You are currently browsing the monthly archive for August 2009.
The latest upload from our Lumpen TLVSN Video jam:
LUMPEN – TLVSN Mahjong Underground Concert from lumpen on Vimeo.
Now I admit, I own a pair of nikes, but that’s not really the point. Just slap the words “sub pop” on a pair of shoes and suddenly they are different? Bullshit if you ask me.
Check out this wonderful NewCity article about artists trying to make a living in this art forsaken world of volunteer and free work. The piece focuses on a Aug. 20th panel discussion held at Chicago Cultural Center titled “Non-Traditional Ways of Making a Living as an Artist”. The talk featured panelists Lynn Basa, Nikko Moy, Lee Tracy and Lumpen-Favorite-Cholo Chad Kouri of The Post Family.
The article is really well written, I’d definitely check it out and if this article is any indication of the content coming out of NewCity, good things are to come…Quit your job and make some art.
Apparently the panel discussion will soon be broadcast on CAN TV.
Stay tuned. Same bat time, same bat place.
Blogitorial Disclosure: This blogger was recently part of a panel discussion at the Garfield Park Conservatory with Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman as part of a Mikva Challenge event. This blogger had the chance to meet Mr. Hoffman and from the moment this blogger met him, not only did this blogger see high office in his future, but this blogger was also greatly impressed with Hoffman’s candor, intellect and congenial, yet professional personality.
Chicago Inspector General, David Hoffman
It was announced today that Chicago Inspector General, David Hoffman is resigning his post and beginning a bid for the U.S. Senate in the seat vacated by Barack Obama and kept dibs on by Roland “Tombstone” Burris. This is a huge surprise politically, but many who know Hoffman know he has a long future ahead of him. Here is a great post from the Reader’s Mick Dumke on the situation. Here is the Tribune’s article.
I try not to use this electronic soapbox to pontificate my views, but in this case I’ll make an exception. Although there is still much to know and be known about Hoffman and his views, I have the gut feeling that this guy is for real. The 2010 election will be of huge importance, but what is even more pressing is the 2010 Democratic primary, which Hoffman will run up against several formidable foes. Check out his stats and make your own decision, but make it quick and do something about it, will ya?
For those Chicagoans who turn to the Chicago Reader for everything from job listings, sex advice, political investigations and music listings, check out this article from the Chicago Tribune about the Reader’s interim future. For those who don’t know, the Chicago Reader has been going through a bit of turmoil with the whole crumbling newspaper industry and such. The paper was sold a while back to Creative Loafing Inc., a Tampa-based company that publishes other alternative weeklies in the Southeast U.S. Well, the purchase apparently got Creative Loafing into a great deal of debt which it hasn’t been able to crawl out of forcing the company to file bankruptcy. As a result, the five alt. weeklies which Creative Loafing operated, including the Reader were put up for sale at a bankruptcy auction and a New York hedge fund, Atalaya Capital Management recently won. The group said it intends to continue publishing the Reader and someone from the hedge fund was actually quoted as saying “things can always change up.” Well there’s some hope…
This article from the Aug. 23 Chicago Tribune notes the changing environment in Chicago’s established and commercial art galleries. It’s your typical economic trend story and really won’t tell anyone who is involved with art in Chicago anything they don’t already know, but here is a nice snippet which offers some hope to some of the younger, emerging artists in Chicago:
“”People have rethought some of their programs and have presented work that’s more affordable, and that does tend to be younger emerging artists,” said Linda Blumberg, executive director of the New York-based Art Dealers Association of America.
The up-and-comers’ gain may be the more established artists’ loss. “I think the ones who are really suffering are the veterans,” Schneider said, “because they’ve gone from selling five or six pieces a month to one every other month.”
Edelman said she has dropped several name artists from her roster because their numbers fell off the cliff. “In the last year there are about four or five artists who I haven’t done anything for,” she said. “It’s not their fault. I just haven’t been able to sell the work.”"
It’s worth a read if you need a break from work or are bored in between smoking joints.
The wonderful folks at the Anti-Advertising Agency tipped us off to this sweet documentary Lemonade, about what happens when creative individuals are laid off from their crappy advertising jobs. The answer: do what they’ve always wanted to do. This is really a lesson in bad ass movie trailers, if you make it look cool, people will watch it. Enjoy…..oh, and quit your job.
We have been watching the Daily Show to figure out the debate on the health care bill. They recently posted an extra half hour interview with Betsy McCaughey, a shill for the health SCare industry. It’s good. Watch all parts of it.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Exclusive – Betsy McCaughey Extended Interview Pt. 1 | ||||
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Here’s a clip of t.raumschmiere playing at Weekend Records and Soap around 2002 or 2003. Wicker Park in the early 2000s was still a mecca of sorts for the avant guarde set and people who actually made things. Weekend was the place to find the best electronic music in the city.
T. RAUMSCHMIERE @ Weekend Records and Soap from lumpen on Vimeo.
Our friends and cholos over at the Post Family have one of the best art blogs in town and Chicago magazine figured it out. Congrats guys!
