Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 5:00AM A throwback photo by celebrated photographer Jamel Shabazz of gallery director Michelle Joan Papillion. Taken a decade ago this photograph came about when Jamel was shooting an ad for Pro Keds and asked Michelle to be in it.
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 5:00AM LA based curatorial and art production company Artistic Endeavors presents the art work of Los Angeles painter Keenan Chapman. You may remember we were sponsors of Artistic Endeavors annual 5 Art Show last year...
More about Keenan at papillionart.org/upcoming-exhibitions
Peep the video directed by Pablo Balderas of Waxy Collar by Downtown Train who will be performing at the opening.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 5:00AM Finally glad to see the new record is coming soon....we've missed Santi!
If you go to her site than you get a free download of this track by signing up on her mailing list! DO IT.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 5:00AM Katharina is the inspiration behind our upcoming collaborative show Beautiful Los Angeles. P.I.A. teamed up with Be Beauty LA to create this art + lifestyle curatorial experience. We are very excited to be showing Katharina Pretl's work!
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 5:00AM Artist Brett Cook does a mural installation in Harlem honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. – AHIMSA
127th Street and 8th Avenue, Harlem New York, January 2003
(from 2003)
Project Description: Martin Luther King Jr. – AHIMSA is a project to educate us all about Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and inspire us to be better. Images of Dr. King wrongfully arrested and manhandled, struck on the right temple with a rock, stabbed with a seven-inch letter opener in the chest, and lying on the Hotel balcony after being shot are juxtaposed to quotations he made against racism, materialism, militarism, and violence. The juxtaposition of these violent episodes with his words of peace evidence the extraordinary commitment Dr. King had to non-violence, providing an impetus for us who live in this time of violence.
Ultimately this project is an effort to highlight philosophies that magnify peace in the world. In spite of a global movement towards war, this project highlights reasoning for living in peace. In spite of media control that restricts what information can be transmitted, this project is a non-permissional action to expand information available to the mainstream. And in spite of the trivialization of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and holiday in America, this project immortalizes an African American who was a hero for all of humanity.
“I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
From “Beyond Vietnam,” Address
Riverside Church, April 4, 1967, New York City
“Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit.
You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.”
Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 5:00AM Discovered Photographer Hal on DDO here's the background on the Fresh Love series...
Photographer Hal based out of Tokyo.
"When you embrace your lover, sometimes you wish to melt right into them. To realize this wish, I've been photographing couples in small, or even cramped spaces like motels and bathtubs. As my work has become more and more intense, I've noticed that communication is indispensable. This time, I reached the point of photographing couples in vacuum-sealed packs, in a set that I 've constructed in my own kitchen. The lights are in the ceiling, so I just lip one switch and have everything ready. I have a few different colored paper backgrounds, which I can leave rolled up in the corner. until there's none left. This gives me 10 seconds to take the shot. In this extremely limited time I can't release the shutter more than twice."
Introduction
Bathtubs, couples, love and challenge are strong themes throughout this artist’s work with other key elements including individuality, style, communication and intimacy.
Photographer Hal brings complete strangers to his confined, crucible like spaces only to convey his continuing theme of ‘love of the couple’. The initial title Pinky & Killer used a small space or room to capture the willing couples, soon followed by the title Couple Jam which brought the focus even closer to the subjects who were placed in a bathtub together. “I am currently seeking new dimensions in portrait photography by challenging the majestic theme of mankind, defined through love.” Photographer Hal’s latest project is called Fresh Love, which captures the many varied and fresh couples in vacuum sealed package.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 5:00AM One of our favorite artists out of the contemporary South African art scene, Kudzanai Chiurai presents The State of the Nation peep that recap video below...we see another favorite in there BLK JKS!
More about him and the exhibit at the Goodman Gallery
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 5:00AM Met Otto Neals nearly a decade ago at a solo exhibit he had in Chelsea NY, NY. I was fortunate to see some of the art in this video in person and it is amazingly beautiful.
Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 5:00AM We have been fans of photographer Ayana V. Jackson for the last decade...last September Curator Ingrid LaFleur came to our opening of AVANT LA and updated us on what the photographer had been up to, most recently Projection Surface in Johannesburg, SA a project her and Jackson had up last fall.
Hei Ta, 2007
Looking Glass, 2007
Friday, January 6, 2012 at 5:00AM When we first opened we had a Conscious Wellness POP SHOP that we ran...we no longer do the POP SHOP in the capacity that we once did but we do want to get back to promoting some of those values. We already blog about good art, good music and good film which all contribute to a good life so we're going to incorporate good food to balance it out.
PS were in LA and to us this is the home of the original foodie!
Up first is the super amazing Bernando LaPallo he is 110 years of age and a vegetarian food chef who trained in culinary arts at The Sorbonne in Paris graduating in 1928. We once heard this published author say in an interview he remembers when the airplane, tv and telephone were invented...and now he maintains a website, facebook and blog that he posts to regularly...talk about an evolution.
He sometimes does these instructional videos about his favorite dishes and we couldn't wait to try the Barley Soup after seeing it.
Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 5:00AM Robert Glasper and KING team up to share this lovely thing for your ears and heart. If you visit Robert's website and sign his mailing list you'll get a free download of this song.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 5:00AM Toronto photographer Jalani Morgan relesead his downloadable book this week. Download it here.
Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 5:00AM Brooklyn photographer HUMAN sent us this postcard in the mail with a brillant note on the back. We love it! Thank you...
Friday, December 30, 2011 at 5:00AM L O V E
Whats there not to love about a man who makes art like this and wears t-shirts like that!
Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 5:00AM Throw back of a series of short art documentaires gallery director Michelle Joan Papillion directed for an exhibition at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles presented by will.i.am titled Who Killed The Music
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 5:00AM Eric Berry getting the photos together for CUBA: Life After the Revolution
Opens January 12, 2012 at 7pm, See you there! Click for FB invite
Saturday, December 24, 2011 at 5:00AM Last year producers Brown Paper Dolls asked if they could make P.I.A. apart of Milk + Honey, we gladly accepted. The show is executive produced by BPD along with Idris Elba. They have kicked off there fundraising campaign and could use the support, visit the new funding page NOW indiegogo.com/milkandhoneyseries and watch the trailer below, you will find us in one of the scenes!
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 5:00AM Artist and designer Hugo McCloud has some very impressive skills. His creations are made from tangible items mostly consisting of natural elements...metal, rust, earth etc. We once heard him say,
"I just love the contrast between the refined and the unrefined of materials. and my real focus in design, no matter what it is is to find beauty in the things overlooked. i believe real beauty is in the imperfections."
