Crept a ride and arrived at the Known Gallery on N. Fairfax for the show. You walk in to catch a glimpse of this giant mural by Steven Harrington.

I kind of couldn't look away from this wall . . but that was unfortunate because I think I missed the sculptures and other various works. . better reason to go back and check it out.

More graphite totem works.

Words from Thomas Campbell about the work in the show: Excerpt from email from Thomas Campbell to Jesper Elg 08.14.12

Jesper --t.moe here,,,hey amigo,,,,,here is the basic run down about my show,,, ,,,the name of the show is "Clastic Plowers" it is a name that is more of a feeling than an actual real name,,,it's a feeling of modern and natural world natural collision via the earth creature humans.......not in a judgmental way,,,but just observation of what is and how weird and fascinating humanity and nature is in itself.....observing the obvious for the millionth time and interpreting it,,,,,,,into new bronzes, works on paper, works on wooded type sculptures,,some sewn shit,,,loose more expressive actions abound ,,,feeling it and other things,,,moving with the sway,,,,, -Thomas Campbell

Thomas Campbell in front of his work

Along with creating the artworks below, Brigid Dawson sings and plays keyboard and tambourine for Thee Ohsees. Last week the DIY clothing/ book/ art gallery Needles and Pens hosted an opening with live music by Kelly Stoltz.

Check a couple MP3s from Kelly Stoltz' performance. SONG 1 | SONG 2

Brigid will be displaying a "collection of portraits done in guache, acrylic, pencil, markers, and carvings on wood and paper. They reflect upon childhood, family history, the grotesques and the beautiful. Images to scare and to please." When not making artwork Brigid performs in the San Francisco band Thee Ohsees.

Kelly Stoltz performing at the opening. Photo: Needles & Pens

We swung through White Walls last night for the opening of RIPO's current solo show "Signs, Fines and Cheap Wines".

Next door at The Shooting Gallery was the opening of Peter Gronquist's Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda where taxidermied animal's are adjorned with plastic guns and light fixtures. Dug the paintings.

Next door at The Shooting Gallery to view Peter Gronquist's show.

Shawn Whisenant emailed over some photos from Park Life's current show "Last Words" featuring works from Philadelphia based Isaac Tin Wei Lin. The show runs through Aug 19th.

Park Life, 220 Clement St.

On Friday the 13th, artist NECK FACE debuted his highly anticipated and rare release of two original print editions with POSTER CHILD PRINTS which was held at New Image Art Gallery. The two original prints, Not One F*@k Will Be Givin and Bad Luck, No Luck, are hand-pulled silkscreen, signed by the artist. Each print is numbered, embossed and exclusive to Poster Child Prints validated by a Certificate of Authenticity. Opening night as you would expect was packed with PBRs and loads of fans, all cramming in to get a print or tee.

Neck Face preparing for his print release show Simply The Worst.

Think Tank Gallery 's show Dude, Monsters!, a group exhibition curated and arranged by Luke Pelletier and co-curated by Think Tank gallerist Jacob Patterson opened July 12th to a packed crowd of skateboarders, art enthusiasts, and art buyers. We headed down with one of the artist in the show visiting from Perth, Australia Sean Morris for opening night.

Dude, Monsters! was a group show organized by the talented 19 year old dude Luke Pelletier and the guys at Think Tank. They both did a great job.

Large Michael Jackson American Flag by Jacob Patterson.

Young bloods and one dust collector --- Alex Legolvan, Luke Pelletier, Miles Jackson, Bryan Petersen, Sean Morris, and old man Mike Hsiung.

Confessions of an Old Dirty Skateboarder
Mike Giant, solo show
July 20 - August 11, 2012
@FFDG, San Francisco

Photos: Amy Harrity
Thanks to INDIO Beer

Above emailed some pics from his recent show Jet Set which ran during the first couple weeks of July at Melbourne's Metro gallery featuring Above's internationally themed show... Street artist Above travels the world adjourning walls like this and also tosses high his arrowed wood works... The stewardesses handed out "Above Airlines" boarding passes to arriving guests. Check out Above's recent book featuring work from his travels.

Last week hundreds of people came down to Backwoods Gallery to see off one of Melbourne's most prolific street artists, James Reka. Before moving to Europe next month, he put on a pop up show that tied together all of the loose ends of his decade long career. Featuring a final fresh body of exhibited work alongside selected works from 2004 to 2006, fans came down in hordes to pay their final respects to one of Melbourne's finest.

In addition to this new body of work, Reka pulled a large collection of old works out of the vault from some of his original shows in the early to mid 2000s. Many of these canvases haven't been seen for six or seven years and produced a huge, esteeming response from the crowd. Displaying works that have been painted over a decade apart, the audience could see Reka's transformation from being known as having the strongest graffiti inspired line-work in Australia to his now renowned free-form canvases. Whether it is one of his iconic characters from the early 2000s or an incredibly intricate new work, Reka's style is revered within the community and has continues to influence younger artists. There is no doubt it is commendable to already have such a strong retrospective of work and such a huge turn out of admirers in what is guaranteed to be a long and illustrious career.

Australia is losing one of their best to the bright lights and bigger walls of Europe, but there is no doubt that Reka's legacy will continue both on the laneway and gallery walls for years to come. Gone, but not forgotten.

Last Friday was the opening of Shinkansen Conspiracy at 111 Minna, a group show curated by Last Gasp, the largest and oldest publishers and purveyors of underground books and comics in the world. Works by Shawn Barber, Clayton Bros, Kevin Taylor, David Choong Lee, Henry Lewis, Jay Howell, and many others.

We were there early and left early before, what we imagine, was a good time later on. High fives to Last Gasp for not only being in business for over 40 years, but doing a damn great job.

For over 40 years Lasp Gasp has been publishing the art, writing and photography of the underground. Over the years they have published, and in some cases brought to light, some of the most respected and talented artists working today, including R. Crumb, Justin Green, Bill Griffith, Mark Ryden, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Frank Kozik, Todd Schorr, Winston Smith, Spain Rodriguez, Robert Williams, and countless others.

Kevin Taylor

The mood lighting of Minna.

Always a fan of LA based Clayton Brothers. We visited their studio back in 2009.

Last Friday, the 22nd, was the opening of Edible Complex at FFDG featuring the works of Kelly Tunstall & Ferris Plock. The two person food-centric show runs through July 14th in San Francisco.

All the work in the show can be viewed here: ffdg.net

Eric Shaw opened Through the Blinds at Park Life here in SF last Friday. Great show that runs through July 15th. Eric will be showing with Henry Gunderson at FFDG in September.

This one is really great.

Poaching a Bamberger photo of Eric Shaw.

Park Life = a gallery and shop in the Inner Richmond selling art books, clothing, etc.

LOS ANGELES, CA: New Image Art gallery's latest exhibition "The Goblin Universe" featuring the works of Matt Furie (SF) and Michelle Devereux (TX) opened Saturday, June 2, 2012. Furie returns to New Image Art with new colored phantoms, monster sluts, to other mythical creatures which shown along side the color penciled and airbrushed works of artist Mchelle Devereux's "Dudes on Pizza" series something you don't want to miss. We were there to check out the opening but The Goblin Universe runs through July 7th.

The Goblin Universe
Works by Matt Furie & Michelle Devereux
New Image Art
7920 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046

The Goblin Universe featuring works of Michelle Devereux and Matt Furie opened June 2nd at New Image Art. Thanks to artist Luke Pelletier for snapping probably the clearest and nicest photo in my entire set. haha.

New Image Art's new gallery space.

Close up of Matt Furie's piece featuring some of the raddest collection of weird creatures.

Before I even saw Michelle's work, I've seen this one floating around in interweb space.

Will Sergeant's Art Opening at Substrate Gallery in Los Angeles. Everyone from Moby, to Members of the Dandy Warhols, to Rodney Bingenheimer were in attendance. Photos: Douglas Neill

Will Sergeant has recorded and performed worldwide with Echo & the Bunnymen for thirty years. He also has long-term experience in various fields of performance including recording and the visual arts.

Last Friday we were invited to the preview of two new solo shows at SF's Guerrero Gallery featuring Ben Venom's heavy metal handmade quilts and the xacto mastery by Adam Feibelman. Remember our studio visit from a couple years back? Adam used to spray through his stencils and now he layers them to create these incredible works. See for yourself.

The sewn fabric/ old heavy metal rock tshirts and jeans by Ben Venom.

Stencils by Adam Feibelman

Closer inspection.

Last Friday evening we caught wind of the opening of LOUD NIGHTS AT HOME featuring works by MIKE TAYLOR, ARWEN CURRY, COLIN LAPUYADE, and SARA SANDBERG at Needles & Pens here in SF.

We know none of these artists, but no worries. Needles and Pens always has solid shows, and I love to be surprised. Bonus was that there was to be live music by bands THE YOUNGER LOVERS and PINS OF LIGHT (featuring Jake from Hightower). Drink a corner store beer, check out the work and see some live music... The life of an art enthusiast is a great and inexpensive one.

It was loud. It was crowded and PINS OF LIGHT were great. See them live on Saturday, June 9th at Thee Parkside with Hightower and other bands for FREE at 3pm. Hightower's last show for a long time as Shane's off to NYC.

Loud ass music in a small crowded space. Always a good time.

Paintings by Colin Lapuyade

Double Break's (San Diego) show Digging A Hole, Looking For Something featuring new works by Michael Krueger and Travis Millard opened Friday May 18th and runs thru June 16th. Coming from Lawrence, Kansas and Los Angeles, CA respectively, Krueger and Millard's first connected at the University of Kansas and have long drawn inspiration from one other. Both artists explore the figure of the "common man," displacing the mundane and the mythic from everyday life, weaving threads between past and present. Their search for the sublime in this densely hyper-visual yet vacuous post-industrial age is rife with humor, longing and discovery, as is apparent in this selection of new works on view at Double Break.

A few weeks back Jay Howell opened a show of his recent drawings on book pages at the Secret Headquarters in Los Angeles. Michael Hsiung was there and got these photos.

My buddy Phil is the proud owner of this one. Good choice.

Pages From Books and Creep Club Foldout zine packet was a deal for $15. Check out the web store page for your own.

Jay getting ready for the show at Secret Headquarters. 21 new pieces for sale, many of which were already pre-sold.

Lost For Words
Dave Kinsey, solo show
May 18 - June 16, 2012
@FFDG, SF

Last Friday we were pleased to open up Dave Kinsey's first solo show in San Francisco since before 2000 when Dave was doing a lot of work in streets with his then work partner Shepard Fairey. A lot of the smaller works are homage to that era, i.e., the titles are San Francisco street names. Love his new direction.

From the P.R.: In his new body of work, Kinsey continues his evolution into more abstract representation while still incorporating elements of the figures which gained him fame during his influential, early career, street art campaign, "Unlearn." In combining and reducing his visual elements, Kinsey has refined his communication with the viewer to a more concise manner within each work. In this body, Kinsey flaunts his skill to say just as much with sometimes less, at times using fewer brush strokes to get to the same place; we see his iconic heads explode and break apart in bold and energetic compositions that provoke emotion and reflection.

The ceiling banners, the original work on craft paper, will go on sale online here the week of May 28th for $200/ each. Check back.