JOYENGINE: cause sharing is cool

Our super arty friend Rachel Z took off for SF a couple + years ago and she’s been kickin’ some serious ass.  You can read all about it in Juxtapoz Mags latest feature on Ms. Znerold.  Rachel is a rad woman runnin’ an even more radical program.  Props to the ladies.

photo credits: seanfranzen.com

Mr. Lefavor and his lady looking sharp. Photo taken from the juxtapoz blog

Local Denver art legend, and close personal source of creative inspiration, Scot Lefavor had his paste-up mural outside Andenken during Manifest Hope featured on Juxtapoz.com today.  I didn’t notice any mention of Scot’s name,  so I’m callin’ it out now.  Nice work out there.  Way to run strong this week and represent.  It’s about fuckin’ time Scot’s work starts gettin’ seen.

I just got the April 08 copy of Juxtapoz, which among many great articles, has a great interview with Aaron Horkey. For those who are unfamilar, Horkey is known for his highly detailed illustrations and hand lettering. Unlike many popular artists today, his work takes time and patience, and the attention to detail is unmatched. While he doesn’t have a web portfolio, his work is easy enough to find. Check out this process thread on the poster he did for Pelican. Here is a small selection of skateboards he’s done. Here is an amazing poster he did for Mogwai. And another one for The Arcade Fire. Pick up the April issue of Juxtapoz for more info.

Our boy, Chris Cox, yeah the same Chris Cox recently featured on juxtapoz.com, just sent over some pics of a couple of paintings he recently wrapped up. They’ll be on display for your viewing pleasure at IndyInk’s “Belly Full” group show tomorrow night. I’ve been fortunate enough to have followed Chris’s recent ascension into the world of painting. Mr. Cox is motivated, making moves, and droppin’ bombs of his own (arty little bombs) as if you didn’t already know… and homey can paint. You saw it here. So, bottom line is this, you know Chris Cox the graphic designer – meet Chris Cox the artist.

Here’s a chunk of the verbage that accompanied Mr. Cox’s email, “They are pretty serious in tone but I am pretty serious in tone about how totally fucked I think the preemptive war in Iraq has been.” Wordup Chris. Count on seeing a whole helluva lot more paintings outta Mr. Cox in the near future. Until then, peace the EFF out.

changethethought.com

JE is all about making our friends famous, and while we don’t know Fish personally and you could argue that he’s already famous, we would still like to tip our hats. Below are three publications you need to check out; the December issue of JUXTAPOZ, IM WITH STUPID a book of Jeremy’s personal artwork, and his collab book with Aesop Rock THE NEXT BEST THING: A SHORT STORY ABOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS. Even if you’re not into his style, you have to respect his vision, immense creativity andtechnique.

sillypinkbunnies.com

Greg Escalante’s introduction to the January 2007 issue of Juxtapoz feels dead on. Here’s how his intro, entitled NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S GALLERY begins, “NOT TOO LONG AGO you could spend entire days visiting galleries and never see anything inspiring. Sometimes a whole year would go by and the highlight of that time was a King Tut retread or a warmed over Picasso. Robert Williams (founder of Juxtapoz/controversial painter) related that one time in the 60’s some artistic fluke in Los Angeles’ Barnsdall Park created a two-day Salvador Dali event – the coolest show he experienced the entire decade. Now there are more valid art events being staged than ever… A sea of change is transforming the art world, and the momentum has picked up rapidly more than ever in the last year…”

Fuck yeah. Bring on Markham “Shitty Kitten” Maes February 9th. While I kick it in the studio helping to manage our dual entities, their creative endeavors and crankin’ out client-side commercial graphic and web design work I have to tip my hat (today it’s an old-skool Element lo-pro trucker) to everyone in the art world scrapin’ by to create and be a catalyst for a change. From the renaissance style oil painter, to your local tagger, to the modern vector maniac (B.Krezel need not be mentioned, but I will anyway), to that wild 15 year old kid next door on his mom’s computer crankin’ out heavily Photoshop manufactured paste ups while she’s at work – praise and respect is yours. You’ve earned it. Pat yourselves on the back, your vision and commitment is needed more than ever.

NOTE: The sun just came up in Boulder, CO.

Appetite for Destruction by Robert Williams
Originally on the cover of the coveted Guns’n'Roses album prior to controversy and Geffen Records making the decision to move it to the interior