proxart Spring Two Thousand & Ten
Featuring: Frank Hansen, Sarah Johnston, Diana Hereld, Favian Romo, Stephanie Smith, Brian Gurrola, PANGEA! & Jaydiohead
CONTENTS Spring 2010 FEATURES Welcome to the first (ever) Issue of Proxart Magazine. ON THE COVER: Beautiful artwork by our very good friend, Frank Hansen. Check page 18 for our interview with this innovative and highly skilled illustrator. « BE EXCITED: Regardless of how you feel about culture in the suburbs – if you feel anything about culture in the suburbs – there are good things going on. So jump into the fray with us, and be excited!
10 22
15
FAVIAN ROMO
DIANA HERALD
SARAH JOHNSTON
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We hope you like what you see. Cheers!
18
FRANK HANSEN
BRIAN GURROLA
COLUMNS
OPINION Nathan Ryan looks at the form of art (formerly) known as 06 “conversation” and Zachary Hill grants us some insight on the subject of abstract art.
STAFF PICKS In honor of our first issue, the Proxart staff tells you about 08 our favorite local and non-local artists. MUSIC We review a couple live shows, and two of our favorite 34 albums of 2009. EXCLUSIVE An interview with mix-master Max Tannone – the man 34 behind “Jaydiohead.”
03 We like to put relevant info down here, so check it for facts!
www.proxart.org
HELLO Our Name Is Proxart
What is a “Proxart?”
We get asked that question a lot. So, here, we’ll clear it up for ya: Proxart is the combination of two words: “proximity” + “art.” So, more or less, Proxart means bringing creativity close. We do that by showing off the amazing artwork that you produce, be it visual, music, film, performance, writing, or whatever. Keep making amazing art, and we’ll keep showing you off.
Who is Proxart? Allow us to introduce ourselves.
EDITORIAL
We want to hear from you! So, let’s get talkin’.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ashley Taylor ashley@proxart.org MANAGING EDITOR Zachary Hill zach@proxart.org / @zacharyhillart BLOG MANAGER Justin Miyamoto justin@proxart.org / @justinmiyamoto INTERN Krista Thayer
www.proxart.org facebook.com/proxart @proxart
DESIGN & CREATIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Nathan Ryan nate@proxart.org / @nryan DESIGNER Justin Miyamoto DESIGNER Vitalik Gnezdilov vgnezdilov@gmail.com
PHOTOGRAPHY
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Benjamin Hunter ben@proxart.org / @benjaminhunter PHOTOGRAPHER Favian Romo favian@proxart.org / @romodisegno
Catlin Perrin / @adensityofsoul Krista Thayer
EVENTS
GUEST PHOTOGRAPHER
EVENTS DIRECTOR Timothy Seaton DIRECTOR OF PR Benjamin Panama panama@proxart.org
Amanda Ryan / @alkne
DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT Nathan Ryan CO-DIRECTOR Timothy Seaton PROXART IS A CERTIFIED NON-PROFIT. PLEASE EMAIL INFO@PROXART.ORG IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE AND/OR DONATE.
All Material © 2010, Proxart Inc. 04 Proxart Magazine Spring 2010
Yeah, we’re hip: stuff that looks like @this means you can find us on Twitter.
ART IN SUBURBIA? Suburbia is a strange place: miles of unnecessary roads that lead to miles of unnecessary shopping. People get around in
huge SUVs that guzzle loads of gasoline. Two people house themselves in five thousand square foot homes so they don’t have to talk to each other – except on Facebook.
Proxart is based in Santa Clarita, California – 25 miles north of Los Angeles, where everything mentioned above is a reality. Add to these things the raised Chevy trucks covered in SKIN stickers, the fact that no indie coffee shop has stayed open on its own for more than a year at a time – but there’s a Starbucks on every corner – and the fact that 75% of the “art” produced here is of either horses or landscapes, and we’ve landed ourselves in what seems to be quite the cultural and artistic wasteland. Taken at face value, it seems fairly audacious for anybody to start anything that dares to call itself “creative” inside this city. But if you dig deeper, you find a community chock-full of artistic genius. Take our cover artist Frank Hansen (p. 18) as an example. Frank works a day job, but at night he illustrates characters in a universe that doesn’t exist – until he creates it. Take Sarah Johnston (p. 22), who weaves folk-rock melodies through your ears and into your soul – she’s living in an apartment in Newhall with dreams and works a day job at Starbucks, but she writes some of the most beautiful music we’ve ever heard. CalArts is right off of Interstate 5, in the heart of Santa Clarita. Some of the brightest and most sought-after artists in the world come out of that school, and they go on to produce some of the greatest and most innovative work that pop-culture has ever been exposed to (Nightmare Before Christmas, anyone?). Ladies and gentlemen, if there was ever a suburban community that was capable of making itself a viable and respected artistic community, we believe that Santa Clarita is it. And that is our obsession at Proxart: to create a viable, sustainable culture for creative people here inside the SCV – whether that means highlighting the great art that exists inside our city, or bringing more great art in from outside. For two years, we’ve been holding galleries and shows at any local establishment that has been gracious enough to allow us to use their space. This magazine seemed like a good next step: something tangible that you can reference, learn from, and be inspired by. So let’s make something of this city, together. Because everyone knows that when you first start a masterpiece, all you’ve got is a blank canvas. Cheers, Nathan Ryan Director
05 www.proxart.org
TALK “My Kid Can Paint That” BY ZACHARY HILL As I was flipping through my movie channels, searching for a film to help me enhance my holiday vacation, I came across (not for the first time) a documentary film called My Kid Could Paint That. It’s a film about a 4-year-old girl named Marla Olmstead, who happens to paint fantastic abstract paintings that have sold for literally tens of thousands of dollars. Basically, from my viewpoint, the film uses the story of Marla and her family as a window into the good and the bad of what has become modern art, and more importantly modern abstract art. zacharyhillart.com @zacharyhillart
GOT SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS? PROXART.WORDPRESS.COM/ 2010/03/24/ABSTRACT-ZACH
But I don’t want to write a review about this film, or really anything about it. I would rather use it as a jumping-off point to write about how modern abstract art has been (and probably always will be) viewed by the general public, and even the most esteemed of art critics and patrons alike. Their view is: abstract art sucks! That seems, at least, to be the general consensus. Of course, highly paid critics or wealthy patrons will have a more technical and proper criticism when discussing why they think abstract art sucks so much. But why does abstract art suck? Okay, many people (including myself ) are in love with the wide range and possibilties of abstraction, both in the ideas and in the physical execution of abstract art, which isn’t always so easy to grasp. But when the every day measurements and standards of excellence are applied to a lot of art being made today – like “technical skill” and “time consumption” – a great amount of modern art can be seen as low-quality. (Of course there are wonderful abstract artists who take a lot of time painting or composing a work, and it does involve a great amount of technical skill. It usually takes me no longer than 3 hours to compose one of my larger works, but it might take another abstract artist over a year to compose something similar. This diversity is part of what makes modern contemporary art so unique and wonderful.) But I digress, because I still haven’t answered the question of why people think abstract art sucks. But in a way I did, because the answer is the diversity, the scope, the complexities of the art being made today. Let’s face it, most people prefer classical painting because the story is laid-out, easy-to-see, in a portrait or landscape. There is no mystery in classical painting, and people like what they can understand. On the flip side, the average art viewer assumes that modern abstract art has no story simply because it’s not in front of their faces. The viewer would have to either research the artist that created the work to find out the story, or, more preferably, at least to me, the viewer could create a story on his own, using the work as a template for his or her own imagination. The diversity and complexities of today’s art have led to art becoming generally more mysterious than in previous movements or generations. Thus the animosity, anger, and eventual hatred of abstract art ensues. When I hear “That painting sucks,” or “I hate abstract art,” I really think the person saying these things is saying, “I don’t understand abstract art. And I think these artists are trying to fool me.” A lot of them are: they have been jaded by society or critical viewers, or they are just really pretentious snobs who feel that their art is too good for the masses, and therefore they must use their art to insult their audiences. But many more of them are not trying to fool anyone; they simply lack the desire (or the skill) to tell a straightforward story, yet they feel like they have a story to tell; they have something to say. As one of those abstract artists, I can say: we aren’t trying to fool you, we aren’t trying to con you with poorly composed, unskilled art. I think artists are always trying to express, convey, and record feelings and thoughts – the same feelings and thoughts we all feel, each and every day, about everything we experience. And sometimes, it’s better to construct visual poetry rather than a visual novel.
06 Proxart Magazine Spring 2010
We’ve got opinions, and we know that you do too. That being said, anytime that you see the icon on the right, feel free to copy that URL into your browser, and leave your thoughts as a comment. If you would like to write for Proxart, we’d love your contributions. Email us:
GOT SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS? PROXART.WORDPRESS.COM/ BLAH-BLAH-BLAH
submit@proxart.org
The Lost Art of Conversation BY NATHAN RYAN Conversation used to be a two-sided affair. One person would talk, the other would listen, and vice-versa. Now, it seems that this common courtesy has been all but lost among people who hold differing beliefs. Whether one is on the left or the right of the political spectrum, whether one believes in Jesus, Muhammad, Santa Claus, or nothing at all, very few people seem willing to actually listen to someone whose beliefs oppose their own. nthnryn.tumblr.com @nryan
GOT SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS? PROXART.WORDPRESS.COM/ 2010/03/24/CONVERSATION-NATE
This is bad. As human beings who want to understand the world we live in, it would make sense that we should want to hear all sides. That we should want to see from as many different perspectives as possible, and that we should want to question what we’ve been told, by getting someone else’s opinion (which we may or may not agree with from the get-go). This is merely one reason that art is so important today*: it can (and often does) provoke conversation. It stirs controversy, and it has the power to bring to light the things that are in the dark. It can be done commercially, or it can be done at a grassroots level. It can be immensely popular, or it can be something that only holds value for a close group of people. Whatever the scale of the project, art will always be common ground for dialogue. So what does this mean? This means that, as artists, we have a responsibility. We have a responsibility to be more transparent. More honest. We have a responsibility to put people in someone else’s shoes through the art that we produce; to publicly vocalize our beliefs through our art. And not just for the sake of making “a statement,” but for the purpose of starting some real, sustainable conversation. * And this is, presumably, one of the reasons that art has been so important for... well, ever.
07 www.proxart.org
TALK
STAFF PICKS This is who is inspiring us.
Graphic Nothing / JUSTIN MIYAMOTO Star Wars Movie Poster (for minimalists everywhere) by Graphic Nothing. Check out his others at: flickr.com/photos/ilikegraphics
VELCO DOJCINOVSKI / BEN HUNTER Beautifully imagined photographs that stir dark moods together to create whole new feelings and emotions. Every shot is a masterpiece! flickr.com/velco
DANNY CHAN / TIMOTHY SEATON A tattoo artist, currently working in Berlin, does fantastic black+grey work. You may find him working at Art and Soul Tattoo in Hollywood from time to time. artandsoultattoos.com
JOSHUA LONGBRAKE / NATHAN RYAN Joshua Longbrake lives in Seattle, WA and takes stunning photographs of real-life (and unreal-life) situations using real film *gasp!* thelongbrake.com
GOD / ASHLEY TAYLOR He created The Universe and gave it the ability to create itself.
AMANDA DUFAULT / ZACHARY HILL Amanda Dufault creates some of the most intricate and detailed figure paintings I have ever seen. She is able to capture real thought and emotion in the gestures and poses she creates.
08 Proxart Magazine Spring 2010
Know an artist we should be aware of? Are you one? Email submit@proxart.org
WE CATCH UP WITH UP-AND-COMING FASHION EXTRAORDINAIRE FAVIAN ROMO ON THE NEXT PAGE
09 www.proxart.org
FEATURES Favian Romo
10 Proxart Magazine Spring 2010
FAVIANROMO By Krista Thayer • Photograpy by Benjamin Hunter & Amanda Kne
When I think of meeting with an artist, I immediately picture myself sitting down in a dimly lit coffee shop, doing an interview with Javier Bardem’s character in the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona: suave, sophisticated, intense, with an accent and all. He would speak fervently with his hands and talk about how art is the only medium through which love can be expressed; luckily for me, I was not that far from the truth (including the accent). Favian Romo is an artist in every sense of the word. He eats, sleeps, breathes, lives art, and I sincerely mean that in the most humble and respectful way. There is a passion and energy in every movement he makes, direct and focused, as if everything he does or says is done so with a purpose. He is the cliché artist; but what sets Romo apart is that he has all the strengths of a cliché artist, but none of their weaknesses. He is unwavering in his vision, but acknowledges that art comes in many shapes, colors, and forms. And all this was from the first ten minutes. It was with this notion of him that I sat down to discuss his ideas as an artist and take a look at some of the work he’s done. Romo was not always the artist he is today. Born in Chico, CA and raised in Mexico until the age of 15, he started flexing his artist’s muscles at a young age, doing tracings of pictures of cartoons or other drawings he saw. It wasn’t until high school that he started to really become interested in the human form, with its contours and beautiful variations of shapes. “I’m just fascinated by the whole composition... I just had this inner urge to... bring my imagination to reality.” From there, Romo took classes at the local educational institution, College of the Canyons, where he was really able to study and master his techniques. But while he does seem to favor drawing, it doesn’t stop there. While he explains his past, he brings out paintings along with just a few of the drawings he’s done throughout his life. It seems evident that the energy in his works comes from being exposed to varying cultures; there is beautiful color and movement that reveals enthusiasm and a wonderful sense of intensity. “It touches the personal aspect of 11 www.proxart.org
FEATURES Favian Romo
myself. I’ve always had the need… to discover new things and be part of different things.” It wasn’t until a few years ago that Romo started to really expand and network in order to showcase his work to the public. Two years ago, he had the brilliant idea to start his own company that he called Ekiz, which is slang in Spanish for “I did it.” It originally started as a clothing line that exhibited his hand-painted shirts, fashion that speaks out about racism, diversity, “no” to war, oppression in the world... “but in a very positive way.” Then Romo decided to change the company’s name. “I just used my last name, it’s a part of me and who I am, everything I do. It’s an outcome of a moment I was in, whether I was sad, depressed, happy, everything has a part of me that was captured in that moment.” And what started as a simple clothing line turned into a comprehensive arts organi-
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zation, dedicated to appreciating all media through which Romo expresses himself. “Sometimes, you tell yourself ‘should I just do one thing and become great at that
“It’s hard for me to say what is more important to me. I want to do it all!” one thing?’ But you’re never going to master that one thing; you’re always going to be improving yourself, learning different styles. And I feel like I would be giving my soul away if I stop doing one thing. So it’s hard for me to say what is more important to me. I want to do it all!”
It’s this kind of “all or nothing” attitude to art that makes Romo so intriguing, but knowing which artist inspires him kind of explains it all. Romo is like Leonardo in his ambitions, trying his hand at painting, photography, design, and extensively in drawing. “[The Internet] is a very good source of information. You can study about any artist you want, films or novels, essays, from people in China, Bangladesh.” Drawing inspiration from various genres and cultures definitely shows in his work, making it his own form of social commentary. With so much to say, it would be a crime to not put Favian Romo’s works on display for others to enjoy. Luckily, he has been resourceful in finding places around the Los Angeles area to put on exhibits and fashion shows. Other than using art promotional companies around the Santa Clarita Valley, Romo has made acquaintances with local merchants happy to put his work on display to the public in their shops. His most impressive spots to date have been appear-
ances on a local Hispanic television show where he was able to really speak about his fashion line and the message he was trying to send. But Favian is quick to explain just how hard an artist has to work to get decent exposure these days. “It’s sad, but if you don’t know people, it’s almost 90% sure that you’re going to get turned down, because you’re not backed up by this huge corporation, or you’re not a big name, so that’s what’s pushing all these artists down, because mainstream and most media, they actually want someone who’s already made a name for themselves, they’re sponsored by a big company.” His main thing is that “Sometimes failure works in favor of everyone. Learn how to take it.” This confidence is very apparent in all of Romo’s art. One of the major themes that seems to transfer throughout each of his pieces is a sense of physicality and fluidness. All of his figures, whether they are drawn by his hand or captured in a photo, have a gracefulness to them, but they are definitely not what I would consider a timid gracefulness.
Romo tends to gravitate towards voluptuous bodies – both male and female – that have interesting lines and builds. And what I find most fascinating is that he doesn’t rely solely on a figure to make his artwork interesting. The artist has a great way of composing his pieces in such a way that it only further enhances his subject, whether by accenting an interesting body shape, a unique face, or a distinctive expression. But how does Favian find the ability – much less the time – to create such exceptional works of art? “What you have to do is just believe in yourself. There’s no right way to do things. There’s just the basics that people have implemented. There’s no right way to start a drawing, to start anything. It may be easier to organize or create the composition, but if you’re feeling something at the moment just do it. Whatever is going to come out is going to come out. It’s going to be so much more powerful, more unique. People should never be discouraged.” Spoken like a true artist.
TO SEE MORE OF FAVIAN’S WORK: www.romodisegno.com @romodisegno
13 www.proxart.org
MORE ABOUT BRIAN GURROLA’S FILM
14 Proxart Magazine Spring 2010
ON PAGE 24
FEATURES Diana Hereld
DIANA HERELD I n the middle of the Master’s College campus in Newhall lies a well-lit music room, used as a practice space, although currently it resembles a miniature storage warehouse. The room, with a maximum occupancy of 300, is crowded with a few dozen music stands in the center, multiple stacks of metal-framed chairs lining the opposite wall, and a complete set of hand bells on a table in a far corner. Numerous percussion instruments – including a xylophone, gong, and kettle drums – lay in various places around the room, occasionally being hit and played by passersby. Near the entrance is a baby grand piano, where Diana Hereld sits calmly, playing a few notes here and there, perfectly at ease and in her element.
“I play piano, yeah. Also guitar and
djembe,” remarks Hereld, being quick to “Yeah, that’s a quote from [George Fridadd, “but my voice is my most prized in- eric] Handel. You know, [as in] Handel’s strument; I’ve been singing for 21 years. Messiah. That was Handel’s response to a The other instruments I just kinda picked compliment given to him just after a perup and started to play, but my voice, I re- formance of Messiah. What I write needs ally had to learn how to use it,” she says, to be more than just entertainment; it’s referring back to professional voice lessons massively important to me and my music.” she took while going to school in London a few years back. One does not have to lis- “I am a Christian, and I am a musician. ten to Diana very long to notice her oper- I’m not a Christian artist,” Diana points atic voice. She attributes it to her classical out. She goes on to say that although training, but also because she “listened to there are Christian themes in her music, Evanescence way too much in high school.” the term “Christian artist” defines more of a style of music than the musician. Sitting on the piano is a stack of notebooks filled with quotes, song lyrics, Bible verses, With musical influences including Imogen drawings, and other outpourings from Heap, the Cranberries, and Skunk AnanMs. Hereld. Although each book’s cover sie, it’s safe to say that Diana’s own music and content differ from the next, each one crosses into the borders of folk, pop and bears the same quote on its spine: “Lord rock, while still maintaining a soft, balladlike sound. Much like Diana herself, her forgive me if I only entertain them.” 15 www.proxart.org
FEATURES Diana Hereld
“I am a Christian, and I am a musician. I’m not a Christian artist...”
music is honest, unique and charming with- Today Show (just after Shania Twain) and at the White House when I was 12, in a out being too polished. girls’ choir,” she casually states. “The people with the biggest influence [on my lyrics] would have to be Charles Bukows- “I always loved being in front of people, ki – you should look him up – Ben Gibbard singing and performing nearly every day (Death Cab for Cutie), Ralph Waldo Em- in high school, in musical theater shows. erson and other philosophers. But my most I didn’t write too much of my own music important influence would have to be Da- back then, because I didn’t really play guivid, you know, from the Bible? I know, it’s tar or piano.” the typical Christian response, but I love him so much because although he fell so “I don’t really get nervous at shows, but I short, he was able to draw so near to the am more comfortable with a small crowd of people that I know.” Hereld has hosted heart of God through all of his sin.” private concerts in her apartment, as well Diana is well-traveled, having lived in Seat- as jam sessions with her neighbors. “Yeah, tle, Texas, New York and London, perform- we got noise complaints about that,” she says with a slight chuckle. ing in almost every city she’s lived in. “I performed Friday nights in London at an event called ‘Up all Night,’ playing 22 original songs. Oh, and I did sing on the
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For album of the year, Diana chooses The Resistance from Muse. Absolution was their best album, but I love the ending sympho-
ny tracks on The Resistance lyrically and tonally; they definitely have a complete, full sound that I love.” As far as her least favorite album in recent memory, she says it was “the album from The Killers with that ‘Dancer’ song; so annoying,” referring to the song “Human” from their 2008 release Day & Age. Diana pays attention to album art as well, her favorites being “every album cover from The Mars Volta; oh, and mewithoutYou. They were my favorite band to see live, by the way.” The person Diana most looks up to in life is the one who gave her life, her own mother. “My mom is definitely my biggest hero. If I could be half as talented as her I’d be happy,” says Diana, referring to her mother’s two doctorate degrees – both in fields nearly impossible to pronounce – and the fact that she is a classically trained pianist. In addition to music, Diana has also lent her talents to the camera lens, directing two music videos. The more recent video, “When the Bottles Break” by Thomas Villareal, was filmed as a class project. “We got $2,000 from our school to film ‘When the Bottles Break.’ It was seriously one of the most crazy and rewarding experiences I’ve ever been a part of. I loved it. I learned so much about myself and the art [of filmmaking] from it.”
“About a year ago I had terrible writer’s block. I told my friend about it, and after a series of talks, he just basically This past summer has been Diana’s most prolific one in terms of songwrit- told me not to stop writing for fear of ing, having written 15 songs. She attributes it to a series of conversations she mediocrity; only focus on writing what had with a friend, a year ago, about art. is true, because all art that is written in Shortly after she wrote her favorite song, truth is worth something.” “Keys November.” Article by Benjamin Panama
CHECK OUT DIANA’S MUSIC AT:
Photography by Benjamin Hunter
myspace.com/dianahereld
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FEATURES Frank Hansen
Try To Find A Shape
FRANK HANSEN TELLS US ABOUT WHY HE DOES WHAT HE DOES, AND HOW UNCERTAINTY FOSTERS CREATIVITY ARTICLE BY ZACHARY HILL PHOTOGRAPHS BY BENJAMIN HUNTER
Did you read Where the Wild Things Are when you were a kid? Or did you ever watch those Disney movies that meshed real live actors with animated characters, like Mary Poppins or Bedknobs and Broomsticks? Do you remember the feelings and the sense of imagination you had, being taken to those worlds and seeing those characters? It was fun, and it felt real – at least to me it did. A few weeks ago, I was in a similar world: one where giant germs stared me down, ready to start a fight; where a tiny ant lifted me high into the air; basically, a world where the characters of my worst nightmares and my greatest dreams were hanging out with me, ready to start adventures... or to get me into trouble. But then, the music coming in over the Starbucks speakers woke me up and reminded me that I was in Valencia, in a corporate coffee store, getting ready to meet and chat with the artist who created these characters that brought me back to those childhood dreams. Right about then, Frank Hansen entered the coffee shop to sit down and discuss his artwork, influences, and future endeavors. Frank has seemingly had creative ambitions for most of his life, drawing in high school, but pursuing film at the college level. “I’ve always drawn, ever since I was little,” he says, “but I didn’t do it for a long time during college and stuff like that. For quite a few years, I didn’t really do it, but I kind of got back into it, seeing comics and just realizing that’s what I wanted to do rather than pursuing film. I went to film school and was into all that. It was going okay, but I think it just, all of a sudden – I think I saw something one day and I was playing, messing around with Photoshop, and something kind of hit me, and I went back and got the art table, started finding pencils and pens all over again.” Inspired by artists such as Jon Burgerman and Tim Biskup, Frank merges a playful cartoon style of illustration with a distinct retro sensibility, leaving the viewer with a sense of nostalgia mixed with 19 www.proxart.org
FEATURES Frank Hansen
“I’m trying to.... find a shape that I’m not quite sure of, but I’m hoping it figures itself out.”
freshness. Frank’s process also blends a traditional abstract approach with a more surreal, intuitive approach. “The more I read about other artists, like Picasso, and quotes from them, their blurbs they’ve had, a lot of them said the same thing. They’d start out in one direction, thinking it was going one way, and then sort of took over in another way. And it does happen, and it’s kind of cool.” While Frank creates and renders these vintage style classic illustrations with a fresh appraoch, he also spends time creating finely drawn abstract artworks that seems to again pay homage to his influences and late-60s retro aesthetics, while still keeping a fresh, modern feel. “You kind of just start with something, and then you exercise that and start with a shape and you try to make something out of the shape, and I am trying to sometimes go for
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something – I’m trying to maybe try to find a shape that I’m not quite sure of, but I’m hoping it figures itself out. Or I don’t want anything to touch, and I set up some sort of perimeter and rules, and I might break them. Whereas the cartooning is more of an energy thing, like a funny expression. Kind of like animation, where they have their extremes in animation, like an extreme pose of something or being hit on the head or jumping. There is sort of a goofy energy, where you throw it on the paper and some of it actually works and some of it doesn’t.” It seems to me that most artists who have found such a successful creative niche and process as Frank have tended to stay within that mold, create what sells, and stop pushing the envelope. Rothko never stopped painting large square paintings, and Warhol wasn’t going to stop screen printing. However, that being said,
the contemporary generation of emerging artists are as versatile, ground breaking, and as unwilling to unsettle as ever. Frank seems to fit this contemporary mold. Despite finding succesful methods and processes to create his illustrations and general artworks, Hansen continues to experiment with ways to create his characters, worlds, and compositions. “I like that idea of art where it’s just... don’t get too attached to it. Not to get all spiritual, but it’s sort of coming through you, to you. Somewhat of a conduit, you’re letting it go. There’s a saying like ‘take it and let it go,’ kind of like that idea.” Hansen also genuinely enjoys connecting with other artists and making his artwork available in a proactive and positive way for the community. “What has happened is that when you post something like a little sketch on the website and people like it, you get a lot of
comments. I do like getting all the comments; it’s cool to get comments by someone who says really cool things about your stuff. It sort of builds a community where you bounce back and forth.” Besides already participating in the Santa Clarita Festival of the Arts and at various illustration expos, Hansen has many ideas to continue his productivity and (seemingly rare) extroverted approach to sharing his work, including interactive chalk drawings in and around local strip malls and shopping centers. Frank believes in his artwork, but more importantly, he believes in and is passionate about art itself and the impact it makes upon a community and even a whole culture and civilization.
“Literally, you start to do a line, you do a few, and then it almost becomes a bit of a puzzle, but hopefully nothing too frustrating. There is a lot of sitting back, and you literally start to see, something just tells you, ‘There, put that.’ Other times you’re just like, ‘It needs more.’ Literally, sometimes it’s almost like a voice, and it says, “Put that here, okay. Here, okay.” I guess it’s you.”
shows you can do these things as a ‘serious adult.’
Overall, Hansen seems to blend a methodical and cerebral sense with an intuitive, conduitlike approach. As a result, his work can be seen as playful yet serious; loose yet finite; expressive yet well-conceived. But whatever can be said about Hansen’s processes, it is safe to say that his characters succesfully unlock your imagination, make you feel younger, and encourage you to have fun – all in a way that
TO SEE MORE OF FRANK’S WORK: www.fmhansen.com
@fmhansen
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FEATURES Sarah Johnston
SARAH JOHNSTON Some music, some people, and some things take us to places very different from the ones we find ourselves in most often. Living in Santa Clarita, this is not entirely abnormal in my experience. I feel like, sometimes, little but dryness and falsehood are bred in this town. I’m positive I’m not alone in this feeling, and it has led many people to a place of seeming stillness, particularly in their art.
...And let’s face it, few have little appreciation for stillness of spirit. This is not the case, however, with Sarah Johnston. A soul entirely out of her element, Sarah grew up under the rain clouds and misty mornings of Port Angeles, Washington, a far cry from the adobe buildings, cookie cutter houses, and strip malls of Santa Clarita – and I think this is where much of her music has taken root. One listen to any of Sarah’s songs will scream loudly that it is from a place very different from here, the desert, the suburbsat one point she even sings – “I dont like the desert, put me by the ocean,” and in another place, “I’m so tired of the sun” – and it is for that very reason that her work has such an important place in this city. Sarah’s seemingly simple guitar playing and soft voice mingle in the air like a slow waltz between spirits. But it carries a feeling and a gravity born of dysfunction and heartache, and sometimes of victory, and love, and human experience. Sarah’s music comes from a profound empathy for the human condition and the way it impacts experiences many of us are familiar with (like growing up in dysfunctional households, or losing someone we love.) This is life-music that, in every verse, causes one to consider the little details (be it “cheap twinkle lights from the 99 cent store” or “coffee grinding, windows steaming”). Her words are grounded profoundly in the everyday difficulty of real life, acknowledging the screwedup-ness of us all, while putting its finger on the things that remind us we’re still alive. As I write, I’m listening to Sarah’s demo, “Live at The Commune” and my heart is pulled in a different direction with every new track.
heartache nostalgia ambition soul community
For Sarah, inspiration is “like some disease you can’t explain, that comes and goes as it pleases, but is nice indeed.” Her life and her world are richer because of those she shares it with. Hers is a subtle power distributed tactfully in backyard shows and in conversation over coffee. This is a woman who could, if she wanted, jail the wind in a prison of lyrics, but would never be so assuming. This music’s impact is in its restrained beauty. No matter how much I’ve wanted her to, I’ve yet to hear Sarah unleash vocal stylings like Whitney Houston, or Leona Lewis – which is not to say she couldn’t, but I think if you were to ask her to, she’d probably say that that’s not what
this is about. “This is for you,” she said once in response to a compliment someone had said about one of her songs, “it really is.” Sarah will not be the person producers teach how to smile, or dress, or instruct in how to act or speak. She is always and entirely herself – vintage clothes, short hair, and charming laughter included. In writing this article, I asked Sarah a simple question, “Why do this?” She responded: What doing music is about for me: 1. Tapping into that mysterious substance that comes upon one and gives them a hunger to create. I don’t move it. It moves me. 2. It just makes me feel good. 3. Hm... Doing music... Doing music for me is also, just because i can. If I had a knack for numbers and numerical theory, I would be doing that. But I don’t, so I am not. If I had a skill or gift for poker and winning a lot, I would be doing that. (That would be awesome.) If you have an ability, and you are not suppressing it, you do it when you can, how you can, and you have moments of clarity about it, in it, and through it. But the rest of the time it is lost in the rest of the overwhelming parts of life that make your head spin, like trying to jump to the moon from where ever you are on earth. Saying that doing music for me is “because I can” seems like a cop-out perhaps, but it is the truth. And in the meantime, the connections I have with people because of my art, make it OK that I don’t know exactly why I do music. The people and the connections aren’t the why. They are a natural part of what I do. And it just feels good. Make sense? It’s at this very point that it becomes difficult
to put further words to Sarah’s music. A magazine article isn’t what will sell you on it, anyway. Honestly, and truly, you’re going to need to hear it for yourself. In a city full of discontentment Sarah is an individual who causes one’s spirit to want to keep moving, and yet, to appreciate the beauty and difficulty of stillness for what it is. This music is something that will cause you to search the deepest parts of yourself and face them in the light of reality. She is, in many ways, a constant reassurance to the lonely saying, simply, “you’re not
alone.” Above all things though, I think Sarah’s music forces a person to look outside of themselves. It is my belief that she uses the human condition as a sign post to point the individual outside of their own head and to cause them to remember things that are bigger than themselves, bigger than the madness, bigger than the suburbs, and bigger than we often allow ourselves to think. It is on that note that I would say, whether you’re listening to “The Silly Letter ‘J’” or “Jing,” “Peanut Butter” or “So Tired of the Sun,” remember to breathe deeply,
to keep going, things are going to be okay, and life can be:
in misery and heartache in defeat and in victory in love and in conversation so very, very beautiful.
CHECK OUT SARAH’S MUSIC AT: myspace.com/sarahjohnston1 Article by Catlin Perrin Photography by Favian Romo & Nathan Ryan
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FEATURES Brian Gurrola
Interview by Tim Seaton & Benjamin Hunter Photography by Benjamin Hunter
BRIANGURROLA I was introduced to Brian Gurrola about a year an a half ago when I was really getting into filmmaking. He was going to Brooks at the time, and I was just starting there - so we immediately had a something to connect over. We began talking about films, editing (his specialty), and filmmakers. He seemed to really understand his art and I found I could look to him for questions regarding just about anything. A year and a half later, while conducting this interview, I realized the topics of conversation hadn’t changed.
TIM: What first intrigued you about filmmaking? BRIAN: I think the first time I started getting into films was in 2001, when my family and I went on a road trip. From Texas to New York to Florida back to Texas - and I filmed pretty much the entire thing. That was the first time I ever used a camera, and I edited the whole thing. This was way back in 6th grade. It was pretty fun. I also joined a video production class in junior high. But what really got me serious about filmmaking was a film club in high school, in 11th grade. Originally, I was going to go into architecture, but that film club was kind of what made me decide to go into filmmaking. TIM: Was that with uhh...? BRIAN: Mr. Lee. TIM: Yeah, I was going to say that, because I know of him but I don’t know him personally. Did he have a lot of influence on you? What does he do, exactly? BRIAN: Cinematography, camera system. TIM: Did he play a big part in it? BRIAN: He and pretty much the whole entire Canyons Studios Film Club. TIM: Were there any actual, big time filmmakers or editors that were big influences? BRIAN: Back then or now? TIM: Both.
FEATURES Brian Gurrola
BRIAN: To be honest, I don’t really know any editors! TIM: No? BRIAN: Not that many. I mean I know a few, but not as many as I should, and not that really inspired. I just know when I see a movie, I say, “I love that editing.” BEN: That’s normal. My whole year at LA Film School, I knew like two editors, like Walter Murch. It’s not the same as knowing a cinematographer. TIM: What about filmmakers in general, then? BRIAN: Back then, probably just really basics like Spielberg and Burton. Today, there are so many, I can’t even think of any. TIM: Michel Gondry? BRIAN: Oh yeah Michel Gondry. Spike Jonze... TIM: There wasn’t one particular guy? BRIAN: Not really. TIM: I can see that though, taking things from different people. BRIAN: I think I had favorite movies. TIM: Which movies? BRIAN: Back then or now? TIM: Both. BRIAN: Back then, I think my all time favorite movie back then was Edward Scissorhands. It’s still a huge favorite of mine, but I think Eternal Sunshine, I’ve been loving that a lot more. TIM: How do you feel about his other stuff though? BRIAN: Gondry? TIM: Mhm. BRIAN: The Science of Sleep was okay.
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TIM: What are the other ones called? Be Kind Rewind! BRIAN: It was okay. I haven’t seen his first one, Human Nature. TIM: This might be a hard question, but style-wise, do you think you have grown into a particular style of editing? BRIAN: It depends on what project I’m working on; I don’t really stick to a style. It depends on the director and I conform with that a lot. But as a director, I think I’ve been leaning toward a lot of long shots and making it more about the acting. TIM: Is that like the movie Breathless? Is that French? That’s by – I don’t want to butcher the guy’s name, but – do you know what I’m talking about? BEN: No, I don’t really know a lot of French stuff. TIM: I don’t know if it was French. BEN: But I know I love long shots, where a minute later you’re like, “Have they cut yet?” TIM: Did you see the movie Elephant? That has the longest shots. It was ridiculous. What were you saying - longer shots for acting? BRIAN: I just love doing everything. When I do direct I try to do as much stuff outside of editing, like how Alfonso Cuarón uses twenty-minute one-takes; they’re ridiculous. And I love doing stuff like that; it puts you into the movie a lot more. Even, like, visual effects, I like doing like Michel Gondry. I’m very much against CGI and post stuff. I hate it when people say, “Let’s do it in
post.” TIM: That’s really interesting though, being the editor and having that mindset. That’s cool. You talked about how the style depends on different films; can you talk about some of the different films you’ve worked on in the past? I know there have been some from Brooks. Was there one in particular that you found to be important in your growth? BRIAN: The ASB videos in high school, definitely, because they were such huge undertakings, and it was the first time really
that I worked with a large crew and strict deadlines, and then it was a big audience, to be sent out to all the graduating seniors and anyone else who could buy them. TIM: Was that one of the first you worked on? BRIAN: No. I think also the Every 15 Minutes thing I did in high school. That was a huge one, filming and editing that in less than twenty-four hours. TIM: What are you finding to be the biggest obstacles with your current film? I mean you talk about long nights, lack of
sleep, this and that. What do you think are the things that might either hold you back or, like I said, be obstacles in your way? BRIAN: I’ve edited over 200 projects in my seven-plus years of editing, and I’ve grown to not like being in front of the computer at all anymore. To start a project is really hard – it’s become really hard for me – but once I’m started, I get really into it and I can’t stop. It all really pays off in the end, when you see it all together. I think that’s what I really love about editing. I’m the person who puts everyone’s pieces together, and I see the final project before anyone else does. I could even completely change a film
if I wanted to. I’m like my own director. Of course there is still the director, but I’m kind of in charge of my own position a little bit more than the others. TIM: I remember one of my old teachers talking about him liking editing because he liked to feel like God. Like, you have full control, you make the actors act well, and there’s so much power in it. BRIAN: I’m editing this film right now; there were so many different takes, and I could have made the main character seem violent when he is supposed to be confused. I could have completely changed the whole
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FEATURES Brian Gurrola
direction of the film if I wanted to. TIM: You were talking at first about not wanting to be in front of the computer, but right when you get into it you’re like, “Okay, okay, I can do it, I can do it.” Have you thought about that in terms of not wanting to be an editor, or is this always going to be your passion in film? BRIAN: I think it will always be my passion. I just think right now, I’ve gotten to a point where I do it so much that I need a little break, but that’s why I also do photography and graphic design. I try to get more into photography so I can get away from the computer, because I spend way too much time on the computer and I don’t like that. Sometimes I wish I could edit somehow without it. I could learn how to do the old school editing with film. TIM: It’d be like Minority Report! Use your hands or something, like cut it around. No, I think that’s the case in all art in general: needing breaks between to stay sane. BEN: What have you given up to further your craft? BRIAN: Sleep, lots of money for film school... I feel like I’ve gained a lot more than I’ve given up. TIM: Do you have any tools of the trade 28 Proxart Magazine Spring 2010
that you know of that are maybe obscure or just what you use on a general, daily basis? BRIAN: Essentials, my Mac and Final Cut. Music, when I’m about to edit something I always have to listen to music to be inspired, especially soundtracks. I try to find a movie that has a similar feel to what I’m going for, and I get a lot of my editing rhythm from scores. TIM: What is a score that you’re really into right now? BRIAN: Where the Wild Things Are! I’ve listened to that soundtrack over 75 times! BEN: Is it like a compilation or an actual score with music? BRIAN: This is the compilation. There is another CD which has the score, but I haven’t gotten it yet. TIM: I’ve heard the music is fantastic. BEN: I haven’t seen it yet. TIM: I haven’t either. BRIAN: It’s so good! BEN: Really? I’ve heard people on both sides say, “I don’t get it!”
BRIAN: It’s not a kids’ movie, it’s a very art house movie, very emotional and sometimes really, really depressing, and I don’t understand how kids can really like it. TIM: A guy I talked to said, “Yeah, at first I was like, this can’t be for kids. But then I thought about the movies that were out when I was a kid, that I went and saw, like Labyrinth and Return to Oz, and I was like, those movies freaked me out!” BEN: I heard that Spike almost dropped out of the film, because they brought some rough cuts to the production studio, and the studio was like, we don’t like this, this is not kiddy enough, it’s not light enough. So he said, fine, if you don’t want me to make what I make, then I won’t make it. He was about to leave and they were like, whoa, okay, maybe we can figure something out here! But that’s what I heard, it was a lot darker than maybe some of the up-ups were expecting. BRIAN: It’s not really dark dark, it’s kind of dark. BEN: It’s darker than what you would expect from the book. BRIAN: It’s definitely a lot more emotional, it feels like – I heard in some reviews – like a therapy session.
TIM: Since you just graduated Sunday, it’s a perfect time to ask about this big opening you have now. What have you thought about, as far as what you’re going to do, or have you even thought about that? I guess it is so soon, maybe you’re just like, “I want to go on vacation.” BRIAN: Well, since I go to Brooks, I’ve been going to school for three years in a row with no vacation. There’s no real break. So right now I just want to take a break. When I was filming POOL, both my computers died within a few days of each other, so I literally just got my computer back yesterday. I had a photo job, and I just uploaded over two thousand photos earlier today! TIM: I totally understand taking a break. Say like five to ten years or so from now, where would you like to see yourself? BRIAN: Working! I don’t know if I want to see myself working just for one company. I don’t know if I could do features, music videos, or TV all the time. I just want to mix it up all the time; I want to work in different places. I get too bored of the same thing. Just do what I love, I don’t really care about the money too much, as long as it is stuff I love working on. TIM: So tell us about POOL.
BRIAN: It’s my portfolio project; my thesis project for school. Its my first real attempt at directing. I wanted to take advantage of being a student. I never really directed anything besides short assignments. I’ve usually just been editor, or sometimes on camera, but I really wanted to try directing and writing. It was the second script that I’ve ever written. I just wanted to do something before I left. I mean we all had to be part of a portfolio project; even though I was editing two other ones, I still wanted to do this. Sometimes I regret that I did it, because of the cost. BEN: How much did it cost?
BRIAN: It takes place at a pool. An indoor swimming pool. TIM: Are there any showings that you guys are going to try to do? BRIAN: The film will probably be fully complete by December (2009) or January (2010), because we still have pick-ups to do mid-November. My assistant editor is organizing and everything and syncing up audio.
Brian essentially does everything.
BRIAN: It’s going to get close to ten thousand. It’s at eight thousand right now but we still need pick-ups for what we are doing in November.
So, check out briangurrola.com, &
BEN: What do you shoot on?
to see his more film, photography,
BRIAN: The RED.
his professional site theloker.com & graphic design.
TIM: Tell us about the story. BRIAN: Boy meets girl, girl uses boy, boy gets too close, girl leaves boy, and boy connects with girl who has always been there. TIM: Where did the name come from?
FOLLOW BRIAN @bredgur FOLLOW POOL @communitypool
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FEATURES Stephanie Smith
E I N HA
P E ST H T I SM
ARTICLE BY CATLIN PERRIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY BENJAMIN HUNTER
I
walked up to Starbucks with apprehension about meeting Stephanie Smith. I wondered to myself if being interviewed for a magazine showcasing local artists would be as awkward for her as it was for me. Strolling inside, I took a quick glance around to see if anyone inside might be her. A nice looking middle-aged woman with blonde hair returned my smile and I thought to myself, this might be her, though she seemed very Valencian. I ordered my iced coffee but never received a second glance from the blonde. After several minutes of looking around like a lost child, I conclusively decided Stephanie had yet to arrive, and resigned myself to sitting in a corner table. To burn time, I jotted down a list of appropriate interview questions, and started to paint myself a mental picture of what she might be like. My mental version of Stephanie Smith had shoulder length brown hair and was altogether relatively plain: minimal style, jeans, a T-shirt maybe. My cognitive composition was interrupted by the sound of the front door being pulled 30 Proxart Magazine Spring 2010
away from its frame. Within seconds, I found myself simultaneously delighted and wrong. I chuckled quietly as the girl I knew had to be Stephanie Snow carried an arm full of sketches and books into Starbucks and started to look around. With a quick look at her spikey hair, thick-rimmed glasses, plaid button-up, jeans, and slip-on Vans, I smiled and waved Stephanie over. She strolled up and placed her messenger bag (which looked like it could have been stitched together using pages of a comic book) next to our table and said she’d be
right back as she went to order a coffee. Getting straight to business, Stephanie started showing me some pieces of her art, which ranges widely both in medium and in subject matter. One minute, I’d be looking at a drawing of “The Vitruvian Pyro,” done in ink and based on a character from the video game Team Fortress 2. At another point, a portrait of Vincent Price, done using Photoshop. Most interesting, though, in my opinion, were Stephanie’s Moleskine notebooks. When one starts rummaging through the pages of these notebooks, they might feel like they’re starting to see the dark and twisted things that inhabit Stephanie’s imagination. After citing her cats as one of her biggest inspirations, Stephanie warns me, “Be careful, there are probably some nudes in there.” I laugh, and, within a few pages, find what she means. After turning a few more, I begin to understand that if Stephanie’s brain came spilling out anywhere, it was in these journals. What I mean is: just past the pictures of Princess Peach snorting cocaine (which she said were fan favorites on her deviantART page) you’ll find scribbles of Final Cut keyboard shortcuts, class schedules, and little rants about culture and society.
“I’m a dark twisted person that’s happy!” Page by page, Stephanie offered her commentary on each of the pieces found in these journals, and page after page I found myself both laughing at the humor of it all, and intrigued by the immense skill. When I finally commented that she did indeed have a quirky, though dark sense about her art, she laughed and said “I’m a dark, twisted person – that’s happy!” This can be exhibited in the name of her website alone: Moon Cookie Studios. I laughed as she told me the name, and when I asked her where it came from, she simply replied “I love the moon, and I love cookies.”
America). For Stephanie, art has meant a lot. “I can’t see myself doing anything else, I totally get jealous of people who can dance, play guitar, sing and stuff; but I guess if you’re good at something you have to stick with it. When I was in fifth or sixth grade, I wanted to be a tattoo artist, from there I got really into comics, and then in high school got really into cars, started working in the automotive industry – working at Auto Zone – and eventually got an apprenticeship doing pinstriping on cars, and started learning body work. Shortly afterwards, I decided I needed to put my efforts toward getting into CalArts.”
As we continued chatting, it became more and more obvious that Stephanie does not share the same story as many other artists in this town. Having grown up in Orange County, lived in Lancaster, and eventually moving to Santa Clarita, it seems Stephanie has taken her life experiences from various places. Stephanie’s work is as diverse as the places she’s lived and the influences she cited, which include various musicians (specifically the Beatles, Queen, and Muse), various anime (Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, Wolf ’s Rain) several video games (Zelda, World of Warcraft – which she called a “life-sucking-away vortex” – and Portal) and a respectable amount of superheroes (Spider-Man, Deadpool, Batman, Captain
All in all, if Proxart is about trying to shake up the City of Santa Clarita a little, then Stephanie is good company to have. In describing how she felt about being an artist in this city, Stephanie threw her head back and grunted rather loudly, going on to describe how, in spite of being a place without much art, it does present an opportunity to be different and to stand out. She is certainly – from first glance on – a mover and shaker. Whether it’s in pen and ink drawings in Moleskine notebooks, in Photoshop, or in scaring cheerleaders on Newhall Ranch Road while driving to the Zombie March, Stephanie is raising hair (and eyebrows) as she continues to paint a dark, twisted, happy perspective of real life and fantasy.
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FEATURES Jaydiohead
JAYDIOHEAD OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE HEAD BEHIND THE HEAD, MAX TANNONE
It’s a simple concept really. Take the smooth, eerie rhythms and melodies of Radiohead and juxtapose them against the forceful authority of Jay-Z’s rapping and you get Jaydiohead. The ultimate mashup of two modern titans from two completely different realms of the music world. Surprisingly, it works. It works really well. Jaydiohead was released over a year ago on January 1, 2009, so perhaps this is old news to all of you, but we were recently able to talk with the man behind Jaydiohead, NY producer and DJ Max Tannone, for an indepth interview: Justin Miyamoto: First off, I’d like to say that Jaydiohead is amazing. It’s crazy how well you’ve put them together. So tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into mashups? Max Tannone: I started off making beats when I was 15. I got a copy of Fruity Loops (now FL Studio) and was just experimenting, putting sounds together. The Neptunes (producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) were a big influence on me at that time, and I spent a lot of time on their message board, posting beats for feedback 34 Proxart Magazine Spring 2010
from more established members. By 15, I was playing the drums, and this helped me understand the rhythmic underpinnings of a basic hip-hop track. I enjoyed the process and just kept at it until I began to layer acapellas over my beats and instrumentals that other people had made as well. For a long time though, I only did beats – trying to collaborate with MCs mostly over the internet. I got into the “mashup” thing with Jaydiohead…actually doing “Wrong Prayer” and “Ignorant Swan” about a year before the other tracks. When I thought of the name “Jaydiohead” I felt like I had to do it.
JM: It’s pretty interesting how a name can inspire and really push us to create amazing work. I have a band that sorta came together in the same way. We’re called The Oceanographers. Once I came up with the name I knew I had to do it and it was pretty much smooth sailing from then. So what came next? How do you go about creating a mashup? MT: I like your band name, its very worldly. Sometimes a good idea needs a good name to kick start it. In regards to creating a mashup, I’m sure everyone works differently. For Jaydiohead, I essentially found the tempos of Radiohead tracks and Jay-Z acapellas, and sorted out what could go together. From there I chose the two songs based on their individual sound and vibe, and what I was trying to achieve with the remix (is it foreboding, is it a party song, is it sad, etc.) I chopped the Radiohead track into tiny pieces so I could re-arrange it and then layer Jay-Z’s vocals on top. From here I would add drums, effects, additional melodies, any type of edit that I felt enhanced the piece or made it more interesting to listen to. I also make the tracks in the order they are sequenced on the album (with the exception of “Ignorant Swan” which was song #10 on Jaydiohead but was the second song I
01
02
01 Jaydiohead: Minty Fresh Beats The OG Jaydiohead. 02 Jaydiohead: The Encore 03 Beastie Boys: Doublecheck Your Head Max’s blend of The Beastie Boys’ Check Your Head with their own rapping.
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GOT SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS? PROXART.WORDPRESS.COM/ 2010/02/18/THE-HEADBEHIND-JAYDIOHEAD
FOLLOW MAX @maxtannone & VISIT jaydiohead.com
completed.) JM: I’m interested, what are your favorite tracks? MT: My favorite Jaydiohead track is “December Backdrifts” from Jaydiohead: The Encore – a close second is “Lufcifer’s Jigsaw” from the original Jaydiohead. JM: “December Backdrifts” has a seriously epic/eerie ending. So… since Jaydiohead, what has changed? I’ve noticed that it’s become pretty big on the internet, and it was even on Last Call with Carson Daly. MT: Thanks. I like eerie. Not too much is different though, since Jaydiohead. The main thing is that the popularity of the project has encouraged me to keep working and improving. Not everything I make will be as popular or as successful as Jaydiohead, but regardless it kind of pushed me to keep making remixes and music in general. I wish I could have provided a more glamorous answer, but I’m not suddenly in a recording studio with Jay-Z or anything…I still have my day job for sure. JM: Hahahaha. Speaking of your day-job, which I forgot to ask you… what do you do these days?
MT: I’m working at a video post production company doing general assistant duties (including cleaning, moving equipment, etc), although sometimes I get to work on editing sound for commercials which is pretty cool. JM: Last set of questions! I know you recently came out with an album featuring remixes of Check Your Head. Could you explain the concept behind that? And what other things are you thinking about doing in the realms of music? MT: Adrock from the Beastie Boys heard Jaydiohead and thought it would be cool if I could do a similar thing with their Check Your Head album, except this time combining the Beastie Boys with themselves (hence the name Doublecheck Your Head.) On their 1992 record Check Your Head are rock, jazz, and funk styled instrumentals along with more contemporary songs with rapped lyrics. So the idea was to take some of their rap vocals and overlay them onto the instrumental tracks. This was the basic concept behind Doublecheck Your Head. It consists of 6 tracks based on this idea, and the 7th track is a remix I did of the track “Too Many Rappers” from the Beastie Boys’ new album Hot Sauce Committee which features Nas. Although it didn’t go with the Check Your Head theme, I wanted to include it as kind of a bonus. The first four tracks from
the album were uploaded on the Beastie Boys website for their fans to check out. I also uploaded the tracks onto www.doublecheckyourhead.com to share with everyone as well. The Beastie Boys are really proactive and supportive when it comes to remixing and general collaborative culture, which is one of the reasons they’ve had such long-term success. As far as the future, I’m working on another remix project right now. I need a few more months to work on it, but I think it’s coming along. I don’t want to say what it is – I’d rather people be a bit surprised when I put it online, and hopefully they enjoy it. Beyond this, I’m not sure. I’d like to collaborate with some other remixers, maybe on a joint concept album or remix, something along those lines. It’s hard to say really, I guess I’ll just have to wait until the idea finds me. JM: That’s really awesome. Thanks for spending the time to answer our questions this week, Max. Good luck and we hope to hear plenty more from you in the future. MT: Thanks Justin. I enjoyed answering your questions and, again, thank you for the interest in what I’m doing. I appreciate it a lot.
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MUSIC TO WATCH Artist: MuteMath Show: House of Blues Where: San Diego When: October 11, 2009
by Timothy Seaton
New Orleans-based quartet Mute Math, composed of members Paul Meany (vocals, keytar), Greg Hill (guitar), Darren King (drums), and Roy Mitchell-Cardenas (bass), put on an amazing show this last October, confirming (in this reviewer’s book) their title of “Best Small Venue Band in the World.” The crowd started to bellow as the band opened up with their first single, “The Nerve,” off their sophomore album, Armistice. This was my fifth time seeing them, but the first time hearing their new songs live. It was interesting in that I could clearly see the comfort levels still being reached on new songs like “Backfire” and “Electrify,” as Mute Math tested the waters on the sweaty crowd just several feet away. With that being said, they nailed it and surprised everyone with the high level of intensity onstage. With returning songs “Chaos” and “Plan B” (one of my personal favorites to see live) the crowd got much more amped. It was interesting being in a crowd of maybe a couple hundred people, as excitement turned into anxiety, for getting in the front row was priority #1. I myself had to press closer and closer to the left side of the stage, as many angsty junior high kids were pressing to grab onto Paul’s pants (speaking of which, they were split when someone grabbed and pulled, immediately making Paul jump up and run backstage for a slight change of wardrobe). At this point, Darren (the drummer) had to fill empty time, during which a San Diego centralized toast was in order, with our imaginary glasses (or non-imaginary glasses, for those over 21). They closed the night with the popular “Reset” leading into the hard-hitting “Break the Same.” By that time, they had played for a good almost-two-hours, and I still could not see their energy waning. That is the thing I love about Mute Math. You go with the intention of seeing a great show, and they deliver. I think so many bands these days are great in-studio, but below par when trying to prove their musical talent in public. Mute Math delivers time and time again. At this point, the first Armistice tour has finished, but you better believe they’ll be back for more. 32 Proxart Magazine Spring 2010
FOR MORE ON PANGEA, VISIT: PROXART.WORDPRESS.COM/2010/03 /12/OVER-THE-HEDGE-BY-PANGEA
Artist: Pangea Show: Cal Arts Where: Cal Arts
by Zachary Hill
Thursday night at CalArts usually means good art and good music from some of the best young creative minds in the country, and we are lucky enough to have this mecca of arts education right in our own backyard, so naturally I try to make it over there to as many Thursday night exhibitions as possible. I was lucky enough to choose the night that PANGEA! was playing. They are one of the better local bands, playing fun and original music that can be intricate and well-written, yet can let you let loose, have fun and dance like you’re at a pop-punk show. Their shows are usually packed with energy and intense crowd participation, and fortunately this night was no exception. With sub-crowds forming both mosh pits and dance circles alike, PANGEA! played a set full of positive energy, the kind that makes you feel good while being bad. It was like being at a hardcore punk show without the look and feel of one. PANGEA! tell us it’s okay to be serious about your music while having fun at the same time. They tell us it’s okay to dance to good music, which is great, because many of us (at least me) rarely think of good music as “fun.” PANGEA! is able to pull off a high-energy, fun-loving show that doesn’t come off as gimmicky or staged. They are just good musicians who don’t take themselves too seriously, in a world where too many of us actually do. If you’re looking for a chance to enjoy quality music without having to take it too seriously (in a good way!), then this is the band to see.
REVIEW Music
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE: MERRYWEATHER POST PAVILLION (2009) by Zachary Hill In 2007, Animal Collective guitarist Josh “Deakin” Dibb took time off from the experimental indie group, citing personal reasons; as a result, Merriweather Post Pavilion, one of the best albums of 2009, was born. Because of Deakin’s absence, the band was forced to abandon what little acoustic instrumentation they were using and make a nearly complete shift to electronic music. Samplers were the primary instruments, as inspired by band member Noah “Panda Bear” Lennox’s 2007 Person Pitch album. Merriweather Post Pavilion is easily Animal Collective’s most accessible album, yet it retains their sense of experimentation, as well as their past, more tribal and acoustic influences, which helped to create their initial fan base of dance-and-indie-musicloving hipsters. The best example of this newly found accessibility can be found on the flagship single “My Girls”. From the lyrics to the many sampled layers of atmospheric, head-bouncing sounds, listening to Merriweather Post Pavilion is fun and, more importantly, easier than with past Animal Collective albums. Despite their apparent focus on a more broadly appealing sound, Animal Collective did not forget to have fun while continuing to expand the definitions of what music can be. If “Brothersport” and “Summertime Clothes” don’t make you jump and dance like crazy, or make you sing your head off in the shower, you need to check your pulse and ask yourself if you’re human. It is as if this band understands human rhythm and energy better than any contemporary band to date. For Animal Collective, the loss of a guitarist led to significant growth, which led to more accessible work. For listeners, I would say that this is the closest thing to Pet Sounds I have heard: the successful marriage of accessibility and experimentation is evident on both albums and hard to ignore. I don’t know where Animal Collective will go from here, but it will be hard to top their work from last year. ANTLERS: HOSPICE (2009) by Justin Miyamoto After a long day of work, you slowly step into your perfectly still and silent home. You quietly spin an album that you’ve heard much about: that it is something you give your full attention to, something that isn’t just heard, but experienced. Beginning with a frail falsetto, “Kettering,” the second track off The Antlers’ 2009 album, Hospice, sets the tone for what is about to be an amazingly beautiful and haunting journey. “You made me sleep and uneven, and I didn’t believe them, when they told me that there was no saving you,” cries Peter Silberman as a lush array of instruments engulfs him in a one minute release of cathartic noise. As the sound dies down you realize that this is not going to be your normal concept album. Hospice was crafted by lead singer Silberman during a year of “social isolation.” A social isolation that caused him to search deep within to capture what it is that makes humans feel for one another. If Hospice could be summed up in one word, that word is “desperation.” Desperation to save Sylvia, the little girl who lies on the hospital bed during many of the songs on this album. Desperation to save what’s left of a relationship that’s being torn apart by human mortality. The Antlers have captured all the facets of this emotion perfectly, and they do it with an elegance and force like the arrival and departure of a massive tidal wave. There are times where the album goes from all out anguish to a quiet, more contemplative yearning for peace. Every song twirls you through a myriad of emotions that leave you desperate for a happy conclusion. But that’s not where Hospice takes you. The album ends as a tragedy. One that lands you in disbelief much like death does to you in life. You are destined to play the album over and over like you would your memories, in hopes of a different ending. With each listen, the album cuts deeper and deeper, never letting you go. 33 www.proxart.org
In November last year, we asked for art submissions based on tweets we had “favorited” on Twitter. This submission was just one more reason for us to believe in the brilliant Frank Hansen.
FRANK HANSEN ILLUSTRATES @SCOTTGROLLER: Tootsie Roll, Tootsie Roll, on a plate. How many pieces did I ate?
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37 www.proxart.org
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Prepared by MagCloud for favian romo. Get more at proxart.magcloud.com.