A More Personal Entry...

So follow me into the dark (or light) and question your own bane existence. Let every thread of your mind, body and soul unravel into the mouth of crude reality; only to have this thread be devoured, savored or ignored.

Only, my existence has been far from bane these days...
and... and... reality has been far from crude as well.

My questions are optimistic and, sure, things sometimes run in circles, but hell, is that not but one of the key points in life? We are all animals, running from something, pacing ourselves to something, avoiding someone, and therefore, in turn, running in circles from all the facts and misconceptions life has brought to the table.

Running in circles has only brought me to meet some great people and, coincidentally, resulted in stumbling upon some wonderful treasures amongst the sea of culture within Los Angeles. Now, I use the word "sea" for a reason, due to the size of Los Angeles; other cities (take San Francisco) cover a smaller distance and therefore require less scurrying than good ol' L.A.

Coming from L.A, you know that merely stating "oh, I'm from L.A" means absolute bullshit to a fellow Angelino, because what soon follows is "me too! What part?" So, of course, we must dissect Los Angeles into different sections (and plenty of them) in order to embrace the various eccentricities stretching miles upon miles of smog infested loveliness. -chortle-


A few months ago my brother asked if I was going to miss Los Angeles, to which I quickly scowled and said "hell no." I take that statement back. The more I delve into the different personalities of Los Angeles, the more I realize how much culture is brimming at its fingertips. There are the bars, pubs, clubs, etc. where mild intoxication really means getting shit faced but just down the way you have art gallery upon art gallery, parks, DELICIOUS food, a music scene encompassing any genre you desire, and so much more. Everything has a sense of personality, just some places are easier to overlook than others.

So, [now my existentialist self is speaking] maybe I will not make it to 52 days from now when I move up to northern California, but if I do, man have I slowly taken a liking to this place. Ladies and gentlemen, the human being without a heart [myself] will actually miss the people, places and possibilities of "home." Some individuals whom I have met stick out more than others, but hot damn has this been one hell of an experience!

A brilliant friend recently told me: "when you live in the present and then must look to the future because you're leaving, you realize you're no longer really there. Everyone knows you're tentative, so you become the past whilst you're still in the present. You just... disappear." I may be leaving, and I may be overlooked soon, but there is no way I will let myself disappear. I might physically leave, but emotionally and mentally, I hope to subconsciously stay here as little memory particles, that you acknowledge and appreciate. That hopefully, inadvertently, make you smile.

And if they do not, then at least I tried; and at least I had a damn good time trying.

-x-x-x-

Now, onto a more conventional blog post, there are a few art galleries with stellar work going on in the Culver City area until the 3rd!

Carmichael Gallery



Escif



Shepard Fairey (better known as Obey)



Dave Kinsey



Stelios Faitakis


Of course there were so many other wonderful pieces and I left my camera at a friend's place, so online photos should suffice. Sometimes things are better left as a memory though, because it forces you to rely on yourself rather than technological mediums.

Thinkspace
Side note: Super cool and cute lady by the name of Alora at the front desk (which is debatable since it was in the back).


Ekundayo



Ekundayo



Ekundayo


Audrey Kawasaki prints were located in the back as well! That made my heart skip a bit...


LeBasse Projects


Yoskay Yamamoto



Yoskay Yamamoto
LOVED this one in person


Koplin Del Rio
"Kink"


Laurie Hogin



Zokosky



Fred Stonehouse



Norman Lundin
Also a favorite

There were quite a few more galleries, but this gives a you a nice snippet as to how you can spend a lazy summer day in L.A. Best part? Everything was free!

Also, if you would like to see street art where it has gained its credibility, check out Labrona! Literally a block away from the Carmichael...

(Photo credit from www.unurth.com)

Now, not to mention, there was an absolutely baffling Eastern furniture/garden/Icannotdescribethisinaword place down the way from Graphaids. We literally walked in, looked at one another, and said "what the hell just happened?" Gorgeous fountains to the left and right of you, bird cages made of wood with brilliantly colored birds singing happy afternoon tunes, and the deeper we went, the more beautiful the items. Large and ornate, armoires, beds, tables, statues, shelves from across the seas. So, with our mouths wide open, we let the sounds from the sitar fornicate with our ears as we questioned (and contemplated) reality, insanity, and the combination of the two.

These past few weeks have been unpredictable, and I have loved every moment of them.

-x-x-x-

Now, let these memory particles blossom and, hopefully, grow exponentially. I am here to stay.

I am here to have a good time.

-Mon