WHAT’S NEWS

photographers:Bill GrahmSue DavisMelanie Williams

staff:Kati VoluntineBiggie McGeeWalesa Kanerek

special thanks:Richie HawtinSuzy Q.Billy Boy

WHAT’S NEWS04.08.12.

Anti-GravityHair is a gloryTokyo Monster

04

[ ]antiGravity: by Sue Davis

[ ]

antiGravity

things they come, they do, they decay,

on winged doves does velvet fray.

the time is now, the time is today.

gravity was just a joke, something they tried to pull over on us folk

but now i know it matters not

to hell with the rules, it’s time we rock out!

what future holds will time thus tell,

but til then just dream and yell,

07

“

HAIR IS A GLORY

Healthy hair indicates health, vigor and youth. Hair colour and texture can be a sign of ethnic ancestry. Facial hair is a sign of puberty in men. White hair is a sign of aging, and genetics, which can be concealed with hair dye. Male baldness is a sign of age,which can be concealed with a toupee, hats or relgious and cultural adornments. Baldness treatments include minoxidil (Rogaine) and finasteride (propecia). Many balding men simply shave their heads.”

— wiki entry

08

Hair is glory, hair is power, hair is divine. The future of our hair is completly in our heads. Technology will soon give people the power to do nearly anything they can imagine with hair. Genetic engineering is within our grasp and the sky is the limit. Soon we will only be limited by our fantasies. Who’s to know what’s next? We at FUTUREMONGER want to explore the idea of hair and interpret our visions of grandeur.

We’ve asked artists from around the world to show us how they interpret our fate with hair in the future. What does it mean when we can just dial a hairdo? What types of styles will we be able to create when there are no limits to our production? No more hair farms, no more horsehair. We’ve escaped our evolution and it’s uncertain how that will effect us culturally, physically and spiritually.

The future is almost an impossible concept. What type of context do we have for something that’s never existed. Shit, we don’t even know if time is real, let alone the future. All we can do is dream, reflect and conjecture. And that is alright with FUTUREMONGER. Today is mondane, tomorrow is hyperreal.

Hair is symbollic, hair is another window into the soul. Hair carries identity, shows one’s history, shows one’s dreams. How has hair become such an ingrained part of our lives? Why do we even have it, and why is it sexually dymorphic? Where does it come from and can we alter the way that our “natural” hair grows?

Questions beget questions and fanties unfurl. As our dreams progress our humanity evolves. Where will the future of hair take us as people, as animals, as lovers, as one? Is the future destined to be a utopian nightmare or a refreshing epiphany that lifts our souls?

So wander, so dream, think freely; the box is the problem, and the problem must be solved. The future is already here and it’s up to us to figure it out. Hold the phones, clear the calendars, life must never be put on hold. Free your mind, free your soul. Be a creator, the thrill is to make it up. The world is your canvas and you’re the artist.

Nothing is absurd, nothing is sacred. This is a fear free zone. Push, shove, crawl right up on your knees. Do what you need to do, but girl, you got’s to work. Time stands still on bended knee; no thoughts, no reality. The body can not live without the mind. So get juiced, get crunk, get your funky thongs on! There are problems to be solved and fun times to be had. Don’t be the last one on the block without a nano-engineering mop top based on John Lennon’s DNA!

words by Biggie McGee

09

HAIR IS A GLORY

THE FUTURE OF HAIR IS IN YOUR HEAD.”

—THE BRONNERS BROTHERS

10

11

THE FUTURE OF HAIR IS IN YOUR HEAD.”

Chiaki is well known in Tokyo. The lanky visual artist and musician with thick dark hair has been a frequent contributor to the Harajuku scene since the mid-90’s. Chiaki is a prolific visual artist whose drawings, sculptures, and most importantly, hairscapes, have taken the world by storm. His work provokes the imagination and blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Chiaki’s vision is that of the future. The present holds no promise. Change is the only consant, the only truth.

Walesa Kanerek: What’s new in the world of Chiaki?

Chiaki Kuriyama: You’re highly evolutionary as an artist; your work doesn’t stay the same from day to day, minute to minute. I’m always looking for a new medium to work in. Experimenting is crucial to the creative process. Everything is new with me.

TOKYO MONSTER chiaki kuriyama

INTERVIEW BYWALESA KANEREK

PHOTOGRAPHY BYBILL GRAHM

13

Chiaki is well known around Tokyo. The lanky visual artist and musician with wild, tricked out hair has been a major contributor to the Harajuku scene since the mid-90’s. Chiaki is a prolific visual artist whose drawings, sculptures, and hairscapes, have taken the world by storm. His work drives the imagination and blurs the line that seperates fantasy and reality. Chiaki’s vision is that of the future. The present holds no promise. Change is the only consant, the one and only thing that’s real.

Walesa Kanerek: What’s new in the world of Chiaki?

Chiaki Kuriyama: One’s very experimen-tal as an artist; your work doesn’t stay the same from day to day, hour to hour. I’m always looking for a new medium to work in. Experimenting is crucial to the creative process. Everything is new with me.

TOKYO MONSTER chiaki kuriyama

INTERVIEW BYWALESA KANEREK

PHOTOGRAPHY BYBILL GRAHM

13

14

W.K: Could you explain a little about your creative process?

C.K: I try to keep an open mind, good ideas can come from anyone, anywhere. They come to me free, but there are alot of recurring themes, subconsciously, that I may not be aware of that people point out to me. Things that I’ve done 15 years ago that someone might notice.

W.K: Do you feel that your work fits in with what’s popular today?

C.K: I’ve never fit in with the status quo. My head is in the clouds, the future is my inspiration. It’s a way of life, a way of channeling your mojo. I don’t mind being disconnected from my peers. It was never my plan to blend in. Someday my vision will become clear, it’s not meant for today’s frame of mind. It’s about what’s next.

W.K: So, what IS next?

C.K: If I knew, I’d be there and not here, so who’s to say?