One more...

As if there wasn't enoughgoing on this weekend, Rabbit Hole is having a show of new work by former Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh. I didn't know he made art but there you go.

Upcoming Shows

Youngblood Fundraiser

Message from Youngblood Gallery:

Hey everybody!

We could really use your help! We have our annual fundraiser coming up on June 2nd. And we could really use some artwork!! We haven't collected any so far and we're gettin' scared. I know most artists are last minute but, please ease our fears and drop some art off!!

Our YB fundraiser is at Lenny's this year we are combining our two annual events. So it will include (Silent Art Auction, a raffle, door prizes and The Selmanaires and Anna Kramer will be playing along with a Dance party at midnight- DJ'd by DJ GNOSIS and Decibaca)

Please Drop off work

THIS
WED OR FRI 12-6
THURS 12-7
SAT AND SUN 12-5

or NEXT
WED or FRI 12-6
or THURS 12-7

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! This is what keeps us alive throughout the
YEAR!!

ATL on Wooster Collective

Wooster Collective is, in my opinion, the premier blog about street art, and recently posted a picture from under the Freedom Parkway Bridge here in Atlanta. Here is my favorite pic of mine from that spot. Check out Wooster's post here.

Pray for ATL

Adult Swim is at it again...

This time its a full album of new indie music from the likes of Broken Social Scene, TV on the Radio, The Rapture, Les Savy Fav, and all those other bands you kids are listening to. This is the third free album I've downloaded from Adult Swim and they know what they are doing.

Local Animation + Tindel Interview

Thanks to local animator Brett Thompson for this info.

"SIFA-Atlanta presents Roll Yer Own, a showcase of independent and student animated work, wooo!

Roll Yer Own will be held at the 5 Spot on Monday at 8PM. We've got a great line up this year. A mix of 3D cgi, traditional 2D, stop-motion, Flash, and rotoscope so come on out!!"





Also check out Ghost Map Microwave for an interview with Atlanta artist John Tindel.

New Paintings by David Hale

David Hale is an artist that I met when living in Athens, GA. He paints amazingly vibrant, glowing wildlife spectacles and is currently on tour with Dubconcious, where he does live painting during shows. Later this summer you can see his work in a group show that I'm curating at Beep Beep Gallery. Until then check out these new paintings that he posted on his myspace page.

"Groundwork" in a broader context

A couple of weeks ago Foundation One Gallery opened their first anniversary exhibit "Groundwork", a show that collected pop surrealist art from across the country including some local talent. I'd been hoping to conjure up some sort of collaborative review of the show, but it was not to be. If you didn't get a chance to see this show you can check out pics of the art work here. For me, this show really represents a lot of issues regarding the local art scene, the pop surrealist movement, and Atlanta's place in the art world, lowbrow or otherwise. On one hand I was very excited to see so many west coast artists represented as this is extremely uncommon in Atlanta's underground scene. But more important for me was the level of the work submitted by local artists including TindelMichi, BORN, and one of my favorites of the show, Blink. The locals showed a similar level of talent without completely succumbing to the inclinations of west coast lowbrow. I hope that this trend can continue, allowing a unique style of southern underground art to progress without total assimilation into the pop surrealist movement. The fight against globalization is difficult, and I think that influences from around the art world are important, but should be transcended by local artists with their own culture and experiences incorporated. This is my hope for Atlanta, and I believe that galleries like Foundation One can help us to achieve this by continuing to show the best artists they can along with local and emerging artists. If anyone has thoughts on this, please comment or email me because this is something I've been thinking about and would love to discuss further.

This week at Beep Beep

Bryan Westberry first solo exhibition opens at Beep Beep Gallery this Saturday, May 19th. Bryan is a great illustrator with a graphic novel aesthetic and a knack for dynamic compositions. I'm not sure what he has in store for us but I'm excited to find out.


DJ Beatamator will provide music for the opening. Check out his myspace page to listen to his dreamy, instrumental hip-hop bordering on trip-hop. DJ Shadow and Portishead come to mind.

If you can't wait for the opening to get into Beep Beep, I hear that a preview of the art will be up during the Foxtrotsky CD release show on Thursday, May 17th.

I Hate Crocs

If you hate Crocs as much as I do, check out I Hate Crocs [dot] Com.

Chimeras, Juxtapoz, and a stencil

Yo Yo Boutique in Cabbagetown, a small gallery that tries to have as little publicity as possible while eternally scheduling their shows up against other huge art shows around town, has a show coming up this Saturday, May 12th:

LEGEND OF THE CHIMERA
Large group show featuring paintings, sketches, sculpture, video, photo installations by Stephanie D. Howard, Jennifer Kornder, Jason Murphy, SatKirpal, Travis Smith, Atom 7, Barbara Frey, Judson Akin, Dosa Kim, MICHI, JR Schultz, Erin Bassett, Sam Parker, Zano, Stenvik Mostrom and more.
Superdelux's own Ben Arnold will be hosting a powerpoint presentation on his archaeological Chimera findings!!!
@ YOYO 188 Carroll Street CABBAGE TOWN p404-389-0912
This event is hosted by PBR

Here is a rediculous blog post about Juxtapoz Magizine and the "Lowbrow" art movement. A very good read.

Here is a pic of a stencil piece I saw the other day:

Stuff: Banksy, MTV+ATL, AEW

The Newyorker just printed a very interesting article about Banksy. In case you didn't know, Banksy is the greatest artist of our time.

Thank you to "Confessions of a Music Addict" for directing me to this MTV video clip about the Atlanta rock scene. The clip features Snowden, Manchester Orchestra, The Black Lips and Deer Hunter.

Attractive Eighties Women are playing tomorrow night at Ten High. Their flyers have been really amazing lately. Check out this one:

Another fucking skate deck show...

I have mixed feelings about Youngblood Gallery's upcoming skate deck art show "Sk8 or Die III." Although it is inherit in the title that they are not the last to arrive at the party, it still seems well over done. I believe that Youngblood will do the medium well and put on a good show, in fact the street will be closed off for skate ramps, etc. However, I hear a lot of grief from people about gimmick art show that choose a canvas and get as many artists as they can to make art on the given item. There seems to be some thought that despite this over explored format, it is still cool to have skate deck art shows. "Why not have a canvas show?" I was asked the other day. I don't know. Unless the deck is addressed somehow in the art work, it really is just a canvas, and will make for a very scattered exhibition. I'll wait and see if this show can transcend the cliche, they do have most of the solid local artists contributing. I know I will be there, giving it the benefit of the doubt. If you want to see a recent skate deck show that really utilized its medium and took the stereotype to another level, check out the Refill Seven website here.

Mix Tapes: A Call For Artists

MINT is a new non-profit organization that has been putting on art shows for about as long as I have been writing this blog (since last November). They tend to have group shows that put established artists right next to emerging ones, in an attempt to help foster the art community. MINT has been jumping from space to space, biding their time until they get their space renovated. I'm honored to be curator for the grand opening of that space this summer. In preparation for what is going to be another large group exhibition (this time based around the idea of the mix tape), I am putting out a call for artists to participate.

MINT
MIXT

Call for submissions

"The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules."
-high fidelity

MINT is looking for artists to participate in its upcoming mix-tape art show titled MIXT. We are asking that selected artists will create a mix tape (you remember cassette tapes don't you) and accompanying art work to show (and be heard via walkmen) at the grand opening of MINT's new gallery space this August. We are also open to proposals for mix tape inspired art, projects, or installations outside of our suggested format. If you are interested in participating, please send samples or links to previous work, as well as a short proposal if you plan on being extra creative, to me at mike.germon@gmail.com

We will also be looking for people to donate/loan walkmen for use during the exhibit.

Thanks,
Mike Germon
mike.germon@gmail.com

Tee Shirt Dance Music Video (Justice - D.A.N.C.E.)

This video is amazing.

Slow week...call for suggestions

I've been slow posting things this week due to extreme business on my part and a bit of a lull in the underground art world. Don't worry, there are bunch of cool shows coming up in the next couple of months including a couple of skateboard shows, kites, mixtapes, and Foundation One with the impossible task of living up to their last show. In the meantime, I'm working on upgrading to Thought-Marker 2.0. Hopefully I'll be up on ThoughtMarker.com in the next couple of months and the site will be better, stronger, and faster. We have the technology. Anybody who has any thoughts on improving the site, please leave a comment or drop me an email at mike.germon@gmail.com. I already have a list of improvements and changes to make, but I'd love to hear what other people think, so let me know.

Killer Weekend Links

Thursday night, I attended the Atlanta premiere of Blood Car. Friday night was Cinemechanica at The Drunken Unicorn. Saturday I helped out on the film Pushing Up Daisies, then hit up the opening for "Groundwork" at Foundation One.