Monday, February 27, 2012

Studio Jams

Some jams to get me through the night.

Studio soundtrack.





























Sunday, February 26, 2012

5 more days

Got 5 more days til show day and I'm 2/3rds of the way there.

The studio is a crazy place. Think about it: hours upon hours locked up in a white walled room - alone. It's either a recipe for insanity which actually may be a good thing when creating or creative brillance. Stuck with my own thoughts. Constantly thinking about who I am, what I'm doing and what I'm trying to say. Struggling with my ideas. Trying to block out the manipulation of unwanted imagery burned into my brain from countless ads I dont even realize I'm seeing -
I can't even think my own thoughts. I could make this place extremely holy/sacred or completely depraved depending on what I choose to do and what version of me I bring into the space....

Anyhow more on that later.

For now here's more of what I'm doing for the upcoming show - to get your salivary glands going.

Oh by the way my mom is buying a crap load of sushi - which I protested as being overboard at which she responded in her stern Korean way "You just do what you do and I'll worry about this."
I said "Yes, Ma'am."






Painted on glass and had to do everything backwards: Highlights and shading first and then the neutrals - this is the back of it which actually turned out better than the front giving me ideas for future projects.

Han from Mohani who will be playing the show coming up with some new tunes for the show, it was dope this collaborative creative process, Han in one corner producing music and me in the other making my visuals. Muzart

10 pack taco bell tacos! "One size feeds all."Hit the spot.

3 am pass out. I looked over after flowing completely focused for like half an hour and found this:

Monday, February 13, 2012

Show in Oakland

Here's a preview of some of the work I'm doing for the show on March 2nd.
It's a small space so I'm doing a truck load of small paintings to fill the space. Just bought 20 more canvi today to rock, painting like a mad man no time to spare - right now I'm painting with my left hand as I type this with my right.



Halmoni Vintage - run by a dope Korean. March 2nd.
See you there!

A Show in Oakland - March 2nd

Got my first solo gig coming up on March 2nd.

Friday, March 2, 2012 7:30 - 10pm

Dave Young Kim - Don't Take It Personally

Halmoni Vintage
1601 2nd Ave
Oakland, CA 94606
510-788-0296
http://www.halmoni.net/

"Stepping into Dave Young Kim's studio, you might see him studying an image
– or see him recalling an image or an instantaneous gesture seen prior.
Activity replays as if he's able to mentally scrub through a video timeline,
and the lit nuances are grasped, bringing to mind da Vinci 's definition of
mastery and usage of light and tension. It's as if from a still image Dave
Young Kim is able to intuitively orbit around the object to study the "flat"
image from multiple points of view in synthetic perspective. I am no more
impressed watching him work as I am seeing him study. Dedication drives the
moments, thus momentum results from a series of meaningful encounters,
whether they are imagined or actual. He may speak comfortably, or may be
silent, and whether focused or entirely at ease, David Kim is working...
he's on it... thriving in the creative domain... integrating experience as
if amassing kinetic energy to release as kinetic power in the form of art.
His paintings and works are a rich addition to almost any contemporary
collection.

What matters most as we live out our lives? What drives us and compels us
toward timeless qualities? What inspires us to connect with others? How can
raw gesture compel tears? Spend time with the art of Dave Young Kim and be
uplifted."

- Christian Karl Janssen



Krav Maga

It always starts with some outside impetus.

My friend Abram a year ago gives me a groupon for 10 lessons at the local Krav Maga studio, of course it takes me a year, literally 12 months plus a few day extension because they happened to be closed the last day I could redeem it. Anyhow so I get in about 6 classes trying as many as I can: the traditional Krav, the cardio combat, TRX (hands down the hardest thing I've ever done - not going back), kettle bells, they have boxing and grappling too but I need to get gloves and my back is jacked so I need to wait. I was hooked though. I did martial arts in high school (I used to teach) and I've always wanted to go back plus I was getting fat from 3 months of inactivity - so now I'm a member. Love it. Completely kick ass and practical - the last class we practiced with knives albiet rubber, but still. You actually use real knives as you rank up. Plus Krav Maga being the official martial art of the Israeli special forces I get to legitimately sport a shirt with hebrew on it. "Ha, look at that asian kid with a hebrew shirt" "What punk I'll Krav Maga your ass!"

So I'm going to start drawing all the lessons just so I dont forget (But I'm trying to spend as little time as possible on them so the quality will be just that - crap) Giving away all the deepest darkest secrets for free while I pay - it isn't cheap. Worth it though. I had buyers remorse afterwards. Anything is worth it if it's something you value and ass kicking is one of mine. But it's all about conditioning and muscle memory. Which you clearly don't get from reading a computer screen, unless you're doing it while running in place.  It's really about out stamina-ing your opponent and practicing as if it the situation were real. When we do drops we do them on concrete. The story goes a Krav lady successfully disarmed a gun welding assailant but them handed it right back because of muscle memory while training, you know the back and forth. The way you train matters.

Here are the first 4:



Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Dr. Dave

So a few months back my mom calls me and she's like:


"Dav-it you want to go to Italy with me? I want to go but if no one comes with me I'm not going."


Why of course. I have time on my hands now that I run my own schedule and if my mom really wants to go and if that means me sacrificing my time, then be it, gosh darn it. All expenses paid of course. Which is always a given when it comes to the parentals. Oh this reminds me - side note: I was at this small concert and this girl had this denim cut off jacket on that has scrawled across the back: Fuck the Rich. I kept staring at it, thinking about it because it was in my visual path to the stage. Then I realized I could never say that because my parents are well... . . .. they do okay for themselves. I dont know if they're quite rich but they definitely lean towards that. And I could never say fuck my parents. Maybe if I was on some adolescent rebellious rage trips, but not now, never. (I never did as a teenager by the way) Maybe that girl was teenage. I asked her if I could take a picture and she said she had to go pee. I dunno. Sorry, long digression. 


So we're all excited planning for this trip upcoming in mid March: 


Who's buying tickets? Can you buy mine for me, David? When you going to New York cuz we have to fly out of there anyways? I want to stay in NY longer because I've never been, David can you plan the stay there I'm starting to get worried should I call the travel agent? Did you see the email your passport expires too soon, you gotta get it renewed. Did you get your passport renewed? Mom, I bought my and your ticket, check your email. Mom, I talked to some friends and I almost have a plan for our stay in NY and an inexpensive place to stay. David, you're leaving for NY too soon, you need to call them and tell them to mail the tickets to me instead of you. Where in Italy are we going? Have you been? 


It was to be a pilgrimage. Lots of historical sites. Florence I've been to. The rest - Rome, Verona, Milan, Venice never. 


Then today I get this email:


"With heavy hearts, we bear the news that Dr. Dave Reid was called home to heaven in a skiing accident, Tuesday, January 31. While we're still trying to absorb the news, we're comforted that he is now in the presence of the Lord. We're so thankful he left a legacy of Bible teaching so his ministry will continue into the future."


What a trip. We've been planning this for months and the guy who's supposed to lead the pilgrimage suddenly dies. He was like my moms hero. He wasn't even dying age. Whatever dying age is, I suppose you could die at any age. I don't know what this means for the trip, I could go either way. I'm just tripped out by the suddenness. Whoa....


R.I.P. Dr. Reid. and by that I mean R- enjoy I - gods P - presence. i know the acronym doesn't work but who cares. I couldn't think of one.