Friday, February 4, 2011

Coffin Construction






A few years back I built a coffin. It was the first time I worked with power tools or did anything carpentry-related so there was a lot of blood and sweat put into this project. Additionally I installed broken mirror pieces in the inside of the coffin and the idea was that the audience would enter the coffin and be closed inside it with a flashlight, forced to face our inherit fear of death. It's definitely structurally weak as a coffin but I guess the art of it is in the interactive experience of laying inside. Here are some pictures of the process and final product:



No idea what I'm doing at this point.



Getting a feel for it.


My buddy testing it out.


Final product.





Travel Book: Cuba



I recently did a post on Dan Eldon, he inspired me to make my own travel book and in 2010 I did it. These are some pages from my book from when I went to Cuba. Not as dynamic and profound as Eldon's stuff, probably more like a super girly photo album or scrap book on sequin steroids:



One of my favorite clubs in the world: Havana Club. No gimmicks, just straight up raw fun with dirty-sexy locals and uninhibited tourists, dance floor exuding sexual confidence, and music that makes you perspire Cuba. 


Day tour of Havana ending with a show in the legendary 'Tropicana Club' (circa 1939) where legit mobster wives used to watch extravagant performances while their hustler hubbies were being gangsters at the casino next door back in the 1940s. Other greats who've attended include Marlon Brando and Ernest Hemingway.


Tall black Cuban guy on the right holds the record for rolling the longest cigar in the world. Tried some Cuban cigars, concluded it's an acquired taste.


Will try and post some of my Nepal pages from this summer soon.

'DJ' Pauly D





So for those of you who follow me on twitter you might remember that I was at the 'DJ' Pauly D show at Gossip last Wednesday. As expected the music was not what you can usually get for $35 in Vancouver but my interest was the experience itself and not the music this time.


One thing that was unexpected was the crowd. Girls were in their hottest outfits and as each of them shamelessly puckered up in front of the bathroom mirrors, you could see it in their eyes: the secret (or not so secret) desire to get Pauly's attention and be the chosen lady who gets to do him. But let me tell you the sexual drive is a powerful drug and those girls were primal, survival of the fittest was definitely the theme of the crowd. 




I was at Bloody Beetroots last November and Skrillex in January and even compared to those young kids full of energy, high on fuck knows what, these guidette wannabes were fucking tough to keep up with. Granted I'm 5'1" and was in a sea of heeled girls in all shapes and sizes but I'd like to think I'm pretty good at holding my ground in a raging crowd. 


One girl tried to climb up the bars to the booth and the bouncer had to literally punch her down cuz she was not giving up. Was outside having a cig and one big blondie had to be tamed by four huge bouncers, which took them long enough for me to finish a cig, which if you smoke you know that's a pretty decent length of time. I'm not gonna exaggerate though, there were some surprisingly nice girls and other chicks going just for kicks. 




Anyway can't say much about Pauly D. As a DJ he was definitely not doing it for me but I just watched the latest episode of Jersey shore tonight and I realized he's got some game so I guess I can see where the crazy fans come from. Didn't get any decent pics so I stole some off nightbat.com where I bought the tix for the show.




Annnddd these are the shots I got...






Yes, 90% of my pictures are of people taking pictures. Hopefully the videos are more helpful:






Dada Life next Friday! Stay tune for a post on that :)

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Thursday Throwback Tune: 'Feathers' by Nujabes

Nujabes aka Jun Seba was a Japanese hip-hop producer, tremendously talented. He passed away a little over a year ago in a traffic accident at the young age of 36 but his impact and music will be loved forever. Rest in peace big guy.


My favorite Nujabes song, Feathers:


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

One Minute of Fame UBC 163


So this is my filipino homeboy and he's mad talented. Please 'like' his video on youtube and if you're not impressed, check out the other contestants and tell me he doesn't deserve the win. Thanks and salamat peeps!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOIROLlcESs

Friday, January 28, 2011

'Thursday' Throwback Tune: Sex and Candy

I know it's not Thursday but I've been busy as fuck this week and totally forgot to make a TTT post. A good song about 2 of my favorite treats: Sex and Candy by Marcy Playground


Sunday, January 23, 2011

Quote of the Week 2


'The greatest pleasure in life 
is doing what people say you cannot do' 

-Walter Bagehot


Cans Festival with Banksy et al -Pope Marilyn Monroe

Sound Tossing - 'Electronic Tools for Sonic Interventions in Urban Space'


A few nights ago I did a post on Yarnstormers, now I'm finding this blog of Sound Tossers. It can't get any better than this. Yet another medium artists are using to fuck with the system. Big respect for being the first to take street art to a sonic level.

Check it out:






The following is taken directly from their blog:


Sound Tossing is an alternative type of electronic street art dedicated to activist, artist and protesters. It is the practice of throwing or hanging audio devices (Sound Tossing Tools) up to overhead wires such as power lines or telephone cables. While Sound Tossing Tools are hanging from overhead wires they generate sounds for subversive urban communication.

First Sound Tossing was reported in November 2010 in Istanbul.

This blog chronicles Sound Tossing from around the world while trying to establish this new type of open source street art. It provides DIY instructions for Sound Tossing Tools and makes it available for everyone.'


Check out their blog @ http://www.soundtossing.com/



Sound Tossing Vienna from Reinhard Gupfinger on Vimeo.


Sound Tossing from Reinhard Gupfinger on Vimeo.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Your Name in Lights

My name is going up in lights on Wednesday 26 Jan 9:16:40 PM, Australian Eastern Daylight time. It's nothing to do with fame, just registered my name on this website as part of a massive art project:


"Iconic American conceptual artist John Baldessari is looking for people, who want their name in lights, but just for 15 glittering seconds.



Your Name in Lights reflects the changing cult of celebrity in modern society and recalls Andy Warhol's prediction that in the future everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame. Drawing on imagery from Broadway theatre displays and Hollywood films, this ambitious new work will involve more than 100,000 participants.


Register your name and watch it appear in lights on the Australian Museum’s William Street façade.




Dan Eldon

"What is the difference between exploring and being lost?"




Dan Eldon was an English photo journalist who was stoned to death in 1993 at the young age of 22 by an angry mob in Somalia. When I started getting serious about visual arts, Dan Eldon was my first inspiration. I was introduced to his work in my third year of high school by my incredibly talented visual arts teacher. He used to tell me, 'Never fall in love with a dead man' as I'd obsessively leaf through Dan Eldon's pages during our lunch break. I ended up writing it on the side of my sketchbook as a reminder that art stems from obsession. My life motto, 'The Journey is the Destination' is from Dan Eldon. He kept a journal throughout his fascinating life with collages and writings about his travels and experiences. Through his raw pages you you step into the vagabond life of a beautiful women, reckless youth, and intriguing culture. Eldon combines my passions for travel, photography, adventure, and nature into bounded visual masterpieces.


Check out of Dan Eldon's work: http://www.daneldon.org/site/




Here are some pages from Eldon's Journal:















Here are two of my own Dan Eldon inspired pieces from high school:






Honestly I didn't really like these two pieces. I just ripped out some pictures from a National Geographic and used different media to create a collage but I find it superficial because I didn't really have an emotional connection with the statement I was trying to make. But I guess when you're pressed for a deadline and dealing with the wonderful trials and tribulations of the teenage years, shitting out masterpieces tends to be a struggle.





Portrait of an Island

Last December I went to the Philippines. Here are some pictures I took of one of my favorite islands in the world, my own best-kept-secret: Siquijor Island. A Turkish neighbor of mine once said, 'When you go to Siquijor, it's as if time stops.' It's one of those things that you have to experience yourselves to understand. It also happens to be known as the 'witch island' of the Philippines but that's a whole other post. You'll notice themes of a strong Roman Catholic influence which is especially prominent in the rural areas of the Philippines, save the Muslim areas.



Sari-Sari Store Within



Mother Mary Cried



Wilted Orchid



Pray for Us



Crucifix



Island Grazing




Long Walks on the Beach with God



Three is Company



Coral Puzzle



Tropical Holly Flower



Shell on Bamboo



He Was Crucified



Lumbar Embrace



Phallic Rock



Mt. Talinis (Highest Peak of Siquijor)




Where 'Stray' Animals Don't Exist




Kite Flier


Friday, January 21, 2011

Yarnstormers


The magknitficent seven



Just discovered this crazy crew of knit street artists. Why I love them:


1) They are female. Represent.


2) They are original. Knit street art? Hell yess. This epitomizes what I love about street art: it's constantly pushing the box; growing and expanding in terms of medium and ideas. When you can make a hobby like knitting bad-ass and fun, you've done well.


3) Their work is light-hearted, fun, and taps into the inner child in all of us in a twisted way; reminding us that the world is our playground. When someone passes by one of these knits, it cultivates their imagination which is so necessary in a world where we're bombarded with thousands of marketing messages a day whether we like it or not.


Please check out their work: http://knitthecity.com


"Nutcracker Knitmare Before Christmas"


"the Phonebox Cosy"

"Plunder of Pirates"


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