Saturation 2013 & Star D'un Soir @ Yves Laroche Gallery

Local Montreal Kings Scan, Zek, and Stare, as well as out of towners Kems and Pun18 joined forces with Yves Laroche Gallery to bring the viewing public Saturation 2013 (Zek, Scan, Kems, and Pun18) and Star D'un Soir (Stare), a combined exhibition showcasing their latest works. The show runs until the 26th of April so be sure to stop on through the gallery to get a look at the great and innovative work that these guys have put together. Check these shots from the opening on Wednesday evening.

It was a great show, fun night, and nice to get to catch up with a few people I have`t seen in a little bit. It was also nice to see many members of the community out to support the artists. Definitely take the time to go check out the exhibition, you will not be disappointed. Yves Laroche gallery is located at 6355 Saint-Laurent, Montreal close to Beaubien Metro, you can reach them for information at 514-393-1999, e-mail at info@yveslaroche.com, or on facebook here.Congrats to all involved on a successful show and opening night.

Stay posted.

Back in Action & Making a Name

A few months ago I announced that I would be gearing up to move this blog into a full website, however, some ideological and life changes have led me back to the blogger sphere. First, the website is a project to be developed over the next while, I can promise that when I figure everything out on that end that it will be worth while and a definite step to a higher level of work and coverage. Second, I have recently been given news that I will be starting doctoral studies this coming September and will have to devote a significant amount of my energy and time to my studies and research. The user interface and ease of the blog have become more of a necessity if I am to continue covering the scene locally and abroad to any respectable degree. My apologies to those who have been waiting for a new and improved blog or photo site after the announcement. I will continue to post and document with the same vigor, integrity, and charm that I have previously brought to the table and hope that those who follow this blog will also continue to give me your time, respect and support.

With that said, I have so, so much to catch up on. I'll be dropping posts on everything from Berlin to Montreal in the last 4 months, including some long exposure and HDR shots that I have been experimenting with and learning. I'm also going through a pretty heavy organization phase as I prepare for my upcoming studies so I am trying to not to get buried under new work while putting older piles of work in proper order.

The big news this week is the premier of Patrick O'Connor's documentary film "Making a Name" at the FIFA, the International Festival of Films on Art, on Friday the 22nd March 2013. It is playing at 6:30 pm
at the Cinquieme Salle, located at 175 saint Catherine Street West. You can get tickets at the Place Des Arts Ticket Office here, they are $12 each. 

For those of you who know Patrick, he has been documenting the local subculture of which he has firm roots for over a decade. His first feature, Wreckognition, was situated in the streets following a number of Montreal's most notorious writers (and a few from abroad) as they 'bombed' and 'destroyed' everything from walls to trains. Although Wreckognition was a work mostly documenting bombing on the streets and elsewhere in the city, it was the most comprehensive compilation of any Montreal based writers in action that had been produced to that date. Making a Name is a more in depth and detailed look at the local scene featuring interviews with some of the heaviest hitters this city has to offer and footage that will satisfy even the most fiendish writers out there. the documentary also features tracks and music by the Furious One. FIFA has also set up a discussion period after the film that will have some local faces and names (including yours truly) chatting with the director Patrick O'Connor about the finer parts of the documentary and ideally some food for thought. Do yourself a favor and check this documentary out, you will not be disappointed.

If you don`t already own Wreckognition you can most likely find it at a  local graff shop or you could contact Patrick Directly through his site http://patrickprojects.com/. I believe that this is the youtube channel as well. You can find the digs on the Furious One at his site as well: http://thefuriousone.net/.

So be ready for more updates, the last few months, and check this documentary!

Stay posted. 

The Berlin Journals

I flew out to Berlin the last two weeks of October to get a taste of subculture on the other side of the pond.  It was a hell or a trip too - pure bombing and missions - for pretty much the entire stint of the trip. Even though I was drinking pretty much everyday, having a flat on the fifth floor of a city that has few elevators and walking five to ten kilometers a day kept me in shape. The food was great, especially the king sized doners, the people were welcoming for the most part, and besides some grey skies and cold evenings, the weather was pretty nice. I took a ridiculous amount of flicks and I'm still working on them but I wanted to drop a few 'cause it's been far too long since I posted last.

I wanted to drop some shout outs to the folks in Berlin who I met, particularly STU76 for bringing us out towards Heinersdorf to paint and for a couple of fun days with lots of laughs; Sharm and Tres for their walking tours of the city and then Tres dragging us around to some hot spots to paint and flick to give us a taste of what its like tracking trains and walls; Korea and company for a hell of a Halloween party night and great conversations over drinks with unknown quantities of mixed alcohol; Dask and Most for a solid three days in Halle and some of the best missions I've had in a while, shorty shots, and more enlivening conversations; and finally Meor for putting up with my shit and feeding me over the two weeks we spent out there. Everyone else in between you got my love and thanks for making my first Berlin and Europe trip an absolute blast.

I know that things have been quiet here for a bit. But considering I took something in the realm of 7000 flicks while out there it's gonna take me a little while until I'm through them all. Well, here's a taste of that multitude I've been working on for the last month.

Way more to come. And I'm back on this beast. New picks from Berlin Stinky's, the streets, and more soon!