Since I’ve taken on the massive task of reading the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, and because it’s an overwhelming mindfuck of a read, I wasn’t planning on writing anything this week. But then as I cruised through the site I call home this afternoon, I came across an article written by a reader named Eddieftw in response to my “Death Of Free Speech Pt.1″ entry from last week. First of all, I highly recommend you go and give it a read; he breaks down a very important subject that I think we all should pay more attention to. Secondly, I’d like to tip my hat to him since he made some excellent points. Such great points that the gears began to grind in my head and well, here I am, back behind my laptop and chain smoking my way through an unplanned writing session. Call it a response to a response or a sudden stroke of inspiration; whatever it is, I’m glad it happened.
Bruno Dias lives in a tropical country, a fact that inspires and drives his work to explore themes of regional Brazilian culture in a free, personal and playful manner. His street art expresses the relationship between physical space and the people of the country. Graffiti is an important reference for his work but it’s the feelings from the nature and the chaos around us which ensure the various painting techniques of manual, digital, spray paint and found art show through. Forever young and spontaneous, Bruno Dias’ latest works take an international dimensional as he showcases not only his unique style, but the unique style of Brazil’s regional culture to the world.
The silhouette or shadow of any particular culture is ever changing and can be misleading if judged just by what you see on the wall. If the sun is too high, the shadow stretches. If the pose is just right you might appear more statuesque. In our world, the media is the mirror and the flashlight that all too often simplifies and reveals these shadows and silhouettes for what they really are. There seems to be no group more simplified or more revealed in the past few years like gay men, specifically black gay men.
“Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.”
- Albert Einstein
After dropping out of IADT’s Fashion Design program, Sean Brown worked aimlessly for the next couple of years exploring different mediums and applying them to his first love–Fashion. Whether juggling wardrobe styling, costume designing and what he considers a brief “attempt” at a Menswear line, Sean was constantly consumed with bettering his craft. I’ve been familiar with his work for a couple years now, so it’s great to see how he’s grown. Today, he’s a photography and more recently a film director going by the moniker bySeanBrown. Take a closer look at his latest film below.
Our good friends at Curbs and Stoops have an awesome program supporting young artists. Their progressive residency program fulfills their mission by hosting pioneering young artists in all disciplines including visual art, per- formance art, sculpture, sound and video, and new media. The program offers a six month first time residency for artists who are selected based upon merit, and through a process of open application and invitation. The artists selected this time are Jonathan Chapline (work featured above) and Rachel Labine (work featured below). More on the program from Jeffrey Pena:
Residency artists agree to share monthly updates of their process via the Curbs and Stoops blog. We will provide resi- dents opportunities to participate in group shows for emerging artists, as they are available. Each residency will culmi- nate in a group exhibition showing select work from the artist’s career as well as new work made during the residency program.
Albert Einstein, Van Gogh, Socrates, Andy Warhol, Miles Davis and even Michael Jackson were all great artists in their own right who have made their eternal mark on this earth. Are All Great Artists’ just plain crazy?
Read MoreIt seems as if the girls in New York wear the deadliest heels, have the sexiest jobs, get the most sickening of blow outs and their paycheck: FAT. It seems as if the men in New York are always hustling. More on the city for Artists.
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You Know The Frivolous Stuff
It’s no secret to anyone that knows me that I’m not too impressed with bubbling artists. Throughout my day, I hear great noise and see greater visuals. Those don’t faze me. I’m a slave to the art form of the popular. I haven’t been impressed with the under- ground since it was made of velvet. See, to go pop is take your art and hard work and turn it into a platform that doesn’t just speak to the people that are easily marketed to with said product, but to speak and effect everyone despite upbringings, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation. You know the frivolous stuff. It’s what makes suburban privileged white kids show up at your favorite rapper’s concert, it’s what makes kids in Compton love heavy metal. It’s the art of being universal, not by the conform- ing but by encompassing whatever it is you represent.
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