JAMILA productions // blog / art

Nov 10

Ethics and Creativity

An interesting topic below: 4 Reasons To Quit The Music Business by Irene Merring.

When I was younger all I wanted was to work in music, somehow. I was diverted from this, though not because I was aware of what was happening to the industry. At first I was thankful for the diversion, all things considering. Now, later in life, I know many people in this business, and that in and of itself is heartbreaking - to watch so many people I love struggle. But this is a universal struggle; it’s not limited to the music industry. Creative industries far and wide are suffering in an over-commercialized world. So let’s look at history, and remember - struggle is part of the process - or progress - of human culture. And it always precedes a new age. No time is ever perfect. All things are relative. We are the select “few” who are here at this point in time. We really ARE like grandparents touting the phrase “When I was young.” Time accelerates for us. Even though he feels ever-present, and was alive seemingly just moments ago, Kurt Cobain ISN’T here anymore. We are. And still connected to our past, we are unstable in our footing, but we have no choice but to put our best foot forward. That, I think, speaks for itself.

Irene Merring: 4 Reasons To Quit The Music Business!

irenemerring:

As a purist, I sometimes struggle with the state of music and the music business in this day and age. Things have changed so much since I was a child and started in the entertainment business that I am already finding myself relating to Grandparents of yore saying the phrase, “In My Day…..”. I…

Artist: Jaybo

Jaybo (1968) is a runaway, setting out and wandering along in a physical as well as in a creative sense. In his youth, he ran away from his house in southern France, settling in Berlin-Kreuzberg at the beginning of the 1980’s. When he founded the streetwear label “Irie Daily” and the cultural magazine “Style” at the beginning of the 1990’s, his influence on Berlin’s youth culture and fashion scene could be clearly seen. Even today, urban subculture is the driving force behind his artistic activities.

Nailing down Jaybo’s works to a specific artistic genre seems nearly impossible in the face of the creative impulsiveness and eager experimentation that provide the key to understanding the allure of his works, works which meaningfully negotiate between the genres of pop art, graffiti and street art and which also unselfconsciously contain implicit elements of Dadaism and Surrealism. – Eclecticism? Jaybo is too one-of-a-kind not to be Jaybo – the artist is constantly in the picture!

WS: jayboisms.com

View all work on this site by this artist »

Jaybo

“Empty Mirror” May 2010
180cm x 150cm
spraypaint, acrylic, bithume, collage and charcoal on canvas

from the duo show Decadentisme with Marco Pho Grassi at the Avantgarden Gallery, Milan, Italy

Jaybo

“Mirror 2” October 2010
140cm x 150cm
spray paint, bithume and oil on canvas

from the Du Mur A L’atelier group show at Addict gallery, Paris, France

Jaybo

“Dante’s Barque Version 2”

Jaybo

“Dante’s Barque Version 2”

Nov 8

Bodies, water, blood

Last spring I joined photographers Katie Chao & Ben Meussig of shooting brooklyn, Mike Genato (RVRS:PLAY) and musician Irene Merring for a photoshoot at Floyd Bennett Field, an abandoned airfield in Brooklyn. It was a raw day, perfect for capturing the night/day light effects that Katie & Ben created.

Irene was a sport, climbing into foliage and even splashing in presumably icy water in murky-looking conditions.

At one point, the only thing missing in my footage was yellow tape and a body bag.

But Irene is safe and definitely alive, though no longer in New York - perhaps this dreary day was nature foreshadowing her transformation into a west coast-based artist.*

Irene Merring’s official website: irenemerring.com

More from Katie Chao: katiechaophoto.com

More from shooting brooklyn: shootingbrooklyn.blogspot.com

*Interestingly, it was raining on the day I left New York for the west, just as it rained on the day I left New York for Europe, years ago. Hm…

The Pierces

“Come As You Are” (acoustic cover)

(via too-lost-to-lose)

(Source: madeoflyrics, via fuckyeahthepierces)

Nov 7

Sukhi Barber

Bronze sculptures by UK artist Sukhi Barber who spent twelve years in Kathmandu, Nepal studying Buddhist philosophy and lost-wax bronze casting.

(via kimjungho: iheartloons)

(Source: thisiscolossal.com)

Nov 5

Artist: Ben Slow

I paint what I sees – in the urban environment, in the media and in the people of the city that I love. Working from my London studio, I find an exciting dynamic in the contradictory relationship between the glamorous pop images and the raw, unrefined urban context in which such icons are celebrated. The point of my work is to reduce the silhouette to its most elegant and minimal, while simultaneously embellishing its energy, depth and texture. The process is as symbolic as it is aesthetic.

I have never stopped expanding my methods and technique, often using found materials as my canvas and defining with whatever materials I come across. Anything can be used for some sort of mark making if you have the imagination, and the effects of such improvisation are what makes my work so distinctive. Texture is a vital part of my work and the expressive portraits are richly detailed through a deceptively intricate process of layering and colouring. This is particularly noticeable in the large scale works such as those at the Royal Albert Hall or in the various street pieces. The larger the piece, the more room there is for his expressive techniques to run free.

WS: slowben.com

View all work on this site by this artist »

Ben Slow

“Time May Tell”
122cm X 91cm
emulsion, spray paint, acrylic, ink and charcoal on canvas

From The West London Art Factory exhibition at The Hospital Club

Ben Slow

“Imogen 3”

Painting at offices of Six Oranges - Hanbury Street
Photos courtesy of Six Oranges

(via danceabletragedy)

(Source: Flickr / benslow, via from-the-sky)

Nov 2

With my children

This photo was taken in Brooklyn by Brett Adamek before I moved to New Mexico.

On the left: palimpsest (2010) 2 panels 10in x 30in each, fabric, acrylic on canvas. “A Tissue of Lies? Could there be a more persuasively apt title for a memoir? Particularly if the rememberer of his paste is referring not so much to his own lies but to those of others…. ‘Paper, parchment, etc., prepared for writing on and wiping out again, like a slate’ and ‘a parchment, etc., which has been written upon twice; the original writing having been rubbed out.’ This is pretty much what my kind of writer does anyway. Starts with life; makes a text; then a re-vision—literally, a second seeing, an afterthought, erasing some but not all of the original while writing something new over the first layer of text.” —Gore Vidal, Palimpsest: A Memoir

On the right: healing (2009) 5ft (60in) x 6ft (72in), fabric, oil, acrylic on canvas. This piece came with me across the country. I began work on it during a fast and had to pause creation until I was eating again; the amount of physical energy required to work on this piece - which is larger than me - was intense. This piece is part of the Awakenings series and was embedded with an intention - or prayer, if you will. Not long after I finished it, a miracle did indeed happen - for only a brief moment, and against all odds.

And on me: Perpetua (2010) 7in x 24in, acrylic, fabric on canvas. A married and nursing woman, Perpetua was martyred in the Roman province of Carthage, in Africa, along with her slave, Felicity, sometime in the 3rd century’s first decade. Perpetua kept a journal while imprisoned, recording several visions that she believed foreshadowed her death and ascent to heaven. It is considered to be one of the earliest surviving texts written by a Christian woman.

Oct 27

Behind The Scenes: The Asteroid Shop & The Ghost Wolves shoot with LightBright

The Asteroid Shop & The Ghost Wolves are Austin-based bands I had the pleasure of working with this past week while their tour stopped in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We snapped some photos in front of these incredible murals downtown near Gold Street.

From left: Eric Brendo, Carley Carazy Wolf, Todd Pruner, Jonathan Konya

From left: Jonathan Konya, Carley Carazy Wolf, Todd Pruner, Lane Tarr, Eric Brendo

“The Asteroid Shop’s self titled debut is going to make a lot of people really happy,” raves MVRemix. “….Asteroid lays on the indie sound pretty thick, and tempers it expertly with clean electric guitars and Jonathan Koya’s crisp drumming approach…. It’s an album with staying power, if only enough people decide to get up and get on it.”

Music video blog LightBright filmed acoustic performances of both bands in the downtown area. I caught some footage of their process.

The Asteroid Shop performed “Destroyer” from their self-titled debut in the plaza near historic Route 66.

Guitar & Vocals: Eric Brendo, Guitar: Todd Pruner, Shakers: Jonathan Konya, Shakers & Vocals: Carley Carazy Wolf

After the sun set, everyone headed over to the Albuquerque train station to shoot The Ghost Wolves under the bridge.

“Their live show is a bit of a spectacle,” says the Austin Chronicle. “Musically, you’ll find hints of popular acts in the mainstream such as The White Stripes, but you can definitely feel a bit of Texas lurking…At times, Carley sounds a bit more ferocious than comparable groups, but that sort of passion only strengthens the band’s sound. We’re really excited about this group,” boasts Austin Town Hall.

The Ghost Wolves performed “Gonna Live” with some backup from The Asteroid Shop:

Guitar & Vocals: Carley Carazy Wolf, Drums & Vocals: Jonathan Konya, Backup Vocals: Todd Pruner, Eric Brendo & Lane Tarr

Learn more about these amazing bands:

facebook.com/theasteroidshop

facebook.com/TheGhostWolves

Oct 21

Photographer: Brett Adamek

Images below all from a body of work under the guidance of Miksang photography.

Miksang, at its most basic level, is concerned with uncovering the truth of pure perception. We see something vivid and penetrating, and in that moment we can express our perception without making anything up—nothing added, nothing missing. Totally honest about what we see—straight shooting.

View more of this work here »

View all work on this site by this artist »

The Miksang website »