Slideshow: PRIDE San Diego 2010 // Parade

From Normal Street, west on University Ave., south on 6th, ending at Upas... a streaming rainbow representing "One World, One Heart, One Pride."



Please enjoy the slideshow of my photos below:

Shepard Fairey in San Diego // South Park

Populist artist Shepard Fairey drew a crowd (an "ad-hoc art community" were my original and much better MCASD-retweeted words) as he appeared to be initiating a mural on Wednesday, July 14th. The phase of work was unclear but the first positive-space elements (ornate gold Venetian-esque motifwork) were going up by early evening. Residents and a lot of the casual guests at the Holiday Matinee/Threadless pop-up craft event were browsing and photographing the very gracious Obey Giant team. Having seen "Exit Through The Gift Shop," I couldn't help but feel a little bothersome ogling, but remembered that at this point in his artistic career, Shepard Fairey is definitely used to it (granted, the cover of night seems to be his typical "installation" time).

Shepard Fairey (as part of a curatorial team interview for KPBS radio yesterday morning) discussed the positive aspect of transitioning his aesthetic into the gallery context, citing the consumption of the street-art visual language by graphic design as a good impetus for returning to the gallery as a means of critically engaging with a graphic style that has a tendency to be rendered meaningless by commercialism. I particularly liked his idea/solution dichotomist approach as I think that demonstrates the value of the creative industry, and his admitted mindfulness of an insider/outsider strategy to facilitate a transformation of intellectual engagement for an art world that dwells, in my opinion, in a gray relativism.

"Outsider street art was an absolute necessity to me," Fairey said. "I didn't want to pander to the art system."

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More photos after the jump!

Event Review: "Anybody Can Be Cool... But Awesome Takes Practice." Holiday Matinee's Craft Night Pops Up In South Park

<<- click flyer to see official event details.

Holiday Matinee, the East Village-headquartered creativity blog, gave a much-needed shot to South Park this past Wednesday, July 14th, thanks to Station Tavern and the Whistle Stop hosting their pop-up shop event. Although there was merchandise, this was no vendor fair, but featured artists, a studio, and a non-prof. It was another really cool intervention (the other being Shepard Fairey's street art being erected for MCASD's Viva La Revolucion exhibition) on this sleepy little hamlet that calls Juniper and Fern its main streets and was known to most locals as a part of Golden Hill for a long time. Sure, the idyllic is at times punctuated by beloved 'booty basement's at the Whistle Stop, but this mostly serene neighborhood has emerged as an artsy favorite residential district in the past decade. As South Park, it is still growing into the San Diego consciousness, our disparate neighborhoods benefiting from scene experimentation.

This event, also a stop on Threadless' Everywhere tour (they'll be back for the Con!), had people designing tees whimsically with sharpies in Threadless' Airstream trailer (with Charlie's encouragement!), flicking the wheel spinner at Holiday Matinee and getting a neat online destination on a fortune scroll, and picking out a neighborhood tee at Sezio. Loulou Bijoux sold charming apple slice necklaces, while Yeller showed a selection of artist books (we bought 3!) and laid some great groundwork in promoting their hotly anticipated show "Where We Sleep" at Subtext Gallery. Josh Boston's art hung on the walls of Station Tavern, and left almost everyone with a great, pumped-up feeling. Not to put that energy to waste, most denizens only had to walk around the block to catch Obey Giant at work on their piece.

I had to bounce before Sleepwalking DJs (didn't wanna miss that) and Bob Nanna (of Chicago and Threadless) did their things at the Whistle Stop After-Party (remember that party as the Sleepwalking old school Party? maybe it was all an upgraded coincidence?), I was bummed to have missed my zoo-pal Frank Green play with Greg Gibson.

Holiday Matinee, I request that you strike again! More photos after the jump!

Interview: Teddi Rogers

What is your occupation?

I consider myself a working artist. I am also currently employed at the front desk of Pure, a yoga studio on the upper west side, and I am in search of employment as a figure model.

When you entered SMFA/Tufts, what did you consider your primary mediums? What did you consider your primary aesthetic?

When I entered SMFA/Tufts I was interested in pursuing a career in fashion design or in photography. I was specifically interested in fashion and ecological photography. The idea of working as a fine artist was completely absurd to me- out of the question. I was coming from a traditionally technical background regarding drawing and painting, but at the time I was completely in love with the instant gratification of the photographic process.

Your fingers go in a lot of pies, what gives you the guts to go after diverse mediums rather than to see them merely as interests?

Interview: Stefanie Caril Vermillion

What is your gay activist superhero lady name?

My gay activist superhero lady name is Miss Rainbow

Miss Rainbow, what are the mediums you have used in your activist-related artwork?

I have primarily used screen printing and had my work featured in a movement called Event Horizon which was a project used to alert the community about social issues.
http://www.event---horizon.com/about.html

What do you think is so powerful about a screen-print? Is it the fact that you can make so many reproductions at one time? How does that factor in to the whole "spreading awareness" thing?

I really love working with screen printing because like my primary photographic medium (pinhole) there is a rawness to it. You really have to get your hands dirty and connect with your project on not just an emotional level but a physical one. Of course, the mass distribution factor is appealing and important to me and is a big reason why I took the opportunity to speak out about my feelings on gay rights when this project was presented to me.

Exhibition Review: "The Colour Palette" presents Dylan Clausen and Bryan Wingen

Last night, July 2, 2010, the inaugural Colour Pallette kicked off in Banker's Hill's Tin Can Alehouse. The beloved neighborhood bar contributed its main wall to the art of event creators Bryan Wingen and Dylan Clausen. Bryan presented the "Stripe" photographic series, which presented a series of mixed straight-up, and unconventional, portraiture, of individuals (among them, two dogs!) wearing a found "ugly" sweater of red and white striped reminiscent of the American flag. He had each subject pose in front of an actual American flag (sans the stars), and both the sweater and the flag were mounted above a galley next to the bar. Meanwhile, Dylan presented a series of liquidic, atmospheric watercolors and inks, characterized by his trademark graphic-inspireed linework and muted primary pallette. The overall effect of the two series' side by side, with the Tin Can's lighting, is a soft scarlet glow emanating off the wall, drawing the some sixty guests to look closer, but to also keep a distance from the energetic aura of the bold works.

Interview: Stacie Maree Willoughby