new? year

What was your new years resolution? Mine was to master the art of simplicity - to pull things back a bit and take a harder look at the bigger picture with the aim of Alice-ing myself right through that looking glass into a more relevant place.

It's ironic then, that I stumbled on the name of the artist of some incredible vehicle paintings, whose aesetic seems to lie firmly in enhancing anarchy in the world. Kevin Cyr seems to stand against the "culture in which people are easily lured by the appeal of status-enhancing symbols", instead finding relevance and beauty in the trashy urban around his NYC abode. His focus in taking vehicles from their original and everyday context to give them them portrait status, while capturing the imperfections perfectly is simply gorgeous.

If you're in Canada, check out Cyr at Show&Tell Gallery
ATROPHIC EXISTENCE
December 11, 2010 – January 10, 2011.
Show&Tell Gallery, 1161 Dundas St. W, Toronto, ON, CANADA

overcome

If you know the story of Jónsi then it should come as little surprise that his track Go Do is the perfect accompaniment for the video to promote the "Lets Colour Project" - a world wide initiative from Dulux, Dulux Valentine, Coral and Marshall that aims to "spread colour all over the world" by teaming up with impoverished and local communities to paint the otherwise dull world around them.

Lead vocalist for Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, as well as an acclaimed solo artist, Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson would otherwise have the world as we know it stacked against him - being openly gay, as well as disabled - however his unbelievable falsetto voice and crazy amazing cello bow on guitar make him such a sound of now. His beautiful 2010 album "Go" produced by Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Tokyo Police Club) was an amazing buy and I recommend picking it up... perfect listening in on a Sunday afternoon with friends over for a warming up roast, or bbqs under coloured light bulbs in the summer afternoon sun.

Go by Jónsi on iTunes

Dulux Walls Ad - Director's Cut http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPpMWaSPt-s&feature=player_embedded