Work in progress: painting suitcases for his new show in Berlin.
The “Beautiful Loser” Aaron Rose is in town. One more great artist rooted in skateboard culture who has a show in Berlin this late summer. After Michael Leon at Pool Gallery last week we can also look forward to the work of Ed Templeton at Civilist store by the end of September. Tomorrow, Thursday 09.09.2010 will be the opening of Aaron Rose’s show “Trouble”, that guy who is partly responsible for pushing me back on the skateboard and get serious with it again. He might not know this, maybe I should take the chance to tell him … I’ve been enlightened by his “Beautiful Losers” exhibition he curated at Circleculture back in 2004 and it hit me! The same place where his new show is at.
Aaron Rose
Trouble
Circleculture Gallery, Gipsstr. 11, Berlin
09.09 – 25.09.2010
Opening, 09.09.2010, 19 h
Circleculture Gallery, Berlin presents “Trouble”, new works by Aaron Rose, which give very personal and direct insights into the artist’s mind. Aaron Rose is perhaps best known as a curator. With his touring show Beautiful Losers and the documentary of the same name, he brought underground artists to public attention, championing a DIY aesthetic informed by their various backgrounds as skaters, punk rock fans and graffiti writers.
For this show he has a particular obsession: painting on suitcases. “Suitcases from the 50s to 70s were manufactured in such interesting color palettes – these incredible mustard yellows and army greens,” he says. Rose calls the works (some of which are stuffed with surprise goodies for buyers to walk away with) “object paintings,” displaying them in the spirit of Duchamp. Art historical references aside, the show’s conceptual slant is psychological, personal even. “It’s my baggage,” says Rose. “The exhibition is going to be very much a confession, what all my problems are.”
Yesterday I met the nice guys Michael Leon and Scott A. Sant’ Angelo from Arkitip for a short chat. Michael is preparing his solo exhibition right now at pool gallery and it got me even more exciting about what to see on Thursday, Sept. 2nd. If you have never heard of Arkitip before, it’s that “traveling exhibition from LA that you can take home”, a high class fanzine. Each issue features an artist or collaborations, who are creating site specific work for the magazine. Michael Leon was already featured with issue No. 0027, learn about all Arkitip issues and have a look at the variety of artists.
Please check back on the weekend for a bunch of pictures of the opening and the artworks, plus a few words by the artist himself! Head over to pool gallery in Berlin for the opening:
Michael Leon, Vexhall
Curated by Arkitip (… get a glimpse right here)
2 September – 1 October 2010
Opening reception 2 September 2010
19:00 – 22:00
Pool Gallery
Tucholskystrasse 38
10117 Berlin, Germany
What? Already a new issue of Berlin’s famous Graffiti and art (that’s not supposed to hang in galleries) exhibition? On Friday, August 27th was the opening of Backjumps 4.2 — Junior Issue, an exhibition for kids and those who remained kids. First thoughts and some pictures from Backjumps 4.2 …
Since the first Backjumps in 2001, I haven’t missed any of the exhibitions that all have been going down at Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Berlin. Definitely one of the most progressive, special and notable art events of this city.
The Junior issue shows works by artists that all share their roots more or less in graffiti: Mode2, Skki, Poet, Delta or Martha Cooper … Every contribution should be for both, kids and adults, but with the known aesthetics as always, in the way how the artists would usually work, not only suited for kids. The artists are dealing with their experiences of handling of space and visual oversupply and transport them to the exhibition space and adapt them for children’s eyes. Read more …
Still from the video "Light, Shape, Color", directed by Matt Irving
SKATE&CREATE is initiated by the known TRANSWORLD Skateboarding Magazine where they give four skate teams a couple of days to create a video and a feature article for the mag with photos. This year the teams had been Adidas, Fallen, Lakai and etnies, all of them are shoe companies. Each team has the same rules and opportunities to get it done the best way, the winner gets the cover shot of the magazine and will be one of the next four competitors in 2011.
All results are great, totally different approaches, a high level of skating, directing and filming. But I have to pick one video as my favourite (picture shown above), Adidas — Light, Shape, Color directed by Matt Irving. This guy is an awesome designer and artist, in my category of favourite artists together with people like Geoff McFetridge or Michael Leon. Matt Irving runs Delphi Collective and is art director at Element Skateboards. His recognizable graphic elements create that special setting, simple forms, playing with perspectives and shapes. Great skating in there by the Adidas team: Benny Fairfax, Nestor Judkins, Dennis Busenitz, Lem Villemin (from Germany), Jake Donnelly and the mighty Mark Gonzales.
It is not possible to embed the video, so watch it right here: Light, Shape, Color Read more …
Champfest Mag, Issue One / The God Bless Cut & Paste Issue
On my short trip to Frankfurt last week I went to see the highly acclaimed Dieter Rams retrospective “Less And More” and met my long-time friend Thomas for some beers and an extraordinarily good Schnitzel at Restaurant Mosebach. Awesome! During the sunny walk through the city earlier that day I stopped by the nice Azita store. As their rags would have hurt my pocket money really bad, I decided to spend the rest of my bucks on magazines from their small selection. Next to the really well done and very personal Aortica Magazine, an alternative city guide and their first issue features the hometown of the makers: Frankfurt (check the feature on magculture). I picked the new mono.kultur #24 featuring French artist Cyprien Gaillard. The issue is simply incredible, as always. But more on this in a few days.
That was actually the discovery of the day: Champfest Mag, by the sisters Joanna and Monique Kawecki, based in Melbourne and London. A great designed magazine with the charm of a fanzine, printed on matt paper in about A5 format, with some great features. Read more …
Michael Leon will be in town. Berlin. September 2010. Truly one of my favourite artists and graphic designers coming from the skateboard culture, I follow his work since I first found out about the smart skateboard brand from the US west coast: — Stacks — and saw the short documentation “Free and Easy” (2003), directed by John Trippe who also runs the inspiring Fecal Face website/magazine.
Actually I could know his stuff since the early 90s as I was riding New Deal skateboard decks back then. But of course I had no idea about him until his biography revealed to me that he did graphics for this company. Michael Leon has worked for a range of clients, all more or less connected to the skatboard industry, Fourstar Clothing, Girl Skateboards, Stussy, DC, Arkitip, Nike SB and he co-created Commonwealth Stacks and Rasa Libre. His art has been shown in galleries around the globe.
Keep your ears and eyes open, there will be more about him on JB. after the opening of his first solo show in Germany, which is presented by Arkitip.
Simple and plain, here are some infos by our favourite pool gallery, Berlin:
Michael Leon
Vexhall
Curated by Arkitip
Vernissage: 2 September, 2010
Exhibition: 3 September – 1 October, 2010
pool gallery is proud to present american artist and designer Michael Leon‘s first solo show in Germany. The title for the exhibition “Vexhall“ originates with the term vexillology (lat. vexillum flag and suffix -logy “study of“).
Since his childhood Leon has been fascinated by flags. The United Nations, Olympics, World’s Fair and other idealized visions of world community has always inspired his artwork and design.
Vexhall is composed of pieces that draw literally from flag design, mixed with Leon‘s own design sensibility and personal history. By going back and forth between reverence and irreverence for vexilology, Leon has created flags for real and imagined countries, events, friends, emotions, ex-girlfriends, and everything in between. Some using the strict guidelines of flag design, next to others that may have been scribbled on a napkin or inspired by a dream. In doing so, this Vexhall (Hall of Flags) is Leon‘s own personal and nostalgic United Nations.
Valerie "Valle" Rosomako in The Journey to The Center of The Earth
You don’t have to be a obsessed with skateboards to like skate flics, they are thrilling and highly entertaining. But not all of them are pleasing as much as the movies by filmer and photographer Jonathan Peters, who is currently living and working in Berlin. It was his work that I got excited about two years ago and made my skateboarder heart bounce real high: Objectif Lune. Great filming, anything else than loudmouthed, passion for the detail and revealing personality both of the creator and the protagonists: some of the most progressive skaters of Berlin. Pure skateboarding and a special Berlin story starring the locals Carsten Beneker, Maxim Rosenbauer, Lenny Burmeister and the unbelievable Valerie Rosomako!
His newest project The Journey to The Center of The Earth has been screening last June. I stumbled upon the idea again, featuring this film on JB. as I met my friend Barnes last week for a short skate session. He said it is highly recommended, as Objectif Lune already has been. Until now I have only seen the trailers but I will investigate and hopefully meet up with Jonathan and write some more about him and the background of his new skate movie.
Until then check the unmissable Objectif Lune in full length here:
September
25.09. @ Crackers, Berlin. John Osborn b2b Jenne Grabowski
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19.10. @ Cookies, Berlin. with Keith Worthy, John Osborn, Jenne Grabowski
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@ Horst Krzbrg, Berlin. tbc
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Futura @ about blank … has been postponed. New date soon.
Jenne Grabowski + René Loewe (Vainqueur)
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