians, philosophers and directors whose works I admire are complete cunts. Maybe that's saying something more about me.

[Olene]

yes, den, but don't you think buying a painting is a lot more personal a transaction than say going to itunes and clicking 'Buy'? I have never bought a piece of art such as a painting myself, but I have bought a ton of stuff off etsy from some brilliant craftspeople and i can imagine there would be a similar amount of human interaction involved. I would never fork out money to someone I thought I couldn't respect or like as an individual.

i think if are you buying art merely to make a profit off it, like if you're a gallery owner, then by all means buy art with no account to the artist's personal integrity and character. (Ideally of course both good character and artistic ability would converge). but for the average joe person such as myself i believe it is human nature to say you want to know and like the artist outside of the artwork...

and say you are an off-this-planet-genius-whack artist then by all means act as degenerate as you want, appropriate from the small people even...go ahead and get away with murder... call me a snob but i just don't think any graffiti artists need apply in this category..

i understand you are loyal to him tho and that's to be applauded...

[grandpa_shig]

what if you believe art should be free? ideally that should be the norm. i mean, you guys are basically talking about money and not art. like "im not putting money in so-and-so's pocket cuz i dont like them as a person". dudes all butthurt that homie copied their shit, the subtext is theyre pissed that he's getting paid off their backs. and that sucks, but art as a business and art as just art are two different things. besides, you guys ever stop to consider what kind of selfish asshole buys art? basically takes something from public view so that only a select group of people can see it.

[kamenriderv3]

was that a serious question?

[Olene]

what if you believe art should be free? ideally that should be the norm. i mean, you guys are basically talking about money and not art. like "im not putting money in so-and-so's pocket cuz i dont like them as a person". dudes all butthurt that homie copied their shit, the subtext is theyre pissed that he's getting paid off their backs. and that sucks, but art as a business and art as just art are two different things. besides, you guys ever stop to consider what kind of selfish asshole buys art? basically takes something from public view so that only a select group of people can see it.

umm talk about beyond the scope of this thread..and beyond the scope of my ditzy brain...

all i can say in reply to that is - look around you, there is free art everywhere. seek and you will find!

or just take a trip to the the big apple and pay $10 (or watever the fee is, can't remember) to go into the Met and spend all day in there gazing at all the fucking treasures. that's very little money to be in the presence of greatness.

yes we live in a world that makes a commodity of everything and artists have to eat and clothe themselves just like the rest of us... so yeah i totally believe in art as a business, but it has to be with integrity. high art has always been for the elites so who cares how much money they want to blow on something to show status to others? That kind of art is not worth having anyway. Snufkin would say so.

[grandpa_shig]

as the high art elites like to say

DONT HATE THE PLAYER HATE THE GAME

[randall fairbrook]

http://fleshbot.com/5669993/david-choe-painter-of-naked-babes-and-then-some

[esswhykay]

I wasn't expecting much from the new series of Thumbs Up, but it's not half bad.

[lakeside resort]

yous a dick suckin faggot

[premium]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46234749/ns/business-us_business/#.TyrxPPnsadA

"The graffiti artist who took Facebook stock instead of cash for painting the walls of the social network’s first headquarters made a smart bet. The shares owned by the artist, David Choe, are expected to be worth upward of $200 million when Facebook stock trades publicly later this year."

[kingka]

thats fuckin awesome.................

[kamenriderv3]

cash it in before the market adjusts

[joetron2030]

Yeah, I just saw that too.

Not sure how things work with shares owned pre-IPO post IPO though I would guess that there's some time period where he can't sell. Probably just long enough to allow the share price to drop significantly. LOL.

[wnoodle]

Probably still more money than we'll ever see.

[puppy fields]

$200 million would kill a person.

[joetron2030]

It'll get dave a lot of time in Vegas. Heh.

[Denstradamus]

nice man. he made it. we knew him from GR you guys. what a success story.

['jim]

Choe's podcast (http://koreansgonebad.com) makes me miss the golden age of the lounge when everyone argued and said crazy shit they will regret forever all the time.

Featuring guest appearances with Asa Akira, Sasha Grey, Saelee Oh, James Jean and the lounge's own superstar Bill Bear. http://koreansgonebad.com/2011/08/episode-5/

So far that ep is my fave. Bill rules + total James Jean meltdown! It's no joke.

I would've posted this on twitter but there's too much inter-asian racial shit for a general audience. I miss the lounge.

Hopefully Dave can hook me up w/ 20G's for this plug.

[joetron2030]

^Nice!

[puppy fields]

http://i.imgur.com/XK29D.png

['jim]

Golden age was maybe 4 months in 2001. People posted their full names w/ pics and detailed sexual histories. None of that got archived.

[Margin Walker]

Good for Dave. I just hope he breaks off some of that cheddar for Eric & Martin to get Giant Robot back in print instead of pulling a Henry V (see also: Keanu Reeves' character in "My Own Private Idaho").

[rsweeting123]

Loving it, can't wait for more!

[feralmuppet]

The Upper Playground store has an entire shelf island stacked with Choe designs. I wonder if it was always there, or if they set it up because Choe was in the news recently because of his Facebook windfall.

[kingka]

Choe's podcast (http://koreansgonebad.com) makes me miss the golden age of the lounge when everyone argued and said crazy shit they will regret forever all the time.

Featuring guest appearances with Asa Akira, Sasha Grey, Saelee Oh, James Jean and the lounge's own superstar Bill Bear. http://koreansgonebad.com/2011/08/episode-5/

So far that ep is my fave. Bill rules + total James Jean meltdown! It's no joke.

I would've posted this on twitter but there's too much inter-asian racial shit for a general audience. I miss the lounge.


Hopefully Dave can hook me up w/ 20G's for this plug.


lol @ 31min mark.

lol, umad? giantrobot = dinky little asian magazine. I know they're only joking around though. good show.

[Denstradamus]

i remember when he actually posted here and got into fights with people over stuff. haha. and people didn't really believe it was him.

['jim]

lol @ 31min mark.

lol, umad? giantrobot = dinky little asian magazine. I know they're only joking around though. good show.

I personally would like a magazine again that's mostly about kung fu movies and junk food which is what I signed up for, back yonder. It seems ridiculous that Jean got rejected but that was right at the beginning of the transition into Juxtapoz lite, wasn't it? All the artists in the beginning of that period were personal friends of Eric & Martin.

Doesn't Choe run Upper Playground or have a lot to do with it? They have some pretty decent merch. I still root for the GR team, but they've gone a little off what use to be the core stuff.

['jim]

Nobody's biting on that one I guess. Not letting the thread end with me complaining about art coverage that I've mostly enjoyed but I miss the old mag.

That podcast gets pretty rough. Starting watching all the Thumbs Up series, that's like classic GR stories. Like the Robot Power zine. There's gotta be a way for GR to do something with these things they kinda started more directly. I mean if Vice can do that, Vice was like a joke 10 years ago.

[Denstradamus]

. There's gotta be a way for GR to do something with these things they kinda started more directly. I mean if Vice can do that, Vice was like a joke 10 years ago.


Good point.