Tuesday, July 7, 2009

"Hipification": A Sociological Investigation / Plus, Is It Art, Or Isn't It? (Once More, With Nudity!) / And the LJ-World Gets More Expensive!

We're all familiar with "gentrification," but how about "hipification," the process by which an influx of hipsters moves in and rejuventates a dying neighborhood. A recent NY-Times piece called "Skid row to hip in Toronto" offers insight into the phenomenon, exploring how a run-down Toronto neighborhood, full of drug dealers and prostitutes, is transitioning into a lovely hipster community: "Block by block, they are transforming this stretch of Dundas Street West from a grimy skid row into a bright enclave filled with quirky bookstores, vegan restaurants and organic cafes." (Chip: "I'd prefer the drug dealers and hookers.").

Obviously, downtown Larryville has a powerful hipster presence (look no further than the Replay, the Jackpot, and the TapRoom), but is the 'hipification' of downtown expanding? Perhaps. After all, the Northside's planned upscale riverside shopping district has reverted back to the Gaslight. And Mass. Street's Blue Heron furniture, loved by West Side yuppies, is currently going out of business (pictured below), leaving bewildered rich folks to buy their sofas from that crazy fucker on Iowa Street who makes his employees dress up in king and queen costumes and dance in the scorching sunshine (Richard: "I hope an excellent new hipster thrift store opens in the Blue Heron location. We need at least one more place specializing in kickball-wear.").















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Rangelife Records owner Zach Hangauer (whose "artist name" is Zaguar) gets his own art show this Saturday at Wonder Fair, a showcase for his large collages. His source material, according to Lawrence.com, is primarily: "Look, Life, Saturday Evening Post, Playboy and holiday magazines from the late '50s through the mid '80s."

Let's take a look at one of them:





















Richard: "In his juxtaposition of the Playboy model against a backdrop of obvious 'art,' Hangauer calls into question the artificiality of both. The woman's masturbatory pose seems to parody the aesthetic pleasure one supposedly gains from 'traditional' art, while perhaps making the viewer question our true sources of aesthetic pleasure, since, let's be honest here, the eye is drawn more to the woman than to the backdrop. This is local work at its most provocative. Art!"

Chip: "I'm going with art on this one too, because of the titties...and that other stuff you said."


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Following suit after the KC-Star's recent price raise, the daily LJ-World will now also cost you 75 cents. But one need look no further than today's editorials to see that it's worth the cost. Erin Patterson-Sexson has written a piece in the voice of her dog, Chumley, a "Bassador," praising the Lawrence Humane Society:

"Since I was adopted, my parents, my slobbery brother Hutch (a yellow Lab), and I drove all the way to Alaska to live...Just a few weeks ago my new baby brother (he's a human) was born and soon enough he will be big enough to play with me and scratch my ears."

Chip: "I won't lie. I teared up a little when I read this."

6 comments:

Dr. C said...

Definitely art. Titties make it art. Playboy in the 50s was actually rather artistic. My upcoming post is also about art. Look for it Thursday, I think.

Do you blokes buy the LJ-World? I thought you mostly trawled the message-boards.

old fashioned said...

Chip gets a hard copy free on campus with his student ID.

But lecturers get no such benefits!

I've recently discovered that the few conservatives in town who lurk on the message boards often say nearly exactly what Chip says on the LC!

Dr X is... a lil bored said...

Meh.

I've seen far superior boob galleries.

--I'm off to the Les/ Bi Chick blog!

PS For Example, Shin Shan, supposed former Chip Lover... Her boob gallery is far superior. As was the girl she was kanoodling!

easily satisfied reader! said...

Boobs! Well done, N.ggle...probably the best post in a very long time. Oh, and that stuff about art - I agree with Chip.

"hard" at work said...

I thought the boobs would be a hit here!

Dr. X is so over-saturated with porn he just can't enjoy a nice artistic rack from a local hipster artist.

Long live Zaguar's collages!

A nod in agreement. said...

There is much truth to that statement.