Drape me in GOLD any day!...

Beautifully executed sculptures by Kevin Francis Gray

Check out more of his work...

PJ's Highlight: The Observer Ethics Awards

The notion that young people are disengaged with their social conscience really must die in 2010...

I've seen too many people eco campaigning, squatting, producing politically charged pieces of art, journalism and music to let anyone tell me that our entire generation is merely obsessed with WAGS, Skins and scoring kudos points with their facebook profile pics. Indeed sometimes we all do like to score the odd kudos point with a profile pic, but come on that doesn't mean that’s all we’ve got to think about..

So while we're on the subject of thinking, let’s move onto the subject of acting, because some people do take it that little bit further; thoughts can move to deeds, and many deeds can move to change, and celebrating those who bring that change must be commended.

On the 10th January this year the Observer newspaper launched their Ethical awards for 2010, it’s an award that’s been running for five years, and celebrates companies and individuals who make a real contribution to environmental issues and social justice. In the past politicians, campaigners and ethical businesses have been nominated for awards, however this year; there is also an emphasis on individuals who strive to make a difference.

Seeing as the PJ’s are staunch supporters of all creative forms we took a particular interest in their Ethical Fashion category which is sponsored by Marie Claire. The public have been invited to nominate both companies and individuals they believe move away from the stereotypes associated with ethical fashion and who have fresh innovative fashion ideas, blending style and conscience, awesome I personally love dressing up without feeling guilty about it.

So if you are or if you know anyone who is a:

Designer, retailer, or other fashion practitioner working ethically in fashion then nominate yourself for the award here:

Observer-Ethical-Awards

you can also cast your vote for the other award categories.

Check out their video from last years awards below.



Lots of Love
The Plain Janes

I think this is the happiest emo song ever!!!!

love it.

xxxxx

The ART of sound...

Zimoun : Sound Sculptures & Installations | Compilation Video V1.5 from ZIMOUN VIDEO ARCHIVE on Vimeo.

Jay Electronica to play Jazz Cafe in Feb

Whoop whoop, heard about it today, deffo getting my tickets for it tomorrow.

For a taster check out the trailer for his latest video Exhibit A. Leaves you gagging for more really.



Lots of Love

The Janes

*warnning Jay does seem to be taking himself quite seriously in the video, but give it a blind eye for the lyrical content*

PJ's get around

I mentioned towards the end of 2009 that PJ's had been working on a few collobarative projects with other groups and organisations. One that quite a few PJ members (including myself) got involved with was a project with Iniva at Rivington Place.

We've been working as part of a group called the Inivators, who have produced a programme of events in response to the galleries current exhibition theme 'Diversity in the Visual Arts', the programme includes a modern day adaption of the Guess who board game, a Question time styled discussion and a Pop Up Court, which will be putting cultural institutions on trial for bad diversity practices.

The programme sits alongside a banging exhibition featuring artists Oreet Ashery and Larissa Sansour, Sanford Biggers, Michelle Citron, Julie Dash, Leah Gilliam, Amanda Holiday, Naomi Kashiwagi, Radhika Khimji, Tracey Moffatt, Harold Offeh, Hetain Patel, Lisa Reihana, John Sealey, Tejal Shah, Kara Walker and opens on 28th January and ends in March.



Here are the dates for your diary

Guess Who Tournament, Education Space
30 January, 2pm

Artist Yara El-Sherbini and the Inivators host an afternoon of gaming inviting you to play a new version of 'Guess Who?'. No longer the relic of the 80's, this 'Guess Who?' plays with the here and now, made in the context of difference, diversity and contemporary notions of perception.

You can play this contemporary version of 'Guess Who?', which has been created as part of the installation in the education space at Rivington Place, at any point during the Progress Reports exhibition. On specified days there is also the opportunity to become a character in the game.

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Pop Up Court: Diversity on Trial
27 February, 4pm

Pop Up Court: Diversity on Trial is the staging of a court of law with the cultural sector on trial. The Inivators have endowed themselves with the authority of an independent regulatory body, with the purpose of investigating crimes against diversity in the cultural sector.

Having created their own set of 10 laws or commandments, the Inivators will be in pursuit of cultural lawbreakers through a series of ‘law enforcement’ days. Members of the public will be asked to play witness to diversity in the capital’s major arts institutions. If the institutions are found to have contravened the Inivators laws, they will be tried at the Pop Up Court.

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Questionable Times
4 March, 6:30pm

Questionable Times: The group has created their own version of the popular BBC Question Time programme with a panel of guests who work in the cultural sector. The event has been developed in response to Iniva's founding mission, its history and the changes that have taken place over the last 15 years in the arts and wider society with regards to cultural diversity. The event is chaired by an Inivator and asks guests to answer some of the following questions:

• What does cultural diversity mean in the visual arts today?
• Is cultural diversity still a relevant subject or have the questions around it now been resolved?
• How can progress be made in the visual

I'm personally over excited about Oreet Ashery and Larissa Sansour, Sanford Biggers and Kara Walker, their work kicks ass and I'll be blogging about it soon.

Hope to see you there

Love the Janes

xoxoxo

PJ Spotlight: India Harvey lives on an Eco Village and is a creative genius

Insomina seems to have laid it's nest to roost firmly in my bed this week and there is simply not enough space for the both of us. Leavng me haunting around the digital realm looking and listening to things, possibly the only upside to lack of sleep.

Yesterday I rediscoverd images from PJ member India's Harvey. She's a phenomal young artist who uses mixes media to produce her work and doesn't fear format. She's worked with PJ's from it's birth, and her boundless imagination, has been a source of inspiration for many of our projects. Check out her site it's really intriguing

She's also a social rebel and eco warrior, who lives on an eco village on kew bridge, they'll be holdig a seed swap for those with green fingers on the Valentines Day you should check out.

My brother from another mother

AIB is back!!!!!



Make sure you get down there tonight,

If your not going to this today, then what are you doing with your life? (Haiti Benefit Concert)

I personally think it's impossible to be untouched by the situation in Haiti at the moment and often when such disasters happen, it's pretty easy to feel powerless about helping. Which is why when I heard that Chantelle Fiddy and True Tiger were coming together use Grime music as a vehicle to raise money for the disaster in Haiti, I was totally in support of it.

We're all pretty famiiliar with the general negative stereotypes associated with urban music performers, so clearly these artists were willing to put their money where their mouth is, contributing to the sickest line up I have seen so far in 2010. Okay fair enough we're not that far into it, but it's gonna be pretty hard to compete for the rest of the year.

Check out the over serious line up.

Wiley (Island Records)
Tinie Tempah (Parlaphone Records)
JME (Boy Better Know)
Heartless Crew
Hatcha b2b N Type with Crazy D (Kiss100)
The Freestylers
Ruff Sqwad
Riz Ahmed aka Riz MC
P Money
Loose Cannons (Kiss100)
DJ Cameo (1Xtra)
Logan Sama (Kiss)
DJ Target (1Xtra) b2b Maximum (Boy Better Know)
Twin B (1Xtra) b2b Twin B (Island Records)
Sukh Knight b2b Scandalous Unltd. (True Tiger)
DJ Chef (Rinse.FM) & Rod Azlan (Dub Police)
Anti-Social (Quest, Razor Rector & Gangsta Boogie's Heny G)
Reso
The Others (Dub Police)
Trolley Snatcha (Dub Police)
Tayo
George Lenton
Rico Tubbs
Gentlemans Dub Club - LIVE
The Thirst - LIVE
Debruit - LIVE
Tayo
Seb Chew (YoYo's)
Blue Bear (True Tiger)
Chantelle Fiddy & Hattie Collins (http://www.facebook.com/l/c22a5;Ctrl.Alt.Shift/RWD/I.D Mag)
Klose One & Rattus Rattus (Urban Nerds)
Nasha Experience
Drums Of Death (DJ Set)
Rootikal selectors: David Hill, Stuart Patterson & Ashley Beedle
And as if that list wasn't extensive enough more acts on the night...

All the proceeds on the night will go towards helping the victims of the terribly sad happenings that took place in Haiti recently so make sure you support it.

Location: The Den & Centro, 18 West Central St, London WC1A 1JJ
Tax: £5, but you can of course give more

Need I say more

Love the Janes.

xoxoxox

Yoh Nagao - The Illustrating Kind!

The wonderful world of art! Sometimes the unexpected surprise just seems to always be the best. I couldn’t tell you honestly how I came across Yoh Nagao but one thing that is certain is that I never stopped looking and searching on him.
His work is very reminiscent of pop art, the concept, the themes, the colours, seems to me there is a narrative to every picture created.
The acrylic paintings are matched with collages, pencil, pen and marker drawings and finished with a digital print.
Yoh Nagao describes his work as,

"sometimes mental pictures, sometimes fictions that are based on real episodes from my life. But they're not serious"

For more on his artwork click here.

Theophilus London - Humdrum Town NEW VIDEO

I swear I'm like a kid! I’m over hyped by the brand new video by Theophilus London for the single Humdrum Town. His been getting major airplay on US TV and just waiting for the attack in the UK, that’s just going to be off the wall! So if you haven’t peed this yet get a look at it!

End of an ERA start of a LEGACY!...

Giving you a glimpse of the action that went down with the Yo MAMA vs Plain Janes NYE party which was a LIVE, COLOURFUL blast of pure HYPE!...






Our floor entertained people with the PJ SHOWGIRLS performance and the
BASHMENT DANCE SCOOL!






We would like to thank all those who attended with a BAG FULL OF ENERGY!


and for those who didn't it's seriously not too late, the party just begun...

WATCH THIS SPACE!