Absolut has a sterling track record in support of visual arts. From the brand’s famed advertisements  (produced by the likes of Warhol, Scharf, Haring, and Hirst ) to the Absolut Art Award, the brand’s pulse beats through the art world. The latest project, 365 Days, is curated by Thomas Nordanstad and explores creativity in different places around the world. The project kicked off in mid-May with 5 Days in La Roma – an event that included globally-acclaimed artists Rirkrit Tiravanija, Miguel Calderon, Mario Garcia Torres, Laureana Toledo, Sam Samore, and Carl Michael von Hausswolff all presenting new works (mostly films) in Mexico City.

To learn more about the project, we caught up with Thomas Nordanstad. Check our Q&A after the jump. And, above, view a recap video of 5 Days in La Roma.

Self-taught painter Vanessa Prager reveals her latest works this Thursday (June 2, 2011 to be exact) in a special one-night-only exhibition hosted by Danny Masterson. The venue is fitting for Prager, a painter who finds inspiration in a mix of contemporary narrative and vintage photographs. In anticipation of the show, Prager and I got on the phone to discuss the idea behind Across the Universe and her process.

ADBD Gallery
8246 Beverly Blvd
LA, CA

Read our Q&A and check out Prager’s phenomenal paintings after the jump.

While sartorially conservative, New York clothier Seize Sur Vingt has a rebellious, tongue-in-cheek underbelly. The name of spin-off line Troglodyte Homunculus is evidence enough, but the true spirit of the line is most apparent through an quirky art program that has included sponsorship of the Vice Magazine Photo Annual and the presentation of a short film, “The Returning of the Sun,” by Japanese contemporary artist Noritoshi Hirakawa. The Seize Sur Vingt shop has hosted exhibitions by Larry Clark, Ryan McGinley, and John Waters… artists whose take on fashion and youth culture balance the traditional garments of SSV with a bit of radical counterculture brilliantly.

Seize Sur Vingt is currently showing photographs by Nan Goldin – beautiful transvestite portraits – at the 78 Greene Street flagship. With that, I took the opportunity to speak with James Jurney, who founded SSV in 1998 with wife Gwendolyn, about the role art plays in the brand’s identity.

Read the Q&A and view some more of Goldin’s fabulous photographs after the jump.

Photography by Jason Malihan.

Mike Shine latest show, Der Wilden Mann, will open on April 16, 2011 at Copro Gallery in Los Angeles. In Der Wilden Mann”Shine’s thematics are extended into the next phase in the life of Flotsam, the Faustian carney-trickster character who anchors and drives the philosophical tome as proposed by the artist. Set hundreds of years after the last installment, Flotsam’s Wonder World, at 941Geary in SF, Flotsam continues bargaining with the devil in order to ensure the continued survival of mankind.

Ahead of the opening, I connected with Shine over email to discuss his interest in the carnival and the importance of performance and audience interaction to his work.

COPRO GALLERY
Bergamot Station Arts Complex
2525 Michigan Ave, Unit T-5
Santa Monica, CA

A preview of Der Wilden Mann and our Q&A with Mike Shine comes after the jump. 

Based in London, Christopher Read has produced films and taken photographs for the likes of Audi, BBC and Genesis Bikes. Having enjoyed a few of his commercial pieces, approaching Read to provide some personal images to share on the site was only natural. He shares an interest in the grime scene, and in his black and white portraits reflects the tight spaces and gritty locations from which the genre builds.

Aside from offering images, Read also answered a few questions. Our Q&A and more photographs after the jump.

Buff Monster is prepping for the opening of his forth solo showing at Corey Helford Gallery (8522 Washington BLVD, Culver City, CA), entitled Beyond the Pink. The exhibition opens on September 4 and runs to September 22, 2010. The new work caps off an exciting year for the LA-based artist, which has included participation in the “Art from the New World” group exhibition and having a painting acquired by the Bristol City Museum for its permanent collection.

We chatted to Buff Monster briefly ahead of the exhibition to get a better sense of what he’s learned in recent travels and how he goes about producing a new body of work.

Our Q&A and a preview of Beyond the Pink follow. Above photo by Kristin Burns.

Founded in 1860 by Antoine Roset in Briord, France, Ligne Roset has grown to a multinational design force. With factories still headquartered in France, the brand maintains 200 exclusive retail outlets world wide.

Celebrating 150 years, Ligne Roset is the only “issuer/manufacturer/distributor” of high-end French Furniture. Over first 100 years, the firm progressed from a small chair manufacturing plant into a leader in international design. Through the ’50s and ’60s, Ligne Roset experienced a period of profound growth, building to the later quarter of the 20th-century during which the company built new trade in avant-garde design. From that point, Ligne Roset has traded in the “International Art of Living,” providing furnishings to please both the eye and the spirit.

The great-great-grandson, and namesake of the founder, Antoine Roset, now serves as Executive Vice President of Roset USA. His career began outside the company, working with luxury watchmaker IWC in Paris. After three years with IWC, Roset rejoined the family, moving to New York to manage Ligne Roset’s North American operations.

Having covered the anniversary products (here and here), I felt it worth connecting with Antoine Roset to learn more about his history within the family business. We discussed technology and memorable designs. Head to the jump to view archival images and read Antoine Roset’s answers. The question and answer session is just a brief entree into the Ligne Roset world, but enough to give a sense of legacy and heritage.

Christopher Glancy works as Curator of Projects for MNMNT Snowboards and BODEGA Wall Vinyl. Essentially, his task it to connect artists to these commercial ventures. Both companies share a similar interest in making art accessible and public.

Intrigued by Glancy’s work… and the range of his projects… I connected with him for a quick Q&A covering his background and his thoughts on the inherent epherality of snowboard graphics. Please find his responses after the jump.

For reference the above image is an example from BODEGA – explicitly its Mike Giant’s contribution to the vinyl art project.

Michael “RJ” Rushmore has already had a bit of space on Curated in the last week. Apart from providing a guest post, his The Thousands exhibition and Vandalog site have been noted. The street art show opens this week (tomorrow to be exact).

At 18, I was also just getting into art and had served my first museum internship (working on 18th-century furniture). RJ is curating an exhibition, releasing a related catalog through Drago, and slowly becoming a name associated with coverage and dissemination of information about a new breed of artist. I’m always pleased to find young people heavily engaged in art, what ever the subject matter, and felt it appropriate to pick RJ’s mind about the show and his thoughts on street art generally.

The interview follows, many thanks to RJ for his time and taking a few moments to discuss his projects with me over the last few weeks.

Photo credit to Sonia Bertacchini.

On Friday (October 16, 2009), Lori Earley’s much anticipated Laments and Lullabies opens at London’s Opera Gallery. The exhibition features all new work, including “The Pinnacle,” a painting that took 6 months to complete. Laments and Lullabies will remain on view until November 14, 2009.

Opera Gallery is located at 134 New Bond Street, London, W1.

Ahead of the opening, Earley took some time out to answer a few questions and grant us preview of some of the work that makes up Laments and Lullibies. Read on to learn more about the artist and her painting.