Memorial Day: Self Portrait of Repenance

Repenting from war this memorial day.

#Repentance #nofear #NoWar #nosotros #MemorialDay

New Work In L.A. Artist John Vasquez-Tallacksen Self Portrait Series

"The self portrait is one of the most intimate subjects in an artist's oeuvre."
- John Vasquez-Tallacksen

By: John Vasquez-Tallacksen

Self Portrait

2017

Acrylic over serigraph print on 100% cotton rag Stone Henge paper with natural edges

21 3/4 x 28 in (55.245 x 71.12 cm)



The artist enjoys making original works that are accessible in price and shippable to his collectors around the world.

Available works can be found at JohnTallacksen.com

John Vasquez-Tallacksen
Turning From White Lies
2017
Acrylic and pencil on paper
8.5 x 11 in. (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
www.JohnTallacksen.com

Buy An Art Piece And Preserve A Living Piece Of L.A. History

Up until the 1980's a multitude of artists like Charles White, Otis College of Art and Design students, and June Wayne would flock to the Los Angeles paper store McManus & Morgan. Today the store is 101 years old, and some of these artists still buy their paper here, but the younger generations of Angeleno artists are largely un-aware of this steel rooted institution of artisanship and dedication. Even fewer have ever heard of Gary Wolin the lone paper expert and unsung L.A. art historian behind the counter, nor do they know of his struggle to keep his once hollowed doors open. My readers have seen the short documentary Ink & Paper that tells the story of Gary and the neighboring letterpress shop, but a surge of new artists have come to L.A. and are still moving in to take advantage of the ever-expanding art and entertainment industries here. Well I am a young artist in Los Angeles, and I care about history. I care about quality local businesses too so I am going to put my money and art into the very place that cared enough to stick around all these years and offer what no corporate store could: knowledge, expertise, and unparalleled assortments of unique paper. God bless it, I think other young artists will care too once they hear about it!

... So LET THE ART SALE FUNDRAISER FOR MCMANUS & MORGAN BEGIN!

Buy one of my prints at McManus & Morgan and I will split the profits with the store. (the money I take in from the sale will most likely go towards buying paper from Gary anyway) We are asking $900 per print which is comparable to the price that Self Help Graphics and Arts is selling the same print for.

Now - Aug 31 2014, $900 for a limited edition 26" x 20" screen print by artist John Tallacksen and Self Help Graphics & Art, Four prints only #'s 41, 39, 37, 35 out of an edition of 50 all signed and numbered with a Self Help chop in lower left corner.

My work is about honoring the people and places in the communities of Pico Union and MacArthur Park in central Los Angeles. The scene in Serenata En El Callejón 12th and Alvarado was a real life moment not far from McManus and Morgan where my girlfriend and I saw a man serenading a woman in an alley with a small Mariachi band. It's moments like these, and places like McManus & Morgan, that expose the heart of our community. Please watch the short documentary in the comments section of this post and you'll see a small fraction of why I treasure Gary Wolin and his paper store so much. This limited edition that we are selling has enjoyed some amazing exposure. Having been created in collaboration with Master Printer Jose Alpuche in Self Help Graphics & Art's Professional Printmaking Studio, and then archived in institutions like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Mexican Fine Art Center Museum in Chicago, I wanted to use this edition's provenance to encourage my friend Gary and help off-set some of his overhead costs even if for a short time. I consider McManus & Morgan to be one of the most important arts institutions in Los Angeles. Watch the film below and consider purchasing an expression of the community that Gary and I share.
Self Help Graphics & Art values prints from this edition at $900 each. We are selling four prints from the same edition at the same price being careful not to under-cut such a prestigious organization. To purchase, leave a comment below, call me at (213)290-6777, or visit Gary at McManus & Morgan 2506 W 7th St. Los Angeles, CA 90057 9AM to 5PM Mon - Fri and 10AM to 2PM Sat.
We hope you join us in this unique celebration of community and the arts.

Go On "Comic Crawl" Self Guided Tour in L.A.: Also Good For Comikaze / Anime Expo Attendees

All comic books mentioned below are $1 each.

This post will let you know where you can continually find comics for $1 at different storefronts all in one area just West of downtown. Bring a friend, or 4, for a comic crawl adventure on a Saturday, or any weekday for that matter. You will be supporting local businesses and stimulating the economy in a low-income area of Los Angeles with just a fist full of dollars.

(this is also the perfect side mission for Comikaze and Anime Expo attendees since this area is near the Los Angeles Convention Center. Point values listed next to each mission location) 

1. Velasco's Video Rental  + 10 pts per visit 

       

Velasco's is a new store, current google image: 2nd door in red brick building

1433 Pico Blvd. L.A. 90015
  -1 short box is always present on the front counter with about 150 various titles replenished          once a week regularly
  -Regular store hours: 10am to 8pm 7 days a week
  -Street parking only, but easy to find
Yes, this is an old school video rental store still in operation in Pico Union serving the mostly Salvadoran and Guatemalan neighborhood. The owners are friendly, and if you don't know Spanish this is the perfect opportunity to learn some vocabulario.  
+ 10 pts if you locate the $1 comics box and prove it by posting a picture of you and the comic box in the comments section of this post
+ 15 pts if you bring home a movie related comic book from the $1 box


2. World 8 video games  + 20 pts per visit for traveling this far

1057 S Vermont Ave Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 389-5212
world8.us    World 8 Yelp Page
  -1 short box with about 150 various titles replenished once a week regularly
  -Regular store hours: Mon-Sat 11 am - 8 pm Sun 12 pm - 8 pm
  -Small parking lot available
If you're a gamer in L.A. and you don't know about World 8 yet you need to take a break from the PC or console and make yourself aware of this amazing game shop. They know everything there is to know about all platforms and games. Their stock reaches back to many blasts from the past like the old school brick Game Boy to obscure games from every platform that you haven't been able to play since you were 8. They have a very comfortable gamer's lounge where you can challenge other customers on your favorite PVP and gain neighborhood champion status... if you're good enough. 
+ 10 pts if you locate the $1 comics box and prove it by posting a picture of you and the comic box in the comments section of this post
+ 15 pts if you bring home a video game related comic book from the $1 box


3.McManus & Morgan Artist Papers  + 15 pts per visit for the journey

2506 W 7th St Los Angeles, CA 90057
(213) 387-4433
mcmanusmorgan.com    McManus & Morgan Yelp Page
  -9 long boxes of $1 comics. Replenished regularly. This is the comic book hunter's dream.
  -Regular Store Hours: Mon-Fri 9 am - 5 pm Sat 10 am - 2 pm
  -Metered street parking so consider a bike and backpack combo
This art paper supply store has been around L.A. since the 20's. If you like drawing comics you'll do well to learn the owner Gary's secrets. Speaking of secrets, there is a hidden treasure in every corner of this small shop. They specialize in paper so they carry: all kinds of unique paper from all over the world, new/used/vintage books, ephemera for collage, Art Trading Cards for trade by local artists, envelopes, old post cards, creepy old assoreted family pictures, and much much more... believe me. Have a blast in this slice of L.A. history.
+ 10 pts if you locate the $1 comics box and prove it by posting a picture of you and the comic box in the comments section of this post
+ 15 pts if you bring home a non super hero comic book from the $1 box


UPDATE: Sadly this location has closed down. Thank you Moon for your service to our neighborhood for so many years
4.A & B Video Rentals
Corner of Valencia St and 6th in the shopping plaza on the South West corner
  -1 short box with about 150 various titles replenished once a week regularly
  -Regular store hours: Mon-Sat 11 am - 8 pm Sun 12 pm - 8 pm
  -Small parking lot available
This is yet another old school video rental store, and it is very small with two arcade games crammed in the corner. The owner is a very nice older man named Moon (not sure on the spelling). The neighborhood loves him and often rents videos just to visit with him for a while. If you're here you might as well stop in the Thai restaurant a few doors down in the same plaza- it is the kind of eatery only the locals know about, and with amazing lunch specials, you'll be glad you know about it too. 


If you're still looking for more
5.Blue Elephant Cafe  + 30 pts per visit- You have journeyed to the farthest reaches of this side mission Congrats!

2024 W Washington Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90018(323) 641-0466
Blue Elephant Cafe Yelp Page
  -1 short box with about 150 various titles replenished once a week
  -Regular store hours: Mon-Sat 9 am - 8 pm    Sun 10 am - 6 pm
  -Street parking on a near-bye residential street is suggested
Blue Elephant is a relatively new yet friendly neighborhood conscious cafe. Many of their ingredient and product suppliers are local businesses. You'll find the short box of comics on a table near the counter. 
+ 10 pts if you locate the $1 comics box and prove it by posting a picture of you and the comic box in the comments section of this post
+ 15 pts if you bring home a Marvel comic book from the $1 box
+ 15 pts if you bring home a DC comic book from the $1 box

This network of comic book sales is another 

L.A.I.C. Book Collective project

  

ACEO and 9"x12" Original Print Auctions

My ebay.com Auctions

Both auctions have a starting bid of .99 cents. The first House Sparrow: Neighbors is an Art Card Editions And Original (ACEO) 2.5" x 3.5" of a House Sparrow family that lives next door in the crevice between a pipe and the wall of an apartment building. This is a black and white linocut print with hand painted watercolor embellishments signed, titled, and numbered. Number 10 out of 19.

The second original print auction is number 2 from a limited "off-shoot edition" of only 4 prints. La Lavandaria On Pico is a linocut print on 9"x12" tan paper depicting my observation on a typical Saturday visit to the lavandaria (laundromat) in my L.A. neighborhood of Pico Union. The larger black and white edition (not offered in this auction) had 31 total prints offered to my monthly subscribers. Be among the first to receive a print from my monthly editions by subscribing: JohnTallacksen.com/Shop (online order form). Prints are shipped or available for local Los Angeles, CA pick-up on the 10th of every month.

My ebay.com Auctions

Two Major Announcements

First-

For the last week I have been working on a screen print serigraph edition as an artist in residence with Master Printer Joe Apuche at the historic Self Help Graphics in East Los Angeles (Boyle Heights). This has been a tremendous honor to print in such a hallowed place with the great Joe Apuche. Some of my favorite artists ie Gronk, John Valadez, El Mac, Sonia Romero, Fabian Debora and others have held the same residency here. Like the artists who have gone before me, the result will be a color serigraph edition that will be collected by institutions like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the National Museum of Mexican Art among other museums archives and collections. If you follow my facebook art page John Tallacksen Studio you can follow the progress and view pictures taken while working in the studio. More details to come.

Second-

John Tallacksen Editions are open to subscribers! You can receive one of my original prints every month either by mail or by local will-call pick up. Prints from the serigraph edition mentioned above will be sent to subscribers one of these months in the near future. The first 10 subscribers will pay only $50/print even if they renew their subscription later. Once the 10th customer has been paid for their account, the monthly cost will go up for the the 11th and so on. This is your chance to own multiple original works, some of which will be collected in museums around the U.S., for the same amount of money you would spend on one painting in the average selling gallery. Go to JohnTallacksen.com/shop to order now. There are 3 month, 6 month, and 12 month options available. 

I Got It At Goodwill

Production cel from The Thief And The Cobbler

I bought this production cel from the legendary animated film The Thief and the Cobbler by Richard Williams from a Goodwill store in Los Angeles for $8.

lower right corner

It appears that this particular cel is from a sequence where Princess Yum Yum (the character in the image) says, "Oh father."

upper right corner

In the upper right corner there is writing in marker which says, "530/405 Used in 530/161." I'm sure this is the scene number and the number of the cel for it's sequence.

Lower left corner

I'm not sure what these markings say, but they almost look like signatures.

Back view

The back of the mat board and cel shows both the peg holes and the tower with golden balls cut out for the background.

Can anyone tell me if they believe this to be an authentic original?

Original Print Auction Fund-Raiser For Art Division

Original Print Auction Site

  Following the success of the Twitter Art Exhibit (which is still going strong) I am auctioning a postcard size original linoleum block print to benefit the same cause as the exhibit- Art Division.
  The auction starts at $15 plus $4 flat shipping rate and will end Saturday morning January 26th.

Twitter Art Exhibit 2013

The annual international Twitter Art Exhibit (@Twitrartexhibit) is in Los Angeles, California U.S.A. this year and all of the proceeds benefit an art school for inner city youth that I am working with called Art Division. The show is today! There are two pieces of mine in the show that I have donated for the cause. Please support both the show and Art Division

Info:
WHEN           
Saturday, January 12, 2013 | 7-10PM
Show runs January 12 – February 10, 2013
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, January 4th, 2013

WHERE
Exhale Unlimited (E.U.) Gallery
953 Chung King Road, Los Angeles, CA 90012

CURATED BY
Nat George, Virginia Arce

Art Market: Is It Healthy? Is Art Worth Investing?

  As of writing this, prices are high, or "bonkers" as some would put it (see link below), on contemporary art at auction. Look at the sales in December's Art Basel in Miami Beach or the attention Andy Warhol's work is maintaining - The Real Debate About the Art Market's health Go to Art Market Monitor Article 

My Response: 
  "... art ... something that has no real economic value."  After reading the article linked above I have to say that artists are the spear-heads of culture. The economy often follows culture or what people need and want. We have no idea what the future holds for us on so many levels, and we need creative people who can help navigate things like the economy and business through uncharted times. Here's Sir Ken Robinson to expand on my point further... 

Matthew 1:23 Postcard Size Print Sold At Auction

Matthew 1:23 linocut print

Congratulations to Blainnoe for winning my latest auction on ebay. I hope you enjoy the new print in your collection!
The Oystercatcher piece in my last post still has just under 4 days left in the auction as of this writing. Check back often if you are a savvy original art collector.

Starting A New Year With New Art And Toys

After a hiatus due to a story too complicated to explain I am back. Part of the reason I haven't posted in a while is because I have been exploring other social media outlets. Please join me on these shiny toys:
Twitter
Instagram
Paper.li

For all the bird watchers out there I have a new ACEO on Ebay and a block print as-well.

Primstav 1: ACEO Edition

The same yet different

Aerosol paint and ink on elephant dung card stock (From the historic LA paper store McManus & Morgan) of ancient Norwegian Primstav calendar symbol for January 6th (Julian calendar). 

Number 25 is up for auction for the next 10 days here.

My birthday is January 6th. This piece represents a return to the beginnings of my identity in view of my Norwegian culture. This series will continue with editions of each Primstav symbol in order. Please view the pictures provided to see samples of how each card is the same yet unique. 

This card is signed and numbered with the rest of the edition

Two Latest Prints Just Posted

7th and Carondelet 

Corner Of Pico And Union

  Prints from both editions were just now posted in my online shop. Only one print of 7th And Carondelet will be sold in my shop; the rest of the edition of 15 are for sale on consignment at McManus & Morgan in Los Angeles. (see address below)

McManus & Morgan Fine Artist Paper

2506 W. 7th St (corner of 7th and Carondelet)

Los Angeles, CA 90057

Making A New Linocut Edition: Corner Of Pico and Union

Right now I am about to sign and number my second linocut edition Corner Of Pico And Union, and I couldn't be more happy with it. Master Printmaker Noel Hernandez at Self Help Graphics in L.A. is collaborating with me on the printing process. Of course I drew and carved the linocut on my own.
I can't recommend printing at Self Help Graphics enough. They have a long legendary track record in developing Latino artists in the L.A. area. 

Study for the final print

Above is a study I did on location in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pico Union for the print. I later auctioned this small sketch off in my online auctions.

Noel applying the ink to the block I carved.

inked and on the press

The edition is now complete and drying on the rack

Shot of a final Artist Proof of this edition by Leo Jimenez

New Pico Union ACEO Auction

Pico and Union (Pico Donuts) by: John Tallacksen

Bid on this original painting here

This is the first in a series in which I hope to work out my relationship to my neighborhood as an Anglo male in a Latino community. The scene depicts a popular donut shop on the corner of Pico and Union where there are always men playing cards outside. The occurance of these men playing cards at this location is so common that when many of the youth watched me paint this card they recognized who and where it was immediately. I plan on using this as a color study for a larger painting of the same subject matter. The painting is a synesthetic piece meaning I used my Color-Grapheme Synesthesia condition to determine the color scheme. On the back of the card you will find the title "Pico + Union" written in the colors that my mind's eye sees each letter in which I used in this piece. Spray paint is a staple in the street art world and is rarely used by ACEO artists which is why I try to use it as much as possible.

New Linocut Edition Completed

7th And Carondelet by: John Tallacksen

linocut print in black ink on 8" x 10" white Lettra paper purchased at McManus & Morgan

  In this new edition of linocuts I produced an image of the corner of 7th St and Carondelet in Los Angeles. My two favorite shops reside on this corner Aardvark Letterpress and McManus & Morgan. This is a very limited edition of only 15 prints each signed, titled, and numbered. A good number of these prints are currently for sale at McManus & Morgan. For those of you outside of the L.A. area I may hold one or two prints and sell them online. Stay tuned for more news.

Trading Original Art With Sarah Trumpp

Monster Girl! by: Sarah Trumpp

Artist Sarah Trumpp is an administrator and Jury panelist in an art card trading site called IllustratedATCs.com. As I have mentioned in past posts, I was accepted into this group early in the year, and I have really enjoyed my trades so far. The ATC Sarah made for me is pictured above. I like monsters a lot so I specifically asked for one of her "monster children". I particularly like the shapes and size ranges in her character design and the texture she achieves with acrylic paint- especially the splatters. Trumpp has a joint website with two other artists at WonderStrange.com. Please go visit them.

On her profile she mentioned that she likes the H.P. Lovecraft character of the Cthulhu. I couldn't resist the macabre theme of the character so that's what I painted for her (see below). The behemoth is a creature mentioned in the Bible (see the book of Job) that I've always been fascinated with as-well so I pit the two up against each-other. I subscribe to the theory that the behemoth may have been some sort of sauropod.

Behemoth Vs. Cthulhu by: John Tallacksen 

Announcing JohnTallacksen.com

My portfolio is currently moving to JohnTallacksen.com! Please visit me there, but watch your step we're still under construction. You will notice that the PORTFOLIO tab in the upper left of this blog is now linked to the new site. JohnTallacksen.com will serve mostly as my portfolio, and will remain focused on that task. Most of the pages already have content, but you will soon be able to use the new site as an archive or record of my career in art. This blog and my facebook page linked above will still serve as a news feed for all of my new adventures. I invite you to get acquainted with my work through all of these tools.