To create one's world in any of the arts takes courage

- Georgia O'Keeffe

Radiator Building - Georgia O'Keeffe

Image courtesy of www.artinfo.com/news/enlarged-image/26529/74687/

I was a freshman in college when I first heard "It's of My Nature" on Scarub's album Fact of the Matter. Scarub's telling of the fable, the Fox and the Scorpion, caught my attention and brought a distinct, surreal picture to my mind... it was only a matter of time before the image would end up on canvas...10 years later.

Click here to listen to "It's of My Nature"

The Fox and the Scorpion - Mpulse

My attempts to write about my art end up reading like a college thesis statement... and there is no reason to subject anyone to that style of writing. But I do feel like my art needs a little explanation. I will follow up on this when I finish the collection that I am working on. So far the only piece that I have completed is the Fox and the Scorpion.

My newest body of work reflects my current interests in urban style and culture but for the most part, my subject matter is largely organic. Georgia O'Keeffe has long been an inspiration of mine. Her suggestive still lives intrigue me, but it's the work that she did when she was my age, in NYC before she moved to the desert, that relates to the art that I am creating now. In the past, I looked for subject matter at the botanical garden or the green belt in Austin. Now, I pay attention to the words scribbled along the South 1st Street bridge.

I included Georgia O'Keeffe's art in this post because she is a major inspiration of mine. She was a beautiful artist who made a catastrophic impact in an artistic world that was ruled by men and she paved the way for women to feel confident producing important art alongside them.

Yellowjackets and Pearls - Mpulse

Jenny's Bird - Mpulse
Sunspots on the Shelton, study - Mpulse

Sunsponts on the Shelton - Georgia OKeeffe

Image courtesy of http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/104031 Red Canna - Georgia O'Keeffe
Image courtesy of http://images.art.com/images/-/Georgia-o-keefe/red-canna-b10048111.jpeg

Georgia O'Keeffe
Image courtesy of http://www.tfaoi.com/cm/3cm/3cm423.jpg

"For an African American guy to be a prep, that's a dichotomy." -Andre 3000

Photo courtesy of http://nwfilmforum.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/andre-3000.jpg

Lately, I have found myself more interested in men's fashion than women's. As an avid reader of fashion magazines, I am more excited to tear into the newest issue of GQ before my go-to magazines, Elle and Vogue. Men's style blogs are on the rise as well, featuring looks that are well tailored, well accessorized, and portray a gentleman's approach to dressing.

This style has seemed to make its way into hip hop culture. The styles of Common, Andre 3000 and Kanye West evoke a sense of confidence and certainty. It seems that more hip hop artists are turning away from baggy jeans and loose fitted shirts and expressing themselves in fitted clothing with clean lines.

Alan Bunao, LA based fashion designer and owner of J Revolution, seems to understand this trend well. He uses laid back fabrics that are tailored with unique details. His cut and sew line consists of long coats and hoodies that, while casual, have a very sartorial aspect and smart details that make them more than just sportswear.

I was introduced to J Revolution by LA based hip-hop artists Scarub and Very of Afro Classics. Scarub wore pieces from J Revolution's cut and sew line throughout the SXSW music festival, so I had the opportunity to see the craftsmanship that Alan puts into his clothes. J Revolution had a vendor booth at the Austin Reggae Fest where I met Alan and talked to him about his take on fashion and hip-hop...

What styles are intriguing to you?
As far as fashion I prefer classic cuts with really intricate details with lining or certain cuts. I am not so crazy about labels but prefer more creative, innovative styles.

Can you name some brands that you really like?
I am usually very influenced by LRG and Obey. My graphic tees are very vector-based [vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon(s), which are all based on mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics] similar to Shephard Fairey. He's very vector based and the vibe is very LRG in the sense of reggae influence and hip hop influence.

It seems like hip-hop culture is taking a preppy turn...
It's Kanye's fault!

I have always thought of hip-hop style and prep style as somewhat opposite... but it seems like these styles are meshing together rather well...
I think it's great. As far as hip-hop, I think that hip-hop is opening a whole new realm of fashion where it used to be very baggy jeans and loose fitted shirts, they are getting more into fashion in the sense of looking good and dressing well. Common looks sharp at every Grammy show, you know, and I think that it is amazing; I think it's great.

What are some of your musical influences?
There are plenty of them...

Can you name three?
Let's see... there's Badu... to me it's very like, the Roots, Common, Talib... You know there are so many more to name, but off the top of my head... Andre 3000 is amazing. He is totally fashionable. One of my goals is to make clothes for all of these artists and I want to dress them, whether it's for awards, whether it's for everyday, hang out stuff.

I understand that you have collaborated with Afro Classics. How did this relationship get started?
I went to a free style event that my friend was hosting and I was introduced to Scarub. I gave him my card and he contacted me about a week later and asked how he could get some of my stuff and then we stared having photo shoots...

Had you just begun your cut and sew collection?
It was the beginning of that. I stared the collection earlier this year. I am a totally self-taught sewer that is just eager to figure it out.

What is your favorite style; what do you feel most comfortable wearing?
Jeans, t-shirt and a fresh jacket or sweater and some fresh sneakers.

What kind of jeans are you into?
Taverniti is one of my favorite jeans right now. As far as denim, I am totally loyal and into the Taverniti jeans. That is pretty much all I wear. There is a line that I am really into that I am really inspired by as far as the cut and sewn stuff, it's called Trovata and they're based out of Malibu, California, I think. Their stuff, their detail, color, fit and everything is on point.

The following images literally came straight out of Alan's look book. To see his entire collection, visit http://www.jrevolutionla.com/

Understandably, Shephard Fairey is one of Alan's influences. As an artist and designer, the man is an icon. His Obey Giant image is unavoidable throughout Austin. He successfully caters to an urban audience while adhering to clean, classic fits. To see his full men's line, check out his summer 2010 look book... http://shop.obeyclothing.com/e-lookbook-summer2010.aspx

The Obey Giant image stares at you from any given point in Austin from South Lamar to the drag. This is part of Shephard Fairey's Obey sticker campaign, which he refers to as an experiment in Phenomenology, "the process of letting things manifest themselves." For further explanation of this campaign, read Shephard Fairey's manifesto... http://obeygiant.com/about

A note on men's style blogs:

Street Etiquette is a major inspiration for Suburbane Style. From color, pattern, texture and fit, Travis and JKissi (creators of Street Etiquette) own an impeccable urban style. They are the epitome of a gentleman's approach to hip-hop culture. If you are not already familiar with them, check out their site... http://www.streetetiquette.com/

"Believe it or not, I can actually draw." -Jean Michel Basquiat

Photo courtesy of http://www.prepidemic.com/

Graffiti has long been a fascination of mine. I love color so I would much rather see a wall ordained in bright, bold colors and patterns than the alternative... gray. This is part of what suburbane style is about. Growing up in North Dallas I was surrounded by ranch-style homes that rested upon beautifully manicured, freshly mowed lawns. While lovely as they may look, I have always been drawn toward a more urban, contemporary lifestyle

My art education has also been very traditional. The mediums that I have been trained to use consist of acrylic, oil, graphite, charcoal, pastel, watercolor, high and low fire clays, and various inks. In my four years at St. Edward's University, where I studied studio art, advanced techniques in graffiti was never offered as an elective. I even took a class titled "art in public places" and my professor spent approximately ten minutes discussing Basquiat.

Though often from afar, I have been a follower of urban style, but I never really felt that I had anything to offer to hip hop culture. Until recently, it never occurred to me that, through my art, I could participate in this creative subculture. Last weekend I attended EMERGE at the United States Art Authority where local graffiti artists hung their work on gallery walls. I am studying their techniques and applying them to my current body of work. I am quickly learning spray paint is a tricky medium. These graffiti artists are talented and deserve recognition. There is more graffiti in Austin that will be featured in future posts, but these images are what I have come across most recently.

Slie

Gene Parmesan

Gene Parmesan

Gene Parmesan


Polyheadron of Illumination
by Grand Life Styl
Each side of this piece was created by a different screen printer



These pieces are located on the side of the Delta Millworks building on East 5th street.

On another note...

I was feeling a little blue after SXSW; all of the creative energy that the musicians brought to town had suddenly dissipated. Austin grew quiet and returned to its typical state of laid back. But I was still interested in listening to more music. Fortunately, my brother is a musician. He currently plays keyboard for the Dallas band, Jack County. However, when I was in Dallas recently, I was able to catch a show that he did with Emotion Brown and the Stellar Cosmos.

In her words, Emotion and the Cosmos is soulternative universal music. It's a metaphysical sound lab with a few messages. It may not be forever, but it is now and that matters now. On a physical level, the Cosmos is an ever-evolving sound machine that currently consists of: Aaron Haynes (drums), Wade Campbell (bass), Scott Lee (bass), and Kyndal Roberston and Becky Elias (backup vocals).

Check out more Emotion at EmotionBrown.com

"Music and fashion, it all comes from the same place of creativity." -Gwen Stefani

SXSW 2010 is the feature of suburbane style's inaugural blog post. During this music festival, Austin transforms from a laid back hipster's paradise to a tornado of skinny jeans, plaid shirts, badges and wristbands. Any place that sells alcohol is suddenly a live music venue and your everyday bar becomes unrecognizable.

Amy and I decided that, with so many creatives in town, we would get enough material to put together an amazing post. When I learned that Afro Classics was performing, I had to attempt to get an interview with them. Through following them on Twitter, I learned that they have a penchant for fashion as well, and because this blog focuses on style and culture, it seemed like the perfect fit. I was already planning to see them. I have seen Scarub perform with the Living Legends several times... enough to know how his talent and passion can really get in your soul...

I asked Scarub if he would mind doing an interview and he sweetly obliged. At some point during the eight minute interview with these artists, I began to understand how hard they work, how much passion they put into their craft and how much energy it takes to do what they do. I have utmost respect for their ability to share themselves with audiences, night after night. Their sound is sexy and raw, with heavy bass and a lot of love. I urge you to find this out for yourself at Afro Classics on MySpace.

Afro Classics (Scarub & Very)

When did Afro Classics come together?
Very: We started a long, long time ago. Afro Classics came together as a group I would say, like, around '98/ '99 and we released our first album called Afro Classics in 2001. And you know, we took a long hiatus, obviously. We linked up a few years ago. We have always been making music, but we decided to put out an album a few years ago and we basically picked the best of the best and that's how it came out to the album and the EP that we have.

I saw a few Twitter posts about a photo shoot that you did for J Revolution. Can you tell me about this line and how you are affiliated with it?
Scarub: J Revolution is a clothing line based out of Los Angeles. A good friend of ours, Alan, owns it and basically we met him at an instore and we liked what he was doing, he liked what we were doing and we decided to collaborate. He is a really supportive and really fresh clothing designer; in fact, if it wasn't so cold I would show you the sweatshirt that I am wearing that is designed by him. And he designs clothes as well as t-shirts and is just a homie from L.A.

Who are your musical influences?
Very: Everybody. I cannot say anybody in particular. I think it is like, you know, where we grew up, what we grew up listening to, what we hear, everywhere we go and um, obviously who we make music with. He probably has a different answer.

Scarub: You know, I agree, it is not anyone in particular, it is bits and pieces of damn near everybody that we listen to since we was like, little kids, ya know...

Can you tell me three of your biggest influences?
Scarub: It changes everyday, but um, I would say with me, you know, from Poor Righteous Teachers to Tribe Called Quest to NWA, ya know.

Very: I won't give you names but, I have three new favorite rappers that I just found out about over the last three days, you know what I mean? So that is the perfect example of how it changes.

This is kind of silly, but my favorite song right now is 'Hey Love.'
Scarub: Awesome, that is not silly at all... silly not.

Can you tell me if this song is about a particular woman, or is it more about an ideal?
Scarub: It's about you.

Very: Yeah, it's about you. I think that hip hop means love, ya know and um, a lot of people talk about love, you know, that kind of stuff and it is just a regular song, like, you know trials of being in or out of a relationship like somebody that you want to keep and all artists can feel that... "baby, you always on the road" that kind of stuff, so you know, that's what it sounds like... "I know I be fuckin' up, but damn, you know... I love you girl."

Do you have a favorite fashion accessory or article of clothing?
Very: Both of us, and I will speak to say this... we both have a really bad shoe problem. A really, really bad... it's a problem. I will tell you a story about our shoe problem. Last tour we did, we did not have a lot of space in the car, but we have this favorite state that we go to and this favorite place. I won't even tell you, that is how secretive we are about it, we don't even want to give up our spot. We had so many fuckin' shoes in the car that we could not even see through the back window because we had boxes and boxes of shoes. Like, between three of us we had like, eight pairs of shoes. Like, that is not a lot to a lot of people but we were in a small car, I mean, we had no business getting anymore luggage and we walked into the store and we were like, let's go look around and we walked out with like, five boxes, ya know?

Scarub in J Revolution at Club Deville

www.jrevolutionla.com

Annual Chicharones SXSW Boat Party 2010

It was a cold, breezy day on Lake Travis (too windy for the boat to leave the dock), but the hip hop was worth suffering for. I felt privileged to be in an intimate audience with Afro Classics, Blueprint, Killah Priest, Solliloquists of Sound, Sleep and Josh Martinez, Notion, Greenhouse: Blueprint + iLLogic, and the insects

I had not seen Very before SXSW. He is AMAZING!

Afro Classics is seriously on to something...

Adrian Younge of Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra was, by far, the best dressed man that we saw all weekend.


and Grace is equally fabulous...


This man, DJ Chicken George, seemed to be everywhere during SXSW being involved in so many different events. He surrounds himself with the most undeniably sensual sounds. I would highly recommend checking out the audio mixes that he generously provides on his website... djchickengeorge.com. Radio Jazztronica fills the air with a perfect blend of hip hop, soul, and jazz flavors that will most certainly relax your mind.

...and then seek out his Chicken Soup collection. This music is the soundtrack to my life these days...

DJ Chicken George played at the SXSW HIT+RUN party... a live art, music and film party. This t shirt was printed for me by HIT+RUN screen printers at the party, while I waited... DJ Chicken George has several t shirt designs for both men and women. I also have a brown and gold racer back tank. As far as I know, everything is printed on American Apparel, which is nice because their shirts are universally flattering... and super soft. His merchandise is available on his website as well.

I am not sure what to say about this...