March 2005 Archives

Though graffiti has its roots in Philadelphia, by the early 70's New York City was ground zero for this wild new form of expression. In 1971 The New York Times spoke with an artist from Washington Heights by the name of TAKI 183. Working as a messenger he frequently tagged the subways while out making deliveries. Though he wasn't the first graffiti writer, he brought attention to this new subculture of artists. With New York City quickly becoming saturated with graffiti, the writers welcomed the challenge of finding new ways to stand out in the crowd. One of these artists was Eric Orr.

by Mikal Saint George

Versani is as much a state of mind as it is a design concept. Pieces are bold without being overbearing. Gemstones, be they garnets or diamonds, are luxurious but not ostentatious. It is rare to find an emporium in the elitist land of Soho where you can purchase a snakeskin and sterling silver choker for you rock star boy/girlfriend, a turquoise pendant for your mother and a custom designed platinum and diamond engagement ring all in the same place. Welcome to Versani.

Illegal To See:
A Portrait Of Hustler Culture By Amos Badertscher

Leslie-Lohman Gallery

By Dennis Spafford

A monk asked Kegon, "How does an enlightened one return to the ordinary world?" Kegon replied, "A broken mirror never reflects again; fallen flowers never go back to the old branches."

-Zen Koan

Perhaps this Zen Koan used for meditation will make more sense after you see the Amos Badertscher exhibition which is currently being shown at the Leslie-Lohman Gallery in Manhattan. With terrible accuracy, Amos Badertscher succeeds in conveying one of the saddest realities in our society and enables us to experience a unique brand of compassion.

By Jessica Cogan

He belongs to an artists' collaborative called Goldmine Shithouse. He's played in a band named Murder Baby. He creates collages of demons, monsters, angels and disembodied human parts. He collects ladders. And he has a cat with whom you should avoid eye contact.

David Hochbaum is one strange fuck. But aren't most of the people worth knowing?

1. Where did you guys come up with the concept for the airborne kicks?

The Urban Legend of tossing dogs is decades old. We flung up our old kicks just like everyone else growing up in New York, it was all about representing your 'hood. As we got older, we knew about the myths of hanging sneakers - like they represent where drugs were being sold or where someone has died. It was the fact that it was undefineable that intrigued us to continue our childhood mission.

Interview by Mikal Saint George
Photos by Evan Sung

For more than 18 years, Dixon Place has been a burgeoning artist's fantasy playground. Part 19th Century Parisian salon, Part 20th Century bohemian, beatnik crash pad and now poised to be a 21st Century powerhouse, Dixon Place has managed to defy description while simultaneously defining the downtown theatre scene in its purest most elemental form. Dixon Place is a laboratory for artistic experimentation, a Petrie dish for creative ingenuity, a public microscope to study embryonic work and most importantly, an incubator to nurture the frailest of artistic endeavors, passions and creative visions.