Man One World!

I AM ANGEL MURAL

2012-02-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

I was asked to paint a 10'x16' mural for will.i.am's charity "I Am Angel Foundation".

The star studded event and pre-Grammy party called TRANS4M BOYLE HEIGHTS featured live performances by the legendary Stevie Wonder, Ne-Yo, Flo-rida, and the Peas of course (minus Fergie).

Here are pics of my mural and the event itself. Congrats to the I Am Angel Foundation for raising $5mil to help support youth in Boyle Heights!

Slideshow below or click for Flickr:

More info:

iamangelfoundation.org/

www.ManOne.com

GANGSTERS PARADISE MURAL IN VEGAS

2012-02-05T23:27:00.000-08:00

Private home mural I painted for a client in Vegas.

Inspired by video game and comic book like characters and scenery.

Hope you enjoy the pics…

In action..

Kickin' it with Gavin..

Slideshow:

More pics on Flickr

To commission work:

manone@manone.com

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BMW CAR HOOD

2012-01-23T03:23:00.000-08:00

Timelapse video of a BMW car hood I painted for my URBNLUX exhibition in October 2011 at Crewest Gallery.

Here's a pic of me with basketball great John Salley in front of my piece.

Painting on car hoods has become a favorite canvas for me over the past few years.
I like the smooth and glossy finish when I'm done clear coating them.

A few other hoods I've painted...

"Man On Hood" - featured in "Street Cred" at the Pasadena Museum of California Art in 2011

Hood commissioned by H&H Auto Body

"Eazy E" from the Boyz On The Hood exhibit at Crewest in 2005

Available for commissioned work:
manone@manone.com

www.ManOne.com

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CALIFORNIA HOMES MAGAZINE

2012-01-17T20:08:00.001-08:00

WB.URBNLUX_CAHomes2, a photo by Crewest on Flickr.

I have a nice spread in the current California Homes magazine.

They covered my URBNLUX exhibit at Crewest last October.

It's in newsstands now..
(that sounds so old school!)

You can view pics from that show on this slideshow:

I still have some pieces available if interested just email me:
manone@manone.com

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UPDATE:MURAL ORDINANCE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING

2012-01-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I attended the Planning Commission Hearing in L.A.'s City Hall on the new Mural Ordinance Draft and was able to provide my own public commentary alongside 25+ other fellow artists, muralists, and art lovers. We are close to getting this mural moratorium ended and getting a new mural permitting program up and running. I don't think everyone will be 100% satisfied with the final ordinance but it should be good enough to get muralists out there and doing our thing. My main issue is with the proposed $199 permit fee. I think the permit should be free and not cost artists or building owners anything to get one.

To find out more about whats going on with this issue here is a link to the draft:
http://media.scpr.org/documents/2011/12/07/MuralOrdinance_DiscussionDraft_LADCP.pdf

The Commission is accepting written statements about the issue until February 8th, 2012

Please send letters, comments and support. LA muralists need it!

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REACHING UP

2012-01-09T23:21:00.001-08:00

"Reaching Up" by Man One 2012, a photo by Crewest on Flickr.

My first painting of 2012
created live at Crewest Gallery.
On view until January 29th during
AUDIO CANVAS 3

"Reaching Up"
Aerosol and acrylic
3'x7' wood panel
2012

*Available for purchase-
If interested lmk:
manone@manone.com

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LIVE PAINTING @ AUDIO CANVAS 3

2012-01-04T19:28:00.001-08:00

AUDIOCAN3.a, a photo by Crewest on Flickr.

Hope you can come down and support our first event of the New Year @ Crewest!

It's an all LIVE painting event with great music by DJ Phyz Ed and friends.

I'll be painting a special installation with local LA artist Robert Vargas. It's the first time we collaborate on some paintings, should be lots of fun.

Feel free to stop by anytime from 3 - 9pm and see how we progress throughout the session.

Each artist on the lineup is amazing to watch paint live so don't miss out!

This Saturday
January 7th, 2012
3-9pm
@
Crewest
110 Winston St.
LA, CA 90013
www.Crewest.com
213-627-8272

*Artwork will be on view and available for purchase until January 29th, 2012

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ART OF CHECKERS

2011-12-15T15:43:00.000-08:00

This checkers set is comprised of 4" tall "MAN" pieces that I designed a few years back and were hand sculpted by my good friend and incredible sculptor Dave Kawano of U1 TOY ARTS.

These resin sculpts were painted black and red to create the figures for the checker set. They sit on a tinted glass checkerboard.

This checker set is available as an original piece of art from my most recent exhibition URBNLUX. It comes in a handmade wooden box stenciled with my logo.

(Table sold separately)

If you'd like to purchase please contact me:

manone@manone.com

IMMIGRANTS FOR SALE

2011-12-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

For all of you who don't believe this country benefits from illegal immigration and our prison systems check out this quick illustrated video that breaks it down for you.

DERRY: GRAFF WALL ON BISHOP ST.

2011-11-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately this time around in Derry there wasnt room for much painting as I was dedicated to the workshops and conference at the Playhouse. My last day I was able to rock a "wee" wall in the middle of town. We only had a few hours before it got too cold and too late. Here you go..

Adjacent to my wall this cat from Montreal who goes by ROADSWORTH painted a really cool peace dove in a cage.

Slideshow:

till next time Derry...

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ABOVE THE RADAR 2: AT THE FRIDGE IN D.C.

2011-11-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

If you are in D.C. go check out this show curated

by Luna George (my handy assistant at Crewest!)

I just have 1 piece in the show:

lots of other great artwork from our stable of artists, some for the first time on

the East Coast!

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Above the Radar II

Show Dates:

Nov.5-Dec.3, 2011

The Fridge

516 1/2 8th Street, SE

Washington, DC 20003

Gallery Website: http://www.thefridgedc.com/

Confirmed Artists:

2wenty, 4sakn, Bash, Bron Theron, Bytedust, Chor Boogie, Chuck Hodi, Crash Manson, CS Navarette, CYFI, CYRCLE , Danny Perez, DENZ One, Dersk, Destroy All Design, DJ Neff, Drast, Dread, Dril One, Deih, Each, Else, EnikOne, Eone, Heaven, Homo Riot, Hungerman, Hydra, INEPT, IROK, Jero, Joe Iurato, John Carr, JTS, JW Pippen, Kophns One, Man One, Mar, Max Neutra, Mear, Michael Pizarro, Nils Jawa, Nineta, Phers, Phever, Political Gridlock, Pose 2, Revel, Rick Rodriguez, Rome, Sand One, Scotch!, Septerhed, Sergio D, Shai Dahan, SMEAR, Steve Martinez aka Pablo Jimenez, Thomas the Messenger, Valerie G, Vanae Rivera, Victor Malagon, Vyal and more…

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DERRY, UK: MY SAY!! CONFERENCE

2011-11-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

Once again in Derry, North Ireland where I have been invited as an international artist to lead a graffiti workshop. More info and pics below:

My Say!!

Youth Art Conference - A free event for Young People
Date: 2nd - 4th November 2011 Venue: Playhouse Derry - Londonderry

WHAT??
My Say! Youth Art event will give young people and their youth leaders the opportunity to have their Say on Northern Ireland’s segregated communities and education system. We are inviting youth clubs, community, church and school groups to join this artistic and creative event. Art workshops include theatre, graffiti, poetry & rap, and street art.

Pics:
The kids from the different communities chose the word FUTURE:

They were broken up into groups and each painted a letter in their own style with their own meaning:

At the end we put all the panels together and were installed at the Playhouse for all to enjoy:

More pics on my Flickr

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MAN ONE PAINTING FOR URBNLUX

2011-10-18T01:45:00.000-07:00

I had fun creating these large pieces for my URBNLUX exhibit, check out the video:

This piece is sold but check out other pieces from this exhibition on my Flickr

More info at:
URBNLUX.COM

Collector inquiries:
art@crewestgallery.com

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PAINT THE FUTURE IN PACKAGE DESIGN MAGAZINE

2011-10-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Package Design Magazine covers our Paint the Future

exhibit from last month's CANCEPTUAL v.4

(Direct Link)

SPEAKING AT THE GREEN FESTIVAL L.A

2011-10-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'll be speaking (and painting) at this year's Green Festival L.A. alongside Rebecca Ansert and Justin Yoffe on October 30th at the LA Convention Center.

Our presentation:
"ART AND SUSTAINABILITY: BREAKING THROUGH THE WALLS"

AEP, Green Public Art and Man One will advance the conversation of the creative work force and sustainability. In this live art, multi-media presentation, panelists will share how artists can make "green" choices in their own art practice through advocacy, sustainable products and lifestyle choices. Contribute positively to climate change, everyday. We are going to show you how! We are greening the earth one artist at a time!

Meeting Room 303 AB
4:30pm Oct. 30th (45 mins)

See you there!

URBNLUX: Graffiti for Life (Pics)

2011-10-13T12:55:00.001-07:00

URBNLUX 10-11, a set on Flickr.

Here are some photos from my latest exhibition URBNLUX

I collaborated with some very fine designers, architects, and artists to produce the final pieces.

The exhibition runs through Oct.29 and
all artwork is available for sale.

Hope you can make it through in person:

Crewest

110 Winston St.

Los Angeles, Ca

90013

213-627-8272 ph

If not enjoy the slideshow below or click through to my Flickr and enjoy the rest of the artwork pics.

URBNLUX: GRAFFITI FOR LIFE

2011-10-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

URBNLUX: Graffiti For Life

Opens on October 8, 2011 from 6-10pm

Crewest Gallery

110 Winston Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Exhibit closes on October 29, 2010, from 6-10pm

I hope you can make it!

PAINT THE FUTURE

2011-09-29T12:20:00.001-07:00

PAINT THE FUTURE

Chicago-based professional packaging design firm STUDIO ONE ELEVEN, a division of Berlin Packaging, agreed to collaborate with world-renowned graffiti artist MAN ONE from Los Angeles to envision the future of spray paint technology and packaging. Together, they created PAINT THE FUTURE, a first-of-it’s kind design exhibit for the CANCEPTUAL V.4 art exhibit at Crewest Gallery in Los Angeles, being held from September 8-October 2, 2011.

Hopefully these prototypes will be of interest to paint companies who would like to advance the sophistication of the world class graffiti artist.

PANAMA DAY 3: ISLA COLON

2011-09-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

On my third workday, we traveled across the water from Changuinola to Isla Colon on these not so modern water taxis that actually picked up some crazy speed!

20 minutes later we arrived to the island named after Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus) who landed here. This was my favorite part of my Panama trip. The water is crystal clear, the buildings are so colorful and the people so diverse. I've never seen so many people from all over the world gathered in such a small place. Many people were there for La Feria del Mar, unfortunately I never made it to the fair but the people and the experience made it worthwhile.

The Island has a very Caribbean feel and really laid back. Lovely architecture and colors.

The food is great and for some reason they serve a lot of pizza. You know you've made it when there's a pizza named after you!

My project for this day was to paint a mural at the main park Simon Bolivar. Although the wall was wider rather than tall, it made for a perfect graffiti letter piece.

The wall was kind of dirty but we were able to talk the local firemen into "powerwashing" the wall for us, that's a first!

I decided to bust out an "Isla Colon" for the locals. The weather was easily over 90 degrees and the humidity was very high. The Panama sun is brutal and I was pouring sweat for the 5 hours or so that I was painting.

Some of the local kids helping me out.

The end result was a "COLON" piece with the "O's" painted like looking glasses revealing snapshots of the island's architecture and seascapes. The mural was an instant success! It was cool to have all the people in the park break out in applause and cheers when I put the final signature on the piece. Wow!

It's the first public graffiti mural on the island and people immediately started flocking to it to take photos in front of the mural. It's the newest tourist attraction on the island. I'm honored to have been allowed to create something so special for the people in this small but unique community.

Special thanks to the U.S. Embassy for hosting my trip and making it an unforgettable and successful experience. Hopefully we can do it again! Alison and Miguel you guys were great partners!

Shouts out to the APAP and specifically ICH for helping me with the buff and painting of the wall as I was ready to pass out from the heat!

Also to local artist (and bartender) FuloCoqueno who hooked us up with drinks all nite. Sorry but I wasn't brave enough to swing into the ocean from the bar like all the Germans were doing. Gracias rasta!

More pics from my trip in the slideshow below or by going to my Flickr:

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PANAMA DAY 2: CHANGUINOLA

2011-09-20T12:39:00.001-07:00

PANAMA DAY 2: CHANGUINOLA, a set on Flickr.

Flew from Panama City to Bocas de Toro on my first propellor plane flight.

My first stop was Changuinola a banana plantation community.

Upon my arrival I went directly to the Universidad
Tecnologica de Panama.
Easily the smallest University I've ever visited.

I was the international keynote speaker at an arts conference
sponsored by the APAP (Asociacion Panamena de Artes Plasticas).

I got to meet about 50 great artists from all over Panama and
share my art with them and learn from their experience, culture,
and of course their art.

Since Changuinola is a banana plantation almost everyone
living there (about 3,000 I was told)
work in this industry mostly as laborers/farmers.

It was weird to see so many people up and walking
on their way to work at 5am on a Saturday morning.
Laborers tend to work 7 days a week then 1 day off,
but after 11 months they get 1 month vacation.

Despite the hard working people here, they have a
simple but festive attitude. It's humbling to see how happy
you can be with what we consider to be so little.

PANAMA DAY 1: PANAMA CITY & CASCO ANTIGUO

2011-09-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Day 1 on the job in Panama:
-Met the US Ambassador....

-Got interviewed on the biggest morning show in town...TU MANANA

-Met Miss Panama...

(and another pic of Miss Panama, just because)

-Spoke at the local University...

-Inspired over 20 great local youth...

-Rocked a quick burner...

And oh yeah, a bunch more great pics from today on the slideshow below or my Flickr:

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I GOT A LETTER FROM THE GOVERNMENT...

2011-09-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

I opened and read it.. and it said I'm going to Panama!

The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Panama have awarded me with a "U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grant" and invited me to be a keynote international speaker in Panama. For the better part of this week I will be creating youth workshops and murals at some events with their partners Asociación Panameña de Artistas Plásticos and local graff artists Full Style Crew as well.

I'll be on Telemetro TV tomorrow morning then directly to my first lecture at the Universidad Tecnologica de Panama followed by my first painting event in Panama City tomorrow evening.

Here is the invite on Facebook, just in case you got some fam out here!

I'll be posting pics of the happs for the rest of the week!
Stay tuned!

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SUNSHINE CANVASES

2011-09-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I was commissioned to create the logo for Plata Wine a new concept for an "urban winery" the first of its kind.

Aside from the logo and wine label I created (which along with Chaz Bojorquez' are now in the Smithsonian Collection!) I also was commissioned by the owner, Plata himself, to create four mural sized paintings. The paintings were filmed and timelapsed, one is being used on the Plata Wine website as an intro. I just recently discovered they are all online! So here they are..enjoy.

Sunshsine #1

Sunshine #2

Sunshine #3

Sunshine #4

www.ManOne.com

DERRY: BRANDYWELL PRODUCTION

2011-09-03T00:12:00.000-07:00

We painted this spot at night to avoid the tons of pre-teens who were following us around to every wall and trying to jack our paint. You can beat up an older cat, but what do you do with a nagging 11 year old? Well you wait till they go to sleep! Instead we had to deal with their drunk parents shouting and wanting us to get them "up" on the wall. It was pretty comical.

Connector shot in Derry, N. Ireland with local artists CHIN, RAZOR, EASI as well as with S.JOAG (NY), YIN ONE (Scotland)

Slideshow below or more pics on my Flickr:

SMALL HOME MURAL UP IN THE HILLS

2011-09-02T23:27:00.001-07:00

HOLLYWOOD HILLS HOME MURAL, a set on Flickr.
Just before I left town for a few weeks back in August, I painted this small interior mural for a patron up in the Hollywood Hills. I knocked out the mural in a day and it came out alright. Enjoy!

DERRY: NATURAL BEAUTY MURAL

2011-09-01T03:10:00.000-07:00

I was hired by ICAN at the Playhouse to create workshops and murals using my talents as an artist to help engage youth and affect social change. The mural we created as part of this process was at the city's center at the Guildhall Square. We painted a temporary wall with the theme of "Natural Beauty".

I designed it with the help of a local artist, Easi, and about 10 young people from Derry/Londonderry during my stay there in Northern Ireland.

I decided to go with a theme that's totally opposite of all the heavily politically charged murals that exist in this area. This part of the country is so picturesque and the green of the grass and the terracotta of the houses is what inspired the color choices.

Also, the orange and yellow flowers that grow directly in front of this wall were a point of inspiration.

It took us roughly a little over a week to complete thanks to the Irish mist which seemed to soak us almost every day.

At the end of the project I think the goal was achieved. The youth involved were able to work together despite their differences and create a beautiful piece of art. They learned new techniques and methods of using their art for positive change. I made great friends and look forward to whats next for them as Derry is being honored as the first City of Culture of the UK in 2013.

For more pics check out the slideshow below or on my Flickr page:

LIVE PAINTING: GIL SCOT-HERON (RIP)

2011-08-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

This past May I was asked to perform a live painting at UCLA'S annual Jazz Reggae Fest. Although I was not allowed to use aerosol, I decided to honor the life of poet/musician Gil Scot-Heron who had just recently passed away with an all acrylic brush painted portrait.

Here's a little timelapse video of the painting:

View more pics on the slideshow below or on my Flickr page:

DERRY BRIDGE NIGHT

2011-08-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Some quick action in Derry under the bridge walls.

My piece dedicated to my twin boys on their bday.

This was the last night we painted in Derry got some great shots of the River Foyle.

Pics of the rest of the homies on the slideshow below or click onto my Flickr:

ROCKING DERRY CENTER

2011-08-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

Production we painted in the city center of Derry with TAIO (Scotland), S.Joag (NY), El Pablo (Oaktown), YIN ONE (Scotland), EASI (Derry) 2011

My character:

Locals giving us the thumbs up!

Dedicated this piece to me ma' on her Bday:

Check out the rest of the production in the slideshow below or click on my Flickr link:

DERRY SKATEPARK PAINTING

2011-08-17T03:57:00.000-07:00

We had a quick midnight paint session at the local skatepark, Rosy Skate and Surf, the other nite.
Rocked a little piece with the fellas, here are some pics thanks to our local
latino Mr. Melvin!

Mr. Pablizzle...

Derry's most notorious...

Me and Melvin, boy he's tall!...

My final shot...

The local homies...

Signing off...

More pics here click here.

Slideshow:

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FREE DERRY WALL

2011-08-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

Background:
"In January 1969 a local activist, John "Caker" Casey, painted a sign on a gable wall stating: "You are now entering Free Derry". When the British Home Secretary, Jim Callaghan, visited Derry in August 1969, the "Free Derry" wall was painted white and the "You are now entering Free Derry" sign was professionally re-painted in black lettering.[1] The houses on Lecky road and Fahan Street were subsequently demolished, but the wall was retained. It has been repainted at frequent intervals." -Wikipedia (more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Derry_Corner)

We were honored to be given a unique opportunity to re-paint and re-interpret our idea of freedom and civil rights on the surface of one of the most iconic landmarks in North Ireland: The Free Derry Wall. This wall is an international symbol in the fight for civil rights. We were given some boundaries for example we had to retain the slogan "You are now entering Free Derry", although we could alter the font if we so desired but it will only be up for about 2 weeks.

After getting daily doses of education about the local politics since we've arrived, we thought of a concept to shake things up a bit and force people to view the world differently through the power of art. Most murals in Derry are painted with political significance first and foremost. The aesthetic and artistic value of murals seem to be secondary and sometimes not even significant. We decided to flip that idea about murals for them. Although this wall had been temporarily painted before, the context of the wall has never really been altered. We decided to create a piece of art that would elevate this local monument and give it universal appeal and to help broaden its important message.

Below are pics of what we did. The mural pissed off a bunch of older headstrong folk, including some older local artists who called us "VANDALS!". I guess they felt threatened by our approach and skills with the can or just upset that we were intruding on their monopoly of the area. I guess its not really as "FREE" a corner as they claim. At the same time it was well received by the younger generations of artists and citizens. We were able to modernize and re-contextualize a static wall into a "step in the right direction" (per national tv news station BBC).

Here's our statement:
"The theme of the newly painted wall is NEBULA, the Latin for ‘cloud’ which contextualizes the Free Derry wall and the decades long struggle for civil rights it represents in terms of universality, interconnectedness and re-creation. The intention behind adding this imagery and color to the wall is to encourage the young people of Derry to reimagine their history and present in broader, less limited terms; to take ownership over their public space; and to be the architects of a constructive future empowered rather than debilitated by the legacy of conflict and reconciliation."

American and International artists:

Man One (LA)

Pablo Cristi (SF/Bay Area)

Ernel Martinez (Philly)

Sidd Joag (NY)

Local artists:
Sean, Ray, Conner and Karl

*Btw people in town and this part of the world haven't stopped talking about it since we completed it.

Mission accomplished.

More pics of the process and the mural on my Flickr

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SO FAR IN DERRY, NORTH IRELAND

2011-08-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

We've been in the paper almost everyday...

Met the mayor of Derry...

Saw some crazy murals on both sides of the river (always political)...

Drinking too much Guiness..

Managed to piss off some local artists since we got permission to repaint a local landmark...

As NWA said Fork the police...

More updates coming up...

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MY RESIDENCY IN DERRY, NORTH IRELAND

2011-08-08T03:46:00.000-07:00

I've been invited to produce a series of workshops and murals in Derry, Northern Ireland by the the Playhouse International Culture Arts Network (ICAN) and What IF? Project.

The idea is to utilize graffiti as a tool for social change.
I am collaborating with 3 other superb artists:

Pablo Cristi (SF/Bay Area)

Ernel Martinez (Philly)

Sidd Joag (NY)

We just completed the first week of leading a master class at the Playhouse

and a repaint of the infamous Free Derry wall. Today we are starting our

youth workshops where we will each be working within 4 different communities

to create murals throughout the city.

My workshop consists of about a dozen local youth 16+ who will be designing

and painting the mural in the city center.

Next week the workshops will also incorporate djing, parkour, and graffiti.

Heres the official info:

This August, the Playhouse International Culture Arts Network (ICAN) and What IF? Project will bring international graffiti & mural artists to the North West. These artists will collaborate with local graffiti artists, share their expertise with local practitioners and work with young people living in interface communities of Derry-Londonderry and Moville, County Donegal.

Adult Masterclass - Graffiti & Mural Art

3^rd – 5^th August 1pm – 5pm

The international artists Man One, Pablo Cristi, Ernel Martinez and Sidd Joag will lead a master-class in Graffiti & Mural Art on Wednesday 3^rd, Thursday 4^th and Friday 5^th August 1pm – 5pm. The masterclass participants will have the opportunity to paint Free Derry Corner on Friday August 5. This class is open to all including artists, facilitators, educationalists and activists who are interested in learning graffiti skills at the same time as developing ways of using art for positive social change. This master-class is free.

Youth Art Week – Graffiti, DJing & Parkour

15th – 19^th August 11am – 3pm

The final week of the Urban Arts Project 15th – 19^th August 11am – 3pm will enable young people to participate in graffiti workshops as well as DJing and parkour. This week will be youth-led, giving the young people the opportunity to collaborate with an international and local team of artists.

If you want to participate in either the master class (Wednesday 3, Thursday 4 and Friday 5 August, 1-5pm) or the Youth Art Project, (from Monday 15 to Friday 19 August, 11am-3pm) or further information contact Elaine Forde on 02871 268027 or elaine@derryplayhouse.co.uk.

ICAN is a three year project which has been part-financed by the European Union’s Regional Development fund through EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE III) managed through Special EU Programmes Body.

More info about the project on their website:

Playhouse International Culture Arts Network

Slideshows:

1st Workshop: Master Class

More pics on my Flickr

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NEW MURAL FOR DICKIESGIRL

2011-08-06T01:09:00.000-07:00

I painted this 200 foot long mural in East LA last month. It was sponsored by DickiesGirl on one of their buildings and I was given pretty open range to create. I decided to create a giant MAN piece across the front with Pinky and the Brain characters standing off to one side. On the parking lot side is the second much smaller mural of about 15' x 45' with a similar theme but this time Pinky and the Brain are on the moon, "Continuing Our Invasion".

Check out the video and some pics below:

More pics here on Flickr.

MAN ONE X PIONEER CDJ 2000

2011-07-20T01:48:00.000-07:00

I was asked to customize a CDJ 2000 for Pioneer's Art Mix Tour 2011.

The piece entitled "All That Scratching is Makin' Me ITCH!" was painted using aerosol, Sharpie paint markers, and a glass etching tool. Vinyl logos and a resin "MAN" sculpture were also adhered to the piece.

Here's a little video of the process.

It will be on display this Thursday July 21 from 11am-6:30pm:

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
152 North Central Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012

The piece will be sold at an online auction with proceeds benefiting VH-1's "Save The Music" foundation.

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ManOne.com

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CROSSROADS MURAL IN HOLLYWOOD

2011-05-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

We've been working on this mural project for a few years now and
we need to raise the final $10k for materials and scaffolding for the project.

Click on the link and donate if you can.

All contributions are welcome and depending on the amount
you'll get a print of the final design or a t-shirt or
your name on the wall!

This will be a highly visible mural for Hollywood, help
us make it happen!

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*There is a time limit.
We have 60 days to raise the money or a percentage gets taken by IndieGoGo.

There are two things you can do to help:
1. You can donate!
2. Share the link to this site with friends and colleagues you believe would have an interest.

STREET CRED @ PMCA OPENS THIS WEEKEND!

2011-05-10T01:34:00.000-07:00

STREET CRED: GRAFFITI ART FROM CONCRETE TO CANVAS

Opening this Saturday night May 14, 2011 from 7- 10pm

I'll have a piece in this show,
Come check it out!

Pasadena Museum of California Art
490 east Union Street
Pasadena CA
91101

pmcaonline.org
626 568 3665

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www.ManOne.com

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LIVE PAINTING AT JAZZREGGAE FEST MAY 30, 2011

2011-05-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

I'm one of the featured artists painting live at this year's:
25TH ANNUAL JAZZREGGAE FEST held at UCLA.

I'll be painting a large mural size canvas all day on May 30th.
Stop by and say hello if you're feeling IRIE!

For more info or to buy your tickets click on the below:
Official JazzReggae Fest Website

www.ManOne.com

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LA TIMES: TAGGING...FUELS DEBATE

2011-04-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

I have a small quote at the end of this little article in today's
LA Times
(Or scroll down and read it below)

Unfortunately, officials are going to take the opportunity of this MOCA show to make graff artists and writers the scapegoats for the City's woes. It's all about taxation and if you get arrested you will be taxed, believe that!

You don't??
Ask Smear or any of the MTA crew members being sued and trying to be made an example of.

The City is bankrupt and more people in jails means more revenue.

They've already made it illegal to sell spray paint to minors, now you have to watch out for "vandals" carrying "buckets of grout and pieces of tile". PLEASE!!

I guess the day workers outside of Home Depot are now targets as well!

It's a slippery slope people. Please stand up and say something.
Our youth continue to be criminalized. Let's not put up with this type of selective enforcement anymore.

I'll be on Pam Morrison's NPR radio show tomorrow at 1:20pm to discuss further and continue the debate.

Tune in!

"Powertrip" by Man One © 2008

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Tagging outside an L.A. street art exhibit fuels debate

Authorities say the downtown Los Angeles show has spawned a rash of tagging near the museum. The museum says such 'anarchic' work was anticipated and is being cleaned up.

By Andrew Blankstein, Richard Winton and David Ng, Los Angeles Times

April 20, 2011

The Museum of Contemporary Art expected to make some waves when it launched "Art in the Streets," billed as the first major U.S. museum survey exhibition on graffiti and street art.

But the LAPD said the show has also become a target of taggers who want to leave a mark of their own outside the Little Tokyo exhibition space where the show opened Sunday.

In a city considered one of the birthplaces of street art, the exhibit at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA has intensified an already fierce debate about whether something that is illegal can also have artistic value.

To fans, it's a welcome recognition of an urban artist style that is evolving from street vandalism into something more. "It's exciting to have some of the most vibrant street art in the world happening in Los Angeles," Greg Linton, an arts blogger who documents street art in L.A., said of the exhibit. "It's what makes these urban areas so special."

But what Linton considers art, some in law enforcement consider urban blight.

"The exhibit kind of glorifies graffiti," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Augie Pando, who helps oversee the department's anti-tagging campaign. "It puts taggers on front street."

Authorities are concerned that the show is drawing taggers who might be wanted on vandalism charges elsewhere, said Jack Richter, an LAPD senior lead officer. Police have been taking photos of the dozens of pieces of graffiti found around the museum, hoping to eventually link them to specific taggers.

Over the last week, authorities say, they have seen a conspicuous increase in graffiti and other forms of vandalism near the museum, including tagging over the weekend at the Little Tokyo Gold Line Station.

There is strong evidence that this is not just the work of local taggers. Two French nationals believed to be in Los Angeles for the exhibit were detained Friday after authorities caught them with buckets of grout and pieces of tile near the historic Perez building in Little Tokyo.

Richter said authorities believe that one of those detained was the street artist known as Space Invader, who has left mosaic tiles of the vintage video game in cities around the world. The pair were released while the investigation continued, and Richter said officials were checking to see if they had flown back to Paris.

After their release, their trademark mosaics were attached to several buildings, including the Geffen Contemporary, he added.

"We respect the rights to have an art exhibition, but we demand the security of other people's property," Richter said. "As former Chief [William J.] Bratton was fond of saying, 'if you want to be an artist, buy a canvas.' "

The exhibition traces the development of graffiti and street art from the 1970s "to the global movement, concentrating on key cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, and Sao Paulo where a unique visual language or attitude has evolved," the MOCA website says.

The exhibit features paintings, mixed media sculptures and interactive installations by 50 artists, emphasizing Los Angeles' "role in the evolution of graffiti and street art, with special sections dedicated to seminal local movements such as cholo graffiti and Dogtown skateboard culture."

MOCA officials declined to comment about the controversy Monday, except to say they were cleaning up the graffiti as quickly as possible. But in an interview last week, director Jeffrey Deitch said the museum anticipated that "Art in the Street" could bring unwanted graffiti from "some of the young taggers who are anarchic."

One of the show's possible intangible benefits, he said, is that taggers now spraying illegally might see the exhibition and raise their sights. "We want to put out an inspirational message: If you harness your talent you can be in a museum someday, make a contribution and a living from it."

MOCA has been working with Little Tokyo community leaders to deal with the graffiti.

In addition to MOCA's agreement to immediately clean up any graffiti, surveillance cameras have been installed in the area.

Brian Kito, president of the Little Tokyo Public Safety Assn., said he had definitely seen an uptick in graffiti on buildings around the Geffen Contemporary, including the one that houses his sweets shop. He said he believed the tags were connected to the exhibit and hoped visitors would be respectful of the neighborhood.

"We are welcoming people that appreciate street art but we hope they are not inspired to show off their work on the buildings outside," said Kito, who praised MOCA for reaching out to community leaders, previewing the exhibit for them and encouraging them to contact the museum if there were any problems.

MOCA is not the first museum to deal with the issue. When the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego held an exhibition last year that included work by L.A. street artist Shepard Fairey, a tagger vandalized one of Fairey's murals. Museum director Hugh Davies said he was disappointed by the vandalism but accepted it as being part of the street art culture.

"There's an anarchic culture that doesn't want to go through the chain of going to art school, [then getting into a] gallery and museum," he said. "It's like, 'I want to do it in my own way, I'm not in it for the market.' "

The street art scene, which has long influenced popular culture, has been slowly entering the mainstream of the art world. There have been shows at major galleries, and street art has become an influential element of the fashion industry. The scene was chronicled in Banksy's Oscar-nominated movie, "Exit Through the Gift Shop," which was set in the world of L.A. street art.

Man One, a street artist who runs Crewest gallery in downtown L.A., said that he had not noticed much more tagging around the Geffen Contemporary in recent days and that he thought the police were overreacting.

"Law enforcement wants you to believe the broken window theory — that the city falls apart and bigger crimes occur because of an increase in tagging," he said. "One of the questions that the city should be asking is if there is an increase of violence. Have there been more shootings because of this show? Has anyone died because of this show?"

Man One also said street art created without permission could have redeeming value.

"The way I always look at it: Is it done with permission or without permission? That's what it comes down to for me. But either way it can be art," he added. "Not all of it is art, but sometimes there are some beautiful things that go up without permission."

andrew.blankstein@latimes.com

richard.winton@latimes.com

david.ng@latimes.com

Times staff writers Jori Finkel and Mike Boehm contributed to this report.

LIVE PAINTING @ MIRACLE MILE ARTWALK 4/16/11

2011-04-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

I'll be painting tomorrow on the lawn in front of LACMA for the Miracle Mile Artwalk event.

I'm helping Estria promote his Annual Invitational Graffiti Battle

I'm painting with @ESTRIA, @VOGUEDTK and @MISTERBOUNCER
Come by and say hello!

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www.ManOne.com
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KAREEM PAINTING + VIDEO

2011-04-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

Kareem is one of my all time favorite Lakers because he was untouchable with his sky hook and he fought Bruce Lee. Game over.

Richard from Analigital shot some great video of the process of me making this piece,
big thanks bro.. Enjoy!

MAN ONE WALL RESINS

2011-04-01T17:14:00.001-07:00

MANRESIN5, a photo by Crewest on Flickr.

These are brand new resin pieces sculpted by Dave Kawano and produced by U1 TOY ARTS.

They are available as blanks or custom painted by me.

They will be available for purchase starting now at Wonder Con through U1 TOY ARTS (booth #633) and Crewest very soon!

www.ManOne.com

SURF CHIC EVENT TONITE!

2011-03-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

These are my two surfboards on auction tonite!

Little vid of me painting one of the boards:

VINO GRAFFITI

2011-03-16T00:48:00.001-07:00

VMP_0257 a photo by Crewest on Flickr.

If you haven't seen it, this is my new piece "Vino Graffiti" in our current RIPE show at Crewest.

It's pencil, acrylic, and silver metallic Sharpie on a used wooden wine barrel lid.

You can purchase it directly online at:
http://crewest.com/available/index.html

Or stop by the gallery to view in person.

The whole show is actually really great
and I'm not just saying that because I curated it!

Check out the other pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crewestman/sets/72157626016631796/

If interested lmk.
manone@manone.com

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MAN ONE: SUNDAY STUDIO WORKSHOP @ MOCA

2011-03-14T00:31:00.000-07:00

SUNDAY STUDIO
APRIL 3, 2011
1:00 PM
MOCA GRAND AVENUE

What is Permanent?

Join me for a tour of a selection of works from MOCA's permanent collection to discuss art that is transitory, or exists only briefly.

In a workshop led and designed by me (Man One), participants will create their own ephemeral art by making urban pop art based on what has been deemed permanent.

Will your art last forever?

INFO:
213/621-1765 or fflores@moca.org

FREE
(no reservations required)

*image by Man One "LOSDIABLOSANGELES" © 1994
from MOCA's "Urban Revisions: current projects for the public realm"

PAINT FACTORY ART EXHIBITION

2011-03-12T02:10:00.000-08:00

I will have 2 paintings for sale at
this exhibition tonite, hope you can make it!
Check out the artist lineup below.

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PAINT FACTORY
Art Exhibition

Saturday, March 12th 2011
6-10PM

Alta Lofts
200 N. San Fernando Road
Los Angeles, CA 90031

Artists:
Axis, Swank, Cre8, Toons, Taz, Dytch, Asylm, Siner, Man One, Robbie Conal, Eye, Risk, Mear, Relic, Miner, Duke, Haste, Keo, Duce, Sano, Tyer, Vyal, Kym, Steven Lopez, Sen, Sonji, Spurn, Flewnt, Putos, Sand, Juan Carlos Muñoz Hernandez, Rick Ordoñez

Presented by: I.C.U. Art
Curated by Stash Maleski & Jeanna Penn

Music & refreshments provided

Live Art Auction from 8:00 to 8:30PM:
Benefiting the Venice Art Walls

rsvp required
jeanna@icuart.com

come early for free secure parking

More info:
icuart.com

BEHIND THE BLACK MASK

2011-03-03T01:09:00.000-08:00

"BEHIND THE BLACK MASK"
AEROSOL ON CANVAS
36" x 48"
MAN ONE © 2011

Check out the quick video I made while painting it:

Here is the flyer and info on the HUGE lineup
of artists that Craola has curated for this
original concept show.

Thanks Greg for hooking it up..and see you guys at
the opening!

INLE, curated by Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins
Opening: Friday, March 11th 2011

Gallery 1988 Melrose
7020 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.937.7088

KOOL HERC NEEDS YOUR HELP

2011-02-01T00:02:00.001-08:00

DJ KOOL HERC & MAN ONE
Originally uploaded by Crewest

Latest tweets show that Herc's medical bills might
already be handled..I hope so.

Still sad that such a pioneer of music doesn't have the
means to afford health care and is left to his own
devices to figure it out.

I agree that it might be easy if some of the Hip Hop big ballers (mcees, producers, djays, etc) just throw in some cash and helped a brother out, but in reality it's real proof once again that our government is failing us.

"The government you have elected is inoperative"_KRS1

Prayers go out to Kool Herc!

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THE ROOMMATE

2011-01-28T23:55:00.000-08:00

I painted this mural in 2009 on Hollywood Blvd. for this movie
"THE ROOMMATE".

I guess it's finally coming out in theaters next week.
Check out the trailer, you can catch it in the background of this scene ( 0:28 )

Slideshow of the process:

(or check it out here on Flickr)

www.ManOne.com

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COLORZ OF INSANITY!

2011-01-19T03:29:00.000-08:00

This was my farewell wall to 2010..

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www.ManOne.com

www.Rust1.com

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FOWLER MUSEUM PANEL TALK AND RE-CAP

2011-01-16T14:41:00.001-08:00

Photo by Aaron Salcido

I spoke at the Fowler Museum last Thursday night (Jan.13th) alongside Retna, Aaron Rose, Patrick Polk and it was moderated by Jori Finkel from the LA Times.

The evening was very interesting to say the least.

If you missed the event it is worth checking out the hour long video here:
Fowler Museum: Street Art Panel

You can read more here:
Zocalo Public Square

View event photos on:
Zocalo's Flickr

============
*Thanks to Isabel-Rojas Williams for the following pics!

Me and Retna at the reception after our talk

Speaking with photographer Larry Yust

Saying hello to some fans!

Sidenote..
MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch was in the crowd that night and walked away seemingly unscathed by any further talk of the controversy he created. No one talked about the Blu elephant in the room!

I think the moderator purposefully avoided the censorship question and not enough questions were allowed during the Q&A, because I definitely spotted some freedom fighters waving their hands in the air trying to get a question in!

Also, I wonder why Deitch didn't introduce himself to me that night?
I've yet to meet him...

Maybe he was too busy trying to find out who passed out these condoms:

I like what these guys are doing, finally some artists using their brains + art to create a voice against censorship in America!
L.A. RAW

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www.ManOne.com

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LIVE PAINTING TONITE: HAITI BENEFIT EVENT

2011-01-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

("Hide and Seek" by Man One 18" x 24" Charcoal and colored pencil on paper 1996)

All For Angels Haiti Benefit Show
Raising money for Angelcare TONITE!

Norwood Fisher, one of the organizers of the legendary punk/rock band, Fishbone, has been recently made the official spokesperson and producer of this event series.

Join us tonite for some live music and art to benefit those still being affected by the devastating Haiti earthquake 1 year ago to the day.

MUSIC BY:
- Trulio Disgracias
- Flea (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- OPM, Meet Me At The Pub, Knock Out, The Eric McFadden Trio and DJ Marv Mack, with more to be announced!

LIVE ART BY:
-Members of Unification Theory with a tribute to Overton Loyd's classic Parliament album covers by MAN ONE [renown graffiti/aerosol artist - Crewest Gallery] and Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca [visualist - Axis Records, Underground Resistance, Deep Space Media and the John and Alice Coltrane Foundation] and more.

DATE:TONITE!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011

LOCATION:
Central S.A.P.C. <http://www.centralsapc.com/venue/detail/central-sapc>
1348 14TH ST, SANTA MONICA, CA
(310) 451-5040

TIME:
9:00 PM - 2:00AM (doors open at 8:00 PM)
21 and over

TICKETS:
$20 in advance, $25 at the door

WEBSITE:
http://www.centralsapc.com/show/detail/37890

ABOUT:
"All For Angels" is a benefit concert event series raising money for AngelCare's international program helping children orphaned or stripped of their home and possessions by the January 12, 2010 devastating earthquake in Haiti. Norwood Fisher, one of the organizers of the legendary punk/rock band, Fishbone, has been recently made the official spokesperson and producer of this event series. Angelcare, a program through non-profit organization Americans Care & Share, will all donate proceeds to children and other residents of Haiti who are still in desperate need of medical care, shelter, clothing and education. The show will be on the first anniversary of last year's devastating earthquake. Additional event dates throughout the year will be announced.

_________________________________

HAPPY ART : SOLD

2011-01-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

"Outreach"
Aerosol and acrylic on canvas
9" x 12"
2010

"Single Handed"
Aerosol and acrylic on canvas
12" x 14"
2010

I just sold both these small works to a collector this past weekend.
He told me: "In a Man One World these are happy paintings"

The customer is always right.

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www.ManOne.com

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UPRISING RADIO: LIVE INTERVIEW

2011-01-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

Monday January 10, 2011 @ 8:20am

UPRISING Radio Program
KPFK 90.7FM in Los Angeles.
( http://uprisingradio.org/home/ or
http://kpfk.org )

---------
Sonali will be interviewing us about our take on recent acts of censorship by museums, specifically the BLU incident at MOCA.

Joining me in the discussion is Carol Wells from the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.
(http://www.usc.edu/libraries/partners/laih/fellows/CarolWells.php)

Will be good and intelligent conversation.

Tune in and listen live or online.

------

*as a side note...the image I used above is called "Artichoke". I painted it in 1997 as a statement of how graffiti artists are constantly under attack of being censored. The piece was stolen from a Hip Hop event a couple years after it was created. Would love to find out whatever happened to that piece...

MY INTERVIEW ON KPFK EARLIER THIS WEEK

2011-01-07T03:55:00.000-08:00

For those of you who missed this interview, I have provided an embedded link below. Just press play on the orange button. Enjoy!:

01.03.11:Censorship of Street Art at MOCA by hearinthecity

“Art in the Streets” is set to debut in April of this year at the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA). This show is planned to be a comprehensive statement on international street art, cholo graffiti art, tattoo art, and skater art from the 1970’s to the present moment. The exhibition has already drawn attention in artists’ circles and in international press prior to the scheduled opening, primarily because of the whitewashing of one of its commissioned works.

As part of the “Art in the Streets” exhibition, the Italian street artist known as BLU was hired by MOCA to paint a mural on the north wall of the Geffen Temporary Contemporary in Little Tokyo. The images of coffins draped in dollar bills- a direct commentary on the U.S. Defense Department’s refusal to allow photography of soldiers’ coffins returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The museum had the mural removed just after its completion. New museum director Jeffrey Deitch explained to the Los Angeles Times that the work could be seen as offensive by other members of the Little Tokyo community that is home to a Japanese-American veterans war memorial and to the Veterans Affairs hospital.
We wanted to get a sense of how street art and white-washing continue to affect local artists in Los Angeles.

Hear In The City Producer Luis Sierra Campos, spoke with Alex Poli, who goes by the name of MAN ONE, and who directs CREWEST Gallery in Downtown LA. MAN ONE was instrumental in organizing a permitted 10,000 square foot graffiti mural on the Los Angeles River in 2007. The mural was later ordered whitewashed by county supervisor Gloria Molina.

(c) Hear In The City. 2011 . www.hearinthecity.org. Airs Mondays on KPFK 90.7FM in Los Angeles at 2:00pm or www.kpfk.org

SPEAKING AT FOWLER MUSEUM ON JAN.13TH

2011-01-07T03:17:00.000-08:00

I'll be speaking with a lively panel at UCLA's Fowler Museum on Thursday January 13th at 7pm.

I'll be on stage with:
Patrick Polk (Curator)
Aaron Rose (co-curator of MOCA’s forthcoming street art exhibition)
Retna (artist)
Jori Finkel(moderator and arts writer, Los Angeles Times)

EVENT DETAILS
Zócalo at the Fowler: How Does Street Art Humanize Cities?

Free, but RSVP required: www.zocalopublicsquare.org

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MI ABUELITA (RIP)

2011-01-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone...

My first post of 2011 is dedicated to the memory
of my Abuelita who passed away just before Christmas
a little over two weeks ago.

She meant a lot to me and our entire family. She was
a true matriarch in every sense of the word.

At the age of 93 she had lived a long and prosperous life.

She was full of energy and her spirit will live on forever.

Here is a portrait I painted of her after she passed and was displayed next to her casket.

This is the way I wanted everyone to remember her.

Maria Angelita Arenas Cano
Aug.15, 1917 - Dec.22, 2010

Abuelita, te quiero mucho.
Que en paz descanse.

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THEY CLAIM I'M A CRIMINAL

2010-12-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

"They Claim I’m a CRIMINAL"
My newest mural in South Central Los Angeles. It was commissioned by the Southern California Library located at 6120 S. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90044

The first thing I noticed when I saw the wall were the street poles located directly in front of the mural. They cast an awful set of moving shadows across the wall throughout the day. So rather than fight it, I embraced it. The theme of incarceration and enslavement automatically entered my mind. Wouldn't it be cool to paint prison bars on the wall and use the posts as 3 dimensional aspects to the mural?

When I decided to feature CAPA and Mothers ROC as the central imagery, it all came together and made perfect sense. Depending on what time of the day you view the mural, the figures are either locked up or free!

I included images of local youth inside the shirt pattern of Michael Zinzun to denote that he was a leader that worked with people to make change. He never did it for them.

I had dozens of kids come up to me and ask that I photograph them and immortalize them in the mural, only a few of them fit unfortunately. But I was able to photograph and depict Auntie who is a local celebrity of sorts, everyone knows her. I love including neighborhood folks in my murals, it makes it special and allows for ownership from the community.

You'll notice my "popo" characters or spirits who are taking the keys to people's future and tagging up the "Criminal" graff piece. They look like some kind of angel but wear riot gear helmets, so you be the judge. The hands at the bottom of the mural represent those defying incarceration and enslavement. On the other wall, the hands are braiding powerful messages directly into the hair of the woman: empower, organize, and educate.
-Man One © 2010
(slideshow at bottom of page)

WALL DESCRIPTION (by SoCal Library Staff)

Because we are tired of living in the shadow
of violence

Because poverty is violence
And more police cars in the neighborhood
than parks is violence

Because we are weary
of seeing those we love locked in cages

Because we are not criminals

We offer this mural

Of people just like us:
tired and weary
angry and most of all
loving

People just like us
who came together
to fight back
defend build and transform the places we live in

We offer this mural

The Southern California Library documents histories of community-led resistance to challenge racism and other systems of oppression, and sustain possibilities for freedom. The Library holds the historical documents of the groups in this mural. All are welcome to come inside and use them.

MOTHERS RECLAIMING OUR CHILDREN

All Prisoners Are Somebody’s Children

Mother’s ROC (MROC) invited all mothers and others struggling on behalf of their children to be seen, heard, and felt in the interest of justice. The mothers transformed their caregiving into activism and the greater project to reclaim all children, regardless of race, age, residence, or alleged crime.

They struggled in a spirit of hope, guided by prayer, to reclaim their children through human action. MROC made no judgment about the innocence or guilt of those whose families came to the group.

While Black women’s leadership and participation formed the core of MROC, women of all backgrounds, and some men, also joined the group, united by the purpose to free loved ones who were imprisoned throughout California. The group identified with activist mothers from around the world, in places like South Africa, Palestine, and Central and South America.

Mothers ROC Believed
Knowledge is the path to power
The responsibility is to witness and to tell

To accomplish their goals, MROC:
Studied the rules of the court system, attended each other’s trials, held demonstrations outside courthouses and police stations, sponsored monthly legal workshops, and researched the criminal justice system.

MROC demanded:
An immediate end to the War on Drugs; the repeal of the “three strikes” law;
more funding for public defenders; and an end to mandatory minimum sentencing laws, racial profiling, warrantless searches, and the use of electronic databases to identify alleged gang members.

Although the group MROC is no longer formally together, the spirit of the ROCers lives on in all of us still willing to fight and live for our children and communities.

If it takes a village to raise a child then it takes a movement to
Reclaim Our Children

Michael Zinzun and Coalition Against Police Abuse
"WE WON'T STRUGGLE FOR YA ... BUT WE WILL STRUGGLE WIT'CHA"

Michael Zinzun was a community organizer, former member of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, co-founder of the Coalition Against Police Abuse (CAPA), and a founding member of Community in Support of the Gang Truce.

CAPA was formed in L.A. in 1976 in response to a wave of police shootings, beatings, and harassment. CAPA’s membership has been drawn from “the Black and Latino communities, workers, churches, the gay community, the women’s movement, and concerned individuals.” CAPA provided counseling and support for victims of police crime, and maintained extensive files both on officers and the systemic practices of police abuse, which they shared with those victimized by police and all those fighting back. These files are now held in the Library.

It was the leading plaintiff in a lawsuit that exposed the unlawful police spying against CAPA and other community organizations, culminating in the disbanding of the infamous spy unit of the LAPD—the Public Disorder and Intelligence Division, a payout of $1.5 million in damages, and the release of names and identities of the undercover officers illegally engaged in political espionage. Michael and CAPA also led several voter initiatives to establish a civilian review board to require the LAPD to replace the biased and ineffective review process of the Los Angeles Police Commission.

The Answer Is Community Control of Police

CAPA was part of a broader movement to end police brutality, end sexual violence by police against Black and Brown women and men, establish and expand gang truces, and build the consciousness and empowerment of people to control the fate of their own communities.

Its demands linked harassment, beatings, and murders of local Black and Brown folks by police with deportations, detainment, harassment, beatings and murders of immigrants. CAPA helped found the Community in Support of the Gang Truce to maintain, expand, and politicize the 1992 peace agreement between different gangs.

Michael spoke around the globe in such countries as Namibia, Cuba, Brazil, China, and across Europe on the issues of racism, police abuse, and the need to link local, national, and international struggles against all forms of economic and social oppression. As a result of his protests, he was arrested more than a dozen times and suffered severe physical damage, including the loss of sight in one eye when he objected to the beating of a homeless man by two police officers who then beat him. Michael died in 2006 at the age of 57.

All Power To The People

-----------------
Slideshow:

Check out some great photos by Eriberto Oriol of this mural on his website:
Forbidden Art LA

Click here to view more pics on my Flickr page

MY NEWEST SHARPIE PIECE: CREEPIN' ON IN!

2010-12-08T02:18:00.000-08:00

Here's my newest piece I did for the Sharpie Show II exhibition at my
gallery Crewest

This is the largest ALL Sharpie piece I've done to date.

Title:
Creepin' On In!

Size:
2'wide X 3'high.

Medium:
Black paint Sharpie as well as grey and black fine points
on canvas.

Year:
2010

Price:
Sorry it's already sold.

More pics from the Sharpie Show II exhibition:
Click Here

www.ManOne.com

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CANBOT PIECE @ MUNKY KING

2010-12-08T00:22:00.000-08:00

This is my Sketchbot 2 Custom show entry at Munky King in Hollywood.

I went old school with it.

It was done with Sharpie and spray paint.

It's simple and minimal but I wanted to keep it that way. It has a removable stencil cap, for those skinny lines!

If you get a chance check out the show it runs till Xmas and has some incredible pieces.

This piece is available at Munky King so hit them up and go buy it!
It's only like $150 and makes a great Xmas gift!

www.MunkyKing.com

Check out the rest of the show..its pretty sick..

More info:
www.ManOne.com

SPACE AND PURPOSE: TALK AT THE AUTRY

2010-12-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 4th, 2pm @ The Autry!

Will be a lively discussion and we encourage your
questions and commentary on the state of murals and
art in Los Angeles.

The program will last about an hour.

See you guys then!

More info:
TheAutry.org

LE ARTISTE - CUSTOM VINYL TOY

2010-12-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a new custom I did for a collector.

It's all about my love for drawing and painting.

The DIY Bic Buddy has the perfect body for this.
Topped it off with a paintbrush and pencil and it's good to go!

DIY Bic Buddy :
You can buy your very own blank to design at my gallery online right here:
www.crewest.com

For your own custom, just hit me up!
www.ManOne.com

More pics on my Flickr
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BREAK THE CHAIN VIDEO KRS ONE 1994

2010-11-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

Crazy!!
I never thought I'd see this again!

"Break the Chain" was among the first (if not THE first) fully animated hip hop video ever! It was created and directed by artist Kyle Baker and KRS-ONE of course.

They asked me to create the graffiti that appears near the end of the video (2:06 to be exact!). You can see my tag Man One in the lower right hand corner and my COI tag on the top left.

It was the first time I EVER used photoshop, thanks to Kyle for giving me a crash course and letting me colorize my sketches on his computer! I remember he was animating the video on his computer and he would drop one key drawing then a second one 10 frames down. Then he'd leave for lunch because it would take like an hour for the computer to animate those frames in between.

The video was actually the last part created for this series. "Break the Chain" was a comic book with a read along cassette tape! Everytime Big Joe Krash said "WORD" it was time to turn the page. I still have the cassette and the comic. I'll dig it up and post it on here. Gotta get KRS and Kyle to sign it one of these days!

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www.ManOne.com

LEVI'S EVENT: UNION SQUARE IN SF

2010-09-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

Visual event re-cap...
Slideshow of the Levi's event and some of the pieces we created:

You can also view the images directly on my Flickr:

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Ladies-
this Friday, I will be painting live at this Levi's event up in the Bay and giving away free artwork created and customized on the spot!

Look for me and the homies Apex and Chez, as we rock some quick little pieces while you wait in line for your free pair of Levi's® Curve ID jeans!

Then scoop up a unique tee printed by the homies from Hit n Run.

All the while, enjoying live music by Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward's band She & Him.

And it's all free...can't get much better than that I guess!

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

More info:
Starting at 10am on Friday, September 17th stop by Union Square, San Francisco, CA and bring something in that doesn't fit (which will go to Goodwill®) and at the same time, get something that does. A free pair of Levi's® Curve ID jeans. New custom fits for women. It's first come, first served so get there early!

What: Levi's "Wear What Fits" Event
When: Friday, September 17th
Where: Union Square, San Francisco, CA
Time: 10am - 6pm

*September 17th only; one pair per customer and one piece of art per customer.
While supplies last.

===================================
(Check back later for photos from the event)
www.ManOne.com

City of Los Angeles 2010 Latino Heritage Month Opening Ceremonies

2010-09-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

I've been commissioned by the Mayor's office (through the Latino Heritage Committee's art liaison, Isabel Rojas-Williams) and will be painting live in front of City Hall today from 10am -12 noon!

Stop by and check it out as I create an original piece to commemorate this year's Latino Heritage Month.

More info on the event below:

The City of Los Angeles will honor the contributions of Placido Domingo, Tony Plana, and ASCO (collective group of Artists) at the kick off to the City's celebration of Latino Heritage Month.

Music will be provided by Mario Reyes of the Gipsy Kings and the Mariachi Divas. The Argentina Tango Dancers will also perform.

Arts and crafts for the kids and refreshments will also be available on the City Hall South Lawn.

When: Friday, Sept. 10, 2010, 10am-12pm
Where: LA City Hall South Lawn, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free

www.ManOne.com

TRUCK PAINTING FOR VERIZON COMMERCIAL

2010-08-17T01:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I was hired by Verizon to paint this panel truck for their new "Rule the Air" campaign.

Check out the timelapse video that the homie Jacob from Seeking The Throne hooked up!

Then below that, check out the actual commercial which you might have already seen
on tv.

I never thought my piece would be a transformer! Ha!

Timelapse vid..

"Rule the Air" Commercial..

More pics on Flickr..

GAP: KIDS EVENTS

2010-08-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

The GAP store (on Robertson in Beverly Hills) recently asked me to do a couple live painting events for them.

It may not be the usual type of live painting event I am used to doing, but what the hell (I mean heck), I'll do anything for the childrenz!

They are the future of the world, so why not expose them to some graff stylez!

Enjoy the pics and the little vid I knocked out:

Smiles everyone!

Sharpie markers for the detailed work of course!

Check out more pics from these events on my Flickr..

PEEL HERE 2010: BRACE YOURSELF!

2010-07-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 17th, 6 p.m. to midnight. The Exhibit will run through July 31st at Self Help Graphics and Art

These are the 3 original sticker pieces I entered:
$20 each

Graffiti Spirit Sticker:

Colored Man:

White Man:

---------------------
Featured Artists:
ROBBIE CONAL – THE LONDON POLICE – GERMS – SMEAR – ASHES57 – MAN ONE – OLIVE 47 CHAZ BOJORQUEZ – BRANDY FLOWER – ENIK ONE – TIMOI – VYAL ONE – ERNESTO YERENA – SAND ONE – FAVIANNA RODRIGUEZ – SHARK TOOF – CAT CULT – CHOICE ROYCE – TOOFLY- DR NUSE 89 – DMN – JESSEROBOT – SKET ONE – STICKY BANDITS – SPRFKR – BRIAN EWING – AKO – JAXIE JAX – MCA – DEWEY TAFOYA – KATHIA DUNGPLATA – DOUGLAS MILES – MAD ONE – EVOKER – SHARK TOOF – ROBOTS WILL KILL – MODERN DAY MONSTER – RAH TEN – FLYING FORTRESS – VINCENT VALDEZ – NOMADÉ

Brace Yourself Installation by PHANTOM STREET ARTIST

Live Art Paper Fashion by
DIANE GAMBOA

Live Screen Printing by
HIT & RUN CREW

BRACE YOURSELF! Installation by
THE PHANTOM STREET ARTIST

Come out and enjoy the live music and DJ’s:
DJ TOKS
DJ BROHMEINI
AC The PD

Bands:
THE SIRENS
THE LEAF BLOWERS
TURBO MEX
FOUR WAY HIT
ELECTRIC CURRENT ECCENTRIC KAOS

Admission is $5 – all ages
First 100 guests receive a free Stick Rick’s gift bag

Bring stickers to add the to the MASSIVE STICKER WALL and trade with new friends in the PEEL HERE TRADING ZONE!

KOBE POSTER!

2010-06-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

I still have some Kobe posters available through my Crewest Gallery Shop

Get yours now before the finals are over and we win the championship!

They'll be going for a lot more than $10 at the victory parade!

Go Lakers!

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MAN ONE INTERVIEW + PAINTING FROM 2008

2010-05-20T23:10:00.000-07:00

I was interviewed back in 2008 for this documentary that never really materialized but to my surprise they went ahead and put out this little vid on my interview.

Hope you like it...

www.ManOne.com

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MAN ONE SIGNATURE SHARPIES!

2010-05-19T00:15:00.000-07:00

One of the perks about being a member of the 2010 Sharpie Squad is I get a bunch of cool product sent to me!

Including this customized official Man One Sharpie with my logo and signature!

You'll see me rocking these at any signings I do.

Ask me for one, I might just hook you up!

More info:
www.ManOne.com
www.sharpieuncapped.com

LIMITED EDITION TEE: UNIFICATION THEORY X WAXPOETICS

2010-05-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

Waxpoetics Japan asked us (Unification Theory) for a ZAPP inspired logo for a tshirt design. So I knocked this one out for them:

You can buy it online at:
waxpoetics store
(only 4,200 yen!)

www.ManOne.com
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SANTA MONICA YELP EVENT

2010-05-04T01:54:00.001-07:00

SANTAMONICAPIER
Originally uploaded by Crewest

I was hired to paint at a Yelp Elite event in Santa Monica last week. I busted a quick aerosol piece with a S.M. Pier seascape.

If interested the canvas is available and for sale.

manone@manone.com

MAN ONE CUSTOM: SHARPIE X DISNEY VINYLMATION

2010-04-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a little "how to" I made of the process of making this toy custom:

View the slideshow below or go to my Flickr for more shots of the final piece:

www.ManOne.com

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MAN ONE X SHARPIE SQUAD

2010-04-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

I've been chosen by Sharpie to become a member of the 2010 Sharpie Squad!

Out of all the artists and bloggers out there I was chosen as one of only 20 members to help promote the Sharpie brand worldwide through my natural use of their products in my art.

Since I already use Sharpie in drawing and design work, I thought it would be a perfect fit for me.

Here is a short video that they asked me to submit to let the world know how I use Sharpie's:

One of the benefits of being a Sharpie Squad member is that I will have first look at new products they will be offering as well as get samples to give away through special online and in-store promotions...so stay tuned!

For more info on the entire Sharpie Squad
and what they're up to check out these links:

www.sharpieuncapped.com

http://blog.sharpie.com

www.facebook.com/Sharpie

www.twitter.com/sharpiesusan

MAN ONE VIDEO BY RACHEL SYMS

2010-04-22T03:10:00.001-07:00

Man One by Rachel Syms
Echo Park Film Center — August 29, 2009

'Man One' was made as part of the Echo Park Film Center's Youth Film Class: Persistence of Vision. Each student met with various Graffiti/Mural artists in Echo Park and Los Angeles to talk about the significance of street art in our neighborhood.

Find out more about this great community resource:
www.echoparkfilmcenter.org

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

2010-04-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

This reminds me of one of my favorite movies as a kid.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Never been able to eat mashed potatoes the same way ever since!

www.ManOne.com

TIA CHUCHA'S ART BENEFIT

2010-04-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural
Arts & Cultural Workshops * Bookstore * Events * Publishing
“Where Art and Minds Meet – For a Change”

HONORING OUR DONORS

Luis and Trini Rodríguez and Tía Chucha’s Board of Directors
cordially invite you to a historic afternoon as we honor our illustrious individual donors:
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, JOHN DENSMORE (The Doors),
LOU ADLER, RICHARD & SHARI FOOS, CHEECH MARIN, DAVE MARSH

Paintings and signed limited edition prints, etchings, and photographs by internationally distinguished and emerging artists, will be auctioned in support of Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural, the only nonprofit cultural/arts and learning center in the Northeast San Fernando Valley.

CARLOS ALMARÁZ, CHAZ BOJÓRQUEZ, RICHARD DUARDO, ELSA FLORES, JOEL “RAGE” GARCÍA, MARGARET GARCÍA, WAYNE ALANÍZ HEALY, LEO LIMÓN, WILLIAM LOYA, ANDRÉS MONTOYA,
MAN ONE, GEORGE RODRÍGUEZ, SONIA ROMERO, SHIZU SALDAMANDO, ELOY TORREZ

ON THE ROX
(Above the legendary Roxy Theatre)
9009 W. SUNSET BOULEVARD, WEST HOLLYWOOD
($5 security parking directly across the street)

Sunday April 18, 2010 2-6PM
$100 per ticket at the door
Donation goes to Tía Chucha’s Endowment Fund Campaign
Son Jarocho, Poetry, No Host Bar, Hors d‘oeuvres

If unable to attend and would like to make a tax deductible donation please make check payable to:
Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural 13197-A Gladstone Avenue, Sylmar, CA 91342
Fed Tax ID 47-091-9488 www.tiachucha.com

+++++++++++++++++++
My piece "High Score(Kobe)" will be auctioned off to benefit Tia Chucha's Cultural Center. If you're a collector please try and make it out. Some great art by great artists, for a great cause!

www.ManOne.com

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MAN ONE X OAKLEY

2010-04-07T15:27:00.001-07:00

Check out this new "INSPIRE" print ad campaign Oakley did using some of my graff.

I like the backpack!

www.ManOne.com

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DE LA BUDDY

2010-03-28T23:23:00.001-07:00

I was happy to be part of the custom 8" Bic Buddy show that launched at my gallery, Crewest, this past weekend.

Since the toy is called Buddy, what better than a De La Soul inspired theme!
I got good feedback on the piece and it sold on the preview night, tiny 3" album cover and all!

Sorry NY, you won't see it in person...but enjoy the flicks!

Buy your own Buddy and customize it!
Available here:
www.Crewest.com

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A SUNNY ROOFTOP...

2010-03-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY ARTICLE

2010-02-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

More Pics...click here...

www.ManOne.com

"COIN OPERATED" - MY 1ST SOLO SHOW OF 2010

2010-02-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

“Coin Operated”
A solo exhibit featuring Man One
Opening reception February 12th 7-9:00 pm
Curated by Vincent Arcaro

Opening night and art pics..check out the slideshow...

In conjunction with this exhibition, I did a few events while in town:

Thursday, February 11th / 12:00 pm:
Live painting event. I rocked a panel truck parked outside The Alternative Cafe. Free event and open to the press and public at large.

Check out the slideshow of the truck I painted here:

Read the article in the Monterey County Weekly:
Click Here!

If you're up in the Monterrey Bay area in February-March, come check out my show!
"Coin Operated" will be on view until March 10th, 2010.

The Alternative Cafe
1230 Fremont Blvd.
Seaside, CA 93955
(831)583-0913
www.thealternativecafe.com

To purchase work:
Alternative Cafe Gallery

More info:
www.ManOne.com

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TRUCK PAINTING @ ALTERNATIVE CAFE GALLERY

2010-02-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

"Coin Operated" - While visiting Seaside, California for my solo show that opened on Feb.12, I got the opportunity to paint a panel truck as a live demo and promotion for the gallery.

Blank truck was my canvas...

Truck gets prepped by razor blade..

Gallery owner, Scott, lets one of his workers know that he missed a spot!..

Day one was a "Man" style piece on the passenger side...

Outline first....

Filling in next...

Two hours later..side one is finished!

In front of the final piece..

Posing with Vince (friend and show curator)...

My childrens gave me a thumbs up!

Day two I rocked a character on the driver's side...

Finished pic...

I had a good time knocking it out and speaking with the local young writers and art enthusiasts...

My show is up at the Alternative Cafe Gallery until March 10, 2010 www.thealternativecafe.com

Full truck painting slideshow...

"COIN OPERATED' - SNEAK PEAK...

2010-02-09T03:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my newer paintings of the 29 I'll be showing at the Alternative Cafe Gallery this week..enjoy!

More info:
www.ManOne.com

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ZERO HOUR INTERVIEW..

2010-01-04T23:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!
My first interview of the year...
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
8:00pm - 9:00pm

Check out live..in person or stream it on the web.
I'll be radioing till 9pm.

If in LA come on down!
Tony's Saloon
2017 E. 7th Street
Downtown LA

The night is FREE and as always, worth the trip.
Happy hour till 10pm, hope to see you there!

If you can't make it in person, listen to the interview LIVE via the interweb at:
www.spreadradiolive.com

or

iTunes Radio > Alternative Radio > Spread Radio Live

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Follow me on Twitter

SYD MEAD: HOLIDAY GREETING CARD 2009

2009-12-22T00:58:00.000-08:00

I got my yearly Holiday E-card from my favorite visual
futurist and friend Syd Mead... Nice!

In case you don't know, well now you know...
www.sydmead.com

MENTIONED IN ANGELENO MAGAZINE

2009-12-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks Richard for the comment!

Pick up the December '09 issue or download the mag online here

YOUNG WORLD PRINT FOR THE HEARTPROJECT

2009-11-12T12:07:00.001-08:00

I just created a new limited edition silkscreen print entitled "Young World".
100% of the proceeds go to benefit the Heartproject!

"It's a statement about how young people can transform the world through their art. Young people have the tools to do so, all they have to do is create and they will be heard." - Man One

For only $50, purchase a "Young World" print to benefit The HeArt Project. Only 100 are available, each signed and numbered, 18"x24".

To purchase online, click here and enter YOUNG WORLD in the "Designation" field. For multiples, enter your total donation amount (ie. $150) and indicate quantity in the "Designation" field (ie. 3 YOUNG WORLD). Prints are delivered unframed.

Special thanks to: Two Rabbits for making the print happen!

ABSOLUT: LIVE PAINTING

2009-10-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Absolut: Art and party pics! It was a great nite!
Oct.22, 2009

I'm painting a live 4'x8' panel at this private event for ABSOLUT VODKA.
I'll post photos of the event afterwards.
Expect something natural!

Graffiti Artist Man One comes to CSUN

2009-10-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Graffiti Artist Man One comes to CSUN

GRAFFITI SPIRITS: OPENING NIGHT RE-CAP

2009-10-06T00:48:00.000-07:00

LA Weekly’s Drew Tewksbury calls Crewest gallery a “Los Angeles' premier street art gallery that cross-pollinates urban flavor with fine art flair” in his recent coverage of this weekends opening of “Graffiti Spirits”, a solo show and retrospective by graffiti artist Man One.

Richard Guzman refers to Man One as “one of the most respected artists in the genre” in his recent story “The Artistic Spectrum” in this weeks edition of LA Downtown News.

The artwork of Man One has been showcased in over 40 group exhibitions domestically and internationally and displayed at several museums and high profile galleries, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, The Getty, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Ana, and Parco Museum in Tokyo. A collection of over 75 unique and brightly colored pieces created from 1992-present are currently on display this month at Crewest. Be sure to stop by Crewest this Thursday, October 8th from 6pm to 10pm during the Downtown Artwalk. Show closes October 31st.

Opening nite flicks...

www.ManOne.com
www.Crewest.com

))

LIVE PAINTING @ THE PET SHOP BOYS CONCERT 9/24/09

2009-09-23T17:31:00.001-07:00

Live Painting tonite at the Pet Shop Boys concert @ Greek Theatre (9/24/09)

Unification Theory's (Man One + Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca with special guest artist Ritzy Periwinkle)

We start painting at 6pm and we’ll be selling the pieces we create live. Well be painting to the musical selections of DJ Phyz Ed until 7:30pm.

*Special thanks to Paola and Jamie over at Nederlander for thinking of us for this event.

MAN ONE: GRAFFITI ARCHITECTURE

2009-09-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, local architect Roger Bennett proposed an interesting project to me. He is building a house in LA but thought it would be fantastic to incorporate some of my graffiti forms into it's structure, which for him defines the ultimate urban experience of living in this city. We met a few times and discussed the ideas then I just went at it. He was so pleased with the results that they were submitted to the AIA/LA Design Awards competition. We won't know the results for a few more weeks, so keep your fingers crossed! Good luck Roger!

Here are some images of what we came up with.

www.ManOne.com
**

The Handwriting on the Wall - Pasadena Weekly

2009-09-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

Asia Pacific Museum’s mixing of calligraphy and graffiti questions assumptions about power, culture and art

By Carl Kozlowski 09/10/2009
(Pasadena Weekly)

Art for the People by Charles (Chaz) Bojorquez, Keo, Man One, Xu Bing, and Zender; Pasadena, CA; 2003;Paint on vinyl; Pacific Asia Museum

Remember those old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercials from the 1970s in which someone munching chocolate smacks into someone eating peanut butter, at which point both people decided that “these are two great tastes that go great together.”
The Pacific Asia Museum has updated that idea in a far more artistic fashion with its new exhibit, “Calligraffiti: Writing in Contemporary Chinese and Latino Art.”

In this innovative show running from Sept. 17 to Jan. 17, the museum blends works by Chinese artists who reinterpret the ways in which traditional calligraphy is used and pieces by Latino artists who push artistic boundaries with graffiti.

“Traditionally, calligraphy and graffiti seem to be radically different types of artistic writing,” says Yeonsoo Chee, the museum’s curatorial assistant. “In China, calligraphy is linked with elite education and self-expression, while in contemporary America graffiti is associated with ‘street’ culture. The concept of calligraffiti — adding calligraphy and graffiti together — questions underlying assumptions about power, culture and art.”

Chee notes that at the heart of the exhibition are three powerful murals created for the museum back in 2003 by a dozen artists, including Xu Bing and Charles “Chaz” Bojorquez. Created at a workshop held at the Pacific Asia Museum in conjunction with the exhibition “Drawing the Line: Contemporary Artists Reassess Traditional East Asian Calligraphy,” the murals were sparked by a discussion in the museum’s parking lot among graffiti artists about the use of words and text in contemporary art.

Artists featured in the exhibition include: Apex, Chaz Bojorquez, Vince Cavallo, Cre8, Desi W.O.M.E., Duce, Fung Ming Chip, Gronk, Gu Wenda, Julianna Hernandez, Keo, Leo Limon, Man One, Minette Lee Mangahas, Sano, Scud, John Valadez, Vyal, Xu Bing, Yu Kun Yang, Zhang Dali, Zheng Chongbin and Zender.

Ultimately, the exhibit is built on the idea that art mirrors the realities of life, according to the museums press release, can express “the elevated and debased, intention and chance, reality and myth” through calligraffiti, bringing two great cultures together in a unique and powerful way.

“Calligraffiti: Writing in Contemporary Chinese and Latino Art” runs from Sept. 17 through Jan. 17 at the Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. Admission is $9 adults, $7 students and seniors and free for kids 11 and under.
Call (626) 449-2742 or visit pacificasiamuseum.org.

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"See you at the opening!"
M1

www.ManOne.com
**