Randomness...

When did this turn into a random cool stuff I saw on the internet blog??!?!
Sorry about that. I am very easily distracted...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toXNVbvFXyk

Sex

"Sex"
8x8
Helvetica, American Apparel advertisements, farewell letter to 1500 illegal workers.
Tariq Sabur, 2009

This is a piece I made in school today. aaaah art school. where artists can make statements.

I thought I would share.
This piece is commentary on the use of sex in advertisement. It is composed entirely of internationally released, public display advertisements. The center "E" is a farewell letter from the CEO of the advertisement's company to 1500 factory workers that were deported upon being discovered to be illegal immigrants.

Please note: This is not, at all representative of all the wonderful things I have to say about the glory that is Sex. But i made it in school and thought it was cool. :)

Stewards of the Earth

School started a week ago, and Im off on my first homework assignment::

Go to the art museum!
I love art school :)
There is an ongoing Native American Art exhibit at the Heard Museum









One of the quotes in the exhibit really resonated with me:
"We know for a fact that we are Stewards of the Earth, and we care for the Earth that we bring home to make aour work with. And so for us, it is a ascared act of creation that when we work with the clay, we're taking care of this little bit of real aestate that you hold in your hand, & mak esomethign that is aof beauty that is worthy of the earth."
-Hopi Artist, Preston DuiWyenie

It relates back to how I feel about body art, and the respect I hold for the clients that I work with.

PS-
Harry Fonseca Rules. I want to be this famouse one day.

A Day in the life Part III

10:30 PM
Home again...
(Finally ;)

A rare, quiet moment before an evening daddying.
A quick shower, then its the old tickles, screams, and squeals routine, "The Flying around looking at things song," Some "Naked baby running time," and then a few bottles, a couple of diapers later...


mmm Yummy yummy

Then its time for some quick studying, and
Ready for school tommorrow!

A Day in the Life....

For those of you who think artist's dont work hard... lol
(And whom I havent managed to convince yet...;)


Just Another Monday...
8am:

Workin on the Car with Mark :)

An oil change, new ignition coils and plugwires, a quick scrub on my battery terminals and its good as new. Again :)
At 180k, thats pretty re-Mark-able. lol ;)
Anybody need a mechanic?

A Day in the Life, Part II

12:00 PM Noon,
Home getting ready (Frantically!)
First day at the new studio in Tempe!!

Dan the Man with the Plan
("Huh?")

Lol. It was a pretty slow day.



I thin he was trying to give me bunny ears...
(Fail)


Finally- customers!!
These two wanted to be "famous in japan" on my blog... :)

They were only interested in piercings apparently, but I showed them a few pics of Saturday's body painting and they'll be back soon :)

New Workshop!!!

I just signed the lease on my new studio and workshop in downtown Phoenix!!
It is a co-op of about 10-12 artists, but it is huge warehouse and we're each have a huge chunk of it.
I am hugely, HUGELY excited. Not having dedicated studio space has been a huge barrier to production; I dont want to make a mess at the home studio, cant get paint on most things, and having to tidy to some level of presentability every time time I have a client come over for a consult.

Now that I have dedicated, mess-making, paint-slinging, painting-stacking, hammer-cut-saw-dust-freindly workshop space, life will be much more beautiful.



MMMMMM Yummy, space...
(I have to get a "caution: men at work" sign.



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My view from the loft...



What to do, what to do...
(No more bathtub paintngs! ;)

944 Party at the W Hotel

I was invited to do some body painting for some of the promotional models at the 944 Magazine 8yr Annivesary party at the W hotel.

It was great! Lots of people walking around having fun, and I was able to do some awesome body painting for the models. Then by the time we were finished people were queuing up to get themselves painted!

I wish I had gotten some more pics, but here are a few that I did grab...


Promotional models


Some volunteers :)
More can be seen at www.944.com

The End of The World- As We Know it

Today Im posting a little off topic- This post is neither art, nor life, but rather another realm altogether that I work often work with but rarely comment on: Marketing

I guess it relates in that it takes art and makes it a part of our life in a different way. As artists, in addition to being our own managers, we are also manufacturers, distributer, marketing team, sales person, public relations, legal department, fulfillment, and often delivery service for our goods. (Man we need to outsource!)
Anyways...


The Folks At Sony Pictures have taken viral marketing a step further with their new picture "2012"



With their marketing campaign, at no small production expense, they have essentially "produced" a creatively engineered an alternatively reality.

Im not saying it is a bad thing- I think it is great marketing! And it honestly looks like a good film- honestly, something is needed to differentiate a half way decent film from the continuous sludge of garbage hollywood is grinding out these days.

But Take A moment, Check this out::

Click the links a litle bit ((and make sure you check out the video at: http://www.thisistheend.com/2009/01/welcome-to-the-apocalypse.php
ts hilarous)

Allow yourself to be pulled into the environment created, be impressed, get excited- it's great material, and it does make you veeeery excited to see the movie...

Now take another moment and step back, observe these effects, and look closer at what they have achieved here: An entire reality built around the up coming movie.

Privately produced videos distributed through Youtube, their public reactions, and several websites tout:
+A book that was never written (or was it?)
+An international research and conservation organization that does not exist
with a history that never occurred.(or did it?)
+Professional, academic endorsements never made (or were they?) by people who do
not exist (or do they?)
+A grassroots awareness movement led by an avid (albeit suspciously media-savvy
and technically gifted,) fanatic named Charlie Frost (using the internet as
his own AM talk radio station to answer questions and disseminate information
bout the the truth or myth of government plots, survival measures, multiple
spiritual historial (And psychic)revelations predicting the end of the world,
and several scientific theories speculating on its cause.


What's the point you ask? Well to me, its easy to see how if someone lived inside of their computer, you could think it was all real. (If a gullible person happened upon these vidoes, googled the keywords, watched the "research presentations," if it wasnt for the fact that the "fanatic" portrayed is played by Woody Harrelson, we'd be worried!!)

Now lets revisit that: "someone who lives inside of a computer." hrrrm...
When was the last time you talked to your mom in person? Read a newspaper?
When's the last time you got some world news first-hand? Or from a reputable, impartial source?(That could be 10 or 20 years for some of us...)


Has it gone too far? Or does it offered insight into how far it can go...

I remember the feeling I got when I first saw the planes crashing into the WTC... I was like "WTF"(no pun intended) thats a crazy idea"- and then I went to class.

To me, this campaign illustrate how easily a few websites can present some carefully choreographed and well presented fiction, and make it look veeeery compellingly much like fact. Incorporating current news events, popular science fiction, some micheal crichton novel premises, create an entire environment simulationg "real life" occurences.



knowledge to arm yourselves with people.

Roooooar

Laid in some of the first basic colors on one of the dragons I sketched for our would-be client yesterday. (I think he just wanted to talk to Yuko and see the baby. He could have just said so... But I got some bad-ass sketches out of it!)

It looks kind of cartoony for the time being huh?
Wait till you see what im going to do with it :)

You can find me in the tub, with the bubbles... hehehe

Few hours later, looking for a solution...
I want to paint today, but it is TOO hot outside.
I came up with the solution for the indoor-painting problem i've been pondering-



I set up my easle in the bathtub!!
Its perfect! I moved out of my last apartment with out ever having touched the guest bath-tub.
This time I'll put it to good use. Its got its on water source, impermeable suface, drain,m its bleach-able, can clean it in a jiffy for any hows guests, and can just leave everything in there and hang a shower curtain when clients visit!

awesome :)



PS- Boo on Miramonte apartments For attempting to charge me $1,000.00 to replace the entire carpet of my last place due to a tiny paint spill.
Yay on me for keeping my quote for a $50.00 patch :)

Heat Stroke

This "Morning" I woke up and saw that it was about 11:00, and decided it was a good sleeping in day.

I got out of bed off to a good start, got two panels built for a black abstract tryptich that ive been working on...
It was hot outside. Like sweating through your shirt in minutes, dont touch anything metal, sweltering hot. I took a break to rebuild the resolve to get this done, today, and then went back, determined...

Disaster struck when I broke the drill bit off in the third panel.
The ends wouldnt square up right- probably result of a dull jig-saw blade instead of a proper miter. (Shortcuts :( and I was already frustrated with it, but wanted to get it done.

I decided to hammer the nail in anyway, hoping it would push the drill bit fragment the rest of the way through. The nail deflected came out the side of the frame, bent, and then got hammered sideways into the soft wood panel.

Frustrated, I "Accidentally" "dropped" the hammer through it.
I immediately regretted it, and realizing that this it is not at ALL like me to have such "accidental" "accidents", I deduced that I am probably suffering from some combination of
a) dehydration
b) not having eaten anything yet today
c) 207 degree temperatures on a concrete balcony.
d) heatstroke

and it is whittling away at my patience since 1 pm.

So I decided it was time to take an Onimusha break.

Balance...

Not finished but it will have to do for now...

My best go at traditional western style, one that has been growing on me since I began to
get to know some of its greater proponents. I tried to stick to the principals...
Still, I cant seem to keep my own style out of it.

The classic roses, a coverup for some youthful sillyness... :)
I tried a coupel of different versions: brass knuckles, pistol,
plain flowers, music... I hope she goes for this sparrow draft :)

It has been a good night.

I remember a while back, stressing over finishing a project for christmas
I stepped out on invites to the Hendrix house to unwind for a sec with the Primos...

Spent some time, but sadly needed to get home to finish producing my holiday gift certificates...
Then occured to me, hey, i can do it here.
Despite my best judgement and repeated attepts to gain "discipline" as a personal habit...
I borrow Banding's laptop and go to work, amids numerous distractions, on a project I had been
struggling for weeks to "find the time for."
And to my great surprise, got the project done.

I remember reflecting that night:

This is the way art should be done.


Not stressing over deadlines, bed-times, client constrains, or tommorrow mornings.
Couple beers,
couple drinks, little music (Selector Brez on the digi)
Good company, laughs and goofs, just enough seriousness to get the project done.
I was totally new to the idea- art for fun? Without a client or a boss or a customer... ?
Less business, less design, more fun, more art.
This is the way that ART is done.




This is another one of those nights.
With a noon appointment for tommorrow, for a piece I have just a sillhouette and 6-day old consult
rough idea, for; I find myself sitting with my sweetheart, downloading pics, catching up on memories.

Work coming in and out of focus to Yuko's mirthful soundtrack of self-sung songs,
giggling as she blogs and posts our pics.

Amids distractions numerous and pleasant,
Sketches and ideas freely flow, random bursts of home improvement, compulsive organizing,
("nesting??") scrapbooking
the "found art"-
the scattered loose leaf and sketches, to be found everywhere, evidence and aftermath of a recent
brainstorm, it develops.

Frequent stops to add to the growing list of "Important Things To Do Right Now"
As my memory pulls more of them from the cloud that has become my subconscious
in the blast of the life-altering news this new year.
Business Plan...
Spring collection...
Fashion design
Gallery Run...
New years update...
The new year's entire list of priorities shifted back several steps (And several weeks) by
this newest, greatest one, and the subsequent dependant necessities.

It has been a dreamy, dreamy few weeks.
at times fitful, at times frantic, sometimes calm, sometimes fantastic... but altogether dreamy.

At last to bed, tired, and satisfied, projects complete...
A few drafts on the board... a few more drafts than planned...
lol



I've always found the hand is quick and sure, almost to the point of seeming carelessness
the mind deliberate and painstaking, methodical and curious.
Exploring every graphic possibility... finding that cure.

I hope she goes for the sparrow draft.

Sweet Dreams.
-T.S.

Mil Palavras

Saturday
01.04.09
3:58 AM

Mil Palavras....
As veces uma foto diga mil palavras...
Mas as vezes palavras simplesmente o diga melhor.

Apois da queda da maquina de ontem devida ao calor, estou dedicado a escrever no meu blog hoje de jeito qualquer- se eu tiver foto ou nao.

E foi so agora, que acabei de recebir o inspiracao verdadero pra fazer lo sem nem esforcar.

Acabei de sair do google talk com uma amiga muito boa velha...

++++++++++++++++++

4:12 AM me: ta por favor faz um favor pra mim??
mariah: claro
me: mande um abrasso pra galera pra mim??

4:13 AM A taaanto tempo que tou fora de contato...
mariah: pode deixar
as meninas vão gostar de saber
q eu tive noticias suas
me: nao quero que pensem que esqueci de voceis
mariah: ihihihihi
me: nem que nao penso em voceis
MUITO
4:14 AM mariah: ahhhhhhhhhh
o/
a gente não esqueceu de você tambem não
nem tem como né
4:15 AM vc deixou um pedacinho de vc em todo mundo
só faltou eu

+++++++++++++++++++++

Isso eh o maior elogio que o artista pode receber.

Eu sempre considero muito os meus clientes, talvez mais do que devo,
os opinioes, os sentimentos associados com os projeitos que compartilhamos.
Com eles especialmente os maiores, os "custom"- esses sao pessoas quais, por
qualquer motivo, seja simplesmente visual, esperitual, pessoal, o ou que tiver
concientamente decidam a marcar sua pele com esse arte,
e escolham a me buscar pra exercitar-lo.

Alem do orgulho obvio que eu fui o escolhido pra fazer o trabalho;
E o fascinacao com os varios desenhos, composicoes, assuntos, temas, que tenho oportunidade
explorar e aprender atravez da arte;
Eu sempre creei que a tatuagem cria um laco entre
artista e publico que eh especial entre todas as artes.
Se deixa, e quando cultiva pode ficar muito forte.

Quando eu ouca as pessoas devolvendo o sentimento...
E quando fazemos mesmo quanto mais.


Por tudo que fiz hoje (e foi muito, viu?) Isso foi a alta luz do meu dia.
Pois eh isso, alem de tudo, que serve a dar sentido a tudo que eu fiz.

Se pudesse ouvir, a voz, pesado com carinho, triste com saudades...

E sim querida- nao vai faltar so voce por muito tempo nao viu?
Logo virei.

-T.S.


PS- Obrigado por ler! (Se lesse ate aqui... ririri)
Eu sei que tenho muitas artigos em ingles, mas logo terei muitos mais em Portugues.
E si as varias "mil palavras" cansam e so quiserem ver as fotos do meu trabalho, porfavor visite a minha galeria no:
www.tariqsabur.com

Abrassos aos todos.