Images From the Natural History Museum Of Los Angeles’ “Bug Fair ” last weekend. There’s some shots of the bugs and some shots of the museums oldies but goodies, like the gem collection and the Megamouth shark.
Natural History Museum Of Los Angeles County
This was painted on the Karmaloop booth during the cable channel convention in Downtown LA. I didn’t know what to expect walking in, thinking it was just some random convention. To my surprise, it was all the media giants crammed into one room.
Of course the most ominous presence at the show were my very good friends at Fox News with a massive booth in the center. I Immediately got butterflies in my stomach. There they were, the mind numbing media leviathans who had falsely accused me for desecrating the American Flag. In my fantasy I would have blasted the booth and everyone in it with a fire extinguisher full of paint, but I came to my senses and used this opportunity to paint the flag again.
Apparently the people at Fox sent their cronies to photograph my piece. Who knows if any one really gives a fuck, but as for myself, it was nice to use my artistic freedom to rub one in their face within spitting distance.
Shepard came the next day and rocked the wall with his team. Karmaloop is going to have some big things unfolding soon on cable TV so keep your eyes out.
“Rebels, Communists, CIA agents, and the legacy of a never ending “Secret War” all played their part in KC Ortiz’s photo reportage on the remaining Hmong in the jungles of Laos, which opens at Known Gallery on May 22nd.
For three weeks in December 2009 and January 2010, Ortiz lived with the jungle Hmong in order to document their plight and living conditions. Over a year of planning, secret meetings, and a clandestine entry into Laos brought him to the Hmong rebels and a world unseen by outsiders.
Ortiz’s photos document the remaining Hmong in the mountainous jungles of Laos. The Hmong live a life constantly on the run from the Laos Peoples Army (LPA) and Vietnamese forces, systematically targeted for having served for the CIA during the Vietnam War. During that time they went where no American or ally could be, behind enemy lines in Laos, in what is referred to as the “Secret War”. Their missions varied from rescuing downed American pilots to fighting off the North Vietnamese soldiers. Recognized as some of the world’s greatest guerilla fighters, they served their American bosses, the CIA, with bravery and honor.
Unfortunately for the Hmong, changing political climates caused the US to pull out of the region, leaving them behind in an extremely hostile environment. Since that day, the Hmong have continued to fight for their survival against incredible odds. Thirty five years after the fall of Saigon, the Hmong still remain fighting the remnants of that long ago war, and live a life far forgotten by most in the world. Ortiz’s work also invariably explores American foreign policy and questions the role and potential outcome of current allies in America’s modern war fronts. Will history repeat itself? Will the United States abandon her current allies? Will others be left to the same doom the Hmong have faced?
The Hmong’s struggle, desperation, daily lives, and ongoing fight were captured by Ortiz and will be shown under the title “Forced Rebellion” at Known Gallery. Ortiz’s photos from his time in the jungle of Laos have been published in numerous international publications, including The Independent and A-Magasinet.
KC Ortiz is a photojournalist based out of his hometown, Chicago. His work focuses on under-reported issues and over looked people and has taken him to all corners of the globe in pursuit of his work.”
Lord of the streets SABER ONE releases
PEPPER’S WORLD (pepper is the unofficial mayor of skid row L.A.)
*Size 29.5″ x 38.5″ (78cm x 98cm)
*68 Regular Edition,
*18 Hand-Painted Separations, 28 Colors, 4 Split-Fountains (1 of which is 6 colors), 1 Reductive Stencil and a Gloss spot-varnish.
*Each print is hand-titled “Pepper’s World” and signed by Saber.
**Interest in the HPM’s, use contact@saberone.com
$300.00
awesome interview SABER interview here
Finally there is media coverage on how the city has been pushing to eradicate murals. It’s very sad for me to watch the city turn beige, when we was once known as “The Mural Capital Of America“.
More Interesting Links On Los Angeles’ History Of The Suppression Of Art:
UPDATE!!! The books on officially on the cargo ships and on their way here. We will keep everyone posted.
Known as one of the best graffiti writers of all-time, SABER can also be described as a pioneer, legend, hero, Guinness World Records holder, and activist. Most of all though, he is an artist. An artist in the true sense of the word. One with keen and insightful observations and expressions of the world he lives in, the beauty that surrounds him, and the injustices that affect him. He has dedicated his entire adult life to the work he believes in, often at great risk to himself and his body.
Underneath his prolific throw-ups, burners, and tags lies someone who is just as capable with the paint brush as he is the spray can. He has proven to be able to masterfully create on a wall, canvas, or with wood or metal. SABER has shown at renowned galleries and has traveled throughout the world, blessing walls from Los Angeles and San Francisco to New York to Korea. He is also extremely thoughtful and well-spoken and the following is an interview A.M. was lucky enough to conduct with the artist.
