I’ll be debuting and giving away installment #3 of my Poster Initiative offset-printed poster series at Super Deluxe this Wednesday during my Pecha Kucha Night presentation. The posters are produced in editions of 1,000 and distributed around Tokyo. Not advertising- just free design for the people.

I’ll be doing a glib presentation on the “The Year in Review”- a look back over highlight projects for my design studio in 2009.

at SuperDeluxe
1000yen /1 drink
B1F 3-1-25 Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031
+81 (0)3-5412-0515
http://www.super-deluxe.com

Scion Space Presents:
Installation 5 | Scion Art Tour: Self Portrait

September 12th - September 30th, 2009

Featuring 44 Self-Portraits by:
 AJ Fosik, Alex Hornest, Andrew Schoultz, Angela Boatwright, Asylm,
Blek le Rat, Christina M. Felice, Codak, David Choe, Edwin Ushiro, el
Yem, Eriberto Oriol, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, French, Ian Lynam,
J. Shea, Jamel Shabazz, Jeff Soto, Kelsey Brookes, Kofie, Lisa Alisa,
Logan Hicks, Mark Mothersbaugh, Nicholas Harper, Patrick Martinez,
Peter Beste, Peter Glover, RETNA, Rick Rodney, Rob Abeyta Jr., Ron
English, Saber, Sage Vaughn, Skypage, Something in the Universe,
Souther Salazar, Stormie Mills, Tessar Lo, Todd Tourso, Too Tall
Jahmal, Usugrow, Will Barras, Yoskay Yamamoto

Opening Event: Saturday, September 12th, 2009 | 7-10pm
Artists in Attendance | Free Valet Parking | Open bar for guests 21+

All art will be sold in an online charity auction at
www.artnet.com/scion.html  Auction runs Sept 12 – Sept 30
Visit site to see artwork and get more details
All sales will go to Creative Capital

@ Scion Installation L.A.
3521 Helms Ave. (at National)
Culver City, CA 90232
Gallery Phone: 310.815.8840

Hours: Wednesday - Saturday | 11am - 6pm and by appointment | Free

VISIT SCION INSTALLATION LA >>
www.scion.com/space/upcoming_events.html

Follow our profiles on these sites:
Facebook - www.facebook.com/scioninstallation
Twitter - www.twitter.com/scionart
Vimeo – www.vimeo.com/scionart

 

I was hanging out in Mejiro tonight and was walking by the local hospital, so I thought I’d stop in and see how the facilities were for the next time I break my arm. (Last time I broke my arm skateboarding, a common occurrence, I was shuttled to three different hospitals before seeing a doctor who could “set” my arm sans painkillers of any sort in the x-ray room so no one could hear me yell at the top of my lungs. And now my left wrist makes a weird clicking sound ALWAYS. Yay Japanese medicine….)
So without further adieux, Mejiro Hosital Scene Report:
Accommodations: Shabby. The usual combo of dirty beige walls, Betadine-stained entrance way from some Gumi member “bleeding out” in the genkan onto the non-sealed cheapo faux Linoleum.
Floor: Dirty as fuck
Staff: Nice security guard. Gross doctors.
Bathroom: No soap. What? Why? This is a fucking hospital. A doctor came in and took a shit while I was in there, then casually rinsed his hands before walking out.
Rating: Five fucking stars. Never take me there.

A whole passel of designey news from Neoland.

First:

Ever the modest gentleman, our guy Matt Treyvaud’s awesome wife Chie Yoshimura has opened a lovely new cafe in Yokohama. Go visit. Eat something. Admire the logo.

Second:

Dentsu Canada shot over samples of the Sapporo beer coasters using the Pattern Pattern series of pattern designs from Néojaponisme this week. They look great! Thanks guys!

Third:

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the Tokyo debut of Meeting Modernity. As a little fun giveaway, I designed and made a bunch of sets of Néojaponisme buttons for opening attendees. If you are interested in procuring a set, feel free to get in touch.

Unearthed outside of the city of Sano in Tochigi-ken, this portrait photography series documents Japan as it engaged with modernization and commercial photography in the Meiji and Taishō Periods.

This post marks the Tokyo opening of the Meeting Modernity Exhibition.
Details:

MEETING MODERNITY
OPENING: A Night of Néojaponisme
A night of presentations, discourse, music, and booze.
DATE: 31st of July 2009
OPEN: 1800 START: 1900
FEE: open charge (Nagesen)
PLACE: hybrid so+ba gallery
5-29-20 KYODO SETAGAYA-KU
TOKYO 156-0052
WWW.SO-BA.CC

Come on down to the infamous Hybrid SO+BA Gallery in Kyodo (Odakyu Line) for a night of revelry with the staff of Néojaponisme. A smattering of presentations by the editors of and contributors to the site will be accompanied by Funkmaster DJ Jean Snow on the wheels of steel.

I just started a new series of two-color posters called “Poster Initiative” that will be distributed for free around Tokyo. The first batch were dropped off at Nagi Shokudo last night and another went to Cafe Pause today. Poster Initiative 001 was printed in a series of 1,000.

What happens when you give two graphic designers and three programmers turntables, then team them up with a duo of professional sound artists?
THE ASS-SHAKING, MIND-BLOWING, BUDONKADONK-CLAPPING, EYE-REDDENING DANCE PARTY OF THE YEAR!!
If you are in Tokyo, you are obligated to make your way to Lesson Three of Exercise, the official unofficial dance party of IMG SRC/Non-Grid, Tokyo’s top web design and interactive agency.

Friday June 19th
@ Rubyroom Shibuya
11pm - 5am
¥1,500 including one FREE drink

Get out from behind that monitor and get your sallow, pasty ass on the dance floor, motherfucker!!!

Tuesdays 19 May – 21 July
19:10-21:00

I will be teaching a ten-week intensive introductory typography seminar at Temple University Japan

All About Typography teaches the connotations of type & typography: the visual reading of language.

The class is an in-depth look at typography (designing with fonts) for both beginners and experienced practitioners. The class is a working examination of Western typography including lectures on type history, type classification, and contemporary practice. Practical exercises, as well as in-class critiques will help broaden students’ understanding of typography practically and critically.

All About Typography’s syllabus is based on a handful of proven typographic education projects developed by design faculty from the best graphic design departments in the world: Yale, CalArts, London College of Printing, and Cranbrook.

The class will conduct projects to explore typographic expression, learn correct typesetting practices, and increase design acumen: how to say things clearly with graphic design.

The class will host guest lectures by some of Japan’s top graphic designers.

The class is Mac-based, but will apply equally to PC-based environments.

Course reading:
Thinking with Type, Ellen Lupton
Assorted handouts

More information:
www.tuj.ac.jp/cont-ed

Weekly Shonen Sunday 週刊少年サンデー and Weekly Shonen Magazine 週刊少年マガジン are celebrating their Golden Jubilee together on the 17th of March this year. (Both published their inaugural issues on the same day, a truce reached only after racing to be the first weekly manga magazine shaved two months off Sunday’s initially planned lead time.) More here, including a cover gallery.

Speaking of which, the cover of this week’s Sunday pays tribute to the very first Sunday cover, with Matsuzaka Daisuke in the role of Nagashima Shigeo.

You can’t see it at this resolution, but under the banner to the right, where the original said “Sports, manga, science, TV”, the new edition says “Sports, manga, video games, anime.” Kind of sad that the focus of the magazine has narrowed so much that “TV” has the ring of broad-mindedness by comparison.

Interview here.

Néojaponisme’s exhibition Meeting Modernity will be in Portland from January 8 through February 1st in the new year at downtown small press emporium Reading Frenzy. The opening will be on January 8 from 6–9PM. I’ll be in attendance (as will Ma and Pa Lynam!), so come on down.

Recently discovered outside of the city of Sano in Tochigi-ken, the Meeting Modernity collection of found photos documents Japan as it engaged with modernization and commercial photography in the Meiji and Taishō Periods. The series is comprised of portrait photography in particular.

Just got interviewed over at Graphic Hug.

As an American, this excellent post by fellow shitty patriot, American Sam McPheeters acutely captures a sentiment I felt just about two weeks ago as accurately as one could hope to. Hence, I quote it for the world citizenry who read this website:

“For those of us not running for First Lady, it seems safe to call it for what it is: Late Onset Patriotism. For the first time in my adult life, I’m actually proud of my country… Just as important as what we get is what we have been spared; four more years of sadistic fast-food incompetence, grumpy and perky flavored… Yesterday was the opposite of 9/11, almost surely the only such day anyone alive will ever experience. For one night, people across the planet covered their mouths in raw shock - a gesture eerily familiar from 9/11, but tracking to the extreme opposite end of the emotional spectrum. It was as if the Earth team had just won an intergalactic futbol championship. We’re in unknown territory.”

I am unsure if more appropriate and precise words have been spoken about the recent American election. I’m unsure what to do with this newfound sense of hope for millions of Americans. Wait for the new President to bungle, I imagine.

I have a video installation in Scion’s show at Art Basel Miami this year. If you are in the Sunshine State and looking for free booze and fine fine art, this is your place in early December. (Today’s Usugrow painting is tomorrow’s Dali!) Friday, 12/05 at the Raleigh Hotel Penthouse from 7PM-10PM. I’ll be there- hit me up!

Wow. Chin Music Press’ excellent book Art Space Tokyo received an absurd and highly questionable review in the latest issue of Metropolis. Riddled with racial/cultural stereotypes of Japanese and dismissive of the opinion of foreigners involving themselves in Tokyo’s fine art world, it upholds Metropolis’ reputation for stellar journalism. Read it here.

AST editor Ashley Rawlings retorts at length in this infinitely more worthwhile blog post on the excellent AST website. Ashley politely pulls his punches aimed at reviewer C.B. Liddell while eloquently pointing out the numerous stereotypes and gross assumptions made in Liddell’s article.

I’m biased, as I wrote one of the dismissed essays in the damn book, but Liddell’s review strikes me as the work of a college freshman’s stab at homework for Journalism 101. Some striking concepts within:

Popular=Good
Tokyo=Ugly
Japanese =Inherently artistic

Apparently, foreigners are inherently less artistic, and if one is to paraphrase some of Liddell’s earlier work, less cute as well.

The whole review is trite and suffers from a myopic view of culture at large, not to mention a very short-sighted perspective on contemporary art in Japan.

Oh, and there are grammatical errors throughout.