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How pop surrealism artist Mike Perry is bringing cartoons to life

“My ultimate purpose of life is to become a cartoon,” said artist Mike Perry.

Granted, it might seem like a shocking goal at first. How can anyone become a cartoon? Why would anyone want to be one? More shocking, however, was the fact that following Mike Perry’s interview, I wanted to become a cartoon myself.

And you might end up realizing that after getting to know his art, you might want to be one too. 

Pop Surrealism

After learning about the interesting philosophies of an artist like Mike Perry, life’s most complicated questions come to a simple solution: explore.

“What does it mean to be alive?” “What is the meaning of life itself?” “Does it have a meaning?” And, perhaps his simplicity and audacity are what makes Mike a first-generation “Pop Surreal” artist.

“People are no longer surprised by melting clocks,” explained Mike.

“So much of my art is about trying to explore the things that are presented to us in a normal existence but through the lens of something different.”

The idea of a cartoon makes reality limitless, exploring the sudden possibility that anything can happen. “Making a painting is taking something that does not exist and projecting it into the universe through time, effort, talent, and craft,” he said.

It is bringing imagination into real life. 

And he proved that possibility with the animation for “Mushroom,” the fourth episode of the fourth season of the Comedy Central series Broad City.

With over 14,000 separate drawings and more than seven months of work, Perry illustrates Ilana and Abby’s (the show’s characters) trip on the mushroom.

The episode starts off with just animated eyes. Then, as the trip starts peaking, Abbi and Ilana walk through a tunnel that slowly builds an 8-minute fully animated cartoon.

Both the characters and the audience are taken into the surreal reality of the world. Within 22 minutes, he not only successfully accomplished delivering a comical and fascinating episode, but he manifested all the possible sensations that the characters encountered during their trip. 

Like the characters, the audience is surprised by the craziness of Mike’s illustrations. The bizarre feelings of a higher awareness; from experiencing higher alertness of emotions to spotting people butter skating over pancakes. 


The cartoon experience

“Anything that moves has the abstract element of time,” he told VICE.

Movement, therefore, is something that is essential to fundamental to all of Mike’s work. Its the combination of movement, color, and shape, which brings a cartoonish surreal experience to the beholder. 

Mike explained that with art, like with cartoons, there is a moment in time when reality starts drifting away. They get deeper into the building of a world, which in its essence, just reflects humanity on a different level.

“What I love about these is when people see things that are unrelated to me. That gives me joy. That is my language communicating in ways that I don’t understand,” he says. Thus, his work speaks to the beholder through a personal layer.

“I am a human and there are other humans out there. So there is a good chance that if I make something that I believe in, there are probably other humans that will also be into it.”


Mike is a true artist

His interest in cartoons started as a kid when his mother gifted him a Chuck and Buck book. He never read a single word from it, but he just drew every single picture found there.

When he got older, he studied Minneapolis College of Art and Design. This is where he truly learned something with animation excited him further.

But it’s all about creating a language that works best for him. And that probably explains why he makes art through so many different scales; Illustrations, sculptures, and paintings. 

Essentially, they all mirror an exploration of life through Mike’s own experience. Thus, creating a space for others to reflect on themselves through shared times and spaces and hopefully find joy, a positive point of view, and an optimistic landscape. 

“I feel grateful to be an artist because so much is dedicated to discovering what it means to be alive, what it means to me to be alive.”

Animation, painting, and culture, after all, are visual storytelling. And for Mike, these illustrated characters have the imaginary freedom to explore life’s experience in a simple, fun, and comical way.

All of the sudden, the idea of coming to a cartoon makes sense.

Messi’s decision to leave Barcelona exposes the dark side of soccer

Only a few weeks ago, it was announced that Messi was leaving Barcelona for good. After a few days of panic for all Barca fans, Messi released a statement clearing things up; the soccer star won’t be leaving his team (for a while).

What really happened speaks more about the soccer industry than of the player himself. And perhaps it is the clearest example of soccer’s most guarded secret.

For years now, Lionel Messi has been vocal about his desire to leave Barcelona. But on August 25th the soccer star informed the team with a burofax message that he intends to leave the club in immediate effect.

Contrary to popular belief, this had nothing to do with the humiliating defeat against Bayern Munich during the Champion League’s quarterfinals (although it may have been one of the straws that broke the camel’s back).

It all started earlier this year when the club sacked its former coach Ernesto Valverde.  Back then Eric Abidal, sporting director, and former teammate accused the team of collusion against Valverde.

Messi, who has been very outspoken about his strained relationship with Bartomeu and Barcelona’s hierarchy, responded furiously on Instagram to such allegations.

In June, the club decided to part ways with Luis Suarez a year before his contract with Barcelona even expired. Close links to the club have said that Koeman, the team’s coach, phoned Suarez to informed him about his dismissal – something that made Messi even more disappointed with the club.

Ever since the retirement of the club’s previous generation of soccer stars — Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol –, Barcelona has struggled to maintain their profile as one of Europe’s best teams. And the seeming scattergun approach to planning and recruitment plus the lack of progress has resulted not only in angry fans but irritated team members.

Thus, after almost two decades, Messi felt it was the right moment to leave. 

“I always wanted to grow the club’s impact and history. It’s been long since the last time we saw a project going on. All they do is and plug holes when all I want to do is compete. Something the club hasn’t done in the last few years,” said the legend. 

And the Champions might have proven his point.


Trapped in the club

But Messi is going nowhere.

He intended to activate a clause in his contract that should have allowed him to leave the club at any time for free. But the directory had cards up their sleeve; they said that the clause was only valid before June 10th, which is when they were still competing in the league.

The only way out for the soccer star is either to pay the 700 million euro clause or go to courts. “I would never go to courts against the club that I love and the club that made me what I am today,” assured Messi. Making it clear that the issues he has with management have nothing to do with his love and passion for the club.

“I have given it all for Barcelona and I would never go against it. The club is my life.”

His, however, has been a premeditated decision that has been talked about with the club’s president more than once. Messi’s desire to leave Barça does not come unprecedented. Nor is it the first time that the star tried to set himself free and focus on his personal growth. Apparently, being the best soccer player in the club, if not the world, comes with burdens of its own.

Is Messi sentenced to life imprisonment in a place that is not longer making him happy?

Messi was only 12-years-old when destiny wrote his name in Camp Nou’s walls. Carles Rexach was a Barcelona executive when he discovered Messi playing at some soccer tryouts in Argentina. So caught up with Leo’s talent, Rexach made a 12-year-old Messi sign a contract on a paper napkin.

“I decided to sign him on a paper napkin that a waiter gave me because I couldn’t let him get away,” Rexach told Business Insider.

After several talks, the club granted Messi the opportunity to train at soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia. They had also offered him to pay for his medical bills; being of short height his family had been following a hormonal treatment they no longer could afford. Thus, the family moved from Argentina to Spain when Messi was only 13-years-old.

By the age of 16, Messi was already making headlines for Barcelona. He was the youngest player to ever score a goal for the franchise. Meanwhile, he was also leading Argentina to the title in the under-20 World Cup.

In 2009 he steered Barcelona to a wealth of success. For the first time, the team had won the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup titles. And Messi himself took home his first FIFA “World Player of the Year” honor/Ballon d’Or award.

By 2012 he had become Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Cesar Rodriguez’s club-record of 232 goals. And in January 2013 he broke another record when he was named the FIFA Ballon d’Or winner for the fourth time.

Messi was leading Barcelona to become the world’s best soccer team. He not only became the world’s best soccer player but also Barcelona’s entire image. Naturally, it would be hard to watch him leave. 

Needless to say, Messi’s loyalty to FC Barcelona has been proven over the years; but Barcelona’s loyalty to him hasn’t. Ever since 2011, when the team’s legendary line-up of Iniesta, Puyol, and Xavi retired, all the blame and burden has been handed over to the 5’ 7 Messi.

Why else would he be having all the support from his previous teammates?

In numerous accounts, he has spoken about how hurt and betrayed he felt with the executives. And what’s more, on numerous accounts he has spoken about his desires to leave the team. But, as proven, that’s something that goes beyond his desires.

Like him, many others have been caught in the trap of FIFA’s image, incubated since youth academies, bound to play for a team under their agreements. Many, if not most, of the players come from complicated economic backgrounds. They learn from the schooling that their youth academies offer. 

Shouldn’t this count as child labor? Clubs literally “own” the players. They trade them and they use them to then manipulate them.

Have you ever wondered what happened with Kaka?

For years, FIFA’s reality has been covered by million-dollar contracts.

But now, as one of the best players faces the frustrating situation of possible career stagnation, the reality is uncovered: for years FIFA’s clubs have been depriving players (young and old) of their freedom for their own financial benefit.

California is burning! How photographers are capturing the historic wildfires

As if 2020 wasn’t already apocalyptic enough, wildfires continue to burn California at historic rates.

Temperatures across the state reached record highs on Sunday soaring up to 120 degrees and intensified the destructive wildfires.

California’s state fire agency reported on Wednesday that more than 14,000 firefighters are battling 28 major fires across the state.

More than 2.5 million acres have already burned down, more than 3,700 structures have been destroyed and eight people have died. This year continues to set record numbers and not in a good way.

As California, Washington, and Oregon burn in flames, here are some of the photographers capturing this moment on history’s pages.

Josh Edelson

Josh is a freelance news and corporate photographer with more than 10 years of experience capturing wildfires. Like most photographers, he has his gear ready to go on moment’s notice.

Alongside the firefighters, Josh is always on the frontlines of the deadly blazes, capturing visually compelling stories.

His pictures have been featured in multiple magazines both nationally and internationally, including the New York Times and Times Magazine.

The destruction shown in his photos doesn’t just depict his adventurous spirit but also the commitment to his work.


Noah Berger

A San Francisco-based, award-winning photographer has been covering editorial and corporate base assignments.

His pictures have been featured by the New York Times, Wall Street Magazine, Times Magazine, and other of the world’s largest newspapers and sites.

Berger’s photos are known for their subtle colors transmitting the intensity and destructiveness as well as the ongoing efforts of firefighters to stop the fires.

He revealed to The Wall Street Journal that he had been expecting such atrocities since May saying, “It’s coming; I felt a dry leaf crinkle under my foot this morning when walking the dog.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CE36aGEl3Fj/


Jessica Christian

Jessica is one of the many staff photojournalists from the San Francisco Chronicle who has captured the orange skies covering the lives of San Francisco’s citizens.

Her pictures have captured the attention of multiple public figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom, writer Tim O’Rourke, and former President Barack Obama.


Justin Sullivan

Justin is a San Francisco-based photojournalist for Getty Images. He has been capturing California wildfires for 22 years now.

He tries to capture human or living elements rather than just the burning fire. Not only does this put things in perspective, but it also helps the viewer relate to the situation.

“It’s a constant effort of bringing all of those components together rather than just the pieces,” Sullivan told Time Magazine.


Gabrielle Lurie

An award-winning photographer that now works for the San Francisco Chronicle, Gabrielle’s photos also captured Obama’s attention.

Gaby’s experience working as a professional spotter in black and white labs allows her to capture some amazing contrasting pictures.


Santiago Mejia

Santiago an Emmy Award winner and filmmaker.

Unlike many of his colleagues, Santiago’s work for the San Francisco Chronicle takes more of a mundane approach.

Using lively colors, he depicts orange skies covering above being only another challenge to overcome for citizens and workers – but something they’re used to.

His photos serve as a foreshadowing of what is expected to come if humanity does not unite to work against climate change.

According to The New York Times, these wildfires have been more destructive than ever before because of people’s neglect of Global Warming. We can only hope that these blazes will be resolved soon and residents can have their lives back.

Is Maluma’s hit song ‘Hawai’ inspired by his beef with Neymar?

If you live somewhere on earth, you have probably heard Maluma’s new single, “Hawai.” Just yesterday, the song hit number one at the Latin Billboards.

Since its release on July 29, the record has not failed to be in the spotlight, successfully grabbing the attention not only of Maluma’s fans but apparently, soccer fans as well.

Rumors have it that Maluma’s song, “Hawai,” is actually a message to his ex-girlfriend and model Natalia Barulich.

But is Maluma really that cringy when it comes to getting over breakups?


The song

The new Latin hit is the first single for Maluma’s fifth studio album: Papi Juancho, produced by Ruby Boy.

It talks about a “toxic” relationship that didn’t work out. The perfect “feel better” song for that ex you still love but is now with someone else.

Right at the start, Maluma sings “stop lying to yourself, I know the picture you uploaded was to make me jealous.” And it is said to make reference to a post-Natalia Bariluch made on Instagram a few months ago confirming her relationship with Neymar Jr — Maluma’s former friend and famous soccer player.

View this post on Instagram

Bonnie & Clyde 🔥💋 inside our new cover story for GQ shot in Paris out now ♥️ @neymarjr

A post shared by Ναtαlία Bαrulίch 🌹 (@natalia) on May 20, 2020 at 7:38am PDT

Interestingly enough, Bonnie and Clyde, which is what she added as the caption, are also the names of Maluma’s dogs.

But before rumors of the new relationship were confirmed, speculations of Natalia and Neymar’s relationship started right when the model took a “business” trip to Hawaii.

Can you guess who else was there?

View this post on Instagram

Beach baby 🌴 wearing @YordanaHernandez

A post shared by Ναtαlία Bαrulίch 🌹 (@natalia) on Jan 6, 2020 at 10:37am PST

Something that Natalia said herself just 7 months after the break-up during an interview with Danny Morrel’s for his podcast Evolve came to light.

The video makes things more explicit as she speaks of calling off the relationship because of how toxic things were getting.

Maluma’s song continues to talk about how although she might be okay with her new relationship, she is not as happy as she was with the previous one. “I know he treats you well but that does not change I was there first.”

Meanwhile, the video depicts Maluma’s flashbacks of the relationship and ends up with him crashing his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. Not only does he ask for forgiveness, but also for the last chance to get back together.

Is the Latin Pop star really that desperate?

The facts

Although he claims otherwise, the facts might render rumors to be true.

Maluma and Natalia have known each other for some time as she had appeared in several of Maluma’s videos.

After “Felices Los Cuatro,” Maluma’s famous hit song, the two formalized their relationship. Natalia became a loyal companion for Maluma throughout his many tours.

Maluma had been very vocal about his passion for soccer. He was a big fan of both Neymar and Messi. They met at one of Maluma’s concerts in Spain and they quickly became friends.

So close was their friendship that in February of 2018, Maluma gave a private concert for Neymar’s birthday. That night, Maluma sang “happy birthday” for his friend, while Neymar took home Natalia’s Instagram.

By the end of the year, rumors about Maluma’s break-up with Natalia started to spark over the internet. And, in Paris Fashion Week 2019, the model decided to casually visit PSG stadium. Guess who was the tour guide?

She then returned after only a month, with no business excuse.

View this post on Instagram

a @Fendi kind of day 🖤 1, 2, or 3?

A post shared by Ναtαlία Bαrulίch 🌹 (@natalia) on Dec 13, 2019 at 5:12am PST

Naturally, the media spread the word of Natalia and Neymar being together. And in January 2020, Natalia took the famous trip to Hawaii.

(During that time Neymar was confirmed to be on family vacations in Brazil, but that’s something Maluma, nor the fans, knew at that time)

View this post on Instagram

Happy birthday to me 🤙🏽🤪 thank for everything my God ❤️🙏🏽 #Njr28

A post shared by ene10ta Érre 🇧🇷 👻 neymarjr (@neymarjr) on Feb 5, 2020 at 2:39am PST

In February, Neymar’s annual birthday celebration arrived.

While Maluma was at his house, uninvited to a party he once was the star, Natalia posted another Instagram picture with a long white dress attending the party in France with the caption mentioning Neymar.

Is it hard to wonder why Maluma chose Hawaii to be the wedding place for the girl in his video now?

The hit

Although both Natalia and Maluma deny the rumors to be true, PSG players uploaded a video of them singing Maluma’s song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URzvapQvDD0

Whether they were making fun of Maluma and defending their team member or just enjoying the song is unknown. And regardless of the rumors being true or not, there is no discussion that “Hawai” is the new Latin Hit.

It landed on the Top-10 Latin Songs and Maluma even gave an amazing socially distanced performance for the MTV VMA’s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVD4hk652IE

Either way, even if the song if not about Natalia and Neymar’s romance, it surely inspired him to break his silence.

So, should we thank Natalia for breaking Maluma’s heart and bringing Pretty Boy back on track?

How director Dave Meyers is setting the new standard for visuals in music

In 2017 “Humble” won the MTV’s best video of the year award. One year later, in 2018, “Havana” by Camila Cabello, won the same price. And, in 2019, Taylor Swift’s “Me!” won the MTV Europe award for best video of the year.

What do all of these have in common?  The legendary director Dave Meyers.

The man behind the camera

If the name does not ring a bell, you might recognize him for his talent.

Director Dave Meyers is the prolific mind behind a record of legendary videos including, “I’m Real” by JLo, “Sicko Mode” by Travis Scott, “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish and many other award-winning music videos. 

Not to mention the director’s most recent work with Drake for his “Laugh Now Cry Later” video.

Dave was born and raised in Berkeley, California, Dave developed a passion for film making at a very young age. He had been watching Star Wars and realized not only that he wanted to tell stories, but he wanted to be part of another universe.

Thus, when the time came, he studied Film Production and Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University.

Seeking to enhance his directing abilities for movies, he started working on music videos. At that time, Gus Van Sant (Director of Good Will Hunting), had encouraged him to explore the music video industry as well. Thus, what started as “practice” for movie making, ended up being his vocation. 

He debuted his music video career with E-40 in 1998. He had an affinity for hip-hop as he had grown with it and cultivated a devotion to making hip-hop accessible to a larger audience. 

Instantly, he grabbed the attention of the entire industry and began collaborating with other big-name artists. From Christina Aguilera to Jay-Z, to Blink 182, Dave jumped between genres developing meaningful relationships and building his name.

By 2000, he had already worked with Britney Spears, Pink, and Lil Wayne. However, in 2009 his career sparked after directing the video for the song “B.O.B” (Bombs Over Baghdad)” by Outkast.

This was his first million-dollar video and the start of a sweeping MVPA award collection.


From director to visual Architect

But, besides having two Grammys for Best Music Video of the year, four MTV Awards for Video of the Year,  and a slew of other nominations, Dave’s appetite for creativity has brought other additional rewards to his career. Beginning with his collaborations.

In 1999,  he worked with Jay-Z for the first time, directing “Do it Again (put your hands up).” A lasting relationship which expanded his career. “Jay had a natural sense for marketing,” explained Dave.

He [Jay-Z] understood the culture and knew how and when to release a video, thus taught Dave how to understand his audience.

In the years to come, Dave broadens his career to the advertising scene. He started working with Apple for their “iPod Silhouettes Campaign,” and inducted his mastery in the marketing and advertising world.

Eventually, in 2004 he won the Bronze Lion: Dance Award at Cannes for his project with the “Apple iPod” project and a number of different awards.

And, having an affinity for talent, Dave has also helped many artists through the brick of their breakthrough.  In 2000 he directed “Lucky” for Britney Spears — a first video that portrayed Britney as a mature artist, and one which eventually would grant her recognition as the Queen of Pop.

His most noticeable work is with Missy Elliot, whom he has collaborated and evolved with through the years. Their collaborations illustrate the growth and evolution of Dave as a creative and taste-maker within the world of music videos.

Still, one of the proudest moments was working with Ice Cube. “I was one of the kids affected by  N.W.A.” Working with him represented his growth as a director and the power of his creativity.

Slowly but surely, Dave has become one of the most influential visual architects of the decade.


Trying to get like Director Dave Meyers? Tap in and learn from the next-gen of visionaries

The race to LV: How Virgil Abloh one-upped his fashion sensei

Virgil’s appointment as Louis Vuitton’s creative director will never become old news.

Becoming the first African American to head one of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world is history and more than an enormous feat. 

But the price of being LV’s creative director was not without a hard-fought race with the one and only: Kanye West. 

That “love at first sight” type of work

How did Virgil manage to win LV’s creative director title against the Louis Vuitton Don himself? 

Contrary to popular belief, Kanye and Virgil worked their way to the top together as a team. In fact, a lot of Kanye’s success is thanks to Virgil’s help. He was the guy with the computer on hand. 

While studying architecture for his master’s degree, Virgil learned the versatility of 3D programs and adobe suits. Like a true visionary, instead of limiting his creativity in architectural designs, he used them as a tool to make graphic T-shirts.

His files were so perfectly made that the screen printing store, “Custom Kings,” offered him a position. 

At that time, Don C (Kanye’s then-manager) was on a talent hunt; looking for designers to help Kanye with his fashion desires. Thus, it was only a matter of time before he landed at Custom Kings and learned about Virgil’s skills.

Just like Cupid, Don C shot the arrow and finessed the introduction of Virgil to Kanye, and the two vibed immediately. Little did he know that he had just united fashion’s greatest power couple. 

Both Kanye and Virgil saw something at play where no one else had taken it seriously: streetwear. And in 2007 Virgil was hired to alleviate Kanye’s frustration over the fashion industry and help him realize his vision beyond music. 

“He is the strategist. I’m thinking about the ideas and Virgil is able to take those ideas and architect them, because he is an architect.”

From stage shows to concert merch, Virgil was in charge of the design of Kanye’s most remarkable projects. He co-designed 808’s & Heartbreak cover.

And was the artistic director of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch the Throne, and, Yeezus. For 10 years, Virgil became Kanye’s right creative hand and personal designer. 


Virgil and Kanye body the streetwear era

Kanye had always used fashion as a tool for cultural expenditure.

In 2004, he had traded baggy jeans and triple XL shirts for bright color rugby shirts, pink polos, and a Louis Vuitton backpack for the release of College Drop Out.

Then in 2009, Kanye became the Louis Vuitton Don when he released the first sneaker collaboration with the brand. Like a king, Kanye’s eyes always were fixated on pricing.

And that same year, Kanye made history, again. Yes, Taylor Swift, remember? When Kanye told Taylor Swift that “Beyonce had the best video of all time,” as she gave her acceptance speech at the VMA’s.  

As correct as he was, he surely caused the greatest controversy of the decade. 

Meanwhile, Virgil worked as a collaborator for Kanye’s brand Donda. And was turning Kanye’s aspirations into actual projects. Simultaneously learning about design and making his own connections. It was their mission to raise the taste level of an entire generation by introducing streetwear as an actual style. 

Then Virgil left Kanye and launched his own brand, Off-white, in 2014.

But, Off-white’s start as a high-end brand had its own challenges; no fashion writer wanted to write about his project. And, realizing the impossibility to grow a fashion brand through the traditional system, Virgil used Instagram as his own magazine.

Though his most famous strategy was his friends, he had Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kendall Jenner, and of course the now fashion guru and Virgil’s best friend, Kanye West use his stuff.  

And, in 2015 Kanye had his iconic collaboration with Adidas and turned Yeezys into a cultural fashion piece.

Just like that, in the blink of an eye Yeezy and Off-white became the hottest brands in the world. 


Culture in the making

Finally, 2017 was the decisive moment that no one was expecting. 

Kanye had been talking with Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH — Louis Vuitton conglomerate, about a possible contract with LV.

And Virgil, on the other hand, was making history in his own way. He had partnered with Nike for re-designing 10 of Nike’s and Nike-owned brand best-selling classics. 

“It was potentially a career suicide,” said Virgil.

Something that could make or break him as a designer. But the shoes sold out within weeks and now are being re-sold at more than a thousand dollars.

The deal not only proved Virgil’s skill but his ability to contribute to the culture in both classic and new ways. 

After having the deal on the table and performing at their museums, Kanye’s deal with LVMH was dropped.

Months later, in 2018 the world woke up to find that Virgil Abloh was the new creative director of men’s wear for Louis Vuitton. The first black designer with a creative director position at the world’s most exclusive industry and most valuable brand. 

“I never thought I could be a designer with a capital D because no one in the industry looked like me.”


Kanye, Virgil, and Louis Vuitton finish line

Surely the appointment was hard for Kanye.

After all, Virgil was his guy. But, during Virgil’s first show in Paris as LV’s creative director, he received a standing ovation, and among his fans was a proud mentor: Kanye West.  

Perhaps LV felt that Kanye’s reputation puts at stake Louis Vuitton’s image. He had been very vocal about his stance in politics and racism. Or perhaps they saw in Virgil what Kanye had seen all these years.

Regardless, the race to LV was won by both. At the finish line, both artists embraced each other with a big hug and some tears. Virgil may have taken the prize, but Kanye realized the dream: they changed the fashion industry forever.

“We are all playing on the same court,” said Kanye. 

Mr. Brainwash

How Mr. Brainwash finessed his way to being a contemporary artist

If fooling people into thinking you are an artist isn’t art, then I don’t know what art is. That’s exactly what makes Thierry Guetta, aka Mr. Brainwash, one of the biggest contemporary artists of the time. 

Love him or hate him, Mr. Brainwash has built his name and way into the art industry like no other. From rags to riches, learn about the art industry’s biggest and most fascinating scam. 

Don’t ask, just film 

It all started in 1999 when Thierry Guetta took a family holiday to France.

His cousin had been recreating space invader’s characters with ceramic tile mosaics and decorating the streets with them.

Thierry, who was already fascinated with the idea of capturing everything on camera, filmed his cousin during his nightly adventures. 

Thierry was no stranger to cameras. After losing his mother to an illness when he was only 11 years old, he was haunted by the fact that he had missed making memories.

Thierry became compelled by the need to capture everything on film. Now, however, he was filming something no one else had seen: the adrenaline of street art. 

Little did he know that he had landed in the middle of one of the biggest counter-cultural movements in history. And, as a new generation of artists using stencils, posters, and stickers was born, Thierry was there to record every single moment. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s29huwaQ-Ew

Obsessed with the steady thrills of graffiti art, he then traveled to Los Angeles.

His cousin (known as Space Invader) arranged a meeting with Shepard Fairey, famous for his work with the Obama Campaign and one of the world’s most prolific street artists.

Soon, Thierry became Shepard’s accomplice; not only he was there on the lookout while he did his work, but he was also telling the story of the graffiti through his camera lens. 

As Thierry ventured further into the field, he got to know a handful of artists including Swoon, Borf, and Ron English, who he all convinced that he was filming a “documentary.”

This went through for the next eight years of his life, traveling the world recording every detail of each artist’s life. But naturally, as a person intrigued by risk, there was one guy yet to know: Bansky. 


A game of chess

Thierry finally found a way to get the one missing part of his non-existent documentary and met Banksy through his connections. He started following him around doing what he did best: record. 

“All of a sudden, auction houses were selling street art. It all became about money when it was never meant to be. So the documentary which Thierry had been working on was perfect to tell the story.”  — Banksy, 2010

But Thierry had no intention of doing a documentary. All eight years of tape were going nowhere. After it was filmed and it was done, it was then locked away in boxes.

Banksy placed Thierry on the spot when he asked for the film. When an “un-watchable nightmare” had landed in his hands, Bansky finally realized Thierry Guetta was, in fact, no filmmaker. 

A disappointed Banksy suggested Thierry make his own art, having no idea what he had just done. “I used to think everyone should make art,” said Banksy. “Now, I don’t really think that anymore.”

Thierry took Banksy’s suggestion as a direct order. He remortgaged his house and sold everything he had to invest in a new studio with screen sprinting equipment and full-time staff. He then committed himself to mastering the craft he’d spent years documenting.

Having no idea what he was doing he said, “It was like being a chess player, without having played chess in your entire life.”

And Banksy? He had absolutely no idea how far things would go. 


The big bang!

“It was like being an Artist overnight. I’m nobody, never did an exposition or a gallery anywhere.” — Thierry Guetta, 2010 

Committed to not disappointing his “mentor,” Thierry rented a 15,000 square foot complex in the heart of Hollywood. It was the perfect venue for his debut show as an artist in his exhibition titled “Life is Beautiful.”

He asked his friends for a quote to promote the event with two of them being Shepard Fairey and Banksy himself. The media immediately picked up the endorsements by Banksy and Fairey and within a few days Los Angeles woke up to discover a new artist phenomenon: Mister Brainwash. 

While private art collectors bought Mister Brainwash’s work for up to $24,000, things didn’t go without a hitch.

Eight hours before the opening, almost 200 pieces had finally arrived framed and ready to be hung. With only two hours before the opening, the crew started putting the paintings on the wall.

When the doors finally opened, 4,000 people flew through an art exhibit filled with art and complex installations.

It was pop art mixed with street art and a bunch of image appropriations from other recognizable artists; from the Mona Liza to Warhol’s Campbell soup. MBW was everywhere, brainwashing people to believe he was the ultimate artist, and they all bought it.

During the opening week, he sold one million dollars worth of art. What was supposed to be a five-day exhibition, ended up being a two-month event. His pieces are now found in many galleries and art shows around the world. 

So, what’s the lesson here? Fake it till you make it!

 

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Life is beautiful !

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David Blaine’s Ascension proves that creative endurance has no limits

David Blaine’s endurance has pushed the boundaries of possibilities to a whole new level.

He’s been buried alive for seven days (1999), frozen for six hours (2000), spent 44 days without food encased in a suspended glass box, and has been electrified with 1 million bolts for 73 hours. 

Now, after years of ongoing efforts, he will ascend into the sky using  52 helium-filled balloons and fly over the Page, Arizona desert.

His first stunt since 2012. 


David Blaine’s Ascension

After eight years, Blaine is bringing magic back to real life. This time, manifesting himself as the little boy in the famous 1956 short film “Le Ballon Rouge” (“The Red Balloon”). Once again proving that creativity and imagination have no limits. 

Flying is perhaps the biggest aspiration of any magician. Thus, it’s been David Blaine’s challenge of a lifetime. Today, the magician/illusionist took flight piloting a cluster of 52 helium-filled balloons over Arizona’s desert.

His team expects he could fly as high as 18,000 feet (about 3.4 miles), where oxygen levels are about half those at sea level.  All while going live on YouTube. 

Blaine has put together an exceptional team of experts; Luke Aikins, lead of the project and Sky Diving expert; Jim Sumway, flying expert; Art Thompson, aerospace engineer and Marques Brownlee, tech expert and YouTuber. 

The project was initially set to happen in New York, over the Hudson River. Due to weather inconvenience, it changed last minute to Arizona — the perfect place for flying with balloons, apparently. 

Being the first time ever that Blaine would go above a few hundred feet with balloons only, the risk is real. According to Aikins, things to consider are: temperature, reaching high levels lowers the atmospheric temperature which could potentially compromise movement.

The lack of oxygen. And, of course, landing. It would be the first time that Blaine lands in such a landscape. Ascending with no parachute and strapping it on once he’s up in the upwards of 20,000 ft up in the sky. 


David Blaine’s creative endurance is inspirational

Blaine has dedicated his life to break life limitations.

In 1999, when he debuted his career as an illusionist and magician, he was buried underground in a plexiglass coffin underneath a three-ton water-filled tank for seven days and nights. 

His second stunt, and probably the most difficult challenge of his career, was in 2000. He when encased in a massive block of ice in times square. For 63 hours, 42 minutes, and 15 seconds he suffered from sleep deprivation and battled cold temperatures. 

He continued defeating science with Vertigo (2002), Above the Below (2003), Drowned Alive (2006) and, at some point, he even caught bullets with his mouth.

For 13 long years, Blaine never ceased to amaze the world, proving possible what was once considered impossible.

And, although sometimes magic seems to be the only explanation for his survival, it’s rather his creative endurance that has made this man limitless. Training and research can only take you so far in pushing science away from its preconceived boundaries.

It is rather a masterful mentality of problem-solving skills that have allowed David to prove that living a creative life means living with no limits. 


When it comes to creative endurance David Blaine puts in the hours

Meet Sheron Barber: The visionary behind the COD League Championship Throne

Sheron Barber’s experience designing for artists such as Rihanna, Drake, Post Malone, and Billie Eilish, gave him recognition in the fashion industry.

Now, he’s taken his creative mind to another level. He is the designated designer of the new COD League Championship Throne. 

Watch out for Sheron Barber,  the latest cultural architect of our time. 


Who is Sheron Barber? 

Coming from a generation of cross-disciplinary designers, Sheron Barber’s ability to conquer culture is now no longer a stranger to esports  — one of the most creative industries today. 

Since a very young age, Barber has been exposed to video games.

“My dad kept video games around to keep us off the streets and our imagination going,” said Barber in an interview.

 

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The older I get the more I find myself living out my childhood dreams. Keep god first and anything you dream you can achieve.

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Not like many parents, he had recognized the creative input and infinite imagination going on in a virtual screen. 

But Barber started his design journey with rather a more mainstream approach; reinventing and reimagining clothes he saw, but could not afford.

He began screen printing shirts. Quickly realized its limitation and looking for ways to express himself further, he was self-taught how to cut and sew.

Sheron became known for designing custom leather goods using iconic leather from luxury brands such as Loui Vuitton or Goyard. And designed the DR14 — a Hip-Hop inspired accessory that successfully grabs the attention of many celebrities. 


Yet, being a bit of a gamer himself, Sheron had recognized and learned to admire the immense details that games delivered. They are, after all, what brings imagination closest to reality. 

 “Virtual worlds are filled with detail, and the attention paid, the more real it becomes. When I’m designing, my mission is to find a way to bring what’s in my imagination to fruition in real life.”

As a true visionary, Sheron Barber always saw an opportunity in the Esports industry, but little did he know where.


The COD League Championship Throne

 

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The Call of Duty League Throne conceptualized. – – #TakeTheThrone #callofduty

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Just like with these previous designs, Sheron always saw room to redevelop and improve gamers’ chairs. “There IS a need to reinvent the wheel. When you look at conventional gaming chairs, it’s clear they come from a PC world,” he said.

After talking with pros about their functional preferences, he successfully created a  70-120 pounds, and at 6 feet high throne that is innovative and aesthetically pleasing. 

At first, the chair was going to be made out of solid marble or granite. But, because of the weight and practical constraints, the material changed to avonite — a human-made acrylic based material that replicates the look, feel, and density of natural stone or granite.

“I’m especially fascinated with process and detail, and that’s a basis for everything I do.”

 

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I had an opportunity to design, conceptualize, and manufacture a throne for Call of Duty League. I grew up on video games, I used to hop the train and go to the arcade to play kids from other neighborhoods, so to see how far gaming has come really astonishes me. While imagining the throne I was inspired by brutalist design and monolithic structures. Aesthetically, the throne takes cues from CDL’s branding and its family of awards, including trophies and rings. I decided to add a bit of personal nostalgia by making the silhouette of the throne resemble a vintage arcade game but with a modern cubism style approach. The overall goal was to make a throne that was fit for an optimal gaming experience yet suitable for a king. A major challenge was creating a piece that appeared monolithic but was actually light weight and durable, for these reasons we decided to construct the throne out of Avonite which is a light weight material that resembles granite, the structure is held together by a lightweight aeronautical grade aluminum subframe. I only hope that this throne is suitable for the @codleague King to be. To the victor go the spoils. As with most of my work I have an Ideation Phase, followed by a creation phase and then finally a fruition phase. Stay tuned to see the final product.

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For this project, he was inspired by architecture, monolithic structures, brutalist design, and cubism. It is where function meets aesthetic and that is exactly what made the design process so particular and challenging.

After all, it is a place where gamers need to feel comfortable sitting for hours on end.  

Eventually, Sheron Barber was able not only to incorporate the elements of a real throne but found a way to bring imagination to fruition in real life.

Now, he has officially merged both industries into one product: The COD League Championship Throne. For sure, the competitors at the tournament finals couldn’t be more hype to battle over the throne and more.

The Dallas Empire, who were ranked second, defeated the Atlanta FaZe, ranked first, to become the first-ever Call of Duty League Champions.

In addition to the COD League Championship Throne, they received the CDL Trophy and $1.5 million. Johanna Faries, Commissioner of the Call of Duty League spoke on the win,

“What an epic finale to an amazing Call of Duty League Championship Weekend. Congratulations to the Dallas Empire as the League’s first-ever champions, to the entire Envy Gaming organization, and to the great city of Dallas. You all earned the glory with a dominating performance today. Thanks as well to all of our 12 CDL team franchises for making this inaugural season so successful, exciting, and memorable.”

Barber not only made his debut as a multi-faceted designer but as a pioneer cultural developer and contributor within both arts: gaming and design.

His advice to the up-and-coming designers:

“If you have an idea, get it out of your head and into the world. If you need help doing that, find someone that knows how to sketch your idea and take your idea to the next person.”

What happened in Kenosha is proof of how racist and divided this country is

On Sunday, August 23, Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a white police officer.

Blake had been trying to stop a domestic argument when law enforcement arrived with guns on hand. With three of Blake’s kids watching, one officer deliberately pulled the trigger and shot him multiple times on the back.

Blake is now paralyzed in the Hospital of Milwaukee. Doctors don’t yet know if this will be permanent.

Protestors flooded the streets of the city and unleashed in the following days. And just when things seemed to start calming down, a second shooting took place shortly before midnight on Wednesday.

Another video captured a 17-year-old with a rifle on hand in the middle of the streets of Kenosha. Kyle Rittenhouse, the identified shooter, is being called a “police admirer” who broke off onto the streets in support of the cops.

The video depicts the shooting happening in two stages; first, Rittenhouse shot someone at a car lot. He then runs away, falls on the streets and fires for a second time to members of the crowd close to him. Two people were killed and one injured.

According to the Kenosha police department, Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested in Illinois and charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

But that wasn’t before Kenosha police thanked him for his support, gave him water and let him escape the scene.

Meanwhile, President Trump starts another tweet rant about how he’s going to send federal law enforcement and more National Guard Troop to Kenosha to combat the protest. A classic move forms the president of the United States —  bluffing on Twitter.


The wrong man handcuffed

After the second shooting that happened at Kenosha, the divide in America, and the blatant racism became clearer than ever. It wasn’t soon after when right-wing commentators tried to justify his behavior.

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson defended this terrorist attack, saying that the 17-year-old that carried a rifle and killed two innocent people during the Kenosha protests was acting on self-defense.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEZb3WVJSAC/

Surprise much?

Meanwhile, Jacob Blake — the true victim of the situation — was handcuffed on his hospital bed.

“How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would? Everyone can see what was happening in Kenosha. It was getting crazier by the hour,” said Tucker.

Others on Twitter were also justifying his behavior, claiming he was being pursued by protestors and that the acted in self-defense.

What is interesting is that conservatives are still using these types of tragedies and making them political. What’s sad, is that they don’t even bother to check the facts and apparently there is still a good amount of people in America listening to the wrong rhetoric.

It is not about right or wrong. Facts are facts, and a 17-year-old carrying and being responsible for the deaths of two people is not part of a political debate.

Isn’t the story getting old?

Cops killing innocent people leads to protests in the streets against police brutality, where protestors are only to be met with… police brutality.

THIS NEEDS TO STOP!