If you’ve ever been to a metal show, you’ll know that they’re funny. Simultaneously really cheesy and really hardcore, metal dudes are quite frequently just nice guys that revel in the irony of it all. You can’t constantly be wearing shirts with upside-down crosses and heavy ass phrases and mean it all of the time. (Note: We are definitely not including those from the second wave of the Nordic black metal scene in these generalizations.)
If you don’t believe my statements about metal dudes, though, perhaps these hella heavy metal quilts by Ben Venom will convince you. In his statement of work, he says:
“I’m interested in juxtaposing traditional handmade crafts with one of the more extreme musical genres, Heavy Metal. My work can be described as a collision of Iron Maiden Metal ballads with the outrageous stage antics of Ozzy Osbourne. Serious, yet attempting to take on a B movie Horror film style where even the beasts of Metal need a warm blanket to sleep with. The question remains… Can I play with madness?”
Let’s keep in mind these quilts aren’t a one-time creation with little thought put into them. Venom not only needs to craft the blankets, but he needs to attain the materials, which probably involves hours of sifting through thrift store piles to find heaps of Slayer, Def Leppard, and AC/DC discards. Then, after fighting the arduous mental battle to justify that art is greater than the sadness of the few individuals offended that he is tearing apart t-shirt classics, Venom repurposes the shirts into cozy creations. Sure, the blankets are centered around calaveras, wolves, and other stereotypically metal shit, but come on, they’re blankets. You definitely get the idea that Venom’s probably not that serious most of the time… which is just really metal of him.
Don’t Wake Me Lucifer! / 83″ x 95″ / 2010
Am I Demon? / 41” x 51” / 2010
Listen to Heavy Metal While You Sleep! / 73” x 99” / 2010
[ABOVE] Nieves’ logo, which looks a little bit like McDonald’s Grimace — only much more well-read…
Swiss publishing house, Nieves, really knows how to make you drool over a hard-copy art book. Their latest offering is entitled Iskandariyah Skan, and features the work of Zurich-based mixed media and installation artist, Ingo Giezendanner (whose website, it should be noted, is www.grrrr.net).
Iskandariyah, is Alexandria in Arabic, and the book documents Geizendanner’s ferry trip across the Mediterranean Sea into Alexandra, Egypt. The line art images simplistically capture Geizendanner’s surroundings, illustrating organized chaos in everything from ocean waves to trees and stacks of books to car wrecks. Geizendanner uses his eye like a camera, and later distorts the images through scanning processes (see artist statement below for details).
Below, a few pages of samples from the 192-page, soft cover, offset-printed book!! YUM!
“My previous picture book was about a train trip to Baku, this book documents my ferry trip accross the Mediterranean Sea to Alexandria (or Iskandariyah as it is called in Arabic). I was invited to exhbit my work and conduct a workshop organized by the artist-run Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF). This paperback is a selection of the many drawings that transpired on this amazing journey.
Not all my drawings are of a scene that catches my eye. Often it starts with coming across a really comfortable spot where I can sit undisturbed for some time amongst the hustle and rumble of a busy city. This, for me, can be quite meditative. Later, I scan the drawings to upload onto my website and other applications.
This time round, I also experimented with the drawings and hope to present this book as my personal development or work in progress. I wish to share the overwhelming experience of drawing the ocean and have tried to capture the simultaneous static second and fluid element of the water by flushing the drawings through a scanner and allowing them to distort as they wish to flow, much like the city, much like life itself.”
If you are for some reason in Zurich this weekend, there is a book launch and signing taking place at Nieves (Ankerstrasse 20, 8004, Zurich) on Saturday, July 2nd, from 14:00 to 17:00.
The SF Moma blog has taken to publishing a series of Positive Signs, which is described as, “a weekly series of interpretive diagrams, quotes, and speculations on creativity, optimism*, and the lives of artists, published every Wednesday through June. (*Notwithstanding brief forays into the nature of space, stuff, experience, and cognition.)”
#25, #26, and #27, created by Christine Wong Yap with glitter pen on gridded vellum, utilizes careful precision with a finicky medium on a finicky material (trust me; glitter pens are indeed finicky, as is vellum!) to create pieces that are refreshingly big picture. These images speak abstractly about “universal truths,” giving equal weight to feeling and thought in literary and graphical manners. The quotes are from the book Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience by Yi-Fu Tuan… which apparently I need to read, with immediacy.
Sometimes I’m a little bit wary about supporting the Kickstarter projects of various artists; all too often, people feel entitled to your money while giving little in return, and even less to the community at large. A new project by photographer Tyler Kohlhoff and Justin Gorman is fine by me, though; their Kickstarter effort offers prints, clothing, and publications which seem like an even trade for a few extra bucks… but more importantly, their project has a foreseeable benefit for the greater good.
Kohlhoff and Gorman’s upcoming collaboration, Exhibit B: Lines Of Work, celebrates the joys of real, honest work, by focusing on all aspects of an average workday. Those of you who have been the SE industrial district have probably seen Rinella Produce‘s distinctive building. If you’ve ever wondered what happens there on a day-to-day basis, the first of these case studies will use photo essays and videos to capture the processes and behind-the-scenes functions of running a business such as Rinella’s.
The duo describes the piece on Rinella Produce and the ones to follow, saying:
Exhibit B features a number of case studies, the first of which is Rinella Produce, a venerable, family run produce distribution company located in South East Portland. Our focus with this study was on the owner David Rinella, and the pride he takes in employing 65 people in an age where his work is increasingly disappearing. The photo stories and video provide an honest look into the worker and the processes surrounding that work. The project will be rounded out by case studies including the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and with their road crews, Columbia River Boat Pilots and a day in the life of a butcher.
Profits from the Kickstarter will go towards print costs, large-format exhibition photographs, and the exhibit installation, to take place at Wieden + Kennedy (24 NW 13th Avenue, Portland, OR) on June 2nd, 2011. The duo says, “We will be making a run of 2000, 12 page, magazine size publications featuring photo essays, typography, info-graphics and a guest essay by artist and writer Victor Moldanado. The publication will be take-aways at the exhibition.”
Kohlhoff and Gorman have already met their $2,000 goal, but if you would like to donate to the Kickstarter, it ends on May 14th, at 2:59am.
According to the introductory statement to the Festival’s website, “Festival of Ideas for the New City is a major new collaborative initiative in New York, involving scores of Downtown organizations working together to harness the power of the creative community to imagine the future city and explore ideas that will shape it. The Festival will include a three-day slate of symposia; an innovative StreetFest along the Bowery; and over eighty independent projects and public events.”
Below, we’ve decided to pick out some of the socially-conscious, community-minded projects people are undertaking for the Streetfest portion of this festival. If you’re looking for our recommended picks for gallery openings, please see this guide.
And here we go!
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Art Cart NYC
Art Cart NYC™ is a mobile exhibition space that brings art directly to the people, encouraging them to think imaginatively about exhibiting and experiencing art. They work with many organizations, all which spread art and information via mobile means. Please check out their Tumblr for more information. Location: Variable throughout Streetfest Map it:http://www.festivalofideasnyc.com/map#event-2891 Date: May 7th, from 11:00am to 7:00pm More details:http://artcartnyc.tumblr.com/
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Art In Odd Places
According to the organization’s mission statement, “Art in Odd Places aims to stretch the boundaries of communication in the public realm by presenting artworks in all disciplines outside the confines of traditional public space regulations. AiOP reminds us that public spaces function as the epicenter for diverse social interactions and the unfettered exchange of ideas.” There is also an the 7th Annual Art In Odd Places Festival, taking place from October 1st through October 10th this year, in New York City, and there is now a call for entries and proposals. Location: Variable throughout Streetfest Map it:http://www.festivalofideasnyc.com/map#event-2909 Date: May 7th, from 11:00am to 7:00pm More details:http://www.artinoddplaces.org/
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Broadcastr
A free app streams geolocated stories told in the voices of the people who live and work in the neighborhood. The project expands in real time with contributions from visitors. The app brings strangers closer to one another, one story at a time. Location: Variable throughout Streetfest Map it:http://www.festivalofideasnyc.com/map#event-1186 Date: May 7th, from 11:00am to 7:00pm More details:http://www.broadcastr.com/
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contrail
Turn your bicycle into a paintbrush! Contrail is a public art project that celebrates shared spaces, helps make bicycling safer and more fun. Don’t worry; the paints are non-toxic and eco-friendly, of course! Location: Streetfest Map it:http://www.festivalofideasnyc.com/map#event-1196 Date: May 7th, from 11:00am to 7:00pm More details:http://www.bikecontrail.com
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the drawing center
DrawNow! is a series of artist-led projects that invite the public to join in spontaneous drawing events encouraging social and cultural engagement. All ages—no experience necessary! Similarly, you may also want to check out our recent feature on Screaming Females’ work with Doodledrag. More all-access art, please! Location: Streetfest Map it:http://www.festivalofideasnyc.com/map#event-1266 Date: May 7th, from 11:00am to 7:00pm More details:http://www.drawingcenter.org/
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goles—good old lower east side
This installation consists of dangling keys, each representing another community member who faced eviction this year along with a description, poem, or story. Location: Streetfest Map it:http://www.festivalofideasnyc.com/map#event-1211 Date: May 7th, from 11:00am to 7:00pm More details:http://www.GOLES.org
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Draw-Think-Tank: Emerging territories of movement. 15×360 Manifestos.: Storefront for Art and Architecture
Presenting an innovative digital platform for collective drawing and a series of manifestos by emerging and established experts throughout the world to spark new visions for the future of mobility. Location: Streetfest Map it:http://www.festivalofideasnyc.com/map#event-1257 Date: May 7th, from 11:00am to 7:00pm More details:http://www.storefrontnews.org/
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bushwick art park: trust art
Come kick it at a street-inspired sculpture garden and philosophize on how to transform an under-used street in Bushwick into a community art park, as well as how to raise awareness about the lack of open space in the Brooklyn neighborhood. There will be excellent work on display, from Specter, Leon Reid IV, Olek, and Skewville. Above, a piece by Olek. Location: Streetfest Map it:http://www.festivalofideasnyc.com/map#event-1275 Date: May 7th, from 11:00am to 7:00pm More details:http://www.trustart.org/posts/39
