The Moldy Doily

flaunting youth

I've been working the past month on some artwork for the new issue of FLAUNT magazine. I am elated of course, because they are known for having the coolest covers. The issue features young stars Jim Sturgess (21 and Across the Universe) and Anne Hathaway (Devil Wears Prada). The best part is that the cover content was supposed to reflect "Young Love, Heartache- heartbreak- teen angst" my specialty. Here's some sneak peek looks at some of the images and how it may all end up I'm excited to see how they tricked out the logo font- because they are always playing around with cool new ways to make the covers POP. One summer the issue came shrink wrapped with REAL SAND. Anyway- this is set to hit newsstands for July, so keep your eyes open next week for it. I'm not sure how it will all look layered together, but it may be something like this... They also usually have a big party to celebrate the issue here in L.A. I think this one is at the end of July.

the BIG picture

That cool ART VIDEO job that I worked on will be having a debut this FRIDAY night in Century City! That's a real 4th of July BANG- fireworks- huge video projections and drinks by the POOL. The Intercontinental Hotel will be screening the film , directed by Ricardo Rivera (with my art and styling) on the entire 17 story side of the building. IF you are not busy it's gonna be a fun party. There is a pool and of course luxury suites. here's a clip: Film clip http://www.klip.tv/gyro/IC/ICshopping_oval_webpreview.mov film clip 2 *********************************************************************** event info--2151 AVENUE OF THE STARS • LOS ANGELES, CA, 90067 • UNITED STATES Front Desk: +1-310-2846500 • Fax: +1-310-2846501

cooler than a 3-Scoop Parfait: Aurie Ramirez

Remember when the Show Pony Ladies participated in the PAPER mag 24-hour dept store event here in L.A.? Well also in attendance were the folks from Creative Growth out in Oakland, CA. They brought a dazzling array of paintings and sculptures from various artists. Their center and gallery space are home to adults with developmental disabilities who communicate their thoughts and ideas through art. I mention all of this because my latest inspirational artist is Aurie Ramirez, a 46 year old Filipino-American woman, who worked for approx 20 years with Creative Growth! I read someplace that she may have suffered slightly from a form of autism and perhaps dyslexia. Whichever the case, she speaks to me. She expresses herself in a colorful language that is dreamy, haunting, fashion inspired and humorous at times.  

Writer and artist Roberta Smith said this about her show at White Columns (New York Times):

Ms. Ramirez, who has a thing for pinstripes, makes extraordinary watercolors that delineate a stage-set universe populated by sometimes androgynous doll-like figures whose cutaway jackets, lacy collars and pink or green pants give them the look of old-fashioned vaudevillians. Their luxurious black hair and white rouged faces suggest a variant on Raggedy Ann and Andy, though they also evoke clowns, hockey masks or clock faces.

These figures cluster in groups, like a theater troupe posing for a group portrait; they inhabit Victorian settings or plainer ones that suggest contemporary California. There are signs of violence and surgical scars; frequent indications of romance, sex and family dysfunction; odalisques reclining before paintings of odalisques.

Ms. Ramirez also isolates her rainbow palette in small striped abstractions. Though there are no indications of it here, the artist, who understands English, speaks in a language of her own devising, which she also writes, filling tablet upon tablet with its somewhat Greek lettering.

I like that on the Creative Growth site itself Aurie's work states that she is categorized and influenced by...

 sophisticated, delicately rendered watercolor and ink compositions create an ever-expanding fantasy world where fragments of 18th century dandyism, neo-Victorian decorum, psychedelia, Venetian masquerade, Glam Rock sex and Punk fetishism are repeated and transformed. Aurie's work has been inspired by her interest in the Adams Family, and the rock band Kiss. Most recently Aurie has exhibited her work in shows at White Columns and Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York, Jack Hanley Gallery, Los Angeles, ABCD in Paris, and Collection l’Art Brut, Lausanne. **YOU have to click on these to see entire image-my typepad settings cut off the goodness that lies to the right of the frame These are from a semi-recent show at the Jack Hanley Gallery:

Creative Growth Art Center began in 1974 in the Oakland, California, living room of psychologist Elias Katz and educator Florence Ludins-Katz. With the belief that art is a universal means of expression, and one that people with disabilities could use to communicate and contribute to society, the pair provided art supplies and workspace to a handful of adults with disabilities. Thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Growth established a gallery in 1980; like the studio, it was the first of its kind.

For more than 20 years the studio and gallery have operated in concert out of a warehouse in Oakland’s Auto Row. Curatorial manager Jennifer Strate O’Neal calls it the “homestead” of a now-flourishing creative community. The studio itself has blossomed into a daily workshop for 148 artists working in mediums that range from pottery, weaving, and woodworking to film and painting. 

Scattered with good stuff

I put that last post on hold, (the one about me scoring the next cover of FLAUNT mag!) because I revealed the cover and the art and then felt like it was unfair since it's not coming out for a little while. So for the few people who saw it that one day it was posted, Shhhh. IT will be revealed again when it's closer to publication. And since I have a lot of good news lately to share about all the fun projects/jobs I've been given this summer, remember that graphic novel that I helped collaborate on? Well it's coming out June 26th! It's for the cool Microsoft/ZUNE Arts. (did I ever mention that Bill Gates and I are born on the same day?) I'm flying to NYC July 17th to do a book signing. You can check out my big video debut here: ZUNE ARTS link (my movie can be watched by clicking MOV under my picture). Be kind and don't comment on how homeless I appear- or how silly my recorded voice sounds. This is how I look in it... sans makeup and beauty sleep There is a book signing event next saturday the 28th for my friend Jennifer's book debut "VINTAGE L.A." The SHOW PONY has a nice two page spread in it. IF you feel like dressing up fabulous in vintage and heading to Fred Segal for the signing, you could win a free copy or other prizes. Click invite to read it all. I've been finding all kinds of strange and fascinating things that for some reason I want to show you. They are not connected, do not make sense huddled in a blog group, and yet the randomness of finding them all, somehow groups them into some nice family unit. I recently bought a cool tote to take to the Farmer's Market to get produce. It's massive and has a gigantic FOX on the front. That's the model on ebay showcasing it. they have all kinds of cool images, from giant magazine covers, to early Madonna, Johnny "sweet" Depp, Bjork, and some other goodies- If you think you need a gigantic tote or t-shirt- check out the rest of their shop: http://stores.ebay.com/VinVan77-Rock-T-Shirts VIN VAN77 Stuff I saw this hanging lamp for sale on ebay last week, $699 dollars of pure magic As if this post wasn't scattered enough, let me show you some new art that I love- this one is by Justin B. Williams- I haven't mentioned it much, but I am going back to Ohio-my hometown, next week. I'll try to keep you posted on some good finds out there. And...scene. Promise to get more organized with my brain- and thoughts for next post.

dance hall days

The past three days I've been working on a video art set. The grand debut video will be projected on the side of a 17 story hotel in century city on the 4th of July! I promise to give the details and maybe you can swing by the party and dip in the pool. I was in charge of styling props and clothes and they will be using some of my art for stop motion stills. It was fun because the style was reminiscent of the film Daisies. Girls running through hallways giggling and causing a frenzy. They were telling secrets while the poor men were stoic and simply pawns in their party. Some of the shots were taken in the presidential suite which we all decided was big enough to fit all four of our apartments in. Seriously the main room was insane and the balcony looked over the city. The bathroom was big enough to shower all of us at the same time. Back at base camp (which was so far away in this massive hotel, that it took us each 10 minutes to get from the elevator to the door!!) Franny did the hair and J.C. did all the hairdoos. I had to have my pal Taylor do a lot of ironing and hustling. But on the plus side we all finally got to eat all of the snacks at a hotel mini bar and not have to pay for it. We were in a sweet suite and weary when it wrapped. Today we shot a whole day of stop motion objects that will be added to the backgrounds and such on the final film version. Did I mention the shoot was also done with underwater cameras in a pool and floating clothes and a long dolly scene (like the shining) where the camera cruises down the halls following the girls while they run with scarves and push men out of their way? One of the models was from Project Runway, she was Kane's model and super sweet. Her voice and personality reminded me of a cross between a young Carol Burnett and Shelley Duvall Nice.

Shhh... Sneak peek

intergalactic space drama, what will happen to the LOST ONES?

R.I.P. Rauschenberg

Oh no, another one of my favorite prolific artists has passed! A mastermind of all mediums, Robert Rauschenberg transcended all boundaries of art. He was known to be a printmaker and set designer, a painter, a photographer as well as compose and choreograph. According to the news, Rauschenberg suffered from heart failure at his home in Florida on Monday, he was 82.

I was always fascinated mostly by his unusual object installation sculptures, with overlapping paint and prints. My favorite when I was a student was BED. When I moved to California, my friend Kutmah and I went to see some contemp art show, and it was one of the pieces. I got very close to it, and my heart was pounding. I was excited to see it up close in all it's tattered glory. There was this energy being put out by being so close to his work. I can't explain it. It made me aware of reckless abandon and to not dismiss common objects as less beautiful. (very similar to Duchamp) Don't tell anyone, but I reached out for the first time in a museum and touched it. I know, I know, very classless of me.

How can you forget "Monogram" the piece with the stuffed GOAT!?

In the New York Times article by Michael Kimmelman there is this quote by the artist:

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“I really feel sorry for people who think things like soap dishes or mirrors or Coke bottles are ugly,” he once said, “because they’re surrounded by things like that all day long, and it must make them miserable.”

The remark reflected the optimism and generosity of spirit that Mr. Rauschenberg became known for. His work was likened to a St. Bernard: uninhibited and mostly good-natured. He could be the same way in person. When he became rich, he gave millions of dollars to charities for women, children, medical research, other artists and Democratic politicians.

************************************************************
He also stated “Screwing things up is a virtue,” when he was 74. “Being correct is never the point. I have an almost fanatically correct assistant, and by the time she re-spells my words and corrects my punctuation, I can’t read what I wrote. Being right can stop all the momentum of a very interesting idea.”

MOOSE!

This cool Dutch contemporary art magazine asked me recently to participate in their latest issue. The final six page spread is in full crazy color (also has a nice interview) it's available now by going here:

http://www.mijnwebwinkel.nl/winkel/hellomoose

The issue also has a nice layout with FAILE!

Dark HAND: tonight

Remember way back when I did that post on artist Shary Boyle? (How can you forget her mysterious macabre & dainty sculptures?) Anyway, she is performing tonight at the Silent Movie Theatre in collaboration with the FAMILY shop.
This sounds GOOD:

Famiy Presents Dark Hand and Lamplight LIVE
Thursday May 1st at 8pm at The Silent Movie Theatre
Toronto-based artist Shary Boyle and musician Doug Paisley formed Dark Hand and Lamplight in 2006 as an opening act for Will Oldham's California tour. This collaborative performance features Lamplight singing and playing guitar while Dark Hand creates live drawings and animates pre-drawn images on an overhead projector. Choreographed to the lyrics and music, Dark Hand projects her artwork onto a screen, the wall, Lamplight, and other available surfaces.

Last seen at the Hammer Museum in 2006, where an unsuspecting audience had their minds blown, this shouldn't be missed!

FAMILY
familylosangeles@hotmail.com
323 782 9221
Buy Tickets http://www.cinefamily.org/calendar/events.html#dar

I'm all YOURS

WOW, according to an email I received earlier today, Trendcentral reported today that I'm an "artist to watch". Isn't that super nice? I guess that I need to hurry up and get this artist studio back in tip top shape and get back to the drawing board.

Here's the actual clip from it:
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Kime Buzzelli: Among a certain crowd of bohemian cool girls in LA (and elsewhere due to the popularity of her excellent blog, The Moldy Doily, Kime Buzzelli is an icon. In addition to having some of the best style in town and selling covetable wares at her pioneering Echo Park boutique Show Pony (recently remodeled), 38-year-old Buzzelli is also a brilliant painter. Although she is inspired by fashion models, Buzzelli's dreamy, colorful works that feature psychedelic flapper gypsy hippie girls are so much more exciting than the photo editorial of any magazine. And we're not the only ones who think so: Vans tapped her to design a line of clothes and shoes that will be released next year.
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Heads up to my sweet blog world fans who read this and always make my day with comments (you know who you are) I really appreciate you die hard darlings.

I'm gonna post some art for sale later today- around 6p.m. west coast time- so keep a lookout

www.kimebuzzelli.etsy.com

Cleaning house

I have to do it. Again
In my effort to get my studio space more spotless, I am selling some of the paintings that are currently around my table. These gems need loving homes and frames and can be all yours by going over to my etsy site:

www.kimebuzzelli.etsy.com

Affordable because I have to stop hoarding, and gathering more clutter.
Consider this my "crazy Gideon" phase. Here's a sneak peek:

sunshine all over the place

this blast from the past is from 2002 or 2003? Whoa how time flies. This was the old block, Echo Park Ghost town. The previous landlord would get balloons to lure customers to come to the street.

for the love of doily

This past March 21st, The Luggage Store (ART gallery) featured the AMAZING duo Monica Canilao & Swoon. The show, titled Feral was documented PRE- art opening on FecalFace art Blog. Check out the amazing sneak peak pics of them setting up. They holed up in the space for a week, eating in there as well as building, sewing and painting directly on the walls. I've always adored both of these great women artists and admire their individual styles and materials, so naturally I am excited that they created a show together.

Somebunny loves you

Sometimes I wish I was still a kid just so that I could receive one of these in the mail, preferably from a grandparent. Unfortunately all of my grandparents have passed on. Remember when illustrators created cards like this with animals that were too cute for words?
If you are masterful at making deviled eggs, please let me know

Not to make my family back in the midwest bummed, but it's about 88 degrees here in Echo Park, and I had to slather on sunscreen. I may even wear a sun hat later with my dress. I will say, burying eggs in mounds of snow can't be too much fun.
Happy egg day

Bittersweet Symphony

Last night we all went downtown to see our friend Sarah and her contribution to the Art Print Show at Poketo. The gallery is in a renovated warehouse space and is home to all types of collaborations with artists. Here was the flyer:

Here she is with her OWL print

David seems to be turning into a sourpuss here. He was also approached the minute we arrived by a guy who recognized him the night before at the Little Joy. That's right folks, you heard it here first, David hit up the old LJ. Anyway, the guy complimented his t-shirt from the night before and then went on to say he is a huge fan of his blog too. WOW, david has a blog fanclub now. Got me thinking, maybe I should make MoldyDoily Fan Mail and glossy pics.

we all decided to go to Little Tokyo and karaoke, maybe I should say "return to the scene of the karaoke crime". I am not going to name any names here, but look at that Ray Stevens song and you can guess

Here's Fran actually sweet talking Whitesnake "here I go again..." in an almost folk implosion way. It took a few of us time to even guess what she was singing because her shy voice is almost strictly audible to dolphins

We signed David up for "Bittersweet Symphony", but he wasn't having it. He went outside and avoided the calling.

These girls came up after all of us and killed it with their rendition of "AFrica" When you actually see the words to that song on the screen, you can't help but say...Huh? Good thing our friend's dad is actually in the band TOTO so I can ask the true meaning. According to Wikipedia:

"Africa" is a song by rock band Toto. Its story is told from the perspective of a man in Africa awaiting his female partner's inbound flight. The protagonist looks forward to their time together during the rainy season as it grants a reprieve from his normal responsibilities. The song's catchy chorus incorporates metaphor for his determination to guard his time with her: "It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you / There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do / I bless the rains down in Africa / Gonna take some time to do the things we never had".

Get Loose

Still cleaning, so I apologize for the lack of luscious posts. I promise that when this big remodel is done, there will be lots of great things to talk about.
sometimes when I look back at the paintings in my art vault from years and years ago, I can't remember what provoked me to make the work in the first place. I am getting rid of a lot of these blasts from the past on my etsy site: kimebuzzelli.etsy.com

5 or 6 of them sold earlier this week, so it seems they must have some appeal out there. Take into consideration that they are from a long time ago and that they have moved around my place many times. Some of them were created for the NICE and CRUDE art show I did at the L.A. Erotic Museum of ART in 2004.

This one had a little something to do with not putting up anymore with being taken for granted or advantage of. I remember thinking that these women needed to get a move on to a better place-

it's finally here! Bring on the POWDER

All of those weeks of waiting, and now the time has come to introduce my first sporty creation: the MONUMENT board named "LOVELESS"
The best part of the board is the place where it states "Sorry is for Suckers"

Ah how true.
Check out my impromptu love affair photo shoot with my snow board. Did I mention that I had no idea these things were so gigantic! It's as tall as me, seriously I thought they were the size of skateboards.
I think it comes out later this year

Art Director for MONUMENT Boards C.Glancy on the left, and his slick trade show merch skills involved driving a muscle car into the show room and leaning the boards up. Hot.

stated on the website:
"Not only did we unveil our new product line, we also unveiled a new logo as you can see. Next year's artists include Kime Buzzelli, KR, Owleyes, Thom Lessner, and Todd Tourso. The feedback was overwhelming, with compliments coming from industry peeps and retailers on the work that was put together for next year's line. It's flattering when a design director brings over his whole team of designers to look at our boards from another company."

Watch Out Winfrey

There's a new OPHRAH in town and she's an artist. Sure she spells her name a little different but who wouldn't? Her last name is SHEMESH, and she hails from Israel. Her first solo show will be held at FREIGHT and VOLUME (this is her 3rd show in NYC) is titled "I and Thou "

23 Feb - 29 Mar 2008

the following info is from the article in re-title:
"Ophrah Shemesh's subjects are simultaneously submissive and empowered. She addresses notions of objectification, narcissism, and the male/female psychodynamic. Her figures appear with an ambiguously fixed stare - never directed or confrontational, but always to a third party - or to oneself looking inward. These portraits could be considered eloquent depictions of either loneliness or independence. " David Freedberg

Shemesh's newest suite of paintings I and Thou are based loosely on the poignant '70s art house film Night Porter, a tragic love story starring Charlotte Rampling who turns tables, years later, on her Nazi captor. But these iconic male and female images only use the film as a starting point, in their almost Balthusian investigation of transcendent themes of love, strength and vulnerability, opposite attraction, domination and submission, and ultimate redemption between the sexes.

Naughty naughty.

Behave

the artful weekend

This past Friday, Mr. Scheid invited me to the EchoPlex to see his friend Annie's band ST. VINCENT. Before the big show we first headed over to SUGAR salon to see a closing art show. The place was jumping with people and super cool art pieces created by an art duo. There was this amazing bedazzled mobile floating in the front window, which on closer inspection revealed the components to be bound animals and dolls. It was very Joshua Tree dream catcher cool.
The walls had large painting collages and a handpainted deer statue.

.

Too bad we ate already, because the catering looked DIVINE! Seriously the best food I've laid eyes on since being in Italy. The pizza looked like the kind my Northern Italian grandma used to make. I found out it's from this new place called ANDIAMO(Silverlake), which will deliver organic meals fast! They also are eco-friendly and all of the packaging is environmentally sustainable.

back at St. Vincent, I finally got to hang out with David's friend MARY. The show was incredible. They had this crazy FX Screen that showed the band breaking down into electric rays and streaming psychedelia

SATURDAY: Of course had to attend the SWOON art show at New Image ART Gallery. Just like I knew it would be, walls and walls adorned in breathtaking AMAZING cutouts and drawings. There was even a long boat in the space with curling paper swirls of water.

Marsea and the female artist SWOON

Kutmah invited us to a house party he was DJing

We all danced to New Order, Joy Division, The Pixies, etc...

NINA Cherry was in full effect

Opening Night

It's been tough posting, while on the travel path, so here's the quick low down
pertaining to the art show, the opening night and the aftermath. Did I mention that we were fashionably late and by the time we arrived I had already sold 4 things! Ohio rules.

I made new stationary sets!

while I painted the walls, little Lukas mastered the alphabet in the window of the gallery

Colleen from the Mahan Gallery wearing her new Petrosa tiger

this lucky lady scored the Patty Boyd piece

here's Tara, who drove up from Cinti to come and visit

my friend barbara and her new man drove all the way from cinti

these two guys approached me to say they really liked my work. They also kept referring to me as Kim-A, or accentuating the "e" at the end of my name in a elite French way. I told them that was cool, and perhaps I would change it to that so that people would assume I was an important artist

this picture makes me look like I have a muffin top, ouch

after the show we headed over to Andyman's Treehouse. That's right a bar with a giant tree growing up and out of the middle of it.

there was sort of an Elvis, Johnny Cash theme, and a band called the "whiles" entertained. The whole thing sort of gave me the strange feeling that I had time travelled to a moment in my college days.

we promised we would say hello to our old haunt "Larrys" Our old home away from home. The bathroom had a whole new set of art student graffiti.