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Artist Gordon Skinner the Subject of a Documentary About His Expressionist Paintings with a Social Message (Video)

BD3 — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:44:53 +0000

In an attempt to feed the curiosity that will forever be the hunger of my mind, in recent times I’ve delved quite a bit into the world of art. My fascination with the creative process has led me down an interesting path of some interesting contemporary artists, gallerists, curators and many others in the world of fine art. This past summer I shot a short documentary with abstract painter Robert Wilson which led me to attending the group show “Become a Collector” at the Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery. This is where I saw the works of Gordon Skinner who had a painting and some drawings in the show. What stood out to me about his work, was that it was raw and full of detailed ideas and personal statements. The kind of art I liked was always rough around the edges and took a while to examine and absorb. I was never moved by paintings with precise lines and perfect shading, to me those things lacked imagination, personality and as far as I was concerned I might as well be looking at a photograph. So when I saw Gordon’s portrait painting “Fotolia”I felt instantly connected to it. It was simple, it was complicated and some of the elements boggled my mind as to how they were conceived.

I didn’t know what Fotolia meant, as it sat written just over the shoulder of this colorful figure, but it reminded me somehow of one of my favorite films City of God. City of God is a foreign film recorded in the Portuguese language about a kid who wants to be a photographer, growing up amidst the poverty and violence of the notorious favelas in Rio de Janiero. I think the connection may have come from the concept of watching a film in a language you don’t understand but visually seeing what’s going on and comprehending. That was precisely my reaction to Gordon’s Fotolia painting. I vaguely knew what the word meant, the obscurity made it more interesting, but the expression in the figure in the portrait was evident. It drew you in.

Before the reception was over I met Gordon and talked to him about his work, where he was headed as an artist and the things I do with video at Take Notice Productions. One of the things that stood out immediately was his choice of shoes that night. A multi-colored pair of beaded shoes by Donald J. Pliner, just as expressive and colorful as his paintings. I would later come to find out that he has an extensive collection of unique shoes and loafers. Once I showed him the short artist documentary video I did for Robert Wilson, weeks later we began talking about shooting one for him.

The process after that was an in depth discussion, a dialogue about ideas and concepts for the doc. He had a clear vision for what he wanted to convey about his art, we talked about these things, I took notes.

Original Notes for Stolen I.D.

He already had the title for the doc, he knew how he wanted to open with quotes in text about his purpose as an artist. I knew I wanted to include a lot of b-roll footage of the inner-city environment, regular folks living. I knew I wanted the majority of it to be in black and white with small elements of color for emphasis of it’s importance. I knew the music I wanted to use was going to have a dark tone to it. I used the music from one of my favorite artists Gil Scott-Heron, the song Me and the Devil from his last recorded album just before he passed away last year. Later I would find out that Gordon and Gil shared the same birthday, that’s what I call one of my omens. We hung out, talked about art some more, current events, fashion, looked at other full length documentaries, we even went to the one weekend only Watch The Throne store in NYC that I wrote about in a previous blog (both of us are huge fans of Kanye West and Jay-z). I felt like one of the writers from the New Journalism movement that I read about years ago. After all that was done, I compiled all those elements together and this is what I came up with: Stolen I.D.:Fragmented, Colonized and Lost:

louboutin spikes, rollerboy, Basquiat, Picasso, HIV,

Gil Scott-Heron on John Lennon’s death: An excerpt from Gil’s book “The Last Holiday”

BD3 — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:00:53 +0000

In a previous blog, I wrote about attending a Gil Scott-Heron show in NYC at the Blue Note where Gil, in one of his most memorable stage commentaries, spoke about having to break the news about John Lennon having just been murdered. The show he was performing at was a part of a tour with Stevie Wonder, a campaign tour to help push legislation in making Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday a national holiday. At the show Gil said Stevie Wonder looked to him for insight into when and how to break the news to their audience. This is a time, before cell phones, before Twitter updates, they were the source for breaking news such as this to this audience of 17,000.

Cannongate has just released this excerpt from this chapter of the book along with an audio excerpt that Gil reads himself. He calls the chapter “Deadline”. Read and listen to the excerpts to find out why. Very fascinating. I can’t wait to read the book when it comes out in January.

Read and listen to the excerpt here:

http://www.canongate.tv/gil-audio

My Weekend in Harlem: Aloft Hotel, Museums, Fela, Jazz and Red Rooster

BD3 — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:58:46 +0000

A few months ago I attended an outdoor concert in Harlem that was a part of the Summerstage series of events in public parks throughout NYC. I previously reported about the show here, as I went with camera in hand and took photos and a few video clips of the show. The Miguel Atwood-Ferguson ensemble band was performing and a friend of mine, Brandee Younger, was one of the many musicians playing in the band. After the show there was an after party at hotel “ALoft” on 124th Street, right smack dead in the heart of Harlem. The hotel is across the street from Magic Theater and walking distance to The Apollo. In attending the after party, I was lucky enough to win a raffle where the prize was a free hotel weekend stay at the fairly new hotel. After a few months, I finally took advantage of the offer toward the end of October.

I’ve always been fascinated with Harlem. Growing up reading about all its rich history, especially The Harlem Renaissance with all the great writers like James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and painters like Romare Bearden, all the great thinkers like Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X who called this very place home at one point in their life. All the great jazz musicians who lived and played in Harlem and were on the steps of that historical “A Great Day in Harlem” portrait. So to be able stay a weekend at a hotel in the midst of that history was great.

The first day I stayed at the hotel, one thing I found interesting was a group of folks marching down 125th Street in memoriam of Muammar Gaddafi who had just been killed a couple days prior. My thought was of Gaddafi’s historical support of The Nation of Islam and The Nation’s great presence in Harlem. Never a dull moment on 125th Street, it’s such a lively place to be with the vendors lined up all along the strip. I bought some all natural black soap and a new mango butter one I hadn’t seen before from one of the vendors. They were 2 for $5 and it had been a while since I’d used natural body soap. I always remembered it had been good on my skin and keeping it from being dry. I also bought a new “Fela in NYC” about Fela Kuti’s historical visit to NYC in the 80′s to perform at a few venues.

The next day, a Sunday, I looked up the hours of Studio Museum to see what they had on exhibit. I’d always wanted to go this museum, having always passed by it but never going in. My timing was perfect because it was the last day of the exhibition of The Spiral Group. The group was an artist collective who made art inspired by events during the civil rights movement. A few of the artists on display was Romare Bearden, Merton D. Simpson and Charles Alston. The artwork was fascinating, especially since they were abstract works dealing with social issues. Also on display was an interesting photo exhibit by photographer Lyle Ashton Harris, who shot a series of polaroids over a period of 10 years. I hadn’t even planned it this way but I was lucky enough to catch all of this on “Target Free Sundays” so there was no admission.

Just before I left the hotel I’d gotten two recommendations to check out the new restaurant Red Rooster right there in Harlem. I’d never heard of the place and searched online to find out the location and hours. It just happened to be a few blocks away, so I ended up walking there after the museum. Brunch was being served when I got in and it seemed to be packed so I took a seat at the bar to order. Having the taste for a belgian waffle I almost ordered the next best thing -french toast. The waiter said it was good, but I figured I’d try that another time. I decided on the Biscuits and Red Eye Gravy and a side of mashed potatoes which turned out to be amazing. I thought about my uncle who told me a story about how as a kid him and his friends used to run around with biscuits in their pockets, eating them with syrup as if they were candy. One of the funniest visuals I ever got from a story. The dish turned out to be way more than I expected. I anticipated just a couple biscuits with a side bowl of gravy to dip them in. The presentation on this dish was great. The biscuits were sliced across the center, with the bottom halves covered by the gravy served in a bowl and the top halves sitting above the gravy. Sitting next to me was an elderly woman, having witnessed how quickly I was consuming the delicious meal, who asked me what I ordered. She told me she had ordered the smorgasbord but really wanted the crab cakes that were only served for lunch. She eventually introduced herself to me as Blanche Jordan. When I didn’t quite hear her first name, she repeated it to me and said that it was an old name. I joked and said that I knew of one other Blanche, the one from The Golden Girls. She laughed hysterically and that’s when she told me she was 96 years old. It certainly took me for surprise, I’d have never guessed with the way she conversed she was that age. I’d actually never met anyone who had lived that long, in my family or otherwise. Longevity seemed to run in her family, mentioning that she just tried to stay active and up to date on everything going on. She noticed the evolution of Harlem over many years, having been a resident there since she was 19 years old. She became a nurse, going through the nursing program of what would later become The Harlem Hospital Center. Later on after nursing school she told me she attended NYU, furthering her education in nursing. That’s when I told her I had a friend who recently graduated from NYU from their journalism program. Blanche told me that she really liked the faculty there when she was a student and had the option to go to Columbia but it didn’t appeal to her, and it also was too expensive. I began to think what it must have been like for her in the 30’s and 40’s, a Black woman seeking higher education. Then I thought about all of the history she actually lived through in Harlem. The Harlem Renaissance with all the great writers, poets, musicians and artists, she was actually there to witness it while it was happening. The speeches of Malcolm X on the corners of Harlem, there’s a good chance she was right there live in the flesh. It blew my mind. There were so many things I wanted to ask her and of course some of them came after she had already left. I told her my aunt was a nurse as well and that my mother had moved to the city at a young age like she did, but from the south. She immediately suggested that it must have been to escape the environment of the south at that time and added that she never was fond of the south. She was also intrigued when I mentioning that my aunt had also studied natural herbs, bringing up that she had just watched a special on TV about an herb that was good for your memory; Ginkgo Biloba. As we were talking, over walks the chef Marcus Samuelsson. I had only known him as “the celebrity chef”, having no clue but finding out later that he owned the restaurant. Coincidentally just a few weeks prior I there was a discussion at the Brooklyn Museum I wanted to go to that he was a part of along with Mos Def and artist Sanford Biggers. I missed it after tickets sold out, so it was interesting to bump into him in this manner and so I asked him how that event went. I like to call it one of my omens. Marcus had come over to acknowledge Blanche and thank her for stopping by to enjoy brunch. He asked if she had been to the original Red Rooster, in which she had been several times. She had told me earlier that the original Red Rooster speakeasy was located a few blocks down the street and that you had to go downstairs to the restaurant area to eat. This detail seemed rather important to her when she described it, something I’d like to learn more about it’s significance. Marcus said he had created Red Rooster inspired by her generation and thanked her again for coming to support. There was so much love and appreciation for her that by the time her check came to sign a gentlemen across the bar had already paid for her tab. She said that people were always so generous to her and her group of friends when they’re there. They call themselves The LOL’s (Little Old Ladies), one of the funniest things i’ve heard in a long time. After hearing that, I’d come to the conclusion that keeping a good sense of humor has to add a few years to your life.

After I helped Blanche put on her coat, I told her I appreciated the great conversation. After that she walked right out of the door and into the city bus just like everyone else in line. I was so impressed with my experience, I told a friend about it who later came to join me there later that evening for their Sunday night live jazz with the band The Nate Lucas Quartet. That weekend in Harlem was so memorable, even the $60 parking ticket that sat on my windshield the following morning didn’t bother me. Maybe just a little…

Richard Pryor and Gil Scott-Heron on SNL: Two Legends, One Stage

BD3 — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:35:24 +0000

I recently stumbled across this rare clip of two legends on stage on Saturday Night Live. I had no idea that Gil Scott-Heron was ever on Saturday Night Live and to have him be on the same show as Richard Pryor is just great. These are also two of the funniest and wittiest people I’ve ever known. If you’re not aware of Gil’s comedic genius, take a look at the movie he made Black Wax combining his music, political commentary and witty sarcasm. In the video, Pryor introduced Gil and his band which I believe was The Midnight Band, as he performs the anti-apartheid song “Johannesburg”. In between songs, Pryor says some great jokes about how cool his friend Miles Davis is. Then Gil and the band performs one of my favorite songs of his “A Lovely Day”. Great stuff.

Below is a photo of myself (on the left) back in 2001 with Gil and a friend after one of his shows I attended in D.C.

I got to meet and talk to Gil for a few, he was his regular, funny and personable self. The music he made could only come from someone who cared

so much about people and issues of the world. In my hand, I have the CD I just bought at the show, “From South Africa to South Carolina”.

The songs he performs in this video are on that album. I have a full length story about this photo, which I will probably post later.

Interview with self portrait photographer Nastassia Davis

BD3 — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:47:15 +0000

Sometime in 2009 I came across the photography of Nastassia Davis. I saw a series of some really interesting self portraits she took that were conceptual in nature. The process in how they were created boggled me, I’d never seen a photographer who shot self portraits that weren’t just snapshots. Her photos reminded my of the painter Frida Kahlo who painted self portraits that were conceptual and reflected experiences in her life. I’ve been meaning to interview Nastassia about her photography and finally got the chance to. Below is the interview:

When did you first become interested in photography and when did you first begin shooting?

I believe what first sparked my interest in photography was while looking through my dad’s photo albums as a little girl. His captured images of my mother in the 80′s within 5 minutes of meeting her and candid moments on Atlantic City’s Chicken Bone Beach back then were simply amazing to me. At 15 years old, I purchase a Nikon FM 10 camera with the money I saved for a year working at a bookstore and practiced taking pictures of nature, family, friends and anything else that interested me.

As a student at Montclair State University, I picked up a darkroom class to continue my interest in photography. I really enjoyed the darkroom process and how the images magically appeared on the photo paper, but made a quick transition into digital imaging when I bought a Fuji FinePix camera. I learned basic digital editing techniques that I tried out on photos I took of myself.

After shooting photos as a hobby, what were some of your first gigs and what was it like?

I was a gopher and 2nd photo assistant for NYC Celebrity Photographer, Kareem Black. I had never been on photo-shoots for major publications before so, at that time, it was quite exciting. Another one was shooting a college friend’s wedding which was a nerve-wracking gig because everyone counted on me to capture these one in a lifetime moments. Thankfully, all went well and I’ve decided to only do those on special occasions. Also, earlier this year, I finally had my first trip out of the county! Traveled to Bern, Switzerland for a commissioned portrait session with a male music artist. I enjoyed that immensely because I met a lot of cool artists and new friends while doing what I love. Traveling is such a great learning experience and I look forward to more future opportunities.

Your “selfies” are amazing, can you explain how the concept initially came about?

Thank you. My first one was created back in 2005. I was bored and wanted to practice my digital editing skills on a photo I shot of myself in a bathroom. I cloned the image and called it “I Got Your Back”.

Your selfies remind me of Frida Kahlo, in the conceptual nature of self portraits… is she an influence of yours?

Wow, you’re the first to bestow such a compliment on me. (smiles) Thank you! I’ve seen some of her compelling self-portraits and is familiar with her “self-love” philosophy. So, yes, that theme has been a reoccurring vein in some of my work. She, however, has not had any direct influence on any one particular “selfie” of mine to date.

Your photo “Yes, We Can!” was used as a part of the Obama presidential campaign, what was it like having your photo be a part of something so important and historic?

Wonderful. “Yes, We Can” was first published overseas in “The Guardian” (U.K newspaper) with other awesomely enthused photographers worldwide as a way to celebrate Obama’s historic campaign. Although I wasn’t properly credited there, I felt happy that my work was chosen. Following that publication, Blurb Books decided to include my photo and others in a book where partial proceeds were donated to help “The Katine Project”. A project who’s mission bought electricity and running water to civilizations in Uganda!

What’s important for you to accomplish with a photo?

It’s important for my fine-art images to be unique to my style and most importantly, tell a story. They don’t have to be the most beautiful, but definitely the most authentic.

What are you currently working on, have in plans or would like to do?

I’m currently working with an amazing little girl who happens to be blind. She’s provided a lot of new inspiration for me spiritually and I thank God for that. Also broadening my portfolio by using other models/ artists. In addition, I’m researching ways to set up my first creative photography workshop teaching amateurs and professionals, alike, how to use minimal equipment to achieve extraordinary and beautiful results with their digital cameras.

Where can people contact you or check out your work?

My official website: http://wwww.nastassiadavis.com. Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nastassia-A-Davis/37735598061. Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/aarika. I’ve also just opened up a new etsy shop for select photos of mine (http://etsy.com/shop/nasstassiadavis). More things will be added as they become available.

What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you! And, of course, the best photographers are those who strive to do better each time.

Janelle Monae Of Montreal Kevin Barnes Wondaland Arts Society

Fashion Night Out reaches out to Greenwich…The OTHER Greenwich

BD3 — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:29:28 +0000

Most people are familiar with Fashion Night Out as the event that kicks off Fashion Week in the fashion capitals of the world, the big four being New York City, London, Paris and Milan. The event was created, by Vogue, just a few years ago to celebrate fashion throughout the world and at the same time support the economy. It would not be out of the ordinary for festivities to be going on in Greenwich Village in NYC, but the Greenwich I’m speaking of is Greenwich, CT. This year on September 8th there were several retailers in the fashion world that got together on the biggest shopping strip in Greenwich on Greenwich Avenue.

Most of the activity revolved around the efforts of Saks Fifth Avenue, who hosted the event, which was opened until 11pm for the night. Greenwich Avenue was transformed into a runway with models wearing the latest from the local retailers including Saks, Richard’s, Vineyard Vines, Ralph Lauren Rugby, Anne Fontaine, Lily Pulitzer, J.Crew, Yves Saint Laurent and many others. Take Notice Productions (myself and Matthew Notice) decided to go out and shoot some video of the event and take a few photos.

In addition to the runway show, we also spotted Glo Minerals giving free makeovers inside TD Bank, representatives from Stylelist.com taking surveys on iPads and even a performance by singer-songwriter Caroline Jones in the Chanel section at Saks. Event planners Hollywood Pop Gallery were even giving away a pair of tickets to a Jets game. Take a look at what we were able to capture that evening.

Sidenote: The Baltimore crab cakes served at Vineyard Vines were AMAZING!!!

Fashion Night Out - Greenwich	Fashion Night Out - Greenwich
Fashion Night Out - Greenwich	Fashion Night Out - Greenwich
Fashion Night Out - Greenwich	Fashion Night Out - Greenwich
Fashion Night Out - Greenwich	Stylelist.com at Fashion Night Out in Greenwich
Caroline Jones performing at Saks - Fashion Night Out	Fashion Night Out - Greenwich
Fashion Night Out - Greenwich	Fashion Night Out in Greenwich

Kanye West and Jay-z create a spectacle with Watch The Throne store and the Otis video Maybach

BD3 — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:55:33 +0000

It came as no surprise to me when I found out that iTunes sales for the Watch The Throne album had surpassed Coldplay’s previous record for first week digital sales. Two of the biggest and most influential icons in Hip-Hop teamed up and created a buzz around their album, in many ways. First by making the album available as a digital download only on the official release date and having the physical release cover designed by Riccardo Tisci creative director of Givenchy.

For the Otis video, which was directed by Spike Jonze, Kanye and Jay-z are shown walking with torches towards a Maybach that they completely restructured into a demolition car. This same car from the video was put on display at the “Watch The Throne store” in SoHo. The two setup a pop up shop for the weekend for viewers to see as well as an opportunity to buy the deluxe physical album with 4 bonus songs. Several projectors were setup throughout showing the Otis video as well as the artwork from the album. Security was very tight but I was able to snag this photo of the Maybach. Spotted in the back of the photo is painter Gordon Skinner. The car is to be up for auction with the proceeds going to aid the East African Drought Disaster.

Scarlett Johansson photos

Snapback Back… Snapback Back…

BD3 — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:09:54 +0000

After fitted caps have dominated the heads of many for what seems like the past 20 years, it appears the snapback has finally made it’s way back. Here are a few snapbacks including probably the biggest selling Yankee Snapback and one by RockSmith inspired by Basquiat’s crown.

An interview/mini-doc with painter Robert Wilson

BD3 — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:45:37 +0000

This past month I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing painter Robert Wilson at his studio on Bedford Street in Stamford, CT. I just happened to stumble upon the studio on my way to the local library. The artwork caught my eye from outside the window and so I stopped in to check it out. I had never seen such interesting original contemporary art in the area. We had a good conversation about his work and the arts in general in the area. I told him about my interest in interviewing artists along with my video production company after seeing a few studio interviews with painter Jean Michel Basquiat in the 80′s. So we planned to do an interview about his work in his studio and the following is what came to be. You’ll see Robert talk about his work, his influences and actually start working on a new painting. Later he told me he titled the painting inspired by a conversation I had with him.

Whether you call him a contemporary artist, an abstract expressionist or simply a painter (he is also a sculptor), his work garners an emotional reaction. He is also one of the most prolific painters I have ever seen. Robert’s work is represented by Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery. Music used in the interview is Angel Eyes and Oriental Folk Song by Brandee Younger.

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble performs with Pharoahe Monch, Zap Mama and Jose James in Harlem

BD3 — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:00:58 +0000

This past Saturday’s Harlem Stage concert at Annunciation Park was one to be remembered. It was a complete community effort, combining the organizers of the performance at Annunciation Park, Revive Da Live, with the music communities that formed the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble. The ensemble consisted of a total of 12 musicians with roughly half being from LA and half from the east coast, primarily NYC. A total meeting of the minds and talents of some of the hardest working musicians and guest performers.

Following the career of harpist Brandee Younger, has given me a greater understanding of the work ethic and dedication involved in the life of a gigging musician. To see the ensemble pull together and perform roughly 20 songs ranging from jazz standards to original compositions and breathe new life into the instrumentals of the late great producer J-Dilla, I can only imagine the level of work involved in accomplishing that Saturday what Miguel once delivered on the album “Suite For Ma Dukes”. In fact, I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking briefly with Miguel at the afterparty for the show and he mentioned that the night before was the only time he had gotten any real sleep in a month. Sacrificing sleep in preparation for the show and organizing with the musicians and performers, all for something you believe in. The reward? The looks on the faces of the people who are watching and enjoying the music that they love, with loved ones.

Audience Shots	Audience Shots
Audience Shots	Audience Shots
young man watching show

The tributes to Gil Scott-Heron were filled with great passion and love by Jose James and Marie Daulne of Zap Mama. Gil’s recent passing was a serious blow to my spirits, so it was a great feeling to see Jose James deliver a performance of “Winter in America” nearly identical in tone and hear Marie give a very interesting take on the hauntingly dark “Me and The Devil” from Gil’s most recent album. I was so impressed I recorded two small clips of these performances.

Pharoahe Monch gave an energized and spiritually uplifting performance closing out the show with the song “Still Standing” from his latest album W.A.R.

A full list of the musicians in the ensemble include: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Violin), Jamire Williams (Drums), Kenneth Rodgers (Bass), Allakoi Peete (Percussion), Austin Peralta (Keys), Keyon Harrold (Trumpet), Joey Dosik’s (alto sax), Corey King (Trombone), Marcus Strickland (Tenor Sax), Evan Francis (Flute), Brandee Younger (harp) and Nir Felder (Guitar).

Here are a few of the photos I captured at the show:

Jose James	Pharoahe Monch
Mela Machinko	Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
Brandee Younger	Pharoahe Monch
Marie Daulne of Zap Mama	Marie Daulne of Zap Mama
J.Period	Vinia Mojica
Jamire Williams	Jamire Williams
Marcus Strickland	Corey King
Allakoi Peete	Kenneth "Gizmo" Rodgers
Taylor McFerrin and Maya Azucena