American | Pop Documentary

Why American | Pop Documentary

2008-03-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

This site is a work in progress, just like life in America.

Peace.

The project: American Pop Documentary is now several months old. The documentary process starts in Los Angeles, Ca. because it is the cultural center of America. Moreover, it is a city filled with fame and wealth, yet - many people simply have nothing, no job, poor educations, or no green card.

It seems that Los Angeles maybe the national benchmark for all that's great, and a warning sign to America that there is a major culture shift.

Over the past few months, more people then I could ever have imagined came to visit this site. Many of you that have come, asked the question... Why create a [ Pop Documentary ] web project.

The answer is simple, the site is just one element of a larger project.

However, the true answer is buried in the core concept of what will be a year long process: to capture the pulse of America, the things that Americans think are important, or not so important.

What do we value and why?

There will be a broad range of issues documented...such is popular life in America!

Poverty. Glitter and Race combine; that creates who we are as a country. The hopes and freedoms that are set in the rich foundation of this country can be had by all, or is that true?

Culturally, we have shifted, and this project ask the broad social question... " What's Going On "...?

Thank you for the visit, it is nice to see that people are interested Globally.

FYI: the post are random at best, but in a year the story of a nation and its people will be presented in a snapshot called American Pop Documentary.

One year.

:::PEACE:::

Americanpopdocumentary@gmail.com

http://www.lightstalkers.org/william_shepherd

http://www.popdocumentary.blogspot.com/ The project: American Pop Documentary All rights reserved, copyright william shepherd ©2007

2008 Pop Change: Mile 25

2008-03-02T13:05:00.001-08:00

The Los Angeles Marathon is LA's most diverse event. 26.2 miles passes
by unique cultural enclaves of class, wealth and poverty.

On 03.02.08 there was a change that run on the edge of poverty and pop
culture. Today, LA's Marathon ran on the edge of America's darkest
pocket of poverty; a light of new urban dreams was bright at mile 25:
Skid Row

The crossroad between the generations of forgotten poor Americans, and
the admired grew a little smaller today.

5th and Los Angeles is the gateway to Skid Row, Down The Nickel.."

As the christian rapper flowed ina a state of real hope..." one mile
left brother, sisters ...keep the dream, we almost there... Put you
hands up so you know, and you don't stop, yea and it don't stop to the
magic of hope rapped in hip hop, one mile left... Dreams are real in the
hood, I blow smoke, as your feet meet da beat, one flow y'all, one show,
one love, hopes are real in the hood, y'all got one mile left: mile 25
skid row. "

Peace.

Panama Freedom: Route 66: Los Angeles

2007-07-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

Images captured, Nov 3, 2007 -- 7th and Broadway St. /Route 66 in the
downtown section of the City of Angeles, Los Angeles Ca.

A little before noon today, the Panama Freedom Day Parade began before a
thin bystander crowd. Saturday shoppers did their normal Saturday
thing. As store owners waited for new streams of business. Many have
recently complained of new codes, reduced sales and far fewer
consumers. Some blame the new wave of popular culture gentrifaction.

Downtown is a new hybrid of faces, and shifts in cultural hues. Popular
culture has found a new mecca for the newly minted rich. New dreams for
the central city have found a home at the crossroads of the still very
complex skid row. It is famous also for having the deepest pockets of
squalor and urban poverty in this Great Americana.

Broadway Street is now becoming famous. Anti-war protests are seen
often, and in the last six months over 1.5 million Migrant-Americans
walked in peace on its path. Non-Americans stood for their freedom and
justice on soil that they did not yet own. They came [here] by the
millions for streets paved in gold.

Some now call it "Freedom Blvd." Others have simply sung: "...get your
kicks on Route 66..."

There will only be a few more post on downtown.

In many ways downtown Los Angeles is the best place to capture a
snapshot of the conflict, and shift in race, economics and the face of
Migrant- Americans.

Downtown Los Angeles is a diverse mix of new dreams, and real urban
poverty.

American Pop Documentary simply ask the question: "..what's going on..
"

Peace.
::::::::::::::::::
©2007

POP: defined ?

2007-07-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

The great American landscape is littered with dead elements of
iconography. American society eagerly invests in the commodification of
people; that is the nexus of Pop.

Then it kills the trend.

Its simply just business...

Americans will even pay to watch their favorite icon pop star(s) fall
and fail, die an early media centered life.

American Pop may have an older history then people fully realize, long
before the 1960's. That was the period when Andy Warhol began to paint
soup cans, and then roughly 10 years later he created Interview
Magazine.

There is a school of thought that gives honor to Andy, as the father of
Pop. I tend to think Mr. Warhol was a good image maker, and very great
image salesman. He seemed to shy away from philosophical theory.

Hence, as I look for a way to define Pop: A commerical method of
producing art for the masses /reflecting the very surface of real life
to produce a sale.

Pop's real roots may not even be American: Futurism was an artistic
movement in Italy in the early 1900's. It was an artistic form that
sought to capture the violent sparks of energy and raw values of the
machine era.

Still there is one more surrogate parent.

Some strongly argue, Abstract Expressionism, was an art movement in the
early 20th century. It helped to change the way we see things by
capturing different aspects of culture.

How strange it is to live in Los Angeles, the dichotomy of Hollywood as
a big city of dreams, lights, hotties in flirty little skirts, cute stars, long cars with big
22in rims that spin; L.A. County has the nation's largest homeless
population, some 80,000 humans.

It can cause one to shiver and shake in confusion to see hungry,
homeless encamped humans, sleeping next to a $50 million movie set.

I will end with these song lyrics by GIL SCOTT HERON: The Revolution
Will Not Be Televised

Excerpt:

You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.

The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.

The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.

The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.

The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.

There will be no pictures of you and Willie May
pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run, or trying to
slide that color television into a stolen ambulance.

NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
or report from 29 districts.

The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.

There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy
Wilkens strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion.

The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock
news and no pictures of hairy armed women
liberationists...

The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,
Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash,
Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth.

The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be right back after a message...

You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.

The revolution will not go better with Coke.

The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.

The revolution will put you in the driver's seat.

The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be
televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be live.

GIL SCOTT HERON 1974

-------

Two starting point questions:

1) Is POP the revolution?

2) Does the media make POP culture or capture the revolution?

About Pop

2007-07-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Project: American Pop Documentary

Defined :: Pop = Popular

Mass Media Influenced America.

FACT: Popular culture is forced to place a branded price tag on any idea
that begins in the subculture(s) and becomes a mainstream trend.

The very nature of a trend, is aligned with consumer's need, the american method of
branding; people, places, things and even ideas have been branded, such as: American Idol ...

1) Consumers seek to learn more information about a "Viral Idea", then
the media supplies that information, and advertisers create branded
products and services.

2) Then, consumers grow tired... The trend's lifecycle fades.

3) A new trend emerges.

--------------------

American Pop Documentary is a detailed visual (phoneCAM/video/ still photography)
look into the [surface] lifestyle, style and culture of trendmakers. Pop
very seldom breaks below the surface of a fad, that is the goal of this
documentary of popular culture.

American Pop Documentary is also a detailed visual guide/ a cross
section of the effect and affects of pop culture: art+style, ethnic
diversity, national economics, faith, politics, war and value of peace.

American Pop Documentary is the ongoing work of: william shepherd:

www.lightstalkers.org/william_shepherd

To learn more about this project, or to learn how you or your
Corporation can help document American pop, please contact.

:::::Americanpopdocumentary@gmail.com:::::
Los Angeles, Ca.

All rights reserved, Copyright william
shepherd/popdocumentary.blogspot.com © 2007
Represented By: Melrose Public Relations::: the next level

POP = WHAT IS HIP ?

2007-07-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Back in the day - that's 1970 something - there was a musical group
that sang a little ditty about things that are hip. Tower of Power
helped me to understand that "...what is hip today might become passé."

30 years later, I am learning to see that Tower of Power was ahead of their
time: musically, culturally, they were an ethnically diverse band that
embraced the time. Funny, what they sang about... is still very hip today.

Several years ago I began to really ponder the lyrics of that song.

:lyric excerpt:

What is hip? Tell me, tell me if you think you know.
What is hip? And if you're really hip.
The passing years would show,
That you into a hip trip, maybe hipper than hip.

What is hip?
Hipness is what it is
Sometimes hipness is what it ain't
You done went and found you a guru,
In an effort to find you a new you.

There's one thing you should know:
What's hip today might become passe'.
What is hip? Tell me tell me if you think you know.

What is hip? And if you're really hip, the passing years would show
That you into a hip trip. Maybe hipper than hip.
What is hip?

TOWER OF POWER:1973

POP: cool fly styles, ethnic diversity, cultural economics, war and politics

2007-07-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

The hue in American culture is shifting at a rapid pace; that browning
of America, is reflective in mainstream pop.

Now it seems, most people assume that "POP" implies slick, and all cultural
things to be very glossy, media-driven. Yet, that is the one central counter theme of this
project: American Pop Documentary. Captured on phoneCam, film/video/still and, in the beginning was the word.

Stay tuned as I begin this cultural trek into a land of pink bubble gum
flavored culture; from a distance it seems so real. Up close, the broken
dreams lost in yesterday's hope melt into tears...

Yes, stay tuned to fully begin to see both sides of this fluffy pink
society we call American Pop.

My hope is that this project will simply offer a different
understanding; the social, ethnic, and economic effects/affect that pop
has on this great nation.

Peace,
william shepherd

the project: American Pop Documentary:::
americanpopdocumentary@gmail.com

www.lightstalkers.org/william_shepherd

Represented By: MELROSE PUBLIC RELATIONS:: The next level

Pop: Real or Real Life Drama

2007-07-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Pop: Jesus - 18,000 people in the streets

2007-07-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

18,000 Christians took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles to proclaim "Stop The Violence." Their congregation was not sitting in some dusty pew in some remote church of four walls; no, it was the new breed of downtown settlers, and the homeless. I found their choice of location somewhat odd.

However, the newly rich, artists, savvy new media producers, and the Saturday morning cafe tea patrons became the church, they cheered, cried and supported the march; the first such march in my life.

The no judgement stance, and role of American | Pop Documentary is simply to ask the broad social question" What's Going On.."

One marcher explained it this way " I was a thug, a gangster, I was raised in the gang, it was my family. Because of Jesus, I don't jack people anymore, I don't go to jail anymore, and today my family is here, were are all from the same clicka (gang) we are here in love... Por Vida"

Still, it was a little odd, there was no gold trim collection plates, no grape juice poising as wine... peace, love reigned supreme.

::::

POP: 3 four $10

2007-07-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

The is no honor among the thieving Pirates of Pop. Their job
description is to steal, make living money, buy a few tacos, a bag of weed, and a beer.

Yet, how can this one 17 year old kid strike a cord in global market economics ?

How about to the tune of $6 Billion?

That is the figure that the Motion Picture Association of America states
the "film industry"
lost due to this 17 year old kid, his friends(13th/18th street clicka/gang/crew), as well as, those
kids like him in Asia and New York, which is the hub of international
movie bootlegging.

Pop: Race:real or fiction

2007-07-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

Pop Police Style: 4th+Main

2007-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

There is a little corner in downtown Los Angeles called "Gallery Row";
young and old artists sit, have tea, chat and pass the time of day. A
steady stream of moving trucks unload the lifestyles of the soon to be
rich trendwatchers, and the famous trendsetters.

The residents are so media-centric, that even the police that are
stationed in the area are cool, pretty...Pop Police.

Today, 2 cute female cops in shorts and sneakers stole (for fun) their male partners cops bikes.

Bikes?

Yes...bikes!

This is a funny little block, and not so fancy yet - but, give it time
as the price of live-work lofts soars past $700,000, for a tiny little
space of 900sq ft.

Urban developers, planners, and community officials are sowing the
seeds; it is a big undertaking to turn the downtown Los Angeles skyline
of empty building into a big business playground for the urban hipster.

Oh, I think I failed to mention that this block is a mere 3 streets from
Skidrow, a population of crackheads, thousands of homeless, and
thousands of mentally ill outcast of society.

The artist in this special enclave are the new breed of cultural
influencers: directors, writers, owners of hybrid public relations
firms. Mixed in with the affluent new media creators - are painters,
poets, and a few random gallery owners.

Hybrid pop enclave = Gentrification

This little plot of urban buildings is undergoing a major
gentrification. Before things took a turn for the worse in the
financial sector... this almost forgotten strip of old marble and brass
trim bank buildings was considered - West Coast Wallstreet.

Pop: Real life or Real fiction ?

2007-07-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

American Pop Culture, and media produces images that are projected
around the world. Sponsors pay to have their brand's theme woven into
television programs, video games, movies, music: Seamless Advertising.

This is not a new trend.

Branding/ Advertising in this manner was the standard in the 50's; that
methodology helped to launch Television.

The emerging trend is slightly different.

Pop takes real life squalor, those areas in America that are
under-empowered, then creates this fictionalized drama about the people
of those communities. Pop Culture then exports those images to people
around the globe in countries that may not have the ability to
understand that visual media is simply a fictional show, film, art
work.

Those images become icons of American culture, and far to often that
imagery is reflective of the poorest of poor.

That is an old trend, it is now presented in a new way: The Social and
Economic Factors Of Race In American Popular Culture.

America's urbanized poor are often Latino, African and Asian-American.

Their lives become the fodder for all things Urban Pop. Yet,
collectively Urban America is trapped on the lower rung of society.
That collective of Urban America is also economically disenfranchised.

In one era, Urban was defined as city life. Today Urban is the buzz
word for: Inner city Poor Minorities.

This could create a challenge if there were no point of balance; the
positive presentation of people by race and economic stature.

Even on the inside, the grassroots of the populations that are
fictionalized, there is a fine line between being entertained or being
the non-paid cultural entertainer. These enclaves could become the
laughing stock of America's elite.

One documentary filmmaker from Germany called America "The Promised Land
", she went on to say that is why people in other countries both love
and hate America.

Questions::
1) Is it all about the show, the entertainment value ...is that what
America projects, is it?

2) Are we creating icon images of poverty, while affecting new young
generations.

3) Is it true that the rich get richer, and poor get poorer.

4) Is it true that only a small American segment is going to
economically prosper ?

:::There is a street in downtown Los Angeles that is on Skid Row, but in
the famous Toy District; during the day Winston St is lined with small
shops that sell toys, sunglasses, electronic devices and such...

http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/329/952908949230258/1600/z/57585/Photo%2053-763473.jpg

After 6:00pm it turns dim, dark and dusky. And into a crack alley
filled with 150 plus crackheads... rock cocaine addicts. Winston St. is
a one block from the Police Station and the police roll by like it is
not even there.

Until, its time to make a movie or television show, or film a hot sexy
urban hip hop music video.

Then the street is hosed down, sectioned off and the crackheads are run
off.

Until its time for the movie to end.

Then in less then one hour... all the drug addled humans go back to
killing themselves slowly, one block from Central City Police Hq.

Pop Fiction or Reality?

Imagine this: You are a young urban kid, lets say 10 or 11 years old.
Your school books are shabby, torn, and worn, many of the teachers are
careless with the task of educating you.

A block from your school, there is a fictionalized image on a huge
glossy billboard, interestingly the image looks like the area you live
in.

When you go home, you turn on the television and see more of those urban
images. However - now you see it wrapped in a catchy music video, with
half naked pretty girls, big 22 inch rims that spin, on cars that shine
like the bright morning sunlight.

For Christmas you ask for a video game with similar images and themes,
and over the next year the main media/branded images that you see
reflect a $50 million dollar branding campaign for a Urban Gangster,
drug dealer, lawless criminal, hip hop star, who also dates the females
in the movie posters you see on the wall outside your house.

Question:::

1) To a kid, is it real life, or fictionalized life?

2) Now, multiply the thoughts and confusion of that 1- kid X 10- million
kids = ?

3) Do the math equation, now answer the question: Real Life or
Fictionalized Life?

:::The struggle comes when New-Americans assume that those icon images
of urban life are true: the struggle and fight for the lower rung of
society.

That could breed race wars, enclaves of race-based gangs ... At war
because of a branding campaign for a movie, TV show, hip hop song, a
color of a tee shirt.

Maybe this is a big leap....or is it?

Advertising is a didactic medium, and when used correctly it can
educate, entertain, and create sales.

What are we teaching?

Stay tuned as American Pop Documentary continues this trek deeper into
land of pink bubble gum flavored media, it too is laced with broken
dreams, found dreams, popular culture challenges all around.

" ...What's Going On...? "

Pop: Zineland:: Hammer Museum

2007-07-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

On Sat July 14, 1,000s of people from around the globe went see and
experience "ZINELAND" at UCLA's Hammer Museum.

Creators of "zines", showcased their independent publications.

Zines are not new, self-publishing is not new. However, this event that
was held in a posh section of Westwood, Los Angeles was new because it
injected a subculture message back into mainstream popular culture. It
was embraced, by a wide range of consumer diversity.

Highbrow culture met lowbrow, and liteary magic was created.

The artist http://www.richardmcdowell.blogspot.com/, who is also
co-founder of Brass Tacks Books -- was there presenting, branding and
selling [his] company's 31 poetic books, dvds, and his teeshirt line
"LIFE AS A POET"

http://www.popdocumentary.blogspot.com/
The project: American Pop Documentary
All rights reserved, copyright william shepherd ©2007

Pop | Poverty

2007-07-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

These images were taken with my little phoneCAM. In american pop
culture we love to see the big show, and even on Skid Row there is a
show, or movie production set almost every day. Wow, that's a lot of
money.

This is a funny country where the contrast of real life meet art.

Real poverty captured in a fiction film. Guess that's why the people on
skid row feel unheard and not cared about.

Peace.
The project: American | Pop Documentary
All rights reserved, copyright william shepherd ©2007

POP: skateboard rebels

2007-07-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Pop:Wealth and Fame or Art+concern

2007-07-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

It is hard to imagine one of America's largest artists enclaves,
actually - it is not so much about art anymore!

The Los Angeles Artists District has roots back to the 70s and the punk era. There
are still a few global artists on the old block, a few mid-level artists
that work several jobs to keep their painting studios, so they can
paint, so they can add artistic value, and inspire America, teach the
art of form, and color.

Life as an Artist... that rich history has recently been discounted.

The moving trucks of newly rich, hardly famous pop stars cast a
different light, they bring a different ego, a skewed sense of concern!

However, the new faces on the block are much younger, and their stories
are filled with do you know so and so?

My agent is blah, blah, blah... That makes me an artist of great note.

Or does it?

Who will be the first to share time with the hundreds of homeless
children at 9th St School?

9th Street School is also indeed famous... So famous it is the only
school in the district that gets Federal funding - Mckinney/Vento Act -
based on the kid's homeless status...no child left behind, right?

http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2002-1/030802a.html

One thing I can say about the old guard in the Artists District, they
have great concern for diversity, the human condition, human rights.

POP:: Image Makers

2007-07-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

The project: will document the stories and creative treks of many
imagemakers. Those from the high gloss worlds of music, fashion and
film; as well as, pop stars that have simply found attention by flashing
pretty smiles.

Hence, they become the product. Their lives become faded, lives turn
into dusty icons that fold into simple trends. Their vision becomes
skewed with ego, wealth, and front page media heartbreak.

What is hip today might become passe'

Still, there will be a strong focus on visual and new media artists,
painters, photographers, poets, and writers that live in the
subculture(s) by choice. They are the rare breed that [inject] a spark
of discord back into mainstream America. They are the creators that
divert from the norm(s) of society, while walking the fine line of
economic poverty and artistic freedom.

Their only goal is to block and balance the media.

Culture Jamming at its best and worst...

Pop migrant imagemaker: Gita Khashabi Meh

2007-07-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

" ...We live in a [deconstructed] world, created in layers of space, there
are challenges. But all the doors are open. There is no magical door
to blessings, no window, no box to think within... It is all open. We
pray to see how big the blessing is, to see the different deconstructed
hues, tones and wonders. The Creator promised it all, we have to learn
to see..."

Gita's words: http://www.gitameh.com/wp/

Gita migrated from Iran, and is a Fine Artist, she has had nearly 40 different global art shows,
she is curator of two public art spaces in downtown Los Angeles, she
additionally was part of MOCA's "Wack ! Art and the Feminist Revelotion
Show"

http://www.gitameh.com/exhibitions.htm

She continues..." ...My group shows are not just about the art inside
the space, it is also about the people that live, and walk by my
gallery. They also become part of the show(s).

Gita's thoughts on the media, pop tv, press and such "...I don't ever
watch televison, don't read newspapers, I create my own news..."

...Art today is all about the experience, the sharing of life, planting
seeds of hopeful colors, helping the creator to bless the people.."

On that evening, as I spoke with Gita there was a downtown Los Angeles
"Art Gallery Walk", and 1,000s of diverse people from around the city
came down to the artists [hood], to share, party, see and get drunk,
learn and buy art.

One site of my work is at: http://www.gitameh.com

Pop imagemakers: lost souls

2007-07-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

Taggers, bombers, throwing tags, the new kids on the art block paint,
dance, and spit poetics as fast as Sean Combs changes names.

Is it pdiddy, puffy, sean puffy, or mr. Puffy?

Is that hip or hype?

Lost Souls is hipper then hype. An urban teahouse in Los Angeles that
has become a creative hive for the educated, young, gifted, and
hope-filled pop imagemakes.

Kids that grew-up on American Idol, and then turned on the wild monster
called American pop...

They are the new wave of culture jammers.

Pants sagging, hip hop dancing, diversity embracing, blunt smoking, late
teens to 20 something cultural misfits.

Phantom Pop Art Migration

2007-07-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here today... And then just gone.

That is the life-cycle of the Phantom Gallery: plant a few didactic
seeds of artistic vision in diverse sections of Los Angeles.

Adding a few brush strokes of life to remote buildings that lay empty
and waiting for lease or purchase, unlikely places for art shows one
would think...

While speaking with the curator from Iran, she began to explain her
responsibility: to lay the foundation for legacy, now, for her people
that will come into America, and be judged by America's pop culture
standards.

This artist, writer. curator had a very specific migration methodology,
with great passion she injected it into the very fabric we call popular
american culture: that evening she had works shown in 3 other local
venues, and at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA(The Wack! , Art and the
feminist Revoultion)...

I now begin to see the role of migrant pop artist.

Migrate.

* Think.

* Plant.

* Share.

* Grow.

* Migrate.

---------

Question:

1) Who are some of the biggest America Pop Stars, what is the value/
cultural worth of their responsibility ?

Pop imagemaker: Richard Mcdowell

2007-07-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

Richard Mcdowell tells a story of older artists: Picasso, Modigliani,
Renoir.

So, Pablo Picasso took Amedeo Modigliani out to see Renoir one day, and
Modigliani asks Renior ...how can a simple artist afford to live in a
wonderful villa of 28 rooms?

Renoir responds...I simply traded it for two paintings!

That seems to be how Pop was defined to Renoir. The price and value of
[human] creation.

1) What is pop to you ?

Pop culture is not pop art.

Pop culture is not so easy to define.

Pop art takes themes of our popular times and creates something.

2) Where does your art fit into popular culture ?

It doesn't., it can be a reflection of American tastes, economics,
politics. Richard feels there is much more behind pop then mainstream
america understands.

My art, the work, is a project all its own, it is not equal to the taste
of mass culture.

People like my work because they are smart, they can see the
reflection.

3) Is there a message you are injecting into the pop culture.

No comment.

4) Describe your work.

Co-Writer of 31 poetic books, screenplays, painter, tee shirt designer,
filmmaker, Aime/ 3d virtual DP/ scene integration designer.

He is a also a partner in a team that is creating what may be the
largest national major poetic fest ever. Additionally, he was the
owner of 835 Gallery.

One of the first, or one of the new breed of art gallery owners in
downtown. The new breed that created what is now called Gallery Row;
where thousands of people come once a month to view the latest trends,
or as Richard says ...come and party with the new kids on the block.

Richard makes a note: That he was the new breed, pre-gentrification.
An era of urban living that was based on the cost per sq. ft. Back in
the day... Late 2000, artists came downtown to have room to work. That
was a period when an artist could afford to have 2-3,000 sq ft of space
and pay .50 cent a foot.

However, Richard is not a label. He will however, enjoy owning a label.

He states he is only an artist that creates things that are real and
important to him, the focus on the body of art work that suggest a pattern
of concern.

Life as a poet

No tags, no brands, only one focus: that is toward creating potential.

5) What is your website.

Here is a new painting link.

Life in the city:
http://www.richardmcdowell.blogspot.com:

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2007-07-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

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