Exit Strategy Art Annual #2 (2006)

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SIDE A: The outBREAK 1. GOLAB 2. Sincabeza 3. The Tangles

SIDE B: The BREAKout

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Jared Konopitski P.Williams

Bill Dunlap

Craig Atkinson

SCENE Better than Fresno, but not as cool as ‘Frisco.

SCENE San Francisco is where I learned that art-making can transform you into a fountain of creativity, where confidence in your ideas connects you to a bottomless source of inspiration. So for that reason I continue to love SF even if the “scene” at times can be way too much like a high school popularity contest.

Cumberland, Maryland has a population of about 20,000. The town is trying to make itself a thriving little arts community and is having some success. Unfortunately there are still way too many watercolors of babies and puppies here. If you would like to come here and blow up something (kind of in the SRL style) contact me.

SCENE The art scene in the UK is pretty bad. Most people here aren’t that bothered about art, I think Europe and the States are better. We have some good shows sometimes and there’s some nice work around.

www.jareko.com Sacramento CA

CONDITION Human.

MOTIVATION Chaos and order fighting each other in the back of an alley.

INSPIRATION Music in general inspires me. Audio sketch books. Every song creates a visual. I hear music and I have something to draw. Other artists who inspire me are those who learn the rules for the sole purpose of breaking them.

SUPERSTITION I don’t really have a superstition. So instead, I will tell you something fun I like to do. I like asking completely drunk people questions that seem to make sense but you just can’t grasp an answer. For example: What is the first thing you never did in your whole life? Or, can you imagine what it would be like to see Johnny Depp playing Jodie Foster trying to be Johnny Depp?

BEST IN 2006 I made it through the winter.

THE WORST I have to start a whole new winter in a few months.

PROJECTS I am trying to get some local shows going, working on several commissions and learning as much as possible.

NEXT Eventually I want to learn how to throw my farts like a ventriloquist can throw his voice. Eventually, I want to throw my farts up to a two-mile radius.

www.pwilliamsart.com Seal Beach (the OC) CA

www.billdunlap.com San Francisco & Cumberland MD

SCENE L.A. is crazy right now… it’s a huge scene! Tons of spaces, tons of amazing artists, a few really good schools, and a public that seems to care. Having seen a good portion of the USA last summer, I can say that L.A. is the place to be right now for the cutting edge in artwork.

CONDITION Slightly dog-eared.

MOTIVATION Self.

INSPIRATION Various aspects of civilization. Music Jumbo Jet, Thermals, Wrens, Mountain Goats, Adam Green, Neutral Milk Hotel, Libertines, Belle and Sebastian, Bright Eyes, Shins, Rhapsody, Manowar, Murder Corner. Artists German and Austrian Expressionists. Magazines/ Books Juxtapoz (of course). Lately I’ve been reading a lot of backpacking and survival books, don’t ask me why.

CONDITION Thirsty and Miserable.

MOTIVATION A chronic inability to sit still for very long.

INSPIRATION Music Peter Brötzmann, Roscoe Holcomb, Bach. Artists George Grosz, Goya’s etchings, Outsiders.

Magazines/Books Raw Vision, Moby Dick, The Horse’s Mouth.

BEST IN 2006 Um… not sure really. We’ll have to wait until the end of the year and reevaluate.

THE WORST I got a speeding ticket, all in all, a lucky year.

PROJECTS I always have a couple of secret projects in the works. Often I’ll make a prototype of something to see if an idea will work, then wait for the right time. I kept the idea for my plush/3-D characters under wraps for over a year before showing them, just waiting for the right time. Sometimes I have to tinker with things a bit before I put them out there. One of my upcoming projects is an installation of sorts, the other is a series of public art pieces, and there may be some minifilms seeing the light of day, sooner or later.

SUPERSTITION I am entirely rational and scientific. My goal is to debunk all superstition.

BEST IN 2006 Artwise Artist-in-residence at The Virginia Center for The Creative Arts, Fanatical Attics group show at Club Six in SF, meeting lots of friendly, energetic artists. In General Healthy living.

THE WORST Nothing too bad yet.

PROJECTS Some anonymous street art things and large-scale drawings.

NEXT Finding some land where I can start to build my own eccentric world, kinda like Howard Finster or R.A. Miller.

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www.craigatkinson.co.uk The United Kingdom

MOTIVATION I just like making and drawing things, it’s kind of obsessive.

INSPIRATION Music At the moment I’m into Broken Social Scene, Sigur Ross, Radiohead, Gomez, Beastie Boys, Pavement, Tricky. Next week it’ll be different. I don’t think music inspires me to work though; I like absolute silence sometimes, too. Artists In no order and off the top of my head. The old: Twombly, Basquiat, Picasso, Hockney.

The new: Elizabeth Peyton, Chris Johansson, Tal R. The newer: Emmanuelle Pidoux, Warren Craghead, Thinkmule, Kristin Freeman. I’m really into drawing at the moment and there’s some great work about.

I like work that isn’t too safe. Magazines/ Books I read my wife’s “some celebrity has just got divorced, had surgery and become anorexic”-type magazines. I sometimes pull lines from them to use in my work. I like 3x3, The Drama, Illustrated Ape sometimes. I’m really into short run stuff, zines and limited books. There’s something nice about them.

BEST IN 2006 Getting married to Joanne.

THE WORST Hmm, not winning the lottery.

PROJECTS I’m doing some stuff for YCN in London. I’m trying to do a lot of my own stuff and finish my Masters too. I’m working on a book with American art angler Warren Craghead. I’ve no idea when it’s going to be out, but when it is, it’s going to be good. I’ve just done a piece for the New York Times and

am getting some stuff ready for the Liverpool Biennial next month. I’ve just curated Post It, a show in the UK. www.postitpostit.com.

M

ike Stilkey

www.mikestilkey.com Los Angeles CA

SCENE Lots of bad hair and funny clothes.

Many talented folks, though. Really hot this summer, sucks.

CONDITION Severe, maybe orange.

MOTIVATION Not having to work some crappy job. Oh, and I love drawing.

INSPIRATION Sad horses.

SUPERSTITION Putting my pants on before my socks.

THE BEST IN 2006 Buying a pool table.

THE WORST Nothing bad happens, life is easy.

NEXT BLK/MRKT Gallery Artists' Annual January 2007, and a solo show at BLK/ MRKT Gallery in May 2007.

Rotem Nir

www.rotemnir.com Jerusalem, Israel

SCENE Super!

CONDITION Reasonable MOTIVATION Very high!

INSPIRATION Music Monotonic.

Artists Andy Warhol, Jean Michel Basquiat Magazines/Books Sculpting In Time by Andrei Tarkovsky.

BEST IN 2006 My sister’s marriage.

WORST My grandfather’s death.

PROJECTS Secret NEXT A bit of everything... welcome to Beijing, dear friends.

A

dam Miller

www.adamlovespuppies.com Los Angeles CA

SCENE After the last quake, the floating island of Los Angeles is now a maximum security prison, infested by the world’s most feared and loathsome rapists, drug-addicted sadists and murderers ever to have walked the earth. So, I am pretty much happier than a hog in shit. The ten year old crack baby prostitutes really seem to love my artwork.

Los Angeles is hella awesome!!!

INSPIRATION The dream of standing on top of the smashed shells of thousands of defunct robots. I am motivated to avenge the death of my friends and will hunt down and disarm every member of the evil robot proletariat. Oh, artwork is kinda cool too (if you’re a fuckin’ nerd).

G

raciela Guardado

SUPERSTITIONS I used to be a superstitious man, but now that my roommate is Jeffrey the alcoholic leprechaun I don’t have anything to worry about. If you think that a four leaf clover is a good luck charm, you should try sharing a bathroom with a fuckin’ leprechaun.

www.jesuis7137.com Los Angeles CA

BEST IN 2006 My new pet, a little parakeet named Manfred. His sweet songs gently send me off to sleep at night, and enrage me when they wake me up in the morning.

THE WORST Losing the last piece of my Star Wars jigsaw puzzle. I got 139 of the 140 pieces put together, only to find that Hans Solo will eternally be missing his crotch. The only thing I could do was sit in my apartment alone for days, listening to Bauhaus and cutting myself with a rusty X-acto knife.

LAST THOUGHTS Don’t forget, Jesus doesn’t love you just how you are, he just tolerates you because your parents donate money. But, Satan thinks your pretty radical, and is ALWAYS down to party!!! Cigarettes kill, but crack cocaine makes you popular.

So, logically we should all smoke crack, worship the devil, and fuckin’ party!!!

Then we’ll be happy and popular!!!! I wish someone gave me that advice when I was in highschool. I would have put down the pot and picked up the crackpipe in a heartbeat.

CONDITION Bitter all the way.

MOTIVATION Curry.

John Stuart Berger www.johnstuartberger.com Sacramento CA

SCENE I think Sacramento has a large population per capita of talented people, which unfortunately get overlooked by the general community.

MOTIVATION Just to become a better artist creatively and technically.

INSPIRATION Being surrounded by other talented and creative people.

SUPERSTITION Before a show I usually spread my artwork out in several diferent places, so that if anything happens to it (fire, theft, flood etc.) the whole show won’t be a total loss. I’ve had a couple of bad experiences with that and I lost out on some really good opportunities.

BEST IN 2006 Being able to do the Collabro shows and having a few pieces in the Long Distance Relationship show. Also doing a few shows down in San Francisco.

THE WORST Nothing really I have alot to be thankful for.

PROJECTS No specific projects, I’m just trying to have a large arsenal of work ready in case I line up any shows, preferably venues outside the area.

SCENE I grew up in L.A. but I lived in NorCal for the past six years. I only moved back recently so I don’t really know what L.A. is like anymore. I’d say that there’s been a lot of gentrification and the area that I grew up in isn’t affordable anymore. Emaciated guys drive around Los Feliz in Jetta wagons with far too many accessories and they waste the day since they don’t have jobs (much like some of the guys in Sacramento). Only difference is the ones here have trust funds. What gets me is that you can’t tell who the poser is from the real artistic genius since they started cloning fans of LCD Soundsystem and everyone thinks they’re Shepherd Fairey. But aside from that, I can’t knock L.A. too much ‘cause it’s my hometown and there’s always good latin food. I couldn’t find a Salvadorean restaurant in Sacramento to save my life. My only choice was burritos and tacos. And if you weren’t Mexican, you weren’t Hispanic at all. But anyway…

INSPIRATION My usual sources of inspiration are my two favorite arists: Eva Hesse and Cezanne. I recently checked out a book from the library about Hesse’s exhibition at SF/MOMA in 2002 and I was such an idiot, ‘cause I went to that show and I came back with horror stories to tell my professor about how much I hated it. I didn’t have the same views that I have now and when I think about it I kick myself ‘cause it would be something completely different if I went to see that show now. Eva, forgive me up there in heaven.

SUPERSTITION If you chose to pass on Jurassic Park because you knew it was Westworld with dinosaurs, Michael Crichton’s gonna come out of your closet at night and steal your original thoughts for use in his next project.

BEST IN 2006 I signed up for Netflix.

They have more Westerns than the average rental store. Blockbuster doesn’t even have a Westerns section. They dump it in with Action/Adventure. You can’t have Unforgiven in the same section with Missing In Action.

It’s just not kosher and I’m totally serious.

THE WORST I realized Bill Pullman isn’t so bad. Watch Zero Effect and tell me otherwise.

PROJECTS/NEXT In January ’07 I’m exhibiting some new work at Fools Foundation gallery with my friend Richard St. Ofle. We’re doing portraits using the same

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models but we’re polar opposites, artistically speaking. His work is very dark and mine is borderline pastel. So the same model can trigger extreme reactions in oppossing directions It’s all about ways of seeing.

Aaron Winters

www.abidevisuals.com Southside Park / Sacramento CA

SCENE Sactarded? The city is trying so hard to be a "big city" but ends up just looking like a fat 12 year-old with too much eye shadow winking at boys in the food court. 98% of the bands here sound like The Who. A few of us try to do something more.

MOTIVATION Proving my Dad wrong.

Steven Powers said it best, “You can’t win if I won’t lose.”

INSPIRATION Music MadLib, Explosions In The Sky, Bedhead, Pinback, By The End Of Tonight, Neutral Milk Hotel, Richmond Fontaine, J. Dilla, Pelican, Deerhoof... infinity… Artists ESPO, Skinner, Michael Leon, Sleboda, Andy Mueller, Aaron Noble, Andy Howell, Kinsey, Tomine, Mike Giant, Clowes, McFetridge, Emil Kozak, Jakob Printzlau, Cody Hudson. Print iDn, Color, Lodown, GUM/Lemon, Art Prostitute... anything Jessica Hopper writes… not nearly enough comics these days. Last book I read was Coupland’s Hey Nostradamus but didnt finish it. Thanks to: Josh Tuttle, Kristie Harris, Skinner, Jesse LeDoux, Chad Stockdale, steve mehallo, John Soldano, Gabe in S.F. Brian McKenna, Mike Rafter, Rai-Mon Barnes and Liz Donner.

SUPERSTITION There’s only so much of anything in the universe.

BEST IN 2006 Lecturing/curating Spoken With Eyes at UC Davis. Uplifting Vengeance World Tour 2006 at RX Gallery, marking my fifth show in two months. Full-page antiBush poster in the News & Review. Getting a page in Design Is Kinky’s Semi-Permanent06 book. Seeing Pelican in an attic in S.F. with Skinn and Kristie. Sick Coat Tails Of Gold (RIP) and The Heartbreak Of Diabetes, two of the shortest lived bands in history.

THE WORST MySpace. It was over 110º for over two weeks this summer. Josh moving to Portland. Dudes “hella on E.” PROJECTS Art directing THELEGEND magazine. Teaching at ARC. Designing both an EP and CD for The Tangles. Publishing Exit Strategy.

NEXT Skinner is finally finished with his house, so once Storm Shadow and Zartan get back with the missing parts to the Weather Dominator, we can at long last implement world domination, uplifting vengeance-style.

S

ophie Stubbs myspace.com/ sophiegetseverywhere Glasgow, Scotland

SCENE The general ‘crack,’ as we say in Glasgow, is wicked. It’s such a vibrant city with such an eclectic mix of people and sights to see you could never be at a loose end. I’ve had some great times here over the past three years since I’ve been studying here, just hanging out in bars, wasting time lying in the park and chilling with my mates on the art school steps.

MOTIVATION If I’m in a bit of a lull, artistically, I just take a walk round the streets and gaze at the architecture and that usually puts me in the mood. For me to work effectively I have to be in a great mood. This usually happens really early in the morning when there’s hardly anyone about or really late at night... I have my best ideas just as I’m drifting off to sleep.

INSPIRATION I gain a lot of inspiration from music, with magazines coming in a close second. I love to buy music, not just stuff I know, sometimes I am forced to buy a CD because it has amazing artwork, then, if the music is ace, too, then I’m well-sorted!!!

I also spend a bloody fortune of magazines.

Recently I have been interested in fashion magazines. They are just so colourful and are crammed with original ideas. They also have a certain glossy, high-polished appeal too!

BEST IN 2006 By far the best thing that has happened to me this year was when, this summer, I was chosen to design and paint a large mural in the newly refurbished Beresford Building on Succiehall Street in Glasgow city centre. This is such a milestone for me as there will be alot of press surrounding the opening of this historic building. It will be a real kickstart to my forth year at Glasgow School of Art. PROJECTS This year I have been busy with a new showroom in Glasgow, just preparing works to sell. It’s a great new space in the city which incorporates any kind of art you can think of. There are always fashion events and parties happening which is immense fun.

NEXT My final year at Glasgow School Of Art. PROJECTS Working on my second book, just put out about ten new stickers and had a few group shows throughout the city.

R

A

ichard St.Ofle

ngel D’Amico

richardstofle.com, myspace.com/richardstofle Sacramento CA

SCENE The scene here I would have to say is very diverse… and moody. Probably because of the crazy weather all the time.

SCENE I like Sacramento. The art scene is great. Like a little family in some ways, it feels like we’re moving in the same direction, but without the inbreeding. Musically, it’s sad.

There are so many great bands, and no venues to match.

MOTIVATION Improving and always trying and learning new techniques to strive and create something better and better everyday.

CONDITION I think people are ready for a change. I don’t know what it’ll be, but I think something big will happen soon — maybe a balloon, a beanstalk or a giant. Socially, I don’t think people are happy. As humans in industrialized nations, it”s hard to sacrifice convenience.

MOTIVATION It’s good luck to create.

I know this from experience. Mean hot water whistles from tea kettle steam are next to perfect.

INSPIRATION Lies, anagrams, secrets, impulse, and good luck. Music Philip Glass, Mogwai, From Monument To Masses, John Frusciante, Lee Perry, Augustus Pablo and Captain Beefheart. Artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Warhol, Egon Schiele, Francisco Clemente, Sean Garrison, Yoko Ono, Marcel Duchamps, Chuck Close, David Salle.

Magazines/Books I read a lot of Vonnegut books. I also like Max Frisch and biographies.

I like Greek philosophy too, and I found Vice in Juxtapoz.

SUPERSTITION I’m really superstitious, but I find it embarrassing. Here’s one: If you lose an idea, it doesn’t just go away, someone else might find it, pick it up, and use it.

BEST IN 2006 I don’t usually like to say, the year isn’t over yet. What I propose instead is a list of interesting things. Start a list, e-mail it to me, and I’ll finish it up for you.

THE WORST I’ll tell you the worst, though.

That’s easy: I don’t believe in bad things.

PROJECTS I just finished a portrait of Bright Light Fever for the cover of local music magazine Alive & Kicking. Graciela Guardado and I are in the midst of a show called Concordia/Discordia (at Fools Foundation, Sacramento) in which we fight to the death —and not just artistically. I’m also working on the Corporate Records project for Fools Foundation. As we speak, I am in the thick of things: I have been silkscreening on clothes nonstop for local shop/makingSacramento-cool machine Olipom.

NEXT By the time you read this, you may already know what’s next for me. Maybe as you’re reading this something great is happening.

www.angeldamico.com Chicago IL

INSPIRATION My inspiration mostly comes from people I am surrounded by like my boyfriend Donnie, or my friends and family. Music I am inspired by all types of music. I love Michael Jackson, the Amelie soundtrack, but most recently have enjoyed Lady Sovereign, Cassie, pretty much anything that I can dance or sing to! I have played piano since I was 4 1⁄ 2 so I enjoy classical music as well, one of my favorites being Debussy. Donnie is pretty much a musical encyclopedia, but I also like to make up songs as my mood is that day. Artists Donnie of course… everyday he shows me new motion work that he has created and I can’t believe how much better and innovative he can get, even from one week to the next. He really researches, learns, reads and experiments with new techniques all of the time… it’s amazing.

I run an online magazine (carpaltunnelmag. com) and interview people all of the time…

I guess you can read about them all in the interviews! Magazines/Books YRB has been a huge supporter of my work as has PEEL zine — they are just fabulous. I have also been featured in Design Graphics, Digit and Advanced Photoshop. I have worked with BPM, Create magazine, Venus and Don’t Panic Media, which I really admire.

SUPERSTITION Saying things and then I think they wont happen or come true… ya’ know… knock on wood.

BEST IN 2006 Getting my freelancing career going, really making connections and doing projects with some great people.

THE WORST Getting ripped off by a client… but not really being able to do anything about it because it’s not worth the hassle, money and time.

PROJECTS Well… I am working on six big posters with a company 160 Over 90 for Aramark, doing work with metroproper.com (a new start-up company combining MySpace with craigslist) and am discussing a project with a watch company, which sounds fun.

I am currently in a project for PEEL to “trick my trunk” which five girls and five guys paint whatever they want on a blank trunk, someone wins the contest and everyone gets featured the magazine. I also hand-painted a bodysuit for YRB magazine, which is

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featured in this month’s issue. They are going to auction it off for charity, which is cool. Oh, some other stuff for a soap company and always working on things for a local Chicago pub.

Donnie Bauer www.mydbmedia.com Chicago IL

SCENE Chicago is home to quite a few great design agencies and certainly many popular freelance designers. I think right now the brunt of Chicago’s work is very corporate and product-based. I definitely feel that with the growing popularity of a handful of design individuals, Chicago is on its way to becoming a very important design community.

CONDITION Positive.

MOTIVATION As long as I get to do what I love, I’ll be motivated.

INSPIRATION I’m definitely inspired by my girlfriend and family. Music is a huge part of my life, I love to listen to and make music.

I often feel quite inspired to create while listening to certain things, more often than looking at art. I like to read XLR8R for music reviews, res magazine for new media artists, and Carpaltunnel.com for independent artists and designers.

BEST IN 2006 Hasn’t happened yet… I’m going to L.A. in November. I haven’t been for five years, and it’ll be great timing… just when the weather starts to get real grizzly here.

THE WORST Probably signing a lease on an apartment in a pretty sketchy neighborhood… which I’m still trying to sublet.

PROJECTS I work for a company called MODE doing motion design, so there’s always fun stuff poppin’ off there. As for solo work, I just completed four new animations for Ecko Unlimited.

NEXT I’m already onto a new side project for Ecko Unlimited, more animation.

Hopefully, I’ll get some more illustration work, make more music, listen to more music, eat food, and sleep.

Ryan Waller

www.thingmaking.com Brooklyn NY

CONDITION Nice.

MOTIVATION God. BEST IN 2006 Being fired.

THE WORST Some girl.

PROJECTS: Teaching.

NEXT Have to pee.

Emil Kozak

www.emilkozak.com Barcelona, Spain

SCENE There is alot of skateboarding going on, and all the art connected to skateboarding is thriving very well.

CONDITION Mint.

MOTIVATION Good, clean fun.

INSPIRATION Music Boom Boom Kid inspires me with their funny and positive music and message. Artists Rand, Lubalin, Corazon De Vainilla, Glaser, my brother, Miro and general pop-culture. Magazines/ Books Skateboarding, fashion and architecture magazines, typography books.

SUPERSTITION Sometimes if my computer won`t behave I sweet-talk it in hopes of making it work.

BEST IN 2006 New adventures, and lots of hellos.

WORST Some goodbyes...

PROJECT Artwork for Element and Don’t Panic magazine, some new tees, various logojobs and a Nockdown x Emil Kozak lamp.

NEXT The same as now, but in the future.

Jesse LeDoux www.ledouxville.com Providence RI

SCENE I’ve lived here for less than two years and I rarely leave the house, but when I have gone out, things have seemed cool with the Fort Thunder guys still doing incredible work, and Tiny Showcase hitting the ground running, it seems like a good time to be in Providence.

CONDITION Near Mint.

MOTIVATION I’d better work my hardest, or I’ll have to get an assembly-line job building semi-trucks.

INSPIRATION Music Variety. It is indeed the spice of life. Artists Far too many to name.

Magazines/Books Beautiful/Decay and anything Fantagraphics puts out.

SUPERSTITION Bad things will happen when you have a bad attitude.

BEST IN 2006 I’ve worked on a bunch of really fun projects this year.

THE WORST The leaky bathroom/ burglary/mold fiasco this summer. Triplesuck. Now if the burglar had stolen mold and fixed the leaky bathroom, I’d be golden.

PROJECTS Several CD packages, several posters, a helmet, I’m teaching a class, and several other projects I’ve sworn to keep a lid on. And it all needs to be finished in the next two weeks.

NEXT I can only hope it’s a vacation.

ustin Amery D(UPSO) Hostetler

Tim Karpinski gnu.com Portland OR

www.upso.org Toledo OH

SCENE It's a rustbelt city so there are a lot of unused buildings and spaces, and a lot of people/artists trying to figure out how to take advantage of them.

CONDITION Thirsty MOTIVATION Life being way too short.

INSPIRATION Music I’m having a hard time picking a favorite these days. Between iTunes and internet radio, I’m just so overwhelmed. everything is good. Artists Mike Giant, Seymour Chwast, David Byrne, Keith Haring. Magazines/Books The Drama, Ishmael.

SCENE Very artistic here in Portland, many gallerys and when it rains... its an excuse to stay in and make stuff. It’s mellow… free wood everywhere to paint on.

CONDITION Overcast currently.

MOTIVATION Joanna Newsom.

INSPIRATION Leaves clinging to branches.

Music Folk… Joanna Newsom, Catpower, Little Wings… I love good art-school rock like The Modern Lovers and Dinosaur Jr. Artists Too many to list but Seth Neefus is my favorite drawing partner (sethneefus.com).

Magazines/Books The Journal, Arkitip, ANP, The Drama, Pencil Fight, Old Growth, old science books, Henry Miller.

SUPERSTITION Don't drink too slow.

SUPERSTITION Rabbit, rabbit.

BEST IN 2006 I celebrated my first year of marriage and had my first solo show in New York.

BEST IN 2006 Buying a home.

THE WORST I can't think of anything other than the night I followed up a pitcher of margaritas with a four-pack of Mike’s Hard Mikearitas.

PROJECTS New issue of Faesthetic. New STYLEX CD. New brand with my wife.

Lots and lots of illustrations.

WORST My dream bike got stolen right after I got done building it PROJECTS Gnu snowboard graphics, Grenade Gloves apparel design, Lifetime Collective, renovating my basement into the dream studio, launching WELCOME, a collaboration of two artists telling stories on t-shirts.

NEXT Go home, listen to records… probably The Beatles’ Abby Road or some Frank Zappa.

hristopher CSleboda & atrick Rocha Jr. Kathleen Burns P patrickrocha.com Brooklyn NY

(Big Mortar & MC Chimney) www.gluekit.com New Haven CT

SCENE The scene is keen.

CONDITION Obsessed with women, friends, art and music.

SCENE I don’t know… we have boxes on our heads.

MOTIVATION The past imagery, childhood experiences.

CONDITION Solid as a rock.

MOTIVATION Breakin’ 2: Electric Bugaloo.

INSPIRATION Music Youth of Today Break Down the Walls and Minor Threat Out of Step. Artists We really dig the art of masonry. Books That one about the yellow brick road.

BEST IN 2006 Bridges and other construction projects.

THE WORST A house of brick will be warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and safe all the year round.

NEXT Bustin’ some fresh downrock steps.

Keep an eye out for www.partofit.org

INSPIRATION Music Andre Cymone, Ariel Pink, Topp Boom, Dragon Tears. Artists Tom Friedman, Chris Burden, Damian Loeb, Kon Trubkovich. Magazines/Books American Psycho, Fangoria, Arkitip, Hollywood Babylon.

Scott Barry birdstand.com San Francisco CA

CONDITION Spacey.

MOTIVATION I can't not do anything.

INSPIRATION Everything: The Mission, hippies, PBS, outer space, the internet, old Playboys. Music I'm starting a podcast at TheGreatAmericanFreakout.com. Artists Ayax Barnes, Babalibri, Vilar, Dan Lawyer, Edgar Breuss, Robert Storms, John Alcorn, Dick Bruna, Daniel Eatock, HappyPets, HORT, Non-Format. Magazines/Books A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson, Common Sense, Ted Greenwald, In Advance of the Landing: Folk Concepts in Outer Space, Douglas Curran.

SUPERSTITION Too many to list. I have a golden eagle.

BEST IN 2006 Hyphy.

WORST Hangovers.

PROJECTS Some new ’zines and prints for shows coming up at Plastic Chapel, Domy, and the Wurst Gallery.

NEXT I'm gonna relax and sit in my backyard and take some deep breaths.

Harris Ashley & Dan Herrera Sacramento CA

SCENE There aren't enough people that support art, especially contemporary stuff.

The ones that do appreciate it (but) usually don't have enough cash to help support the scene by buying pieces. But overall the artistic community here is really supportive… broke and supportive.

CONDITION (A) Anxious. (D) Always ready to rock… or take a nap

SUPERSTITION Always believe in ghosts.

If you don’t you will pay.

MOTIVATION We like to make cool stuff. Music All of the humble, but great local bands. Artists Robert and Shauna Parkeharrison, the StarnTwins, Joel Peter Witkin, Gregory Crewdson, Irving, Norman, Odd Nerdrum, any artists who continue to create even in the harshest conditions. Comics.

BEST IN 2006 Showing my work in Denmark at the Highmath show.

SUPERSTITION Old photo chemistry… it’s creepy.

WORST Getting stuck in Philly with my dad (no buses running) and having to pass out on top of an SUV downtown only to be woke up by a Jake’s flashlight.

BEST IN 2006 Finishing the construction of our own art studio.

PROJECTS A couple album covers, graphics for Carhartt Japan, a show at OK Mountain in Austin, finishing up my new music project Dragon Tears.

NEXT Trying to stay healthy and alert.

Do more work in oil. Organize.

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1 EXIT STRATEGY TWO • 2006 2

WORST All the crap we had to deal with while building said art studio.

PROJECTS Finishing up some oldies but goodies. A new old-tyme videogame series that will put the pegs back in your pant legs.

NEXT Probably some of the best alternative photography to come out of 2007… anywhere.

A

ttaboy

yumfactory.com Albany CA, right by the race track

E

lla Mary Kilgour

SCENE There are emo, hippies and hippos.

love, mythology, loyalty, fantasy films, memories of people that played D&D with me, lil’ animals, dinosaurs, comic books and agents Mulder, Scully, Doggett and Reyes.

www.strangeharvest.co.uk www.myspace.com/ellakilgour North London

CONDITION Partly parted down the middle and off to the side.

SCENE I’m not too sure, really. I’m not really involved in any kind of artistic scene.

MOTIVATION The fungus speaks, I listen.

CONDITION Mine? I’m now stable, and in mint condition, thank you.

BEST IN 2006 I stopped drinking soda.

WORST Tower Records went out of business and owes us a ton of money. Fuckers.

PROJECT New vinyls, getting shoes without holes and a cartoon short on cable.

NEXT The U.S. learns Roman history, the hard way.

arie Luise MEmmermann www.skizzomat.de Berlin, Germany

SCENE Berlin has a very various, young and on-the-move art and culture scene, not only design and art but fashion, theatre, music etc… the city has an quite international vibe, very relaxed and and open minded CONDITION I just moved into a new studio – changing the environment is always fine to start some new ideas MOTIVATION I liked the earlier issue of Exit Strategy magazine, try to contribute interesting international projects, especially which are highly motivated by INSPIRATION One’s own initiative, it’s always inspiring to work (anything) besides ordinary “jobs.”

BEST IN 2006 I stepped into freelancing which is great after two years of hard 70-hour weeks, and then I overcame a bad illness.

WORST We had a great summer with the football championship here — but then Germany did not win The Cup. PROJECTS Doing illustrations for J’n’C and NEON magazines in Germany, art directing MINI at Mondial De L´Automobile, Paris (for meire und meire, Cologne).

NEXT Exhibition at Projektionsareal in Hamburg, Germany in late October ’06; some free art projects on destructed.info, kuenstlichst.de, whaleless.com.

BEST IN 2006 Probably all the art shows, building a house and art studio, my band recording an album I am really happy with, feeling comfortable with my self, and learning to not hate people.

MOTIVATION I’m very interested in skill and in craft, also in beautiful things. I think I'm more visual than intellectual. I like to try and pay tribute to nature in my pictures.

BEST IN 2006 Oh, that's hard. Probably getting fired from the pizza restaurant where I was working in the spring. I was a rubbish waitress. I wasn’t having much fun there, and I should have been drawing. It was good that they made me leave.

WORST Losing my temper and fantasizing about hurting people.

PROJECTS A t-shirt for Jedidiah out of San Diego and some murals and getting my art career going again. When this album is done… watch out! It’s metal the way I think it should be… funny and scary and endearing and never on the radio!

WORST The worst was leaving the love of my life. That was a pretty low point, but he was just too much trouble.

PROJECTS I just do any work that can make me a bit of bread-and-butter really.

Some web work, some print. I haven’t had the chance to get into any committed projects for quite a while because I have a full-time job.

And I keep getting drunk.

NEXT I should probably start thinking about some kind of career; I’m 26 in a couple of weeks which is making me feel a bit urgent.

I've been wanting to make some unusual looking books for quite a while, so I'll take that on when I can find the moment and the facility.

S

SUPERSTITION I always have trouble feeling good about listening to God… or what signs I am really supposed to pay attention to.

kinner

NEXT Get settled into my house write more songs do the best art I can… obsess about the supernatural… become an FBI agent… kill people that hunt whales… take my sweet baby to Transylvania… love my sweet baby for a 100 years… have a good life… help out… pass away.

S

teak Mtn.

www.steakmtn.com Brooklyn NY. Unfortunately.

MOTIVATION The Death of the Day Job. Publicly.

INSPIRATION Attic smell, 25 watt light bulbs and Saul Bass.

theartofskinner.com Sacramento CA

SCENE Uh… pretty disorganized but inspired and hopeful. Sacramento doesn’t really get taken seriously as some kind of cultural capital, so I think it lacks the acknowledgement, globally. The truth is there are some pretty sweet little nuggets here, they just need to be discovered! I have seen Sacramento artists do shows in San Francisco that are easily as bad ass and relevant as any show out there!

BEST IN 2006 Against Me! From Her Lips To God’s Ears (The Energizer) Remix by Ad Rock twelve-inch.

THE WORST The Wayans Brothers’ Thugaboo-Sneaker Madness book.

PROJECTS Teenage Swap Meat (Steak Mtn. gallery show in London (February 2007)), The Girls Of Left Hand Are Moving Out (minicomic) and covers for numerous punk rock bands’ horrible records.

CONDITION My back is sore; I built my house.

MOTIVATION To at least try to capture the weirdness of youth and color.

INSPIRATION Fear, bizarre color, power,

65

1 2006 • EXIT STRATEGY TWO 2

ustin Rowe JHertzler

aka Judd, Meatball, Chedda Banks Lovely Sacramento CA

SCENE It's a good scene, tons of good real friends. You can cruise around and do your thing, good sense of community, lots of selfdriven opportunity.

CONDITION Great, enthusiastic, inspired and forging ahead. Lately I've turned into a design junky.

MOTIVATION (My son) Nathaniel, being broke, attempting to grow up, knowing there can be many aspects to life.

INSPIRATION Music Ghostface, Joanna Newsom, Gang Gang Dance, Supercat, Melanie Safka, Midlake, J.Mascis, shitty radio rap. Artists Matt O'Brien, Brian Degraw, Warhol, T. Moss, Kevin Price, Reas, ESPO. Magazines/Books Tokion, Drawing From the Right Side of the Brain, Mass Appeal.

BEST IN 2006 Super trips to Connecticut, not having the responsibility of attempting to be a shredding, cutting-edge skateboard professional, finding a job I'm passionate and enthusiastic about, working myself out of debt and mad opportunities, yo.

WORST Pushing 30 and having my body feel the way it does, loved ones living so far away, not enough time with Nathaniel.

PROJECTS My line of shirts, Uprize skateboard production (Matt Rodriguez’ company), art show in Japan, finding a suitable retail/studio space…

NEXT Retail, design, design, design, grind, web shit, relearn to paint, move into a house.

Butch Vs. Femme

www.myspace.com/butchvsfemme Dixon CA

Travis Cook (Keyboardist and Accordionist), Kim Aparicio (Drummer and percussionist). Kim has kept a steady beat for The Pin-Up Motel (SF) and Falling James (Pacifica). Travis is currently involved with a solo, political, electro project Valiant Steed. (www.myspace.com/valiantsteedband) SCENE: The music scene in Dixon is non-existant. We’ve been said to be the best thing coming from Dixon, which doesn’t seem to be saying much. There is a predominant lack of resources for musicians, artists, and an extinct queer community. If you’re queer in Dixon you’re pretty much on your own. The influence of our community in our life has pushed us in our endeavors to excel, as musicians who want to speak out and also as individuals who want to defy stereotypical archetypes. We express an alternative form of music to rock out to.

CONDITION No, I just Shampoo, but Kim conditions.

INSPIRATION Seeing amazing performers such as Sleater-Kinney, Twin, Swan Island, Cemetary Love Club, Two Ton Boa, gracing the stage with something that’s 100% genuine.

MOTIVATION We feed off of each other.

SUPERSTITION We break mirrors under ladders and play with black cats.

WORST LABEL USED BY MEDIA: “Political punk band.”

MOST APPROPRIATE: “Bay area queercore duo play surprisingly compelling keyboard/drums popsounding at times as if they’re splitting the chasmic difference between Sleater-Kinney and Quasi.”

BEST IN 2006 This interview!

THE WORST Sleater-Kinney’s breakup.

NEXT Butch Vs Femme has definetly hit some rocky roads within it’s run at a music project. We hope to end this next year off with many shows in the bay area and Sacramento. You can always find out where we’re playing listed on the Butch Vs. Femme MySpace page.

Sincabeza

www.myspace.com/sincabeza Bordeaux, France

The Tangles Sacramento CA

Rebecca Keehner plays guitar, Rory McClure plays drums, Cynthia Floyd plays bass.

Rory is also in RXT, Rebecca is also in Log Nest, as is Cynthia, playing drums.

SCENE CF: Mostly nice. RK: In the house my studio apartment is in, the guy in the apartment in back of me plays drums, the guy in the apartment next to me is an artist and plays lots of weird records from the ’60s and ’70s, the guys upstairs are in a band and the people in the house next door always have different people sitting on their porch playing cello, classical guitar and fiddle. Also heard a banjo on the porch at the house on the corner, and sometimes I hear a piano being played several houses down.

CONDITION CF: No. RM: I’ll have to examine the condition our condition is in.

RK: We have good times and good talks…

MOTIVATION CF: Make Becky and Rory laugh. RK: Playing music is a valuable use of time. RM: To be better than I am now.

INSPIRATION CF: Rory and then Becky. No. Becky then Rory. One of those.

RM: Friends of all kinds. RK: Colors and shapes i see in the back of my mind when we are playing. They are song specific. They aren’t really inspiring so much as they just occur.

SUPERSTITION CF: All white, or off-white meal. Plate looks all bumpy… is a mess. Like astronaut food. RM: I don’t play poker hands that make two pair. They never win. RK: I am superstitious of the jazzercise pattern on our studio’s carpet.

WORST LABEL USED BY MEDIA CF: “Girl band.”

RM: I cannot emphasize how much I agree. RK: “Woman band.” No… no one’s really called us that. But it would be highly inappropriate.

BEST IN 2006 CF: Lots of things. RK: No one got injured and we moved into the computer age a little. RM: Two of us are recently gainfully-employed.

THE WORST? RK: Arrested Development was cancelled. CF: I miss Buster. And Gob. And George-Michael and them other ones. RM: Three of us are employed full-time.

NEXT CF: Shows, I suppose. RM: Consistency.

RK: Make more songs and more records and play more shows.

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PETS

www.petstheband.com Sacramento CA

Derek Fieth and (former Riff Randal) Allison Jones.

SCENE Warm.

CONDITION Very active.

MOTIVATION Fun. INSPIRATION Reverb, Distortion and Dirt.

SUPERSTITION Not anymore, but we used think to think it was bad luck for us to open for The Lovemakers.

WORST LABEL USED BY MEDIA “Indie Rock.” Are we on an independent label? Yes. Do we sound like Pavement? No. BEST IN 2006 First full-length album finally finished and on the street.

THE WORST Arrested Development got cancelled.

NEXT Hit the road.

GOLAB

www.golabgo.com Toledo OH

Joel Roberts (also a current member of the band STYLEX) SCENE The music and art scene is improving a lot lately. There is a good community of folks that are supporting each other.

CONDITION While originally chiefly a studio artist, GOLAB has recently begun playing live shows, forming a band with other members of stylex and world-renowned drummer John Hubbell of Toledo, OH in the band SHUTTLECOCK. MOTIVATION To speak with sound.

INSPIRATION Hot Pockets and Labatt’s.

SUPERSTITION Clocks steal time.

Most inappropriate description of your band used by the media: Video Game soundtrack. After employing a Nintendo Gameboy as a composition tool for half of the tracks on my latest album, the songs have been reduced to only video game status. My hopes were that the melody contained in these tracks would elevate the sounds beyond their hardware trappings.

BEST THING IN 2006 Release of my first full length album, Simplicity Banquet, on Pretend Records (owned and operated by members of STYLEX).

THE WORST Theft of a music sequencer device at an “Art Gallery show” in Detroit, MI. NEXT More performing, more recording, less looking back.

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23

70 page art annual featuring artwork by Jesse LeDoux, Attaboy, Tim Karpinski, Emil Kozak, Gluekit, UPSO, Bill Dunlap, Ryan Waller, Steak Mtn, Georgina Vieane, Scott Barry, Angel D'Amico and many more.

Includes 10� EP with tracks by Sincabeza, PETS, Butch vs Femme, GOLAB and The Tangles.