Monday, April 27, 2009

Piotr Lakomy 'Shapes'

Piotr Lakomy, aka king of Pirogi, just sent me images of his dope looking show in Poland - 'Shapes'...Piotr is a DUDE and if you are in Poland, like what you see - go check out the show! Nice one Piotr

"Shapes"
Piotr Łakomy
23.04 - 10.05 2009
vernissage 23.04 2009, thursday 6 PM

Galeria BWA
al.Niepodległośći 19
65-048 Zielona Góra
Poland



HOLY SHIT!

OK OK i fucking LOVE it when i see people that i love taking their shit to the next level...and i blew my wad when i saw the new Stick It zines...7" record sleeve sized zines of Mike Swaney and Merjin Hos...two of my mates dropping some serious printed HEAT...Serious...i know i fucking hyperbole everything on here, but these need to be bought if you got working eyes...i mean come on, two of Europes hottest making beautiful books...what more do you want (perhaps my Stick It zine too?)...COP THEM HERE UPDATE looks like you cant get the Merjin Hos on Stick It (Sold out?)...





Zine Round Up

Heres some zines ive been lucky enough to be sent even though i havent blogged in fucking ages...thats a bad lesson for life - do fuck all and get rewarded!!!

1. 'Hollow girls' by Lonny

Pinkyvision press 001... the first output from Brighton based Pinkyvision press...and yes, if you havent guessed it already, its run by the papercut wizard and Hull legend Pinky (winner of coolest hair three years in a row...)...but this isn't his own artwork, but a collection of fantastic prose by his awesome Wife, Lonny.
Now, i'll be honest here, I have never been a fan of poetry. I studied A level English Literature, so i like my words, but with poetry i just dont get it, we dont get on...like dogshit on velour, we aint bed buddies...I've tried, but i can never enjoy or understand poetry...however, this collection of poems is worlds away from most poetry ive been exposed too - its honest, down to earth (i.e not pretentious and easy to read), funny, warm, brutally honest and also reads like lyrics to the best punk album never recorded. This is the kind of poetry i wanna read more of...rather than pretentious musings about a fig leaf on an ocean or some bullshit, its really involving, sweet and generally awesome...this is the kind of shit they should make kids in school read to get into poetry, not some commie bastard.
Sorry if i sound like a poetry hater, but i guess i am a little, but this zine definatly turned me round and got me loving the poetry in this zine...wow, well done Lonnie! more please!
PS with this and the Serps latest release, its awesome that the self publishing world is turning to the written word...



2. Dave the Chimp 'Celebrity Poetry', 'Lives of the Painters in prose' & 'Love Bites'

When Dave is not destroying fotolog haters, skating round berlin or doing this or this, he also does awesome comic strips - as often seen in the always essential free Stool Pigeon.
Recently he sent me some of his hilarious comics which he casually knocks out - which always KOs me...the amount of one liners he comes up with, and puts out is staggering...as ever funny, inventive and awesome.






Friday, April 24, 2009

Run Jarvis Run

Regular updates to come....

Onwards from akqa on Vimeo.

Monday, April 6, 2009

'Nobody told me there would be days like these' by Amanda Maxwell

The one thing I love about the Serps press is that it always surprises me…but at the same time, it doesn’t. Everything they’ve dropped so far always surprises me in regards to subject matter – from homemade tattoos to up & coming Australian photography, and now short stories… the common thread running through all the titles is greatness.
When I first saw that 'Nobody...' was released by the Serps I really didn’t know what to expect – I mean, from photo books to literature? A bold move, but also a great one…but what was it like? What is it about? Who is this author and what is her writing style? I had no idea what to expect, but I was curious as fuck, and after all, if its got a Serps logo, its got a seal of quality…
For those who don’t know first hand about self publishing a zine, book or curating an exhibition, its not often about money making, but about a great amount of passion and belief in certain works, and the feeling of duty to release something great to the world at large….and with this rattling round my head, I was wondering what ol’ Thomas Jeppe (captain of SS Serps) was playing at with this release – I mean, what was it about this author and these stories that motivated him enough to put it out? Well the only way to find out was to read the damn thing…and that’s exactly what I did.

I finished it, start to finish on one train journey.

Usually if you finish something quickly you feel cheated - like watching a gig of four songs, or paying £45 for an xbox game, only to clock it in three hours…but this is one of those rare exceptions…I finished this book so quickly, that it was a testament to the zeal and enjoyment I had tearing through these pages…loving each story, each character and situation…I was tearing through it like a vegetarian ripping into a Bacon sandwich after years on the Vegetarian life…I actually became the shitty cliché seen on most book covers - ‘so good I couldn’t put it down!’. I fell in love with this book, and have passed it round to friends, who have loved it as much as me, and also read it in one sitting…a good sign!

But what the hell is it?

Well to put it in basic terms – it’s a collection of 15 short stories, about growing up, unrequited love and disappointment. These tales are written in a style that is like having these stories told to you by a great friend, after having a few beers in a pub, and like all the best pub conversations or jokes, you only need the briefest lines of info to get you hooked.

Acid Wash jeans, Surfing, Fish & Chips, Cat Power, Booze, Parties, tree house fumblings, switchblade stabbings, the word ‘Douche’, grey days at a beach, bullying, lesbian tendancies, shitty mattresses, heart attacks, unrequited love, the feeling that the best of life has passed you by…if these words or situations sound familiar or interesting to you, then get this book. If you want to read stories that are honest, funny, sad, raw, addictive, carefree - then get this book. If you want to read a book so true and lifelike, that you scratch your head in disbelief that these are apparently fiction, then get this book. If you want to read a book to fall in love with, then get this book.

Serps gone done it again

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Patrick Griffin

Patrick Griffin, is one of my favorite artists in the contemporary New York art scene. From unleashing chrome on the streets of the big apple, creating large scale replicas of vintage enamel badges through to documenting life through a lens and making zines, he is the kind of creative jack of all trades that i like and admire...no one trick pony bullshit stopping at this station.
Recently I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of his latest zine 'You may be sweet and nice but that wont keep you warm at night' and a copy of Frenemies 3.
'You may be sweet...' is a large a4 sized photocopied collection of photographs, occasionally buffed out by technicolor post it notes (a nice new trick in the zine world)...and the images inside contrast the obviously fake models pearly white smile on the cover - these photos, are at times optimistic, but they are also sad and lonely...as well as fun and real..basic elements that make up living in the modern city (be it NY or London...or Paris or Barcelona etc)...all in all good shit as usual from Mr Griffin!
Frenemies 3, his earlier zine, is the same deal - a collection of his street level life photographs...but all the time these images fresh and exciting...yeah we've seen drugs and dead animals before...but when somethings done well, its still good.
If you can get your hands on these zines, i cant reccommend these highly enough...i love personal views into peoples lives, for the good times and the bad..and if you too like life too without photoshop or regards for morals of a polite society...then get these!!! and if you cant get these, then get over to tiny vices asap and get his book...remember his name, you'll be hearing a lot more soon as he blows up





Oh the horror...Erosie

The ridiculously talented Erosie has dropped a great show in Grenoble for Sixpack...check his blog for more

Naive painting by Anatole Jakovsky

Picked this little gem of a book up the other day from a second hand bookshop, and i thought i'd share a few of the works from within with you here...dont forget, if you ever have any cool books you've found that you would like to show to the world - email me! (ledilly@gmail.com)


Is that a Chris Johanson next? No....!


Marcus Oakley

Marcus Oakley has started a new blog to show images that he likes or is influenced by...check it here!


and as a bonus he has put me onto this site of Wendy Carlos...queen of electronics!


THERE IS STILL COPIES OF THE DILLY ZINE OF MARCUS OAKLEY SKETCHBOOKS AVAILABLE

Exhibitions to catch...

French



Jim Lambie at Sadie Coles


Group show featuring Marcus Oakley and Chrissie Abbott


PicaPica


Viagrafik

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

WHA' GWAN?

APOLOGIES FOR THE SOUND OF SILENCE ON THIS BLOG (IS THAT A TUMBLEWEED BLOWING PAST?)...THIS BLOG AINT DEAD!!!!
THE REASON FOR LACK OF UPDATES IS BECAUSE IM HAVING STUPID STUPID STUPID FIGHTS WITH MY INTERNET PROVIDER...SO NORMAL SERVICE SHOULD RESUME AS SOON AS I REMOVE MY FOOT FROM SOMEONES ARSE!
SO SORRY IF YOU EMAILED ME / SENT ME SOMETHING - THEY WILL ALL BE FEATURED AS SOON AS I CAN!
PS THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE!