On November 3rd, at Gagosian Gallery from 7-to-10PM, we’re excited to present the book launch of “Milk and Honey: Contemporary Art in California”. Created by designer and THIS los angeles co-owner Justin Van Hoy, and published by AMMO Books, “Milk and Honey” highlights new works by contemporary artists who are aesthetically and regionally joined through a variety of mediums and demographics. By showcasing unknown and emerging artists alongside established icons who all call California home, “Milk and Honey” recognizes the fact that region and lifestyle directly influence the working process and ultimately the state of contemporary imagery.

In the same spirit as Roger Gastman, Aaron Rose, and Jeffrey Deitch’s recent seminal MOCA show: Art In The Streets, “Milk and Honey” celebrates a group of contemporary artists with roots across various areas, including graffiti art, surf, and skate culture, and other uniquely Californian influences. As is evident in that highly acclaimed museum show— California affects trends and sets the stage nationally and internationally, for some of the most creative art being made in the world today.

Artists include: Ed Ruscha, Cali Thornhill De Witt, Erin Garcia, Chris Burden, Dan Monick, Hassan Rahim, Joey Gallagher, Jared Eberhardt, Steven Harrington, Chris Duncan, Rj Shaughnessy, Pearl C. Hsiung, Harper Smith, Richard Colman, Emily Shur, Christopher Bettig, Barry McGee, Shelley Leopold, Aaron Farley, Sage Vaughn, Ye Rin Mok, Megan Whitmarsh, Florencio Zavala, Mel Kadel, Kevin Earl Taylor, Robert Therrien, Ashley Snow Macomber, Andrew Schoultz, Lucy Rose, Kelsey Brookes, G. Lewis Heslet, Ben Venom, Retna, Greg Bojorquez, Piero Golia, Lana Kim, Travis Millard, Justin Krietemeyer, Aaron Ruell, Ed Templeton, Souther Salazar, Pm Tenore, West One, Bill McRight, Joel Morrisson, Cleon Peterson, Day 19, Damon Way, Six Stair, MFG, Curtis Buchanan & Jon Rajkovich.

Justin Van Hoy is a designer, artist, and curator based in Los Angeles, California. Justin’s studio, The Dutch Press, creates original graphics, design, and branding for innovative entities such as RVCA, R77, OBEY Giant, Falcon Motorcycles, and Gagosian Gallery. Justin is also a co-founder of THIS los angeles, an art gallery in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. THIS hosts group and solo shows, and fosters a creative outlet for a wide network of innovative artists, friends, and family, as well as the community at large.

On Friday, February 4th, THIS Los Angeles celebrated its one-year anniversary with an opening night party for the 2nd annual ‘THESE FRIENDS’ group show. Featuring the works of more than 113 contributing artists, the show brought together roughly 600 friends, fans and art aficionados for a night of shoulder-to-shoulder gawking, slippery BBQ, Phucket beer, sketchy tunes, and weirdly delicious Box Water. From beginning to end, the gallery was packed with more laughter, disbelief, and overcrowded chaos that you can rightly imagine. Was it a good time? View our Flickr set of the show how much of a good time.

For the event we again made 100 limited edition tote bags, (five of which we’re giving away via this here events blog today). The totes will go to the first five people to correctly spell the slang name of the decade we’re currently living in. Hint. Leave a comment on this blog post to enter.

Good luck!

PS. To the guy who stole the one-of-a-kind Polaroid of Dennis Hopper, please return it. THIS la is a community-supported art space. You likely attended the opening because you had friends with work in the show. On a scale of 1-to-10, stealing from your friends rates pretty lame. Thank you.

On July 16th we launched our first collaboration with THIS Gallery Los Angeles. Located in the Highland Park neighborhood of East LA, THIS provides a showcase for established artists and emerging talent working in the fields of visual art, music and writing.

For our first project together we created 100 limited edition screen printed totes featuring the work of exhibiting illustrator John Hill, Jr. Available opening night only, the free totes went fast. Why? Because art is exciting! Especially art you can use to carry stuff. If you’re in the neighborhood, maybe stop in and have a look around.

Good friends, great gallery. We hope to see you at an opening night event soon.

Today, we’re excited to announce our new partnership with THIS Los Angeles. From now until reality melts into the Pacific, Incase & THIS will be teaming up to create one of a kind hand-screened tote bags commemorating each of the gallery’s opening night events. Screened in limited editions of 100, these totes are made of natural 10 oz cotton canvas and are big enough to fit AT LEAST twenty of your favorite records. Think— nice, comfy, and fun. These jammers will be available free at every opening night to the first 100 art lovers/gallery lurkers to skip through the door.

So what is THIS Los Angeles? Located in Highland Park, THIS is owned and operated by six of our friends, (photographers Dan Monick, Aaron Farley, and Claire & Jeremy Weiss of Day 19 and graphic designers Justin Van Hoy and Luis Farfan). THIS functions as an art gallery, photography studio, production house, and makeshift live performance venue for the LA-based collective and their fellow artists from around the world.

Since the gallery’s launch earlier this spring, opening nights at THIS have fast become the most eagerly anticipated arts event in town, routinely bringing together hundreds of friends and artists. Here, established artists and emerging new talents, as well as musicians, skateboarders, photographers, punkers, lurkers, townies, newbies, writers, and filmmakers all come together to exchange ideas and revel in the spirit of a true and tangible arts community. (And the taco truck outside serves up the best grease bombs in town). We believe THIS Los Angeles has goodwill worth supporting, sharing and celebrating. Please join Incase & THIS on July 16th for opening night of the solo exhibit by artist John Hill, Jr.

THIS Gallery Los Angeles & Incase Present:
“Drawn” a solo exhibit by artist John Hill, Jr.
Opening Night: Friday, July 16, 2010
7PM-10PM
5906 N. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
*free opening night tote bags!

As a means of bringing our collective creative pursuits into an experiential environment, Arkitip and Incase have partnered to open Project Space, a unique setting for exhibitions, performances and installations. Along with original artwork, Project Space will support a limited range of curated products that will rotate based on availability. This will include all special project endeavors from each brand. Project Space stays true to Arkitip’s founding principles: supporting the arts, promoting freedom of expression and making art affordable and accessible.

We are proud to announce our first exhibition at Project Space with Parra.

32-year-old Dutch illustrator and designer Parra has decorated the Amsterdam underground with his playful, bizarre graphics that span a broad base of themes, from introspective to audacious and bawdy. The mostly self-taught artist seems to channel a vintage form with curves, yet with a decidedly modern, post-pop approach. Parra’s vibrant and often humorous images feature a distinctive, hand-drawn feel, and can be seen printed on various exhibitions around the globe—club flyers, record sleeves and billboards—as well as silk screened on tees and sweaters. His work can also be found in the second installment of Curated by Arkitip, adorning the Incase signature MacBook Sleeve and iPhone Slider Case.

Parra’s characteristic style has also extended into his music career with electro-rock group Le Le. Their most popular track “Breakfast” features Parra’s typography and imagery set in motion to the song’s pulsating beats and comical (and slightly naughty) lyrics.

Please join us for…

Yes, Yes, Yes
Works of Art by Parra
April 1 – 30, 2010

Opening reception
Thursday April 1, 2010
7pm – 11pm

Project Space
603 North La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90036
323-938-8818 T
projectspace@arkitip.com E

Gallery hopping in Miami is a trip—dare we say a difficult endeavor when having to venture to all parts of the city while getting stuck in massive amounts of traffic in 85 degree weather. We made it to a few of the more worthwhile galleries to ooh and ahh (and sometimes ogle) the profound (and not so profound) pieces of artwork, contemplating the inspiration and meaning and sometimes questioning the value. ‘Art is in the eye of the beholder’, right?

The favored, as we’re sure many would agree, would be the Beg Borrow and Steal exhibition at the Rubell Family Collection, featuring 260 works by 74 renown artists including Damien Hirst, Richard Prince, Barbara Kruger and many others.

Here are some of our personal favs, including an edible Dunkin’ Donuts Old Fashioned donut installation—amazing!