It’s a new year and in 2013 it’s time to kick up your heels and show some sole!
Watching a brilliant fireworks display on New Year’s Eve at the stroke of midnight from my balcony got me thinking, “I’d like this year to be filled with color!” So I couldn’t help but get started with something vibrant, fun and insatiably artistic.
So-Cal inspired, designer and artist Taylor Reeve is making the most motley statement with her signature, eye-catching art, imprinted on the soles of her one-of-a-kind exclusively crafted leather heels. Patterns include designs that are soft and girly to edgy skull prints.
TaylorSays the new collection draws on just about everything in her path. Her inspiration comes from a wide array of influences like street and pop art to graffiti, tattoo and kustom culture; unique style that solely marks her work as an individual artist.
Taylor has created one of a kind artistic series for other companies like Quiksilver, Dragon, Bell Helmets and SkullCandy to name a few. She even debuted a men’s outerwear line for Quiksilver last winter and has worked with custom bike builder Jesse Rooke for 6 years, adding her signature flair to some of his famous choppers.
Intensely relevant to the max. YOU WILL BE KALEIDOSCOPICLY NOTICED!!!
When a string of supernatural suicide bombings starts on a lonely highway outside of town, the FBI swoops in to try and find out who may have devised the sinister plot. What they find is…the last thing they expected.
Evolving over the last year, these three loosely connected stories revolve around the strange and beautiful people of Rodgers Cross – a small town controlled by the ominous Maddox Mental Hospital.
The evening will unfold in two parts x four people: Timmy & Ronny and Vail & Nora. Love. Revenge. Weddings, Mysteries and Mental Hospitals… an evening of new plays by Z.N. Lupetin at The Hudson Guild Theater in Hollywood’s theater row:
Friday, October 12 – 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 13 – 8:00 PM
Sunday, October 14 – 3:00 PM
Thursday, October 18 – 8:00 PM
Friday, October 19 – 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 20 – 8:00 PM
STARRING:
Mark Weiler
Chris Hampton
Matt Devine
John Druska
Jeff Lupetin (voice)
Sam Gedymin
Emily Kron
Written + Directed by Z.N. Lupetin
Stage Manager: John David DeFour
“Flesh and Acrylic” is Ben Heine's latest project (started in 2011). Ben creates abstract acrylic paintings on large wooden panels. The main idea is to create a surface blending the model with the background. Indeed, the particularity of the project resides in the fact that a living person is integrated in the artwork and is part of the whole composition. The end result is often wild and very colorful.
On September 29 & 30, Hollywood Fringe along with a multitude of cultural organizations are throwing a citywide art party and celebrating the prolific and inspiring art happening all over Los Angeles. From the Valley to Pasadena, Santa Monica to Downtown, there is a lot going on and they want you to join them…
Check out what’s happening at major institutions nearby or dig deeper and discover hidden gems just around the corner. Carmageddon II is the perfect excuse to leave your car behind and support local art by experiencing the performances, concerts, screenings, exhibitions and more, being created and presented in your own backyard.
ARTmageddon is a collaborative effort co-founded by Beyond the Usual and Curbside, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, Experience LA, LA Stage Alliance, ForYourArt, and Metro, in association with an inspiring alliance of artists and community partners, and with the generous support of the Los Angeles Downtown Arts District (LADAD).
Amongst the many, many happenings in Los Angeles, the Ovation Award Nominees (Theatre) announced a couple of weeks ago and offered just the right spirit to give a nod to a few shows I never got to talk about. Sometimes there is too much going on in the week. Apologies aside, everything is worth a shout out, so here goes…
Love Rock Soul Power
Rock musicals are the new heir apparent operas and in that vein Spring Awakeningbrilliantly produced this year at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, by Topher Rhys, James Lee Barnard and Nathan Gardner, attempted to tackle the issues of the day with yet another updated version of an old story as old as time and Teen Angst. Puberty although arguably ridiculous at times, is serious business in any generation. This Spring Awakening brought it down to its simplicity, kids against parents, parents against students, everyone against the moral fabric fighting in their own way through the toughness of life mixed with innocence, curiosity, delight and revolution, managing to tap into that thing we call the zeitgeist, evidenced by the completely full houses of young and old, hip and frumpy, gay and straight peeps alike. It was a show for everyone. One could say that LOVE CONQUERS ALL but it doesn’t prevent natural hormonal impulse, suicide, bad parenting, teen pregnancy or malicious teachers from messing with our already confusing lives. In fact it’s pretty painful. In the end, our own strength and will, our actions and our own decisions that we make for ourselves get us to center. Bravo! LOVE IS LOUDER!
Lovers and Other Strangers
On the other hand the new musical Overcome Overjoyedwhich showcased briefly at the El Portal Theatre, in North Hollywood, CA, offered its own take on more adult themes of loss, love , violence, betrayal and forgiveness. In this parent trap of pain and misunderstanding emerges a slightly stinging glint of sun in the eyes of a person who has finally removed his dark glasses bringing about a multi-spectrum of ecstatic self-revelation and color blossoming with life. The moral: You really need to pay attention to your kids. They might surprise you!
Former Madonna Dancer, Hubbard Street of Chicago Principal and actor, Carlton Wilborn, sings up a storm surrounded by a cast of incredibly young budding song and dance talents. Supported by a gorgeous although in progress sounding musical score and original story by seasoned writer-director Charlia Boyer of Charo Productions (www.charoproductions.com). Why oh Why were there only 3 shows! It’s only getting better.
Here’s what Carlton had to say:
The experience of working on Overcome Overjoyed!, this time around, is proving, for me, to not only be about sharing a slice of Inspirational soul-food for our audience to absorb. But, that, I myself, am also being elevated to a new level of spiritual growth, through the process of building this most divine, and entertaining show.
A Big Thank You…goes out to the productions, writer, producer, co-director and female lead Charlia Boyer and the co-director Christopher Richards!
Check out some of the super talents in this live performance:
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TREASURE HUNTING… has been filled with surprising little finds.
This past Saturday I was invited to preview the very rare open showroom event with Studio City’s (LA) tiny, buzzy, back room, shopping secret, Haylee Winard. ”Call Me!” she says, and really means it. And she’ll even throw in her EXCESS BAGGAGE to get you date, office or red carpet ready. Only one day before the Grammy’s and the girls were flitting over sheer panels and soft sweaters, edgy jackets and glam black minis. Excessively California chic, there is nothing second class on the racks and you can buy it all on line – if you’re lucky you might even get to be one of Haylee’s many select Los Angeles clients whose closets hail some of the best of the “au currant.” Shoppers at this “old school” style showroom will have to compete with other stylists and fashionistas – and For Love and Lemons, NO RIPPING ALLOWED! visit: http://shopexcessbaggage.com/
To give the event an extra boost was RequiredFlare.com the ultimate accessory boutique boasting funky, fun, and on-trend styles at the best possible prices from designers such as Noir, Ettika, Luv AJ, CC SKYE, Sugarbean, and many more.
OH HELL YEAH! I was getting my limited edition numbered poster
Bernadette Peters shows off her Gray Line New York Ride of Fame™ double-decker bus featuring a custom decal with her likeness alongside her Broadway Barks co-founder, Mary Tyler Moore
Gray Line New York, New York City’s premier sightseeing and tourism company, today honored stage and screen icons, and Broadway Barks co-founders, Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore into the Ride of Fame™ campaign. Ms. Peters, who was on-site to receive this honor, participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil the custom decal featuring her and Ms. Moore’s likenesses on the front of one of Gray Line New York’s iconic double-decker buses. Ms. Peters also revealed a special edition poster designed by the legendary Bob Mackie, celebrating this year’s 14th annual Broadway Barks, the Peters/Moore -founded dog and cat adoption event produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.
PHOTO CREDIT: Amanda Schwab
Since 1926, Gray Line New York has been a proud staple of the New York City tourism industry, bringing visitors to all the must-see stops in New York City on its signature red double-decker tour buses. Now with its Ride of Fame™ campaign, Gray Line New York is recognizing and honoring leading New Yorkers and iconic New York establishments, whom they identify as exemplary community figures and entities by bestowing a bus in their fleet to each dedicatee. This will be the first occasion where two legendary celebrities are inducted onto one bus. Past honorees include: Liza Minnelli, Donald Trump, Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Dreyfuss, Rachael Ray, New York Ranger, Henrik Lundqvist, Cyndi Lauper, Marc Anthony, Kenneth Cole and legendary New York Yankee, Reggie Jackson.
on Melrose Avenue. A perfect example of how artists are taking street art farther into the imagination and into real life at the same time. We simply cannot call this kind of mural, graffiti any more. Street Art. It’s pure. But not always simple to define. And why do we need the definitions anyway when we all know what the artist is trying to say, at least in this case. The thing I’m discovering more and more about street art is that it is a collective understanding. We often can’t put what we see into words in order to explain the moment with some sort of precision, but we know it in our gut. It’s collective recognition, thoughts and feelings. With this piece, we know from memory. And that’s part of the beauty, part of the fun, part of the experience.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted some thoughts on Spontaneous Street Art also mentioning former Cat Woman (Batman & Robin) Julie Newmar and her property in Los Angeles. The lot being so exceptionally and beautifully graffiti-ed was well worth the mention.
What I received in my email box a day later, really stunned me. A letter from Ms. Newmar and a request to share her thoughts. And so without further ado, here is Ms. Newmar’s statement. I decided to let the lady speak for herself:
Dear Tracey Paleo,
I love your thinking: “waking up to my local Melrose Avenue boarded up retail location getting a brilliant makeover from an ugly uninviting barrier ………I only half understood it.” The “half understood it” part is the genius part. In today’s world we don’t know what’s coming or what we are going to do. Is that not exciting enough to focus you, full throttle?
It is a “special urban craft” all right. Here we should ask the artist. (You are right again)
On my property: I am awaiting a dynamic tenant. I’ve tried to build but the banks won’t loan to small business even though they spend millions of dollars on TV, covering their ass, saying they will. Even after they have bilked the country with the bad loans we all know about. The best idea I have come up with is to have the outstandingly successful Hundreds build their landmark flagship store there. I am waiting for their call. They are the new blood on the block, the new guys of the future, the Ralph Lauren of street wear, street culture. I love them.
Concerning the fence that surrounds the property. I currently need it to help pay the $1000. a month property tax. It is made of wood, not cement. There are graceful apertures so that you can peer inside. Even their ads are eye friendly and well designed. The company, NPA (National Promotions & Advertising) even cut the weeds and cleaned up the unfriendly, ugly graffiti nearby. These people have integrity; we want that in business and in our lives.
The artists: Saber, Retna, Os Gemos, Revok, Jason asked me if they could paint my wall. I like their work. So does most of the rest of the world. People come from all over to photograph it and be photographed there.
The old Jewish neighborhood on Fairfax, from Beverly to Melrose, is a wonderful mix of the all night NY deli – Cantors, the very friendly Ball Beauty Supply for starlets of all ages, to the new boys on the block – Will Rise Studio for tattoo and body art which brings clients from as far away as Japan. We are vital, current; we are the most throbbing edge of America.
About the Art-Mural “crime” and city attorney Trutanich; I’ve heard a lot of complaints through the blogs and elsewhere that he doesn’t know his astrodome from a hole in the ground, that he is invading the homes of LA artists, threatening them, because he doesn’t know the difference between graffiti as art and violence to property, like scarifying my tenants windows. I know the difference, I am a property owner, landlord and artist. We get mad at government because they are blockheads, but government must be looked upon as good from our ever watchful expectation of them. We must educate them as to what we are that makes us so good and makes So Cal the cutting edge to the world of innovation, dynamic art and life.
Always remember: Money follows the creative artist, not the other way around. Better yet, artists don’t have to accumulate the financial feces of so much greed. Our souls are not empty. Our lives are too exhilarating, being able to create something out of nothing. We are, truly the free ones.
Carry on, my dear. There is much hope.
(Send this out on the blogs and the news, wherever it helps)
——– Ms. Newmar will be making an appearance at Book Soup on Sunset Blvd. this evening! Meet this legendary on screen bad girl/ off screen outstanding citizen!
Street Art – Graffiti is not new. Talking about it is not new. It is even a form of expression according to Wikipedia, that has existed since ancient times, with clear examples dating back to ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. And of course, it is considered a crime when it defaces public spaces without the permission of the owners of those spaces. Although former Cat Woman, Julie Newmar, of the older TV series of Batman & Robin didn’t mind at all when her entire property at the corner of Rosewood and Fairfax (now enclosed in a cement fence for perhaps pre-construction) became completely etched in spray paint. In fact, it delighted her so much – to the chagrin of her conservative neighbors – that she left it there as a display of wonderful spontaneous street art.
But what still amazes me is the dynamic of an empty space being almost instantaneously filled by a random artist with the kind of graphic design skill, sans the technical help of Adobe, Kodak, Wacom or Sony, that most traditional artists might otherwise find challenging to accomplish. And it is bold. I mean, maybe it’s just me, but waking up to my local Melrose Avenue boarded up retail location getting a brilliant makeover from an ugly, uninviting, barrier with a sales sign on it, one day before, is kind of mind-blowing to me. I admit, I only half understand it. But I am becoming more and more infatuated with discovering more about it as a particularly special urban craft. What does this all really mean to the artist anyway? Could someone anonymously write in and explain?
It’s a new year and in 2013 it’s time to kick up your heels and show some sole!
TaylorSays the new collection draws on just about everything in her path. Her inspiration comes from a wide array of influences like street and pop art to graffiti, tattoo and kustom culture; unique style that solely marks her work as an individual artist.
