by Kevin R+I - LACMA

Thus begins the much anticipated Zambezi Life Series, Research and Insights, R + I for short. In the inaugural episode Zambezi traveled to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Upon returning to Z headquarters each Zambezite scribbled a quick report on what grabbed their art bone.

CHRIS ON ROBERT THERRIEN – UNTITLED, TABLE AND FOUR CHAIRS

This is, in fact, a time machine, turning the viewer into a young child, looping the mind back behind even its first memories.

KEVIN ON ESCALATORS AND ELEVATORS

The giant escalator is a great ride to start the BCAM journey. Loved the monstrous red elevator smothered in Barbara Kruger’s words about consumerism and what not. Note the George Orwell quote, “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stomping on a human face forever.” Touching. Notable re-appropriators of BK’s style includes but is not limited to; David Byrne, David Hockney, and your favorite minimalist skate shop, Supreme. As you can see by Anne from Flickr, the big red elevator lives large as a 21 foot wide, 16 foot high and 9 foot deep space, nearly as big as the guest house I call home. Outside pops up a few beautiful glass doored elevators waiting to transport you to and from the parking bunker. What a ride.

NICOLE ON BASQUIAT – EYES AND EGGS

The Broad Contemporary Art Museum is so good. An impressive array of some of the most iconic artworks in the last 40 years, the collection ranges from the humorous to the meticulously constructed to the conceptual to the downright beautiful. By far my favorite exhibition in Los Angeles. The most inspiring pieces for me were the Basquiat paintings. Interesting color palettes, line qualities, and social commentary. Love that upon first sight there’s a child-like scribble to them but the detail and the emotion come from a very soulful, premeditated place. The Renzo Piano designed space wasn’t too shabby either (that elevator is insane).

JOSH ON JASPER

”Things the Mind Already Knows” The Minimal art movement within Abstract Expressionism, but with conscious control rather than spontaneity. Pretty nostalgic and powerful. Most Americans can identify.

BRIAN ON DAMIEN

Hirst is his name. Doing crazy beautiful butterfly wings that look like stained glass windows is his game. Immaculate.

I am also including a piece that was in between rooms. Just hanging there. All black and shit. Bold. Daring. Retarded.

by Kevin But can he tie a tie?

by Kevin Le Estate Faire de Minnesota

Le Estate Faire is actually French for eat your fricking face off.

The Minnesota State Fair saw 1,681,678 on its 320 acres last year. And with the great weather, Gnarls Barkley and other attractions, 2008 is looking to set a new record.

Our group of amazingly deft and efficient fried food aficionados made the trip from Edina to the Falcon Heights fairgrounds in a surprisingly short 3 hours. Highlights included an opening ceremony of cheese curds followed by nitrous-frozen-smooth ice cream eaten with a spoon crafted out of powdered suger coated funnel cake. Mixed into those treats were deep fried pickles dipped in ranch and ketchup as a warm up to the pronto pup stand. Moving forward to a bag of mini donuts was a natural progression, which led directly to a 14 dollar bucket of 40 fresh baked chocolate chip cookies dipped in root beer with a side of deep fried Oreo. The final straw was an epilogue of a foot long hot dog as I strolled through the animal birth center. Terrible idea. Probably the worst idea I have had in a really really long time.

by Kevin Greetings from Minneapolis

Where else can you play the spinwheel for a dollar and get 12.5% odds to septuple your money. At the 1029 Bar that’s where. Where noooobody knooows my name.

by Kevin Movie Time-Out with Kevin & The Brain

Vicki Chrithtina Barthalona

Kevin thayth, “Thith movie wath thomwhat dithapointing.”

The Brain thath, “Woody just went from midnight
to six o’clock.”

by Chris A Moment of Appreciation

Everyone has heard and read enough about Michael Phelps this month, so we’ll keep it short: As you watch his towering performance in Beijing, try to separate the hype from the end result. It’s easy to forget that Phelps (who is represented by friends of Zambezi at Octagon) won his eight gold medals by diving in the water eight times and outswimming the best athletes in his sport. There were no sponsors in the pool with him. NBC did not arrange a headstart. Phelps’ achievements were not pre-ordained. Each win was simply earned by 23-year old kid with the heart of a lion. Good on you, Mike.

by Brian Excuse me...

But could you tell me the way to the library?

by Kevin Movie Time-Out with Kevin & The Brain

Kevin says, “If you took Charlie Kaufman, made him drink 20 High Lifes and hit him on the head with a shovel he would have written a movie about writing a movie and that movie would have been called Tropic Thunder.”

The Brain says, “Simple. Jack.”

by Kevin A Young Chri-Walk

by Kevin New Album

Grab it soon.