ASYMMETRIC
LOS ANGELES ART QUARTERLY
VOLUME 07 // SPRING 2017
No 07 // The Design Issue
INSPIRATION
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MUSIC SPOTLIGHT with SAKIMA
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MUSIC SPOTLIGHT with Wake The Wild
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WHAT THEY’RE LISTENING TO the music that inspired this issue’s artists
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THE DESIGN SERIES curated by Leah Perrino
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COMPENDIUM OF KNOWLEDGE by David Lovejoy
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KARING VIBES by Kari van den Eikhof
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FEATURED INSTAGRAM FANS
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LAST WORDS
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LEA H’ S NOT E
I‘ve been wanting to put together The Design Issue for just about as long as I’ve started Asymmetric. LA is so eclectic when it comes to design–welcoming local brands with pop-up shops, shows, events, storefronts, etc. Design is everywhere you look from fashion to signs and typography to decor. Not only did I have the opportunity to interview and showcase some of my favorite local designers and brands, but this issue is extra special because it’s Asymmetric’s second birthday! It’s been an incredible two years pursuing this, and my love for the work I do grows more every day. I’ve had the opportunity to single-handedly interview and work with nearly 100
artists and musicians, all of which have greatly inspired and impacted me. Some even became great friends. I learned so much about starting a business. (Spoiler alert: It’s just as hard as people say it is.) I’ve been discouraged and depleted countless times, but nothing motivates me more than living in a city that’s so inspiring and accepting. Stemming from that terrifying feeling of not knowing what I wanted to do, working places where I didn’t have any creative freedom, and overall feeling like I didn’t have a place to be myself or put my ideas, Asymmetric has truly defined me. I combined my greatest loves: art, music and design. I wanted to take all of the amazing, creative and passionate people that I’m surrounded by every day and create a community of support and love. I wanted to be the vessel for people to share their stories. This issue is no exception, and I’m beyond excited to be able to share the stories of artists whose products I wear on a daily basis. I was sure to ask each designer featured in the series what advice they would give to aspiring designers. Whether or not you’re a designer, I hope their responses motivate you to keep pursuing your thing, whatever it may be. As a designer myself, I’ve always felt that if you can’t find your dream job, you need to make it. If you can’t find a community you want to be a part of, you need to build it. Thank you for two years of love and support!
Leah Perrino founder + designer
DESIGNERS
ILLUSTRATOR
MUSICIANS
Brian Chan // Wolf & Man Erin Berkowitz // Yeah Right Press Matthew Fellows // MNKR Samantha Santana Tuesday Bassen Valley Cruise Press
Kari van den Eikhof
SAKIMA Wake The Wild
MULTIMEDIA ARTIST David Lovejoy
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To share your story, visit: asymmetricmag.com/contribute
INSPIR ATION
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MUS I C
music spotlight: SAKIMA ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: Tell us about your current work. SAKIMA: I have a lot of creative outlets, so my work as a musician usually encompasses a bunch of other art forms that all connect in an explorative way. I recently did a collaboration with one of my best mates and long term visual collaborator Rianne White for a piece made for VSCO. That collab was a sort of audio-visual exploration of my debut EP which drops on Moving Castle later this spring. I’ve been working with a lot of other musicians, such as AObeats (we also have a duo called SWIMS together), and I’ve been making a bunch of tracks with Jailo (my main outlet for making dancehall tracks!). I sing, write and produce, so I’m quite lucky that I get to do a whole variety of sessions and work with loads of different artists because of my flexibility, but I also don’t depend on other people to write or 06 // A S Y M M E T R I C M A G A Z I N E
produce for me on my own songs, so I’m pretty much making new music daily (not to sound pretentious!). AM: How would you best describe your sound? S: I’m always out-running myself in terms of genre, which I think is fine these days. We all consume so many different kinds music on the daily that it’s kind of opened the door for artists to be lots of different things at once. For my current phase, one of my best mates, Slow Shudder, said my music was best viewed as hip-hop. Though it dances with pop, R&B and electronic sub-genres, the lyrical content of my music is most effective culturally when viewed as hip-hop, which I find kind of fascinating.
Don’t ever let anyone tell you what other people want. Make what makes you happy, and it’ll make other people happy, too.
MUSIC
AM: What inspires you most? S: Things that other artists don’t make! I know that sounds sort of dumb, but my best work comes from a place of ‘God damn, I wish there was a song that spoke to me as a gay guy in the way this Usher song does to others’–that sort of thing. It often feels like gay artists are afraid to get turned into pop music or any kind of music that touches on being mainstream or accessible. That’s always been my biggest issue with music. Why do we have to sugar coat our identities or sexuality if we aren’t white and straight? Most days I’m like, ‘fuck that’ and then write a mad ratchet pop banger from a queer perspective. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? S: I think it would be easier to ask what role doesn’t it play. Although I’m currently in the UK, everything in my life is pretty LA-centric, which happened in the past couple of years, thanks to AObeats and his scary big influence on my life. I always had a super romanticized idea of LA–I still have this low key fantasy of having an LA boyfriend and the film that we all make up in our heads about thoughts like that. It makes way into my music frequently. If my music was a place, it’s always going to be the UK, but the personality of my music is deeply LA. Psycho analyze that if you want. AM: What themes do you pursue through your music? S: I mostly pursue sex in my music, if I’m being honest (not that it’s hard to tell). Again, it’s this real injustice felt as a gay person–artist/brand/persona aside–just as a member of the gay community, the lack of mainstream, pop, accessible music that is by or targeted towards the LGBTQ+ community is just so fucking bleak. Of course, there are a handful of queer musicians in contemporary pop music that are incredible assets to not only the gay community but music in general, but it’s always so censored–so sugar-coated. How can straight artists sing about what ever they like and be as sexual as they want, but queer artists have to sit down when it comes to anything remotely non-PG? Not all of my music is queer exclusive, of course, and it’s not all of who I am, but I definitely feel a responsibility to get LGBTQ+ stories, specifically ones that talk about sex without being apologetic. If Justin Bieber can roll around on a bed and simulate sex with a girl, then I’m going to do the fucking same with a guy in a music video, because gay people have sex, too.
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AM: We love that you stand for equality in pop music. How do you think music impacts social change? S: In my opinion, music is always a reflection of the current sociocultural climate. The representation of different social groups has, for a very long time, been unequal, which isn’t cool. For me, it’s not about making protest songs that are overtly forcing an agenda for change, but I’m more interested in integrating into pop music as a gay artist and pushing the normalcy of queer stories. LGBTQ+ people are as sexual as straight people, so where is the queer sex in pop music? That’s what I want to bring. It’s not about change, it’s about integration and aligning queer stories with straight ones in music to an equal level. AM: What other musicians are currently inspiring you? S: I’m mostly inspired by the producers behind artists’ work. As an artist who produces most of their own work, I never really hook onto an artist for one specific reason. It makes it hard to have a clear idea of what is directly inspiring me because it’s just a constant stream of sounds that I’m like, ‘Oh shit! I want to make something like that.’ I’ve been having a lot of those ‘Oh shit! I wish that was my song’ moments with Post Malone, Tory Lanez and Mura Masa. AM: Where is one place that you feel completely in touch with your creative self? S: To be honest, when I’m in the bath. There’s something meditative about sitting in hot water for ages; it gives me a direct path to my creativity to dream up whatever dumb thing I want to do next. Second to that, it’s my bedroom. What can I say? I like my own company. AM: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? S: Well, no one ever told me this, but after years of being told not to ‘use male pronouns’ or ‘be homoerotic’, aka to not be myself, I’d say the best advice is don’t ever let anyone tell you what other people want. Make what makes you happy, and it’ll make other people happy, too. SAKIMA is a singer, songwriter and producer. Listen to ‘What I Know Now (feat. AOBeats)’ on SoundCloud or Spotify. // photo courtesy of the artist.
music spotlight: Wake The Wild Electro-pop band Wake The Wild is composed of Chase Jackson (bass, guitar + synth), Forrest Mitchel (drums), and Zach Sorgen (vocals). ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: Tell us about your current work. CHASE JACKSON: Our newest single, “Numb” is simultaneously a party anthem as well as a social commentary on modern culture of intoxication. It celebrates the fun and energy of the weekend but is self aware of the irony and paradoxes that we all embody. FORREST MITCHELL: Right now, we are really honing in on the sound. We’ve been able to play a few shows and test out a lot of unreleased tracks and get a better feel for what works best. As of late, we are channeling a more funky, dance vibe and really trying to capture the more live band-like sound in our recorded music. ZACH SORGEN: We had the vision for Wake The Wild long before releasing a single song. We had a more acoustic project back in high school, and as we graduated college, we were searching to incorporate more electronic elements and more mature lyrics to reflect our new taste and our new reality. We then worked with ZEDD’s engineer, but it didn’t sound enough ‘like a band,’ so we shelved those songs and spent over two
years crafting and honing the current sound. Finally, I think we have stumbled on something original and modern yet with a nod to the past. I think one of our main appeals is the detail-oriented musicality. This really comes across at the live shows. Forrest’s background in jazz drumming is clear from tasty fills and pocket, as well as sometimes an extended smashing drum solo. I try to nail the notes with emotion and also improvise new parts at every show, rocking the stage with signature dance moves and, I guess, a humble swag. Still a little shy, but getting back into it! Meanwhile, Chase switches constantly between guitar, bass, and the malletkat: a synth vibraphone played with four mallets. We have a good time playing out and this seems to translate well as we want everyone to have a good time vibing with us. AM: How would you best describe your sound? WTW: Our sound is a blend of electronic production using vintage and modern synths with our unique live instrumentation of drums, guitar, bass, vocals, keys and synth vibraphone. We utilize a lot of unique jazz influenced chordal harmony that showcases our roots in old school R&B and funk with memorable pop-inspired melodies.
AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? WTW: We grew up listening to classic Prince, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, as well as modern jazz fusion artists like Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Weather Report, but we’re also hugely influenced by modern artists like Disclosure, NAO and Oliver Nelson who fuse electronic production with organic live sounds and funky feels. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? WTW: Los Angeles’s greatest asset is it’s diversity and energy. Almost everyone I know is from somewhere else and is extremely talented and passionate about what they do. There’s so much variety in art, music, film, food and industry, that it’s an amazing melting pot for new ideas and cross collaboration. Ideally, we’re utilizing these unique assets as influences for our music. AM: What themes do you pursue through your music? WTW: Relationships, sexuality, fun, ambition and energy are all common threads. We really want our audiences to have a good time, and when we play live, seeing positive vibes from a dancing crowd is one of the most rewarding things we can do. We want our positivity and energy to be contagious. AM: What other musicians are currently inspiring you? WTW: Disclosure, NAO, Oliver Nelson, Thundercat, Anderson .Paak, Laura Mvula, Snarky Puppy, Kaytranada, Empire of the Sun, The Weeknd, and Daft Punk are all consistent inspiration and influences. Michael Jackson is hard to beat though. AM: How did you land on the name “Wake The Wild”? CJ: I played a one-off show at an event called “Awaken The Wild.” Since that concert never occurred again, we decided to utilize and alter that name to fit our new band. The name speaks to the energy we strive for in our music and live performances. We want our audiences to feel like they are fully engulfed in the music and free to open up to the moment through participation. AM: Where is one place that you feel completely in touch with your creative self/music? CJ: We have a music studio in the back of the house where we all live. It’s completely crammed full of instruments and recording gear. We spend pretty much every weeknight from 7:00pm to 1:00am or so there jamming, producing and writing new music. We affectionately call it “The Chateau” or “The Bunker” depending on where we are in the music process, (haha)! FM: I’m a firm believer in the idea that half of practicing is listening. Where do I do most of my music listening? Blasting music in my car in LA traffic. I learn so much about how different artists produce and piece together their music. I’ll hear different mixing textures, or production ideas, or hone in on lyrical themes and how they intersect with melody. As long as I’m not late, I don’t mind long drives because it’s my personal time to just swim in music. ZS: Yosemite AM: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? CJ: Great question. Because we listen to, like and are capable of making music in so many different kinds of music from so 10 // A S Y M M E T R I C M A G A Z I N E
many eras and traditions, sometimes it’s been hard to know exactly what to create. After a few false starts with different sounds, a number of musicians and friends encouraged us to focus on making music that we really, truly enjoy listening to and playing rather than appealing to current trends. Our intent is that if we make what we think is the best product possible by our standards, then it will stand for itself and others will enjoy it, as well! FM: Nobody knows anything. ZS: Persistence. Listen to ‘Numb’ on SoundCloud or Spotify. // photo courtesy of the band.
THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS SHARE THE TUNES THAT INSPIRE THEIR WORK: Kate Bush, Erykah Badu, Roxy Music, and Jonathan Richman. // ERIN BERKOWITZ The past few photo shoots, I have been jamming to Solange. Her new album Seat at the Table is deep and a proud representation of herself and her culture. // SAMANTHA SANTANA I just made a playlist for a photo shoot that had these dudes on it: Souleance, Karol Conka, Nobody, Misun, Buscabulla, and my favorite, Petite Noir, especially the songs MDR and Down. Rad. // MATTHEW FELLOWS Alton Ellis has been on repeat in our office nonstop lately. // KELLEY FEIGHAN Lately, I’ve been really into Big Eyes. // TUESDAY BASSEN Jacques Greene’s album Feel Infinite // BRIAN CHAN I love odd mash-ups of styles, like French klezmer dance music. While I work, I listen to old school jazz, Latin jazz, and standup comics. I’m inspired by Latin Jazz. Tito Puente can fuel my tanks into the wee hours. Dave Brubeck is my go-to in the studio, but Pablo Sanchez or Buena Vista Social Club keeps me working fluidly. // DAVID LOVEJOY I’m a huge BØRNS fan. I love the gender ambiguousness of his sound and image. He has a couple songs that have spiritual themes, which I love. I am also a huge fan of The 1975, Tove Lo, Years & Years, and, surprisingly, Willow Smith. She has this new album called Ardipithecus, and it kind of blew my mind. I was listening to her song called 9 when I received the flash of inspiration for my Sisterhood piece. It’s one of my favorite pieces, so thanks Willow! // KARI VAN DEN EIKHOF
// curation and interviews by LEAH PERRINO // photos courtesy of the designers
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No 01 // yeah right press
Y
interview with ERIN BERKOWITZ
eah Right Press is an LA-based + women-run line of enamel pins, patches and accessories. As their site says, “we hope our line of accessories and apparel will be worn by women and supporters and lovers of women.� We caught up with founder and designer Erin Berkowitz on how they nail the badass attitude of the modern cool girl.
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ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: How and when did you start Yeah Right Press? ERIN BERKOWITZ: I started Yeah Right in April 2016 after years of doing freelance graphic design and running a screenprinting business. So much of my work was restricted by client demands or fitting into a box as a print designer, so I wanted to branch out and create a line that felt like the truest expression of my style. AM: How would you best describe your style? EB: Clean, contemporary, accessible, bold, fun, feminine. AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? EB: I’m a big fan of “boiled down” design and have been a collector of pins and patches, vintage and new, for many years. Design, color way, type, and other design elements are of course important, but there’s something appealing and outspoken about wearing an accessory that literally announces your style or opinion. Similarly, I’m attracted to stylized and straightforward print design (ad campaigns, packaging, album art) from the 60’s and 70’s. AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? EB: I don’t often pursue themes–it typically feels random and incidental–but popular culture, feminism, and general sass and irreverence run throughout my work.
funnel itself into a single, saturated feeling. Or sometimes just the color of a light in a window I’m driving past is enough to inspire a feeling or pattern or color that I want to design with. AM: Where can our readers shop your products? EB: On my website (yeahrightpress.com) and at a handful of boutiques (yeahrightpress.com/stockists). AM: What can we expect to see from you next? EB: I’m working on a line of screenprinted cards and prints, and also some gold jewelry with Egyptian and esoteric/occult symbols. Ooh! AM: What’s your best advice for aspiring designers? EB: Many designers will tell you to find your true voice, but I believe in finding a collection of voices, because it always felt daunting and impossible to hone in on just ONE direction. Find your various voices (some of which will be louder than others) and create some rad chorus where they all play a part in representing your full creative self. In other words, always be experimenting and following the next inspiring thing, and at least one avenue will lead you to create something that gives you that sacred ‘hell yeah’ feeling. Shop Yeah Right Press at yeahrightpress.com.
AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? EB: Los Angeles is a constant stream of loud, colorful inspiration, which I like to enjoy in the background and sort of let it
No 02 // Samantha Santana Samantha Santana is a Los Angeles based designer specializing in wallpaper, stationary and prints.
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Los Angeles is a city of dreamers and I am one of them
ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: How and when did you start your design shop? SAMANTHA SANTANA: I started this particular design shop in 2014, and it has been evolving ever since. It is actually my second! My first what a floral design studio, which I sold three years ago.
AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? SS: I’m an ex-florist, so flowers and plants definitely have a huge presence in my work. However, I am driven to produce art as a way to keep my mind distracted from my health woes. I have unexplained neuropathy, which causes chronic pain in my feet, hands and back. Creating helps to keep my focus away from the inconvenience of pain. AM: How would you best describe your style? SS: I would best describe my style as lively. Color makes me very happy.
AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your designs? SS: A theme I try to tackle in my work is femininity vs. masculinity. Working with flowers and plants is seen as a very feminine art, however I don’t feel it has to be. I’d love to create prints that are accessible to all, regardless of your gender.
AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? SS: Los Angeles is a foreboding presence, as it smacks me in the face day after day with its beauty, dirt, community and conflict. I seek to show the brightness of LA in my work, and the diversity of its culture and people. It is a city of dreamers, and I am one of them. AM: Where can our readers shop your products? SS: My products and services can be found at my website (samanthasantana.co), as well as Lulu & Georgia and May Designs. AM: What can we expect to see from you next? SS: I have been working primarily with fresh florals and photography for my current wallpaper and paper goods, but I would love to move into painting next, as well as sculpture. Though, I built a miniature desert landscape to shoot for the Unique Markets, and it turned out beautifully. I’d love to do some more of these in the future.
AM: What’s your best advice for aspiring designers? SS: The best advice I can give to aspiring designers is learn business and marketing. Yes, you are an artist, but that means that you, more than anyone, should know how to sell your work, speak in a commanding tone with clients, collect your fees, and keep your books straight. This advice was given to me by a mentor I had when I was in college (through the Getty foundation), and it was the best piece of advice I had ever received. A lot of times, it doesn’t matter if you are the best at what you do (and believe me, if you are starting out, you will not be). However, if you know how to carry yourself professionally and are open to constructive criticism, you will get paid what you deserve, and you will get more work. You don’t have to be a starving artist...just a dollar menu artist. View more of Samantha’s work and shop the prints at samanthasantana.co.
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No 03 // MNKR interview with MATTHEW FELLOWS MNKR is an LA-based line of men’s and women’s apparel, prints, pins and patches. We caught up with founder, designer and illustrator Matthew Fellows on his designs and shop. ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: How and when did you start MNKR? MATTHEW FELLOWS: MNKR began in 2003 because I wanted to start a new brand that would be able to grow with me as I evolved as a person. I had started a couple of other brands before this, but they really limited me creatively, and I didn’t see room for growth. MNKR would in effect be me, or at least mirror my life, hence the generic name MNKR (moniker), meaning a name or nickname. AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? MF: Day to day life inspires me. Things I go through, things that filter through me. The funny stuff, the sad stuff, all of it. For instance, [the shirt] ‘Rose Dagger’ is all about falling in and out of love–I wear my heart on my sleeve. ‘Ninety Nine Bottles’ is because I probably drink too much, (this design came off my graffiti filled bathroom wall). ‘Matt’s Tats’ is all of my tattoos. ‘Road Less Traveled’ because I grew up going on road trips nearly every summer and taking the small country roads through obscure towns was what we used to do. I still love that kind of travel to this day.
AM: How would you best describe your style? MF: Less is more for sure. I grew up in a house filled with vintage signs and advertising, and this type of aesthetic has stayed with me. I also grew up skateboarding, which heavily influenced who I am and how I design. Plus, I think I’m more of an ideas guy than an artist, so my design style has evolved out of trying to easily convey an idea in the simplest way possible. AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? MF: Peace, love, travel, humor, the outdoors, and death…and sometimes food. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? MF: LA has changed me in ways that I can’t even express in words, both for the better and probably for the worse. I’m sure this comes through in my work, but I couldn’t really say how. AM: Where can our readers shop your products? MF: MNKR.com is the best place to shop all styles, or we also welcome visitors to our LA Studio at The Brewery Artist Lofts. Our tees are in large and small retailers around the world, and in LA. You can find MNKR at Urban Outfitters, Nasty Gal, Black Market LA, ML General Store, and Skylark. AM: What can we expect to see from you next? MF: It kind of depends on what I’m going through at the moment I start designing. I don’t have a clue as to what I’m going to do before I do it. When the time comes to start making designs, things just start coming to me. AM: What’s your best advice for aspiring designers? MF: Consistency is key, but, and this is a huge but, do what makes you happy, as well. If you’re doing something that isn’t making you happy, then don’t be afraid to change it up. Once you find that groove, fully explore it. If you don’t know what that is yet, then just start trying stuff until you figure it out. I feel I’m just hitting my stride after 13 years of making designs for MNKR. Shop MNKR at mnkr.com.
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No 04 // Valley Cruise Press interview with KELLEY FEIGHAN
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Valley Cruise Press is an LA-based line of pins, patches, accessories and apparel owned by husband and wife, Ted and Kelley Feighan. Thanks to their collaborative spirit, it’s also the backbone of many other artists’ pins. We caught up with Kelley to get the story behind their brand and artist collabs. ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: How and when did you start Valley Cruise Press? KELLEY FEIGHAN: Valley Cruise Press was started in January 2014 as a fun hobby. We began as a zine publisher, putting out our founder, Ted’s book Flower Arrangements and eventually expanded to include pins, patches and other accessories. What started out as a side project in our apartment quickly grew into an international brand within a year! AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? KF: We’re inspired by vintage California imagery. Growing up in dreary Ohio, the promise of sunshine and palm trees every day was like a little tropical oasis in a cold winter. We still love going to thrift stores and flea markets to look at old catalogues and postcards with sunny vintage imagery and have them all around our office. AM: We love how you partner with so many different artists and brands! Can you tell us a bit about your collaboration process? KF: Sure! We love collaborating with artists, and it’s really the heart of our brand. We find artists in a couple different ways: 1. Reading up on art websites, magazines, Instagram, etc. and reaching out to artists that we think we would be a good fit. This was how we originally found artists and has been a big part of building our brand identity. 2. We get hundreds of submissions each month, and a lot of our collaborations come from those submissions. Ted, our creative director, looks through his email weekly and considers each submission for new projects we have in the works. 3. Referrals. Lots of the artist we work with know other artists and will recommend their friends. AM: How would you best describe your style? KF: We love bold colors and illustrations for all of our products. We try to create unique designs for each product, focusing on the artwork and bringing it to life in physical form. Valley Cruise Press is all about making wearable art and we try to reflect this in all of our designs.
AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? KF: Our themes really change with each season. We always look for bright colors and bold illustrations, but with each new product line, we try to focus on a new theme. For example, last summer was ‘vacation in the tropics’ and our upcoming spring line will be ‘spring sunshine’. We love that, with product lines, we’re always able to change and work on new themes that inspire us. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? KF: Valley Cruise Press is very much a reflection of our experience here in Los Angeles. Visually, the city and the landscape have a huge influence on our designs. The bright sun, the palm trees, the colors are all reflected in our products and our branding. One area where this is most prevalent is on our Instagram. Once or twice a month we try to take a picture trip to give us a chance to see how our brand fits in the greater landscape and experience new and exciting places around and outside the city. Not only is Los Angeles visually inspirational, but socially, as well. Almost everyone here works for themselves in some capacity, which gives the city a vibe of endless possibility. Owning our own business is a challenge that I’m not sure we would have been able to undertake without the drive and positivity that surrounds us every day here. AM: Where can our readers shop your products? KF: All of our products can be found on our website at valleycruisepress.com. You can also find us in Urban Outfitters, Pacsun, Amerian Apparel and about 250 other stores worldwide. AM: What can we expect to see from you next? KF: So much! Most of it is top secret, but let’s just say we’re expanding way beyond pins and accessories for next year. Expect to use us on your phone and in your ears very soon. AM: What’s your best advice for aspiring designers? KF: Work hard, but enjoy what you do. Working for yourself is never easy and is going to require some seriously long hours, but make sure to still have fun. Otherwise, what’s the point? Shop Valley Cruise Press at valleycruisepress.com.
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N 05 // Tuesday Bassen o
Tuesday Bassen is an LA-based illustrator and designer behind her self-titled line. Her badass collection of pins, patches and apparel are derived from her illustrations depicting female empowerment in the modern world. ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: How and when did you start the Tuesday Bassen shop? TUESDAY BASSEN: Tuesday Bassen shop started out smaller with handmade ceramics in 2011 and expanded over the years, mostly in 2014 when we started putting out stickers, pins and patches. Later in 2015, we expanded to clothing made in LA. AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? TB: As an illustrator making clothing, my biggest inspiration is thinking about what would make me or other women feel most powerful to wear (without having to put on a power suit). AM: We love how your products often derive from your illustrations. Can you tell us a bit about the characters you draw and your process to creating those designs in your shop? TB: Yes! My clothing is all based on illustrations that I make of women and the clothing I draw them wearing. The characters I draw are a representation of the frustrations and anger that I may feel or other women may feel as a result of daily transgressions. I find these angry portrayals to be therapeutic, so the next logical step was to bring tangible products of these characterizations to the women they are inspired by. AM: How would you best describe your style? TB: Slumber party meets Easy Rider. 22 // A S Y M M E T R I C M A G A Z I N E
The characters I draw are a representation of the frustrations and anger that I may feel or other women may feel as a result of daily transgressions. I find these angry portrayals to be therapeutic, so the next logical step was to bring tangible products of these characterizations to the women they are inspired by.
DESIGN SERIES AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? TB: Empowerment through figurative violence. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? TB: Los Angeles is an amazing city with high highs and low lows and is simultaneously glitzy and gritty. I love the entrepreneurial, independent spirit of the city and that there are a million different ways of doing things here without asking for permission. AM: Congrats on your recent opening of Friend Mart! Where else can our readers shop your products? TB: Lots of small businesses around the world like Hello Holiday and Strangeways, but you can also find my goods at Urban Outfitters and on my site ShopTuesday.com.
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AM: What can we expect to see from you next? TB: Finessing clothing designs with a continued focus on manufacturing in Los Angeles. AM: What’s your best advice for aspiring designers? TB: The path somebody else took is not necessarily the best for you. Figure out your strong suits and pursue those. Shop Tuesday Bassen at shoptuesday.com.
No 06 // Wolf & Man interview with BRIAN CHAN Wolf & Man is an independent LA-based contemporary menswear line. We caught up with founder Brian Chan about their designs and shop.
AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? BC: Being able to sample locally and have dye houses very close to me is pretty awesome to do more riskier things for fun.
ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: How and when did you start Wolf & Man? BRIAN CHAN: We began the brand in 2013 after a year-long backpacking trip through Asia and Europe. At the time, menswear in the states was taking off and contemporary brands were evolving.
AM: Where can our readers shop your products? BC: Downtown Los Angeles at POP Little Tokyo, Kingswell in Los Feliz, and at wolfandman.us.
AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? BC: Vintage Classic American Menswear
AM: What’s your best advice for aspiring designers? BC Don’t save the best for last. Always share, share, share!
AM: How would you best describe your style? BC: Personal style? I’m always in pretty damn comfortable garments.
Shop Wolf & Man at wolfandman.us.
AM: What can we expect to see from you next? BC: More fun wearables
AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your designs? BC: Working Class has been a huge role–independent men who work hard at their trade, whether you’re a high school teacher or a street sign painter.
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selected works by DAVID LOVEJOY
compendium of knowledge compendium of know ledge compendium of knowledge compendium of knowledge compen dium of knowledge compendium of k n o w l e d g e compendium of knowledge
MIXED MEDIA
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MIXED MEDIA
ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: Tell us about your collection of work. DAVID LOVEJOY: I have amassed the World’s Largest Collection of original works by David Lovejoy. These exist in my home, my studio, my shop, and various galleries from time to time. This collection ebbs and flows as work is sold and I make new things out of my old things. That’s my last collection–old things. I have over 200 boxes and bins full of materials I’ve collected. Game pieces, wood trimmings, old hardware–all waiting to become part of something new. I work primarily by repurposing existing materials. My assemblage usually takes the form of a shadowbox, as I use the depth to create layers or levels of items within. Most art hangs on walls, most walls are near where people walk, so I like to create compositions that change visually as one walks past. AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? DL: My inspiration comes primarily from the materials I use. I have an appreciation for the craftsmanship of handmade things, a love for the patina of use that comes from a lifetime of being handled and used, repaired and repainted. There is the hint of a story in things that have been here a while, and I like to present those things in ways that catch a person’s eye and make them think and/or smile. AM: Where can we find your art around the city? DL: My office and showroom is on Gallery Row, above The Last Bookstore at 5th & Spring Streets in LA’s Historic Core– 28 // A S Y M M E T R I C M A G A Z I N E
Lovejoy’s Contraption Emporium. I have several installations throughout the bookstore, and have built much of the odd shelving and sculptural bookwork there. I show occasionally in galleries across the city: The Hive, Cactus Gallery, MorYork, The Loft at Liz’s, and FM Gallery. I also have a photo/ graphic mural on the back of the Broadway Arts Building on Linden Place between 5th & 6th Streets, across from Pershing Square: Back Street Broadway. I designed the interior lobby in this building, and created the lobby chandelier. I also created the reception counter and conference room lighting in the Historic District’s Visitor Center on 5th Street and have a small lens installation in their windows. AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? DL: I tend not to pursue themes in my work. I have an overarching idea of a ‘Compendium of Knowledge’, a collection of things, thoughts, and ideas that we might have set down along our road to progress, and I’ve picked them up again. These existed in scrolls and books, encyclopedic collections of information–how to make tools or draw in perspective, how to occupy yourself playing string games, how to measure in scale, or understand Morse Code. Different from the Internet, where everything can be found, these were thoughtful, edited compilations of ‘things we need to know’. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? DL: Los Angeles is my home. I was born in Hollywood, grew up
Most of the materials I use come from this city. They also grew up here and lived their lives here. They show the timeworn history we share. I’m thrilled when I get a piece of LA history. I feel like a steward of these cast-offs, like a bit of that history has been entrusted to me because I caught it as it was falling toward destruction. in the valley, bought my first home in North Hollywood, and I’ve had a studio downtown for eight years. Being an Angeleno is by far the strongest influence on my work–the part of me that everything else comes from. The multiple frames on my shadowboxes grew from the architecture here, my Letherebe Lights came directly from the Zeiss projector in the Griffith Planetarium. My color palette comes from the San Gabriel mountains, a palette which runs ‘from rust to sepia’, as a friend once said. Most of the materials I use come from this city. They also grew up here and lived their lives here. They show the timeworn history we share. I’m thrilled when I get a piece of LA history–an instrument that belonged to an early publisher at the Los Angeles Times, or blueprints from a 100-year-old bank building, or a projector from one of the old movie palaces. I feel like a steward of these cast-offs, like a bit of that history has been entrusted to me because I caught it as it was falling toward destruction. The whimsy and darkness and surrealism and nonsense in my work all come from Los Angeles. AM: How do you think art impacts social change? DL: I think art can impact social change, although that is not my intention as I make most of my work. I’ve found art can unify a belief, can put words or visuals to a thought or feeling that people can agree with–‘Yes. That.’ I’ve made work and found years later that it affected people profoundly, gave them distraction in a time of feeling overwhelmed, or made them feel represented and supported in a situation of unfair balance.
AM: What can we expect to see from you next? DL: In general, you can expect to see more of the same, which at this point in my career means more of everything. I work with clay, wood, repurposed materials. The title on my business card says “Thingmaker”, because that’s what I do–I make things. Some of those things are art, some of them are just things. But you can expect to see more things from me. Public art things, shadowbox things, raku-fired ceramic things, woven-willow things, built-of-books things. It’ll be fun. David Lovejoy is an LA-based assemblage and installation artist and designer. You can view more of his work at lovejoyart.com. // page 27: Bouble Vision, 100 lenses hanging at the Gallery at the End of the World in Altadena; Bounce, A commissioned installation within the Spring Arts Tower on Gallery Row. Representing a child’s playball bouncing over the fence and into the yard. Fifteen 5’ red rubber balls, the lowest suspended 87’. // page 28: Joe’s Juke Joint, An assemblage riffing on Joseph Cornell’s Dovecotes. Inscribed: “With apologies to Mr. Joseph Cornell, for pilfering his imagination. Early in my college days while studying clay, I came upon an artist doing something I loved, along similar themes. I cut him a wide berth, not wanting to be seen as copying him. I later felt that detour was an interruption–I was on a creative path when I encountered him, and I diverted. When I started in assemblage, I chose to make a Cornell piece–to go straight through him rather than around him–and continue on the other side; The Dance, A handbuilt, raku-fired platter made of little spirals. 24”. // page 29: One Man Band, Repurposed instruments combined as a wall assemblage, with pictures of pianists within the toy pianos.
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karing vibes
ILLUSTRATION
selected works by KARI VAN DEN EIKHOF
ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: Tell us about your current work. KARI VAN DEN EIKHOF: Currently, I’m doing a lot of commissioned astrological constellation pieces. My constellation idea came from wanting to create a gift for my friend who was having twins. I knew roughly when they would be born, so I created a Sagittarius constellation for them with the hopes that they would be born within the time frame of November 23rd and January 21st. And they were! I put the piece on my Instagram, and people were really into it. So I added the listing to my Etsy shop Karing Vibes. Now people who are much more well versed in astrology than I am are ordering them. And they want to customize their inscriptions with zodiac characteristics, ruling planets and elements. It’s great. I learn something new every time I create one. AM: What is your biggest inspiration? KV: My inspiration changes all the time. And different areas of inspiration spark different pieces, which is why I have these very distinct series. I like to acknowledge synchronicity, and that’s probably my most prominent form of inspiration. If I notice something showing up over and over again, I take it as a sign that it’s something I need to give my attention to. I first noticed synchronicity when I was starting my Wildlife in Footwear series. I was seeing specific animals multiple times a day, and once I would acknowledge and paint them, then the next animal would show up. It was awesome. The same thing happens with my constellations and my feminist illustrations. My life is unfolding in ways I would have never anticipated, and with that comes new forms of inspiration. I am allowing myself to go with the flow, and I’m letting my art evolve naturally. There was a time when I was rigid with where I wanted my art to go. But with that rigidity, I lost
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steam and creativity. So, again, I had to acknowledge where my heart and mind were, and what forms of synchronicity were showing up for me. Once I let myself grow in different directions, my creativity was sparked again with my constellation pieces and then my feminist illustrations. AM: We love your wide range of subjects. Can you tell us a bit about your process for conceptualizing a new piece? KV: When I do my best work, it feels like I’m just a channeler. My work just flows, and it doesn’t feel like I’m doing it. That’s how effortless it feels. Sometimes I’ll get an image flash in my mind, and I will have this urge to immediately put it to paper. So in those cases, I don’t have to think about it too much and the process and conceptualization time is super quick. I credit these experiences for my wide range of subjects. Then there are other times when I plan out my work. For my Wildlife in Footwear pieces, I really have to think about out what kind of shoes each animal can wear. What is the personality, what is the logistics of the foot and shoe type, how would it fit, and so on. The conceptualization and sketches take the longest, but once I start to paint, I’m able to get into a flow. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? KV: I don’t know if I can say the city of Los Angeles plays a huge role in my work. I tend to get overwhelmed with LA. My spirit thrives in a more open and slow paced environment. I’d say the largest role LA plays in my art is through my school. I attend Antioch University, Los Angeles as a Clinical Psychology graduate student, and the people I’ve met there have been so kind, inclusive and authentic. I think that space and those connections have inspired my work. The school is progressive and social justice oriented, which has certainly influenced some of my illustrations. But more than that, Antioch has provided me with this amazing space to really look at myself and challenge the boxes I put myself in. The way I view myself has evolved, and that has undoubtedly influenced my artwork. AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? KV: The themes I pursue are different depending on what I am creating. My Wildlife in Footwear series started as a form of self-care. I started purely for enjoyment, so my theme was simply animals with shoes. Now I am drawn to themes such as: inclusion, social justice, universal consciousness, spirituality, and all things feminine. So those are the themes I invoke when painting my galaxies, constellations and illustrations. Kari van den Eikhof is an LA-based illustrator and painter. You can view more of her work and shop her prints at etsy.com/shop/KaringVibes.
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INS TAGRAM
row 1 // @thebikewriter, @sjainphoto, @theartistzoobs row 2 // @littlemaniacs, @2071photo, @ericortiz_photography row 3 // @brrunn, @leahperrino_, @armando_diaz0615
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I
t’s okay to not be sure who you are or what you want to do. How else would you try new things and discover new passions? I recently struggled with finding my creative self, and honestly, I still do from time to time. There is so much I love. I love design. I love photography. I love painting. I love writing. I used to be so torn on which should take my focus. The phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” literally haunts me. I thought I was taking on too much, and I couldn’t succeed if I did it all. I was inspired and uninspired all at the same time. I was so caught up in comparing myself to others and worrying about the outcome of my work that I didn’t know where to start or what to pursue, and I was constantly doubting myself. I became completely and utterly overwhelmed with the idea of doing anything. To combat this, I challenged myself to create every day and find inspiration and motivation within myself. I never stop designing or painting or writing or shooting photos. I find different benefits working in each medium. I love them all for completely different reasons, and sometimes, I use one medium to escape from another when I need break. Photography was my first creative outlet. It allows me to interact with the outside world, discover new things around me, freeze a moment in time and document my days. My passion started with film–something magical happens in a dark room when moments are burned into prints. That feeling when I’m watching images I’ve created emerge from chemicals is a feeling I can’t replace with anything else. Then came graphic design. I love telling a story and communicating a message through visuals. I love composing balance and harmony through color, type, forms, shapes and images. Design is so powerful, and it goes hand-in-hand with photography. I’m constantly using one to fuel the other, and ultimately, I’ve started my career out of these two. But recently, I got a little stuck. I’ve been questioning my work, wondering if that’s all I want to do. I felt like I had more to express–more passions to pursue. I’ve been thinking of all the things I’ve ever wanted to do creatively and the many different channels to release my abundance of creative energy. I wanted to experiment with my own capabilities. I never thought of myself as a painter, though I painted a lot in my design studies. One day, I had an epiphany, and I thought: I used to love to paint. I’m curious about it, and I want to pursue it. I’m not going to care about the outcome; I’m going to do it because I enjoy the act of doing it. This is for me. So, I started painting. Every chance I could. And
LA ST W ORD S
I fell in love all over again. I find a great deal of satisfaction in the simple act of mixing paint, watching new pigments form and combining colors together in a composition. There’s so much peace in painting. As a designer, I find myself hunched over my computer day after day, perfecting everything across a grid (I swear I see an InDesign grid when I close my eyes before I fall asleep). So for me, painting is my outlet to get away from technology. It’s my way to express myself on a level where I feel totally free from screens, grids, structure and perfectionism. I found that trying a new medium allowed me to release my energy in a totally new way and ultimately brought everything full circle. I pursue photography because I think capturing a moment is so beautiful, but I love painting because I think interpreting that moment, that inspiration, in my own way is just as beautiful. I use design to package it all up and communicate my message in an artistic way and writing as my outlet to organize my thoughts through it all. Each creative channel makes the other stronger and allows new ideas to bloom. The photos I take often inspire paintings and paintings inspire new designs, and that’s truly beautiful. I think people are defined by their inspirations and their loves, and all of these combined make me who I am. I mean, take Andy Warhol for instance. Throughout his career, he pursued screenprinting, painting, illustration, photography, film, publishing and writing. His views and work have been my main source of inspiration for years. He pursued everything he loved and forged his own path. While I still battle wondering exactly what I should be doing at times, I try to find a way to incorporate all of my passions in everything I do and make something beautiful out of it. What I am sure of is that I love to create and tell stories through visual art in any way that I can. I think it’s less about finding myself in other things or other people and more about building myself into who I want to be. In doing that, I’ve found it’s okay to open myself up to everything I love. It’s okay to have multiple creative outlets and try new things. It’s okay to not try to be the best at one thing, and instead, find the beauty in doing different things. It’s okay to feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s okay to not be sure. Leah Perrino
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