THE FEEL FREE ARTZ GROUP
Saturday, November 21, 2020
NEW STREETWEAR:
To mark Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy‘s VERZUZ Battle, Travis Scott has released a special Cactus Jack T-shirt.
Available in black and white, the “CACTUS JACK FOR VERZUZ – TM:1017” T-shirt marks the event with the rapper’s signature iced out pendants emblazoned on the front. Screenprinted front and back, the heavyweight tee is washed and treated for a distinct look. Additionally, aside from the usual Small, Medium, Large, XL and 2X sizes, Travis has also prepared a “2005 ONE SIZE TALL TEE” option to celebrate the era of early 2000’s rap.
Priced at $48 USD, the “CACTUS JACK FOR VERZUZ – TM:1017” T-shirt for Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy’s VERZUZ Battle is available now on Travis Scott’s website.
In Nike Sportswear‘s Air Max cannon, few models are as exalted as the Air Max 95“Neon” — a seminal Sergio Lozano design from 1995 that’s now serving as inspiration for a brand-new silhouette dubbed the Air Max 95 NDSTRKT “Neon.” Borrowing the colors and human anatomy-inspired build of its famous forefather, the NDSTRKT uses layered details, sturdy materials and design cues from Nike classics for a look that’s simultaneously fresh and familiar.
Uppers feature a black base made of tightly woven mesh and water-resistant synthetic textile. This is quickly overlaid by six exposed silver and volt fabric strips, which on the OG 95 would usually be present under a mesh sheath. Atop this textile assemblage arrives gray rubberized overlays, which rise up high on the heel and midfoot before dropping down towards the forefoot and toebox.
Branding is handled by green Swooshes towards the heel and a circular Air Max badge on the traditional white tongue. Laces are held in place by a gray throat overlay, and midsoles take on a classic “Neon” mixture of black EVA foam with bright yellow-green Air Max units. Outsoles with a winterized traction pattern round off the look.
The Nike Air Max 95 NDSTRKT “Neon” is set to release via Nike SNKRS Japan on November 29, and is priced at ¥24,200 JPY (approximately $233 USD). A US release date will likely follow in later months.
Many of Nike Sportswear‘s in-line Dunk High releases from 2020 have pulled directly or borrowed heavily from OG ’80s Dunk style: the “Michigan,” “Michigan State” and “Pure Platinum” all use solid rubber soles and straightforward collar lining to lock in a heritage look. Now, however, the Dunk High “Varsity Purple” — an elegant women’s style — is diverging from the precedent set by its predecessors by adding modernized details to its classic base.
Uppers mix white and purple leathers in traditional Dunk fashion: the former hits toeboxes, quarters and collars while the latter supplies eponymous style on mudguards, eyestays, Swooshes, laces, collar flaps and heels. This simple-yet-effective colorblocking scheme is inherently familiar to any Dunk aficinado. What’s not familiar is the gold detailing on the Nike tongue badge and the premium satin collar lining. Down below, the mix of new and old is continued with a crisp white midsole atop a purple-tinted translucent outsole.
Persons interested in this slightly-twisted Dunk style will have their chance when it releases in December: early reports have a December 3 release date on Nike SNKRSand a $120 MSRP pegged, though both of these points have yet to be confirmed by Nike.
After working with Futura on a series of screenprints, Takashi Murakami has now reunited with PORTER for a new collection of bags. The collaboration marks the beginning of PORTER’s 85th anniversary celebrations, with a string of new releases and collaborations lined up between now and February 2021.
The collection consists of five classic PORTER bags and one cushion, all of which are designed with a glossy navy finish and adorned with Murakami’s signature flower motif. The bag styles range from the larger Doctor’s Bag, Tool Bag and Helmet Bag to smaller styles such as the Vertical Shoulder Bag and the Fanny Pack.
All of the pieces feature removable flower motifs and Murakami embroidery, with motifs from his work appearing on sections of the exterior and printed onto PORTER’s recognizable orange lining. Finishing each bag is a PORTER patch alongside a Tonari no Zingaro badge.
All of the Takashi Murakami x PORTER bags are available now from the PORTER web store, and keep an eye out for more special releases from the Japanese label to mark its 85th anniversary.
ART: Giant Statue of Marilyn Monroe Sparks Controversy With California Locals / Rare 'Super Mario Bros. 3' Sells for Record $156K USD
A 26-foot-tall statue of Marilyn Monroe patting down her wind-blown skirt is the center of controversy in Palm Springs, California. The monument portrays the legendary actress from the iconic scene in the 1955 movie The Seven Year Itch where a gust of wind from a subway grate blows up her white dress. The city already gave its approval for it to be installed outside the Palm Springs Art Museum, but the institution’s director, Louis Grachos, is against the public display.
“You come out of the museum and the first thing you’re going to see is a 26-foot-tall Marilyn Monroe with her entire backside and underwear exposed,” said Grachos in a city council meeting last week as per Artnet. “We serve over 100,000 school-age children that come to our museum every single year. What message does that send to our young people, our visitors, and community to present a statue that objectifies women, is sexually charged and disrespectful?”
Many locals shared Grachos’ opinion, having sent letters to local newspapers voicing their concerns regarding the state of Monroe as being degrading to women. The debate has panned out for weeks in the California community and is now trickling into the art world as well. Steven Maloney, the chair of the facility’s board of directors, said displaying it near the front of the building implies that the organization had given its approval to place it there — when it had not. He said the towering sculpture suggests “an unhealthy encouragement of risqué behavior of women.”
Critics also pointed out that Monroe despised the scene and it had a detrimental effect on her life and career. As The Guardian reported back in 2014 for the 60th anniversary of the film, it led Monroe’s husband at the time, Joe DiMaggio, to leave the set in anger. The actress then filed for divorce after the pair got into a violent fight at their hotel after the scene was shot, the report stated.
“Can you imagine when #MeToo gets a hold of this?” Grachos asked the council. “It’s not just going to hurt the museum, but it’s going to hurt our whole community.”
The city council has agreed to host the statue for roughly a period of three years. Moreover, Palm Springs Resorts had previously offered to purchase the sculpture for $1 million USD, but now the group is currently seeking leasing options.
Super Mario Bros. 3 has just sold for a record $156K USD. Like with the $360K USD sealed Pokémon booster box or the rare $360K USD “Nintendo Play Station,”Heritage Auctions has once again played to collectors’ nostalgia with a rare copy of the 1990 Nintendo Entertainment System game.
20 bidders fought to acquire a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. 3, finally settling on $156K USD, breaking the record for the most ever paid for a video game. According to Heritage Auctions, the value of this particular copy comes primarily from its rare packaging. The most common cover art of the title shows Mario gliding with a raccoon cap, complemented by the game’s title placed above him. This copy, however, is an earlier version, which is a little different — the word “Bros.” shows up on the left side of the box and slightly covers Mario’s glove. Wata Games, a vintage video game grading company, gave this a score of 9.2 A+, a score that suggests the game is almost in perfect condition. This sale overtook the previous record-holder — a sealed Super Mario Bros. that sold for $114K USD.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
ART LIFE: Futura and Takashi Murakami Release Collaborative Screenprints /Sean Wotherspoon Skates in the Latest Prada x adidas Originals Sneaker
Futura is currently presenting hand-painted light sculptures at the Noguchi Museum in Queens, New York as part of an installation running through February 28, 2021. The works feature the iconic graffiti artist’s atmospheric, aerosol creations on a selection of Akari light sculptures designed by the late and influential sculptor, Isamu Noguchi.
To commemorate the presentation, the Noguchi Museum is offering collaborative print editions designed by Futura and Takashi Murakami. Titled intermezzo TFBLK and intermezzo TFWHT, both editions arrive in an edition of 100 with 50 of each hitting the Noguchi Museum’s website and on-site at the Museum shop. The release of the second set of 50 will be available in Japan only through Kaikai Kiki Gallery.
“In August 2020, FUTURA2000 was scheduled to have a solo exhibition at Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Tokyo, opening on what would have been the eve of the 100 meters gold medal finals at the Tokyo Olympic Games,” said The Noguchi Museum in a statement. “That exhibition has been rescheduled to August 2021, but this correlating edition—a symbolic gesture of Futura and Takashi’s relationship and a cultural dialogue between Japan and the United States—finds a natural home as part of the Noguchi Museum’s collaborative ’Futura Akari’ exhibition on view through February 28, 2021.”
The sale of the prints is limited to one of each per buyer. All prints will be shipped flat, unframed, and are available to ship internationally.
After leaving Nike in 2019 and revealing his partnership with adidas in January 2020, Round Two co-owner Sean Wotherspoon has leaned fully into the Three Stripe life, releasing a sustainable Superstar “Superearth” in August and now taking to his Instagram to show off a new Prada x adidas Originals sneaker. Via a short skate clip and small selection of both on/off-foot shots, Wotherspoon provides our most detailed look yet at the style, a stripped-back silhouette that seems to pull its overall shape from archival Prada trainers while using new-age materials for a mix of past and present.
Dressed almost entirely in white and silver, the shoe’s upper uses translucent TPE and mesh for a ghostly, revealing look. Of note are the silver Three Stripe graphics appearing under the quarter panel, and thick, milky ruber bumpers on toe and heel alike. Although it’s hard to tell, midsoles appear to be filled with BOOST cushioning. The shoe’s most notable detail, however, is the red Prada stripe that runs up the heel — the shoe’s only diversion from its white and silver palette, save for a red stamp on the insole.
A release date for this new Prada x adidas Originals collaboration has yet to be announced, but will likely surface soon. In the meantime, you can watch Wotherspoon’s skate clip and peruse the photos above.
FRESH KICKS: REEBOK / NIKE / JORDANS
When writing out a list of the greatest point guards to ever step foot on the hardwood, it goes without question (pun intended) that Allen Iverson‘s name deserves to be jotted down. And this month, Reebok is paying their respects to the Hall of Fame athlete with a special colorway of his Reebok Question Mid that comes stylized in a palette emblematic of the Philadelphia 76ers’ old-school alternate gold threads.
When diving into its visual composition, one will notice that its upper translates elements of the NBA franchise’s throwback uniforms through a textile upper that is primarily presented with a stark black satin finish. Accompanying this, accents of “Flash Red” and gold suede show face, the former of which outline the vector logos located atop the lateral/medial walls, tongues and interior liners, while the latter — which likely represents the jersey’s golden basketball insignias — lands on the toe tip and heel overlays. Together, Iverson’s #3 along with an actual basketball graphic are stamped along the footbeds as well as on the lower heel. Down below, the bright white midsole unit is contrasted with hexagon-filled pods dialed with stealthy shapes and red backgrounds, and comes mated with an outsole dialed to a gum hue.
For all you die hard “The Answer” fanatics out there, be sure to mark your calendars for November 20th, as these will be dropping via Reebok.com for an MSRP of $140.
Ahead of his sophomore season in the NBA, Zion Williamson is slated to add another New Orleans-inspired iteration to his hoops repertoire this month: the Air Jordan 35“Bayou Boys”. This installment arrives as a follow-up to the Air Jordan 34 “Bayou Boys”, an alligator skin-covered makeup that sold out instantly when it hit the market mid-March of this year.
Design-wise, this court-ready offering carries over the ethos reflective of Louisiana’s wetlands. Green accents attract the most attention here and affix to the exaggerated Eclipse plates in a swamp-inspired hue, while the mid-foot underlays, flecked laces and branded insignias atop the tongues and heel tabs deviate with a slimy shade. Additional murky elements can be found along the insoles which have been treated with marsh-esque patterns.
Forefoot and heel overlays are executed with that of white backdrops and cracked textures, and arrive color-blocked with that of stark black ankle collars, tongues and mid-foot netting, as well as iridescent paneling just below the heightened set of lace loops. Riding down underneath, the midsoles are sheathed with an angelic skin, and complemented with a chevron-patterned outsole painted with gum finishes.
Moreover, this hardwood-ready rendition comes packaged with “Bayou Boys” branding embroidered onto the medial sides of the heel tab, as well as in printed fashion on the interior of its shoe box flaps.
Peep an in-depth look at the pair right and its here, expect these to drop via Nike China come November 20th for ¥1499 (approx. $228.49 USD). A stateside launch has yet to be confirmed by Nike.
1017 ALYX 9SM and Nike are continuing their boldly-buckled collaborative work on the Air Force 1 High with a crisp sail colorway. Helmed by Matthew M. Williams — who’s also the creative director of Givenchy — ALYX is known for placing technical embellishments atop ultra-premium materials, an ethos that’s followed to a T here.
High-cut uppers are done up in original 1982 Air Force 1 style, with the collar rising well above the wearer’s ankle. From the toebox to the quarters and collar liner, the entirety of the build is constructed of ultra-premium sail leather. Signature detail is served by ALYX’s famous rollercoaster buckle on the leather proprioceptus belt. This buckle is done up in metallic silver with a gold release system and replaces the Force’s standard Velcro closure. A 1017 ALYX 9SM spellout is stamped on the lateral heel in metallic silver for an extra touch of branding, working in tandem with special silver lace deubres that state “1017” (right foot) and “9SM” (left foot). Down below, crisp white midsoles and outsoles serve up a tonal-style contrast to finalize the look.
Of course, this sail style is far from Williams’ and ALYX’s first dance with the AF1. It was premiered alongside three other styles ahead of 1017 ALYX 9SM’s FW20 runway at Paris Fashion Week in January, and Williams has also worked with the Swoosh on technical silhouettes like the Zoom MMW 4 and Free TR 3.
A release date has yet to be announced, but expect the 1017 ALYX 9SM x Nike Air Force 1 High to hit Nike SNKRS in the coming months.
First released in 1997, the Air Jordan 13 “Flint” has become one of Jordan Brand‘s most famous AJ13 colorways — and now it’s reappearing in color-flipped fashion via a new Air Jordan 13 “Red Flint.” Following closely in the footsteps of the Jumpman’s Spring 2021 retro reveal, the “Red Flint” does just what its name implies: maintains classic “Flint” accents but flips the original style’s signature blue swathes out for a Chicago Bulls-style red hue.
This red is present on both lateral and medial overlays, each of which is made up of pockmarked textile. These sizeable pieces surround a crisp white leather toebox and tongue, each of which features a small dash of black Jordan branding. Heels and the upper’s lower half alike bring OG “Flint” grey suede into the mix, and the lateral collar features a signature bejeweled catseye badge. Midsoles are done up in gray suede as well, with the outsole’s crescent-shaped white rubber outriggers peeping out to finalize the look.
A release date or pricing information for the Air Jordan 13 “Red Flint” has yet to be revealed, but a drop in the first quarter of 2021 seems to be likely.
Reebok is saluting Allen Iverson‘s Iverson Classic All-American Game and the elite high school hoopers who partake in it each year with a Question Mid “Iverson Classic.” Boasting alums like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Mac McClung while also spotlighting players like Diamond Johnson — the first-ever woman to play in a men’s All-American game — the Iverson Classic is a large part of the grassroots hoops All-Star circuit, and this mid-cut Question aims to encapsulate its unique energy.
Uppers mix a soft black nubuck midfoot with rich navy suede on the toebox and heel, plus gold on the quarter and tongue’s Vector graphics. Navy and gold are brought together on the eyestays, with a special navy and white print present on both the tongue trim and collar lining. This print is replicated in full on the DMX cushion-equipped midsole, and gives off a look that calls images of classic Georgetown Hoyas uniforms to mind.
Heels get in on the special branded accents in two ways: up top, the standard Question logo is replaced with an Iverson Classic spellout, and on the back of the midsole Allen Iverson’s signature #3 is removed in favor of an Iverson Classic silhouette logo. Old-school gum outsoles supply a finishing touch of flair.
The Reebok Question Mid “Iverson Classic” is set to release on the Reebok webstorecome December 1 and is priced at $150 USD.
1017 ALYX 9SM and Nike‘s Air Force 1 High has been given a crisp white colorway — a counterpart to the black version seen last month.
Crafted from premium tumbled leather, the shoes are mostly dressed in white, with sleek black accents taking up significant parts of the silhouette. “Nike Air” and “1017 ALYX 9SM” branding is stamped at the top of the shoe, complemented by an ankle strap with a rollercoaster belt buckle below. A mini-Swoosh is embroidered at the heel counter, matching the main Swoosh at the sidewalls, while “1017 ALYX 9SM” is lightly etched along the rear quarter. All of these details rest over a black midsole that offers a balanced monochromatic look.
No official release dates have been confirmed and prices have yet to be confirmed, but some sources have suggested that it will be releasing in early 2021.
ART:Alex Gardner Paints Soft-Hued Scenes of Anonymous Avatars
Based in Long Beach, California, Alex Gardner is an artist most recognized for his textured oil paintings that feature faceless subjects set against intimate atmospheres. Amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Gardner developed a new body of work that explores the discomfort of being bound to his studio through soft-hued compositions starring midnight-blue bodies in domestic spaces. In his process, the artist utilizes a satiny blue tone to create the figures’ smooth forms. He mixes various shades with meticulous precision while applying paint onto the canvas in thin washes to develop a sleek appearance.
“These paintings, which are looser and more visibly worked-over than Gardner’s earlier output, metabolize the intensity of the times into something light and full of heart. While the show’s title hints at dejection, it also calls to mind a meditative state: the process of developing these new works was, in some ways, an attempt to self-soothe, conjuring a sense of calmness through their soft-hued scenes,” said the gallery in a statement.
Although Gardner continues to champion the Black identity across his new works, the artist examines the concept of Blackness as a “kind of blankness” that encourages viewers to identify with the subject regardless of their race. “The paintings on view in BLUES are utterly personal yet thoroughly depersonalized. In this way, they are also generous: the avatars’ emptiness becomes an opening for hope, encouraging us to see what we share instead of dwelling on the ways that we differ.”
View select works from “BLUES” in the slideshow above and then visit The Hole’s website for more information. “BLUES” is on view from November 19 until December 27.
Elsewhere in art, artists have designed posters for the Toronto Subway to raise awareness about mental health.
The Hole
312 Bowery
New York, NY 10012
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