Molly Donahue, formerly of the band Love Story, recorded her first solo album this year, entitled Metal Alvin, which is due out at the end of this month. In addition to this, Molly also has a photo blog where she records her life separated into different segments- namely, “eats,”(food) “out of doors,”(nature) “animalia,”(animal friends) “noir”(spooky landscapes) and “people and places.” Friend, fan, and fellow flower girl, Frances Tulk-Hart, sat down with Molly to discuss the inspiration behind her new project.

Frances Tulk-Hart: Hey Molls, I had so much fun shooting you for your new up and coming album, Metal Alvin. Can you tell us a bit about it starting with the rather obscure name? Where did Metal Alvin come from?

Molly Donahue: I had a blast shooting, too. Metal Alvin just sort of came out of nowhere one night, hanging out with Renn and Jason (Love Story band members) and leaving obscure comments on websites. I guess you could say I used it as a ghost name and it just sort of stuck. I like the way it looks on paper and think it rolls off the tongue nicely. People will hate it or not understand it and that’s okay. Such is life.

Frances: What was the inspiration behind the album?

Molly: I’m at a place right now where I’m really missing the woods and open land and the quiet, and i think that is pretty evident in the songs. Oh, and birds. They make quite a few appearances throughout the album…

Frances: This is your third album, but your first solo album. How was it working on your own as opposed to collabing with  your old band “the love story”?

Molly: The Love Story was pretty magical. We fed off of one another easily and songs just formed out of thin air, no composing required. That’s a pretty special thing and made it really easy to be in a band. It helps that they are two of my dearest friends. But I started out as an extremely shy musician. Still am, actually. My dad was my only audience until I began sending Renn Cassettes via snail mail. This album has been a long time coming. It’s very quiet in comparison to The Love Story, which is on purpose.

Frances: You are also a rad DJ. Which band or singers do you think you have a similar sound to? And where do you play?

Molly: Hmm… Vocal-wise I’ve been compared to everyone from Dolores O’Riordan to Siouxsie. They’re both huge compliments but I don’t hear it at all. I just hear myself. It’s hard to separate yourself from your own voice. And Metal Alvin live? We shall see. I have mind-buckling stage fright.

Frances: If you could have any pop star, dead or alive, over to your house for a dinner party, who would it be?

Molly: Oh man, Kurt Cobain. I was 14 when Nevermind came out. That’s a shape-shifting age. How about I go with the less cliché answer and say Liz Phair. Exile in Guyville is a perfect album, start to finish. Her lyrics are brilliant. and she inspired me to learn to play the guitar.

Frances: If the race for the presidency ended up being between Sarah Palin and Kim Kardashian, who would you vote for?

Molly: Ha! Wow. That’s a nightmare in the making. Politics are so depressing. If I have to choose I say Kim Kardashian. I’d rather the earth be plastered in makeup than covered in an oil slick, though I guess they are essentualy the same thing. Humans can be such monsters!

Frances: And finally, what was your New Year’s resolution? Did you figured one out?

Molly: Just to live long and prosper. Is that a Star Trek quote?

You can buy a CD, download an MP3, or buy a cassette by clicking here (yes, you read right. You can still buy a cassette).
Photos by Frances Tulk-Hart

“Everything should be beautiful, if you can just start from there.”- AJR

Meet A. Jason Ross, the designer and master craftsman behind a stunning collection of accessories for men and women rapidly advancing into the realm of ‘must have’.  In truth, Ross already has a cult following of fashionistas as well as those who love to indulge in quiet luxury – his designs are absent of, so-called, ‘neon-sign’ labels.

Ross’s design studio is housed in the former Monarch Luggage factory in Red Hook, Brooklyn.  It’s a fitting home for the designer who crafts leather accessories under the name Artemas Quibble and the Creatures of Mme. Du Barry. Upon entering, you know that you are in an artisan’s lair. A visitor is immediately greeted with the sweet smell of leather and the various rhythms of cutting, sanding, hammering, pounding, forging, casting, soldering and buffing, this as artists are busy at work.  Hand-crafted tools, designed by Ross (he has 27 hammers), share wall space with leather swatches, thick, antique leather remnants, deconstructed keys and crops from other metal artifacts. Ross, with the help of lighting designer Robert Ogden collects a lot of antique materials. Huge windows usher in natural light – showcasing the beauty of the rough-hewn wood floors and the artful chaos of the studio’s walls.

The day I caught up with Ross, he was preoccupied with a new collaboration forged with Donna Karan – a stunning collection of belts for Karan’s ‘Casual Luxe’ line. Of course, that’s not all that’s keeping Ross busy these days. He pedals his wares at Urban Zen. There’s a venture with ABC and handbags for Henry Beguelin. He has also developed a bespoke service with Barney’s called the ‘Watch Transformation Project.’  This is not your father’s watchband, nor is it you your mother’s.  It’s a bold, innovative design embellished with an antique metal over-leather hinge, with a short or long, sinewy strap with or without a buckle. The leather’s rich patina lends a sublime elegance to the band.  Says Ross, “The watch mechanism is a very beautiful thing and I love the idea of having the raw, rougher antique metal work next to say a 19^th, 20^th or 21^st century watch.” A WTP band is a final flourish of one’s dress that uniquely presents a vibe that is both rugged and refined.

It’s a curious mix that is representative of Ross himself. Ross is a history and archeology-buff or “geek” depending on how you look at it. It’s that respect for the past that clearly informs his design sensibility. “My daily read is Archeology.org, Arts and Letters Daily and I also read the latest Discovery and that usually leads me to some kind of interesting website which might lead me in a new direction in my work,” he says adding, “I can look to any ancient period to find inspiration.” Ross admits that as a kid he was eager to dig up dinosaur bones in the yard of his family’s home, alas it never happened. During summer camp in Maine however, he recalls digging up old bottles and fragments of old bottles on the site of a former hospital. “I remember that as being tremendously exciting,” he says adding, “I like, with my work, to have history.”

Ross, who is also a guest lecturer at the Parsons School of Design, describes himself as an ‘abstract perfectionist’. When you look at his work, to the untrained eye, it looks like an accident when in fact there are blueprints, laws, rules and ‘illustrated tales’ that describe everything. “When you work with primitive tools which is part of the process of my work and part of what informs it, you have to have laws that govern the construction of the piece because there’s a certain randomness that happens,” according to Ross. He also gives credit to his girlfriend Natasha Chekoudjian, “She is a muse to me and is really amazing at sourcing ancient references.”

A Philadelphia transplant, Ross has been in Manhattan about a year and a half. The decision to make the move from Philly to Gotham was simple: he had a growing list of clients and business contacts in the City and wanted to be more accessible to them. “The reality is, there was not a store in Philadelphia selling my work,” according to Ross. He grew up on Philadelphia’s Main Line in a home appointed with French antiques, “a lot of gilt bronze,” he says. His mother, the late Caren Ross, in the 70’s, created a line of accessories including belts made of bullets under the label Bang Bang. His father Milton Ross was an inventor and manufacturer with an appreciation for Savile Row suits and Mr. Fish shirts. Ross, the younger, was educated at the elite Haverford School before attending Boston University.

He says he never thought he’d be making accessories. He started off making boxes constructed of reclaimed wood, lined with antique papers from engineering drawings. He then began making furniture. Ross developed an interest in accessories after becoming fascinated by leather machinery belting he saw at a wood-worker’s shop he was renting space in. Eventually, he began incorporating leather into his woodworking. At some point, he was asked to make a bracelet for a friend, Doub Hanshaw, who wore it to work. The buyers she worked with became interested in the bracelet and that ultimately translated into an order from Free People.

The label name, Artemas Quibble and Creatures of Mme du Barry, was initially a character to hide behind, as Ross didn’t see himself as an accessory designer – it was so distant from his woodworking. Nor did he see himself in the world of fashion because he was partly intimidated by it. In any case, Artemas Quibble, borrowed from the Arthur Cheney Train novel, had a quirky, enigmatic appeal. The Creatures of Madame du Barry has its roots in a guide to France from the late 1900’s. The curiously charming collision of the two names to create a label for his brand is also partly Ross railing against the machine. The ‘machine’ that, in a world of texts and tweets, compels ppl 2 shrtn evrythng.

With keen attention to detail a hallmark of who Ross is, intrepid photographer Weston Wells and I were eager to ‘pick his pockets’ and examine the details of his existence.

“I cannot walk out of the door without a journal and a pen in the same way I can’t walk of the door with my inhaler, I don’t know if I’m going to need it but I always have to have it,” says Ross adding that as an artist, “You have to be able to archive your ideas.” Ross makes his own journals using antique book covers. He mixes his own ink for the Mont Blanc pen he carries, “Hopefully it looks like the burnt umber you might find in da Vinci’s notebook or something… I dunno.” The specs are antiques. The two leather cases, Ross made for himself. One is a combination checkbook holder and wallet. The other case, in the photo, plays host to miscellaneous items including business cards, his iPhone, which is great for inspiration photos and mapping. A pocket-knife adorns the keychain. “It’s very functional. It seems like I’m always needing a little blade to open a package or cut a piece of leather,” he says. A final detail, not photographed, is what appears to be a remnant of a shirt or other much-loved article of clothing which has been resurrected as a scarf or roughly tied ascot.

Photography by Weston Wells

In the midst of this year’s CMJ festivities, WDRKMR (Alexander Iezzi and Jordan Robin), caught up with Los Angeles-based musician Chelsea Wolfe. They  found her at stylist Jenni Hensler’s Williamsburg loft for a rainy afternoon of dress-up and conversation.

WDRKMR: Photographing you was especially fantastic because of your visible transformation when you get into wardrobe and in front of the camera. Can you tell us about how style and performance affect you as an artist/musician?

Chelsea Wolfe: I really liked working with you guys too. I found traces of flowers scattered down the stairs later. I’m one of those wear-on-the-outside-what-you-feel-on-the-inside sort of people, so getting dressed or dressed up has a lot to do with what’s on my mind or heart any given day. Lately I’ve been really inspired by layers, furs, leather, and jewelry that doubles as a weapon or armor. I don’t consider myself a visual artist at all, so trying to bring together clothing that suits the music is a good challenge for me..

WDRKMR: You started with theater, didn’t you? Were you playing music all the while or did you transition from one to the other?

Chelsea: I didn’t start with theater, actually… I mean, I’ve been indirectly involved with things of that sort my whole life, but it took me a really long time to feel comfortable as a performer and not just someone who records and stays hidden. I’m naturally a pretty hermitic person.

WDRKMR: Either way, there is a very theatrical quality to your music not only because of styling and performance, but there is also a sonic drama that matches the mood of your look. Which would you say comes first? Does the music develop from the mood, or does the mood develop from the music?

Chelsea: They work together. I’m always trying to create an atmosphere and a film screen within each song. I want something bigger than sound.

WDRKMR: Can you identify a moment when your interest in fashion came to be? How would you explain the role of fashion in your work?

Chelsea: I’ve always been interested in fashion, and of course being able to follow collections from afar on the internet helps create constant inspiration. I didn’t understand what sort of silhouettes I wanted or needed for a long time, I would just wear layers of black. But now I’m experimenting more and trying to find the right shapes for me and clothing that brings together form and function. I need to be able to move around and breathe and know that what I’m wearing isn’t going to come apart. I like straps and laces and clasps. I can’t stand wearing something that feels like it’s going to fall off if I move an inch. I like things that look medical or strangely oversized or out of date. Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Alexander McQueen, Mordekai, Iris van Herpen…

WDRKMR: What draws you to the dark and often occult objects that you use in styling? For example the detailed headpieces, oversized spikes, horns, etc. We noticed Jenni had a lot of symbolic accessories for you.

Chelsea: I think it’s an affinity for toughness, warriors, nordic folk and white trash… and something elegant mixed in. Kind of black metal in a less blatant way. Yes, Jenni does an amazing job of understanding my all-over-the-place influences and bringing them together in a cohesive way.

WDRKMR: How do you identify yourself and your work? Would you say that Chelsea Wolfe is a musician, an artist, or something other?

Chelsea: I think musician and artist are the same thing for me. I approach music in a way that has privacy and integrity and is influenced more by film, visual art, books, than by other music.

WDRKMR: Would you say you have a different persona onstage or on camera than off? What are the similarities and differences between Chelsea Wolfe onstage and Chelsea Wolfe offstage?

Chelsea: No, pretty much the same. A combination of shy and rage. I am pretty moody, not a jerk, but my mood ranges in extremes within a day, show, hour.

WDRKMR: We have been interviewing a number of people working in different creative fields, we’ve found that while disciplines and process change, there are two constants in the creative world: wandering and dreams. Would you say that these things are part of your process? Also, do you remember your dreams? Can you tell us about a dream you’ve had?

Chelsea: Well, last night I dreamed that Rei Kawukabo brought me some Comme des Garçons dresses in different shades of red. Usually my dreams are very elaborate, like little movies, with lots of colors and shapes. When I was younger I had night terrors, I would scream in my sleep, but really I was just having these repetitive, maddening dreams about one singular object growing large and small over and over. I think it helped shape my perspective of size and distance, which is really kind of off. If you didn’t mean literal dreams, I’ll say I also find dreams as in goals very important. It wasn’t until I started admitting that I wanted to succeed as a musician that I found a single ounce of success. And I still have a very long way to go!

WDRKMR: Can you describe what your process is like?

Chelsea: Creative process? It depends. Sometimes inspiration hits me out of nowhere, like a crush, you know? And I just become obsessed with something without really knowing much about it, or him, or her, and I follow that inspiration wherever it leads. But sometimes I’ll do research on a subject and fill my head with words and pictures pertaining to something that intrigues me and write songs and work on things that way.

WDRKMR:  Are you originally from Los Angeles? I am. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the unique creative energy I find in LA and how it differs from New York, or another city where there is a bit more of a street culture and a more confined space to walk through the streets. I spend a lot of time walking with my headphones and thinking of ideas, but in LA there is a different way of using the place to find inspiration because of car culture and the way the city is set up. Is there somewhere you go or a location you find inspiring? Do you use the city in your creative process?

Chelsea: I’m from Northern California, on the outskirts of the capital city. I think the place I grew up influenced me a lot. A big, old, overgrown house across the street from the train tracks and next-door to a railroad museum. Something about forward-motion and nature mixing with humanity. I’ve lived in LA for a year and it has new inspiration. This glittering darkness, the constant sun and smog, dirty and sparkling. I love it. I’m constantly surprised by new areas of LA and the different feel each place has. I don’t mind car culture because I’m not really one to be out in the open a lot. Walking around with a lot of other people makes me paranoid. But I do love New York and I think in a setting like that I’m able to actually forget that anyone is around me and just pretend I’m alone. If I ever get nervous onstage I use that same trick.

Photographs by WDRKMR (Alexander Iezzi & Jordan Robin)
Styling by Jenni Hensler

Top image: neck piece made of broken mirror shards, made by stylist; gloves, Dolce & Gabbana; dress, Gemma Kahng; headpiece, Bevel

Second image: chain headpiece, Mordekai; neckpiece, Gris Gris; dress, Mandy Coon

Third image: fur arms, Logan Neitzel; tunic, Gemma Kahng; skirt, Mandy Coon; belt and wrist cuff, Mordekai; headpiece, Bevel

Fourth image: neck piece made of broken mirror shards, made by stylist; gloves, Dolce & Gabbana; dress, Gemma Kahng; headpiece, Bevel

Fifth image: fur arms, Logan Neitzel; tunic, Gemma Kahng; skirt, Mandy Coon; belt, rings and wrist cuff, Mordekai

Sixth image: metal halo, Mordekai; leather top, Gris Gris; vintage lace top, Christian Lacroix; skirt, Timothy K;
gloves, Dolce & Gabbana; ring, Bevel

Seventh image: fur arms, Logan Neitzel; tunic, Gemma Kahng; skirt, Mandy Coon; belt and wrist cuff, Mordekai; headpiece, Bevel; belt, wrist cuff and rings, Mordekai

R.E.M. announced late yesterday that it is officially splitting up after a three-decade run as one the seminal bands in modern American music. The news of this break is sure to throw their fans into an intense memory whirlpool. I guarantee iTunes is experiencing a heavy influx of shoppers while recollections of R.E.M.’s vast oeuvre are strong today.

The official statement, released via the band’s site, reads: “”To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.”

As a massive fan, a million thoughts rush to the surface. I’ll share some of them with you (please feel free to comment with your own experiences):

- The first time I saw the Losing My Religion video…
- The collaborations: Musical – Patti Smith, Kate Pierson (of the B-52s), KRS-One, Thurston Moore and Q-Tip, among many others; and artistically: Albert Maysles, James Franco, Sophie Calle and Sam Taylor Wood – the list goes on and on.
- Playing out our own version of Nightswimming at summer camp in 1993.
- Finally relating to my parents on a current, chart-topping band.
- So much time spent with the liner notes to every single album. Remember liner notes? Remember the way a cassette smelled when you ripped the cellophane off?
- The profound impact on and support given by Stipe to Kurt Cobain.
- Memorizing the lyrics to You Are The Everything, which I still remember:
“Sometimes I feel like I can’t even sing
I’m very scared for this world
I’m very scared for me
Eviscerate your memory
Here’s a scene
You’re in the back seat laying down
The windows wrap around to the sound
of the travel and the engine
All you hear is time stand still in travel
and feel such peace and absolute stillness
still that doesn’t end
But slowly drifts into sleep
The stars are the greatest thing you’ve ever seen
And they’re there for you
For you alone you are the everything”

Out on newsstands this week is the new issue of Dossier, which includes an interview I did with Stipe. Our conversation focused primarily on his artwork. Below are a selection of images Stipe chose to accompany the piece.

Corner shot from Andrea Rosen bathroom, NYC

Hermetic JFK, sculpture by Michael Stipe

Pyrite image, faxed and shittily scanned

From Stipe’s Corner series

Dossier Issue 8 was released this week. It features contributions from Kiki Smith, Yoko Ono, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Michael Stipe, Stevie Nicks, George Saunders, Robert Longo, Tom Sachs, Cyprien Gallard, Aimee Mullins, Nate Lowman, Devendra Banhart, Sloane Crosley, Olympia Le-Tan, AF Vandevorst and many others. You can order the new issue here, or find it on a newsstand. For a very quick preview, you can also flip through the video below.

Chris Taylor has been busy. Best known as the bass player of Grizzly Bear, he has also crafted diverse sounds as a producer for bands like Twin Shadow, Dirty Projectors, Blood Orange, Class Actress and Jamie Lidell. Then last year he launched Terrible Records, an independent label that prints limited-edition seven-inch records, then last week he released his solo project under the moniker CANT, stepping out for the first time as a front man. Coming from such a well-known figure in the independent Brooklyn music scene, the debut elicited high expectations.

The album is humbly titled Dreams Come True and combines Chris’ many talents—bass playing, production and singing—to exquisite results. Despite being released the same day as new albums from Girls, Neon Indian, Das Racist, and St. Vincent, Dreams Come True is being consumed at a remarkable rate and garnering critical accolades. For the launch of the latest issue of Dossier, we were lucky enough to have CANT give us the extra track Be Around. Separate from the album, the song is exclusively available through a download code at the bottom of this post.

Andrew Blazer: So tell me something about what this album means to you—why did you go off on your own?

Chris Taylor: That’s the first question of every interview.

Andrew: Really?

Chris: Yeah—why’d I do it? (Laughs) There are two singers in Grizzly Bear and that seems to be more than enough. I kind of wanted to do my own thing. I like the element of being able to sing and contribute on that level of songwriting. It’s also just very different than Grizzly Bear and it’s stuff that wouldn’t necessarily work with Grizzly Bear. It’s just a little bit closer to my heart.

Andrew: So, who else is in the band with you?

Chris: They are all just friends: Dev Hines from Blood Orange, Guillermo Brown, John Kirby—he’s in Sebastien Tellier’s band.

Andrew: So tell me about Be Around, the track you are releasing exclusively for Dossier?

Chris: It was something I was working with for the album that didn’t fit, so I completely deconstructed it and put a whole new thing around it. Its fun—it was actually randomly the first thing George and I started working on when I started the album.

Andrew: George (Lewis) from Twin Shadow?

Chris: Yeah. When we set everything up, sat down and started writing, that song was what we started out with. But now it actually has nothing to do with that original song. The only thing that’s the same is the drum beat, which is like a house beat, but I really like the tempo of it—the feeling of relentlessness about it. It’s a pretty tough track; it’s definitely a more straightforward sound then anything else on the record.

Andrew: What genre would you categorize Dreams Come True?

Chris: I don’t know what genre it is. I think it’s more specifically the kind of music I am into. Grizzly Bear is a mix of four people’s opinions so inevitably it is not quite as personal to me as this.

Andrew: Do you find the music changing from what you originally wrote, now that you’re playing it live with a band?

Chris: Yeah, that’s what’s really exciting. I really didn’t like being alone for a lot of the record. I was by myself a lot and I actually don’t like working by myself a lot. It’s really, really hard. It’s great having other people because the music kind of takes on its own life. It starts to develop with four people and it’s exciting to watch that unfold and the music change, which sometimes sounds better to me than the album.

Andrew: So you guys are working?

Chris: Yeah, I think so. Definitely.

Andrew: What’s it like returning to small venues after playing alongside Radiohead and stuff like that?

Chris: Playing with Radiohead was sort of an anomaly for us. We don’t play for 40,000 a night, no matter where we play. That was sort of a unique thing. I like playing the smaller clubs though there are a lot more variables. As the venues get bigger and the tours get bigger, there are fewer variables—it just kind of makes things a little less eventful, and I kind of like the friction that goes from shit going awry on the road. I like dealing with random people and having to sort something out and make it good, even if things are challenging. I like that challenge. I’ve been missing that.

Andrew: Are you nervous at all?

Chris: Yeah, I’m nervous. It’s definitely kind of weird—being a front man is definitely a new thing for me and it feels a lot different being on stage. But it’s fun. It keeps things interesting.

Andrew: Are you looking forward to playing anywhere specific?

Chris: The West Coast is always really awesome. Every city is fun to be in. That is one of the better parts of being on tour, just in general. I like how weird it gets. I like how random it is. I’m really excited to go back on tour. It’s been a while.

Andrew: So, you’re playing the bass in CANT?

Chris: Bass and guitar. Synthesizer. Singing. But there’s also a guitar player and another synth player.

Andrew: It seems like you’ve been able to take a little less responsibility for all of the instruments versus in Grizzly Bear. Now you can really focus on vocals.

Chris: Yeah, it’s kind of enough for now to focus on the vocals. It’s just a new thing to have to sing lead vocals. A lot of the stuff I didn’t write thinking I’d ever have to sing it while playing the bass. Some stuff I’m just like—there’s just no way… Now I’m writing stuff and thinking about how I would play it and sing it at the same time. Is this even possible? Which is funny. I guess it’s pretty logical. Who knows? I don’t want to just stand there, you know?

DOWNLOAD “Be Around” by CANT.

Catch CANT on tour in these cities:

10-01 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
10-02 Vancouver, British Columbia – Media Club
10-03 Seattle, WA – Triple Door
10-05 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
10-07 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
10-08 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
10-11 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
10-12 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
10-14 Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
10-15 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
10-16 Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
10-18 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
10-19 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
10-21 Toronto, Ontario – Garrison
10-22 Montreal, Quebec – Cabaret Mile End
10-24 Boston, MA – Middle East Downstairs
10-25 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
10-27 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
10-28 Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel
10-29 Asheville, NC – Moog Festival

Top image by Andrew Blazer. Bottom image by NKSW.

Erik Madigan Heck, the New York-based photographer who shot the cover of our soon-to-debut fall 2011 issue, is launching his first book, January to August.

The book’s release will coincide with an exhibition of the same name at Ion Studio. Opening night is this Thursday, September 1, from 7pm-10pm and all are welcome. So stop by to see some beautiful photographs. Both mediums feature a compilation of eight new bodies of work created by Erik during the corresponding months in 2011, including fashion exclusives featuring the work of Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten and Comme des Garcons, a landscape series titled A Return to Giverny, personal documentary work and more.

January through August is on view from September 1 – November 25 at Ion Studio, 41 Wooster Street, NYC.

We are psyched to be a part of the massive roster for the pop-up shop Arts & Leisure. Curated by Chrissie Miller (of Sophomore NYC) and Erin Krause, the idea is to bring the best artists and designers from JFK to LAX. One look at the list below and we’d say they’ve succeeded. It opened this weekend but it is up until the 28th which gives plenty of time for New York fashion and culture to completely infect Los Angeles.

Arts & Leisure is at Space 1520 N. Cahuenga Boulevard, Los Angeles, from August 6-28. Opening hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 12-8pm.

Thursday night was the VIP Preview for the new exhibit opening at the New Museum, Ostalgia. The entire museum was packed, despite a mini-thunderstorm that struck exactly the moment the doors opened. Museum-goers roamed freely throughout the building taking both the staircase and the elevators to check out the exhibit and the party which went all the way from the lobby to the top floor of the building’s roof deck. Named for the German word “ostalgie,” which references nostalgia for the period before the fall of Communism and the dissolution of the Berlin wall, Ostalgia looks at the vast amount of art produced in these countries whose geographic borders were re-drawn and the people whose lives were up-turned. The exhibit itself was overwhelming in its scope, encompassing over twenty artists from over fifty countries featuring sculptures, video installations, live cameras, paintings, mobiles, posters, magazine covers, drawings, dioramas, found objects, dolls, books, photographs and more- making it hard to fully take in everything even within a three hour time frame. Cocktails for the event were provided by Kanon Organic Vodka, who mixed up three signature drinks that went with the Eastern Bloc theme of the exhibition- The Kanon Kremlin, The Siberian Sipper and The Blushing Babushka. All three drinks were light summer concoctions mixed with ingredients like fresh cucumber juice, lemonade, Pellegrino and cranberry juice. After finishing the exhibit, everyone gathered outside on the roof deck to watch the other show going on- the beautiful sunset over Manhattan, made nicer only by the refreshing cocktail in hand.

Ostalgia is on view at the New Museum, 235 Bowery NYC through September 25.

Polaroids taken by the lovely Amanda Carter at MODE PR.

Left: Justin Charles, Katherine Krause and Johnny Misheff. Right: Hannelore Knuts and Victoria Bartlett.

Left: Nessia Pope and Lisa Phillips. Right: Paris Murray, Argento Gelant and Germano Gelant.

Ostalgia Exhibit

Left: Pati Hertling, Alex Hertling, Kate Sutton, Dmitri Vensky. Right: Stephane Rebillard, Mia O’Malley.

Left: Wataru Shimosato, Rui Yokoo. Right: Ryo Miyamoto.

Left: Albie Hueston with guest. Right: Johnny Misheff and Harry Bee.

Left: Tamas Banovich. Right: Paula Naughton, Helen Toomer-Labzda, Andy Cushman, Jeffrey Teuton.

Left: Kanon Bar Atmosphere. Right: Ostalgia Exhibit.

Left: Matt Kays and guest. Right: Tim Goossens and Julie Ragolia.

Left: Emily Taw, Alexandra Nish, Sara O’Keeffe, Elizabeth Bidart. Right: Ryan Mulcock, Jacu Strauss, Matthew Coody.

Left: Kara Greenwald, Amapola Prada and Linton. Right: Miles Freeland

Left: Justin Charles. Right: Jenna Elizabeth, Carol Han.

Left: Ivy Thompson, David Shapiro. Right: David Graver, Jeffrey Keefe, Joseph Reuben and Guest.

Left: Connie Berg, Ingrid Moe. Right: Kanon Bar Atmosphere

Left: Andrew Blazer. Right: Stephanie Dodes.

Left: Charles Atlas and Lucy Sexton. Right: Katherine Krause and Andrew Blazer.

Fireworks are a funny thing. They celebrate and illuminate and gather people together on the streets and in fields and make them stare at the sky. I’m all for staring at the sky, and this year a week or so before the 4th, I had the idea to have people share with us their firework moments so that we all could stand together in this electronic field and/or street and revel at their power and beauty. Wherever you are when you look at these, think of how life can be an explosion in the dark or when it can be bright in the darkness or how we all are together even when we are not in the same place. ‘Cause baby you’re a firework/Come on show ‘em what you’re worth/Make ‘em go “Oh, oh, oh!” as you shoot across the sky-y-y/Baby you’re a firework/Come on let your colors burst/Make ‘em go “Oh, oh, oh!”/You’re gonna leave ‘em fallin’ down-own-own.
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