We Made a Blog

Tumblr, you’ve done more than we could have asked for in...

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:51:00 -0400

Tumblr, you’ve done more than we could have asked for in supporting our blogging venture; all without seeking a single thing in return. And so, we sing your praises.

But we’re trying out a new platform that helped us put a shiny new suit on our blog. So everyone adjust your RSS feeds and meet us over at our new digs at wemadeablog.com.

The Inanimate and the Inamorata In this short film by Ramin...

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:54:06 -0400

The Inanimate and the Inamorata

In this short film by Ramin Bahrani, the protagonist finds and loses the love of his life, sending him on an existential quest to reach the vortex. Werner Herzog gives voice to his reflections against a celestial score by Sigur Rós’ Kjartan Sveinsson. Have we mentioned the protagonist is a plastic bag? You’ll cry anyway.

“Plastic Bag”
Directed, written and edited by Ramin Bahrani
Story by Jenni Jenkins and Ramin Bahrani
Voice of Werner Herzog
Cinematography by Michael Simmonds
Music by Kjartan Sveinsson

Artexpo New York Sometimes the best way to describe something is...

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:14:28 -0400

Artexpo New York

Sometimes the best way to describe something is by its absence. It gives the thing shape, a construct zoned by everything it’s not. Yesterday art took form at Artexpo New York but only by not being there.

Squatting at Pier 94, a space that just weeks ago hosted the Armory Show, Artexpo was filled with galleries setting up camps of wall-hangings where there should have been paintings and statues where there should have been sculpture. All the area airport Marriotts must have been booked.

Row after dizzying row of horses running on beaches, tourist-targeting city scenes and photography that gave lie to the aphorism that any photo blown-up can pass as art. For those who have trouble discerning nude from naked, they need only have viewed the Playboy-pose-based paintings that formed their own category at Artexpo. Soft-focus soft-core that even had sub-genres: religious (Da Vinci’s “Madonna of the Rocks” huddled in one corner of a painting that could only appropriately be called “Madonna on the Rocks”), fantasy and with koi.

Legitimate artists were bastardized and it was impossible not to conjure their presence in the crowded cubbies. Andy Warhol might have wandered through, dazzled by the commercialization of it all; forty of the same painting being sold like so many cans of soup. Monet may have called the authorities when he discovered the actress Jane Seymour had been prancing across the bridge in his garden at Giverny. The tiger may have lost its place as muse to Henri Rousseau if he’d seen the close-up of one clutching a rose in its teeth. Picasso, who wouldn’t allow out of his possession so much as a scrap of paper with his handwriting on it, would have sued for the white canvas bearing a replication of his distinctive signature. In the end, what I would have liked to have seen most would be Jackson Pollock rushing in like a fanatical PETA protester and violently drip-painting everyone there.

» Monday Morning Getaway | No24 Death becomes her. “The...

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:31:15 -0400

» Monday Morning Getaway | No24

Death becomes her.

“The Lady and the Reaper”
Written and directed by Javier Recio Gracia

» Christopher Niemann’s Latest The dot com.

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:24:14 -0400

» Christopher Niemann’s Latest

The dot com.

» Monday Morning Getaway | No23 Fly away...

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:55:45 -0400

» Monday Morning Getaway | No23

Fly away home.

“Galileo”
Created by Avrillon Ghislain
Music by Gildas Le Goff
Song by Isabelle Dorange

» Helvetica the Movie …is now on Vimeo!! UPDATE:...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:53:00 -0500

» Helvetica the Movie

…is now on Vimeo!!

UPDATE: Hopefully you caught it while it was up.

» Zelda Meets Google Maps, Hyrule to Dominate I mostly...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:52:00 -0500

» Zelda Meets Google Maps, Hyrule to Dominate

I mostly posted this because it has to do with New York and 8-bit graphics. However, creator Brett Camper has more to say:

“8-Bit NYC is an attempt to make the city feel foreign yet familiar, smashing together two culturally common models of space: the lo-fi overhead world maps of 1980s role-playing and adventure games, and the geographically accurate data that drives today’s web maps and GPS navigation. I hope to evoke the same urge for exploration, abstract sense of scale, and perhaps most importantly unbounded excitement that many of us remember experiencing on the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Commodore 64, or any other number of 8-bit microcomputers. Maps offer us visual architectures of the world, encouraging us to think about and interact with space in particularly constrained ways. Take some time to think about New York a little differently. Set out on a quest. Be an adventurer.”

» Monday Morning Getaway | No22 By: Onur Sentuk Client:...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:22:00 -0500

» Monday Morning Getaway | No22

By: Onur Sentuk
Client: Self-Initiated
Role: Art Direction, Design, Animation, Compositing
Date: February 2010
Format: Short Film 1024*576 Widescreen Pal
Sound: ECHOLAB Gavin Little

(Dot Com)

Pier-to-Pier Networking at the Armory Show The Art Basel of New...

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0500

Pier-to-Pier Networking at the Armory Show

The Art Basel of New York, the Armory Show has stretched itself across two piers of the West Side this year. Pier 94 is what has been the show proper since 2001 - contemporary art exhibited by galleries from the world over - and Pier 92 is contemporary art’s forefather, modern art.

There’s a definite family resemblance between the generations. Bruce Nauman’s neon spiral “The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths” gets tweaked by Bert Rodriguez to “The True Artist Makes Useless Shit for Rich People to Buy” (price: $25,000). Robert Indiana‘s steadfast block of “LOVE“ degrades into Marc Bijl‘s suggestively drippy “PORN.” Alex Katz’s flat portraits are everywhere, even when they’re not done by Katz.

Opening night was bustling enough to make the cavernous piers uncomfortably warm. Though you could dash outside for a bracing hit of river air to get from one pier to another and share a freight elevator ride with the likes of fashion design team Costello Tagliapietra. Or get spritzed with the refreshing, faintly marine smell of Reid Seifer‘s “Spray to Forget” (a blend of crystal-bathed essential oils that promises to erase or replace bad memories) by Seifer himself. There was also the option of cooling off with a $16 flute of Pommery champagne, but why do that when absinthe, wine and mixed drinks flowed plentifully for free at the after party hosted at MoMA?

The pitch-darkness of the party was relieved by trippy wall projections and the opening horns of the band Human Rights (composed of members of Beirut, Psychic Ills, No Regular Play, and Volcano the Bear). Pernod’s absinthe station was a popular stop-off for those on their way to the dance floor in the lobby where Justin Miller DJ’ed. By the time The Walkmen took the stage under a lone and moody chandelier to amp up their subdued sounds for the crowd, there wasn’t space for anything but dancing and random hookups.

» Something to Brighten Your Friday (via Environmental...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:37:00 -0500

» Something to Brighten Your Friday

(via Environmental Graffiti)

Update

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:06:02 -0500

» Pies and Thighs Revisited Just wanted to update everyone on my status with Pies and Thighs....

» Star Wars X Lego X Stop Motion = Cool Star Wars...

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:56:32 -0500

» Star Wars X Lego X Stop Motion = Cool Star Wars Nerds

There isn’t a whole lot to say, but this animation is about as badass as Sayid in last night’s episode of Lost.

(via Giz)

» Monday Morning Getaway | No21 Falling to pieces is perfectly...

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0500

» Monday Morning Getaway | No21

Falling to pieces is perfectly natural on a Monday.

“Immolate Yourself” by Telefon Tel Aviv

»Caught in The Wild | No12 Paste-ups are the theme. Taken...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:58:33 -0500

»Caught in The Wild | No12

Paste-ups are the theme. Taken somewhere in BK.

Harajuku Lovers Who wouldn’t want to turn Japanese after...

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:00:00 -0500

Harajuku Lovers

Who wouldn’t want to turn Japanese after watching this? I really think so.

“Turning Japanese”
Directed by McG
Produced by Takashi Murakami (check out the man himself at 1:56)

Sticky Situation Some people swear you can fix anything with...

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:00 -0500

Sticky Situation

Some people swear you can fix anything with duct tape. But to sculpt something? It seems packaging tape is what’s called for. Scotch is running a contest (that ends on Sunday) to prove just that. Entries must be 90% comprised of Scotch Packaging Tape. For instructions, a coupon and a peek at their sculpture gallery: Off the Roll Sculpture Contest.

Fit for a Queen Fashion and technology aren’t always a match...

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:00:00 -0500

Fit for a Queen

Fashion and technology aren’t always a match made in heaven. But self-described fashion nerd Diana Eng (of “Project Runway” season two fame) sought to marry together her two loves with “Fairytale Fashion,” the result of her residency at nonprofit art and technology center Eyebeam.

The runway - with its diaphanous entry - dominated the stripped-down space, but what caught the eye was the sewing-machine-driven laptop hooked up to conductive felt origami that aided in the DJing. Malan Breton of season three of “Project Runway” was an uberpolite impromptu host, directing guests to the alcohol-free bar that served up Kool-Aid and a sweet tea redolent with wildflowers and citrus.

The show opened with a knee-length aqua dress whose seashell-like edges were trimmed in electroluminescent wire controlled by an accelerometer. Next out was a wide-bodied garnet “deployable hoodie.” The miura-ori Japanese folding technique was employed to allow the not terribly successful hood to totally disappear into a diamond pattern when not in use. Eng’s proprietary twinkle pad blinked on and off down the runway on a cardigan and a chiffon overlay to a graphite-shaded tank dress as well as on an orchid-like white, gold and acid green dress. A nearly life-sized cameo jutted out from a peach silk organza confection of a top that featured more of the electroluminescent wire while intense structure was at work in the pleats that puffed up the sleeves on a well-tailored short-sleeved lavender jacket. If Christian Lacroix worked in plastic, he might have come up with the flower-bedecked silk chiffon dress that was bolstered by inflatable poufs.

Eng closed out the show with the years-gone-by tradition of sending a wedding dress down the runway - but with a twist. A sleeveless scoopneck bodice was set at the waist by an Alice in Wonderland blue satin bow with a net of tulle holding down a raft of LED-filled balloons. The model swished the pearlescent balloons out of her dress, letting them float up to the raw wood beams above.

Sometimes happily ever after isn’t a prince of a financial backer for your line but finding your place in the world.

»Caught in The Wild | No11 Spaced-out paste-up. Spotted on W....

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:52:09 -0500

»Caught in The Wild | No11

Spaced-out paste-up.

Spotted on W. 21st St., Chelsea

» H2O Celebrates 15 Years at The Knitting Factory...

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:29:00 -0500

» H2O Celebrates 15 Years at The Knitting Factory Brooklyn

The first time I saw H2O was 15 years ago at the Limelight club with Sick of It All and Civ. It was Civ’s first show in New York and right around when Sick of It All released “Scratch the Surface.” H2O may have had a demo out, but it was well before their 7” on Blackout Records was released. For some reason, I remember my sister having seen H20 a couple of weeks before, opening for Shelter, and bragging about them. Either way, I remember being unbelievably amped for Civ, I’m a huge Gorilla Biscuits fan, very excited and more than a little scared to see Sick of It all, and couldn’t have cared less about H2O. On that day, Toby Morse, the lead singer for H20, came out dressed like an outcast from Revenge of the Nerds, and the band started with an acoustic number. Seconds later, Toby had shed his costume and the band had launched into some super-positive, melodic hardcore – it was bedlam. Maybe not Sick of It All bedlam, but for a band that didn’t have a recording out and was playing only their fourth or fifth show, H20 got a huge reaction from the crowd – I counted myself amongst the smitten.

Over the years I would become not only a huge H20 fan, but a friend. I’ve seen them a zillion times, hung out with them, partied with them, and even had them take over my apartment in Amherst, Massachusetts when I was a junior in college. Heck, I have one tattoo, and it is an H20 tattoo. Of course things have changed since the late nineties, I no longer go to hardcore shows every weekend, heck, I rarely go out at all. Today, I’m 33, married, have a beautiful daughter and a career – all unimaginable when I was stage diving to “Here Today Gone Tomorrow” at the old Coney Island High on St. Mark’s Place. I only say this to provide some background into my mindset as I proceed to the new Knitting Factory in Brooklyn to see H20’s 15^th anniversary show. 15 years had passed since H20 formed and 15 years have also passed since I first saw them.

The new Knitting Factory is much better than the old one, but just understand that instead of the sweaty shoebox that the old Factory was, the new one is wide open with a huge stage and tons of room to maneuver. This show was the third H20 anniversary show, following ones in Philadelphia and New York. Unlike the prior shows, the only opening band was The Attack from Florida – who we missed. The prior shows had Maximum Penalty and Trapped Under Ice opening – two bands I really would have like to see. There were rumors flying around that Gorilla Biscuits and/or Killing Time would be opening up – but neither came true. Another minus was that while the New York show featured guest appearances from Civ and Lou Koller – neither made it out to the County of Kings. Finally, when H20 took the stage, Toby looked absolutely worn out, even stating that he hadn’t slept before and that his voice was shot. We were not off to a good start.

Fortunately, H20 as a band, have a great stage presence, and by the third song, the crowd reaction had clearly gotten to them and they were positively rocking. Flanked by guitarists Rusty Pistachio and Todd Morse and bassist Adam Blake, Toby got a boost to his vocals thanks to very eager crowd participation. Drummer Todd Friend, always one of my favorites to watch – the guys just kills his drum kit, provided the funniest moment of the night by signing Freddy Madball’s part on “Guilty by Association (this is much funnier when you consider that Todd Friend is one of the most soft spoken individuals on this planet and Freddy Madball is, well…Freddy Madball). The sound in the place was weak, the guitars sounded thin, I took my earplugs out at one point to see if they were blocking too much sounds, but it turned out it was just the way the place was wired. Under the circumstances the band was super tight, except two forgettable attempts at covers they used to perform “It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube and “Bad Boys” by some reggae group, they really ran through the songs like the professionals that they were.

As for the set list, the band played almost everything you would expect to hear. They played “5 Year Plan”, “Scene Report”, “Spirit of ‘84”, “Family Tree”, “Hi-Lo”, “Universal Language”, “One Life, One Chance”, “Empty Pockets”, “Faster Than the World”, and almost the entire new album on Bridge 9. I would have liked to have heard “I Know Why” and “Follow the Three Way”, but other then that, I have no real complaints about the set. I was most amazed by the reaction the new songs received. The audience was a very young one, it is clear H20 has connected with the newer kids, and they went bonkers for the new songs, something I was not expecting. Above all, H20 shows are about fun and this one delivered. By the end of the set there was nothing but smiles on the stage and from the kids in the audience and that’s what hardcore should be about.

Written by: Adam Dlugacz