Department of Public Works

It's Been a Good Run.

2011-08-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

Effective immediately, we, the Department of Public Works, would like to tender our resignation from the arena and spectacle of public affairs. It has been our pleasure and honor to serve you. We will continue to keep this website and our flickr archives up. Thank you and good-day.

The Department Archives

R&D: Interisland Terminal Parts The Veil On Their Big New Project

2011-06-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

R&D Indiegogo from Interisland Terminal on Vimeo.

This. Is. BIG.

I've been following the exhibitions and pop-up stores and competitions of Interisland Terminal since their inception, but this, this project, is truly one of those "A-HA" moments.

I'm sure that nearly everyone has transformed a coffee shop or a restaurant into a makeshift workshop, with mixed, and often logistically problematic, results.

Fear not. Interisland Terminal's new space, R&D, slated to open this summmer in Kakaako, is aiming to give us that space—that ideal space—that we've all been searching for. Gone are the days of huddling six people to one table at your local Starbucks, where there's one power outlet in your area with thirty other people vying to connect. Say goodbye to fleshing out ideas over fettuccine and free focaccia, where mock ups and drawings spill over into neighboring tables, where the waiter, rightly so, has already left the check and halted water refills.

Yes, there will be coffee (essential), a curated selection of books (inspiring), and other creative accoutrement to help get your mind geared up. Call it a brick-and-mortar for brainstorming.

Although it looks like they're well on their way to approaching their goal, help get them to 7,500, or even 10G's! The more money they have, the better equipped the space will be for you. For as little as ten bucks, you can help bring to life a space that Honolulu needs, a space that you need.

To donate, check out the link below:
www.indiegogo.com/Interisland-Terminal

For more on Interisland Terminal, jet to their website:
www.interislandterminal.org

B. Lo: Mr. Solo Dolo's Opening Party Photos

2011-06-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

A few photos from the opening reception for Brian Lo's Solo exhibition, In Between States, at GOHA. enjoy!

hand: Kristie Sagara

Vincent Ricafort, of the Creative Research Co-Op, interviews B.Lo (also a member of the CRC)

Kristie Sagara,stoked

Carolyn Mirante, Director of GOHA, and B.Lo

Kristie Sagara and B.Lo

Vincent Ricafort

Melanie Shoda, Matthew Yee, me, Andrew Lee, Kristie Sagara, B.Lo, Mike Orbito

The Man Himself

Also, please check out a short write up that I did on B.Lo for Flux Hawaii, which you can read here.

In Between States, with Brian Lo

2011-05-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

In September 2010 we did a very small (dare I say — "cute") recap of homie Brian Lo's MFA thesis exhibition. Last week the Alaska-native-turned-kama`aina graduated and next month he'll be making his foray into the world of art official at the Gallery of Hawaii Artists (GOHA). We could pontificate forever about the layers of meaning in Brian's work, or, you could just see it yourself by coming to his opening on Friday, June 10, at GOHA at the Waikiki Landmark Hotel.

For more on Brian:
brianclo.com

A Long Overdue Update

2011-05-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

So much to blog about, so little time. Here we go:

Jason Teraoka, one of my favorite Hawaii artists, just launched a new website. It’s super pimp, check it out pronto. I had the privilege of interviewing Teraoka for the forthcoming issue of Flux Hawaii Magazine, so please check that out as well. It hits stands tomorrow.

www.jasonteraoka.com

Deborah Nehmad, another of my favorite Hawaii artists, gets mentioned in a New York Times art review, which you can read here. Her work sits alongside Richard Serra and Jasper Johns and Sol LeWitt, which is beyond bonkers. I had the privilege of interviewing Nehmad, too, for Flux, so please check that out as well.

www.deborahnehmad.com

Chad Uyeno, one of the featured artists in The SHHHOW, is a mysterious man. Recently, he launched a new tumblr, with photographs from his home, in LA, and on the road, in Asia. He told me, several months ago, that he was headed to Southeast Asia on assignment; for whom, though, he did not say. From the looks of it, he’s in Cambodia at the moment. Follow him on tumblr.

www.trnscndone.tumblr.com

This seems to be the year of the homie’s designing album covers. First Mike Lau, now Annie Nguyen, who designed the cover for Elos’s new album. It’s startlingly different, stylistically speaking, from her previous work, and I dig it a lot. She and her crew, Space and Sound, are putting on a show, with Free The Robots, on May 15th, at Next Door. Should be a banger.

www.annienguyen.net

Vincent Ricafort and Gary Saito both have work in the newest show by the Analog Sunshine Recorders, which is on display at Peace Café until July 1st. These guys are doing really fresh shows; I missed the first one, at The Manifest, but caught the second one, at 39 Hotel. The presentation was insane, and I love the way they approach putting together group shows as well.

Lisa Yamada, the editor of Flux Hawaii, is the real deal. Not only is she a phenomenal editor (my piece for the newest issue, thanks to her guidance and editorial presence, is the best thing I’ve ever written.) but she’s also putting together amazing events, too. CMA Hawaii and Flux are partnering with The Waikiki EDITION Hotel to promote arts and music education in Hawaii, with a series of talk story sessions. The line up of speakers is awe-inspiring.

www.fluxhawaii.com

Robzilla destroys cities, towns,with fiery remixes of tired radio songs

2011-04-29T02:48:00.000-07:00

It's overplayed. Throw a rock and you'll likely hit a local radio station that's playing Jeremih's Down on Me for the umpteenth millionth time that day. And just for fun, I enjoy jokingly telling my girlfriend that I love it when she "puts that booty down on me," although, I think I find more amusement in that she gets mildly grossed out when I speak it, eliciting the requisite "ew." Anyway, irony aside, I'm convinced that besides that part of the population that actually liked the song when it first came out, the rest of the western world is probably sick to death of it. No problem. Robzilla to the rescue — his dancehall remix of this oh-too-familiar track is nothing short of fuckin' fire.

Jeremih - Down On Me [ft. 50 Cent] [Robzilla dancehall edit] - 100 DL limit by robzilla212
I might even start singing this one for real this time. For more of Robzilla's remixes, find him at:

http://soundcloud.com/robzilla212

The Hungry Eye, with Tasha Johnson

2011-04-21T11:50:00.001-07:00

Video by Mike Orbito
Mike's the only videographer (fact is — it's kind of an insult to call him simply a videographer) I know of that can crank out two videos in the span of a day, that is, two very high quality videos. This one's a bit different from his norm; he's used to dealing with candids, documenting an event or an occasion, where his subject matter is generally more spontaneous and significantly less scripted. This time, we're on a photo shoot, with a model that obviously knows what she's doing — and yet, in true Mike Orbito fashion, he's still able to capture subtle expressions, body language, and movement in a way that portrays the person behind the professional.

King of Kalihi @ KVIBE

2011-04-17T14:40:00.001-07:00

Video by Mike Orbito
Words really cannot describe how I feel about the kids of Kalihi — to be included as part of their ohana, and to feel some kind of validation that simply being a human being for 35 years on this Earth is enough to contribute to the future — simply by giving part of myself. And even though I am leaving as Program Coordinator, the kids have given me something that I will cherish forever: the hope that there is hope. I would like to thank Mike Orbito for this amazing video that will stand as a testament to the kids of Kalihi — forever.

Cake War! Err... What?

2011-03-30T03:44:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit my interest was piqued when fellow The Shhhow artist Lauren Jo spoke of "Cake War." Supposedly it's an all-out, no-holds-barred, battle-to-the-finish: an epic clash of the sculptural, glassical, and ceramical titans. Say what? And the event's flyer further adds to its ambiguity — the image of two anthropomorphic cakes devouring each other is mildly disturbing, to say the least. Perhaps it's more akin to the idea of hiphop battling, or "breakdance fighting," a test of wits, style, and skill. May the best cake win.

(Apparently it's being judged by the equally insane Intersections artist, Arti Grabowski.)

Sunday!Sunday!Sunday!

2011-03-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

If you've a penchant for complaining about Hawaii's lack of creative Get-Togethers, or places where you can trade ideas on art and the like with your peers, or learn how to, say, make a pinhole camera, then it's high time you shut the front door.

Vincent Ricafort and The Creative Research Cooperative are generously hosting "Sunday Studio," at their Chinatown loft, this and every Sunday, an event which will, i'm sure, mitigate all the aforementioned complaints.

For more information, check out The Creative Research Cooperative here:
www.crc-op.com

Honolulu Twestival 2011

2011-03-23T03:17:00.000-07:00

So I just discovered that an event called the Twestival is about to go down this Thursday, March 24th. This is the first time I've heard of such a thing & completely ingenius if I might add.

If you haven't put one & one together it's a "Twitter Festival." In their words a Twestival "uses social media for social good by connecting communities offline on a single day to highlight a great cause and have fun."

One hundred percent of all ticket sales from this event will go directly to a local charity.
The cause in this instance is the Blood Bank of Hawaii.

Jason Tom performs @ the Cultural Plaza

As if that wasn't reason enough to check it out, my good friend, Jason Tom, beatbox/vocal extraordinaire & all around hyperactive, super nice guy is headlining the event. I've seen kids look up in awe as his audiences try their best to unsuccessfully imitate him. I've also seen their parents scratch their heads trying to figure out where the sound is coming from when Jason's onstage.

Kamuela Kahoano @ Easy Music Center

Also performing this Thursday will be another close friend & ridiculously talented musician, Kamuela Kahoano. If you haven't seen him go nuts on a stage yet, now is your chance before he skyrockets off to international stardom. His songs will make you hold on tight to a loved one, laugh your head off or just straight up inspire you to grab the closest thing that makes noise & try to write a song with it. The dude is passion incarnate & if he's a part of any kind of event it's gonna be one heck of a ride.

Also performing are Willow Chang & Emi Hart. If they came Jason Tom recommended
then they're sure to be just as musically insane.

It's $20 presale, $25 at the door. Remember It's for the Blood Bank of Hawaii and Hawaii Red Cross (Japan relief efforts). So you got no excuse.

Show starts at 5pm at The Venue in Bethel St.

For more info on the event check out:
http://honolulu.twestival.com/

Kokua Japan, by Ginger13

2011-03-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Cindy Yokoyama, the diabolical mastermind behind Ginger 13, is offering a very un-diabolical limited collection for sale, the proceeds of which will go to the Red Cross to assist Japan in their time of need. Cindy has been creating her own jewelry which is a blend of her love for art and design, utilizing many of the natural resources found in Hawaii. Gambatte Kudasai!

Visit her site for more:
www.ginger13.com

Obake: A Short Film,by Christopher Yogi

2011-03-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

OK, so here's the deal: Chris Yogi, a Hawaii-born, Los Angeles-based filmmaker, is gearing up to shoot his latest project, Obake: A Short Film, here in Hawaii, and he could use some help.

How so? Film—that beautiful, flickering, nothing-looks-quite-like-it medium—is seriously expensive, and Chris needs about 5 G's to get this film off the ground. In terms of a film budget, that's pennies. (Seriously. I'd gather that five thousand, on a normal film budget, would barely pay for 'Party-Kine Stuff' for the cast and crew's after party; see: 'Miscellaneous Items').

I had the privilege of interviewing Yogi, two years ago, for Flux Hawaii, and was instantly struck by his commitment to making films about Hawaii, in Hawaii. (FYI Chris will be hiring an entirely local cast and crew for this project.) At the time of this writing, Chris has raised 1,165 bones, and is well on his way to getting this film made.

Check out two of Chris's short films, both of which i highly recommend:

November Ninth, We Stayed Up Late from Christopher Yogi on Vimeo.

Maps from Christopher Yogi on Vimeo.

And, if you haven't seen it yet, see the video Chris directed for The Jump Offs (peep the awesome vintage footage!):

The Jump Offs - After Party Conversations from Christopher Yogi on Vimeo.

SEE how you can help kickstart Chris's film:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/chrisyogi/obake-a-short-film

VISIT Chris's website:
www.makotoyogi.squarespace.com

Nightlife / Daylife

2011-03-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

If, by some weird circumstance, you happen to be both a reader of this blog and someone who lives, or will be, in the Tucson area this coming Saturday, then, by all means, check out "Nightlife / Daylife," an exhibition of photographs by Grady Gillan, and murals by Ed Muren III, at Circa79 Salon. Should be Boomworthy.

VISIT Circa79 Salon (part-salon, part-gallery space):
www.circa79salon.com

SEE Grady Gillan's photographs:
www.gradygillan.com

The Beaches Are Dirty

2011-03-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

Album Cover: Mike Lau

The first time i saw this photo, by Mike Lau, featured above, i was like, "WOW." This is an amazing photograph, i told him. That was months ago, and it was alongside other photographs, one of which was, he told me, to be considered, quite possibly, for the album cover art for the debut album of Dirty Beaches. It was the label's call, though, and the likelihood of this photo ending up on the cover seemed, at least at the time, incredibly slim.

Fast-forward a few months and, holy fuck, the label picked this stunner for the cover! A quick google search for "Dirty Beaches" and "Badlands" revealed, to my surprise, that blogs the world over are pimping this album, and, along with it, Mike Lau's album art. Damn. It's even on Pitchfork. WOW. Congrats, Mike, and congrats to Alex on his debut album, which is getting some amazing reviews.

LISTEN to Dirty Beaches:
www.myspace.com/dirtybeaches

LOOK at Mike Lau's photographs:
www.nakedbrunchnyc.tumblr.com

What's New With Chris Drew?

2011-02-21T22:20:00.000-08:00

THIS. Our homie, Chris Drew, formerly from Kailua, is now killing it in Cali, and he's doing it for a big time news station. Wow.

Space & Sound x Hawaii Camera StylePhoto Contest!

2011-02-15T04:12:00.000-08:00

photo by Annie Nguyen

My favorite cohort in coffee, and one of the featured artists in The SHHHOW, Annie Nguyen, and her crew, Space and Sound, have teamed up with Rid Sevilla, of Hawaii Camera Style, for a photo contest.

The objective? Capture Space and Sound in a photograph, be it analog or digital. Now, this may sound like a fairly easy task, but man, it's a definite head-scratcher, and will, i'm fairly certain, force contestants to think and work outside their comfort zones. (Annie: can my submission be a portrait shot of the four of you? Or-or no?) You have until March 1, so get it, tigers and tigresses!

For more information on prizes and how to submit your photo of Space and Sound, follow the link below!:

Space and Sound x Hawaii Camera Style Photo Contest

And, Please Peep:

www.spaceandsound.org
www.hawaiicamerastyle.com

The Rej3ctz"Cat Daddy (Robzilla Edit)"

2011-02-13T21:21:00.000-08:00

Robzilla owning the streets on a bmx

Robzilla, pictured above, just dropped this tasty edit. You should pick it up. (Caution: shit is hot)

The Rej3ctz - Cat Daddy [Robzilla edit] - limited to 100 downloads by robzilla212

Aloha Friday, The Hana Hou Edition

2011-02-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

Aloha Friday, Issue 2, by Grady Gillan.
Photos: Jared Yamanuha

Sequels, by and large, suck balls. They're freighted with a certain self-awareness ('Will it live up to, or be better than, the first?' they always ask); they're obsessed with the overwhelming urge to add more (as if sheer volume alone will suffice), and, in the eyes of the audience, will always, no matter what, be compared to the first. Follow up in a similar fashion, and they'll say it's the same old shit; veer too far off-course, and they'll say you fell the fuck off. Call it the sophomore slump syndrome.

There are exceptions, of course, and Grady Gillan's Aloha Friday Zine, Issue Two, falls into this rather tiny minority. Gillan's tightly curated selections, which were, I imagine, pulled from hundreds of photographs, stun. (My personal favorites are the front cover, pictured above, and the center spread, seen below). Grady's second issue certainly lives up to, and surpasses, the first, for reasons that are obvious once you get both copies in your hand.

In case you missed the first issue, it's still available, for the paltry sum of 4 dollars (six bucks if your current residence is located outside Planet Earth), here. And, for those looking to get the second issue, Grady's having a release party next week (click here for details), where copies of issue 2 will be available for purchase for $3.

For more info on Grady, check him out here:
www.gradygillan.com

Space&Sound present:BEARMOD @ Next Door

2011-01-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

Flyer Design: Annie Nguyen

This Saturday, Space & Sound, a Honolulu-based art and music collective, are delivering another audio-visual extravaganza, and yes, it should be nothing short of mind-blowingly amazing. (These are the same people who, a while back, brought Nosaj Thing and Teebs to these here shores.) This time, it's Bearmod, the Hawaii-born, Montreal-based madman who makes his debut, in Hawaii, tomorrow night. Expect to be wowed, people! (Congrats, Annie!)

Space&Sound present:

BEARMOD
@ Next Door
Saturday, January 15th
Beats by DJ Packo & More
21+
Doors open @9pm
$10

For more info on Space&Sound, check out their website:

www.spaceandsound.org

Alt/Air EP Release Partaaayyy!

2011-01-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

Alt/Air logo by Matthew Yee / EP design by Mark Kushimi
Aly Ishikuni has been known, over the last year, as one-half of the new electro pop sound sensation Alt/Air. Partnered in crime with the other half of this perfect partnering (Did I say 'partner' twice? I did.) is Brandon Udani, charged with the heavy responsibility of creating the perfect beats to Aly's mutant ability — as the ancients called it — to "belt," making most of her audience wonder, in awe, how so much voice can come out of so tiny a girl. Late last year Aly asked me to design the Alt/Air logo. Two versions were made, one won, and Contrast's Art Director Mark Kushimi created the gorgeous EP album design. Here's one of their tracks, entitled "Dreambeats," off the new EP:

Dreambeats by Alt/Air
Alt/Air EP Release Party, Saturday, January 8
9-2am @ NextDoor, 21+, $5

In Passage,by Joey Trisolini

2011-01-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

Joey Trisolini, in good company. Photo: Jared Yamanuha

The globetrotting, game-spitting, picture-making madman, Joey Trisolini, just pressed up a new book of photographs, and boy, does it dazzle. Gorgeous photos, juxtaposed with diaristic entries on scraps of paper, detail the former Kaaawa native's exploits in Italy: encounters with strangers, intimate portraits of relatives, painterly landscapes, serendipitous moments possible only through photography. Trisolini pressed 40 copies, and I was lucky enough to grab one before they vanished (number 12!). Here's a preview of In Passage. (Congrats, Joey! Thanks for the shot-out in the credits!)

visit Trisolini:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trisoliniandsau

Heather Rowe, Interisland Terminal, and the Best Exhibition of 2010

2010-12-13T00:58:00.000-08:00

All photos courtesy of Paul Wagner / Interisland Terminal

It still puzzles me that building materials—once they’ve been plucked from the world of construction, and fashioned together in an ostensibly utilitarian manner, in a gallery space—could be transformed into art.

In fact, minutes after leaving The Framed Guests, Heather Rowe’s site-specific sculptural installation, at the Haigo and Irene Shen Architecture Gallery, I was convinced that I’d just seen the best contemporary art exhibition of the year.

Yes, I know. I have a penchant for hyperbole. (I’ll still stick to my previous statements that the Yoshihiro Suda show, at The Contemporary Museum, is the best contemporary art exhibition I’ve ever seen in Hawaii, and that From Whistler to Warhol: Modernism on Paper, at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, forever altered my perception of the museum as an Asian-art centric institution). But today, after careful deliberation, The Framed Guests—presented by Interisland Terminal, the University of Hawaii Department of Art and Art History’s Intersections artist program, and the University of Hawaii’s School of Architecture—joins my list of personal favorites.

-

To the superficial eye, The Framed Guests appears to be nothing more than the hallowed shell of an abandoned construction project. (Indeed, the skeletal vestiges could, perhaps, hint at the global credit crisis and the collapse of the housing market.) Closer inspection, however, reveals its complexities. Rowe’s quadripartite sculpture, which consists of zigzagging wall structures, echoes the actual wall of the gallery. It’s as if slivers of the wall were cut out like pieces of cake, and fanned out across the gallery floor. Given the materials Rowe uses—sheetrock, metal studs, rubber molding, wood, carpet, wallpaper—it could pass for something functional. But functionality, I’m guessing, isn’t a main concern for Rowe, who seems intent on trying to change the way we see, and how we see it.

Tucked behind sheetrock and wood, visible only via the mirror shards that Rowe places on the sides of the beams, are slender sheets of wallpaper, hot pinkish and studded with the leaves of palm trees. When I first spotted the wallpaper, it seemed an epiphany, analogous to the moment, in Mulholland Drive, when I realized that the first two-thirds of the movie were just a dream. (As a matter of fact, just to be safe, I peered behind the beams to make sure that what I saw reflected in the mirrors was actually there. Phew.)

Movies, Rowe mentions in several press releases, are a big influence. That made sense, given that The Framed Guests seems to have a certain narrative presence: it feels like it unfolds in time. As you move along the piece, you see different things, and—gasp!—you see yourself, too. That’s the thing with The Framed Guests: it seems very Godardian, very self-reflexive. It’s as if you, the viewer, are implicated in the piece, moment to moment, second to second. As you trail along the façade, you see yourself, and, immediately, it’s a disorienting experience: like Godard’s protagonists who stare directly into the camera and address you, Rowe’s mirrors launch you directly into discourse with the piece, and Rowe makes sure that you know you’re there. In effect, the viewer becomes the subject of the piece, and the tools Rowe uses—sheetrock, wood, mirrors, carpet—are simply there to facilitate that experience. Like Whoa, indeed.

Cinema aside, Rowe’s work owes much to the minimalists and post-minimalists, who freed sculpture from the pedestal, took it to the floor, and, subsequently, led it to engulf entire volumes, entire galleries. That’s what Rowe’s piece is: an installation, a sculptural piece that requires the entire space of the gallery in which it is placed. (Think of the unused area of the gallery as negative space.) Yet what separates her from her predecessors is her insistence on joining architecture with art, in a way that seems unprecedented. Not only does Rowe’s work import some of the same materials from architecture into high art, but she also adopts some of the same vocabulary (making walls, say) as architects, but to startlingly different end results. Rowe’s work makes us look at walls, at boring structural components, in brave new ways, and that’s the genius behind The Framed Guests.

What’s refreshing, too, about Rowe, is that her work doesn’t beat the viewer over the head intellectually. She doesn’t seem like one who feels the need to proselytize, to spread some art-historical gospel about her work, and yet, it insinuates so much. I could go on, for pages and pages, probably, about why Rowe’s work is so special, but, long story short, The Framed Guests challenged me in way that not much art, as of late, has challenged me.

-

Thanks to Interisland Terminal—the au courant cultural coterie behind this, and so many other amazing exhibitions—for bringing Heather Rowe, and her brand of sculptural installations, to Hawaii. (Insert requisite superlative here.)

visit:
www.interislandterminal.org

PaperworkMatthew Yee + Jared Yamanuha

2010-12-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

Photo: Melanie Shoda / Custom Lettering: Matthew Yee

"Paperwork," currently on view at Borders Ward Centre, until January 31, 2011, is a small two-man show featuring work by me and Matthew Yee. I put together some photo collages, and Matt dropped some insane lettering in the form of ambiguous quotations (Can anyone guess the provenance?). A big thank you to Kawika, at Borders, for allowing us to show work there for the second time!

Purchasing Inquiries:

Matthew Yee (lettering, mysterious quotations on white paper, with black ink):

evilgeniusllc@gmail.com

Jared Yamanuha (flowers, fireworks, UFO's against black backgrounds, photographic collages):

jyamas@gmail.com

Can you find The Shhhow?

2010-12-01T11:54:00.001-08:00

30 days. 30 clues. Can you find The Shhhow?
On display 12/1 - 2/28. It's up as of 12/1 @ 3 am. Go git it.
theshhhow.tumblr.com

Luxury Row

2010-11-24T22:23:00.000-08:00

To Hell and Back, Jason Teraoka

The only time it's socially acceptable for a lowlife like me to enter Chanel, located on Waikiki's Luxury Row, is for an event involving art. That said, Evil G and I went down to check out the work of Jason Teraoka (thanks for the invite!) and the other artists featured in the Contemporary Museum's 2010 Biennial at Chanel's Art Gallery, on the third floor. I was really surprised to discover fresh works that were complimentary to that which is currently on view at the Museum. (The show at the Chanel Gallery feels like a surprise dessert that sails to your table after a more-than-satisfying meal proffered in Makiki.)

works on vellum, by Jason Teraoka. His brushwork is best seen close-up, in person

work made out of woven plastic bags, by Maika'i Tubbs.

poppy fields made of plastic, by Maika'i Tubbs

On the first floor, this amazing sculpture, cast in bronze, by John Koga, an inviting and playful piece that seems light, weightless

Meet Chris Drew

2010-11-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

Video by Mike Orbito
Jared talks to motion graphics god Chris Drew about little and big cocks, the politics of slang, the Legend of Zelda, and his feelings about leaving Hawaii for a new work opportunity in LA. View more of Chris' work here.

This is the Department of Public Works

2010-11-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

So we made a shirt...

Photography: Mike Orbito / Typography: Matthew Yee / Modeling: Joo Hee Sohn / Styling: Melanie Shoda @ Dept.50

A DEPT OF PUBLIC WORKS & FILTERD COLLABORATION
Limited Edition of 100 Shirts

Big mahalos to model Joo Hee Sohn and Melanie Shoda at Dept.50 for the assistance!

Tribute to the late Michael Larsen aka EYEDEA

2010-11-05T04:19:00.000-07:00

Eyedea performing live @ Wave Waikiki
photo by Jared Yamanuha

Slug and Eyedea - 'Farmers and Turntables' Freestyle by dept

Eyedea Freestyle, Live @ Fat Beats in Los Angeles by dept

Kanser feat. Eyedea and Glorious L - 5 MC's Away by dept

The first time i heard Eyedea, it seemed too good to be true. How in the world, i wondered, was this kid, just 15 years old, able to rhyme as good, if not better, than dudes in their 20's and 30's? The word prodigy came to mind and Eyedea, without question, epitomized precociousness. You could tell from the beginning, from the way that Eyedea confidently carried himself, that he was destined for greatness. I followed him for years after that, as he went on to win the MC battle at Scribble Jam in 1999 (the Super Bowl of freestyle rapping) and the Blaze Battle (Eyedea barely broke a sweat, dismissing dilettantes on national television with ease). It's true, he was known for his freestyles, but his written tracks, like this one, shimmer with genius, with raw emotion, with whatever it is that makes an artist an artist.

So it was incredibly painful to hear that Eyedea, at the age of 28, passed away. Although i'm not, like i once was, a devoted hip-hop listener, his death leaves a void, both in terms of music in general and freestyles (true, unwritten, unpremeditated freestyles) in particular. I went digging in my hip-hop collection, trying to unearth whatever i could from Eyedea, especially things that i couldn't hear online, or find on youtube or .mp3. I found some live performances, and another track he did, when he was 17 or so, and thought i'd share it with everyone (all tracks are downloadable; just click on the down arrow on the side of the stream). I hope you enjoy hearing them as much as I do.

RIP EYEDEA. (Click here to read what his family, friends, and fellow artists have written about him.)

"Nighttime"A Halloween Freak Show mixed by ROBZILLA

2010-10-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

Night Time - A Halloween Freak Show - Mixed by ROBZILLA by robzilla212

This year Halloween falls on a weekend, and Robzilla (formerly known as DJ Rob Low), is goin' trick-o-treatin! (If you didn't catch the Geto Boys reference, no biggie, it wasn't particularly clever or insightful. That's how we do!) But he won't be, as so many will be this Sunday, doling out Kirkland brand candy by the pound to husky asian kids who could probably do without 500 chocolate-coated mini bars, no; he's dropping ear candy via this spooky-as-fuck mix, replete with warewolf sounds, screams, all kinds of crazy shit from God only knows. Oh, and some rock music sprinkled in. Enjoy!

The Shhhow. Coming Soon.

2010-10-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

Thirty days. Thirty clues.
An art and design show, somewhere in Hawaii.
Can you find The Shhhow?

Clues begin November 1st on
theshhhow.tumblr.com

DJ BBQ ALL UP IN THE QLP

2010-10-19T01:57:00.000-07:00

It was probably around the beginning of 2009 that Jared turned me on to a radio show on local college station KTUH by a female DJ named BBQ. I wasn't much of a radio listener, except tuning in occasionally to NPR, but after that first listen, I was hooked. Oh lordy, she knew about The Twelves! And other things, which she often described as "intelligent dance music." Her show, The Quest for Love and Peace, was an eclectic mix of ambient down-tempo, percussive instrumentals, hiphop, the occasional laid back R&B. We listened to her show religiously, every Sunday. And one day, it was gone. Her absence on Honolulu's airwaves left a void that was felt by her fans far and wide whether she knew it or not. I'd talk about her show to other friends, acquaintances, and they'd surprisingly remark, "Oh shit, you talking about BBQ? Her show was so good. I don't know what happened to her." Google searches turned up a blog that hadn't been updated in a few years. We guessed that her show met with the same fate so many did — they graduated. And quite by accident, sometime early this year, I stumbled on her Facebook page, and she started posting a series of podcasts, and updating her blog again. We are happy that BBQ is once again back in the QLP.

DJ BBQ - The Question of Love and Peace - No.3 by dept

Visit her page! Support people doing great work!
bbqlp.wordpress.com

Aloha Friday!

2010-10-09T01:05:00.001-07:00

Grady Gillan, Honolulu’s preeminent boulevardier, is a busy man. When he's not burning down the dance floor at 39 Hotel with buttery disco edits (he's the man behind my unhealthy obsession with dance music [hey Grady, if you’re reading this, I will dance my fucking ass off, hands-in-the-air type shit, for real, if you play this record when, and if, it ever gets pressed {which is not to say that i have a personal penchant for coke, Jesus no, but because it's Escort, a 17-piece disco orchestra being remixed by Greg Wilson, son!}]) or dropping content on his slew of blogs—one of which has a strong following the world over—he’s out taking photographs. And now, after building up a pretty sweet collection-o-photos (what you fancy people with degrees and shit would call an "oeuvre"), he’s compiled a bunch into an oh-so-crispy black-and-white zine, aptly titled “Aloha Friday.” It took me a while to secure my copy—hotcakes, motherfucker!—but I did, many Gmail chats and a chance run-in, several weeks later, when I actually had 3 bones in my pocket that wasn't already going straight to my drug dealer (it's a joke, people). Here’s a little sneak peek into the zine, which is available for purchase here.

For more work by Grady Gillan, drop in on the homie here:
www.gradygillan.com

Cee-Lo and J-Lo have nothing on the steelo of B-Lo

2010-09-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Artist Brian Lo's MFA Thesis Exhibition, "Exchange of Understanding," is currently on view, until October 1, at the UH Commons Gallery. Spock it, peep it, check it, do it!

Congrats, Brian!

See more of Brian Lo's work here:
www.brianclo.com

Mike Orbito: Storyteller

2010-09-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

Video by Mike Orbito

"This is a filmmaker in the grandest tradition of the word."
—Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound

"A masterful moment in cinema."
—Clint Morris, Film Threat

"Imbues its central conflicts with mythic timelessness."
—Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

While all three critics weren't writing about Mike Orbito, his latest offering, the Pacific Roller Derby: All-Stars vs. the Dallas Derby Devils, at the very least, has much in common thematically with the film they were writing about: the tensions between two opposing parties, epic battles, and the courage one brings forth from within when put to the test. Yet one thing that Mike has one-upped Peter Jackson with is that he's able to distill, on his own, a compelling narrative of individuals affected by and affecting the greater struggles around them. He hasn't cast actors and actresses per se, but it's his ability to discover and share the story that makes his work amazing.

See more of Mike Orbito's work here:
www.vimeo.com/mikeorbito

The Dept. Store: Personal Trainer, by Kevin Blanchard

2010-09-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

PERSONAL TRAINER (2010) by Kevin Blanchard
Foray @ The Contemporary Museum Cafe in Honolulu Hawaii
24x36 Digital Print on Canvas and Stretcher Bars
Inquiries/purchasing contact alterednative(at)gmail.com

Mike Lau: Smash Ups

2010-09-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

If you haven't yet, check out the Department's Mike Lau on his newish Tumblr, Naked Brunch. He's been posting these smash ups that I've been mashing my tits off to. Amazing stuff. He's also working on a little zine that I'm eager to get my hands on.

To see more photos by Mike Lau, visit him at:
www.nakedbrunchnyc.tumblr.com

Kamuela Kahoano: Work in Progress

2010-08-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

photo: Raul Soria / lettering: Evil Genius
Kamuela Kahoano - Stream Dreams - 03 Loli ana
Back in medieval times, when you introduced yourself to someone, it wasn't just your name. Introductions were not just about who you were, but who you were in context: "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn" or my personal favorite, "I am Gimli, son of Gloin." If my friend Kamuela had to introduce himself in the middle ages, or just say, Middle Earth, he'd be "Kamuela, son of Kimo."

Sadly, even if he were to say such a thing, it still doesn't give you much information on who he is, where he came from, and where he's going. You'd have to add that he is a Kahoano, and as a Kahoano, music was always around growing up. His father, Kimo Kahoano, together with Paul Natto, wrote the iconic pau hana song Aloha Friday in 1982, and later, he and his brother Ikaika (formerly of Making the Band on MTV, 2000) were, musically, virtually inseparable.

He's been trying to fill those awfully big shoes dad left him. But he's doing it on his own terms.

Recently, he released his first solo CD, Stream Dreams, an eclectic self-produced DIY masterpiece. And while it may seem that he's aimlessly sending out feelers in every direction to find that One Big Thing, Kamuela includes a little bit of everything because he's really just that good. Anyone close to the man knows he's one of the hardest working local entertainers — he gigs nearly all week for a wide variety of audiences — and when he's not performing, he's in the studio recording or putting the finishing touches on a song.

The third track on Stream Dreams, Loli 'ana, literally means transition in Hawaiian, but it could also mean something that is in a constant state of transcendence. And that's also true of Kamuela, who is never quite finished with anything he does, because he's always evolving. Frankly, we're excited to see what he does next.

To hear more of Kamuela's music, visit him at:
www.kamuelamusic.com / www.analoghawaii.com

PRi$TiNE - The Gucci & Moet

2010-08-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

lettering: Evil Genius / photo: Jared Yamanuha

PRi$TiNE - The Gucci & Moet by dept
Ever have one of those mornings where, after waking up, you realize you’ve still got your fucking shoes on? Your shirt’s still tucked in, for chrissakes, and the tiny puddle of drool that accumulated on the kitchen floor, where you passed out and which became your de facto bedroom, is like some primordial soup out of which a monster made of marijuana, Milwaukee’s Best and Mexican food will emerge, turn fifty feet tall, and take over the city? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. You feel like there’s a freight train banging around inside your skull, packed with a million bitchy schoolteachers scratching their fingernails on endless rows of chalkboards. All you can think of—if it’s even humanly possible for you to summon a single thought in your mentally incapacitated state—is what the fuck happened last night? Dude, where's my brain!?!?

If you’d rather not recall said events, then pop a couple Advil, brush them furry-ass teeth and listen to PRi$TiNE’s beat. Hell, it sure beats recollecting a night that, in all honesty, probably bears a striking resemblance to the Schlipp’s Beer Skit from Chappelle’s Show. Just make sure you don't check your phone, 'cause, well, you made some 3am phone calls and texts that may get you in trouble today. ("I want you" and "come over now" texts, which you accidentally sent to some of your homies, isn't kosher brotocol, nah mean?) Just keep hittin' replay, and forget about it!

Raul Soria Captures Epicicity* in Action

2010-08-16T12:23:00.001-07:00

In 1984, director Rob Reiner's seminal satirical documentary This is Spinal Tap was released in theaters, and with a mere sweep of his directorial arm, singlehandedly created a new genre, the "rockumentary," and forever immortalized heavy metal in pop culture, even if it was originally only in jest. As the band makes its way backstage, they run into the fictional Duke Fame, ironically played by the now legendary Paul Shortino, then the 3-year frontman for a band called Rough Cutt. Later, Shortino went on to front another band that was known even to a non-metalhead like myself, Quiet Riot, and a host of other solo projects.

On July 23, 2010, Department music photographer Raul Soria had a chance to photograph Shortino's show at Pipeline Cafe, and to get to know the singer better, via connections with the local metal scene who hosted this event. It was somewhat endearing to read that despite over twenty-something years of live performances, being told by metal god Dio that he had an incredible voice, to this day he still gets butterflies before he gets on stage:

“The day of the show is usually a mess. I get so stressed out.
It’s crazy. I also go over everything over and over in my head
... Last night we had a great rehearsal and the guys here
that are backing me up are great players, they know the stuff
better than I do. So I really have to do my homework.”
As usual, Raul took the normal concert and documentarian style of photography, flipped it, and elevated Shortino's performance to an artform. We are all too happy Raul is back in the saddle and doing what he loves. Here are some of the highlights from the event:

View more of Raul's photos and interview here:
www.awakenthemosh.com

* I made a new word, yay!

Earwig Origami: Showdown at HI Moon

2010-08-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

Earwig Origami - Showdown at HI Moon by dept
It's wildfire in the Hawaiian Islands chain and it's hotter than lava! A fiery beat here created by none other than Earwig Origami — pyrotechnics for your stereo, for sure. With country-style grooves like you're cruisin' at Waianae with a touch of the eastside laced up with some fat heated kicks from the outskirts of town, this instrumental is dizzope. Even if you're a townie or paniolo emcee, whatever your taste is, you'll definitely love this track to flow to. –PRI$TINE

Interisland Terminal's Pop-Up Bookstore

2010-08-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

photos: Evil Genius and Jared Yamanuha
Last Friday, Evil G and I went down to check out Interisland Terminal's Pop-Up Reed Space Bookstore. Amazing displays, beautiful photographs, and, of course, books! Here's what we copped from their carefully curated selection by Jeff Staple.

Evil G snagged this little gem:

Reed Pages

I really like how they dealt with ads in this mag, keeping a consistent visual flow by dropping the logos of their various advertisers on a black background on an entire page. Boom. Genius.

And I grabbed this beautifully-bound photo book:

Portraits de Villes: Dubai, Phillipe Chancel

these photos, above, sold me. Reminded me of Eadweard Muybridge.

The best thing about a curated bookstore experience is that you'll find a book like this, which you wouldn't be able to find in a brick-and-mortar situation in Hawaii. Thanks again to the people at Interisland Terminal for making this happen!

Boom Bap, Original Kevin Blanchard Track

2010-07-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

Naughty Worm (Extended) - Kevin Blanchard by dept
On March 4, 1933, before a beleaguered nation, FDR famously proclaimed, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." That famous line, which pole-vaulted from his lips and into the weary ears of desperate Americans entrenched in the Great Depression, carried such hopeful resonance that it seemed everything would, without question, be OK.

Flash forward 77 years and, sadly, such a statement seems completely inappropriate and, in a way, old-fashioned and dated. If President Obama uttered those lines, in his Oval Office address, say, we might issue a stream of chuckles due to his lack of understanding. And by lack of understanding, I'm referring not to the fiscal and monetary policies he's wrestling with, or the landmark pieces of legislation he's trying to get through Congress, or the worst environmental catastrophe in the U.S., no; I'm referring to the fact that, as we all know, "the only thing we have to fear is Kevin Blanchard's scary-ass beats."

If you don't believe me, take a listen for yourself. Hell, download this terrifying track too, if you really want to put the fear of the Portagee-Man-O-War in you immediately and at your permanent disposal. (To do so, click on the down arrow on the far right of the audio embed above.) With its earth-shattering 808's, its creepy cinematic samples, its haunting vocal whispers, its frightening strings, "Naughty Worm" is likely to become the soundtrack to your worst fucking nightmare, but, y'know, like in a good, head-bopping hip hop fashion. Listen, brave souls, to the man who brought you Zangief pile-driving a polar bear, but do so with great caution.

Buff Monster: The Profit of Pink

2010-07-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

Article by Jared Yamanuha / Lettering by Matthew Yee

We all know that monsters stomp Japanese cities into smithereens, strike fear into the tiny palpitating hearts of disobedient children, and wreak havoc the world over. What may come as a surprise, though, is that one monster — clad in pink, with a spiky Mohawk that’s apt to impale curious onlookers — is hell-bent on bringing new meaning to the word. And he’s doing it with art.

“His transition, from low to high art, is rare, given the fact
that the fine art world still views artists who came by way of
either street art or graffiti with relative skepticism.”
While the origins of most monsters are rooted in provincial folklore and mythology, much is known about Buff Monster, the pop culture chimera in question. Originally from Honolulu, Buff left O‘ahu for Los Angeles in 1997, where he began candy-coating the city with posters bearing his adopted moniker and character: a bulbous icon with X’s for eyes and devilish horns protruding from its head. For years, he inundated the streets of Los Angeles with his iconographic street art — inspired, in equal measures, by heavy metal music, ice cream, and Japanese culture — and his violently fluorescent shade of pink. His work quickly garnered the attention of everyone from Nike to Scion to Hello Kitty, all of whom he worked with on collaborative projects.

Read more about Buff Monster and other articles in the Flux Hawaii Fall 2010 issue:
www.fluxhawaii.com

"Foray" Opening Party

2010-07-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Waialae Paseuth holding the remnants of sangria in a rather suggestive manner
photo by Raul Soria

Ok, so we're extremely late in posting the wrap-up for the opening of our art show at The Contemporary Museum Cafe Gallery, but hey, what can we say, except here's a link to some party pics, courtesy of Mike Keany, Raul Soria, and Sam Han! Spock it!

"Foray" Opening Party, May 16, 2010

(for more pics, also check out Christa's blog here. Thanks Christa!)

Anyways, we just wanted to thank everyone who came to check out our stuff, swill sangria, and nibble on cheese and other fancy edibles on a sweltering Sunday in May. It was a truly surprising turnout, and, amazingly, the sangria ran out after only an hour or so. (Note to self: maybe knocking back a handful of glasses before anyone even showed up wasn't kosher.)

The real star of "Foray," you could say, was the Sangria, of which we made nearly 80+ servings, thinking, perhaps a little naively, that that amount would suffice. Lesson learned, i tell you, but we're glad that everyone got a little taste, and that it was a hit! (Thanks, Sherri, for the recipe.)

Thanks again, to everyone who came out to the show, as well as those who helped make this show possible.

Chris Drew Collects EmmysLike Carrie Bradshaw Collects Shoes

2010-07-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Motion graphics designer and video editor, Chris Drew, recently won his third Emmy for his work in broadcasting as Art Director for the station formerly known as KGMB. We caught Drew at his posh Ward Avenue loft, aka "the box," where he painted the scene for us: "It was madness. The competition was fierce, and although I won my award by default, had there been others worthy of the category, we might have experienced the 'terrifying lows, the creamy middles' so aptly described by Homer Simpson in Season 2, Episode 6. And I might have even been at such an awards show to receive said award, and not notified by email." Chris might downplay this award, but we at the Department couldn't be prouder, nor think of a more deserving candidate.

Meet Mike Orbito

2010-06-30T02:15:00.000-07:00

Camera by Chris Drew / Editing by Mike Orbito / Interview by Evil Genius
We follow videographer Mike Orbito, wending his way through Chinatown, in his Pursuit of All Things Pork. Described by Mike as "the only white meat worth eating," we at the Department hope that such bold statements are tempered by good genetics, and that he can gracefully sidestep that triple bypass at age 40 (tragically cutting short a promising career as a Director of Photography) that seems all too inevitable given his frequent indulgence of fatty porcine pleasures. While pigs may curse the day Mike Orbito was born, we hope that one day the rest of the world will celebrate it.

Casting Call: Spec Music Video

2010-06-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

Spec Video by Mike Orbito, ca.2007
Aloha everyone! Female in their 20s needed for a leading role in a spec music video to be shot on location in Honolulu. Music is a slower, indie-pop song so no dance skills or experience required. Shooting schedule to be determined, contingent on your availability. Trade for portfolio. Meals and gas will be covered. Non-union, non-SAG actors please.

If you are interested, please submit your name, age, and a headshot to deptofpublicworks@gmail.com with the subject "Spec Music Video". Mahalo!

My work can be viewed here:
http://www.vimeo.com/mikeorbito

If You've Got Meat, We've Got Fire

2010-06-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

Video by Mike Orbito

Foray, May 4 – 30 at the Contemporary Museum Cafe Gallery

2010-04-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

Trailer by Chris Drew

The Contemporary Museum Café Gallery exhibits “Foray” by the Department of Public Works. Our exhibition begins May 4 and runs through May 30, 2010. TCM Café Gallery is located at 2411 Makiki Heights Drive in Honolulu, and is open Tuesday – Sunday from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm.

>>> Click here for directions. <<<
Our show features work by four members of the Department of Public Works — Matthew Yee, Raul Soria, Kevin Blanchard, and Jared Yamanuha — includes an eclectic mix of graphic design, illustration, sculpture, and photography. Matthew Yee is fascinated with the interplay between three and two-dimensional forms and space in letters and type; Raul Soria is interested in capturing the energy and essence of live performances through concert photography; Kevin Blanchard combines conceptual commercial illustration with figurative explorations; and Jared Yamanuha uses photography to draw abstract compositions with light. This is our Foray.

The Department's Mike Orbito Takes Flight

2010-04-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

Pacific Aviation Museum from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

Here's a short video Mike Orbito made at the Pacific Aviation Museum, which, in my opinion, is the best thing he's done to date. Enjoy!

"TRON" trailer by Chris Drew

2010-04-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Chris Drew wasn't happy with the original, 1982 "TRON" movie trailer. As such, he decided to whip together a new version, complete with custom motion graphics. At the time of this posting, his TRON trailer has received 162,456 views, which is an insane amount given that he uploaded it last week. Go check em, go check em, GO!

Earwig Origami!

2010-04-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

Earwig Origami at Beatroot. Photo by Mike Orbito.

Once again, congratulations to Mr. Origami on a bang-up job at Beatroot. Although he didn't win, he gave an amazing, all-live (including the remix portion) performance that, in all honesty, stunned us. His remix of the Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M." was especially insane. Congrats, Earwig O!

Beatroot 2010 Grand Championships

2010-03-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

Lettering/Layout by Matthew Yee. Photo by Mike Orbito.

"In 2009 there were six battles and six qualifiers, but there can be only one Beatroot Champion!"

The Department's Earwig Origami is battling for the top title in the 2010 Beatroot Grand Championships. It's a bit bizarre how the Beatroots work; although it's the 2010 Championships, all the qualifying rounds happened in 2009. Ah, but who cares. :) Kavet the Catalyst of Lightsleepers fame has been an influential force in Hawaii Hiphop since 1997, and this is the third installment of this battle that brings together producers from all over the islands to duke it out.

Beatroot 2010 Grand Championships
@the Fresh Cafe Warehouse
Saturday, April 3 2010
9pm - 1:30am, 18+ $7 / 21+ $5

Here's a preview of Earwig doing his thing:

Video by Mike Orbito

Earwig Origami Wins Battle!

2010-01-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Beatroot from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

Earwig Origami, part insect, part shiny Japanese paper, just secured himself the final slot in the Ultimate Battle, a fight to the death, and will go on to the Championship on April 3 at Fresh Café.

He will be going up against some of the best, most talented and dastardly in the business, including Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and, of course, M. Bison.

Wait, what? He didn’t win the Street Fighter II Competition? Oh, right. Beatroot. Well, they’re similar, though, what with all the battling and fighting and all. Remember the original arcade game? I remember those dudes who were so good they knew all kinds of secret techniques and shit, especially when they used Guile. They could do that magic throw shit with him, or they could even do that freeze thing, where the game would restart. Dicks. Anyways, congrats to Earwig Origami!

Hadouken!

Meet Jared Yamanuha

2009-12-29T00:29:00.000-08:00

View Jared's photography: www.jaredyamanuha.tumblr.com

This is the first installment in a series of videos, each introducing a member of the Department of Public Works.

Writer Jared Yamanuha reviews Gary Hustwit's latest love letter to a designed global culture

2009-12-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

Gary Hustwit, director of the now-canonical design and typography documentary Helvetica, unveils the hidden world of industrial designers in Objectified. It's very much a look into the creativity and brains behind much of the objects we use, abuse, and take for granted on a daily basis — highlighting individuals whose sole obsession is to discover new ways of making something work better, while balancing that function against the form that ultimately manifests. But this is more than just a movie review. Jared Yamanuha takes Hustwit's discourse a few steps further, and through additional examples not included in the movie attempts to find that common thread that ties it all together and make sense of that intangible thing we call design. It's an excellent piece on a fascinating discipline that doesn't get as much attention as it should, and yet may someday be the only conversation worth listening to.

See more of his writing here:
jaredyamanuha.blogspot.com

Can you dig it? Matthew Yee bangs out skateboard deck for Manifest show, 'Ouch' says his hand

2009-12-12T03:18:00.000-08:00

Matthew Yee has been working on this skateboard deck for the Manifest "Deck the Halls" art show for the past few days. He's been digging, gashing, clawing away at the letters, and although he says it didn't come out as expected, we find it to be insanely ridiculous. Congrats, sir!

Deck the Halls, Skateboard Deck Show, Friday, December 11 at Manifest

2009-12-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

Evil Genius will be contributing a skateboard deck to Kavet the Catalyst's Deck the Halls art show on Friday, December 11 at Manifest, 32 North Hotel Street. Show begins at 9 pm and goes till 1:30 am. All proceeds from the sale of skateboard decks will go to local skater Kenny Brimer's fight against Leukemia. FREE, 21+.

Featuring work by: Angry Woebots, Martin Hsu, Daves Action, Soker, CKaweeks, Jesico, Koak, Justin Park, Newkon, Eukarest, Lucky Olelo, Melon James, Amanda Garcia, Jef Hartsel, Matt Tapia, Ryan Lau, Jeremy Strength, Mako Ozaki, Jason Menor, Pancho Abalos, Philippe Anthony, R-Zone, Janel Natividad, Shawn Castro, Blue Hawaii Skate, Oasis Skate, Evil Genius, Reak, and Kenny Brimer.

Mike Orbito drops new video,earns the nickname "Alan Wong Kar Wai"

2009-12-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

Makiki Shootaround from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

What does Mike Orbito have in common with the Sun? Fire, straight fire, is the answer. Mr. Orbito’s latest docu-diary captures, with blazing precision, Evil Genius and me as we bake in the unforgiving, needle-like rays of the Sun. After seeing this video, I’m tempted to bestow upon Mr. Orbito the nickname of "Barbecue," given the fact that nothing but fire comes from his grill.

Although his videos are—stylistically speaking—incendiary masterpieces of montage, he’s the master of another type of grill: the charcoal-powered hibachi grill. Bobby Flay may lay claim as high priestess of all things seared, but his status as such is threatened by Mr. Orbito’s incomparable flavor profiles and his almost preternatural skill with metal tongs over an open flame. If Anthony Bourdain had the distinct pleasure of sinking his teeth into one of Mr. Orbito’s much-lauded sliders, he’d predictably slip into a beef-induced trance, uttering incomprehensible sounds and moans generously sprinkled with the F word. Word to the bovine Gods!

“If you walk away, I will follow,” says U2’s Bono,of Raul Soria's concert photography

2009-11-12T00:49:00.000-08:00

Raul Soria is a follower — not of movements, trends, or -isms, but of anyone squeezing out sweet sound, percussion, melodies. Wherever they gig, Raul is there: elbowing his way through mosh pits and full houses, risking lens and limb to capture that one perfect moment and angle that properly tells the story — as Jack Black would put it — "of rocking out." Aaron Yoshino of the Drop Shadows crew said, paraphrased, that Raul composes and captures his images under the most difficult situations. We couldn't agree more. And the results are spectacular.

For more on Raul and his photography, visit his site Awaken the Mosh.

Without the aid of mutant superpowers, mere mortal Mike Orbitoharnesses energy, intensity within the palm of his hand

2009-11-10T00:48:00.000-08:00

Taking another stab (pun not intended) at documenting the drama that is all-female roller derby, Pauoa Valley auteur Mike Orbito captured the rumble between the home team the Hulagans and their continental contenders the LA Derby Dolls. Granted, part of the appeal of Mike's videos lies in his ability to pick the perfect song to accompany his visual narrative, but the Department feels his videos have a special emotive quality — the kind you get when the spirit of an event or happening is distilled down to its essence, and subsequently immortalized on screen.

To see more of Mike's videos, visit his Vimeo page.

Interview with Matthew Yee goes terribly awry,but maintains great form

2009-10-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Jared Yamanuha
It began, appropriately enough, as a standard interview. I asked Matthew Yee questions and he provided me with answers. Piece of cake, I assumed, as we kibitzed about design. Shortly thereafter the questions I asked became more like statements, theories, and a dialogue ensued. What started as a simple interview turned into a debate: we disagreed about Marcel Duchamp, argued about the impact of Henri Cartier-Bresson and William Eggleston, fought about the aesthetic value of abstract art. It was a great conversation about art in general and Hawaii art in particular. However, reading twenty pages of us pontificating was not, I felt, what readers wanted to read. So, I opted to prune it down to the essentials, free of unnecessary ornamentation much in the same way Matt’s letters are free of such extraneous flourishes.

Click here to view the distilled, condensed version of our interview.

Pleasantly Strange: The Set Up

2009-10-04T21:30:00.001-07:00

Here's some photos of Red One and the Department's Ryan Chun setting up for their art show at Eighty Four in Kalihi. Evil Genius masterminded, yet again, the Department window display. Thanks to everyone who came out to support!

Photo credit: Jared Yamanuha

Pleasantly Strange

2009-09-30T16:10:00.001-07:00

The Department’s Ryan Chun is having his going away art show this Friday, October 2, at Eighty Four in Kalihi. The event kicks off at 7:30pm, and yes, it’s BYOB. Ryan, sadly, is departing for greener pastures in Long Beach, CA, and this will be his last show in Honolulu. We’ll have some Department of Public Works stickers available, so come down and check it out!

Here’s the venue info:

Eighty Four (Kalihi), 1216 Kaumualii Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817, Ph# 808-845-9300 ext.207

Earwig Origami @ Beatroot 9/24/09

2009-09-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't get a chance to check out Earwig tap out live beats, here's his set during Sudden Death! Unfortunately, he didn't make it to the finals, but still, his beats had more crunch than nestle, more kick than Ralph Macchio! BULLET!

Earwig Origami live at Beatroot this Thursday @ EMC!

2009-09-24T00:52:00.000-07:00

Earwig Origami is doing a live set tomorrow, thursday, September 24th, at Easy Music Center on South King Street. Event is from 5-7pm. Check it out!

Pecha Kucha Vol. 6

2009-09-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

Homeskillet Raul Soria presents his concert photography and his passion for the music during Pecha Kucha night on September 18 at Linekona, part of the Honolulu Academy of Arts. This is the sixth installment of the series. View the list of presenters here:

http://www.pecha-kucha.org/cities/honolulu/6

You can also visit his website at: awakenthemosh.com

Our Manifesto in August Issue of 808 Scene Zine

2009-08-19T00:15:00.000-07:00

In the August issue of the 808 scene zine, I was able to do a write up about what, exactly, the Department is about. In case you can't find a copy of the zine, here's a link to the article:

Department of Public Works - August 2009 Issue of 808 Scene Zine

Thanks to Katie and Raul over at 808 Scene Zine for putting us down!

For more of Jared's writing, visit his writing blog at:
jaredyamanuha.blogspot.com

The Rising End Farewell Show @The Loft, Saturday 8/22

2009-08-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

Earwig Origami and his crew Landminds are doing their first ever live performance on Saturday, Aug 22 at the Loft, for the Rising End farewell show. Doors open at 8pm, and they'll be the opening act. Please support!

The Rising End Farewell Show
Saturday, August 22nd 2009
Loft 115 N. Hotel Street
21+ Doors open at 8PM $5

Also Featuring:
Battle Royal (Reunion) / Phoenix Rose / Upstanding Youth / Satellite Grey
Friends of Adam / Landminds / Bad Things

And a Dance Performance by the ABC B-Boys

Mike Orbito shoots video for K-Vibe;biters, hacks, haters croon 'Ukininam!' in unison

2009-08-17T05:20:00.000-07:00

Portrait of Mike Orbito filming K-Vibe Video

photograph by Jared Yamanuha

KVIBE from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

DJ Rob Low drops new mix that’s 991 yearsahead of its time. 'Like Whoa', indeed

2009-07-14T01:48:00.000-07:00

Cover Art by Matthew Yee

Is Spring Break officially over? For some, it never even happened (Thank you, Career, for stealing every possible minute of my life.); for many, it’s still raging forth like a conflagration in the hills of California (“Another keg stand, amigo?”); and for a selected few (yeah, you know who you are) who committed acts contrary to common sense, self-discipline and moral steadfastness, it’s over, and the memories of that weekend are forever entrenched in a miasma of designer drugs, frilly cocktails festooned with exotic fruit, and tons of beautifully bronzed, barely-clad women, all of whom rejected your advances and generic pick-up lines, which you managed to somehow fumble in your inebriated haze (For the record, “If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put ‘U’ and ‘My Penis’ together” is not how that line goes, Wordsworth). Not to mention your whopping, world-record breaking string of vomits at various bathrooms, friends’ cars, fast food drive-thru windows and your very own shoes, which resulted in a slew of nicknames, including Palu Princess, Ralph, and yes, Pussy. All is not lost, though, except maybe your respect, dignity, and any chance of hooking up with that gorgeous Scandinavian temp at your office who thought you were cute until pictures of you posing next to your barf appeared, quite unexpectedly, in the break room on Monday morning. But don’t you worry, because DJ Rob Low of the Department has the cure for your post-Spring Break blues. So put away the Patron, tuck that Trojan safely back in your wallet (you won’t be needing it), ditch your plans to cry yourself to sleep, and fire up ITunes and enjoy Spring Break 3000, a hip-hop/dancehall/R&B mix courtesy of DJ Rob Low. You’ll thank us, 'cause people will be rocking out to this one until the year 3000 (which is probably when people will forget your embarrassing debacle during Spring Break 2009). Enjoy!

Spring Break 3000 – DJ Rob Low

Department of Public Works, Borders Show

2009-07-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

Department of Public Works, Borders Show from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

If you haven't already checked it out, the Department of Public Works Show will be on display at Borders Bookstore Ward until the end of August.

Mike Orbito cranks out movies faster thana Sausage Factory, high executives at Redondo’s studyhis process in awe, astonishment

2009-07-07T00:22:00.000-07:00

Thursday Shootaround from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

Lantern Festival from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

Pacific Roller Derby: Ruthless Rival Rematch from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

Saturday Shootaround Samba from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

During its older TV commercial campaigns aimed at recruitment, the Army boldly declared, “We do more before 6 am than most people do all day.” This statement may still hold true, cause 6 am is, in all honesty, way too fucking early. Seriously. It’s a time most Americans spend hurling their alarm clocks across their bedrooms, or somnambulistically marching towards their coffee pots in search of a caffeinated awakening, or spooning their loved ones—or pillows—in Serta-fied bliss.

The Army may get more done before 6 am than the overwhelming majority of Americans, but certainly not more than filmmaker Mike Orbito. Here’s a man who cranks out films like a Sausage Factory pumps out tasty tubes of meat lodged into intestinal casings. This, however, isn’t to suggest that he favors quantity over quality, or mindless mechanization over artistic intent; he doesn’t make fast films, he makes good films fast. Each new video exceeds the previous in style, content, and, in some cases, sexiness, so much so that his exponential growth can be seen if one watches his videos in chronological succession.

Presented above are four of his recent videos made in conjunction with fellow Department members and friends, all of which were shot, edited and posted within hours of their initial conception.

It’s inevitable, in fact, that by the end of this writing, he’ll have yet another video completed. While the rest of us enjoy precious shut-eye at 6 am, Mike Orbito is fiendishly collecting images, tinkering with them in his editing bay – showing us that his brand of filmmaking is as easy as, well, making sausages.

2009-06-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

Five Artists: Jared Yamanuha. Kevin Blanchard. Raul Soria. Mike Lau. Matthew Yee. Thirty-one days. In the Ward Borders staircase. Beginning July 1st.

Earwig Origami delivers powerful sermon,converts agnostics, then asks for donations

2009-05-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

Photographs by Jared Yamanuha
It was Friday afternoon, two weeks ago, maybe three, when we, the department, arrived in Salt Lake. The day—as I vividly recall—was dead still, as if the wind took the afternoon off to blow the mini skirts of college co-eds high into the sky in a faraway city. The thick, billowing clouds swallowed the sun, and the leftover sunlight that managed to escape the voracious appetite of the clouds was dull, boring, democratic, the sort of light that passes through Japanese paper screens in tea houses.

Even though the day was stale and atrophied, we were in Salt Lake for one reason, and it sure as hell wasn’t to stare at clouds, or hold our hands up to block the non-existent glare of the sun, or comment on such trifles to one another. We gathered in Salt Lake to view, firsthand, the creative process of one Earwig Origami. Member of the department, leader of Landmindz, Mr. Origami laid bare his beat-making methodology and lyrical prowess—indeed his very soul—before us, and we stood there in awe, our jaws stretching to the floor in unison, our hands flailing about madly in the air like churchgoers who’ve been touched by the hand of God. Suddenly, serendipitously, a tiny orange halo appeared around Mr. Origami’s head as he struck the various pads of his MPC, lending an incandescent glow to his immaculate coiffure. The sunshine, which was denied us the duration of our day, burst through the dense clouds, split the three bedroom, two-bath house in half and landed directly on Mr. Origami’s head*. We fell to our knees, genuflecting before our new God, a 26-year-old Okinawan man with a penchant for hip-hop beats and razor-sharp rhymes. I cannot speak for everyone present there, but I for one was changed forever, when Mr. Origami took simple words and verbally folded them into creations which I can only refer to as “lyrical origami.”

Ladies and gentleman, I am not a religious man, but after that encounter, after that experience, all I can say is “all hail the new Okinawan diety,” the one they call Earwig Origami.

*(Actually, the amber-colored halo around Mr. Origami’s head was created by an Arri 150 watt Tungsten light, but for the purposes of this blog entry, it was necessary to infer that such light was the result of divine intervention).

Here’s an mp3 by the aforementioned God:
Landmindz – Don’t Miss Thang

Actual video is forthcoming. Check back soon.

Mike Orbito documents photo sessiondeep within the bowels of Kaimuki

2009-05-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday Shootaround from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.

Rob Low represents for ten of thebaddest seconds in music history

2009-05-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Rob Low's blend of Lady Gaga's Just Dance and T. Rex comes up at the end of this video.

Mike Orbito can perform miracleswith just about any kind of raw footage

2009-03-28T18:58:00.001-07:00

Sunday Shootaround from Mike Orbito on Vimeo.