Brian Ulrich

by Brian Fichtner

Growing up in the suburban land of big-box retail (which increasingly seems to infiltrate our cities too), I was no stranger to the wanton excess that lined the shelves of stores like Meijer, Target, Costco and Walmart. As the mediocrity of these spaces and the mind-numbing effects of consumerism come to define our American landscape, it seems important for artists to encourage active debate on the matter.

In the aftermath of 9/11, when our president brazenly equated shopping with patriotism, Brian Ulrich began his photographic project Copia. The ongoing series, as Ulrich notes in his statement, examines “the economic, cultural, social and political implications of commercialism and the roles we play in self-destruction, over-consumption and as targets of marketing and advertising.” The project is defined by several evolving chapters: Retail, Thrift, Backrooms and a forthcoming examination into the world of luxury goods.

Brian passed on some recent images from the Retail series (clockwise from top left): Chicago, IL 2005 (Xmas); Chicago, IL 2006 (Bluetooth); Kenosha, WI 2006 (Jello); and New York, NY 2005 (Candy Store). His work is included in the exhibit "Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes," currently at the Walker Art Center, and later this year at the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Gary Panter: Pictures from the Psychedelic Swamp: 1972 – 2001

by Wendy Dembo

Fans of Pee Wee’s Playhouse, RAW and SLASH magazines and the comic character Jimbo know and love the work of Gary Panter. You probably know it too, having seen his “jagged lines and surreal cartoons” in magazines, on TV and on the internet too. “Pictures from the Psychedelic Swamp: 1972 – 2001” a micro-mini retrospective of thirty years of drawings, sculptures, painting and installations opening at Clementine Gallery tonight. The show was inspired by the imminent release of the “Gary Panter: the Book” a two volume, 686-page, full-color monograph published by PictureBox. You can also catch Panther's work at the Aldrich through 31 August 2008. See below for details.

Pictures from the Psychedelic Swamp: 1972 – 2001
Opening reception: 4 April 2008, 6-8pm
4 April-10 May 2008
Clementine Gallery
623 West 27th Street
New York, NY 10001 map
tel. 1 212 243 5937

Daydream Trap
Through 31 August 2008
Aldrich Museum
258 Main Street
Ridgefield, CT 06877 map
tel. 1 203 438 4519

Eric Scollon Ceramic Sex Toys

by Ami Kealoha

Our exploration of SF's Look boutique continues, leading us to local artist Eric Scollon's cock rings and butt plugs made of ceramic in the style of Tang dynasty blue-and-white pieces. The objects flirt "with the distinctions between art and craft, utility and uselessness and the boundaries between the world of art and the “real world.” Each one is unique, painted by hand and available online from Look for $100 each.

Lost at E Minor

by Doug Black

Some might recognize Lost at E Minor from their frequent contributions to CH, but they also host their own site that covers trends and pop culture from all over the world. The page recently underwent a big overhaul. I was able to speak with founding editor Zolton Zavos, whose desk is conveniently next to mine at Cool Hunting HQ.

What led you to create Lost at E Minor?
My brother Zac and I set it up in 2005. I was a pop culture magazine editor and he was an IT consultant, and we wanted to work on a project together. It began as an email to some friends and we launched the first website off the back of that a few months later, just archiving old issues of the newsletter. It became a proper blog in mid-2006 and has grown since then to its newly-designed state, which we launched on Monday.

What's new about the site with the relaunch?
A totally new look. New features that enabling visitors to select the color of the site and choose the banner that runs at the top of the site. A new What You're Doing section, where readers can tip us off on what they're up to; a new middle row with What We're Doing boxes. We also now have a forum and an online store.

What's your criteria for including things on the site?
We have a team of around 15 writers all seeking out new discoveries in music, art, fashion, photography and other creative endeavors. There is no criteria for inclusion, other than we think it's interesting and original.

How does the new store work?
The store is an extension of the site, so we choose items to feature from the site that we think our readers will be interested in owning. It's still early days in terms of stocking it, but we have some awesome t-shirts and ties up there and some really fun jewelry, amongst other goodies.

You're located in New York now, has that effected the things you're interested in or the content on Lost at E Minor?
I'm in New York, but my brother is still in Sydney, so we have the best of both worlds! We cover things we like from all over the world, and our writers are scattered in different cities, so geography isn't really an issue. Though it's nice to be immersed in the cultural scene of NYC.

Band ID

by Doug Black

Some might consider rock music a safe respite from corporate branding, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Bands spend huge numbers of hours and dollars perfecting their logos, which serve as much more than just album cover designs. In "Band ID: The Ultimate Book of Band Logos", Bodhi Oser collects the most distinctive logos in Rock, Hip-Hop, Metal, Pop and Reggae from the 1960s to today. Grouped roughly by genre, the book includes behind-the-scenes history of some of the most famous logos, and interviews with designers. You'll learn arguably interesting facts about designs like the omnipresent KISS symbol, which was designed by guitarist Ace Frehley himself and adopted Nazi iconography. Seared into our consciousness, Oser shows us how band logos are not far removed from the golden arches or Nike swoosh.

Band ID is slated for release in June. You can preorder for $40 on the Chronicle site or from Amazon.