JOHN VAN HAMERSVELD art exhibition "Drawing Attention"

 In which we attend the "Drawing Attention" exhibit of by John Van Hamersveld, one of the major art directors/graphic designers of all time, at his Cal State University Artist Reception, 9.7.13, info at bottom.  As creator of graphics for the iconographic "Endless Summer" surf film poster, murals for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and, amongst scores of thousands of jobs, the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street" release, he remains our own West Coast equivalent of Milton Glaser, another art director who draws and fellow producer of timeless pop cultural images (however oxymoronic such may sound, but that's how great art transcends.)  

Top photo, John Van Hamersveld explains oceanographic matters to a kindred former surfer, my better half Mr. Twister and to author ("Canyon of Dreams" amongst many other books) Harvey Kubernik. The artist had a hand in designing singer Mr. Twister's EP with his band Christopher Milk on United Artists Records some 42 years ago, whereas Harvey was a contemporary supporter of C.Milk and Twister's 1976-78 punk band Chainsaw, writing in the pages of Melody Maker. 

A 2000s example, the below drawing "Cats and Dogs" appears even more mesmerizing in person, as its ink wash images are accomplished on assorted tissue paper overlays as in the oldskool, pre-digital graphic art production layout processes. The tissue or vellum overlays of old constituted different colors to be printed. Here it's used for in person, 3-D effect.

Above, manga/anime frisson and an earlier self portrait. Below, Mr. Twister acknowledges a concert that he himself attended in 1968 at the Shrine Auditorium (where the Academy Awards Oscars shows later were held!) Van Hamersveld drew many of the classic psychedelic posters for rock shows of the era, as his San Francisco art buddies  Victor Moscoso and fellow surfer/surf artist the late Rick Griffin and he shared and traded Underground Comics influences.

 

Yours truly passes a pussy riot of colossal feline graphics from original drawing while documenting in photographic medium. Guest photographer for above and below pics, Kurt Ingham.

 Above and below: teeth!  Lots of 'em!  Van Hamersveld began stylistic tinkering with the male variant of the drawing, "Johnny Face" in 1969, evolving into the "Crazy World, Ain't It" logo seen on billboards for then rock radio station KRLA, and finally into the "Johnny Girl" drawing below that became an Art Direction Grammy winner for him in 1972 via the LP "Jimmy McGriff - Black Pearl."  

Possible influence:

the funster logo of

long ago Coney Island 

Steeplechase Park,

NY with its 44 teeth

(12 more than

normal.)

 The exhibit continues at California State University Northridge Art Galleries, 1811 Nordhoff St., Northridge CA 91330 in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley until Oct. 12, 2013. 
Call ahead 818 677 2156 for info as parking is somewhat tricky: we had to drive over a street curb even to approach the site, making our eventual getaway one step ahead of the parking fuzz...

9/11

A photo I took 41 years ago of ruins in Los Angeles. In remembrance of New York's 9/11 victims, R.I.P. . .

SUNFLOWERS @ DAYBREAK

Clouds remain a sufficiently rare occurrence where I live

that I'm drawn to document them. Cloudstalker!  

SUNFLOWERS @ NIGHT, TONIGHT

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

It's Labor Day in the U.S.A., we celebrate the working stiffs, and it brings to mind comedic duo Laurel and Hardy in "The Music Box" working harder than anyone ever has in the history of cinema. Hired movers in the plot, they cart a recalcitrant spinnet piano up the longest set of residential stairs in all of Los Angeles. Oddly for our instant tear down city, these steps are still here, betwixt 923-5 Vendome St. ascending to Decanso St at the top of a Sisyphean hill in the now trendy Silver Lake district. 

 

IGGY and THE STOOGES, live at the Queen Mary, Long Beach, Paraphilia Magazine photofeature link

 Have you always wanted even more current shots of these Stooges live onstage? Trundle over to Paraphilia Magazine, clicking LINK for my photofeature on Iggy and The Stooges' gig at the Queen Mary, Long Beach, California at the beginning of their 2013 summer tour! I counted at least 29 of 'em, plus my review of the show and pertinent quotations by assorted colleagues, fans and friends of the band.

  

 

And exclusively for FastFilmBlog readers, here's a shot at the gig not in the aforementioned photofeature, backstage left to right: original "Kill City" back cover model Evita Corby, lovely Linda Williamson, Stooges' guitarist James Williamson and FastFilm's friend Rico Cardinale, Beverly Hills A-list hairdresser to several of my photo sessions with James. 

KIBITZING with THE DOGS at CANTER'S

Inspired by guitarist/singer Loren Dog's gig with his other band Little Caesar at The Kibitz Room at Canter's Deli (see LINK,) THE DOGS pulled out all the punk stops and pulled the punk crowd into same. At top, Canter's habitue and Mayor of the Sunset Strip, Rodney Bingenheimer joins THE DOGS, who were the very first band played on the influential DJ's debut Rodney on the ROQ radio show, August, 1976.

Loren spent

a great

deal of the

set above the

ground or

showing

the Holy

Grail Guitar to

the enraptured masses with their tech devices at 

The Kibitz Room. As a new fan noted,"they do almost entirely different sets each performance," easy with their 40 years worth of material. Below, Paul L'Esperance of Shock leapt onstage to join in a rousing chorus of "John Rock And Roll Sinclair" during the encore.  

Ever the rebels, they
wish us to endeavor, as soon 
as humanly possible, to 
Free Pussy Riot!!
THE DOGS remain:
Loren Molinare, guitar, vocals
Mary Kay, bass, vocals
Tony Matteucci, drums, vocals

MORE PHOTO OPS:

Above, reunion for the Class of '77, with amongst others, Loren and Mary of THE DOGS, Paul L'Esperance of Shock, who often played with The Dogs, Vanilla, an original fan, and Tom Morris of Little Caesar.

 

Also above, O.G. Dogs cohort Stan Gullo with his brand new THE DOGS tattoo, Krista Wood (original Dogs' drummer Ron Wood's first wife,) and Ray Perez, sound guy extraordinaire for the Dogs since back in the day. Above right, Mary Dog, Al Temen and Leslie Knauer, who fronted Kanary, another of Mary's onetime bands. Below left, Kim Yee and Brian Zabawski, ardent new Dogs fans; and right, Eve Reynolds, ?, ?, Brenda Starr Light, Jamielle Stanley, Tony Matteucci.

MARY KAY of THE DOGS, stylin' for Violet Moon

(We photographed this the week Mary was in town for THE DOGS' gig at the Kibitz Room, 8.16.12, see next blog LINK, and I fashioned this copy for Violet Moon, which makes excellent quality, high end guitar straps as well see LINK.) 

MARY KAY, renowned bassist of the legendary Detroit/Los Angeles band THE DOGS, loves her Violet Moon bracelet cuff made by Dana Campbell, saying, "It's just exactly my style." 

Her music (and style) history: THE DOGS wrote their own original songs from the get-go in Detroit in the 1960s, and opened for the likes of MC5, The Stooges, Amboy Dukes with Ted Nugent, SRC etc. In the mid 1970s THE DOGS moved to NYC opening for Kiss, The Stilettos (proto-Blondie,) Television, Ramones and all manner of punks watchful of THE DOGS' pared-down but hardcore Detroit rock performed in their own torn jeans and leather jackets. "Our normal street clothes because," laughs Mary, "we couldn't afford stage clothes." In their Los Angeles relocation original punks era, THE DOGS' mighty "Slash Your Face" became one of SPIN magazine's all-time Top Ten punk singles. 

In the 1980s they performed with Van Halen, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses and, well, everybody, then sabbatical-ed in separate directions. But then the amazing occurred. The classic Detroit sound was vindicated though hundreds of thousands of fans and bands continuing to this very second. And THE DOGS' reputation via the emerging internet accelerated into its present, deserved status of bona fide, singular, committed, hardest rock/power trio/punk rock true legends. Europeans paid outlandish sums for long ago 45 rpm singles on THE DOGS' self-released Detroit Records. The Midwest reclaimed THE DOGS as native sons (and daughter) of Relevance, and brand new bookings, dvds, cds and tours of Japan, Canada and all across the USA ensued for the band. 

Thankfully, THE DOGS remain a touring and music-releasing band to this very day, forty years later with all commensurate energies plus tightest-playing, hardcore rock proficiencies intact!