Gallery: Inside the Syria revolt
Despite a clampdown on journalists, some pictures from Syria are getting out. They show bombed buildings, dead bodies, graves and a suffering people. Above are some recent photographs. We’ll update with new information regularly.
Photos from inside the deadly European cold snap that’s killed hundreds
Temperatures touched new lows in parts of Europe, including Switzerland, which reported the mercury dipping to minus 35.1 Celsius overnight in the eastern Graubuenden canton, and the Czech Republic, where the town of Kvilda recorded a winter low of minus 39.4 Celsius. More photos here. (AFP/Getty Images;Reuters)
Man Behind the Skull…
Through out the gallery canvases painted with the signature skeletons that are most recognizable from several murals in downtown Phoenix fill up any open wall space. Tubes of paint lay across the floor and in the middle of his palette artist Lalo Cota stood and critiqued his own work.
“Hope you don’t mind if I smoke?” said the 36-year-old mild mannered artist who then stepped by the closed screen door. At first glance he doesn’t come across as a typical graffiti artist but his work speaks volumes, often with political undertones and social messages. “I’m not very much of a spokesperson I don’t really go out and make speeches or anything like that but when I paint art I think I do.”
Attorney Richard Gaxiola described Cota as a very talented, humble individual and became a fan of his artwork after meeting him through a mutual friend three years ago. He was impressed with his twist on what he compared to the traditional Dia de los Muertos style and commissioned Cota to paint a mural in his backyard.
“His work definitely brings humor to uncomfortable issues,” said Gaxiola in reference to his mural of Sherriff Joe Arpaio. “Certainly a lot of his work addresses recent vibes.”
Cota came to Arizona in 1984, originally from Sinaloa, Mexico; his inspiration came after he had his first encounter with a low rider car. “I think that’s what kind of sparked my interest in art,” he said, “I saw the car, the way it was painted, the fact that the car was animated you know?”
As a teenager he attended Tempe High School and would walk home by the train tracks, although first becoming aware of graffiti when he visited Los Angeles, California, it was here that he first began to notice street art in his neighborhood. Through out the boxcars full of graffiti there was a piece that was painted by San Francisco based artist CrayOne, it was the first large graffiti piece that influenced him.
Over the years Cota made a name for himself in the graffiti scene with a group of his closest friends. They called themselves the Nitty Gritty crew, also known as N.G., and made a mark in the metropolitan Phoenix area throughout the 1990s. As the group progressed they began to have annual shows and exhibitions where local artists had the opportunity to show off their skills.
Their annual shows may have been the transition point for Cota and his friends to expand beyond the realm of street art. He had always considered himself an artist so Cota took the elements of style he learned through graffiti to pave a new way for his outlet of work. After showcasing his work in the Scottsdale Contemporary Art Museum, the Mesa Arts
Center and the Phoenix Art Museum Cota became a commodity among the avid art collectors of Phoenix.
“Since I’ve met him he’s painted at my shop at least five large scale murals,” said Derrick Pacheco a local bicycle retailer and entrepreneur at HoodRide in Phoenix. “I think it brings recognition and excitement.”
Cota had recently done several group shows at the 5 and 6 Gallery in Scottsdale but after some major contributions he finally got the financial backing needed to open a gallery called Por Vida with longtime friends Pablo Luna and Breeze. After he added some finishing touches to his artwork he pulled out a flyer for their grand opening, “For me personally I wanted to have a place where I can have artists have their own show.”
Por Vidas grand opening reception is this First Friday from 7-10 p.m. and is located at 2800 N. 16th st in Phoenix right next to the Barrio Café.
