Category: Events

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LA VS WAR

This is a huge Pro-peace/Anti-War show. I will be instructing some stenciling workshops Sat-Sun @ 4:30. Come and support.

 

LA Vs. WAR II: Art for Peace in the Hope Era
Announces Final Programming, Artist Confirmations, Special Public Appearances,
Teach-Ins, Workshops & Musical Line-Up

(Los Angeles) – LA Vs. War II: Art for Peace in the Hope Era returns for three days from Sept. 9 -11, 2011 commemorating the ten-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks with a massive group art exhibition in Downtown Los Angeles at The Vortex Philanthropic Space.

Artists from LA and beyond will examine the questions: After 10 years of the Global War on Terror, where do we now stand as a nation? Is the world a safer place? Where does the Peace movement go from here?

Teach-ins will be held with LA Vs. War grassroots activist-partners Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), Code Pink, Youth Justice Coalition, Antiwar.com, Center for the Study of Political Graphics, Campaign to Rescind Special Order 11 and Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) in an effort to inform and energize attendees in transforming their own lives and communities.

In the days leading up to the event, LA Vs. War organizers have confirmed two additional public peace murals by acclaimed street artists El Mac and Vyal. The group mural, “LA Madre Vs. WAR” by WERC, GERA, Contra and JC is currently running at the show’s venue.

Confirmed LA Vs. War II programming below, please see attached program for complete schedule and details.

Contributing Artist Line-Up:
Visual Art Gallery Curated by John Carr/Yo! Peace, Center for the Study of Political Graphics, Political Gridlock, Self Help Graphics & Ad Hoc Art

Aamber Newsome, Abcnt, Adam Smith, Aise, Alexander Skramble, Alison Smith, Ando Pndlian, Army of One, Art Hazelwood, Asylm, Billy Davidson, Brianna Lengel Bail, Chase, Chaz Bojorquez, Christopher Wallace, Chuck Sperry, cojoco, Contra One, Cryptik, Deadmundo, DJ Lucha/Besos Not Bombs, Dog Byte, Dominique Domingez, Doran Dada, Doug Minkler, Eddie Colla, Edward Colver, Emory Douglas, Enik, Eriberto Oriol, Eyeone, Eyerie, Farzad Kohan, Favianna Rodriguez, Free Humanity, Garrison Buxton, Geraldine Lozano, Gilles d’Amecourt, Glenn Brooks, Graphonic, Guillermo Bert, Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca, James Bentley, Jesus Barraza, Joe Iurato, Joey Connolly, John Carlos De Luna, John Carr, John Fekner, Jon Paul Bail, Josh MacPhee, Juan Fuentez, Juana Alicia Araiza, Julio Salgado, Kaleb Arefaine, Krystine Kryttre, Kyle Goen, Lalo Alcaraz, Leba, Leo “CatZ” Limon, Leo Eguiarte, Leopoldo Pena, lilstickyrice, Louis Hennings, Lucky Bunny, Lydia Emily, Malaquias Montoya, Man One, Manny Torres, Marilyn LaGrone-Amaral, Mark of the Beast, Mas, Max Neutra, Mear, Melanie Cervantes, Michael Russek, Michelle Cohen, Mike “Maximum Fluoride” Fisher, Nino Rodriguez, Not My Goverment, Nuclear Winter, Orameh Bagheri, Oree Original, Oscar Magallanes, Overton Loyd, Paul Barron, Peace Be With You, Poli Marichal, Raymundo Hernandez-Lopez, Ricardo Duffy, Ricardo Estrada, Richard Sanchez, Robbie Conal, Ron Donovan, Rupert Garcia, Septerhed, Shark Toof, Shepard Fairey, Simba Russeau, Sonji Mariposa, Street Phantom, Tirso Araiza, Two Rabbits, Vyal, Werc, William Acedo, Winston Smith, Xochitl Cieve, Yem, Yuri Shimojo, Zoltron

Performance Artist Line-Up:
Alex Munoz
Amitis Motevalli
Byron Jose
Gian Munoz
joebutoh sculptour     Michael Datcher
Ms. Slowcialization
Nancy Popp
Raquel Gutierrez
Yuki Hayashi-Hammel

Live Art Line-Up:
Live Art Curated by Crewest Gallery & Mobile Mural Lab
Asylm SH
Bazar
Bounce
Chase
Cryptik
Fearo
Gustavo Garcia
Ides
Jim Fonseca    Lydia Emily
Man One
Mandoe
Mear
Nuke
Vyal
Wenceslao Quiroz
More TBA

Video Artist Line-Up:
Curated by Kelly Fancher
Elizabeth Woo
Elle Burchill
Manuela Viera-Gallo
Pouya
Vivian Wong

DJ Line-Up:
Curated by ArtDontSleep & Dublab.com
Aaron Byrd
Adrian Younge
Al Jackson
Alfred Hawkins
Alter
Andrew Meza
Anthony Valadez
B+
Carlos Nino
Coleman
Destroyer
DJ Moni
DJ Shiva
Elephant & Castle
Expo
Frosty
GLK
Inka One      Hawthorne Headhunters
Haycock
House Shoes
Jun
Kristi Lomax
Lady Sha
Lee Bannon
Marc deClive Lowe
Matthew David
Monalisa
Mr. NumberOnederful
Plann B.
Rani D.
Rhettmatic
Seano
Scott K
& special guests.

Additional Programming Includes:
Live T-shirt Printing By: Hit+Run featuring peace and antiwar graphics
Peace Altar By: Ofelia Esparza and ZAN
Laser Graffiti By: Buff Laser 2000
Peace Photo Project By: Azul 213
Stenciling Demonstrations & Workshops By: Oscar Magallanes and Leo Limón

When: Friday, September 9th, 2011 – Sunday, September 11th, 2011
12:00 PM – 12:00 AM

Where: The Vortex
2341 E. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90021

Entry: $5.00 Suggested Donation
This is an all ages event

For more information and updates visit: www.vswar.org
Like LA Vs. War on Facebook: www.facebook.com/vswar
Follow LA Vs. War on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lavswar

About LA Vs War II
LA Vs. WAR II is project that will live on past the September 2011 Los Angeles event under the name Vs. WAR. The show will evolve and travel to other cities bringing its unique model of creative resistance and collaboration to other communities. Originally organized out of the Yo! Peace poster show, the first LA Vs. WAR welcomed 6000 attendees and made a national impression.

LA Vs. WAR provides an exhibition platform for art activists to promote unity and education on issues of war, peace and social justice. The show promotes creative expressions from artists that inspire spirits and awaken minds. LA Vs. War uses the power of art as the very means of mobilizing communities to bring about change. Produced and Organzied by Estée Ochoa and John Carr of Yo! Peace.

MEDIA INQUIRIES & RSVP:

Candice Han
310-435-0930
candice@pitchblend.com

Kim Huynh
323-379-8623
kim@pitchblend.com

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…and the Boss Laughs

My print “…and the Boss Laughs” is now part of the permanent collection at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio. It will be on display as part of their upcoming exhibit and catalog, Estampas de la Raza. The print is a 26″x20″ hand pulled, 8 color (including a split fountain), serigraph printed at Self Help Graphics & Art in East Los Angeles.

 

I will post the exhibition info shortly.

I have a few of these prints still available for purchase. Send me an email if interested.

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Revolutionaries

Revolutionaries opening reception last night was a “great success” and garnered an “overwhelmingly positive response, more then any other show I’ve put on” said Kirk Pedersen, owner of Pedersen Projects.

If you missed last nights opening, Revolutionaries will be up through May.

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Artwork featured in The Roots Jam Session

I was lucky enough to have been approached by Michelynn Woodard from Be the Change/Opportunity Nation about creating some journals and poster using images of inspirational people. They liked my Martin Luther King Jr. portrait and was commissioned to create 6 more to feature on the Posters used to help kick off and promote Opportunity Nation at the Roots Jam Session. Here are a few images of the finished posters.

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Zocalo’s Street Art Panel Discussion

Had a good week. On Thursday went to the Fowler Museum for Zocalo’s Street Art panel discussion with a friend. Before we went in I ran into Shervin Shahbazi from Morono Kiang a great gallery in downtown LA. Also had a good talk with Carol Wells from the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.

The talk itself was nothing great. Had it not been for my good friend Retna and Man 1 from Crewest gallery the talk would have lacked in substance and been a bit boring. It would have been nice if the moderator, Jori Finkel from the LA Times would have brought up the topic which was “does street art humanize cities.” Also seems as if no one wanted to talk about the elephant in the room, censorship or more specifically the removal of Blu’s antiwar mural from MoCA. Perhaps they did not want to offend Jeffery Deitch who was in the audience.

The reception proved interesting with LA Raw setting out a long print of Blu’s mural before it’s removal as well as an image of the whitewashed wall. They also handed out some condom’s reading “Don’t be blu Deitch, Practice safe art.

My friend and fellow board member at Self Help Graphics, Rudy Espinoza and I got to chat a bit with Deitch but he seemed a bit frazzled and anxious to get out of there. Go figure.


*Photos by Aaron Salcido.

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Hasta Llegar a Mictlan

 

Original text by Luna George’s posting for Juxtapoz Magazine’s Blog.

With seven candles representing his immediate family and a poem by Nezahualcoyotl surrounding  the three tiered altar, Oscar Magallanes’ beautiful Altar Installation “Hasta Llegara a Mictlán” at Crewest Gallery during their Top of the Dome exhibition has captured my eye.  Heavily influenced by the cultural and social elements of his upbringing such as  murals of Zapata and Mexica glyphs from the Chicano movement, Oscar provides in his own words an explanation to the creation of his altar “Hasta llegara a Mictlán”:

“The cross created by the ancient Mesoamerican glyphs for fire and water is actually an axis mundi representing the four cardinal points. In Mesoamerica there was also an understanding of the importance of including a center point represented here by the symbol of Ometeotl. All of the indigenous cultures of what is now the Americas would situate their cities to these points. The axis mundi was used to represent life whether external or internal, physical and spiritual thus becoming a representation of the Universe. To the Mexica there were nine levels in the underworld the furthest being Mictlan. It is in Mictlan that Quetzalcoatl descended to to recover the bones of ancestors and reestablish human kind in the fifth sun. The lower portion of the axis mundi represents its reach into these levels with the skull at the bottom to represent our ancestors.

To tie the piece into current issues I wrapped the two symbols of Quetzalcoatl forming a sort of caduceus often used to represent medicine and physicians. I wanted to create a symbol that represented indigenous philosophies and was almost a mirror of western iconic symbols that was in every sense a mirror image. That is to say the opposite of what it’s counter parts are. In this era of “healthcare reform” I think it is important to present alternatives to corporate healthcare and rediscover what has been taken from us, the fact that we can heal ourselves and have done so since the beginning of time. At the point of the first encounter with Europeans the vast cultures of Mesoamerica had already documented over three thousand plants for medicinal uses.

The photo is of my grandfather who is on the left. We were told he passed away from cancer but after an independent autopsy was performed it turned out that he had passed away from complications of a bad blood transfusion. The four vases holding calla lilies represent my grandparents. My maternal grandparents who lived in the United States passed away at a relatively early age while my paternal grandparents in Mexico both passed away in there 90’s.”

 

Here is the poem by Nezahualcoyotl which surrounds the three tiered altar:

I am intoxicated,
I weep, I grieve
I think, I speak
Within myself I discover this
Indeed I shall never die
I shall never disappear
There is no death
There where death is overcome
Let me go there
Indeed I shall never disappear.

Please note this beautiful altar is on view till the end of November at Crewest Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles.