Appreciation: Seatbelt Fashion

"Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill, the design duo behind the Canadian fashion label Greta Constantine, revel in using textiles that Pickersgill describes as “foreign yet functional.” But although they enjoy the challenge of taking materials out of their original context, cleaving seat belts to the female form wasn’t too much of a mental leap."








-Rodney

Daily Obsession: Kirk Franklin missed the mark...

"In 1965 James brown and his band released a series of earthshaking singles beginning with the syncopated rumble of " I Got You ( I feel good)" that turned soul music on it's ear with their minimal arrangements and relentless grooves. Aspiring soul bands across the country sought out to imitate Brown's intoxicating new sound resulting in a renaissance of rough-shod, independently produced music. Numero Records assembled compilation, Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymanal proves the irresistable rhythms of James Brown's funk worked their way into some of the finest gospel music of the the late 60's and early 70's. This album is truly a treasure of forgotten gems, and shoud be of interest to anyone who seeks to understand the far reaching influence of James Brown and his band."

I present to you Trevor Dandy...


And now I present my new favorite influence of this beat...
Monsters of Folk...Oh wow.


And now one you may all know... That Kid on the Moon...


This is what I think Kirk was after as far as the current contemporary sound influencing his gospel. I never really liked Kirk. Or gospel for that matter...But had I been living in the 60's, I would have been a Jesus groupie with funk like this.

-Rodney

I dig: Marc LaGrange

My close buddy Nooch put me on to this guy. I am really digging his eye. These are just a few of my favs.








And of course, I see a photo everday being taken on the Robert Indiana sculpture here in NY. But I am sure they don't even come close to this...



See more (here)

-Rodney

One man's junk is another man's art...Gabriel Dishaw

Think you have the bombest sneakers around? Next to these sneakers by junk-metal artist Gabriel Dishaw, your crazy, neon high-tops don’t even compare. Dishaw creates detailed shoe replicas out of metal and electronic scraps, using only glue and bending techniques to hold them together. So far, he’s created five shoe sculptures inspired by some of his favorite kicks, and although you probably wouldn’t want to wear them, they’re the ultimate statement shoe.







Dishaw's collection is made entirely out of recycled metal, bits of wire, staples, Intel computer chips, and even old typewriters. He even goes so far as to even make each shoe—which comes with a coordinating shoebox—a perfect size 9.5. Weighing in at anywhere from 5 to 20 pounds, these heavy-metal sneaks certainly weren't designed for comfort, but their eco-factor is high.

“I begin each sculpture with an idea of how can I take these found pieces of useless metal and insignificant objects and create something that everyone can understand and relate to,” Dishaw says. “I find myself looking at ordinary mechanical items to see how I could turn that something, into something else not originally intended for that use.”

See more of his work (here)

-Rodney

I Suggest: Sexy Beast Vol. 5

This mix is damn near immaculate. I really suggest 1 download and a 1000 listens. Some of my favorite jams from this past summer are on this one. Get it (here)

Download the previous volumes (here). These are outstanding as well. Did I mention the great cover art?


-Rodney

I dig: Sam Weber

This guy Sam Weber is killing me with this emotional work.








More here

-Rodney

Paul McCarthy Exhibition

Excerpt from the show write-up:

"WHITE SNOW at Hauser & Wirth New York will be comprised of two sets of drawings made by the artist since late 2008. The first is a selection of diminutive black and white pencil works as detailed, atmospheric and unapologetically lovely as Old Master drawings. Here, McCarthy develops his characters – the young Snow White masturbating in a solitary romantic reverie, various phallic-nosed dwarfs in a dither at the arrival of the beautiful stranger in their midst – as players in a sly yet poignant coming-of-age narrative packing a metaphorical wallop. The images touch upon myriad dark associations invited by the Snow White tale while simultaneously suggesting a love story with profound personal resonance for the artist."

4 November – 24 December 2009, Hauser & Wirth New York

(Location)

Check out some this piece...



"Santa Claus with a Buttplug" (2007), a 24 meter high inflatable work by Paul McCarthy displayed at a public park in Antwerp, Belgium, October 2007


-Rodney