rising*

media matters*

So I came out for this evening as it was a valid effort in taking back the night. I am in the media & I am very busy. I am happy...doing really well & really lucky. My photographs are hanging on the same walls as a Mapplethorpe, a Warhol, a Walker. I have a show coming up in Paris and then Art Basel. I am over the moon.

I am happy & excited & I am a feminist!

I am part of a group of women who know the importance & value of being alive during this time. I put this knowledge into action in many ways. One of them is in a willingness to take to the streets with little more than paper & pen. Our voices will be heard. It is time to reclaim the balance. I wish we had big money behind us & lots of time to mastermind something with far greater impact. Sadly, it is the lack of funding in the women's movement that does not allow us to really rise as we must. But change is coming. Cells of powerful and affluent women are coming together in ways never seen before. I have circled the globe twice baring witness to our growing strength in numbers. These are amazing, talented, fun, brilliant women who care about not being raped and blown away for entertainment's sake - whether it is in a theater or in the fields - hunted like deer as men kill & destroy what is beautiful for sport.

We have the right not to remain silent. There are far more than 16 of us; there are more than 3 billion women and 3 billion men who are impacted daily by the poison that misogyny spreads.

As media makers this is the greatest responsibility of our time. Words are the most powerful & shaping tools that we have.

Life came from women - we are the givers of life - and if someone wants to take that for granted, as many do, then there becomes a terrible dis-ease on Earth and all suffer. This amazing sample of concerned citizens, both female & male, who came out that night are testaments to the American Dream and to freedom of speech. They put the grrr back into grassroots. Tucker Max expects all the glory of freedom of speech and yet systematically takes it away from those voicing another opinion by photoshopping their protest posters to read the opposite of what is intended. This is virtual rape & censorship perpetrated by Tucker Max and his Frat Boy Mob.

Yes, I wish you had shown up at that Bank of America to witness hundreds taking back the night and standing up against the mainstreaming of misogyny and detrimental themes of sex & violence. The degradation of women has become a multi-billion dollar industry; porn shops sell shelves of movies about the raping of young girls, old women, and everything in-between...

And now Tucker Max wants to take that to mainstream theaters where children walk by his posters.

For each woman who gets raped there is a chain reaction: the lives of entire families are destroyed. It is no laughing matter and it is the laughter which allows the rape to be so systematic.

Like the dehumanizing of Jews in Hitler's Germany, this is no less serious an issue. It is a toxic poison spreading rapidly. I hope next time there are thousands of us and that we can bring forth the strength in numbers to reclaim our birth right to walk the streets in freedom & in safety. Let's all meet again next Tuesday. Anyone interested contact me. I will have pictures posted on my blog from the evening: www.lovephotography.org (click on the top right corner)

We were just getting warmed up. Next time we can take a billboard out in Times Square. We have more tools than we realize and enough are people sick of this mess. It is time to clean-up and take charge.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: I take my rights seriously. This does not make me an angry feminist. Rather, it means I am awake, conscious, caring, and an active citizen.

Revolution begins with Personal Evolution.

Let's all raise our voices - let's come together. It is a time of celebration and of coming into our rightful power.

I advocate responsibility, an awareness of the consequences of our actions. We all know the effects of propaganda & brainwashing. We all know that humor is sometimes used to dehumanize. The military uses this same tactic all the time: let's make jokes about "rag heads" and then we can just shoot at them and rape them. It is an act of war to make 'em scream. It will be real funny...just like killing pregnant women!

Tucker Max and George Bush Jr. are similar characters with a dangerous amount of privilege; they appeal to the lowest common denominator: greed, mockery of the value of human life, and the need to kill & destroy for ego's sake.

I wish I lived safely in a land in which my being was respected and in which I did not have to worry that if a fellow woman is late to a meeting that she has not been dragged into an alley.

-peace & healing between us.

*************

Maybe we could all agree just to look at ourselves a little more and to have a little common respect for our shared humanity and the sharing of this planet.

I know many amazing men and women. I know all of us are hurting in ways and it is often hard for us to bridge communication with each other. Books like "Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus" and "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" become bestsellers because we live in a capitalist society that bases its never-ending sales pitch on our insecurities and pitting us against each other.

There are people hurting in the world - these are our shared stories. Many women are acting out roles perpetuated by propaganda which keeps this nation afloat and which leads us to believe that we as women are ascribed a value based on our appearance: cosmetics, diet pills, botox, willingly cutting our bodies open to fill cyber roles. Men like Tucker Max are truly sick and should be treated accordingly. I am not advocating the death penalty or suggesting that we burn him on the stake, however. That is what has happened for thousands of years: we seek revenge and therefore spin in ever greater circles. We have come to a place where we look in the mirror and we are all plastic or hopped-up on steroids. We are snorting coke. We are fucking like machines...and our humanity is lost. Anything but the airbrushed must be destroyed! And that which does not fit these criteria must be senseless. The hunter and gather is locked away in a cubical, working a job he hates to make money to feed the retail therapy of a 'gold-digging' wife. But let's not forget that women own less than one percent of the world's property and wealth, and in many places women are traded like cattle via wedding vows that silence them even further. We must break the chains because no one is happy. Tucker Max is mad, the feminsts are angry, and people are just getting on with their day-to-day lives...but the currents affect us all.

As Max has used his artistic voice to share his stories so honestly, we can see that these are the uncomfortable truths of our time. We should thank him for bringing them to the surface so that we can address them in public forums as we are doing here.

I would like to dare us all to take a long look in the mirror until we can start to dissect what we see...until we see who we are; what we can do to heal ourselves because we all need to heal. Dear people: this is a beautiful time to be alive. We can be willing to stop long enough to see that another world is possible...not only possible but on the way.

We are the shapers of our own destiny. Let us be mindful of what we ask for. All of us - stop - take a moment to consider deeply - beyond the neon lights or the silver screen: What is it we are seeking? And do the moves that we make take us closer or farther away from that goal?

There is no need for us to keep calling each other names as it defeats the purpose of evolution. We are here with the time to write back and forth; we are the ones with the time to help set this world straight and to create balance. There is room for us all step-up to the plate and to make life amazing.

I do not need to be drunk to get some or be able to take some - and I am certainly not interested in going to Hell after so much hardship in this life.

I am interested in creating paradise here on Earth between us all by camping down and taking note. Peace is possible. Joy matters and we have a value of zero dollars per day. Life for men and womyn and femyles and males could be better. Let's not just bring our parents' shit forward - whatever sickness your mamma and your pappa and your schools placed on you...why don't we all just let it go?

Open up to the power our generation possesses.

Let's make more movies, have more debates.

I pray for the best in us to come forth in this moment.

We are never the same person twice.
Change is the only constant.

May we all change in ways that respect the humanistic boundaries that exist and by upholding the safety and dignity of each other through the actions we take.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

These are things that came to light a century ago.

I am looking for the innovative and this is an invitation to everybody - to just make it good and to hold ourselves accountable.

May your journeys be safe and blessed.

//peace//

Why Tucker Max is the new George Bush Jr. & reclaiming who we are outside the politics of stupid...//peace

Layla says:
My belief is that we are all doing something - we are all trying - but carrying different worries, fears, egos, pains of our own that make us battle over and over. The truth is that underneath it all, we are looking to be connected in healthy ways - women and men do not want to be forever stuck in a battle of the sexes.

Let's start talking about some really new ideas! I dare us! Come on...we have been playing "boys against girls" since pre-school. Instead, let's see what adult ideas we can muster up. ox

Very excited to invite you to this amazing opening that I am so so honored to be part of: September 16th (7-10pm) at Collective Hardware

For Immediate Release


AMP Tracks Presents:


Black & White Show
At Collective Hardware
September 10 through October 3, 2009
Opening Reception, Wednesday, September 16th from 7-10pm



September 11, 2009—NEW YORK, NY – AMP Tracks is pleased to present The Black & White Show, an exhibition at Collective Hardware (169 Bowery at Delancey) curated by Meghan Carleton and Amandine Lesaffre Freidheim and sponsored by Daniel K, the prestige diamond jewelry house. Void of color, the exhibition explores the graphic clarity and dynamics of black-and-white art by emerging to blue-chip artists. The Black & White Show will be on view from September 10 to October 3, 2009. The gallery will be open from noon to 7pm daily. An opening reception will be held Wednesday, September 16th from 7-10pm.

Artists of all eras have used the black-and-white palette to explore the power of contrast. The simplicity of this use of medium brings forth the potential for dramatic and vivid expressions. As the two values compete for the eyes’ attention, stark and evocative forms emerge, in a powerful accentuation of imagery. This exhibit will highlight the range of possibilities of this basic yet bold representation.

Featured artists include: Vik Muniz, Kara Walker, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Irving Penn, Darren Almond, Ryan McGuiness, Layla Love, Brody Neuenschwander, Frank Stella, Evan Gruzis, Will Ryman, Barbara Kruger, among others. The exhibition will debut works by Rodofphe Gombergh and Sandrine and Riccardo Barilla—three European artists exhibiting in New York for the first time.

Collective Hardware is NYC's newest collaborative and gathering point for multi-disciplinary artists and creative minds. The space is a melting pot for the visual arts, organic cooking, audio video and film screenings, visionary conversation and much more.

AMP Tracks is a New York-based curatorial enterprise founded by Amy Rosi, Meghan Carleton and Peter Rosenthal that promotes art and culture through exhibitions, discussions, public relations and cultural community outreach.


###


For more information please contact Amy Rosi at 212.953.5177 or arosi@amptracksinc.com

ARTENNAE: Tribal JOURneY...*

For immediate release – (Miami, FL 31 August 2009)
On the heels of a bright, shiny summer in Miami’s progressive Wynwood Art District, things are beginning to stir as the art fairs prep to make their Fall/Winter debut. Artists, gallerists, curators and reps are busily preparing for short and long-term exhibits that will all serve as the precursor to what will be a dynamic December for art in Miami.

On Saturday, September 12th from 7-10pm, Wynwood 2nd Saturday Art Walk will launch in full swing and artennae global art consulting proudly presents their premier, group art exhibition entitled “Tribal Journey” featuring Catherine Rogers, Fine Artist along with several other globally celebrated artists and creatives including de la Haba, Jackson Lynch, Troy Woods, Barron Claiborne, McKay Otto, Layla Love, Damani K. Diop & Artifacts by Majestic Lips.

Artennae global art consulting is an unconventional (consulting and marketing) tribe, formed specifically to elevate emerging artists from all over the world.

As a company, we have come together as a group of “creatives” from various walks of life, each with strengths designed to form a strong union, with the goal of highlighting the talented artists and their work outside of the typical gallery setting.

These are the times when circumstances imposed on us by destiny actually allow us to create new and innovative methods to share positive messages with our fellow man. So it’s natural and perfect that our first exhibit is a declaration of coming together in support of the arts, which will not be diminished during this “recession.”

The artists we’ve chosen in our inaugural show work in varied mediums, from painting on surfboards, sculpting with found objects, photography by world-renowned talent, and painting. Diversity is embedded in the art work, in the languages they speak, the cities where they reside and the cultures they embrace.

3 of our artists travel the globe as their art form, photographing people from many ethnicities and cultures, and seeing humanity from a “big world view”.

The inspiration for the show’s theme “Tribal Journey” came from a series of paintings that our featured artist, Catherine Rogers, created. Her bold and dramatic tribal-influenced work is a wonderful contradiction to the gentle nature of the soft-spoken lady from Key Largo who embraces yoga and a good glass of wine. Still waters run deep for this delicate, powerful flower - more passionate about painting than anything…and in her 60’s. Once again, coming together of talent from surprising sources.

There are many different tribes in today’s world….corporations, social networking, sports teams, small businesses, non-profit organizations, Girl Scouts / Boy Scouts, even political parties. We move in and out of various tribes every day of our lives, joining forces for a common cause. “Tribal Journey” is a timeless tale of clans or tribes who band together - moving in unison. artennae’s top picks for fall 2009 reads like an e.e. cummings’ homage to humanity’s renewed sense of honoring the ancient tradition of community.

“Tribal Journey” is a reflection on returning to the age of the human bond between those of “like mind” rather than focusing on the bonds of perceived outer appearance.

Please join us:

Saturday, 12 September 2009, 7-9pm

Wynwood Lofts Art Complex, 250 NW 23rd St., #203, Miami, FL 33127

info@artennae.com ● RSVP Appreciated ● Generously supported by REMY MARTIN

For artist information/intimate preview: 305-546-9889 or 305-576-4844

Nomads Trail of Tears Bands Survival Cultural Counter Culture New model Personal / Self-made Tribes Community Art Tribes Cavemen & women Bedouin African Native American Aboriginal Humans are social creatures Clustering Gangs / Posse Male vs. female New media tribes Hawaiian / South Pacific Amazonian Entrepreneurs Corporations Social networking Birth creativity Tribes of Israel Change sports teams groups of people Rural tribes Urban tribes your friends your family your pack yourself...

Come join us...this is an invitation*

Art Heals: The Unbreakable. Love Heals All: A Testimonial.

the first with images & words
by layla love
an ode to surrender:
we are inescapably connected in this collaborative performance called life.
members of the tribe share tales of the human condition.

Love shares her great respect for comrade featured artists:
Alex Franck
Alicia Piller
Emily Gendron
Joel Stonington
Jorghe casu
Linda Obuchoska

This montage of paintings & photographs created by Earth angels from across the globe comes together to celebrate the human potential when we choose to no longer be divided.

*Burrow together in a cocoon of live jazz by Ms. Tracy Stark. Bring yourself as art, dance, move, share ~ this is show & tell - brought alive - we barely have time to act, let alone rehearse...*

Proceeds & the commission and simpatico donation of a percentage of art sales will go to Love's "Keeping Focus" healing fund.

*Love will be presenting new images as well as her full first edition collection, which was showcased at The National Arts Club earlier this summer. Baron is now hosting a bon voyage before the images set sail for shows overseas. And Love will head West to continue a much needed medical treatment to foster her recovery from a rare eye disorder that is currently threatening her vision. The healing is happening thanks to the beautiful stir of energy & action that have come from within & been sourced by this ever-growing ebb & flow of community.

This is an intention to bring forth an evening of warmth, of passion, and the obsessive need to overexpose...to give voice to the journey, to merge the tangible & intangible elements of existence, and to enjoy.

Joy Matters