Secret Still

The big push toward a more folk style of art is one I’m inevitably going to have to deal with. Art is still art and the artist decides how they want it to look. That’s their job. I’m glad that there are artists out there like Katy Horan who make the transition easier for me. Folk and spiritual and fun all at the same time, Katy’s work reminds of when outsider art first poured into the mainstream. I was five, but I was a weird kid so I paid attention. The nostalgia is personal, but the quality of her work is objective.

Katy Horan

There’s been a flood of buzz on the new Shepard Fairey show “E Pluribus Venom” and not a lot about the Souther Salazar show running at the same time on the other side of the Jonathan Levine Gallery, but they are both pretty phenomenal. Fairey’s work strikes a hard note against commerce even though it’s selling for more than the sum total money I’ve earned in my entire life, and Salazar’s paintings and sculptures remind you that the world can be wonderful if you believe that it is. I think that J. Levine has a nice juxtaposition of ideas here that both ultimately point to an ideal future. Nice, dude, nice. Juxtapoz has some great photos of both shows up on their page.

Juxtapoz: Shepard Fairey and Souther Salazar
Shepard Fairey
Souther Salazar
Jonathan Levine Gallery

Anyone with the middle name Silas is destined to rock something hard. At least in my head anyway. And Christopher Silas Neal is no exception. It took me a couple of glances but by the time I clicked away from his site I really loved his work. There’s a lot of “childlike” illustration going around right now, and for a lot of artists it seems like just a way to hide their mediocre talent; Neal accents a natural talent with an innocent and playful style. Ya’ll haters and biters can learn from this Silas. His art is his word and his word is the truth. Ya heard?

I don’t know what that was either.

Christopher Neal

Ryan Snook’s illustrations make the crazy 60-year-old man in me remember his childhood. ‘Nuff said.

Ryan Snook

From the artist’s website:
Working stream of conscious, Sean McGaughey does not do any preparatory sketches. He does the majority of thinking on the painting surface, and painting over “mistakes” with flat areas of color, but still allowing them to show through. By not fully covering the “mistakes”, the painting becomes a documentation of itself, and the viewers gain insight into the dialogue, which occurred between the artist and the painting.

Ignore that post-modern crap and enjoy some fine paintings.

Sean McGaughey

This one almost slipped past me, but apparently Velvet da Vinci Gallery in San Francisco had a huge show called 200 rings with, you might have guessed, 200 rings designed by various artists. Some were a little on the esoteric side to be safe for everyday wear, but all of them are astounding in their concept and craftsmanship. Don’t stop until you get to the very last photo. The art lobe of your brain will thank you by making cute people hit on you.

200 Rings at Velvet da Vinci

The title says it all. The trio from the infamous Crailtap design department known as The Art Dump have a nice show up at Lab 101 Gallery. Check out the varied works of 3 guys named Andrew at Juxtapoz. I think that’s enough links in one post. Make sure to stretch your index finger. Don’t want a click cramp.

The Art Dump
Lab 101 Gallery
Juxtapoz’s coverage

I’m not entirely sure how this video was made or how the BMX riders never have to pedal. But I am sure that the video is awesome, the song is awesome, and the riders are like little BMX Blue Angels. Fight Formation Alpha Niner!

Dougal Wilson
Bat for Lashes
The Video

I know that the big thing in music right now is the mash-up phenomenon (or is it already passe?), and I’m just as tired of it as everyone else who enjoys musicians actually making music at a show instead of pressing play, but then I came across The Hood Internet. I have to give them some stars for their unusual combinations. Anyone who can combine Rihanna with M83 gets a couple of underline marks when I write their name down in my big list of musicians I like. I might even add an exclamation point. I’m rockin’ their mixtape at work and it’s making my Monday manageable. Alliteration, bitches.

The Hood Internet

I had to use that title. How could I pass up the opportunity? I couldn’t. Exactly.

But Take-G Toys really does blow my mind with their intricately made wooden toys. Both the character design and the craftsmanship are perfect, and if I could understand Japanese I would probably be able to track down where to buy one. The culture gap is all too apparent.

Take-G Toys