Prophets and Poets

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     Joe Capobianco defines what it is to be a "Jack of all trades". He is an incredibly accomplished artist and businessman who's work has inspired a generation of artists, worldwide. Joe, who is originally from Long Island, NY, owns and runs Hope Gallery, a beautiful gallery and tattoo studio, in New Haven, CT, where he resides with his wife. He is constantly creating new art, developing new products such as toys and a hair pomade line, various book and video projects, making television appearances, and developing a tattoo pigment line with his friend, Jime Litwalk. Needless to say; Joe is a very ambitious man. He is well known for his amazing artwork and award-winning tattoo work, as well as his bold personality and fantastic hair. He has traveled the world; showcasing his unique, classic and retro-modern take on the female form. His signature style has become so popular that his pin up girl art, also known as his "Capo Gals", are recognized around...Read More



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We stopped by the Grand Opening celebration of Artistic Element 2.0 on March 27th.  We popped in to see some of the beautiful artwork, catch up with old friends, and enjoy the extravagant festivities. The building was filled to the brim with familiar faces and the walls were covered in artwork by some of the world's greatest artists and tattooers alike; including Bob Tyrrell, Jess Yen, Carlos Rojas, Mike Devries, Mike Cole, Mat Hurtado, Whitney Lenox, and several other brilliant artists. It felt like a really small tattoo convention and after party all mixed into one place. Perfect.    Owner, Roman Abrego, opened his first shop, Artistic Element, in Yucaipa, CA, a few years back with the help of his brother and family, where he works full time with a talented crew of artists and a piercer, Cholo (his best friend since childhood). More recently, Roman decided to open the doors of Artistic Element 2.0 in Hollywood, CA, where he and his crew can expand their clientel...Read More



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We recently had the chance to stop by Timeline Gallery in San Pedro, California, to check out the amazing art collection and to catch up with Carlos Torres & crew.    Timeline began when Carlos Torres, Alan Padilla, and Jed Mardesich decided to collectively open up a new age fine art gallery and studio on the west coast. There, they could create art, showcase their work and the work of others, as well as tattoo their clients during the day. Since opening in March 2011, they have thrown some impressive art shows, displaying the work of Shawn Barber, Chet Zar, James Zar, Michael Hussar, and many more. The walls are decorated with some unbelievably beautiful oil paintings by different artists. At any given time, you will most likely find an incredible piece by Nikko Hurtado, Carlos Rojas, members of the Timeline crew, and other modern masters. They have created an amazing work place for themselves and newcomer, Josh Duffy, another fantastic artist from southern Califo...Read More



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     We are from Los Angeles and are often times forgetful that our mecca of art and culture is not the only place to eat good food and see great art. Well, we remembered and decided to "get outta Dodge" for a few days. An hour flight north landed us in lovely San Francisco for an awesome weekend getaway where we walked the gloomy halls of Alcatraz prison, had some fantastic food & drinks, and enjoyed the cold, rainy weather every step of the way.         Our trip was inspired by the fact that the Legion of Honor is showing Bernini's breathtaking marble masterpiece of Medusa. We could have gone home, happy, at this point. It is one of the most amazing works of art we have ever seen. Lucky for us; the Legion of Honor is filled to the brim with other amazing art. As we walked around, we were excited to see several other works by different masters; including work by Rodin, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Renoir, Boucher, and more. For a fe...Read More



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We stopped by the Holding Company in Hollywood to check out Ray Gordon's photography exhibition, THROTTLED, on October 8th 2011. The show was put on by the dudes of Comune. The exhibit was filled with Ray's unique, "fast life" photos. It seems as if he does a good amount of shredding. There were also several gorgeous vintage and custom motorcycles on display, as well as an endless array of empty PBR cans. Spirits were definitely high and the mood was genuintely pleasant. The night ended with an after-party next door, with an extravagant set by musical guest, PLG/VNDR.    _LR...Read More