The Church From Dogma is Abandoned and Decaying

While in Pittsburgh this past weekend, I got to see the beautiful gothic church where the final scene of Kevin Smith's Dogma was filmed.  It is totally abandoned.  

Due to extenuating circumstances, I did not feel comfortable letting myself in, but I heartell the inside is a soaring graffiti palace.  Maybe I'll make a special trip to document what it has to offer before the building is bought and torn down.  It's goddamn shame something this beautiful is going to waste.  No pun intended. 

If nothing else, I can always remember it fondly as my favorite moment in Ben Affleck's acting career: I got to watch his head explode.

(Nah, Good Will Hunting was my jam.)

Custom Kendama

A Richmond friend of mine, SSengam Niloc, hand-painted this beautiful Kendama.

Here's that smooth mofo now. 

If you're interested in buying a custom set for yourself, get in touch with me at the site's contact page or use the above link to send him a message on Facebook.

Morgantown's Prince Tribute

Less than two weeks after the death of Prince, the the Artist Collective of West Virginia held a lovely tribute exhibition to honor the pop icon.  Officially titled "Royal Devotion", each of the pieces in the show was created by regional artists and directly inspired by Prince.  A punch bowl full of vokda and a tasty grape concoction ("purple rain") was free to all visitors.  Paintings were purchased, memories of the music legend exchanged.

Here are some photos of some art on display, information about the artists, and a few other snapshots.

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Rachel Greenlee
Rock 'n Roll Love Affair
oil on canvas

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Steve Pavlovic
The Artist
acrylic on canvas

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Miss Jess Poodle
Purple Rain
acrylic on canvas

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Larry Whittington
Prince Effigy
oil on canvas

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John Michael Barone
Above the Minneapolis Sound
acrylic on canvas

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Eric Cain
Untitled
acrylic on canvas

Chestnut Brewing Knows Where I Live.

One of the great things about the South Park neighborhood of Morgantown is Chestnut Brewery.  I live three blocks away and can walk to (or stagger home from) the tap room in less than five minutes. 

Several of the brews made by Chestnut have their own posters with art from Brian Pickens.  Here's the artwork for the South Park Porter:

As it turns out, Mr. Pickens used actual buildings in the neighborhood as models, and the loft office of Kromatic Media is depicted on the left side of the poster.  It seemed unlikely at first, but there's really no mistaking it.
 

Double fireplaces, white columns that turn to brick at the base, two windows on one side of the 2nd level... and that 3rd floor loft that serves as the Kromatic Media office, where I now sit typing this. 

I'm not sure why it's cool to see something you personally identify with appear in art like this, but I am sure what I need to hang on the wall in the kitchen.

Streaming Summer Mixtape!

New hour-long summer mix titled "Youth Stain Stagger", streaming free of charge. 

It's got some pop, blues and electronica that I've been listening to over the last few months. 

Slow but steady minor key jams for summer evenings of brooding, cruising and using.

Stream below or download here.

Morgantown Reboots Outlawed Paris Tradition?

Almost one year ago, the "bridge of love" was dismantled in Paris.  Along the wire railings of the Pont des Arts bridge, hundreds of thousands of lovers had written their names and initials on padlocks, throwing the keys into the River Siene.  By the time cranes tore up the bridge railings in early June of 2015, an estimated 45 tons of locks had completely covered them. 

In addition to worries over structural integrity, the city also seemed to find it rather... uncouth.  Bruno Julliard, the deputy mayor in charge of culture, told the New York Times that the bridge panels that publicly affirmed the love of so many people "could be seen as rather pleasant, but as years passed they took on such proportions that they were no longer acceptable for the cultural heritage” of Paris.  (Read the NYT article and watch video of the dismantling here.)

Now, along the Walnut St bridge over Deckers Creek, there are inklings of the same tradition stirring in Morgantown.

About two dozen padlocks, large and small, now dot the wiring over the bridge, most with initials and dates.  The oldest dates well before the Pont des Arts railings were torn down:

The chain looped through this lock clearly once held some charm or special item, but rust and time has left it dangling.

Most of the dated locks, however, appeared after Pont des Arts bridge exchanged its wire for plexiglass panels.  Once there was no way to affix the locks, the practice spread to other bridges in the city, and then to several other cities.  Are we seeing a rebirth of the Paris love locks in the hills of West Virginia?  That's up to you folks.

Kromatic's Media: Insta Posts

The last week has been crazy, as I move into a new home and office of Kromatic Media.  I'll have photos of the beautiful loft space coming soon.

One of the fun things about moving is getting to see all the stuff that's been packed away in boxes for a long time.  Over the past three days, I've posted nine Instagram photos (with accompanying notes) of some of my stuff, all of which has been lying about as I figure out what to do with it. 

If you're into media, add me on Instagram and take a look!  More new work coming soon!