The Shared Values of Lil' Wayne and Zbigniew Herbert

Camillo linked me to this insightful comparison between rap and poetry. The ending is the best part but it only makes sense if you read the whole thing.

I got an A+ in Art and You can too.

Hi,

I'm launching a book at Art Metropole on September 13th, 2007 @ 7pm-10pm. I hope you can make it. I haven't seen you in so long. Here's some more information about it:

I got an A+ in Art and You can too. by Tonik

Specifically published for the art student, this guide, full of explanatory text and pictures, delves into exposing how art school operates and how and why students should address the system. Written in a clear and jargon free prose, it elucidates a cheat sheet for the naïve, lazy, artless or keen student; complete with a glossary and chapters concerning “What is higher learning?” and “Good Art vs Good Grades.” Tonik sums up the book thus:

“School is indoctrinated smoke and mirrors, man. All you gotta do is check the world these institutions are creating. Weed beer guns AIDS? What happened to bread, peace, work, dignity? It’s the new millennium! This is a manifesto kind of, but more so, I had to right it. If not me, then who? If not now, then when?"

A special edition of 77 accompanies this release.

Born in Poland, part French, tall, white, ugly and raised in the jungle... Tonik's art investigates the pneumatic romance between everything and nothing at all. His work is represented by Art Metropole, Toronto and Printed Matter, New York. Tonik is looking forward to going back to Europe in the autumn of 2007.

There are 2 other books being launched by my publisher on the same evening:

Sonority of Words by Katie Bond Pretti

Sonority of Words, consists of three chapters designed to develop a narrative as the drawings progress from beginning to end. Though not containing any literal message, the lines and shapes which form each drawing direct the viewer through a sequence of events. Similar to way in which the letter-symbol elements of sound poetry necessitate that the viewer forms their own associations, this story depends upon handmade marks to express dynamics and intonation. The format of the book echoes the linear theme featuring fold-outs to accommodate larger and continuous images, while its scale maintains intimacy.

A special hand-coloured version will be released in a limited edition.

Born July 6, 1980, graduated OCAD 2004, Katie Bond Pretti is a Toronto based artist who is interested in the ability to employ the formal concerns of line and colour to achieve narrative in semi-abstracted form. Pretti is represented in Toronto by LE Gallery. Her works in ink, oil, and graphite have been exhibited at Gallerie Simon Blais in Montreal, Lehmann Leskiw Fine Art in Toronto, and Bjornson Kajiwara in Vancouver.

A Report by Alex Durlak

A Report is a response to a report written in 1978 by the Advisory Arts Panel to the Canada Council entitled The Future of the Canada Council. The government-subsidized publication features an introduction originally written in a concrete poetry style explaining the importance of art in society. Alex Durlak has created a new layout for the text using the introduction to both critique the challenges of contemporary artistic practices and to reinvest the ideals held by the late-70's artistic community. Written in both French and English, this new rendition features colourful typographic layouts and will be printed and bound entirely by the artist.

Alex Durlak is a Toronto based artist and musician, best known for his contributions to the music community spanning over a decade. His parallel artistic practice strongly focuses on the graphic arts, including typography, printmaking and book design. Durlak is the proprietor of Standard Form Printing and Publishing.

About the press

Standard Form Printing & Publishing is a Toronto based press that is growing out of a cross-pollinated fine art and indie music scene in Toronto. It is a young press interested in working with artists within the vanguard of Canada's flourishing art scene and its catalogue is printed entirely in-house.

I hope to see your smile. :)

Summer heat hello...

It's hell hot in Toronto and it's so perfect.

Damien Hirst's chair, above, a part of Deckchair Dreams, is kind of schlocky as far as Art goes. But then you read what he says about it... "It’s supposed to represent a summer's day and I chose the pink for girls and the blue for boys," and you kind of have to love that.

I've been loving Fabolous and Neyo's Make me better lately. Also, I've been on a bit of a throwback kick and really loving Simon Says (a gltss favourite) a lot these past few days. I'd never seen the video before today, it's not epic as a video, imho; but the music alone... Godzilla's theme song as a loop? Brilliant.

If you don't know how to write a thank you note, now you know. Thank me later.

I need something to drink and some lunch.

Wassup over there? Been too loooooooooooooooooooooong!

Fela Kuti, Black President

You gotta love part 2 opening up with an impromptu version of Authority Stealing. That's gold.

Kanye West + Daft Punk = Stronger

Well hello...

A little throw back steelo from your buddy,
tonik

This is Canada

Rockonski is pleased to issue This is Canada, a new poster project by artist Tonik Wojtyra. Available for pick up from the artist's studio for $1.40 or simply spot them on the street if you're in Toronto. If you're not in Toronto, posters may be purchased for $1.40 plus the cost of shipping and handling.

Note: With the exception of Canadian embassies or consulates, This is Canada posters will not be shipped to addresses outside of Canada.

For more information contact - i@rockonski.com or 416-879-5077



xxx

Did you have her coming?

Like the new world order...

Uniting Europe

On the eve of a potentially new constitution, Poland is showing why it's important. The best nugget of gold comes from Mariusz Muszynski, commissioner for Polish-German relations in the Polish Foreign Ministry, who says: Why should Poland agree to a decrease in its influence? We aren't idiots. Anyone surprised by the fact that we would like to increase our influence should not be engaged in politics.

I miss Europe.

Joe Fig, Artist

Sly and oblique and beautiful.

For the Love of God

Damien Hirst does it better than ever.

Image: White Cube

Cousins in the tub

Tyrus and Luke sharing the warmth that only family begets. Gotta love that.

2 mp3 links

link
link2

care of Mike Giesser

With all the bad news...

It's great to read some good news.

The Future of Art Fairs

Trying to dissolve the mathematics of taxes in my mind I went to youtube and searched General Idea and found only 1 relevant but excellent video. And then from the same user, I bumped into the above video after reading an article about the Frankfurt Art Fair the other day and the way Michael Neff, its director is rethinking what a fair is, how it functions and what it looks like. The German accents are stellar.

1977 vs Nineteen Seventy Seven

It turns out that reading online is easier if you just give numbers straight up as numerals versus spelling them out. Is it just another indicator that we're getting dumber as a whole? I don't think so, we live in information deluge... most of would prefer that 1 minute highlight reel version of 30 minute news broadcast. And if you got an email going over 50 words? Give me a call. Gotta write it though? If you really want me to take it seriously? Write a letter. I like real mail.

2 sides, 2 different coins

With Tony Blair speaking frank nonsense this week, it's refreshing to watch the Wu spin a masterpiece about it from the other side. It's like we're on earth, and they're on the moon.

RIP Sol Lewitt

The artist who coined "conceptual art" to describe his work and who co-founded Printed Matter amongst other achievements, is dead.

It's a new day.

4 great songs for April 4th

especially if you're into something else for today.

thanks to nichola-feldmann kiss and max dean for putting me on to this.

3 gems for April 3rd

1. Tom Burckhardt and his cardboard and india ink studio is amazing and some of his painting is kind of tight too.

2. The graphics of Eric Nitsche (1908-1998)

3. Max Dean's Chair

Bonus Beat:

Rirkrit Tiravanija is at OCAD tomorrow giving a lecture.