Museum Director Jay Xu says: ”It’s a great thing that our museum is in such a dynamic neighborhood that artists choose to use our wall as a canvas,” said museum director Jay Xu. “We will keep it there as long as it lasts.” (SFGate - Jay Xu)

Tempt1 or Tony used to work out of an office near GR years ago. While I can’t say I knew him in any kind of personal capacity except seeing him around and interviewing him one time, he’s now the subject of a documentary. It’s not exactly a happy tale since he’s now fighting ALS and can only move his eyes. The Eyewriter invention (something that was developed with Kickstarter funds) has changed his living quality. He can now draw and such with the movement of his eyes.

He once published a graf mag and I do recall him telling me how he chose to always look where no one else was looking in finding content. Of course, I do want to see this film and I hope it leads to more great things for him.

From (Chinasmack – Thieves)

I didn’t stay here, but the sign is great.

Poke Bowl at Pa’ina Cafe

Kakaako Shave Ice

Goh Nakamura having a wet dream.

This is part of that wet dream. 30 day aged steak at DK.

Is this the best Obama they could find?!!

Graf-prankster, Bansky. He kickstarted the Flux Capacitor, jumped in the Delorean with Marty and Doc and went back to the Pasadena, March 1945. He then busted out the stencils and paint and made a political statement that’s racist but thought provoking. Poor folks, they didn’t keep the piece, which is now worth multi millions of dollars.

The Paulings family were residents in Altadena, CA and merely hired a recently released Japanese American internee (concentration camp), to be a gardener. They were against Executive Order 9066, which basically put JA’s behind barbed wire and were outspoken about it. They made efforts to bring the graffiti perpetrators to justice but had no such support from the police or FBI. Their gardener, George H. Minaki was thought to have gone to war as part of the 442 Battalion, but no one is sure.

It is said that the graffiti artists were involved in a high speed chase fleeing the scene, but got away in their silver sedan when lightning struck the local clock tower at precisely 10:04pm. (Patch - Paulings)

Under Lake Shore Drive, at the Viaduct for Grand Ave. he created a 130 by 10 feet “Obey” mural featuring record album-like cover works.

As part of the Navy Pier Walk 2011 art exhibition, which is billed as the largest outdoor installation of its kind in the country (officially opens July 1), his work will remain up through October.

“Many walls in Kabul are already covered in advertising slogans or fly-posting. There are also rare political slogans.” Free expression and Afghanistan are not two things one normally might consider compatible. And as a continuation of that line of thinking, it is therefore not easy to envision Afghan youth sneaking around the streets and alleys of Kabul spray-painting slogans and anti-American-military phrases on the walls of homes and shops. But it is happening. It seems that teenagers and young adults in their 20s have taken inspiration and encouragement from British artist Banksy and anonymous western art group Combat Communications. As a result, in Kabul in the last 18 months an underground art scene has formed and grown, based largely on the desires of some Afghan youth to express their frustrations and concerns by painting graffiti and “editing” public advertisements and government signage. Pretty neat, and something to be encouraged in an historically oppressed and war-torn country like Afghanistan. Because maybe the way to true freedom and democracy in that country isn’t a gun, but a can of spray paint. (The Guardian UK – Afghan Graffiti Rebels)

Well talked about especially during our Blithe Spirits art exhibition, was the Totoro Yarn Bomb. It’s Crocheted! We took a look at the blog, that were hanging in little strips of paper and saw this: ”You can find my Totoro on Sawtelle Blvd between Olympic Blvd and Santa Monica Blvd.  He’ll be smiling down at all the Japanese food lovers and Giant Robot frequenters, spreading some neighborly love.” We thank Hookedhands for the shout and the neighborly love.

As seen in West LA. No, that can’t be our friend David Horvath’s handiwork, but this looks like Uglydoll Ox. Eyes transposed, maybe the “artist” did some clever mirroring. I’d think doing an official, green OX electrical box would be the way to go. I’m just planting ideas.

Here’s a special video I cut about this artist duo. Kami and Sasu – known as Hitotzuki. I hope you like it. Special thanks to Goh Nakamura, folks at 72andSunny, and Ayako Fujitani.

Tucked away at a full scale PR and Marketing company, 72andSunny near LAX is a workspace and gallery who are hosting, the partner – husband + wife team, Kami and Sasu, also known as Hitotzuki. Hailing from Nakameguro, Tokyo the duo have painted numerous murals in Japan and have worked nearly two weeks on a signature wall piece which will stay “permanently”. Both with a cheerful and happy worth ethic, they brought their three year old son who plays in the space while they’re work on individual paintings which will be hung on their mural. I’ve interviewed Kami in the past for the cover of Giant Robot  #56 and also curated him in an exhibition into an exhibition at the Scion Art Space in Culver City. Insiders, Outsiders, and the Middle and it’s great that 72andSunny has picked up the “ball” and ran further with it by bringing his wife, Sasu to do a mural. I wanted to bring Sasu three years ago, but their son was a newborn at the time. The opening tonite is private, but maybe you can catch it down the road. To view the pieces
Please email events@72andSunny.com
The gallery will be open until June 26th
M-F 10-5

We have some Kami goods left at the GR store. Not a lot, but hard to get.

Ba Le 5014 N. Broadway

In the words of the great Ed Lin, C’mon, graffiti people! It’s bad enough that this thing is 5 ft tall, and is the first thing that you see as you go to get your Banh Mi, but do you really need to taunt us too? I know that you were once a beautiful blank canvas, but they don’t deserve this. They serve yummy and cheap sandwiches and even give you the 6th one free if you buy 5. They make cool funky looking desserts that beg to be eaten. They are a small hard working business, that is an asset to the neighborhood. I eat here all the time and feel bad for them. I’m tempted to turn this into positive advertising for them by re-tagging it…

now wouldn't this make you buy a banh mi or two?

I shot this without the intention of turning it into a film, but I figure there’s so many of you out there who won’t be able to make it to MOCA – Art in the Streets. This is another way to see it. In my opinion the “Street Market II” is the best part of the entire exhibition. The three, Barry McGee, Todd James, and Steve Powers – TWIST, REAS, ESPO respectively, made an effort and succeeded in creating an actual environment, so I isolated it into it’s own video. No where else in the exhibition did I feel that I was being pushed into a very different space. Street Market? There definitely is a place that deserves such a name and it’s at MOCA. On a side note, when the first Street Market took place in Philadelphia, I was invited to go by Mr McGee himself. Perhaps I should have gone, but Todd James did say, “this is even better!” I may post more video from the rest of the exhibition, but again, this part is my favorite.