eyeone | seeking heaven

I think something must be wrong with the Googles. To quote the homie Adam: "Whha, Whaaaatt!!!"

The homie Patrick Martinez is releasing a limited-edition neon piece on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at Noon PST. It will be available exclusively at knowngallerystore.com.

Slayer shirts are back at slayla.com

Slanted Magazine No.14
Grotesque 2 : Summer 2011
Published by MAGMA Brand Design
slanted.de

I recently received a nice package from Slanted in the post. Slanted is a super fresh design and typography publication published by MAGMA Brand Design out of Germany. The current issue focuses on grotesque typefaces and features their implementation and history.

Of special note is a razor sharp photographic essay on immigration in Spain as a transit point into Europe by Miguel Hahn and Jan-Christoph Hartung, a type essay featuring book covers designed using grotesque type by Robert Schumann, and an article on Japanese graphic designer Kiyoshi Awazu by the homie Ian Lynam.

A selection of pages from the current issue is viewable online here.

DJ Prolifik Adiktshun just dropped his new mix CD Painted Vinyl. Holler at ib_prolifik [at] yahoo [dot] com for info on how to cop a hard copy, listen to it on Soundcloud, or click the below player, player!


PAINTED VINYL by DJ PROLIFIK ADIKTSHUN by PROLIFIK ADIKTSHUN

Headin' to NYC for an art show associated with the events in this vid... (I think that's all I can say about it at this point. Stay tuned!)

The homie Tanner Goldbeck aka Racecar13 recently released this limited-edition t-shirt for his Cranium Blend line.

Grab one before they're all gone! More info here.

(Last time I was this stoked on a skull shirt graphic was in '88 after coming up (heh heh!) on a button-down Jimmy Z shirt that had some crazy all-over skull motif printed on the back!)

Fuzz & Fur
by Edward & John Harrison
markbattypublisher.com

When I visited Tokyo back in '09, I was way overwhelmed by the incredible abundance of characters of all sorts I encountered just about everywhere I went. I tried to photograph as many of them as I could and posted a selection here. However, I knew very little about the characters, their stories, or their meanings...

Therefore, I was super stoked when I got my hands on Fuzz & Fur, a book about Japan's costumed characters known as kigurumi. The book is a type of catalog/ encyclopedia compiling myriads of Japanese characters and their background stories. Stateside, we are used to seeing these types of creations at theme parks and perhaps schools, but as this book explores, they are widespread and proliferating across Japan. The book showcases costumed characters for everything from buildings and train lines to vegetables and velodromes. Fuzz & Fur is a fun read and a great source of visual inspiration.

From the publisher: "The adoration of mythical creatures and popular anime characters is nothing new in Japan, but kigurumi, roughly translated as “fur suit mascots,” is a growing pastime that is also a marketing tool. An oversized daikon radish, a skiing egg, a bear with an apple for a head, a volcano sticking out its tongue – these furry mascots wander the streets of Japan... Created to promote a prefecture or institution by honoring landmarks, local points of interest, regional produce, historical figures, civic institutions, and traditional folklore, municipalities have taken advantage of their citizens’ willingness to design costumes and dress up as these characters in a strange amalgam of hometown pride and cost-saving measures."

Los Angeles Shave Ice Truck
losangelesshaveice.com

The Los Angeles Shave Ice Truck has been serving up awesome shave ice all over Los Angeles for a hot (cool?) minute. You can follow them on Twitter (@shaveicetruck) to stalk them and score one of the best desserts you've ever tasted. Disclosure: I painted their truck and will post flicks soon. Go!

From their website: "The Los Angeles Shave Ice Truck is here to serve delicious and refreshing Hawaiian style shave ice treats all over the Los Angeles area. Our shave ice is made with fluffy snow, not crunchy snow cone ice. All our syrups are made with real cane sugar and never with high fructose corn syrup. This is a real melt in your mouth, good to the last spoonful dessert. Shave ice is a no guilt treat: vegan, gluten-free, low calorie, lactose free, fat free!"

(Photo by Swank)

Bicycle Bread Company
bicyclebread.com

While painting today, this dude walked by pushing a big ol' cart full of bread. He hit us up about what we were painting, and in turn, we asked him what he was doing. It turned out he worked for the Bicycle Bread Company and was on his way to set up a pop-up bread stand. He kicked down a full loaf of freshly-baked vanilla spice bread, and all in attendance agreed: the bread was bomb! Check 'em out, good stuff!

From their website: "The Bicycle Bread Company was started in 2008 to serve families, faculty and students in the North University Park neighborhood with fresh bread made from fresh ground wheat... We are working hard to perfect [our] family recipes and offer the healthy, fresh foods we grew up with to South LA."

Past Objects
by Scott Jordan | Photography by J.K. Putnam
markbattypublisher.com

A good friend of mine brought me a brick a few months back that he pulled out of a river in Sleepy Hollow, NY. I immediately ascribed a back story to the brick, most of it conjecture, but some of it based on the research and experience of finding it that my friend recounted. Past Objects by Scott Jordan brings to mind that brick.

In this meticulously photographed and annotated volume, the author documents objects found digging around New York City that speak of a past literally buried underground. The objects found are filled with memories of function and importance now gone. Once unearthed, documented, and presented as lavishly as they are in the book, the things found by Jordan demonstrate an aesthetic value that speaks both of times past and the present.

From the press release: "In the space between archaeology and history stand men like Scott Jordan, a New Yorker who has been digging around the city’s soil for the better part of four decades. What began as a childhood hobby searching for treasure evolved into a way of life that has resulted in Jordan haunting building sites throughout the five boroughs, attempting to recover history before it is forever paved over. Using shovels, mesh sieves, canvas rucksacks, ingenuity and an incredible amount of determination, Jordan has amassed a staggering collection of antique bottles, china, toys, shoes and other items that creates a patchwork historical narrative of New York City and its earliest settlers."

More info here.

Cries and Whispers from the Salt Song Trail
by Derek Chan
shopgoldenage.com

Derek Chan's book Cries and Whispers from the Salt Song Trail tells of his journey to Four Corners in the Southwest of the U.S. Along with a handwritten narrative recounting his experiences, Chan's drawings convey a myriad of impressions and emotions encountered on this trek. The stories he captures testify to people's daily lives, their historical struggles, beliefs, and current endeavours.

Chan states: "This book is inspired by a desire to understand the indigenous people of the area, with emphasis on the Hopi Mesas, Navajo Territory, Black Mesa, and Canyon De Chelly... I wanted to see what I could discover about the sacred sites through local and oral histories...For many religions, pilgrimage is an important devotional practice. Travel is a form of meditation."

Excerpt: "Santiago is an M.C. He plays me a song off his cell phone from his Myspace music page. Myspace is one tool Santiago uses to reach out to other youth on the Res. Across the street is the Tuba City Skate Park. Santiago, Jordan, and Gary all hang out here. Santiago tells me he is learning Navajo basket weaving from one of his elders. He tells me this information is passed down generationally."

More info here.

The Ulysses Guide to the L.A. River
By Ulysses L. Zemanova et. al.
uglarbook.com

I'm nearly two years late in reviewing this book, but I've read it so many times that I figured I should post about it here. The Los Angeles River is a playground and a warfield for many forms of life, human and otherwise, and this book presents an in-depth look into this hectic waterway that crosses our entire city.

The first volume of the UGLAR Book concerns itself with two aspects of what the River comprises: biology and art. In the biology section, the struggle of the cycle of life is thoroughly explored with ample documentation of life and death in this biosphere. If you've ever wonder where those red welts across your midsection came from after a visit to the River, the book offers many not-too-appealing possible sources. Surprising and expected species are captured in their natural/artificial environment, a testament to the ambivalent relationship between nature and "civilization."

The art section presents a substantial collection of images of what Dondi would come to call The Battle Above Ground: graffiti. The author(s) also follow the River from beginning to end, catching the art of almost a century that has been plastered and gone over on all available surfaces of the River. From early hobo and cholo writing to 21st century L.A. lettering, the book has it covered. (Props for the excellent coverage of the 2 yard!) Adding to this historical perspective is a great selection of River-themed art by Michael Alvarez, Chaz Bojorquez, Chris Brand, Zes, SinerLTS, Rob Sato, Evan Skrederstu, Steve Martinez, Eric Skotnes, and many more.

From the book's website: "The culture of Los Angeles flows -- both figurative and quite literally -- through its central vein: The River. This book is borne from a fascination and love that precedes the attention that has shifted back to this flow. Fathered by the late Ulysses Zemanova and further nurtured by its co-authors/ editors, The Ulysses Guide to the Los Angeles River (UGLAR) moves beyond the overexposed culture of graffiti and misunderstood world of scientific discovery. UGLAR wishes to bring to light the authors' interest, if only to spawn more within its readers."

Idle Idol: The Japanese Mascot
By Edward & John Harrison
idleidol.net | markbattypublisher.com

I've literally been running to my P.O. Box, day in and day out, waiting with mad anxiety for this book to arrive. I gotta say, it was well worth the wait! Mark Batty Publisher has done it again. In Idle Idol, authors Edward and John Harrison take on the almost impossible task of documenting the myriad of 3-dimensional characters that populate the visual landscape in Japan.

International favorites like Anpanman, Doraemon, Astro Boy, Kamen Rider, and Hello Kitty get equal play along others less known outside of Japan such as Kyuta, Pipo-Kun, Sato-Chan, and Satoko-Chan. Thanks to this book, I now know some of the stories behind many of the characters I've been gawking at (and documenting) since I was a wee lad.

From the book's introduction: "In Japan, characters adorn everything from the sides of trucks to packaging; they appear in posters, signs and are used by police, pharmacies, restaurants and many more businesses and institutions. It's no wonder these mascots are used in the real world to lure customers into shops, promote products and provide a friendly face when communicating to the public."

The Small Stakes
Music Posters by Jason Munn
thesmallstakes.com

I received my copy of The Small Stakes book a few weeks back. I highly recommend you snatch one up for yourself. The book presents a comprehensive selection of Jason Munn's sharp design work for tons of bands you've probably heard of. Below are some of my favorites.