Monotonix's last show in NYC, part of their final mini-tour, ending six years of touring in the US in Philly last night (2/7/11). As it goes, so all legends must come to pass. -Tod Seelie

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A documentary film on art and the artists behind it. Directed by Isaac Niemand, it was all filmed on the heat of the live action at ®Nova Contemporary Culture which happened in July and August 2010, in the Museum of Image and Sound, São Paulo, Brazil. This trailer features the arts and words by Tofer Chin, Rebecca Ward, Krink, MWM, Koen Delaere, Mulheres Barbadas, Cristopher Cichocki, Yochai Matos, Lucy McRae, Quayola, Kit Webster, Mark Jenkins, DEFI, B.Fleischmann, MOMO and Sin Fang Bous. Music by Bradien

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Heroes & Villains is a photographic portrait project by the photographers Tatiana Wills and Roman Cho that spotlights a wide array of innovative contemporary artists who drive popular culture today... The subjects include both well recognized and emerging artists within the world of alt comics, street, graffiti, painting and illustration. All the subjects have roots in emergent underground.

Interview by Daniel Rolnik (danielrolnik[at]gmail.com)

The Heroes & Villains project got started in Los Angeles around 2005. Roman Cho (my co-photographer) and I knew it would be a long-term project and turn into a book, but we weren’t quite sure who would be in it. We just knew who the first people would be and it just kind of snowballed from there.

I was photographing a lot of street artists prior to the project because they were friends of my husband, who was an avid collector of Sheppard Fairey’s work. I’d go with the artists on their missions and because my husband knew them they didn’t put up too much of a stink about me being there. I went to their houses, hung out, took some photos, and it developed into where I gained their trust and was able to take their portraits. Because the street-artists didn’t want their identity revealed, I would always reassure them I was just taking portraits for a personal project and I was going to keep them to myself for now.

As time went on, Roman Cho and I were looking for personal work to do because I wanted to shoot more portraits but couldn’t find the time. Roman was assisting photographers and I was a pretty busy lady working full time at a day job as well as freelancing. We had worked together before when I was at an ad agency and we complimented each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We felt that working with another photographer would motivate us more to finish the project. He initially thought of photographing comic book artists to compliment my portraits of street-artists, but we started to notice there was an overlap between the styles that was indefinable.

And Travis Miller, Jordan Crane... it was LA, it was a particular niche of artists all hanging out and doing their thing.

I actually ended up working with David Choe for a very brief time. He had a comic book for sale at an ice cream shop that I used to take my daughter to. My husband and I bought it and brought it back to the agency where we worked. The creative director loved it and hired Choe to illustrate something. I don’t know if he ended up working with them much more than a day. It was most likely his first and last foray working for the man. That was in 2004, a really interesting time because street-art was getting co-opted by movie studios who were trying to do subversive ad campaigns. It became pretty clear that the street-art movement was starting to get a lot more attention. I certainly wasn’t there at the beginning of any of this happening, but I was for sure at the right place at the right time to explore it to the fullest.

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Catching air is something that only select few can fully comprehend. All those considering must be mindful of caution like feeble minded aspects to get your teeth caught in... Caught air? Catch air on your foot and try walking like that for a solid week... I bet that would be extremely difficult. Ever drop in on vert? The first time I did was in Ocean City, Maryland like in 1988 and I ate shit. In fact, my front foot never touched the board, but instead went right over the top and I proceeded to tumble down the ramp... and it was freakin' hot. They used to cook eggs on that thing on hot days. No joke. Metal vert ramp like 14 feet tall that would get hot enough to cook eggs on... The best part was that they older dudes who coached me to eat shit we're hyped that I went for it... It didn't hurt too bad in the end, and I gained the respect of the older skaters... Or I should say that I entertained them for 10 minutes in one horrific blow... As I got older I loved making the little ones drop in. Good laughs but you gotta pay your dues. You gotta prove that you have enough balls to go for it. CATCH AIR!

#7 - Adam Jafry (Encinitas, CA)

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"Cities" drops April 1st, 2011, album art by Tony Kincses

If a boat departs from a harbor and during its voyage successfully replaces every single part, is what eventually docks by all rights the same boat? Similarly, if every cell in our bodies is regenerated every seven years, is it still the same body? While I can’t attest to the Biological accuracy of that last example, the question remains: can I rightly call "Cities" the second Downer Party EP? Forget everything you've ever heard about The Downer Party- who made a name for themselves with 2009's irreverently lighthearted pop debut "Ego Driven Lust Creatures." Since that release, the band has undergone a complete metamorphosis of membership, resulting in a very different kind of project. This Downer Party, arguably distinct from the one we met in 2009, emerges anew with "Cities"- a departure into more contemplative waters, leaving in its wake a richer and more textured sound.

The EP is at once a love letter to and about cities, speaking aptly about places that can also be people, and indeed a metaphor for self. "Cities" was executed start to finish by the band in Churchill's basement, which in and of itself might fail to impress, until one recalls Frost's veteran career of label representation; this marked decision to work in an insular manner demonstrates the band's commitment to- and consumption with- the growth of the project. The opening track, Country Kids, is an eat-your-heart-out for any San Franciscan, superimposing visions of empathy and idiosyncrasy against the vibrant backdrop of our city. The drums on the song Chicago, which you can listen to here, cleverly mimic a beating heart, at once aligning the physiology of the listener with the music and stripping away their skin with the track's starkly raw intensity. The thesis of the EP, succinctly summarized by the final line of the final (and title) track, reads "and how can it be, that we live with those we love in different cities." Thoughtful lyricism throughout sheds light on complex relationships between people and the places they find themselves, real or imagined. The maturity of these observations is all the more impressive when one considers that their author, Sierra Frost, is still a few months shy of 21.

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Photos by Tod Seelie from the one-day exhibition Sequence of Waves that took place inside a vacant convent.

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Great film making and great art, of course. Worthy of your time. Crack a beer or warm some tea and sit back to enjoy.

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Crossing Lines is a short film that documents Irish artist Conor Harrington’s trip to Tel Aviv, Israel and Bethleham, Palestine in May 2010.

Thank you to KnowHope, Zero Cents, Wisam Salsaa to whom this trip would not been possible and to all the people we met along the way, without their help this trip would not have been possible.

A Telling Production Presents ’ Crossing Lines ‘
Camera, Edit & Score - Andrew Telling
Grade - Chloe Hayward
Audio Mix & Master - Andrew Telling & Dave House

Conor Harrington / Andrew Telling / Know Hope / Chloe Hayward

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The fine folks @Fifty24SF emailed over an animated gif from inside the gallery for tonight's INSA show entitled "MORE". Starts @7pm and runs till ?? INSA creates these animated gifs by painting then taking a photo. Painting over it again and another picture and so on. This one was created in four wall paintings. ~You can see more here.

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Got an email from Wilford Barrington who we mini interviewed back in November with this great image attached. It's off a project he did with the talented Lola Dupre who we interviewed this last month. It's a 3 way collab from artists who met each other through Fecal Face. Love it.

Check out this collaboration Lola and I did. It's of my portraits of Noam Gonick. It's like a 3 way artist collaboration: Me and Noam, then Lola and I... Fecal Face brought us all together. -Thanks, Wilford

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Fish-Work: The Bering Sea
Photographs by Corey Arnold
Hardcover, 15 x 12 inches, 80 pages, 47 four-color plates
Published by Nazraeli Press 2010
For sale in the Fecal Face Online Shoppe (signed copies)

We're happy to preview our friend Corey Arnold's new book here on Fecal Face. Corey has been traveling the world documenting the world's fishermen through grants when he's not fishing himself in the depths of the Bearing Sea. He's starred on the show Deadliest Catch. His photos have been featured everywhere from Juxtapoz, Rolling Stone, to the The Paris Review.

Corey Arnold opens his solo show Fish Work @Fecal Face Dot Gallery on February 11th here in San Francisco.

The photographs in “Fish-Work: The Bering Sea” capture moments from Arnold’s grueling retreats as a crew member aboard a fishing boat to the Bering Sea. With scenes of boat life so vivid that some shots can induce fear or seasickness, the artist’s perspective also reveals the tender soulfulness of a fisherman’s extended life at sea. His skillful compositions depict the simultaneous bravery, toil, humor and gumption that “fish-work” demands. Yet the series also illuminates the aesthetic sublimity that can only be experienced, ultimately, by those willing to risk their lives where the sea breaks its back. Having survived several seasons afloat these icy and unforgiving waters, we are lucky that Arnold has taken time to document his artistic impressions of this rare lifestyle and extended us a vicarious glimpse.

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GOOGLE ART PROJECT <-- yeah, virtually tour some of the greatest museums in the world. Google is amazing... So we know what you're doing tonight.

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Santiago, Chile. 21 years old. University, www.flickr.com/blokagain

I guess I couldn't describe it good in words, that's one of the reasons I create images. I think people have their own answer to this question.

I have many influences from friends and artist that I like. I like the way of creating comunity of Cinders Gallery. I really enjoy the work of Taylor Mcimens, works from friends like Sto and Eric Shaw... Also, the works of my hometown buddies Basco, Jose Benmayor, Martín Kaulen, Quillo, Lavina Yelb and Bimer.

Cheese Burgers!!! When it comes the veggie I prefer something like a real salad.

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