Artist Lori Nix Sees A Different World

Aquarium 2007

 Botanic Garden 2008

Map Room 2010

Majestic 2010

http://www.lorinix.net/index.html

LLADY KILLER: Rammellzee

Graffiti writer, performance artist, musician and sculptor, Ramellzee passed away yesterday.

Accredited to major influence of artists such as The Beastie Boys, Ramellzee was an out of this world artist who worked with Basquiat and gained much notoriety from Charlie Ahearn's film Wild Style. His self-made costumes rival those of Grace Jones and Lady Gaga. His spirit of artistic expression will be missed.

Explore some of Ramellzee's work on his website: http://www.gothicfuturism.com/rammellzee/01.html

Ramellzee video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPnmyLaNvvw

You can hear the Ramellzee's influence in contemporary hip hop with the track Beat Bop -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lElss5eCR2s

She's A LLady: Mitra Khayyam

You've been down with Ladies Lotto for a while. What appealed to you about LL and what kind of experience has it been for you?

I liked the idea of being able to network with my peers, ones who share the same interests, and comparable experiences in the industry. It's been wonderful, I've collaborated with several of the LLadies, and they always continue to inspire me!

Where did you come up with the name Blood is the New Black?

Blood has always symbolized familiar bonds for me. In that respect, the name is a play on the fashion industry and "such and such being the new black" that season. I felt as though our community of artists should set the trends, not the fashion industry.

What's your background and how did you get started in the fashion industry?

My background is in Design Management and Marketing. I applied for an internship at Chloe when I was 18, my 2nd week in NY, and it went form there. Since then I've worked with a range of designers and artists in many capacities.

As someone who may not have had the artistic skill to create, how did you carve a niche for yourself in the industry and where did the idea for Blood is the New Black come from?

The idea came from the thesis I had written in college the year before the business started. I carved a niche for us by not art directing the line. I did not and do not want to be a trend driven graphic t-shirt line. This has given our images longevity and made the line more original than others out there.

How would you describe Blood is the New Black's aesthetic and what message are you trying to convey with your line of T-shirts and the artists you choose to promote?

The line is not a sounding board for my ideas or opinions. As far an aesthetic, I think we are somewhat tongue in cheek about a lot of what we do, whether it's an inside joke, or an irreverent image. The most important thing we are trying to accomplish is to make art accessible in some way shape or form to everyone.

To build on that, do you get in on the creative process in terms of ideas or do you leave that designers and artists you work with?

I leave it up to them. I'm not an art director or a creative director. I trust their skill, and that is why they are part of our collection. With that said, if they need help with color pairings etc, I'm always there.

Your designs have been worn by American Idol alum Adam Lambert, the Gossip's Beth Ditto, and Lil' Wayne, and that's a pretty wide range of known figures. Did you think that you would reach that level of success so soon?

Soon? I've been doing this for 5 years, at times working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, so it's been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears behind the tees. I think it's great though! It's still very surreal to me to see the tees on celebrities! It's even fun to see them on people around town.

There are so many up and coming designers, artists and photographers. How do you decide who you want to work with?

There's no formula to it. I try to work with artists who's work doesn't resemble other artists that we're working with. We want to keep the line fresh and on the same token, I guess we have something for everybody considering we're working with close to 30 artists. Overall, if an artist has a good attitude and is fun to work with, it always makes the job much more enjoyable.

According to your bio, you were once told that you'd "never work in this town again". How did you manage to overcome that?

Hahahaha. Very easily, I just looked at the source.

You recently celebrated BITNB's 5th anniversary on November 7th with a reception and gallery show that is running until December 11th. What can visitors expect to experience?

Wow! It's just a awesome grouping of our artists. From every end of the art world, ranging from Skye Parrott from Dossier, to tattoo artist Jeff P, illustrator Hannah Stouffer, and more. It's a beautiful and inspiring show.

What's next up for BITNB and what direction do you see yourself moving in?

Wow! So much stuff! We're working on the 2nd edition of our 'zine, which is limited to 3000 newsprint issues, which won't be on the web. We're launching our new site within the next few weeks, we're now selling art, 'zines, Baggu's, and BITNB wallets too! It's all so exciting and makes us happy to go to work in the morning!

Get Involved: The Superglue Mural

Winters in New York are a dreary affair, indeed. Superglue, a collective of young photographers, writers, painters, and graphic designers, has taken on the admirable task of adding a little more color to our city. Supplies for the project are necessary, so spread the word and make a donation if you can! Check out the project information here, and visit supergluenyc.org to learn more about this awesome, not for profit organization.

MOCA's WACK! Art and The Feminist Revolution @ PS 1

We know Ladies Lotto is compromised of the finest creative, community minded, trend setting cultural influencers but you all are SMART! We know you'll wanna see this:

PS 1 presents WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution, the first comprehensive, historical exhibition to examine the international foundations and legacy of feminist art. Organized by MOCA Ahmanson Curatorial Fellow Connie Butler for The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, WACK! focuses on the crucial period of the 1970s, during which the majority of feminist activism and artmaking occurred internationally.

The exhibition spans the period of 1965 to 1980 and includes 120 artists and artist groups from the United States, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

They paved the way for us and changed the world of art.

Creative Capital. Visual Artists - This One's For You.

Creative Capital, a New York City-based nonprofit organization, acts as a catalyst for the development of adventurous and imaginative ideas (something Ladies Lotto is totally desperate for hence this blog post) by supporting artists who pursue innovation in form and/or content in the performing and visual arts, film and video, and in emerging fields. We are committed to working in partnership with the artists whom we fund, providing advisory services and professional development assistance along with multi-faceted financial aid and promotional support throughout the life of each Creative Capital project.

Please visit http://www.creative-capital.org/