We Heart; Lifestyle & Design Magazine » Los Angeles

The Bronson Caves by Brice Bischoff

James Davidson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:54:31 +0000

From the early 1900s, through to such perennial classics as 2010′s Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, the section of LA’s Griffith Park known as Bronson Caves have been a backdrop for movies and TV shows. Acting as the setting for an altogether more cultured performance – if no less otherworldly than the many sci-fi flicks that have been filmed here – Los Angeles based artist, Brice Bischoff, chose the location for a series of simply stunning photographs. What appears to be smoke – or lighting effects – is actually Bischoff himself, performing with sheets of coloured paper; photographed on long-exposure.

“If a visitor to the caves were to accidentally stumble upon my performance” says Bischoff, “they would only see a mass of crumbled coloured paper draped awkwardly over a man moving/dancing to a camera positioned on a tripod”. That mental image offers a decidedly more light-hearted view to these works; without the insider knowledge Bischoff’s images are unsettling, intriguing and thoroughly spellbinding…

The Bronson Caves show at Culver City’s Kopeikin Gallery through March and April, 2012

Metropolis II, Chris Burden

James Davidson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:23:46 +0000

Four years in the making, Metropolis II – by American artist Chris Burden – is a breathtaking piece of work, on many levels. Burden’s gigantic kinetic installation may not be the prettiest work showing in an art gallery, but the sheer scale of planning and execution alone could easily rival the meticulous detail of some of the great painters’ works. Some 100,000 miniature cars hastily career through a dense network of roads and freeways. It’s noisy, frantic, and – as the artist says – “produces in the viewer the stress of living in a dynamic, active and bustling 21st Century city”. Currently installed at LA’s LACMA, the detail and intensity of Metropolis II is captivating to say the least; if you have a few hours spare, you could easily lose them here…

Installation view
Chris Burden
Metropolis II, 2010
Photo © 2012 Museum Associates/LACMA

The Weekend Edit; 29.12.11

James Davidson — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:31:49 +0000

Like it or not, the most hotly debated night out of the year is upon us, as is the passing of another 12 months of inspirational design, architecture, lifestyle, fashion and more. It’s been a good one, especially here at We Heart towers, where we’ve gone from strength to strength, had a complete redesign and published some truly amazing content. We’ve got plans for so much more in 2012, but until then, here’s our final Weekend Edit of the year. So, here’s to 17 hour raves, old-skool hip-hop (and Hollywood) and a whole host of enlightening ways to spend your last night of 2011; have a devilishly smashing time guys, you’ve deserved it…

Until 15 January

The Boombox Project by Lyle Owerko

The award-winning photographer, behind internationally acclaimed images such as TIME Magazine’s September 11 2001 cover, is showing a decidedly more lighthearted side to his portfolio at this joint show with London’s XOYO and The Whisper Gallery. Lyle Owerko‘s obsession with hip-hop’s most desirable accessory went into overdrive after chancing upon a mint late-seventies Victor JVC at an outdoor market in Tokyo; and his fanatical hunt for the most rare and obscure ‘boomboxes’ on the planet is now the subject of this curious exhibition…

XOYO and The Whisper Gallery present The Boombox Project by Lyle Owerko: Open 10-6 weekdays until 15th January 2012 at XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, London, EC2A 4AP and The Whisper Gallery, 27/28 Eastcastle Street London W1W 8DH

Photograph by Sebastian Matthes

1 January

Warehouse Project, New Year’s Day

It sold out moons ago, but if you can beg, steal or borrow (that probably won’t work) a ticket, then the final day and night ever at the Warehouse Project’s iconic Store Street Car Park location is sure to be absolute chaos. If you’re superhuman enough to stomach a 17-hour rave in a car park on New Year’s Day then you’ll be rewarded with legends Laurent Garnier and Derrick Carter joining the likes of upstarts Space Dimension Controller and Joy Orbison for the UK’s biggest party. If you’ve got (or get) a ticket and are brave (or stupid) enough to see this one through; we salute you…

1st January 12.00 Noon – 5.00am, Warehouse Project; Store Street, Manchester

Photograph by Douglas Lyle Thompson

31 December

New Year’s Eve at Ace Hotel New York

Ever-stylish, and ever the place for a good time in Midtown; New York’s Ace Hotel celebrate the year of Armageddon with resident DJ Huggy Bear being joined by none other than The Smiths’ bassist Andy Rourke; whilst a very-special surprise DJ “keeps the party going in the pre-dawn hours of 2012″. There’s an assortment of dining delights still available to book too, and of course, you get to spend time gawking at ex-Hollywood set designers Roman and Williams’ lush interiors…

New Year’s Eve at Ace Hotel New York, Midtown Manhattan; 31st December 8:00pm in either Lobby, Breslin or John Dory.
Groups dining at the Breslin are invited to continue their evening with 50% knocked off the price of a table reservation in the lobby

Until 15 January

Steal Banksy

Want to get your hands on one of just a handful of signed and authenticated Banksy originals available in Australia? Why not just steal one? Celebrating art’s long-standing history of theft and heist, Melbourne art-hotel chain Art Series Hotels have been moving a pair of Bristol’s finest around their hotels; the first of which being stolen from right under their noses on 19th December…

The final Banksy, still not yet stolen, will be moved between the three hotels, The Cullen, The Olsen and The Blackman until 15th January.

Photograph by Sin Bozkurt

31 December

Die Freche Muse New Year’s Eve Spectacular

East London’s most decadent NYE party is sure to be Baron Von Sanderson’s Die Freche Muse; a traditional cocktail of “exotic burlesque, Dixieland jazz, chanteur and dancing till dawn”. Throw on your best 1920s – 1940s garb, descend upon their lavish 15th Century tavern and Georgian theatre space, cast aside your inhibitions and enjoy one of the country’s most splendid New Year’s soirees…

Die Freche Muse New Year’s Eve Spectacular: Saturday 31st December, 9pm – dawn at The George Tavern, 373 Commercial Road, London E1 0LA

31 December

The Library @ The Redbury, New Year’s Eve 2012

If you’re looking for a little bit of old fashioned glamour this New Year’s, there’s surely no better place than Hollywood? Sure, it’s a little more hipster than Hepburn round the streets of West Hollywood these days, but super-cool hotel The Redbury @ Hollywood and Vine is offering an “Old Hollywood” experience in their equally super-cool indoor/outdoor bar…

The Library @ The Redbury; 1717 Vine Street Los Angeles, CA 90028

31 December

Disappearing Dining Club, New Year’s Eve – All Night Dinner Dance

Having been throwing secret supperclub parties for some time, in an array of the capital’s most charming and intriguing empty warehouses, forgotten rooftops, hidden basements, secret galleries and private gardens; Disappearing Dining Club have unearthed another gem for their New Year’s Eve all-night dinner dance. Nestled in between Shoreditch’s Liverpool Street and Old Street stations, Factory 7 is a huge multi-media arts and music venue that will play host to decadent dining delights (think Ballotine of Devon Lobster & Calve’s Sweetbread and Red Ruby Beef Wellington), cocktails and DJs across 2 rooms in the industrial space…

Disappearing Dining Club, New Year’s Eve – All Night Dinner Dance is on at Factory 7, 13 Hearn Street, London, EC2A 3NN; Music and dancing until 6am

Tsujita L.A.

James Davidson — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:10:29 +0000

Whilst the city of angels’ hoards of ramen noodle fans will have to wait until September to sample Tsujita‘s famed specialty – the chain has built a solid reputation with outposts in China and Thailand, as well as several in its native Tokyo – the restaurant’s recent soft-opening will at least allow you to marvel at designer Takeshi Sano‘s spellbinding cloud ceiling. The installation sees some 25,000 wooden sticks give a mysterious cloud-like illusion to the ceiling, engulfing the rich, golden hued space with a typically Japanese drama. Whimsical and delicate, the interior mirrors the Tokyo style Japanese-fusion menu, with offerings like simmered beef tongue in consommé, seafood gratin baked in an apple and organic vegetable sushi…

Photography: Nacasa & Partners

Art In The Streets at MOCA, Los Angeles

James Davidson — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 06:23:26 +0000

We were understandably excited to witness the much-hyped Banksy installation at the United States’ first major street art exhibition; Art in the Streets at LA’s MOCA. What we weren’t necessarily expecting was one of the most exhilarating modern art exhibitions that we’ve ever had the distinct pleasure of ogling. Running until 8th August, the exhibition – curated by MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch and Associate Curators Roger Gastman and Aaron Rose – documents the history of street art, with works and installations from 50 of the scene’s most infamous and influential artists cranking up the wow-factor with the turn of each corner. From the ridiculously detailed recreation of an 11 year old installation at New York’s Deitch gallery – Barry McGee, Todd James and Stephen Powers’ Street Market – through to a hand-painted car by the iconic Keith Haring, this mind-blowing exhibition is simply the most powerful collection of graffiti and street art that there has ever been.

More images over on our Facebook page…

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All

James Davidson — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:15:21 +0000

Rapping about rape and using inverted crosses and swastikas in your visuals is probably not the best way to endear yourself to the public, but then Odd Future – or Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All to use their full moniker – are not seeking your approval, they are however demanding the attention of anybody who’s ever had more than a passing interest in real, raw hip-hop. With between 10 and 12 members, one of whom is ‘missing’ – presumably incarcerated if their “Free Earl” t-shirts are anything to go by – and uncompromising experimental beats from their RZA-like ‘leader’ Tyler the Creator, OFWGKTA are inevitably finding themselves compared to the original purveyors of dark, violent, hardcore hip-hop, Wu-Tang Clan – and, it’s a measure of their ferocious quality that these comparisons are not just lazy journalism but particularly apt. With a recent New York club show attended by the likes of Mos Def and a recent London show – footage below – demonstrating their ability for brutal, intense performances, their inclusion on this year’s Coachella looks set to be one of those breakthrough moments. Controversial, aggressive and intoxicatingly brilliant, OFWGKTA are coming to get you…

Photographs from their own “Golf Wang” Tumblr, messed around with by us.

Warpaint

James Davidson — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:04:05 +0000

With a mini UK tour and their debut album – The Fool – hitting in the next couple of weeks, Los Angeles four-piece, Warpaint, are an outfit you’ll more than likely be hearing more of very soon – and with good reason, their haunting, delicate brand of psychedelic folk-rock is both hypnotic and decidedly cool in its unflappably laid-back approach. Having first come to attention via a John Frusciante produced debut EP back in 2008, it’s only this year – with the confirmation of the rather splendid Stella Mozgawa as drummer – that they’ve really begun to garner the attention and admiration of the world’s music press and, once you’re as hooked on their contiguous stoner-pop as we are, you’ll soon see why…

Warpaint // Undertow

Hollywood Sign Concept by Bayarch

James Davidson — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:17:50 +0000

With news today that the 138 acres that surround the iconic hillside sign are to be protected – thanks, in no small part, to a £580,000 donation courtesy of ‘The Heff’ – from investors, whose plans were to develop the land with a high-end housing estate, we thought we’d show you this exceptionally lavish concept by well-respected Danish agency, Bayarch. Offering a unique vision for the famous sign, Bayarch propose a sensational hotel, spa, cinema and clubs to overlook the City of Angels, whilst still maintaining the iconic panorama… perhaps someone should show this to the star-studded trust who have ended the prospect of development by purchasing the land for $12.5 from a group of Chicago investors…..

Dumbfoundead: Jam Session 2.0

James Davidson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:56:27 +0000

Very little information around as to exactly how this was put together, but one thing’s for sure, is that the end result quite simply demands your attention. LA based emcee, Dumbfoundead – aka Johnathan Park – fronts an 8 person multinational collective, who with some magic from LA’s interactive media agency, Cain Mosni, have created a unique online jam session that pays homage to Galt MacDermot’s 1966 ‘Coffee Cold’ and Handsome Boy Modeling School’s MacDermot sampling 1999 track, ‘The Truth’. Just another example of how today’s technology, when used in the right hands, can create original and truly inspiring art.

The Conga Room, Los Angeles

James Davidson — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:00:38 +0000

It’s often the case that the best looking clubs are the ones lacking in atmosphere and great music, we haven’t had the fortune to make it to The Conga Room in Los Angeles yet, however, if the vibe, music and ambiance come anywhere close to the design, courtesy of California’s Belzberg Architects, then this 14,000 sf live music venue space is sure to be one of the highlights of the L.A club scene. Having hosted Tito Puente and the Buena Vista Social Club, Carlos Santana and Shakira, The Conga Room has been L.A’s premier latin club since 1998 and it’s new home, completed last year, is a stunning contemporary space that includes a restaurant, three bars, patio seating and a VIP lounge and private room that all respect the Latin communities heritage, yet ooze modern L.A cool.