BNE

A little late to the game, but I recently noticed the prevalence of BNE stickers around the city. Apparently these stickers have covered major cities around the world including Hong Kong, San Fran, and Tokyo. For a better explanation, let’s turn to ABC’s Nancy Weiner:

And I always find Japanese television hilarious, so:

Jenny Holzer at the Whitney

I can’t lie. The first time I heard about Jenny Holzer was in a recent piece in the New York Times about Shephard Fairey, referencing Holzer as an influence in Fairey’s own [formerly] subversive/pseudo-guerilla artwork. The article stuck with me A) because it all but blasted Fairey for his recent commercial work for Bloomingdales and Saks, which seems to wholly contradict the message in his art (I agree, c’mon homie) and B) because I had seen Holzer’s name all over subway ads for her current Whitney exhibition that caught my eye.

Upon further research, I learned that Holzer has become well-known for her use of words and phrases in public spaces as a means to present a message or evoke response. She has become perhaps best known for her ongoing work Truisms. Her latest exhibition at the Whitney, PROTECT PROTECT, encompasses much of her work from the 90s, and according to the Whitney is her most comprehensive exhibition in fifteen years. I think it looks pretty rad and definitely look forward to checking it out. It’s up until May 31.

Public Ad Campaign Whitewashes NYC Billboards

Over the weekend, the Public Ad Campaign organized teams of people to whitewash illegal outdoor billboards in Manhattan. You know all those atrocious sticky poster things pasted on street-level spaces everywhere? Apparently most of them are illegal, so the Public Ad Campaign teamed with a whole host of artists to make them look cool. Pretty good idea if you ask me. Check out more of the work over at Wooster Collective.

I Lego New York

My roommate showed me this link recently…Christoph Niemann’s Abstract City blog on the NY Times website. Apparently Niemann is an accomplished illustrator whose work has appeared on the covers of The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly and NY Times Magazine. In his latest entry, he turns Lego pieces into slices of NYC life. ENJOY.

SWEET Bad Brains print by Shepard Fairey x Glen E Friedman

Check out this sick Bad Brains silk screen by Obey mastermind Shepard Fairey and old school photographer Glen E Friedman. Too bad I’ll probably never own it since it’s limited edition, like everything seems to be nowadays. Darn it. More info about its release on Fairey’s website: Obey Giant

Dope Movie Posters

My cohort Soybomb recently sent me the super cool movie poster for The Deer Hunter which alludes to the seminal Russian roulette scene. This inspired me to do a post I’ve been meaning to put up for a while now to share a few of my favorite movie posters from over the years.

Quite possibly my favorite movie poster of all time. No explanation needed.

The truest movie tagline ever imagined.

A highly underrated film, in my opinion. Bill Murray’s face says it all.

A badass poster for a badass film.

This poster makes me uncomfortable for some reason, yet it’s still arresting. Very few posters evoke the mood of the film itself better than this.

So chill.

Harmony Korine – The Collected Fanzines

I’ve never ordered anything from Amazon.com before in my life. There’s no particular reason for my complete lack of patronage, I guess I’m just not much of an online shopper. I also think that the sheer number of options available on Amazon is incredibly overwhelming. Do I want a hat or granola bars? A book or an umbrella? I’m utterly intimidated. However, given that I received an Amazon gift card for Christmas this year, it seems I’ll be forced to overcome my fears sooner than I anticipated.

Thing is, I already know the first thing I’m going to order: The Collected Fanzines by Harmony Korine. Best known for writing the screenplay for Kids while still in his teens, Korine came to embody the DIY mindset in New York in the 90s. An integral part of Aaron Rose’s Alleged Gallery on Ludlow back in the day, Korine combined the skateboarding/punk/hip hop aesthetic into his work, be it film, art or whatever. The Collected Fanzines is just that, a collection of zines that Korine and pal and fellow skater/artist Mark Gonzales put together for the fuck of it. I’m pumped to see what it’s all about, not only because I’m a fan of Korine’s work and the outlook he represents, but also because I wasn’t lucky enough to be around NYC in the 90s when all of these artists were on the come-up. This is creativity for creativity’s sake and it’s inspirational.

If you want to see Dave Letterman at his most uncomfortable (and I’m a fan of Dave) check out a couple of his interviews with Harmony on The Late Show. Great stuff.

Where The Wild Things Are

I must have a nostalgia addiction, because every time I go back home, I inevitably find myself going through all my old stuff—books, toys, photos, ticket stubs—and reminiscing about the good ole days. I also always find a few knick knacks that I bring back with me that I’ll never actually use. This time I dug up a pair of Crest sunglasses the color of toothpaste. Where the hell do you even get something like that?

One thing I found that I’m totally jazzed about is Where The Wild Things Are, the children’s book to end all children’s books by Maurice Sendak. When I used to read this story as a little dude, I would immerse myself in the character of Max and get lost in the vivid illustrations. It’s sad, but as people get older, their imaginations dissipate. It’s a natural byproduct of the trappings of adulthood—getting a job, making money, settling down, blah de blah blah blah. I think that’s bullshit. People should be encouraged to maintain an imagination, if only as a way to keep one’s sanity. I’m not saying we should all jump into cardboard boxes and act like astronauts, but pick up a book like Where The Wild Things Are and get lost in it for 10 minutes. It might change your day.

PS—As I’m sure many are aware, there’s a film version of the book by my man Spike Jonze slated for October 2009 release. Apparently it’s been pushed back several times due to disagreements over the filming process (obviously) but let’s keep our fingers crossed that this actually sees the light of day…read more at the film’s website HERE.

Happy Thanksgiving

Marvin the Martian

I read somewhere recently that Warner Bros. is currently in the process of developing a film based on Marvin the Martian. Hot damn. Marvin was always my favorite Looney Tunes character when I was little. He was totally different: smart, yet understated and he actually posed a legitimate threat to Bugs with his crazy little rayguns and gadgets. From a stylistic standpoint, I always thought he was the coolest, sporting the Roman warrior gear with big ass bball sneaks. And his dog, K-9 was sweet too. According to IMDB, the film is currently set for a 2011 release date. I’m not ashamed to admit that when it hits the big screen, I’ll likely be one of the few 28 year-olds (shit) in attendance, drawing worried stares from parents and children alike. Apparently, the plot revolves around Marvin’s attempt to destroy Earth during Christmas, only to be thwarted by getting himself wrapped inside a gift box. Brilliant.

To hold you over for the next three years, here’s “Hasty Hare,” one of my favorites: