New Shape of Culture
I’m very sad to say that the right wing hate machine has successfully targeted my good friend Yosi. Yosi just stepped down from his position at the National Endowment of the Arts. Yosi is a great guy who wants only to better the country and the world. A conference call he participated in asking artists to deal with issues they care about in their art was spun by Glenn Beck as some sort of propaganda campaign. It is despicable that Glenn Beck did what he did, but equally that it got traction and impacted Yosi in his positive efforts. Yosi worked selflessly and tirelessly as a grassroots activist for Obama and it is tragic that a human being of his calibre is being targeted for trying to do GOOD. When you think of the lies Republican members of congress are telling about health care reform, it is insane that their untruthful propaganda is tolerated and Yosi is losing his job. It is more clear than ever that the Republican party is about self interest and division, and is not interested in the collective good. The ART FOR OBAMA book is about to come out and it turned out great. Yosi played a huge roll in organizing the artists and the Manifest Hope shows. Check out the book and lament the loss of a dedicated creative force in Yosi. We really needed him. I feel very sad right now.
-Shepard
READ THE ARTICLE HERE AT THE HUFFINGTON POST
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SABER LA River Piece
In 1997 my friend Saber made what might be the most ambitious and spectacular graffiti piece in history on the concrete bank of the LA River. The piece was recently painted over as part of a faux environmental protection initiative, a superficial political move that does nothing to improve the environmental condition of the LA River, and in fact simply added MORE paint to its surface and wasted money. 12 years is a good run for a graff piece, but a piece of this quality should have been recognized for its artistic value and protected. There is an article about the removal of the piece on Saber’s site. Check it out.
-Shepard
http://saberone.com/blog/2009/09/09/whitewashing-the-la-river-2/
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Philip Lumbang’s Hug Life show
My friend Phil is having an art show this weekend and I will be DJing, Check it out. Also, The London Police and Dan Baldwin are doing a show at The Carmichael Gallery on Sept. 10. More info after the jump.
-Shepard
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Fired Up and Ready to Go?
My friend Glen E. Friedman wrote a great call to action directed at Barack Obama and health care reform. Glen and I discuss politics frequently and we see eye to eye on many issues, and have debated others. Above all, I respect Glen as a thoughtful person with powerful conviction. I agree with what Glen has written here, and I too am dismayed that the right has brainwashed many Americans into acting AGAINST their self interest and in FAVOR of corporate interests. Please take the time to read Glen’s post and realize that we need to stand up for people, not corporations. Thanks.
-Shepard
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Sick and Wrong by Matt Taibbi
There is a very thorough article about health care reform called “Sick and Wrong” written by Matt Taibbi in the new issue of Rolling Stone. Taibbi’s writing is always very insightful, but this article is especially timely considering the need for the public to understand the various dynamics of the health care reform debate. If you care at all about this issue please pick up the Rolling Stone issue 1086 with the Beatles on the cover or read this link. Thanks.
-Shepard
Below are are some video interviews where Matt explains his argument and discusses his article:
http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/2009/08/19/matt-taibbi-on-health-care-reform-sick-and-wrong/#
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Senator Kennedy
Senator Ted Kennedy passed away the night before last and unfortunately did not live to see his greatest fight realized… healthcare for all. Kennedy was a constant champion of social causes and also the first powerful Senator to put his political capital on the line by endorsing, then underdog, Barack Obama. I never met Ted, but I have met many members of the Kennedy family and they are all passionately committed to social causes. Ironically, I was first compelled to pay attention to government policy and politics by punk group “The Dead Kennedys”, but I have been inspired to engage causes and take positive action by the living Kennedys. I’m sorry for their loss and even more sorry for our nation to lose one of its greatest advocates of healthcare and other social causes. Check what Obama had to say.
-Shepard
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El Che
My friend Ernesto Yerena did this awesome portrait of Che Guevara. He created an original mixed media painting and then made screen prints in 2 color ways based on the art. They look great in person.
-Shepard
Prints available at HechoConGanas.com at random time on August the 26th
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‘Truth’ vs. ‘facts’ from America’s media
One of the reasons I supported Obama is because he championed healthcare reform. It has been very difficult for me to lose optimism watching the deterioration of healthcare reform proceedings. The most frustrating thing about the healthcare reform discussion has not been the predictable attempts by the right wing to undermine Democrats or the insurance industry protecting its interest by spreading misinformation, but the media’s willingness to give airtime to things they know are untrue for the sake of drama and “entertainment” which yield ratings. You can expect this crap from Fox, but all the rest of media will have to take responsibility for the health issues of the uninsured if their “ratings vs. facts” approach dooms healthcare reform. Access to information is crucial for people to make informed decisions and those decisions should be based on truth, not fear. The media needs to be more responsible… the welfare of a large portion of the nation is at stake. I finally saw an editorial that addresses media responsibility, the elephant in the room. Please check it out and let media outlets know we deserve better..
-Shepard
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-gabler23-2009aug23,0,4834705.story
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Sea Shepherd 09
The Sea Shepherd organization’s mission is to protect the Oceans. I did a portrait of founder Paul Watson that will be available as a fine art piece and a screen printed poster. Try to make it to the benefit art show.
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.
Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations.
Paul Watson also appears in a fantastic documentary about the illegal slaughter of dolphins called “The Cove”. “The Cove” demonstrates the difficulty of untangling the corrupt relationship between corporate interests and government. Brave people with strong convictions risked a lot to capture the footage shot in Japan. The film has a great appeal in the drama of the mission and the sympathy we feel for the highly intelligent dolphins, but the abuses represented could apply to any number of situations where money and power subdue ethics. I went to the theater opening weekend to see it and there were not many people there. Movies like this are very important and need our support. Please check it out. http://thecovemovie.com/ and http://www.seashepherdartshow.com
-Shepard
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Jim Muir Benefit
Jim Muir, legendary skateboarder, founder of Dogtown skateboards, and older brother of Mike Muir from Suicidal Tendencies, broke his neck surfing in spring “09. He suffered short term paralysis, but is recovering movement steadily. The injury has been a tremendous financial setback. There is an event Thursday night, 8/20, to benefit Jim. In addition, photographer Glen E. Friedman and I will collaborate on a screen print of Jim to raise money for him.
-Shepard
For more info on Jim Muir and the benefit please visit www.jimmuirbenefit.com
http://www.fuel.tv/PoolSnob/blogs/view/56749
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