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james jean

Art / James Jean chases ideas

We love the work of Los Angeles-based artist James Jean, so we tracked him down for an interview: Your work is very dramatic and rich in narrative. From where does the initial seed of any idea generally come from? ‘It comes from a combination of conscious decision-making and deep rooted memories and desires. Sometimes I start with a very clear idea, but inspiration is rare - usually I’m working out ideas through little thumbnails that mysteriously evolve into their own stories’.

How did the Fables project come about and what’s been your favorite cover for them so far? ‘The latest cover is always a favorite until the next one comes along. Fables was my first big assignment when I graduated from school in 2001. I got the call for the job a month after 9/11, when I was visiting someone in Austria. It was a little surreal to watch the aftermath of the attacks unfold in another country - the anthrax scares and so on - and then receive a message on my answering machine from DC offering me five covers, which would eventually define my career as an illustrator’.

You studied in New York but now live in LA. Why the move and what are the most apparent differences – culturally and creatively - between the two cities? ‘I moved because my wife needed to finish school in LA. Otherwise, I would have stayed in New York, through the hot disgusting summers and the slushy winters. To over generalize, the west coast is less ashamed of craft, of schtick, of kitsch, and of decoration than the east coast. There’s more inherent joy in making art here’. The sketches on your blog are great. Are they destined to remain as sketches or will some of them burst to life as fully fleshed out paintings? ‘They’ll stay as sketches. Perhaps a few years later, my paintings will grow to incorporate more of these sketch elements’. Could you seriously have asked for a more memorable name! It certainly helps huh? ‘I have to thank my parents for their foresight’. [see more of James Jean’s work]

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Indie Breakfast Club

I’m enjoying reading the insight and witticisms of the Indie Breakfast Club blog, which casts a wide net over entrepreneurship and what it means to be one and still have a conscience.

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Nathan Jurevicius at the Magic Pony Gallery

internationally acclaimed artist Nathan Jurevicius (the creator of Scarygirl) will be exhibiting a series of original works and limited edition figures at Toronto’s Magic Pony gallery from May 15 to June 30. Read more

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Elaine Biss’s feminine charms

Known for her beautifully feminine graphics, Elaine Biss has been an international designer for more than fifteen years, working across jewelry, stationary, fabric prints and graphic design. Read more

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‘Some people call me the space cowboy, some call me the gangster of love, some people call me Maurice, cause I speak with the pompetus of love’. The pompetus of love?! Really. I don’t know what the heck Steve Miller was on the day he wrote that, but I could sure do with some now. Read more

Australian singer-songwriter Ben Lee recently contributed some posts to Lost At E Minor on some of his favourite cultural things and people. We checked in with him to see what sort of head-space he’s been in the time since the release of his latest album, Ripe. Read more

Given the amount of talent he has, it’s a mystery why German producer Pantha Du Prince not received more attention than he has. His minimal tech soundscapes are surprisingly melodic and moody, as reflected on his epic track, Asha, as good a starting point to the music of this German electro whiz as any.

You don’t have to venture far in Bangladesh to encounter a rickshaw, the nation’s most popular means of transport. Read more

Andrew Fagan, lead singer of The Mockers, the poppiest New Zealand band of the 80s, came around to my place once when I was an impressionable 10-year old with stars in my eyes and a head full of shiny, shiny melodies. Read more

Ninety percent of the time, you can pick a Scandinavian brand from a metric mile away, which is not necessarily a bad thing considering that the Scands have such a refined, clean approach to thinking about clothes. Read more

There are few more joys an artist has in life than coming across great resources for inspiration. Lately I’ve been studying typography, the meaning of words, and then something as simple as trying to find all the ‘7 letter words’ I can so that it might fit into my latest musings. Read more


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LA-based renaissance man David Choe draws from toy culture and comics as much as he does from Japanese painting and conceptual high art. Read more

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Cellist Ben Sollee is like Andrew Bird with a little more soul, or Arthur Russell with a bit more bounce. Read more

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Massimiliano

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Meow Cottage, Franklin, Tennessee

Draped in a charming rustic veneer, the Meow Cottage at the Old Marshall House in Franklin, Tennessee, is a self-contained cottage situated on the grounds of a sprawling — and quite beautiful — B&B. Read more

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Subscribe to Lost At E Minor now and you could be rocking these insanely stylish MOSCOT Nebb sunglasses, as worn by those modfathers of musical sleek, Young Knives. Hell, Cee-Lo even wore them on Saturday Night Live a few weeks back. Read more

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