Its true, African Americans have long admired Asian culture and its traditions along with its post war contemporary restructuring. The introduction of martial arts in the 1970’s to western society sparked the interest of African Americans across the nation and Karate was practiced (although secretly) in the basements of homes and public housing developments everywhere. This form of self-defense was felt needed due to the discrimination that African American males experienced while being outside at night and questioned by police at random.
The second influence came from television broadcasts of films such as “Godzilla vs King Kong” and with episodic television series portraying families that transformed into super robotic heroes like “Jonny Socko” and “Giant Robot” along with “Ultraman” and the Science Patrol exploration team ultimatly expressed transcendence and adventure.
The third influence was Saturday morning cartoons which had the most impact on the youth (myself being one of them) which used martial arts fighting in a lot of popular shows namely “Hong Kong Phooey” utilizing Scatman Crothers an African American actors voice as the main character.
These programs were all transformative and inspirational to the African American community in many ways and now Asian youth culture is finding relativity in the Hip Hop culture of African Americans because of similar experiences with living in a traditional oppressive society. I personally feel a deep spiritual connection with Asian culture because of its form of discipline it has and its respect of form and function in its traditional sense but that is rapidly transforming into a new hybrid of modern society expressed through music and the visual arts.

Yoshitomo Nara +KaMo collaboration

An unexpected collaboration occured between two artists who live on opposite sides of the world from each other and their lives couldn’t be any more contrasting by one artist being born in Japan and the other in Trenton New jersey.

This unlikely work in progress was self-imposed by me during an artist talk last week at Princeton University’s McCormick Hall where the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara gave a presentation of his work as part of a lecture series titled ‘ Too Cute’ a discussion about the new trends  in Japan, addressing pop culture, consumerism, and the artist role in product developement from fine art, fashion,mass media and designer toys.

I had the pleasure to meet the painter and although he didn’t speak english I managed to give him a 4″ mini Munny by Kidrobot and a black Sharpie pen and he emediately began to draw a character on the surface of the object (shown here) after first giving me a pleasent look of surprize,I think.

I then went home very excited and began to add my own lines to the figure to  complete the character that Mr.Nara was generous enough to start for me. This is still a work in progress and I’ll post the results to this website and my flickr photo page for everyone to see when it is finished.

This is Princeton’s new accessory to the usual campus style that dominates the streets but, thats all changing due to a infusion of hip and artsy business owners. One store in particular is Niko Niko that seems to be ahead of the curve when it comes to street style and global culture that is becoming more noticeable thanks to the internet where information is exchanged in hyper real time.

The same owners of this play imaginative clothing boutique have a mother store called “Morning Glory” where they sell the greatest toys and accessories for the child in everyone and y

He hits below the belt.

ou can now purchase my custom designed toy/sculptures at “Niko Niko”.

“Since December of 2007 I got involved with the custom designer toy movement simply because I felt that something was happening or, I should say ‘Poppin’ if I were to communicate what I’m saying on the streets of the tristate areas that I roll through predominatly. I thought that this was one movement worth the investment and time to involved myself with and I’m glad that I have found a medium that really showcases my style of painting“Unauthorized Collaborations” by KaMo and It is something that most people are only just becomming aware of as more work becomes exhibited in major exhibitions in the New York,New Jersey and Philadelphia area which makes plenty of sense since I have my studio located in Trenton. I feel lucky to be so close to both cities because I can visit them both in one day if I need to buy something. I decide by how much tax its going to cost me and how much travel time do I have before returning to the laboratory. -RedSaid aka KaM©

“This is it!”, I am convinced that artist are very concious of their surroundings far more than the average Joe. As I research the work of some of the artist who I admire or respect these days, I’m finding that they too are using the material in there’re attempt to address the problem of over toxicfication due the introduction of petrolium based products into our lives.

I was just looking at the website of a longtime fellow artist who I would like to call friend, but only he himself could confirm that notion. I just always respected his work and he is one of the decendants of the movement that inspired me to this day.

I’m talking about Kenny Scharf’s new ‘found object’ sculptures called “LIXO” that apear to me as being constructed of all found plastic objects that you see thrown all over the streets and highways all over America “LIXO”by Kenny Scharf if your really paying attention. I know he has always had enviormental issues in his work from the very beginning and he continues to expand his message off the canvas and right to your favorite coffee table or nightstand.

Now, I know if Kenny is on point with this plastic thing, then I know that everybody better get on board because he has been saying this far before this new DIY culture started.To be earth concious these days is the only thing that is going to save your ass in the long run. Long after you put your last gallon of gas in your giant SUV and trecked off to the bank to exchange your dollar bills for the ‘Amero’ dollar so you can buy some “potted meat”to feed your family.
-RedSaid

PHOTO: Tara Mc Pherson with Karey Maurice at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

“I wrote about the horrors of plastic consuming our planet and I asked the question,”Are artist finding better ways to use this petrolium base product? My conclusion to this ever popular question is,”Yes, We are finding better ways to entertain ourselves buy creating objects that make use of the most disposable creation man has ever introduced into the world of land plants and animals.

The time has come when we must be more creative when it come to throwing things away and rethink what an object can be after it is use the first time for its initial intent. Although my CVT’s (Custom Vinyl Toys) don’t make use of recycled materials that some artist use in the creation of their art, I will be more concious of the things that I throw away and maybe I can incorporate it into my next attempt at doing it myself. You can see more of my creations fearured on Vinyl Requiem’s website Vinyl Requiem and while your there you can see me in Tara McPherson’s interview chillin at her opening show at Jonathan LeVine Gallery a few months back. I was supposed to hear her spinning at Motor City Bar last night but I couldn’t get the energy up to make the trip to New York.
-RedSaid aka KaM©

” We all know that plastic is the mortal ememy of the earth that we live on if we don’t do some thing about it real soon. I remember when there was some talk about recycling lots of things back in the seventies and some how I thought that things were being taken care of by the powers that behold all the power to do something about it.

I’m not going to make this a political platform to run for any kind of office or anything like that no matter how tempting that may be in this day and age. I want to talk about this amazing world that I have just recently gotten involved with, and, as a result of a few experiments, have created some interesting art. I am simply hooked on this new medium which is derived mostly by the very same element that is an “oil base extract” that we all have come to love one way or the other. This just happens to be the world of custom vinyl toys APW GALLERY and I can’t get enough of working on these DIY’s (Do It Yourself) as they are called by the industry.

Just the name of them gets me because they remind me of the famous series that Andy Warhol did with some of his family members working with him making color by numbers paintings with the same title “Do It Yourself” so this is not a new terminology in producing artwork but, It is a new movement that is right inline with what is going on in the world in many aspects. If I were to list all of the common factors that makes this medium so relative to every single person in the world who has contact with “oil base extract” which is plastic, I would be talking about environmental issues.

I myself want to use this material to make art that people keep around, and the best thing about toys(adult sculptures) is that you can play with it and interact with it just like you would a Real Object or Not.
RedSaid aka KaM©

“On February 9th of 2008, I went to the most interesting public events I’ld been to in a while, probably since Live 8 in Philadelphia three years ago. This wasn’t a new place that this event was gonig to be held, it was one that I was very familiar with on the most laid back level, it was home away from home when I wanted to go out in New York for about a decade. I’ve posted a past entry about this club somewhere way back in the archives of the blog and I was surprised to see that the formula hasn’t changed at all. The place was as huge as I remembered and every floor is a different party all together. The reason I was here this time was to witness something that I knew would transend me to a pain free exsistance for a moment.

“It was this monster wrestling match that I only have some crazy recollection of knowing about in my subconscious but,The real story is that while I was standing in line that cold winter day in New York during the Tristan Eaton signing Custom Vinyl Collectables I was given this flyer along with some cool stickers. The person who gave it to me assured me that it was going to be a show not to miss because he was the Mc for the event.

Webster Hall is the kind of place where you can take anyone for a real New York night out if your looking for the big city circus kind of feeling.

As a result of my daring escapade I captured the experience on my digital camera and turned it into my second mini movie, something that I started making just becuse it is easier to do than making paintings right now.
Stay tuned, RedSaid

Greetings,This post is to inform you of this spectacular exhibition focusing on the world of designer custom toys and the art that is produced on three dimentional figures that are sold in do it yourself kits(DIY) that retail at a store in Soho, NY among other retailers across the country.

It is a new medium for an artist like myself to be a part of and, I envite you to see this very promising exhibition that will include some 3D works but not limited to just that medium alone.

There may be a total of one hundred artist with very diverse backgrounds everything from graphic illustration to, graffitti to, fine art and sculpture and also, some strange model makers or toy designers is what I should say.For more information contact Focal Point Gallery director Ron Turner about the exhibition and mark your calendar for this ground breaking exhibition.

This movement of artist who create these works of art, and,who will be on display at this exhibition that I just recently got involved with reminds me of that ground breaking show “The Times Square Show” in 1980 that launched the careers of the most collectable artist of this century. I was a nap too late to be a part of that exhibition back then but when I found out about this exhibition, I knew couldn’t let this one go by without me putting some work in it.

I truly hope you can attend and see this great new scene that is sweeping the nation. These artist that are making this “Low Jack Pop” are creating positive things with the earths mortal enemy, “Plastic.
RedSaid a.k.a KaMo