Wacko Toy Swap (10.18)

 

Are you stuck with dupes and just not feeling creating an ‘army’ of uniformity for your display case?  Wacko, quite possibly the most amazing store in Los Angeles, feels your pain and has a cure (or at least a stop-gap measure) – a Toy Swap.  It goes down Saturday, October 18th from Noon to 3 PM in the parking lot behind the store.  Bring your dupes and trade them with others.  Refreshments will be served.

Wacko/Soap Plant
4633 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323.663.0122

Seen: KC Hustle

 

MAD and five other Kansas City area artists  showed off their skills for KC Hustle which went down this past Friday (10.3.08) @ The Pitch Art Space in KC.    MAD, Scribe, Nathan Fox, Brian Bullets, Sike Style and Zach Trover  each created custom MADLs and also customized a Pitch Box (a display stand for the Pitch, a local KC newspaper focused on entertainment).  Several artists also created paintings and drawings. The work looks great – striking and so clean.    Check out shots of the Pitch Boxes and MADL’s after the jump. These pics are from MAD’s flickr.

Continue reading "Seen: KC Hustle"

Ken Keirns – 10” MADL for MADL Citizens

Ken Keirns’s uncanny photographic surrealist painting  style is in full effect on his custom 10” MADL done for the upcoming MADL Citizens show. Having seen Ken’s original paintings up close, we’re a little sad we won’t see this custom up close and personal.  Pretty sure the pics while great don’t really do it full justice.

MADL Citizens opens on Saturday, October 25th @ LIFT in the Detroit area.  Keep watching for more previews, a feature on Tristan Eaton’s  5” production MADL and more right here on Vinyl Pulse.

LIFT
228 W 4th St
Royal Oak, MI 48067
248.545.5245

Continue reading "Ken Keirns – 10” MADL for MADL Citizens"

Monkeyhouse Toys Presents Plastique Fantastique (10.04.08)

Monkeyhouse Toys brings together a slew of artists for a custom toy show. A show featuring different types of platforms and a long list of 70 artists. Just a few of the participating artists include: Jason Kochis, Heidi Kenney, Max, Brent Nolasco, Clara Boo of Curioddities,  Yuki Miyazaki, Josh Taylor, Dave Silva, Smear, Jennifer Lewis, Edzepln, and tons more. Opening reception will be on Saturday, October 4th from 4-8 PM in Los Angeles. So come on out and enjoy the fun with awesome artwork!

We also have a peek of Brent Nolasco’s submission for this show. The first we have seen of a custom Koibito figure which is based off the artwork of Yoskay Yomamoto. More pictures of Brent’s submission after the jump.

Monkeyhouse Toys & Art Gallery
1618 1/2 Silver Lake Bl.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-662-3437

Continue reading "Monkeyhouse Toys Presents Plastique Fantastique (10.04.08)"

Bigfoot in Hawaii @ Split Obsession (10.25)

The enigmatic SF area artist Bigfoot will heading across the Pacific for a solo in paradise @ Split Obsession on Saturday, October 25th from 6 to 9 PM.  Bigfoot's art which deals with the sometimes tragic interaction of nature and civilization will be in full effect --including original art, limited-edition prints, tees and a limited-edition resin tiki figure.   That last item caught our attention.  All we know so far is it's limited to just 50 pieces.  Look for pics first right here on Vinyl Pulse shortly.

Split Obsession
7192 Kalanianaole Hwy D100
Honolulu, HI 96825

David Horvath + Sun-Min Kim - Uglycon Tokyo (10.10)

David Horvath and Sun Min Kim’s  UGLYCON, a celebration of all things UGLY, is slowly but surely taking over the world.  First it was LA and then SF.  Now the land of the rising sun. UGLYCON Tokyo opens on Friday October 10th @ Stitch in Tokyo [6 –9 PM].   The show will feature plenty of goodness from David and Sun-Min but will also showcase UGLY art from Gargamel, Dehara, Touma, Mori Chack, T9G, Devilrobots,
Mad Barbarians, Nao (Wrecks). 

In term of toys, what we know so far from the UGLYBLOG is that David and Sun-Min  have worked with Gargamel to create the Super Puncher Pocket Kaiju which will debut at UGLYCON in an exclusive Yokai edition.  The figure captures the spirit of toy collecting with a humorous backstory of a lonely otaku who after collecting too many Super Puncher toys died and returned as the Super Puncher Yokai Robot ghost.  The figure has two-faces – Lonely Otaku and Super Puncher.

Finally, overseas collectors are in luck – Stitch will offer available pieces through email (no phone orders) starting on October 14th @ 11 AM (Japan Time) which breaks down to Monday October 13th 7 PM PDT.

Amanda Visell’s Centaur Love

Amanda Visell just got her new blog on Daily Dujour rolling with a picture of her Centaur Love wood sculpture which will be part of the Baby Tattoovile art show at the Riverside Art Museum this Saturday.  Check out her post to see the full pic.  [Source: Daily Dujour]

Michelle Valigura – Creation Mutation Sneak Preview

 

Since we posted the flier for Michelle Valigura’s Creation Mutation solo show opening on Saturday, October 25th [7-10 PM] @ M Modern we’ve been  wanting to see more.   We recently had the pleasure of an early look at Michelle’s numerous wood sculptures for the show and are revealing a few here as an exclusive sneak peek.

We’re happy to say that  unlike a movie trailer, the flier was just a hint of the goodness to come.  The two-headed giraffe and siamese barbershop dudes on the flier were just the beginning of the DNA bending outbreak.  Michelle’s got plenty of great stuff waiting in the wings.   She’s taken the concept of twisted animals and run with it across several different pieces for her own spin on the wild kingdom.   Unlike her previous work which often featured  complete scenes this new work offers focused  looks at her characters.

The two-headed purple hippo with a feathered passenger (above) is one of our faves in part due to the huge ivories – all the better to chomp swimmers with!  Sticking with the aquatic theme of this preview, the dual-headed Alligator offers a very different yet equally cool ‘look’ – angular and boxy lines replace the curves of the hippo. 

There’s plenty more gene splitting action in store for you at the opening of Creation Mutation on October 25th @ M Modern.  Keep watching Vinyl Pulse for another preview as we get closer – can’t show you everything all at once now, can we ?

M Modern
2500 N. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.416.3611

Continue reading "Michelle Valigura – Creation Mutation Sneak Preview"

Super7 @ Thrashout (9.27.08)

As a part of the Super7's Tokyo Underground Tour, the good folks of S7 and Gargamel team up to put on a show at the Gargamel's flagship store Thrash Out in Japan. For those lucky enough to be in the area or who are able to join in on the underground tour will be the first to feast their eyes on some custom painted figures. If that is not enough for you some top-secret toy surprises, which I'm sure will tickle almost anyone's fancy. This will all be going down September 27th @ 6PM JP Time. Oh and for those of you on the wrong side of the world, a limited amount of the releases at the Thrash Out show will be available at S7 as they return.

Doktor A – Custom Fortune Teller MADL

There are things we can count on day in day out.  For instance, if you ask vinyl collectors to name the top five customizers in the game, Doktor A will be on every list.  With each new custom, his rep grows.  You’re looking at Blavatski & Son's Automated Kismet Disseminator a perfectly tuned prognosticating device which will be exhibited to wow the public at the MADL Citizens show opening on October 25th @ LIFT in the Detroit area.

Through his numerous customs, Dok A has unfolded his alternate victorian-era mechanized universe.  We've seen armored suits, motorized air ships, and submersibles.  Lately we're beginning to learn more about the commercial  and entertainment aspects of this world. 

This  sweet fortune teller piece sucks us  into his universe abuzz with wondrous machinery.  The inclusion and execution of cleverly thought out details  from the realistic levers and handles to the detailed printed instructions on the top of the device up the awe factor and  increase believability.  Beyond all that though, the piece is FUN to look at and dream about.   Finally,  the cherry on top here is that Dok loves his work and it shows in numerous ways including  the humorous set of printed fortunes, including the  sassy "You will purchase art from an English Man" one.  Amazing work.   See more of Blavatski and Son's technical marvel after the jump.

LIFT
228 W 4th St
Royal Oak, MI 48067
248.545.5245

Continue reading "Doktor A – Custom Fortune Teller MADL"

Ekundayo & KMNDZ – Red Forest Trailer

Here’s a sweet atmospheric teaser trailer by KMDNZ for Red Forest, a joint show with Ekundayo opening on Friday October 10th @ Thinkspace.  The show’s title and concept is based on the human toll of the  Chernobyl nuclear accident and more symbolically the effect of negativity on life in LA.  For more on the show, check out Sour Harvest’s interview with KMNDZ.

Thinkspace Art Gallery
4210 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323.913.3375

Mark Ryden – Pumpkin President Limited Edition Poster

 

The one-night Art for Hope  benefit show on October 1st at the Merry Karnowsky LA Gallery will feature work from celebrated artists including the Clayton Brothers, Camille Rose Garcia, Mercedes Helnwein, Seonna Hong, Dean Karr, Kill Pixie, Marion Peck, Todd Schorr, Kathy Staico Schorr, Melora Walters, and Kent Williams.  The $25 entry donation will benefit the Obama Victory Fund.

To celebrate the show and the cause, Merry Karnowsky Gallery and Mark Ryden will release a limited edition lithograph poster of the Pumpkin President with all proceeds going to support Barrack Obama’s presidential campaign.  Limited to 500 pieces, the poster measures 25” x 33”, is signed and numbered, and will be available for $500 (+ s/h).  Reservations for the poster are being accepted now and will close on September 30th, 2008.  For full information, please check out MarkRyden.com.

Merry Karnowsky Gallery
170 S. La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.933.4408

Art + Action – Custom Obama Show (10.17.08)

 

It’s awesome to see the extent to which the art community and related industries are rallying to support Barrack Obama’s Presidential Campaign.  We’ve seen Obama featured in amazing posters from brilliant artists including Shepard Fairey and Ron English and many many more.  Now, we’re about to see artists painting on Obama.  Well… on Barrack Obama action figures.   

Art + Action, a benefit show featuring artist customs of the Obama Action Figure from Jail Break Toys, opens on October 17th @ The Showroom NYC.    The lineup includes MARS-1, Damion Silver, Brent Nolasco, Voltaire, Olive47 and more.  Very curious to see how people interpret Obama – let’s hope nobody slices and dices the figure or goes crazy with sculpey ;-)  If you have skills and would like to be in the show, email jailbroke [at] gmail [dot]com with some samples of your work. In addition to the customs, Ron English will be signing his Abraham Obama posters.

The Showroom NYC
117 2nd Avenue (& 7th Street), 2nd floor
New York, NY 10003

Mattias Vigliano - Cosmoshock (9.26.08)

Mattias Vigliano of DOMA will present his new Cosmoshock solo with an opening on Friday September 26th @ Turbo, Doma’s Gallery, in Buenos Aires.  The show is apparently a print show with 18 serigraph prints (LE or 1/1’s ?)  and some gocco prints as well.  While you may know him for his work with DOMA, Mattias’s personal work features futuristic themes that retain a core of humanity (i.e. robots with soul and heart).   Great work – always fun to stare at. 

Funkeys: Custom Art Show + Charity Event (9.26.08)

 

The Funkeys: Custom Art Show + Charity Event (flier) opens on Friday September 26th [7-11 PM] @ MunkyKing.  Curated and organized by the Mattel Children's Foundation, the Art of Elysium and Munky King, the show will feature over 100+ customized versions of special large vinyl Funkeys from well-known artists, toy industry professionals, and children who will receive assistance through this charity event.

The customs will be sold via silent auction with proceeds going to The Art of Elysium, a charity organization that works with volunteer actors, artists, and musicians to work with and enrich the lives of children dealing with serious medical conditions.

So if you're calendar is still bare for Friday, come on out, check out the army of custom Funkeys and maybe bid on a piece or two to support a very worthwhile cause.  RSVP for the VIP opening [6 -7 PM] by emailing plex[at]munkyking[dot]com.   More show previews after the jump -- click through.

Munky King
7308 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323.938.0091

Continue reading "Funkeys: Custom Art Show + Charity Event (9.26.08)"

Ekundayo & KMNDZ -- Red Forest (10.10.08)

This show has been on our 'must-see' list since Thinkspace Gallery published their '08 gallery. Opening on Friday, October 10th, Red Forest features the work of Ekundayo and KMNDZ each of whom produce excellent urban influenced art.  Each artist comes from a different starting point -- Ekundayo focuses on his own  unique organic universe while KMNDZ's work tends to focus on the more mechanical and automated aspects including prominent depiction of robots of all sorts.  The results though are highly complimentary or perhaps we should just say  awesome + awesome = more awesome!

To ease the anxiety, Thinkspace has posted some sneaks on their flickr.  We've cherry picked a few from Ekundayo, check 'em after the jump (KMNDZ to come).

Continue reading "Ekundayo & KMNDZ -- Red Forest (10.10.08)"

Jeff McMillan – A Maintenance of Inhabitants (For Now)

Instead of saying Jeff McMillan  ‘kicks ass’ we decided we’d try to say something pseudo-intelligent like -- “Jeff’s paintings blend the mystical with the everyday for a result that eclipses expected juxtaposition and ventures into the fantastic”.  But somehow, we still prefer something more succinct like ‘Jeff’s art rules’. 

At any rate, Jeff will open his next solo, “A Maintenance of Inhabitants (For Now)”, @ SURU this Saturday, September 27th 2008 [7 PM].  We’ve put a few sneak images from his blog after the jump. Also, the SURU  blo has a cool preview of the show including a look at Jeff’s studio.   Great stuff – be sure to hit the opening to take it all in.

SURU
7662 Melrose
Los Angeles, CA
323.655.0770

Continue reading "Jeff McMillan – A Maintenance of Inhabitants (For Now)"

Cinema Tuesdays : Megunica (9.22.08)

Megunica (trailer below), a documentary about renown street artist Blu and his travels through Central and South America, will screen today, Tuesday September 23rd [8 PM] as part of the Cinema Tuesdays series curated by Flux @ Nike Sportswear at the Montalban in Hollywood.  Directed by Lorenzo Fonda, the film combines live-action documentary with mind-blowing animation similar to that found in Blu’s head-turning MUTO  wall mural animation which spread like wildfire through the Internet.  While tickets are free, you must RSVP at flux.next/megunica.  After jump, more still images from the film.

 

Nike Sportswear Presents The Montalbán
1615 Vine Street
Hollywood, CA 90028

Continue reading "Cinema Tuesdays : Megunica (9.22.08)"

Jason Jacenko Cookie Hoez 10 “MADL

 

Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that an amazing custom has to involve enhancements to a figure's shape either  through modest application of custom sculpted elements or perhaps even radical transformative surgery.   Jason Jacenko’s latest custom – a stunning 10" MADL done for the upcoming MADL Citizens show @ LIFT shows us the error in our thinking.  The details here are breathtaking from the wispy bits of hair around the face to the eerily expressive eyes.  Btw, the smaller MADL was done as a commission for a private collector.

With each new sneak the anticipation for the opening of MADL Citizens on Friday, October 25th @ LIFT grows. MAD's original hero is back in a big way.

LIFT
228 W 4th St
Royal Oak, MI 48067
248.545.5245

Angry Woebots Print Release @ Split Obsession (10.4.08)

Hawaiian native Angry Woebots, he of the wicked pandas and changing name ;-), will be entertaining the people in familiar territory at Split Obsession in Honoluu on Saturday October 4th [6-9 PM] for a print drop and signing.  The print is limited to 100 signed and numbered pieces. Also on a lighter note, looks like Woebots has reinvented himself and is now going by Angst Woebots.

Split Obsession
7192 Kalanianaole Hwy D100
Honolulu, HI 96825

Sket One – You Asked For It + Dolbee

Uh-oh.  Sket One is invading err visiting merry ol’ Englander just in time for all hallow’s eve.  As part of ATP’s Release the Bats 2008 event, Sket will present You Asked For It, a solo exhibition, on October 30-31st at the London Venue and the following night on November 1st in Birmingham.  He’ll be showing new custom toys, artwork, prints and plenty of Sket merch.  Sket won’t just be soaking in the environment and the liquour, he’ll also be living painting on 5x5 canvases at both events.

Finally… Since this is an ATP event, Sket’s designed a brand new monster version of their  Dolbee figure from Clownshoes and produced by SOLID Industries. This will apparently only be available at the two ATP Festival events – coolness.

London Venue The Forum 9-11 Highgate Road London NW5

Birmingham Venue Space 2, The Custard Factory Gibb Square Birmingham B9 4AA

The KC Hustle (10.3.08)

The KC Hustle ,a one night show going down on October 3rd at The Pitch building,  will showcase six dope KC area creative professionals.  The hustling six are MAD, Scribe, Nathan Fox, Brian Bullets, Sike Style and Zach Trover.

The show will center around the “Pitch Box” and the MADL figure.  Each of the six artists will rock a custom Pitch Box and a MADL figure.  For those not in the know, The Pitch is a local KC entertainment newspaper and we’re assuming the Pitch Box is their display stand for the free paper.  There will also be live painting and merch from all the artists.

The Pitch Art Space
1701 Main Street
Kansas City, MO

Vida e Morte (9.20.08)

 

Vida e Morte featuring the art work of three rising  Brazilian street artists Alexandre Anjo, Andre Firmiano (above), and Pankill opens tonight, Saturday September 20th @ Carmichael Gallery [7-11 PM].  The trio will present original works on canvas, wood, fabric and paper.

We had the pleasure of shooting the artists working on wall installations as well as a few last-minute show pieces.   Enjoy these behind-the-scenes pics and if you have any interest in emergent street art drop by the opening to check out the wide variety of work.  Check out more shots of the work in progress from each artist after the jump.

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
1257 N. La Brea Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 9003
323.969.0600

Continue reading "Vida e Morte (9.20.08)"

Seen: Futura’s Strategic Synchronicity

Futura's massive LA solo, Strategic Synchronicity, opened Thursday night with a VIP event and will continue through the weekend open to the public. Presented by the newly formed and somewhat enigmatic Krunk, the show marks Futura’s reintroduction to the fine art world. 

The setting for the show is a vacant retail spot with soaring ceilings, swanky floors, and unfinished walls – a sorta  swanky urban feel.  The use of huge white wooden  crates as display surfaces is both clever and very much appropriate.  It’s nice without going overboard and it’s got some hints of edge without being a safety hazard.

Futura’s new work is in my opinion very impressive, his massive canvases come alive with energy, color, and motion.  While some may be disappointed to see that the conspicuous graff elements have become increasingly abstract, this new body of work is powerful and must be seen in person to be truly appreciated.    To write it off as “abstract” and thus somehow less important or impactful would be unfortunate. 

In addition to the abstract pieces, the show features a number of iconic Pointman canvases and drawings.  This is reportedly the last hurrah for Pointman.  So if you want an original piece, now is the time.

Speaking of sales, the majority of the art work has sold and at prices that reflect both the tremendous surge of interest in urban art and Futura’s stature and reputation.  Collectors include well-known names and collectors – Mark Parker, Lance Armstrong, and Mike Shinoda to name a few.

Finally, snippets of the upcoming Futura Documentary produced by Krunk were shown on a large screen throughout the evening.  We’re looking forward to its release – an extended look at Futura’s process should be very cool.

The show continues only through this weekend.  So catch it now or regret it later. Be sure to check out our packed VIP opening gallery after the jump.

610 S. Main
Los Angeles CA, 90014

Continue reading "Seen: Futura’s Strategic Synchronicity"

Bwana Spoons @ Artoyz in Paris (9.25.08)