Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
He Comes In Peace
DAVID CHOES
AFGHANISTAN
TOUR DIARY
+ Photos by Estevan Oriol
DAFT PUNK
A PERFECT CAMPAIGN
COLOSSUS OF ROADS
THE DEFINITIVE INTERVIEW
TRANSCRIBER
JUXTAPOZ ILLUSTRATOR
LAL SHAFAGHI
MUNK ONE
MARKETING DIRECTOR
THE FINAL READER
DAVE SYPNIEWSKI
KRISTIN FARR
david@hsproductions.com
AGENCY DESIGNER
ADVERTISING SALES
DREW BRISCOE
EBEN STERLING
eben@hsproductions.com
AD OPERATIONS MANAGER
MIKE BRESLIN
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SALLY VITELLO
Published monthly by High Speed Productions, Inc., 1303 Underwood Ave, San Francisco, CA 941243308. 2013 High Speed Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.
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The publishers would like to thank everyone who has furnished information and materials for this issue. Unless otherwise noted, artists featured in Juxtapoz retain copyright to their work.
cover photo by Every effort has been made to reach copyright owners or their representatives. The publisher will be pleased to correct any mistakes or omissions in our next issue. Juxtapoz welcomes
ESTEVON ORIOL editorial submissions; however, return postage must accompany all unsolicited manuscripts, art, drawings, and photographic materials if they are to be returned. No responsibility can be
David Choe assumed for unsolicited materials. All letters will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and subject to Juxtapoz right to edit and comment editorially.
2013
Juxtapoz Is Published by High Speed Productions, Inc.
4158223083 email to: Editor@Juxtapoz.com Juxtapoz.com
CONTRIBUTOR
ESTEVAN ORIOL
Photographer for DAVID CHOE: THE AFGHANISTAN TOUR
EARLIER THIS YEAR David asked me if I wanted to go to the Middle East with
a plan to vist Dubai and Afghanistan. Then the scenario got smaller, and we were
going to Dubai and Turkey. Hearing this, I was a little bummed because I had gone
through a lot to get the visa and passport and spent the money for the Afghanistan
portion, but Im a team player and was down to go wherever!
10 JUXTAPOZ
DOLAN STEARNS
brixton.com
INTRODUCTION
JUXTAPOZ
ART+CULTURE MAGAZINE
ISSUE #151
Which is sort of beside the point now. In early 2013, David told me that
he was going to Afghanistan. When most wealthy people rhapsodize
vacation plans, they might regale about the French Riviera and seeing the
stars at the Cannes Film Festival. David went to the Middle East during
wartime and made a ton of friends. I would like to say I wasnt surprised,
because David is a contagious spirit who literally lives life to the fullest,
and that doesnt even come close to dening who David is and what he is
accomplishing in his life. And that is why you see his picture on the cover
of this magazine.
What I nd fascinating today is that the energy David infuses in his art
photo by Estevan Oriol career is indistinguishable from his life: it has been about the gamble.
If you would have told 100 emerging artists they had the choice to get
paid $50k to paint the offices of a startup or get some shares, 999 out
THE ENERGY DAVID INFUSES of 1,000 would have taken the cash up front. David did what David does.
Such infectious condence, boldness, and vulgarity confounded The New
IN HIS ART CAREER IS York Times and national media when they caught wind of him years later.
INDISTINGUISHABLE
Who does this guy think he is? They were late to this story, missed the
years of blood, sweat, and tears, and by the time they caught on,
Afghanistan or bust? Maybe that is the theme here: go with your instincts.
One of the true original spirits to have been in the pages of Juxtapoz
magazine in our 19 years is showing us all that through art. A lifetime
of exploration itself is the goal, and our fearless guide keeps drawing
the map.
THE REPORT: GO SEE THIS
KUSTOM KULTURE II
DONT CALL IT A COMEBACK
NOT SIMPLY AN ART PROMOTION, the Kustom Kulture art show was and is an important
exhibit. Originally, it was the brainchild of Greg Escalante, C.R. Stecyk III, Bolton Colburn, and
the woman who dreamed up the name Kustom Kulture, Susan Anderson. It was not only the
rst Low Brow art show at a real museum, it was carefully devised to offer disenfranchised,
underground artists admission to an overground venue. Although Von Dutch and Ed Roth
have been long dead, Kustom Kulture has spread all over the world. Robert Williams
opposite page PAUL FRANK didnt take a sculpting class. He just wanted to make
Von Dutch Kulture to me is a rebellion from what is normal and something that was unique and he put his heart and
Working his magic
safe. It is born out of wanting to express oneself by soul (and sweat) into it. This had a giant impact on me.
top visually or physically altering the everyday things in his/
George Barris her life to make them scarier, faster or louder. Its a way I feel surf and car culture have everything in common.
...and his excaliber of saying to the world Im different, I am not happy Both are about doing something different than what
with normal stuff, or, This is the way I think it oughta is normal. Both are about wanting a thrill, whether its
look and I am gonna make it the best I can to make sure on a wave or in a fast car. Both are about expressing
you notice! Anyone who does this or appreciates this yourself, right? I mean my friends would get their
is part of the Kulture. surfboards custom made with shapes, ns and colors
that were unique to them. My car friends would cut the
I have fond memories of the rst Kustom Kulture show. fenders off their cars or put big engines in them in a
At that time I was just starting to take art classes and similar way. I think it is neat how you can nd Rat Fink
become interested in sewing. I was also coincidentally on a surfboard and a car.
reading a book on Ed Big Daddy Roth, which showed
how he made his cars out of plaster and newspaper. With this show I am celebrating the inuence and
I immediately connected with his work and how he inspiration Kustom Kulture has been and still is.
just did these things the only way he knew how. He Kustom Kulture has changed the way we look at >>
>> and make art. I want kids and young people to see the the epicenter of the aforementioned transactional top left and right
Von Dutch
old and new works of this art form and hopefully be as explosion. Main Street in Surf City USA is ground
inspired as I have been by it. zero for the surfskate apocalypse. left
Juxtapoz #1
C.R. STECYK III In the risk averse arena of museum curation,
Kustom Kulture II is important in ways beyond its rst propositions like this are seldom presented to the
incarnation because it pays homage to the precursors public. Kustom Kulture is a taboo topic. Art expression
IN REAL LIFE
of the movement, along with established masters by the unwashed and the unholy does not fare well Kustom Kulture II will
like Von Dutch, Big Daddy Roth and Robert Williams. with the progenitors of high art. be on display at the
Seen herein are works by such pioneering individuals Huntington Beach Art
Center through August 31,
such as Basil Wolverton, The collaboration of a lot of forthright people made
2013. The exhibition was
Harvey Kurtzman, Walt this happen. Paul Frank, a hometown hero, comes
PROPOSITIONS
made possible by Vans
Disney, Margaret Keane back to the Huntington Beach Art Center as a curator.
LIKE THIS
and Rick Griffin. It also The City of Huntington Beach, director Kate Hoffman, HuntingtonBeachArtCenter.org
extends forward with Vans, Stuart and Judy Spence, Greg Escalante, Doug
ARE SELDOM
expressions by RETNA, Palladini, Juxtapoz and Hippodrome all provided
Billy F. Gibbons, Don Ed signicant support. IN THE VAULT
20 JUXTAPOZ
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EVENT
THIS SUMMER, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City
will focus on the neo-Symbolist movement with the exhibition The
Pond, The Mirror, The Kaleidoscope, a collection of 30 paintings,
drawings and sculptures from emerging and established graduates
from one of the the leading art schools in the US. Curated by Thomas
Woodruff, chair of the BFA Illustration and Cartooning Department,
and respected artist in his own right, the show will feature names
familiar to Juxtapoz such as James Jean, Mu Pan, and Timothy
Okamura, but also some of our favorites in Mark Lang, Sakura Maku,
and Martin Wittfooth.
left top
by Sakura Maku
left bottom
by Mark Lang
22 JUXTAPOZ
ARTIST KIM KLOCEK
VANCOUVER
PARTNERSINDESIGNONLINE.COM
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BOSTON
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THE INTEGRITY ARABELLA: TRUTHANDINTEGRITYSINCE
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PICTURE BOOK
RICHARD
SANDLER
UNCOVERING A NYC LEGEND
Photos by RICHARD SANDLER
DEEPLY SYMBOLIC OF
Its a resonating
image, haunting and
A PARTICULAR TIME deeply symbolic
IN NEW YORK.
of a particular time
in New York. How
I found out that he
was responsible for this image had nothing to do with
my research. By chance, I received an email from
my sister-in-law, asking if I was familiar with her
friends work and suggesting that I meet him. Finally,
mystery solved!
24 JUXTAPOZ
26 JUXTAPOZ
JUXTAPOZ.COM AUGUST 2013 29
DESIGN
VICTORINOX SWISS
ARMY FACTORY, SWITZERLAND
A VISIT TO VENERABLE, ICONIC KNIFE MAKER HEADQUARTERS
Story and photos by HELEN SOTERIOU
THERE ARE FEW people for whom Id awaken at handshake, and we drove the short distance to the Victorinox factory
factory. I spent the next ve hours learning about the Switzerland
4am for, let alone travel from London to Zurich and
2013
back in a day. But for my old friends at Juxtapoz, history, design, process, and future of the legendary
and for one of the worlds most iconic design company. Victorinox is the largest cutlery factory
companies, Victorinox, I denitely made that exception. in Europe and employs 900 people, many of whom
Everyone I know wanted to accompany me on the trip, stopped to greet me. Most of them, including Urs,
and I enjoyed watching my friends faces ush with have been working at the family-owned company for
excitement and jealousy, listening to them recount many years, with fourth generation CEO, Carl Elsener
at the helm.
THEY ARE NOT THROWAWAY GADGETS; The key to the success and reputation
32 JUXTAPOZ
JUXTAPOZ.COM AUGUST 2013 33
DESIGN
34 JUXTAPOZ
FASHION
WHEN PHOTOGRAPHER and designer Hedi the Saint Laurent shows. It is a stunning combination above
Slimane took over the Parisian couture giant Saint of fashion, music, and the art of photography and Promotions
Image copyright
Laurent in 2012, there was speculation that the fashion stage presentation. Saint Laurent and
house might return to the musical roots seen in its Hedi Slimane
earliest years. After all, Slimane had his ongoing Enter Daft Punk. In recent memory, has there been
opposite page
Rock Diary project, documenting both veterens and a better album promotion campaign than the one
Album promotion
newcomers to the music scene, and this connection initiated and directed for the Parisian duos standout wheatpaste
would surely be a priority as creative director at Random Access Memories striking the world like a
sleek, black-clad nuclear explosion?
36 JUXTAPOZ
JUXTAPOZ.COM AUGUST 2013 37
FASHION
WHEN FASHION,
ART, AND MUSIC
COMBINE TO MAKE
SWEET... MUSIC
KANYE WEST x
TAKASHI MURAKAMI 2007
DAVID BOWIE
AS ZIGGY STARDUST 1972
BJORK 1977PRESENT
>> about presenting a collection of songs; it was the and kinship with the likes of fashion designer Hedi
Art Direction by Alexander McQueen
rare kind of art project that extends to the visual, Slimane made for a sophisticated sort of branding
commercial, musical, and fashion worlds without a that most musicians could not achieve. But for a
note of contrivance. It was a stroke of brilliance that perfect few months in 2013, Daft Punk injected
probably made Bowie and Kanye bristle with envy fashion with a futuristic high, and fashion attired
(at the time of press, Kanyes Yeezus had yet to Daft Punk for a suitably iconic cover. Who knew YSL
take a full promotional identity). would look so good on robots? EP
Not every musical entity can achieve this sort of Random Access Memories is now available on iTunes We assume Bjork came ying out of the womb
promotional and fashion identity. The stars have for more information, visit YSL.com with iconic, progressive fashion sense and
songwriting. We cant pinpoint just one moment,
to align, and for Daft Punk, the helmets, computer
but rather her entire career has been based
voices, raried releases, Parisian sensibility, on powerfully provocative stage adornments,
music, and visual art. Consider her a lifetime
38 JUXTAPOZ achievement winner.
surlybikes.com
INFLUENCES
KEN DAVIS
SIGN YOUR LIFE AWAY
IN A WORLD OF DIGITAL MARKETING and social media platforms, there has been an
increasingly prominent revival of handmade arts over the past ten years. We visit the Bay Area
studio of Ken Davis, where we meet an artist adopting in the tradition of sign painting, tattoo,
and the classic practice of apprenticeship. From working with San Francisco-based New Bohemia
Signs to taking sign painting to the gallery world, Ken Davis affirms tradition in modern works.
SKATEBOARDING
Skateboarding was a huge deal for me
because it brought a whole world into my
grasp where I could be as much a part
of it as I wanted. A proper skate shop in
the 1990s was better to me than any art
gallery. You had Giant and Dug doing the
art for Think, Todd Francis and several
other monsters creating deadly graphics
for Deluxe, and you always had the
foundation that Jim and Jimbo Phillips
created for Santa Cruz. I linked up with
Tony, the owner of the local skate shop,
and he really helped push my art to some
good people in the skateboard world.
42 JUXTAPOZ
I AM A STRONG BELIEVER IN THE TRADITION WHERE YOU MUST
FIRST LEARN AND EXECUTE YOUR CRAFT ACCORDING
TO THE WAY EVERYONE BEFORE YOU DID.
opposite top THE SIGN PAINTING TRADITION the late Rey Giese, who was a sign painter from San
Ken Davis In front of the
Prior to my apprenticeship, I had to learn to paint signs Jose that painted full-time professionally for 79 years.
work of William Blake
somewhere so I began hoarding books on the subject. In the few times I was able to speak with him, it was
opposite bottom Early on, I snagged an old E.C. Matthews book called inspiring to be around a person who was so genuinely
Ken Davis Creature happy to be able to make a living off what he loved.
Sign Painting Course. Simple enough, I opened the
board designs
pages, and it melted my face. And so, as my limited When I wanted to commission him to paint a sign for
top left income would allow, I began collecting as many old me, he replied, youre a sign painter, why dont you
Reynold Albert Giese sign books as I could. A librarian friend gave me an paint it? I loved that he thought I was a fool for paying
Memorial Service Program
original Atkinson Sign Painting manual shortly after him for a sign that he felt I could paint. For him, the
bottom right my rst sign book purchase. Frank Atkinson was a idea that his work could be a sought after piece of art
The End of The Line complete monster in lettering and layout. I am a strong by other artists didnt enter into his thinking. If theres
Painted by Rey Giese believer in the tradition where you must rst learn only one thing that the old guard of sign painters can
and execute your craft according to the way everyone leave us with its that you should do your best job on
before you did. Once you have mastered that, you can every piece of work that comes your way. Not only are
then add your own take on it. you being trusted to create something that represents
someone and their business in the best way possible,
I am very glad I was able to meet and gain priceless you also owe that pride to everyone whos come before
knowledge from older guys like Bob Dewhurst and you and held that code.
INFLUENCES
NEW BOHEMIA SIGNS I can go on forever on the great things that shop has above
New Bohemia came along completely by chance, given me, but in the end, they opened up to me and Black Heart Tattoo
San Francisco
and when it came I wasnt about to let go. When the through a lot of sacrice and dedication on my part to
apprenticeship opportunity arrived, I quit my cushy my mentors, I inherited a craft that I intend on doing below
security blanket of a job and began stocking produce until I keel over into my thinner jar. Theres no option Wild Years
for far less so I could devote proper time to learning B for me. Inspired by Tom Waits
the craft while not starving to death. I had admired the
institution for several years before while I was smearing THE TATTOO COMMUNITY
1shot in awful lettering and even more abhorrent Everyone I have met in that industry who is good at
mechanical layouts. I quickly learned that elaborate what they do has an encyclopaedia-esque foundation
lettering and bad layout is the equivalent of drawing on traditional techniques and styles. It makes sense to
a comic book hero who looks like hes suffering from me and I completely feel the same about sign painting.
elephantitis, the kind with 100 percent emphasis on You cant expect to make a level ve face-melting
bicep and peck muscles. What I have learned from Josh sign without rst learning how to turn an O properly
Luke, Damon Styer, and every single person working or make an open/closed sign. Posture and breathing
there is priceless, the most valuable being that there also are big things I have learned from my friends who
is always room for improvement. Damon paints signs tattoo. All the tattooers I know get this and their work
at an ungodly speed which everyone should emulate. ourishes because of it. Doing the gold leaf window for
Josh is an overlord in everything he does, both his Black Heart Tattoo in SF was a big deal for me.
overall outlook and dedication to the craft. He led by
example and through that, I learned you are never too For more information, visit ArtOfKenDavis.com
good for a job. Just because it is hand painted doesnt
mean it has to look like junk. JUXTAPOZ.COM / KEN-DAVIS
44 JUXTAPOZ
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DAVID CHOE
THE AFGHANISTAN TOUR
Photography by ESTEVAN ORIOL Text by DAVID CHOE
DAVID CHOE: THE AFGHANISTAN TOUR
ON MY 37TH BIRTHDAY
I WENT TO AFGHANISTAN
to celebrate with my favorite photographer Estevan Oriol and my handyman Critter.
For fun I wore a tie-dyed burka while blowing out the candles on my cake, and within
minutes got so hot I took it off and was back in my tank top and sweat shorts. It was a
scorching night, and women around me were wearing these thick, dark blue burkas that
covered their entire bodies, even the eyes. They seemed to not mind, but it made me
uncomfortable (as well as sexually excited) just to see all the women shrouded in secrecy,
eating food under hoods so that we couldnt even see their pretty mouths. There is no
fucking way they were comfortable, and it made me uncomfortable as shit that they had
to sit there like that. But Im told if they take the burka off, they can be beaten, jailed,
or even killed. Its not for me to judge but I will anyways. I like Halloween just as much as
the next guy, but
DRESSING UP AS A GHOST
WITH A SHEET OVER YOUR HEAD 365 DAYS A YEAR
JUST FUCKING SUCKS.
I AM FRIENDS with a lot of artists and wish I wasnt because that means Im
friends with lots of sad, depressed, manic, bipolar fucks. Being sad and depressed
and worrying about your stupid fucking feelings is a luxury of the rich (which is why
no one talks about their feelings more than me) and having too much time to think
when the rest of the world is busy just trying to stay alive. In a place like Kabul you
dont have time to bleed. The day we arrived, eight Turkish tourists were taken
hostage by Al-Qaeda 15 minutes from where we were staying. Fucking great. Hey,
no problem.
Let me start off by saying I had no business being in Afghanistan, which is why
I went. Kabul in the 1970s used to be a great vacation spot; there was an emerging
middle class and even hipsters in cute mini-skirts and hairdos. Vietnam, even with
the might of the American military, was virtually impossible to capture because of its
dense jungles. Afghanistan is also one of the hardest regions in the world to conquer
because its surrounded by harsh terrain and snow capped mountains. Flying into
Kabul today is a dizzying experience: landing in a war zone, gun hand-offs at the
airport, military check points on every block, everyone armed to the teeth with
AK-47s and hand guns, women shrouded in burkas rushing the cars at red lights.
Our driver mustve seen the uneasiness in my face as he pointed to one of the
50 JUXTAPOZ
DAVID CHOE: THE AFGHANISTAN TOUR
women and said, Oh shit, thats a suicide bomber! bottomless and I have to send the guard out to
I jumped backed into my seat as a shy wet, nervous fart get some napkins (thanks bro). I kicked the shit in
leaked out and our driver and armed guard pointed to the hole, wiped, looked down and quickly exited
at me and started laughing. Assholes. the shitter.
One of the rst things youll notice when you leave The burkas in Kabul are dark blue, a nice neutral
the airport is that there are a lot of outdoor vendors color, always in fashion whether its Spring, Summer,
selling everything from live chickens to slaughtered or Fall. With no slits for the eyes out here, they cover
meats, bread, and carrots. The carrots out here are everything. Our new local expat friends Tamar and Sara
fucking huge, I dont know why. They told me there is Jean from the US can get away with more because they
no gambling out here, but we all know thats bullshit. are Westerners. They wear long pants and wrap their
Wherever there are humans you will nd games of heads, but you can still see their faces.
chance. They tell me if its breathing, they ght them
out here: humans, chicken ghts, dog ghts, ram ghts, We visited a Calligraphy school, and its so sick.
and even quail ghts. However, I was not here for The Arabic calligraphy looks like graffiti in the style
gambling or to watch anything tear another apart. of Rostarr, Retna, and Chaz Boroquez. But better.
I was here because of Saad. Every line or squiggle means something political
or religious, and there is so much meaning in every
I met Saad Mohseni at his house party in Dubai through nuance. I sat down and just started scribbling abstract
my comedian friend Yoshi. Saad is an Afghan media- shit, and they just laugh and look at me like Im a slow
mogul and entrepreneur. As Chairman of MOBY Group, adult; but actually I dont think they were laughing
one of Afghanistans largest media companies, he is they looked annoyed as shit. We went up on a roof to
often referred to as the Rupert Murdoch of Afghanistan get a good view of the city and the young men at the
(which he hates), and he looks exactly like a young tire shop below saw the womens faces and that was
Jeff Goldblum (which he likes). He basically runs shit in enough to throw all societal etiquette out the window.
Kabul. Saad invited me out, told me Id love it, gave us They just pull out their junk and start cranking their
the VIP treatment and even lent us his own personal wieners in the bright Kabul sun as the light glistened off
armed guards for our entire stay. Talk about a thankless their shiny, rock hard shafts. The women gasped and
job. Ive never in my life had an armed escort with ran off the roof. I just stood there and kept watching
a fully automatic weapon follow me into the shitter, because thats how I like to party. But with just me up
and there was so much pressure to pinch it quick; there they quickly wet-noodled, went soft, snapped
like my sphincter muscle was putting a brown turtle out of their collective trance and went back to work
in a headlock with my turd cutter, and get back quick, as if nothing had ever happened. Imagine the amount
but it was literally the shittiest shitter. No door, no toilet of pent up lust built up in you, to the point where you
paper. I was somewhat solid that day. It was a squatter would just whip your veiny cock out in public just from
style and I missed the hole and shit on the oor, and by seeing a girls face? Later that night, to no avail, I tried to
the looks of it, hundreds of others had also missed. jerk off to just the image of a girls face. It was useless,
The food here mustve been really good because a I was too far gone, it was too late for me. Oh well,
line started and three guys were waiting for my stall. I pulled out the Vaseline and huge carrots and went
One started talking to me, asking me where Im from, back to my usual routine.
that he would love to come visit me someday in LA.
Its always awesome talking to someone while Im I came to Kabul to relax and chill, not to paint. They even
said itd be impossible; they dont let artists paint handsome like they should be in Hollywood lms or
outside on the walls. Anyone trying to do graffiti gets perfume ads. I mean, lets be honest, even for a mass
shot. But Saad let everyone in the government know murderer, Bin Laden is pretty handsome compared
that the baddest fucking gook in Koreatown, the most to trolls like Hitler and the Kim Jongs. And the women?
important artist in the world had come to visit Kabul. Let me tell you about the fucking women! Fucking
So they let me tag the mayors office and vandalize forget about it! The Afghani women look so fucking
the royal palace. The spray paint out there was super oh yeah I didnt get to see one fucking face while I was
shitty and watery, and I was instructed to not paint any there. Well, if its up to my imagination, my imagination
images of pigs or women. Ive never had the mayor is pretty active. The Afghani women were all 10s and
of any town come out and shake my hand on national look like Halle Berry and Lucy Liu and youll never be
television and thank me for defacing their office. able to convince me otherwise.
When we got to the royal palace it looked like a set
from a war movie. You could see how beautiful it once At the airport on the way in, I spotted some Arabs
was, but now it was riddled with bullet holes and with bright red beards and asked what that was about.
bombed to shit. There was a weird old homeless guy They told me Muslim men arent allowed to dye their
named Kabir that watches the place. I did a portrait hair unless its with henna, and its what Muhammad
of him on the wall, instantly making us BFF, which of did. Well, if its good enough for Muhammad, its good
course was followed by lots of handholding. While enough for me, so I followed suit.
I was painting, the young, good-looking soldier who
resembled a very tan Tom Cruise, aka Tan Cruise, One thing you cant avoid seeing is the image of a
art directed me and wanted more guns, more violence. middle eastern-looking Bob Marley, who turns out
You could see in his eyes he thought he was much to be on billboards, t-shirts, and bumper stickers.
more handsome than Kabir and was very jealous that Hes literally everywhere. Who is this guy? Its Ahmad
I painted Kabir instead of him. Kabir cried when Massoud, the military and political leader with a small
I nished the painting even though it wasnt my rag tag team of freedom ghters that fought and kept
best work, and he kissed me on my mouth twice. out the mighty Russians with all their powerful tanks
Tan Cruise really had an eye for talent and let me and planes, as well as the Taliban, and any invaders
know, You are sort of talented. If you keep it up, that tried to take over Afghanistan. He is a martyr
maybe you can make a living with your art one day. and national hero, and was executed by the Taliban,
systematically, two days before September 11, 2001.
We met a lot of expats from all over the world: young Out here he is worshipped like a god. His captain
writers, gays, artists, reporters, musicians, all creating and right hand man, Muslem Hayter Issat, who looks
a cool community with homemade tortillas, smoking uncannily like Websters dad, George Papadopoulos,
lots of hash, and listening to current music like The XX single handedly took out over 100 Russian tanks using
and Ratatat, but surrounded by barbed wire, armed homemade land mines. He is also praised as a national
guards, escape ladders, and Oh shit bags, which are hero and is the #1 living Jihad soldier in Afghanistan.
comprised of guns, water, passport, and burka. Just being I can proudly say he was the best tour guide and now
here is living life on the edge; its thrilling and electric. my Facebook friend. Its not everyday you get a history
Everyones passed through this region: Mongolians, lesson traveling through a war torn country from the
Russians, and everyone always wants to fuck the guy who actually created the history. But we soon grew
locals. So everyone in Kabul looks exotic and different, tired of talking about Bin Laden and bombs and moved
strong pronounced European noses with Chinese eyes onto my favorite subject: farts and fucking.
and good bone structure in their faces. They all look
56 JUXTAPOZ
DAVID CHOE: THE AFGHANISTAN TOUR
After youve had Muslem as your tour guide, its sort of started picking up pace around us, and down the street
hard to live up to that. But we got another one, a young I saw the silhouette of a small boy decisively running
aspiring rapper TA7A (Tango Alpha Seven Alpha). towards me at top speed. We had just watched the Vice
The day after our meeting, he Googled me and started special on the Taliban recruiting little kids, and I saw he
hailing me, You are a God, my Graffiti God! Youre had something strapped to his chest. All my paranoid
a great God and I worship you and Ill do whatever insecurities and fears ooded in as I closed my eyes
you ask. He court jestered it up for us and spit some and started to wonder what kind of snacks would be
horrible rhymes on the way to the airport. When we served at my funeral, who would show up, who would
were almost to the airport I realized, not only hadnt cry. Then I decided to ght, I aint going out like this!
I seen any of the women, I hadnt touched or kissed I drew my leg back like I was going to punt him like the
or mated with any of the locals, which is setting a bad Super Bowl. But it turned out he was a street kid with
precedent for me. Beggars cant be choosers and Im a box tied around his waist selling packages of tissues
a survivor and make do with what I got. So I ordered and socks. Where the fuck was this kid earlier when
TA7A, As your Graffiti God, I order you to touch my I needed him at the shitter? I wouldve paid anything
penis. Which he didnt like. But long story short, for that box of tissues then! Timing kid, everything in
before exiting the country, my dick got played with life is about timing. I double checked my pants to
by hands that were not my own. make sure I didnt shit them, and continued to our
armed compound.
On our last night we had a late dinner with our new
friends. The entire time we were in Afghanistan we
had heavily armed security guards with us, but after For more information on David Choe, visit DavidChoe.com
this dinner, we said fuck it, the house is close,
lets just walk back. It was the rst time we ventured JUXTAPOZ.COM / DAVID-CHOE
out alone, unarmed. Besides us talking loud, joking,
and laughing, the street was completely empty and
disturbingly quiet. Then the sounds of tiny footsteps
Over the past ve years, Vanias pictorial, literate work has circled
the world with fanfare and praise, a mysterious blend of the historical
and new Eroticism. The Russian born artist now lives in London,
where his association with creative agency Big Active has introduced
him to commercial opportunities and further global interest.
Kingdom Evan Pricco: As I look at your work, having followed it for years, I imagine someone
Pencil and gouache who works in the dead of the night, alone, by candlelight. Am I far off, minus the
on paper
light source?
Vania Zouravliov: For a period of about ve years it was pretty much exactly how
you described. I think even the candles were there occasionally. It got to the point
where sometimes I would not see any daylight for weeks, and that does some pretty
strange things to your mind. You descend into a very unpleasant place. In Scotland,
nurses are only allowed three night shifts in a row, and that is something that
I understand very well.
I like both, in the same way that every season of the year has its charm and
special moments.
Bearskin 3 Mostly classic literature and folklore. Nikolai Gogol, me several months just to study and go through all the
Pencil and gouache Hoffmann, Hauff, Baudelaire, Rabelais, Pushkin, materials that they have provided before I started the
on paper
and Chekhov. I still love most of these authors and actual work.
re-read them regularly. I think its a sign of great art in
general that you can keep coming back, and each time Do you think of yourself as a storyteller?
next spread top
it offers you a new experience and a slightly different
Image for the meaning. For example, I enjoy Tove Jansson books In all honesty, no. In my work I try to get away as
lm 13 Assassins much more now than when I was a child. There is a much as I can from the tyranny of words and language.
Ink and gouache
on paper very beautiful, profound, and gentle melancholy in her I am primarily interested in shapes and patterns, and also
stories that you only understand after a certain age. some very basic primeval energy. Observing the
next spread bottom elegance and perfection of form that I see in nature
Ghost Another one of my favorites since childhood is Gogols is a constant source of inspiration to me.
Ink and gouache
on paper Dead Souls, a novel that holds an enormous amount
of mystery and fascination for me. Its something that Why do you think Russians have the reputation for
I enjoy unraveling and interpreting depending on my making such beautiful, dark, layered, metaphoric,
mood and various situations that present themselves yet inspiring and inuential stories? Your art works
to me. so well in this perception. What sorts of legacies are
taught to the young?
My little knowledge of Dead Souls nds the
technique of the story so interesting, with its unique It is a subject that I often think about, and it seems to
circular narrative, which Bulgakov adapted as a me that its a combination of two elements. One is that
play. The characters that show up in your work at a certain level of oppression and isolation is stimulating
times appear to be connected to an ornate theatrical for art. It forces people to get the most out of their
presentation from a different era. What sort of imagination and pushes the mind into different worlds;
historical research do you devote to your work? meanwhile, the real environment that is frequently
hostile keeps the brain alert and observant.
I think of it as an ongoing interest rather than a
research. I spend quite a lot of time studying various For me, a great example is that during the Soviet
periods in the history of costume. I also love to observe period, in order to avoid harsh censorship, many artists
how things are stylized and how one form becomes turned to animation and childrens book illustrations,
another in visual arts. producing what I consider absolute masterpieces in
those genres.
When it comes to my personal work I am not trying to
recreate anything with historical accuracy. Its not the The second element is the land itself. Its vastness
aim of what I do. Instead I am using various elements and long periods of cold weather dictate their own
from history as an inspiration and a very rich source of rhythm and mood. I grew up near a huge forest and
information. With commissioned work, yes, sometimes distinctly remember that feeling of walking into a
I have to accurately reproduce historical references. forest preoccupied with my own thoughts, and then
Working with National Geographic on their Mayan suddenly noticing that they become weaker and nally
project was a hugely enjoyable experience. They gave disappear altogether when you fully succumb to the
overwhelming energy of the space around you. something from European and Russian folklore.
Thats blissful.
Everywhere around the world different cultures and
ways of living are now homogenized, and Russia is no What led to the move to the UK?
exception to this. This means that there is a constantly
diminishing interest in history or anything traditional. An artist wants to be somewhere where he can
That famous Oscar Wilde quote about the value of work and express himself in the best possible way.
nothing often springs to mind. There is nothing more to it.
64 JUXTAPOZ
VANIA ZOURAVLIOV
Soft Park characterizing of your work, what comes to mind? You are part of a great agency Big Active. What sort of
Ink and gouche work do you get, commercially or otherwise, from them?
on paper
People like to imagine that they have some control
over their body, sexuality and mortality, that they can I enjoy variety in everything and believe that its one
decide and separate when the body is dirty and when of the best things that life has to offer us. After I spend
its not. To me that seems a fruitless and ultimately one or two months doing my personal work, I want
useless task. Eroticism is present in one form or a change of pace and to focus on something else.
another everywhere in our life and culture. Can you It can be advertising, fabric, record or poster design
imagine high fashion, cinema, art, advertising and the or anything else as long as I nd something interesting
music industry without the erotic element? Lets have in a project. The agency provides some of that work
a look at the entire history of womens fashion and try and certainly helps with the practical side of things.
to separate it from eroticism and sexuality.
Do you have any ne art or commercial projects
Having said that, there is also this notion of eroticism coming up?
as some sort of tamed, tastefully presented, acceptable
version of sexuality, which I nd both banal and erroneous. I never talk about projects until they are fully realized,
If a contemporary book, work of art, or lm is described so let me just say that I am really enjoying various
as erotic its more than likely that I will try to avoid it. things that I am working on now.
SO, I HONESTLY have nothing nice to say anymore, and Im not going to pretend. Crush
I could declare the truth: that he was, indeed, going to be the next big thing. Just a Hair, printed canvas, and fan
2011
few weeks ago he dangled promises of a long-standing relationship between us
like Gagosian and Koons, I should have known better, to read between the lines.
That was his hint; he was going to dump me, just like Koons dumped Gagosian.
I should have seen this coming.
Adam, I know you will read this at some point, and because I have no desire to
ever talk to you again, heed my message: I will not return any of your inventory
as requested but will donate it to various non-prots as a tax write off. If you have
a problem with this you can get off your NYC high horse and come down to the
Tenderloin in San Francisco and we will see how much of a man you really are.
I wish you the best, but at the same time, not really. I never thought of myself as
one to publicly air their dirty laundry, but I feel the world must know. Adam Parker
Smith could have been a contender, but he threw it all away. For what? To be happy?
What a lame excuse.
Adam Parker Smith: Yeah, you are referring to the show Thanks, which was a pretty
70 JUXTAPOZ
ADAM PARKER SMITH
wild ride. As far as it being an extension of my practice, done some soul searching, thinking that now would be top
I think the thread lies in community, collaboration, and a great time to duck out and raise a family and start to Untitled
relationships. There is a lot to cover there, and I know look at the bigger picture. The last year has been really (Kanye Shutter Shades)
Aluminum, nylon, and wood
that you wanted to talk about the work, but I wanted to good for me, and while its been a blast, Im tired now
114" x 56"
run over some other things with you rst. We may have and want to move onto the next thing. I just welcomed 2013
to do this interview later. my rst son into the world last week, and it seems like
a good time to just start fresh. bottom
72 JUXTAPOZ
ADAM PARKER SMITH
top I think back to what I wanted ten years ago, and its look around and make really difficult edits to a show or
Bottom 3 much different from what I want now. Why would I cater your work, or even your roster. This is just a really tough
Foam, rope, formica,
and bungee to a set of rules and expectations set by a community edit for me. But it makes sense and Im 100 percent
22" x 24" x 50" whose values and principles are skewed in the most about moving forward.
2012 perverse way? I would like to bring my life back around
bottom
to a foundation that has to do with more wholesome So how do I explain to Evan, the editor of Juxtapoz
Proposal values: family, health, and happiness. that this interview is now a going away piece?
Hand-woven bracelets
96" x 102" Okay, so Im still calling bullshit, but how are you going Its meaningful. Its honest. Its real. What could be
2012
to support yourself? I sell at least one of your pieces, more of an interesting insight into the working method
which are not cheap, once a month. You have to think of an artist than to be there when it ends.
about how this will affect people who have helped
build your career. Adam, you realize that Im not sure if we can be friends
because of this. I cant express enough to you that you
I have. I understand that this decision does affect you are basically taking away 40 percent of my sales.
as well, but you are young and hungry and Im not
worried about you. For now, my girlfriend is going to I know. Im sorry.
support our family. Her career is doing well and she is
really understanding of my situation. This way we will Fuck. Fuck you, man. Youre an asshole.
save on daycare as well.
You know, I always thought that you were one of For more information on Adam Parker Smith,
those artists that had to make things, had to produce visit AdamPSmith.com
art. Honestly, as your friend and your dealer, I think
this is a bad decision. Please explain to me again why JUXTAPOZ.COM / ADAM-PARKER-SMITH
you think this is okay. This decision affects more than
just you, Adam.
NEW YORK Originally from Arcata in Humboldt County but doesnt smoke weed
anymore because he lives in New York City and is afraid to get arrested.
Adam just closed his third solo show at Ever Gold Gallery in San Francisco
and a new solo at La Montagne Gallery in Boston. And because he just
quit, we arent quite sure what else he is doing.
Portrait THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE for these mysterious markings was later
buZ blurr exposed to a broader audience when Bill Daniel released his 16-years-in-the-
1972-1992
making vagabondage railroad lm project, Who is Bozo Texino? The authors
identity was surprising to everyone, as speculation had circulated forever. In the
lm, an older, well-spoken, bearded gentleman wearing a cowboy hat appears on
screen proclaiming ownership as he explains the meaning of phrases written under
the famed moniker. As the audience discovers, they are self-portraits, in a bold
proclamation, the artist states, More self-portraits than Picasso or Rembrandt or
Van Gogh, or any of em out riding the rails, have a lot larger audience than they
ever had in their lifetime.
Such artistic undertakings are not limited to work on railcars, but extend to
photography, archiving, book making, stenciling, installations, and mail art,
through which he has been corresponding with others under the name buZ blurr
for over 30 years. The importance of his artwork has been long overlooked,
but within the connes of an interview, Im honored to tell some of the story.
Austin McManus: Please explain the art practice you so cleverly describe as
Boxcar Icon Dispatch.
Colossus of Roads: My awareness of the folk art tradition of chalk marks on the
rolling stock came at an early age by observing them on passing trains as a young
boy while my father was a section foreman of a track maintenance crew. We lived
by the main track in a section house provided by the Yes, Im still marking cars. Yesterdays icon caption Colossus of Roads
railroad, near the tool house where the equipment for was: ANY THINK CAN HAPPEN. buZ blurr 1943-2043. Photo by buZ blurr
changing out ties and rails were stored, along with the
motor car for transporting them to needed repairs on Do you think you will ever reconsider your decision to
the track. The medium of the chalk marks was usually remain anonymous?
a drawing of an icon, a person, a hare, a rose, etc
with a name and date. My dad told me they were the I dont suppose I can un-ring the bell of all those
work of hobos. Our sole source of heat in the section images and texts that have been connected to me
house was a big potbellied coal stove, and they used by Google and other search engines of the Internets.
to run a work train with gondolas of coal for the section Its hard to remain underground and anonymous
crews to unload at the various section houses on the on the information superhighway, especially if at a
route between Wynne and Helena, Arkansas. certain point you want to proclaim your work, despite
its outlaw nature, and the fact that it may be viewed
Tell me about the rst marking you remember. unfavorably and subject to intervention.
Over the years, which particular ones have stood
out or have you favored? You come from three generations of railroad workers,
and retired after 41 years. Its an understatement
I remember being particularly impressed by the to say railroading is in your blood. Is it, in a sense,
rendering of a prole of a gentleman with a puffed your religion?
railroad cap, with the caption of Omar, on one of the
coal cars, while my dad and his three section hands Yes, three generations of railroad men: my grandfather
feverishly scooped out a big pile of coal, hopefully was also a section foreman for Missouri Pacic from
enough to last us through the winter, before the train 1904 until 1945; my father, also in track maintenance,
had to move on to the next section house. I even from 1942 until 1963; and my own career, as a trainman,
saw a J.B.King Esq signature occasionally. Over the from 1962 until 2003. Each of us with 41 years of service,
years, the ubiquitousness and prevalence of Herby, over a span of 99 years. My father and grandfather both
The Rambler, and the second or third generation certainly had a loyalty and dedication to the railroad as
conveyor of Bozo Texino were a continuing inspiration. a provider of livelihood that would border on worship.
Now they have been mostly supplanted by spray My own attitude leaned more towards alienation
and time. on account of the indebtedness we incurred
subsequent to the elimination of the section system
How many cars do you estimate you have marked of track maintenance. This transitioned to wholesale
since beginning this lengthy endeavor? reconditioning by large rail and tie gangs periodically,
and obliged the old man to accept a management
I have no idea how many drawings have been made position as an Assistant Roadmaster, rather than the
since November, 1971. At one time while I was a option to return as a laborer, on account of his limited
longeld brakeman, I gured I was averaging about 30 seniority, to one of those traveling reconditioning gangs.
a day, six days a week. I have had periods when the This was during a time Missouri Pacic was attempting
obsession had me in a severe grip, and I drove around to get out of bankruptcy, and unfortunately, the old
to various yards on my off day, and would do over 200. man had a skinint bastard as a District Engineer,
who routinely disallowed most of his expense account,
Are you still marking cars currently? and provided no moving allowances as we tried to
78 JUXTAPOZ
keep up with his various assignments all over the town where all the work was, when I could have Various railcar
system, at least in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. been riding the fast freights out of a bigger terminal, documentation
exactly to accommodate the avoidance of people.
Were there a lot of tramps and hobos riding when you This isolation down among the cars, perhaps, fostered
worked as a trainman? If so, what was your attitude the communication of the self-absorbed investigations
towards them? of my limitations in the form of boxcar icon dispatches.
Oh, yes, there were a lot of older tramps when Have you ever had an encounter with a graffiti
I rst hired out, and our attitude was being helpful, writer in a yard, or anyone for that matter, while you
but saying, I didnt see you. Then there were periods were marking cars? After so many years, it would
of fewer or more frequent travelers. Post 9-11, with the seem probable.
increased security, they are well hidden or there are
none at all through this small town. Of course, on this Surrealville is also a delusional disguise of my actual
northward directional traffic, except for locals and Amtrak, locale, which is in such an out of the way, middle of
we havent had the recreational hobo adventurers nowhere, place. I have yet to encounter any graffiti
like other routes have had of late. Back in the 70s, writer, if you mean the spray paint variety. I have had
we had two veteran hobos who made this their home a number of visitors from the moniker culture wishing
base. One camped out on Coffee Creek in the wye, to mark in the small Surrealville yard, although
and another had a lean-to built in a cane break on intentional. I have had two encounters, subsequent to
Caney Creek. my retirement, with track inspectors in hi-rail trucks
that asked me to leave the property.
Has there ever been an attraction to move to a big city,
or are you content to be in Kansas? You have been Then you consider yourself a loner?
known to call your current hometown Surrealville.
Yes, I am a loner, by dent of my occupation and the
Yes, Surrealville, Principality of buZ, is my fantasy isolation of long hours on switch engines, with limited
world issuing authority for my philatelic artistamps. interactions with other people, and the awareness of
Surrealville has also become known as the source point my penchant for embarrassing misreading of social
for boxcar icon dispatches. I remained in this small cues. I blame it on the self-diagnosed Aspergers
80 JUXTAPOZ
Stencil portraits Disorder, and other manic-depressive traits. Plus my while Im sorely lacking in that department, while still
maniac anger when challenged or sassed makes it fascinated by the printed image and text.
best to avoid people on account of my dissatisfaction
with my own performance. Rancor and Shame! My wife How long have you been participating in mail art?
describes my mercurial mood swings as, Tap dance
or suicide the Fred Astaire of despair. She has also Subsequent to beginning to utilize the boxcar icon
said, You never know about you. Youre just like dispatch as a networker in the folk art tradition of
Hekyll, Jekyll, and Hyde. railroad graffiti, in November 1971, I discovered the
existence of mail art networking by reading the articles
Would you consider yourself a connoisseur and by Thomas Albright, the art critic of the San Francisco
researcher of linguistics? Chronicle, and in two consecutive issues of Rolling
Stone magazine, April 1972, entitled Correspondence
Despite the risks of malapropisms, and throat cancer, Art. When the Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street
most of my use of language has been about my album came out with the design using all those
limitations, given that my great-grandfather was a photographs of Robert Frank, along with a series of
newspaper man. He who learned the printers trade postcards, I merely mailed all the postcards to the
in partial apprenticeship with Samuel L. Clemens, list of networkers in the articles, and the response to
on Orion Clemens Hannibal, Missouri newspaper, those got me hooked.
and worked as a reporter for a Quincy, Illinois, paper
covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates in the 1858 How did you arrive at creating Caustic Jelly Posts?
senatorial campaign. Subsequent to the Civil War in
which he fought for the South, along with another Always interested in photography and being poor with
brother, while two other brothers fought for the Union, a house full of kids, the only camera I could afford was
he migrated to Arkansas, where it was said he could a Polaroid Swinger, and even the expense of the lm
spell correctly every word in the English language was a saved-for luxury. The B&W lm for it was 107C.
between bouts of binge drinking. Whereas I am left Dr. Lands lens worked like a lm camera and exposed
to wonder why the sparks between my synapses are the negative upside down and backwards, and the
so broad as to border on dyslexia. He also had the print was a transfer of the negative image
mechanical aptitude to keep his Linotype working when it was pulled through the rollers that spread the
magic developing liquids, which contained Caustic pouring on sugar or salt water on them to accelerate Mail art
Jelly. Polaroid warned to discard them as they could the rust. These eventually lled the oor of the bed.
cause alkaline burns and other injuries. However,
I kept them, and after they dried or cured, I began to All these bricoleur obsessions nally lled the cab,
experiment with silhouettes at rst, but eventually and I began to ll the interior of the missus and mines
stencils, while utilizing the negative image as a guide. courting vehicle, a 50 model 4-door Ford, when it
By cutting away the opposite in the negative and was moved alongside Rust Never Rests by my wifes
turning it over, the back of it was black, thus you had a nephew from his dads property. This use of the site
graphic positive image again. Then you photocopy the as a solitude retreat to ponder the many errors, and
results for reduction to stamp size, compose a sheet, witness the sway and lean of the old house as it
perforate, and Voila! You have Caustic Jelly Post. gradually collapsed, was a reminder of the accelerating
Used as a portrait technique, given the limited area years, and Po White Trash evidence of a stuck position.
of the negative, I had to stop down the aperture, and In 2004, I was invited to a festival, in Sint-Niklaas,
get extremely close to have any detail. The subjects Belgium, due to my involvement in Mail Art. After the
of these in-your-face-blinding-ash collaborative festival, some of the participants journeyed by train to
performances felt that the caustic portion was an the town of Bruges. There, on Easter Sunday, I found
accurate description of the whole process. an ornate key on the window sill of a building facing
a freshly cobbled-stone plaza, and pocketed it in my
A mutual friend told me about an interesting project travel vest with the intention of depositing it in the
of yours involving a Ford and a Chevy. I have been Ford. Later on, in Paris, attempting to enter the Muse
meaning to send keys. Can you explain these projects? DOrsay, the key in my vest set off the security alarm
and I suppose the lady was asking what was in the
Rust Never Rests, and Fill The Ford (Fully) Folly. jacket. When I couldnt nd the key readily in the many
The 1962 model Chevrolet pickup, correlates to my pockets, she became more irate as the line behind
hire year on the railroad, when I purchased it in 1972 us became even longer. Finally, I was able somehow
as a work vehicle. Unfortunately, it was one of those to have her feel the offending object, and determine
Monday morning paint jobs at the GM plant and quickly it was what I said it was, and she waved me through
earned the designation Rust Never Rests since it in obvious frustration with this stupid ugly American.
rapidly turned from baby Blue Monday to various tones Returning home, I had found the perfect project to
of oxidation. When it was about to expire in 1984, Fill The Ford (Fully) Folly, and have a continuous effort
I limped it, on about two cylinders, to its nal resting to keep the mail stream owing by inviting mail artists
place beside our old house where we moved with the to send found or unnecessary metal keys.
intention of xing it up on my wifes country property
another failed project abandoned for a number of Your house was struck by lighting not too long ago,
reasons. True to its name, I began to ll the cab with correct? How much damage was there?
found tortured shards of metal, bent aged spikes,
ancient corroded track bolts, and the nails I seined Yes, our home was struck by lightning early Sunday
from the ashes of the res in our woodstove of lumber morning, November 4, 2012, during a thunderstorm.
scavengered from the dunnage on atcars. I was also The bolt hit a vent pipe that was through an upstairs
picking up short pieces of cut offs from broken rails bedroom closet, igniting the clothes. I tried to battle the
and etching words into them by means of wax resist, blaze with an extinguisher, and soaked blankets while
82 JUXTAPOZ
COLOSSUS OF ROADS
Various mail art and the missus dialed 911. It soon became apparent we had I became more enamored with photography, especially
documentation to get out of the house. I found some trousers and we the work of Robert Frank. Currently, my direction is
went out into the rain. dictated by the early artists stamp inspiration of E.F.
Higgins III, and Guglielmo Achille Cavellini, 1914-2014,
The EMTs and volunteer re department members and his Autostorriccione, or self-historication premise
were showing up, and the EMTs, noticing my breathing that permits each person to document their own
difficulties, talked me into getting in the ambulance unique life. Cavellini died in 1990, but his forecast of
out of the rain so they could administer oxygen. recognition at his centennial is drawing nigh.
When my blood pressure was measured and my
breathing didnt improve, they talked me into going Do you think contemporary museums will eventually
to a nearby emergency room to see a doctor for wake up and catch on to this folk art tradition?
smoke and extinguisher dust inhalation. As you can
imagine, things have been chaotic ever since. The re No!
department extinguished the blaze, but the upstairs
was ruined and the downstairs was inundated by the Do you wish for this to happen, or does it not matter
dousing. Lots of unresolved issues are still outstanding, to you?
but we have moved into another home.
I would love to see Rust Never Rests, and Fill The
What sort of artists inspired you in the past and Ford (Fully) Folly on the ground oor of the Whitney...
currently? but no, it doesnt matter.
86
On the eve of his fth solo show at V1 Gallery in his hometown of
Copenhagen, Denmark, Troels Carlsen is going through changes.
For years he created surreal scenarios of lab monkeys, scientic in detail,
yet abstract enough to elicit some possibly uncomfortable feelings.
Henrik Haven: You do a lot of different things with your work. How would you
describe your art to someone seeing it for the rst time?
Troels Carlsen: I would probably start out just calling myself a gurative painter
who is very much inspired by drawing. I used to draw a lot before I actually got
into painting. I somehow see my painting as drawn paintings, if you can call it that.
I mostly look up vintage antique engravings or anatomical medical charts that I nd
at auctions or ea markets. I buy them, repaint them, and paint on top of the scenery
or the stuff thats going on. I look at illustrations of the muscles, nervous system,
skeleton, or inner organs that you nd on medical charts, and I paint new scenes into
the structure. I have my newly painted scenarios merging with stuff thats already in
the illustration, or often times I just start out with a black hole on the medical chart
and put in my own scenario. These could be anything, like a close-up of human
hands engaged in some kind of activity where only a part of the narrative is revealed.
Thats what I most like to doshow a corner of a whole story, so only a fragment of
the landscape is focused through that hole painted onto that chart.
To the Survivors of an Era I used to do installation work, too. I fabricated life-like of that time! World Wars, revolutions in every country.
When the Whole World monkeys with real fur and glass eyes, and build up To have something that spreads over so many ages is
Was Watching their faces and hands with wax from taxidermists. really interesting. It is incredibly fullling and soulful to
Acrylic and mixed-media
124 cm x 199 cm I would install them in some kind of ctional laboratory work with something like that and I can travel out of the
2013 atmosphere, engaged in clinical tests with rubber tubes traditional art world for a whilenot only create art,
running in their mouths, giving them a lot of peculiar but also touch a piece of history.
things to be engaged in: a cynical, sinister scenario
that describes a bit of what I do as an artist. I nd It is very complicated to work on something thats
different objects, thats what I do, I nd. I do a little bit already really well done, like an old engraving with
of canvas work, but in the long run, I dont nd it very a beautiful motif. It is very challenging to paint up
entertaining. I used to call it the spaghetti Bolognese against such beautiful works, and in a way, you have
of the art world, because to do painting on a regular to try winning over the motif and bring forth your own
canvas is, for me, such a common thing to do. enhancement. I make my one contribution on the paper
and make sure that its the number one scenario.
For several years, I have been lucky enough to follow I like working on top of anatomy charts so the human
you around the studio and see your exhibitions and body can be detailed in a physical sense, with the
career grow. At rst glance, you seem like a classical muscles, nervous system, blood, veins, bones, and the
ne art painter because of your exquisite drawing organs, while ushering a spiritual dimension to
and painting skills, but you rarely paint on canvas. a physical depiction.
Why do you almost always choose to paint on
materials other than a blank canvas, your so-called How has being born and raised in northern Europe,
spaghetti Bolognese? in Copenhagen, Denmark, inuenced your artwork?
I like the commentary and feeling of painting on top I guess it very much inuences my artwork since we
of something that already exists. It is almost like an dont get very long summers. It is very easy to simply
ongoing conversation: somebody says something and sit down in late Autumn and work for the next seven
you add to that. Maybe you are against the argument to eight months straight. Hopefully youll get to spring
that exists on the printed piece, or maybe you just want by the end of May with no disturbances in terms of
to bring in other nuances to the topic. That is what nice weather and sunny beaches calling, luring you
I enjoy the most. to get out and hang out with people. Ive been very
much enjoying that as a work condition. It seems to
I just started to get really bored when it came to regular be something that Ive benetted from a lot when it
canvas painting. I like nding an old anatomy chart comes to discipline.
that is over 200 years old. God, you cant even start
to imagine where the chart has been for the last 200 Obviously, I have been inuenced by European art
years! Just think about whats happened in the span history, especially some of the great painters from
90 JUXTAPOZ
TROELS CARLSEN
Choose a Sorrow Bacon, just a lot of different stuff you pick up. It could I guess. We just took it from there.
Acrylic on Antique Anatomy be an attraction to a certain album cover. I skateboard a
50.6 cm x 35.6 cm
2011
lot and was sponsored in my teens until I broke my leg. My twin brother, Asger, is a New York-based
Those visuals coming from contemporary skateboard photographer. We have been inspiring each other
society at the time also inspired me. The things people a lot along the way. We met skateboard culture,
would write on their grip tape and all of the great got engaged with it, and a new world opened up.
skateboard artists who would illustrate their own work He chose photography, and I started to paint.
really shaped me as well. But I did grow up with a lot of photographers,
and for many years, I was more inspired by them
With you a painter and your brother, Asger Carlsen, more than painters because a photographer has a
an art photographer, would you say you come from mission, not getting lost as much in a private universe.
an artistic and culturally interested family? Theyre more specic about what they want to achieve,
where they want to go and how to approach a project.
I dont know, to be honest. I guess my father is the It is very hard to learn that discipline when youre
fth sibling of a working class family, so he very working in your early twenties. Im very glad to grow
much wanted to move somewhere else. He is a up with the photographers who had to relate to a
jewelry designer and has been selling watches and certain project, turn it into a newspaper, a magazine,
is interested in the designs, ideas, and the creativity or whatever. Later, all those photographers I grew up
that comes with that. And my mother is very creative with turned into art photographers and are spread
in just an everyday sense. So, yeah, that was the all around the world doing great work now.
creative inspiration that we had, which is enough
Every Man Not Every Man Your show, Mute Appeal, is opening at V1 Gallery in you have blood coming out. What Im doing with this
Acrylic on canvas Copenhagen as we speak. Lets talk a bit more about show is bringing it down to a more, not quiet, but a kind
150 cm x 185 cm
2012
your new body of work. For example, I see coherence of subtle silence.
between the non-verbal men on the election posters
speaking through the written statements and the title This show is more about people who do not scream
of the show. Why mute? What is the appeal? And to out loud. A lot of the people in the show have their
whom is it directed, and why is it important that its faces covered, hair coming down, or their heads are
non-verbal instead of actual words spoken out loud? turned sideways. Ive scaled down when it comes to
visual ingredients, and in that sense, its more naked.
Its my fth solo show at V1, and two years since the This is an area Ive wanted to explore. I wanted it to
last show. My work, I wouldnt necessarily call it loud, be less seductive. Is that what you call it? Maybe less
it is denitely very expressive in a way that it has been comfortable to take in, you know what I mean?
inuenced by some of the great topics in art history:
civilized nations clashing with nature, the romantic
spirit of the artist facing society, and the roles the For more information about Troels Carlsen,
individual plays in the realm of the population. So its visit V1Gallery.com and TroelsCarlsen.com
been very demonstrative. I used to do a lot of monkey
projects, paint and draw a lot of monkeys engaged in JUXTAPOZ.COM / TROELS-CARLSEN
really tough laboratory experiments. I wanted to get my
work to a more still atmosphere where you dont get hit
in the face with this very dramatic series of moments,
like a bird being squeezed between human hands and
Troels once stored a taxidermy baboon head in his freezer for ve years.
His next solo show will be in New York City, January 2014.
Angelo Milano: You just heard me farting in the other room. This is how our
interview starts. Are you happy with it?
Who are you, how did you end up in my place and in Italy? What do you do for living,
and is it what you always wanted to do?
I make art projects with the name MOMO. Recently we were daydreaming in a
swimming pool at your cousins and it seemed possible to have some big adventures
and an exhibition, so we did. Now Im here nishing things for the show. Amazingly,
I am able to make a living with work that is exactly what I wanted to do.
Wow, Im amazed by your synthesis! You probably dont know it but I keep referring
to this show as your rst solo show even when we both know its not. Lets say its
the rst time you nailed your ass in the studio for long enough to paint pieces that
can be sold. How does it feel to be the traveler and adventure addict that you are?
Its funny, the studio we found was your towns former jail. But I love it. Two months
painting in Italy? Were in the Medieval district; its epic, and the food is Italian style!
I now want to organize my life with the good months in spring and fall saved for
studio work. I havent yet had the luxury to do this, but it would be great.
Shit, youre getting old! Is oil painting next? Ive always spoken highly about your
intense and extensive globetrotter attitude, which I consider a real luxury. In all your
trips, including the most recent, a reoccurring destination seems to be Jamaica.
Why is that?
As most people know, they have quite a culture all the time, and only a small amount becomes
happening down there in Jamaica. I ended up working something. Practical Geometry is a group of simple
on the island off and on for seven years. Its had a lasting architectural methods that predate math. Masons and
impact on me and the kind of art I create. When people carpenters use these tricks to draft designs of any
ask how I began painting this abstract-looking work, scaleso its perfect for me, and in this way, Im ghting
I always say that Jamaicans inspired me. They have architecture with architecture, see? Its been hard to
an intuitive sense for color and pattern, both for use in locate the details of these tricks. I nally paid someone
public, and as a voice. Since thats where it all began in Canada a bunch of money for his obsessive collection.
for me, we decided to return to Jamaica with this The concentric circles Ive been working with are one of
fantasy painting trip to see if it was like I remember. my adaptations of these. And theres more for drawing
ovals, angles, parallel lines, more than Ill ever get to.
Bumbaclot! Is that why you paint outdoors then,
to have a voice in public? What are you trying to say? Now the concentric lines of different colors mix optically,
How do you think the general public reacts to your and thats cool too. I discovered what is called additive
visual madness? averaging; it is not like mixing paint, but more like pixels
mixing in your eyes with half the light. My tools are the
No, I got into painting outdoors as a little kid doing same as my art, experiments. Ive made or customized
landscapes of trees and mountains and such, and from a lot of my tools over the years. Its very satisfying to
there graffiti looked attractive. But I blew past the nd a way to do just what you want to do.
letters and did artsier things like giant portraits of
unsuspecting elderly subjects whom Id secretly Id like to mention that I sometimes have doubts about
photograph in public squares. In 1999, thats trying to colorful mural paintings, that theyre not rigorously
say something, like old people are cool, and graffiti smart, or more lavish and sensual. But then I think that
should be tolerated. Im so glad Im not saying anything ideally we can have both at once. You cant separate
anymore. I wasnt very good at it. I mean, a voice in the brain from the body. I need good nutrients, exercise
public like a song. And I really dont care if the general and sleep to really come alive and think right, so a
public likes it. Any reaction is interesting, or funny. painting that feels good can still be intelligent.
I live by a square where they play live music the whole It took you too long to answer this one, you got nerdy,
Summer, and it mostly sucks. I hate it and I wonder if but I see why. I was watching some crazy YouTube shit
theres anybody feeling the same about your public in the meantime. Ive seen you getting obsessed with
paintings. I doubt it though, as theyre all very well the smallest and apparently irrelevant things. Are you
composed and forged by great color palettes. Is your aware you have a very selective attention?
speculation and research going somewhere else too?
Tell us about your tools and techniques, and what is Sounds autistic! Details everywhere can be amazing,
it with geometry? and theyre not always small.
I feel like Im sitting on a bunch of fascinating material Im going to let these matches go. How many farts did
1 2 3
10
9 12
11
13
you count from the other room? Going back to curiosity and collaborative works, how do previous spread top
Holland
you relate to that, and how do people get into the mood
2011
Do the burnt ones count? of your work or exchange the mood in one piece?
How do you let people into the process of your work? previous spread bottom
I see obsessive energies happening in your paintings Wynwood Walls
Miami, Florida
too, because what looks natural and organic in your Ive only collaborated with people Im inspired by, 2012
paintings is actually a very long process of calculation so its reasonable to get close enough to see their
and math. Whats the process behind your images? process. Its like this with Eltono. We already share
sensibilities, so when together, we get weird fast
opposite page
Designing these things is not as cool as it should be. and take it farther than we might separately, and this top and bottom
Id like software to do it for me, to visualize and archive doesnt need to t eithers progression or biography. Jamaica
ideas, so we can push it farther. That sounds dorky, 2013
but its going to be great. Im working with a few very Ive seen you painting in very different contexts and
basic shapes and colors and the innite dynamics different surfaces, some with something already
among these. That gets complex because innity on them. Ive seen it in Grottaglie and in Jamaica. next spread
Jamaica
is a lot to manage. For now, Im just guessing blindly, How do you think the authors of those works relate 2013
and its amazing what I nd. to what youve done, especially the guy in Jamaica?
98 JUXTAPOZ
MOMO
That was a real disaster. We had encouragement from I metthe street thing. Its not really important,
locals when we asked to paint a crazy looking wall that the biographical stuff, although sometimes I think
is worked on by a mad man who lives in the eld there. outside is the best. The people there that dont t
He regularly collects paint and adds it to this abandoned the program are the best, and I dont want to forget
property. So I get excited about this potential them or that perspective.
collaboration with a motivated local. But the guy is
impossible to talk to! So we paint anyway, and I do the What other suggestions would you give to the
move where I go under, not over someone, masking thousands of MOMO wannabes?
off his work so my stuff sits behind it. Then I tried to
give him our remaining paint, but it didnt go well. Really? Are there other people?
What do you think about the other things youve Are you kidding? Ive seen many people biting on
done in Jamaica? Do you think the people watching your stuff.
already got over the fact that a foreigner painted
them, and now theyre a part of the place? Then Ive made it! Youre nothing until youre
inuential and in my own lifetime, I didnt expect
Its curious what people think. I think some cultural this. Well kids, get eight hours of sleep, lots of exercise,
differences make the relevance hard to translate both cut your own hair, buy nothing, stay homeless, and read
ways. Theyre more likely to believe everyone is an all you can. Drugs are bullshit and everyone knows it
artist and that self-expression is natural, even the but they dont tell you until youre older. Love probably
rawest spray paint scribble styles. One guy who had isnt real, its like a drug. Sorry.
covered a building this way explained to us that he
needed to buff it all, to do it again exactly the same,
but better. We were embraced everywhere, but it For more information on MOMO, visit MomoShowPalace.com
was casual.
JUXTAPOZ.COM / MOMO
This goes with the legend. They say that youve been
living in a cave or a tent or a camper. Whats that all about?
GROTTAGLIE,
ITALY
Antler Gallery: The process is interesting in that the show developed over an
extended period of time. We wanted to show Morgaines work alongside someone
who would both compliment and contrast her style. Staceys use of vibrant pattern
is reected in Morgaines more ethereal scenes, but the subject matter and
execution is very different. Allisons work offered something very distinctive with her
disgustingly beautiful pieces, adding a darker context to the show as a whole.
Do you often combine artists whose work shows a visible juxtaposition from the other?
Were nding its a ne line to tread. The shows require strands of similarity that clearly
connect the artists visual language. Otherwise it is hard to have a coherent interaction
between the works, especially in a small space like ours. On the other hand, putting
artists together who so clearly have the same style gets boring. Two and three person
shows are a relatively new thing for us, but as curators we enjoy the challenges of
putting them together and have a lot planned for the year ahead.
Its not often that you see a group show of females that isnt called out as such
104 JUXTAPOZ
SHROUDS & SINEW: ANTLER GALLERY
California, which is such a SR: There was never any deciding moment, like the
unique and beautiful place. heavens opening and an almighty light shines down.
My grandmother owns a One time in kindergarten I drew a many-limbed
stretch of land in the mountains leopard and everyone praised me to no end about it.
there, and, as a kid I spent I think that might have been the closest I ever got to
MORGAINE FAYE many weekends getting lost, a dening feeling of So this is how its gonna be
collecting bugs, catching and then I kept at it.
BEYOND THE STORY snakes and crawdads, and
nding bones and other What do you imagine you would have turned to if not
My mother named me after a witch. treasures hidden in the woods. the creative eld?
I am fascinated by mummies. I wasnt totally unsupervised,
I have a bionic leg. but it was denitely a time when AS: Animal husbandry of one sort or another.
I remember feeling very free
and inspired to explore the MF: I always joke that if I wasnt making art I would
landscape and experiment by myself and use want to be a taxidermist or jeweler, or Id want to
opposite page my imagination. host wildlife documentaries. Im really fascinated
Ainsel by the natural sciences, world history, and cultural
by Morgaine Faye
SR: I played alone a lotI was immersed in my own anthropology. I think if I wasnt making art, I should like
Ink, gouche, colored pencil,
and spray paint on wood imagination most of the time. Im really glad I had to work in a museum, or perhaps start a cult.
18" x 24" parents that were pretty hands-off and didnt force me
2012 to join any clubs or sports. I loved making up stories SR: Ive thought that many times, like what kind of
and drawing them out like picture books, and then person would I be if I got a more constructive and
comic books when I got a little older. I was also a huge stable job? What if i went to a real college? I probably
sponge for television. I think since my mother was would have done something in writing, or worse
raised by TV she didnt put too many restrictions on theater. I think Ive always been doomed to do
it for my sister and I. Narrative storytelling has always something creatively fullling. I would probably wilt
been a huge part of how I communicate and its the like a ower and become a huge jerk if I got an office
foundation for all my work today. job and crunched numbers all day.
At what point did you decide to become an artist? How would you describe your work to someone who
Do you remember your rst encounter with art? has never seen it?
AS: Ive always been one, I just needed a little time to AS: I struggle terribly with that. At cocktail parties,
strip off the other bits of me that occluded artist-ness. I usually start with Ah there are dogs and
guts and trail off in the hopes that theyll volunteer
MF: Im not sure about my rst encounter with art something helpful about what I might, in fact, do.
specically. I have been drawing for a very long time,
but I would say that it is only recently that I have felt MF: I would say my work has ethereal, dream-like
comfortable calling myself an artist. I feel that pursuing qualities with dark visceral undertones. I think that
art was more of a natural attraction than a conscious the bright saturated colors and decorative quality of
decision. my work makes it approachable, but ultimately my
ALLISON SOMMERS
BEYOND THE STORY
Im a synaesthete.
I have a medieval history degree.
Im an incorrigible magpie and
trash-picker.
intention is to make people feel a little uncomfortable. is so interesting to me. Its the antedote to my need to Merry Widow
My subjects typically include natural forms in states of splash six different colors on something. by Allison Sommers
Gouache on illustration board
decay, animals, gures, and iconic imagery. 7" x 9.25"
What is your preferred medium? 2013
SR: I do this all the time and it never fails to give me
a tiny heart attack every time. It feels so exposed AS: Gouache, with graphite as a very close second.
telling a stranger about something as personal as your
artwork. Now its my full-time career, I have to talk MF: I love to work with a ton of different media.
about it all the time. Saying I make art, Im an artist When Im making 2D images I generally use pencil,
is the equivalent of saying I smoke weed and take gouache, ink, acrylic, and collage. Experimentation is
improv classes to most people. Now I just explain that a central part of my studio practice, but I expect that
I work in folkloric vignettes that focus on pop culture, my preferred methods will always be changing.
textiles and patternand its all done in watercolor.
SR: Watercolor, always and forever. I feel like I could
What color are you most identifying with right now? use it in my sleep, its second nature.
AS: Always greys grey-green... What direction do you see your work going in?
SR: Greige. A combo of beige and gray. You wouldnt AS: Larger! Ive set aside a few months this year to
think so looking at my work which is so full of eye- do Big Works, or at least Big Ideas. My work has been
numbing color. But that seemingly benign non-shade changing dramatically over the past year or two as
108 JUXTAPOZ
Indee Fixe I have been thinking harder about what it is I want to look like together in the end. Stacey and Allison
by Allison Sommers do with art. both have such unique visions and outstanding work.
Mixed media on paper
41 cm x 31 cm
I wanted my work to present the same strength
2013 MF: Similar to how my mediums are constantly and authenticity.
changing, I see my work doing the same. I think it
evolves and shifts focus as I do, and I always try to SR: Ostensibly no, but the fact we all work in similar
challenge myself when I feel that Im getting stuck in realms of animals and symbolism will help tie them all
my comfort-zone. Id really like to make much larger together, however loosely.
work and try my hand at painting murals...
Do you have any rituals when it comes to making art?
SR: Always forward, never backward. I see it going in What are they?
a range of different mediums now. Im obsessed with
usability: I want my work to be on housewares and AS: I split into two. Theres the artist Allison, and the
textiles, things you can take with you and look at and school bus driver Allison, whos ornery and hollers
get dirty. at me when my attention wanders. SIT DOWN AND
SHUT UP.
Did you consider the work of the other two artists
involved or the title of the show, Shrouds & Sinew, MF: Often my art-making rituals are my morning rituals:
when making or choosing work to exhibit? Coffee rst, put on a record, make a to-do list. I like to
start with a clean space. Ill often do a quick sweep of
MF: I was denitely trying to imagine what it all might my work surfaces before I sit down at my desk. And I
This Can Only always maintain some noise or music playing. SR: Pen and paper, Julius the tuxedo cat, snacks,
End Badly humor and Sam Macon.
by Stacey Rozich SR: I like to look back at all the stuff Ive collected:
2013
books, dusty mascot heads, masks, or even image Vices, indulgences?
links. I like to look at my research materials to help
mold whatever situation I have cooking in my brain. SR: Ritz Bits cheese crackers, sleeping late, air drying
I also became a huge devotee to the Stuff You Should on my bed after a shower while looking at Thai beauty
Know podcasts. Knowledge is power. queens showing off their manicures on Instagram.
What do you listen to while you work and at what volume? MF: Sex, Drugs, Wu Tang Clan.
AS: It varies. I have been trying to limit my word diet AS: Oh, no, of course not. Im pious as a damned saint.
(podcasts etc.) so that my mind can wander a little more
aimlessly. I have been listening to a lot of minimalist
stuff as loudly as I can stand. For more information on Allison Sommers,
visit AllisonSommers.Typepad.com
MF: When Im painting, it has to be something driving
and upbeat like classic soul, or golden age hip-hop. For more information on Morgaine Faye,
Sharon Jones always knows how to put me in the mood. visit MorgaineFaye.com
SR: Podcasts, and NPR. For music, its always changing. For more information on Stacey Rozich,
Junips new album has been on heavy repeat, Frank visit StaceyRozich.com
Ocean, Com Truise, Smog, Fleetwood Mac. Its a varied
group; I have musical ADD. JUXTAPOZ.COM / ALLISON-SOMMERS
JUXTAPOZ.COM / MORGAINE-FAYE
Tell me ve things that you cant live without. JUXTAPOZ.COM / STACEY-ROZICH
PORTLAND,
OREGON
112
JULIE NORD LEAVES TRAILS
OF BREADCRUMBS
THAT WIND THROUGH HER WORK
LITTLE SECRETS AND SYMBOLS
THAT APPEAR TO LEAD TO A DESTINATION,
BUT THEY DONT.
She isolates tense and suspenseful moments,
summoning feelings of unease, and distilling those feelings
into puzzling vignettes, working persistently to leave clues for
which there is no case to solve. If you want to know what
her work is about, youre on your own. The meaning
is up to you and your psyche.
Kristin Farr: You must be thinking a lot about good and evil forces in your work.
Julie Nord: Its pretty much a plague. If Im making something very sweet, Ill have to
make something to contradict it. Or if a picture gets too scary, I have to make a stupid
little bird with a scarf blowing bubbles. Its a little bit like playing chess with yourself. If it
gets too much on one side, I have to do something that moves it toward the other side.
Does living in Copenhagen inuence your work?
Its hard to say. For many years I was traveling through the third world, but more and
more, I think my images have a Scandinavian feel to them. My colors were much stronger
and vivid, but now they are more calm and laid back, and maybe more Scandinavian.
Where have you traveled?
When I was young, I traveled to Africa for a couple of years altogether, and Ive been
to India, Tibet and other places, but mostly Africa.
I noticed the cultural inuence in the pattern of the blob character that often shows
up in your work. Lets talk about the blobs.
Ive been interested in outsider art for many years, and especially compulsive
patterns. In the beginning, I made them as a contrast to these very polished child
images. A lot of my work is very controlled, and its a little bit before people do. They give this nervous Jonas
important to have these slips of something that is out of energy and emotional instability, but theyre rarely the Watercolor, felt-tip pen and
ink on paper
control. It can be ink splotches, big white spaces, or the main characters.
76 cm x 57 cm
blobs of patterns. I dont plan them, I just ow with it. 2012
You get lost when you do it, What are your thoughts on anthropomorphized animals?
and its very hard to leave any space. You have to ll
it up, and its a mesmerizing way of working. It can be I have a weird passion for everything that is really
pretty hard to nd home afterwards because you make absurd and perverted, things like animals driving
these small patterns in your head; and if you sit with carsits pretty mad! I like to put these kinds of animals
them for six or seven hours, you get really weird, but in in a picture where you also see more natural-looking
a nice way. animals, just to have this change in reality, and make
it look somehow normal that theyre standing beside
Tell me about your upcoming show at the each other.
Kunsten Museum.
Lets talk about the identity aspect in your new work.
Its in November, and will be traveling to Copenhagen
afterwards. It has a family album theme. So far, the title Ive been doing family pictures for two years now, and
is Just Like Home, and Im building three rooms where they consist of three things: identity, patterns, and the
the installation part will be quite important. Im trying to empty space or white paper. Its interesting to see what
design some wallpapers and carpets, so you actually it takes to create this feeling of identity. This person
enter my work instead of just looking at it. Im getting may only exist because of their hair and clothes and the
closer to making some sounds for the rooms. I really wallpaper behind them. I like to make the surroundings
want you to be swallowed up by my work. It gets more create the persons character. Its an examination of
and more important for me to drag the viewer into the where identity starts. And in family patterns there is
works instead of having this distance that gallery and also this construction of who you are.
museum walls give.
Do you obscure faces in your work for reasons other
You mentioned the family theme, and I noticed that than leaving things open for interpretation?
recurring words used to describe your work are
childhood, family, identity, and reality. Thats part of it, but also if youve seen photos where
people have scratched the eyes out, or cut someone
Im questioning reality, and Im using pictures that out of the picture, that tells you a storythe mystery of
we normally associate with a safe zone, like pictures disappearing people. Identity is not a very steady thing,
from childhood and family, Romantic era childrens so thats why its funny to play with some nely drawn
book illustrations and cute animals. Thats my base. faces together with faces that dont exist, or faces that
Of course, theyre also playing with the whole aspect are just blobs.
of innocense, and theres always a blur between reality
and illusion. Sometimes these children are not so What are some weird aspects of families that
innocent, so theres always some insecurity involved. interest you?
Do animals play specic roles in the pictures? I think everybody has known the feeling of being in a
familyespecially when youre young or a teenager
In one work, an animal can be very cute and and feeling totally out of it, like youre from a different
comforting. And in another one, it gives you this feeling planet, or they are. Youre supposed to have things in
of impending doom, like something is about to happen, common with them, but it just seems like an illusion.
because animals are supposed to feel these things To make it simple, I guess its based on that feeling
114 JUXTAPOZ
of strangeness and identity confusion, which is very as it is to put down all the meanings and gures. Siblings
strong when youre a teenager, but still follows all of us. Watercolor, felt-tip pen and
ink on paper
With my newer work, I needed to nd a simpler frame. Lets talk more about your intricate patterns.
57 cm x 76 cm
I got tired of all the storytelling and different elements, 2013
so I tried to narrow it down to just identity, patterns, Im very interested in wallpapers from history, and our
and empty space to see how I could explore my theme concrete need for patterns. In a philosophical way,
in a more simple way, and dig a bit deeper. we put things in order and create repetitions, enforcing
ourselves in patterns and routines all the time as a way
It seems like you became more focused on empty to have a xed identity.
space in the last couple of years.
Some people approach timelessness by non-referential,
Its coming back a bit now, in the faces. Its so nice to but you do it by combining references from so many
leave the face open with no eyes and mouth. For a different eras.
while, the empty spaces were overridden by the blobs,
which are somehow the same as blank space because Its also because I think patterns are like music.
there is no narration or certain meaning. For instance, my grandmother had certain wallpaper,
and Im sure if I entered a room with the same
Im so fascinated by our need to nd meaning and wallpaper, I could almost be able to smell the food
understand things. Im interested in creating a new she made. Patterns are full of emotion in a very
confusion, and I think the empty space is the base subconscious way, just like sounds, music, and smells.
from where all these stories and meanings are derived. Maybe you dont remember how a certain shirt looked,
Its just as important to leave the white space open, but the pattern is stuck inside you somehow. If you see
116 JUXTAPOZ
above patterns from the Romantic era, it imparts a feeling of but it gets sort of voyeuristic. I get to know them, and
Fever innocence and the good old times, even if you werent I spend maybe two weeks with this person, and they
Watercolour and felt-tip pen
there. It goes into your brain without you really noticing somehow come to life, even though I dont know them
on paper.
115 cm x 185 cm what its doing. like my own family. But, of course, I put myself into it.
2010 Every so often the faces look like me even though
Are you working from photographs with your I dont want them to. I like that I dont know them.
a golden retriever, and a mother and father in a nice because they seem old fashioned and nostalgic,
houseand you just know its going to fall apart. In and a helicopter makes some kind of disturbance
horror movies, its always evil that pulls things apart because it really doesnt belong, and it obscures things
thats how we see it. If you have a steady system or a bit. Then maybe a few years later, Ill put it in a shirt
pattern that actually works, then it must be evil. pattern, so its like a little recurring friend. There are
always these little parts where you know a needle or
Im very interested in the building up of suspense: a match is going to be really important later on in the
how a window or a cat can be made to seem really story. A secret is a good word for it. They have to have
spooky or scary. I think these small things in horror this meaning that youre trying to nd, especially if you
movies that make you fear something is going to go into a big exhibition, and you see these symbols
happen are really intriguing. Im never interested used in different works in different ways.
in the end when the monster is actually coming,
but the whole buildup part is really inspiring. But then theres nothing to gure out.
Theres a certain amount of humor that plays with
your expectations of good and evil. No. Theres no ending or solution. There are just a
lot of clues. This Rorschach thing is really important
Do you think about nightmares when youre working? for me. You feel like there has to be some meaning,
and you really want to nd it. I get a lot of emails from
Yes, in the sense of how reality starts to melt or break people who have been reading different things into my
down. Thats always a nightmarish feeling because you work because it feels just like their lives, or something
cant control it. That aspect fascinates me, if I totally theyve been doing. Its really important for me that the
understand the work Ive done, then its not working; work is open to interpretation. And at the same time,
its not good. If its not disturbing me a little bit and there are all these clues, so you feel you have to nd
keeping me wondering, then its just not fullled. out what its about. But its not anything targeted.
I think thats what nightmares and dreams are like. Its really up to you.
You dont really understand them, and the narration
is always abrupt and changing very quickly.
For more information about Julie Nord, visit JulieNord.dk
In your earlier work, the compositions were really full,
and you seemed to use a lot of symbols or secrets. JUXTAPOZ.COM / JULIE-NORD
Through the years, Ive been building a whole toolbox
of gures, and maybe by chance, they have shown up
in one work or another. For instance, a helicopter has
been used quite a lot. In some of the works, its odd
CODY HUDSON
A CITY GUIDE TO CHICAGO
122 JUXTAPOZ
FOOD
Lula Caf
Ive been eating here for years and always enjoy
the food, art and people in the space. They have
an amazing painting of Camron wearing a pink
fur coat by Alex Cohen up now and the Monday
Farm dinners are as great as that is.
Hot Dougs
I could give a shit about a deep-dish pizza, but
its hard to talk Chicago without talking Hot
Dogs. There are a lot of classic spots in every
neighborhood but I tend to hit up Hot Dougs when
I can. People go for the specialty sausages like
rattlesnake and Foie gras but I usually stick to the
classics: Char Dog with everything but no onions.
ART
A lot of people go to school here and leave for better pastures but Im originally Other spaces I like to visit:
from one hour north in Kenosha, WI. I am a Midwesterner at heart and my Document
daughter Birdie was born here, so I think Ill end up staying here for the long Western Exhibitions
haul. Ive been showing work with Andrew Rafacz Gallery in the West Loop Kavi Gupta
for almost ten years. We have a show of new drawings opening July 27, Volume Gallery
titled Some Times I Feel Like Shit. Paris London Hong Kong
Roots and Culture
The MCA has been putting on some great shows recently including Paul Devening Projects + Editions
Cowan, Jason Lazarus, Rashid Johnson and Scott Reeder. And Chicago has a The Marsheld Project
top left
number of interesting Public Art piecesCalders Flamingo from 1974 and Jean
Flamingo
Dubuffets Monument with Standing Beast are some good ones to start with. by Alexander Calder
AROUND TOWN
Sometimes you need to end a hectic week with a good haircut and
a straight razor shave. The spot I always go to is Joes Barbershop.
In business since 1968, the father/son team of Joe Caccavella
Sr. and Jr. will give you a good cut and share some good stories
(and maybe some barber shop wine if you are lucky). If a razor
scrapping up against your face isnt enough to wake you up,
you can head down to Great Lakes Tattoo where the Nick Colella,
Mario Desa and crew will work some classic no nonsense ink into
your skin.
JUXTAPOZ.COM / CODY-HUDSON
124 JUXTAPOZ
BEAUTIFUL BITS
THE LAST OF US
IT HURTS TO JUST CALL THIS A GAME
126 JUXTAPOZ
REVIEWS
BOOKS
TITLES JUXTAPOZ IS READING NOW
128 JUXTAPOZ
EVENT
THE RECENT EMERGENCE of Hong those murals sustains the creative juices Buff Diss, French-born, Hong Kong-based,
Kong as an art capital was in the forecast, as in the city long after the fair leaves. Charles Munka, and Shenzen, and Chinas
the shift and focus of the worlds economic IDT Crew all took
130 JUXTAPOZ
above and left
IDT CREW
took to the emerging
and trendy
neighborhood of
Sheung Wan
Just to the left, ferries were docking, and further such as Wall to Wall allow that creative spark to stoke All photography by
back, freighters were passing. The contrast between an urban center for the 51 weeks of the year that dont Jonathan Leijonhufvud
Courtesy of Converse
the bustling harbor and the dead ship was ideal. see a major burst of art tourism. We saw this system
What I liked was that lots of people stopped and thrive in Miami, and it looks like Hong Kong is ready
touched the piece as it went up. I really appreciated to carry the torch.
that directnessthe tape lends itself to it.
For more information, visit ArtBasel.com/Hong-Kong
This magazine has long championed public art as an
active ingredient in art fair programs, such as murals JUXTAPOZ.COM / HONG-KONG
or other outdoor projects, that interact and include
residents of the city. As more and more fairs benet
from the patronage of both locals and guests, projects
132 JUXTAPOZ
STYLE
AUGUST 2013
SUMMER PRODUCTS
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134 JUXTAPOZ
AGENDASHOW.COM
SIEBEN ON LIFE
LAST MONTH, my buddy Brian Willey so direct, physical interaction would work is elicit a reaction, positive or negative,
asked me if Id consider displaying a be not be an option. Or at least thats what from somebody. The worst-case scenario
sculpture in the front window of Okay we thought. is that absolutely nobody gives a shit about
Mountaina gallery I co-own in Austin, TX. your output. Given that, Id say that Joel and
Brian and his business partner, Thao Votang, Ross and Creps sculptures play with Jason knocked a fuckin home run with their
run an art space (also in Austin) called Tiny language and construct environments in torture sculpture. I love imagining how mad
Park. They were preparing to install a show which the viewer experiences the pieces (and most likely drunk) the person was who
of work by Joel Ross and Jason Creps and based upon their own personal history. threw the brick through our front window.
Much of the work Trust me, Ive felt that anger. Although its
136 JUXTAPOZ
standard
issue
Did you ever want your
art, band, or logo
plastered on a hoodie
with built-in heaphones?
The standard issue is a
completely screenprint
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fidelity sound.
screen
it!
POP LIFE
4 5 6
3
7 8 9
1 A lady to be reckoned with at Art Basel 3 Charles Munka 8 New Image Art Gallerys Marsea Goldberg
Hong in the Mondecor Jakarta Gallery booth 4 Buff Diss with Neck Face
2 Juxtapoz editor Evan Pricco, with Converse 5 Alex Hornest 9 Chad Muska at his Transitions opening at
Asias Vivian Chen, Wall to Wall producer 6 and the IDT Crew in Hong Kong New Image Art, LA
Philip Rodgers, Converse Asias Sherry 7 Pedro Matos at his opening in Los Angeles
Wan, and Converses Adam Cohn with Martha Otero Gallery
138 JUXTAPOZ
POP LIFE
2 3
6 7
5
4
1 Hannah Stouffer and Jesse Figueroa 3 ESPN producer and lmmaker, 7 Matt Furie, Aiyana Udesen and friends
at the Jux x Standard celebration for Steve Lawrence 8 Thank You X working with Juxtapoz to
Stouffers mural at the Standard Downtown 4 Shark Toof and Nima Navabi wrap this Lexus at the GoogaMooga NYC
in Los Angeles 5 Donny Miller and Juxtapoz in Brooklyn
2 Dave Frey and Madsteez David Sypniewski 9 Oliver Vernon and wife Anita at his solo
6 The celebration show with Joshua Liner Gallery, NYC
140 JUXTAPOZ
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