conducting the deviance

photography can be such an aesthetically pleasing experience that we sometimes tend to forget about the narrative behind the photos. sometimes, the story isnt imperative depending on the purpose of the piece of art being shown, however, for those of you who are as interested in the 'tale behind the photograph' as i am, you need to check out simon hoegsberg when you have a few spare minutes. simon starts you out by laying a path to wander forward on. for example...in his project entitled "the low-fat diary", he begins by explaining that he was,

"Equipped with a camera, a pen, a notebook, and a few indispensable items such as my iPod, a tent, and a couple of pots, in the winter 2004 I set out to travel the 1700 kilometers (1050 miles) from Copenhagen to the Mediterranean Sea. I wanted to know if I could cover the distance with only 14 Euros in my pocket."



we roam with him on his trip in copenhagen to the mediterranean sea through a series of photographs. under each, a caption shedding light on the phenomena of that particular day...every one of them containing just enough information to allow the onlookers to feel as if they were right there with him sharing his circumstances. there are only 10 or so photos which keep the whole experience short and sweet; he leaves us wanting more. perhaps enough to go check out his other captivating projects...or even better, enough to go on our own photographic adventures :)

for those of you who are interested in street art, simon hoegsberg also composed a small project which includes a few stories told by shepard fairey, wk interact, HuskMitNavn, Lokiss, and Faile. his projects all widely encompass the many aspects of art in todays culture.

simon hoegsberg

i have started to compile a list of some of my favorite websites on the right. . .

new life plans are beginning to quietly assemble themselves.




<3 jes

san fransilly

here are a few photos from san francisco...ill post more soon.

<3 jes

chelsea hotel

"if i meet you in the night you're free to covet all you like. don't you try and stop me i cling tightly...to this life."

lets see, this past week or so has been exceptionally insane. one of the sushi chefs at work made me erupt in tears in front of the entire restaurant which resulted in me leaving work early. (really? yes i suck.) i then got pretty sick and stressed due to a lot of adorable little matters parading through my existence. in attempts to mend the hiccups of life, i took a little roadtrip to san francisco with my dear friends danny and travis. i can officially say that i wont be playing 20 questions for a long time...i think we played that almost the entire way back to LA. pretty sure all of our brains melted...and FOR THE RECORD steam is made out of water AND air pshhhhh. travis cheats. :) i had the best pizza ever, spent some time taking pictures on the beach, listened to some wonderful music, dawdled around on haight street, enjoyed some delicious apples from the fruit market, hung out in my favorite little book store, chit chatted with the cop who pulled us over, jumped out of the car mid-traffic to take a picture of morrissey (on a sticker but still), stole pocketbooks (not purses you weirdos...books that fit in pockets), hung out in the freezing rain and loved it, bruised my hips from sleeping on a wood floor, saw anton off to a job interview (how did it go?), saw the world through heart-shaped glasses, and drank tons of coffee. i cant wait to go back...i love it there so much. came back to LA and took danny behind the orange curtain to trevors goth castle and to get the best vegan sandwiches EVER. shared some critical videos and watched part of 'the picture of dorian gray'. i think danny and i are somehow related. come back you nutball! next stop...the chelsea hotel and adventuring in new york. excitement comes in many forms.

which brings us to...

ohhhh christmas. i have grown accustomed to being able to go find tons of little treasures for my friends and family in the past years, which i thoroughly enjoy doing. this year, however, has been a very different story. being downright broke has put a bit of a damper on my cooperative shopping system. up until about 36 hours ago i had absolutely no idea how i was going to get presents out to my family. i had a bunch of pieces of wood, random art supplies, and an enormous artistic block that i usually cure pretty easily. ive been ill the past couple weeks which im sure also had something to do with the crater that i couldnt get myself out of. im still not sure why my block ended, but boyyyy did it end. all of a sudden i just started pumping out these little gems. for the first time since i started to resaturate myself in art, i have actually been creating things that i am proud of and excited to share with my loved ones. here is a shitty picture of some of the things ive been working on. ill post better photos later.



my room looks like a tornado hit it. sandpaper, shards of wood, paint, eensy beensy pieces of paper...cleaning it all up is going to rule. i dont know how im getting down to my moms house for christmas tomorrow because the good ol' tank is emptier than a pizza box in my presence but ill work it out somehow. she doesnt even have a christmas tree which totally blows. maybe ill make one out of cardboard for her. i really cant believe its already been a year. complete madness i tell ya. if youre wondering why i keep referencing food, its because im FUCKING HUNGRYYYYY. feed the beast!

i hope everyone has a splendiferous (real word) holiday.



<3 jes

booger rubies

i feel like i found a ruby in a sea of boogers :) no really. is this a dream? i need to stop pinching myself before i rip a gaping hole in my arm.

"the truth of a life really has little to do with its quality. the quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. the capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention..."

recently i have been writing a lot and its been really hard to get comfortable; mentally as well, but i meant more along the lines of physical ease. i havent actually sat down to write in a very long time and i suppose that before, it was mostly because i was in school. most of the time i would be sitting at a desk and my hands were accustomed to the exertion but now....not so much. i have been trying to lay in bed and write, or hunched over my own lap and would always end up contorted in some creepy position trying to get comfortable. so enough of that. i realized that we have two perfectly usable tables with chairs in the backyard...buried in a minefield of leaves, 4th of july trash, and potato bugs. i spent a long time the other day sweeping up all the leaves, hosing it all down, and chit chatting with the neighbors until i finally finished. i even caught a black widow who has been hanging out ever since...if anyone sees it crawling around dont be alarmed...just KIDDING geeeeeez its residing safely in a closed container on the kitchen counter. i sat outside, read my book, and wrote a bit until the sun went down. all in all, i had an awesome day and i am very proud of myself for doing so much yardwork.

on another note...i just got the most amazing letter in the real life snail mail from one of my best friends. there is definitely something very endearing about being able to physically hold a little message in your hands and know that whoever wrote it to you has done the same. i think i am going to follow his lead and start mailing out some letters.

danny, the christmas tree shitter, will be down from seattle by tomorrow night and i cant wait to adventure. crispin glover is going to be in san francisco doing a little film thing and we are trying to make it out there on time.

siphoning gas and stealing food?
most likely.
i am terribly excited.

i was recently reminded of how much i love this movie...


visual and comedic masterpiece!

<3 jes

peppermint marshmallow ooze bubbles

my blood is rushing around my body at unimaginable speeds and i feel like exploding half the time. ive never felt happier in my entire life. i went back to santa monica and took more pictures. we rode on the ferris wheel on the pier and puttered around while the sun was setting. it was one of those days when everything slows down when the sun hits your eyes. hopefully the pictures turned out seeing as how we actually had some idea of what we were doing this time. went to my friend carolines first show ever with her band astronaut on vacation. WOW. that woman has a set of pipes. it was incredible! i cant remember the last time i was so amped after a show. ambre played me a demo of her new music with our friend bay and she blewwwwwwww me away. only two days of recording and they sound phenomenal already. my face hurts from smiling tonight. im all googley inside and i want to jump on my bed and scream like a psychopath hahaha.

this video is probably my favorite thing ever. it is about a father teaching his son how to dream and to forget the cruel world behind. the song is paralyzingly beautiful.



<3 jes

hey lets cross the sea....

yesterday annaliese and i went to a very special meeting at this really cool building in west LA. there were swings built inside the building hanging from beams. im pretty sure our faces were priceless when we saw them. forget about getting kicked out...we jumped on those babies and had a good swing and then made our way to venice beach. just as we arrived, the sun was going down so we scrambled to the beach and shot a few rolls of film before it got too dark. traffic back to the homeland was insane. gotta love LA :) tomas bought me mr. beans holiday and i watched a bit of it last night before bed...rowan atkinson is a strange human.

here are a few photos from the beach...












<3 jes

food for thought

its getting a bit dusty in here...

well lets see here. the beach house ended up being pretty fun. rick and i ended up going in the ocean at 3am and despite the freezing weather, the ocean was actually pretty warm. we took some photos and had some good conversation. i got to see ben who always seems to light up any room with his enthusiasm. the next day, ambre and i drove in the hellish turkey traffic to my moms house in temecula for thanksgiving. boredom seems to ooze out of everything there...which probably had something to do with us ending up at pechanga casino at midnight. THAT was an experience. fucking high school reunion. i saw so many people i havent seen in over five years. the whole thing was kind of surreal...im having a hard time finding the words to explain it.

last night before sushi hell i got to go to the trux ta poz art show at baby melt. saw some friends and met a couple swell beings. i wish i could have stayed and chatted a bit longer but all in all, it was a pretty cool show...

on another note...
the idea of starting anew at a later point in life than i had previously hoped is a tough one to overcome. better late than never :) i have received my marching order and i have finally allowed myself to be a beginner again. it is completely shocking to find out how much stress can be lifted if you just allow yourself to be a newcomer (even if you have been in the game before). the game changes.

to the person who keeps posting bulletins about people assuming they are smarter/better than others (regardless of who you are referencing)....take a look at everything youve been writing. egotism is defined as the practice of talking and thinking about oneself excessively because of an undue sense of self-importance. i am beginning to wonder if that should be stamped on your head so you can remember it. putting others down in a negative manner to objectify them and to inflate your own self-esteem is hardly something to be proud of.

HAVE SOME TACT. if you want to compare success and intellect, which is the greater man...the one who belittles others and does nothing to assist them in improving their manner; or the one who is aware of others faults and offers an open hand offering suggestions of improvement?

you did, however, get one thing correct...."It is not what you say, but what you do that defines you." the only thing that confuses me is why someone would publicly post that quote if they themselves do not utilize its advice. food for thought.

:)

here are a few photos from the beach.

















<3 jes

two star hotel

there is a huge idea bubbling just under the surface. im holding onto a few things at this point in my life that i feel i need to let go of. what is the point in taking a only half a step forward? the hardest part has been taken care of. time to clean up the loose strings.

yesterday i visited todd in the hospital for a few hours and we talked. i think its time to start delving into some new terrifying adventures before i become a big grown up :) no one obtains extraordinary life stories and memories in life by sticking to what they felt was safe at the time. a few king-sized thoughts have been flitting back and forth in my mind within the past couple days as to how im going to accomplish this. i really need to stop being a pussy and caring what people are going to think.

last night i went to the art district in pomona with andy to see my friend davids gallery and art exhibit. this guy is 24, has an art gallery, shows impressive art within the space (including his own), and also has a really cool job. i think thats pretty admirable and really encouraging. turns out there were so many galleries and so much art all compacted into 2 blocks. bands playing everywhere. it was such a nice surprise. all the art was awesome and there was this rad video installation outside on the wall by marsia alexander-clarke. nine inch nails would have been proud haha.

new brothers quay and criterion collection 'brazil' dvds make me a happy girl. :)

my mom just moved into a house and offered to give me an art studio space in one of the rooms. i think im going to disappear for a few days...

this guy logan hicks has the most insane stencil work ive ever seen. go check out his site (here)





<3 jes

ps. thanksgiving week is coming up...come join me and a couple friends for thanksgiving at my moms house if you dont have plans or family to spend it with. we are also going to the beach house with rick sometime during that week which should be epic.

bad mamajama

so much has been happening recently.

after a mildy irritating run-in with some roommate ignorance last night i ended up going to bed around 7:30am and slept soundly until about 10:30 when i woke up and couldnt go back to bed. i was actually having one of those dreams where youre half asleep telling yourself repeatedly to 'remember this dream' and keep falling back into it. so i end up waking up entirely after realizing that the dream i was having brought forth this great idea for an art piece. its hard to explain but it involves installation work in outdoor environments. it plays with the idea of deconstruction in society shown through swiss style design...but without type if that makes any sense. im really glad i woke up early today.

last night i went to see my friend james' band albatross play. i have only regained about 1/4 of my hearing back. totally worth it. bad mamajama is epic.

the other day i happened to be up around 6am (worst sleep schedule ever). it was super hazy and fogged up outside so i ventured out my cave to take some pictures. the idea was to catch some color on a hazy day. here are a couple...



























gordon matta-clark...ever heard of him? if you want to read a good article on him go (here). he was a profound artist and MOCA is has an exhibit featuring his work right now.

annaliese bought two vintage lomos with tons of expired film and invited me to go adventure and take some pictures with her. im really fucking excited.

came across this video of someone on a korg emx-1 covering 'a forest' by the cure. its awesome. i want one.




<3 jes

used to be one of the rotten ones...

happy halloween little goblins.

tonight one of my favorite people invited me to go see broken social scene because he had an extra ticket. obviously i went and it was awesome. emily haines sang some songs with them. at midnight we had a pumpkin shaped cookie. they played one of my favorite songs called 'lovers spit'...i dont know how anyone can watch the video for this song and not want to kiss someone.



last night i convinced ambre to go to bourgeois pig and drink some coffee at 2am...we somehow ended up at a place where a drunk guy was singing karaoke. ate at swingers. our waiter was an asshole. then we had a painting party in my cave. ambre painted a jellyfish of fire and im still working on my bird.

tomorrow a few of us are venturing out of the bubble to six flags for halloween during the day. last year there were no lines and we rode all the rides at least 6 times each. kind of really excited. i look forward to losing my voice and getting chased by the man with the chainsaw again.

thursday sigur ros is playing their secret show and airing their new film called Heima and joe got me an extra wristband...(you rule)...im going to cry or something dumb probably. hopefully no one will notice. heres the trailer...



ive noticed within the past couple months a loud beep going off every once in a while in our kitchen/livingroom area. tonight i noticed that it is now somehow in my room and is going off every few minutes. what is it???? its not an insect; it sounds like a sound a fire detector would make, but there is no fire detector in my room. convenient. sleeping is going to suck tonight. fix ittttttt :(

wish i was here...

...but im not so its time to paint.
(photo by mikael kennedy)

<3 jes

cht cht cht

the other night i fell at work. like completely ate shit on a wet floor. i hope they got it on camera so i can watch it. real dumb.

i started another painting. a few things really inspired the color palette...






travis gave me the russian horror movie called nightwatch because he didnt want it. im pretty sure i had it mixed up with another movie with the same title. the one i now own is a tacky confusing clusterfuck. kind of a disappointment but some of the shots in the movie were really awesome. im happy he gave it to me. my favorite shot was impossible to find online but here are a few...







<3 jes

truck-a-luckin

fires. now officially affecting my life. the town i went to highschool in is being evacuated and my mom and my cat are right in the middle of it all. a bit worried to say the least. i know a lot more people who have already been evacuated and friends whos homes have actually burnt down. a slightly positive note on the situation, all of LA today had an orange glow and i really wanted to go get some pictures of it but unfortunately had to work....and ended up having to work wayyyy longer than planned because everyone was sick. oh well. made the moolah i guess. i hope i can get out tomorrow before work to get some photos.

ive been working on a painting that so far i seem to like and that makes me a happy girl. a bit of drama on the social front but still truckin along with a smile. seems like everyone in my house is sick so ive been drinking gallons of kombucha and emercen-C and kind of hermitting but whats new.

so this probably sounds like me being a total conspiracy theorist but for those of you who have seen zeitgeist...remember when they bring up the idea that the government has been creating diversions for society so they forget about paying attention to the 'other things' going on? i cant help but wonder now about certain things that are happening in the world and whether or not they could be 'diversions'. for example...the global warming thing and who knows...these fires? (i really sound crazy, but hey, this is my blog so i guess im free to write about those little specs o' wonder floating around in my brain.) of course global warming has been an issue for a really really long time. the government has known about it for a huge span of that time and just now decides to address it. its fucking great. really. definitely important. however, now with everyone in society scrambling to use less energy and switch to hybrid cars and eat healthier (still awesome), i think there is a big black hole growing. its growing where we once paid a lot more attention to the shady things our government had been doing. diversions. i am not as educated on the subject as i wish to be, but i know im not the only one in the world thinking about all this.


photobooth created a little creature to play with.

well that was fun. im going to go paint.

<3 jes

ps...if you havent seen the video called 'the boy with the incredible brain' you should. i think ive watched it over 10 times and it still baffles me as much as it did the first time. synesthesia...get into it.

ZEITGEIST

the non-profit film i have bugged so many of you about to watch online called ZEITGEIST is playing at the Egyptian Theater on saturday november 10th at 9:15pm. I know a lot of you who have already seen it would probably like to go and bring some people along who havent seen it.

description:
Zeitgeist was created in the hope that it will inspire people to start looking at the world from a more critical perspective, and to relay the understanding that very often things are not what the population at large think they are. The true understanding of events, both historical and modern, are crucial to the development, awareness and spirituality of the human condition. Zeitgeist is an exposé on the social fallacies that currently plague this fundamental progress by way of critically analyzing common political, religious and economic understandings which most have assumed to be true.

tickets are $12 and for students $10. i really have no idea how many people in la are planning on going so you should buy your tickets now. heres the site link...

http://www.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=114224

i will definitely be there and you should too.

heres the online video in case you feel like checking it out right now.
<3 jes

raptors and trespassing

seems like this past week has been very black and white. joel-peter witkin style. apparently now everything is on fire as well.

totally slept through my alarm this morning (big surprise) and missed the insect fair (wahhh!!). i was excited to go meet up with this artist creature but nooooo. i blew it. earlier tonight a couple friends and i went adventuring back to the abandoned hospital to get some wood to paint on. this time it wasnt open so we had to climb an iron death gate and climb in a little window...in the dark. kind of sketchy. all the floors except one were locked up tonight so we were stuck creeping around the morgue and the rooms and halls that were open. i was pretty terrified this time around and the whole building was settling or something and making nutball sounds. needless to say andy and i were almost pissing our pants remembering all the fucked up things we knew were in the building with us. ambre was a brave little leo. we explored a bit and nabbed some good pieces of wood and then left. got home around 9:30 and painted for like 5 hours. im actually kind of admiring the piece im working on this time. it feels so good to be back into it. a couple friends are taking brittany and i to universal studios tomorrow and im excited...(RAPTORS!!!)...i cant remember the last time i visited. i really need to clean my pants.



i would really love to know what they are talking about. ya know?

<3 jes