Category Archives: Visual Arts

Feb 13 2012
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Music, Visual Arts

Patchwork: Untitled

Untitled 

Untitled is classic V- Attention to detail that conveys texture, feeling, and meaning. For me piece’s lines stretch into the past and demonstrate the power of Legacy.  For Patchwork Untitled I delved deep into the LIFESTYLE sample archives and found a track that V and I recorded back in the basement sessions at my parents house on Rose St, in Berkeley. Both the drums and the “organ” are from that period. The “organ,” is a sampled instrument from an early electric guitar part of mine.

Family/Generations.

Patchwork Untitled

Patchwork Untitled Acapella


One two three four

Everyday comes from 10,000 more

The family continues all through the lineage

Every single present’s connect to past millions

He stares head down/But no frown instead a smile/Imagines his seed’s achievements in miles away from where he toils each day/The night creeps up/He pees out green stuff/ This is enough/His shoulder gets bolder with every strike/No Folgers to ward off the latest of nights/This is today as the story I write/If it wasn’t for his spade/I wouldn’t have life/The present conditions are results of/Past decisions resolve so tough/That agrarian servant/Perhaps it was urban/ past pain joins today’s hurting/It’s all a current/As together we go/Lonliness lost in the family scrolls/Handed down from places so cold/Details forgot/But the struggle is known

One two three four

Everyday comes from 10,000 more

The family continues all through the lineage

Every single present’s connect to past millions

And they join together 1, 2, 3,4/Fists in the distance/Can still see more/ Moving tide/ Forever’s fact of life/Many times passed the mic/This story is ageless/This laptop was once pages/Before sound was translated/It was written in each language/Learned from the cave wall statements/This shit goes out to the Angulies and Mullers/And the names of my blood that time covers/And your people too/Generations of truth is the reason we get through current disputes/Smiles in the face of the burning sun/He’s got that ticket/Sister waits for him to come/ 200 years after the fact his offspring’s success validates sweat of the past

One two three four

Everyday comes from 10,000 more

The family continues all through the lineage

Every single present’s connect to past millions

Reflection and Response

-P

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Feb 10 2012
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Visual Arts

Feature: Vatche Donikian

the LIFESTYLE Feature Series moves us into February with a look at Reflection and Response in the artwork of Vatche Donikian, creator of Restless and Determined Clothing!! We are PROUD to present Vatche, comin up in the game with undeniable creativity, drive, and talent. From growing up in Oakland and Berkeley and now studying in Irvine, CA, Vatche has relentlessly worked at his craft and developed his unique artistic approach. He recently launched his independent clothing brand, Restless and Determined, which is already off to a solid start and pushing forward to big things! It’s been a truly inspiring process for both P and V to witness throughout the years – don’t sleep on this grounded RR artist!

Peep the Reflection and Response interview followed by photos of his dope T-shirt and crewneck designs!

Reflection and Response means to express yourself to the fullest extent, however you choose to do that.

Leading off with some basics, where are you from? And where are you at?

VD: I was born in Oakland, but we moved to Berkeley when I was around 5. Bay Area born and raised, but I’m currently going to school at UC Irvine.

What does Reflection and Response mean to you?

VD: To me, Reflection and Response means to express yourself to the fullest extent, however you choose to do that. Everybody is different from the way they are brought up and the experiences they have, so you just have to get that out there and be who you are. Sometimes I just sit there and listen to music and feel motivated, so I just pull out pencil and paper or pull up my computer and put in work. Reflecting and Responding, by the way stuff makes u feel and react.

How does Restless and Determined Clothing fit in with that definition?

VD: Well with Restless and Determined Clothing, that’s exactly what I do. I make the designs off what I’m feeling, like the Heart Beats. Music is a big part of my life, makes my heart pump. So I’m just expressing myself with designs that others can relate to also. I’m not doing anything but being me. I’m restless and I’m determined, I won’t stop until I’m satisfied with what I’ve done.

What else have you been working on recently? What are you looking to work on next?

VD: Recently I’ve been working on just getting my stuff out there, like more designs, and I’m always trying to improve too. I’ve started printing on crewneck sweatshirts and girls v-necks also. For now I’m just trying do this stuff and keep expanding the company base.

Who or what inspires you?

VD: A lot of my music inspires me. Rappers like iamsu!, Kendrick Lamar, Dom Kennedy, and Erk tha Jerk really motivate me to make the best designs possible and really get a lot of things done. It’s motivational and inspirational to me; it helps me stay on the grind. Anybody that knows me knows I get lost in my music and those artists just really get my thoughts flowing.

Is there anything else you would like the Collective to know?

VD: Man, I just hope everyone can see through my artwork that I really put my all into this stuff. I really am Restless and Determined, and that’s never gonna change. I’m on the grind 24/7, even if I’m not physically creating a design, I think of them in my head and thinking of ways that I can get even better. I also want to say thanks to everyone that supports me, and those who give me feedback. It really makes me want to go that much harder.

Shout out to…?

VD: Shout out to my big brother Vicken for having my back through everything, and really getting me into art from such a young age. Also shout out to my girlfriend for helping me out with everything, especially all this shirt stuff, she helps me with designs and does some of the lettering also. And to my homie Diego, we use to make shirts back in the day since 2008. And a big thanks all my fam and friends and to everybody who bought a shirt, spread the word or even just took the time to look at the pictures.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/restlessdeterminedclothing and follow us on Twitter @RDC_Shirts.

Check out our site and web store at: http://restlessdeterminedclothing.webs.com/.

Heart Beats T-shirts

The Determined (L) & Heart Beats (R) Crewnecks

The Collection

Tools of the Trade

Restless and Determined

Reflection and Response.


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Feb 06 2012
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Visual Arts

POW! BLAM!

Paint marker on canvas.

These are from a couple years back – bought my sister a blank pair of off-white Toms for her birthday, but I took a couple of paint markers to ’em first..

That classic comic lettering. POW! BLAM! one step at a time..

Reflection and Response.

V.

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Jan 30 2012
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Music, Visual Arts

The Patchwork Series: An Introduction

Welcome to the Patchwork Series! In this series we use earlier work to inspire new creations. This is collaboration through space but also through Medium. We’ll be collaborating from NYC to Madrid with V using a visual perspective to reflect and respond to P’s audio tracks and vice versa. For example, on our first patchwork series V is creating an all new graphic piece based off of P’s The City Swells. We look forward to expanding our craft with this series. As always, thank y’all so much for riding with us!!!

-P and V

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Jan 30 2012
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Music, Visual Arts

Patchwork: Landscape

Landscape

Patchwork: Landscape.

For this patchwork I used a sample recorded back in Berkeley from a nearly forgotten session with some old friends. I found an accordion track that seemed to go with the idea of the bicycle journey. I wrote the lyrics the next day (January 30th post day). V’s piece uses motion is such interesting ways- both the narrative and detail of V’s piece stuck out to me and were influences on this patchwork.

Full track

Instrumental

A Capella

Patchwork: Landscape

A friend said they look something like mountains/ obstacles to get around in/ a hill of wheels/ peaks an valleys/ bars and steel/ falling freely/ the feeling of a thousand movements suddenly still/

He said he’ll never again depict bicycles/Minute curves made many lights dull/Into morning/He’s pouring over each individual frame/3 panels later the piece became/What it is today/

Off in the dusk/ Johnny gets up/ Brushes off his must/Hops on two wheels starting to rust/ Heads downtown because it’s market day/ Grabs his mackerel two jars of lard mayonnaise/ Sets up his stand right by the French fry place/ Amsterdam’s morning hours are an early grey/ These surly markets will surely pay/ For a fresh fish sandwich that he’s still learning to make/

To the Southeast/ The second prayer is sounding/ Sarah peddles between beggars and sheiks/ Already the second quarter she’s missing her team/ Qualifying for championships/Rides her 6 speed over the mountain back to her crib/ Fast as shit/ Shifts to evade pebbles/Her gown nestles / Her nerves/If they score she needs it that’s passion for sure/ Cousin sees her fly fast a blur/ Blurts out Salam in time for the third/

A friend said they look something like mountains/ Obstacles to get around in/ A hill of wheels/ Peaks an valleys/ Bars and steel/ Falling freely/ The feeling of a thousand movements suddenly still/

He said he’ll never again depict bicycles/ Minute curves made many lights dull/ Into morning/ He’s pouring over each individual frame/ 3 panels later the piece became/ What it is today/

Back in Seattle/ Northwest’s saddle/ Steve’s done working/ He straddles the lake path’s rambles/ Got miles turned up with Chet Baker on the way/ Goddamn these Husky fans sure crowd up Montlake/ As he turns up that hill on forty-fifth/ Burning in his legs lets him know he’s still fit/ Prefers this to constraints of his car/ Gets home stows the Bianci in the backyard/ Feet up opens that peanut jar/

Joanna in the city where Steve’s bikes are spinning/ In the plant where this week her hours way past 60/ Used to make Ipads till her friend started feeling shitty/ Now can’t move her hands just turned 15/ Lives on the facility/ Her faculty is limited to assembling the same 4 millimeter part times infinity/ But she remembers when she arrived here on her two wheels/ Proud with work she can provide her own meals

A friend said they look something like mountains/ Obstacles to get around in/ A hill of wheels/ Peaks an valleys/ Bars and steel/ Falling freely/ The feeling of a thousand movements suddenly still/

He said he’ll never again depict bicycles/ Minute curves made many lights dull/ Into morning/ He’s pouring over each individual frame/ 3 panels later the piece became/ What it is today/

-P

-Reflection and Response.

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Jan 30 2012
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Music, Visual Arts

Patchwork: The City Swells

Patchwork: The City Swells

The City Swells

In this European capital invaded by lights/ Travelers who have taken flights to come and see the sights/ The crowd swells to dangerous heights/ In the distance street performer yells “That’s all for tonight.”/ Santa’s sleigh on display various nights/ Parents brave the cold with jackets and tights/ Earmuffed Munchkin children hold on tight/ This city’s alight

I walk gingerly/ On this history/ These streets a mystery/ What happened here and when?/ Centuries of women and men/ Holidays spent in different fashion Ramadan back then/ Then the Christian kings established the crown/ And the lights went up and never came down/ Today’s the same way a slightly changed town/ These streets fit for horses not porches you find now

So I live in this city that slowly becomes mine/ Discovering places I’m still waiting to find/ No distractions of home memory clouds the mind/ Watch friend’s successes look how far they climb!/ And in such a short time/ Congrats on the victories/ I know we’d rise to infamy/ In our prime/ And while I keep busy I find I miss you/ i hope you’re missing me/ Sometimes

P hit us with The City Swells back on December 5, 2011 in Callao, Madrid – an original, perceptive, and deep track, to say the least!! When I sat down to create my Patchwork piece, I aimed to capture and interpret what The City Swells really meant. I went through a process of deconstructing P’s written lyrics, his a Capella recording, and finally the full track that I re-posted at the top of this post. For a couple hours deep into the night, before I even got to working on my final piece, I listened and analyzed this track over and over, trying to re-create “the city,” thoughts, and feelings P expressed through his work. Through 3 initial studies on 18″x24″ newsprint where I just put down images, words, and gestures that I felt were central to P’s track, I gradually built up developed my ideas, and using india ink, oil pastel, and white watercolor paint, I created Patchwork: The City Swells.

Reflection and Response.

V.

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Jan 26 2012
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Music, Visual Arts

PETER MULLER LIVE LRR

Friday January 27th 2012 is the date of my first show here in Madrid. I will be performing originals tracks featured on the LIFESTYLE, such as Jade Eyes, in addition to covers with some talented vocalists. We are also supplying the PA for the show as well as the microphones and cables. We’re turning a room of the Anglet Cafe in Madrid into our own performance space in Reflection and Response fashion. Anglet Cafe gigs hopefully will be a regular occurrence and feature performances from other local artists and new LRR #Collective members.

 

Peep the Facebook event page for more info:

http://www.facebook.com/events/283765688343885/

 

The above flier was finished by V late Monday night. Using only 2 permanent markers, he was able to include a whole array of brushstrokes, from the razor thin border to the block letters of my name, to the central piece of the name of the cafe complete with shadowing and subtle textures. When I ask V to help out with publicity for shows It’s always dope to see what he comes up with.  He included both Spanish and English and threw up the LIFESTYLE along with the info for the gig.

LRR LIVE @the Anglet Cafe in Madrid.

-Reflection and Response

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Jan 23 2012
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Music, Visual Arts

These People Are My People: A Story

The Organ Song/ Tools of the Trade

This week’s original post is a collaboration between V and P. Back in the Basement of the 55thandBrooklyn house in Seattle, P wrote a tune with a story. V later wrote up the lyrics on parchment and together the two pieces “The Organ Song,” and “Tools of the Trade,” become These People Are My People: A Story.

Instrumental

Acapella

Full Track

Lyrics

Reflection and Response.

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Jan 16 2012
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Music, Photography, Visual Arts

The Lay of the Land

the LIFESTYLE has been low key for a few weeks and we hope everyone has had a great start to the new year! We are continuing to strive to be a place for dialogue and thoughts of Reflection and Response. Our weekly schedule has changed a bit so here’s the breakdown for the LIFESTYLE moving forward:

Mondays: Original work from Peter and Vicken

Thursdays: Snapshots from the Collective

Fridays: Fridays will alternate each week between Talk of the Town (Discussion Questions from the Collective) and our continuing Feature series of collective members and their work.

Meanwhile, on the Twitter we will be continuing Peter’s Saturday Flows From Madrid (SFFM) as well as throwing up thoughts, articles, and quotes that connect with Reflection and Response. We will also be shouting out RR Artists of the Week, linking to influential craftspeople whose work inspires us.

With the new elements of Snapshots from the Collective and Talk of the Town we will be looking forward to email submissions from Collective members. Snapshots consists of photographs that people want to get out there and share. Talk of the Town consists of Discussion Questions focusing on any topics interesting to any viewer that feels like it can spark dialogue. Photographs and questions should be sent to the LIFESTYLE’s email at: the.lifestyle.rr@gmail.com. One photo will be posted each week and a question will be posted every two weeks, with dialogue following up in the comments sections. Come one come all!!

the LIFESTYLE’s power lies in its collective; a communal place whose axiom of Reflection and Response drives creativity, collaboration, and dialogue.

Reflection and Response.

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Jan 06 2012
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Music, Visual Arts

The Last Throwback December: Livin on the West Coast and YarraY

This December/January throwback series has been a look back to the early days of our creativity. We thank everybody that has been riding with us, and we hope that other artists might want to look back on their collections and see their Reflection and Response in progression.

Livin on the West Coast, made earlier than YarraY, was from late 2005. Livin starts with a wah-wah guitar intro with V’s signature driving keyboard elements and baseline and goes into a lead section with some distortion. We toy with using different pickup settings on the guitar for the chorus, with the first part of the chorus sounding more muffled and bassy then the full pickup second half. The track then turns into a synth string mash-up with distorted guitar, a style that appears on other tracks (see taquito). This track shows how we were incorporating various styles, including but not limited to hip-hop and rock, into our arrangements.

Livin on the West Coast

YarraY was an initial foray into sampling. One of our favorite artists ais Ray Charles. For the first part of the track, we took the chord structure and melody from Ray’s Unchain My Heart. While the first half of our track follows a bluesy vibe, we change it up when we bring in  Don’t Set Me Free and throw some synth and 808-drums. We then slow it down at the end of the track as it fades into the future.

YarraY

 

Reflection and Response.

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