Being Kate

 My pals at Sync Space LA are having their third annual Kate Bush Fest.  Calling all artists.  Check T H I S out for details!

 Remember the project I was telling you'll about in my Art of Pretending post?  Well, it is for this upcoming festival!  I couldn't be any more pleased contributing to the celebration of this very talented and respected artist.  THAT VOICE !!!  Those dance moves !!!  So rad, so true.  I want to be her everyday.  It's quite fun, really.

 S N E A K   P E A K

 Photos, Stefani Greenwood
 Concept, Ava Alamshah

 Thanks, Stef!

 your friend,

ava

C O M I C O N

S A N   D I E G O,   2 0 1 2

  Remember my post about my friend's film, titled Swine?  Here is their official booth for Comicon 2012.  There's Koren to the right!   I'm representing alt comix with my Freak Scene tote!  And no, that's not just some boring gun, it's a laser. 

My favorite costume from the film. Very steampunk. 

I finally found her!

 

  This is my beautiful friend, Michele.  She is a grant writer and producer for Machine Project, and she's super RAD.  I was jealous of her hat.  Look close......it's from the future.

Shot this on the way back to the shuttle.  I love the look of trains and railways.

 

Shirley temple to cap off a long day.  Refreshing. 

 your friend,

  ava

The Art of Pretending

  I've been thinking about transformation a lot.  Transforming into an entirely different person, maybe. For instance, what would it be like to be someone else, have someone else's life?  Or better yet, how can one achieve the best "self" they can be?  I take inspiration in a lot of images I find, and have been drawn to old glamour and style.  Growing up watching I Love Lucy, I loved when she would put on costumes as a part of her many schemes to get into show business. I also watched a lot of Hitchcock films in my teens.  I love the idea of transformation.  Transforming from a girl, into a woman.  A worm into a butterfly or moth.  Having a crush, and then falling in love.  Transformation. Changes. 

  I'm working on the idea of an art project where I transform into one of my favorite musicians (more on that later).  Cindy Sherman film stills come to mind, as do these images by Richard Avedon.  Back in 1957 he took portraits of this beautiful woman, portraying various sex symbols in Hollywood history.   Can you guess who??

Jean Harlow

Theda Bara

Clara Bow

Lilian Russell

Marlene Dietrich

  

 Here is a little web article I found about the project with Avedon.  

 Speaking of pretending, I'll be at Comicon, San Diego all day this Sunday.  It will be my first time, and I am going as....wait for it......myself!  Stay tuned for photos from that weekend.  It's going to be scary/crazy/fun?  We will see. 

your friend,

ava

July 4th, 2012

C H I N A T O W N

 
  Jeaux is pretending to be happy, even though we were sad that Ooga Booga wasn't open.  I'm glad we stopped by anyway because low and behold, a window display from Beautification Solutions.  AKA Katie Vonderheide of Synchronicity Space and Justin McInteer, formerly of Echo Curio.  They painted some favorite, and glorious Ooga Booga items directly onto the glass.  How cute is that No Age tee?   My friend, Katie, is one half of Synchronicity!  She is really nice, very talented, and wears cute dresses.  Did you guys see my post about Friday night?!  Check it out!   Hope some of you homies were able to catch the live readings not too long ago this evening (well, Saturday evening now).

I like to stand in alleys (only in the daytime)

  The buildings in Chinatown are unreal.  Full of color and life.  Crazy shapes... almost European looking.  I can spend hours shooting photographs here.  

 Speaking of colors, we got to see Moonrise Kingdom.  The art direction is beautiful, but what I really enjoyed was the story.  First love, that is so sweet and innocent, and kind of sexy (in the purest way). It almost made me cry. Oh, to be a little girl again.  Here is the trailer. 

your friend,

ava 

The Freaks Come Out At Night

  Last night I had the pleasure of attending Freak Scene at Synchronicity Space.   If you love underground comix, I suggest checking it out.  It will be up until August 4th. 

  Down below are some post cards I collected at the show.  Drippy Bone Books is amazing.  They had merchandise up the wazoo.  Tote bags (I bought one), t-shirts, beer jackets (yep), and a zine produced specifically for the show (got that, too).  The tote bags and the Freak Zine post card is designed by Benjamin Marra.  You can get a better look at his print on the Sync Space website.  He also painted this huge image on the back wall, and you can see it as you walk into the gallery.  Johnny Ryan is also featured in the show, but not in the zine (bummer).  Jeaux had shown me some of his work, and I'm not sure the exact time I was introduced to Ryan's crude drawings.  It might have been in San Francisco, around 2007.  I remember hanging out with Rio, he had just bought this comic, and we sat down to read it in this tiny cafe, across from the Castro theater.   All the pages were about some dog having sex with this guy and squirting cum all over the guys face, with references to the KKK as Ku Klux Kummers, and it was the most fowl thing, which made it hysterical, and I couldn't stop laughing (that kind of laughter where it's side splitting).  The barista asked us what we were reading because our laughter was INSANE.  I think she wanted to be a part of it, but Rio was too embarrassed (or ashamed) to show her how perverse we were.  I mean, how sick, right?  This might be THE ONE after a google search for ku klux kum.  I almost ran into real Ku Klux Klan sites by searching this way!  YUCK.

   

   I also got to meet Tom Neely, who I'm not too familiar with yet, but I picked up the graphic novel created with his gang, Igloo Tornado, "Henry & Glenn Forever", which was begging me to purchase it.  I mean, how perfect.......Danzig and Rollins in a passionate romance?!!   Neely mentioned that it was like peanut butter and chocolate.  Pretty much sums it up.  I feel like I have seen his work before, and I probably have, but cannot remember when or where.  It's vague. 

  Signed above with a hybrid Danzig/Black Flag skull. YES.  Tom also likes my Nara tattoo.  He's pretty rad.

 

  This photo needs no explanation.  It's just excellent. 

  If you head out to Sync Space tonight, there will be live readings starting at 8pm!  Live readings, music, and the contributors will be signing their comix afterwards!  Wish I could go, but I work late tonight. Pour one out for me.


your friend,

ava

D E N I M

  Great summer wardrobe. Cannot go wrong with a simple chambray button down and white slacks.  And that kitty!

 Lately, I've been on Brando kick.  My bf saw "On the Waterfront" for the first time.  He liked it, a lot. 

 I'm currently on the hunt for the perfect denim jacket.  This shrunken one on Debbie is so rad. She pulled off denim on denim. She could have worn a potato sack and still look effortlessly gorgeous. 

Traci Lords!

....yep

WWII beauties.  The coolest women ever. 

  I want to read the book she was reading.  "How to develop your Thinking Ability"

  Recently, I met a man who told me he is a denim designer.  I thought, how cool it must be to have such a creative job, especially in denim.  People wear jeans most everyday of their lives, like a second skin to some.  He told me that he considered many times, after shopping at the same store for ten years, that he would love to work for Trader Joes.  

 "It seems like such a fun place to work", he says.

  It can be, but when one has a Bachelors in Fine Arts, it can feel a bit too "normal" at times.  It is lovely when you meet a perfect stranger who puts things into perspective.  People are never happy with what they have.  I think we are constantly at odds with ourselves and the choices we make, or do not make.  I know that sometimes, all I need is a good pair of jeans to keep me satisfied.  That, and my day dreams.  

your friend,




ava

p e o n i e s

this was taken with my cellphone, sorry polaroid 

pe·o·ny  (p-n) n. pl. pe·o·nies Any of various garden plants of the genus Paeonia, having large, variously colored flowers with numerous stamens and several pistils.

It saddens me that they are no longer in season (late spring).  These beauties made my room smell so sweet.  Waking up to them was a magical experience. 

Peonies are mentioned on the Madewell blog here. 

Happy Monday!

your friend,

ava