Strictly Social Blends Music And Art For A Monthly Evening Of Eclectic Soul Fusion

Strictly Social Blends Music And Art For A Monthly Evening Of Eclectic Soul Fusion - Artist/Designer Ritzy Periwinkle is featured at the March 26th event

Strictly Social has emerged as one of the Los Angeles soul scene's most significant new monthly events thanks to a commitment to the concept of "Eclectic Soul Fusion." Held on the last Wednesday night of every month in the North Hollywood Arts District of Los Angeles, Strictly Social is fast becoming one of LA's most unique monthly events incorporating listening parties for major releases, guest DJs, visual artist exhibitions and intimate performances from rising stars in the soul community. A collaboration between Soul Union, Nu-Soul Magazine and Elemental Consulting, this night of "Eclectic Soul Fusion" takes place at the gorgeous Skinny's Lounge, a charming venue with a speakeasy vibe. Each month Strictly Social aims to provide a non-traditional perspective on soul by fusing genres and styles. Artists that have performed at Strictly Social include Gina Rene, Peter Hadar, Jimi James, Rozzi Daime, and Jamal. Photographers Kawai of Air Philosophy and Gregory Prescott have displayed their work at previous events.

On March 26th Strictly Social is proud to present the visual art of LA's Ritzy Periwinkle, aka Marisa Estrada - a Los Angeles artist and designer with deep roots in urban art and music culture. The name Ritzy Periwinkle, a pseudonym that started among her and her crew, stems from "Maritza" (the way her birth name was originally supposed to be spelled) and the Crayola color, "Periwinkle". The tight beats and poetic lyrics of Hip Hop fuel her artistic creativity. Graffiti is one art form of many which Ritzy proudly incorporates into her work. Graduating from California State University Long Beach with a fine art degree with an emphasis in graphic design, Ritzy has created designs and artwork for Dilated Peoples, Aterciopelados, Sonic Youth, Calle 13, "I Am Legend", Slick Rick and many more. With art exhibitions in art and music hubs such as Los Angeles, Detroit and New York, Ritzy communicates a beautiful energy and respect for her community of women and people of color. Working in photography, illustrations, graphics, collage and creating a flourishing boutique t-shirt line, Ritzy compliments her gritty stylistic tendencies with a positive vibe that is attributed to her eclectic influences and unique background. Ritzy Periwinkle happily mixes music and art to her own beat, bringing pure harmony to her creativity.

Musical performances on March 26th will be provided by Mike The Poet, Taniq, guest DJ Seven57 and there will be an album listening party for Lina's Morning Star.

www.myspace.com/lastrictlysocial
www.ritzyperiwinkle.com
www.nu-soulmag.com

Listen Up ---- New Works by Tyler Gibney

Listen Up ---- New Works by Tyler Gibney.

Opening Reception Thursday, Oct 18th 7 – 10 pm, at the Upstairs Gallery.
The Upstairs Gallery is located in the X-Large Store, 1768 Vermont Ave, LA. CA 90027.
323.666.3483

***Also a special edition Listen Up 7” featuring Ty G and Ced No “Funk Dub” and Black Spade “A Song About Her” will be available at the opening.

More info:
http://www.myspace.com/hvw8tyg
http://www.hvw8.com
http://www.xlarge.com/blogs/

Scion Presents: Life Size

New art opening in LA from Scion, coming July 7th:


Scion Presents
LIFE SIZE
Curated by Francesco LoCastro

Featuring
Esao Andrews
Grant Barnhart
FEEDtank
R. Grimes
Ronald Kurniawan
LEBO
Francesco LoCastro
Roy Miranda
Manny Prieres
Christopher Ryniak
Josh Slater
Nathan Spoor
Jen Stark

July 7 – July 21 // 2007


Opening Reception
Saturday July 7 // 7-10pm

Audio by: DJ Pubes
Free Valet Parking

SCION Installation L.A.
3521 Helms Ave. (at National)
Culver City, CA 90232
Gallery Phone: 310.815.8840
http://www.scion.com/space

Rendition Coverage

Check out coverage of the most recent Scion opening in LA, Rendition:

Scion Presents: Rendition

Scion celebrates cutting edge art with the opening of a new show, Rendition, in its 4,500 square foot Installation L.A. Gallery. Curated by Eyeone, (Seeking Heaven Crew and Second to None), Rendition features artists Asylm, Cab, Jorger, Kozem, Klee, Luna, Mear, Panic, Passenger, Patrick Martinez, Skypager, Vyal, and Yem.

Eyeone began painting with aerosol during a boring summer break between grades 10 and 11 in high school. He forms part of the Seeking Heaven and Second to None street art crews. His work has been featured in diverse publications, notably the books “Graffiti World,” “Graffiti L.A.,” “Big Time Magazine,” and “Rime,” among others. He has exhibited extensively in the U.S. and is currently featured in an exhibition representing LosAngeles in France. Born in Mexico City, Eyeone was raised and is based in Los Angeles. He holds a MFA degree in Design Media Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Involved in the street art movement since 1989, Asylm began his quest to develop a recognizable street art style on the walls of the Los Angeles River. Asylm actively transfers the value of art as a mentor in community organizations such as the Los Angeles Conservation Corps’ Clean & Green program and Artcorps L.A. Asylm works with students to create colorful murals that can be seen throughout 20 schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Cab is regarded by many as one of L.A.’s most prolific street artists. Hailing from East Los Angeles, his work has traveled the states and the globe. He has been featured in countless publications, including “Lost,” “The History of Los Angeles Graffiti Art,” and “Graffiti L.A.”

Cache has turned the streets of his native Los Angeles into a vibrant outdoor gallery. His walls prominently featuring his trademark chicken characters can be seen throughout the city.

Seeing the graffiti in his East L.A. neighborhood inspired Jorger to pursue art from a very young age. This pursuit has led him to develop his visual style in diverse media, from skateboard graphics and apparel to painting and 3D modeling.

Klee's painting adventures began in 1992 in Guadalajara, Mexico and continue in L.A. to this day. Armed with spray paint, oil paint, acrylics, or sometimes a screen and a squeegee, he has worked on numerous surfaces including walls, trains, bridges, canvases, wood panels, metal plates, and other found objects. He considers his mission in life to speak and act against injustice through his art and to always find a way to exist despite all challenges. It’s in his blood.

Kozem is a highly active exponent of a new generation of urban artists. He lives in East Los Angeles.
Born in Mexico, Distrito Federal and raised in Los Angeles, Luna first became drawn to street art in junior high. "Something about it appealed to me, and I guess you can say I’ve been hooked ever since. In high school a friend of mine 'borrowed' Subway Art from the library for me and I loved it so much, it never went back. Since then I’ve experimented with spray-paint and other fun marking tools, but mostly I’ve spent my time documenting things – much of it graffiti – throughout L.A. (and wherever else I find myself) on good old-fashioned film. Every once in a while, I’ll pick up a can or two for mural projects and other such shenanigans. My eye is very drawn to walls, bridges, trains, buildings, and the paint found on these surfaces: hidden treasures in the midst of grotesquely large, obnoxious, and visually polluting advertisements plastered all over the city.”

Educated on the streets of Los Angeles, Mear is a self-taught painter, designer and sculptor with a professional art career that spans over fifteen years. The artist’s philosophy is clear in his name, which is an acronym meaning Manifest Energy And Radiate. His art is a passionate attempt to speak a higher form of language, encouraging people to raise their social and political consciousness and become involved in their own lives through creativity. Mear has achieved legendary status among the urban street art circle and has been recognized as an international art sensation. His raw, vibrant style catches the eye with its colorful intricacy and ensnares the mind with its deep, intriguing messages.

Panic is recognized by the Los Angeles street art community as a style innovator and influence on countless practitioners of the art. Most recently, he was a consultant on the monumental “Graffiti L.A.” book project. He is a member of the Seeking Heaven crew based in North East Los Angeles.

Since the vivid days of Patrick Martinez’s childhood he was drawing or scribbling on something. In his teenage years he was introduced to Hip Hop culture and exclusively to one of its elements, street art. Hip Hop has influenced his art ever since he understood what it was about. He uses subject matter such as everyday people that aren’t usually painted into the limelight and elements of the city that would be thought of as objects we take for granted. He keeps a steady career doing illustrations and design for clients such as ADIDAS, RIME, FRANK 151, NIKE, UPPER PLAYGROUND, SOUL ASSASINS, and STONES THROW. Patrick holds a degree in illustration from Art Center College of Design.

A native Angeleno, Passenger currently makes Long Beach his base of operations. He is a photographer and printmaker who documents everything from daily life to the underground punk scene.

Skypager’s work is a highly developed craft merging elements of typography, punk rock, skating, street art, and all the other syndromes of a city such as Los Angeles. His clients include NIKE, STUSSY, and X-LARGE. He is a member of seminal L.A. skate crew Shred Team and all-Cali graffiti crew Lords.

YEM is an acronym for Y x ENERGY = MOTION. Once known as Krenz, he is reminded of this equation every time he inks his name. With roots back to the L.A. Bomb Squad, K2S, and the mastermind of AMseven, he has nothing to prove. Transferring himself to France in the early 90s, he wrote his way around Europe. Stamping his mark one ink stain at a time, his name is synonymous with substance. His works strive for meaning and awareness; insight is etched into each piece. Now back in Los Angeles, he continues the development of this high-risk craft, working against the ink of night.

Vyal is currently living in Los Angeles. He is constantly booked for live street art and mural work. His technique and imaginative iconography grace the walls of many communities throughout the city. He will be speaking on street art at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in L.A. this spring.

Sheak has been dj’ing in unique fashion throughout L.A., including stints at the Beauty Bar, Le Deux, Vermont, Barcade, and Monroe’s.

An Echo Park local, Dr. Jules is premiering his documentary on L.A. street art at the Battle of the Year Festival in Montpellier, France.

Rendition refers to an interpretation of culture in Los Angeles, translated by the artists and presented in a visual form. For some of the artists in this exhibition, rendition alludes to the fact that some of their creative work, as in the case of street art, is often rendered, made to disappear, its whereabouts unknown. For others, rendition is literal: the rendering of an image fed by the experience of living in this city.

The opening reception takes place June 9, 7:00 – 10:00 P.M. at the Scion Installation LA Gallery, 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, CA 90232. The show will remain up through June 30.

Dedicated to fostering independent artistic expression, the Scion Installation L.A. Gallery is a space that allows artists to explore their creative visions. The new Scion Installation Gallery hosts art shows and art-related events for cutting-edge urban artists from across the globe. Due to success and growth, the Scion Installation L.A. Gallery recently moved from its Washington Boulevard location to Helms and National near the Hayden Tract area. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. and by appointment -310.815.8840. For more information, visit www.scion.com/space.

About Scion:Scion is the newest line of vehicles from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. Developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind, Scion’s mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level. The Scion brand features three groundbreaking models: the all-new xD subcompact five-door; the xB, an urban utility vehicle with an iconic shape; and the tC sports coupe. For more information, visit www.scion.com.