Charles Krafft Disasterware

WARNING!! WARNING!!! SCRATCH THIS BLOG!

We have never had to do this before, but due to the message we received in our myspace inbox from Charles Krafft we were left with two options:

1. delete this post
2. share the message and our reply.

We decided to go with option 2:

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Charles Krafft
To: blacknerdsnetwork.blogspot.com
Date: 30 Apr 2009, 22:11
Subject: You're kidding!


I'm approving Blacknerdnetwork as a friend because I've never met a black nerd. I'm trying to get with the diversity program here in Seattle, but it's kinda hard when the black kids on my bus won't give up that extra seat they're always sprawled across.


-----------------BLACK NERDS NETWORK REPLY---------

PLEASE DON'T APPROVE US!

There is so much wrong with what you have written it is difficult to know where to start.

Your racially prejudice! My instincts tell me your not the sharpest razor in the pack so i'll break it down for you.

You judge people that you have never met by the colour of their skin!? At best this is STUPID, and at Worst it is RACIST.

Im sure you've met many Black Nerds, were just normal people that come in all ages, genders and professions... hey in fact some of us even drive buses.

We really liked your work and blogged about it. We then sent you a simple friends request on myspace. We were astonished by your reply.

However unlike you we will not judge the many by the few.

Regards

Bnn fam.



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The original Disasterware, flirting with violence and beauty comes from the American artist Charles Krafft pioneer of the Pop Surrealism movement.

Of all the people acquiring guns in 1998 on the black market in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Charles Krafft was probably the only one who turned the illicit weapons into porcelain delftware.

Meeting with arms dealers in Ljubljana's cafes and bars, Krafft made arrangements to borrow Kalashnikovs and AK-47s ("the little black dress of the military industrial complex," he calls the assault rifles) so that he could use them to make plaster slip-molds. He then created meticulously accurate castings of the guns in white porcelain and painted the weapons with flowers, text and other decoration in the traditional delftware blue. The resulting collection of lethal but dainty satire became part of a body of work that provoked Mark Del Vecchio, author of "Postmodern Ceramics," to declare Krafft "one of the USA's most seditious artists [who] plays difficult, uneasy games with content and culture."











Charles Krafft talks about his work


Charles Krafft on Charles Krafft

Tea and Two Bullets

I found this by Yvonne Lee Chultz via blankbareclean blog and instantly fell in love with the floral porcelain tea set. On a second look the strategically placed porcelain gun suddenly disrupts the whole notion of a quaint afternoon tea party into an afternoon of violence.


The Porcelain Pistols are replicas of James Bond’s Walther PPK and its contemporary sister, the P99,with friendly permission of Carl Walther Inc.The fragile weapon, hand-painted in the style of classic tableware motifs, liesnext to your coffee and cake, asking to be picked up. Its coolness andcomfortable grip increase the qualms of the user, leaving him in a quandary between the pleasure of luxury and violence.

Black Kids on Bikes

Freedom Ride

Formed by James Spooner graphic designer, bike lover and film maker. He sums himself as “I makes movies, rides bikes and loves my family, not in that order”.

Once a month black cyclists are getting together to meet, get to know one another and ride. The ride is medium paced, 10 -15 miles with a couple stops for beverages and to let everyone catch up.

This ride brings together Black people of all ages to ride there bikes.














We would love to ride our fixie with these folk

For more info on Freedom Ride

You may also know James Spooner from the Afro Punk scene and maker of the film check the movement here

Afro Punk Trailer


View his blog here

Happening Saturday

Last Saturday saw Bnn Hq of East, head to the mighty South. We started at Embassy Nigerian restaurant in New Cross where we were a bit disappointed by the usually superb cuisine but the Nigerian Guinness and Guinness malt was on point.

Never seen outside of Nigeria pt2 Guinness malt pt1



Fried rice, Chicken, Plantain and Stew




We then took a trip to Brixton and was seduced by a pub playing Fela. Went across road to Satay bar and thought we love Brixton Black for still keeping it real. We Then went back over the river via bus and ended up in Plastic people to Nonsence for an overdue visit.



Met some cool girls sporting Disney courture with vintage chic and another bringing back a revial of beaded hair.

Galliano

Bnn bumped into Crispin Robinson aka Spry (percussionist extraordinaire) the other day and it got them thinking about the good old days. (The days when Crispin had HAIR!..sorry bro.)
Before Trip Hop, Drum and bass, Garage or Grime there was ACID JAZZ!
At the forefront of this scene along with legends such as Omar, The Young Disciples (my personal favourite),The Brand new heavies and Jamiroquai were Galliano.
Galliano were the first band to sign to Gilles petersons label Talkin Loud back in the early nineties.The original members were Rob Gallagher (vocals), Constantine Weir (vocals), and Crispin Robinson (percussion).
Their first release was "Frederick Lies Dead" in 1987 and they went on to record two albums with the original line up "In Pursuit of the 13th Note - 1991 " and "A Joyful Noise unto the Creator - 1992 " which added Valerie Etienne to vocals and Mick Talbot, Paul wellers partner in crime from the Style Council on Keys and production.
I saw this line up of the band several times from Manchester Academy to Glastonbury and they never failed to move the crowd, throwing giant balls into the audience and having mass stage invasions.
Every now and again I bump into Constantine or Rob who is still doing his thing as earl zinger and I can tell they miss those days.

Ps. can't really do a blog on Acid Jazz without mentioning Eddie Piller who started "Acid Jazz" records along with Gilles Peterson in the late eighties.

Pps. I had a Wicked live version of this song to post but because of the Stupidness of YOUTUBE It's "NOT AVAILABLE IN THIS REGION"!




Galliano- Prince Of Peace

Bashy - Ransom ft Scorcher & Wretch 32 (Part One)

Bashy needs 10k!...and to be fair he does a good job with the acting.(watch this space East Enders here we come).

The EK MONOGRAM PIN

I've been patiently waiting for Brooch/Pin from Eley Kishimoto and it arrived today!! My/Our love for Brooches continues.







The EK MONOGRAM PIN was featured in their 'Jet Set Masala' Autumn Winter 2009/10 show as hat accessories, but it now online to buy as part of there limited edition collection here and at £5.00 anybody can have a piece of their collection.

The Extra Leg

We came across these at DIYmode and thought they were rather Dandy then a bike clip or imitating some kind of rudeboy fashion with one leg up. Rather fetching when we're riding our fixie.

The extra leg is a garment accessory that allows you to really protect your pants when you ride your bike without looking like an idiot.Just wrap them around your pants, they self attach with Velcro, and leave your trousers untouched and protected from your bike.You can either play it discreet by choosing an extra leg the same colour as your pants, or be more graphic with contrasts.

One size fits all, men and women, and the different styles of pants wearing. You can choose to wear them, tight on slim jeans, or loosely with a suit not to wrinkle it; the long Velcro strips make sure they don’t fall off. The extra legs are produced by A.P.C. with their own legendary denims in the sixth arrondissement in Paris.



























The Extra Leg

Oxmo Puccino

Oxmo Puccino

I'm still fascinated how in France as opposed to the UK, radio stations support domestic music, coupled with a language thats not english artists like Oxmo Puccino are able to flourish.

I love the beats and the flow a french "Biggie" on a jazz tip.
Oxmo Puccino has a new album out now called "L'Arme de Paix"

my space: www.myspace.com/oxmopuccino
web: www.oxmo.net

Oxmo Puccino - Masterciel
by CInq7

Oxmo Puccino was born in 1974 in Mali. He came to Paris one year later, and lived in the XIXe arrondissement from the age of 5. He is the brother of basketball player Mamoutou Diarra. He appeared in the 2006 film Arthur and the Minimoys.
Puccino drew on the street-smart American hip-hop of the Notorious B.I.G. and other icons to document life in Paris' hardscrabble 19th district. Born in Mali in 1974, he arrived in Paris at age five as part of a family that included younger brother Mamoutou Diarra, later a professional basketball player of some international renown.
A longtime hip-hop fan, at age 21 Diarra began his collaboration with the fledgling rap collective Time Bomb, honing his craft alongside future superstars like Booba and Diam's. He quickly developed into a lyricist with a metaphorical ingenuity far more advanced than his contemporaries, crafting violent yet strangely poetic portraits of urban Paris life.
In 1996 Oxmo Puccino made his recorded debut with Pucc. Fiction, a contribution to the compilation L432. A series of subsequent mixtape appearances solidified his growing reputation within the French rap underground, and in 1998 he issued his solo debut, Opéra Puccino. Its 2001 follow-up, L'Amour Est Mort, proved Puccino's creative and commercial breakthrough, while 2004's Le Cactus de Sibérie confirmed his superstar status. After signing to the venerable jazz label Blue Note, Puccino assembled a new backing group, the Jazzbastards, to record 2006's Lipopette Bar. (wikipedia)

BLACKtronica

...................................was well and truly back.






























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We finished up the night with cocktails at Milk and Honey.

Constructive Press

So we are getting a lot of Love for our Constructive Lives tilled wall designed by Multistory.

Constructive Lives featured in Grafix Magazine.









Dzeen Blog

Arising Nerds

Thanks to Instinct for sending us this write up about us in Arise Magazine. It's nice to see a write up that beautifully sums us up.




And we are loving the Emamoke Ukeleghe print in the background.


Arise magazine charts Africa’s global cultural influence trough Art Fashion and Culture.