Jeff Gillette: "Dismayland" Awakes Our Apathyland

Jeff's art is the kind of home grown surreal imagery that touches the soul of this OC outcast. Along with other OC captives-turned-artists, Camille Rose Garcia, No Doubt and Social Distortion, he captures the wasteland that inspires rebellious commentary and attitude. I first became acquainted with his art thru his wife's wonderful assemblages. Won't bust their privacy here by mentioning names but they are an artist couple to be contended with, both are equally talented and fantastically creative originals in very different realms.

Part futuristic predictions of the Anaheim to come, part social commentary on the disparity between poverty and "having fun" behind the Orange Curtain, Jeff's work paints the panoramas only the real desperate housewives can relate to. He reminds us that our American  pursuits and commercialism are only enabled by the shanty town workforces in other countries. This juxtaposition of imagery drives home the results this consumerism may have in our future, a science fiction that's not too far from a non-fiction reality. With another twist, the fun and familiar cartoon images of our youth, sprinkled among the ruins, spark a warm note of nostalgia.

If I was in SoCal now I would be shaking my butt down to see this show before it's taken down. It will be up until May 1st, 2010 for all you folks in the vicinity.

Link To Gallery:

http://www.copronason.com/exhibitionsCurrent.html

Link to Jeff's Art Slant site

Eclectix Interview With Artist Kmye Chan

A little gallery of Kmye Chan's heart filled art and the Eclectix interview with her. From France with love...

Interview Link

Last Gasp Kickin' Ass Art at Their 40th Anniversary Exhibit, at 111 Minna Gallery in SF

Doggie Greeters

Great scene happening at the opening and celebration last night of Last Gasp's anniversary party. If you don't know who Last Gasp is - briefly they have been responsible for supporting and publishing many counter culture artists, cutting edge writers and poets and fringe musicians, here in San Francisco. Many who have gone on to fame and fortune, breaking ground in our cultural landscape.

Ed Hardy

The line up of artists is a veritable whose-who of pop-surrealism and kustom kulture - Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup Glenn Barr, Robert Crumb, Richard Corben, Guy Colwell, Ron English, Tony Fitzpatrick, Christopher Felver, Camille Rose Garcia, Justin Green, Bill Griffith, Rick Griffin, Ed Hardy, Frank Kozik, Joe Ledbetter, Carol Lay, Adrian Lee, Michael Manning, Chris Mars, Scott Musgrove, Junko Mizuno, Liz McGrath, Laurenn McCubbin, Mitch O’Connell, Annie Owens, The Pizz, Mark Ryden, Michael Rosen, Trina Robbins, Spain Rodriguez, Dori Seda, Winston Smith, Eric White, Robert Williams, Attaboy, Aye Jay, and many more.

Chris Mars

Camille Rose Garcia

The crowd was a wonderful mish-mash of colorful artsy types. Lots of snappy dressers, friendly familiar faces, wierdos, usual art groupies, and freaks, just my kind of crowd. At one point there was some out-of-control, attention-sucking woman who kept flailing around in some sexy? dance on a bench, eventually hitting people around her, including artist Isabel Samaras who got it in the face. The place was nicely crowded and every 5 or so people there was a strong whiff of fresh herb, the pockets must have been packing it. Then there seemed to be a cadre of older women in leopard/cheetah spotted faux fur coats, not together- but they would have made a great photo if there had been room to herd them up.

Best Darn Shirts In The Place!

Jennybird Alcantara

Junko Mizuno

Dudes With An Agenda Of Some Sort

Reverend Levba

Winston Smith and Isabel Samaras

Mitch O"Connell

Striped Dude and Red Headed Tee Shirt Seller

The venue was 111 Minna, a bar, club and gallery. The past shows I had been to there, were poorly lit. Much of the art was stuck on temporary wall dividers in the middle of the space and you could barely see it. However, for this event, I was happy to see things were much cleaner. The dividers were gone, all the art was respectfully on the actual walls and it was all lit very well. The gurl DJ spun some great stuff including the Ramones, which always seem to cheer me up, along with a darn tasty margarita.

So much outstanding, eclectic art and eye candy, a very good vibe and friends meeting up again -  good time, great show, all around! 

http://www.lastgasp.com/
http://www.111minnagallery.com/

The Magical World of M.C. Escher, Boca Raton Museum of Art

Although I've seen Escher's works countless times in many exhibits over the years, this was far and away the most interesting, informative and comprehensive view I've seen. He was one of the first artists I had a print by, as a child, and I think most artists in the newbrow art world would agree- his work still astounds, in spite of the familiarity.

This huge exhibit at the Boca Raton Museum of Art has everything Escher - from all his famous woodcuts and lithographs to smaller, earlier commercial works like bookplates. Models, furniture, books, personal items, actual wood blocks and stones and working materials. There are a number of breathtaking renderings, in chalk and pencil, of Italian landscapes from his eleven years spent there. 

The twisted hills, contrasting cactus leaves, geometry of the architecture and rolling shadows, all hinted towards influence in his later works.
Best known for impossible scenarios, optical illusions and eye play in his art, Escher was born in the Netherlands. His father was a civil engineer which surely must have influenced Escher's eye.

One of the  fascinating treats of the exhibit was a dissected look at the evolution of the piece titled "Three Worlds". (above)
On display is the original litho stone, the detailed, preliminary rough sketches and a multitude of prints he experimented with before the final image was chosen. He tried different angles, different numbers of trees and numbers of fish, different densities in the reflection and finally completely flipped the placement of the trees vertically. All but 10 of his stones were destroyed following printing - he would cancel them by scratching an X in the stone so his work couldn't be reproduced. 
Another room contained a really fun exhibit of his works which were pirated and reproduced into psychedelic day-glow posters from the 1960's and 70's.

The entire room was lit only by black lights, offering optimum viewing of these classic head shop staples. The "Dragon" poster I remember owning was here, among countless others, glowing in neon magenta, orange, violet and chartreuse.

 "The hippies of San Francisco continue to print my work illegally," Escher wrote in 1969. A smart move on his part might have been reproduction of his own works in this vein, then he could have reaped the profits, instead of others. Altho he did not appreciate these interpretations, multitudes of others certainly did and still do. 

Even if you think you've seen it all before, if you find yourself in Florida, go visit! It is well worth any travel time and provides much more insight into Escher's art and the process behind many artistic creations, to see all this in person.


Boca Raton Museum of Art, Thru April 11, 2010.
http://www.bocamuseum.org/index.php?submenu=exib_current&src=gendocs&ref=Current%20Exhibitions&category=Exhibitions

R.I.P. Jim Marshall, Long Lives Rock and Roll

Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, 1967


Another great artist passes, this time renown chronicler of rock and roll in the 1960's and 1970's, photographer Jim Marshall. He died in his sleep, one couldn't ask for a better way to go....

Great photographs of all the greats, some shots so famous they are practically art icons. Like the one of Jimi Hendrix here. Or Bobby Dylan, (above) kicking the tire, 1963.

“I have no kids,” Marshall said. “My photographs are my children.”

 Thanks, Jim, for leaving so much behind for us all.

Woodstock, 1969

Johnny Cash, San Quentin, 1969


http://www.marshallphoto.com/

Michael Kutsche, Concept Artist For Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland

When I stumbled upon Michael's concept art for the new Burton film, I was floored. His stuff is magnificent, glorious, impeccable in technique but with imagination to boot. Artists like this don't come along that often.He works traditionally and digitally - an obvious master at both.

Found a number of interviews with Michael on the web. (That's what being associated with Disney will do for an artist, overnight.) Here are some good tidbits.
From the LA Times blog- Hero Complex
HC: But you didn’t know you were “auditioning” to work on “Alice in Wonderland’?
MK: They said there were a couple of illustrators -- kinda like a competition -- so would you please draw a caterpillar. Like think of “Pan's Labyrinth,” real actors with animated features. I did that in one day … I tried to do the best that I could. I got the job and finally met the vice president of Sony Imageworks [Debbie Denise]. She said what movie I’d be working on. She said it was Tim Burton and “Alice in Wonderland.” I was totally like fainting.
HC: When did you first get into illustrating?
MK: I was always drawing, from kindergarten age. I didn’t really go to art school, I just self trained. At that time I always felt self-conscious that I don’t know too much, now I kinda find that’s what makes it a little more special. It’s not the taste of the professors or one of my [peers].

From Spinquad-
SQ When you're starting a new character what are you looking for and what methods do you take to create it? 
MK: I try to prevent from doing the same approach over and over again when designing characters, because each design should look unique, I think an artist should be a mix an inventor, a scientist and a craftsman in equal shares. Therefore he should experiment with drawing and ideation techniques, both in traditional media and digitally, and switch between this techniques for each project. I use basically every method and technique that comes to my mind for that process.

From Itsartmag-

IA: How would you describe your universe?
MK: I do my best not to stick to only one universe, cause there are so many more!
I'm somewhere between movies, comics, fine arts, animation, architecture and design. I simply don't want to decide if I am a concept artist, illustrator, fine artist or whatever; I want to do all of that!
I would be bored like hell if I had to be a pure comic artist, painting the same characters over and over again. I need to experiment, transform, invent. Art influences film, film influences fashion and the other way round.
Everything is connected with everything, that's a fact; you just have to open your eyes. It's amazing where each project takes me. Each one is a new experience and all together is a journey.

IA: Do you think you produce art?
MK: There are hundreds of definitions of what art is and what art should be. If we say, art is what you see in a museum then as of now I’m not producing art. I don't really care if a piece of art is displayed in a museum, comic store, movie theater or anywhere, it just has to move me. I know this is not the only truth, but for me it's a good way to navigate in that ocean of visual impressions. There's a lot of crap in comic stores and in museums and at art fairs as well, but there are always a few pieces of art which stand out and which I think of even weeks or years after. If we say: art is a language of creativity, which moves and inspires some people when they look at it, I would say yes, I'm an artist.

Links to full interviews-

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/02/alice-in-wonderland-character-designer-is-a-cinderella-story.html

http://www.itsartmag.com/features/michaelkutsche/

The Hi-Fructose 5th Anniversary Show in LA

Ewelina Ferruso, "Peace in the Garden"


The artsy folks at Hi-Fructose, Atta and Annie, are having their anniversary exhibit in Los Angeles right now. They've been producing this great, newbrow art magazine for 5 years now, so check it out if you haven't seen it. A much needed additional alternative to Juxtapoz. The show opened March 13th and will run thru April 3 at Copro Gallery. So if you are in that neck of the woods, get your head in there.
"The works included in this 5th Anniversary show pays an homage to the artists we’ve featured over the past 5 years and who’ve helped to shape and define the future of art in our culture." - Hi-Fructose
A mouth watering line up of artists with lovely, strange and fantastic art. 
Kris Kuksi, Jonathan Viner, Martin Witfooth, Candice Tripp, Jesse Hazelip, Lori Earley, Chris Mars, Jeff Soto, Kevin Cyr, Mark Ryden, Thomas Doyle, Scott Musgrove, Victor Castillo, Amy Sol, Audrey Kawasaki, Brendan Danielsson, Brian Dettmer, Greg "Craola" Simkins, Harma Heikens, Attaboy, Alex Pardee,Scott Hove, Sas Christian, Colin Christian, Yoko D'Holbachie, Travis Lampe, Junko Mizuno, Brandt Peters, Mia, Chet Zar, Kathie Olivas, Johnny “KMNDZ” Rodriguez, Sam Gibbons, Annie Owens, Yosuke Ueno, Skinner, Ewelina Ferruso, Shag, Mike Shine
You might recognize SF local, Scott Hove's "cake" art from the Eclectix "Eat It" exhibit. And Annie Owen's from the "All Gurlz" show has some gurlz there,  "Fishbowl". Both pieces are sold. Taking a peek at the Copro links it looks like Lori Earley's piece (Lee the Pink Sheep) also sold - for an astounding $25,000! You go, gurl! Here are just a few faves...

Mia, "Medusa"

Chris Mars,“Disappearing Ink”

Attaboy, "Winged Shmee" 



KMNDZ, "Birds Nest" 

For more go to -
http://www.copronason.com/
www.hifructose.com/

Eclectix Interviews Artist Gene Guynn

One of the featured artists in the "Erotix" exhibit is San Francisco based Gene Guynn. His paintings of dark elegance, dripping with movement and tactile substance lend his figurative works an intimate signature. He kindly shared some answers to our questions in the recent Eclectix interview.

Can you tell us where you were born and a little history about your childhood? 

I was born in Fort Worth, Texas in the heat of July in 1985! I grew up with very creative parents and it definitely rubbed off on me. My father is a musician, composer, and speaker engineer, whereas my mother is...

LINK to read the full interview.