[IG Weekly] banksyny
Everybody is on their phone. Thousands of people everyday wear out their thumbs scrolling through photos, deciding which ones to post on Instagram. It’s so easy to do whether you’re a photographer or not; just point, shoot, choose a filter and post whatever you created. From funny duck face selfies, to breathtaking landscapes, to gritty city streets. Some use it as visual journal giving glimpses of their lives, while others have taken it to another level by creating works of art. All of us at Ruby Hornet are fans of the social media platform and decided to do a weekly series highlighting people whose Instagrams stand above the rest. Let us know in the comments section if you’d like to be featured, or let us know about some other cool Instagrams. Be sure to follow Ruby Hornet on Instagram, too.
We're revisiting an older Instagram for this week's IG Weekly to coincide with some new, relevant news. Back in October, an official Instagram was created to coincide with Banksy's month-long residency in New York last year. During his stay in the Big Apple, Banksy set up some installations alongside his patented style of graffiti art. He also set up a street pop-up shop where he sold authentic Banksy pieces for $60 to unknowing customers. HBO has compiled some of Banksy's New York footage to create a documentary, Banksy Does New York, which will air on November 17th. It should be an exciting look at Banksy and his art from those on the street that witnessed it first-hand. For now, re-visit some of Banksy's New York pieces below.
[via Banksy Instagram]
Famous Film Characters in Lego Form
Legos and films go hand in hand, as I've made abundantly clear during my tenure with Ruby Hornet. Whether Lego enthusiasts are recreating scenes from films using stock Lego pieces or even creating feature-length family films with them, the creativity that goes behind Lego creation is so amazing and inspiring. One Flickr user, SuckMyBrick, has created iconic film characters with Legos as part of a "Movie Quiz" photo set on Flickr where people can take a guess at which films are being represented.
While I won't spoil the ten photos SuckMyBrick took, I've shared some of my favorites from the set in the gallery below that are represent a good variety of film genres from comedy to action to musical (and everything in between). Make sure you check out SuckMyBrick's Flickr Photostream for more Lego creations, including South Park characters and even political figures like Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro.
[via Fast Co.CREATE]
Chicago Owes Jackie Robinson West a Day of Peace at Their Parade
Written and originally published on our affiliate site City on the Take by Joel Radwanski.
In one of the most heartwarming stories in the history of Chicago sports the Jackie Robinson West Little League All Stars are United States Champions. The boys have grown into young men in front of a city's and country's eyes and has made every Chicagoan proud. They have shown that when a community invests in their children amazing things can happen.
After winning the Great Lakes championship to earn their trip to the Little League World Series JRW became the first team from Chicago to go to Williamsport since 1983. The team left for Williamsport with the intention of capturing a championship, not the hearts of a city and a country. However, with their display of sportsmanship, character and never give up attitude they have created more than just civic pride, they have created hope. The watch parties in their Pullman neighborhood were full of joyous onlookers celebrating everything the boys of JRW did.
All of Chicago owes these young men. We can start when Darold Butler's team arrives back at Midway airport on Monday after being in Pennsylvania since July 31st. Lets give them a city they can be safe to walk the streets in. Children should never be concerned with random bullets and the constant threat of violence. Children should be able to walk safely to school, attend practices and do all the other neighborhood things that make adolescence so special. Children shouldn't have to worry about whether or not if they cross the street they're in a different gang's territory and wrong to be there. We owe the young men of the Jackie Robinson Little League a safe city to return to.
While JRW was winning the U.S. championship and the hearts of a country, they were in a bubble at the LLWS. Coach Darold Butler spoke about how the kids didn't know the impact they were having back in Chicago. Butler, said, “Been living in a bubble, no cable, no tv in the dorms. It hasn’t hit me yet, so it hasn’t hit the kids." The boys have been taking in all the festivities that come with attending the spectacle. They stay in dorm rooms among the kids from the other 15 teams at the event with activities all day long to keep them occupied. Only their messages on social media have clued them in on the love they're getting in Chicago.
I doubt any of the boys on the team knew that while they where there a 9 year old boy was gunned down in a neighborhood just north of theirs in Chicago. Antonio Smith was found dead with multiple gun shot wounds in a backyard at 1200 west 71st Street. The backyard sits at railroad tracks between two warring gang factions. There has been a reward offered to find the killer of the 9 year old CHILD Antonio Smith.
The JRW team was getting to bed early on Friday August 23rd to prepare for their victory in the U.S. Title game and were unaware of the carnage that was taking place back in Chicago at the same time. 11 people were shot, including a 3 year old boy who is still hospitalized, just on Friday night.
This has to stop! We must start protecting the children and not the perpetrators of these crimes or the cycle will never stop. We must take back our neighborhoods now. No longer can we let the most base of our society make the good and decent live in fear. If 13 boys of JRW who were told their whole life they couldn't do it or that they were playing the wrong sport can win a National championship and all of our hearts, then we can take our neighborhoods back. We, the good and decent folk of Chicago outnumber the vile and wicked, lets flex our muscle. Lets spread the word of character and rising above like the JRW team has shown us.
I beg for, I pray for, and I demand a day of non-violence in Chicago! The Jackie Robinson West parade and celebration will be Wednesday August 27th in downtown Chicago. Lets go a whole day without any violence, these young men deserve it. For one day, forget about grudges, forget about territory, forget about the code to lay your life down for your street. Lets walk together through the streets of Chicago and celebrate our little heroes and use them as a ray of hope that our future in Chicago can be brighter.
We are all proud to say Jackie Robinson West is National Champions. But, how proud would all of us be if we used they as an impetus to create a safer and more humane Chicago. There would be no greater victory for them to be able to walk their streets without fear of a stray bullet.
You can question what I would know about what happens in Chicago. I understand, we all have our doubts. I am a decent human being that was born on the Southside and I live here now. I take public transit and clearly see the difference in the two worlds that are the south side of the city of Chicago. My neighborhood has gone from bad 20 years ago to being nicknamed, "Pleasantville," now. The neighborhood banded together to rid itself of gangs and crime and every week there are still meetings to continue the improvement.
The death of 9 year old Antonio Smith should not be forgotten. Would he have a smile like Ed Howard's the silky smooth shortstop of JRW. Would Antonio have the wit of Trey Hondras? Would Antonio have the arm of Marquis jackson? Would Antonio have the swing of Pierce Jones? Would Antonio be the leader that Brandon Greene is? Would Antonio have the fight of Joshua Houston. We'll never know the answer to these questions because Antonio Smith never made it to 10 years old.
Lets do this Chicago! Lets have a day of nonviolence in honor of Jackie Robinson West! There could be no greater honor to bestow upon those young men than to give them a day of peace in Chicago.
Who knows, maybe the life we save on Wednesday could be the person who makes all the difference for all of us in the future. Or, maybe if we go Wednesday without a senseless murder, maybe we could do it on Thursday also.
[IG Weekly] LauraJenkinson
Everybody is on their phone. Thousands of people everyday wear out their thumbs scrolling through photos, deciding which ones to post on Instagram. It’s so easy to do whether you’re a photographer or not; just point, shoot, choose a filter and post whatever you created. From funny duck face selfies, to breathtaking landscapes, to gritty city streets. Some use it as visual journal giving glimpses of their lives, while others have taken it to another level by creating works of art. All of us at Ruby Hornet are fans of the social media platform and decided to do a weekly series highlighting people whose Instagrams stand above the rest. Let us know in the comments section if you’d like to be featured, or let us know about some other cool Instagrams. Be sure to follow Ruby Hornet Instagram, too.
This week's IG Weekly comes from London-based makeup artist Laura Jenkinson. While features a variety of photos from her day job, the main draw is her self-drawn makeup cartoons that she does on her face. Below are some of my favorites, including some iconic Disney characters and an appearance from everybody's favorite '80s TV character. Make sure you follow her on Instagram!
[via @LauraJenkinson]
Taylor Swift: Cultural Appropriation or Misguided Attempt at Music Evolution?
Photo by Virgil Solis
Taylor Swift, the songstress forever linked to Kanye West following the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, has had quite the career before and after K.W. Despite all of the awards, fame, and success, a real artist will want to continually change their art, showcasing growth and evolution in ways that are entertaining, inspiring, and above all else, interesting. Using the aforementioned Kanye as an example, he's not the same artist now that he was back during The College Dropout, showing major growth over his past three albums alone (808s and Heartbreaks, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Yeezus), but can you blame him? Taylor, meanwhile, has lined up the ex-boyfriends and break-up songs alongside her plentiful awards while still sticking to the same formula that found her her success. It's about time she evolved, no?
Earlier this week, Taylor Swift released the music video for her new song, "Take It Off," which you can watch below. The fallout has been widespread following the video's release thanks to many claiming the video and singer as racist and appropriating black culture in some of the scenes. If you haven't watched the video yet, Swift takes part in and dresses up in different types of dance cultures (ballet, break, cheerleading, etc.) while she sings about dancing/shaking off any problems that come her way. It's a cheesy, yet positive song about being able to overcome differences and issues that may arise. The controversy comes from Swift's representation of "black culture" with some questionable stereotypes being portrayed in some of the scenes.
However, is this inherently racist, or just woefully ignorant? The song's theme, as I stated, is a positive message about facing adversity no matter the situation, as illustrated in the video with the various subcultures represented. Detractors are angry of the portrayals of twerking consisting of predominantly black dancers. Realistically, though, wouldn't there be detraction if the majority of the twerkers were white (or even a different culture)? I don't think the "Shake It Off" video appropriates black culture, but rather misrepresents all of the dancing cultures to a bare minimum.
In saying that, I find issue with the change in Swift's song and its appropriation of modern Top 40 songs. I'm not a Taylor Swift fan, nor do I listen to (or care about) Top 40. What I find alarming is Swift's attempt to expand upon her music career with this song in which she raps, very poorly at that, to fit into a current sound that is anything but what she's known for. There's a break in the middle of the song in which Swift says:
Hey, hey, hey
Just think while you been getting down and out about the liars
And the dirty dirty cheats of the world
You could have been getting down to this sick beat
Yes, Taylor, "Shake It Off" features one of the sickest beats to ever hit Radio Disney. Thanks for pointing it out to us. What follows after the break an awkward sounding Swift talk-rapping about seeing an ex-boyfriend and wanting to dance with another guy with nice hair. What? In an attempt to evolve her music from its country-pop roots to a more contemporary sound, Swift stumbles with a generic-sounding "rap" that is completely out of place and character. I understand risks and going outside of your comfort zone, especially in art, but when it's something as misguided and blatantly wrong like this, it's infuriating.
And please, don't even get me started on Swift's attempts at dancing in this video... If any accusations of cultural appropriations are being levied against Swift, it's the appropriation of the current pop sound and her attempts to fit into that dynamic with her own music. Misguided? Definitely. Racist? Hardly. Watch the video below and let us know what you think.
[youtube id="nfWlot6h_JM"]
Don't Turn a Blind Eye to the Events in Ferguson, MO
I try to stay away from stuff like this on an "official" level. There's so much social unrest and lack of justice, to only comment on one event would be a disservice to the countless others that came before it (and will come after it). I've always seen it as my position to entertain, to share information and "cool shit" as a way to find a reason to smile in the face of events that would prevent us from doing so. However, this past weekend's events concerning Mike Brown have led to wards a level of disgusting police militarization and exploitation of power that I can't just stand back and not say something about it. The thing is, while your social network feeds may be full of updates coming from Ferguson, MO, there are still plenty of people in the country who simply aren't aware of what's happening thanks to a media blackout of coverage. I have a platform where I can reach people who may not be aware, so why not use it to spread awareness?
Last Saturday, a young man named Mike Brown was shot dead by a police officer in Ferguson, MO after putting his hands up to surrender. The details are still blurry as to what elevated the confrontation to that height, but the fact remains that an unarmed black man who was surrendering was shot dead by an officer. The fallout of the killing exploded, with no real justice being delivered by the people put in power to serve it. Even to this day, five days after the shooting, officials have refused to release the name of the officer who pulled the trigger, on-site witnesses have yet to be interviewed by the police department, and the complete lack of a proper investigation into the unfortunate end of this man's life has still not taken place.
As unfortunate as it is to say, the majority of you reading this come from Chicago, a city that knows its fair share of gun violence and police brutality. While not every murder and shooting receives national coverage, Chicago is still the third largest city in the country, and we will still receive our fair share of attention that a small town like Ferguson, MO never would have. Here's the discrepancy: Mike Brown's killing honestly would have gone unknown had it not been for independent entities like Al-Jazeera and Anonymous helping spread the news, but it took peaceful protest, peaceful demonstration to alert the country of the injustice he and his family have faced. Even then, as I pointed out earlier, there will still be many people who will go through their day still unaware of what's happened.
[youtube id="720_l3dgbYA"]
My point in writing this is two-fold. One, it's to bring general awareness to the events that have taken place in Ferguson, MO since the weekend. You may not consider yourself political, you may not feel comfortable getting involved with events that are so deeply rooted in racial tension, you may not even want to even focus on such negativity (and really, who can blame you?). However, what these police officers have shown to us transcends race, transcends politics, transcends basic human treatment, transcends our rights as Americans.
Two, it's to show that these police officers are exploiting their power and acting above the law. Journalists and members of the press have a right known as Freedom of the Press, and as such, we're given the right to share and communicate our information across outlets without interference from those in charge. Yet, as I watched live streams of last night's events, members of the media were being blacked out, being told to shut off their cameras. In the video a few paragraphs above, you can see a canister of tear gas shot at members of Al-Jazeera as they were setting up their equipment. We can't allow these attempts of covering up happen. We can't stand idle during this.
[iframe id="http://new.livestream.com/accounts/9035483/events/3271930/videos/59166942/player?width=960&height=540&autoPlay=false&mute=false"]
The preceding video is what put me over the edge. Shot on site of a protest in a Ferguson neighborhood, you can see demonstrators simply chanting. Yet, as the police approached closer and closer and as demonstrators held their ground, the police began to shoot tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, which you can see around the nine minute mark. As it dispersed, the police continued to draw closer, shooting into residential neighborhoods. I've taken part in protests over the years, but never have I been witness to such despicableness. The "official word" from the Ferguson police department is that shots were fired or protestors were throwing molotov cocktails, to which the police began shooting in response. I call bullshit.
We have to show our support. Whether it's a simple tweet, sharing videos, calling Missouri state officials, attending protests, whatever it is, we have to stand up against these atrocities and share awareness with those around us. Like I wrote earlier, I've always seen my position at Ruby Hornet as one to simply entertain, and I will continue to do so after this is published. Will I (or RH as a whole) cover real events in the future? I don't know. However, what I do know is that I couldn't just sit around and write about the release date of the new Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers release date or something so largely asinine while something of real substance was taking place around us.
If you live in a major city, peaceful protests are scheduled to take place today. Look below on the flyer for more information about them in your city.
[Lollapalooza Interview] James King and John Wicks (Fitz and the Tantrums)
Getting to a 2:00pm interview in Lollapalooza’s press area after a random Chicago downpour on a Saturday means commitment. After having taken the Blue Line to Jackson, getting briefly lost leaving the train, and sprinting two blocks south, I had made it nine minutes early to my interview with drummer John Wicks and saxophonist James King of Fitz and the Tantrums. Although our conversation was short and sweet, I could recognize that their loyalty to Chicago fans is unwavering, and that their desire to spit out quality advice to persevering artists was genuine. Check out some of the words we exchanged in the interview below.
So welcome to the city of Chicago! What kind of vibes does it give you? Or, I guess, how do you feel about being here?
John Wicks: Oh, Chicago has always been the biggest champion of Fitz and The Tantrums.
James King: Yeah, Chicago kicked off our entire career.
JW: And the runners on Lake Shore Drive are the most badass runners I’ve ever seen.
True. We don’t play. Abruptly switching to the topic of music, which album do you guys consider your personal favorite?
JK: …This one.
The newest one?
JW: Yeah, this one. More Than Just a Dream.
Oh… well, I feel like it’s worth mentioning to you my personal favorite, which is Pickin’ Up the Pieces. Specifically because of “Tighter.”
* John and James look at each other *
JW: It’s very interesting that you say that. * long pause * We collaborated together on that song, all in one room, when it came into fruition. We don’t work like that often. It was a special time for us.
Please tell me it’ll be a track that you guys are planning on performing tonight.
JK: It’s hard to perform “Tighter.” It’s been a while. You’ve gotta keep the energy up.
It’s a song that serves as a soundtrack to many of my roughest nights, that I associate with college, particularly. James, you joined the band sometime after your college career. During your time in school, did predict this kind of future for yourself?
JK: No, definitely not. We were always doing multiple things. I was always doing side jobs or being the guy behind the scenes, but then finally focusing on one thing, putting all of your efforts into one thing, that’s what’ll get you somewhere. Not necessarily distributing your energy into multiple projects.
Do you have any more words of wisdom for DIY rock bands, people who are working on getting their name out there, or those following in your steps?
JW: Get cultured. Stand next to a tree, like we’re doing now. Don’t go to an Urban Outfitters and buy a shirt of a tree. Stop trying to accumulate things and just do. If I was spending less time buying things and appearing like I was doing something, I would actually be doing something. I would be more comfortable as a “starving artist” if I wasn’t trying to appear like I wasn’t just that.
[RH Photos] Art Alliance Presents The Provocateurs
While seemingly all of Chicago was excited for Lollapalooza this past weekend, my mind was more focused on "The Provocateurs," an Art Alliance show curated by street artist Shepard Fairey. Featuring a wide range of street, pop, and contemporary artists across a vast array of media from paintings to photographs and sculptures, "The Provocateurs" was like a primer on spotlighting a list of who's who in modern art today, including Tim Armstrong, Mark Mothersbaugh, Space Invader, WK Interact, Estevan Oriol, HAZE, Dzine, and Fairey himself. Below is just a small sampling of what "The Provocateurs" had to offer art newbies and art enthusiasts. "The Provocateurs" show will be on display until today, August 8th, at 6pm! If you have a chance to make it to the Loop, I highly encourage all of you to check it out.
