Speaking of mixing digitalism and analog old tricks, check out Los Angeles artist Justin Wood’s website. I’ve always been a sucker for stiffness in the human figure, and Mr. Wood’s world is populated with barely articulate citizens. Seen online or from afar, his creations seem as if they are entirely made with 3-D software, but closer inspection reveals human/blue collar standard Spray Paint as another key tool. Like many of his counterparts working largely on his computer, the artist has walked the line between commercial artist and typical ‘gallery artist’ because his pieces are bright, bold, and catchy from a design perspective, but I really think he has [what I can’t quite really describe adequately] a very subtly unique take on humans as semi-generic shapes, or placeholders. In a style his very own, Wood has done what Final Fantasy Spirits Within couldn’t, which is to make human as generic avatar an interesting, soulful creation.

Painter/filmmaker/photographer/drawer/video artist Jeremy Blake has been missing since Tuesday, shortly after his girlfriend Theresa Duncan committed suicide. Since his clothes were found on a beach and combing of the waters has found no trace of him, many believe Blake is gone.

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As of this weekend, Found Gallery will be managing the Silverlake/Los Feliz/Echo Park Art Crawl, which is an annual art walk/drive/bike through our neighborhood[s].  This is the tenth year, and we’re looking to make it as enjoyable and engaging as possible.  Dates and such are not locked yet, but if you’d like to participate/submit suggestions, we’re open to it.  More soon.

Hi readers of this blog — Found will be open today & tomorrow [Saturday, July 21 & Sunday, July 2] from 1-5pm.

Now playing: Donna Angers in ‘It’s My First Time.’

“The L.A. Aesthetic”

“Eden’s Edge,” the current exhibition within UCLA’s Hammer Art Museum, gathers fifteen distinctively creative individuals under the umbrella of “L.A. artists.” Well, ok. So there’s a slew of people in this city hawking their craft. What makes this bunch worthy of such a prestigious show? The Hammer hails this group as sort-of Regionalists, albeit this group is more David Hockney than Thomas Hart Benton. We’ll call them So-Cal Regionalists, each applying their Angelean influence and/or perspective to the work they create. The result is a portrait of Los Angeles as diverse and contradictory as our beloved city itself.

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My new refrigerator prohibits me from keeping a bunch of old motion picture film.  There’s not a whole lot, but it’s mostly 16mm [all Kodak].  There is some 35mm as well, but it’s a discontinued LE stock 0080.  If anyone wants it, it’s yours.  I only ask that you do something great with it [which doesn’t necessarily include shooting & processing it, just something sweet and/or ridiculous] or tell me an amazing joke.  Submit all proposals/punchlines as comments to this post.

Although several of my friends are participating in this show, it’s hard for me not to be completely honest when thinking about tonight’s CRAZY 4 CULT show at 1988.

‘Over 50 artists put their own spin on classic cult films with one-of-a-kind original [sic] artwork’

That, I’m fine with. However, the evening will be hosted by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier, and I have to call shenanigans on someone for that. Granted, I had Clerks on VHS when I was in seventh grade, but then I grew up. Did I miss something? Is Kevin Smith [see: Jersey Girl] the face of cult films or is he just a poor fat man’s Tarantino? I’m all for introducing other elements into a typical gallery setting, but there’s a huge disconnect.

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Hooray for Humans is a very active online collective of artists and culture disseminators that have published some very worthwhile podcasts.  This past Saturday they curated a show at the Academy in Long Beach, where they’re based.   The Hooray for Humans podcasts find the group musing on everything from perceptions of what their outsiders assume their name means to spoken word poets to Sound Walk coverage, all focusing on Long Beach related arts and artistic happenings. (more…)

This Thursday July 19th, Alex Schaefer [new Summer painting above] presents another Thursday of live drawing at the Hive [downtown]. The festivities will take between 7:30 and 10:30 pm. $10 entry. Bring your own supplies. Schaefer is an instructor at Art Center and helps workshop if you like feedback.

In response to Damien Hirst’s new $99 million thing, artist Sarah Laura knocked off his diamond skull using 6,522 Swarovski crystals. And then put it outside his gallery in London, as if it were typical outside-of-gallery detritus. As much as I want to not care, I am imagining Hirst’s response. This is the same Hirst who sued a budget airline for knocking off his prescription dots. I can only speculate that he is probably perturbed at getting totally effin effed by an artist with only one name [hence, closer to God, Damien]. Link

[thanks Boing, Boing]