Berlin Germany Boxhagenerstrasse 36 D-10245 Berlin Phone: +49 30 9700 2035

@ the LA MART DESIGN CENTER

June 11-July 9, 2009

Look Gallery: "Local's Only" group show

Opening Reception thursday june 11th
SHOW RUNS: June 11th - July 11th

1933 S. Broadway, Suite 542
Los Angeles, CA 90007
www.lamartdesign.com

more info soon...

VIVE LA LUCHA!
Sunday June 14, 2009

luchadores include:
blue demon jr
huracan ramirez jr
phoenix star-zoke
los little vatos
ring chicas

performing live:
nortec collective, tijuana mexico
royal bloodline, mexico city/LA
sick jacken of pyscho realm
eric bobo of cypress hill
2mex maleco
and more....


The World Wrestling Association (WWA), LaUNnion1910, and the Re-Public Vision,present: “Vive La Lucha” Arts and Cultural Festival, a revolutionary collaboration of live Mexican style wrestling (Lucha Libre), music entertainment, and art exhibitions from numerous Latino artists. A diverse musical line-up, delicious food, art exhibition, topped by the very best of Mexico style wrestling make for the perfect day for a filled entertainment.

tickets/more info @
http://vivelalucha.com/
art: germs

checkout my interview here:
http://desmadrearte.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/jaime-germs-zacarias/




Featuring the work of -

Albert Reyes, Ana Serrano, Jaime (Germs) Zacarias, Antonio Pelayo, Xico González, Alberto Cerritaño, Michael Alverez, Jeaneen Carlino, Carlos DonJuan, 179, Victor Marka, Pedro de Valdiva, Julio Guerrero, Marco Zamora, Mario Campos, Manuel Rios, Robert Santiago, Vincent Pacheco, George Estrada, Alejandro Diaz

Vermillion Gallery in conjunction with Desmadre Arte present
“Desmadre: Fresh Latino Perspectives in America”, a group show of
emerging artists who are incorporating Latino cultural themes within
urban contemporary works. This exhibition is a view into the rich, yet
subtle manner in which Latino culture exists in modern American life.
The artists participating are influenced through a multitude of
references showing elements of the Mexican social realism of Orozco and
Rivera, the pop of Warhol and Cuban agit propagandist Rene Medeiros,
saturday morning cartoons, paño art, tattoo’s, and graffiti in all of
it’s manifestations.
There has been a growing underground for
Latino artists, centered mainly in the West Coast, that has become
increasingly tied with the contemporary Urban art community. These
artists have been incorporating imagery and themes that relate to their
Hispanic heritage and the American experience. While for many the
Spanish language has been sacrificed in efforts to assimilate, there
are other ties to a shared past that consistently appear in many of the
works included in “Desmadre: Fresh Latino Perspectives in America”.
Many of the artists explore the strong family experiences that factor
heavily in the Latino community, ranging from the mundane family
celebrations that mark the calendar to the strong female presence that
anchors so many families . These experiences are what connect the past
to the present and on to the future

As we head into this 21st century there has been a departure from the
old cultural identities. We are seeing what curator Nicholas Bourriard
calls the “Creolization” of culture, a blending of various traditional
cultures with some local specific contemporary elements. This show is
equally about this moment in history, a time in which America is living
up to it’s promise to be the worlds melting pot, as it is about any
given culture. There is a sense of reinvention present in much of the
work by the artists participating in the show, an urge to respect the
past while pushing forward to forge new means to celebrate their
heritage.

Hi-Fructose is proud to showcase an incredible array of artists in this year's group exhibition, "Overdose" at CoproNason
Gallery in Santa Monica. Stay tuned for more details, special guests,
and sneak peeks. Show opens April 4th, closes April 25th. Click for the
full list of artists.



Alex Garcia
Alex Pardee
Andrew Hem
Annie Owens
Anthony Ausgang
Attaboy
Bob Dob
Brandi Milne
Brandt Peters
Brendan Danielsson
Chet Zar
Chris Berens
Chris Owens
Chris Peters
Chris Scarborough
Greg "Craola" Simkins
Damon Soule
Dan May
Dan Quintana
David Correia
Ekundayo
Eric Fortune
Erik Alos
Femke Hiemstra
Germs
Glenn Barr
Gris Grimly
Jason D'Aquino
Joe Vaux
Josh Keyes
Kathie Olivas
Kenji Kokamoto
KMNDZ
Kris Kuksi
Kukula
Lola
Luke Chueh
Makiko Sugawa
Mars-1
Martin Wittfooth
McBess
Mia
Michael Page
Naoto Hattori
Nathan Spoor
Robert Hardgrave
Sam Gibbons
Scott Musgrove
Sergei Aparin
Shag
Skot Olsen
Thomas Han
Tin
Tom Haubrick
Travis Louie
Viktor Safonkin
Vince Cacciotti
Yoskay Yamamoto
Yosuke Ueno
Yoko D’holbachie

should be good....see you there.

POVevolving Presents: “Move! & Shake!” Los Angeles, CA : January 6th, 2009
POVevolving is very proud to announce its upcoming Valentines Day Exhibition being curated by Los Angeles
Collector Gino Joukar.
This unprecedented show will feature over 70 artists from the world of Pop Surrealism and will see the release of a
stunning limited edition box set of prints.
The majority of the participating artists will be contributing brand new pieces that have never been shown. A group
show of this caliber is certainly not common... this show is not to be missed.
Requests for a special preview link can be sent to MoversandShakers@povevolving.com.

opens this Saturday December 13th, 8:00pm- midnight

good art, party with live music, food and booze!

ARTIST LIST: Alex Garcia, Bad Otis Link, Bethany Marchman, Brandi Milne, Brian Viveros Brooke Kent, Charles Manson, Chet Zar, Chris Peters, Christopher Pugliese, Dan May, Dan Quintana, Delphia, Eric Fortune, Femke Hiemstra Jasmine Worth, GERMS, Jeff Gillette, Jimmy Pickering, Keith Weesner, Kevin Scalzo Kukula, Lauren Gardiner, Lola, Luke Chueh, Makiko Sugawa, Mari Inukai, Mark Covell, Martin Wittfooth, Michael Page, Naoto Hattori, Nathan Spoor, Nouar, Peter Forystek, Tin, Valarie Bermudez, Ver Mar, Vince Cacciotti, XNO & more

Bergamot Station
2525 Michigan Ave , Unit T5, Santa Monica , CA 90404
Ph: 310/829-2156
E-Mail: www.copronason.com

Coffee, Nicotine, Germs
Jaime Zacarias Presents His First Solo Show.
interview by Kamren Curiel

Born on the Cancer/Leo cusp (making him super creative and romantic) to Mexican-born parents, 27-year-old Chicano artist Jaime Zacarias is most popularly known on the streets as Germs, a nickname coined by the kids he used to skate with as a youngster growing up in Watts.

Influenced by Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, Keith Haring, and Tom Waits, Zacarias paints Chicano icons—Marcos, La Virgen, Lucha Libre, the Pope, and Cheech Marin—living in creature-like bodies with tentacles for hands and feet.

Deeper messages are found in darker images of the devil, Hitler, and a dig at LACMA's past Phantom Sightings exhibit. His theme of choice, though, is the luchador because it "masks identity and represents toughness and culture."

17 of Germs' paintings on the walls in preparation of opening night, Zacarias lights up a cancer stick, takes a sip of Tecate and opens up to Remezcla.com about his first solo exhibit So Low Brown.

ЯE: What does the name So Low Brown mean?

JZ: Lowbrow is a pop surrealism movement that started with Mark Ryden, Gary Baseman, and others. It's been going on for a while now, but when I started painting, I knew more about the Chicanos—Rudolfo, Romero, Carlos Almarez—so after showing in both circles, I wanted to merge both worlds. I started Low Brown, the marriage between Chicano and Lowbrow; a kinda humorous twist.

ЯE:What was it like growing up in Watts?

JZ: It was a very strict, religious upbringing. I used to go to church, but I wouldn't go in. My parents would give me a couple dollars for the limosna, and I was a little shady kid and [would] go buy candy with my friends. My dad was really strict so he kept us away from all the street life. I had a lot of friends who did graffiti. I never did graffiti, but I would do piece books, designs and motifs for writers and they'd go out there and piece them. My dad would beat my ass, so I was really careful of what I did.

ЯE: Did you ever get into any trouble?

JZ: At 18 I was locked up. I was working at Sears, giving away free TVs and having a little Christmas job to make money, but I got caught up with some friends.  With priors, trespassing, skating and stuff, I had to go to jail for 30 days. That opened up my eyes to get my stuff together. After that it was hard for me to get a job. No one would hire me because once you have a criminal record, they think twice. I had a job at Pep Boys, but they fired me as soon as they found out. That forced me to find a means to make a living.

ЯE: Is that when you turned to art?

ZC: Well, I never really focused in school. I was always doodling, drawing teachers, and getting in trouble. I liked going to school though and hanging out with friends.  I excelled in art classes.

ЯE: Was art healing for you?

ZC: I was in a really bad skating accident when I was 17. I was grabbing onto a car, slammed into a wall, and dislocated my shoulder and busted my face. I kinda went into a phase where I was detached from society. At that time I was drawing a lot, painting, and coloring. My mom passed when I was 19.

ЯE: When did you start painting seriously?

JZ: In high school, they entered me into some congressional art show. I got second place and the prize was a box of oil paints. That was all I needed. I never messed with oils before, so as soon as I got that box I took it to my backyard and started painting. I took [the painting] to class and my teacher liked it. From that point on, I painted.

ЯE: What were you painting back then?

JZ: Typical high school stuff: skulls, fire, hell, devils, guns, marijuana plants, the environment at the time. I was going through a dark phase, I guess.

ЯE: Is your work a direct reflection of who you are, or is it a fantasy?

JZ: I went through a phase where I was really into Keith Harring. I liked a lot of geometric shapes, colors, and I really had no direction of the painting. Little by little it would start to take form into its own thing.

ЯE: How did your work evolve?

JZ: I accumulated so much art that I wasn't selling and submitted it to Pasadena Art Center. I got some scholarships so I studied there for about two years off and on, taking figure drawing, illustration, and calligraphy. It was fun, but at the same time, I had a really beat up car so it was hard for me to get there from my house. Art Center has this really big hill so I had to go early just to pull over and let my engine cool down. I'd read a book, draw, wait like 30 minutes, and add more water just to get there, so it was a hassle. I liked it because it took me away from some of the problems at home.

ЯE: Where do you live?

JZ: I share a studio with Daniel Gonzalez (a printmaker) in downtown, across the street from the corn fields and rent a room in Bell with my brother.  He's married with two kids. I'm hardly ever home. I go there to sleep, so it's just a TV, desk, bed, and nothing else. All the chaos and crap is at the studio. So when I'm at home, I'm just resting, not even thinking about art.

ЯE: How did the solo gig come about?

JZ: I got tired of doing group shows. People kept asking me when the solo show was gunna happen. I had a little cash in my pocket at the time, so I lived off the money to pay for rent and gas, and built a body of work. It was pretty tough and took about six or seven months to get all the work together. I find ways to feed myself. Not by leaching off my friends, but since they know I'm an artist... I have a friend who owns a store by my house in Huntington Park, so I have coffee there in the mornings and find ways to hustle. I treat them well, do them favors, give them painting and drawings. I go through times when I feel antisocial. I can be by myself smoking a cigarette and feel comfortable.  I'm not really nervous because the work's aready done. I just let it speak for itself. I don't try to push it on people. If anything, I'll just make a dumb joke and create awkward moments. The collector's kinda confused, but if they understand it...whatever.

ЯE: What's the most you've made off a piece?

JZ: $5,000 to $6,000.

ЯE: JZ: When I was going to art school I started learning about the Chicano Movement. I identified with it a lot because my dad was going through the struggle. He was a day laborer and worked in fields a lot, so he would tell me stories about how he'd be working one week and the owner would call immigration just so he wouldn't have to pay them.

ЯE: What inspires you to paint?

JZ: It's more of a routine. I wake up in the morning, have coffee and know I got to be in the studio no matter what. The images just kind of appear. It's all spontaneous. I don't really plan it. I just work until it starts evolving into its own thing. It's more of a repetitive, compulsive thing to create. I can't stop doing it until I feel the piece is done. Then I move onto the next, which is a direct rip-off, but more evolved. I go through phases where I paint a lot and once I'm burnt out, I'll take a little break and hang out with friends.

ЯE: What are some of your other rituals?

JZ: Caffeine, alcohol and nicotine—the teens—they do it for me. There's something about coffee. When I was a kid, my mom (RIP) would put a lot of milk in and let us drink it, so it takes me back to that time.

ЯE: What do you like to paint on?

JZ: I went through a phase where I painted everything on wood. Now I like canvas and use acrylics. I gotta have really nice brushes—that's what motivate me too. When I have shitty brushes, it takes away from my work because I don't get the proper strokes and line work. So if I want to get a body of work together, I get a lot of new brushes. It's like having new shoes; you like showing 'em off.

ЯE: Is this something you see yourself doing forever?

JZ: Most likely. I don't really see myself holding down a job. It's not like I'm a bum or anything, but for the last 6, 7 years I've been painting full-time. It's a struggle, but it's fun. I know how to save money and stretch out a dollar.

ЯE: How do you promote your shows?

JZ: I guess you can say I'm a business man. When I was a kid I used to sell baseball cards to my neighbors and me and my brother would find little hustles, selling cans and bottles. I apply that to the arts. I don't know how I find my collectors. They find me. Just people I meet. They own businesses.

ЯE: Do you have a community of artists who support each other?

JZ: My first show was 13 y 13 = El Futuro at Self Help Graphics and focused on emerging Chicano artists from Los Angeles. I met Retna, Melissa Trochez, Luis Huffington, and some other artists. We developed a little network where we'd get shows and include each other in them.  Now we're doing our own thing and booking our own shows.

ЯE: Where do you kick it?

JZ: I'm more of a backyard hangout kind of guy.  I'm not the type who wants to go to these cool events. Most of my friends aren't artists, they're friends from high school, who have their own careers. I have friends who are artists, but usually it's at art shows that I'll see them. Being an artist, you meet a lot of different people. I have a photographer friend named Gil Ortiz and a graphic designer friend names Timothy Kummerow. These guys are as old as my dad and I like hanging out with them; they're a lot more mellow. They share their wisdom with me and I learn a lot. Sometimes I feel like I'm an old soul.

ЯE: Are you voting for Obama?

JZ: Yeah, of course. I'm gunna Barack the vote. [Laughs]


Get more Germs at http://www.myspace.com/germs4u.

july 12th
8-11:30pm @ copronason
2525 Michigan Ave,
Santa Monica, CA
..(310) 829-2156..