hustler of culture

KEVIN LYONS - IT'S ONLY BUSINESS: Words That Define Me (09/03/04 - 10/02/04)

September 3 - October 2, 2004

Opening Reception: Friday, September 3, 2004, 6-10 p.m.
7922 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Sponsored in part by: SSUR/ Anthem Magazine / HUF /
Nievesbooks.com / UBIQ / Sandinista / II Step / ODG / Stacks.

Soundplates provided by Mason (UBIQ / PayerHaters)
Curated by Christopher Bettig

"Beauty, no doubt, does not make revolutions. But a day will come when revolutions will have a need for beauty." - Albert Camus, The Rebel

Four x four Gallery presents new works from east coast typographer, artist, and father, Kevin Lyons / a.k.a. Natural born in the exhibition, IT'S ONLY BUSINESS: Words That Define Me. Lyons graphically explores the semiotics of old school hip-hop through a series of typographically-driven installation pieces that illustrate and capture the colorful and dynamic wordplay that characterized his early influential years. The show reflects growing up surrounded by words and beats and the struggle to find a typographic equivalent. By displaying these combinations, he attempts to expose the process and methodology by which he developed his own style and humor and the conceptual basis behind the quirkiness and non-linear quality of his personal work. Tired of trying to convince the world that there could be a graphic equivalent to rap music, Lyons has resigned himself to taking all the qualities of hip-hop and using them as a platform to design and work from.

Again choosing to explode his patented daily hand-drawn to scanner to computer to printer techniques (known only in the business as "the skillz"), he elevates his methodology by increasing scale and size and subject upon a larger surface. Lyons recombines some of the very lyrics that helped lead him to a lifelong love for envisioning and pysically representing the spoken word. The show is to be read from top to bottom. Lyons states "Often I find myself overdoing something in order to to feel that it is better than something else. Overcompensating. Using sheer, overwhelming quanity of work to overcome any insecurity regarding the quality of the work itself. I often fight this urge. However, here in IT'S ONLY BUSINESS I fully embrace this idea and overcompenate to the nth degree."

The show is dense in linework and pays formal homeage to a few of his favorites including echoes of Cy Twombly and Kieth Haring and includes a personal challenge to legendary designer / art director Herb Lubalin. But it is the subject matter itself which takes center stage here. Lyons borrows and then recreates a master poem to himself - a list of toasting and boasting, flipping verbs, and shifting sentences. Fragments of his most formidable years.

Background:
After receiving his masters degree from CalArts in 1998, Kevin Lyons has worked for Nike, both in and out of house, has been Art Director of Urban Outfitters on two separate occasions and has been Art Director at filmmaker Spike Jonze's Girl Skateboard Company. He was also the original US Art Director for TOKION Magazine. He continues to maintain long-standing freelance relation-ships with Nike, Jordan Brand, Adidas, Stussy and Stussy Japan, Neroli Records, UBIQ, HUF, Redfive, Commonwealth Stacks, Sandinista, and longtime friend and collaborator NYC artist, SSUR.

A typographer, an art director, a designer, a teacher, and a father, in 2001, he was named as one of the "top forty designers under thirty" by ID Magazine. His work has been published worldwide from Thrasher to The Face to Relax to Lodown to Anthem and Refill, as well as shown worldwide including solo shows in Philadelphia, SF and Tokyo. He has also written articles for the AIGA Journal, as well as adressing the AIGA on two occasions including as a published recipient of its Fresh Dialogues Series. He also taught typography for two years at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Most recently Lyons was the Design Director at Stussy. This year saw the release of his own line of toys (UPROCK ANIMALS) through Sony Creative in Japan. He also produces two clothing lines; one for 2K called Atlantis, and the under under his personal namesake, NATURAL BORN. Both are distributed globally. Currently, Lyons maintains his own small experimental graphic project also under the namesake, Natural Born from Philadelphia where he lives and works with his wife and daughter drawing type and bumping Twin Hype.

four x four
www.fourxfourthestore.com

otto design group
www.ottodesigngroup.com

i love new yorkers.

moveon.org, choose or lose, adbusters, mediarights.org, rock the vote

girl open house #3 (09/09/04)

i want to have a word with you.

i use a lot of words per minute. most of my functioning vocabulary is monosyllabic street slang. if i can't find a word that properly describes what i'm trying to say, i'll make one up on the spot, leaving some people confused. i have no problem defining my own world. i've listed a few favorite words/phrases i've enjoyed over the years that are still in use today. obvs, i tried to be as accurate as possible in crediting the person who taught me a word/phrase.

word - introducer - location - year first used - definition / history / examples

kapunkatuk - me and lobo - arlington, va - early 80s - we wanted to make up a code word for an idiot; an imbecile. hey, kids are mean! tuc (spelling?) is dumb or mentally disabled in vietnamese.

go world!

i love the olympics. i really do. i love the carefully crafted sentimental stories capped off by world recognition. a competitive athlete for nearly all of my youth, nothing makes me happier than someone earning a world record, a medal or closure in a rollercoaster career in sports. i love that once every four years the world gathers to celebrate healthy competition.

over the years, i've met several world champions and olympians. i am fascinated by them all. their drive. their focus. their ability to will their bodies to do incredible things. in the early 90s, a friend was dating an olympic gold medalist. i remember asking him stories about his life. i watched the video of tears streaming down his face when he was on the podium. i wore his medal around my neck and raised my arms in victory. the medal had weight. it felt amazing. it wasn't engraved or very beautiful but it is king of all medals. he accomplished something very few people in the world can lay claim to -- at this moment in time, i am the world's greatest athlete in my field. owning that feeling must justify every sacrifice that lead up to the moment. what you do after it's all over must be even more difficult.

having tivo'd all the olympic programs so far, i can watch events at my leisure. i'm fascinated by it all. truly. it saddened me to see the stands so empty this year, mainly because greece couldn't get their act together but also because travelling's a buzz kill these days. i'm looking forward to cheerleading getting approved by the IOC as an official olympic sport. i'll guarantee you the tickets will sell out for this event no matter what. and co-ed competitions! also, when they're done competing they can go cheer on other teams. win-win.

UPDATE: memorable olympic moments available here.

free: real meat of midori no kaiju

image property of kaiju big battel

the kids at kaiju big battel were kind enough to gift me some meat of midori no kaiju a couple of years ago. in fact, they gave me two chunks. i know you all want a piece of popular culture, so i'm letting go of this precious collector's item to the first reader who emails me. i'll even spring for postage.

description from their website:

Own a piece of the late Midori No Kaiju. Each piece of meat comes with an individually numbered Certificate of Realness indicating the body part type: arm, leg, torso, head, or tail. If you eat Real Meat of Midori No Kaiju will you gain his power? No! But you will gain a stomach ache and a trip to the emergency room. Cube approved!

in case you've never been to a big battel, the next match is in hollywood, california on september 8th. tickets are on sale now. photos from a past event are available here.

a backyard hobby gone awry? it's east meets west in monster costumes! kaiju wrestlers give mad entertainment bang for the buck. pure chaos and belly-busting hilarity guaranteed. wwf is so last century. maybe someday soon we'll be able to watch a kaiju match from the comfort of our living rooms (i hope)!

UPDATE: reader steve k. is the winner of the midori no kaiju giveaway!

Gamers Night Groove (08/26/04)

Zoltron ATM art show (08/21/04)

THE ATM ART SHOW
This is NOT your typical wine + cheese art opening!
50 emerging artists from San Francisco will be making art LIVE in an amazing 14,000 square foot space that used to be a garage!

EVERYTHING that is being created is available for less than $200 - with ALL the money going directly to the artists! We are even bringing in a mobile ATM for your art shopping convenience...

This is simply a showcase of San Francisco's emerging artistic talent, and a unique opportunity for folks to DIRECTLY support San Francisco's premier emerging artists.

You might recognize some of their names. Others have NEVER shown their work publicly before...

And EVERYTHING is less than $200!

Featured artists include Winston Smith, Kelly Tunstall, Warner Williams, Sandro Tchikovani, NoMe, Josh Feldman, Matt Irving, Anne Faith Nicholls, Sirron Norris, Gennifer Hirano, Ward Moore, Jakob Bokulich, Apex, Vic Chapa, Seth Minkin, Isaac McKay-Randozzi, Brad Isdrab, Ryan Stubbs, Preston Thomas, Timothy Rose, Ray Torres, Weston Thomson, David Troyer Sutherland, Grime, Teresa Moore, John Sheridan, Jake Hout, sfaustina, PUSH, Sarah Schumm, Karissa, Norm, Jennifer Wanderer, Steven Barich, Robert Allison, Ann Simms, Jennifer Hagen, Davin Skonberg, Melina Raissnia, Emet Sosna, Max Carlson, Reuben Raffael, Scatha G. Allison, Jennifer Delilah, Olivia Park, Max Carlson, SEVER, Mari Naomi, Chris Oatey, Amanda Lynn, Eric Helsley, Lucien Shapiro, Ta Sin Sabir, Jenny Pfeiffer, The Culprit Research Project, Sasha Harris-Cronin, Hang Nguyen, Erin Ashford, Ciaran Doyle, Alexis Mackenzie, Casondra Sobieralski, Gabrielle Wolodarski, Erica Schuck, Erik Siador, and Heather Luque.

Plus the Gestalt Collective painting a giant mural LIVE!

Along with a special booth from our friends at Last Gasp Press, who have been supporting local emerging artists for DECADES!

The ATM ART SHOW is open from 6 pm until midnight...

x-ecutioners free concert (08/19/04)

save the mammae.

everybody loves boobies. so here's something you can do to help save them:

World's Largest Pink Ribbon

The pink ribbon means something different for everyone. For one it might be a memory of one lost to breast cancer. For another it might be a symbol of what the future could bring. For yet another, it could mean survival. No matter what it represents to each individual, it brings hope to the thousands of people who are affected by breast cancer every year. If you're one of these people, join Post-it® Brand in creating the World's Largest Pink Ribbon and "sticking up" for the cause that touches so many lives.

How and when will the ribbon be constructed?

The World's Largest Pink Ribbon will stand over 70 feet tall and consist of over 75,000 pink Post-it® Super Sticky Notes. By entering your name, city and state on the website, you will not only be supporting City of Hope through the 3M contributions noted below, but also be represented by one of the more than 75,000 Post-it® Super Sticky Notes making up the World's Largest Pink Ribbon.

This giant ribbon will be unveiled in New York's Times Square during the first week of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 2004.

Charlie Parker Jazz Festival 2004 (08/21/04 - 08/22/04)

Charlie Parker Jazz Festival 2004

IN ITS 12th YEAR!:

Saturday, August 21, 2004
Marcus Garvey Park

Jimmy Heath
Donald Harrison
Vanessa Rubin
Rachel Z

Sunday, August 22, 2004
Tompkins Square Park

Jimmy Heath
Frank Morgan
Kenny Garrett
Teri Lynne Carrington

Showtime on both days: 3 to 7pm

The achievements of Charlie Parker and his contemporaries in transforming swing and forging the post-World War II modern jazz idiom of bop are often under-exposed today. The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival encourages appreciation of this seminal American artist through a lineup of some of the biggest names in jazz today, right in the neighborhoods close to where Parker lived and worked.

City Parks Foundation is proud to present The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival under its auspices since 2003.

http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/index1.aspx?BD=17003
http://www.cmgww.com/music/parker/home.html

free concert: guided by voices (08/19/04)

Guided By Voices w/ Ambulance Ltd.

Somewhere between the British Invasion and prog rock, Guided By Voices are taking leave of your senses. ‘Half Smiles Of The Decomposed’, to be released August 24 will be the final album from these lo-fi indie rock giants, one of the most acclaimed independent rock bands of all time.

Thur 8.19 (7pm)
Pier 54 (W 14th St at West Side Highway)
FREE

http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/events/pop/RRPop.htmhttp://www.gbv.com
http://www.ambulancenyc.com

you've got something on the side of your blog.

hey friends. when you experience a blog for the first time, don't you immediately look for an about me link? i do. i want to know who's writing what. it's difficult to describe yourself and sound cool, clever and fun but with the recent success of various virtual communities, this task is getting easier. even if the about me section is full of cryptic information, it gives me a sense of the author(s).

amazon wish lists are great for getting a feel for a person. what kind of music do you like? what books do you want to read? what gadgets are you filling your home up with? do you desire a little or a lot? were you an early adopter (lists dating back to the late 90s)? link lists? oh, a goldmine of interests! who do you roll with online or in real time? what causes do you support? whose blogs do you champion?

this entry is a gentle reminder to please take a minute to click on the links, photo albums and lists i've curated for your pleasure. you can find them to the right of this post. they've been hanging around since i started this blog. check them out and find joy in something i enjoy.

be reel.

geeks. cool kids. fans of film. listen up. resfest, the digital film festival for everybody who gives a damn is currently on tour. in short, resfest is a showcase of new media including film, music, art, design and technology. a launch pad for new artists and center stage for those we're interested in (last year's event included appearances by michel gondry and spike jonze), it's not to be missed.

resfest is in new york from september 9 - 12 so block out your calendar now! trust me, you'll want to purchase the respass, a badge that will allow you to pull a wayne and garth at all the events. it'll guarantee you admission to the hottest sessions and well, with the pass you won't have to be a sucker and wait in line with the masses.

check out resfest's website for dates and announcements. check out this blog for updates. last year's round up is available here. well, what are you waiting for? hop to it. thank me later.

kung fury (08/23/04)

shorty's birthday. so happy together.

photos by randy

i celebrated my 32nd birthday last night. friends turned up in costume. shaving cream substituted for party streamers. heavy rain provided much joy for those who decided to poke at the pockets of water that had pooled on our tarp. an absinthe show down started the beginning of the end. sera easily proved she could out drink the boys. omar and i switched costumes. gamers were found tucked away upstairs playing halo and fight night. don milvio unsuccessfully tried to get omar to sit in my hot shorts without his boxers and my running tights, collecting money from everyone who wanted to see the spectacle. djs took turns on the decks. peeps shooked their booty. friends grabbed for party favors walking away with portable ashtrays, watches, baseball caps and clocks (things i had not brought to the salvation army yet). we made an important announcement (to be shared later) to important people in our lives. sona and marz, words cannot thank you properly for all that you did to make last night, so best. everyone who came, gracias for the company and cadeaux. i love you.

marz documented the ruckus. enjoy.

shout outs to mates with august birthdays (in birth order): tammy, sharon, gina, milind, judy, maura, anna, chi ti, saima, lara, ekoh, dad, adam, lori, and bambi. glad you were born.

cornerstone player 5 year anniversary (08/16/04)

will joystick for television.

good morning america called. they want an interview. the piece is about the trend that more and more women are partaking in videogames. their staff researchers have recently discovered that women are more hard wired than men. hence, the sudden interest. i am hesitant to jump on the bandwagon. i know what my face looks like when i'm playing soul calibur 2. industry friends say i should do it. some respond with, that's national television! so what? man, i'm waiting for my 60 minutes story. and that's not going to happen for another 30 years. however, my interest is piqued. anyway, i'm not going to believe it until taping wraps. we've already had to reschedule once. if film rolls, i'll post the air date.

on a side note, the producer asked me for a few leads on local female gamers. every girl friend i could dig up is asian. what's that all about? so i sent some IMs out to friends today asking for haolies (and non asians) who played games. surprisingly my international collection of friends responded with, i don't know any. or i have a friend...and i would ask if she was asian and they would say yes. humph. robin, lulu and kat, i wish you were local.

State of Emergency: Unconventional Readings (08/04/04)

State of Emergency: Unconventional Readings

featuring Laurie Anderson, Paul Auster, Russell Banks, Don DeLillo, Jonathan Safran Foer, Barbara Goldsmith, A.M. Homes, Margo Jefferson, Edward P. Jones, Walter Dean Myers, Salman Rushdie, Monique Truong, and others to be announced.

Wednesday, August 4th at 7:00 pm (doors at 6:30)
The Great Hall, Cooper Union: 7 East 7th Street at Third Avenue

FREE ADMISSION

for more information, call PEN at 212 334 1660 x 107 or email andrea@pen.org

cosponsored by the Cooper Union Office for Continuing Education and Public Programs

Counter Culture (08/07/04)

Join us for a free walking tour of COUNTER CULTURE

When: Saturday, August 7, 2004
2-3:30PM

Where: 235 Bowery

Daupo of Flux Factory and curator Melanie Cohn will lead the next exhibition walking tour on Saturday, August 7, from 2-3:30PM. Please meet at 235 Bowery.

The collective known as Flux Factory presents Secret Spaces (2004), an installation in an area of Bowery Martial Arts (246 Bowery) not usually accessible to customers. A password, which is included on the walking tour map and MP3 and at the store itself, allows visitors to access to a hidden, alternate realm. Each Flux Factory member has left something to be discovered by visitors once inside the secret space, including various missions that visitors can read about and, if desired, perform. Missions range from the silly to the sublime, from clandestine deeds requiring the greatest stealth and cunning to truly trivial fun. Some missions relate to the historical topography or psycho-geography of the neighborhood, while on others, visitors are sent shopping.

This Saturday Flux Factory will offer a special mission to all tour attendees. Each individual on the tour will receive a little bag at the beginning. As the tour progresses, Fluxers will mysteriously appear, drop clues into each bag, and then disappear. At the conclusion of the tour, Flux Factory will have a delightful surprise for all spies who choose to undertake the mission contained in the bags.

About Counter Culture
A seek-and-ye-shall-find exhibition for the adventurer in all art lovers, Counter Culture partners contemporary artists with shopkeepers near our future home on the Bowery. Through site-specific installations by six New York based artists, visitors will be taken on a journey to examine the zones of exchange and cultural diversity surrounding this unique neighborhood. A self-guided walking tour will take people on a path to the "interventions" installed throughout the bodegas, kitchen and restaurant supply stores, Noho boutiques and other local businesses that make up this historical area of Manhattan.

Participating artists include Flux Factory, Ricardo Miranda Zuñiga, Jean Shin, Julianne Swartz, Marion Wilson, and Raul Vincent Enriquez, who have created a narrative-based walking tour for the exhibition that is available as a downloadable MP3 on the New Museum’s website. A special brochure with map has also been created for the exhibition. Counter Culture is organized by Melanie Cohn.

A series of guided tours offer a personal look at the exhibition while allowing visitors to familiarize themselves with the new neighborhood of the New Museum. Each tour is led by the exhibition curator and one of the participating artists. Over 100 people were in attendance at the first two tours!

New Museum of Contemporary Art
Administrative Offices
210 11th Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10001
(212) 219-1222