The thing about getting lost in Wynwood, Miami’s street art hub, no matter how far you stray off the path if you pay attention to the markers, a Ron English mural here, a TMNK tag there, you’ll always find your way home. But why would you want to leave? 

The REAL Question

Lady AIKO

Greg Mike

Respect Human Values. #verynecessary

J Robles.

#ThreeTheARTway

“Art Is My Weapon.” Google TMNK

Tatu

Ron English.

AHOL SNIFFS GLUE

I love “Sex and the City.” I’m just going to throw that out there right now, because it is true and there is no point in denying it, especially within the context of this article. I am a gay man so it may not come as a huge surprise to many, though there are many gay critics of the show, especially of the Brooklyn hipster persuasion (don’t be offended, you know it’s true). Though I enjoy the show’s many episodes and movies (the second one not so much), there are certain aspects of the show that I find irritating, based mostly on the fact that they exaggerate aspects of New York City life dramatically. Being a former New Yorker, I can safely say that my days and weeks were not filled with gallery openings and fabulous dinners at chic new restaurants. Life in New York was hard, albeit fabulous, despite my limited means.

One thing about “Sex and the City” that I noticed that definitely holds truth in modern society was the main character’s obsession with herself. It really actually started to make me mad how much Carrie Bradshaw was so absorbed in her own life that she made it a point to one-up all of her friends, who, uncannily, always seemed to experience ups and downs that related to her own troubles, be it about shoes, sex, or the merciless consequences of living in turn-of-the-century New York City. This sort of narcissism seemed only to appear in her own storylines, and therefore, would be reflected in her inexplicably well-paying weekly column in the fictional newspaper The New York Star. As she seems to be the only “artist” of the show’s four main characters, I couldn’t help but wonder: is narcissism directly connected to quality of art? Or is she just a selfish bitch?

Of course, with any sort of art form, it is hard to be completely humble. If one wants to succeed in the art world, be it visual art, theatre, music, etc., one must have some sense of confidence if they are going to grow skin thick enough to endure rejection or any sort of bad press. But does that mean we have to abandon all ties to basic humility? Carrie Bradshaw certainly has compassion for her fictional friends, yet she seems to hold herself to a much higher degree of respect, as all she talks about is herself. Yet in modern society, such pressure is placed upon an artist to make themselves heard; to make themselves stand out enough that they will get attention. Self-promotion is a terribly shameless way to aide in one’s commercial success, yet the dog-eat-dog world of publicized promotion seems to consume all modern artists, but only because it is basically demanded of anyone that wants to make money in modern commercial art.

Some artists thrive on this inherent narcissism, yet I personally feel that some artists unnecessarily adapt this trend to fit in. There are people like Madonna and Kanye West that chow down on the fertile grains provided by their preceding reputations, and I am not one to criticize that. I love Madonna (Kanye West is another story), but she is definitely reliant on her own reputation to further her career. She knows that she is a pop idol, and that she was a massive influence that continues to inspire the work of modern pop artists. And I think she deserves that kind of recognition, mostly because she really did change everything in the realm of modern pop music. No one’s got shit on Madonna. Kanye West may be unfairly entitled in that way, as he thinks he is the next coming of Christ, but his arrogance has definitely benefited him commercially. He is definitely a very public figure, and though many are disgusted by his arrogance, it has definitely aided in his album sales and his exposure in general.

The same is true with Sri Lankan hip-hop absurdist M.I.A.: she had two solid albums, yet then inexplicably followed these encouragements with a misguided commentary on modern technology with her third album /\/\/\Y/\, and a relentless series of publicity stunts featuring her saliva splattered on a photographer’s lens and a middle finger to America at the Superbowl. Desperation is not a pretty color on those who wish to be fashionable in modern American art, yet somehow we seem to eat it up. Have we really lost our senses? Where has our hearing gone if we devote time to listen to the “dark twisted fantasy” of an undeserving narcissist like Kanye West? How can we truly see if we are blinded by the terribly ostentatious acts performed by tragically hypocritical people like M.I.A.?

On the other hand, there is a safe amount of terribly underrated mainstream artists working towards some sort of greater good. People can shit on Lady GaGa all they want, blaming her for copying Madonna (when it really was just an homage, and you know it), yet they seem to forget the countless efforts this MUSICIAN (yeah, I said it; she writes her own fucking music after all) has taken to further acceptance of all walks of life, most notably gay culture. Yes, Lady GaGa has definitely made a name for herself within the sphere of pop culture, yet she still takes time and money to better the lives of her fans, whether it be the millions of dollars she spends on her live shows or the time she has sacrificed to enrich tolerance for certain oppressed cultures that she feels are important in terms of progress for her fellow humans.

Lana Del Rey is likewise an undeserving victim of rampant narcissism. She came out with a few stellar singles that wet our collective appetite for a new and exciting solo female artist in the realm of modern independent music, yet one misunderstood and dramatically over-criticized appearance on Saturday Night Live has most of her once-devoted public ripping her apart for reasons bordering on the ridiculous, including her “publicity-fueled” name change and a terribly unfair criticism of her live persona, causing her to cancel her long-awaited North American tour in support of her debut album, Born To Die. Critics nailed her on this album, especially Pitchfork (surprise surprise), yet it is way more relatable and admirable than most critics would give her credit for. Her timing may have been off with her sudden name change from her former persona, and she may have been a bit too big for her britches by accepting a starring role on SNL so early in her career, but I think this was not her doing. In my opinion it is the fault of her overzealous recording contract that thrust her into this tragically misguided journey. LDR seems to have fallen prey to the incessantly intolerant and self-proficient recording industry much more than the perceived notion that she manipulated and mangled her own persona and artistic vision that she had seen for herself. The fact that everyone blames her for being a “fabrication” of the record industry is incredibly unfair, especially since she really is very talented.

Something I find odd is that many musicians and bands have started to self-title their albums. Back in the day, this was something musicians did for their first album. Nowadays it is rampant amongst mainstream and independent musicians alike. Are they just being lazy? Or do they want to self-title the record just to ensure they will be remembered, perhaps for their best record? Wisconsin music collective Bon Iver self-titled their second album, praised by many as the best album of 2011. Is it strategy? Laziness? Perhaps an artistic statement? I really couldn’t tell you. Perhaps it’s just coincidence. On the other hand, it might just be that peppering of narcissism that every artist needs to exercise, whether they care to admit that they are doing so or not. I know for a fact some of these artists would deny they have a self-absorbed bone in their body, yet as I pointed out before, anyone in the entertainment industry must have some sense of self-pride, as no one would buy anything if they didn’t think he/she created something the creator was proud of, in any way.

An industry is very difficult to control. Producers are ruthless creatures, whether they are involved with music, theatre, film – anything. Capitalism demands a terribly high price for fame, as the entertainment industry is for the most part the top of the capitalist pyramid, especially in America. Movie stars and pop idols rake in millions of dollars, but one must wonder… at what cost do these icons achieve stardom? I have heard countless stories from friends who have encountered celebrities, and some of them are almost horrifying, as many friends of mine have had to deal with veritable nightmares when it comes to famous people. Yet when I hear these anecdotes, I can’t necessarily discern why someone would act like that. Is it the narcissism?

Actors, in particular, are pigeonholed as narcissists. It is widely believed that to be an actor, one must carry oneself with a certain degree of self-confidence and an insatiable desire for attention. Similarly, musicians feed off a crowd’s energy. If a musician isn’t doing well at a live show, the tension is palpable, and the artist’s performance will suffer due to a loss in confidence. Artists need to be pumped up, intrigued, inspired by those who come to witness their art. There’s a sense of superiority that an artist feels, because they feel like they have something special to offer that no one else really can. Maybe that’s we pay attention to them. I generally don’t like narcissists, but as a writer, singer, musician, and actor, I can definitely understand the need for approval and appreciation.

I think the truth is that most artists are incredibly insecure. We use narcissism as a defense mechanism; we use it to negate the potential naysayers. If we pump ourselves up enough, and think that we are the bee’s knees, then we gain the ability to repel the possible attacks of our prospective critics. We use narcissism as a veritable shield, deflecting fiery tongues of critics but also our own fears. We don’t want to be shamed. We don’t want to be belittled. A true artist puts their whole life energy into their work, their art. The last thing we want to hear is that it’s crap. But maybe instead of employing this narcissism, we should find a way to thicken our skin against these attacks. I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to be a narcissist (unless they were really, REALLY hot). I’m pretty sure everyone recognizes it as a fairly unattractive quality. I’m not saying I have any sort of solution, because I know the pain of hearing that my art is sub-par. But that doesn’t mean we all have to turn into Carrie Bradshaws. We are gifted and special. And no one can take that away from us, no matter how hard anyone tries. No amount of narcissism is going to change that.

Mark Lyken‘s recent solo show The Loneliness Machines was conceived & created at Recoat Gallery in Glasgow, Scotland in a frenzy of 16 hour days, 7 days a week, over a month long period. The artist and music producer was a notable pioneer and among the first to write Graffiti in Scotland in the 80′s and among the first to transition to gallery work.

“As our interactions and communications become progressively more mediated and facilitated by technology, our connections to one another seem increasingly fragile. As we become more connected through personal technology and social networks are we becoming alienated from each other and ourselves?”

The Loneliness Machines opened Feb 10 and runs until 4th March. 12-6pm Tues to Sun. Click here for more information.

Lonely no more, Mark Lyken has TONS of Friends.

It’s been a year since Randy Conner’s first solo exhibition. With no definite plans for a new exhibition, he’s still creating daily. So much his friends tell him he has mental problems. His approach could be called “anything goes,” whether he’s achieving realism or using his “anything goes” approach, Randy does whatever he wants to do. “I think everyone should just do whatever they want to do. Saying, ‘It’s supposed to be done this way or that way’, that’s just dumb. It’s so limiting, and it makes art boring,” Randy explains.

In this entry of our Poptimism series, self-taught artist Randy Conner tells a story about his current life to his five-years-ago self.

“Hey. You! Listen, you’re doing it all wrong. Stop wasting time worrying about what other people might say or think. Their opinions aren’t half as important as your own. Stop wasting time on people who treat you like shit. Take advantage of where you are right now. Start today, not tomorrow. I know this all sounds cliche, but just trust me. I’m smarter than you.”

by Randy Conner

“He walked out in the gray light and stood and he saw for a brief moment the absolute truth of the world. The cold relentless circling of the intestate earth. Darkness implacable. The blind dogs of the sun in their running. The crushing black vacuum of the universe. And somewhere two hunted animals trembling like ground-foxes in their cover. Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it.” ― Cormac McCarthy from “The Road”

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Once upon no time, countless light-years from Earth, the cosmos revealed the moment had come to take action. Sonnymoon, a mystical, nurturing, peaceful planet, found itself on a collision course with Earth, whose inhabitants had a dubious history of preaching peace yet living lives of war.

The moment I pressed play, I felt like I was going through some sort of psychedelic acid trip. The sultry vocals from Anna echoed through my speakers as Dane’s peaceful yet futuristic instrumentation guided me on a journey to an all natural high. Sonnymoon is an eclectic duo that has been stirring up a buzz since they stepped on the Austin, TX pavements during SXSW 2010. Initially gaining notoriety for their spirited take on Drake’s “HoustAlantaVegas,” they gave us their first project, Golden Age, released in 2010.

Now, as if it were sent from outer space, they deliver us a six song EP called 2012, where they express life how they know it through monotone yet upbeat production and earthy vocals.  You can hear their vulnerability in every song, such as “Near Me,” where Anna swoons over wanting that tangible connection with her love. I would consider their sound to be trippy, soulful, and slightly techno with hints of a jazz influence. Their music is so hypnotizing, you won’t help but to become immediately infatuated with Sonnymoon’s refreshing way of expressing their true selves through innovative music.

Another day, another “real” artist bites the dust. I loved Santigold’s first album. I stood by her while the rest of the music industry collectively wrote her off as a bootleg version of M.I.A. But, in the almost four years that she went without releasing new material, I forgot why I fell in love with her music. So, it pains me to write that Santigold, again playing second fiddle to M.I.A., has become the Jesus Christ of Indie music, bearing the cross of obscurity, smug “authenticity” and a seriously warped view of popular music that can only be compared to “rockstar envy.”

In a recent interview with Pitchfork of all people, Santigold yammers on and on about music “missing substance.” And now I think I’ll have to hate her. Or at the least debase her for argument’s sake. In the same interview she calls LMFAO “a joke band,” claims to not “be familiar with Lady GaGa.” I don’t care what rock of disillusion you live under, in 2012 I don’t think there’s a soul not familiar with GaGa. I get it, you hate the mainstream, but you think Adele and Beyonce are “great.” Le sigh. This is not an attempt to make a case for LMFAO or pop artists in general. They make a case for themselves by outselling artists like Santigold. Instead of dissing artists that are actually popular, Santi should be taking notes. If Santigold thinks her music is that much more revolutionary than your average “Party Rock Anthem” maybe she should get off her ass and into the studio more often. When you put out an album every three or more years you have no right to complain about music being boring.

The interview made me finally watch the video for “Big Mouth” expecting some type of musical enlightenment comparative to only a catharsis of lesser music from my iTunes. I didn’t find it. The irony here, aside from the title, is she’s dissing the music industry while penning a song with lyrics like, “Tick-tock talk that shit non-stop, Tip-toe don’t make you rock.” Really? At this point it’s difficult to see any difference between Santigold and all the “pop shit” she’s dissing. “Intense” writer’s block aside, there should be no reason it took her four years to come up with lyrics that read like baby talk.

I believe in Santigold. But I also believe in shutting your mouth, putting out work and letting it speak for itself. “Criticize by creation, not by critique.” I’m still obviously excited for Santigold’s new album Master of My Make Believe. I may actually purchase it, something I reserve solely for artists I truly admire. But please leave the “real” music talks at home. It’s a slippery slope and shows a very warped understanding of pop music. Not to mention that it comes off as self-absorbed and just lazy. Besides how revolutionary can you be with a white boyfriend?

Watch This Space: Because pop wasn’t such a dirty word when Santigold was penning tracks for X-Tina, Beyonce and gasp, Ashlee Simpson. Lest we forget Santi. Lest we forget.

Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue
And when the band plays “Hail to the chief”
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son, son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, no

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no millionaire’s son, no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, no

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask them, “How much should we give?”
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son, son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, one

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no no no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son, no no no

Get Angry is a collaboration between DJ Rich Medina and painter Tatyana Fazlalizadeh. Inspired by the fervor of protest that amounted in 2011, Tatyana created a series of paintings to illustrate the various movements–from Tahrir Sq to Wall St, from London to Troy Davis, from Slutwalk to the demand for gay marriage rights–while Rich Medina created a mix of songs that represent the spirit and energy of revolution. Included in the mix download is each painting along with a description of the movement it represents, and a powerful yet jammin’ mixtape including songs by Bilal, Gil Scott Heron, J Dilla, and more.

Download: DJ Rich Medina & Tatyana Fazlalizadeh – Get Angry (A Visual Mixtape)

Good music whispered echoes a hundred miles. Take for instance singer/songwriter Graham Knoxx. I’ve seen Graham out and about at a couple of events in Atlanta. Making her way through a sea of hipsters and posers she greets me with a smile as sweet and earnest as her voice. Her natural style, poise and statuesque beauty gave her a glow that was hard not to notice, even without the brief introduction from promoter Wil May.

Rewind to a year ago and Graham was dealing with what she calls “typical music business complications.”A trial management situation with Los Angeles based start up company Blue Cinamon Group, while lucrative in the learning experience, funds were limited for all parties and the long distance relationship definitely added to the trials and tribulations.

“It was a difficult to make things happen,” Graham explains. “It really was no one’s fault; I think we both just had needs that were difficult to meet given the circumstances.”

Her time at Blue Cinamon introduced her to music producer Alex Goose, anther client under their roster at the time. Together they created the song “Dollar” and ended up having a great sound together. Chemistry aside, the distance and different schedules wasn’t what Graham wanted from a producer/artist relationship which in today’s market calls for a constant stream of content for an artist.

“Again, distance and priorities kept us from being able to pump out content the way one has to to launch a career,” Graham explains. “So, after trying for a year, we just hadn’t made enough progress for the partnership to continue to make sense…But Alex and I have several great song ideas started that will be revisited.”

Fast forward to the present, Graham was able to quit her job as an architect and self-fund her EP Echo and is currently a part of Smirnoff’s music initiative. After a random message on Facebook from an associate at Hip Hop Since 1978 (Management for Kanye West, Drake and more) who insisted she’d be good for the Smirnoff gig. Graham was introduced to Hardy Indiigo, producer for Madonna among others and after hearing Graham’s voice he thought she’d be perfect to create a dance version of Kiss’ “Crazy Nights,” which is now the Smirnoff theme for 2012.

“The most amazing art happens when people stop thinking about money, split sheets, credits… and they just CREATE,” Graham Knoxx.

“Two days later I was in NY recording, having a blast, and getting paid [which] is always good,” Graham says after the initial connection “The tentative plans are to do a 20-city international Smirnoff tour that they’d like me to be a part of, once things are solidified. Hardy and I will also be experimenting with some solo work as I develop more original material.”

No doubt this experimental cover led to her latest project ECHO. The four song EP, shows a deep range and finds Graham covering Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and creatively mashing it with Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” She also gives her version of Etta James’ “At Last” and riveting rendition of one of my personal favorite songs by Depeche Mode “Personal Jesus.” The idea sounds like solid gold looking at the artists that have simply sung a cover on YouTube and achieved instant stardom on top of record deals. But Graham isn’t your ordinary artist and was never “comfortable” with that notion. For her it felt, “uninspired and unoriginal.” So she made a point to add her unique flair to ever track she recreated.

“As an artist who isn’t rapping or singing R&B, it’s really important that anything I put out have a sonic quality that reflects the original material set to come,” she explains. “ECHO was an intimate introduction to me, my influences, my inspirations… So to just sing on somebody’s beat would have felt like introducing you to a chick with fake hair, nails, ass, and titties, then you get home and I’m a scalawag.”

“Instead, I took songs I loved from every genre…and made them uniquely me with my band and my friends TheWhatley and Prem Midha; with new arrangements, melodies, and progressions… the only original element is the lyrics,” she later explains.

Playing off the title, Graham has made a point to make both the instrumentals and acapellas for the songs freely available. Expressing a deeper intention to create a larger social dialogue, she’s seemingly encouraging supporters and producers to create echoes of her work.

“The most amazing art happens when people stop thinking about money, split sheets, credits… and they just create,” Graham explains. “…[So] why not provide tools for that to happen, see where each iteration can take each song; until it becomes a limitless monster of its own making.”

“The nature of social media and the Internet has created a huge opportunity for artists to create, be exposed, and infinitely share with others….The Internet is forever. 20 years from now, I can’t wait to see what some kid has created with Graham Knoxx’s first free project. It becomes an ever changing, ever evolving echo, as it should be,” she later explains.

Another aspect of the current industry, that Graham falls into is being multi-faceted. You may know her as singer/songwriter Graham Knoxx, but as a former architect and a visual artist she’s been designing all her promotional material from the jump.

“I won’t pretend that I popped out the womb singing,” she says. “But I did always love to create. Art is theater, its multi-sensory, you should get to hear, feel, see… I don’t think that’s optional.”

Visual art has just as much impact on Graham as music has. So much that when she writes or creates music, the visual is first and serves as the inspiration for her lyrical and sonic concepts.

“I often imagine that I’m the mysterious woman in a 1924 Chanel suit with a hat and sunglasses, sitting in the back of a French cafe; smoking a long cigarette, waiting to watch an explosion unfold across the street that I’ve planned as part of some huge espionage mission,” she later explains. “Lame, I know, [but] I grew up on Turner Classic Movies. I’m an artist, I want to tell you a story; create the world in my head that you can escape to for 15 minutes, and see what I see.”

In the coming months, Graham plans to roll out a few videos for some of the standout tracks on ECHO. According to her, a visual for “Personal Jesus,” is already in the works to become a philanthropic song after being heard by someone who wants to use it for some really great causes in 3rd world countries. Be on the lookout for original material as she plans to roll out single by single, video by video, until her full project is released in the Summer. For now, she’s Atlanta’s sunshine dealer pushing her angelic voice like the much sought after drug it is. But, as she preps for a move to Los Angeles this June, the self-described “musician by trade, architect by training, artist by temperament” leaves me with these last words, “Just be true to your heart, true to your passion, and true to yourself. I had to learn to do that, and its the happiest I’ve ever been.” That’s a declaration worth echoing.

The brilliant combination of Western infatuation and Haitian ideals lands us in the sketch-ridden hands of illustrator Serge Gay Jr.

Serge has become my muse in days recent. Part of me is in love with his art; the other part, in love with the artist. His illustrations, having been featured in galleries strung across the Pacific coastline and music videos for Cee-Lo Green, De La Soul, Train, and Fall Out Boy (to name a few), characterize and satirize the already hyperbolic Westernized world. High off of pop culture in its incessant relevance, the artist illustrates known personalities in their handsomely deranged two dimensionality.

With his comic book like approach, Serge implements the paradox of the real world with its inverse portrait. Every caricature, a little more animated; every hue, a little more rich.

Picture Summertime, riding around with the top down, with your bitty sitting pretty passenger side. That’s what LSD reminds me of. This track has the makings of a Summertime favorite. Smooth production courtesy of Selasse, compliments The GTW and Brandun Deshay’s ultra cool lyricism. Not to mention the sultry vocals from Miss Rai Knight. I swear this record is hypnotizing, you’ll definitely feel the effects of LSD.