THIS Visits Collage Artist Danger

Lifelong Redondo Beach, CA resident Danger is an artist who painstakingly creates hand-cut, hand-glued collage works. By working with existing materials including out-of-print books, magazines and other paper ephemera, Danger re-contextualizes the meanings of existing imagery, producing works that are both frightening and incredibly intricate.

Danger refuses to participate with the world around him and has a general disdain for humanity. That said, he is mildly obsessed with Lady Gaga and has a real fondness for Roxy Music and Ladytron.

Learn more about Danger and his unique world view straight from the artist himself in our THIS Visits with Danger, one of the gallery’s favorite artists.

Room 205

As a means to foster goodwill between artists, music lovers and Incase, we have created Room 205, a rehearsal space in Downtown Los Angeles that has been converted into an audio recording studio.

Throwing Shade by Abe Vigoda

Abe Vigoda’s guitarist/keyboardist Juan Velazquez is an ardent admirer of fake fog and 80s-style video montages. When you watch the band’s Room 205 episode, it will all make perfect sense.

A Look Back: “Now is Forever” Opening Reception at Project Space

Last night’s opening reception for the Ari Marcopoulos exhibition “Now is Forever” was a celebration of the past and the present between friends and admirers at Project Space. The event featured a combination of photo and video visuals as well as a look at the new Ari Marcopoulos Camera Bag.

The exhibition presented images from Ari’s new book via a wall mounted presentation constructed simply of actual pages from a copy of Now is Forever flush-mounted to plywood panels, creating a compelling visual narrative of the travelogue of images Ari shot around the world.

The event also highlighted “Moroso Crew”, a 60-minute cinema vérité documentary about illegal drag racing in Brooklyn and the Bronx that Ari shot in 1992. The film was projected onto a backdrop encompassing the Project Space storefront window, making it visible to both guests at Project Space and onlookers on La Brea Avenue.

Good company in attendance included Aaron Rose, Keith Hufnagel of HUF, Curated by Arkitip featured artist C.R. Stecyk III and artist Michael Leon.

Thanks to all who came out and to Ari for all his work on the product collaboration and the exhibition!

“Now is Forever” will be featured at Project Space through October 15.

Viva dublab!

On September 21st, the globally revered, non-profit Internet-radio station dublab will celebrate its 11th anniversary by throwing the first annual “Creative Cultivation fundraiser dinner” at JF Chen’s antique showroom in Los Angeles. This very special evening of music, food, film and philanthropy will include 120 seated guests and approximately 30 performers and volunteer staff.

This is a fantastic opportunity to support our extended music & arts community, not just in Los Angeles or on the West Coast, but around the world. The Creative Cultivation fundraiser is guaranteed to be one of the most interesting, entertaining and delicious experiences you’ll have all year. We’re proud to support dublab and sincerely hope you’ll join us.

Project Space Presents: “Now is Forever”

Project Space will host an opening reception for the exhibition “Now is Forever” featuring images from Ari Marcopoulos’ new book of the same name. Now is Forever is a travelogue of previously unpublished photographs from around the world. Premiering for the first time at Project Space will be “Moroso Crew”, a 60-minute cinema vérité documentary Marcopoulos shot in 1992 on illegal drag racing in Brooklyn and the Bronx. The exhibition also celebrates the launch of the Camera Bag collaboration between Incase and Ari Marcopoulos, available mid October.

Opening Reception: Thurs, Sept 23, 7pm – 10pm

Exhibition: Sept 23 – Oct 15
Project Space
603 North La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90036
+1-323-938-8818
Wednesday – Sunday
11am – 7pm

Not Drowning, Waving! Swimming With Sharks 2010 Grand Finale

The annual Swimming With Sharks summer pool parties atop the Standard Hotel in stunning downtown Los Angeles came to a rip roaring close on Saturday, September 4th. It is now definitely, definitely over. No more DJ battles. No more bikini clad funsters. No more epically corny Jello shots. No more awkward tattoos. No more gentle but firm bouncers. No more absurd games or awesome Incase prizes. No more lazy Saturdays slothing the day away atop the roof of one of LA’s most iconic hotels. Saddest of all, no more waffles in the downstairs diner after a dip in the pool. Sigh.

Why has it taken us so long to post this recap? Man, that is such a good question. Well, as you may recall, FYF Fest and SWSharks #8 happened on the same day about a mile apart from each other. And then there were the FYF Fest after parties to contend with all weekend. Total insanity. And then we jumped on a plane to Portland to help out at MFNW. And then…. Et cetera…. It’s been a busy end of summer.

Thanks again to Mahtab, James and Matt at MFG Productions for making SWSharks possible this summer. We couldn’t have lurked this hard without you. Moreover, thanks to everyone who came to the pool parties. If you’re into heavy bass, spastic splashing, and semi-bad behavior, we hope to see you again next season. Check the photos of the grand finale. Be safe, have fun. We’ll meet you at the escalators in the lobby.

The Past Goes Better with Memories!

We’ve got a big event announcement to make today. FYF Fest happens Saturday, September 4th at the LA State Historic Park.

If you love:

1. legendary punk rock + ethereal indie pop + sheer noise terror
2. stand-up comedy
3. food trucks
4. carnival games & raffles
5. vinyl records
6. lurking in the blazing hot sun at an indie rock festival
7. all of the above

… then you probably already plan on attending this weekend’s FYF Fest. For those of you not yet in the loop here’s the low down:

Nestled between Chinatown and Downtown LA, this all-day concert will feature more than 38 independent artists on three stages, 15 stand-up comedians, a traffic jam of local food trucks, and thousands of music lovers all coming out to laze the day away in LA’s newest state park and celebrate the arts. Bands not to miss: The Rapture, Sleep, The Mountain Goats, Man Man, Abe Vigoda, Cold Cave, Titus Andronicus, The Soft Pack, OFF!, Cults, and Big Freedia “Queen of New Orleans Bounce”. That’s just eleven of 38 artist. Wild.

So how does FYF do it? Good Question.

Every year the unstoppable “geniuses at work” Sean Carlson and Phil Hoelting somehow manage to add more massive stages, more spastic comedians, more fun contests, more general mayhem and more sweaty exhausted faces to their community-based music and arts festival. After four years of sponsoring the event we can only say it just gets weirder, bigger, and better with each passing year. We’re deeply proud of the way our friends have slowly grown FYF into one of the premier independent music festivals on the west coast. Truly a community event, FYF has more heart, guts, and good will than can possibly be explained in this short announcement.

We sincerely look forward to having you with us on Saturday. As always, you bring the water, sunscreen and howls of joy and we’ll supply the shade and free Snap Cases for your iPhone. This one’s gonna be amazing.

UPDATE: Thrasher Magazine is having a contest, you can win a VIP ticket package to this Saturday’s FYF Fest that includes 2 tickets, 2 Craig Steyck Incase cases, and 2 Altamont shirts.

Splashing and Spazzing Out with Wet Hot People

Man, it’s h-o-t outside. Like, real hot. Word from the weatherman says it isn’t gonna let up any time soon either. So here’s an idea: On Saturday, August 28th maybe you oughta slide into your swimming skivvies and saunter on down to the Standard Hotel in radiantly beautiful downtown Los Angeles.

But don’t forget to RSVP. A whole lotta overheated party people are gonna be all over that rsvp list like red on a sunburn if you don’t jump on it first. Seriously, rsvp and then go get in that pool. With a heat wave like this people are gonna be losing their minds. As always, you bring the sunscreen and we’ll bring the Incase Snap Cases for your iPhone 3GS.

MFG Productions & Incase Present:
Swimming With Sharks #7
The Standard, Downtown LA
Rooftop Pool Party
Saturday, August 28th
RSVP Required

Relax, Take a Load Off! Swimming With Sharks 6

Man, we’ve been busy over here. Music festivals, pool parties, photo shows, pizza fights, naps in cubicles, dinnering, coffee guzzles, block parties, dune buggies, recording studios, poison oak, lazy skateboarding, lazier bike rides, and—believe it or not—actual carpentry. This summer is a blur.

So how was Swimming With Sharks pool party # 6? Oh thanks, I’m so glad you asked! Per usual, it was ripping. Blazing sun? Check. Snap cases? Totally. Squealing? Definitely. Splashing? Of course. Dancing and DJs? Done and done! Please join us August 21st and September 4th for SWSharks # 7 & 8.