We are the artists, the musicians, the designers, the forward-thinkers, the connoisseurs, the tastemakers, the creative geniuses. We lead but do not follow. We are the future architects of the world. History will be kind to us, because we intend to write it…
Using powerful black and white, South African photographer Hannes Lochner captured these stunning images in Africa’s Kalahari Desert over a two-year period. “The Kalahari is a very dramatic and striking place to shoot and capture wildlife in some of its most wild locations,” says the 38-year-old.
Lochner, who who turned professional only four years ago, holds a special place in his heart for black and white photography. “‘What I always try to do is get a sense of personality out of the animals, some emotion,” he says. “Black and white has a lot more emotion for me. You get the affection, the feeling, and the sentiment in their eyes. It just tells more.”
The Kalahari desert is part of a huge sand basin that reaches from the Orange River up to Angola, in the west to Namibia, and in the east to Zimbabwe. Spanning an incredible 350,000 square miles, it is the home of the San Bushmen, who have lived in the desert for up to 20,000 years. [Via]
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band, formed in 1991 in Los Angeles, California. The band’s line-up comprises vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. Critics have noted Rage Against the Machine for its “fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail of punk, hip-hop, and thrash.” Rage Against the Machine drew inspiration from early heavy metal instrumentation, as well as rap acts such as Afrika Bambaataa, Public Enemy and Urban Dance Squad.
In 1992, the band released its self-titled debut album, which became a commercial success, leading to a slot in the 1993 Lollapalooza. The band did not release a follow-up record until 1996, with Evil Empire. The band’s third album The Battle of Los Angeles was released in 1999. During their initial nine year run, they became one of the most popular and influential political bands in contemporary music
Integral to their identity as a band, Rage Against the Machine voice revolutionary viewpoints highly critical of the domestic and foreign policies of current and previous US governments. Throughout its existence, RATM and its individual members participated in political protests and other activism to advocate these beliefs. The band primarily saw its music as a vehicle for social activism; De la Rocha explained that “I’m interested in spreading those ideas through art, because music has the power to cross borders, to break military sieges and to establish real dialogue.”
Most recently, Rage Against the Machine performed a benefit concert at the Hollywood Palladium to boycott Arizona because of its new and restrictive immigration law (SB 1070). The proceeds from the show went to Sound Strike, an organization fighting against Arizona’s law. De la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, singer-songwriter Conor Oberst and United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta all threw their support behind Sound Strike, an artists’ boycott of Arizona.
João Pina, opens up a fearless view into the parallel universe of Rio de Janeiro: Favela and Asfalto. It is quite rare that one gets such an up-close and personal look inside the slums of Rio de Janeiro. One can see hand-to-hand drug dealings, young gangsters posing with their weapons, as well as a priest who has made exorcism his mission, because he feels there is no other hope left for these young men. It is a captivating journey through the somber reality of this antithetic megacity, Rio de Janeiro. [Via]
Scott Pommier’s interest in photography began when he started using his mother’s semi-automatic SLR to take pictures of his friends skateboarding. Since then, he has shot covers for every major skateboarding publication and now divides his time between his position as a senior photographer for SBC Skateboard magazine, a variety of editorial and commercial jobs, a book project to be completed next year, and spending more hours either behind the wheel or in front of the computer than he ever imagined possible.
Introducing a new kind of creative event, open to public, which takes over MIS, Museu da Imagem e do Som in São Paulo, Brazil, and presents live collaborated work in progress processes by more than 100 selected artists from around the world, featuring live art, music & audiovisuals; performances, video screenings, round tables, workshops and many unpredictable social consequences. 7 weeks of non-stop serious art fun. Only for the happy, the gifted, the curious and the open minded.
ROJO NOVA is an interactive, full-environmental experience utilizing color, light, textures, music and design, in the form of collaborative and integrated compositions by a wide range of artists from around the world. From hand-made illustrations to large scale murals to modern digital art; moving image to multimedia convergence, art will be made without the limitations or restrictions of traditional format and will rely heavily on the magic of live improvisation. During this constantly evolving and mutating exhibition, the creative process are to be witnessed as an ongoing work in progress rife with experimentation, challenging traditional and contemporary techniques and the bending of modern technology.
