With bundles of hard copies coming fresh off the press and being packaged to be distributed across America (more specifically NY, LA, and ATL). I am proud to present you the first issue of Greedmont Magazine! A free bimonthly publication we’ve been working on extensively with our team “bloggers” over the past month to put together. In the beginning I didn’t think it was possible, but everyone agreed it was time to take the blog to the next level by turning it into a magazine. The first issue features interviews Fefe Dobson along with Fool’s Gold artist, Kid Sister and A-Trak; and with some of our favorite local artist like Brandon Sadler and Carla Aaron-Lopez. Enjoy!

[Cover art by Tunde Ogunnoiki]

Hey guys! As you know, the sketchbook is the foundation of my art, it’s where the creative process starts and ideas are manifested. I spend countless hours sketching, planning and perfecting my style with the confinements of its pages. So I thought it’d be cool to release my first series of limited-edition sketchbooks, each individually numbered and signed. There’s only 10 available, the first one is 6×8 inches and features my “Sugar Skull” design engraved on the cover, along with my logo on the spine. Available @ iamcoreydavis.com for $25

Here’s a video I shot for Weapons of Audio(formally known as FutureShock) a few weeks ago in New York for their classic single “Boulevard” off their forthcoming album, Bipolar.

[Shot by Corey Davis]

If you haven’t been paying attention, Billy Clint is the new brand I’ve been working on for the past few months, and were looking forward to launching the first line of products this fall! A lot of people have been asking me what’s next after Plush .357… Well, here it is! Billy Clint is a lifestyle brand, originally inspired by the lyrics of an Outkast song, catering to the cultural needs of today’s youth. We understand and embrace the carefree, rebellious mentality of our generation, and take on responsibility of reflecting that attitude with our commodities. We’ll be releasing a few products here and there over the summer to get your taste buds going. Starting off with this “Billy Clint Ashtray + Lighter” ($19) exclusively available @ www.iamcoreydavis.com

We teamed up with PRPLMNT, the geniuses who brought you Wood-Shock, on this limited edition “Laser Engraved Billy Clint Deck” ($70). Limited 28 Decks produced, individually signed and numbered, available exclusively @ www.iamcoreydavis.com

Hey Guys, it’s the Return of the Jedi! I’m coming back home in two weeks for the Atlanta Indie Fest, but I will also be tattoing @ COI during that time. Call 404.525.4INK to book appointments!

Carla Aaron-Lopez is a Los Angeles native who picked up her first camera at the age of 20 while rivaling with a college friend and instantly developed an affinity for photography. Her portfolio is centered on her life and the people she encounters, preferring to shoot “hard-working black people and they ultimately have the best stories to tell.” A close friend of mine, whose criticism and opinion I’ll always value, I recently had a chance to chop it up her.

When did you fall in love with photography?
Oh man… the first time I saw my shit on cibachrome. The vibrancy and richness of the color in photograph was magnetic and it pulled me into wanting to learn about the craft on a serious level.

What is the first photo you remember taking?
A self portrait with the fake clear-lensed Ray-Bans (the kind the hipster kids wear now) and an electric blue wig. I took it on a Sony MiniDV camera in nightvision. I looked like “The Ring” girl come to life. Shit was bananas to shoot in nightvision. Everything had a dark and morbid appeal to it. The fact that picture outcome is green doesn’t really help to take away it’s strange appearance. I was digging that aesthetic so hard at the time.

Tell us what life is like behind the view finder?
Detail-oriented. I always forget one small detail that would make something dope. Every time I pick up a camera to shoot I always remember to stay detail-oriented because it helps to create the bigger picture. Therefore, life sometimes looks like a photograph. The small moments become those small details I need to complete the whole and the photograph.

Do you prefer to shoot traditionally or digital? Why?
I dig both. They both have an aesthetic appeal that I think should be exercised whenever the time calls for it. Digital is easy because the reward is quicker than a Polaroid. Every waking moment can be recorded if one chooses to do so. Or maybe you have a great idea to shoot a night out with friends on film to capture how special this occasion will be. Film has such a seductive quality to it that when compared to digital, you can’t help but to think about the history of film and what has been recorded and documented in analog. However, with digital, you can stretch the limits of photograph through manipulation and digital graphics.

100 years from now, what is the message you want your photos to convey about American culture in 2010?
For my photographs, I want to be able to be recognized as more than a black artist exploring more than just black culture but American culture. I do not see a difference between the two. It is my hopes that when people finally understand that then they will be able to see black people for more than a second class group of citizens. No matter if they are black punks, geeks, freaks or boppers. To the future!

What is the role of your photograpy in history?
I document the times. There are lots more tattooed people today. I don’t know if that’s stupidity from trend following or an actual phenomenon based upon a subconscious need to tribally mark oneself permanently due to man’s extradition from nature. Therefore, I document the times through classic documentary style or studio lighting set-up. My main interest is to shoot people of color. When I make my first photo book it will be in the small art/culture/philosophy section in the library.

How come you prefer to shoot “normal”, day-to-day people?
Because I have no interest in the celebrity or semi-celebrity. To me, a lot of their character is made up for them and you don’t get a chance to really spend time with them to shoot. “Normal” people are an oddity to me because I know I’m a little odd. We all have these different ways of describing normal thinking that we’re all on the same level but we’re not. Everybody lives and come up a little different that the next. I find that fascinating! It’s what helps create our character as people. Plus, day-to-day people never seem to catch a break like me. I can relate to that sometimes. I feel like I give them a break by capturing something special or dope about them. At least for today, I’ve made you happy.

A lot of your work seems to capture the promiscuous, carefree mentality of today’s youth. What made you decide to make that one of your focal points?
I didn’t. I just shot my life and the people I meet. It’s just my nature so I fell in cool with the Terry Richardson/Juergen Teller-style photographs. Birds of a feather flock together and I shot them birds with a digital 35mm. It’s a no fear generation out here. They come in all different colors, shapes and sizes. I have fun shooting them but lately I’ve been moving on deeper into art with shoots here and there.

How do you feel about today’s generation, are we heading in the right direction?
I don’t know. It saddens me when I see a really cool looking young black kids and they have no clue about the magnitude of how grand their black history is. Think about how more empowered every black boy and girl, man and woman would be when backed with the knowledge of their history as more than just slaves to a pale horse system? That could change the world! Especially with how today’s youth is more willing to take challenges or band together through technology. I don’t know. I just think that if a group of kids are willing to step outside of what has been established as black or urban wear into skinny jeans and tight T-shirts then a little of that attention can be made to feed the brain with Supreme knowledge. I’m just saying. Get off the emo BS, go get some knowledge and go see the world. Help mend what’s broken. Get off that “it’s all about me” bullshit.

What do you love about art?
The freedom to show you what’s on the inside of my mind. To know that if I need something about life explained to me I can find the answers in art. Its different forms of interpretation like paint, film, found object. There are a lot of things that I don’t understand in the life but with art, I just get it. I understand it. It’s my interest now to find artists that have been neglected from art history. All the greats of fine art are cool but there is such a shortage of diversity among the canonized few. Art keeps everything exciting. What could you hate about that?

Sex, Drugs or Rock and Roll?
I’ll take the sex and the rock and roll. Drugs just make people look old as hell and broken in thoughts. Dope, dirty sex keeps you looking younger I believe. Ha!

For more information about Carla check out her site http://www.whoiscarla.com

]]> http://www.greedmontpark.com/2010/06/30/carla-aaron-lopezs-black-american-life/feed/ 9 http://www.greedmontpark.com/2010/06/30/greedmont-park-introduces-myles-e-johnson-founder-of-studio13/ http://www.greedmontpark.com/2010/06/30/greedmont-park-introduces-myles-e-johnson-founder-of-studio13/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:28:36 +0000 Brianna Giddens http://www.greedmontpark.com/?p=16259

Uninspired, lazy, ambitionless: words supposedly emblematic of our generation. Leave these descriptions to the wannabe hustlers and aspiring models that don’t have any credibility towards their pretentious, claimed titles. While most are spending their summer nights…

Uninspired, lazy, ambitionless: words supposedly emblematic of our generation. Leave these descriptions to the wannabe hustlers and aspiring models that don’t have any credibility towards their pretentious, claimed titles. While most are spending their summer nights partying and inhaling fumes from their joints, there are some grinding to invent a name for themselves in the world. Observation of unfolding icons such as Corey Davis and Maurice Garland, it’s blatant that persistence and possession of a high dosage of tunnel vision is the key formula of success. Just ask Myles E. Johnson, who has indubitably taken note and devoured these ingredients, stirring up his latest concoction: Studio 13.

What the fuck is Studio13? “It’s a concept inspired by the 70’s, Studio 54, Debbie Harry, Andy Warhol, & the 80’s,” affirms Myles. “Studio13 is a celebration of life and a symbolization of change, evolution, and being reborn. The number 13 comes from my birthday and the age of transformation.” Much like its inventor, Studio13 is far from the expected. His exterior may be deceiving, but Myles’ pop-culture knowledge is vast. In my closed-minded high school, he was one of the few people that could relate when it came to real music. Not the bullshit that Soulja Boy and OJ Da Juiceman compose for some people’s misguided ears, but the dope vibes you experience from Souls of Mischief or a Main Source track. When questioned about when he became aware of his infatuation with music and fashion, he answered, “Really early. There are tapes of me dressed in a cowboy vest dancing to old school music with my parents. My dad’s a jazz musician and my mom’s an interior designer, so growing up my favorite artists were those who had an image. Michael Jackson and Prince gave you a visual, videos plus fashion. At the age of 14 or 15 is when I really started getting into fashion, then at 16 more into runway, photography, and magazines.” Surprisingly, having a strong sense of love and appreciation for the arts, he wasn’t always aware of his chosen craft. “I started song writing at first, then I started leaning towards being a fashion designer but I didn’t have the passion to do it at the time. I wasn’t confused as far as the field I wanted to be in, but specifically what niche. Studio13 enables me to exhibit multitudes of my talent such as writing and styling.” Hailing from New York, at the age of 9, he made the move to the haven of trucker hats and chewing tobacco: Hiram, GA. Despite its hillbilly undertones, the place proved to be inspiring. “I grew up in New York and it’s not as glamorous as everyone thinks, you actually have to hustle and make it look good. I never cite New York as a specific ground of inspiration. Hiram was blank with no distinct culture, so the surroundings influenced me. As a result of Hiram being blank, it gave me breathing room to think and create.”

The conception of his creations incorporates three simple elements: art, style, and fashion. “Art is simply an expression of yourself. Anything you do you should take pride in it, perfect it, and do it to the best of your ability. Style is the rawest form of somebody; it represents the feeling of a certain day. It simply is the essence of how you present yourself. Fashion is life times 10. It is what makes everything a lot more interesting. Fashion is tangible and a part of our culture.” Being a wardrobe stylist, these words are imprinted on his brain. Along with the visuals he has seen that impelled him the birth of his schemes, owned by the testers of boundaries such as Madonna, Alexander McQueen, Andre Leon Talley, & Lagerfeld. “My biggest inspiration is Patricia Fields, who turned her taste, artistic view, and her name into a brand”, Myles states. Relatively equivalent to the goals and ventures that Myles has for Studio 13. From numerous photoshoots and hiring another fashion stylist to getting the blog revamped, the name is expanding. “The whole plan for Studio13 is to keep it moving”, he says. “Right now I’m working on some pins, shirts, and even lunchboxes. Ultimately though, my goal is to make Studio13 a cross between MTV, Coca-Cola, and Vogue Italia. MTV is youthful essence, while Vogue is respected and ever-changing, but Coca-Cola is timeless. It was here before us and it will be here after us, it represents culture, the American dream.”

On the road of an American dreamer, there will always be negativity that you will approach. Hence the name of Studio13’s latest movement, Fuck Studio13, inspired by hate from other stylists, companies, and the wack who feel the need to erase his blog. “It’s for the lover and hater in you. Either you love it or don’t.” Despite the antagonistic energy, Studio13 is here to show and prove. “We are giving you a look and a concept, crafted into something that’s still you but still avant garde”, he declares. Where urban meets couture and grungy meets fairy tale, Studio13 is on a quest to raise everyone’s level, but take note. Myles E. Johnson has arrived to make instant stars. Just add water and stir.

* All concepts and styling seen are by Myles E. Johnson, photography by Kyle Allen & Pastiche Lumumba

~ Brianna Giddens

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Atlanta duo Weapons of Audio go on a double date with two hot rocker twins (played by Coco & Breezy) only to find out later that they’ve been on a date the entire time with blow-up dolls…Welcome to the BIPOLAR album COMING SOON

Shot by Corey Davis

Corey Davis Reel – Spring 2010 from Corey Davis on Vimeo.