Java.FEB.2017

254 • FEB 2017
Charles Darr
MUSEUM OF WALKING • PLAYBOY MANBABY • JUSTIN KATZ

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Salome with the Head
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(detail), Carlo Dolci, c. 1670.
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CONTENTS
8
12
22
32
34
FEATURES
Cover
Charles Darr
8 12 22
34
ANGELA ELLSWORTH
The Museum of Walking
By Amy Young
JUSTIN KATZ
Curating Cool, Creating Good
By Demetrius Burns
RAPTURE
Concept and Styling: Mitch Phillips
Photos: Blake Bonillas
PLAYBOY MANBABY
Don’t Let It Be
By Mitchell L. Hillman
CHARLES DARR
Seeing Artists in Their Environments
By Mitchell Hillman
COLUMNS
7
16
20
30
38
40
BUZZ
Reimagining Phoenix
By Robert Sentinery
ARTS
Beauty Speaks for Us
By Jenna Duncan
Lulubell Toy Bodega Celebrates 10 Years
By Amy Young
I Remember Not Remembering
By Jenna Duncan
FOOD FETISH
Fat Ox
By Sloane Burwell
SOUNDS AROUND TOWN
By Mitchell L. Hillman
GIRL ON FARMER
How to Be a Better Person
By Celia Beresford
NIGHT GALLERY
Photos by Robert Sentinery
JAVA MAGAZINE
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Robert Sentinery
ART DIRECTOR
Victor Vasquez
ARTS EDITOR
Amy L. Young
FOOD EDITOR
Sloane Burwell
MUSIC EDITOR
Mitchell L. Hillman
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jenna Duncan
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Celia Beresford
Demetrius Burns
Daniel Mills
Tom Reardon
PROOFREADER
Patricia Sanders
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Blake Bonillas
ADVERTISING
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JAVA MAGAZINE
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4 JAVA
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REIMAGINING PHOENIX
By Robert Sentinery
BUZZ
This month we feature several individuals who are helping to reimagine the way
we view our surroundings. Angela Ellsworth is an internationally known visual
and performance artist. Her work has taken her across the globe, including stops
at the Biennale of Sydney, Australia; the Getty Center in Los Angeles; and the
National Review of Live Art (NRLA) in Glasgow, Scotland. Ellsworth had a major
exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum in 2011 and has had gallery representation
in Phoenix, Tucson, Chicago and Melbourne to name a few.
Ellsworth has recently embarked on her most ambitious project to date—the
establishment of a museum. Co-founded with artist Steven Yazzie (whose busy
schedule now limits him to the advisory board), this is not your typical brickand-mortar
institution. The Museum of Walking (MoW) was conceived in a
120-sq.-ft. room on ASU’s main campus in Tempe. (They are currently looking
for a permanent location in downtown Phoenix.) The museum’s mission is to be
an educational resource committed to “the advancement of walking as an art
practice.” MoW’s first major fundraiser will take place on March 18, and the
hope is that 1,000 people (in groups of 20) will participate in a guided three-mile
walk through the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area (see “Angela Ellsworth:
Museum of Walking,” p. 8).
Justin Katz has turned his childhood passion for watching cartoons into
a lucrative creative enterprise called Flock of Pixels. Katz’s official job
description is “motion design,” which essentially fuses graphic design
with filmmaking. The result is the kind of animation one might see during the
title sequence of a film. While motion designers have been around for a while,
advances in computer technology and software have pushed the discipline
forward in leaps and bounds.
Katz has been fortunate to land some mega clients over the years, including
Apple, American Express, Canon and Coca-Cola to name a few. Although much
of his work falls into the category of advertising, Katz’s goal has always
been to reduce the amount of “visual pollution” that bombards us. One of his
proudest achievements was being asked to create the title sequence for the
AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) national conference in 2011, which
signaled the pinnacle of his profession (see “Justin Katz: Curating Cool, Creating
Good,” p. 12).
Charles Darr had a bit of an existential crisis after graduating from ASU with a
photography degree (not uncommon for new grads, but perhaps compounded
for creatives). In order to offset this, Darr started calling up his artist friends and
asking if he could come over to hang out and take some photos of them in their
spaces. The result is a body of work called “Stars to Satellites” that features
more than 60 portraits of the people that make up Phoenix’s creative core.
The series is a document of a city on the move and the arts community that is
directing it (see “Charles Darr: Seeing Artists in Their Environments,” p. 34).

MUSEUM OF WA
LK
ING
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The practice of walking as an arts discipline may not be the first thing
that comes to mind when discussing either walking or the arts. Its place
in contemporary art, however, has a deep foundation that continues to
grow new branches in diverse and profound ways. From walk-inspired
philosophies to the incorporation of walk-discovered objects into art pieces, there
are numerous ways that walking is present in contemporary artwork—as well as
in historical works. If you are already enthralled by this facet of the stroll, or need
a good jumping-off point for more information, we have the Museum of Walking
(MoW) right here in the Valley. Its mission is to be an educational resource
committed to the advancement of walking as an art practice.
The museum’s director, Angela Ellsworth, is an associate professor at ASU, as
well as a contemporary artist who has received international acclaim for her
multidisciplinary art projects, many of which have been walking-centric. Extending
her previous pursuits to developing this museum seems like a very organic flow of
events. “My work,” she said, “has incorporated a lot of walking, and I also teach
performance art.” Ellsworth told us that she has been quietly gathering information
around walking in art for well over a decade.
Ellsworth started the MoW with another noted local artist, Steven Yazzie, in a
quasi-condemned room in a School of Art building on the ASU campus. Both artists
have a strong interest “in landscape, the land we walk on, and the layered history
of that land,” Ellsworth said. Their continued conversations were instrumental in
taking the MoW from an idea to fruition.
The word museum conjures the idea of vastness, generous amounts of space.
Yet Ellsworth and Yazzie created this institution in a 120-square-foot room,
which made perfect sense to these artists with utilitarian mindsets. “I teach my
students that they can utilize any amount of space,” said Ellsworth, “so I liked
the idea of turning something ordinary into an extraordinary place.” The pair
shared conversations about how to transition and use the room and developed the
museum into an exhibition space that Ellsworth described as “very physical, and
very analog—much like walking.” The small size made the capacity limited, and
ring-in access was the first point of entry.
Due to a busy schedule, Yazzie has limited his role to serving on MoW’s advisory
board, which Ellsworth says is vital to the museum’s continued operations—along
with the museum’s volunteers. MoW has averaged a couple of exhibitions a year
and has presented lecturers, as well. When additional space has been needed for
on-site events, the ASU Art Museum has lent space. Recently, MoW moved from
its initial location to spend two months at Combine in downtown Phoenix, while
looking for a more permanent home. Ellsworth isn’t worried; she’s already proven
her ability to maximize what is available.
Ellsworth loves the indoor programming, but both her voice and her expression
convey her passion when she talks about the outdoor programs—themed, silent
and contemplative walks led by herself or guests. “I love the idea of bodies
being together in a different way than we normally are,” she said, “enjoying the
landscape and noticing the subtleties in our world.” She notes that while the
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physical benefits of walking are well known, it’s walking’s link to creativity that
fascinates her and that she would like to facilitate.
“There is empirical evidence that walking connects with creativity, which makes
sense, as walking to think can be how ideas and philosophies grow,” Ellsworth
said. It is a sensory experience that is open to everyone, and it doesn’t have to be
goal-driven. It can even be an opportunity to let the senses roam free while not
being tethered to the electronic devices that have everyone in their grip.
Previous walks have included a guided adventure along Indian School Road that
provided information about the history of the surrounding land. A crepuscular
walk found the attendees learning how to listen for critters. Desire Lines: Women
Walking as Making led the walkers to artist Jody Pinto’s Papago Park City
Boundary Project and formed a component of the 25th International Sculpture
Conference: New Frontiers in Sculpture. The event’s conversation included sharing
about women artists who have used walking as means to create poetic, political
and environmental works. There’s even a dog walking series that lets participants
bring four-legged friends. These walks are led by Angela’s partner, writer Tania
Katan, and Felix, her undeniably adorable French bulldog. Participants walk in a
pack, and the walk is followed by time at a dog park, where the dogs can play and
the humans can chat.
As with any museum, raising awareness and funds is part of the programming. In
March, MoW is embarking on their biggest project yet, theWALK, which will help
accomplish both of those aims. Ellsworth hopes that raising awareness will not
only bring in new walkers but also help to continue inspiring relationships with
potent organizations, such as Native American Connections and the Phoenix Indian
School Legacy Project. Both of these organizations will receive partial proceeds
from the event. Funds will also help bring in international artists to lead walks
and to develop further programming. For Ellsworth, it’s important to engage with
other groups and organizations and to have the Museum of Walking showcase
the results of the contemporary arts practices created and shared with these
collaborators.
TheWALK takes place on March 18, the same weekend as Artlink’s annual Art
Detour event, and unlike a lot of traditional fundraising events, attendees are
not going to sit back and hear about the organization’s activities. This inaugural
fundraiser is a walk that takes place at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration
Area. The former landfill in downtown Phoenix is now a home for all kinds of
native creatures, including beavers, owls and other birds, along with some lush
vegetation—lots of great points of focus. Ellsworth likes the idea of exposing the
habitat to new viewers. “It is a beautiful place people often pass on their way to
the mountains to hike, not even realizing it’s there,” she said.
The three-mile walk is expected to take around 90 minutes, and the goal is to get
1,000 people to walk together. The $25 ticket price makes it a rather affordable
way to really immerse yourself in this intriguing scenery, connecting with the
land and with other walkers. Walkers will move in groups of 20, called “waves,”
along with a guide. Participants are welcome to form their own groups. Ellsworth
explains, “People will get to move through a public space in a mindful way, with
stopping points to look and listen to the landscape. There will also be surprise
sound components to add more layers to the event.” And don’t worry—for those
who love a good fundraiser, you will go home with a tote bag. There are also
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02/09/17 – 02/26/17
“HILARIOUS, MEMORABLE
AND HEARTBREAKING.”
– DAVID CHAVEZ, EXAMINER
sponsorship opportunities, and those interested can volunteer for training to lead
a wave at theWALK.
Looking to the future, things won’t be slowing down for the MoW. There are a
lot of plans in the works, one of which is projectWALK, coming up in the spring
of 2017. This is a multi-city collaborative event that locally will include artistled
activities, the activation of different public spaces and a film event. It will,
naturally, culminate in a walk, which Ellsworth will lead.
We don’t live in the world’s most walkable city. The new residential density
of areas like downtown Phoenix is creating more foot traffic than ever, but
walking is still something that happens more for exercise or sport than
function, which lends to the importance of the Museum of Walking and its
multi-layered value. This recent addition to our museum community gives us
new ways to think about many things. Whether it is the history and evolution
of a place and its people, or the importance of taking the time to reset the
senses to trigger new, different or broader thoughts, the benefits are as
endless as the miles there are to explore.
www.m useumofwalking.org
LA ESQUINITA, USA
by RUBÉN C. GONZÁLEZ
WHAT HAPPENS TO A SMALL BORDER TOWN
WHEN BIG PROMISES FROM BIG BUSINESS ARE BROKEN?
PERFORMING AT
ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY AT THE
HERBERGER THEATER CENTER
222 EAST MONROE STREET, PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85004
ARIZONATHEATRE.ORG / BOX OFFICE: 602-256-6995
SEASON SPONSOR: PHOENIX CONVENTION CENTER & VENUES

Justin Katz
Curating Cool, Creating Good
By Demetrius Burns
During the height of modernism, poet Ezra Pound exhorted people to “make it new.” The mantra of the 1990s
was seemingly to make it cool. Phoenix’s Justin Katz has an aesthetic—born from ’90s inspirations—that is
indisputably cool and refreshing. More important, Katz employs his taste as a means, not an end in itself: to create
good in a world overwhelmed by the pollution of thoughtless advertising.
Katz is a 10-time Emmy award–winning motion design director who has worked with clients such as Apple and Coca-Cola.
His work has helped brands explain their values and goals through animated videos. These companies capture the zeitgeist
and are in many ways responsible for our ideations of cool, where consumers are consumed in a never-ending cycle. Working
with such clients means staying on the crest of culture. Katz has seen how narrow the corridors of cool are, where finding
oneself means disconnecting to capture the human experience.
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All images courtesy of Flock of Pixles. Full credits on flockofpixles.com

Cartoon Physics: Animated Imagination
With his parents’ support, Katz as a child gravitated toward cartoons and creativity. He would often show
up late to Hebrew school on Saturdays after watching cartoons—his Technicolor education. Katz enjoyed
building spaceships and figures based on whatever show he was into. Whereas some kids passively watch
television, from a young age, Katz tried to replicate it as best he could. In elementary school he took apart $5
video games to make one big video game out of all the various pieces.
One of the most influential devices of Katz’s childhood was a Sega Master System. While he was still in
kindergarten he saved up almost $100 and originally wanted to get a Nintendo. However, the employee at
the store suggested Katz get the Sega, which had more capabilities—including 3D glasses. Persuaded by
the employee, Katz went to buy the Sega with the $100 that he had saved, only to discover that it cost $105.
He looked at his mom. Instead of helping with the purchase, she drove him home and explained how taxes
worked. He spent the whole week hustling for money and eventually came up with the additional $5 to buy
the Sega. It was an important lesson in financial responsibility, according to Katz, and the game system played
a major role in his aesthetics. “My master system is still there [at my house],” Katz said. “That game system
super-influenced my childhood. In my senior thesis film, I actually referenced the system game Hang-On.”
When Katz was in middle school, his mom got a mini VHS, and he convinced his teachers to let him make
videos instead of writing papers for projects. His favorite video involved producing a “South Park”/“Macbeth”
hybrid. He learned about filmmaking and editing, along with one of the most important artistic lessons:
to appropriate. As a high schooler, he didn’t hide his influences: “The Upright Citizens Brigade,” “The Tom
Greene Show,” “South Park,” sketch comedy and late-night talk shows. As he grew as an artist, he began to
“hide his sources” more. But, like all great artists, he stole in order to grow.
Katz traveled quite a bit in high school. On a cruise through Europe, he read Spin Magazine and came across a
review of the Air album Moon Safari. The review made him excited about listening to the album, but it didn’t
match his expectations. “It sucked. There was maybe one track on that album [that I liked],” said Katz. After
the initial disappointment, Katz boarded a train with his parents and ventured off to sit by himself. While
the sun was rising, he decided to give the album another chance. This time it clicked. “It became completely
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cinematic,” said Katz. “That happens a lot of times for a lot of people. It was one
of those moments. I got OK Computer and The Bends at exactly the same time.
Before that, I was listening to [more simple stuff like] the Beastie Boys and A Tribe
Called Quest. It’s the high school years where you are trying to grab all this art that
fades away later in life.”
Katz did it all in high school. During his senior year he was captain of the soccer
team, president of the student council, prom king, editor-in-chief of the yearbook
and a member of the wrestling team. He also performed in a school musical. He
sought out experiences and took advantage of all the avenues available to him.
The Motion of a Designer
After graduating from high school, Katz went to Rochester Institute of Technology
(RIT), where he studied animation. During his junior year he saw a video from the
filmmaking and design collective MK12. Watching it changed the way Katz wanted
to go about animation and design in general. After graduating from college, he
landed a job as a motion designer at Landor, a top brand consulting firm. He was
essentially their motion design consultant and mainly worked with other designers
to help them tell their stories. While he was freelancing for Landor, he got a job with J.
Walter Thompson—perhaps the most renowned advertising agency in the world.
In many ways, he had it all. However, the working conditions weren’t optimal. “The
hours were ridiculous,” said Katz. “I was so fast and so good at what I did. I would
finish work in half a day. Then I would sit around and wait all day for the creative
director to approve it.” The intense demands of his job eventually drove him to
Arizona in 2006, along with his wife at the time.
Katz likes to point out that his parents were a big influence on getting him into a
position to succeed. His parents paid for half of his college, and when he graduated
they got him a Spiderman poster signed by the Hildebrandt brothers. “I got the poster
and felt this horrible feeling,” said Katz. “I had never really thought about my career or
if I was really good. I never really thought if I could be successful. The poster had so
much to it. For years, it sat in storage or with its back facing me. It wasn’t until I did the
title sequence to the AIGA National Conference that I actually put it up on the wall. I
graduated in 2004, so seven years later.”
Giving a Flock, Learning a Lot
After moving to Arizona, Katz got a job with an ad agency that mainly did car
commercials. He thought the work was boring and felt like he was stepping on
people’s toes too much with his opinions. “Now that’s what I always do,” said
Katz. “I try to take people’s ideas—I truly believe that my clients already have the
ideas in their heads. Everybody has a problem they need solved.” So, Katz decided
to start his own business called Flock of Pixels, which doesn’t produce traditional
advertising. Instead, Katz specializes in explainer videos, which help illustrate a
company’s main objectives and values.
With these videos, Katz attempts to fight visual pollution—a term coined by Jason
Johnson, referring to the glut of thoughtless advertising that bombards us on a
daily basis. Katz focuses on the power of narrative. He believes telling a good story
comes first and aesthetics second. Given that, he will spend weeks with clients
coming up with a narrative. Sometimes, Katz even persuades clients not to do a
video if he doesn’t think it will tell a good story.

About three years ago, Katz’s story changed in a major way when he and his wife
divorced. This set him on a path of self-discovery that helped him realize he had
ADD. People had often told him that he might have ADD, but he never got an
official diagnosis or sought help until his divorce.
“My mind will go on several tangents,” said Katz. “If someone starts talking to
me about a topic, I will already be on the fifth topic. It’s that kind of stuff that
helps me to be creative in my career. It’s also that type of stuff that I realized was
hurting me in my relationships.” Another issue that Katz addressed was his time
spent working or distracted on the Internet. He wasn’t spending enough time with
family or seeking out new experiences. Katz determined to change that and did.
“I ran with bulls in Pamplona; stayed in a castle in Italy; took Amtrak up the West
Coast,” said Katz. “Experiencing new cultures and environments, even eating
new cuisines, helps you be more empathetic and understanding of the human
condition, so you can connect with people. I feel like I am a totally different
person than I was three years ago.”
Katz and his friend Dave Woodruff recently came up with an idea to create a new
business that would focus on helping non-profits partner with corporations to hire
artists for creative work. Often, non-profits want to produce high-quality projects,
but their budgets restrict them. They want to procure corporate sponsors for nonprofits
to help them pay creatives to make great projects. By investing in artists,
non-profits and corporate sponsorship, Katz is using his experiences to help
others. He is giving cool a conscience and, in turn, is making conscience cool.
Inaugural Exhibition
for the new
Nakotah LaRance (Hopi/Tewa/Assiniboine) of Ohkay
Owingeh Pueblo, N.M., 2015 and 2016 World champion
Photo by Lizard Light Studios
Opening Party Feb. 9
Open to the Public Feb. 10
Get your tickets at
heard.org
flockofpixels.com and about.me/justinkatz

ARTS
BEAUTY SPEAKS FOR US
In the Grand Gallery at the Heard Museum
By Jenna Duncan
The impression many people have about viewing
Native American works in a museum is that they
are looking at artifacts—relics from the past that
anthropologists find interesting because they tell
about domestic life. But some items, ancient and
modern, transcend utility and evoke a greater
purpose than merely to be hurled through the air,
filled with food or traded as a commodity. Some
pieces were created with the purpose, by their very
existence, to inspire a spark of joy, to incite a sense
of awe and to be treasured for transcending their
own physicality.
Thus the creatives at the Heard Museum have
cultivated the theme for a new exhibit, “Beauty
Speaks for Us,” putting on view some of the “best of
the best” Native American artworks from around the
Valley and beyond.
The idea came from museum director David Roche
in conversation with some of the curators, explains
Caesar Chavez, the museum’s director of creative
and marketing. Chavez explains that this exhibit is
very aesthetically driven, more so than most major
exhibitions at the Heard. “It’s a show that is not
necessarily telling a narrative. There is no beginning,
middle or end,” Chavez says. Visitors are asked to
take a closer look and deeply consider what they see.
“One of the big ideas behind this exhibit is to teach
people how to look at this art—American Indian art,”
Chavez says. “That is a key message.”
Chavez cites, as an example, the image selected
for the cover of the exhibition catalog. The photo
appears to have the viewer looking into a highly
stylized eyeball. Rich sorrel edges fold into a center
that looks like a pupil. But this isn’t an eye, Chavez
explains: it’s a ceramic piece called a melon bowl pot.
The object viewed from a particular angle appears to
become something else.
“Beauty Speaks for Us” draws its more than 200
pieces from three sources. The exhibit pulls primarily
from the Heard Museum’s permanent collection,
but also from the private collections of two guest
curators, Janis Lyon and Carol Ann Mackay. The
highlights include masterworks of Native American
jewelry, pottery and weaving.
Several of the rugs on display are impressively
large. “Cowboy Serape,” featured in the catalog, is
80 inches by 90 inches and was produced around
the turn of the 19th century. Another rug from the
Mackay collection is enormous, spanning 137 inches
by 134 inches (about 11 feet by 11 feet).
Southwestern textile enthusiasts will recognize work
by Navajo weaver D.Y. Begay. According to Chavez,
many of her textiles are landscape inspired, including
“Study in Cochineal.” This piece layers rich reds and
earth tones, creating a horizon line in the middle
that produces the effect of a deep desert sunset.
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Begay lives in Santa Fe now but maintains an Arizona
connection to the Navajo reservation.
David Roche has been director at the Heard Museum
for just over a year. He says that planning for the
“Beauty” exhibit began around the time that he
started. But first, the museum would undergo a
massive remodeling project.
The Heard Museum received a grant from the
Virginia C. Piper Charitable Trust and laid plans to
combine two previous gallery spaces into an open
floor plan with more than 6,500 square feet, as well
as to install a walkway that would finally connect
the upstairs Berlin Mezzanine to the galleries on the
south end of the second floor. The new combined
space is aptly dubbed the Grand Gallery. Major
construction started in May 2016. “It’s a blur. Really,
it’s remarkable how quickly this has come together,”
Roche says.
Roche explains that there were many challenges
along the way during the renovation. “As you might
imagine, when you are dealing with this much
history, there will be some surprises. There were
actually 33 latent issues or conditions that had to be
addressed.”
“Beauty Speaks for Us” will be the inaugural
exhibition in the Virginia C. Piper Charitable Trust
Grand Gallery. The remodeling project took about
a year from planning to completion, and the final
touches wrapped up just in time for the installation
and opening of the “Beauty” exhibit.
“We feel that we’re in a much better place, for a lot
of reasons,” Roche says. “But really what we are
most excited about is the opportunity that this new
gallery presents for us.”
“Beauty Speaks for Us”
Virginia C. Piper Charitable Trust Grand Gallery
Heard Museum
February 11 through April 2
www.heard.org
A limited-edition catalog of the exhibition is available.
Nancy Youngblood, Santa Clara Pueblo, b. 1955, Melon bowl, 2001,
Ceramic, 6 x 8 inches, Collection of Janis and Dennis Lyon
Nancy Youngblood, Santa Clara Pueblo, b. 1955, Melon bowl with 32
ribs, 2001, Ceramic, 8 x 11 inches, Collection of Nadine Basha
Nancy Youngblood, Santa Clara Pueblo, b. 1955, Melon bowl, 1998,
Ceramic, 6.5 x 8.5 inches, Collection of Janis and Dennis Lyon
Kiowa Dress, c. 1880, Hide, paint, glass beads, cowrie shells. horsehair,
metal, brass beads, silk ribbon, 54 x 31 inches, Fred Harvey Fine
Arts Collection at the Heard Museum
Hopi Ahöla, early 1900s, Cottonwood root, paint, kaolin, feathers,
cloth, 24 x 26 x 7 inches, Gift of Senator Barry M. Goldwater, Underwritten
by Anonymous
Kiowa Lattice cradle, c. 1890, Hide, canvas, cotton cloth, glass and
metal beads, wood, silver tacks, brass bell, 42.5 x 26.8 x 9.5 inches,
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection at the Heard Museum
Photography by Craig Smith, Heard Museum
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LULUBELL TOY BODEGA
Celebrates 10 Years with “Ichi”
By Amy Young
Ichi is the Japanese word for “one,” and it is also the
title of the recent exhibition at Lulubell Toy Bodega,
in Mesa. A special one-night event, “Ichi” celebrated
the shop’s 10th year in existence, and their first
month in a new location. The decade milestone
gave the store and gallery’s owner, Amy Osowski,
the perfect opportunity to curate an exhibition of
fantastic paintings, vinyl toys and figures in other
mediums created by more than 30 of the artists—
local and otherwise—that she has worked with
over the past 10 years. Osowski is partnered in the
business with Luke Rook, an Arizona native currently
living in Japan. She talked to us about “Ichi” and the
recent changes at Lulubell.
“The show featured amazing talent from all over
the world,” said Osowski. “Some of the artists did
multiple pieces, but it was all custom toys or original
paintings made just for this exhibition.” For her,
the night was important for the business but also
resonated on a personal level, as over the last 10
years she has developed friendships with many of
the artists and their collectors. “With social media,”
she told us, “it’s like a big, worldwide family. I have
opened my home to both artists and customers many
times when they have come to town, and they have
done the same for me in my travels.” She says those
fringe benefits are genuinely priceless and make all
the hard work more than worth it.
“Ichi” featured canvas paintings by area tattoo artists
Aaron Coleman, Josh Carter and Mando Rascon.
Osowski tells us that Lulubell is currently working
with Coleman on a vinyl toy that will debut later this
year. Another highlight was a custom toy created by
Candie Bolton, a sofubi artist, whose piece includes
eyes that light up with help from an external remote
control. Sofubi is Japanese for soft vinyl, and sofubi
toys are something Lulubell manufactures on site
in their workroom. “The sofubi toy art genre is a
fascinating world,” Osowski tells us. “We have a
monthly meet-up called the Sofubi Social, which is
basically a nerd-out session for those who love to
talk about toys and art.”
With Lulubell now located just down the street from
their old spot, Osowski said that downtown Mesa
will always be their home. “Staying in downtown
Mesa was really our only requirement,” she said.
“The community is very tight-knit and supportive.”
The move was intended just to find a store layout
that better fits their needs. This one includes a
retail area, workroom, gallery space and an outdoor
area where they can have live painting events
and bands. Industry-specific workshops to teach
different processes, such as making resin-cast toys
and airbrushing, will add even more depth to the
programming. A monthly artists market is something
else they hope to launch this spring.
Osowski says they love being a part of the local and
global art communities. “We want to make everyone
who walks through our doors feel inspired to create,
however that may be.”
Lulubell Toy Bodega
126 E. Pepper Place, Mesa
www.lulubelltoys.com
Photos: Robert Howell
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MAGAZINE

“I REMEMBER NOT
REMEMBERING”
at SMoCA
By Jenna Duncan
Using home movies, photo albums and film footage,
the artists selected for Scottsdale Museum of
Contemporary Art’s “I Remember Not Remembering”
take the art of reflecting on a moment in time to
heightened and individualized levels.
Curator of contemporary art Claire Carter says that
in designing this show she pulled from her own
memory—from images that have become lodged in
her mind from countless shows she’s experienced
over the years. “For me, the concept always emerges
from the artwork,” she explains. “I chose these
[items] because there is a sense of storytelling about
the works and a slipperiness [in relation] to time.”
There are some moments we turn over again and
again in our minds, sanding the rough edges. The
mind tricks us into changing the dialogue. Scholars
tell us that memory is faulty and corruptible. This
makes the act of trying to separate the literal,
recorded event from its ghost something interesting.
Carter says she borrowed the show’s title from a
piece called “Skin Destination,” by artists José
Inerzia and Adriana Trujilllo, who are based in
Tijuana, Mexico. The piece has subtitles in English,
and at one moment, Trujillo utters the phrase as
she’s looking at a film of herself as a child dancing.
Carter says that in creating this exhibit she became
interested in what looking back at personal memories
such as this can teach us about ourselves.
As a collection, the still images and videographic
works selected for “I Remember Not Remembering”
collectively look honest and vintage, a lesson in
history. It is almost like finding a shoebox full of
someone’s photos at a thrift store. What were their
lives like? Why were these particular moments
captured in time?
Another intention that Carter set for the show was to
select a myriad of artists from different backgrounds
and periods of time who have worked in various
parts of the world. Inerzia and Trujillo, for example,
created “Skin Destination” in the ’70s and ’80s, while
the images from Janet Cardiff capture Canada in the
1940s, and Yto Barrada’s work presents images from
Morocco from the ’40s to ’70s. They all represent
different cultures and walks of life.
One of the most contemporary works in the show
also takes up the most space. Projected on two
16-foot-wide screens is a video made by artist Kahlil
Joseph. (Joseph is well known for creating Beyoncé’s
“Lemonade” film concept.)
Joseph worked with recording artist Kendrick Lamar,
reconstructing Lamar’s childhood in 1980s L.A.,
during the crack epidemic. Carter explains that to
create the piece, Joseph dug through Lamar’s family
photo archive, shot footage in Compton and utilized
newspaper clippings and found footage from TV news
from that period in time. “When you look at the time
stamps on some of the videos, you realize they were
shot just about a month before the L.A. riots,” she says.
Some of the family photos are beautiful—taking a
girl to prom, for example. Others are very mundane.
But there are also flashes of heavily armed black men
standing in the family’s front yard, basically keeping
guard against mayhem. The artist does an incredibly
convincing job of reconstructing an era, taking
viewers exactly to that place in time.
“I Remember Not Remembering”
February 11 – April 30
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
www.smoca.org
Larry Sultan, detail, Untitled Home Movie Stills, 1984–91, from
the series “Pictures From Home,” 1992. Forty-four inkjet prints
transferred from 16mm film. Each 17 x 22 inches. Collection of the
Estate of Larry Sultan.
Yto Barrada, Hand-Me Downs, 2011. 16mm and 8mm film transferred
to single-channel color digital video with sound, 5:4 format,
running time: 15 minutes. Courtesy of the artist and Pace Gallery,
London; Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Hamburg, Beirut; and Galerie Polaris,
Paris. © Yto Barrada
Kahlil Joseph, m.A.A.d., 2014. Two-channel film work with audio,
HD digital; running time: 15 minutes 26 seconds. Collection of the
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
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MAGAZINE

Fat Ox
Matt Carter’s Take on Classic Italian
By Sloane Burwell
Fiera del Bue Grasso is the Festival of the Fat Ox, an event that began in 1910 in
Piedmont, Italy, to celebrate the harvest. Communities would share the bounty
and, of course, a tasty fatted calf. Held every year since then, with only one
omission (in 1944 because of the war), this holiday is meant to bring a community
of friends and family together to enjoy seasonal food and its power to unite
people over a great meal. Matt Carter’s Fat Ox, opened in November, is a rousing
American take on this regional Italian experience.
Anyone who has eaten at any of Carter’s other restaurants, such as Zinc Bistro
or The Mission, will recognize his taste in interior design—loads of small tables,
intended for intimate conversation; beautiful lighting; and well-conceived and
executed dishes. Dining at the Fat Ox is an exercise in culinary theater, and you’ll
notice the difference from the second you walk in.
Stationed in front of the door is a valet, which is appropriate, because this is
Scottsdale. It’s also a nice touch at the end of the meal, as our talented server
James facilitated the pickup of our car and alerted us when it arrived—but I’m
getting ahead of myself. The hostess stand was staffed by three charming attendants; one
brought me a complimentary glass of Lambrusco while our party and table were being
assembled. As we waited, we noticed an enormous coterie of staff around the space.

At our table, we were introduced to the aforementioned James, and also to Mikhail,
who was likewise taking care of us. An impressive menu awaited, designed on a
classic Italian approach, highlighting four courses and dessert. Given the impressive
array of choices, we elected to trust our server and put the meal in his hands. After a
quick chat about allergies, preferences and dislikes, James curated our entire meal.
This approach made for an uninterrupted flow of courses, expertly paced, without
breaks to choose the next one. For our antipasti, we had the Tableside Caesar ($17),
which felt like delectable performance art. A gentleman we dubbed “artista insalata,”
equipped with a wooden cart, whipped up a perfect salad of baby gem lettuce, kicky
anchovy dressing, Parmesan croutons and fried capers.
For the second course, formaggio e salumi, we tried the Burrata di Bufala ($15)
and Fra’Mani Pancetta ($15 per person). Burrata is one of my favorites—a tender,
fresh, ricotta-like center surrounded by a firmer layer of mozzarella, traditionally
made from the milk of water buffalo. It’s light, creamy and delicate, and here it
is perfect. Served in a bowl with an arugula salad, ribbons of prosciutto and a
smattering of pesto, it’s so light and flavorful it makes me think of spring. The
pancetta was like your favorite charcuterie—strands of melt-in-your-mouth,
feather-light meat, house-cured for 24 months.
You won’t feel rushed here. The time between courses is enough to feel satiated,
and allows you to take in the landscape. Although the space, when at capacity,
seats nearly 250 in two dining rooms, it never feels crowded. Take the time to
watch the play of staff—the ratio seems close to one staff member for every
two guests. There appeared to be someone assigned to curate every part of
the experience—drinks, serving, tableside preparations, lighting (we watched
a gentleman adjust the brightness down as the evening went on) and audio.
However, given all of the gorgeous hard surfaces (think painted exposed brick,
repurposed barn wood flooring, etc.), it did have a tendency to get a bit loud.
The pasta course, primi piatti, is where things get really interesting. You’ll notice
at this point in your meal that each dish is served on a distinct plate that isn’t
repeated until dessert (assuming you have the Tableside Caesar). I can’t imagine
the sheer volume of storage required for this attention to detail. But back to the
food: I am still thinking about the Garganelli ($22), long, tubular pasta coated in
truffle butter, Parmesan and speck (also house-cured). The Strozzapreti ($15), sort
of an elongated cavatelli shape, is served in Fat Ox’s version of a red sauce—
slightly sweet and elegantly simple. I also loved the Rigatoni Lamb Verde ($18),
a savory green tomato sauce loaded with pecorino and crunchy bits of fennel
pollen. We shared each pasta, and to be honest, if you’re taking the four-course
route—and you should, at least once in your life—I would suggest sharing each
course. The courses aren’t caricatures of fine dining, with minuscule portions
artfully arranged, but rather ample portions you can easily share. Can share—you
are fully justified in not wanting to, when it’s this good.
In the Italian tradition, the last course, secondi piatti, is the protein. We went for
it. The Porterhouse ($110) is 28 ounces of dry-aged beef, cut for you. It was
perfectly cooked, the salt-and-pepper crust just right, adding depth to the lovely
fat edge of the tenderloin side (my favorite). The marbling on the strip side was
also gorgeous and impressive, and we all but inhaled it. Anyone who loves beef
can attest to the skill it took in the kitchen to get a hunk of beef that large and
impressive cooked to perfection.
The Rotisserie Jidori Chicken is no slouch, either. We elected the A La Diavolo style
($30), which came doused in a fiery red-pepper sauce. Perfectly moist chicken—I’m
really struggling for the words. There is a tendency to bypass chicken in fine dining,
and I think that is a mistake. Truly well-prepared chicken is substantially different
from what even the best cooks can approximate at home. One day in the kitchen
of my dreams, with a 12-burner Wolf range with rotisserie, maybe I will be able
to. Until then, I’ll order chicken like this—perfectly moist. Add a side of Guistos
Polenta ($10) to round out the course. Be warned, polenta this decadent can only
be prepared with almost equal parts butter and cream. It’s worth it, though. Small
crocks of polenta with bubbly chars on the top—the way roasted dishes should
always arrive after spending time in a toasty oven. After a couple of bites we lost
all of our manners and ate the polenta straight out of the crock—it never made it to
our plates. Why waste time that way?
Ahh, dessert. If you’ve made it this far, you must think I’m a glutton, and perhaps it
is true. For me, some of the finest moments in my life involve good food and friends.
This meal was both for me. You can’t go wrong with the Gianduja Frangelico
Tiramisu ($9). The bitter hit of coffee is replaced, thankfully, by coffee ice cream,
and with a smattering of chocolate balls, this roasted banana confection hits all
the high notes—sweet, creamy, light, fluffy, and gone in 60 seconds. If you order
coffee, it will come in a somewhat dainty French press. Think about ordering your
own if you want more than one cup.
Not all meals are this grand. And not every day is the Festival of the Fat Ox. There is
a reason that holidays around food and community survive. Taking the time to slow
down, relax and engage with those around you is the key to a good life. Restaurants
like Fat Ox remind me that while every day might not be a holiday, we should try to
live like it is.
Fat Ox
6316 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
(480) 307-6900
ilovefatox.com
Sunday to Thursday: 5–10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 5–11 p.m.
Photos: Nicki Hedayatzadeh
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Photograhpy: Blake Bonillas
Styling: Mitch Phillips
Hair & Makeup: Marie Micsunescu
Model: Holly Harward
Clothing from Rare Scarf Vintage
JAVA 29
MAGAZINE

PLAYBOY
MANBABY
DON’t LET IT BE
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By Mitchell Hillman
In July 2015, I got a message from Robbie
Pfeffer that the next Playboy Manbaby
record was going to be something extra
special. They were still working on it, but he
wanted me to know that it was feature worthy
for JAVA. I had no doubts, and we agreed that
the September 2015 issue would be perfect. The
September issue came and went, and each month
I’d hit up Robbie, and he’d tell me it wasn’t done.
We played this game for months until I figured
he’d just let me know when it was coming.
Just shy of a year from when he first mentioned
Don’t Let It Be to me, Pfeffer hit me up with an
advanced copy, but told me it wasn’t going to
be released for a while. I listened to it, and it
was everything he said it was going to be and
more, because Pfeffer is actually pretty humble
about his own stuff. Another autumn came
and went, and finally Robbie said, “How about
February?” So a year and a half after our initial
conversation, it’s finally here.

Playboy Manbaby really put their all into this record,
and it was critically timed to release just after a
new president took office. Their last album, Electric
Babyland, was recorded, mixed, mastered and
released in 24 hours in December 2014. Don’t Let It
Be is a stunning contrast in terms of the two albums’
production methods. For the first time, Playboy
Manbaby has captured the energy, spirit and raw
vitality of their live show. It’s a damn difficult thing
to do in a studio, but somehow they pulled it off with
Don’t Let It Be.
In case you’re unfamiliar with Playboy Manbaby,
they’ve been putting out some of the most exciting
music on the scene since 2012 and could easily lay
claim to the title of “Best Live Band in Phoenix.” I first
saw them before they released their debut EP at Long
Wong’s Firehouse on Apache, and they already had
a huge following. It was some of the most original
music I had heard in ages, and the tightly packed
crowd was slam dancing as best they could. These
days it’s the same, but they sell out Crescent and
Valley Bar.
Playboy Manbaby consists of Robbie Pfeffer (vocals),
Chris Hudson (bass), TJ Friga (guitar), David Cosme
(trumpet), Austin Rickert (sax) and Chad Dennis
(drums), and what these six men have created is their
preeminent album at long last. I’m hoping this is the
first of many to follow and that the rest of the world
catches on to their sound.
With its clever title and lyrics, Don’t Let It Be is
some of the finest socially conscious punk since
the days when Jello Biafra led the Dead Kennedys
through the 1980s. Playboy Manbaby kicks off the
record with their finest single to date, “You Can Be
a Fascist Too,” which was released on November 9
of last year. Let’s hope that new listeners understand
its wry commentary when they hear it. Musically
speaking, it’s filled with perfectly raging guitars, a
manic furious pace, wild horns and amusing backup
vocals. It’s a perfect punk anthem for the dawning of
a new age. From the opening lyrics“Society’s in the
gutter man, it’s really in the pits. Wouldn’t the world
be better without those undesirable bits?”to the
ending chant of “I am right. I am correct” the tune is
as amusing as it is haunting. It’s almost as if it was
written with our new leader in mind, and from his
perspective, to boot.
The album shifts gears immediately and introduces
“Last One Standing” with a vibe akin to ’60s beachbeat
music, evoking a spy theme with its bouncing
guitars and horn work throughout. It’s like a Herb
Alpert/Hal David tune on Dexedrine. Pfeffer rages as
ever, but this music is far from punk. It’s not all about
punk anthems here. It’s more about an ever-changing
musical landscape that is a showcase for the varying
environments to highlight Pfeffer’s signature vocal
delivery. He is as much a performer as a musician,
and that comes across on this record. It is another
politically conscious tune, but a bit less sharply
honed. While the music is uplifting, the lyrics are
neurotic and rightfully paranoid.
The musical acuity continues on “Bored, Broke &
Sober,” where ska becomes a way of life and the
level of songwriting and arrangement is even more
apparent. Cosme’s trumpet alone would make this
a great track, but the rest of the band creates a
pure delight. It may be the first Playboy Manbaby
track where I find myself more intrigued by the
music and the composition than Pfeffer’s tales of
modern neuroses.
“Cadillac Car” has a bit more of a garage-rock vibe,
and things get a little darker in tone. It expresses
dissatisfaction with the nine-to-five grind, at first, and
then the situations become more comically perverse.
Still, you’re going to cling to the chorus change of
“I wanna Cadillac car, a new hair do, I wanna go to
work and tell my boss, fuck you!” Every minute is
filled with the urgency and rage of that chorus, upon
which the rest of the song spins.
Hudson’s bass line for “Self-Loathing in Bright
Clothing” could have been lifted straight out of a
Black Flag song, and it sets you up for the hardcore
action ahead. This is a fantastic rager with slam
dancing in mind. For any “over thinkers” out there or
anyone plagued by anxiety, the chorus of this track is
your mantra: Pfeffer screams, “I can’t breathe, I can’t
talk, my mind needs, to just stop.” It’s completely
relatable. Whether you hate yourself or not, this is
the perfect tune to sum up the feeling that the only
exit would be an early death.
Playboy Manbaby takes on beach blanket bingo
with “Cheap Wine,” about the joys of being poor
and drunk, with the chorus, “I don’t wanna waste
my time, I’d rather get wasted and say I’m fine.” At
the core of the song is fantastic surf-tinged pop. It is
complete satire about the damned who think they can
drink their problems away. Pfeffer delivers the vocal
so you can relate, but also so you can maybe think
about what he’s saying with a wink and a grin.
“Popular” is an outright attack on everyone’s image
on social media and the superficial gratification of
it all. Friga’s guitar is on fire here, and the lyrics
are delivered like a machine gun—easily one of
my favorites live, and it comes off perfectly on the
record. It’s a complete indictment of a generation
living their lives in pursuit of online popularity, and
finding themselves empty offline.
The band takes on a Cramps-like approach on “I’m
So Affluent,” while mixing in fascinating backup
vocals that provide a psychobilly, spaghetti-Western
vibe. It’s like punk rock for the Wild West. You can
make your own associations about the refrain, “I’m
so affluent, it must mean I’m intelligent,” but it’s an
obvious attack on the ruling elite and the billionaire
boys club. It’s also as much about the plight of the
working class and the working poor.
“Oprichniki” is another lighter tune musically, with
flourishes of 1960s pop mixed with their spunky punk
approach to everything. The horns are bright, the
guitars are on fire, and Pfeffer attacks the post-truth
era with, “When there’s a hundred different versions
of the truth, it’s a brand new revelation, it’s a thing
you can follow now.” You can make your checks
payable to any truth you want to believe these days.
The amusingly titled “Don Knotts in a Wind Tunnel”
is possibly the most fantastic rager on the record, and
maybe it seems that way to me because it’s the one
I’ve heard the least. It’s as tongue in cheek as it is a
pointed attack and has such a broad reach it could
be about anyone, but Pfeffer makes it feel like it’s
directed at someone specifically. Early on in the
song, the theme becomes “I don’t hate the world,
I hate humanity,” which is not a difficult concept
to understand lately, with the world being such a
“fucked-up place.” This is actually too vicious to
be amusing.
You wouldn’t expect the album to finish with a nod
to Tom Waits, but that’s exactly what they do with
“White Jesus.” Though the guitars explode from time
to time, especially at the end, this could have been
an outtake from Bone Machine. It’s a complete attack
on the hypocrisy of American Christians, urging
them, “Don’t waste your life in a fantasy, God quit
his job today, he wants to watch the world filled with
flames.” It’s the perfect ending.
Now that we have an actual playboy manbaby as our
president, the emergence of Playboy Manbaby as a
musical force is more necessary than ever. Be sure
to celebrate the release of this record on Lollipop
Records (US) and Dirty Water Records (UK) at the
Trunk Space on February 25, and pick up a copy of
this landmark release.
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VINTAGE WEDNESDAY
Heartstrings EP
THE REAL FITS
Drown in Gold EP
PEOPLE
Little Tuesday Weld EP
I’ve been following Vintage Wednesday for a couple
years now, and I’ve never seen a band so young that
could keep up with the talent of this town’s seasoned
veterans. While their first album, Pretend Awhile,
is solid, it’s this new EP that feels more like Vintage
Wednesday’s calling card to the world. The band is
Taylor Sackson (lead vocals), Josh Jones (drums),
JAM Austin Murray (bass/vocals), Alex Dorsten
(guitar) and Andrew Hahnke (guitar/vocals), and they
blend sounds drawn from a classic rock background,
while never sounding like revivalists.
“Uncharted” is the opener and the first single, and if
you’ve never heard Taylor Sackson’s voice before, this
is the perfect primer for you. Her sound is a delightful
mix of Stevie Nicks and Ann Wilson. This song feels
like it could have been an outtake from the first
Fleetwood Mac album with Nicks and Buckingham.
The band’s consistency and talent are largely to thank
for that. “Cedar Tree” showcases the pure beauty of
Sackson’s voice, with a lush arrangement backing her
for the first half, before it becomes something nearly
angelic and then returns to the Mac sound for the
second half.
The title track is the logical centerpiece, and it’s
another softly explosive song where Sackson
shows an alluring vocal range as she leaves classic
influences behind. “Pieces,” on the other hand, is
simply fantastic pop, showing yet another side to this
talented youthful outfit—touchingly beautiful and
every bit as pretty, with its wistful imagery. The EP
finishes with the hardest rocker in the set, “Starting
Over Again,” which illustrates the double threat of
JAM and Jones holding down the rhythm section.
This is possibly Vintage Wednesday’s best rock song
laid down on record, leaving you breathless, not
unlike their electrifying live shows.
The Real Fits showed up early last year and started
putting out one remarkable single after another, right
up to when they released their debut EP. The Real Fits
are Raquel Willand, Blair Furmanski, Jared Wood and
Nick Smith. Together they’ve been impressing crowds
and building momentum with some pretty glorious
alt-rock. I was honestly expecting the EP to be
nothing more than a collection of the year’s singles,
but was pleasantly surprised to find that only “Feels
Like Mine” and “Sundown” made it to the record—
the best singles from last year. A case could be made
for “Take a While” or even “Commandment” to have
been included, but their omission means there were
three brand-new songs on the EP. I wouldn’t trade
those songs from last year for the three new tunes,
which are ridiculous treats to be uncovered here.
“Sideways” is the first of these, and that bass groove
just kills me every time. Willand has one of the most
distinctive voices on the scene right now. The Real
Fits’ songs vary so much that you may not recognize
them at first, until Willand’s vocals kick in. This song
in particular displays a brilliant luster to her voice
and a range that hadn’t been explored on the singles.
The singalong at the end is absolutely divine. Another
new tune, “Wild Wild West,” while ridiculously
titled, is a showcase for everyone in the band, with
quirky guitar, stunning percussion and Willand’s
vocals more seductive than ever. The finale and the
last of the new songs, “Tides,” is a glorious way
to end this debut EP. It has a bright, chiming guitar,
unlike anything else, and it feels like you’re drowning
in gold. The Real Fits are a real fit for our music scene
and one of the most exciting new acts around.
People is the moniker for Rob Kroehler’s latest musical
project. I was hoping he’d just stick to his own name,
because his previous projects, Loveblisters and Ladylike,
mysteriously fell apart, and it’s not like he can break
up with himself. I am thankful that Kroehler is back,
because he’s possibly my favorite songwriter locally.
Since disbanding Ladylike, Kroehler has been laying
low, putting out a single here and there and writing
some songs for movies. But last year, he began piecing
together a project with the help of friends. The Little
Tuesday Weld EP features Andrew Dost (fun.) and
Lou Kummerer (Loveblisters, Miniature Tigers),
both helping out on vocals. Andrew Tholl (a touring
member of Julia Holter’s band) plays violin, Danny
Torgersen (Captain Squeegee) plays trumpet, and
many others contributed. Kroehler writes uniquely
American music, in the vein of Randy Newman or
Harry Nilsson. The title track of the EP will make
this immediately clear, if you are unfamiliar with his
previous efforts. It’s somewhat anachronistic in its
music-hall-meets-vaudeville style, with more than
a hint of Dixie. “Descend to Me” continues with
the strictly American music vibe, but this one feels
more like an Appalachian folk ballad that’s been
modernized into some pretty slick pop that goes
down easy. With “The Ballad of a Cynical Rock ’n’
Roller,” Kroehler goes into confessional mode, or
makes it sound like that, anyway, but the lyric “fuck
the radio, fuck the scene, fuck the industry whatever
that means, fuck the critics and the meaningless
opinions,” is just pure gold and sincere cynicism.
“Hymn for Her” is the finale, and it counterpoints
the cynicism of the previous song with a touchingly
lovely ballad. Kroehler is a man who has clearly come
unstuck in time, but his talent has always been in
finding the sounds, hooks and feelings of the past
and dressing them up for a modern dance.
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Sounds Around Town By Mitchell L. Hillman

ANCIENT EGYPT
PLAGUED EP
MISS MOODY
You Owe Me EP
LUAU
Gone EP
Ancient Egypt have been putting out solid records
since the end of 2012, and they’ve been around
longer than that. After three back-to-back full-length
records, they went the EP route on PLAGUED,
which is more concise and far more succinct. This
psychedelically infused rock trio have achieved
perfection on this record, despite it being recorded
at home. I caught them live at the start of the year,
unaware this EP had even been released (they
slipped it out right before the New Year).
“Place” sets the tone for the record, but “Canned
Food” is one of the best songs I’ve heard from
them and feels like an obvious single right off the
bat. There is everything to love about this track,
whether it’s the vocal styling or the vaguely heady
psych-blues guitar that dominates. “You Don’t Care”
has a strange, singsong feel that comes across as
almost folk punk, but with enough flare to evoke
early Flaming Lips. This singsong feel is even more
present on “Devil” and not something you’d expect
with a title like that, because Ancient Egypt is clever
if nothing else.
“Bridge” is something of a ballad, but it’s surrounded
by a haze until the tempo picks up and the song
takes flight. There is something slightly glitter rock
in the delivery of “Away,” evoking the early works of
Bolan, Bowie and Mott in one swing. This is another
one they may want to consider for a single, with
that crazed guitar hook. “Mockingbird” concludes
PLAGUED with a hint of psychedelic madness that
is simpler, yet more confused than most of the other
songs here. In short, the entire record is solid, from
one of the most underrated bands in town.
I’ve been keeping track of Justin Moody for a while,
mainly because I’ve always felt that, one day, he
would release a record that I’d completely adore. In
the last moments of 2016, he dropped the You Owe
Me EP, as Miss Moody, through Moone Records. I’ve
always admired his songwriting style, and on this
record his music is set in a context that is thoroughly
enjoyable. Moody is joined by other musicians to
create something far different from his man-andguitar
Americana sound.
On “I Know” he’s joined by Micah Dailey (Bear
State, Flower Festival), and the addition of his bass
and drums transforms Moody’s sound into a moody
piece that stirs your soul. It’s got a downbeat, early
alternative sound, so familiar, yet uniquely its own.
The title track brings Alex Young’s tenor sax into the
mix right from the start, further fortified by lovely
harmonies with Adrienne Chavez, a combination that
makes for beautiful rainy-day music. “Strange” finds
Moody joined by Justin James on piano and Young
playing nearly every woodwind possible. This song
is as depressing lyrically as it is musically, but with
a dark, introspective number like this, I’m pretty sure
that’s what Moody was aiming for. That said, the
bridge is a fantastic exploration in soul-seducing jazz.
Moody presumably flies solo on “Burnout,” and it’s a
little more like his previous material, but infused with
more beauty and vulnerability. The record finishes
with “Kisses,” where Young returns on clarinet and
the song comes on like a bit of sunshine, musically
speaking, with a sense of hope. It’s comfort food for
the depressed—not in that it will lift you out a funk
anytime soon, but it will, sure as hell, make you feel
less alone in an unforgiving world.
Sounds Around Town By Mitchell L. Hillman
LUAU made a huge splash on the scene last year,
based on their live shows and a double A-side single.
They really didn’t need much more than that to leave
a huge impression. LUAU is Evan Hallock (vocals/
guitar), Eric Thompson (guitar), Jon Collins (bass)
and David Hubbard (drums), and they will be a band
to watch in 2017. Both “Keep Talking” and “Anchor”
are included on this debut EP. The former kicks off
the record, and it’s a stunning showcase for Hallock’s
vocals. There is a hint of Built to Spill in how his
voice feels. Meanwhile, the band creates an amazing
array of guitars and propulsive rhythms to provide a
perfectly constructed home for the vocals to dwell in.
“Darling” follows up, with vocals that are even
more reminiscent of Doug Martsch. By the time
“Diffuser” arrives, you are completely consumed.
It’s every bit as good as their previous singles and
more musically fascinating. It blends seamlessly into
“Spin Your Web,” which sits in stark contrast to the
rockers found here and slows the momentum. After a
minute, it breaks open, but it’s more about the lyrics
and ensuring the emotional punch is not lost in the
din. “Anchor” is probably their best single to date, a
synthesis of everything that is perfect about LUAU.
Whether it’s the guitar hooks or Hallock’s best vocals,
it simply comes together perfectly. This EP should be
sent to every college radio station and alt-rock outlet
they can find. Gone finishes with “Soak It In,” which
possibly should have been the title of the record,
because that’s all I want to do with this thing once
it’s finished.
For more on these events and other highlights of
the Phoenix music scene, check out Mitchell’s blog
at http://soundsaroundtown.net. For submissions
or suggestions contact him at mitchell@
soundsaroundtown.net
JAVA 33
MAGAZINE

Charles Darr
B y D a n i e l M i l l s
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Charles Darr is hesitant to call himself an artist. Instead, he offers
theories on what it means to be one—to create work and to share
it with an audience that both changes and is changed by the work.
He identifies with the adage that art is an ongoing conversation, or
at least a number of conversations occurring simultaneously, but he remains
uncertain of where his voice fits in to any of them. In his ongoing series,
“Stars to Satellites,” he has found a place by documenting the artists and
people of Phoenix who inspire him.
In the past three years, Darr has shot more than 60 portraits of individuals
who, for one reason or another, represent what it means to be dedicated to
a craft or idea. “The people I’m photographing aren’t limited to artists—they
are also activists, thinkers, entrepreneurs,” Darr said. The subjects are
pillars of Phoenix’s creative community and disprove the lingering notion that
Phoenix’s creative class, while noteworthy, pales in comparison to those of
other large cities. But Darr’s inspiration for the series came from his own
personal frustration. While he grappled with questions of what it means to
call himself an artist, he gravitated toward people who served as examples.
Darr was born and raised in Maryvale, a suburb of Phoenix that has become
known for gang violence and urban blight. This is where he first discovered
photography through his fascination for family photos. “Growing up, my first
experience with photography was just looking through my mom’s memories.
I’m just trying to record my own,” he said. His parents saved enough money
each year for a summer vacation, usually spent in the National Parks. It was
during one of these trips that Darr was first allowed to hold his parents’
camera, capturing the landscapes and the sensations they induced.
As a teenager, Darr found a use for his photography through skateboarding:
shooting videos of friends for Cowtown Skateboards. “All my friends were
always better than me at skateboarding, so I was usually the one [filming],”
he conceded. Then, after his camcorder was stolen, he bought his first digital
camera in 2003 and rarely went anywhere without it.
Darr enrolled at ASU, where he met some of the professors and cohorts who
continue to influence him today. Through faculty such as Michael Lundgren,
who has taught at ASU since 2004, Darr was exposed to the life of a
practicing photographer. He began to appreciate what it means to put a craft
at the center of one’s universe—to develop in darkrooms and to submit to
journals and gallery exhibitions constantly.
Darr realized that going to college wasn’t a necessary part of the equation,
so in his second year at ASU he decided to drop out. “My most influential
teacher inadvertently talked me out of going to college at that time,” Darr
chuckled, speaking of Lundgren. However, Darr returned years later, at the age
of 27, and enrolled in ASU’s photography program, where some of the students
he’d met the first time had now joined the ranks as faculty members.
Darr was then better suited for the intellectual rigor of academic life. He
encountered the work and ideas of many photographers, explored what it
meant to be an artist and contemplated photography’s role in contemporary
society. “A lot of people hold [photography] to this standard, like painting,
as if can you make a photograph as beautiful as a painting. But I don’t think
those are the most interesting photographs. Photography is sufficient on
its own. It doesn’t need to emulate another medium,” Darr said. He found
relevance in the works of Stephen Shore, whose 1982 book Uncommon
Places captures the mundane qualities of American life without injecting
glamour or beauty.
JAVA 35
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It was during this time that Darr took a portraiture class with Betsy Schneider,
laying the foundation for his “Stars to Satellites” series. He hadn’t taken many
portraits prior to this, and was instead focused more on capturing fleeting moments.
After Darr graduated from ASU, he struggled to stay motivated. “All the work that
I did in college was just responding intuitively to the stimulation around me,” he
explained. “A couple years after graduation, when you’re not in that environment
anymore, you don’t really have that inspiration.”
A post-graduation existential crisis set in. If art is an ongoing dialogue, at least
school placed Darr within the conversation. Once he graduated, he was on the
outside, wondering if he had anything to contribute. “If you just shout into the void
every now and then, you’re not really part of the discussion,” he says. “I wasn’t
feeling like much of a photographer.”
To break through his self-doubt, he started reaching out to friends that he wanted
to photograph. “So then you have to get off your ass and seek it out, and you have
to start contacting people, like, ‘Can I come over and shoot photos with you?’”
he said. The first person in his portrait series was Christian Michael Filardo, a
former Tempe-based audio and visual artist now living in Santa Fe, NM. The photo
features Filardo surrounded by boxes of cassette tapes and recorders for HOLY
PAGE, his experimental music label.
“After starting this project, I began pushing my comfort level with regard to how
much I wanted to direct a photograph as opposed to just capturing something,”
Darr said. He might move an object out of the frame or shift a chair a few inches to
improve the composition, creating a balance between the candid and the curated.
The entire series is shot with a first-generation Sony RX digital camera. It is small
and discreet, in contrast to the bulky DSLR or lighting equipment some subjects
expect Darr to bring. “It’s not really about the hammer and the saw, it’s about the
36 JAVA
MAGAZINE

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structure you build,” he explains. “I’m very big on the final product and not the
tools that got you there.” When shooting a portrait, he’s able to engage with the
subject without hiding behind the lens and viewfinder. His process is simple, and he
often observes the space for only a few minutes before knowing how to proceed.
“Stars to Satellites” has retained an intimate, engaging aesthetic throughout the
series. Darr invites viewers into the creative refuge of the subject’s home. There is
an element of voyeurism as a sense of privacy falls away. He brings you in, but
the subjects themselves at times appear wary and unsure of how to pose in the very
space where they should feel most comfortable. Some spaces are cluttered, others
clean and well organized, each revealing the nuances of the individual pictured.
Many of the subjects are easily recognizable to anyone familiar with the Phoenix
arts community—Tato Caraveo, Lalo Cota and Sierra Joy, to name a few.
For Darr, they are friends, colleagues, former professors and other important
figures in his life, who act as pieces of the puzzle.
What does it mean to be an artist? Darr’s portraits have brought him closer to
creating his own definition. “I’ve become more educated on what being an artist
means and have gained a unique insight by going to artists’ spaces and talking to
them about their process and their vision,” he said.
This is a collection of people whom the 35-year-old Darr aspires to, because
of their work ethic and passion. They are the stars and Darr is their satellite,
orbiting around them. While the series is ongoing, he has no end goal in mind,
except one: to look at these portraits years from now and remember the people
who inspired him. “Down the road when it’s all over,” Darr says, “I’m going to be
happy that it was documented and recorded.”
www.chardarr.com
PHXPUBLICMARKET.COM

GIRL ON FARMER
How to Be a Better Person
(Or at the Very Least Feel Like You Are Trying)
Well, one month down. That’s my attitude this year.
It’s not that I want to be Debbie Downer in 2017, it’s
just that it’s so hard not to be when dealing with the
current state of affairs. While being Debbie D seems
the easier thing to do, after a glass of wine and some
inspiring videos on YouTube about hope, optimism
and being the change, I have a different perspective.
In fact, I notice that my revelations are cyclical,
like a circle, or the infinity sign if I’m feeling
sexy. Let me share with you my circular path to
becoming a better person. And then giving up. And
then starting again. Repeat.
Stage 1: Where Can I Volunteer? There are so many
places that need my help! I have time and resources
and skills! They will definitely need me to lead
something or do something very significant. Hmmm.
None of these things under the “how to get involved”
seem to be jobs that I thought they would need me
for. I know. Let me make a long list of places I could
potentially volunteer and then when I have more
time, I will look into it more.
Stage 2: Where Do I Sign? Well, since the
volunteering is on hold for a few days, there must
be some activism I can get into right now. Online
petitions! So far today I have made my voice heard
in support of women, animals, health care, refugees,
racial equality, inquiries into police brutality,
improved care for veterans, climate change policy
and the LGBTQ community. What a busy day! My
senator and the president know exactly how I
feel about these things! I won’t be silent! End the
electoral college! I demand justice. I demand that
puppies and kittens get the medical care they need.
Schools need more money! Free those unfairly
imprisoned! There must be so many more things that
need me to speak out and sign on their behalf.
Stage 3: Read More News. I need to know more
about things so I can understand and explain
more about my positions. I need to be an informed
advocate. What is going on all over the world? How
can human trafficking be such pervasive problem in
a modern society? What’s going on in Syria? Darfur?
Eritrea, and a list of other small-to-midsized African
countries? How safe are we really? Can peace ever
be reached between Israel and Palestine? Why does
38 JAVA
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I will better the world through random acts of
kindness. I will smile at people and concentrate on
sending out good vibes and golden light from my
core self. I will appear to be as light as a bubble and
hummingbirds will land on my finger.
Vladimir Putin hate us? Are we at the start of a new Cold War? How will Brexit
affect the EU? Or the US? Global markets and policies? Will the next big giant
glacier that breaks off into the ocean cause sea levels to rise? Overpopulation
will cause almost certain food and water shortages in the next hundred years.
Ughhh, I think I just threw up.
Stage 4: Read Less News. That was depressing. Maybe I am asking too many
questions. There is danger in knowing too much. Why do so many people argue
in the comments section? They say very vicious things. Maybe I should just
read the front page. Or listen to NPR only one hour each day. Although so
far in this hour I’ve heard about dismantling health care, energy reform that
pushes coal, shale gas and tapping into unutilized resources, blatant lies and
strange and inappropriate tweets from a so-called leader. Can you imagine this
man at state dinners? Imagine him, really: sitting down with intelligent, articulate
and thoughtful leaders and representatives from around the world. What will
they think? What are the Obamas doing for dinner tonight? Tears silently dripping
on keyboard.
Stage 5: Retreat to Bunker/News Blackout Mode. Do NOT talk to me about
ANYTHING happening in the world. No news radio. If you insist on listening to
or watching the news, you must use headphones. No documentaries. Not even
mockumentaries. Okay, maybe mockumentaries. My online history consists
of cute animal videos and how-to yoga videos. I will better the world through
random acts of kindness. I will smile at people and concentrate on sending out
good vibes and golden light from my core self. I will appear to be as light as a
bubble and hummingbirds will land on my finger. Wrinkles will disappear. “You
look so young!” everyone will say, but I can’t explain why. My altruistic, loving
feelings will pervade the hostility and injustice in the world, and things will be
better. This may contribute to preventing climate change.
Stage 6: Guilt. I am not doing enough. Life is not fair. The rich get richer. How
can I pretend that I don’t know that eight people own the wealth of half of the
world? How can I see Planned Parenthood and family planning education go on
the chopping block while I watch baby goat videos? How can this country send
people to war and then abandon them when they return? People are starving
and mentally ill. The guy who sits with a sign outside Fry’s is starving and a little
nuts. When did every Tempe intersection get its own homeless person needing
something? How can I spend $30 on Cliff Bars each week and he has no socks? I
need to take action. See Stage1.

NIGHT
GALLERY
Photos By
Robert Sentinery
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1. Lisa from Practical Art shows off her new box
2. Ladera opening with Jessie and Tony
3. Mello Jello does Ziggy Stardust
4. Sunglass shoppers at Framed Ewe
5. Aileen Frick’s solo show at monOrchid
6. Joshy Rhodes and pal at the Ladera opening
7. Cheers to these gents
8. Bumped into this trio at the Nasty Women benefit show
9. Look who’s in the Russo and Steele VIP
10. Tucker and friends at the Ladera neighborhood pre-opening
11. Smile you’re on JAVA camera

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12. It’s an Abbey sandwich
13. Jeffery and friends at “We Are: Celestial”
14. Yummy pink margaritas at Ladera
15. Wild, wild horses
16. Ladera neighborhood preview with Joel Porter and friends
17. Ernesto has star power
18. Katherine Leigh Simpson’s “We Are: Celestial”
19. The Blonde squad at Ladera
20. Margaritas with Roy and friend
21. NYE fun with Chris and Jackie
22. Rev-FLOW-lution marchers on Frist Friday
23. First Friday fun with Mia and Effie
24. Enjoying the view at Aleen Frick’s show
25. Talking shop with chef Jorge Gomez at Ladera
26. Lauren and Laura spreading the love at {9}
27. Katherine Leigh Simpson’s installation at the Herberger
28. Mark and Wayne, Shade Gallery at monOrchid
29. Margaritaville moment at Ladera

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30. Yuki and Christy at Framed Ewe
31. Raphael and Kara staying warm on a chilly eve
32. More Rev-FLOW-lution marchers
33. Snapped this cute couple at monOrchid
34. Eric, Sara and John check Julio César Morales’ show at Palabra
35. Mykil Zep in a moment of contemplation
36. Denise from Lotus Contemporary and pal at The Lodge Art Studio
37. Nancy Miller’s “Architectural Reflections” at Shortcut Gallery
38. Sherry and beau at the Lodge Art Studio
39. Waymo self-driving car copilot
40. The Pruitts check out Joe Brklacich’s solo show at the Lodge
41. A splash of Malbec at the Shortcut Gallery opening
42. Sam and Allison at “We Are: Celestial”
43. Planned Parenthood benefit Art Haus
44. Christine Cassano’s artist talk at New City
45. Bessie with a coterie of gents
46. Sparks in the air at the Ladera opening
47. “Nasty Women” Planned Parenthood benefit event

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48. Estrella, Rembrandt and Kelsey at New City
49. Liliana and Matthew at the “Nasty Women” opening
50. Phoenix Fridas in the house
51. Skinny jean dude at Russo and Steele
52. “Nasty Women” art benefit for Planned Parenthood
53. Snapped this couple at Art Haus
54. Nightgown antics with Aria and Sophia
55. Purple lipstick chick
56. Anthony and Joan want to sign you up
57. Amy showed up to support Planned Parenthood
58. All together now ladies
59. Nicole likes the butterfly art at the Lodge
60. “We Art: Celestial” at the Herberger
61. This cool chick works at Tuft & Needle
62. Anthony rocks the Soviet shirt
63. Round table meeting at the Bikini Lounge
64. Art opening at Framed Ewe/ Phx Gen’s Shortcut Gallery
65. AZ-only liquor served at the Russo and Steele auction

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66. Michael rocks his Obama 2012 tee
67. Tania and Angela at the “Nasty Women” benefit
68. Shooting film with a vintage Pentax
69. More fun at Art Haus Gallery
70. “Weekend at Bernie’s” reunion
71. Wouldn’t mind finding these in my Easter basket
72. Planned Parenthood benefit attendees
73. Mia on screen at “The Illusionists” show at Gammage
74. Mykil and Mello with a Zep painting
75. Glowing trees at “We Are: Celestial”
76. Sold, sold, sold! at Russo and Steele
77. Ted Decker moderates
78. Snapped this pretty posse at Russo and Steele
79. More champagne!
80. NYE fun with Zack and Joe
81. Out on the town with Rob and Nicole
82. Russo and Steele with the Estonian boys
83. Phoenix General meets Framed Ewe

DOUG GILLIS, Mesa (detail),
2016, Kiln worked glass,
24 x 40 x 2 15 inches..
KAREN JILLY, Looking For The Golden
Sun, 2016, Acrylic and varnish on wood
panel, 42 x 48 inches.
38th ANNUAL
CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS
FREE OPENING RECEPTION:
FRI, FEB 10, 2017 (7-10PM)
*FREE
Admission!
Alternative Beauty
Karen Jilly
Continues through March 19!
One East Main Street • Mesa, Arizona 85201 • 480-644-6567 • MesaArtsCenter.com

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