What's Op?

During the early 1960's a fateful convergence between mod fashion and the Op art movement happened. The explosion of this style was so fast and so popular that often times, people don't realize that the artists creating the original work were never recognized. In fact most of them were completely against the commercial exploitation of their work.

Bridget Riley, the op artist who created the image above, tried to sue a well-known designer for infringement after seeing one of her designs on his dresses, but was sadly, unsuccessful.

textile designed by Barbara Brown for Heals

There were however, a few textile companies during the 1960's such as Heal's, Edinburgh Weavers and Hull Traders that commissioned and credited artists who designed textile prints. These fabrics were used in furniture as well as fashion.

Op Art-inspired fashion did not stay en vogue long, it was preceded by the late 60's psychedelic, organic patterns. And while I firmly believe credit should be given to artists when it is due, suffice to say I have been really inspired by this Op fashion lately:

André Courrèges

For more info on Op Art

Recap: AKE ARNDT'S "SORRY I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD A CONITION"

Thank you everyone who came out to Ake's show on Tuesday! Thanks also to the Tin Can for holding it down as always, California666 for playing their awesome jams, and of course to Ake for putting together a killer show.
Ake's art will be up the rest of the month so go check it out!

Artist Spotlight: AKE ARNDT

Arist Ake Arndt performing as Operation:MINDBLOW

Ake Arndt’s upcoming solo exhibition, “Sorry I Didn’t Know You Had a Condition” opens Tuesday, July 9th at the Tin Can and will feature a collection of Arndt’s past work as well as several never-before-seen paintings.

Arndt has been a part of the art and local skateboarding scene for the last 15 years, his most recognizable work being a distinct collection of show and event fliers. He initially began making fliers for his own band several years ago, collaging images together by hand, but not long after other bands took an interest in his work and he began making fliers for their shows as well. Much of the fliers he creates now are vibrant digital collage that pay homage to the Surrealist, Pop, and psychedelic art movements.

Arndt’s homage to the psychedelic extends beyond 2-D artwork. He also performs in “an all analog liquid light show” known as Operation:MINDBLOW with partner Josh Bohannon. The duo produces bright, hallucinogenic backdrops for live shows with the use of overhead projectors, oils, and dyes, and have worked with several music festivals and shows in and around southern California.

In addition to the work Arndt is displaying Tuesday night at Tin Can, he will also be performing with heavy psych project California666 around 10 pm. "Sorry I Didn't Know You Had a Condition" opens July 9th at Tin Can and is sure to be a trippy and spectacular occasion. We look forward to seeing you there!



For more info, email Ake Arndt: operationmindblow@gmail.com

Check out more Ake here.

Hobbies: Hanging Succulent Arrangements

New summer project: crocheted hanging holders with succulents in them. Super fun to make! Currently trading these for artwork and teaching buddies how to make them.
P.S. There is a Magic Brotherhood Etsy in the works and I'm sure there will be a few of these up for sale soon! Happy summer :)

 
 
 

 

for more info email me --- danicamolenaar@gmail.com

Artist Spotlight: CHRIS SQUIRE

I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to Chris Squire, a musician, writer, and photographer born and bred in San Diego, whose prodigious breadth of work spans the last two decades-- throughout which he has performed in over 20 San Diego-based bands; among them Heroin, Tori Cobras, Titwrench, Tiltwheel and Battalion of Saints.

Squire aka Billy Druid will be showcasing a rather impressive body of photographs Tuesday June 11th at the Tin Can, that serve as artifact to San Diego's illustrious and still-flourishing punk culture.

MAGIC BROTHERHOOD: Chris, you've been a part of the San Diego music/art scene for a number of years. Could you tell us a little bit about your background?
CHRIS SQUIRE: I'm a '70s kid. My earliest childhood memory is seeing Nixon's resignation speech on TV and asking my dad who he was, to which he replied, "That's our president, and he's a crook." I grew up in Clairemont Mesa and Pacific Beach. In 4th grade I began attending the School Of Creative and Performing Arts. I was an adolescent surf rat. I dressed like any typical surf-grom of that time, taking fashion cues from Jeff Spicoli. I listened to reggae and Led Zeppelin. I had Bo Derek and Cheech and Chong posters on my bedroom walls. But EVERYTHING changed when I embraced skateboarding and discovered the Ramones. When I first heard the Ramones I was completely blown away. The roaring, beautiful sound blasting from the stereo speakers filled me with excitement,  adrenaline, and purpose. At that moment, I knew that I MUST PLAY GUITAR IN A BAND. It was serendipity then that around that time, on the school bus, on the first day of the 6th grade, I met a kid named John Reis. He played guitar and he turned me on to The Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. He was quick and full of ideas and information, and he was hilarious. At this time SCPA was a hotbed of future movers, shakers of the explosive San Diego music scene to come, but no one would play as pivotal a role on shaping the scene as John would.

Aunt Tiki's, Decatur, Nola

MB: What are some of the most significant changes you have seen happen musically over the years here in SD?
CS: Population and over-saturation. Worlds apart. When I was first playing in bands there were no drummers, there were no bass players. We had 3 or 4 bands in our crowd that all shared the same bass player or drummer at any given time. It was dangerous to be a punk then too. You'd be walking down the street and trucks full of surfers or rednecks would yell "faggot" out the window at you, or, even worse, try to run you over. To be into punk rock was to be on the front line in a culture revolution. And when you met a punk rock kid from another part of town, that was an important connection to make. There was no internet. And we had to SEEK out new music. Which sometimes meant skateboarding for miles and taking buses even more miles in 4 hour treks across town to places like Off The Record, and communicating with bands in other cities via snail mail. Punk scenes all over the world existed in their own bubbles, which resulted in a much more diverse climate for bands to evolve in at that time. These days everything is formatted and polished and presented in perfect packaging for new kids to use as blueprints for scenes with no imagination, and it's revolting to me.


MB: Have any of these changes influenced you artistically? How have you changed over the years creatively?
CS: The only things that have ever influenced me are beauty, perfection, pain, and disgust. I've changed in subtle ways that come from age and experience, in that I'm more humble, yet as confident as ever, about my role in the world of music and art. When you're young, you're full of self importance. You strive for popularity and personal gain. Now the most important thing I can do is create something beautiful that touches someone in a positive way, and to do this with conviction, and know that I did it well.

Johnny from The Chemicals at the Tower Bar

MB: When we met up about a week ago, you mentioned that you do some writing. Perhaps you could tell us a little about what you are focusing on creatively these days?
CS: I love taking pictures. I love the randomness and unplanned aspects of candid photography. I just go where I think there might be some magic moments to capture and I fire away. It's like fishing, but more rewarding, with way better odds of bringing home a good catch.

Guitar Wolf at Club Siberia, New Orleans

 MB: Who are some of your favorite artists/writers/musicians?
CS: Ken Leek has published his first book recently, called The Origins of Disgust, Self-Hatred, and Hostility. It's definitely worth checking out. Some of my favorite authors are Kurt Vonnegut, Chuck Palahniuk, Lisa Carver, and Joseph Heller. I was doing book reports on Hunter S. Thompson at 12 years old, and at 43 he remains my favorite writer. When I was 13 I got my hands on a copy of Glen Friedman's photozine, My Rules. I was mesmerized by the energy he captured in the striking images of young bands that seemed to be having a damn fun time being really pissed off about the world. Friedman knew where to be and who to photograph years before anyone else would catch on. My Rules became a starting block for my hunt for punk music. Ed Colver captured a lot of history from that time as well. He contributed a lot of photographs to the book, Hardcore California, which became an invaluable resource for me to continue my research into the movement. I devoured the knowledge and history it contained. Who knows what direction my life would have taken had I had that same passion for academics? Richard Kern does great work in film and photography. He has a unique way of presenting his subjects in a style that's equal parts erotic and/or repulsive. Like Glen Friedman, I let the pulse of the underground guide me to where I need to be to get the shots I take. I credit Tom Rulon with showing me the tricks that helped me to understand how to use cameras, and, more importantly, how much fun you can have with one. Mark Rude (R.I.P.) and Lee Ellington are pretty important "punk rock" artists from back in the day. I'm a big fan of Gottfried Helnwein, Robert Williams, Salvador Dali, and Raymond Pettibon. Sonny Kay from the G.S.L. record label does some really far out graphic art. Joe Coleman. Doug Thompson. Right now, I've been listening to a lot of obscure 60s and 70s psychedelic music, early rock-steady, garage rock, 60s era French female pop singers, and lots of hardcore from the past and present. A short-list of favorite bands would have to include Tales Of Terror, Crash Worship, Jonathan Fire*Eater, Velvet Underground, Thin Lizzy, Hanoi Rocks, The Stooges, Spacemen 3, MC5, Queen, NWA, Kill Cheerleader, Cheap Trick, Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, Roky Erikson, Kinks, Crass, Cranford Nix (R.I.P.), Damned, Shocking Blue, Retox, Nurse With Wound, Current 93, Les Savy Fav,  Dillinger 4, Cock Sparrer, Hawkwind, Manic Street Preachers, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Conflict, Crucifix, The Who, Black Flag, Negative Approach, F-Minus, Big Black, The Clash, Reagan Youth, Discharge, Motorhead, Saints, Flipper, Void, Bad Brains, Germs, Radio Birdman, I could go on and on. I'm currently obsessing over the music of Jeff The Brotherhood, Fucked Up, Dan Sartain, the Arrivals, Cribs, Turbo Fruits, Man Of Clay, New Pornographers, Black Lips, Gringo Star, Gasmiasma, Tragedy, Graveyard, Hoax, Tobacco, Diarreah Planet, Lords, Magic Shadows, Marked Men, Blitz, Lightning Swords Of Death, Watain, Eagle Twin, Impiety, 1349, Torturium, Venom, and Gorgoroth. I'm obsessed with black metal. Locally, I want to give shout outs to the Tar Halos,Midnight Eagle, Death Crisis, Bumbklaatt, Beehive and The Barracudas, The Marsupials, The Widows, Archons, Tiltwheel, Nerve Control, and all the John Reis projects. There are so many I'm forgetting. I have tremendous respect and admiration for the late Jay Reatard (R.I.P), Andrew WK, Iggy Pop, Wayne Coyne, and Ian MacKaye. Bob Barley from Tit Wrench, Swami John Reis, Jay Poggi (MC Trachiotomy), Dave Quinn, Justin Pearson, Stewart Lupton, and Bobby Lane are all amazing people who I am thankful to have the good fortune of calling friends.

~Squire 5/18/13

 "Erratic & Unprofessional since 1970"

The opening of Chris Squire's solo exhibition, BEDLAM AND BEYOND, will be Tuesday June 11th, 9 pm, at the Tin Can.

more info:

Squire's Blog | Billy Druid on ReverbNation | Billy Druid on Myspace

Artist Spotlight: ALDO MONTES

If photographer Aldo Montes had to be summed up in a catch phrase it would be "That's what's up!" Not only is it the spirited yet laid-back response I've witnessed Aldo use in many different contexts, it is his general attitude and approach towards life, and the kind of reaction I believe is achieved when viewing his photos and drawings. I had the pleasure of sitting down and asking Aldo Montes some questions about his life and work. 
He has an upcoming solo show Tuesday, May 14th at the Tin Can. His brother DJ Active will be playing some records and POLYPHASE (Brian Ellis) will be performing a live set.

MAGIC BROTHERHOOD: Where did you grow up? Could you tell us a little bit about your background and upbringing?

ALDO MONTES: I grew up and still currently live in Escondido, East Mission and Grape Street! Still living in the same two bedroom apartment since I was born. I'm the youngest of four. I'm first generation born in the U.S. my family moved from Tijuana to Escondido in 1986 because my sister had cystic fibrosis and the hospitals here had treatments to help her. My mom had her tubes tied before I was born, and I still came out somehow.

I don't want to say I live in a rough neighborhood, but I did see a dude get shot when I was 5 in front of my house and the friends that I would hang out with would do some straight up hoodlum shit, but I was too much of a whimp. While they were shoplifting CDs at the K-mart I was at my house playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. I was a weird kid growing up.

In preschool I would get sent home because I would imitate Beavis and Butthead, middle school I would do stupid shit and did really bad in school, and high school I took the same pre-algebra class for four years. I sucked so much, I had my friends do my homework (shout outs to Sebastian, Victor, and Victor's little brother). I feel like at the end of high school I had an appreciation for art. That's when I started making beats, graffiti, and learned about photography thanks to my friends Devin, Cindya, and David.

(Aldo's sister, mom, Aldo, brother)

MB: When/how did you get your start with photography?

AM: At the end of high school my friend Devin was shooting a bunch of photos with his 35mm camera and when he developed them I was like “Oh snap! The way those look is so clear, way different from my parents photos in our albums.” Then my homegirl Cindya and her boyfriend would pick me up from school and she would show me framed photos and really awesome portraits that she had done. She fucked with film, showed me the legit side of photo, but I think it was also the first time I saw a DSLR too so I was tripped out about that too. Also, my friend David and I went to the same community college and would show me his photos he took at the photo lab during our screen printing class, and that got me into taking photos too. I bought my first 35mm Pentax k-1000 for $10. I hated the assignments in school, I just wanted to shoot people, document the things that I'd see on a regular basis. I won second place for the documentary competition at school but didn't get the money because of my poor GPA. Fortunately I got to work at the photo lab for two years as a lab tech and got to work with the chemical processing, maintaining equipment, and learning about the different formats. All of my work is film never, owned a digital camera.

MB: You also draw... would you say there is a parallel or similar subject matter in your drawing and your photo work? If not, what makes it different?

AM: My drawings are totally parallel with my photos. With my drawings, I don't take things as serious or try to make them look as nice. I just want to be straight to the point, make people laugh, or be like, "Why did he draw that?" Most of them stem from inside jokes I have with my friends, just the weird funny shit that pops in my imagination. I feel like I can do whatever I want with my drawings, I don't need to tell a story. It is what it is. If I want to draw a California burrito dressed up like Boy George I can do it, and I would feel great about it.

  

MB: What inspires you?

AM: My friends, TV, the internet, the devil's lettuce, jokes, rap music, J.O. crystals, fast food, the finest of malt liquors, trying to show people the dopest, saddest, and funny aspects of life… that's what inspires me.

MB: Who are some of your favorite artists?

AM: Oh man... I have so many.

Chaz Boroquez, Mike Giant, Peter Beste, Estevan Oriol, El Mac, Aroe, Grime, Nas, Three Six Mafia, Twist, Mike Judge, Max Ernst, Chuck Close, So Me, Mark Drew, David Choe, Aaron Horkey.  Dang, wish I could put more.

MB: You have an upcoming solo show, titled CHILL HARD, Tuesday May 14th at the Tin Can. First of all, what can you tell us about the name of the show (because I think that's the best name for an art show I've seen in a while), and what can we look forward to seeing in this show?

AM: Thanks! Chill Hard for me is a way of living and it's a big part of my vocabulary… It means taking life for what it is and not stressing about the bullshit. Drink a brew, smoke a grip of blunts and chill hard. JUST CHILL HARD. And for the all of you looking forward to the show expect funny hamburgers drinking 40s, some girl smoking Whitney Houston's ashes, some hood shit, people in their last moments on earth… some really deep shit, and some funny stuff. You gotta have a good balance of both. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone there. and I hope you guys like it.

Thank you for this awesome opportunity, Danica. You're awesome.  

Recap: SACRI MONTI | NOA AZOULAY

Thank you everyone who came out to the show on Tuesday, thank you Noa and Sacri Monti for providing endless talent, and thank you Tin Can for letting us put these nights on every month! Super fun, hope to see you next month.