For generations, this country’s veterans have proudly worn their military service on their skin in the form of tattoos, as well as on their uniform sleeves.  This Veteran’s Day, Sailor Jerry Rum is honoring Norman Collins, the man that inspired the brand, and is toasting to all the people who have – and continue to – step up and serve our nation.

There aren’t many men like Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins around anymore. The father of old-school tattooing, Sailor Jerry was a true classic in every sense of the word. A tough old sea dog with a shrewd intellect, Jerry stood up for himself and stood by his work earning him a legacy that is still felt today.

It was clear from an early age that Norman was destined to leave his mark. Born on the west coast in 1911, Collins soon gained the moniker “Jerry” after his father noticed a similar disposition between the young troublemaker and the family’s cantankerous mule. By his teens, “Jerry” was hand-poking Pelikan ink tattoos as he ventured around the country hopping freight trains. At 19, he arrived in Chicago, cutting his tattoo chops in the infamous arcades of State Street. It was there that he enlisted in The Great Lakes Naval Academy. Skipping the globe on schooner ships, Jerry passed through the China Seas and other remote ports of call. During his travels through the Far East, he began to develop a life-long obsession with Asian culture, art, and imagery.

Finishing his Naval stint in the late ’20s, Collins decided to settle in the then “remote” island of Oahu, Hawaii. In some ways, his timing could not have been better (or worse, depending on who you ask!). This “last outpost” would soon become the stomping ground for over a million soldiers and sailors, all of whom were ready to live life to the fullest-usually contained within a 48-hour Honolulu shore leave! And so, for the next 40 years, Sailor Jerry had a constant canvas of carousing military men to obsessively perfect his deftly crafted, boldly lined, style that incorporated both American designs and traditions with Asiatic coloring and sensibilities. His one-of-a-kind tattoos and flash would eventually find their way into the highly secretive world of Japanese tattoo masters known as “Horis.” Thus, Jerry became one of the first American tattoo artists to correspond directly with these masters, trading colors, designs and techniques. Yet Jerry, as high-minded and noble as this endeavor was, never lost his edge-or his sailor roots. A strongly opinionated libertarian and genius level prankster, Jerry was the definition of a social chameleon. Whether reciting poetry on his radio program “Old Ironsides” or tattooing, Jerry lived life to the fullest-with a bigger than life persona more akin to the sailors of yesteryear.

Boastful stories and folklore aside, it was Jerry’s visionary innovations and unrivaled craftsmanship that led future tattoo artists and devoted protégés to marvel at his work. His classic, yet groundbreaking, skin art portrays a legacy that’s as true today as it was generations ago on those wild, devil-may-care streets of Chinatown. As Jerry’s business cards famously said “My Work Speaks For Itself,” and no truer words have been spoken.

“Tokyo has always been super supportive to me,” said KAWS (né Brian Donnelly) recently as he stood before the slick and zany canvas he contributed to Takashi Murakami‘s “New Day” auction to benefit earthquake relief efforts in Japan. “When Takashi asked me to take part in the exhibition and auction, it was a no-brainer. An instant yes.” KAWS responded with “KAWSbob Enters the Strange Forest” (2011), expected to bring between $30,000 and $40,000.

The painting, which measures five feet in diameter, borrows the cherubic and absorbent visage of SpongeBob SquarePants, here given the KAWS treatment with X-ed-out eyes, as well as Murakami’s own grinning-flower motif. “One of the first times I visited Takashi at his studio in Japan, he gave me a six-foot flower pillow,” explained KAWS. “He said, ‘I want you to have this, but are you OK to take it back?’ And I was like, ‘Of course.’” There was just the small matter of figuring out how to transport a giant plush flower back to Brooklyn (KAWS eventually figured out shipping arrangements). “I’ve always been touched by Takashi’s support and generosity,” he added, “And I thought this sort of image was appropriate for the occasion.”

Takashi Murakami in front of his painting, “New day DOB’s Acrobatic Spectacular: Society” (2011), expected to bring between $350,000 and $450,000 at tomorrow’s sale. Below, he is joined by Yoshitomo Nara and KAWS. (Photos: Stephanie Murg)

On March 11, 2011, Takashi Murakami was in his Tokyo studio, busy with preparations for the biannual GESAI art fair that was scheduled to open in a couple of days. Then everything changed. “It was a total shock,” he said the other day at Gagosian Gallery in New York, recounting his experience of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that triggered a tsunami and nuclear accidents. “In the days immediately following the earthquake, there was panic and hysteria, but eventually we started to think how we could do something, with artists.” That something was “New Day,” which began as a blog-based version of GESAI (the fair was cancelled in the wake of the disaster) and evolved into a range of activities, including the sale of merchandise and special installations at art fairs, with all proceeds donated to organizations helping with recovery efforts. Now the initiative is primed for its biggest event yet, an auction of 21 works donated by artists including Murakami and members of his Kaikai Kiki stable (Mr., Aya Takano) as well as the likes of Damien Hirst, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, and Yoshitomo Nara.

The sale at Christie’s in New York is expected to bring in between $3.5 million and $5 million to fund relief efforts in Japan by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Global Giving, and International Medical Corps. “The earthquake happened around three in the afternoon,” said Murakami, standing before a self-portrait in which even his goatee is contorted in grief. “At five o’clock, [Christie's owner] Francois Pinault sent me an e-mail asking ‘Are you OK? Is there anything I can do to help?’ And that e-mail was really the starting point of this project.” As he walked a scrum of journalists around Gagosian’s fifth-floor space on Madison Avenue, Murakami gestured to the eye-popping line-up of works donated by artist-friends he had recruited to participate. “The artists gave us supernice pieces,” he said, gesturing to a quartet of photos from Sherman’s 1976 “Bus Riders” series and a maquette of a pink balloon poodle, then still being silkscreened onto stainless steel at Koons’ studio (the finished product is expected to bring $600,000 to $800,000 tomorrow). “Initially I was thinking of more gloomy images,” said Mr., speaking through a translator about his “Okay!!” (2011), in which an anime-style schoolgirl pumps her fist and flings off a hot pink mary jane. “But I decided it was better to paint pictures that are more encouraging, as a way to convey ‘let’s get going.’”

It’s usually during the Fall time, that we seem creative workings of food from Halloween up to warm Christmas treats. Renowned sand and pumpkin sculptor Ray Villafane presents a few incredibly detailed carved pumpkins. As you view his collection, you’ll be amazed at how he makes the hard pumpkin flesh look soft and malleable, as if it’s a real human face. If you want to stand out in your neighborhood or amongst friends, you can purchase custom carvings through Villafane’s website.

A new series of canvas paintings by American graphic artist Matt M. Moore. Painted during an August 2011 residency in Moscow. Inspired by experiences and excursions in the city. The juxtaposition of old and new, asymmetrical architecture, shadow play, reflections, optical illusions, the vibrant colors, and the ever present buzz of this mega city. As if you are looking at a crystal through a magnifying glass, each artwork is a celebration of a small moment from an infinite landscape of geometry, color, and illusion.

In addition to the exhibition Moore also painted 3 massive Murals in downtown Moscow, gave 2 Master Class Lectures, and painted a fleet of 17 geometric sculptures installed around Tsvetnoy.

]]> http://www.limitemagazine.com/2011/10/matt-w-moore-moscow-exhibition/feed/ 0 http://www.limitemagazine.com/2011/10/giveaway-limited-edition-art-print-bush-leavenworth/ http://www.limitemagazine.com/2011/10/giveaway-limited-edition-art-print-bush-leavenworth/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:44:08 +0000 Adrian "Age" Farquharson http://www.limitemagazine.com/?p=34901 We’ll be giving away one framed, limited edition art print from Bush + Leavenworth. The print is numbered and signed by the B+L designers. The artwork is from the “Zombies” tee in the new Fall 2011 collection. Check out the Fall 2011 collection from Bush + Leavenworth here. All you have to do is head [...]]]>

We’ll be giving away one framed, limited edition art print from Bush + Leavenworth. The print is numbered and signed by the B+L designers. The artwork is from the “Zombies” tee in the new Fall 2011 collection. Check out the Fall 2011 collection from Bush + Leavenworth here. All you have to do is head over to our Facebook page and answer our poll question and we’ll pick one lucky winner next week on Friday October 14th, 2011.

“Like” Limité on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Limite-Magazine/

“Like” Bush + Leavenworth on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bush-Leavenworth/

View the full limited edition art poster after the jump

View this video at Hurley.com

In celebration of the US Open of Surfing 2011 and launch of the Phantom 4D boardshort, Hurley International presents PRISM BREAK, a multi-dimensional realization of art featuring the work of Hurley artist James “Dalek” Marshall. The exhibit will begin with an opening event on Friday, August 5th at the Hurley SPACE Gallery in Costa Mesa on the Hurley Campus.

PRISM BREAK is specially-created “4D” glasses for enhanced viewing, floor-to-ceiling, multi-colored spires and a fun-house maze entry, attendees will be allowed the unique opportunity to be completely immersed in a Dalek-created 4D universe.

In addition to the art itself, the exhibit will feature a display of the Phantom 4D boardshort and 4D-inspired product collection created by “friends & family” of the Hurley brand. The product collection is lead by the Nike Air Max 90 + Hurley shoe partnership, a limited-edition sneaker with only 500 created worldwide. Hurley’s friends at LDG also created a series of five custom, hand-painted fixed gear bikes and a custom 4D surfboard, all showcasing variations of Dalek’s 4D product visual. Skullcandy then worked with the Hurley team to create a 4D-inspired version of the highly-anticipated Mix Master Mike headphones.

Photo Credit: Peter Acker

Founders Entertainment are proud to announce The Governors Ball Music Festival’s Art and Artists for 2011. The installations on festival grounds will feature a collection of emerging and established, local and international artists to create an atmosphere of cognizant cool that reflects the vibrant artistic melting pot that is New York City. The attention to aesthetic detail by Governors Ball’s producers Founders Entertainment will enhance the festival experience for the fans and performing artists alike. The artist featured in this years festival are Jimmy Kuehnle, Sofia Maldonado, R. Nick Kuszyk, Airspace, Daniel Patrick Helmstetter, Ibrahim Ahmed III, Christine Wagner, Ryan Higgins, Joshua Knoblick and Hannah Craft.

The Governors Ball Music Festival is a one day event to be held June 18th on New York City’s Governors Island. The festival features headliners Girl Talk, Pretty Lights, Empire of the Sun, and Big Boi (of Outkast) among many other amazing performers, comedians, and great food and beer. Governors Ball is also upping the ante for summer music festival fun by incorporating an exciting list of activities into the event including a Beer Pong Tournament, Ping Pong, Basketball, and Beach Volleyball.

Always nice to show up somewhere and find it to be even more than you expected — which is just what happened to me along the hip strip of towns along 30A in northwest Florida: Grayton Beach, Watercolor, Seaside, Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach.

They all have white sand beaches, cool new urbanist architecture and some nice places to eat, but only Rosemary Beach has Tommy Crow Studios.

His space is spare and sits along the town’s busy Main Street amongst stylish boutiques, home furnishings stores and restaurants. These individually owned businesses (no chain stores allowed) are not the usual resort town fare, making Rosemary Beach a truly great place to not only sun, but shop.

Tommy Crow Studios stands out because it’s a store, art gallery and photography studio. Crow is both an art and advertising photographer. With its reverence for soft focus, pale colors, fine vintage vehicles, beaches (well, obviously) and open spaces, his advertising work made me think of a sunnier, dreamier Bruce Weber.

He shoots for clients both national and local and periodically produces a book called The Sea Press. On textured matte paper with rounded corners, it features well-designed ads for the area’s restaurants, stores, animal shelters and other local points of interest. Some pages look like ads in the best sense of the word, others showcase the local landscape. Still others profile business owners.

Crow takes all the photographs and designs the piece himself, making it the best advertisement for both his talents and for the area. Back home in New York, I showed The Sea Press to a few friends. After looking at the fab fish on the cover and cracking right into the book, the conclusion was always the same: “This is so cool. I really want to go to this place.”

Crow also does fine art photography. Inspired by the sea, sky and open space around him, his large pieces feature artfully placed butterflies, dragonflies, birds and sea anemones. “I love to utilize creatures in motion,” Crow explains. “Flight paired with the reflective quality of water is definitely a common theme in my work.”

Crow says he looked for a long time before settling in Rosemary Beach. “I liked the feel of the town — and the people who are drawn here seem to fit in with the concept of the studio, our work and the services we provide.”

Tommy Crow Studio also carries a well-edited selection of shirts, jewelry and caps, but photography is his passion. “I am a photographer,” he explains. “For as long as I can remember that’s what I’ve been. As a kid, I ran around with a Polaroid Swinger camera — the funky cool white one — shooting my friends. I learned the principles of photography by reading the instruction sheet that came in the Kodak film box. It took me forever to understand f-stops and apertures, but I finally got it.”

After studying landscape architecture at The University of Georgia, Crow decided to pursue photography full time. His next few years were spent learning from other professionals in Atlanta after which he opened his own studio to shoot advertising photography.

When talking about his move to Rosemary Beach, Crow says, “Coming to this area really inspired me. It gave me the time and the space to notice more around me and became a definite springboard for creating photographic artwork.”

Tommy Crow Studios is at 38 Main Street in Rosemary Beach, Florida.

“Life to me is a bit of a Brothers Grimm fairytale” once remarked Lee Alexander McQueen. Sadly for him, it turned out to be a particularly dark and tragic one that ended on Feb 11, 2010 with his suicide in his Mayfair flat. A year on from the tragedy, McQueen has received the ultimate posthumous accolade – a retrospective at the Costume Institute in New York – becoming only the second designer (after Gianni Versace in 1997) to be honored so soon after his death. ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty‘, which opens on May 4, traces the evolution of the designer from his Jack the Ripper-inspired 1992 MA collection right through to the wondrously tender collection based on the art of Hieronymous Bosch that was to be his finale.

With unparalleled access to the McQueen archive, sets designed by Sam Gainsbury (whose company Gainsbury & Whiting was responsible for the ground-breaking, sense shattering runway shows McQueen staged over the years) and access to the memories and recollections of McQueen’s closest confidantes, including his trusted lieutenant of 14 years (and now creative director) Sarah Burton, the exhibition promises to be a insight into the mind of one of Britain’s most influential designers.