What happens when you ask ordinary people around the world what they think of America? Do we want to know? It’s not so bad actually, at least if you’re not George Bush. Photographer Lauri Lyons latest project, Flag International (2008), documents precisely this question through photography, HD video, audio and hand written text from a host of characters across the continent of Europe. As a follow-up to her first book project, Flag: An American Story (2001), which documented American’s ideas about themselves, Lyons decided to trek across 8 countries in 8 weeks to investigate a 21st century international perspective on America. With a backpack, camera gear, a few American flags, assistants found in local communities and trained on the spot and, a list of friends of friends, Lyons layed the groundwork for, Flag International.

(Images left to right: Lauri Lyons, The Flag International book cover photographed in Italy and a portrait from the book, photographed in England.)

Spontaneity was a huge element in Lyon’s creative process on the project. Subjects were approached on the street, asked if they would like to participate, handed a sketchbook in which to write their comments on America and then asked to pose with the American flag, however they wanted to, for a photograph. Sometimes it took a bit of convincing, debate or negotiation to get subjects on board, but collaboration as part of the artistic process is one of Lyon’s staples, “The intention of the Flag International series is to inspire a dialogue about cultural understanding within a global framework. Cultural understanding is not only how a people or a nation views itself, but also how the world views you.”

(Images left to right: Lauri Lyons, Portraits from Flag International, photographed in Italy and Germany.)

In Lyon’s travels she came across, children of Algerian revolutionaries, wealthy Muslim shopaholics, beer drinking Germans, Holocaust Survivors, European B-Boys and B-Girls, Indian, Mexican and African immigrants, and a host of others. The experience revealed a changing Europe. One no longer ruled by homogeneity and ancient history. Lyons notes in the Flag International book essay, “The new Europe is a dynamic, cosmopolitan, and ethnically diverse continent with a youthful push towards a unification of cultures and resources. The new Europe reminded me of the idea of America, which constitutes a vast array of people striving to create a new way of being. As I traveled throughout Ireland, England, Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, I could not help but to wonder how the new Europe will deal with the same old challenges facing America such as nationalism, immigration, racism, fundamentalism, and apathy.” Check out Flag International to find out what our peeps overseas had to say about the good ‘ol USA!

(Image: Photographer Lauri Lyons, photographed in Harlem, USA.)

Buy Flag International! Listen/Watch the Flag International podcast/video! Images from Flag International are on view as part of the POSITIVITY show Curated by Jamel Shabazz at the Corridor Gallery in Brooklyn until July 26th.

Worldwide street artist Blu’s latest short film, MUTO, silences words.  Other than faint echoes of Scorpionic astrological symbolism – the cycle of death and re-birth – and perhaps remote references to the lurking presence of culture vultures amongst us, Blu’s creativity stretches habitual cognition and leaves viewers amazed, and perhaps with a “?”. Watch the video…

(Image: MARK (iced out), from 2008 Kendell Carter exhibition, Common Ground, at moniquemeloche, Chicago.)

The first thing I think of when looking at Kendell Carter’s work is: FUN, with a refined touch. Something that maybe a lyrically dapper rapper like Slick Rick, from back in the day, might conjure up as a visual art aesthetic. Clean simple and straight to the point, yet clearly sophisticated in its delivery. Carter’s work is both a respectable nod to fun, one of the quintessential original elements of hip-hop culture, and a graceful rendition of a high art vibration choreographed with around the way materials. Most interesting is Carter’s sublime positioning of himself, through his artwork, as an intellectual heir to the hip-hop canon.

(Images left to right: Kendell Carter, Tradizzle Chairs (black Gucci), 2006,  re-upholstered Louis XIV armchairs: ripstop nylon and wood . Kendell Carter,  Kangol Lamps, 2006, Kangol hats, half-chrome light bulbs, light fixtures and metal bowls. Images courtesy the artist and moniquemeloche, Chicago.)

His work is probably accessible to most people through sound bites that include words like, “bling”, “ghetto” and “hip-hop”. Or even through an internal struggle over whether to love or hate a movement that has permeated global pop culture. But, for anyone to be so creative in their expression of an art form in a context outside of that art forms spiritual home, suggests a much deeper motivation and message. To this end, the works somewhat abstract and object oriented nature is less of a comment on hip-hop culture and more of an ode to it.

(Image: Kendell Carter, Cultural Construct Experiment (Black), installation view at Mark Moore Gallery, 2007.)

Carter’s play on notions of high art and low art, decorative arts and ghetto aesthetics, is read most easily as a postmodern dance, but for those tuned to the spaces between the notes his work gives honor to a classic American art form, hip-hop, that has now become kitsch rap. (Similar to smooth jazz – easy on the intellect, comforting in its familiarity – in comparison to a classic Coltrane cut – soulful, innovative, transcendental.) Through sculpture, installation, painting and mixed media, Carter’s art speaks to a discourse on form, substance and language that can happen within and across multiple layers of culture. Elegantly tiered Kangol and wave cap hanging lamps re-purpose aesthetic and process oriented artifacts of hip hop style. Head gear that once perched atop the sacred mind of many an MC, and bubble jackets and hoodies that styled and protected the body, now lay back and chill in both contemporary and historical space. Letting all who enter know the art form known as hip-hop is far more than meets the eye.

(Image: Kendell Carter, #1 (I love you) from the Series Sweet Things, 2007, graphite on paper doily. Courtesy the artist and moniquemeloche, Chicago.)

Kendell Carter lives and works in Long Beach, CA and is represented by moniquemeloche, Chicago, IL.

Many ladies who came of age during the birth of hip-hop are B-Girlz at heart and that trend hasn’t stopped for the generations that followed. In celebration of the creativity of gutsy girlz with dynamic style and non-stop energy who mastered skillz in all aspects of hip-hop from the early days up until this moment, We B*Girlz is presenting the 1-month We B*Girlz Festival 2008 in Berlin, Germany this August. The organization, founded by Martha Cooper and Nika Kramer, aims to present strong, smart, independent B-Girlz and other hip-hop females as role models for upcoming generations, and to highlight the significant place for and history of women in the worldwide culture of hip-hop.

(Image: The Queens of Graffiti series, a collection of screenprinted portraits of outstanding female graffiti artists from around the world, on view at the Hip Hop Ladies With Attitude – Jammin’ Fresh & Def exhibition.)

Overall the multimedia festival’s intent is to provide a platform for girls and young women from different nations and cultural backgrounds to make contacts, exchange ideas and support each other. A highlight of the festival will be the visual art exhibition, Hip Hop Ladies With Attitude – Jammin’ Fresh & Def, organized by AnAttitude Magazine (Belgium) and Catfight Magazine (Holland) from 8/22-8/31/08. The 10-day exhibit will showcase live art in the form of Style Battles (8/28) and Graffiti Jams (8/29) featuring artists like Faith47 (South Africa), Shiro (Japan) and Mad C (Germany). Other artists such as, Roxanne Shante, Bahamadia, Toofly and Asia One, will all be in effect throughout the month representing MC, graf and breakin’ skills. In a packed schedule of events and activities, girls will gain knowledge, skills and tools to develop their creative prowess in all elements of hip-hop culture. The We B*Girlz Festival will also teach participants how to document their artistic output through workshops in video editing, photography and web design. Music, club nights and a film festival will round out the month long celebration and will close with a final flurry of battles, shows and a concert on the last weekend in August. The entire event will be documented in a compilation CD, magazine and DVD.

Event sponsors include Hauptstadtkulturfonds, Montana Cans and many more. For more info click here!