Papercuts by Julien Langendorff.

More after the jump.

We made our way around L.A. over the weekend, spreading the Handsome word and in the process we’ve come across some super sweet street art, restaurants, clothing stores and ran into Lupe Fiasco.

We were pretty excited to stumble across some street art pieces by Space Invader, Shepard Fairey, Mr. Brainwash, Andre and Skullphone. Sidenote: Watch Exit Through the Gift Shop for some further education on those names. More pictures of all the artists’ work ahead.

Also next time you’re in L.A. here’s some of our favourite stores to check out:

South Willard

A sweet small store with a well curated collection of brands that’s free of all filler. Check it out for some Band of Outsiders, Dries Van Noten and South Willard’s in house brand.

Opening Ceremony

One of the coolest parts of the store is the fact that it’s in Charlie Chaplin’s former dance studio. The space is filled with the same brands that established Opening Ceremony in their New York flagship. You can go through some well chosen pieces from some of our favourites including Band of Outsiders, Acne, Pegleg, Dana Lee, and Alexander Wang.

Confederacy

Sharing the block with a massive Goodwill outlet, it was apparent that Danny Masterson’s store was taking a novel approach to high end retail. Their well chosen selection is housed in one of the nicest retail spaces we saw in the city. We walked through the high ceiling womens’ section, through the courtyard, passed Jon Hamm, and entered the super impressive menswear room. Racks and shelves of Patrik Ervell, Common Projects and Phillip Lim fill the space complemented by some telephone booth change rooms and a selection of photography books.

Also check out: Douglas Fir, Fred Segal, American Rag and Secret Service.

All photos compliments of Handsome Clothing Co.

In anticipation of the DVD release of BBC’s show, The Genius of Design, the first two episodes were available in full to watch online. It has been getting a lot of attention on blogs, but some might pass on a sixty minute Vimeo session.

It’s worth checking out – the episodes do a great job at outlining the beauty that lies in ergonomics and functional design in our everyday lives.

You can get your hands on the DVD through bbcshop.com

Tibi Tibi Neuspiel is a Toronto-based artist who originally began as a self-taught painter while living as a teenager in Prague.  After working as an assistant to sculptor Richard Stipl, Neuspiel began taking an interest in conceptual installation mediums.  These days, Neuspiel’s series Assassination Sandwiches [(2009/2010) shown above], has been getting loads of attention- and he deserves it.  By extracting parallels between art and comedy, Tibi presents recognizable historical figures in unusual contexts, providing the viewer the opportunity to identify easily and examine further.  While toying with an infatuation for timelessness, Neuspiel’s work remains archival in concept and form.  Take a look at more of his work, and my personal favourite, Men With White Beards on the Ceiling of a Church (2009), here.

An amazing bit of work from visual artist Renaud Hallee. “Based in Montreal, Renaud Hallee is creating narrative and experimental works in film and animation as well as composing music.”

Grey is a bi-annual, hardcover photography magazine published in Milan. Introduced in its first issue as ‘a necessary return to the simplicity of beauty, the melancholy on each page recalls a humble antiquity that values the precious work of many’, the magazine is exactly that. Filled with imaginative editorials from cover to cover, the modelling and styling go beyond any expectations and leave readers in awe.

Via: Heart Side Up

More pictures ahead.

Walking in Toronto along Queen St West near Ossington you may have been startled by the massive, billboard size photograph adorning the the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. The photograph is actually a piece by David LaChapelle entitled The Rape of Africa and is going to be on display for the month of May for Toronto’s Contact Photography Festival. Here’s a little explanation of the piece via LaChapelle’s website:

His extravagant take on Sandro Botticelli’s Venus and Mars (c: 1484) is enlarged to massive proportions in MOCCA’s courtyard. The Rape of Africa (2009) simultaneously references the grand architectural paintings of the Renaissance and the supersized advertising billboards of the present day. LaChapelle casts a regal yet passive-looking Naomi Campbell in the role of Venus, goddess of love and beauty, who is powerless to prevent the ravaging of both her body and land. A satiated Mars, the god of war, sits opposite, surrounded by gold and the spoils of his conquest while young boys playfully wield guns as if they are fashion accessories. Loaded with detail and symbolic reference to art history, current events and popular culture, LaChapelle’s contemporary allegory evocatively comments on the effects of war, mining and mass marketing on Africa. Adhered directly to the surface of the courtyard’s stuccoed wall, The Rape of Africa looks as much like a painting as a photograph, heightening the tension between the two mediums.

More detailed photos ahead compliments of John Elmslie as well as Sandro Botticelli’s piece that inspired LaChapelle’s.

An interesting short film covering the disappearing tradition of hand painted, large scale advertising. The film was shot by Mekanism’s Malcolm Murray for Stella Artois in the ongoing trend of beverage companies with exceptional marketing. It’s an interesting 12 minutes with a few artists interviews as well as some formidable examples of hand painted advertising.

Thanks to the reference by: Jeff Taylor

Banksy has brought some of his talent to Toronto in perfect timing for the release of his movie in our beloved city. We’re pretty excited about the murals that popped up in the city in the last day and we’re hoping more information will surface regarding the exact locations so all can check them out first hand.

More pictures of Toronto pieces ahead. Comment if you know where the pieces are.

Very cool. Nice to see a video that isn’t just poorly edited shots of classic 80s films.