cultureisland event recap // wanderer collage workshop // brooklyn collage collective x toms new york

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last month i organized a collage workshop with the brooklyn collage collective at the toms store in soho. we had a great turn out and a really fun time! the toms staff were amazing hosts and they have an awesome new space with an outdoor patio. i especially loved seeing the artists from the collective creating collages alongside the other workshop goers; this included people from many different walks of life, ranging from a fashion intern to an assistant district attorney.

many thanks to everyone who came out! i'm always delighted when friends and friends of friends as well as total strangers (who then become new friends) attend these gatherings.

and a special thanks to our resident cultureisland photographer alix h. luntz for these pics!

small talk // kayla guthrie // singer + visual artist + writer

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i first saw kayla guthrie's work at nada art fair this past may. there, her drawings with colored frames caught my eye. we recently met up to chat more about her work; kayla operates in several modes as a singer, visual artist and a writer. in her mind, these forms are not connected in a conceptual way but are all equally a part of who she is as a creative person. she tries to master her craft in all mediums and engage in a dialogue with different communities. kayla aligns her music with the art world and she performs her songs in art galleries/spaces, most recently while on tour in europe this summer. kayla previously released an ep titled blue with mixed media recordings. the inside cover features colored text detailing the history of the project, reminiscent of her visual art style (see below). in all that she does, kayla is both candid and confident. she recommends, "don't be afraid to spend money on your art. it will help you be who you are." wise words.

more about kayla below:

kayla guthrie // extol // 2015 // letterpress print in frame // 12 x 12 inches // courtesy of bodega

kayla guthrie // extol // 2015 // letterpress print in frame // 12 x 12 inches // courtesy of bodega

cultureisland: tell us more about you.

kayla guthrie: i grew up on vancouver island in canada, in a suburban area surrounded by wilderness. i spent a lot of time playing in the forest, reading, and hanging out in the studio with my mom who is an artist. as i got older, music became a way of connecting with the outside world: going to shows in the city, buying vinyl, and making pen pals on the internet to exchange mix tapes with. i moved to the city of vancouver in 2003 to attend art school where i also sang in some local bands. improvisation, psychedelia and noise music were a deep influence on me, a surreal poetics that spoke to the contrasts of my surroundings: the natural beauty of the ocean, mountains, and trees combined with a sleazy drug-saturated underbelly and the dark urge to escape or disappear. by the time i graduated from school i felt hemmed in by the conservative image and expectations of being an artist in vancouver/canada. i always had a longing to be in new york, which seemed way more artistically and culturally diverse, somewhere you could make a living as an artist and be any kind of person you wanted to be. when i moved here 7+ years ago, i got a day job in the art world which brought me to performing in art settings, from galleries to dinners and after-parties. my music developed slowly, from a year-long collaboration with a friend to the solo project it is today, through years of performances and home recording experiments. during this time i also began publishing my writing, and more recently i’ve started showing visual art. 

cultureisland: tell us more about your music and art.

kayla guthrie: my music is really centered around my personality as a singer, and i create musical structures and lyrics to explore the different qualities and textures of my physical and written voice. i love the connection between poetry and music, and i feel like singing lyrics is a unique expressive opportunity that is super effective at bringing words alive. i see music less in terms of style and more as an abstract playground for morphing the self, similar to being in a dream where your identity is more malleable and fluid. the medium of visual art, for me, is somehow more directly linked to a relationship with an audience. so it becomes about how to present these internalized states i’m dealing with in my writing or drawing in a reflexive manner.

kayla guthrie // 5 of swords // 2015 // silkscreen on paper // 18 x 12 inches // courtesy of u.s. blues

kayla guthrie // 5 of swords // 2015 // silkscreen on paper // 18 x 12 inches // courtesy of u.s. blues

cultureisland: what is your artistic process?

kayla guthrie: my approach is constantly changing, but in general i keep up practice in various techniques, like crafting lyrics and singing, or writing poetry, and from this regular habit i generate material for songs, writing or artwork. and when opportunities arise, i figure out how to present these materials so they can have the most impact in the particular space where they will be shown, whether it be a concert, art show, or publication. when i’m performing or showing art, i pay attention to environmental cues like lighting, placement, color choices. it’s a way of speaking to the subconscious level rather than making a direct statement. 

kayla guthrie // no body no soul // 2015 // silkscreen on paper // courtesy of young art gallery

kayla guthrie // no body no soul // 2015 // silkscreen on paper // courtesy of young art gallery

cultureisland: how is your work as a singer and visual artist related? why do you perform in gallery scene vs. the music world?

kayla guthrie: to answer the first part of your question, the two activities are related in that they are both things that i do, however, there isn’t a clear link or conceptual reasoning behind doing both. i am just highly invested in each activity, to the point where they both feel like part of who i am, and the most authentic way to be is just to own that, even if it’s inconvenient on a practical level or doesn’t line up with the image of what an artist or a musician should be. i’m interested to see what happens when i don’t try to manage the overall outcome of my creative efforts. regarding why galleries vs. music venues: at the time i started playing music in new york, i was more socially enmeshed in the art world rather than the music scene, and was reading the same books, going to the same exhibitions, and having conversations with the people that frequented art galleries. so naturally i wanted to take part in what was going on by performing my music in those settings and being involved in that community. later, i began wanting to develop as a musician and that has drawn me toward the music scene in recent years. i find pleasure in being able to flow between the art and music realms, like speaking two different languages, each with their own set of untranslatable expressions known only to themselves. 

cultureisland: tell us more about your drawings. how did they come about?

kayla guthrie: mostly as a response to the challenge of showing writing in art galleries. drawing cartoons and trippy shit was something i did when i was in art school that my teachers always hated: it’s because they want you to learn to think through what you’re doing and not just obsessive-compulsively produce, which tends to become a habit for people who are good at drawing. writing became my way of continuing to chronicle the recesses of my mind like i did through drawing, and after i mastered some technical things it turned out to be a much more flexible tool, effective at depicting (mental) images while still feeling inherently personal. i brought the drawings back as a visual aid to the writing; it’s hard to feel enticed to read a block of text while standing in a gallery, but an illustrative motif can break the ice.

kayla guthrie // n.v. // 2015 // letterpress print in frame 12 x 12 inches // courtesy of bodega

kayla guthrie // n.v. // 2015 // letterpress print in frame 12 x 12 inches // courtesy of bodega

cultureisland: where do you find inspiration? what motivates you to create?

kayla guthrie: as mentioned earlier, i feel inspired by the different artistic worlds that i am a part of or privy to in new york, and the challenge of making art to present to different communities that i may be more or less comfortable with. i like the feeling that i am communing with something, whether that be the energy of this place and time, the people who live around me or find themselves at my shows, or my own emotions and abilities, allies and enemies. i want to overcome sadness and fear, to make people feel they are not alone and remind them of their own inner dignity. 

kayla guthrie // tiger tattoo // 2014 // letterpress print in frame // 15.75 x 22.75 inches // courtesy of u.s. blues

kayla guthrie // tiger tattoo // 2014 // letterpress print in frame // 15.75 x 22.75 inches // courtesy of u.s. blues

cultureisland: who are some of your favorite artists?

kayla guthrie: jutta koether, leslie winer, maggie lee, ida no, meredith monk.

cultureisland: have you watched anything interesting lately?

kayla guthrie: the light in my backyard before the sun went down today; dark gold, with no shadows. 

* check out more of kayla's work here // soundcloud // facebook // blue album *

collaboration // girls who collage // minty x cultureisland

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below are some collages made in exchange with the best lilbabeintern minty (allison). allison is wise beyond her years (i'm six years her senior); we share many of the same passions and she has thus become one of my closest friends. she leaves me for a year in florence soon but luckily i'll be seeing her there at the end of the month!

small talk // jason andrew turner // visual artist

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jason turner // ain't nothin ever happened // gauche on paper // 22" x 30"

jason turner // ain't nothin ever happened // gauche on paper // 22" x 30"

i was very lucky to meet jason andrew turner a few months ago through our mutual friend felipe (tipi thieves). there's an interesting synergy between our career paths; jason has also worked in the fashion industry for a while, doing color for anthropologie before moving to brooklyn this year. as a visual artist, jason creates abstract drawings that beautifully strike a balance between the serious and the humorous. we sat down a few weeks ago at jason's studio to chat about his large body of work as well as his inspiring dedication to his craft. i would love to organize jason's first presentation of his work in new york!

more about jason below:

jason turner // void // gauche on paper // 11" x 11"

jason turner // void // gauche on paper // 11" x 11"

cultureisland: tell us more about you.

jason turner: i’m from birmingham, alabama originally and moved around quite a bit when i was younger. i spent my most of my formative years in a small village outside of cambridge, england before moving back to birmingham to finish up high school. i gained my bfa at savannah college of art and design. after college, on a whim, i moved to philadelphia, pa. i heard of their encouraging and totally weirdo art scene accidentally stayed there for 9 years. while there i also worked as a color designer for the apparel company anthropologie for several years, moonlighting a career in art as well. philadelphia is an amazing city and really gave me the chance to hone my aesthetic and force a lot of honesty into my work. a few months ago i made the move to brooklyn, resting my head in boerum hill and working out of a studio in bushwick.

cultureisland: tell us more about your art.

jason turner: i predominately make drawings on paper, but work in a number of mediums. currently my primary focus are line based “landscapes” that i started making around 2010 and have evolved to what they are now. i use graphite, ink, and gouache in a very methodical process based manner,  but also reliant on a more intuitive aesthetic play. i also make intimate portraits of people that don’t exist (and those that do), as well as more playful though ambiguous illustrative work.

cultureisland: what is your creative process? what led you to select drawing as a medium?

jason turner: i’m perpetually stuck between over thinking how ridiculous it is to make art or being totally stoked that i’m doing the same marks for 10 hours. so basically everyday is an adventure! i keep about 3 separate sketchbooks going at any given time, so i use those to work out ideas regardless if it comes to fruition in my studio. i have no idea what life would be like without a sketchbook, and urge everyone in the world to keep one, artist or not.

i bounce around a lot in my studio, always working on a number of things at various stages of seriousness. if i’m getting bogged down at my drawing table i’ll get on the floor to cut up scrap paper and spray paint on a collage. if that gets too loose (or my lungs start hurting) i’ll move to the wall and work on something there.  i think this way of working bridges the different lines of thought and dialog i’m having with myself at different levels of gravity. despite my diligence  with a sketch book, i tend not to lay out or plan the bulk of my drawings, letting them come more intuitively. at times i will work from a thumbnail, but more often times the narrative will be with me and i will build the story from there with each gestural line.

when i first moved to philadelphia, my work was a continuation of what i was creating in college; mostly figurative large scale oil paintings that were colorful, expressive, and full of angst. after a while i was exhausted of making this work and needed to take a step back.  i always made drawings, but they were always for a different purpose, and i never thought anything past that. so i started playing around, making drawings and grinding down graphite to use it like paint. my studio mates at the time were like “where the hell did this come from? make more!” and were super encouraging, so i kept at it. in the beginning my drawings were very representational  and slowly over time i became more and more deconstructed in form and in mark making. it all happened very fluidly and evolved to a more minimal but busy place.

cultureisland: tell us more about your factory drawings, landscapes and gravestones. what do they each represent?

jason turner: i started the factory drawings as color studies for fashion color palettes, balancing out the way i wanted to use the colors within a collection. the factories, are a direct result of my conflicting feelings on the industrial complex that is consumer fashion.  i mean, it's pretty gross if you really get to the brass tax of it. not only are the people making the clothes overseas, more often than not taken advantage of, but the consumerist blindness of origin, pollutants, and cost can be really soul sucking when you’re looking from the inside out. so my drawings became a way to look at that duality, beautiful colors arranged in a thoughtful and aesthetically pleasing way, to make a woman feel beautiful, and the ugliness of its production, and consequences on community.

the landscapes became about dismantling form and narrative from traditional landscapes. the subject matter is typically rooted in larger social narratives that are playing out in the world, mixed with my own fictional narratives. for me there is a very straight forward story line with a cast of characters, and location focal points, but they all exist in a space that is free from time. it's almost as though i approach them as a set maker; including all the information of the environment and its “props”, but excluding any stage direction. what happens in this invented landscape is decided by the viewers participation within the space to discover their own narrative. for instance, when you walk out onto the street you’re not seeing the same street scene as someone that was standing in the exact place 1 minute before. basically, they’re as much about the space between the dense lines as they are about the lines themselves. 

my gravestones are very simple and totally became part of my practice by accident. i make them in waves, typically  when something happens in the world and i’m prompted by the medias reaction to it. i can look at each graveyard scene and tell you exactly what happened in the news that week. i then fill the balance of stones with mortality jokes. i’ve always loved word play, so these are my way of taking the piss of death. nothing gets me down!

cultureisland: where do you find inspiration?

jason turner: oh geez, i find inspiration literally everywhere. i think conversation with friends or strangers or even general people watching can help you look through the eyes of others and reconsider view points, to help see less narrow views of things. i take a lot of pictures on the street of useless things that i may or may not ever look at again, but i basically just look around a lot and try and listen and be open to new things at all times.

cultureisland: who are some of your favorite artists?

jason turner: i’ve always been obsessed with albrecht durer, egon schiele, anni albers (and her husband josef). as for contemporaries i really dig eric yahnker, yuichi yokoyama, and my buddy ryan beck is a constant influence

jason turner // a conversation // sumi ink on paper // 22" x 30"

jason turner // a conversation // sumi ink on paper // 22" x 30"

cultureisland: what are you listening to right now?

jason turner: i’m always listening to a lot different things, it really depends on my mood or what i’m doing. lately in the studio i’ve been playing a lot of the make up, can, les rallizes dénudés, and joan of arc. the new unknown mortal orchestra record “multi love” is pretty on point too! 

jason turner // (untitled) maniac // mixed media on panel // 12" x 9"

jason turner // (untitled) maniac // mixed media on panel // 12" x 9"

cultureisland: have you watched anything interesting lately?

jason turner: ex machina was amazing, i really can’t give it enough praise right now. i’m also obsessed with the bbc4 series “what do artists do all day” -- really interesting 30 minute docs about a wide range of artists and their practices in a very casual manner (and they’re all on youtube!)

* check out more of jason's work here // instagram *

art // purse curse by suellen rocca // 1968

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saw this work last friday at the what nerve! alternative figures in american art, 1960 to the present exhibit at matthew marks gallery in chelsea. i love how rocca took a handbag and made it an art piece. the work was created during a period of rocca's life in which she took a break from art-making; instead the piece was part of what she considered her autobiography. i previously interned in handbag design at coach and it's interesting to consider this artful handbag and those that coach made around this time. then, bonnie cashin was the creative director; she was known for creating some of the first colored leather bags as well as the use of industrial hardware in accessories.

purse curse // suellen rocca // 1968 // oil on plastic purse // img via hyperalleric

purse curse // suellen rocca // 1968 // oil on plastic purse // img via hyperalleric

art exhibit // gordon harrison hull at bryce wolkowitz gallery

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my favorite exhibit of the summer, department of the interior featuring work by gordon harrison hull, just closed at bryce wolkowitz gallery. i love hull's work and it's inspired me to get drawing again; it's simply curious and colorful. one of these days i solemnly swear i will start a daily practice focused on drawing and poems. the exhibit was featured in t magazine in which hull said, "there's no such thing as a mistake -- i have to deal with anything that could be a mistake and i make it into something that's positive." well said.

cultureisland event // in good company // a pop-up featuring wares by btw ceramics + sin at horizons vintage

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i have another event coming up this weekend, saturday july 25th at horizons vintage in williamsburg, brooklyn!

earlier this year, i chatted with brooke of btw ceramics when i interviewed her for cultureisland. she shares a greenpoint studio space with her fellow ceramicist and good friend, virginia sin, who also creates ceramics but under the name sin. i was inspired by the ladies' close-knit relationship; i love how they work in the same medium but have very different styles and all the while support each other while creating under the same roof. then a few months ago i popped into horizons vintage in williamsburg and started chatting with the owner, breanne, about her shop. she has a unique selection of vintage goods featuring simple silhouettes that reminded me of brooke and virginia's ceramics. immediately, i reached out to all of them and thus was the birth of in good company, a day long pop-up bringing all fabulous parties together under one roof. i like the idea of mixing wares with wearable pieces in one space. hope to see you there!

more about our collaborative partners:

btw ceramics: btw ceramics is a ceramics line handcrafted by designer brooke winfrey in brooklyn, ny. brooke's aim with btw ceramics is to create minimal yet functional ceramics that are modern and approachable. all of the items are sophisticated but maintain a sense of playful elegance with a focus on small and unique details.

sin: sin is a brooklyn-based design company run by viriginia sin. with a focus on creating functional, handcrafted products that blur the lines between arts and crafts and design, virginia's pieces cozy houses into homes, leaving spaces feeling lived in.

horizons vintage: horizons is a williamsburg vintage shop owned by breanne didomenico. breanne stocks her store with an ecclectic selection of women’s apparel and accessories found on her many travels across the united states.

facebook invite.

cultureisland event // wanderer collage workshop // brooklyn collage collective x toms new york

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planned a wanderer themed collage workshop in collaboration with the brooklyn collage collective at the toms store in nyc next tuesday, july 21st. spots are limited so rsvp asap by emailing rsvpnyc@toms.com.

brooklyn collage collective: a collective of collage artists from brooklyn and the surrounding area. founded in 2013 by morgan jesse lappin and lizzie gill, the group is broadening the definition of collage through collaborative exhibitions, live collaging events, education and dialogues.

toms: blake mycoskie was inspired by children he befriended while traveling the world and thus founded toms in 2006. the company matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. the new york store also operates as a cafe selling shoes, eyewear and fair-trade coffee. they host a variety of community based events.

hope to see you there!

facebook invite

small talk // rose jaffe // illustrator + visual artist // washington, d.c.

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rose jaffe at the story park mural in noma // part of 50 artists painting on a parking lot - one of the largest public art pieces in the washington area 

rose jaffe at the story park mural in noma // part of 50 artists painting on a parking lot - one of the largest public art pieces in the washington area 

i first met rose jaffe in art school at the university of michigan back in 2007. i didn't know rose very well in school. she's always had a distinct artistic style and self-confidence that i seriously admire. it's interesting to see how her illustration work has evolved from drawing to painting to graffiti over the years. rose just goes for it and does her thing and it's inspiring and wicked cool. now she is based in dc so we recently caught up over the phone about our creative projects. i would love to organize an alumni show someday soon.

more about rose below:

rose jaffe // wood burned and acrylic painted funky ladies to be installed at a local coffee shop

rose jaffe // wood burned and acrylic painted funky ladies to be installed at a local coffee shop

cultureisland: tell us more about you.

rose jaffe: i was born and raised in washington, d.c. i went to school at the university of michigan school of art & design and had a wonderful four years in ann arbor. i moved back to washington after and have found a welcoming, growing art scene here. i feel like i am rediscovering the city as a young adult and truly loving what dc has to offer -- as an artist and member of the community. 

rose jaffe // "four women" mural at the fridge, local gallery in dc

rose jaffe // "four women" mural at the fridge, local gallery in dc

cultureisland: tell us more about your art.

rose jaffe: i am a trained illustrator -- i have a true passion for drawing. however lately i have been doing more painting, small and large scale. as an art teacher i always play with various mediums and enjoy the challenge of switching up the medium -- from printmaking to painting and even sculpture. the medium for me is just the form of expression, the language in which your art speaks. exploring new ways of “speaking” through art excites me. all of my work is figurative - with most focus on portraits. faces, bodies, expressions, fascinate me, and i never tire of drawing and painting them. 

cultureisland: how did your recent series, women in color, come about?

rose jaffe: women in color was an exploration and celebration of the community of women that have inspired me and fostered my growth as an artist post college. most of the portraits were of specific artists i have worked with or been mentored by, and others are interpretations of women with vibrant colors, sacred geometry symbols and dynamic forms of expression. all pieces were done on wood using a wood burning tool, wood stain and acrylic paint. 

rose jaffe // wheatpasted portraits

rose jaffe // wheatpasted portraits

cultureisland: where do you find inspiration?

rose jaffe: my community. my students. and sometimes pinterest. 

rose jaffe // wood cut out piece from her recent series women in color

rose jaffe // wood cut out piece from her recent series women in color

cultureisland: what is the dc art scene like?

rose jaffe: the dc art scene might look completely different depending on who you are talking to. for me, it mostly revolves around my studio space, 2b studios. i make my work there, host small events and use it as a place to bring artists together to talk, scheme and create. beyond that there are some wonderful galleries in the area that are constantly showing impressive works from civilian art projects to hamiltonian gallery. and of course, the extensive smithsonian museums provide endless hours of inspiration with some of the best resources and impressive collections from around the world. 

rose jaffe // "uprising" a collaborative piece with kate deciccio in solidarity with the protests in baltimore

rose jaffe // "uprising" a collaborative piece with kate deciccio in solidarity with the protests in baltimore

* check out more of rose's work here // follow her on instagram  *

shopstory // coming soon // lower east side, new york

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a few months ago, i stopped by coming soon new york and chatted with the boutique's owners helena and fabiana. the two super cool ladies met while working in the gallery world and now run this inspiring orchard street shop together. they spend many mornings doing studio visits with local designers and then head to the shop where they befriend customers and host events with other local businesses like mission chinese food and dimes. their shop features an eclectic mix of artful objects, home goods, jewelry and accessories. they are constantly moving around the whimsical merchandise, tweaking the lay out just like a house. i love the aesthetics of their store and the curated selection of quirky meets cool stuff. when fabiana and helena decided to open their shop, they knew orchard street was the place. they mentioned the close-knit relationship between all of the shops on the street and orchard street has now become a favorite of mine. i saw their rad multi-sensory installation of grace villamil's work a door within a door within a door at spring/break art fair in march. there's an installation of villamil's work in their shop and these "silo kits" are for sale so you can easily recreate one in your own home for $240.

be sure to visit their store at 37 orchard street!

cultureisland event recap // supreme sound // playlist

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a few weeks ago some folks hung out at von bar to take in some motown tunes and drink some yummy drinks to support bandseed. alix h. luntz + i pulled together a video collage that was projected on the wall (stay tuned for that) and dj von trap (michelle von mandel) did the motown tunes, see playlist below. thanks to all who came out + stay tuned for the next event!

art exhibit // swingers wknd @ bushwick open studios // curated by tribble & mancenido

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my longtime pals + collaborative art couple, tribble & mancenido, curated a stellar exhibit at bushwick open studios this weekend. swingers wknd featured creative work by an eclectic mix of contemporary artist couples including  russell tyler & trudy benson, ethan greenbaum & sun you, heather rasmussen & julian hoeber, gina magid & ryan steadman, tribble & mancenido, carrie yamaoka & joy episalla, holly coulis & ridley howard, jennie jieun lee & graham collins, jennifer coates & david humphrey, saira mclaren & mike hein and tamara zahaykevich & grant huang. the exhibition pays homage to a 1949 exhibit artists: man and wife at the sidney janis gallery. then, work by 9 renowned artist couples like jackson pollock & lee krasner, and françoise gilot & pablo picasso were paired together. sixty-six years later, tribble & mancenido "continue to explore the perpetual complexities of artistic partnerships that are reinforced by shared domestic spaces. each artist’s practice is embedded into one another, both subtle and layered despite their differing approaches to making work."

see images + more info below:

from their press release // the familiar narrative of the artist couple is steeped in the mythology of creative partnership. the married artist collaborative, tribble & mancenido will examined this archetypal phenomenon in their pop-up exhibit, swingers wknd.

the colloquial term “swinging” dates back to the sexual revolution of the 1960’s and is still used to describe recreational fornication between multiple couples. in the case of this exhibition, creative couples were invited to participate in an artistic orgy (pun intended) and to engage in free flowing discourse within a communal space. a few of the participating couples collaborated on producing work specifically for the show, while the individual members of each remaining couple chose to exhibit work from their personal artistic practices. objects from the couples’ homes were displayed alongside their respective works as symbols of domestic connectedness.

editorial // campfire // numéro may 2015

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i've never been one for camping since i'm highly allergic to mosquitos as well as trees, plants and animals of all kinds (no joke). but i saw this campfire editorial from numéro magazine and it inspired me to reconsider my disdain for the outdoor world.