The Enemy of Average! Wild Surfwear- USA Made
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Photos Thomas Green
Frederick Frieseke was born in Owosso, Michigan on April 7th 1874. Frederick's mother Eva died when he was only six; consequently he and his father moved to Jacksonville Florida where his father began a brick manufacturing businesses. The death of Frederick's mother caused him to alienate himself in school and other social settings so instead of taking interest in team sports at a young age he developed a love of the arts. His family urged him to pursue his artistic passions at a young age and took Frederick to the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago which fully inspired him to pursue the life of an artist.
In 1899 his work was exhibited in the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Frederick's time spent in France is very visible in his art. Before moving to France the artist used a much more conservative palet. During his years at the French Académie his work hit a new direction in composition and after his schooling Frederick spent a lot of time living within Impressionist artist colonies which totally radicalized his palette with new vibrant colors. Despite being labeled as an impressionist many of Frederick's paintings bridge the gap between impressionism and post impressionism or "decorative impressions". Influences of Bonnard and Gauguin are extremely apparent in Frederick's use of color, space, and pattern. Frederick became obsessed with rendering sunlight and shadow as well as the female nude. He began to exclusively paint female nudes preferably outside in condition with stimulating lighting.
Last week, I returned home to California after a two week journey through the amazing nation of Israel. I went through my school, UC Santa Barbara, on a group trip with 35 other students, FOR FREE! Because I’m Jewish! Totally radical!
In Israel, you must join the army when you are 18, and serve for 2-3 years, before going to college, so most Israeli soldiers are the same age as American college students! For 5 days of the trip, seven Israeli soldiers joined us, and it was amazing to see how similar they are to me. They are my new best friends!
We went around the entire country (its not a very big place) in a bus, and did everything from riding camels in the Negev and covering ourselves with mud at the Dead Sea, to hitting the beach in Tel Aviv, and checking out the ancient city of Jerusalem.
Also, the food there is AMAZING. Israeli salad is simple and delicious, made with just cucumbers, red onion, tomato, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and a dash of salt and pepper. It is common to enjoy a salad like that for lunch, along with a blended coffee drink.
Halva is a hybrid of cake and candy, made mostly with sesame seeds! It is often combined with other flavors to create a delicious treat.
I do have to say, I’m pretty sure my favorite snack in Israel was the ice cream. BEST. ICE CREAM. EVER. I may never eat American ice cream again… Okay, well, who am I kidding, we all know I’ll eat any ice cream, any time.
Overall, I had an amazing time exploring a beautiful country. I can’t wait to go back!
Photos Thomas Green
We are super excited to share this video our friends The Messy Heads made for us! India and Emma are some of the coolest girls you will get a chance to meet! Watch and join the adventure!
Make sure to tune in for more fun photos in weeks to come!
Breezin' by Evan Voytas -
1. Abri a Porta - A Cor do Som
Ayy Ay Cap’n! This weeks Bi-Monthly Crunch takes place at the classic Captain Kidd’s, located just north of the Redondo Beach Pier! If you’re looking for some fresh seafood, then this place has got you covered. Their menu has a very wide variety, ranging from Alaskan King crab legs to breaded shrimp, to mahi mahi! And for those who don’t like fish food, they also offer the classic combo of hot dogs, burgers, and fries.
My main man working behind the counter! (I forgot his name)
As you can see, there was some nice family bonding over this fine meal. Because I had my wisdom teeth pulled only days before this, I went with some nice clam chowder and a hot dog (which was cut up into many small pieces). The clam chowder was very delicious, and I have had some pretty good chowder in my short lifetime. It was very creamy, smooth, had the perfect temperature, and just the right amount of clam! I have to admit, I was thrown a slight curveball on the hot dog. Normally it’s split down the middle, with a normal toasted bun, but this time it wasn’t split and had sourdough bread. Needless to say, it tasted just as good as before, and the bread was great!
Here’s the leftovers!
Here’s a little bonus crunch for you. After dinner I skated down to Charlie’s at the Redondo pier, and grabbed this delicious soft-serve ice cream for $3. You can’t go wrong with ice cream! Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for the next Bi-Monthly CRUNCH!!
Roberto Montenegro was born on February 19th 1885 in Guadalajara Mexico. Art historians know little about his childhood but his first introduction to painting occurred in the Guadalajara School for Boys. Montenegro became fascinated with painting and the use of colors which implored him to explore the arts further. This exploration led him to Italian Felix Bernardelli's school of painting that he had just opened in Guadalajara. Bernardelli educated the young Montenegro in classic Italian Portraiture and introduced him to the vast array of European styles that were previously unknown to him. Montenegro left Guadalajara in 1903 to study architecture in Mexico City. In a twist of events he ended up studying drawing at the Academy of San Carlos where he
was able to meet many of the up and coming artists of the time such as Diego Rivera and Angel Zárraga. After studying at the Academy for 3 years in 1906 both Diego Rivera
and Montenegro were the finalists in a class wide contest to go to Europe; decided by a coin toss Montenegro won and was awarded the trip.
For the next several years Montenegro would travel around Europe studying on his school grant. He began in Spain where he studied at the Academy of San Fernando then traveled to Paris. He stayed in Paris for three years (1907-1910) where he met and studied with the emerging cubist artists Picasso and Braque. At the end of his travels he went to Italy where he studied many of the paintings he learned about during his youth at Bernardelli's school.
In 1910 he returned to Mexico briefly but returned to Paris in 1913 to study at the Ecole Nationale supériure des Beaux-Arts. However, WWI erupted in 1914 sending Montenegro to Spain where he made a living by painting murals and fishing.
In 1921 Montenegro moved back to Mexico for good surrounding himself with a large circle of fellow Mexican Artists. After the Mexican Revolution the new movement of dramatic Mexican Murals was born. Montenegro was one of the figures that spear headed this movement along with his art school friend Diego Rivera. Montenegro created giant murals depicting scenes of Mexican heritage and pop culture of the time but at the height of the Muralist movement he fell from popularity because his murals where not as dramatic in contrast with his contemporaries. He continued to paint smaller murals and commissions and even illustrate a number of books and publications until his death in October of 1968. To this day Montenegro remains a popular icon of the Muralist movement and a symbol of traditional Mexican Folk Art which he strongly advocated towards the end of his life.
By Christian Franzen
Photos Carson Hart
This week's "Thrifting with Puppy" I went to Deelux a buy sell trade store in Costa Mesa!!! My sister used to work there years back and I haven't been since! With 4th of July tomorrow I needed a last minute outfit!!
Feast your eyes on this red, white and blue beauty. I loved this cool shark crop top and striped button down skirt...so festive. Look how adorable my mom looks in this cool map jacket! So to add to my collection here's a rad vintage Rolling Stones t-shirt! I don't wear dresses too often but look how cute this old billabong one is!! And lastly, I always need another pear of denim shorts! I love the length and they're also comfortable.
I'm super stoked on this weeks thrift haul! Until next time, have a happy and safe 4th!!! God bless America!!
By Puppy
Photos Thomas Green
Photos Jessie Stopnik
Angel Zárraga was born August 16th 1886 in Victoria de Durango, Mexico. He was born the son of prominent Mexican physician and was exposed to the science of anatomy at a young age. Zárraga traveled with his father in his teenage years allowing him to study art at several different institutions across Mexico including the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria in Mexico City. Due to his superior knowledge of anatomy and the human body Zárraga was able to create figurative scenes much more complex than his classmates.
In 1904 Zárraga was able to travel across Europe to study free from the American influence that was so prevalent in Mexico. He visited Spain, France, Italy, and studied at the Royal Academy for Arts in Belgium. While in Italy he took great interest in the works of Giotto and th old masters of the Renaissance. This influence is greatly noticeable in his earlier works and compositions.
He was admitted to the Salon at the Piazzale Donatello, Florence in 1909 and impressed the critics with his unique twist on classical motifs with influence of his Mexican heritage. In 1911 he moved to France for good and fell in love with the work of Cézanne. His work began to shift towards figurative abstraction the longer he lived and studied in France. He painted several murals at the Château de Vert-Cœr and the Citè Internationale Universitaire de Paris. Zárraga was also chosen to decorate the Mexican embassy in Paris. Sadly due to the collapse of the art market preceding WWII he lost his patrons and was forced to return home to Mexico where he lived painting murals until his death in 1946.
By Christian Franzen
Photos Thomas Green