Author Archives: jefboa
Steve Powers – Visual Blues
New York based artist Stephen Powers, better known as ESPO in the art world, is set to open a solo exhibition at Alice Gallery in Brussels. The show will feature several pictures from Powers’ already classic body of work, including new renditions of pieces from his ‘Metaltations’ series. Steve himself said about the body of work on show tonight.. Im in awe of the power and the reach of music. To compete with the majesty of music, I make paintings that are visual blues. I distill my everyday experience into paintings I call Daily Metaltations. They are painted very fast, fresh from the epiphanies that inspired them. The larger paintings draw from those metaltations and go to a deeper understanding of the transactions we make everyday to live our lives.
If you’re out in Brussels make sure you check out the “Visual Blues” Exhibition, premiering at Alice Gallery tonight.
Frank 151 – Issue 51
The latest Chapter in the series of Frank151 magazines has officially hit the shops. Issue 51, is titled “Leaders” and takes a close look at leadership through talks with influential individuals currently shaping our world. New York’s coolest leaders Vashtie Kola and Eddie Huang take up positions within the magazine in the form of interviews. This particular issue doesn’t only look at those whose success is measured by their following and financial statements, but also the men and women who lead in less easily quantified ways. Pick up your issue here.
New York Meets London
London-based artist Daniella Zalcman unveils her latest project, titled “New York + London: A Collection of Double Exposures.” Originally developing the idea during her last month in New York City, Zalcman took over 100 smartphone photographs of the streets in the Big Apple. She then used various smartphone apps such as Instagram to delicately superimpose the pictures over images of London’s alleyways. The outcome is a beautiful representation of the similarities the two beautiful cities share.
Everybody Street
We have been waiting for this the World Premiere of Everybody Street at Hot Docs International Film Festival for a long time. Remember when we posted about it last year?
Well if you don’t, Everybody Street illuminates the lives and work of New York’s iconic street photographers and the incomparable city that has inspired them for decades. The documentary pays tribute to the spirit of street photography through a cinematic exploration of New York City, and captures the visceral rush, singular perseverance and at times immediate danger customary to these artists. The documentary features such photographers as Bruce Davidson, Elliott Erwitt, Jill Freedman, Bruce Gilden, Joel Meyerowitz, Rebecca Lepkoff, Mary Ellen Mark, Jeff Mermelstein, Clayton Patterson, Ricky Powell, Jamel Shabazz, Martha Cooper, Jeff Mermelstein, and Boogie, with Max Kozloff and Luc Sante.
Get your tickets here.
EBS OPENING TEASER2 HOTDOCS1 from ALLDAYEVERYDAY on Vimeo.
The Art Behind The Tape
Check out this great Kickstarter project by, DJ Mars who has the hopes of releasing a coffee table book titled, The Art Behind The Tape, the first ever book devoted to the history of mixtape cover art. As the first and most visual step before an artist finds an audience and a buyer, mixtape art can be just as crucial to an album’s success as the music contained within. As a frequently overlooked aspect however, particularly in the hip-hop music world, the book hopes to do the art form justice by covering its evolution with examples from A Tribe Called Quest, Kid Capri, the Gangsta Grillz series, and many more. If you’d like to know more about the project, or want to support it, head on over to the Kickstarter page here.
R.I.P. Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly
Hip-hop’s foundations were being laid in the 1970s, brick by brick, by DJs in the South Bronx, sometimes even in burnt out or deteriorating buildings. These pioneers invented sampling (isolating one sound and reusing it in another song) and hip-hop’s other key elements through trial and error, mostly by fooling around with records at home.
Over the many years after its humble beginnings hip hop spread its wings far and wide throughout America and the rest of the world, evolving through the 70s, 80s and 90s. Places such as LA, Detroit and many other locations gave birth to hip hop super stars. One particular state that birthed one of the most successful rap duo of the 90s was Atlanta. That rap duo were called Kris Kross, they made an huge impact all over the world. The two piece were made up of Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly and Chris “Daddy Mac” Smith.
The duo was best known for their backwards dressing style and hit 1992 song “Jump”, which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and was certified double platinum as a single.
Sadly one half of the rap duo Chris Kelly, passed away last night. He was 34. There is no questioning on their contribution to hip hop. With that said PONY USA would like to say, R.I.P Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly.
Grand Royal Magazine
Grand Royal was the name of a magazine written and published by the legendary New York hip hop group, Beastie Boys. It was most famous for its article “Mulling Over the Mullet” in issue two, which increased the popularity of the mullet hairstyle. The group went onto record a song titled “Mullet Head” off the back of the initial articles success, on the flip side of their Sure Shot 12-inch single.
The very first issue of the magazine was indeed a Beastie Boys production through and through, all three members of the group had contributed to what would become the very sought after premier issue. By issue number six, the magazine had become more of
Mike D‘s venture than that of the two Adams. Ad-Rock went so far as to actually have a disclaimer printed inside the pages of the sixth issue. “I was a fashion (I mean, super model) in the first issue of Grand Royal. But since then I’ve had nothing to do with the magazine. So not only are my views and opinions not expressed, but I don’t agree with everything in the damn thing.”
Yet even without Adrock’s input, the publication grew from a limited initial print run 1993 to a worldwide phenomenon by the time it was put to bed in 1997.
Check out the MTV News coverage of the magazine from 25 years ago.
Paul McCarthy
Visitors to the future site of Hong Kong’s M+ Museum in West Kowloon will be greeted by a giant pile of feces – well, not literally. The monument of dung isn’t an alien territorial marking, but rather American artist Paul McCarthy’s contribution to an outdoor sculpture park commissioned by the museum. Other components of the sculpture park include a large trampoline re-creation of Stonehenge, as well as a giant cockroach paired with two downward-facing legs.
