In talking about a figure like Owsley ‘Bear’ Stanley, it’s hard to separate the man from the myth. For one, he’s credited with producing and distributing literally millions of acid tabs, the quality of which was pretty much unquestioned. Add to that the fact that he was one of the primary sound engineers of the late ’60s, creating the first P.A. system specifically designed for music, and a host of other high end equipment. Other stories have it that his acid was the subject of Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”, that Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne” (See: Yeezy’s “Champion”) was a tribute to him and that both the dancing bears and the skull emblem of Grateful draw a direct line back to him.
In essence, the passing of Owsley yesterday from injuries sustained in a car crash, marks the death of one of ’60s counterculture’s most mysterious icons. In any case, my knowledge on Owsley was hazy at best, until I did a little research. In 2007, the SF Chronicle, well, chronicled the man behind the myth, taking a closer look at Stanley and his enigmatic life story. Read on for an introduction, and check here for a full obituary.
Woody Allen is one of those people who always fascinated me because they have a truly singular slant on things. Yeah, there’s the whole nihilistic streak. The bleak, meaningless existence stuff. But perhaps even more than that, Woody’s movies are about a genuine curiosity about people and how they work. About human relationships. About love. I guess if life isn’t inherently meaningful, you just have to look for the things that make you happy. In any case, Woody’s one of the truly great auteurs in American cinema. Basically, whether he’s speaking about his art, his life or his philosophy, it always makes for a good read. In this particular interview, he speaks on all three, as well as his latest, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and even touches on Diane Keaton and Annie Hall briefly. Thank The Guardian for this one.
If there’s a photographer out there who’s better than Aaron Huey at giving a snapshot of different cultural experiences, I haven’t heard of them. Freelancing for publications like National Geographic, Harper’s and The New Yorker, to name a few, Huey’s portfolio sheds light on a wide range of global issues, and serves as a window into cultures from around the country, and around the world. I’ll save the sociological, historical lecture for another day, but a little context is always helpful in understanding what you’re looking at.
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Ogala Sioux community, located in the southwestern corner of South Dakota, and although it’s the eighth largest reservation in the country, it’s also the poorest. If anything, I appreciate collections like these because they offer a brief glimpse into a place or a set of experiences very different from the ones I know. As art goes, this collection is gorgeous, and as photojournalism goes, it’s an important story to tell. See more of Huey’s work here.
The fact that things like this exist in the world is a little mindblowing. I guess my first reaction was just a handful of questions. Who set this up? Who has the balls to try this kind of shit, and aside from that, how would you start to practice? Over the past few years, Valparaiso, Chile has hosted one of the world’s truly extraordinary sporting events: The Valparaiso Cerro Abajo, which, if you’re not already watching above, is an all-downhill street biking race, with an unusual course. Flights of stairs, large crowds, steep hills and stray dogs are just a few of the obstacles in question. For the 2011 run, held a few days ago, Filip Polc came out on top, and if you care to learn more, check here. Personally, the video above says plenty.
Swiss photographer Silvia Mogni has a pretty impressive body of work. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of her photography though, is her eye for stunning natural settings. From the snowy Alps in Switzerland, to sunny coasts in Crete and Italy, Silvia’s work captures the scenery of each location in a unique light. As Silvia describes it her “inclination for investigating the world through the use of photography is, unfortunately, directly proportional to her progressive loss of ability to express herself in words”. Fortunately for us, these pictures say plenty. Can’t be mad at some scenic shots on a cloudy day. More from Silvia here.
Yesterday marked the beginning of this year’s TED Conference in Long Beach, the premier forum for creative minds in a wide variety of fields to gather and spread ideas. In short, TED is where grand plans and brilliant ideas are first unveiled. To name a few, the first Apple Mac computer, the first CD, and the talks that formed the basis for Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Periodically, we’ve featuredtalks from past conferences, because they’re undeniably dope, and because the thinkers behind them are not only imaginative, but root their ideas in a broad understanding of the world. This year is no different, as the theme is The Rediscovery of Wonder, with a careful note that they “won’t be forgetting the other, harder-edged meaning of wonder,” by “adding in strong servings of thoughtful insight, so that the possibilities we dream of are anchored in reality.”
As usual, TED 2011 will feature a star-studded list of presenters, from astro-physicists to artists, and activists to billionaires. Among the more famous guests this year are Bill Gates, New York Times columnist David Brooks, artist JR and musician Bobby McFerrin, in addition to a who’s who of lesser-known, and probably more important scientific minds. Admission to the conference, unfortunately, comes with a $6,000 price tag, and proof that you’ve “done something fascinating” or evidence of your “creativity, innovation, insight or brilliance”. But for the folks like us back home, the talks will become available soon after the conference. We’ll keep you posted. For more information on TED, and for a full list of the speakers this year, check here or here for TED’s live blog on the event.
Trying to put things like this all the way into context is difficult to do, so I’ll try to let this one do the talking, for the most part. Suffice to say, life isn’t the same for everybody, and if you like where you’re at, there’s plenty of reason to be thankful. Aside from that, I think this one demonstrates pretty powerfully how crucial the things we believe in can be, and the potential those beliefs have to shape the trajectory of our lives. More specifically, Prostitutes of God is the story of young women in India who are introduced to, and often forced into prostitution at an early age, a practice long justified by religious practices. I’m a bit at a loss for words, so any thoughts on this are welcome. There’s a lot to speak on. As always, we have Vice to thank for a healthy dose of perspective. The trailer’s above, and the special is below in its entirety.
This project is pretty clever. Shot and compiled by photographer Mathieu Lambert, Fake Tales of America documents a fictional trip across America, picture by picture. Each of the pictures, however, was shot somewhere in France. In reality, Lambert explains, he’s never been out of the country, so instead he tried to capture “scenes within France that look uncannily like America”. In the process, his collection forms a neatly compiled criticism of the mass Americanization that pervades global, and particularly European culture. Fake Tales is available in a 36-page monogram, as are a bunch of Lambert’s collections, right here at his website.
Chess is an art. If you have ever felt the satisfaction of creating something—whether it be poetry, photography, graphics, scuplting, or even a person, then you can understand why I am so in love with this game. I first learned chess at the age of nine, attracted at first by its elements of competitive strategy. Now that I’m older, I find something different draws me to it. Don’t get me wrong, I still very much enjoy the competitive and strategic aspects but I’ve recently discovered something new—or perhaps something I’ve always known but was never able to identify: the creative aspect.
Don’t you wonder what it’s like in other places? America’s so calm and tranquil compared to so many other places in the world. I came across this video the other day of a train station in Yangon, Myanmar. Just a reminder of how different things can be. Dude looks like he’s juiced to be running down trains. We gotta do this one day too.
Carlos introduced me to this song last week and now I can’t stop playing it. I don’t know, this song, from a group called Ghostland Observatory, from Austin, Texas? Well, I guess the Austin makes sense, but I still wouldn’t of thought that music like this came from there. Call it ignorance I suppose. Nonetheless, I love this song. Front man Aaron Behrens is a superstar, and his partner producer and drummer Thomas Ross holds it down on almost every track. Off the group’s 2008 album, Robotique Majestique, “Dancing On My Grave” is like 9:43 on a Friday night downtown. Can you see it? Claiming not to be a band, but rather ‘an agreement between two friends to create something to heal their beat-driven hearts’ a Ghostland Observatory show seems to be more of an experience than a concert. Makes me wanna throw a dance party.
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I want to travel everywhere. See everything. Do everything. Meet people. Make friends. Eat food. Tell jokes. Make memories. I know we say it a lot but we’ve gotta live life to the fullest. Because you never know when you’re gonna die. I know that sounds kinda morbid but it’s real. Use that fact as a reason to go out and do something new. What I realized this morning, was that traveling is exploring, and you don’t need any frequent flyer miles to explore. Rather you just need the desire to see something new. I know the comfort zone is so comfortable, but we learn the most when we’re uncomfortable. Not to mention we were born to step out. So do something new today. Take a different route, close your eyes and order something, give a flower to a stranger. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do something. Just let the world be your playground.
Perhaps it’s the tranquility that hits you first. I suppose that’s the vibe of most museums, although I’ve never been to a museum quite like The Getty Center. Built in the memory of oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty, the 24 acre cultural center has welcomed over a million visitors a year since its opening in 1997. Situated atop the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking the greater Los Angeles area, The Getty Center offers visitors seemingly endless views, providing perfect photo ops at every turn.
Although the $15 parking fee taxes those with cars, visiting the center is actually free, allowing those on bus, bike or foot to take in the day without reaching for their wallet. Taking a trip to the center this weekend, we spent a few hours at The Getty to snap a few pics and see what we could see. Pleasant views, accompanied by beautiful architecture and sprawling grass makes The Getty perfect for an afternoon picnic or nap. One of the true gems of Los Angeles, The Getty Center is the optimal destination for your next sunny day.
“Graffiti’s always been a temporary art form. You make your mark, and then they scrub it off. Most of it is just designed to look good from a moving vehicle. Not necessarily in the history books.
But maybe, you know, art is just about trying to live on for a bit. I mean, they say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing, and the second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.”
