It’s only February but the book of 2012 may already be decided. Featuring 172 pages and over 250 illustrations and photographs, “Every Man is my Enemy” is a landmark achievement of beautiful depravity. Get it at Zero Friends before it sells out!

Brisk Iced Tea joined forces with Star Wars on Thursday, February 2 in Los Angeles, Calif. to bring fans a pop-up gallery, dubbed the Brisk Bodega, to celebrate the heritage and culture of Star Wars. The private event included a spinning by Just Blaze and DJ Skee and original artwork inspired by Brisk and Star Wars, with a Dark Side vs. Light Side theme, by Artek, Mark Dean Veca, Jasper Wong, Pose, Leo Eguiarte, Dual Forces, Eye One, and Tristan Eaton.

The Brisk Bodega, featuring the Dark Side vs. Light Side art exhibit and a guest DJ, will be open to the public on today, February 3 at 722 N Figueroa St., Los Angeles, Calif. from 3 – 11 p.m.

For more photos of this event, visit Erwin Recinos on Flickr.

Venice ~ CA

The latest, highest resolution images of Earth from NASA. Click for larger versions.

Cirque du Soleil ~ Santa Monica Pier Aquarium ~ Santa Monica

“Kelley is an avatar of the power and humanity inherent in recognizing the radical impurity of human experience. His art searches out dark and soiled places where defects, fault lines and inadequacies are obvious and routine, and where failure takes on the poignant, fragile, even heartbreaking beauty that accompanies any loss of self.” ~ Los Angeles Times art critic Christopher Knight in 1994.

“Not many artists count as a game-changer for art. Mike Kelley did. His work altered the international conversation about art, and it changed the Los Angeles art world. His death Tuesday at 57 is an unspeakable loss.” ~ Knight, today.

Michael Miller
West Coast Hip Hop | A History in Pictures

Michael Miller is a simple man with an extraordinary life in photography. Over the past 25 years, he has built an expansive portfolio that includes over 300 major record covers, the most iconic supermodels of the ‘90s and some of the biggest names in rap and jazz.

Miller was born and raised in Los Angeles and recalls the only radio station that came in clear where he lived during his teenage years was AM 1580 KDAY. As a Santa Monica High School student in the midst of the punk, surf and skate scene, he was listening to RUN DMC, Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick.

Miller graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Film and Television and after college, he took a trip with friends to explore Paris where he met then boxer turned top agent Rene Bosne, who in time became Miller’s roommate in Paris and introduced Miller to his first camera. Miller began landing jobs shooting models for John Casablanca and later relocated to Barcelona, Spain where he began to build an impressive portfolio shooting for major campaigns such as Cacharel Paris.

Influenced by the techniques of Peter Lindberg, Paulo Roversi and Javier Vallhonrat, Miller developed a method of cross processing film and different chemical baths for black and white photographs. He was on to something that was still undiscovered in the United States, sharing his method with fellow photographers such as Anton Corbijn.

Homesick, Miller returned to his Los Angeles stomping grounds in 1988 and was immediately picked up by Herb Ritts’ agency Visages, shooting three advertisements for Vogue in the first month. His recognition for technique and style in fashion photography gained him attention in the music industry. By the end of 1988, he had photographed his first rapper, Arabian Prince.

Impressed with his major campaign for Stussy, DJ Muggs (7A3, Cypress Hill) asked Miller to photograph the demo for a new project titled Cypress Hill that led Miller to becoming a heavily sought after photographer for the hip-hop community.

Miller continues shooting for advertisment campaigns, major publications, celebrities and musicians.  He currently resides with his wife and two daughters in Los Angeles.  His inaugural show, West Coast Hip Hop, A History in Pictures, will display 43 photos, majority of which have never been shown to the public.

Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@knowngallery.com
February 4, 2012 | 8-11p

Alice The Wonder Bus ~ Henry Lipkis ~ (310) 570-3895 ~ 135th St. ~ Gardena

The Big Map Blog posted another interesting LA-related map today, this one a 1937 map exploring the history of the region through the old Spanish and Mexican Ranchos. Click the image for the large version, or visit the original post to explore and zoom within your browser. The Rancho system was put in place by the Spanish mission and later carried out by the Mexican Government. Cal Berkeley’s history department explains further:

At the time of Spanish colonization in California, all land title was vested in the Spanish Empire by virtue of discovery. Private land claims in California emanated from the Spanish. and later Mexican, governments practice of granting sovereign lands to private individuals.

When the presidios and pueblos were being established, the commandants of the presidios and the Alcaldes of the pueblos were given the authority to grant lots of land within their jurisdiction. From these presidial and pueblo lots evolved the granting of lands outside of these jurisdictions. These grants of land are known as Rancho Grants, and were granted in order to encourage agriculture and industry, reward soldiers. and to provide for settlers who held no property. These land grants were limited to a maximum size of eleven square leagues, most were smaller and a few were larger. The Spanish government required the compliance of the following four steps for the granting of rancho lands.

1. The first step was the submitting of a petition by an applicant, containing the name, religion, residence occupation, and the size of the family. Along with a land description and, at times, a map of the tract (diseno). The diseno (map) and land description were usually very vague, calling to sloughs, trees, hills, and other features which were not very permanent.
2. The second step was the inquiries by officials into the availability of the land, the character of the applicant, and the posting of the petition in case another party had objections to the approval of the application.
3. The third step was the ”Informe” which was usually a separate document or a note appended to the original application, stating the findings of the officials in Step Number 2. This third step usually entailed the actual grant of land or refusal of the grant of land
4. The fourth and final step was the confirmation of the grant by the Viceroy. This final step made the title to the land perfect. The applicant or grantee was given possession by the Alcalde (local judge) who caused the grantee to pull up grass, throw stones, break twigs, and exclaim, “Viva el Presidente y la Nación Mexicana” (long live the President and the Mexican Nation). During the Mexican era, these four steps were also used with minor alterations.

Of the 800-plus rancho grants made, the Spanish government granted approximately 30. The remainder were granted by the Mexican Government. Read More here.