Enlighten Me


Here is my lamp for the Enlighten Show out in L.A. It was made from moleskin collages I did in Paris with UU.

Tornado Design Hosts Art Exhibition Titled Enlighten!
One Night of Light
Over 85 limited-edition artist lamps for sale to help support Inner-City Arts

Los Angeles, CA — September 28, 2009 – Tornado Design will host an exclusive one-night art show
called Enlighten! One Night of Light at the Helms Bakery Building in Culver City from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m
on Saturday, November 21st. Enlighten! is an innovative group exhibition of table lamps featuring printed
shades with artwork by an eclectic roster of over 85 fine artists and illustrators working together to
support arts education for children in Los Angeles. Each artist’s lamp design will be sold in a limited
edition available for one night only. The lamps can be previewed and pre-ordered on the website at
www.enlightenshow.com. The event is free.

Al Quattrocchi and Jeff Smith, co-owners and creative directors of the Los Angeles-based graphic design
studio Tornado Design, curated the exhibition. “Enlighten! is a fun and unique way to bring our artistic
community together. This event will raise some money to help support Inner-City Arts, an organization
planting the seeds of creativity in young artists of the future.” says Quattrocchi. “Whether you are a
participating artist or a patron of the arts, supporting events like Enlighten! will make a difference for
many underprivileged kids!”

A portion of all sales will benefit Inner-City Arts, an organization offering opportunities for at-risk
children from Los Angeles schools to build artistic self-expression, enhancing their ability to perform
both creatively and academically in challenging environments. The lamps are produced by Lamp-In-ABox
in Culver City, California. Owner Daniel Cytrynowicz believes, “A table or desk lamp should reflect
our personal taste, desires and lifestyle, similar to all the other accessories that surround us.”
Participating artists include Lou Beach, Alex Beard, Sandow Birk, Calef Brown, Dave Burke, Jimmy C,
Sarajo Frieden, Tom Fritz, Makoto Kobayashi, Lili Lakich, Joel Nakamura, Saelee Oh, Martha Rich, Paul
Rogers, Souther Salazar, Bwana Spoons, James Victore, Keith Weesner and dozens more. Music will be
provided by The Icy Hot Trio and catering provided by Louise’s Trattoria.

Enlighten! One Night of Light will take place at Helms Bakery Building, 8723 Washington Blvd., Culver
City, California on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Free parking provided directly

across the street. For more information regarding the event or Tornado Design, contact Al Q or Jeff Smith
at info@tornadodesign.la or 310-202-1020, or visit the website at www.enlightenshow.com.

Lady Bug

I’ve had some weird experiences lately. The day before I left for Paris, I went out to Connecticut to spend the day with my mom and at some point during an old fashioned/nostalgic pick nick, a ladybug landed on my red sweater. My mother told me it was a good omen. Now it is true that I lived most of my life with an illustration hung by my bed near my head (imagined by the illustrator Etienne Delliserte) popping out of the black on red spotted carapace of a ladybug. When I was in Paris wandering the chaos streets of Bellville I fellinto an all night alimentation oriental store and bought a pack of Marllboro (they had that and lights and it was an emergency) and then I realized I’d lost my little lighter so I bought a bic and the Chinese man handed me what: Lady bug with horse shoes. He smiled at me and I realized he was the guy I’d been buying snacks and beer and wine from the day before… I was home! Talk about luck. If not for that lighter, I never would have noticed and maybe just kept walking in the blurr of Paris streets. Then the night before I left … or in the end didn’t leave… a second ladybug landed on my red sweater. I said, “I hope this is a good omen”… and maybe missing my flight was the best thing that happened as it gave me back a day and sense of months.

Yesterday I ran into John Kole… the Grande American from Hub. I haven’t seen him in five or seven years I can’t recall. I dragged him back to Frost street and we talked about old times in Paris. Encore fois pour deux K. etc. He makes restaurants and clubs now. He’s doing well, but I miss his paintings.

Je Ne Sais Plus Ou J'habite

Buildings are falling down like cards all over Brooklyn. This was Myrtle street disaster I fell upon cutting through Pratt yesterday, but the French translator sent me a synch version of Polyethylene Bag. Still the modus operendi seems homeless… what do they call it again in France? I cant remember. Watch the vid again.