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San Francisco Pie Fight

SF Pie Fight

Laughing Squid posted a blog last week announcing Herbie Hatman’s (herbiehatman@gmail.com) invitation for the second (annual?) pie fight in downtown San Francisco at March 5, 5:39PM. Why? To celebrate the love of life in pure creamy decadence! BYOP and formal attire were encouraged. A pure cyberspace call-to-action.

I was very curious to check out the event, not knowing what to expect. A crowd of a hundred eagerly jostled together, mostly observing the mounting array of shaving cream and whipped cream pies. Only a handful were formally dressed (wedding dress, suits, etc). As the countdown began, the brave few became obvious as the onlookers (including myself) ran away. The next few moments became a scene of pure havoc as white splotches of cream few through the air with squeals of utter glee. Even as an observer, you became a participant, experiencing the energy and innocence of the moment. With a few dozen pies set up, the food fight only lasted a few minutes. The brick ground became so slippery that some folks skated across the ground. With the flying pies at a standstill, I stepped into the mess, snapping away. . . can’t wait for next year! Check out the photos on Flickr.

Inspiration: Andrew Jones and Conceptart.org

Andrew Jones

The art of Andrew Jones stems from his travels, digital media, sculpture, and a macabre fascination with cadavers. All his pieces have incredible energy and style. He creates concept art for video games, film, and books. Ballistic Publishing has a great article on him here.

As a personal project, Andrew teamed up with others to start conceptart.org, an online community of artists (mostly in the gaming industry) to showcase and receive feedback for their work. The site is sponsored mostly by Massive Black, a powerhouse in the entertainment industry (where Andrew is a Creative Director). Conceptart.org holds interactive workshops around the world, educating and inspiring other artists.

Inspiration: Stan Winston


Terminator Robot
Originally uploaded by shaire productions

With all the chatter of Terminator 4, the visual effects would not be possible without the legacy and artistry of the late Stan Winston. Starting out as an apprentice for Disney, he went on to start his own studio, leading him to work on many creatures from blockbuster films (Terminator, Jurassic Park, Predator, Aliens, Edward Scissorhands) and win several awards along the way (Oscar, Emmy). Incredible work!

Inspiration: Museum of African Diaspora Artist Highlights

Lorraine Bonner

The MOAD (Museum of African Diaspora) has a great mix of artists and mediums in the “Decoding Identity” exhibit. The show runs until March 8th, so if you’re in downtown San Francisco, I highly recommend a peek.

I’d like to highlight some local artists whose work I found both inspiring and compelling. Lorraine Bonner is a clay and stone sculptor from Oakland. On her website, she describes her work as an “ongoing study on the role of trauma in distorting human identity and relationships”.

John Yoyogi Fortes

John Yoyogi Fortes is a Filipino artist who incorporates graffiti, social issues, and his Filipino heritage into his paintings.

Chaz Guest

Chaz Guest’s fascination with Japanese culture is reflected in his portraits of black women with geisha makeup, wearing kimonos with African patterns. It’s a great series and merger of two cultures.

Lalla Essaydi

Moroccan artist Lalla Essaydi has exquisite photos involving henna on skin and the environment–an exploration into Arab female identity. You could purchase her pieces here.

Artwork: Chinese Mountains

Turtle on Vinyl Records

Chinese Mountains is another exploration of style. It was created with a few different pens. The mixing of organic and geometric lines elude to a modernization of the chinese culture–traditional landscapes and modern skyscrapers.

Inspiration: Chris Rainier and Ancient Marks

Chris Rainier

Photographer Chris Rainier has a portfolio of exquisite images any museum would envy. He is part of the National Geographic Society and documents indigenous cultures and social issues around the world. His latest book is a great display of tattoos and other skin adornments from endangered societies. Check out Ancient Marks.