Paintings, sculpture, photography and drawings: Blum & Poe presents Yoshitomo Nara. The Stephen Friedman Gallery introduces Nara’s artwork: “His mixed-media paintings, sculptures and doodle-like drawings on the backs of envelopes combine musical references with iterations of kawaii, or cute. Not only does his work resonate with an international language of youthful alienation, anger and bemusement, but it also appeals to adults who maintain a connection with their childhood.”.

Above: Daydreamer (2003), pastel, acrylic, and colored pencil on paper. (Blum & Poe gallery)

“Getting free of the system is more complex than we’ve been led to believe.
In my case, as I understood what I had to go through to make money, I stopped spending it.”.

“This is the low-budget universe: I ride around the city on an old cheap road bike, in street clothes, often hauling food I’ve just pulled out of a dumpster.”.

“We are descended from risk-takers and adventurers, we fantasize about people in heroic life and death struggles, and here we are, cringing through a life of meaningless toil and the best justification we can come up with is that if we quit our jobs we won’t have health insurance!”.

Ran Prieur, How to Drop Out. Read also: Criticism and response.

Content released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

Technologies from stupid.com:

“With some people, it’s impossible to get off the phone.
Meet the Get off the phone excuse machine:
with just a press of a button, you’ll have a solid excuse that’ll get you off the phone, no questions asked.”.

Two examples:

Static: Press this button and say, “I can’t hear you. You’re breaking up!” Then just hang up the phone.

Car crashing: Just say, “Oh, my god!” and hang up.

“Sometimes it seems like mothers speak a different language.
Well, thanks to modern science and vivid imaginations, you can now instantly understand your Mom.

All you need is this Understand Your Mother Instantly Breath Spray!”.

“Pubblicità  Progresso* is a non-profit association established in 1971 with a view to giving voice to people’s moral, civil and educational problems. Since then, Pubblicità Progresso has carried out 30 social campaigns.”.

Respect other’s opinion
(Bates Italia agency, 1973)

- Nobody has ever dared to contradict me. I’m great.
- Hey. You aren’t great. You are alone.
“Respect who doesn’t think like you.”.

If you listen you grow
(FCB Italia agency, 2001)
“Another’s words can enrich us. Listen to them.”.

Let’s improve ourselves
(ODG agency, 1995)
- Listen, have you read many books this year?
- No. No one, actually.
- Then, newspapers?
- Uhm…newspapers…no, I didn’t.
- Perhaps some course? Say English, computer?
- No. You know, lack of time…
- Then, what are you doing?
- Nothing.
- Nothing. But have you realized what you’re doing?
- It’s true. But from tomorrow things will change.
“Cultivate more interests. It’s your interest.”.

Above: “That mad says that two plus two doesn’t make four. What if he wasn’t mad?”, wallpaper detail.
(ODG agency, 1973)

*Meaning: advertising-progress
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The National Archives present: Public Information Films. “In 1973 the incomprehensible pronouncements from a ginger cat named Charley warned children against strangers, matches, water safety and other everyday perils.”. (Charley‚ In The Kitchen) “The Central Office of Information produce a wide range of information campaigns designed to inform the public on a huge range of issues which affect their daily lives, such as health, welfare, education and rights.”.

British humour included.
See, for example, The Fatal Floor (1974).

Further material on the Andrew Wisemans’s Television Room* (aka 625.uk.com). A must see.

Above: Charley - Strangers (1973), frame.
Material subject to Crown Copyright, ©The National Archives.

*Requires a Real Player.