Atiba Jefferson,
‘JFK’
2013
Pigment print on Museo silver rag paper
Edition of 20
50″ x 35″ (127 X 88.9 cm)
Atiba Jefferson’s ‘Sorry For Not Showing Art’ opens tomorrow.
email shop@hvw8.com for Artwork Inquires or Pricelist.
Atiba Jefferson,
‘JFK’
2013
Pigment print on Museo silver rag paper
Edition of 20
50″ x 35″ (127 X 88.9 cm)
Atiba Jefferson’s ‘Sorry For Not Showing Art’ opens tomorrow.
email shop@hvw8.com for Artwork Inquires or Pricelist.
photos by M. Selsky
Thank – you to everyone who came to the opening of Kevin Lyon’s exhibition ‘Shits and Giggles’. More photos from the opening night are on the HVW8 Gallery facebook site.
Artwork and Installations photos of Kevin Lyon’s ‘Shits and Giggles’ to be posted shortly. Please email shop@hvw8.com for inquires.
Kevin Lyons – SHITS & GIGGLES
Oct. 17th to Nov. 10th, 2013
A Collection of Art Stuff Loosely formulated to Make A Show
featuring Collaborations with Patrick Martinez, Baron Von Fancy, and Skip Class
Works on paper, cloth, and glass exploring the far reaching positive influences of St. Ides Premium Malt Liquor on Hip-Hop culture.
Opening Oct. 17th, 7 – 10pm
RSVP@hvw8.com
Beverages courtesy of Colt 45
Kevin Lyons is a creative director, designer, illustrator and typographer who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Most recently, Lyons was a Partner and the Design Director at the juggernaut, anti-ad-agency-turned-ad-agency, ANOMALY in New York City. In his previous lives Lyons has been a Creative at Nike, Design Director at Stussy, Art Director at Girl Skateboards, and Creative Director for Tokion Magazine. He often shows internationally and is published world-wide. His steady stream of clients include the Paris based, Colette as well as Nike, Converse, Google TV, Umbro, and Stacks. He is the founder and sole creative behind the veteran label, Natural Born.
HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
661 N. Spaulding Ave. L.A. Ca 90036
open: Tues to Sun, 1 – 6pm
ph. 323 655 4898
From the artist:
I have never even had a sip of beer let alone one of the malted variety.
No interest and therefore no real knowledge of how fucked up a forty can be.
But having grown up in Hip-Hop culture I am well aware of its existence. Old E, Colt 45, and of course, the almighty St. Ides. With its beautiful packaging and Crooked I logo, not to mention that it rhymes easily with a lot of other nouns and verbs, there is no questioning its pop culture reference dominance.
But if it was just another nice bottle, great logo, and frequent lyric that literally was solely made to simply fuck people up, then I probably would not be writing this statement on its inevitable cultural significance.
St. Ides, like Hip-Hop itself, became much more complex and ultimately filled with contradiction and controversy. Like with women, drugs, homosexuals, fighting, guns, gangs, weed, and dealing….. malt liquor is a complicated little topic in Hip-Hop. While in and of itself, it really has no redeemable purpose other than being inexpensive and coming in a big bottle, it played a significant role in the culture that celebrates it. For better, or (most likely) for worse.
St. Ides however went from just another malt liquor to one of the biggest financial supporters and patrons of the musical form we call Hip-Hop. Whoever was running St. Ides or its marketing made a very well informed decision to bring aboard several of the rap industry’s youngest and brightest talent on both Coasts. Snoop Doggy Dogg, Warren G, The Dogg Pound, MC Eiht on the West Coast and Biggie Smalls and Wu-Tang on the East Coast. All young, all literally brand new, untested talents, at the very beginning of their careers. St. Ides put itself squarely in the center of the culture. Going with untested, but very talented individuals who would resonate even today, 20 years later. This was an extremely well-timed, very educated guess probably made on the ground by some very saavy marketing people. Like with the Vatican and Michaelangelo, rap had it’s own patron saint. Outside of the Sprite recordings, it would be 15 to 20 years later before we would see rappers used this significantly in a mass-marketed campaign.
My show at HVW8 is in no way meant to celebrate the liquid of malt liquor itself. It is also not made to make any moral judgement one way or the other on marketing to urban youth and in essence, urban blight. It will inevitably bring up those conversations and I am aware that that is a risk. But my intention is really to celebrate the era it represented – when weed and a little alchohol was the worst of the shit out there. PRE – Biggie – Tupac beef. When the two coasts were at their very best. I simply am using the phenonenom of the St. Ides moment to house and package that celebration. As a good Art Director might…..
I am no artist. I do like making stuff, but as an art director, I need a client – a subject matter to react to and research. I collaborate and find things to make. And that is really what I have done here with the St. Ides mid-90s era of Hip Hop. I have made stuff that is just pure fun. Adlibs, puns, fill-in-the-punchline-type stuff. SHITS & GIGGLES.
New HVW8.tv featuring artist interviews and videos from past exhibitions, pop-ups, events, animations, timelapses and music performances related to the HVW8 Gallery.
More to come …
Work in progress, acrylic on wood. Moscow, Russia.
Untitled, 2013, acrylic on steel shipping containers, Busan Biennale, Busan, South Korea.
Untitled, 2013, acrylic on steel shipping containers, Busan Biennale, Busan, South Korea.
Recent works by Craig Costello.
Color Plane Stacks Mural Study 3
Fluid Acrylic
Bristol Board
9” x 12” (22.86 x 30.48)
White custom frame
Available here.
Color Plane Stacks Mural Study 2 – Print
Edition of 25
18″ x 24″ (45.72 x 60.96 cm)
Printed on MOAB Somerset enhanced velvet 255 gram 100% cotton.
Archival limited edition inkjet print by Mighty Printing using vantage™ process.
Custom handmade frame available (white).
Available here.
New Pieces by Erin D. Garcia are now online. Please email shop@hvw8.com for questions or information.
HVW8’s Tyler Gibney will take part in today’s book launch at the MOCA and will be on hand to sign copies of his contribution to Outside the Lines.
Info below from from the MOCA website :
Join us for the book launch of OUTSIDE THE LINES: AN ARTISTS’ COLORING BOOK FOR GIANT IMAGINATIONS, a striking collection of illustrations from more than 100 creative masterminds, including animators, cartoonists, fine artists, graphic artists, illustrators, musicians, outsider artists, photographers, street artists, and video game artists, curated by Souris Hong-Porretta. Enjoy DJ sets by Shepard Fairey and Dylan Nathan aka JEGA as well as activity stations for drawing and coloring. Over 50 artists will be on site to sign copies of the book.
FREE INFO 213 621 1710 or STOREONLINE@MOCA.ORG
Alessandro Moroder will be joining his father Giorgio on Doug Aitken’s traveling art project ‘Station to Station’ from Sept 18th until the 21st.
‘The Plan is There is No Plan: A Conversation with Giorgio Moroder’ Interview about the project from the Station to Station website:
Giorgio Moroder will join Station to Station at Santa Fe and make a recording on the train before performing in Winslow. Henrietta Tiefenthaler, who has helped curate the music for Station to Station and member of the band Thrillionaire, spoke with Moroder about what he is packing and planning for Station to Station.
Henrietta Tiefenthaler: What’s the plan for your journey from Lamy to Winslow?
Giorgio Moroder: The plan is there is no plan. I’m going on the train with Bruce Sudano, the husband of Donna Summer. There’s going to be a microphone, there’s going to be a recording studio in one of the wagons. We’re probably going to start to compose something, listening to the sounds of the train. I guess we’re going to stick out a microphone, maybe the train stops somewhere, recording the sounds and emotions, and then see how we can turn them into a song. I’m going to play the bass and Bruce is going to play guitar and by the end of the day we’re going to have a rough idea of the song, and then we’ll have one more day to finish it. Once we have it, the idea is we’ll rehearse it and play it live in Winslow, where I play bass, Bruce guitar, and I’m sure we’ll find a drummer. I think we’ll have one of the other performers singing background vocals with Bruce. I’m not going to sing though, maybe some background but that’s all.
HT: I’d love to hear you sing!
GM: No, you wouldn’t.
HT: Your son will be coming on board…
GM: For that part of the journey he’ll be the official photographer. Well, not official. I call him “official.”
HT: Ha!
GM: He’s into Polaroid. He’s going to document the trip, take pictures of the landscape through an artist’s eyes, which Doug will post on the Station to Station website.
HT: Had you heard about Doug before we approached you?
GM: No. Actually that’s not true. I saw the museum projection project, the 360˚ around the museum where he projected around the walls instead of inside. I didn’t realize it was Doug though until he showed me the pictures and I recognized it.
HT: In terms of equipment what will you be taking on the train?
GM: Nothing except a bass (if I have to). Otherwise, I think station to station are going to provide everything. A laptop, speakers, microphones, Pro Tools…
HT: Do you use Pro Tools? When did you start using Pro Tools?
GM: I guess 10 years ago, or whenever it first came out.
HT: What were you doing 10 years ago?
GM: Oh, 10 years ago I was playing a lot of golf, and playing with images on the computer, where I, you know, transform and add some stuff. That was quite a time-consuming hobby.
HT: What is that? Graphic design?
GM: Well, kind of. It’s where you take a picture of, say, Liz Taylor (she gave me a beautiful picture of herself) and I took the color out and put my own colors in, added some things to her head, changed the colors of her eyes, and I had it painted in oil and I have one copy and gave one to her. That was one of the things I did. I did one of Donna Summer, I did one of my wife Francisca.
HT: Are they public?
GM: No, I haven’t had a show yet. It’s a bit difficult to go public with them. I don’t know if Liz Taylor would allow it.
HT: Can I use it for this?
GM: I think we can. It’s not for sale and it’s a unique piece so I don’t see why not?
HT: So what are you packing in your suitcase?
GM: A toothbrush, a comb, a pair of jeans if I find them, as little as I can. And, of course, my computer.
HT: Wow, you’re a light packer. I’m going to be taking multiple suitcases. Haha.
GM: Yes, my wife is going to be heavy loaded too.
HT: What most excites you about coming on the train?
GM: It’s just the fun of it. It’s nice to be with people, it’s great to travel on a train, which I’ve done quite a lot of lately. We used to live in Paris so we would go to London on the eurostar and with the tgv to Zurich. It’s such a great way to travel. And this is even better because we don’t have to be at point b in an hour. It’s a great bunch of people and it’s almost like a little holiday trip so I’m going to enjoy it.
HVW8 Alumni Parra opens his new exhibition ‘And wait for something to happen’ at Ruttkowski 68, in Cologne, Germany, this 4th of October – 17th of November. More information here.
Parra (NL)
Parra, whose real name is Piet Janssen, is a Dutch artist whose works are distinguished by their study in contrasts. They are at once figurative and abstract, colorful and plain, as illustrated in his solo exhibition, And wait for something to happen. The works on show feature females experiencing both the normal and abnormal in a metaphoric and literal sense.
Parra says he is inspired by “the everyday and the awkward,” whether it appears on the internet, in books, or in events he has observed. This allows him to address or even exaggerate issues using irony, humor
and sexuality. Parra’s dry, witty and frank interpretation of glamor, pop culture and mass consumption has made him a darling of the art world.
Our friend from Amsterdam, Tom Trago, stopped by the new HVW8 Studio this past Saturday and recorded a live all vinyl mix. Thanks Tom!
enjoy
Boiler Room LA x HVW8 Gallery present:
Live performance by :
Tiny Hearts (Waajeed, Dede, Tim K)
Lady Monix
09.14.2013
17:00 – 18:30
boilerroom.tv
mandatory rsvp@hvw8.com
Installation photos from Alessandro Morder’s ‘New Neons’ and Erin Garcia’s ‘Mural Study’ currently on display until Sept. 29th.
Erin Garcia painting a mural at HVW8 gallery in Los Angeles in conjunction with the show
NEW NEONS BY ALESSANDRO MORODER, MURAL STUDY BY ERIN D. GARCIA
August 23 – September 29, 2013
Music by
Bobby Evans
bobbyevans.be
Directed by
Aaron Farley
aaronfarley.com
Thanks to everyone that attended the opening night of New Neons/Mural Study by Alessandro Moroder and Erin D. Garcia this past Friday. Exhibition runs until Sept. 28th. Please email info@hvw8.com for inquiries.
Opening night photos by Reserve Result.
New Neons by Alessandro Moroder
Outdoor Mural by Erin D. Garcia
Opening August 23rd, 8 – 10 pm
RSVP@hvw8.com
Music by Prince Language
NEW NEONS
Alessandro Moroder’s work examines the masculine psyche through the notion of the spectacle by exploring it within various lenses, languages, and time periods. In New Neons, Moroder explores the idea of masculinity and memory through text, light and space. The attraction of working with neon came from a custom sign his father built in the 80’s and was then hung and lit in their apartment. From an early age, Moroder saw the same blue wave image daily and was amazed not only by the relationship that the sign had with the room, but also how light and space played an equal role in the work – and in his memory. This show, consisting of custom neon signs investigates the role of notable text and typography, but by also constructing a mirrored triangle sculpture in the center of the gallery space, creates an alternate conversation among the three signs, all different in color, text, and language.
Mural Study by Erin Garcia
“I just started using planes of color to define shapes and elements. To do this I’ve been layering fluorescent sheets of paper to create shapes and arrangements that I’ve previously been working with. This mural will be my first large work using the ideas created from this process.”
Erin Garcia is a visual artist based in Los Angeles. Originally from the Deep South, he and his work have both taken a long migratory path with many twists and turns along the way. Garcia’s current work is an exploration of where the human capacity for abstraction intersects or conflicts with the sensory desire for specificity. Each one of his drawings or paintings is part of a process of distillation, and there is a distinct feeling when taken together as a series that they are driving ever closer to a revelatory moment. The process of the work is exceedingly present, the pieces are inextricable from the practice of their generation.
New Video of Atiba Jefferson’s opening night at HVW8 Gallery, shot by the Video Mouse.
Tomorrow, Thursday July 25th, HVW8 Gallery is hosting a one night exhibition with Atiba Jefferson
Here is a recent interview with Atiba from LiveFast magazine.
He plays keyboard and guitar in The Goat with Shane Heyl, Spanky, Beagle and Andrew Reynolds, DJs across the country at arts and sports events, and although you might catch him shot gunning a beer after bar close, he’s probably scheduled on a flight to China in the morning – and he won’t miss it.
There’s no stopping this guy, and that’s why we were excited to interview him and get a little back story in time for the release of his LA Capsule Collection for Green Label Exclusives, a one night only photo show at HVW8 with live music by Life Coach and DJ sets from The Blackouts and Steve Lee. RSVP here, it’s gonna be a good one.
Q&A
LF: How did your one-night art show at HVW8 come about?
AJ: Aaron who works with Green Label brought it up and I have been to shows there and love it every time. What’s to expect? It’s a bunch of stuff I have shot in LA over the years. It will be lots of P-rod and Kobe Bryant.
LF: You’ve worked with lots of professional athletes and have seen the rise and demise of many. Can fame and money fuck you up if you are not careful?
AJ: Yes I have been around the block a couple times and have seen people fall to lots of vice’s – drugs, fame, money, and ego. I think the people at the top stay there because they are true to themselves and check the ego at the door, and then there is addiction, everything in moderation and you’re good. Fame and money can be are good if used to help others.
LF: You first got into basketball photography by sneaking your camera into Lakers games. Did you ever get caught, or was it all good from there?
AJ: Ha I never got caught, film days people were so much more relaxed.
LF: You photographed Michael Jordan. Can you talk about that a little bit, and what was the coolest thing he said to you during the shoot?
AJ: It was quick because he is such a pro ever frame perfect, he asked me if I was the photographer because I looked so young, but a really cool dude, happiest day of my life besides Koston’s backnose blunt bricktown.
LF: You compare skating to music. How are they interconnected? Can you describe in your own words what skateboarding means to you?
AJ: I mean I think they are similar in so many ways it’s all up to you when you do it, you can be solo or with your bro’s, it’s also the ultimate high and only those who do both know what I’m talking about that why it rules.
LF: Who’s your favorite skater right now?
AJ: Andrew Reynolds – but my favorite of all time is Keenan Milton.
LF: Who do you think is getting skater of the year so far?
AJ: Collin Provost
LF: What would you say has been the highest point of your career?
AJ: I’m still searching for it, but shooting Jordan, Kobe win 5 rings, Tony Hawk 900 and Loop, Reynolds kickflip davis … so many things.
LF: One thing people don’t know about Atiba?
AJ: I really like the Cocteau Twins and it surprises me the amount of people that don’t realize I have a identical twin.
LF: Any advice for young photographers on the rise?
AJ: Do it for the love, it’s a lot funnier then doing it for money.
LF: You are reputed to party hard, yet you’re always on time at the skate spot in the morning, ready to shoot. How do you keep a balance?
AJ: Everything in moderation and keep it to Jager and St Archer and I’m good, but life is too short to be hung over.
LF: What’s currently on your playlist?
AJ: Bad Brains, Animal Collective, Explosions in the Sky, My Bloody Valentine, Drake, A$AP Rocky, Zomby, Miles Davis, King Tubby.
LF: In your opinion, what’s the state of hip hop today?
AJ: Hip Hop to me is great! I lived through the golden era and right now you have very creative artists like Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar and which are to me similar to that era. Drake, Juicy J and French Montana and other hood shit is just as creative, it’s so good.
LF: What gets you off, literally or figuratively?
AJ: Ass, Ass, Ass, Ass in Big Sean voice, and a close game of Call of Duty.
LF: How fast do you live?
AJ: I think I live life in the middle lane. Fast enough to have fun, slow enough to enjoy it.
Style Wars 2 – Special Preview Screening
Saturday July 27th @ 8:30pm
Q&A with filmmakers Veli & Amos and
original Style Wars producer Henry Chalfant
HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
661 N Spaulding Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
RSVP: rsvpsw2@hvw8.com
Style Wars is a legendary documentary, filmed in 1983, which helped the graffiti movement from New York to spread around the world. Thirty years later, Veli and Amos, two Style Wars fans from Europe, trip through today’s graffiti and street art scene. The journey takes them from Europe to New York and ends in the Middle East. Style Wars 2 features encounters with graffiti artists and presents different artistic views. Along the way, Veli and Amos also happen to attend boxing fights in New York and visit hair dressers in the West Bank. While the movie’s main focus is on graffiti, it also raises topics like art, politics and lifestyle.
Pictured with Skeme at HVW8 Gallery.
Video with Justin R. Saunders (JJJJound) discussing his ‘Correspondence ‘ exhibition at HVW8 Gallery
JJJJound is a wordless blog by Justin R. Saunders. Originally a mood board shared with friends, it has since become a global mainstay and daily web visit for designers, tastemakers and fans alike.
One of those friends is Claudio Marzano, whose creative partnership with Saunders dates back to 1993; twenty years over which their obsessive consumption of visual culture has shifted from print to screen, in step with the rise of the Internet.
Countless emails containing nothing more than images taken from the world wide web were sent between them over that period.
CORRESPONDENCE is an exhibition of recent emails, reproduced as 4′ x 6′ oil paintings, by commercial artists offering “competitive labor costs” from the Wushipu Oil Painting Village in Xiamen, China.
Justin R. Saunders grew up in Lahr, Germany, before moving back to Montreal in time for some high school shenanigans. Enjoying the finer things in life, a fervid aesthete, Saunders created the JJJJound photo blog in 2006.
Read more on Complex.com
Video from the recent ‘Home and Away’ exhibitions in Milan and Amsterdam featuring Lisa Leone, Alessandro Moroder and Hassan Rahim.
http://youtu.be/i67Xbvc8IfM
A video celebrating 15 years of Mark ‘Gonz’ Gonzales with footage shot at the HVW8 Gallery
15 years of Gonz and adidas, interview by Natas Kaupas for Monster Children, at HVW8 Gallery.
Film / edit: Tyler Quinn
Installation photos from JJJJound ‘Correspondence’ , currently on display.
Recent exhibition articles on San Francisco Art’s Quarterly and Opening Ceremony.
One e-mail painting features an image of an outdated desktop computer in between a vintage leather couch and a waxed rain jacket, while another features a beautiful lakeside landscape just above a picture of a boy in a crowd getting hit in the face with a baseball. None of the pictures seem to relate to one another, yet they still come together to produce a unique, mood board-like effect. In a world where the media with which we discover content are always changing, Justin shows how ideas can be shared and trends can be set without the need for large budgets or, in his case, words.
Through July 7, 2013
HVW8 | ART + DESIGN GALLERY
661 N. Spaulding Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
MAP
Thanks to everyone that attended the opening of JJJJound ‘Correspondence’ at HVW8 Gallery.
Thank-you to adidas originals and Newcastle for the support.
Exhibition continues until July 7th, email info@hvw8.com for inquiries.
Installation view. Courtesy of HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
Installation view. Courtesy of HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
JJJJound, the scarcely worded, image based blog founded by Justin R. Saunders in 2006, is an internet treasure trove of the hip, off kilter and forgotten about. Unconventional beauties of all existences are juxtaposed in a clean digital format. This presentation of imagery is one that is informative while maintaining elegance and desirability. Presently, JJJJound has risen from the countless ranks, to be one of the answers to mindless online tedium for the inspiration seeking.
Installation view. Courtesy of HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
Installation view. Courtesy of HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
“JJJJound Correspondence”, showing through July 7 at HVW8 Art & Design Gallery is Saunders digital mood board aesthetic, reassessed for the gallery arena. What began as a series of emails with long time creative collaborator Claudio Marzano, evolved into commissioned works from junior commercial artists based in the Wushipu Oil Painting Village in Xiamen China. Entering HVW8, an enlarged email from Saunders to the proper parties in China inquires into the painting manufacturers capabilities, urgency of prompt delivery and acceptance of junior artisans as an economic impact to ultimate cost. The subsequent works measure in at 4’x6’, each a variation of design, complimentary sartorial options and the weird from the World Wide Web. What seems to be screen grabs from JJJJound posts is in fact the image collection via “correspondence” (if you will) between Marzano and Saunders. Framing the top half of each piece is an unmistakable email grid (with verbatim addresses and dates) that hovers over the pool of opaque white canvas. Below this grid, is the imagery shared between these two parties, placed harmoniously within the frame.
JJJJoud. Courtesy of HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
The transparency of vision and process is what makes “JJJJound Correspondence” so interesting. Scrolling through a blog or an email the aesthetically perfected balance of lines and typography is taken for granted. Rapid fire, relentless scrolling with few pauses for observation, the eye simply registers and continues on. The humanity visible within the oil paint replicas by a (competitive waged) skilled worker, forces the viewer to slow down and observe. Even these specialists well versed in the Old Masters’ dramatic technique, perform a shaky deed duplicating the perfected manifestation of technology. The concurrent (and slightly paradoxical) existence of each canvas and its digital inspiration is equally as fascinating. “JJJJound Correspondence,” address ways in which observation is conducted- how do you register familiar information when presented in differing ways? Ultimately, Mr. Saunders succeeds in an intelligent presentation that would be fundamentally impossible without the basis of its existence: the Internet.
For full article in SFAQ International Arts and Culture visit here.
-Contributed by Bianca Guillen