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Nic Hess
Jul 28, 2009 posted by: Jason Wong

I had the opportunity of stopping by the Hammer Museum today. Although I was there for a screening of Aïda Ruilova most recent video, I also had the pleasure of seeing Swiss-born artist, Nic Hess's installation in the Main Lobby. His work really made me do a double-take for his medium I find very intriguing. Hess creates wall works nearly entirely out of masking tape! Applying layer by layer using bought materials for his compositions. A key feature to the display at The Hammer is Hess's interplay of fine art, commercial and pop with tape and wallpaper. His influence from graphic design is made clear with this color balancing and surface textures, yet his work is simply much more than just images of everyday commodities. They are intrusions of space with the fervor of graffiti art and the aesthetic of contemporary design.

More info at The Hammer Museum

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "SNAKESWEAT"
Jul 27, 2009 posted by: Jason Wong

Art rockers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs have frequently been associated with the avant-garde. Their music often goes hand and hand with the artistic movements and punk generation of the late 70s and 80s. Yet although their music reflects this era, "SNAKESWEAT" looks like an art film of much earlier precedent. The choppy editing, the low production, looping and unsynced audio are distinctly influenced by works Surrealists works such as "Un chien andalou" or more notably Dadaist. In the film, each band member portrays distorted versions of themselves and their personalities: lead singer, Karen O plays 'The Black Wi dow'; guitarist, Nick Zimmer plays 'The Scientist'; and drummer, Brian Chase is 'The Philosopher'. Their representation of these personal characteristic echoes a kind of exposition from avant-garde film of the self and the artist; essentially, a objecthood of identity. These band members are taking up a mantle that a generation spent more than a decade exploring. It is very interesting that the band is now creating videos of this nature in the early 2000s. Are the Yeah Yeah Yeahs attempting tribute to or revive this era of modern art? Watch "SNAKESWEAT" and you be the judge.

Oh, and if you haven't already check out their new release, It's Blitz! which I think is fantastic.

http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com

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"Supernaturalism" Recap
Jul 26, 2009 posted by: Jason Wong

Thanks everyone who made it out to the Beautiful/Decay "Supernaturalism" signing on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I hope that you enjoyed the exhibit and signing. Special thanks to the artists, especially Kyle Thomas who really busted out the custom drawings on the books. You can still get copies available at our store; check out the variety of covers and some great artwork in the book.

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Tara Donovan - "Untitled"
Jul 25, 2009 posted by: Jason Wong

An interesting image of an environmental installation by Tara Donovan was posted by Ken Johnson on Thursday. Tara Donovan's sculpture which can be seen at The Lever House Lobby consists of 2500 lbs. of carefully folded plastic sheets fixed in a rectangular free standing wall.

"Untitled" is an incredibly heart-stopping, display of the beauty of form and I'm sure these images don't the work enough justice.

In addition, Ken Johnson, the author of the article, gives a critical examination of the presence and largess of outdoor sculpture in New York districts. I find that many of the New York installations and sculptures are quite inspiring. In Los Angeles, we have a lot of freestanding sculpture in busy districts in the metropolitan city center. Unfortunately, it appears that the public arts are slowing down with our waning economy, state-budgets and less than enthusiastic patrons. Only with time, will we be able to see more ground-breaking and ambitious public works. These works are essential in transforming our objective space and for bringing the arts into the facade of commerce.

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Yuta Onoda
Jul 23, 2009 posted by: Jason Wong

Yuta Onoda is an artist originally from Japan who holds a Bachelors in Applied Arts in Illustration from Sheridan College in Canada. His illustration work is largely mixed media and digital. Much of Onoda's art bares similarities to his peers such as Tessar Lo and James Jean; yet while comparisons can be drawn, Onoda's focuses on more psychedelic and surreal themes. I enjoy also Onoda's conventional skill as a graphic designer for his color palette feels to be highly selective. Further differences between other illustrators in the field and Onoda appear in that Onoda's subjects which feel less narrative and a bit more contemplative. Many of his paintings are very impressively realized, at times even more carefully rendered and complexly layered than his digital work. Yuta Onoda will certainly be an up and coming illustrator and I look forward to seeing more of his work surface in the next few years.