Shepard Fairey’s newest political installation took over the corner of Houston and Bowery this weekend and NYMAG interviewed the artist during the raising of the piece. The space is a wall formerly occupied by Os Gemeos and made famous by Keith Haring. The Os Gemeos painting is preserved, but who knows how long Shepard’s collage will occupy the space. I’m curious if the artist will weigh in on the Arizona debate. Maybe an Alcaraz/Fairey collaboration?

A Fairey Alights On Houston And Bowery [via NY MAG]

Director and producer Tamra Davis shot footage of New York City artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in the late 1980′s before the artist died of a drug overdose. After 20 years, she’s revealing her archives to the world in a new documentary called “The Radiant Child.” The trailer above speaks for itself and, quite frankly, I’m emotional about what this new documentary may hold.

Basquiat was more complicated than the drugs, relationships and fame he was known for. His charisma involved a complex identity, a serious appreciation and love for culture and a thoughtfulness the like seen in this final episode interview from State of the Art.

I’m not sure about the film’s release but Arthouse Films is distributing. Updates soon to come.

via FF

I love searching the interwebs and stumbling upon something that makes me go “holy shit, yes!” Artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot’s new installation at London’s Barbican gallery combines electric guitars and the curiosity of zebra finches. What aspires to be a fusion of the mechanical meeting nature also emphasizes one true fact: finches solo better than I ever will. Seriously, why didn’t I ever think of using a twig as a guitar pick?!

Details: 27 February 2010 – 23 May 2010
The Curve

Tickets: Free admission
Times: Open daily 11am-8pm
Open late every Thu until 10pm

Actual Birds Cover Sonic Youth (in Spirit) [via The Fader]
Gallery Information [via Barbican]

Occasionally a televised soccer game will display a graphic specifying the mileage of a midfielder. They run a lot. Sometimes the graphic will state 6 miles, sometimes 10. I was fortunate enough to see Zack De La Rocha of Rage Against The Machine perform about 10 times, and I’d guess he bobbed, thrashed, pogoed, quick-stepped, slashed, crashed and catapulted the equivalent of a marathon during any given show. You’re talking about 14-16 songs performed with the same energy as the song above. Loteria Chicana notified me of Zack De La Rocha‘s birthday, which is today. He’s 40 now. Happy birthday, homeboy. I’m betting you can still out-mosh any of us.

This day in Chicano History: Zack de la Rocha (1970) [via Loteria Chicana]

New York City is a bit misty-eyed tonight because two of the city’s coolest residents decided an opportunity to live in South Africa for five months was just to good to pass up. We’re bidding them adios tonight. Flurries have been falling consistently for the last 24 hours and it doesn’t look to be letting up. I’m going to take this track, channel it through my bones and use it to keep my soul nice and warm. Let’s brindis to world travelers and global shakers!

I’m the exact age when Ira Glass–host of This American Life–was still a mediocre reporter (his words). I’ve probably been blogging for just as long as he was in radio and I’m still unsatisfied with the way my blog looks, feels and evolves. At least my blog fluctuates much like our generation–unstable, morphing, extending and believing everything is within reach. And Ira tells me to keep doing it, to think less and do more. That should be 2010′s motto. “Think Less And Do More!” Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Chinati Center Art Classes from Alejandro De La Cruz on Vimeo.

Nina and I wouldn’t allow Marfa’s closed shops, boutiques and galleries to snuff out our enthusiasm for adventure. Enlightened by some wonderful interns at The Chinati Foundation, Nina and I ventured over to the center for an Origami and paper-making workshop. I kept my hands clean and out of the pulp because someone had to shoot the action.

I recently acquired a Netflix subscription and spent an evening watching Johnny Depp’s performance in “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.” I’ve been on somewhat of a HST binge the last few weeks. I started with William McKeen’s “Outlaw Journalist: The Life And Times of Hunter S. Thompson” and then watched “Gonzo: The Life And Times Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.” It’s hardly a moment of discovery for me. The man has been influencing me for years. Yet, something is changing about how I see the Doctor. I’m no longer adhering to his belligerence. I no longer care about his drug-riddled angst.

“Gonzo: The Life And Times Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson” is a film intending to capture Hunter’s ferocity, his dedication, his tortured soul and his brutal, yet expected, faltering. It’s a genuine portrait of Hunter’s days as a young reporter to his inevitable, and still painfully haunting, demise.

[via Consequence09]

According to Wikipedia: [Paul Otlet] was an author, entrepreneur, visionary, lawyer and peace activist; he is one of several people who have been considered the father of information science, a field he called “documentation”. An emphatic “Hell Yeah!”, Señor.

Video [via Oso]