Tuesday Inspiration- Tokyo: As Seen Through a Handbag

Arnaud Pykva, “Walking Lady”, 2011, Photo Credit: Dior.com

Not just any handbag…  The Lady Dior.

Background:  Hands down, my favorite fashion blogger is Garance Doré.  Not only is she an accomplished photographer and blogger, she is an incredible story-teller with a keen eye for fabulous handbags.  She was recently given the opportunity to take an iconic “Lady Dior” and put her own spin on it.  What Doré accomplished in this visually stunning video diary was a unique travelogue documenting her trip.

This was part of a larger exhibition called “Lady Dior As Seen By” currently running in Tokyo.

This is not only a playful spin on an iconic bag, it is a thoughtful tribute to the spirit and warmth of the individuals Garance encountered during her trip.  I’ve wanted to go to Tokyo for a few years and I’m even more encouraged to go now.  This was such a joy to watch today, I had to pass this along and share; plus I wanted to congratulate Garance Doré on being honored by the CDFA when she, along with Scott Schuman will be honored with the Media Award during the CDFA Fashion Awards on June 5th.  They are the first bloggers to be honored with this award, and both have been an inspiration and motivator to continue to write about art, culture, food and music.  Garance’s blog is a delight to read because she writes it as if she were talking with you over a cup of tea.  It is one of my favorites, and I’m glad that she is being recognized for being a unique voice in the world of fashion.  Congratulations!

My Sawtelle Stroll

Photo Credit: Localresearch.com

There’s a small stretch of Sawtelle Bl that is the Westside’s version of Little Tokyo.  In all my years of living near this area, I never spent time over there, but Saturday I needed to go to Giant Robot to look for a gift for a friend, and found some pleasant surprises.  They’ve got the Culture Shock Trifecta of Food, Fashion and Art that will keep me coming back (especially since I did not get my fix of Ramen or Shaved Ice as I opted for a delicious meal at Chego on Overland afterwards).

First stop was Giant Robot where we picked up a Gary Baseman vinyl figure from the Hot Cha Cha Cha series from a few years back (it’s being used as creative inspiration for an album my husband is producing), and while there I couldn’t resist picking up a blind box item from the Jibibuts “Artist Collection”.

Photo Credit: Noferin.com

I rarely speak of collectibles, but for those of you collectible neophytes out there, a blind box item is a play on a Japanese Gashapon toy.  Think of it as a designer, adult version of the capsule toys you used to get out of a vending machine.  Twelve featured artists all contributed a uniquely designed, painted wooden piece that looks like a modern kokeshi doll.  You don’t know which artist you are going to get until you open the box. Since I recognized a number of the artists featured, I had to buy one, and I ended up getting Squink’s design.

CultureShockArt

It’s so cute sitting on my desk.  Giant Robot has a huge collection of gifts, toys, collectibles and a great library of graphic design and art books.  It’s hard not to spend an entire afternoon in this store alone.

Image Credit: Giant Robot

A half a block down Sawtelle, we also stopped by “I am Fine” — Eishi Takaoka’s solo exhibition at Giant Robot 2′s gallery across the street from the store. His work was quite stunning in that it features carved wooden heads all sharing the same morose expression, yet each are adorned in a variety of backdrops, halos and other refinery that lend a unique story to each piece.

Lastly, I rounded out my Sawtelle stroll by stopping into In Residence, a beautifully curated store that carries a unique collection of items that “give back” (plus they have an amazing collection of affordable, stylish handbags).  I’m really intrigued by the whole B1G1 model that companies like Warby Parker and Toms have chosen to employ.  While at In Residence I picked up a beautifully designed bracelet by 31 Bits (perfect for summer whites) and a croched hat by Krochet Kids for my husband (a wise investment for winter).

My 31 Bits Beaded Bracelet from In Residence

For more on In Residence check out their website.

For more on collectibles and all things cute, check out Supahcute, a great blog curated by fellow recovering foodie!

Word to Your Mother

Word to Mother’s ’09 Fame Festival Poster. Credit: Studio Cromie

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to throw in some Street Art references on Mother’s Day, so I thought this piece by Word to Your Mother was a perfect way to honor the Moms the CultureShockArt way!

CultureShockArt

And of course I have to brag on my own Mom for a minute.  She’s the greatest.  I’ve learned so much from you Mom, you have always been there for me to listen and give wise advice.  You’ve been a teacher, a mentor, a fashion inspiration, friend and my biggest fan (I know you will be reading this on Monday over some coffee).  I LOVE YOU and am so proud to be your daughter!  Happy Mother’s Day!

Word to Mother’s Fame Festival Poster, 2009. Photo Credit: Studio Cromie

Word to Mother’s Fame Festival Poster, 2009. Photo Credit: Studio Cromie

Play It Again Jerram: “Play Me I’m Yours” Hits L.A.

"Photograph by Luke Jerram"

About two weeks ago I had heard about “Play Me I’m Yours”, a traveling music installation featuring 30 vibrantly painted pianos scattered about town.  The purpose is simple:  just “play and enjoy”. The project was created in 2008 by artist Luke Jerram, and since then the installation has traveled to 22 cities around the world.  The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and other gracious donors have sponsored the installation’s visit to L.A. and the pianos (painted by local L.A. artists) will remain until May 3rd.

I discovered one of the pianos while running to catch a train at Union Station and was so thrilled, I felt like I stumbled upon a musical golden ticket.

It was a beautiful respite from the end of a hectic day.

For a map of the 30 pianos throughout the Southland click here.

Os Gemeos Finale @ Prism LA

Number 1 on my must see list of shows for 2012 2as Os Gemeos’ “Miss You” at Prism Gallery.  Saturday was its last day and I finally made it in to see their work. I loved how the gallery was transformed into the mythical world found in their paintings.  The walls and floor were painted in gradient shades of crimson and orange to look like fresh lava.  Emerging from the lava floor were these glowing primordial globes painted to look like heads struggling to ascend to the ceiling.

Os Gemeos is Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo, twin brothers hailing from Brazil whose roots are in graffiti art and murals.  While their style has a distinct look in caricature and theme, their neo-surrealist paintings belie a complex tapestry of themes all punctuated by the vibrancy and color of their homeland.  The family portrait wall suggests the richness in ethnicities and cultures resident in Brazil, and the familiar comforting embroidered works found upstairs carry that familial theme.

What I love most about Os Gemeos is that each piece masterfully straddles the lines between the conscious and the subconscious, dreams and reality.  While on the surface a piece may appear whimsical, it simultaneously evokes a sense of gravitas.  This untitled piece, which was a collaboration between the twins and their older brother was one of my favorites of the show.

On the surface, this playful child shouldn’t have a care in the world, but upon closer inspection the child appears to be overcome by a barrage of subtle, dreamlike images floating on the canvas.  Is it the subconscious coming to surface?  I found this both charming and somewhat haunting at the same time-another representation of the duality of Os Gemeos (I’m pretty sure that trait can be found in Geminis too).

I also liked the multi-dimensional aspects of their work where subjects appear to be piercing through dimensions in search of something.

At times the pieces appear to be deeply personal. There was a beautiful mural painted on the wall near the stairs of the gallery.  Looking out on it from the second floor, it reminded me of Rio de Janeiro’s iconic art deco statue of Christ the Redeemer sitting at the peak of Corcovado hill.

This piece is called O Artista (The Artist) which hints at the fragility if they can become undone through the mere pulling of a single thread holding everything together.

When I first walked into the gallery the first thing I noticed was the large 3D cube of a woman’s head suspended by cable from the ceiling; as I was about to leave I noticed a person standing inside it.  When they emerged from the bottom of the cube they said I had to see what was in there.

Curiosity got the best of me and I took a peek. True to form with Os Gemeos, there is something beneath the woman on the cube.  I certainly wasn’t expecting this.

Os Gemeos @ Prism LA from CultureShockArt on Vimeo.

About the video…I really didn’t intend to post it b/c if you couldn’t tell I have NO iMovie skills whatsoever but I just had to show a snippet of what was going on in that cube!  If I hadn’t been here on the last day I wouldn’t have posted it and spoil it for others, but since their run at Prism is over, I figured why not share!  This was a fantastic show and a great opportunity to see a more comprehensive portfolio of their work.

The Art of Compromise-Donuts and Clock Watching at LACMA

Image Credit, CafePress.com

A recent conversation with my husband:

Me:  ”Hey honey, they’re giving away free donuts at LACMA for 24 hours…”

Husband:  ”Wow, really?”

Me:  ”Yeah, a different donut every hour”. *Looking at donut schedule* “Maple Bacon?!  Want to…”

Husband:  *grabs keys* “Let’s go”

And just like that, we were headed to LACMA. Little did he know the bonus for me was going to the Bing auditorium to see the encore viewing of Christian Marclay’s, “The Clock”.  ”The Clock” is a 24 hour mega montage of movie clips depicting various scenes featuring time-there are alarm clocks, grandfather clocks, watches cuckoo clocks, sand dials and other symbols all meant to evoke time passing.   The work is in real-time so viewers in the theatre at 9:01 a.m. are seeing events taking place on film 9:01 a.m.  Intriguing concept.

Image Credit: For Your Art

How do the donuts fit in?  To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure, but they served as a convenient ruse to get my husband to come with me to LACMA on a Sunday morning.  For Your Art graciously gifted free donuts for a full 24 hours coinciding with the screening of “The Clock”.  The best donuts of LA were carefully selected and distributed to hungry Angelinos on the hour.  These guys had me fiending for donuts since last week and I only eat these donuts once or twice a year.  It all started with a published donut “schedule” on their site and the Twitterverse was abuzz with visions of sugar, sprinkles, strawberries, maple glaze and bacon.

Perhaps it was a lack of caffeine and the early hours, but the donut mania I was expecting appeared to have subsided. There were lots of drawings of donuts on the wall in the narrow space used for the exhibit and a brief explanation of the purpose on the wall.  By this morning they had given out over 2,000 donuts.  Their site is incredible, I wished they had publicize their mission a bit more.  Nevertheless, I was grateful for the clock watching fuel so we ended up saying our thanks and took our donuts “to go” for the screening.

The Clock was fascinating in its concept, but after 20 minutes the novelty quickly wore off (or maybe it was just a sugar crash).  We were there at 9:00 a.m., so the movie clips were an interesting montage of people waking up and businessmen starting their day.  The piece deftly ties together similar themes from the film clips and Marclay’s use of musical scores transitioned the vignettes seamlessly.  For movie buffs, this movie mash-up will evoke fond memories, but does this transcend entertainment?  We pondered that question as we drove home.  As a Gold Lion winner at the 2011 Venice Biennale I must admit I expected more .  I left with a sincere appreciation of the herculean efforts Marclay took in editing and directing this piece.  Beyond the technical expertise, I cannot comment much more beyond that other than that it was entertaining and captivating.  I couldn’t imagine spending more than 2 hours watching it (our stint was less than an hour).  Unless you are an actual editor, producer or a film student I don’t see why anyone would devote that kind of time to it.

As I looked around the auditorium it was apparent that there were people who had been in that theatre overnight.  (You didn’t have to LOOK around to tell that people had been there overnight also, if you catch my drift).  I digress.  Maybe I didn’t given it enough time, but when it comes to art I have learned that if I don’t have a connection to the piece I move on.  If the Clock taught me anything it’s that time is precious.