KICKS: JORDANS

Professional BMXer and Go! star Nigel Sylvester has signed with Jordan Brand, making him the Jumpman’s first BMX athlete. Though Sylvester kicked his partnership with the Jumpman off via a highly desirable Air Jordan 1 collaboration in 2018, he’s now an official member of Team Jumpman, joining other recent signees like Stefon Diggs, Dak Prescott and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 

“The Jumpman is a way of life,” Sylvester said during an interview with the brand’s Air.Jordan blog. “It’s a mindset that represents courage, determination and community, amongst so many other things. The Jumpman is a constant evolution that inspires millions around the world.” 

Besides his distressed, Frank Cooke-designed Air Jordan 1 in 2018, Sylvester has long enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Jordan Brand, wearing the Air Jordan 1 “Bred” in his Go! Dubai video and also biking in grail-status sneakers like the Air Jordan 1 “Rust Pink.” Before Jordan Brand, Sylvester was a Nike 6.0 athlete, collaborated with Nike SB on an SB Dunk High “SOMP” in 2014 and teamed with Nike Sportswear for special patent leather Air Force 1s in 2018. 

Check out Nigel Sylvester’s full Air.Jordan interview on the Jordan Brand blog and be sure to check out his installment of Sole Mates, in which he discusses his lifelong love of the Air Jordan 1.After 2020’s Quai 54 tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19, Jordan Brand and the famed Parisian basketball organization are back in a big way with their 2021 collection. Nodding to the diversity of France’s basketball culture, the offerings include new takes on the Air Jordan 5, the Air Jordan 1 Low and the Air Jordan 35 Low plus a full capsule of apparel, all of which make use of Quai 54’s stylized geometric logo. With the Tokyo Olympic Games on the horizon, the Jumpman has also created uniforms for the men’s and women’s French national basketball teams.

Red, white and black are the collection’s primary colors, covering footwear and apparel alike. Each Quai 54 x Jordan Brand collection is centered around its own unique pattern as well, so this year’s collection draws from Paris’ West African community. “This year, we created a Quai 54 graphic motif inspired by traditional West African fabric patterns,” says Thibaut de Longeville, co-founder of Quai 54. “We wanted to modernize the look, add some Parisian flair, and ultimately match the energy of the event and its incredible community.”

France’s national team uniforms use the colors of the country’s flag — blue, white and red — and are accompanied by their own apparel collection. “Playing for our country under the legacy of Jordan Brand is special,” says Marine Johannès, guard for the French Women’s National Team. “We can’t wait to wear the new jersey and let the colors of France shine.”

Jordan Brand’s 2021 Quai 54 collection will release via the Nike Paris House of Innovation on July 8, then hit the Nike webstore globally come July 10. The French national team’s jerseys will release on July 3.

ART:

Tristan Eaton is currently holding his first retrospective at the Long Beach Museum of Art. On view is a number of paintings and interactive installations, along with toys and sculptures that have equally become just as integral to his 25-year career. 

To complement the exhibition, Eaton is releasing the OG DEVIL BUNNY, an early design that kicked off his foray into toy design. The 8” Rotary Cast Soft Vinyl figure references an 18-year-old sketch that the artist made at a Brooklyn diner in the early stages of his career. Despite never being made into a vinyl figure, the sketch would influence his prolific art career, along with becoming an influence as he co-founded the legendary toy brand, Kidrobot. 

Limited to an edition of 250, the black and red figures come signed by the artist and include a box showcasing the original sketch. The OG DEVIL BUNNY is Eaton’s first toy release in 13 years and will be available today for presale at 12:00 PM PST on the artist’s website.Over the course of his 80-year career, Pablo Picasso was constantly pushing himself across different mediums. Painting was undoubtedly the hallmark of his oeuvre, but printmaking, too, served as a vital platform for experimentation. 

As a survey into his prints, Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum has just unveiled a new exhibition, entitled “Unseen Picasso.” By nature of the process, printmaking requires artists to simplify their work to meet industry standards. It was no different for Picasso, who would take his already abstracted figures and nudes and turn them into a far more minimalist display. 

Contrary to the multiples that are produced with prints, Picasso often pulled one-of-a-kind impressions to tinker with during the process. One such work is his 1946 lithograph Two Nude Women, which is on display at the museum. Unique to the print is that it is the eighth of 21 different configurations made of the artwork.

“Unseen Picasso” presents 16 prints made between the 1930s and 1960s. The display is a compelling study into the artist’s thought process as he experimented through each of the artworks’ different configurations. The exhibition will be on view until January 10.

Also in the news, Kehinde Wiley has been commissioned by The Huntington Library to reimagine Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy.

Norton Simon Museum
411 W Colorado Blvd,
Pasadena, CA 91105Kehinde Wiley has been busy at work on many exciting projects. From the Obama Portraits touring around the country to his redesign of the MTV VMA’s trophy, along with designs for American Express and a new statue for the upcoming Destination Crenshaw. 

To add to the list, Wiley has been commissioned by The Huntington Library to recreate one of the institution’s most prized artworks — Thomas Gainsborough’s 18th Century masterpiece, The Blue Boy. The art depicts a young member of the British Aristocracy — one to which Wiley would frequently observe as a child, when his mother would take him to visit art museums, such as the Huntington. 

In a statement regarding the project, Wiley said:

“Looking at those paintings gave me a sense of joy and wonder. But there was also a disconnect — the life I was having in South-Central Los Angeles and then these incredibly mannered and organized gardens and these portraits that hung on the walls. ‘The Blue Boy’ represents, for me, an ability to address the different standards with regards to who gets recognized, who gets praised.”

Wiley’s interpretation will be entitled, A Portrait of a Young Gentleman, a nod to the original name given to The Blue Boy in 1770. For an artist who is well-versed in history, the project provides a fantastic opportunity to look at the “art of the past in ways that are very new and important today,” according to Huntington director, Christina Nielsen.

A Portrait of a Young Gentleman will exhibit at The Huntington Library from October 2 to January 3 in the original spot that The Blue Boy typically sits. 

In case you missed it, Mexico City has removed a 150-year-old statue of Christopher Columbus. 

The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Rd,
San Marino, CA 91108

NEWS:

Conor McGregor‘s leg hasn’t yet healed and he’s already involved in a new altercation.

Taking place at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, it was reported that McGregor got into a confrontation where both he and Machine Gun Kelly had to be separated, and a drink and punch were thrown. The commotion apparently started after The Notorious approached MGK for an introduction, it was then that McGregor was either given the cold shoulder or pushed by MGK or his security which rubbed the Irishman the wrong way. The altercation may have also resulted in his walking cane getting knocked over and his drink spilling. 

Conor McGregor was present at the MTV Video Music Awards to present Justin Bieber with the “BEST Artist of the Year” award. Reporters caught up with the MMA fighter later on where he disclosed that “Absolutely nothing” happened. He went on to say, “I don’t know. He showed up, and I don’t know. I don’t know the guy. Nothing happened with me, I only fight real fighters, people that actually fight, you know what I mean? I certainly don’t fight little vanilla boy rappers. I don’t even know the guy. I don’t know anything about him, except that he’s with Megan Fox.”

Following the release of his highly anticipated tenth studio album, Kanye West has been spotted visiting several art galleries in Berlin. DONDA was released with no album artwork aside from a black square, leading some to speculate that this trip may be part of the artist’s search for visual inspiration.

Kanye is photographed with headphones on and dressed in an all-black outfit, sporting a KW Institute for Contemporary Art hoodie, cargo pants, military boots, and a balaclava on his tours of iconic venues in the city including the Pergamon Museum, the Boros collection, the Julia Stoschek Collection, an exhibition held at the infamous Berghain nightclub, and the KW Institute for Contemporary Art.

According to KW curator Anna Gritz, Kanye took particular interest in the works of Berlin-based contemporary artist Michael Stevenson. Stevenson’s work titled Serene Velocity in Practice MC510/CS193 was a particular sculptural installation that caught Kanye’s attention. The display is inspired by two unrelated university courses taught by billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel and Christian pastor John Wimber. “Kanye seems to have resonated with how this work deconstructs the distribution notions of industry, power and faith, through academic institutions and the media,” Gritz told The Art Newspaper.

For more on the Michael Stevenson exhibition Disproof Does Not Equal Disbelief, head over to the KW website.

 

KICKS: Travis Scott's Nike Air Max 1

At this point, Travis Scott has arguably become the biggest icon in pop culture to collaborate with. Outside of making chart-topping hits, the H-Town rapper tends to draw just as much, if not more attention by his footwear collaborations with Nike(NYSE:NKE -1.83%) and Jordan Brand, the former of which is slated to expand with five Air Max 1 colorways. After closer looks at his “Wheat” and “Baroque Brown”surfaced, we now have an early look at the Travis Scott x Nike Air Max 1 “Cave Stone.”

Unlike the aforementioned offerings, this iteration rids of the earthy tones and gravitates towards cooler hues. Its titular shade does most of the heavy lifting here by covering the overlays that sit on the quarter panel and on the forefoot, while the mesh underlays and the Swooshes that affix to the lateral and medial sides contrast with a light gray. Hits of charcoal also appear on the heels and mudguards, and the midsoles and treading are identically styled with a black exterior. Checkered banners that color-block between a dark gray and “Cave Stone” also add more flair on the heels and near the collars.

A release date is still unknown, but it’s likely that Nike will drop these during the holiday season.Shortly after images of Travis Scott wearing his upcoming Nike (NYSE:NKE -1.83%) Air Max 1 “Cactus Jack” release surfaced, we now have more imagery of La Flame sporting the highly-anticipated release.

The latest look offers a better look at the “Baroque Brown/Lemon Drop/Wheat/Chile Red” tones of the colorway which is expected to lead the pack of five different colorways for the collaboration. Aside from the now signature enlarged reverse Swoosh branding, the Air Max 1 “Cactus Jack” introduces new “Cactus Jack” branding flags at the rear and trail style webbing elements. Reportedly priced at $160 USD, the Travis Scott x Nike Air Max 1 “Cactus Jack” is rumored to be releasing sometime this holiday season in “Baroque Brown/Lemon Drop,” “Off Noir/Cave Stone,” “Saturn Gold/Tea Tree Mist,” “Grey Haze/Light Silver,” and “Wheat/Lemon Drop.”

Catch our new best look yet at the Travis Scott x Nike Air Max 1 “Cactus Jack” below.

Kobe’s 24 Jersey Immortalized in an Elaborately Carved Block of Pinewood Carved by Giammarco Antoci of SNK Lab Art.

SNK Lab Art is a collective of Italilan artists who take sneakers and recreate them into massive wooden sculptures. For their latest venture, they drifted from footwear to the number 24 jersey worn by the late Kobe Bryant.

Giammarco Antoci is the hands behind the project and noted his great admiration for the five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star. “He is a legend that will forever challenge us to keep evolving and keep striving for greatness,” said the artist via Instagram. The swingback jersey is made entirely of a block of pine wood that was rescued in a fire. 

The sculpture was commissioned by Hoopers, a French art collector with an affinity for sport and the attention to detail on the jersey is extraordinary. Antoci and SNK Labs have carved out a number of totemic sculptures referencing legendary silhouettes, such as a host of Jordans, the adidas Superstar and the Nike Air Force 1.

ART: Frevo NYC Unveils Exhibition With Khari Turner and Destinee Ross-Sutton Entitled “Saving Space 4 More.”

New York Michelin guide restaurant Frevo along with art curator, advisor, and gallerist Destinee Ross-Sutton have partnered together to exhibit artworks by Khari Turnerwho blended inspiration from the immersive atmosphere, food and textures of the contemporary restaurant with his unique water-infused figure painting style.

Located in Greenwich Village, Frevo is a hidden gem tucked behind an art gallery that offers a multi-course intimate dining experience that seats 17 guests. For its first collaboration dubbed the Art Curator Series, the restaurant wanted to work with an artist that could convey what New York means for chef Franco Sampogna and restaurateur Bernardo Silva.

For the exhibition entitled “Saving Space 4 More,” Turner injected the use of water and its natural elements to create a string of 5 works based on elements — earth, fire, air and water that mimic textures such as foam, froth, and crunch from the bold and elegant dishes. The Brooklyn-based artist creates works that embody his exploration into his history and roots as he fosters a deeper connection to his identity. With the heavy use of water collected from his travels, he celebrates the link to Black history and pays homage to his ancestors as he brings their stories to life.

Bringing a new meaning to fine dining and fine art, the exhibition will be up for viewing from September 8 to November 30.

For more art, Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum has just revealed an exhibition entitled “Unseen Picasso” which showcases prints by Pablo Picasso.

FREVO NYC
48 West 8th Street
New York, NY

RIP: Michael K. Williams Dead at 54 Years Old

The Wire staple Michael K. Williams has died at 54 years old.

Marianna Shafran of Shafran PR, the late actor’s longtime representative, confirmed the sad news to The Hollywood Reporter, “It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this insurmountable loss.” A representative from the New York Police Department also affirmed that Williams was found dead in his home in Brooklyn on the afternoon of Monday, September 6, however a cause of death was not revealed.

Williams appeared on several high-profile HBO shows, including Boardwalk Empire, The Night Of and, most recently, Lovecraft Country — a role that gave him an Emmy nomination. “We are devastated to learn of the passing of Michael Kenneth Williams, a member of the HBO family for more than 20 years,” the network said in a statement. “While the world is aware of his immense talents as an artist, we knew Michael as a dear friend who was beloved by all who had the privilege to work with him. We send our deepest condolences to his family for this immeasurable loss.”David Simon, the creator of HBO‘s The Wire, penned a tribute to the late Michael K. Williams in a new New York Times op-ed.

The author, writer and producer admitted that he “misread the man from the start,” adding that it was Ed Burns, his writing partner, “who had first spotted Mike’s read for Omar on a tape of two dozen New York auditions a year earlier.” He continued to share a story about how it became tradition for Williams to ask the writers room what they plan on saying with the new eason of The Wire:

“He gave us an astounding gift — an act of faith from a magnificent actor who could have played his hand very differently. Television usually chases its audience — if they love them some Omar, you feed them more Omar. If they can’t stop looking at Stringer, you write more Stringer. Never mind story and theme.

Instead, Mike bent his beautiful mind to a task that even the best writers and show runners often avoid. He thought about the whole story, the whole of the work.

Perhaps more than any in that talented cast, I came to trust Mike to speak publicly to our drama and its purposes, to take personal pride in all that we were trying, however improbably, to build. He became increasingly political as the show aged, and in interviews took to addressing societal and political issues, his arguments ranging well beyond Omar’s arc.”

Williams was found dead in his home in Brooklyn on the afternoon of Monday, September 6, but a cause of death was not revealed.