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.

LOVE/HATE

Chicago painters REVISE CMW & CZR PRZ are presenting a collaborative installation at TOJO Gallery this Friday. Both artists have put up a lot of great work around the city and beyond.

Curated by Allison Glenn
Music by DJ Once a Month

Love/Hate: Revise CMW and CZR PRZ
Friday, December 11, 2009
6 to 11 pm
TOJO Gallery
1418 W Division
Chicago, IL

Five Finger Frenzy

Chicago artist Joey Potts has a holiday sale this Saturday. HIs art will warp your brain. In a good way.

Joey Potts
Five Finger Frenzy Holiday Art Sale
Saturday December 12, 2009
12 to 6 pm
1115 N Richmond St
Chicago, IL

Long Hand

Opening tonight, info from their site...

Johalla Projects presents Long Hand, a group exhibition curated by Caitlin Arnold and Emily Green. Featuring sculpture, photography and fiber, Long Hand brings together seven artists whose conceptual work involves lengthy, manual processes. With the constant inundation of the virtual into our everyday lives, these artists return to reality and the use of their physical bodies in the creation of their art.


New work by: Jesse Avina, Melissa Damasauskas, Matt Shaw, Alise Spinella, Julia Stotz, Peter Takamori, and Casey Ann Wasniewski.

Johalla Projects
Opening Reception:
Saturday, December 5, 2009
6-9pm
Beer provided by Grolsch

Exhibition runs through December 14, 2009
open Saturdays 1-5 or by appointment

Renegade Craft Fair - Holiday Edition

This weekend is the latest edition of the Renegade Craft Fair. I had a good time at the summer one earlier this year on Division St. This one is being held at the beautiful Pulaski Park Fieldhouse a few blocks northeast of Milwaukee/Division/and Ashland Aves.

Info from their site...
Those looking to shop handmade and support small business this holiday season will surely find something for everyone – from jewelry and clothing, to ceramics and stationery, with everything from bath products, housewares, posters, comics and plush objects in between – at this large-scale, free-to-attend art, craft and design extravaganza!!

Special this year: Free Trolley Rides between the Fair and a handful of Wicker Park hot spots will help keep holiday shoppers out of the cold! Stops to catch the trolley along Division St. (between Ashland Ave. and Hoyne Ave.) include our very own Renegade Handmade, Nina, Greenheart Shop and Small Bar, who will be holding a weekend-long $3 draft drink special on PBR – sponsor of this special trolley service!

As always, the Fair is FREE TO ATTEND and other event features include free raffles of publications from Chronicle Books, items from Jenny Hart’s Sublime Stitching, papergoods from Pinball Publishing, and Faythe Levine’s Handmade Nation – both the book and the DVD documentary! Free copies of Readymade and TimeOut Chicago magazines can be found at the Renegade Craft Welcome Station and don’t forget to pop into the free-to-use photo booth provided by Magnolia Photo Booth Co. The Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP) and other local DJs will be playing the jams all weekend long!

Food and beverages from Treat Restaurant and TipsyCake will be available for purchase! Alcoholic beverages will also be available for purchase, including beer, wine, bubbly and mulled-wine!

Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale
December 5 & 6, 2009
11 am to 7 pm
FREE
Pulaski Park Fieldhouse
1419 W Blackhawk (map + directions here )
Chicago, IL

Cupco and Suckadelic invade Philly

Philadelphia's Metropolis Gallery has a great show opening tonight featuring work by CUPCO and Suckadelic. I've written here about NYC's Suckadelic before and his genius handmade bootlegs of Star Wars figures and his own creations. He's also got a growing media empire focusing on stop motion videos of his toys...


as well as other series like the Original Villains Network seen here...

ORIGINAL VILLAIN NETWORK TEASER TRAILER from OriginalVillains on Vimeo.

Cupco is based out of Australia and creates handmade toys based on pop culture icons and villains like Michael Jackson, Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, the god Shiva, child soldiers, and more.




Here's a video mashup of all the characters available tonight...


Opening reception
Friday, December 4, 2009
Metropolis Gallery
154 N Prince St
Lancaster, PA


The show will be up through December 30, 2009 and all the work is available online through their site here and here.

Escape of the Crazies

Chicago artist David "COVE" Gonzalez has a show opening tomorrow Friday titled, Escape of the Crazies. I've enjoyed seeing his work on canvas over the years. I also like his drawing style. He uses ball point pens for sketching and shading in a way I haven't really seen before. This should be a great show.

David "COVE" Gonzalez
Escape of the Crazies
Friday, December 4, 2009
6:30 to 9:30 pm
Sip Coffee House
1223 W Grand Ave (just east of Ogden)
Chicago, IL

Black Market Caviar

Tomorrow is the grand opening for Black Market Caviar, a boutique and screenprinting shop dedicated to showcasing work by new artists. Info from their invite...

Join us as we celebrate the Grand Opening of our first retail location. Sip on a cocktail and shop from our exclusive selections featuring:
Ends/Wealth Corp. • Plastic Party Clothing
Anna Hovet • Ashley’s Drapes • Faux Pas
Black Market Caviar ReUp • International Art Collective
and more

private cocktail reception from 6-7 pm
art exhibit at Rotofugi Gallery 6-10 pm
get a chance to print one of our exclusive designs
during our "Print Party" 8-9:30 pm
"swagger bag" giveaways

music by: DJ SKYLER



In conjunction with the opening, Rotofugi will host an art show curated by Black Market Caviar. Featuring work by D Young V, John Felix Arnold III, Elisa Harkins aka Pooper, Brandon Breaux, Chris Huban and Marco Hafid.



Friday, December 4, 2009
Black Market Caviar opening
1945 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL

& art show at
Rotofugi Gallery
1955 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL

Forgotten, Yet Adored

Chicago documentary photographer Matt Tuteur, will have a show of new work opening this Friday in San Francisco. He'll be showing photographs of 38 different buildings and abandoned structures at D-Structure Gallery. Check it out if you're in the area.

Forgotten, Yet Adored
Photography by Matt Tuteur
D-Structure Gallery
Opening reception Friday, December 4, 2009
Begining at 6pm Performances at 9pm
520 Haight St
San Francisco, Ca

GRIME TIME

GRIME TIME - Issue 1, originally uploaded by fotoflow / Oscar Arriola.

The premiere issue of Grime Time zine was released recently and features photo spreads on New Orleans, Chicago, and an interview with tattoo artist Mario Desa. I was happy to see my photograph of THOR used for the cover.

Issue 1 is available at Quimby's and Novem in Chicago, as well as the other places listed here.

Emory Douglas at Columbia College

Columbia College Chicago's Anchor Graphics is sponsoring a talk by Emory Douglas, the former Minister of Information for the Black Panthers. Emory had been jailed in the late 50's as a teen, where he began working in the prison printshop. He then went on to study commerical art in San Francisco. It was during this period that he became disenchanted with the reports of police brutality occuring in black communities around the country.

He joined the Black Panthers and met with the leaders of the organization in 1967. They had just started publishing a newsletter with a typewriter. Emory offered to work on the newspaper and aid in improving the design. He began creating the striking graphic identity for the Black Panthers and was soon elevated to the position of Minister of Information for the group. He spent the following 12 years creating numerous powerful images that were used in both the newspaper and as posters to be put up in the street.





The F.B.I. kept very close tabs on the organization as seen in these notes on Emory's activities. Down to details like the color of ink they were using on each issue.


The New Museum in New York recently had a show of his work. You can see some images of his work here.

Here's a great article on Emory by Colette Gaiter from the AIGA's site, with more images posted as well.

He's also got a book out on Rizzoli titled, Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas, that covers his work for the group.






Emory Douglas talk at Columbia College Chicago
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
6:30 - 7:30 pm
*Free*
Ferguson Lecture Hall
600 S Michigan Ave at Harrison
Room 101
Chicago, IL

Black Friday etchings

Chicago original, Tony Fitzpatrick, will have a special Black Friday sale of his etchings tomorrow. Being held at his studio and gallery, Big Cat Press, it'll also be a nice opportunity to check out his space and beautiful collage work like the pieces below...


Fire Moth from the Chapel of Moths project Tony produced for the Prospect New Orleans Biennial.


The Spider Music. Part of a Tokyo series that Tony writes eloquently about here.

Friday, November 27, 2009
Noon - 6pm
Big Cat Press
2124 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL

Super Bad Ass

Bridgeport's Co-Prosperity Sphere will unveil Super Bad Ass, a show of artists that the C-PS finds inspiring. There'll be work on display by Juan Angel Chavez, Dayton Castleman, Stephen Eichhorn, Aron Gent, Jeremy Tubbs, Hilary Olson, Tom Torluemke, Gunsho (James Quigley), Berry Sanders, Montgomery Perry Smith, Hui-Min Tsen (with dozens of participants), and Justin B. Williams.

There'll also be musical performances by
Waterbabies
Relay Beken
Dynasty
MR 666
+ special guests
J+J+J DJ

This exhibition is one of the main events for this year's Select Media Festival which runs from Thursday-Sunday this week. More info on the festival here.

Friday, November 20, 2009
Exhibition opens at 7pm
*FREE* from 7 to 9 pm
Admission: $8 after 9pm to 2 am

The show will be on display through December 11, 2009.
Saturday and Sundays 2pm - 6pm, during events and by appointment.
email edmarlumpen AT gmail.com

Goons Cleans Up

Chicago's Goons has a new video out now for Orbit gum featuring his distinctive characters, as well as his take on the British Orbit girl. I'm glad to see his work exposed to a wider audience.


Thanks to Brooks for the heads up.

The Believer: The Art Issue

The latest issue of The Believer, put out by the McSweeney's media empire, is dedicated to Art. Featuring their usual mix of interviews and articles on a wide range of subjects, this issue contains features on artist Andrea Zittel, an interview with painter Jerry Moriarty by cartoonist Chris Ware, a piece on Kymaerica - an alternate universe created by the grandson of designers Charles and Ray Eames, and more.

There's also a brand new comic section debuting in this issue that's edited by Alvin Buenaventura of the prolific Buenaventura Press. This issue will feature strips by Charles Burns, Chicago's Lilli Carré and Anders Nilsen, Al Columbia, Ron Regé Jr., a new edition of Boy's Club (which is hilarious) by Matt Furie, and work by many more.

And on top of that the cover of this issue is a collaboration by cartoonists Charles Burns and Chris Ware.

Available in Chicago at Quimby's and other bookstores, and through McSweeny's.

Monsterbox Closing

monster box, originally uploaded by Joey D.™ ©.

This Saturday is the closing party for the Monster Box show that's currently up at Pilsen's 54B Gallery. There were a lot of great reclaimed newspaper boxes on display at the opening, including the one pictured above by Chicago's Joey D.

You can check out some of the previous Monster Boxes by TEWZ and IKIL that were released into the wilds of Chicago over the last few years here.

The Mr. Tastees crew will make an appearance and there'll be live performances by
DJ AMBIDECKSTRICKS
& MINDS OPPOSITE

Saturday, November 21, 2009
6:30pm to midnight
54B Gallery
2128 S Halsted St
Chicago, IL

*FREE*

Bill Daniel's Mostly True

Writing about The Sea Hag's tattoo flash honoring boxcar artists (posted below), reminded me that I'd been meaning to praise this book. Mostly True, billed as "The West's Most Popular Hobo Graffiti Magazine", is a really interesting collection of hobo art related material compiled by filmmaker Bill Daniel. It's a good companion to his Bozo Texino documentary but it also stands up well on its own. There are interviews with and articles about artists like Herby, Colossus of Roads, and Bozo Texino. There are also reprints from hobo related articles from over the years, photo artworks by the late Margaret Kilgallen, pictures of tramp art, and to top it all off there's a cover drawing by TWIST/Barry McGee.

Mostly True is available locally in Chicago at Quimby's here and is also available through the publisher Microcosm here.

The Sea Hag honors those who paved the way

Detail of Moniker Flash., by The Sea Hag.

Canadian artist, The Sea Hag, just released this hand drawn sheet of tattoo flash honoring early boxcar artists Bozo Texino, Colossus of Roads, Coal Train, and Herby. Herby was well known for his dozing character under a palm tree drawings. Bozo Texino was renowned for the 1,000's of drawings on train cars incorporating his infinity 8 hat. Bozo Texino and the boxcar art tradition are also the subject of filmmaker Bill Daniel's Who Is Bozo Texino? documentary.

This print is 11" x 14". Contact logan1184@gmail.com for more info. Check out more of the Sea Hag's tattoo flash work here.

Mario Zoots Redux

I never get tired of viewing Colorado artist Mario Zoots' collage work and found image interventions. Now he's getting into making animated gifs like the one above.

garry mad dox, originally uploaded by Mario Zoots.

Check out more of his work here and on his Flickr.