Linh Monster

Fantastic! (;

Had a very productive and event filled day with Ralph Saturday. Spent the day in Melrose/La Brea shooting videos and getting some footage for Absolutely Nothing. Glad it wasn’t raining but it was cold and windy in LA yesterday. So after we got our footage we decided to go into hiding and went back to his place. We played some Little Big Planet, got frustrated then decided to Watch Prince of Persia. Half way through Johnnie comes over and invites us to a double date with him and the Misses. So we get ready and come to find that it’s a quadruple date. Whatever, sounds fun. So, everyone knows that TGI Friday’s is my place of choice for cheap food and cheap drinks. I have 2 Friday’s, both within about 10-15 minutes from my house. There is only ONE in LA and it was near LAX, pretty much the ghetto. We get there and see that it was ‘Magic Johnson’s TGI Fridays’. The menu was completely different and their drink section was extended. They had a “Diddy Up” that had Ciroc in it. I loved it! Went back to Ralph’s, played a little Dead Ops and it was already past 2AM so I rushed my ass home. Driving sleepy is no bueno.

Underrated.

Stopped by Supreme to pick up a shirt for Ralph and guess who we saw, Tyler the Creator. Yeah, his voice really is that deep. If you don’t know who he is, watch the video here. He’s known for his strangeness and gore and all that weird shit. Kid’s doin it though. Anyway, walked a few blocks for some Calbi! Mmm, my favorite! We found some Lady Gaga X Terry Richardson X Supreme posters with a bunch of other street/pop art and took some photos and footage for ‘ABNO’. We met some people who were what they called, “treasure hunters”. Not the money and gold type but the art lover type. They were much older than Ralph and I but were pretty much doing the same thing as we were. Running around LA looking for this ‘treasure’. We had a long talk with them and they really did inspire the both of us. And Ralph brought up a really good point. People nowadays don’t really value street graffiti and pop art and a lot of people wouldn’t even consider it art. Things don’t become popular or accepted until the artist is dead. I’m sure a few of Picasso’s first paintings made people say “wtf”.

These are the people out there doing it. Showcasing their work, giving us a glimpse into their lives, trying to send us a message. This is their best work, all this street art that we’re seeing now. I remember last Friday we were driving past Joyrich (who were renovating) and Banksy fucking raped their store front. I was screaming with excitement because I had already heard that Banksy was in the area but to see his new work was pretty amazing. I’ve seen the Atticus one before but Joyrich was plastered with his work from one end to the other. We walked by Joyrich Saturday and it was all gone. In LA I’m used to seeing the same pieces up at the same spots for awhile but Banksy is up and down in about 24 hours. My guess is that collectors and big fans rip them down to keep. I mean, I would. Do you realize how much that stuff will be worth in a couple of years?