So I think I may have had my first and potentially last paparazzi moment and honestly it couldn't have included a better B grade celeb. Don't think US magazine will be tracking me down to pay top dollar for this shot (well maybe for their "where are they now" edition) but the moment was sweet non the less. Coming home from the Undefeated picnic my husband and I spotted Angelyne the self proclaimed LA starlet and Hollywood Mayoral hopeful in her infamous pink corvette, getting pulled over by a female LA cop. Ah, the poetry of it all. My man hit a fast u-turn and I nabbed the shot....a LA classic. Remember folks, you saw it here first.


Cops doing their civic duty 



Angelyne photo courtesy of her Myspace page

Undefeated is kicking off  summertime with a picnic and some community awareness. Come spread your sneaker love, and for your girlies out there, this is a prime opportunity to meet a young buck, these events are notoriously dominated by well heeled gentleman (kinda). So throw on a summer dress, bring a pair of unworn sneaks to donate and spread the summer love.

Sunday 5-9PM for the Nike x UNDFTD x Gents of Desire "Kick Down". To celebrate launch of the amazing new "Gents of Desire" billboard on the corner of 1st and La Brea in Los Angeles,

The whole event is a shoe drive, so in order to gain entry to the party you MUST bring one pair of UNWORN shoes to donate to the East LA Community Youth Center.

Glass design has always teetered on the allusive yet somewhat seductive side of life for me, but after discovering these glass octopuses created by artist Jennifer Umphress, I am ready to embrace the beauty and complexities of the ocean floor in an entirely new way.

Cindy Greene and Johnson Hartig's line, Libertine debuted Fall 2008 at Maxfield's on Wednesday. This notoriously macabre line stayed true to its devilish soul by delving deeper into its fascination with the dark-side. Their infamous use of reconsidered vintage and Swarovski crystals remain visual staples, but to that, the team has added a selection of beautifully produced garments including Italian cashmere sweaters and wet silkscreen T's. Their fascination with clustered embellishments has manifested itself in the Badge Blazer, a vintage coat highlighted with fabric buttons gathered on the lapel. Along with their trailblazing use of the skull, they have integrated some other upbeat imagery including a smeared bloody hand, dripping blood and a rather adorable monkey, I suppose added in for good measure. If you are a collector of Libertine's more exclusive pieces, Maxfield's holds the secret key. Cindy confessed that they make pieces for Maxfield's that no other accounts in the world get. Maxfield's gave them their first gig and judging from this Fall's collection they continue to return the favor in style. If you find yourself rolling down Melrose, check out their window installation accented with blood tinged IV bags, it is worth a LA drive by.

Coming from a footwear family (my husband James Bond is the co-owner of the sneaker shop Undefeated) turning out a look for your footsie's is serious business. Tonight, at our friend Cindy Greene's launch of Libertine's new season at Maxfield's proved that some tens are worth hanging with.

Chanel

















Givenchy

































Dreis Van Noten

















Chloe

Back in the day when I lived on Greene St. in NY, one of my visual and all to often financial indulgences was going to the Moss store up the block. Murray Moss truly was and is an innovator in design as well as a risk taker. Moss's ability to so seamlessly expose the beauty in both high and low design, paved the way for the Target's and Ikea's of the world to capitalize on the power of brilliant design. So before I get to off message... It came as no surprise to be blown away by these delicate floral beauties by Franz Joseph Ess. These individually hand sculpted and painted porcelain flowers designed in 1765 were originally created by Ess as part of a grand table decoration for the Munich residence of the Bavarian monarch. Nice, even Ikea can't mess with time consuming craftsmanship like that.

Nymphenburg, Treasure Box, 7 flowers


Nymphenburg,Treasure Box,  21 flowers

I knew Tara Tucker as an art teacher and a rug maker, before I ever got wind of her work and once I did, I had to pondered if I really knew her at all. I guess now I always kinda half wonder what might be going on in that head of hers. Her ability to formulate the most insane combinations of highbred animals and plant life always seems to teeter on the upsetting, but yet somehow remains such an accurate mirroring of real life you get confused as whether to be seduced or outraged. Tara's rendering skills are mesmerizing, and her gift for capturing irony, a natural. If in San Francisco, check her work out in this upcoming group exhibition.

A COMPLICATED DOMINION: NATURE AND NEW POLITICAL NARRATIVES
June 12 - August 16, 2008

Opening Reception: Thursday, June 12, 6-8pm
BYO Brown Bag Lunch Discussion: Wednesday, July 23, 12-1pm, FREE
 
San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery
401 VAN NESS AVENUE (AT McALLISTER)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102
T: 415.554.6080

Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 12-5pm
 
Double Trouble, graphite on paper, 2008




























Sloth and Industry, graphite on paper, 2007

To know the folks at Aardvark Letterpress is to be a part of some kind of creative extended family. They have been running their wildly inspiring letterpress for 40 years now, cranking out uniquely culled and beautifully hand pressed wedding invites, business cards and baby announcements, but the creative brothers behind this family run business, Cary and Brooks Ocon (sons of Louis Ocon who purchased the company in the 1978) felt it was time to stir it up. So, the boys teamed up with famed artist/photographer Lisa Jane Persky to celebrate their 40th in style. Drawing on their rich American and Mexican lineage they decided to create an original limited edition of fine art works based on the Mexican game of the Loteria.


Tokyo Pequeño by Mel Lim




























Hollywood Bowl (Quioscos De Regalo) by Greg Colson

































To understand the magnitude of such a project you must take a moment to grasp the skill set needed to run presses of this historical nature. I have personally seen master printers Bill Berkuta, Jorge Estrada and Adan Aragon use paper clips, pieces of gum and snips of cardboard to caress these beautiful behemoths into creative submission. Each color for the press requires a separate plate and considering some artists have upwards of 8-10 colors per piece, at 100 pieces per edition, you do the math. Oh, and by the way, did I mention each color must be hand mixed, after which the entire press must be cleaned and re-prepped for the next plate. In today's talk on the cell phone, while eating lunch and picking up your child at overpriced pre-school, the idea of such time consuming craftsmanship is a downright artistic luxury and I for one was excited to be part of the mix. Here are some pictures of how it went down. Check out all the Loteria cards on the Aardvark's website. The signed and numbered pieces will be sold beginning June 5, 2008.























Dave Lefner's print "El Inverso" rolls off the Vandercook,  photo Lisa Jane Persky



 





















Greg Colson's plates, photo Lisa Jane Persky




























Brook's power lunch?????






















Please pick a color...






















Final color for Espejismo (Mirage)