Upper Playground

Brooklyn native Jamel Shabazz’s images of 1980’s New York’s culture have made him an iconic contemporary photographer. He has been included in numerous publications, authored three monographs including the classic Back in the Days, and his photographs have been displayed in major cities throughout Europe and North America. In this feature, Ricky Powell films the opening reception of a Shabazz exhibition in New York. Watch the interview from Dithers, available for the first time to the public for free on Walrus TV, below …

MR. PERFECT
Photos from JADE ROCK….

MR. PERFECT
they chose a nice spot..
a spot near the freeway
where the visibility was good…

MR. PERFECT
…labeled rap king, the corner emperor..
…who fear none, crushing all personal vendettas…

MR. PERFECT
Crazy video…I wonder who made this…

MR. PERFECT
See the show at MEDICINE AGENCY (1262 Mason Street) TONITE NOV. 6th…

Greg Mike on Meds (Medicine Agency) from Medicine Agency on Vimeo.

“POPSTARS AND COKEHEADS, GREG MIKE’s first solo show, features hand painted pieces, sculptures, tee shirts, accessories, prints and collectibles designed and created over the past ten months.
The centerpiece of the show is an army of 100 hand painted soda cans that have been transformed into the kaleidoscopic POPSTARS AND COKEHEADS characters, a playfully sinister cast of unique and eye-catching creatures.
Supported by FREEMAVEN, the lifestyle brand, and THE ROWDY COLLECTION, Dallas Austins line, the show presents individual pieces from GREG MIKE as well as selected collaborations.

Will Barras’ show “Darling, We’re Leaving” featuring new works opened last night at FIFTY24SF Gallery. Check out some photos below from the opening…

**republished from Juxtapoz.com**

“When I start a painting, I let my intuition lead the way, just like when I was a kid, sketching without an obvious purpose, lost in a world of monsters. It felt like home then and it still does now.

The characters I paint may seem like creatures from another dimension, but I think they are simply us, here and now. Modern humanity without its masks, without the adornments that make us acceptable to whatever group we are a part of. From the straight-laced conservative to the tattooed, anti-social rebel, we all cover up to fit in someplace. Yet the only place where we are truly the same is on the inside. We all share feelings of fear and loneliness. We feel ugly and insecure. We feel separate from our environment and each other. These are the feelings that I try to convey in my paintings. These are the feelings that connect us.”

-Chet Zar’s Artist Statement from www.chetzar.com