Future Vision

At C+ we are very interested in paradigm shifts. Technology innovations are a central cause of these shifts. So apparently this technology is about 15 years old, and according to my good friend's boss, there is much cooler technology out there. From the MIT Media Lab, and the good folks at TED, a presentation of some great technology...

Charlie Murphy Is a Genius

For those of us that spent their Sunday mornings watching The NBA on NBC, listening to Marv Alber color commentate to the wars between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, or any other Bulls victim, smacking to a bowl of honey nut cheerios, this is for our love of Michael Jordan. Only those that spent their middle school and high school season watching Come Fly With Me, will appreciate the comedy of Charlie Murphy's character. This is brilliant, and the 90s aesthetic could not have been more precise. The soft porn frost dramatic lighting glow, the graphics, the colors, the animation, the sounds, all of it. So completely absurd. And so absurdly funny. The fact that its viral makes it even more creatively genius, but its a hilarious skit.

A Moment of Clarity

"...some recognize the light but can't handle the glare..." - Common



C+

Eye Candy :: Rye Rye ft. M.I.A. - Bang

Visual Treats. Great beat. Cool visuals. Sweet.

M.I.A Bang (original test) from David OReilly on Vimeo.

More Than Meets The Eye :: Swine Flu

Things are not as they appear.

I just got this article, detailing how Carrol Ranches, a subsidiary of Smithfield Farms, dodged Environmental Laws, and consequently produced the unsanitary conditions that have caused the Swine Flu outbreak.

LOOK.

How “The NAFTA Flu” Exploded
Smithfield Farms Fled US Environmental Laws to Open a Gigantic Pig Farm in Mexico, and All We Got Was this Lousy Swine Flu

By Al Giordano
Special to The Narco News Bulletin

April 29, 2009

US and Mexico authorities claim that neither knew about the “swine flu” outbreak until April 24. But after hundreds of residents of a town in Veracruz, Mexico, came down with its symptoms, the story had already hit the Mexican national press by April 5. The daily La Jornada reported:

Clouds of flies emanate from the rusty lagoons where the Carroll Ranches business tosses the fecal wastes of its pig farms, and the open-air contamination is already generating an epidemic of respiratory infections in the town of La Gloria, in the Perote Valley, according to Town Administrator Bertha Crisóstomo López.

The town has 3,000 inhabitants, hundreds of whom reported severe flu symptoms in March.



Reporter Jeff Teitz reported in 2006 on the conditions in Smithfield’s US facilities (remember: what you are about to read describes conditions that are more sanitary and regulated than those in Mexico):

Smithfield’s pigs live by the hundreds or thousands in warehouse-like barns, in rows of wall-to-wall pens. Sows are artificially inseminated and fed and delivered of their piglets in cages so small they cannot turn around. Forty fully grown 250-pound male hogs often occupy a pen the size of a tiny apartment. They trample each other to death. There is no sunlight, straw, fresh air or earth. The floors are slatted to allow excrement to fall into a catchment pit under the pens, but many things besides excrement can wind up in the pits: afterbirths, piglets accidentally crushed by their mothers, old batteries, broken bottles of insecticide, antibiotic syringes, stillborn pigs—anything small enough to fit through the foot-wide pipes that drain the pits. The pipes remain closed until enough sewage accumulates in the pits to create good expulsion pressure; then the pipes are opened and everything bursts out into a large holding pond.

The temperature inside hog houses is often hotter than ninety degrees. The air, saturated almost to the point of precipitation with gases from shit and chemicals, can be lethal to the pigs. Enormous exhaust fans run twenty-four hours a day. The ventilation systems function like the ventilators of terminal patients: If they break down for any length of time, pigs start dying.

Globalization is beautiful isn't it? Ahhhhh, don't even trip though. Pigs love babies.


C+

A Closer Look :: Strong Styling in Body of Lies

The pun was intended, yes. I'm still learning the art of crafting a good blog title. Bear with me.

I meant to see this movie when it came out, but I'm habitually slow at seeing movies when they release in theaters. In any case, I watched this movie over the weekend, and in every scene that Mark Strong's character, Hani Salaam, appears in, I just kept thinking to myself, that man is dressed so CLEAN. I wish I could display every suit, shirt, tie, pocket square, lapel pin combination he flipped in this movie, because the selection is just that impeccable, but here's a small sample.









Hani Salaam exudes superb control, power, succinct confidence, a commanding composure, keen intelligence, and an acute awareness to detail. I mean, I suppose you have to be excessively detailed if you're the head of Jordanian Intelligence right? In any event, he communicates all of this, and much more, through a number of substrates; his body language, posture, hair styling, grooming, hand gestures, verbal command, and of course, his wardrobe. I bring light to this point because the man's character gives life to his clothing, not the other way around. Its important to build character first, and the substance of Self, and the clothes will naturally come to articulate who you are. Have a look.

Watch this clip to see what I mean...



Here is a short excerpt from an interview I found on the Little White Lies site:

LWLies: Hani is a very dapper man, what can you tell us about his wardrobe?

Strong: We went to this really exclusive Savile Row tailor called Hunstman, the idea being to get something off the peg. While we were there the manager said ‘hold on a second,’ and ran downstairs and came back with these six suits and a blazer and asked me to try them on. I tried them on and they fitted perfectly. Not only that the costume designer noticed that they weren’t quite English in the way that tailor normally makes his suits. They had slanted pockets, slightly wider lapels, tailored, and this Arab billionaire who orders suits from them had ordered 30, paid for them then passed away.”

LWLies: Do you know who that was?

Strong: They wouldn’t tell me, they’re famously discreet. But the suits were sitting downstairs, and they said if they fit me I could borrow them. They were incredible, I don’t know how much they cost but suits there start at something like £4,000. These must have been ten grand a piece, extraordinary. The fabric was amazing and the cut was incredible. And as we were walking out the door he said ‘hold on,’ he had to check the buttons to make sure they weren’t solid gold. They weren’t on these six, but some of the 30 certainly had solid gold buttons because that’s what the client had asked for.”

Dap to costume designer Janty Yates for the excellent styling.

Fine character, sharp clothing. That's a Good Look.

WIPE ME DOWWNNN! (I couldn't help it...pardon me)

C+

Light Up the Darkness

Just as a composition of words can evoke a visceral sense of harmonious balance, so can the language of design. I happen to like clean, simple lines with a sort of practical elegance. It evokes an internal warmth, equivalent to when you encounter something beautiful. Seoul-based SDesignUnit has infused these qualities into their own visual language, in the form of light switches, temperature controllers, outlets, remotes, etc. Very nice design. Click the image to see larger images on their site.













Thanks for Watching.

C+

A Glimpse Into the Future :: MIB

From The New York Times, April 6th, 2008:

Brain Researchers Open Door to Editing Memory

By BENEDICT CAREY
Published: April 5, 2009
Suppose scientists could erase certain memories by tinkering with a single substance in the brain. Could make you forget a chronic fear, a traumatic loss, even a bad habit.



Click the picture to read the rest of the article. This was the first thing that came to mind when I caught the article title while eating lunch...

From Crackle: Men In Black: Always Face It Forward

Is this life imitating art, or art imitating life? Movies always seem to plant ideas and technologies long before they become commonplace in our culture. Could that mean that they're serving a pacifying effect so that we don't get too shocked by it? I'm thinking of one example; The Palmer Effect. Remember the black president in 24? You think that helped prepare our imagination for President Obama? Its up for debate. What do you think?

Female Empowerment :: That's A Good Look

I love Michelle Obama. I love that she presents such a positive, uplifting image for women, and particularly, women of color. She is part of our collective consciousness, and her exceptional character is already inspiring whole generations of young girls.

Take a look.

Framing Our Language

At C+, we play close attention to language and the meaning of words. James Baldwin said, as noted in this previous Moment of Clarity, that "the root function of language is to control the universe by describing it."

My brother Rolando Brown is the Chief Cultivator for a growing business development company called MVMT, to which I am also affiliated. He pointed me towards a fantastic book by Don Miguel Ruiz called The Four Agreements.



I love the first of the four agreements, which says:

Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

In exchanging communication with my friend's father, Edward McDonald, he presented this fantastic definition that I couldn't help but share with you.

How can the New School only ask for equity (fairness) in America when EQUALITY is a declaratory principle and constitutional guarantee?

Remember this definition:

Equality is equal access to resources and opportunity and equal participation in all realms of society for women and men, but also for members of different races, ethnic groups, and religions. In addition, equality is about making sure people are treated fairly and are given fair chances. Equality is not about treating everyone the same way but recognizes their needs are met in different ways.

EQUALITY achieves EQUITY.

Beautiful. What do you all think? Please share your perspective.


C+

That's A Good Look :: Pretty Buoyant Society

I just received this intergalactic planetary communication from a fellow extraterrestrial brethren known as Drizzletron and out of this world DJ Phatrick. I had to use my LEGO bricks to decode this cryptic transmission, so here goes my best translation:

Greetings Internetling,

Across cyberspace, and all up in your interface--it is with technically-advanced pleasureness that we present to you, Pretty Buoyant Society: a hi-octane force of musical extravagance that finds its roots in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and perhaps some corners of America. PBS ambassadors Drizzletron (of iLL-Literacy) and DJ Phatrick serve a first taste entitled "Schizophrenic Love," a tale of romance so forlorn, the volcanic powers of the lava lady Golda Supernova had to be summoned. Add the eruptive heat from the b-side "Hot Chocolate," and you have the most delicious download your hard drive will ever coax into its cache.



Click the picture or hit this LINK to download the sonic transmission!

Keep your eyes on the sky.

C+

Watch :: Brave New Voices

At C+, we spend a lot of time thinking about imagery, and how it affects our perceptions of things. Reframing the visual dialogue is very much about providing new imagery, to change the way we look at something, how we think about it, and ultimately how we interact with it.

Enter: Brave New Voices...



About the Show

Russell Simmons presents Brave New Voices chronicles the lives of teen poets from seven cities around the nation as they prepare to compete in Youth Speaks' annual Brave New Voices Festival. It's narrated by Queen Latifah. Idris Elba hosts the finals.

It's launching Sunday, April 5th at 11pm on HBO.

It's an amazing story about some of the greatest teens in the country, and the remarkable voices of our young people, and the Brave New Voice they are bringing us. It's a 7 part documentary series about the International Brave New Voices spoken word competition, which featured teams a teen poets from all across the country. The series highlights the talents and the struggles of the next generation.



We think it is very important that people get to see the positive images of young people in America, and we think that it will help to increase public support for arts and education programs across the country.

To help spread the Word, please visit this LINK and download the Brave New Voices Toolkit.

Follow @bravenewvoices on Twitter
Youth Speaks on Facebook
Brave New Voices on Facebook
Brave New Voices on Myspace
Brave New Voices on Global Grind

Thank you for Watching.

C+

Looking Into the Future

A glimpse into the future of technology.

A Moment of Clarity

"What is now proved was once only imagined." - William Blake

I'll Believe It When I See It

Uhhhh, yea. Son is the truth. O, and he's only six. Check the link.

Innovation by Appropriation

Peter Schiff Saw It Coming

At least somebody saw it coming.

I Can't Get Enough

Favorite MC.


Jay Electronica from stay dougie on Vimeo.

Are you watching closely?

Mmm hmm. Eyes focused.

C+

Vantage Point : Lil' Wayne

Entertaining interview of Lil' Wayne, by Devin Freidman of GQ magazine. Click the picture to read the Q&A.

And guess which part we found most interesting?

"Part of what helps me is I have a vision. Like with this here, I see myself like Bruce Springsteen, pulling people up on stage to sing. Pulling a girl up on stage. I would be writing it and picturing her."



I'm just sayin...vision.

Paradigm Shift : Kenzo Digital : City of God's Son

http://www.cityofgodson.com

This is what time travel would feel like. Imagination transported to God's Son's streets, circa 1990s.



The very essence of hip hop music, and even the culture at large, is about sampling...appropriating and recontextualizing things outside of their intended use, to innovate them, and express something new. Kenzo Digital explores the myth and reality of the iconic gangster in popular culture, through the relationship of sampled image and sound, composed in a way that innovates the narrative, reflecting and projecting the most fictitious and human sides of the score's characters. A brilliant piece, to say the least.

Complex + Kenzo Digital Interview

Download City of God's Son Part 1

A Moment of Clarity

"If I have seen farther than most, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants".
-- Isaac Newton

We Lykke It

Lykke Li - "I'm Good, I'm Gone"

Looking Into the Near Future :: G-speak

Minority Report to real life. Can't wait!


g-speak overview 1828121108 from john underkoffler on Vimeo.

Insight :: Secret History of the American Empire

John Perkins, author of Confessions of an Economic Hitman, shares stories and optimistic viewpoints from his new book, The Secret History of the American Empire. Insightful stuff!



http://fora.tv/2007/06/21/Secret_History_of_the_American_Empire

C+

A Moment of Clarity

"...never looking back, or too far in front of me. the present is a gift. and i just want to be."

- Common

A Moment of Clarity

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."

- Thomas Jefferson, Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1802)



"Money is the most important subject intellectual persons can investigate and reflect upon. It is so important that our present civilization may collapse unless it is widely understood and its defects remedied very soon."

- Robert H. Hemphill, former credit manager, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

United States Congressman Dennis Kucinich, at the 2005 Monetary Reform Conference[115], raised the question of why the Federal Reserve should have the power to issue the United States' currency. He stated:

"...and it's going to be my pleasure...to take this discussion to Capitol Hill, because Washington needs to understand how we are mired in debt and how we are staying there with the help of this fractional-reserve banking. Washington needs to understand that questions must be raised about why in effect did we give up our control of this asset, this ability to be able to issue money. Why did we give it to the Federal Reserve? We need to look at that again. It's not as though this country should be headed for bankruptcy or our people for destitution. The money's there. We need the will there, to begin to look at America in a new way and look at our potential to create material wealth in a new way."

There is a self-evident truth hidden in the current blunders of our financial institutions. The fallacy of our economic system and the way it is operated and governed is becoming more clear. Remain steadfast in your skepticism and watch closely where the money ends up.

See Plus.

A Moment of Clarity

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration; I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming."


- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Have You Seen Him?

Triko is a super fresh company, that happens to make great clothing. On their blog: http://friends.amivectio.com/, they posted a brief interview of yours truly. That was a very pleasant way to wake up this morning!

Click the picture and leave a comment!



Gracias!

A Moment of Clarity

from Supertouch blog



“The artist’s job is to be a witness to his time in history.”

—Robert Rauschenberg

Insight :: The Economic Crisis

As if it wasn't clear already that greed was at the center of this fraudulent mess, PBS's NOW program makes the picture increasingly clear.

Click the image, and then click the "Video: Credit & Credibility" link. A very informative 26 (or so) minutes, to say the least.

A Moment of Clarity

“There is nothing more frightful than imagination without taste.”

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Bear Witness to The Human Element (pt 2)

"The Story of Our Planet" - another great ad from Dow Chemical.

"When we move a little to the left, and change perspective, and consider the notion of adding the human element, to the periodic table of the elements, we see the world for the first time."



See Plus.

Bear Witness to The Human Element (pt 1)

An ad from Dow Chemical, which happens to affirm the idea that drives us...that when we bear witness to our humanity, we positively transform.

"It is a way of seeing, that gives us a way of touching...issues, ambitions, lives."



"When you see the world through the eyes of the human element, anything is possible."

See Plus.

Looking Forward To It :: iLL-Literacy & Theophilus London

Family bidness! The super duper homies iLL-Literacy are headlinin' NYC! A dynamic blend of rhetoric, rhythm, and theatrical innovation, each rendition is definitively fresh. Sprinkle in a healthy dose of Theophilus London at the same time??? Fresca Aldente! That means superb.

iLL-Literacy has covered much ground in a short time, rocking stages from off-Broadway New York to London's Picadilly, to its home base in the California Bay Area. News of the amazing talent has drawn attention from HBO's Def Poetry and MTV, as well as crowds who have witnessed the collective share the stage with the likes of Common, Mos Def, KRS-One, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.



NOVEMBER 12TH
Crash Mansion 8 PM
199 Bowery @ Spring St.
$8 presale $10 at the door

www.myspace.com/illliteracy
www.myspace.com/londonwave
www.iLL-Literacy.com

See You There!

A Moment of Clarity

"Seeing is believing. Right up until somebody sees a better way."
-Unknown

Unveiled :: C+ Photoshoot part 1

Many thanks to my good brotha Taj and Tragik for bringing this vision to life!



More to come very soon.

C+

Bear Witness to the Birth of a New Paradigm

Its happening right before our eyes. There is a tremendous shift in perception taking place. A paradigm that has cultivated division, despair, and destruction is now dying. And a new, more unifying paradigm is replacing it.

Watch.

A Moment of Clarity

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

Anais Nin

Selling The Invisible :: Uncounted The Movie

The "invisible" in this case, is the source code the Diebold Corp. embeds in its electronic voting machines to enable a fraudulent switch of the outcome.




From the website :: http://uncountedthemovie.com/about-the-film.html
UNCOUNTED is an explosive new documentary that shows how the election fraud that changed the outcome of the 2004 election led to even greater fraud in 2006 - and now looms as an unbridled threat to the outcome of the 2008 election. This controversial feature length film by Emmy award-winning director David Earnhardt examines in factual, logical, and yet startling terms how easy it is to change election outcomes and undermine election integrity across the U.S. Noted computer programmers, statisticians, journalists, and experienced election officials provide the irrefutable proof.

UNCOUNTED is a wakeup call to all Americans. Beyond increasing the public’s awareness, the film inspires greater citizen involvement in fixing a broken electoral system. As we approach the decisive election of 2008, UNCOUNTED will change how you feel about the way votes are counted in America.

Watch and see how easy is to literally flip a close election.
Then watch for voter fraud this November.



Never underestimate the lengths that the status quo will go to preserve itself.
I expect we're going to witness some more unprecedented things in the next few months.

Eyes Open.

C+

Not A Good Look

News reader cannot stop laughing at model falling over!



SWEAR! She just did the James Brown shuffle...

Insight :: Courtesy of Jay Smooth

Jay Smooth of www.illdoctrine.com, provides us a dope analysis of the "Hipster Rap" myth, and why we shouldn't perceive it as "hipster rap" at all.

Vantage Point :: Skillz

Skillz gives us a very insightful analysis of why Diddy's music groups never achieve celebrity, how Diddy is able to maintain his own celebrity, and why the gatekeepers are inhibiting the rise of the next great hip hop act to sit along side them.

Above all else, what we're talking about here is PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT. Puff maintains celebrity because he CONTROLS HIS IMAGE. He controls what you see and don't see. And in the same breath, he ruins the image of his young groups because he makes them appear too human.

Have a look.

Looks Like A Winner :: Ante Up Ernie!

I used to think I was in the NBA Championships when we'd warm up to this song! The best pre-game anthem is now the best music video.

More Than Meets the Eye :: NY Fashion Week

What is fashion, if not a Point of View, where Vision comes to material life??

Looking fly is a prerequisite. Its cool to enhance your appearance, the way people see you...but what about enhancing the way you SEE? Ah, now that is Seein Plus!



New York's Fashion Week has begun, and Huffington Post contributor, FARAN KRENTCIL,
has written an insightful piece on the subject at hand.

Read the entire article here :: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/faran-krentcil/a-view-from-the-tents-the_b_124065.html

Some sample highlights from the piece ::

"And Fashion Week might shatter more than one imagines, especially now, when the industry is at a crossroads. It's a place where wealth, class, and fear crash into each other with alarming speed and harrowing subtlety. It's also a place where hundreds of versions of vision seep together in search of something deeper - a visual expression of who we, as Americans, want to be. There's some fear in that, too, but really, it's thrilling."

To See and Be Seen::

"Also powerful: the underside of this garment gathering in Bryant Park, which boils down to one sour, dour truth: creative people cling to ego. Your show venue holds 500 seats, and only 75 of them are in front. Whoever muttered "power struggle" is correct. It's true people further back (disclaimer: usually me) check the front with interest, but the reverse is just as true, and a lot of the scoping and the head-checking comes from section A-1, where more powerful editors, celebrities, "celebrities," and buyers crave seeing who they've beat."

The Way Clothes Make you See Yourself ::

"Meanwhile, I'll leave it here: Just as Dolce can't be without Gabbana, just as Carrie Bradshaw can't exist without Pat Field, these two sides of fashion- the desperate wanting and the feeling that if your eyes are open you can own the whole world with a higher heel and a freer spirit - can't really be torn apart.

But I'd argue that ambivalence - the loving it so much you worry what it does to you; the hating it so much you sign up for extra yogurt - it's worth it if you really think the industry can make a positive change on society through aesthetics. On a more personal (and, okay, less pretentious) note, it's even more worth it if a dress can shift the way you see yourself -as long as you agree it's not the only way to make that change."

Hypocrisy Is All I Can See :: The Daily Show

Thank you Jon Stewart.

We'll See About That :: LL's Old Spice Ad

If you're going for megalomania, you need to go further than Absolut's "Be Kanye."
LL, my good brotha, you are NOT Seein Plus wit this one.

Vantage Point :: Sir Ken Robinson, Schools Kill Creativity

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.



TED "stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).

This site makes the best talks and performances from TED available to the public, for free. More than 200 talks from our archive are now available, with more added each week. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted. has fantastic videos about more fantastic ideas. Browse their site for some great content."

Their mission is to Spread Ideas.

Have a Look :: http://www.ted.com/index.php/

Looking Forward To It :: New High (M)Art LA

To all our LA folks! We will be in Los Angeles next week for the opening reception of Cosmic Collision, a fantastic, innovative, guest-curated store moment at the New High (M)art. All exhibited products will be available for purchase, including new C+ products!

September 10 — November 5, 2008

Opening Reception
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
8:00 PM
New High (M)art
741 New High Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(Chinatown)

Map It!

www.newhighmart.com

Press Release :: "Cosmic Collision - Intelligent Design for the Second Big Bang."

This 8-week installment has been co-curated by Los Angeles-based fashion-protagonists Dechel McKillian and Jessica Willis who collaborate with NH(M) to present the most fashion-forward theme to date — the future. Coinciding with the official startup of the world's most powerful particle collider, this latest experiment in conceptual shopkeeping confirms that hyper-accelerated sub-atomic particles can inspire equally dynamic wearable articles.

New High (M)art co-owners Miho Ikeda and T-RIK invited McKillian and Willis, who've identified this futuristic superhero warrior strain in the work of today's most innovative designers, to conspire with the store on its next thematic moment. The result: a head-on collision with tomorrow. Transported to the present are the exclusive sci-fi visions of AGBDesigns, Bijules NYC, Blanc by Franc Fernandez, C+ Jewerly, Costume Dept, Face, Gregory Alexander, KidViskous, Lenny Leleu, Nehima, OneFourFiveOne, Posso the Spat, PowerHaus, Seth Pratt, Spacelite Vintage, Teamo, and Temores.

Visionary light installations by Ryan Paul Granich and propagated wave algorithms by Posso the DJ will get the crowd partying like it's 2099. So come on down or point your earthbound browser to www.newhighmart.com, and catch the whole thing on the web simulcast.



Come support! See you there.

C+

Have You Seen Her?? :: Janelle Monae

Ruby, I'm finally Seein Plus on ya girl Janelle Monae. I See it now!

Given the way the music industry has evolved, and the difficulty of artists making real money from record sales, the emphasis is being placed more heavily on the performance, at least for artists not already in the stratosphere of fame. Inevitably, at least in my humble opinion, the artists that most creatively add theatrical elements and compelling narratives to their stage performance, will draw the most authentic and enthusiastic fan support. But then again, I'm no industry analyst, so who knows.

Either way, Janelle Monae is exceptional at this, with her cyber-fantasy narratives, and extraordinary voice. "Sincerely, Jane" is my joint.

Have a look ::


Keep an Eye out.

Vantage Point :: JR pt. 2

From JR's website :: http://28millimetres.com/women/

The Women project wants to underline their pivotal role and to highlight their dignity by shooting them in their daily lives and posting them on the walls of their country.

On the other hand, by posting the same images of these women in Western countries, the project allows everyone to feel concerned by their condition and connects, through art, the two different worlds.

Kenya, South-Sudan, Sierra-Leone, Liberia - The violence suffered by women there is the extreme expression of discriminations. The ethnic wars in Africa are a source of the worst crimes on women. When meeting them, JR wants to testify of their force, their courage and their noble struggle: first to live, then to exist.

Right now JR is in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil where the context of favelas has encouraged to meet women for whom crime, violent lost of loved ones and arbitrary repression are part of everyday life.

In 2008/2009, JR plans to visit India, Cambodia, Laos, Marcs, then return to Kenya.

To the limits of contemporary art – the goal is once again to reach the limits of Art in a closed social and cultural environment and watch the reaction of the local population. What is at stake here is the assessment of the possibilities of intervention in the different environments. The success of such a process allows drawing a status of women in their countries. Proof by action is chosen.

TRAILER " WOMEN ARE HEROES"
by JR

Thank you JR. This is fantastic.