New Zine Parade

Baltimore's Nudashank Gallery has a new zine out titled Heady Mugs. It includes one image from each artist in their current Heady Mugs art show which Nudashank calls, "an overwhelming show of psychedelic portraits and trippy faces". The show includes work by Matt Feyld, one of my favorite Canadian artists. Full list of artists here.

Available from Nudashank Gallery
2 Color Screenprint Cover
14 pages b&w
$5 + Shipping and tax

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Drippy Bone Books has just released a new zine by Colorado artist Mario Zoots. Titled MCMLXIX, it's b/w, 12 pgs and issued in an edition of 50 copies.



They also recently released issue #2 of Whore Eyes, which features work by Mario Zoots, Shannon Keller, David Magdaleno, Kristy Foom, Keenan Marshall Keller, and Actually Huizenga.

It comes with a music compilation titled, The FAILURE:
featuring-
STATIC STATIC (L.A.),
Wizzard Sleeve (Mobile, AL),
Modern Witch (Denver/Amsterdam), Leaders (Portland, OR),
LE Shat Noir (Seattle, WA),
Mueran Humanos (Berlin/Buenos Aires), TIREFIRE (New Orleans),
Little White Rabbits Still Bleed Red (Indianapolis, IN)
Mikki and the Mauses (L.A.),
and D.A. (L.A.)

WHORE EYES #2 flip-vid from Keenan Keller on Vimeo.

Available from Drippy Bone Books here.

Snow Globe

New Chicago gallery, Johalla Projects, has a show titled Snow Globe opening tonight. Featuring work by:
Aron Gent ∙ Chad Haldeman ∙ Garrett Jensen ∙ Johalla Projects (Caitlin Arnold, Anna Cerniglia, Jourdon Gullett, Melissa Marinaro, David Snedden) ∙ Sonia Levy ∙ Steven Karl Metzer ∙ Justus Roe ∙ Phil Schuster ∙ Momoko Seto ∙ and Nick Spiese.

Info from their site...
The snow globe has seen its popularity remain in our contemporary consciousness due to its ability to delight us with dream-like visuals that tap into our memories. Like the Romantics who invented this agreeable souvenir, we too desire a window into the quixotic and the surreal. Featuring sculpture, photography, and film, Snow Globe is a transformation of our gallery space into exactly what it sounds like – a white, wintry realm. Videos by Sonia Levy and Momoko Seto mediate on foreign ice worlds, while an installation by Johalla Projects in collaboration with Chad Haldeman, Justus Roe, and Phil Schuster set to an audio track by Nick Spiese offers another interpretation on the frigid and frozen landscape. Photographers Aron Gent and Steven Karl Metzer use their cameras to capture the season in a manner that recalls a particular time and place; the traces of winters’ past recognized within their images harkens back to the very device that has inspired our exhibition. Snow Globe offers a new way to experience this kitschy and nostalgic item; Johalla Projects invites you to consider our reflections on the snow globe and place yourself within a winter terrain fashioned by a diverse group of multi-media artists.

Opening Reception: Saturday, December 19, 2009
7-10 pm
Beer provided by Grolsch

Exhibition runs from December 19-27, 2009
Gallery hours are Saturday 1-5 pm and by appointment during the week.

Floyd From Ohio

New Chicago boutique Black Market Caviar has a show opening tonight featuring photography by Floyd From Ohio.

Music by Fess Grandiose

Black Market Caviar
Friday, December 18, 2009
7:00pm - 10:00pm
1945 W Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622

Trendbeheer Meets Proximity

My favorite Dutch peeps, Niels Post and Jeroen Kuster of Trendbeheer.com are back in town again.

Info from the Co-Prosperity Sphere site...
For the past two years Public Media Institute and Proximity magazine have been collaborating with Trendbeheer.com, a Rotterdam-based arts initiative, to bring artists and projects to each other’s cities.

This December Trendbeheer will be mounting a show at C-PS to coincide with issue 6 of Proximity magazine, themed (An)Other Worlds.
Issue 6 includes an expansive Rotterdam Section and artists interviewed in the issue will be present in Chicago for the Trendbeheer Meets Proximity exhibition.

Trendbeheer will be bringing information about the Rotterdam art scenes displayed in an ad hoc Info Kiosk. They will screen a Rotterdam VHS Film Festival program and present a performance by Jeroen Kuster.

 The exhibition features works by Niels Post, Jeroen Kuster, Jeroen Jongeleen, Petra van Noort and Charlotte Schleiffert, Olaf Mooij, Gyz LaRiviere, Marcha van den Hurk, Koen Taselaar and Villeroy & Boch.

Opening reception: 7pm-9pm December 18, 2009
free!

Performance Program – 9pm – 1am December 18, 2009
Featuring Julian Lynch, Jeroen Kuster, Michael Perkins, Mike Vallera, and Henry James Glover.
$5 admission at the door or pay $10 and take a way a new issue of Proximity (if in stock)..

Rotterdam VHS Film Festival Program: December 19 , 2009 7pm
free!

Trendbeheer Meets Proximity
December 18 and Dec 19 , 2009
Co-Prosperity Sphere
3219 S Morgan St.
Chicago, IL

Holiday time at Big Cat Press

Tony Fitzpatrick's Big Cat Press is holding a holiday sale this coming Friday. Featuring work by a lot of fun artists including Matthew Hoffman, Steff Bomb, Michael Pajon, and Renee Robbins.

Friday, December 18, 2009
6 to 10 pm
Beer by Three Floyds, Cookies by Mindy Segal.
Big Cat Press
2124 N.Damen (Big Cat Press)
773.342.5381

Tamales! Tamales!

There may be other tamales guys in Chicago but the one everyone prefers is Claudio the Tamales Guy. If you're a good boy or girl he will magically show up at the bar you're at and sell you a bag of tamales. These shots I took are from a very quick visit he made at Rainbo Club one night. You have to keep an eye out for him because he has many stops to make and hungry people to feed. You can keep track of his whereabouts with this handy dandy Tamale Guy Tracker produced by Scared Panda on Twitter.




And you can honor Claudio with this awesome new t-shirt designed by Chicago designer Kimberly McGuire.


This shirt is based on the Tamale Guy's iconic red cooler, which he uses to carry his tamales. The t-shirt is being produced by Scared Panda and 10% of the proceeds are going to Esperanza Community Services, which assists individuals with developmental disabilities.

You can read more about Claudio in these articles in the Chicago Tribune, Gaper's Block, and on the Chicago History Museum's blog.

Cabinet of Curiosities

I'll be giving a 7-minute talk of some sort, paired with pictures of another sort, on the topic, "Dystopias vs Enchanted Forests", along with a distinguished panel of distinguished panelists. Being held at Puck's Cafe at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, tomorrow Tuesday, December 15th at 6pm. This talk is curated by Quimby's Bookstore and is part of the MCA's Cabinet of Curiosities series. I may even play some records. Of some sort.



I'll actually be showing pictures of Detroit and talking about how some residents are creating new life and ventures out of parts of the city that have been forgotten or abandoned.



Presenters in the program include:
Oscar Arriola
Ed Marszewski of Proximity and Lumpen magazines
Joe Mason, Librarian of the Obscure
Kate Sheehy, Puppeteer
and Liz Mason of Quimby's Bookstore.

Cabinet of Curiosities
*Free*
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
6 to 7 pm
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
in Puck's Cafe
220 E. Chicago Ave (1 blk east of Michigan Ave)
Chicago, IL

It's Googly Time!

I'm really digging this clock designed by Mike Mak. It's called Eye Clock and it gives you the time with its rotating pupils. The hours are noted by the left eye and minutes by the right. It's that easy!

The clock is being produced by SuckUK and is available in the US through Turntable Lab.

Jettison

Jettison Quarterly, an online arts and culture periodical, is having a release party for issue 4 tonight at Between Lounge.

Jettison Quarterly Issue 4 Release Party
Friday, December 11, 2009
8pm to 2am
Between Lounge
1342 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Picturing the Studio

Info from the SAIC site...

This exhibition explores the richly complex politically- and psychologicaly-charged notion of the artist's studio today. With works by over 30 artists spanning the past two decades, this exhibition also includes several specially designed installations undertaken by artists on site. Curated by Michelle Grabner, SAIC, and Annika Marie, Columbia College.

Artists include: Jan Bas Ader, Conrad Bakker, John Baldessari, Stephanie Brooks, Ivan Brunetti, Ann Craven, Julian Dashper, Dana DeGuilio, Susanne Doremus, Joe Fig, Dan Fischer, Julia Fish, Nicholas Frank, Alicia Frankovich, Judith Geichman, Rodney Graham, Karl Haendel, Shane Huffman, Barbara Kasten, Matt Keegan, Daniel Lavitt, Daniel; Adelheid Mers, Tom Moody, Bruce Nauman, Paul Nudd, Leland Rice, David Robbins, Kay Rosen, Amanda Ross-Ho, Carrie Schneider, Roman Signer, Amy Sillman, Frances Stark, Nicholas Steindorf, and James Welling.

This show is also part of Studio Chicago, a collaborative project that explores the artist’s studio. For more information visit: www.studiochicago.org

Opening reception Dec. 11, 2009
4:30 - 7:00pm
Sullivan Galleries
School of the Art Insitute of Chicago
33 S. State, 7th Floor
Chicago, IL

The exhibition runs through Feb. 13, 2010,

Forever Vegetal

New sculptures and paintings by Brian McNearney and Edra Soto tonight at Roots and Culture.


Opening reception Friday, December 11, 2009
6 to 9 pm
Roots and Culture
1034 N. Milwaukee
Chicago, IL

WAR IS OVER...

...if you want it.


Yoko Ono has reprised the famous WAR IS OVER - If You Want It poster that she and John Lennon originally conceived at the end of 1969 in response to the Vietnam War. This time it's available as a free download on her Flickr page.

It's also been translated into 46 other languages including Thai...


Armenian


Urdu


and Dutch.


Check out the entire series here.

The first 1/2 of this video contains archival footage of John and Yoko talking about their peace campaign.