As much the Four Evangelists as they are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Britney, Jay-Z, Kanye, and GaGa – our proud and prestigious pillars of Pop – stood tall and held rapturous court this year as the cause and cure for our ailing culture…

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John… Jay, Ye, Britney, and GaGa these four testified in an entirely new way on behalf of the perceived social savior. They worship the abstract, The Throne, The Fame, The Monster, The Femme Fatale, whatever it is they boast on behalf of, and simultaneously battle against is irrelevant – as that vice and vise is always internal first… They are their own Christs and Anti-Christs… The Throne is post-colonial, it is secular, and so very sacred and religious, it bows before the masses and any true messiah, and much as it blasphemes with every waking breath… In this time of unparalleled turmoil, tumult, wealth, weariness, fatigue, fortune, unions within innumerably layered divisions, The Throne articulates body, soul, rhythm, and rhyme what it means to be alive right now. Beyond any shadow of a doubt these four human institutions embody contemporary royalty. They are the belly of the beast, they are the Good Word on the street, they are ingrained in society, and somehow detached but never removed from the lips of any prep or priest… They are the scribes which will tell the history of our generation… This former generation of red herrings has evolved a bit, traded in flippers for boots, grabbed themselves up by the straps, and stepped onto dry land… Steve Jobs sold you an Apple, and with that first gigabyte this consumer culture fell from grace, but it was okay – because we gained knowledge… we gained that carnal knowledge of ourselves… we tasted that luxury, that divine ability to know and have everything – virtually, without having anything at all in reality… we lived in this spectacular place of nothingness, we live now in a cloud… everything became so clean, so pristine, so lily white, and yet so bleakly trademarked beige… but lo and behold we were taken back to the depths… we moved Eastward again, to Chicago, to Kentwood, to Marcy, to Manhattan… we moved away from the machines… we did not want to be part of those machines, we wanted the machines to be part of we… we had no where to unplug though… and then… we decided Pop Music would Never Be Low Brow, we decided we would no longer mail it in… we decided to put a nail in the coffin of that cloud culture… Ignorance is no longer bliss – ignorance is a myth… and within that magnificent mythology lies the future – from plastic to perilous to pre-eminent… from ordinary to organic… from wired to weathered

Gorillas in Chinchillas (Slaves in Paris) by GREATeclectic

What does any of this mean? What does anything ever mean? It means what you make of it… and here we have four broken barons and baronesses… We have four apostles of the apopcalypse: Matthew the Hova – the former tax collector turned Savior’s scribe, the former dealer turned voice of the Biblical business, man; Mark the Kanye – the follower of Peter, the son of the Roc boy; Luke the Spears – a figure of sacrifice, service and strength… representing the sacrificial Passion and Crucifixion, the simultaneous deification through self-denial; John… and John the GaGa – on one hand, the youngest of them all, the metamouthpiece, the supernatural scribe, thee who writes into fruition the human capability to transcend the physical world in an unyielding move towards divinity, on the other “The gospel of GaGa, as told in Born This Way, goes something like this: Humanity will be damned by its own self-doubt until Gaga the Savior delivers us with the might of her music.” #ew It means we’re riding in on the backs of our Four Evangelists of the Apopcalypse – it means the Good Word Goon Squad never beasted so bad.

For twelve months… twelve, months – The Throne reigned supreme this year. From January through December, the sun never set on the crown #splendidisolation.

The Throne does not care about the now because this is then, and they’re on to the next one. The Throne owns Pop Cultural capital – period. They are not specialists, but polymaths of Pop.

“We’re going to stick to one song, and one song only.” This year the throne came home – and by home I mean industry royalty reflected “those ones.” You know… the ones who shouldn’t have been here at all – The Help that helped themselves to a seat at the table. When banks are broke, the broke make bank #namely. At this juncture it’s safe to say we’re all slaves to the throne… some of us, say it better than others #namelythus That said, it’s safer to say we’re all slaves to a throne of indentured servants, who may or may not even belong at said royal table…#kanyeshrugsandotherthugs

We have Hov and Yeezy, both the bumrusher and the bumrushed from 2009 – back with a vengeance. We have Britney #thatstearsnotglitter Spears – forever back from 2007, off the heels of 2008‘s reign, and still… still letting you hold it against her that she allowed you to hold her down for so long. Britney, Kanye, and Jay-Z: three the “Parisian, please” way. Hailing from Los Angeles by way of Kentwood, Southside Chicago by way of Atlanta, and Manhattan by way of Marcy – these three are why you lock your doors at night, why Tipper brought Parental Advisory labels to light, and the embodiment of Naggers in Paris, chimps on the Champs, the low-brow to which you cow-tow #taxbreakandpaytribute – the American definition of fright. Hov balled so hard, he’s shocked too; Britney bald so hard, she cut the crew; Yeezy walled so hard, he throned you, all supposed to be locked up too – if you escaped what they escaped: you’d be in your house getting throwned out too. Yet… still all slaves to the throne. All three are slaves to their own power, their own success, and therein lies the throne of indentured servitude… it is the detachment, the ego, the gold, the glitz, the glam, the superhuman persona keeping the hierarchy from humanity that is their debt. Abstract theory notwithstanding, the blood of the hustler, the blood of the bayou, the blood of the college dropout is what fuels the throne… and in that reality – the lasting pantheon of social prominence is a place none of those kings or queens will ever feel at home – for everything else: there’s making lies truths.

And, naturally, Lady GaGa emerges as the sonic second-coming of the Sans-culottes – pants, politics, and pop, tears and hegemonic fears on tap: Á votre santé, Watergate.

#truthiness

What Wall Street was literally to capitalism, Paris was symbolically to the creative cultural class this year… #getoccupied #nagon They were not just art for Michelangelo to carve, he could never rewrite the aggro of their furied hearts… so, they waited on mountaintops in Paris cold … #everybloodylovesmary #workitblackjesus … and strutted into Paris Fashion Week – runway workhorses:

Lady GaGa – Government Hooker Live at Paris Fashion Week 2011 F/W 2011

Kanye West – DW S/S 2012 Collection at Paris Fashion Week 2011

Lady GaGa - Black Jesus † Amen Fashion Live at Paris Fashion Week 2011 S/S 2012

 

For The Throne, Paris was the hallowed mirrored hall to which they would see themselves infinitely reflected upon royalty, and to which they would call home – against, any, other, and all wishes.

Sometimes… my heart, sometimes, feels so black… in the dunes of sand… and other days, my heart feels like rainbows. Mugler. Mugler. Amen. Jesus is the new black. I am Mugler woman. I am quiet; I am strong. Amen. Mugler. GaGa. I am Mugler Woman. Don’t f*ck with me. Don’t f*ck with Mugler. Don’t f… f… Don’t f*ck with Mugler woman. Mugler. Scheiße. Take me, Paris. I am; we are Paris. Do not anger a Mugler woman; she will eat you. Mugler. Jesus is the new black. I am Mugler woman. I am quiet; I am strong. Amen. Welcome to Paris. It’s Fashion Week. We are Paris.

Sometimes you can’t… sometimes you can’t reiterate properly… sometimes you can’t summize the perfection of creation… sometimes the white shadow looms forever overhead… and in the midst of blissful suspension… you let go of assumed need and purpose… you relinquish any and all allegiance to divine creation… the assumed necessity of highlighting significance… the reflexive response… the need to convey your own rediscovered sense of self and space… time and place… to your fellow dimmed vessels… sometimes you simply fall to your knees… and bask in the glory in the gruesome… and from those depths… your lids open… your eyes focus from just beneath the brow… your crown no longer bows… your porcelain grin clenches from beneath your pursed lips… your buck no longer a front… the slain… the slave… the savior… the self… the dame… the stranger… all the same in the face of danger… Monsieur Mugler’s lone name uttered six times… the greed, the pride – I am, I am, I am, fashion… the insatiable lust – take me, Parisian passion… the subdued sloth – quiet, I am… the predatory glutton, the resting wrath – don’t anger the strong, she will feast before long… greed, pride, lust, sloth, gluttony, wrath… sometimes the heart… it feels so black… sometimes Jesus resides in that… Mugler, Mugler, Mugler, Mugler, Mugler, Mugler… Welcome to Paris. It’s Fashion Week. GaGa: envy she. Amen.

DOWNLOAD: Lady GaGa – Black Jesus † Amen Fashion (Mugler PFW S/S 2012 Remix)

Watch This Space: #blackjesus #inparis

I would’ve call this a near perfect album if it weren’t for the fact that most long time Guetta fans will be a bit disappointed. If you’re a long time house lover, look no further because you’ll feel betrayed with his new album, full of more pop and hip hop elements. However, any casual listener or pop lover (like myself) will have a blast with this new record! Its full of promising top 40 hits and makes a good party mix.

Nothing But The Beat starts out with the two quick hit singles, “Where Them Girls At” (featuring Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj) and “Little Bad Girl” (featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris). These two party jams and gems definitely make this CD, they’ll be spun the most. Track 3 is the catchy yet easily forgettable “Turn Me On” (featuring, you guessed it, princess Nicki Minaj). Next is a Snoop Dogg remix originally produced by David Guetta, mostly instrumental and might please original DG fans a little more. (Oh yeah, its called “Sweat”). Track 5, “Without You” (featuring Usher) is a definite highlight that no type of music listener will resist. Great vocals and touching lyrics. Tracks 6 and 7 are what will really piss off long time Guetta fans. Titled “Nothin Really Mattters”(featuring will.i.am.) and “I Can Only Imagine” (featuring Chris Brown and Lil Wayne). Although Chris’s singing is a nice touch, both tracks are heavily auto-tuned and take part in the new hip hop/dance craze. I like them, but most wont.

The next song, “Crank It Up” (featuring Akon) is worthy for a one time listen. Otherwise its more of an annoyance hearing it. Track 9, “I Just Wanna F.” (featuring Timbaland and Dev) is a collab of both Guetta’s and Timbaland’s mixing that sounds nothing like David Guetta, more like Missy-era beats. Avoid It, its the only song here I have to say is just trash. I Think where this record really shines is the last few tracks, “Night of Your Life” (featuring Jennifer Hudson), “Repeat” (featuring new star Jessie J), and “Titanium” (featuring Sia). These last three tracks are all brilliant dance cuts, with powerful vocals and meaningful lyrics.

Disc 2, with guest mixing from Afrojack and Avicii, will please the hardcore house audience. All six tracks, “Lunar,” “Sunshine,” “Toy Story,” “The Future,” “Paris” and “Glasgow” are all longer, sunny instrumental dance tracks. I highly recommend spending a few extra bucks on the deluxe version so you can get these six worthy compositions.

The album’s fun to listen to, hearing contributions from cool A-list stars like Nicki Minaj, Usher, Afrojack, Jessie J, Akon and more. Overall, your reaction to Nothing But The Beat just depends on your taste. Fitting to end the album with “Titanium” featuring Sia that has lyrics that seem to foreshadow Guetta’s standing with longtime fans.

Shoot me down, but I won’t fall, I’m Titanium.

Watch This Space.

French artist Daniel Firman takes an almost scientific approach to his work. For Daniel, each work is an “environment system,” from which ideas, forms, questions, references and interpretations bombard the viewer begging for dialogue and analyzing. Why are you here? Where are you going? Pay attention!

So conceptual, so perceptual, almost minimal, Daniel’s work knows no bounds in mediums and approach. Whether sculptures of a life-size and lifelike Elephant in a ballerina like pose on his trunk (seen above) or neon lights with spooking sayings such as “Something Strange Happened Here” (seen below or on someone’s Tumblr), Daniel seems to be more interested in what you have to say than his own artistic intent. Well, don’t let him down. Take a closer look at some of Daniel’s work below.

During his 2010 residency at the McColl Center for Visual Arts in Charlotte (North Carolina), Fahamu Pecou created a collection of four series of works under the title Hard 2 Death. Now the works have been presented in his first ever French exhibition at Backslash Gallery.

Fahamu Pecou is questioning the idea of the boundary between self-protection and self-destruction. Each series of work offers some sort of an answer: the recent trend for trousers worn below the hips, conflicting attitudes, sex and violence, a return to childhood expressed in fashion and a taste for a certain type of car, and the relationship between men and women. The artist proffers his own definition of the permanent sense of violence felt by these young members of American society.

 

- Backslash Gallery

Hard 2 Death runs through May 28. From June 9 through July 23, the gallery will be exhibiting works by Astrid Kruse Jensen. Take a closer look at Hard 2 Death below.

[View with PicLens]

Excuse my french, but Fahamu Pecou goes hard in the muthafuckin’ paint. The Atlanta based painter is gearing up for his upcoming solo exhibition entitled HARD 2 DEATH at Backslash Gallery in Paris, France. The work created during his residency at the McColl Center for Visual Arts in Charlotte (North Carolina) finds him continuing his exploration of the male African-American identity. HARD 2 DEATH is set to open April 30 and runs through May 28.

According to Fahamu the show is about, “the confusion and contradictions from the attempts to achieve elusive patriarchal masculinity can clearly be seen in the behaviors of young black men between the ages of 18-25. Ironically, this is also the period of black male development most often portrayed in the media. It is during this time that the young black man is at his most vulnerable. Feelings of powerlessness abound, he feels trapped. In his home as well as the world-at-large, he is constantly bombarded with the idea that he is inherently flawed. As a result, he places no value on his own life. His desperation is manifested in self-destructive behaviors, all behind the façade of bravery.”

Take a closer look at work from the show below.

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 5

Rero straddles halfway between street art and conceptual art. For an upcoming exhibition the French artist will turn the Backslash gallery space into a street. For an artist who’s career began in the street, the outdoors are a way to the what’s inside.

Part nonsense, part stark commentary, the work uses expressions such as “Trade my mark,” “Error 404,” and “This image is free copyright,” to both confuse and challenge viewers. Taking a page from another street artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Rero plays with the concept of negation by crossing out words. This self censorship was as Basquiat explains, “I cross out words so you will see them more. The fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them.”

Rero has shown his work at the Hybride in Lille, Antje Oeklesund in Berlin, Maison des Métallos in Paris and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. He has also had a dedicated exhibition at Confluences in Paris in 2010. He is taking part in a group exhibition at the Lilas town from 3 to 26 February 2011 with other artists including Speedy Graphito, JonOne and Jef Aerosol. Rero’s upcoming exhibition opens February 12 at Backslash Gallery in Paris.

• John Morse recently released his official website. You can check it this portrait entitled “America,” opening at “America” in Silas Marder Gallery, in Bridgehampton, Nov 27. Visit John’s website at stardogstudio.com

"Mort de la veinale," Acrylic on Canvas, 2010 by Alexis Dubois

Paris and New York City are dream lands for artists. French painter Alexis Dubois lives that dream and lives between both cities. Alexis recently sent me these two awesome paintings from his upcoming solo show at Voskel Gallery in Paris. References to art history are as integral to the pieces as the techniques he uses. Awesome work if you ask me.

"Karma," Acrylic on Canvas, 2010 by Alexis Dubois

Sketchbooks are where most artists let their imagination romp all in an effort to practice. Jason Sho Green proves why he’s one of the best cartoonists around with these sketches/images from his recent trip to Paris, France. The 27 year old illustrator and designer captures and sometimes creates sketches and story lines that are just waiting to be fully fleshed out ideas. Check out our favorites from Jason’s latest sketchbook below.

[View with PicLens]

In a mere 10 years Invader has been everywhere. For nearly a decade the artist has pasted characters from and inspired by the 8-bit old school game Space Invaders in cities across the world. No city is safe from the street artist’s world “invasion.” Most major cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, New York and a bevy of others have seen their walls and urban life plastered by Invader’s characters. Take a closer look at some of our favorite pieces by Space Invaders from around the world below.

If you have a great photo of “Art is Everywhere” email it to info@an-mag.com with the subject message “ART IS EVERYWHERE.”

[View with PicLens]

Belgian-born, Paris-based fashion design Anthony Vaccarello is making waves with his Spring/Summer 2010 collection of just jackets and bodysuits. While other designers are on a pastel and color overload, Anthony decided to focus on bold yet simple pieces meant to make a great impression. Check out the collection below.

[View with PicLens]