Pop Culture in the Heart of the Highlands

What constitutes art has always fascinated people.  Louisville’s art community has always been thriving, but there haven’t always been many places seeking to propel amateur artists into the public eye.  Ultra Pop, located at 1414 Bardstown Road, has sought to become that place of refuge for young artists seeking to create art the way they want to.  Paul LePree the owner/proprietor describes his store as thus, “Ultra Pop is a retail store that I created after being inspired by numerous stores I have visited on the west coast.  I had to take several concepts and try to put them all together under one room given the smaller market in Louisville.  I like to think I sell art regardless of the medium, whether it’s prints, toys (3-D art), books, clothing, or whatever else I find that I feel has artistic or cultural merit.”  LePree felt the need for a central hub for underground and lowbrow art so he combined this growing need with his love for all art mediums and Ultra Pop was born.

Ultra Pop opened in July 2007 in the heart of the Highlands.  LePree felt that, after living here for 6 years, he enjoyed the area and Louisville was ready for a concept like Ultra Pop.  LePree says that he enjoys the neighborhood feel of the Highlands and takes joy in knowing his UPS driver and mailman by their first names.  Lepree’s retail experience reaches through two decades.  He began working in local comic and record shops, which drove his passion for local business.  After working in corporate retail and climbing the ladder up to multi-store management he felt the need to return to his roots in local business.  Lepree wanted to open a store based on the community that supports it and support the local artists in the area.

“A painting does not need to sell for thousands of dollars to be considered art or have merit,” said LePree, and it seems as though this has become his mantra.  His personal favorite art forms include handmade toys (3-D art) from Japan and a handful of paintings he has collected over the years.  Ultra Pop is a concept driven by art in any medium and by those who make it.  LePree’s description of his store as a “hub” for the art community is not without merit as he constantly seeks to put local artists on display and make Ultra Pop a welcoming place for anyone interested in art.  “I try to get out as much as I can and discover artists that don’t have a presence in the community already.” LePree said, “I throw art shows monthly not only to expose the public to undiscovered artists, but to make art accessible to people that normally wouldn’t go to a gallery show.”

The current exhibit at Ultra Pop is titled Super Kaiju Big Fun, and features paintings by local artist Daniel Butler and will be on display until this Friday.  His paintings are inspired by many of the elements one would see in Ultra Pop, old Japanese monster movies and horror movies.  All of the artwork on display during a show is available for sale and the prices of Butler’s work ranges from $35 to $60.  LePree has also acted as a big brother figure to budding artists in the community such as Daniel, as this was his first show.  I had a chance to witness the set up of the show and LePree handled it like an old pro.  He coached Butler through his nerves and helped him to frame all the work and price it.  In speaking with Butler he says that, “Ultra Pop has provided a way for me to wedge my foot in the door with the Louisville art community.  As I am an up and coming artist, I feel that I have a real opportunity to expand my “business” as an artist with Paul [LePree]’s help.”  Butler even mentions that his time at Ultra Pop and spent with LePree has opened his eyes to new art mediums, especially that of the 3-D art vinyl toys sold at Ultra Pop.  He is grateful for LePree and the store as he says, “Ultra-Pop has truly expanded my horizons. Whereas I thought that my only opportunity as an artist might be in the comic book or fine art field, I found that I could do more in my own niche. I didn’t have the fine art training to do Da Vinci or Van Gogh or Rembrandt type pieces to get a community built around me.”

Ultra Pop’s next art exhibit is starting this Friday, succeeding Butler’s, and it features an artist from Ohio, Jeffery Lamm whose art is based primarily on Japanese monster movies, punk rock culture, and hot rod art.  LePree is doing as much as he can to even bring art from different areas and communities to Louisville in order to help inspire the local artists.  “We all have something to learn from one another,” he says, “and I have learned much from these artists I know around the country.  I am just trying to bring them to Louisville to show guys like [Butler] what they have shown me.”   In September LePree is hosting another local artist, Ron Jason “Madpixel”, in his first solo show.  He also plans on doing his first Halloween-themed group show in October.  Although the possibilities seem endless for what Ultra Pop can do and create, the economy is wearing on LePree.  When asked to describe his plight as a local business owner in this economy he said, “It is very challenging right now.  When people don’t have alot of extra spending money, there are more important priorities than purchasing art and toys.”  LePree is a friend to all who meet him and a dedicated supporter of Louisville and it’s art community.

2 August 2010

Guatemala Underground

In Guatemala’s Zone 5, young B Boys and B Girls are using their dance as a means of escape from the drugs and gangs that the area is known for.  La Limonada is known as a “Red Zone,” the name given to the most dangerous neighborhoods in the area.  Somewhere north of 60,000 people reside in this asentamiento, a place where police know they aren’t welcome and rival gangs rule the streets.  When I tell you that this is a place that the police don’t frequent, I truly mean that I saw not a single police officer in the winding alleyways of the ghetto.

I recently was given the opportunity to travel to La Limonada to work as a pre production assistant for Nadus Films.  I was charged with the task of helping build the story for their next documentary to possibly be filmed there.  You can see footage from their previous scouting trip here.  The purpose of my being there was to interview possible candidates for the film.  I worked to connect the dots between the lives of these young men and tell their story in a way that best communicates their lives and passions.  I was to help tell the story of young people trying to escape the cycles of poverty and violence that define their neighborhood.

I touched down mid-morning on Thursday, October 27.  This was the after I had taken the GRE and my mind was elsewhere.  My main point of contact was a woman named Ashley.  She is free spirited twenty something from Ooltewah, TN.  Ashley moved to Guatemala six years ago and has taken up residence in Zone 5.  She works closely with the break dancers and other young men and women who are trying to get their lives on track.  My other translater was Benjamin, a native Guatemalan who hails from the town of Xelajú.  We drove straight from the airport to the Limonada, and my cultural experience began.

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In less that one hour after touching down in Guatemala City, I was standing against a wall full of bullet holes next to a teenager who was sniffing glue in broad daylight.  Despite my dire surroundings, and obvious lack of residency, I was welcomed with open arms.  I attribute this mostly to Ashley and her relational personality.  Most of the opportunities I had while I was there were fruit of her work in the community and I am forever grateful.  The Guatemalan culture that I experienced was one of hospitality and, although I couldn’t speak the language, I never felt left out.

I spent most of my time interviewing dancers and seeking to understand the culture surrounding La Limonada.  We would travel around to the different parts of the ghetto and the different zones in the city.  The gap between the rich and poor in Guatemala City is mind-blowing.  A 20 minute drive will take you from mansions in the hills to sheet metal shacks with no running water in the ravine.  There is definitely an issue of social justice that needs to be addressed here; and I am glad to be a part of a team that is seeking to bring it to light.

I Saw the Sign

JD McPherson shines a new light on “old” music.  Although raised in southern Oklahoma, McPherson became a fan of socially charged punk bands.  His passion, though, was ignited by the warmth of American roots music.  JD McPherson has a familiar style, but it is unique enough to be all his own.  He is an homage to an antiquated past, but remains engaging.

JD McPherson’s debut album, Signs & Signifiers, was recorded at Hi-STYLE Records in Chicago, IL.  The main production was done by Jimmy Sutton, who owns Hi-STYLE and appears as a supporting musician on the album.  The record was recorded in mono on a Berlant Concertone; recording to a tape reel instead of digitally.  The album is available at Hi-STYLE Records and is a personal favorite.

Ultra Pop!

Here is another video that Karie Portman and I made for our Online Journalism class.  It showcases Ultra Pop!, an art store in our home town.

The Modern Prometheus

I am a fan of reading.  I like that literature, especially narrative literature, calls you to combine your personal imaginative processes with a textual framework supplied by the author.  Two artists, the author and the reader, work in tandem to create the experience.  As long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with the original, or intended, versions of things I enjoy.  Needless to say, books fell into this obsession.

The book that I will harp on today is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  The book was published anonymously on the first of January in 1818.  The book was then published again with the same text in 1823, and finally with a complete revision in 1831.  My point of contention with Frankenstein is that the 1831 text is the version that peaked in popularity and became the most widely read version.  The problem I have with this is that most people aren’t aware that the 1831 text is not Shelley’s intended work.  The textual revision is the result of publishing pressures and familial turmoil.  Shelley faced pressure to shorten the story and make it more conservative, while dealing with the death of her busband and the deaths of both of her children since the original publishing.  There is a definitive mental shift in the text from 1818 to 1831, and I personally think that no one should take to revising their work when mourning the death of their entire family.

Mary Shelley

My charge is that you would explore the history of some of your favorite pieces of media and give former editions and earlier publishings a chance.  We can never know an artist’s true intent, and the enjoyment of something like a book is left with the reader; but there are hidden histories to some of the world’s classics that we must explore.

The Nominal Edge of Visible Red Light

The Nike Air Max 90 Infrared is another classic sneaker, one that many would argue was ahead of its time.  The Air Max 90 first released in 1990 as the Air Max III and was known by that name until 2000, when it was reissued as the Air Max 90.  The infrared colorway is the most popular version of the shoe and the image that most sneaker fans associate with it.

Nike Air Max 90 “Infrared”

The best thing about the Infrareds nowadays is that they have become an attainable “holy grail” of Nike sneakers.  They were recently reissued as a retro release in late 2010 and I was recently able to pick up a pair in my size for $30 less than retail.  As much as I hate malls, sometimes it pays to wander through them.  The Infrared will continue as the flagship colorway for the Air Max 90 and I am hoping they continue to reissue them so that I will be able to always have a wearable pair in my collection.

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Turn it Up!

This is another video that Karie Portman and I made for our Online Journalism class at the University of Louisville.  The video is about our local record store, Ear X-Tacy, and how they have made a shift in focus to include more live music.

The Gods of the Copybook Headings.

AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race,
I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.

We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn
That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn:
But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind,
So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind.

We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace,
Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place,
But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come
That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome.

With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch,
They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch;
They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings;
So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.

When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “Stick to the Devil you know.”

On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “The Wages of Sin is Death.”

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “If you don’t work you die.” 

Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.

As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began.
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool’s bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;

And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!

– Rudyard Kipling wrote this poem amidst a war torn England.  He had just lost his son in World War I and lost his daughter before that.  I heard this at a graduation ceremony today and thought it was worth sharing.  Definitely not one of his most well-known works, but excellent nonetheless.

Analysis Paralysis.

With my college graduation looming, I am still undecided on where I plan to seek employment.  I have spent the majority of my free time in the last two years networking with local professionals and climbing the proverbial mountains of professionalism looking for a sage.  Although I have learned much and been given excellent opportunities to explore certain professions, I have come to one daunting conclusion – there is no sage.

With my broad range of interests and my obsessive compulsion for perfection when it comes to making big decisions, it seems that I couldn’t bear to throw myself down one path over the other.  When speaking with an entrepreneur friend he told me that I was in “Analysis Paralysis.”  It seems that I have been so focused on making the right choice of profession that I haven’t been able to stomach making a choice at all.  Don’t be afraid to jump, and don’t be afraid to fall.

To all my brothers (and sisters) in arms on the collegiate front, take heart.  The professional world is seeing a dynamic shift from its company loyalty model that our parents know of.  Sticking with one company for forty-plus years is becoming unheard of.  We are making a move from specialization to a sort of “jack-of-all-trades” mindset and the utility hitter is becoming the new power player.  So, accept that job, even if you aren’t sure about it.  You put in the time, learn, whittle down what you enjoy, and move on.  If anything, those skills and that knowledge will only make you more desirable in today’s progressive marketplace.

The First Rule of Flight Club is…

As somewhat of a minimalist, I have never been very excited about clothing.  I consider myself a fairly well-dressed man, at times, but I am usually wearing jeans and a t shirt.  One clothing item that I do get excited about, from time to time, is sneakers; and on June 4th a classic sneaker, and personal favorite, is being re-released.

The Air Jorden III first released in 1988 as the third signature shoe of the jumpman himself, Michael Jordan.  I have always been much more into playing sports than following them, but Jordan always seemed iconic.  The AJ III was the first Jordan shoe to feature the Jumpman logo, and it is the shoe he was wearing when he achieved his first MVP season.  The “True Blue” colorway was an original and was made available as a “retro” in the U.S. in 2001.  It made its next appearance in Europe in 2009, but sold out almost immediately.  Jordan fans now have a shot at redemption as it is set to hit U.S. stores this summer.

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