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Maybe it was the fact of having lived many lives in such a short time and with only one body what united us instantly. Concomitantly and with different stories, we each smiled at a brilliant idea that led us to existence, and on the way we discovered that we had seen it and perhaps touched it. Hence the idea of many lives, since once you touch existence the only way to leave it is to stop being. We stopped being crazy, we stopped being romantic, we stopped being because madness was not healthy, romanticism led us to suicide and existence is so great that darkness chases those who seek it to stop them from finding out that the universe is light, divinity is peace and darkness is nothing. We touched bottom and when doing so we saw existence, or certainly when we touched existence we touched bottom. Perhaps it was something so big that our minds were not prepared to live with it and our bodies used
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to a machine-based society felt discomfort in the chest when witnessing it. Perhaps we will continue to change and question the meaning of life and in that debate between life and existence we will probably choose life always. Perhaps because it is mortal and without crossing any imaginary line our soul too; perhaps because it is easier to stop being than to accept what we are or appreciate what we can be. So being and existence wander hand in hand someplace subconscious in the world, in a world so large that it becomes flat in a conversation, but our eyes so full of light and life could still reach them or in some superb way imagine them. And as if we were composing a great song we smiled with every new chord that continued the perfect melody and the lyrics simply flowed from our lips filled with hunger for more lives.
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Miniature Readers’ Literature:
The next generation processing by Michelle E. Atwood Who the heck knows what good writing actually is? I have taken what I feel are far too many classes in literature, poetry, and even creative writing which, by the way, seems to be something of an emotional outlet for the youngest students at a college. Why cut your wrists when you could just write about it? The emotional release, as well as the attention for doing so, is still there; all the taste with no calories -or more accurately, scars. (Please forgive me; this is meant to offend no one, as I tend to be blunt, as well as speak from experience). I have read and attempted to understand what constitutes good or great writing by studying great women writers, classics, children’s books, and poetry; yet I still have no clue. How did I ever pass my college courses, let alone remain an honors student? How much money was wasted on a college education when my original opinion on what great writing is has remained the same? Isn’t college supposed to educate you, open your mind and change your opinions on things? Why don’t I know the answer!? Well, school was not a total failure for me; I did learn how to “google” better in order to find out immediate answers to most of my questions. Ah, how I do love the fact that I was raised in America, this day and age with constant intake of instant gratification; so much so, that I have to actually work in order to imitate “pensive”.
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homework and read with her every day. It is a frightening idea for me, because while I do recall the fundamentals of reading, my directions include phrases such as “put that weird looking thingy right there into the odd colored one. No, not that one, the one that is oddly colored!” My inability to effectively vocalize words aloud elicits frustration on both ends of the spectrum. It makes me wish I had paid better attention in school. Because of this, I was convinced that my child was doomed to be a poor reader at best. I sat down with her every day, reading sight words, repeating short sentences over and over again. It has been five weeks of kindergarten so far. Every day has been a frustrating task. Trying to convince a child she can learn to read and write is harder than one might think. Tediously practicing the correct way to assemble letters into words when your child has attempted it dozens of times daily is not simple. We both wanted to give up. She felt she had accomplished no new skills and I felt like I was a useless mentor, and that she was in better hands with her teacher at school. That was until what happened today.
Today my daughter came home from school, I looked in her daily planner to see another smiley face indicating her good behavior, and then I gave her a snack before we proceeded to the ever exciting homework session. She had a short story I believe good writing is anything readable that had been sent home with her teacher. that is found amusing by at least one person on the planet -even the writer themselves. It was only four lines, with three to five When I say amusing, I do not necessarily words per sentence. My daughter started mean the reader giggles every five seconds, to attempt reading by herself, with me only or is simply entertained by the idea of what to coach her through, reminding her how has been written, but also that the reader to sound out her letters. She read through has thought a little bit more than usual that it once; I helped a good deal. She read day as a direct result of reading the item. A through it a second time; I helped her a book, magazine, comic, the back of a cereal little. Then she read through it a third time, box or even a bathroom stall can still have slowly, and a little unsure, glancing up at me occasionally for approval. I would smile what in my opinion is good writing. and nod her on for encouragement. She Great writing is something I feel is a piece read each and every word all by herself! of literature in any form that is read over and over to catch anything that was missed I could not believe it! Apparently neither the first time, and so on. Great writing could she; she asked me if she could read it invokes the writers and the readers’ mind again, which of course I allowed. She then processes and contributes to the overall read it again, gaining speed and confidence being of that person, even having mind- through each word, expressing the meaning healing capabilities. Anyone can hide from of the words through her voice. She could reality behind the safe pages of a book or read! She took some lined paper and wrote magazine, but great writing will take you the words “I can read”, “I can write”, “I can out of hiding, so to speak. But what do I play”, “I can eat”. I was there every step of know? I could never grasp what was being the way. I would have rather indulged in my own reading or writing, as it has that taught in a basic Literature class. instantly gratifying pleasure. Helping a The reason I bring this up is because my child learn to read and write is like learning daughter has just started kindergarten. all over again, which I will say once again Her teacher expects me to go through is not easy!
But it is an amazing thing to see those tiny increments of progress that have developed into my firstborn becoming a reader and a writer. This first piece of literature, “The Cat Sat”, will stick with her forever. It has meaning behind it; it is the first story she has ever read on her own. I remember mine, “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss. I suppose by my own standards these are both pieces of good writing.
learning to read, a wonderful pastime and necessary skill. It was not until I had to help my daughter with these skills that I realized I possessed the ability to facilitate learning. This was a huge stepping stone for both me and my daughter. I now have a fresh passion for all we have to gain through literature, and how lucky we are to have this mandated and regulated skill. The griping and groaning, frustration and the time-consuming task ironically give each of us our freedom of expression. Now let’s wait and see what I am thrilled she has the esteem to continue my daughter does with that freedom...
Art by Alec B. Atwood
There comes a point in our lives, regardless of our age, when we simply realize that we are grown ups already and in spite of that we still have our fears. Mine in particular is to forget. There are certain things, people and
situations which begin to fade away as life and time pass, and I am afraid to forget them. Like when we lose someone we love and after a while somebody with the same perfume passes us by on the street; it is like a burst of that which we lost and thousands of memories flash through our heads, which then leave with the wind that carries the smell away. I often ask myself: what if no one with that perfume passes? What if I forget their voices? What if I forget what they used to call me?
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What if I forget how they spoke? The fact that my head cannot retain everything at my fingertips fills me with despair. I feel hopeless by having to look in every corner of my memory trying to remember every mark on their faces, because for some reason details are just gone. Nowadays, that fear is vanishing. Our generation has become a compilation of memories available to anyone. If we start forgetting, all we need to do is log into our computers. We have not just created a tool to “stay connected�. We have created a memory extension of our own hard drive. Do you recall who was at your birthday three years ago, where you were? Hard drive, files, pictures, birthday, done. Every day there are more ways to remember, and not just from our angle, but also from shared memories. My generation has given the possibility to not forget our grandparents’ faces, to
not forget the faces of the friends I have lost, to not forget their voices, and even to be able to resort over and over again to recorded moments that my head tends to erase without notice and for no apparent reason. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, forums, blogs, podcasts, etc. What if life suddenly tells you your time has come? The most complicated part is surviving time, both for the person who stays and for the one who leaves (I am not so sure that time heals everything). Before, only those who did something remarkable remained. Only those who discovered something, who wrote a good book, who made history, passed the test. Today, all of us have the possibility to leave our mark in the world. Today, we all have the chance to survive time. You just need to have an account
in some social network for everything that you thought, shared, created, lived and uploaded to be there, like a reflection of oneself. One just remains, and those who surrounded us have a chance to access a part of us and to share memories that will now be more than a story. Sometimes, they can even talk to that part which remained. Our generation is standing out because of this. We are leaving oblivion, forgetfulness and distances behind. In my case in particular, I feel as if I was buying a stairway to Heaven, to climb slowly every time I wish to peep through the memory of what I miss, in order to survive time. 13
by Michelle E. Atwood
“New Port Nowhere�, a fond nickname created by the young residents of New Port Richey, Florida. It is understandably accurate considering the uselessness and nothingness that goes on for most of us. There is a small shopping mall, a park, and Walmart. That about sums up the public places one can gallivant about. Other than that there are two-bedroom apartments for a four-person family plus a roommate or two just to make rent. Crammed quarters (or cozy for the optimistic person) with one designated parking space. No room for guests and no pets allowed. A hand-me-down-trailer is also pretty common around here, with just enough space out back to have a small bonfire with friends or family. Unfortunately, sitting around a bonfire in sweltering Florida heat is only fun for so long before someone insists on bringing ice cold beer, which is quite the blessing until someone inevitably drinks too much and either accidentally falls into the fire, or decides playing tag with their Walmart-purchased B.B. gun is a good idea. Sure, there are other things to do, like reading books, watching television or surfing the Internet and getting lost in a fantasy world, but many simply opt for drugs; pills mostly. Getting oneself to a point of chemically-induced apathy is a popular choice for the never-ending cycle of minimum-wage jobs, broken cars, failing birth control, and debt. There is a vast lack of positive influence in these parts. Generations of families have lived here for years, never considering the pursuit of happiness; because of this, a constant flow of negativity has been pushed upon my current generation and boy, it sucks. I can legitimately say there is nobody I know in this town that does not have a friend or family 14
member in jail or prison, has some form of mental illness, or has lost someone close due to drug overdose or suicide. Not one person is unaffected by the social disturbances of our world, far too prevalent in our society. Personally, I do not use drugs, but have become somewhat dangerously addicted to overeating and with that have developed a profound appreciation for wine. I am four weeks away from having a Bachelor’s degree, which theoretically will land me with a job that can support my ever-growing extended family. Four weeks until graduation and I have no clue what I am going to do for a career. New Port Nowhere could possibly provide me with a full time job, most likely doing something I despise... Job opportunities are very few around here. Even with a degree I am most likely going to work part-time minimum wage, because that is the only thing available. The fear of not succeeding after graduation seeps into my thoughts daily. I am lucky enough to have two gorgeous, smart and hilarious daughters, as well as an amazingly supportive husband; however, the human in me is bleakly anxious due to the suffocation of every other extensively negative factor my thoughts have been conditioned to. It is pretty freaking depressing around here, so I need to get out and gain some new perspective in order to improve the future of myself and my future generations. My soul searching is in motion. I have been presented with a rare opportunity to get out and gain some real life experience, take a break from the family responsibilities, and get enough air to possibly determine the obtainable solutions for a positive outlook on life, career, and pass on these attributes to my beautiful and well-deserving family. I will be leaving for Miami, Florida for ten
days. My brother lives on the billionth floor of a breathtaking downtown spacious apartment, and my sister-in-law has generously paid for my train ticket. My husband immediately agreed to caring for the children himself while I was gone, more than happy to do his part in contributing to my potential, and I am completely jazzed, to say the very least. Miami is filled with hope, beauty, creativity and culture. I will be able to observe people from all walks of life and gain several new perspectives. It will be something fresh, something different from the everyday drone of stifled souls. I will finally get the hell out of my house with the walls that seem to taunt and close in on me.
I missed my train. My newfound hope, inspiration, and independence dwindled away as the panicked anxiety of driving, lost on the highway, overcame me. The black hole of New Port Nowhere had successfully sucked away my opportunity to pursue something better. We finally saw an exit and dripped off the interstate, onto a string of roads that led north, toward home. It was too late; we had no choice but to go back to our house, as there was no other train today. Sorry Miami, I wanted to experience what you had to offer... I really did. We sat in silence as the fatigue from our stressful journey settled in. Eventually we saw our town come into view, mocking me with its ability to keep me from change.
So this morning I woke up with a renewed sense of hope, eagerly anticipating my ten-day journey of self-happiness. I bid my daughters a hug-filled farewell and my husband and I set out to the train station. My stomach fluttered, as I was rather nervous, never having been on a train before. I squeezed my husband’s hand as I held it nearly the entire car ride it takes to get to the train station. We were almost there - I could feel it! I watched as the building numbers grew smaller and smaller, looking for the train station. I looked very closely expecting to see my destination, confused when I saw the building numbers go back up. I thought we would have passed the train station already, but did not recall seeing it. So, my husband and I turned the car around, swooping back past the familiar-looking buildings, straining to see the correct address, the train tracts, or a sign indicating we had arrived at the Tampa Amtrak station. Unfortunately, we saw none of this. After turning the car around four more times, as well as getting lost in downtown Tampa, the time had run out. It was fifteen minutes past when I was supposed to have been boarding the train, and at this point my husband and I were traveling at sixty-five miles an hour, trying to keep up with traffic on the Interstate. The strange part was we did not even realize how we had managed to get on the Interstate in the first place, which side the exits were on, or how to get back. 15
Recipes by Xime Zegarra New experiences and new beginnings; that is what this year will hopefully bring to all of us. Since this is a new beginning for me at Alley Times, I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes with you, which is perfect for this season. This fun, romantic and sexy recipe feels like spring to me. The best thing about this dish is that you can have a restaurantstyle dinner without leaving the comfort of your home. Preparation time: less than 30 min. Serves: 4 to 6 Difficulty: 1 Ingredients
•2 tablespoons butter •2 tablespoons olive oil •12 clams •½ lb Sea Scallops •½ lb medium white shrimps •½ lb Mussels •½ lb Squid •2 cloves garlic, minced •1/4 teaspoon salt •1/4 teaspoon white pepper •1/4 cup white wine •1 lime, juiced •1 tablespoon fresh parsley •1lb already cooked pasta Directions 1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over mediumlow heat. Add the garlic, olive oil and clams. Stir for about 3 minutes and then incorporate the mussels. 2. Stir and begin to add the scallops, the shrimps and the squid. Increase the heat to medium, and add the white wine and lime juice. Mix well. 3. Stir to combine and cook covered until the white wine is reduced and the mussels and clams open. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. 4. Add the pasta, stir well. 5. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with parsley and serve. 16
I abandon the criterion of organizational reflections from my previous article, for order without meaning does nothing but confine us. Now I pour out fragments of speech which, at some point, if there is time, I will sort.
Love and peace are the ultimate goal. It is the most important one but it cannot be achieved without achieving others first. First of all, we must find the peace of mind which will reveal our nature and purpose. By learning what they are, we will automatically find self-love, hope and happiness. By attaining the above we will be ready to love others, nature and the world. We will be able to perform tasks which ensure total welfare, love and global peace, the ultimate goal. To find inner peace we must be ever aware of what our fears are, and face them. Feeling capable of overcoming these fears makes us strong and confident, gives us serenity, fills us with peace. Therefore, let us not search directly outside. Let’s start by sorting our interior to get out being strong and to make a difference on the outside
Now, what would happen if these drugs caused a better reasoning which allowed us to find the answer to the fundamental questions of our life? These new mentalities could arouse curiosity, new spectra to be analyzed, understood and exploited. Science needs its practitioners to have superior minds. They are born outside normality; they are abnormal, frowned upon, antisocial. They have the power to alter the social order for better or for worse. Whatever the drugs which destroy or inhibit the brain functions which promote reasoning and perception of reality, they should be abolished. They are the ones which divert normal mentality towards the negative. On the contrary, those which promote such effects should be encouraged, for they improve normal mentality and move it towards a higher average. An aggressive person was born on the wrong side and their mind needs healing. A peaceful one sails through a better one. They are examples of what drugs do to most people, to the person who was born normal, to the pillars of life. We stop here, enjoy. Remember to try and push a bit further to change the world, little by little, into that which we dream of. I thank Alley Times for this space. Happy New Year to all; do not drink and drive!
Drugs inhibit certain qualities of our mind and exacerbate others. In order for the system of social coexistence to work, communication and understanding among its participants are necessary. For this, a standard mentality that focuses the majority of the population is required. Luckily and evidently, this is the case. Drugs alienate us from this normality and are therefore abnormal, frowned upon, antisocial. 17
TALKING STREETS II
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URBAN LITERATURE II
79th St. & NE 2nd Ave. - Miami, FL, USA by CP1 with Corok & Sifoe from AD crew 20
Ciudad Vieja, Montevideo, Uruguay Candombe Uruguayo
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- So were you ever considered a “Toy” (inexperienced graffiti artists, often more like vandals than artists)? It was only for a short time, fortunately, because I was with older graffiti writers who were good. I guess that they saw potential there, you know. So yeah, there was a year or two that I would consider myself a toy.
CP1 is one of the most well-known and respected graffiti artists in South Florida, U.S.A. Today, leaving the “illegal” street art behind, his work can be found in lots of art galleries in Wynwood, Miami. Here, he tells us his unique story with his unique vision. - First, how old are you? 34 - When did you start painting? I started painting probably in ‘92, so it’s close to 20 years now. - When did you switch from paper to walls? I was introduced to graffiti on my first year of high school. It was just that I had a great friend who was an excellent artist. He started doing it and showing me the ropes and then he introduced me to other people and that is how I got into it. So it was in high school, it was simultaneous. I mean, I hadn’t been doing stuff in piece books for a long time. I started doing walls around the same time and I was terrible at first.
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- What was the purpose of doing it before as compared to now? I guess back then, I mean, to start off, it was enjoying the art of it and as cheesy as it sounds, the culture too. I was really into hip hop; my friends were DJs and MCs and I kind of, I really fell in love with that aspect. Growing up, my best friend’s older brother was a DJ. When I was 8 years old I was getting mix tapes and trying to break dance, so hip hop was something very close to me. The art outlet just made sense. I was into drawing and when my friends started getting into graffiti I thought “this is perfect”. Even though I loved graffiti art, I never enjoyed emulating other people. I never really wanted to do a style that was the same. I got it, I loved their stuff, but I didn’t want to… One of the biggest things in graffiti is that you kind of have to take from other writers to learn, but copying from other graffiti writers is also one of the worst things you can do. There is a fine line when you start; you are not in a vacuum. I was influenced by other graffiti writers, but I just wanted to stay as far from other people’s styles as I could. It’s difficult. I liked the illegal aspect of it. It is completely different; there is a rush, there is the satisfaction of getting your name up and of when people start to know who you are and your style. And it was a small click, you know. Everybody kind of knows or has heard of everybody else and you often meet new artists. This is hard to explain... There is good and there is bad. I definitely matured technically and I actually know a bit what I am doing, because it took me a little while
1996
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to figure out who I was and what my style should be like. Back then it was something as simple as “oh this is cool I want to do this”, “I like this I want to do this” and there is more to it now. I do miss getting up at spots, getting up with friends, but now that I am teaching, it is out of the question.
2009
- Who influenced your art the most? Well, my best friends were -and still are- MANE and MAKO from Sinister Six Crew. Mane is the one who introduced me to graffiti and Mako was the older guy who already had a name for himself. Mane was such a talented writer and he just had all different types of styles that I took from. My hand styles still look like some of the old stuff I was doing back then. I think Mako’s stuff was so crazy and different from anyone else’s that trying to emulate him isn’t something I would ever think of doing; his style is so unique. - Any crazy stories to share involving graffiti? Yeah, I guess there were. I’ll try not to tell the same stories I’ve
told other people. We got caught doing pieces on U.S. 1 and 152nd street. I think the crazy thing about that is how stupid it was ‘cause it was 10 o’ clock at night and you could see us from U.S. 1. It was a group of like 9 or 10 of us, so it just wasn’t a very good idea. Of course the cops came and we all had to hide. Two of us ended up hiding in a fountain in front of a house that was in foreclosure. The police were coming towards us with spotlights and we actually laid down on our backs inside with our arms crossed over our chests and the spotlight swung right over us. I remember that was pretty cool. Only one person out of the 9 got caught actually. It was crazy, and we all just ran in different directions. We had to call each other’s beepers to find everyone, but the one person who got caught was strangled by the police so they didn’t even take him into the station. He had big marks on his neck and no one got arrested. - Which do you think is your favorite kind of graffiti? I guess that’s changed a lot, but I was always interested in
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2005
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characters. Since I was hanging out with a couple of guys who were older and who already knew how to do great letters -but weren’t character guys-that was my place where I fit in. I was the character guy. I like letters, I always did, but my letters were always second rate compared to theirs. My graff idol back then was Mode2. Nowadays there is so much stuff out there, from places like Brazil and Chile, Japan, and all throughout Europe, it’s so great because you see how different their styles are. I do like street art, but I don’t like it as much as I did 10 years ago. I guess that happens when anything becomes popular, the masses start to enjoy it and it starts to get watered down. When there are only a couple of people doing it, there is that newness to it and usually more of a purpose. At this point there are so many people that shouldn’t be trying it... Also, you start to bring in stencils and wheatpaste, and I am kind of this old school guy who really enjoys seeing the hand of someone working. Nothing wrong with those other things, stickers and such, but nothing beats paint on
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a wall. Obviously you are less likely to get caught doing stickers ‘cause it takes only a few seconds, not hours. I understand that the idea might be phenomenal and, yeah, there are some stencils that take work, but it is not the same as putting together a nice piece. -What would you say to those guys who, by doing that, give a bad rep to graffiti through delinquency/ vandalism? Well, understand that the graffiti world isn’t some place where you can say “well, these guys are bombing and these guys aren’t”. I understand that people are not gonna like the tagging and they probably never will, but it goes hand in hand with the rest of it. If we writers just started doing burners only, there’d just be a bunch of horrible pieces everywhere. -Do you believe in crew rivalry? Yeah, I guess there has always been that. I think I am
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not in touch with it right now. I know a few writers nowadays from a couple of crews. It’s an aspect that is never gonna change. There’s always gonna be that beef, the rivalry, but for me, I’m just glad I have kind of been able to step away from that a little bit. Whatever beef I had was short-lived and it was a long, long time ago. - Has someone ever bombed your stop, one of your pieces? Yeah, that has happened... That happens. There are spots where toys destroy entire walls. I remember the Hialeah Penit, going there and taking your pictures because you were probably never going to see that piece again. - Where can we find your work? Any favorite walls? Most of my work is in Wynwood and Design District (Miami, FL). It’s pretty much all concentrated there. As for the illegal stuff, I don’t think there is anything left anymore; maybe a random faded tag somewhere.
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The first place I lived in Dade was Perrine, now I’m up by the Design District. All the writers I used to hang out with were in the Cutler Ridge area, so from there and Homestead, to South Miami and Kendall, were the areas we bombed. The penits were wherever you could find them… After Hurricane Andrew in ‘92 it was a matter of driving to these shells of buildings. Many stood for a while. - Where do you see the graffiti writers’ movement in 10 years? It’s gotten pretty widely accepted… In a way it is funny to see the video games where you bomb and stuff, and obviously some of this in graphic design. I think people are getting away from just the letters but that is something that has been happening for a while now. I think there is still going to be the traditionalists who will just be doing the graff letters in crazy colors with characters; that’s not gonna change in 10 years. It seems like the street art stuff is getting bigger and bigger and I don’t know how much it will evolve. I’d like to see it slow down maybe, at least in some parts. I don’t think that it is for every area, you know. I remember the first piece of street art that I thought was really cool in Miami. It was this guy who called himself “The Shadow Man”, back in the early 90s. He went with a paintbrush and a bucket of dark gray and he would paint shadows of objects on the street. So if there was a stop sign, he would paint the shadow of it or he would paint the shadow of people going down steps to a building. I thought that guy was the shit. I remember seeing an interview of him on the news and he said he got the idea when he was on acid, so he started painting the shadows of things
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everywhere. It’s funny ‘cause now there is somebody else doing the same thing. It’s not the same guy, it’s 20 years later, but maybe someone had the same idea. You see, so many people put random stuff up, I saw a Macaulay Culkin thin the other day. -Would you say that drugs and alcohol have played a big part? Yeah, I mean, it goes hand in hand with art. Surrealists tried to do everything they could to tap into the subconscious mind: toad-licking, painting in the dark, using Native American techniques to remember dreams... They’d wake up and have the easel set up right next to them. Or they would starve themselves to the point of hallucination. There are always those trying to tap into something that you normally couldn’t. I don’t think it’s just a graffiti thing. It’s for people in general who want to find the high. - You were saying you are teacher. Tell me more about that. I’ve done it for 7 years. I don’t know for how long I am going to be doing it, but I’ve taught graphic design in a small alternative school. It’s like a second chance school, kids that messed up at some point with their grades. My classes are very small, usually from five to ten students. It’s been fun. This last week I had a student come by to visit me. He is finishing up at the Art Institute,
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doing computer animation there. I like to see the kids come back and tell me how they’re doing, that they actually enjoyed class and that it helped them. - Last words. What’s going to get you remembered, what’s going to make you stand out, is having a different set of experiences and influences than the next person. I know that I might like some of the same stuff other people do, but I try not to emphasize that as much. It’s more the other stuff, even the little things that happened in your life that might be unique, which tend to be the things that make your art unique.
Jappanese Influenced - Uruguayan Artist. When did you enter the world of art? I began as a kid; there was something in the air. When I was a teenager I studied and
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trivialize that which is classic because I work on banality and what is transcendent. Has your art undergone a process of change? Yes, I started with Disney and the Teletubbies. In the beginning I was very childish, even the painting was very naive, not so technical. As I grew up, that changed. Characters are of a different nature already. Although they are childish, they are grown ups, because Japan is a different culture; globalization is there too. Why do you choose those characters? I’m inspired by pop images and especially children’s iconography. I started from the Disney contemporary cliché because I’m
at the age of 18 we got cracking with Gustavo Lamas, Nelson Ramos and Pilar González. I studied Fine Arts for a couple of years and then I quit, until I started with López Lage at the FAC (Contemporary Art Foundation) and I had to unlearn all my technique and theory. When I got there he said, “If it looks like art, then we are wrong. It must be based on real life; it must be genuine and fresh”. Now I work there. Why do you work on canvas? I work the paint and I chose acrylic on canvas because it is classic painting, and I lower and
interested in everything that is childish and massive iconography. How they analyze Christianity, let’s say, it all starts there. Snow White could perfectly be a metaphor of the Virgin or things like that. I am interested in showing a sort of perversity that exists, which is natural. It is not that I’m judging, I don’t make value judgment. It is what I see. I chose Japanese drawing because I’m attracted to it; it is very seductive. So I want to use that pop seduction and I think that now Manga is like the star of that kind of iconography. Now I am back to Disney again. A new but completely different series, characterized humans. It is an idea I’m working on.
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Do you think about transmitting a message when you create a piece? I think about the immediate future. About how the piece evolves and whether I like it so far. I am the first critic, because if it bores me, then it will obviously bore the rest. I’m agnostic but I was raised as a Christian and we have that guilt thing, although I’m not criticizing. Stigmata and hearts always appear and how love, pain and sex are blended. I believe the world today is like a mixture, chaos, a blender, and that is what I include in my paintings. I steal the image I use a bit, sometimes; I totally interfere it and turn it into something else. What did you feel the first time you exhibited your work to the public? The first exhibition I did was at the artisans’ “La Pasiva” in Piriápolis and to me it was like the MoMA. I must have been 24 and I was so nervous. It was a failure but a success at the same time, because I exhibited along with a woman who made some sort of crafts. She sold her work and some of it was stolen, but mine was left alone. It was nice because Tola Invernizzi, who is like a reference to me, was very supportive and it was great.
mlkmural.com
DESIGN
artoflifethemovie.com
Do you live from art? I survive, but this is what I chose and I wouldn’t trade having money for having another job. I am happy beyond money. I feel it is my thing and I do well, I don’t complain at all. Besides, the people I’ve met are very valuable and I think things are for one. What are you passionate about? Women. “Watashi” means “I” in Japanese. It is something intimate, it represents me and they are all women. It is a projection of desire, because contemporariness is also that, desire at its best.
photo by Kyle Holbrook
All of them, I don’t have a favorite. I like the infinite combinations of colors that can be made on the wall. I couldn’t choose just one, although I admit that I have stages in which I paint more with one color than with another.
Uruguayan street art grows unabated. What is so special about Uruguay is that you begin to recognize the art you see on the streets, to define styles and to identify which artist did what. In this world of graffiti, there is a character that stands out in such an original, precise and changing way that the pages of Alley Times were intrigued by her. Min8 is one of the most renowned artists of Uruguay. By printing her art throughout Uruguayan walls, turning something aesthetically unattractive into something divine, she does nothing but add character to this picturesque country. Min8, first of all, the most important question you can ask an artist: what is your favorite color?
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What makes you happy? Graffiti, painting, painting with friends, for friends. All the stages there are to a sketch, packing the bag and setting the paint aside, meeting to go and paint, going to the wall, painting it, taking a few steps back, watching it finished. The euphoria (that doesn’t last long) you feel when you like what you have painted is addictive, highly addictive. You want to paint again, surpass yourself and feel it again, even if it is gone so fast. When did your passion for painting begin and how long has it been since you moved art from paper to the streets? When I was 15 I started practicing tags and some bombing. It was in 1997. In 2000 I painted my first AS1 piece. Those years I did more bombing and
hardly any pieces. It was in 2005 that I started doing more perfected and elaborate paintings, to add them a background, to paint more prepared. We had more means then compared to when we began. What led you to make that decision? It was taking a chance, always thinking that I could give a little more and daring to try new things. When I had done a lot of lettering, I went for realism. After realism, I went for some comic. After comic, more complicated letters. Afterwards, some nature. Never staying on the safe side, always pushing myself to give 188%. I am totally against thinking that one gets to a stop or creative limit. As long as there is willingness, one can
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it. I added things to it little by little. In the end I didn’t like it, it was too demanding. As I always say, I learned by banging my head against the wall.
try new techniques, keep growing, mutate styles. Was the transition from one material to another and from one size to another very difficult? To be honest, I drew very little before painting. After I began, I became aware of the importance of sketching a lot. At first it was hard and sometimes I found it boring to draw. I digress easily; I wanted to be in front of the wall painting and not at a table facing a sheet of paper. Now this has changed because I have learnt the importance of preparing walls properly. And regarding size, no, it is not difficult. Tell me about your first piece. I started painting it without a sketch, just out of an idea I had in mind, so it took me too long to do
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What do you feel when you think of that old piece and your most recent one? I think about how far I have come, how much I have changed and mutated my style. About everything that has happened in between. Many years, many paintings and lots of practice. I keep all pictures of graffiti, old and new. I consider them invaluable, like family album pictures. Even more because of the fact that what we paint is ephemeral, and sometimes all we have left to remember it is a picture. I have seen pieces by you in many places, among them Atlántida, Montevideo and Punta del Este. In what other cities have you left your mark? In Uruguay I have painted in Minas, Las Piedras, Las Toscas, San Luis, La Paloma, Piriápolis and in the department of Artigas. Also in Brazil, Peru (I was there in 2007 representing Uruguay) and I did something when passing by Chile on my way to Peru. Every two months we go to Argentina to paint. Your style stands out from others, what inspired you when you first started painting? Having style was always important to me, since I first started with graffiti. Being different, having my own style, not being labeled as “the girl who paints”, but to paint just as well or better than any other graffiti artist. Over the years my piece became my signature, unique, and that is something I am very proud of. Regarding what inspired me, when I started painting my pieces I did them similar to music notes, very straight. Then I changed them a lot, they lost that rigid part and became more organic, with more ovals and circles. What is your inspiration now? The streets still inspire me, painting perfect pieces, changing spaces, creating different settings in places that never change. Nature is also a big inspiration. Animals, watching how they are, how they are born perfect, colors, textures. Many times I paint to honor animals; for example, my genius dog. He has more personality than many people; I adore him and pay him tribute whenever I can.
What makes you go on painting? Graffiti is my lifestyle. Everything else in your life becomes less important. You invest a lot of time and money on this. You grow older, years go by, you become mature, the environment changes, the way you see things changes compared to when we were young and we were just starting with this. But painting, graffiti in one’s life, is a constant that you wouldn’t change for the world. That spark that remains even as years go by and everything else changes, is what makes me go on painting.
What goes through your mind when you commit to a wall and decide to apply the first drops of paint? When I stand in front of a wall painting, it is the only time when my mind is like set on autopilot. It leaves everyday thoughts aside and focuses only on painting. It has only one mission: to paint that wall as if it was the last and leave it as good as it can be and a little better. Tell me about how a street artist such as yourself makes a living.
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Working two or three jobs. I have a family job from Monday to Friday. Our job is also to paint and last year we started to bring professional paint for graffiti, which we distribute. So, is it possible to live from art? It is possible, yes, but for now not as to quit the other jobs. Is there someone you would like to thank for being where you are today as an artist? Yes, I would thank AESE1 mainly, everyday partner and mate through countless paintings, who knows how to be patient with me and bring me down to earth with his criticism, even if I don’t want to hear it. Legendary pioneer of graffiti in Uruguay. Every KNCR, especially RAF who is my graffiti brother and another legend who knows how to listen to me and put up with my madness. Something also very important is to acknowledge how my life has changed since I started painting. I met a lot of people from all over the world, painted in places I never imagined I would visit, many conversations, walks and meals to celebrate a good wall.
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ARTOPIA
ART CENTER
Miami’s independent Thinkers is a non-profit organization dedicated to the unity, development and promotion of Miami’s flourishing art community. Their assemblage embraces established, emerging and young artists, visionaries and intellectuals.
During Art Basel they showed the public their magic with a unique variety of art, sculptures, interactive media, independent films and more.
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Art by Ian Swain
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Art by Greg Pitts
Art by Roland Ruocco
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BY BAMBINA
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Alright, so I (Harlowe G) am signed to a small hip hop label from LA (No Threshold Records) which flew me out to New Orleans to do a show during Jazzfest last year. Afterwards, I spontaneously drove over to Miami with my brother and reunited with friends I used to make music with. They were planning on getting a huge space for creative purposes, so we all pitched in together and got a warehouse that looked like a nightmare. It hadn’t been used in about 20 years and had old machinery everywhere, no walls,
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etc. Just a complete nightmare. We got our resources together and made it all happen three weeks before Basel. Coincidentally Basel, the biggest art event in the country, so happened to be going on and we saw it as a great opportunity to turn the place around. We got a bunch of artists we all knew to help us paint and finish the place. Then Multiversal Group Show came with some more artists and they took it from there. Big props to Kazzila, Ahol, Ekipo Versa, Jeff Decal,
a r t
b a s e l
a t
MarcPaperScissors and everyone else who made it happen. It ended up being a great success. Over 6,000 people attended the 3-day event and antisteez. com called the Grey Area “the biggest surprise of Art Basel 2010�. Now it is an open venue for all things art: recording, performing, photography, exhibits, you name it. Grey area is Harlowe G and also Andre Truini, Candace Meyer and Erik Tirado.
M I A M I
2 0 1 0
URUGUAY Montevideo Shopping –Local 155 Roosevelt y Parada 9 – Punta del Este Calle 20 entre 27 y 28 – Punta del Este
Cab & Shane 48
Aldrin Garcia - bs 180 one foot
Jake Duncombe - Crail
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Lance Mountain - Invert
Rune Gilfburg - Ollie
Photography by De Ville Nu単es
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Switch Lip photo by: Mike Little
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Switch Tail photo by: Mike Little
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*New Clothing Line /coming soon ! visit: www.alleytimes.net
Words by Jason Henry In case you weren’t able to make it, the premiere for the much anticipated MIA video, Welcome to MIA, was everything you thought it would be and more. All the heavy hitters from Florida came together one night in late November to see their years of hard labor come to fruition on the big screen at BAR Miami to a rowdy crowd of wowed homies. The video itself is nothing short of what you’d expect from established filmmaker and theorist Josh Stewart, who’s gone out of his way to sell his house and dignity for the preservation of quality skateboard filmmaking. Stewart’s ability to bring justice to the long slept-on Miami scene, through personalized skits and meticulous b-roll, gives the viewer the chance to experience the Magic City lifestyle first-hand. The first thing you notice is the quality of the visuals and effects and the attention to detail. All of the opening footage around Miami during golden god-hour kind of smacks you in the face and says, “shut the fuck up and pay attention, this shit is good”. Above all, the soundtrack is fresh and obscure, keeping true to the full-circle aesthetic of a well-made skate video. No flavor-of-the-month one-hitwonders. Just good music you probably wouldn’t have heard otherwise. The MIA team put together full-length parts, with colada-fueled powerhouse Joel Meinholz opening the video with a smorgasbord of tricks you’ve never seen before or thought possible. Ben Gore crosses the streets of San Francisco with well-thought-out lines to skate the spots you didn’t even know
existed. Co-owner of MIA Skate Shop and seasoned professional Ed Selego continues to do hard-ass maneuvers on a skateboard. I’ve always been a sucker for a good nollie half-cab switch front crook to forward, especially if it’s at a schoolyard. Selego does it better than most. Good transitions keep your attention, as if the skating wouldn’t already, with a car ride around Miami’s diverse burghs with Joel Meinholz and Andre Lezama. A MIA family section holds it down to the tune of none other than, well, MIA. Lots of homies with appearances, from Steve Young and Dre to Tony Peoples and Luis Perez crooked grinding down a hubba from heaven. Paul DeOliveira came through with a full part with some cutty Miami Beach spots that you’ll never be able to find and proves that he can no-comply on a dime. The friends section kept it real with select skating from Jimmy Lannon, John Montesi, James Coleman, Steve Durante and a slew of others. Jahmal Williams, Chris Williams and Danny Fuenzalida share a montage with jazzy music that flows nicely with each respective person’s style. Forrest Kirby pretty much destroys the white blocks spot in Liberty City doing every impossible manual trick imaginable. By now it must be over. But no, Brian Delatorre comes in with the rawest footage, bombing the steepest hills in San Francisco and dodging taxis in New York all to mindfuckingly great music. Congratulations and obligatory shots at the bar ensued after the credits rolled and everyone was out to have a good time. And in typical skate video premiere fashion, someone falls and brakes a $20,000 stand-up vase, two people get knocked out, cops come in masses and everyone somehow gets home safe in a drunken stupor.
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Photography by: Ian O’Connor
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Forrest Kirby: Professional Skateboarder for Zoo York, HiFi Wheels, Ace Trucks, Swiss Bearings, Nike Flow & MIA Skate Shop. The 22nd of January we met with this legend. Mike Atwood, professional videographer, asked him a few questions. Yo Forrest, how are things? Where have you been? What have you been up to? Things have been mellow after the holidays. I was in my hometown of San Antonio, TX for Christmas and New Year. I just got back to my condo in Miami Beach. I have been relaxing because I separated my shoulder while in Texas filming for a video. Just taking it easy for the past two weeks. What does the usual day consist of for the “Living Forrest”? The usual day for Forrest Kirby consists of many things. Normally, I wouldn’t be hurt, and my days revolve around skating. I wake up fairly early. 8 a.m.-ish. I will put on the local news, and boil some water for tea. Make some breakfast, and answer some emails. Launch a few phone calls to see what my friends have going on. Maybe go by my mailbox to pick up mail. Usually I do some type of landscaping at my house for a few hours before skating. It’s a good way to get the blood flowing. Yerba Mate or Italian espresso? Although I do enjoy espresso, I’d have to go with the yerba mate. I start everyday with a freshly grated ginger mate blend. It is a ritual I adopted many years ago. If I need a pick-me-up midday, I will get down with some Cuban coffee of some sort. How was it having an agent? I have had many different agents. It is a good way 60
to get into different job opportunities. It is also a good way to put yourself out there. Being a pro skateboarder and having an agent, you have the potential to make some extra money. There are all kinds of companies that are looking for skateboarders to promote their product in the mainstream. I found it too time-consuming with my last agent because he was too overbearing. He basically wanted me to call him every moment to tell him what I was doing. Like best friends’ situation. I wasn’t really feeling having to call someone to fill them in on my day to day. The idea is for them to make money off getting you work. 99.9% of the material my agent was getting me was garbage. I basically parted ways, and decided to focus on skating mainly. Maybe I will get another agent soon. Got to pick the right one though... Out of all the cities you’ve been to, which is your favorite to visit and why? I have traveled to many states and cities with skateboarding. In the United States my favorite cities are: Long Beach, Miami, NYC, Houston, and San Francisco, to name a few. I like unique cities that have culture, entertainment and cool people at your fingertips. It is fun to be somewhere with a good scene, and a good vibe. I like places where people are doing productive things, whether it be art, music, skating, or design. I’ve noticed the number of skateboarders in New York City has grown drastically in the past few years. How was it being part of the New York scene before the “Big Bang”? New York has become a destination for many skateboarders over the years. I think it has always been a place that people gravitate towards.
Opportunity, like-minded individuals and accessibility are the things I love about the city. To see skaters moving there and getting a piece of the action is great. I think like in any other place you have the people who have lived there for a long time, and when you get a lot of newcomers coming in, they may not be embraced. These are the people who struggled to build a scene, make it happen, and put in the time. New York is a tough place to maintain. I have respect for those who live there and hold it down. I have seen people move there, and get chewed up... And spit out.
Most underrated skater? Can I include myself in this question? If so, I will go with Tony Hawk, or... Too many names pop up in my head. It is a tough industry out there. If you didn’t skate, what would you do? If I wasn’t a skater... hard to think this way, but I love design. I love furniture and decorating. I am not sure what avenue I would have chosen, but something where I could express myself. I feel I am a very artistically inclined person. To a degree.
Photography by: Ian O’Connor
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Photography by: Ian O’Connor
Photo by: Mike Atwood
I hear you’re into moving art. Can you tell me a bit about that? I was a quasi manager for an artist named Gypsy a few years ago. I worked with him from 2002 until 2007-ish. I would basically get him to paint paintings. Gypsy was a homeless man living in Miami Beach for 25 years. He was basically a street painter. Painting stuff on old materials he would find in the streets of Miami Beach, selling his work to get by. When I started “managing” him, I would basically provide paints, canvas, food, a location to paint, and money. Over the time period we worked together I collected over 100 pieces of his artwork. Gypsy was a Vietnam veteran, in his 50’s, Cuban, and abused heroin for half his life. He was a unique character, and I experienced a lot crazy times with him. He passed away in October 2007. He is one of my favorite painters of all time. A lot of skateboarders have the goal of “making it”. When did you feel you “made it”? “Making it” in skateboarding is I guess going pro..? In my era there were numerous things you had to do before reaching pro dom. I guess it is still the same today, though. You have to get that coverage. Make a name for yourself. Pay your dues. Find a company, and make
it a family. Most of all: be an individual. Be unique. There were numerous times I thought I made it: video parts, covers of magazines, working with certain people, or being friends with other pros. I think I really felt I made it when I discovered that I am not defined by skateboarding. It is a part of what makes me different from an industry that has a lot of “unindividuality”... is that a word? Any advice for the young guns out there? To all the up-and-comers, do your history. Be respectful. Be an individual. And have an education. Tip your hat to... I tip my hat to all my friends, and fam in the hustle. To my friends I have lost along the way. I also tip my hat to the peeps trying to do new things, and be productive. Learn from your failures. Don’t let negativity affect you, and keep striving towards your goals. Thank You. Thanks again for doing this. I’ll be back on the 24th. We got shit to do fool. Peace. Mike Atwood 63
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Photography by: Ana InĂŠs Caorsi
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Words by Alejandro Atchugarry
Location:
This monument is located at the square formed by the crossing of Artigas Blvd. and Larrañaga Ave., and the beginning of José Pedro Varela Ave., a few feet away from the junction with Batlle y Ordóñez Blvd. This geographical point is considered the center of the city of Montevideo. Opposite stands the Libertad building, which was the seat
of the Presidency until 2009. In its green area we find the Sculpture Park (1996), which gives the monument a new setting: it is linked to the Government House and it integrates a larger sculptural space which includes pieces by Atchugarry, Pailós, Cabrera, Fonseca, Podestá, among others.
The monument:
It was designed by the architect Román Fresnedo
Siri (1903-1975) in honor of Luis Batlle Berres (18971964). It was inaugurated on July 15, 1967, on the third anniversary of the former president’s death. It is a powerful expression with a parabola 108 feet high made of reinforced concrete. At its base there lies, horizontally, another parabola: the one drawn by the water fountains on the pool. One is solid, real, palpable; the other one is liquid, virtual. The author meaning:
explains
its
“The monument expresses Batlle’s aspiration towards improving the spiritual and material conditions of Uruguayan people. It captures that aspiration permanently in a symbolic figure which opens its arms to infinity to remind us that this aspiration is a goal which evolves and is constantly improving”.
The Batlle Family:
His uncle José Batlle y Ordóñez began fighting the military dictatorship of the late nineteenth century as a young man. He was elected President of Uruguay twice (1903-1907 y 19111915), started the country’s modernization and basically conducted a large social reform, in a secular State, with a great improvement in public education.
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Through his party, the “Partido Colorado”, he promoted this set of libertarian, humanitarian and social justice ideas, called Batlllismo in his honor. In 1921 Luis Batlle Berres was a candidate in the Partido Colorado lists and was elected Representative. He was also a journalist and the director of the newspaper El Día. In 1942, the Partido Colorado won the elections. During that term, Battle Berres stood out as president of the House. Tomás Berreta won the 1946 elections and took office in 1947 with Batlle Berres as vice-president, who became president after the death of Barreta, until 1951. In 1952 there was a constitutional reform that allowed the creation of a collegiate government, in which a National Council assumed presidential functions. In 1954, the new collegiate government was introduced, in which Battle was a national councilor. Don Luis was a clear example of that Uruguay of the 50s. A lover of freedom, he founded the Acción Newspaper and Radio Ariel.
Sebita Carballo
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by: Felipe Zerbino
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Shortage of universities outside the capital of Uruguay leads a large number of students from the countryside to migrate from their department to Montevideo with the purpose of carrying out their studies there. Year after year this causes the problem of being able to provide housing for these students who come to the city with little money, being almost impossible to consider having their own place for the time it takes them to complete their studies.
but to reclassify the existing ones.
Having conducted a survey on the location of universities within the city and the home prices in its different areas, the ideal place is found in the harbor area, where the land has lost its value due to a social decline in the neighborhood, yet maintaining a great potential because of the favorable combination of its location in the city and the availability of public utilities and services which can still be exploited. The aim is not to conquer new areas,
ARMZ Architects (Uruguay) proposes the container module for the building design of the student complex. Even though it has a limited building design, it has advantages over other building methods, such as being economical or the properties of the container itself. With the appropriate insulation layers, a proper degree of comfort and habitability can be attained.
The proposal consists in a student complex which provides rooms and comfort spaces for users, at a lower price than that of a simple complex lacking these. Something similar to what could be their first home. This is achieved through a system of ground floor commercial rental to reduce the common expenses of the building and through a more economical building system.
Containers have very good structural properties
and thus can support several stacked floors without the need for an additional structure. They already have four walls, ground and ceiling, so separating them would not mean a higher expense for the construction. In addition, 40-feet containers have a floor area ratio of 5 to 1, which allows cross-modulation. For the projection of the complex, an attempt was made to make the most of this and other properties of the container, seeking to obtain well-ventilated areas, terracing and quality of life for students. The aim is to create a repeatable pattern, so as not to limit growth or the maximum use of the land. With this system of containers, the purpose is to reduce construction costs, providing students with affordable rental prices. It gives the option to move lands, which could be provided by the State, given it is a service to society. Process: 1- Containers in use for freight transport. 2- There is a problem generated by empty containers accumulated in ports due to commercial imbalance and other factors. (There are over 20,000,000 containers in the world and most of them are not being used. 3- Possible solutions to this are to recycle steel of to reuse them for other architectural programs, after selection. (The price of a 40-feet container ranges from $1,500 to $5,000.) 4- Containers are transported to the factory for their handling. 5- Handling in factory. Body repair and painting are done, they are adapted, the holes are created and they are conditioned for their new use. 6The program is carried out and containers are ordered. 7- Finally, containers are transported to the site, they are positioned according to the project and the finishes are completed. 8- Also, the project could have a stipulated use and then be recycled, readapted in its form or moved to a new location.
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Location: Lindolfo Cuestas and Washington. Not the United States, but Montevideo, Uruguay. You should know that it is fashionable, though. So much so that Lindolfo is fashion. Colors, aromas and temperature. The air, the streets, the common people, the heat, the harbor wind, the buses... everything is part of the moldable image. It all began on Friday evening. It really began a year ago when, by mistake or a trick of irony (shh!), the paths of Contrapedal and Fashionrocks crossed and became one, stony road. November 12, 13 and 14, 2010. During these three days, music, technology and fashion merged, resulting in a cultural, social and consumer event, fun under control, even a family Sunday. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 bands to the left, bus-bar to the right, lounges with a bookshop and magazines at the front. Inside to the left more live sound and upstairs art. In the way a photography exhibition, famous musicians standing on the wall on fine paper. On the way up it continues to be fashionable. Upstairs and outside, higher and without access to the bar where, as usual, there are options. They are giving out drinks a few feet away and above there is the sky where a tie race between wind and vertigo takes place. A video: FAC (Contemporary Art Foundation). Fashion videos are repeated, flashes and the music still on. Models go, girls come, clothes go, others go further, flashes and poses, showing the live productions that set styles in the different areas of the site. Meanwhile, several bands play, sing, others shout, some fly. I did not see the rest. Art, fashion exhibitions by Livni Escuder, rock photos by J. Bonino, second line of Decks à la carte by Sweepers, video-art by FAC, paintings by different artists from the Sweepers group and other videos which were played in between bands. All this for a 6 dollars entrance, from 5 pm till midnight, when Fashion closed the area and rock kept going. Local bands got together through Contrapedal with the purpose of creating this multifunctional event with a specific style, which was held at day and night as a different option to the usual weekend events in Montevideo. Also with the brands and designers who supported the proposal exhibiting their style. Alley Times was present in the art area and lounge area – reading spot. This way we got to write on its pages to create a moldable and colorable image of Fashiorocks. If you want to compare your image, you can see photos of the event or wait till next year to live FR2011. Words & Photography by Moira Vázquez 78
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I have a recurring dream that I am at a party that ends sometime around sunrise. Seeing the golden
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light pierce the morning fog, I wonder when I awake, has this happened? Did I fall asleep just to wake up in an alternate life? I try to untie
myself from this abstract thinking. Where could this dream be coming from? Have I been there? Is it just one of those memories
only my subconscious is strong enough to hold onto?
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LA BARRA, PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY
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The thoughts of nicotine and whisky subside just to be replaced by the aroma of brick oven pizza. Don’t get me wrong, there are many “amore� aromas and eateries in this beach town. But the pizza... they have some of the best combinations of ingredients
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and cooking techniques I have found on my way. Ten months out of the year it is truly a small-town feel for the locals; most businesses aren’t even open, simple enough to say, “resting well”. As the New Year approaches, somewhat like salmon returning to their birth place upstream, the streets begin to flood with life. Summer begins. During the day it is a full-blown beach town: streets packed with cars from all sorts of countries and people from even more. The beach is no more than 3 blocks from the main street. There are more than enough things to spend your time on. Among beaches and pizza bars you have a well-sized collection of art galleries including the “Pablo Atchugarry Foundation”, which has become a melting pot where many artists around the world show their work.
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Nothing against the States, but I’m sure anyone who has travelled to South America understands how well they hold down the celebration status. Sorry Yankees - they take this one. No matter how hard you try to hold on to your regular schedule, it will never be enough. To start with, dinner takes place anywhere between 9:30 and 12, and pre-parties don’t even start until 3ish. I’m sure you can do the math with your plans from there - an early night means 7 am. There is this one spot, La Palmas, sort of a haven for skateboarders. You see, most of the ground in La Barra is rugged, made more for walking to the beach, so Las Palmas becomes an oasis of smooth ground with random hits, ledge off stairs, over bar, upstairs. Ha, how about that “the future is upstairs”. If you’re having trouble finding something to
do, the Converse store keeps up-to-date records on “where it’s at”. Also an on-staff skateboarder keeps it real, y’eard?
and your schedule. The time you have spent dealing with your life, to be fully awake and see the world for what it is. A place to live.
La Barra is a retreat. To leave your world, El Shankee
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