“Meet Me at the Center of the Earth”
Fowler Museum-Los Angeles, CA
01/10-05/30

Experience the largest presentation of work by Chicago-based artist Nick Cave, featuring thirty-five of his Soundsuits—multi-layered, mixed-media sculptures named for the sounds made when the “suits” are worn. Reminiscent of African, Caribbean and other ceremonial ensembles as well as of haute couture, Cave’s work explores issues of transformation, ritual, myth and identity. →

Today’s Dish / Yesterday’s Spam
Political Opinion

Two weeks ago, Canadian authorities were notified by an Xbox live gamer in British Columbia that one of his Modern Warfare 2 teammates had threatened to gun down classmates at his high school. According to Kotaku, the teen had planned to obtain weapons “from a friend in the Marine Corps,” claimed he would shoot a pregnant classmate and his best friend, and “make the headlines so that people would remember him forever.” →

Back in the day, we had musical family outfits like the rockin’ Everly Brothers or the soul-slamming superstars, Jackson Five. Our current generation can now look forward to listening to precious folk newcomers, Ortolan, where their ties provide an endearing experience and equally appeal to the auditory sensations. This set of New Jersey sisters bring pleasant melodies that uplift any melancholic day. Read what the songbirds had to share with Evil Monito. →

Dutch engineer/designer/philosopher Theo Jansen provides a new world of possibilities. A place where machines openly “live” within nature and contribute their presence to an existing ecosystem.

Photo by Helen Valleau

MillionYoung makes cheerful, sunny music that combines Beach Boys harmonies à la Panda Bear and chilled-out synths like those popularized by fellow east-coasters Memory Tapes and Washed Out. Hailing from Ft. Lauderdale, Mike Diaz is beatmaker and vocalist of his one-act project. He’s set to tour with Washed Out and Pictureplane at the Mercury Lounge in New York →

Guru aka Keith Elam, one-half of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, is reportedly in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest. He is currently in a coma and awaiting surgery at a New York hospital. Guru and DJ Premier formed one of hip-hop’s most enduring groups, mixing intelligent rhymes with jazz-sample beats. Together, they released six critically acclaimed records →

The Armory Show
Pier 94 – New York City
3/3 to 3/7/10

In 2000, artist Jeremy Blake made a promising a debut at the Whitney Biennial and became famous for his digital video art combining representational and abstract imagery. His visual narratives tackled topics as divergent as Hollywood culture, reality television and the Winchester Mystery House. Combining painting, photography, found objects and film, Blake created digital C-prints that became source images for his video art. He collaborated with Paul Thomas Anderson to create abstract hallucination scenes in Punch Drunk Love (2002) and with Beck to produce artwork and video for the album Sea Change (2002). →

How Many Billboards? Art In Stead
The Schindler House – West Hollywood, CA
February through March 2010

The MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House is pleased to announce its most ambitious project to date: How Many Billboards? Art In Stead. This large-scale urban exhibition debuts 21 new works by leading contemporary artists, presented simultaneously on billboards throughout Los Angeles during February and March 2010. →

Harmony & Me
The Cinefamily – Los Angeles, CA
3/23/10

“The most creative works of art often come from heartache. In a way, that’s all we can hope for and from Harmony, a sullen young lyricist, as he pines for a woman who broke his heart with seemingly little remorse. Harmony finds solace in song, yet fails to find compassion from those around him: pathetic friends who drive minivans convince him that love is a vaguely pedophilic letdown, and self-serving coworkers show him that life is generally sadistic. Meanwhile, chewy frozen chocolate serves as a reminder that at times everything can be too grievous to handle. →

The Local Boy
Culture Opinion

I’m blessed with a job that affords me the opportunity to see in-person the people we gawk at on TV.  Some I see randomly, others are consistent visitors.  It’s nothing worth name-dropping; I don’t delude myself–it’s not like they came to see me–I’m just the lucky bystander who happened to cross their path.  I chat with them, show them the collections, bring them pieces, and do my best to not look awkward while I stand by and watch them browse obliviously through the store.  It’s not much, but I still feel lucky.  Those moments are still a world more than most will ever get to experience. →