LA CANVAS - THE HYDRATION ISSUE (JULY-AUGUST 2013)

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N 59° 19’ 54.03” E 018° 03’ 50.23”

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C A N V A S

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 5

JULY + AUGUST 2013

publisher

DANTE COLOMBATTI

creative director + fashion ed itor ERIN DENNISON

ar t director

RACHEL MANY

online ed itor

VI NGUYEN

photo editor

GRANT YOSHINO

photography

JASON LEE PARRY RICKETT & SONES HEATHER GILDROY CHRISTOPHER CAPTAIN ERIC A. REID

contributors

ROSS GARDINER REBECA ARANGO MEAGAN JUDKINS ASHTON STRONKS

online contributors

FAITH-ANN YOUNG AARON RAMEY JULIE ROTH

account managers

MATT OLSON JANESSA MOLINA

event directors MAX EHRLICH TK NGUYEN

accountant

COLE WESTERHOLM

v ideo content

MITCHEL DUMLAO

design assistant

CHRISTINA CEDENO

social med ia

KRISTA SANTIAGO NAKTA ALAGHEBANDAN MAYA BROWN LAUREN MCQUADE

+crew

RONALD PRE MARK WALES RENEE MYTAR DANIELLE ALCARAZ LYNN CHU OLIVER

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Copyright 2013, by LA CANVAS. All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission in writing from LA CANVAS. LA CANVAS makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but is not responsible for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. LA CANVAS is not held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions.

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MUSIC artist POOLSIDE playlist BATH JAMS q&a BONNIE MCKEE

16 18 20

ART EVENTS museum A + D MUSEUM artist MATTHEW BRANDT book SO THE ECHO

22 24 26 28 32

STYLE spotlight STREET HEARTS trend THE TREND MATRIX designer MINIMALE ANIMALE store NUDIE JEANS

36 40 42 46

50 56

FOOD chef MILES THOMPSON restaurant FISHING WITH DYNAMITE

ART LA STREET ART

editorial NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN editorial SUMMER SLUMP

food scoops LICK IT UP drink SUNSET MARTINI bar 55 DEGREE WINE

62 65 66 69 71

& NOTED photo essay INFATUATION essay PROS & CONNOTATIONS events SCENE & HEARD calendar JULY calendar AUGUST last look JASON LEE PARRY

14 72 78 82 86 88 98




DOT COM LA’S BEST ART, STYLE, MUSIC, FOOD AND EVENTS SOURCE >> PARTY ON WAYNE:

>> CALLING ALL ARTISTS!

>> THE WEEKLY:

From a series of kickbacks at the Roosevelt Hotel

LA CANVAS and the Tappan Collective are joining forces to find the city’s

Summertime is synonymous with time to get off

Pool to exclusive dinners with LA's best chefs,

best undiscovered talent. If you live in Los Angeles, are a current art

your couch, and if you’re having trouble planning

LAC has more than enough debauchery and

school student, recent art school graduate, or working emerging artist,

accordingly, LAC has just the agenda. Every week

small plates to keep your summer interesting.

we want to see what you've got. The top artist will win a mention and a

our editors round-up LA’s best concerts, parties,

We’ll also be giving away even more swag this

photo in the September/October issue of LA CANVAS Magazine, a feature

art openings, sales, and generally excellent

issue thanks to the homies at Supra and Creative

in the E-ISSUE, and have the opportunity to exhibit their artwork for sale

happenings. Subscribe to the Weekly to get

Rec. Stick with us this season to cop some gear

on Tappan Collective. To apply, submit a bio, artist statement, and up to

them in your inbox every Thursday, along with

and gift bags. @lacanvas // #lacanvas

five images of work to LAartcontest@tappancollective.com.

exclusive invites to LA CANVAS parties.

ON LACANVAS.COM >> THE SCOOP: OUTDOOR MUSIC IN LA Los Angeles summers would be incomplete without an abundance of free outdoor concert series. We gather the deets in one convenient list. >> Q&A: ROBERT DELONG The one-man dance party performs with up to 20 instruments on stage, including a hacked Wii controller and a Flight Simulator joystick. >> LAC TV Acoustic sets with our fave new artists, behind the scenes with featured duo Poolside, plus exclusive recaps of LA's best and brightest getting all turnt up at our summer events. Blackmail, anyone? >> SMALL BLACK We catch up with the Brooklyn-based, atmospheric electro-pop group.

IN THE E-ISSUE >> ESSAY: PROS & CONNOTATIONS Model Kacy Emmett copes with her industry isms. >> SUMMER STYLE Photographer Derek Wood goes grocery shopping with Natalia Zofia. >> PHOTO STORY Documentary photographer Edward Cushenberry shows and tells with his cinematic lifestyle portraits. >> AND THEN Extended editorials for Brandon Boyd, Minimale Animale and Nudie Jeans.

C A N V A S

INSTAGRAM @LACANVAS

FACEBOOK /LACANVASMAG

TWITTER @LACANVAS

PINTEREST /LACANVAS

LACANVAS.COM


NOTED SUPER FOOD With a Weezy-like output and celebrated cosigners like Odd Future and Roc Nation, it looks as though this Twitter thug is making himself a comfortable home on the hiphop scene. Casey Veggies (government name, Jones) hails from the Fairfax district and at just 19, Veggies has already released his fifth solo project, Life Changes. Head over to DatPiff.com and eat your vegetables. CASEYVEGGIES.COM // PEASNCARROTSINTL.COM

DYE JOB High-performance swimwear and athletic seperates meets kaleidoscope patterns with our new favorite hybrid of functional whimsy, Jolyn. Choosing objectives like fit and philanthropy over mass advertising, you might not be hip to these guys. But they’re more than worth an online browse, especially if you’ve been missing the unique dyes of LA brand LAEKEN (the brands share Creative Director, Mallyce Miller).

URBAN RENEWAL If we hear the word “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” one more time, we might just throw our Carl’s Jr. wrapper out the window as we drive right by the Recycling Center on Alameda. Offense intended. Ok, sorry, but for real for real, when it comes to sustainability in LA, we’re not talking about your fixie bike made of cardboard or your biodegradable, repurposed condoms. We are, however totally nerding out about the urban planning initiatives that have sprung up over this past year. From new developments on the LA River Revitalization project, enhancements to our god-forsaken public transit system, and an entire exhibit dedicated to architectural public work projects opening at the A+D Museum this month, Los Angeles finally seems to be gettin’ with the times. Don’t fail us now; we can’t afford these gas prices and have already discovered all of Sim City’s money codes (ROSEBUD!;!;!;). LARIVERCORP.ORG // APLUSD.ORG

CONCEPTUAL HYDRATION We’re grateful for the complimentary Hollywood tap and all, but sometimes we want to prove to our friends that we have it together. That said, ever try to gracefully fill your guest’s glass with a Brita? Fail. Meet Soma, the water filter so visually stimulating, you’ll look as progressive as a Sci-Arc grad. DRINKSOMA.COM


RAW FILES There are few things that scratch our minimalist itch more than utilitarian luxury and point-and-shoot cameras. This summer, G-Star is slated to launch a pretty revolutionary crossover: RAW Leica. Together with the German camera company, the forward-thinking denim brand presents a special edition of the Leica D-Lux 6 series. Inspired by the G-Star RAW crossovers for Vitra and Cannondale, RAW Leica celebrates the photographic innovation of the iconic camera company. Get your hands on your very own at Leica’s new flagship store in West Hollywood. G-STAR.COM // US.LEICA-CAMERA.COM

GR8 LENGTHS Crazy to think that in a world of donut heads (Google it), HTML5, and PRISM data collection facilities, archaic printers and eight-hour salon trips still exist. While the former may continue to plague us, compartmentalized salon experiences like Dry Bar and Blushington have begun to revolutionize the industry. Most impressive to date is La Brea’s innovative beauty destination, Just Extensions. Approximately two hours later and hundreds of dollars cheaper, you’ll be stunting on those CW actresses. JUSTEXTENSIONSHAIR.COM

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH Get ready to unleash your inner 5th grader ‘cause this summer is all about the popsicle. While we still hold a soft spot for the rocket-shaped Americana pops that dyed our tongue a brilliant shade of indigo and those Flinstones push-pops from the local liquor store, we’re trying to convince our parents that we actually are contributing members of society. So let’s get fancy and throw a nod to the craft popsicle, the Big Stick’s more daring, successful, side-part-rocking, older brother. Whether it be the Michelada pop from Diablo Taco (meant to be dipped into a beer of your choice), Sweet Avocado suckers from Octopop, or an icy Horchata treat from Popshop, these inventive frozen flavors will make you look as legit as your bogus Economist subscription. If Avant-garde popsicles aren’t your thing, it’s cool—there’s still a baseballglove-shaped ice cream pop with that bubble gum ball in the palm with your name on it. Just follow the “La Cucaracha” jingle around MacArthur Park. DIABLOTACO.COM // OCTOPOPS.COM // THEPOPSHOPONLINE.COM



L O U N G I N G

POOLSIDE MELLOW DISCO BEATS ANTHEM OUR SUMMER RELAXATION

Summer is officially in full swing. The sky is clear,

While the album lingers, the discotheque duo

a simmering forecast assured and the girls are letting down

has kept busy on the road. From Coachella to SXSW and

their sun-kissed, beach-tousled locks. Though, as we dip our

the Primavera festival in Barcelona, Poolside has been

toes into glistening turquoise waters, more than a few of us

continuously blasting summer anthems for more than a few

are wondering: what’s summer without Poolside? Within only a

barbecue blowouts. So fine, more time will have to pass. But what

year, the LA-based duo has left an impressionable ripple on the summer day, in particular, the summer pool parties.

can we expect from Poolside?

It’s got to be enough to

Poolside’s 2012 debut album Pacific Standard

knock off our Chelsea boots. Enough to propel us into

Time has held on unflinchingly steadfast. Lucky for us, or

the intergalactic headspace we like to travel on during

maybe lucky for them, PST has more than enough staying

those long summer days. “We are using the same kind of

power to keep us grooving on through summer 2013. To

production techniques so the overall vibe should be the

quench our thirst, Poolside released a single in early June. “If

same, but we are also messing with some faster tempos and

We Make It” is a sexy, lounging lullaby and proves the boys

even more live instruments. Hopefully, these new things are

can still whip up those quality beats that have the girls doing

gonna blow some socks off here and there.” “If We Make It” will be featured on the “Scion

a breezy bunny hop and screaming out, That's my jam!” But just like a popsicle melts, so does the

10 Series Music Release,” a celebratory compilation for the

euphoria of a new single. “Feels like we are at least halfway

California label’s tenth year of life. A full Poolside album is

done, but stuff always changes—we still don't have a name

due out this fall.

or release date for the album, but we want it out ASAP Let's hope for an Indian summer, guys.

without rushing it too much.”

text MEAGAN JUDKINS photo RICKETT AND SONES POOLSIDEMUSIC.COM


BATH JAMS Not all of us are blessed with AC units, rooftop pools or ocean-adjacent addresses, but there’s no need to stew in your own sweat this summer when an old-fashioned dip in the tub is an option. This issue’s aquatically oriented playlist takes you through all the phases of recreational bathing: introspection, relaxation, and reinvigoration. So crank these tunes while you prune, let the sun set, and ride out the heat wave.

“Balance” Future Islands

“Golden Hour” Poolside

“Love Like a River” Girls

“Hotel Pool” The Ross Sea Party

“Like the Morning Dew” Laura Mvula

“Dye the Water Green” Bibio

“Sea Salt” Quadron

“Dead in the Water” Ellie Goulding

“Deep Sea” Cayucas

“Moon in the Water” Dawes

“Rain Delay” Tanlines

“So Fresh, So Clean” Outkast

STREAM THE FULL PLAYLIST ON LA CANVAS’ SPOTIFY




WILL YOU CONTINUE TO WRITE FOR OTHER ARTISTS AS WELL? DO YOU SEE YOURSELF ACTING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE? Her delectable hooks have set up camp in your brain since 2010,

There are certain artists I will always say yes to. I just finished

scoring the soundtrack to your outfit selection processes, cardio

working with Katy Perry on her 3rd album, and if something really

sessions and PCH drives… and all without even knowing her name.

inspires me I will do it. But for the most part I am in Bonnie Mckee

With eight #1 singles under her belt, it’s a little peculiar that the

mode. As far as acting- Yes! I LOVE to act! It's a really great outlet

sherbert-haired songbird has managed to stay behind the scenes

for me. I love playing pretend.

with such substantial commercial success. But years of authoring iconic anthems for artists like Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Carly Rae

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT POPULAR MUSIC?

Jepsen, Christina Aguilera, Kesha, Kylie Minogue, Avril Lavigne,

I love that it’s universal. It appeals to your grandma and your little

Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis, and Adam Lambert, have given Bonnie

sister and your biker uncle.

McKee extensive industry insight to match her impressive lyrical

WHAT WAS THE LAST SPOTIFY/ ITUNES TRACK YOU PLAYED?

repertoire. No stranger to a I-III-IV chord progression, McKee is

"Mechanical" By OLIVER

armed and ready to strike; no Memphis Bleek Syndrome here. LAC had a chance to catch up to pop music’s poet laureate, and here’s

DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN THREE ADJECTIVES?

what she had to say:

Bold. Bright. Colorful.

YOU BEGAN YOUR MUSIC CAREER AT AN INCREDIBLY YOUNG AGE,

WHICH FIVE PEOPLE (LIVING OR DEAD) WOULD YOU INVITE TO YOUR

TOURING WITH THE SEATTLE GIRLS CHOICE AT 12 AND SIGNING YOUR

FANTASY DINNER PARTY?

FIRST RECORDING CONTRACT AT 15. WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU HAD A

Dolly Parton, Bill Clinton, Cher, Conan O'Brien, Michael Jackson…

KNACK FOR WRITING? AT THE TIME, DID YOU PREFER IT TO PERFORMING?

just like a few underground people.

I started writing songs from early on. I was always writing my own lyrics to songs I heard on the radio or that I saw on MTV. I was really

PICK YOUR POISON… SNICK VS. TGIF?

into writing poetry and went to poetry slams-- all kinds of geeky shit

SNICK all the way.

like that, haha! But I was really shy about my songwriting for some reason. It wasn't till I was 12 years old and played a demo of covers

ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE NAMED YOU “BEST SECRET WEAPON”

I recorded (Fiona Apple, Bette Midler, Carol King) for a guy named

IN 2011, WHAT WAS IT LIKE ACHIEVING SUCH LEGITIMATE BEHIND

Johnathan Poneman from Sub Pop Records, that I was encouraged

THE SCENES SUCCESS? DO YOU PREFER PEOPLE KNOW YOUR NAME

to really dive in and go for it. I played him recordings of my best

BEFORE YOUR FACE?

Fiona croon, and he said to me "That's great, you can sing. But lots

It's been really awesome actually! It's a fun conversation starter.

of people can sing. Can you write?" So I went home and threw myself

"What do you do?" "Oh, I'm a songwriter... Maybe you've heard some

into it. The goal was always to be a performer, writing songs for other

of my work?" Haha! I feel like it's a great way to break as an unknown

people was honestly something I stumbled into.

artist because I have a bit more credibility. And people listen to my music with different ears if they know the work I've done prior. It's an

YOU’VE CO-WRITTEN A BATTERY OF BILLBOARD HITS, CAN YOU WALK

honor. I'm extremely grateful for my behind the scenes experience.

US THROUGH THAT COLLABORATIVE PROCESS? It's different with every artist. With people like Katy Perry and

ARE YOU READY FOR THAT TO CHANGE?

Kesha, they are incredible songwriters in their own right, so it’s a

Absolutely. I was born ready.

true collaboration. Then with other artists, when I never even get to meet some of them, it's kind of a fun exercise to step into their shoes and imagine what they would want to say- and what their audience would want to hear. It's exciting to send something over and then get it back with an awesome famous person's voice on it! “AMERICAN GIRL” MIGHT ACTUALLY BE THE PERFECT POP SONG, WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO REINTRODUCE YOURSELF AS A PERFORMER? CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR TIMING? It has been my secret plan all along to come back as an artist, but it was important for me to come back guns-a-blazin'…so I had to build up some ammunition first. I knew that people were responding to my songwriting and that if I followed the opportunities the universe was sending me that they would lead me to my goal, like proverbial breadcrumbs. The viral lip synch video I made of all my famous friends is pretty much all those little breadcrumbs snowballing into a perfectly baked All American pie.


STREET

ART


photos provided by ERIN MITCHELL // LOSTANGELESSTREETART.TUMBLR.COM LA STREET ART GALLERY // LASTREETARTGALLERY.COM


GALLERY OPENINGS JOSHUA PODOLL Christopher Grimes Gallery July 5 - September 7, 2013 Opening Reception: Saturday, July 5th, 7 - 10 pm Joshua Podoll presents a new body of abstract paintings, utilizing his trademark gestural brushstrokes along with a greater emphasis on drawing. Blurry airbrush lines, transparent washy brushstrokes and heavy impasto piles all interweave to create a tapestry of markmaking. Within this densely layered space, Podoll overlays painted, floating objects that serve to create tension between themselves and the layers of marks. cgrimes.com COMMON GROUND: NEW AMERICAN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY drkrm July 6 – July 27, 2013 Opening Reception: Saturday, July 6th, 7-10 pm American street photographers Jack Simon, Bryan Formahls, Chuck Patch, Blake Andrews and Richard Bram feature work from across the streets of the United States. The group show portrays a wide range of styles and camera formats and how street photography remains an integral force in American photographic culture. drkrm.com DAIDO MORIYAMA PRISM July 12 - August 12, 2013 Opening Reception: Saturday, July 12th, 6 - 9 pm PRISM presents a stunning collection of Moriyama’s work, encompassing images from post-war to modern-day Japan. His gritty and often out-of-focus depictions of urban life are highly personal and explore the transformative process of photography and the experimentation on the printed page. prismla.com

ROGUE WAVE 2013 L.A. Louver July 18 - Aug 24, 2013 Opening Reception: Thursday, July 18th, 6 - 9 pm Rogue Wave 2013 is the fifth in L.A. Louver’s Rogue Wave exhibition series. The exhibition will include the work of 15 LA-based emerging artists, including Eric Yahnker, Kim Schoenstadt, Christopher Miles, and Farrah Karapetian, whose work celebrates new art in the metropolis. Media includes painting, sculpture, photography, installation, video, and site-specific pieces. lalouver.com KATRINA UMBER: AND Charlie James Gallery July 27 - August 24, 2013 Opening Reception: Saturday, July 27th, 7 - 10PM And brings together two recent, ongoing photographic series by Los Angeles artist Katrina Umber in her first solo show at Charlie James Gallery. As the title suggests, the space of the photograph is continually proposed in these series of combined images and diptychs. Images are layered on top of one another, questioning the relationship and assumed connections of each pairing, while also exploring our understanding of space and time. cjamesgallery.com KITASONO KATUE: SURREALIST POET LACMA August 3, 2013–December 1, 2013 LACMA presents Kitasono Katue’s collection of Visual Poetry and text poems. Active from the mid-1920s as a pioneering, progressive spirit, Katue is a leader in avant-garde and surrealist poetry. His Plastic Poems, categorized as visual poetry, were inspired by photography and served as covers for novels, trade journals, and commercial magazines. lacma.org

THE READER Anat Egbi Gallery August 3 – August 24, 2013 Opening Reception: Saturday, August 3rd, 7 - 10 pm The Reader displays a selection of graphic paintings, incorporating elements of spot color and socio-political axioms in the style of Barbara Kruger, with added grit. The skillful use of silkscreen, stencils, spray paint, collage, stickers, letterpress, stamps, and even shiny cigarette packages are materials sourced from and for the street, and transformed into works of art for the gallery. thecompanyart.com BIA GAYOTTO: SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN: LOS ANGELES Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA) August 11, 2013 - January 5, 2014 Los Angeles artist Bia Gayotto investigates what it feels like to navigate and inhabit two or more places and cultures. Residents are invited to participate in a video shoot that relates to twentyone neighborhoods along Route 66. The two-screen installation will juxtapose cityscapes, architecture, and domestic settings with portraits of the participants performing everyday actions, revealing their sense of self and place in the world. pmcaonline.org

GET MORE OF LA’S BEST OPENINGS AT LACANVAS.COM


SPECIAL PROMOTION LAC X PARK STUDIOS

IN THE CUT CREATIVE PRODUCTION WITH PARK STUDIOS HWOOD Recently opening its doors, the highly anticipated Park Studios Hwood is the new hub for Hollywood’s creative talent. Bridging the worlds of photography, fashion, fine art, music, and cinema, their mission is to provide affordable access for creative talent in order to produce, display, design and distribute all forms of innovative art and media in an intimate setting. The centrally located gallery and event space will play host to interactive experiences such as live music, video projection, and performance art. Catch new photographer features beginning on the second Friday of each month.

DEFOE JUNE DANIELLE 6-14 7-11 O

JULY CAMRAFACE 7-12 8-8 O

AUGUST

TED EMMONS 8-9 9-12 O

W W W. PA R KST U D IOSH WOOD .C OM

@ PARKST UDI OSHW

#PARKSTUDIOSHW

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ANOTHER CITY IS POSSIBLE THE BEST-LAID SCHEMES OF MICE AND MEN AT THE A + D MUSEUM

text ERIN DENNISON Disoriented by the jarring juxtaposition of Frank Lloyd Wright

into a dense metropolis, but would our collective perceptions be different

masterpieces alongside disparaging strip malls? Confused by the lack

as well? How much of our identity derives from our daily routines? Queue

of a nucleolus in the second largest US city? Us too, but it’s the range

Crash intro montage…

that makes Los Angeles one of the most fascinatingly contradictory urban

Never Built includes dozens of axed narratives by a hesitant city, many

hubs. Long before the neon, glowing pillars surrounding LAX were erected,

of which exist as potentially relevant urban plans for our current infrastructure.

visionaries like Richard Meier, Renzo Piano and Rudolph Schindler had all

One of the most fascinating unrealized schemes is that of a sprawling park

taken on LA as their muse. But what could have been if bureaucracy and

center surrounding all of Los Angeles County. The series of linked greenery

budget restraints had not gotten in the way? This summer, the Museum of

was the brainchild of Olmsted and Bartholomew and would have doubled LA’s

Architecture and Design explores the city’s most intriguing coulda/woulda/

recreational space many times over. The proposal met its fate at the public

shouldas with their new exhibit, Never Built.

vote in 1930, ultimately 86-ing the interconnected structure. Low-to-moderate-

Through

enchanting

photos,

drawings,

videos

and

other

engaging evidence, co-curator Sam Lubell, Greg Godlin and Clive Wilkinson

income housing project plans and blueprints for over 100 miles of subway will also be on display, painting a picture of a very different urban experience.

Architects will explore what Los Angeles might have been, had some of the

“Every city has its issues, but the ratio of talent to population (in

world’s most renowned architects had gotten their way. These untold stories

Los Angeles) is incredibly high,” explains exhibit co-curator Sam Lubell. “I

give both physical and psychological insight into the alternative reality—

believe that there can and will be a change in the culture that benefits the

one with cohesive transportation systems and innovative infrastructure.

public realm.” And we have to say, after considerable time spent spelunking

Sure, an Angeleno’s life might have been transformed had the city evolved

through these blueprint PDFs, another city is, indeed, possible.

6032 WILSHIRE BLVD LOS ANGELES, CA 90036 APLUSD.ORG


The fashion of youth culture revealed this summer.

August 19-21, 2013

Mandalay Bay Convention Center, 2nd Floor Las Vegas

Register today at www.projectshow.com Follow us @projectmvmnt on Instagram & Twitter #PROJECTMVMNT


beauty in the break down

text ROSS GARDINER photo RACHEL MANY


As you peer over the labyrinth of silicon circuit boards through the LCD display at the pixelated representations of the world, you might wonder if landscape photography has lost some of its connection between man and nature since it went digital. While it has always been about capturing those tranquil moments of wonder with a little memory machine, digital development has reduced man’s role in the proceedings, and, in a sense, has demoted the eventual image to being something that can be easily manipulated, and ultimately more disposable. Since the photography world grew weary of the irksome burden of the dark room and snuggled into the warm embrace of Lightroom, most of the images we see of the natural world have been snapped, processed, and are communicated via digital mediums, and are rarely tangible beyond their corresponding ‘Like’ button. LA-based artist Matthew Brandt’s hands are intimately involved in every stage of his photographic production. Take his much lauded Lakes and Reservoirs series: Brandt hikes to a large body of isolated water, takes his shot, collects a pale of water from the lake, and returns to his Hollywood studio to start processing. Using an ever changing mixture of unfiltered lake water and stop-bath processing chemicals, he develops the photographs in his makeshift dark room.

The results are striking. The serenity of the lakes is destroyed in a variety of ways, from gentle burns and opaque veils of transparent color, to vibrantly mangled abstract images that offer little clues as to what they once were. The whole production stands as an unlikely merging of science, art, synthetics, nature, technology and organics. It’s recklessly experimental, like a heretic mother drinking gin whilst pregnant in the hope that her offspring develops synesthesia. “There are a lot of mistakes,” he professes, as we stand over an enormous, beautiful Oregon lake, slowly being molested by the mixture he’d crafted in the bucket below. “You learn from them, but there is always going to be an element of unpredictability to this whole thing.” Born and raised in Los Angeles, Brandt was raised on an eclectic mixture of art, spirituality and culture. His father is a successful commercial photographer, and his mother, originally from Hong Kong, is a strong proponent of Buddhist values and how they manifest themselves in the modern world. He graduated from the esteemed Cooper Union art school in New York, before gaining his MFA from UCLA in 2008. Along the way he has been building a reputation for creating some of the most conceptually challenging and visually arresting works in the country.

MATTHEWBRANDT.COM MBART.COM


there is always going to be an element of unpredictability to this whole thing.

�


A quick glance at his website reveals his

Highly

conceptual,

and

undeniably

extensive collection of gallery works, ranging from

technically gifted, Matthew Brandt is a hugely exciting

screen-printed, electrically charged copper images of

young talent in the world of abstract photography.

Mao’s birthplace, to an assortment of dead honey bees

His thematic battles between nature and technology,

dissected and reformed on canvas. In his studio you

expansion and retraction, as well as his earnest

can see works that may or may not ever see the white

fascination with the torch of power being passed

of the gallery walls. Decomposing burgers in glass

between China and America, are the lifeblood of

boxes, compressed masks of prominent politicians,

his work. Beyond the immediate aesthetic pull, his

and photographic/painting replicas of the invisible

photography maintains a depth and cultural relevance

men of cinema. The list, honestly, goes on and on.

that time will surely only serve to strengthen.

And given that he is but thirty years old, it will surely

Matthew Brandt’s work can be seen in the Rogue Wave

continue to do so at this rapid rate.

’13 collective show at LA Louver Gallery in Venice, from July 18th to August 24th.


ILLUSTRATED

MAN

BRANDON BOYD GETS BACK TO BASICS WITH THE LAUNCH OF HIS THIRD BOOK, SO THE ECHO photo GRANT YOSHINO production + text MEAGAN JUDKINS styling TODD PEARCE grooming JEFFREY BAUM assistant photo STEVE LUCERO / RON PRE


Bruce the pup warmly welcomes us at the wooden gate surrounding a modestly dapper Venice Beach home. Bruce is among a small number of Boyd’s tight-knit circle

put into something. What you call out into the world, whether

to merit an appearance in his new book: So The Echo. The

consciously or unconsciously, the thing that you most need,

appropriately mellow French bulldog leads us to Brandon

want or desire, you are going to get that back.”

who, before entering his home, stops to call attention to

While thumbing through So The Echo one feels

the towering tree in the front yard–a brilliantly blooming

almost voyeuristic; “white sand sticking to my toes like sugar on

Jacaranda, freshly planted that very morning.

a mouth-moistened finger” and other eloquent introspections

With regular visits to the ocean (“The sea is our

make each page entertainingly piquant. Thoughts, ideals and

mother,” states Boyd) and daily meditation as his spiritual

blatant concerns for a blind and fear-fed nation tastefully

refuge, Brandon is surprisingly down to earth. Even with, or

splash personal photographs like a professionally, refined

perhaps despite, his colorful career that spans the greater

scrapbook of a person you would like to know.

part of 20 years. His brand of unpretentious confidence is

thankfully, it is presented without the patronizing air that so

refreshing, and Boyd appears to be a man at his creative apex.

often accompanies discussions of magnitude.

Though,

“What a blessed experience it is to be an artist–

Yet despite his valid concern, Brandon, along

to be at peace with your creativity, and be allowed to do it,”

with his narrative are pleasantly optimistic, “[There are] a

Brandon remarks reflectively. With straightforward repose,

wonderfully alarming number of human beings alive today

his motto is simple: “You are only ever going to get what you

who are having what we could call ‘enlightening experiences’ in little bursts–all beautiful, all deadly, all infinite, all at once.” Boyd teeters on a kind of clear-eyed transcendence in a desperately modern world. (continued on next page)


The art within So The Echo is a “more refined, less scatter-brained” display of what we have come to hope for from Boyd; a style we’d like to coin, shrewd psychedelia. His sketches bring to mind a charmingly hallucinatory Egon Schiele, while the more abstract pieces are a kind of re-imagined Rorschach test. Watercolor vividly dances off the seemingly intimate pages of a happened upon sketchbook, illuminating the imagination and giving the viewer a disarmingly raw glimpse into the mind of the artist. It should also be mentioned that Brandon’s ninth album is soon set to release. Loyal fans can expect to kickback with the son of the sea, just like old times, but prepare for a reintroduction to Boyd. The new album “is a sort of reflection of who I am now, why I am here and where I think I am going.” You wont be disappointed. Within a blink of a few short hours, the interview is through. As we pack up, and blithely give thanks for the hospitality, it occurs to me, if the old saying “you are what you eat” is true, then Boyd and his honey-dipped lady are chai-spiced chocolate & organic strawberries. Yum. The book and album are both set to release late summer/early fall. I’m in, are you in?

BRANDONBOYDBOOKS.COM



4 SPECIAL PROMOTION LAC X PROJECT MVMT

T H E m o v em en t A WOMAN’S WORK IS NEVER DONE

Project MVMNT’s latest addition Street Hearts is the most anticipated designer platform on the trade show scene. The female-centric showcase displays the most progressive brands in streetwear this season. Capsule collection goddesses Love+Made, accessory wizard Melody Ehsani, and the architect of enlightened highstreet grit HELLZ BELLZ/BOTB are giving the notoriously patriarchal club a run for their money. #STREETHEARTS // PROJECTSHOW.COM photo GRANT YOSHINO


LANIE ALABANZA-BARCENA HELLZ BELLZ Since 2005, HELLZ BELLZ has been an innovative voice in women’s streetwear. Indigenous to downtown Los Angeles, the brainchild of Lanie Alabanza-Barcena caters to the burgeoning class of rebellious youth influenced by all things subversive, from the gritty streets of New York to sexploitation flicks of the 1960s and 1970s. Stemming from the original trailblazing entity of HELLZ comes the matured sub-brand, BOTB. The evolution of the HELLZ label has given Barcena the opportunity to present her growth as a designer as she enters into the contemporary side of fashion. WHATTHEHELLZ.COM // HOUSEOFBOTB.COM


LINDA NGUYEN AND TAMMY LE LOVE + MADE Love+Made was founded on the notion of taking action from the heart and ultimately pursuing what you love. Founders Tammy Le and Linda Nguyen combine forces to create Love+Made, a female alliance with a breadth of experience in the design, music, and art industries. With collaborations with powerhouse brands like Stussy, WeSC, Royal Elastics, Vans and DJ Tamara Sky these ingĂŠnues have been featured everywhere from Foam to Nylon and Elle Japan. The fashion-forward lifestyle brand and events company has been making waves since 2007 with their innovative approach to design and marketing. LOVE-MADE.COM


MELODY EHSANI MELODY EHSANI DESIGN Raised in a traditional Persian family, native Angeleno Melody Ehsani had lofty LSAT ambitions post graduation. After grappling with her cultural expectations, she decided to break with tradition and go with her gut. Melody found that fashion design scratched more itches for her than litigation ever would, and these days it looks as though her rebellion has paid off. Artists like Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Rihanna, Keri Hilson, Cassie, LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, Diggy Simmons, Amber Rose, Ciara, BeyoncĂŠ, Estelle, and Mariah Carey might just agree. MELODYEHSANI.COM


TREND MATRIX EXORBITANT LISA MARIE FERNANDEZ ELISA MAILLOT, $385

CHIYOME LIGHT GREY SLIM BAG, $345

JAMBONE BIG JAMBOX, $250 WINCER & PLANT IPAD SLIP CASE, $220 LAUREL HILL TALISMAN EARINGS, $169 RAG & BONE DENIM OVERSIZED PULLOVER, $225

WARBY PARKER BEGLEY, $95

MAKITO LILO LOAFER $125

GANT FLOY SUNGLASSES, $125

MARC BY MARC DEMPSEY SWIM SHORT, $148

WANT

NEED

NIKE NIKE FLYNET LUNAR ONE SNEAKERS, $200

THE 2 BANDITZ PEAKIN CUFF, $98

HAVAIANAS FREEDOM SANDAL, $32

SIDECAR LIFT SERVICE, DONATION-BASED

80’S PURPLE CHARLES MIXED METAL WAYFARER SUNGLASSES, $12

INCASE DSLR SLING PACK, $90

ELIN KLING x MARCIANO BERYL SANDALS, approx. $200

HARPER’S MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION, $17

AVEENO CONTINUOUS SUNBLOCK LOTION FOR FACE, $10

CISTHENE FLASK, $55

BABYLON CARTEL OSTRICH LEATHER CAP, $55 PHILOSOPHY JUST RELEASE ME EYE MAKEUP REMOVER, $18

TAPATIO SALSA PICANTE, $3 EAST 2 EDEN REUSABLE PARTY ICE CUBES, $3

ECONOMICAL

ESSIE NAIL POLISH, $8



we t d r e a m MINIMALE ANIMALE GIVES US WHAT WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR

photo GRANT YOSHINO production MEAGAN JUDKINS styling TODD PEARCE hair + makeup VERONICA VALDIVIA models MARGAUX BROOKE @ WILHELMINA / MARION SEALY @ PHOTOGENICS text ERIN DENNISON


It

seems everyone wants a piece of Cassandra Kellogg these days, and with good reason. From Elle to Sports Illustrated editorials, the former stylist and design savant is fulfilling

a revolutionary niche in women’s swimwear. Up until she changed the game, there were limited options to elegantly standout poolside. We could get zany with a print or neon hue, but thanks to Minimale Animale, we no longer have to pray to the H+M capsule collection goddess for a unique shape at a reasonable price point. To define anyone by their job description can be reductive, however Cassandra’s expert combination of functional fits and curvecelebrating silhouettes anthropomorphized the Venice native’s beachbum persona. Mesh and strategic cut outs showcase a woman’s body and allow for a versatile yet sartorially inclined aesthetic. And at just three seasons in, MA is quickly becoming the most innovative perspective in swimwear right now. (continued on next page)


YOUR MULTI-HYPHENATE RESUME IS SOMETHING SERIOUS. HOW DID YOUR SWIMWEAR LINE EVOLVE FROM STYLING AND INTERIOR DESIGN? CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE TRAJECTORY? I spent four years in design school, and have a degree in Fashion Design. I stumbled upon styling by accident and fell in love with it. After much needed time away from the regimented process that is taught in design school, I slowly found myself creating pieces again for myself and shoots. YOUR SUITS CAN BE WORN IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, FROM UTILITARIAN TOMBOY WITH A PAIR OF TROUSERS TO UBER SEXY WHITE MESH ON A CURVY MODEL. HOW IS THIS CONSIDERABLE AESTHETIC CHASM RECONCILED UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF YOUR PERSONAL STYLE? The collection is a reflection of my personal style, which I don’t categorize into one thing. I can personally bounce from beach bum during the day, to cleaned up and sleek at night. Minimale Animale’s suits are made for the fashion chameleon. DO YOU SEE MINIMALE ANIMALE BRANCHING INTO MEN’S SWIMWEAR? POTENTIALLY EVEN READY-TO-WEAR? We are including clothing such as dresses, jumpsuits, crop tops, and vintage varsity tee’s in our two upcoming collections.

YOUR CAMPAIGNS ARE STUNNING, IMPACTFUL AND EXPERTLY BRANDED; HOW CLOSELY ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE ART DIRECTION? HOW HAS YOUR BACKGROUND IN STYLING HELPED YOU TO UNDERSTAND AND DIRECT A CREATIVE TEAM? I have done all the creative and art direction for Minimale Animale from day one. I always had a very clear vision of what I wanted and I enjoy doing all aspects of it. With my years of set experience and working closely with creative directors I have been able to see and partake in various areas and aspects such as prop styling to makeup and hair. I always had a passion for creative direction, and now I am able to implement it into my own brand. WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO EMBRACE A NEUTRAL PALETTE? WILL THAT BE CONSISTENT THROUGH FUTURE COLLECTIONS? I just create what I enjoy at the present moment. I wouldn’t say the line has been exclusively neutral, and there will be more color in the upcoming collections. DOES THE OCEAN PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN YOUR PERSONAL ETHOS? I will always need to live within a short distance of the water.



LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP: DENIM CULT FAVORITE NUDIE JEANS IS IN IT FOREVER EVER

photo GRANT YOSHINO production MEAGAN JUDKINS styling TODD PEARCE / hair GEMA SILVA makeup JEFFREY BAUM

model JESSE @ PHOTOGENICS / DJ JAMES @ LA MODELS / NINA DANIELE @ LA MODELS / ERIKA LINDER @ NEXT / LEILA G. @ NEXT


Writing about denim can be a little . . . zzz. How many times can we rave about the benefits of Japanese cotton before running out of clever adjectives? However, after considerable time spent internet thugging and sipping complimentary showroom wine, our real life crush on the Nudie Jeans ethos has blossomed into a genuine love affair. Not the I-like-their-tattoos-through-the-optimal-insta-filterchoice serotonin rush, but the I-Googled-their-horoscope sort of romance—a sustainable sort of intimacy. Since

their

conception

twelve

years

ago,

Swedish brand Nudie Jeans has maintained the objective of sustainability, but in 2006 they announced a public commitment to go entirely organic. In order to establish a company-wide ethical monopoly, they became extremely exclusive with their suppliers. By refusing to redirect their conscientious focus, Nudie ultimately reached their goal of being 100% chemical-free early this year.

This

particular round of the good fight was won by a healthy degree of moral perseverance, which was also employed to realize several of the brand’s other responsible victories. Membership to the Fair Wear Foundation, ongoing Amnesty International initiatives and securement of minimum wage for all its manufacturers make Nudie’s customers equal parts ethically committed and sartorially savvy. Jeans live the same life we do; they see what we see, experience what we experience, scar where we scar. Romanticizing? Perhaps, but the narrative is also quite literal. The practical argument for organic denim is that it molds to you, and evolves with you, becoming your favorite pair and consequently a second skin. The quality of holistic material lends itself to sustainability provided by a higher quality, longer staple cotton. And for those of us who maintain an acutely adventurous lifestyle, Nudie repairs all denim at their Melrose location, for free.


text ERIN DENNISON NUDIE JEANS HOUSE 710 N. EDINBURGH AVE. LOS ANGELES, CA 90046 NUDIEJEANS.COM


AVAILABLE AT

5455 W PICO BLVD LA CA 90019 323.930.0347 WWW.CLAE.COM


photography LOTUS JOSEPHINE styling JAMES THE BELOVED makeup JOSIAH hair LINDSEY MARTINS model FRANKI H @ NEXT MODEL MGMT franki wears DRESS BY J. LOREN



franki wears ARA NERO BLOUSE BY ADOLFO SANCHEZ DESCONI SEQUIN SKIRT BY ADOLFO SANCHEZ shoes STYLIST'S OWN hat STYLIST'S OWN opposite page BLAZER BY DOLCE & GABBANA PANTS BY J. LOREN




franki wears CARA METALLIC SUIT BY ADOLFO SANCHEZ glovess STYLIST'S OWN

opposite page COPPER DRESS BY ADOLFO SANCHEZ LATEX ACCESSORIES BY THE TOCKROOM


S UMMER

LUMP

photography DEREK WOOD styling + model NATALIA ZOFIA @ WILHELMINA


shirt VINTAGE / shorts LEVI'S opposite page shirt VINTAGE


shirt VINTAGE / shorts AMERICAN APPAREL / socks TOPSHOP / boots AMERICAN RAG opposite page shirt VINTAGE



crop top PLANET BLUE / shorts AMERICAN APPAREL



LIGHT THE MATCH CHEF MILES THOMPSON OF ALLUMETTE ON LAUNCHING AN EXCITING NEW DINING EXPERIENCE text REBECA ARANGO photo HEATHER GILDROY


AS SOON AS OUR KNIVES CRACKED THE SHELLS OF CHEF MILES THOMPSON’S POTATO-MASCARPONE BUTTER-BALLS, THE AROMA WAFTING UP OVER THE DELICATELY GRILLED BREAD, WE KNEW WE WERE IN FOR A GOOD MEAL. BUT WHAT WE ENDED UP HAVING WAS MORE LIKE A GOOD TRIP, AS EACH DISH THAT FOLLOWED THE PLAYFUL AMUSEBOUCHE FELT MORE WHIMSICAL AND INTOXICATING THAN THE LAST. THOMPSON’S OUTLANDISH CONCOCTIONS, LIKE HIS CAVATELLI WITH UNI RAGU, FROMAGE NOIR AND FRESH SPRING PEAS, REQUIRE AN ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT BUT NOT NECESSARILY A SOPHISTICATED PALATE. AT ALLUMETTE, FLAVOR IS HIGH-IMPACT AND ANYONE WITH A TONGUE

hard to explain sometimes, we have a dumpling dish that’s

CAN FIND IT. LAC CAUGHT UP WITH THE CULINARY WUNDERKIND TO

just three dumplings. I’ve eaten 16 dumplings at a Chinese

LEARN MORE ABOUT PIONEERING A NOVEL RESTAURANT CONCEPT

restaurant as a snack, but that’s because I’m kind of gross.

WITHIN ECHO PARK’S FLEDGLING DINING SCENE.

Here, because it’s handmade every day, and everything is handsourced, to serve three is appropriate. But if you want

YOU’RE ONLY 25, BUT YOUR FOOD FEELS VERY EVOLVED. HOW

to share those three, you’re going to miss that bite that has

DID YOU GET SO GOOD SO FAST?

the grapefruit zest and tarragon, and you might never get

Thank you! I worked for a catering company as a teenager

enough roe. So I really encourage people to eat the food by

in Upstate New York for six years, working my way up from

themselves. They’ll have a much better experience.

dishwasher. Then I moved out here and I worked at Nobu for two years. I used to go into work five hours early every

DO YOU FIND IT’S BEEN A TOUGH SELL IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD?

day, around 9:30 am. Really because I had no idea what I

Expense in food of this level will always be something people

was doing but I somehow got that job. That’s where I met

talk about. The other restaurants in the neighborhood have

my mentor Alex Becker. I still call him Chef, I can’t even call

lower price points and larger portions. I’ve eaten at all of

him Alex. But I think that totally insane work ethic got me to

them, I’ve had great meals. This is a strange restaurant

where I am, and having access to those ingredients inspired

because it’s a destination-neighborhood restaurant. We

me, and having a mentor helped a lot too.

have people driving from Redondo Beach to have dinner here, and we have people walking off the street to have

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE DINING CONCEPT AT ALLUMETTE?

dinner here. This restaurant is entirely polarizing. If you

The concept is constantly evolving. But it’s basically for

come in and you see an $18 salmon dish which is the only

people to come to dinner and course out a tasting menu

familiar thing on the menu but it’s only two ounces of fish,

for themselves based upon the offerings. The kitchen

the server has to explain, “This is a Columbia River King

determines the order of your choices, you put yourself in

Salmon, there were literally 100 of these caught on the first

our hands and sit down to three to ten courses depending

week of the season and we got one of them and it’s an

on how hungry you are. The dishes are not huge—some of

incredibly special thing.” I think that makes it exciting, but

them get a little bigger and others are very small, so you

you’re up against a million factors. This is a make-or-break

need to have multiple courses per person. This isn’t really

point for a lot of restaurants. A lot might see the resistance

a restaurant for sharing, because there are so many unique

and think they have to change what we’re doing, instead of

little flavor bombs that you come across only if you travel

just bumping up everything—the service, the ingredients,

around the plate by yourself. You could totally miss the AHA

the preparations.

moment of a dish if you only get one bite of it. We tested a dish last night as an exercise to see how the food needs to

I WAS TALKING TO CO-OWNER CHARLES KELLY, AND HE

be eaten. It was based around wild white asparagus from

DESCRIBED YOUR APPROACH TO FOOD AS CEREBRAL. WHAT

France. We had a bunch of people all sample from one plate,

DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

and they were like,“that was cool.” And then other people

I think that’s a really nice compliment. In an ideal world,

ate it just by themselves and thought, “It was so much better

I would only make set tasting menus—you come and you

than I thought it could have been, because I was alone, I

get the offering, like an omakase. Because that allows you

could concentrate on eating it, I didn’t have to feel like ‘oh I

to fill spaces and gaps; it allows you to treat ingredients in

wish I could have another bite but I want to be courteous.”

ways that might not be obvious. Like that white asparagus

And that’s how the food really needs to be eaten.

dish—two separate people ate it, and they studied it and said “I don’t think you can call that a vegetable dish”—even

SO YOU’RE GOING AGAINST THE SHARED-PLATES CRAZE.

though it’s like, poached king trumpet mushrooms roasted in

Shared plates are the foundation of the dining scene in Los

butter, a raisin puree, pickled vegetable grabiche with rose

Angeles. Animal broke the mold—it invented the way people

geranium and lotus chips, all vegetables. But they said, “It

think about food, at least here. I was really lucky to work at

really just eats, looks, feels like a Crudo,” like a raw fish or

that restaurant and see how it’s all done. Restaurants like

reverence of product dish, rather than like a broccoli steak.

that and Ink and Red Medicine, they all have shared plates.

A lot of the food is about studying ingredients, and allowing

And so the people who eat out there and want food of that

the diner to study them as well. That’s what long-form tasting

caliber will come here, and hopefully they’ll understand

menus force people to do. It’s almost like this theatrical

what we’re doing. People are used to doing it that way, so

experience. Patience is also something that I ask of people

we have to tell them, “you should order two of those.” It’s

who eat my food. I think that’s what Charlie’s talking about.

1320 ECHO PARK AVE. LOS ANGELES, CA 90026 ALLUMETTELA.COM



WHEN YOU FISH UPON A STAR FUN WITH FISH AT CHEF DAVID LEFEVRE’S NEW MANHATTAN BEACH SPOT, FISHING WITH DYNAMITE

text REBECA ARANGO Behind us, the Pacific pokes its salty sunset-glimmer between

The playfully-named craft cocktails each come with their own

parked Toyota Prii and squat shops that sink lazily towards the sand, illuminating

quirky story, and Ashley happily tells them all. Warmed up with booze, we

Ashley Bacon’s contagious smile as she waxes lyrical about oysters. “I never

relinquish our right to free will and leave the decisions to the kitchen, on this

liked them until I spoke with a chef here, and he inspired me to appreciate

night helmed by LeFevre himself, who takes us through the best of his clever

them for what they really are.” That is, filter feeders. The way those slimy, little,

two-column menu. Why build a concept around traditional or contemporary

bivalve mollusks survive this big bad world is by kicking-back and letting it

when you’re so good at both? Raised in Wisconsin with influential summers

flow through them. Ashley enthuses: “Encapsulated in their shell is the flavor

spent at his Grandparents’ in Virginia Beach, LeFevre has since traveled the

of the sea, of their particular environment. They soak it all up and become the

world and devised many a fancy dish, even helping LA’s Water Grill get its

essence of the ocean.” Okay, yes. Bring us some oysters, Ashley.

Michelin Star. But (and M.B. Post was already an indication of this) LeFevre

The oysters have traveled from opposite ends of America to be

is no stranger to nostalgia, and he cooks up with it expertly.

with us today, and their habitual diversity is evident: each possesses his

A comprehensive but not laborious ode to the sea, the menu at

own complexion and distinctive style of dress. Here, at chef/owner David

FWD is divided into Old School and New School. Classic standouts include the

Lefevre’s latest eatery Fishing With Dynamite, the briny critters are regally

Maryland Crab Cake, appreciatively more crab than cake, with a nice meaty

presented on an elevated bed of ice, ready to work with fresh lemon,

texture and some mustard remoulade, and the Poached Half Atlantic Lobster

horseradish, mignonette, tangy ponzu and even bright pico de gallo to start

(which the menu explains is pronounced lob-stah, like chow-dah), which arrives

this feast off on the right valve.

gloriously red and juicy in its hot bath of Pernod butter and tender veggies.

Just a few doors down from LeFevre’s acclaimed solo-debut M.B

On the contemporary side, LeFevre plays with Asian influences,

Post, Fishing With Dynamite is like a playful kid sister, smaller and kitschier

like in the creamy Thai Shellfish and Coconut Soup or the Black Miso Cod.

with a singular fixation: seafood. Appropriately, FWD feels like a beach

Our favorite was the vaguely Italian Grilled Octopus, which was perfectly

cottage, with limited seating but a “whatever, let’s just invite all the cousins

cooked and tangy, kicking-it with creamy white beans and a date-tomato ragu

and pile in” kind of attitude. Over the course of our three-hour Wednesday

that brought an intriguing sweetness to the plate. The dessert offerings—

night sea feast, FWD’s two bars—one raw bar and one libation laboratory—

Pretzel and Chocolate Bread Pudding, Key Lime Pie—will charm the child

continuously roar with neighborly laughs shared over sips and slurps (which

inside you without offending the adult, which is really something you could

the menu assures us are okay, we’re in good company).

say about the whole experience at Fishing With Dynamite. In a word: fun. 1148 MANHATTAN AVE MANHATTAN BEACH, CA 90266 EATFWD.COM


LICK IT UP In the my-opinion-is-the-only-opinion self-publishing internet age, its nice to share a collective consciousness: nothing beats a mouthful of cool ice cream on a lower-back-sweaty summer day. Whether you’re into uncommon ingredients (curry, anyone?) or basic bitch vanilla, we’ve got something for your taste buds.

SANTA MONICA o BEACHY CREAM Organic freaks rejoice: Beachy Cream’s sweet treats are 100 percent organic. Gluten allergy? They’ve got you covered. Their yummy ice creams are mostly sold in the form of the ever-popular ice cream sandwich, but are also available by the scoop. SPECIALTY: Get your booze and dessert in one treat when you get their Bourbon Bacon or Whiskey Walnut flavors. If you prefer something a little more fruity, get the Strawberry Balsamic or the Key Lime Cowabunga for a tasty tang. If you prefer tea and pinkies up over booze and bacon, there’s also the Earl Grey. beachycream.com

“Break Bread. Share Wine. Feed the Soul.”

HOLLYWOOD o MASHTI MALONE Founded by brothers Mashti and Mehdi Shirvani, this Hollywood mini-mall hidden gem got the “Malone” part of its name when the brothers took over the original ice cream store, Mugsy Malone. Despite its modest settings, Mashti serves up some of the best Persian ice cream in the city. SPECIALTY: Aromatic ingredients like rosewater and saffron (the world’s most expensive spice) make for exceptional ice cream flavors. Try the Rosewater Saffron with Pistachios and Creamy Rosewater. Both have a heady scent of florals while delivering a smooth and refreshing finish. For some zing, try the Ginger Rosewater. mashtimalone.com

BRENTWOOD o SWEET ROSE CREAMERY This Brentwood creamery uses organic and local ingredients wherever possible, procuring seasonal produce from local spots like the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market to create a menu that changes monthly and features ice creams and sorbets that deliver a punch of flavor often missing in mediocre ice cream. SPECIALTY: Salted Caramel reigns supreme at this Brentwood creamery, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention some of their drool-worthy flavors. If you like the taco shop staple drink, Horchata, you’ll love Sweet Rose’s ice cream rendition. You should also try their fresh-fruit flavors, like nectarine and lychee. sweetrosecreamery.com

MID CITY o NEVEUX ARTISAN CREAMERY If flavors like vanilla and mint chocolate chip are too oldschool-tried-and-true, Neveux is just the spot to get your tastebuds tweaking from confusion. Neveux prides itself on sweet and savory combinations and flavor experiments that may just turn you into an ice cream snob. SPECIALTY: The Salted Caramel is most popular here, but we dare you to try some of Neveux’s more unusual flavors, like Coconut Curry Lemongrass or Pepper Peach. If you’d like to go with something relatively more familiar, try the Blueberry Chèvre or Roasted Banana. For a more fragrant spin, there’s also the Rosemary Butterscotch and Honey Lavender. neveuxartisancreamery.com

BEVERLY HILLS o ICE CREAM LAB Step into this blue-themed, science-meets-dessert shop and witness the crafty folks at Ice Cream Lab make their ice cream to order with a special process involving a mixer and liquid nitrogen. Strange as it may seem, the results are deliciously smooth, creamy, and utterly delicious. SPECIALTY: True to the store’s blue theme, the Blue Velvet Cupcake flavor is not to be missed. Get two desserts in one as they combine ice cream with real blue velvet cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting. If you want a little savory with your sugar-rush, get the Salt Lick Crunch, which is vanilla ice cream with bits of pretzel, caramel sauce and sea salt. icecreamlab.com

GET TH E SCOOP ON LA’S LATEST A N D GR EATEST EATS AT LACA N VAS.COM

600 S. Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90014 www.artisanhouse.net 600 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90014 213.622.6333

213.622.6333


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ABOVE IT MIXOLOGIST UNWANTED: SKYBAR’S SUNSET MARTINI

Never known for being the most humble character in the service industry, the bartender has strangely come to consider himself to be a historic noble tradesman. Rebranding himself as a “mixologist”, he shakes, muddles, flames, garnishes, and infuses, and he has absolutely no desire to muster the enthusiasm to discuss the intricacies of Haddock-flavored Ciroc with you. But for all their skill, knowledge and ability to work under pressure, the bartender of today seems to have forgotten that he is also there to serve you, the customer. And he is to do it with a smile so wide that it threatens to burst his lips, and he is required to gleefully say ‘Yes, of course! No problem!’ when you and your gaggle of shithoused friends request to split $34 across thirty-five credit cards. Too many of today’s high-end bartenders have neglected pleasantries and modesty in favor of speed, knowledge and the ability to smoothly thumb their suspenders and scratch their testicles on the pour-spouts in the well. But the truly decent bartenders know that if the customer wants a vodka Mojito without the mint, or the sugar and lime, and with cranberry juice instead of soda water, then they can have that, with a smile. On as many credit cards as they like. So, as I catch my breath and let the hot scarlett drain from my face, here is a fantastic summer cocktail recipe courtesy of the very talented folks up at the Skybar in West Hollywood. The Sunset Martini is extremely simple, and can be crafted at home, far and away from a barbershop quartet bartender fingering his cufflinks and insisting that it is actually pronounced “Hen-ay-say”.

RECIPE 2 OZ HENNESSY BLACK ¾ OZ LEMON JUICE ¾ OZ SIMPLE SYRUP 3 MUDDLED BLACKBERRIES Shaken with ice and strained into a coup glass. Enjoy the taste.

text ROSS GARDINER photo RACHEL MANY 8440 SUNSET BLVD. WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 90069 MONDRIANHOTEL.COM



COOL GRAPES text ASHTON STRONKS photo RACHEL MANY

55 DEGREE WINE WALKS US THROUGH ITS MANY NUANCED PERSONALITIES As you step into 55 Degree Wine, a warm “Buongiorno!” greets you

carry them because I love introducing people to flavors and tastes they’ve

from the heavily Italian-influenced display of wines and craft beers. Wooden

never tried before. The other day, a customer came in looking for a $40

shelves and wine racks form narrow store aisles featuring hundreds of bottles

bottle of red he had tried at a restaurant. I asked him to tell me a little

from around the world, with regional placards and small maps to highlight the

about what he liked and how it tasted. He ended up walking out with four

exact place each varietal was born and bottled. An unassuming cement staircase

cases of a bottle that was $20 cheaper, and was more satisfied having

toward the back of the shop leads patrons into a candlelit tasting cellar with brick

learned something new that day.”

walls, tables made from old barrels and slightly reflective glass windows allowing opaque glimpses into the two private tasting rooms. It’s a wino’s dream.

A couple of us from LAC order red flights—the #3 Running of the Bulls (a jammy, fruity line-up) and #4 The Big O’s (the more medium-

Where Atwater Ranch Market used to operate above a bootleg

bodied collection)—because we love red wine, but mostly because we can’t

basement recording studio six years ago, now sits 55 Degree Wine, named after

resist ordering something called The Big O. For snacks, “A Taste of the

the proper temperature to store wine. Owner Andy Hasroun came to the U.S.

World” sounds just as alluring, featuring a seasonally rotated spread of meats,

from Syria when he was only 14 years old to live and work with his uncle who ran

cheeses, homemade hummus, assorted garnishes and warm fluffy bread. Andy

the market. He climbed his way up from putting in 16+ hour days, napping on

also throws in a pizza covered in fresh tomatoes, basil and feta crumbles for

cardboard boxes with paper towels for pillows, and running liquor to the various

good measure—the perfect carb-coating for our wine-soaked bellies.

then-unknown musical acts rehearsing in the basement next door (such as Black Eyed Peas), to owning half the business and eventually opening 55 Degree.

“Wines are just like people. Each wine has a fingerprint, and you can never duplicate the same wine. They have personalities as you and I do,”

“Never in my life have I not gotten what I wanted. Whether it was a

explains Andy. “You know what the best wine is? The one YOU like. No one can

lifestyle, a business, a relationship . . .I truly believe you can make anything

tell you whom you should and shouldn’t date, sleep with, have a relationship

happen if you want it bad enough, you just have to work to get there.”

with, et cetera, just like no one can tell you what kind of wine you should like.”

55 Degree’s menu is impressive and carefully curated, as

Stumbling out with a buzz and a newfound swagger, I have never

Andy takes annual trips to Italy to personally handpick his inventory. We

felt more confident of my wine tasting palate. We don’t need any point

nicknamed him The Wineocologist due to his keen diagnosis of taste and

system or dollar amount to justify our tastes.

prescribing favorites we didn’t know we had.

Andy's mantra over and over in my head: “Love what you do, do what you

“I think Italian wines are the most underappreciated regions,” he explains as he swirls the dark red liquid up the sides of his glass. “I

I couldn't help but replay

love.” And perhaps more importantly, “The words ‘do’ and ‘drink’ can be completely interchangeable.”

3111 GLENDALE BLVD #2 LOS ANGELES, CA 90039 55DEGREEWINE.COM



I N FA TUA TION





EDWARDCUSHENBERRY.COM EDWARDCUSHENBERRY.TUMBLR.COM



photo KARA KOCHALKO hair & makeup JEANNIE VINCENT styling AMANDA MACIEL ANTUNES


The steam room is a weird place to start a conversation. I understand that normally two people alone in a room ought to acknowledge one another but elevators have really blazed the trail for mutual disregard. So, in a room where the temperature was trespassing into hot-as-balls territory I thought it warranted silence. My cedar bunkmate felt otherwise and after an hour of cardio, assumed we were war buddies. Despite my posthumous enthusiasm, she discussed her sciatica and turned to where she thought I was sitting in the mist: So, what do you do? The answer to her question is simple: I’m a model. Have been since high school. Now, it’s my full-time job and, consequently, my longest relationship to date. It started when a kind Boston agent, whether in earnest or inebriation, offered me a contract. Like most young girls with dreams and cable, I fancied myself a regular Doutzen or Coco, sauntering down a runway in Paris for a hefty dollop of cash per lap. The reality was that at sixteen, kitten heels were a hurdle and I’d never see Europe until I managed to fill out an A-cup and college applications. But six years and countless cutlets later, I couldn’t answer her question. My aversion didn’t sprout from any shy or shamed reason, just inexplicable self-preservation. As a career modeling is straightforward, with few secrets to success apart from Eastern European genetics and standing relatively still. It affords many the opportunity to travel and work with creative minds, but basically if the hanger ever learns how to smize, we’re all out of a job. But I couldn’t spit it out. Normally, I would have rather steered a conversation to the most tepid, stagnant waters than answer her polite inquiry outright. Someone might ask what I do for a living and I would respond vaguely, using broad terms like “fashion” or “Pinterest.” I’d mastered ambiguity to leave little room for perceptions. I would have rather had an acquaintance assume I was unemployed and concussed before dropping the model card. And then there’s the matter of shelf life. See, when the longevity of your career is relative to wrinkles, it’s easier to talk about sciatic numbness than a professional backup plan. To be fair, not all of my interactions end in conversational constipation. I also realize that in the professional arena it’s rude to be vague. Whether you’re a barista or undertaker – you say so. If you ask a chef what’s in the special he’ll never say “food’n’stuff.” A lawyer would never tell her client that they’re looking at “anywhere from community service to life.” But still, I’ve always felt uneasy explaining how I forge a living by freelancing my face and sometimes limbs. My business card has a picture of a fringe leather skirt on it. Yours has an email address. There are certain scenarios, however, where less information is always more. When I travel for work, there’s usually a clairvoyant Customs Officer demanding I disclose my intentions with his country. We both know I’m here modeling without a visa and soiling his mother tongue in the process. After a moment, I respond “For pleasure” and he reciprocates with a stamp. Neighbors, on the other hand, are a lost cause. Assuming four, waifish girls in a one bedroom are escorts is anticipated, assuming any of us are actually generating income is just generous. Geographically speaking, anywhere south of Newark is a fluke as the terms “modeling” and “MySpace” are used interchangeably. But in the day-to-day exchanges, every time I beat around the bush like some stoned landscaper, I created an unwelcome distance. I’d made a habit out of hesitance and stuck my job in the undeserved and unreserved backseat. The grownup thing to do here is stop the pattern of avoidance. To come out of the professional closet and stop saying “freelance” without offering a supporting adjective. It’s time to be a model and bring home the bacon on whatever dining set the studio lends me. Of course the real test will be in my initial interactions, when the sincerity really hits the fan. And the next time someone in a high humidity setting wants to know what’s next? I’ll allude to my background in liberal arts and hostessing right before slipping out with the next eucalyptus blast.



SCENE & HEARD This summer the LAC crew has been hard at work gifting, reveling, and bringing cool people together. We couldn't fit our entire catalog of celebratory voyeurism here, but if you've been snapped at one of our parties, head over to FACEBOOK.COM/LACANVASMAG to locate your shining face (tag at your discretion). Missed out? Make sure you're signed up for the LA CANVAS Weekly to get in on the upcoming festivities.

WE double dare YOU TO GET YOUR summer ON

photo CHRISTOPHER CAPTAIN // ERIC A. REID


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EVERY MONTH THROUGH SEPTEMBER MUSIC SETS BY

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TROPICANA POOL AND BAR 7000 HOLLYWOOD BLVD. 90028 VISIT LACANVAS.COM TO RSVP


cause IF you're NOT HAVING a goodTIME, YOU'RE NOT doing it RIGHT. love, LA CANVAS



FILM SCREENING POINT BREAK @ THE ACADEMY

19

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LECTURE SAE X ABLETON X LA CANVAS PRESENTS: LOW END THEORY

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CONCERT PINK MARTINI @ THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL

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CONCERT THE DAN BAND @ CLUB NOKIA

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ART OPENING ROGUE WAVE 2013 @ L.A. LOUVER

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CEREMONY THE ESPYS @ NOKIA THEATRE

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FOOD EVENT TASTE OF FARMERS MARKET @ 3RD & FAIRFAX

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FOOD DINE LA @ THROUGHOUT LA

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FILM SCREENING ALMOST FAMOUS @ LOS ANGELES TRADE TECH COLLEGE

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ART OPENING NEVER BUILT: LOS ANGELES @A+D MUSEUM

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SPORTS LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS. NEW YORK YANKEES @ DODGER STADIUM

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PARTY LUKE JENNER & BIXEL BOYS @ LURE

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7

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2 TRIVIA TRIVIA NIGHT @ KING’S ROW

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13 CONCERT PORTUGAL. THE MAN @ THE WILTERN

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11 THEATER SISTER ACT @ THE PANTAGES

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12 COMEDY RUSSELL BRAND @ LARGO

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CONCERT TOKIMONSTA @ THE ECHOPLEX

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FILM SCREENING STRIPES @ LA STATE HISTORIC PARK


CONCERT SOULS OF MISCHIEF @ THE EL REY

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EXPO SAE TECH EXPO @ SAE INSTITUTE

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CONCERT STRANGE TALK @ THE BOOTLEG

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20 COMEDY NOW?! @ WESTSIDE COMEDY

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FOOD EVENT FIG FARM DINNER @ FIG RESTAURANT

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CONCERT ALT-J @ THE HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM

COMEDY COMEDY STORE POTLUCK @ THE COMEDY STORE

CONCERT JANKS @ THE SATELLITE

FILM SCREENING GREASE @ THE ACADEMY

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MUSIC FESTIVAL FYF FEST @ LA STATE HISTORIC PARK

CONCERT QUADRON @ THE TROUBADOUR

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FILM SCREENING PULP FICTION @ LA STATE HISTORIC PARK

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CONCERT WORK DRUGS @ THE ROXY

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C A N V A S

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CONCERT FOOD EVENT FARMER’S MARKET @ GRAND PARK MAC MILLER @ HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM

F 5

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PARTY SCHOOL NIGHT! @ BARDOT

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PARTY DESERT NIGHTS WITH DJ VALIDA @ THE STANDARD HOLLYWOOD

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PARTY CLUB MOSCOW @ BOARDNER’S

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9 CONCERT FOALS @ THE WILTERN

TRIVIA BRAIN PARTY TRIVIA @ ALEX’S BAR

12 11 ART OPENING SAM FRANCIS @ PASADENA MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA ART

9 ART OPENING TED EMMONS PHOTOGRAPHY @ PARK STUDIOS

PARTY GREAT GATSBY PARTY @ PARK PLAZA HOTEL

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CONCERT HANNI EL KHATIB @ SANTA MONICA PIER










MANIFEST DESTINY A SUN-BRUISED AMERICANA: THROUGH THE LENS OF COVER ARTIST JASON LEE PARRY

text ROSS GARDINER Purring motorcycles tug at slack threads of light, glassed bearded lovers framed, kneaded silhouettes acutely

drawn to the sunshine mecca of Los Angeles, thirsty for the culture and adventure that Southern California presents.

aware of themselves, final drags of blue vapor under setting

Inspired by the iconic imagery of French fashion

suns, roadside headdresses of plucked gull and bleach,

photographer Guy Bourdin, Parry campaigns hard for the

utterances etched in lines on the road, porous dust plume

provocative nostalgia of 1970s west coast adventure and

ghosts haunting lungs, stray fibers of gold like frayed bows,

lustrous rebellion. He is enthused by, and his work depicts a

and youth so fragile it comes apart in your palms and falls

brand of youthful revolution that elicits an authentic response

through your fingers. These are the blackened shavings of

from his exponentially expanding audience.

rag and bone Americana backed up under fingernails that

In the past several years, Jason Lee Parry has scored

grub around in the gaps between the sun and the sea for a

major campaigns for lifestyle giants like Urban Outfitters, ASOS,

hope not yet bloated and belly-up.

Wrangler, and Free People, while his narrative-driven editorials

The American West is one of the most photographed

have been featured everywhere from progressive publications like

stretches of land in the world. With lush vegetation embraced

Oyster and Human Being Journal to mainstream magazines like

by the abundant desert sun and a sprawling cityscape

Vice and Elle Girl Japan. It’s his uncanny ability to mold models

bookended by the largest, bluest ocean, Southern California

into muses that has opened doors for left-of-center perspective

is a captivating place. There are few people that capture

within the notoriously strict and unforgiving fashion industry.

the aesthetic of the place quite as well as fashion editorial photographer Jason Lee Parry.

With more than a dash of the sun-bruised, Kerouacesque vagabond about him, Parry’s aura is one of a free man

Hailing from an unspecified location, Jason moved

unchained from the shackles of time, and unconcerned by the

around a lot in his youth and has maintained the notion of motion

slow bleeding of innocence. By depicting a quintessentially

as the driving theme behind his work. Starting out shooting

West Coast brand of rusted Americana that could light Joni

skateboard videos and gritty street fashion, he found himself

Mitchell’s pipe, Jason Lee Parry is a true American artist.

JASONLEEPARRY.COM




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