Over Christmas I started a new Tumblr blog to feature just my artwork, starting with this elf. The addy is http://amanchaudhary.tumblr.com ...Visit!

FUN: Franny & Manny Boggie Down!

Why don't we lighten the mood with a video clip of me and my pal Francesca gettin' down! Actually these are our alter egos, "Franny & Manny." This was inspired Rebecca from Hebrew School Dropout home of The Jew Fro Bro:

"Kara Walker" Closing Bash at The Hammer: Rape, Slavery, Dancing!

"Wow! She had a bad day," says my friend Shana. We're at the Kara Walker "My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love" closing bash at The Hammer Museum. Judging from the crowd who is stunned into silence, I will say a show about rape, slavery, torture, lynching and more rape is not ideal for a closing night party with DJ, drinks and dancing.

And there's the "Get-your-own-free-silhouette" guy. So you too can depict your own story of rape, slavery, and torture at home. (Did I mention the anal rape?)

Walker is a genius, no questions asked. Not only does she combine the most graphic subjects with the most subtle media, silhouettes and shadow puppetry, but she boldly defies convention by employing figurative and narrative sequential art.

On a wonderful side note, I do run into Shana Waterman, a friend from school, whom I haven't seen in ages, and meet her friends Kim and Monique! We agree to get together again for more dancing and drinks. (Sans rape and slavery.)

I couldn't take pictures of the exhibit itself but click here for more shots of the festivities.

"Dial 'M' for Madonna" Invades Hollywood Blvd. WOW!

Last Friday night, I'm at the opening for "Dial 'M' for Madonna" watching Austin Young's video of comedy sensation Nadya Ginsberg as Madonna (and Cher and Britney) doing a homeless man in the latest installment of "The Worm." Followed this, the most beautiful drag queen ever performs a song from "Hard Candy." (Her nostrils are painted! Now that's attention to detail.)

Click here to see all my pictures from this event.

James St. James knows how to throw a party. (Not that the world's ever had any doubt.) And this art opening is legendary. Love her or hate her, everyone turns out for Madonna. Some of the art work celebrates her. And some... doesn't. My favorite is the installation of life-size Madonna tour/video costumes made out of real candy! (See video of James covering the event on the WOW Report.)

I believe WOW Gallery's next show will be a solo photography exhibit of work by Thairin Smothers, who is a world class sweetie! And that last picture is singer Jose Promis, soon moving to Paris flanked by French hotties Olivier and Olivier. That's a yummy French/Chilean sandwich in anyone's book!

• Click here to listen to ALL of "Hard Candy" on my recap of the CD release parties.
• Check out my last visit to WOW Gallery for "Warhol: Dead at 21" here.

Graffiti Scenesters "fotograff" at Crewest

Saturday night, I visit the big downtown art opening "fotograff" at Gallery Crewest, and I'm blown away by how perfectly styled the exhibit is, seamlessly combining the aesthetics of graffiti and street art into a presentation of photography.

This is the gallery's first major venture into photography, put together by graffiti artist/activist VYAL ONE (below right) and Crewest gallery director Man One.

Click here to see all my photographs from this event.

Congratulating VYAL ONE is Sticky Rick whom I last saw at his annual Peel Here LA Sticker Art Show extravaganza downtown which inspired me to create an homage to LA sticker street art behind my home! View the rest of my pictures from "fotograff" on my Flickr photoset.

"Warhol: Dead at 21" at WOW Gallery

Production studio World of Wonder had another fantastic art opening at their Storefront Gallery on Hollywood Blvd. It was conceived and pulled off extravagantly by the unstoppable Thairin Smothers. Pictured above, the fabulous Lenora Claire and friends.

Every Hollywood nightlife mainstay imaginable was in attendance, including author/celebutante and subject of WOW's movie Party Monster, James St. James.

Click here to view all my photos from the party.

Here I am with friends Rachelle, Forrest and Chandler. doing "Edie Sedgwick," "Goth Elvis," and "Construction Worker." Minutes earlier I had undergone an improvised costume change to become "Fashion Terrorista!" There's Lenora again with Ian and Tony. (See the rest on Flickr.)

Cover Art for The Protector

This is a sneak preview of artwork I just finished. It's the cover for the book The Protector by NL Gassert from Seventh Window Publications. My friends Chandler and David served as the inspiration.

The publisher just sent me over a mock-up of what the finished piece will look like.



I've read a bit of it, and it sounds fantastic so be sure to pick up a copy or order one online!

STYLE WARS: Nerding Up a Fashion Event

Janet Harvey and I were covering House of Diehl's STYLE WARS: Style Battle Championship LA for Going.com

It was an awesomely cool event where 8 designers competed against each other in 5 minute real-time design challenges and runway walk-offs. (Sort of like an MC battle.)

The styles very "couture, impossible to wear" designs, and one of the judges was Jody Watley who is still incredibly beautiful. (You can read more about it here.)

At one point, in reference to the design pictured below, we had the following exchange:

Me: Hey doesn't that look like something out of Dune?
Janet: Like a Bene Gesserit?
Me: Exactly!
Janet: Wow, did we just totally nerd up a fashion event?

Also, for the ultimate in geek chic, Newspaper Dresses! Designed by Payam Emrani of FameInACan.com (You can spot him there wearing a bow-tie.)



You can see the rest of my photographs from Style Wars here.

Two-Fisted Fetish Weekend! Toonfetish BBQ and Hard Heroes IV

Gearing up for Comic-Con, I'm involved in two hugely fun events this weekend. So if your weekend can take this much action from both ends (Friday and Sunday) I invite you to come along!

On Friday Rick Castro and I are throwing the Feed Your Fetish Barbecue at the Antebellum Gallery. It's the closing celebration for the Toonfetish exhibit that is up right now. I promise it will be a sizzling summer soirée. We're screening "Kizuna" the first gay anime (yaoi), and Joe Phillips' adult cartoons "Stonewall & Riot" and "House of Morecock!" Suds 'n wieners will be served. (Click the image above left for details.)

Check out my previous Toonfetish videoblog and photoblog for more about the event.

On Sunday I'm one of the featured artists at the Hard Heroes party that Instigator Magazine is putting on at MJ's as a benefit for Being Alive LA. I went to the last HH party, and these are tons of fun. Lots of hotties in spandex... if that's your thing. And really, who isn't in to that?! (Click the image above right for details.)

Sketch Painting: Demonic Trevor

When I was chatting with Trevor and Sean the other day about Sean's DemonicSex book and got it into my head to do a little sketch painting of Trevor as a demon. Wanted to re-interpret his tattoos and re-interpret "demon."

ART: Reception for "REALization" at S B London Gallery

Each collection at S B London builds on the one before. Here's a clip of the artist and industrial designer Stacie London sharing her thoughts on it. Also a shot of Stacie and friends at the opening reception for "REALization" the exhibit of industrial art currently running.

If you watched the clip, yes Shelayna did make it there after all. There she is with me and Lesley, and there's a shot of the forms from the new collection. The piece in the background is from "TRANSformation," the previous series.

[Check out more in my Art Opening photoset on Flickr.]

ART: Patrick Williams Reception at Monkeyhouse Toys

Here's a clip of me chatting with artist Patrick Williams at the opening of his solo show, "On Polymer Seas," at Monkeyhouse Toys in Silver Lake. "The work looks at the plastic divide between humans and the world at large..."

Above are some examples of his work, acrylic on stuffed cotton and on canvas. Check out the rest of my Monkeyhouse photos.

ART: Gay Erotic Zine & Comix Convention at Antebellum

This Saturday I hung out with Rick Castro and friends at the first ever Gay Erotic Zine & Comix Convention at Antebellum Gallery. Chatted with Kim Kinakin and Sean Platter. Trevor Wayne dropped by. Great fun!

Sean in a hottie sandwich with Trevor and Aram. Brian checks out some of Dronio's artwork. Some of the Zines on display. Me and Brian.

You can view all my photos from the event here.

The About Town Rundown 6/22/07

This weekend Rick Castro's Antebellum Gallery is having it's first ever Gay Erotic Zine & Comix Convention, featuring artwork, prints and comix from Glen Hanson, Patrick Fillion, Justin Hall, Mark Padilla, Sean Platter, John Blackburn, Drubskin and many more! It's from 1 to 7pm on Saturday June 23.

Echo Curio, The Echo Park Curiosity Shop and Art Gallery, is kicking off its tri-annual Group Art Show tonight at 8pm and having a Food/Art Potluck Sunday "Drunch" this Sunday at 3pm. "Make art, Bring art, Eat art!"

"REALization: Leaf Relief Landscapes" opens at SB LONDON gallery Saturday, June 23, from 6 to 10pm.

"S B London is a showroom of industrial art, exhibiting TECHNOcraft objects which inform, inspire, and relieve. Simple yet complex forms are created by studying, controlling, and abstracting nature's microscopic geometry. ...The process makes a practice of finding commonalities between seemingly disparate elements by exposing hidden information and information that is not commonly seen."

I went to their last show, "TRANSformation: Nature Decoded," and each exhibit builds upon the last one. It's absolutely fascinating and inspiring and I invite you to check it out.

Cast your vote at Lambda Legal's "Life Without Fair Courts" political cartoon contest. There's some awesome, thought-provoking work here, with commentary from a celebrity panel of judges including my pals Phil Jimenez and awesome DC Comics editor Joan Hilty.

Designer Slash Model: A funny take on a design firm comprised entirely of the beautiful people.

The Boyzillian? The GlobeAndMail.com's Patrick White waxes poetic on Manscaping.

What's on the tube:

• Parody: Microsoft's "Big Ass Desk" Surface
• Flying Hamsters (Looks like some ad exec has been playing online games.)
  
• Bunny buggers cat!
• VH1 Fit Club trainer loses it on Screech.

Sketch: Dancing at Akbar

Went dancing with Lumi, Rod & Terrie at Akbar. Did a little sketching based on it later. Mainly just wanted to loosen up and have a fun with lots of lines.

See photos from this night here.

Silver Lake Scene: Birds, Gas Mask, Piano Bars and Dancing

Can I just say how much I love living in Silver Lake! Some photos from a regular Saturday afternoon/evening tooling around my neighborhood with friends.

Our co-worker Rebekah had an art show at her place. This painting had a real live bird in it. Is this cruel?

Paul got a great deal a gas mask at Eastside Mercantile which is going out of business. Later that night I went to hear Sonji Kimmons perform at The Other Side piano bar.

Up near Bekah's place we came across this awesome vintage cadillac. I caught this moment between Rod and Lumi dancing at Akbar.

See all the photos from this set here.