Fourteen years of Derek Erdman in Chicago
After selling some 3,000 pieces out of the 4,000 or so that he has produced in the past decade, Chicago artist Derek Erdman is getting out of dodge. Moving westward has not stopped him from putting together one final show at High Concept Laboratories. Without Wax will feature over 1,000 paintings and drawings of this poignant Ohio-born, Chicago-bred genius.
As if that’s not enough, there will be hot dogs with fortunes inside, and over twenty pounds of gummi bears. Odd Obsession Djs will be treating peoples ears to rare Jamaican tunes, whilst this carnival of full circle Erdman ensues. All things considered, this is the most important opening in Chicago this summer.
Tagged: Chicago, Chicago artist, High Concept Laboratories
RELATED
Really digging the grotesque, zombie-like sculptures and images of Chicago-based artist Rachel Niffeneggar. The materiality of Niffeneggar’s work is as vital to the interpretation of each piece as the aggregate images, bringing up high-concept ideas that transcend mere horror movie worship.
I don’t even know where to begin describing the work of Chicago artist Matthew Woodward. Maybe it’s my deep-seated love for all things historical and sturdy, useful antiques. Maybe Woodward created these drawings especially for me (maybe?). Using graphite to create ghost-like, mysterious images of elements like finials, gates and augers (go look up old fashioned tools), there is something utterly mysterious and compelling about his work. They remind me of old photographs with their far away magic. Read more
Audiotree: unearthing the best new Chicago bands
Audiotree is one of my favorite companies to discover new music. Based out of Chicago, the company wears many belts, including live sessions, band interviews, sponsorships and artist management. Since the recent inception of the company, they have interviewed and recorded a hundred great bands and counting, both local to Chicago and touring acts. Read more
Also by DAVE MATA
Violet Hour Mural by Tyrue ‘Slang’ Jones
Graff legend Slang used to be a neighbor of mine. His sharp-witted personality is mirrored in his latest commision for Wicker Park’s upscale cocktail hole in the wall, The Violet Hour. Read more
Twisted, offensive, hilarious. I can’t quite put my finger on where all these people must be coming from. It seems that the strongest thread between all of these hilarious shorts is an incredibly dark sense of humor. Read more
Meaty Ogre versus Crushcon7: Sword
Second in the series of hip hop instrumentals with a different producer on each side of the LP comes Sword for Fieldwerk Recordings. Something about hypnotic rhythms paired with spacey synth samples and R&B] vocals just adds up to a cold-ass winter for me. Meaty Ogre takes side A, showing off his craft for sampling, timing, and bringing a hook home without wearing it out. The flip follows the dark theme, with more sweeping beats aimed at the ‘banging head’ by producer and label owner Crushcon7. This record beats as hard as an ice cold pavement.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
YOU'RE SAYING (0)
No comments yet.
HAVE YOUR SAY
The 800gr Bookshelf by French designer Dany Gilles is made from stackable cardboard cases. Not surprisingly, it’s very light and modular. Read more
Moscow, China, Armenia, Finland. So many destinations that Laure Fissore, a young French illustrator, has elegantly drawn. Her latest book, New York, is full of posey with very realistic images of the Big Apple: a touch of colour here and there, the yellow cab, the wonder wheel, Chinatown. I am already transported.
In Japan, when one makes squeezing gestures with both hands at chest level, one is gesturing that one wants candy — soft, round, bouncy candy. At least, that’s what this commercial would have us believe.
Of all the weird places the world has to offer, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia has to be one of the coolest. Literally. At 3,700m above sea level, it’s the biggest and highest salt flat in the world, where after dark, temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees celsius. The best way to explore the salt flat is to hire a 4WD and driver from the Uyuni township. En route, you can even stay at a Salt Hotel, where everything is, quite literally, made from salt: the chairs, beds, tables and even the walls. There’s no heating and the beds aren’t exactly ‘plush’, but it’s worth every salty second. Read more
Remember how the forgotten (and the forbidden) places attracted you as a child? Well, I think I never got past that phase. I haven’t had the courage to do any big scale explorations yet, but while I’m planning for it, Forbidden Places is a good place to see what other people are finding in hidden places around the globe. It’s very eerie and intriguing. Read more
We name-checked them as having one of the top five albums of 2007, and with good reason. I speak of Nashville band, The Silver Seas. Read more
My friend, illustrator Ai Tatebayashi, is known for her lovely color schemes and she forwarded me the link to this beautiful handknit accessory store from Istanbul. With Etsy, we can now purchase talented designer’s work from all over the world. And I couldn’t resist, I bought a necklace-scarf and cannot wait until it comes to my door! Read more
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Pencils made from recycled newspaper
The problem with awesome things like these pencils made out of recycled newspaper is that you almost don’t want to use them.
Cookie Boy’s creative cookie designs
I don’t eat cookies, so good thing Cookie Boy’s cookies are little pieces of art too pretty and cute to eat. Read more
It’s refreshing to see artists like Joe Kievitt who are contented to explore the beauty in simple forms and asymmetrical patterns. Read more
A little infectious lollipop rock anyone? Feel free to embarrass yourself singing along at the stoplight. If the other drivers give you that look, roll down the windows and spread the love.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Get lost in a daydream or a craving for something sweet while gazing at these cool sculptures by Brooklyn-based WiNK WiNK PONY. Made using clay, tree bark, wood, and mossy moss.
Sovereign Beck create modern silk ties for the classic man — both understated and provocative, classic and cutting edge. We have them for sale in the Lost At E Minor store. Read more
If you have a Twitter feed that focuses on cool pop cultural things and you’d like to swap Tweets with Lost At E Minor and other like-minded Twitterers, drop us a note (with Tweet Swap in the title). We have a system in place and we’d like to have you in on it! [illustration by Brad Fitzpatrick]
FOLLOW US
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it's not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
