Maria Scavullo
by Dinika Amaral

“Emberface,” the main painting in Maria Scavullo’s exhibition at Lolita, shows the subject, a beautiful woman, with a scarf strangling her neck. The bottom of the scarf looks like a diseased penis and doesn’t fit-in with the rest of the painting. The woman’s eyes are gazing into the distance like she’s disassociating herself from her problem – men, which is something probably most women need to do.

Written by Mikal Saint George

Remember Saturday mornings when you were, like, eight years old? For me it meant waking up at my grandparent’s home (my parents had split when I was five and this was the neutral territory) at about 6 AM, running down the stairs into the “TV Room” and watching Saturday morning cartoons. This was usually over copious amounts of Lucky Charms, Honeycombs, Count Chocula and occasionally Frankenberry. Hours worth of Scooby Doo, Land of the Lost and Bugs Bunny followed. In those days no one complained of the inherent violence of the Road Runner. Kids were expected to like sugar.

Miss Van and the Power of the Pin-Up by Lauren Cerand

“I am doll parts/Bad skin/Doll heart” – Hole, Doll Parts

“I like it when it shocks people.” – Miss Van

It would make sense that an opening for an exhibition of the sexy, sloe-eyed, pretty girls packing some serious action and otherwise known as Miss Van’s poupées (“dolls”), would be…swelteringly, sizzling, hot. In more ways than one, naturally. Downtown denizens turned out in force for the debut of Don’t Be Shy at Jonathan LeVine gallery in Chelsea, where a fresh and fierce array of her twee temptresses is on display through October 8.

Now based in Barcelona, Miss Van earned her stripes on the streets of her native Toulouse – a city in Southwestern France that is home to a world-famous graffiti scene - where she set the standard for her peers and discovered an early affection for ruffling feathers.

by Liberation Iannillo

Opening this month at Zito Studio Gallery on Ludlow Street is an exhibit of new works by Joe Heaps Nelson in which the painter offers up subversive little slices of Americana.

Cheerleaders. Milk! Corn! Beef! Eggs! Pork! The jubilant teens proudly offer produce grown on their home turf. Bulldogs. Little friends with distorted faces that loyally sit at the end of the Barcalounger waiting for its owner to wake up from a carbohydrate induced coma and offer a little TLC. Highway rest stops. Filler’ up and while you are at it, get yourself a bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle! Mmm! Wooly mammoths…well, see for yourself. Joe Heaps Nelson’s view of American life is taken straight from the source. His imagery, derived from various sources ranging from old catalogues to photographs he has taken himself, is a window that reveals both the excitement and the banality of life in the heartland.

by Liberation Iannillo

The artist collective known as CUM* have an approach to street art that would make Hustler Publisher Larry Flynt extremely proud. Finding their way onto the exteriors of very public buildings are wheat pasted images of coquettish brunettes flashing onlookers, women on their knees dishing out some oral, and preening pin-ups seducing passerbyers. Taken at face value, unsuspecting civilians might be offended by the nature of the work, perceiving it as nothing more than the continued exploitation of women. But in a time when mass media advertising is all too heavily borrowing from the porn industry, can fingers really be pointed at someone for crossing the line when the line itself is already so blurred?

by Liberation Iannillo

For the documentary, Wide Open, filmmakers Paul Lamarre and Melissa P.Wolf have taken on the monumental task of connecting the dots in a story involving an imprisoned artist, a police brutality case and a corrupt prosecutor in the state of Ohio. It’s a frightening reminder that the culture wars are far from over.

by Liberation Iannillo

If you live in New York than you have most likely seen the work of Jet + Rubble in the form of giant, Japanimation-like stickers plastered on the peepers of celebrities featured in ubiquitous advertisements that take over the city. The duo refers to themselves as “urban environmentalists,” caretakers of the city streets who dutifully redefine the environment that has been handed to them.

by Liberation Iannillo

Tiffany Bozic works with contradictions, reality and illusion, natural and unnatural. Disproportionate women, seductive flowers and distressed birds fill the landscapes of the world she creates, a world that is neither dangerous nor entirely safe.

by Liberation Iannillo

After spending even a short amount of time with Molly Crabapple I get the feeling that she is from another time period. Her style, poise and wicked sense of humor seem more appropriate for a European courtesan than a present day artist living in New York City. Her illustration work possesses a sharp and worldly intelligence which should come as no surprise considering Crabapple has traveled Europe, Africa and had landed herself in a Turkish jail all before the age of 21.

by Liberation Iannillo

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 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?

THE FOUNTAINHEAD

“Impressionism has depth but is also pretty. I definitely turn my back on it.” With those words, artist Samm Cohen stirs up more questions than she answers.

By Lauren Cerand

Samm Cohen has a friendly and open manner and sitting across from her, one can’t help but think of the same pixie-ish appeal of Scarlett Johansson or Fairuza Balk. Her large, luminous blue-green eyes are a striking contrast to the shock of cropped blond hair that bursts into view when she pulls off her ski cap and sits down to talk with Trigger at DT/UT, a local café.

by Dennis Spafford

Gonzalo Papantonakis recent exhibition in New York, "See Music", was a successful attempt to incorporate music into a visual medium. From laminated music standards to crudely hand written lyrics directly on the canvas, all of the pieces in this show adhere to Papantonakis’s goal of “seeing” music.

The Art of Alchemy and Iconography by Liberation Iannillo

America loves its icons. We fawn over our ill-fated silver-screen bombshells and we incredulously stare at our art deco skyscrapers, so it should be of no surprise that our culture isn’t lacking incredible imagery to offer the rest of the world for consumption. Icons fascinate us not only for their intended meaning but for the many interpretations and ideals that get projected onto them. To most Americans our office buildings have come to symbolize success, that after years of education and working your way up the corporate ladder, you have finally ‘made it’ or so the myth goes. But to some in other countries, those same buildings are 110 stories of pure evil and represent everything that is wrong with Western culture.

by Jessica Cogan

In the 1960's, New York City commissioned artist Peter Max to trick out a fleet of city buses. His bold, psychedelic designs proved magical for at least one ten-year old waiting for the #10 cross town – that boy became legendary graffiti artist Zephyr. As he puts it, “When one of those tripped out buses pulled up at the curb, it was something so magical. Words don’t convey the experience…and riding those buses had a huge impact on me.”

Out on the Streets by Liberation Iannillo

Some welcome what has come to be known as street art, others see it as another form of vandalism and call the police. Over the past few years, like it or not, street art has slowly slipped into mainstream culture. Absolute Vodka has used street artists to design national ad campaigns. Both MTV and Comedy Central take full advantage of the esthetic, in particular the latter whose logo can be found dripping paint on the bottom right hand corner of your television on all of their programming. Though their audience tends to be on the younger side, there is still an audience.

Face Value by Mikal Saint George

When was the last time you looked at yourself, I mean really looked? If you got up right now and looked in the mirror, what would you think? Would you be proud? Would you be horrified? Time can be cruel. I was once what many called beautiful but I have morphed into “attractive” and “interesting.” I have grown to the point where I have character, a style. It was easier when I was beautiful. Drinks were always free, tables were easy to score in the best restaurants and I could stay awake for 72 hours straight without showing it. I am happy to say that when I look in the mirror I love what I see. I am still pretty good to look at and I am loved by people too good to be true. I walk into the world every day and I am privileged to meet some of the most astonishing people put on this planet. So let me tell you about Antony Zito.