Japan

Street Artist Don John’s Experience in Tokyo

March 21, 2011 , , , , , ,

As we listen to, watch, and read the cautiously optimistic developments at the nuclear power plant in Japan and consider the ever-growing estimates of the number of people lost during the last week and a half, we send our condolences and support and reflect on our fragility and survival. In ancient times populations fell victim to natural disasters as we do today. While we are better prepared in many ways, that preparation is tempered now as we watch our outstanding technological advances turn into our nightmare, compounding the severity of damage rendered by the natural world. As leaders in Japan talk about using this crisis to learn, we reflect on nuclear facilities, deep water oil rigs, and technologically lethal implications of our own creation.

(Please see 5 ways to help at the end of this posting)

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Tokyo at Night (photo © Don John)

Street Artist Don John lives in Copenhagen but happened to be on vacation in Tokyo when the calamitous earthquake and ensuing tsunami struck the coast of Japan. Nearing the end of holiday there with his girlfriend, some of his recent wheat pasted portraits had just appeared on streets in the Shibuya area of Tokyo.

brooklyn-street-art-don-john-tokyo-03-11-4-web Don John (photo © Don John)

The imagery for these pieces, developed far before the earthquake, in some ways mirror the shocked and saddened visages of the citizenry. Nonetheless, Don John reports that most people in Tokyo took the unfolding events in stride and reached out to one another and strangers to assist in a time of uncertainty and need. See some of his observations further down the page.

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Don John (photo © Don John)

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Don John (photo © Don John)

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Don John (photo © Don John)

“We were amazed about how friendly and helpful Japanese people are, even in a situation like this. All trains stopped in Tokyo after the earthquake and we had 5 kilometers to walk back to our hotel. This super friendly guy offered to walk with us all the way to make sure that we found it. Having been around the people that are affected by this disaster makes it even more terrible to follow the developments in the news.” ~ Don John

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Don John (photo © Don John)

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Don John (photo © Don John)

From Sarah Milner Barry at New York University News, here are 5 ways you can help our brothers and sisters in Japan:

Text REDCROSS to 90999 or JAPAN to 80888

Each text to REDCROSS will provide $10 for the Red Cross, and each JAPAN text will send $10 to the Salvation Army. If texting JAPAN, make sure you respond YES when you receive a “thank you” message. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Visit the Google crisis response site

The site provides an aggregate of different websites accepting online donations, including the International Medical Corps, UNICEF and the Japanese Red Cross Society. The website is also continuously updated to provide the latest information about the crisis.

Donate via iTunes

Apple has created a simple donation page on the iTunes homepage where you can send money to the Red Cross in just a few clicks.

Spread awareness on Twitter

Here are some key hashtags to remember:
#Jishin: focuses on general earthquake information
#Anpi: confirms the safety of individuals or places
#Hinan: lists evacuation information
#311care: provides medical information for the victims
#PrayforJapan: shows general support and best wishes for victims of the crisis

Attend NYU’s vigil for Japan on Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m. at Gould Plaza, on 4th Street between Greene Street and Washington Square East.

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Aid Japan, Artists Do Their Part

March 15, 2011 , ,

Our knowledge of human’s fragile existence is reinforced by the twin natural disasters of earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Our man made folly is compounded by the explosions at the nuclear power plant there – causing us to question the hundreds of nuclear plants around the world. It is times like this that our words have to match our actions, and if we say we want to alleviate suffering now is a good time to make certain that our collective efforts reach those that are desperate for help.

Our brothers and sisters in Japan are going to need help so, if you can, please pledge to the Red Cross:

https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&5052.donation=form1&df_id=5052

Artists and designers have immediately jumped to task with these starkly stunning pieces below to get the word out about how to help. You can always count on creatives to use their tools and talents to lend a helping hand and respond in the best way that they know how.

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Poster on Flickr by Twistedfork

From Artist Twistedfork: Love & Aid

“I thought I had to do my part. 🙂 A poster-ish illustration I made to inform people on how to donate.”

Donate to Red Cross in Facebook:
www.causes.com/campaigns/154523

You can also donate through Paypal:
www.paypal-donations.com/campaign_12.html

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Stay Strong Japan! by Kent Ng

FatCap the web-based resource on grafitti and street art culture reached out to Japanese artist Suiko and asked some questions about the current situation in Japan as well as suggestions on how our community can help and send aid.

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Suiko Image Courtesy of FatCap © Suiko

What has it been like for the past 4 days as the damage unveils itself?

My town has no damage because it’s far away from the epicenter. However, my friends who live in the stricken area are still in shelter. I hear that they’re living without electricity…

How have people in Tokyo been living their lives?

Also in Tokyo, the aftershock still continues and people can’t settle down their minds. I was going to go to work in Tokyo the day after tomorrow, but all schedules are postponed

Click on this link to go to FatCap site to continue reading this interview and to see more images…

London based Pure Evil Gallery released the print below “Hokusai Tsunami” available for purchase with the proceeds going to the relief efforts in Japan.

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Click on the link below to purchase the print or just to donate

http://www.pureevilclothing.com/tsunamiprint.html

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Ryan Hageman on Flickr

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Miguel Michan

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Upper Playground And Good Smile Co. Present: David Choe and James Jean “LA Secret Studio” (Tokyo, Japan)

October 20, 2010 , , , , , , ,

David Choe
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Good Smile Co. and Upper Playground Present:
“LA SECRET STUDIO”
Works by David Choe and James Jean

Tokyo, Japan [10/17/10] — Good Smile Co. with support from Upper Playground are pleased to present the work of two of contemporary art’s finest talents, David Choe and James Jean in Tokyo, Japan. The show gets the name ‘LA Secret Studio’ from the large warehouse studio set up in Los Angeles by David Choe, James Jean and Good Smile Co. – under the idea that the artists would be able to create in the large studio without the constraints of space and distractions of the public. The show will feature a display of some of David and James’ most famous works, clips from a documentary film, limited edition prints of their work, and a display of new pieces created in the LA Secret Studio which have never been publicly seen before.

The respective careers and backgrounds of David Choe and James Jean mirror the differences and similarities between their artist styles with an uncanny ability. Where David dropped out of art school at early age and fueled his artwork by the experiences he picked up as nomadic traveller, James worked diligently at the theory behind his craft to become known for his exquisite illustrations and won a multitude of awards for his commercial work. Artistically, Jean takes deliberate and almost ornate strokes in his work and creates with a refined intricacy, where Choe paints with violently wild lines of vivid colors which portray immediate emotions. But both paths and styles have led to very similar success with each of them becoming staples in the fine art world – and although each artist possesses a unique and immediately recognizable style, the undeniable genius behind both of their work has become inherently similar.

The exhibition will occur at Parco Factory (Shibuya Parco, Part 1, 6th Floor) in Tokyo, Japan on October 29th, 2010 and runs daily until November 14th, 2010.

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Fun Friday 02.05.10 : Sydney Clamation, Brooklynite Staff Video Grind, Syncopated Dancing Alpacas

February 5, 2010 , , ,

Fun-Friday

Claymation Graffiti from Sydney

Sydney is especially into traditional 80s graffiti. “The popularity of this type of spray-can graffiti can be traced back to a very specific time, place and person. His name is Taki183 and, in the very early 1970s, he was a foot courier in New York City.”

This is a well-done animation (claymation) of three young urban hip-hop artists showcasing their art in the well known Sydney legal graffiti thoroughfare May Lane in St Peters, Sydney, Australia.

Because the city of Sydney, Australia actually sets aside a part of the city just for graffiti, artists there don’t have to look over their shoulder to get up. This is a brand new documentary called “From Vandalism to Art” about the current Street Art & Graffiti scene in this neighborhood of Sydney.

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Brooklynite’s Dancey Prep for Installation

DANCE ME A DANCE!

Meanwhile, back in Brooklyn – Musical Artist Riva Starr has just released a single and apparently this video is being used to inspire the staff of Brooklynite Gallery to bump and grind as they prepare their new installation.  I dare you not to laugh. Or Dance.

When you look at this video and stop snorting, you can look at a couple images from the show they are preparing for, “Stealth, Above the Radar”

It features super cool work like this one from Derek Shumate called “Alien”. The dude is from Houston, Texas.  Down there they pronounce that “hews-ton”.

Bold colors, upon layers and layers of torn bits of information, which often resemble a topographical map, are collected from various sources, including but not limited to, personal tragedies, today’s headlines and the artists’ imagination.

Derek Shumate -"Bold colors, upon layers and layers of torn bits of information, which often resemble a topographical map, are collected from various sources, including but not limited to, personal tragedies, today’s headlines and the artists’ imagination." - say Rae and Hope of Brooklynite

The other artist in the Brooklynite Show on February 13 is Collin Van Der Sluijs. Don’t ask me how to pronounce that. I’m still working on “Doppelganger”, which at first I thought had something to do with testicles, but it turns out it has nothing to do with the Tea-bag Party at all. But I digress.

Dutch "Pop-Fantasy Life" painter Collin Van Der Sluijs intermingles disproportionately sized animal/human hybrids, planet-like shapes, smoke-stacks and fresh socio-political views all from his subconscious ---directly onto the a painting surface.

"Dutch "Pop-Fantasy Life" painter Collin Van Der Sluijs intermingles disproportionately sized animal/human hybrids, planet-like shapes, smoke-stacks and fresh socio-political views all from his subconscious ---directly onto the painting surface."

Brooklynite Gallery is HERE

Collin’s site is http://www.collinvandersluijs.com

And Derek’s is http://www.derekshumate.com

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AND FOR THE “FUN FRIDAY” FINALE

Frantically Talented Dancing Alpacas

From your friends アルパカ×smooooch in Japan, a high-energy, low-fi, head-trippy dance attack that works better if you have put some medicinal mushrooms in your tea this morning. WARNING: Sped up Euro-Disco-Club-Anthem Ahead.

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Featured Video | Martin Wong’s “Houston Street”

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