There is too good much to say about the Royal T Cafe.  It is the kind of place that is good enough on the inside that I wouldn’t mind paying an admission fee just to enter. The food is amazing(try the french toast) the staff is energetic and courteous, there is a live DJ playing music for Sunday brunch and there is a standing art show in the space along side a gift shop.  

The current show in place is Tag You’re It by Culver City’s own Amber Noland. Partitioning some time away from her own business Art Collection Management Inc. operation she has put together this exhibit showcasing fascinating work that can be appreciated by all ages. What runs through the mind of a curator? What stands out to someone who spends their life looking at amazing art?  Amber was obliging to offer a bit of insight as to what helped her put this together and what keeps her going.

 
What inspires you?
I am inspired by nature, cultural crafts of a people, the human experience, concepts in art, connecting to artists,  a gorgeous day.

In life you know, what keeps you going? Has it changed or has it always been the same?
I wake up every morning inspired.  This has been something I have done since I was a child.  My father used to tell me that I woke up happy.  It’s true.  The daily potential and possibility to create what is ahead, and that eventually turns into a life.

What keeps me going?  My children.  They are both so different and I love and admire how they look at the world.  I learn a lot from them.

What is your favorite color, what about your personality does it reflect?
Color is an essential part of my life.  I am an aesthetic junkie, so I must have an environment both home and office that reflects my mood in furniture and in color.  In my office I have walls that are deep yellow gold paired with gray, calming and inspiring for me to get my work done. I have turn of the century Indian prints that are stunning that a friend sells in NY.  When I visit him, he pulls out these luscuious 100 year old prints with vibrant stunning colors and tells me about the history of the images in the prints.  I must have these around me.  History, color, spirituality, they have it all.  I must remain calm in the storm at work, and the yellow inspires me, it has energy.

At home, I have a tiffany blue wall.  Art actually looks beautiful on colored walls.  My couches must be white.   The blue at home is calm, gorgeous, grounding and I need that at the end of the day.  I have art everywhere in my life.

What did you want to be when you grew up? How do you feel about what you have become?
I wanted to be a poet when I grew up.  I had words in me, deep feelings, emotional constitution, thoughts…somehow words fulfilled that for me. As I got older, my mothers artist background and fathers entreprenurial spirit dropped right into me.   I went on to get my BFA from Otis and then MFA from CGU,  and then started my own business managing private art collections in my late 20′s.  I’ve now been in business for myself for almost 20 years.

Professionally what has made you successful?
What I believe has made me successful is having a mentor.  I was mentored by an incredible art collector, gallery owner and woman, Ruth Bloom.  This happened in my mid 20′s and she set me on a path that has led me to today. You never know where you will be, so I have walked through the doors that were in front of me.  People inspire, you must listen, have respect, and  never assume you know more than anyone else, be grateful, and listen listen listen.

How did you get together with Royal T café?
I met Susan Hancock, the owner of Royal T,  at an art fair a few years ago.  We connected over her incredible collection and became friends.  Royal T is a special place.  There is nothing like it in Los Angeles, and Sue is a vibrant creative thinker.  I worked with her on her exhibitions at Royal T and then she asked me to curate the next show.
As for the art show, tell me why you call it Tag You’re it?
The exhibition is focused on tagging our next generation of art lovers and making a link between the sensation of collecting.  The exhibition is hung at youth eye level and there is a game of art tag you can play that draws you into the work longer, deeper, and perhaps will make one think a little longer about what they are looking at.

What criteria did you use to select what was a part of the collection?
I borrowed works from collectors, dealers and artists in Los Angeles as well as from Susan Hancock’s collection.  The show is intended to be thought provoking, and to introduce stories, thoughts and materials to young viewers without dumbing anything down.  Kids are very smart.  A lot smarter than we give them credit for.  They also have the ability to be uncensored and express a reaction to artworks that we as adults may miss.  This had been my favorite part of the exhibition.  The criteria?  What will they think or feel when they see this piece of art?”

Do you have a piece that is particularly special to you in the show?
The work by Gustavo Godoy, who is represented by Honor Fraser, is astunning work that embodies what the exhibition is truly about.  The artist made this piece specifically for this exhibition.  He incorporates a lot of his familial history in the work, roots in TJ Mexico, architecture, struggled circumstances and modernism, yet it is not overt and is elegant in its construction.

What’s next or where are you normally?
Curating is my passion.   I curate daily actually – seeing and editing.  I see a lot of art, all the time.  I have my own business where I specialize in the care of large private art collections, with respect to insurance, value and estate planning among many other things.  Where do I go from here?  I am always open to the impossible!

Susan Hancock,owner of Royal T Cafe and Amber Noland, curator.

Both Amber and Susan were a joy to meet with. The exhibit will be running through mid April but if you can’t swing by check out this clip from the opening night shot at  the eye level of a 9 year old kid.

Royal T Cafe is an amazing space and the opening was brilliantly put together. I can’t wait to see what is next for Amber and if you find your self on the West side of Los Angeles, there is no better place to stop into check out some masterful work in a unique setting. Royal T Cafe has provided the space, Amber has put together a great exhibit, and Citizens Of Culture has let you know where to go, since there are no more excuses only thing left to do is act.

Royal T Cafe
Address
8910 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
T 310 559 6300  F 310 559 6633

Hours
Café: 10am – 5pm daily
Shop & Space: 10am – 6pm daily

Art Collection Management

Amber Noland – Founder
amber@artcollectionmanagement.com

2732 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90034
T: 310.838.2922
F: 310.564.0300

It is said

a breath takes 7 years

to mix completely with the atmosphere.

which means in another part of the world

what you exhale at this exact moment,

will be inhaled by someone else

7 years from now.

I pray they know what to do with it.

for I remember

when I once blindly invited

myself into your shallows

like new skin.

i pray that i become

more than just a fistful

of stolen,

a husband who knows death,

or a scripture for nomads.

you must know now,

after all these leftovers,

that sampling

your heart

became my forbidden

miracle.

a musical rupture

that begin with whisper.

a whisper

that echoed so long

it became a journey

to find the source.

if you can

remember

what an unraveling

of emotion tasted like,

when it has been drained

of intuition and rationality,

then maybe

you may come close

to understanding a fraction

or an iota

of what you did to my spirit

the moment i saw you last.

must i fracture

my own smile

to prove

the individuality

in my own mistakes?

was it necessary

to baptize the right side

of my bed

with abandonment?

not once

did i ever say

it was because

“I am only human. i am only human. i am only human”

Far too many times

do we throw that term around

and use it as a scapegoat

for our mistakes

you would think

we would be super-human by now.

saying i was sorry

wouldnt even suffice.

ironic, though.

how paranoid we get,

when we love something

to perfect,

we question

how such came into

our possession,

like we were not worthy

of loving

in the first place.

i dont have to

memorize my DNA

to know

that our prayers

were born

to fit each other’s

breathing patterns.

i dont need fate

to propagate

my choices for me

when i am not myself

in your presence.

your presence

also served as my Achilles’ heel.

i harbored

a boiling pot of questions

with misinterpreted definitions.

almost became sure

we wrote our lives

with two different dictionaries.

you were trying to find the meaning

of our purpose together.

i was trying to find a purpose

to mean something to you.

while I am still figment

in your memory,

pray i write

a poem

seven breaths long.

and not one redemption song too short.

my reason was all i ever had.

my everything was all you never had.

i do not know flight yet

but i know of open wounds,

and soulless bones

buried under fallow lands.

six foot deep reminders

of appreciation.

you are not here,

but i can still

detect your reflection

in the syllables of my afterthoughts.

wondering

how many women

did it take to love

for Neruda

to write Sonnet 17.

and if countless nights

were spent

reassuring the salvation

in his bones,

that we are

born with half our souls,

then maybe we are not

so different

from the redemption we seek.

bless me,

for i have buried my half

behind the orgasm

hidden in your left ear.

bless me.

like that crumbling night in August.

when you became

my midnight revival.

when we karma sutra-ed

so devilishly

we forgot to build shrines

to our aching muscles

to thank them,

for sustaining

the devourer in our mouths.

the next time i see you,

i shall trap our ashes

underneath the creases

of our undisturbed bed.

i will ask you to lay with me,

bare feet, bare hearts and all.

let our foreheads touching

create the spark

needed to resurrect

us phoenix once again.

and maybe.

we may find holy in our art,

and maybe.

just maybe.

i may become

the chosen one,

when one of your breaths,

makes it into me,

lifetimes, from now.

I’ll be there, will you?

What components of hip hop influence your designs?
I came from sneaker culture,  camping out for sneakers. As a designer I still think like a shoe collector.I don’t think matchy matchy, but more coordination. My pieces aim to fit into a wardrobe universally, I am a sneaker head that grew up. All my items are interchangeable.

Do you still collect?
Today I am more about quality over quantity, minimalism. Collecting like that,[back then] I was a hoarder.
I still buy sneakers but its different now, I am buying Jack Purcell’s X Comme des Garcon collobarative shoes, they are definitely minimal in design, not extravagant.

What did you get out of that life as a hoarder? Looking back why did you do it?
In all honesty it was immaturity, having money and nothing to do with it.If they had a shoe that came out, I would have to buy ALL the colors. Now all my money goes back into my company.

Having matured as a consumer, what types of things lead your purchasing decisions now?
So many people in urban culture want to name all the new stuff and all the expensive things when they talk about what’s fly. If you were to see me at a party I wouldn’t be able to blend in. People don’t know that each of the things I’d be wearing were pieces. Some people can’t justify paying a lot of money for things that aren’t logo driven. I buy for quality and lasting value.

Who do you think is doing things right at moment?
On a mainstream scale, J. Crew is one of the better ones in terms of mass production. There are definitely good elements to Ralph Lauren still, their basics. I’ve always been into smaller contemporary brands like, Engineer Garments, Our Legacy, for denim I only really we are RRL. I love APC, Marc by Marc Jacobs has great shirting.

Any body in LA that you like?
Garret Leight, his father is the founder of Oliver Peoples and he has started his own optical shop. I have a close affiliation with Milk Made in Venice. Gant Ruger is another brand that I used to really like but now they have gotten a lot bigger, more commercial.

Do you tend to let a brand go if they get too big?
I am one of those consumers that as soon as it [a brand ] gets everywhere I do kinda let it go. I’m not throwing any of my old stuff away though, I still have a Gant Ruger jean jacket that I wear twice a week. Classics never die, Converse still makes my favorite shoe.

So it’s not necessarily only because a brand excels that you might move on…
The thing for me is not also much that a company goes mainstream, but the aftermath. The people create a connotation, the moment too many rappers start referencing it I am going to move on. The reason being is they are not buying it because it is a quality product, they are buying it just because it is expensive.

Ok, so what revelations have you come to that got you to the next level?
Before I was just competing, now I consider myself to be pretty cool regardless of my clothes. The things I buy now I genuinely love. The,n it wasn’t necessarily because I liked the stuff, it was just because it was hot and I had to have it, or it matched some shoes. Going to parties and getting compliments for your clothes can go to your head, and that becomes part of your motivation.

Do you see yourself refining what you have now or is another version of your aesthetic on the horizon?
The only thing I might change is my shoes. I feel like the way I dress now, I can go run errands, change my shoes, and show up to a nice dinner. My style is pretty much here to stay.I don’t get dressed to be seen.

So what is next for you?
I had been working for other people for so long. This year I just went full time on The Essential Man so I wake up everyday to move closer to my dreams. When I made the decision to work for myself that’s when things started taking off. Aside from that I just picked up photography. I have my first official shoot coming up, but I’m not doing anything for the sake of doing it, it has to make sense.

Stop by The Essential Man to see what is new with Lorenzo this year, I’m sure he’s no slowing down any time soon.

Groceries Sale

In the land of glitz and glamour it can be hard to find substance in our  social climate. Too many people trying to make a quick buck at the cost of others and shortchanging customers with inadequate product. Groceries Apparel operates out of the Arts District in downtown L.A. and along with their network of counterpartsthey are doing what they can to change that.

Like a rose out of concrete, the Groceries’ Locals Only Sale Showcases So-Cal Brands and music on a semi-sunny day seemingly sprung on short notice. Matt Boelk, one of the partners at Groceries admits it was a trial attempt but they were none-the-less pleased with the results. The event was held at their factory where they welcomed over a dozen brands, live music, and food. What made the event special was not only the product and the party but the fact that it wasn’t just another hip thing to be seen at in L.A.

Falling Whistles

There was no shortage of beautiful people but it wasn’t superficial. Brands like Falling Whistles, an accessory company that participates in human rights activism for peace  was present. Also Benson Backpacks, who devotes some of their profits to children’s education initiatives in Tanzania was a featured vendor. A portion of the proceeds from the Groceries sale went to support the Midnight Mission that operates out of downtown, just a few blocks from the factory.

Gondola

On another note, the music was nothing to be overlooked. Performances by Turbo T Double, an underground rapper based in Los Angeles by way of Louisiana, and Gondola, a newly formed folky-rock group provided the soundtrack to shop to. Turbo always delivers a quality performance and was more than inviting when approached for  photo. Drew Brandmeier, the lead singer and guitarist from Gondola was charming as well.

Turbo T Double

I can’t help but ask myself, “I am supposed be at a trendy fashion event, right? Or is this something else?” It seems that there is hope for Los Angeles to be more than exporter of fad diets and Hollywood  buzz. There is hope for the fashion industry to be more than  a purveyor of superficial concepts of beauty. There is hope for us as people to collectivize and build a better world while building our businesses. This wasn’t a trendy fashion event, but more like a community gathering of like minded people who are using their business smarts, creativity ,and style as a vehicle for change.

From what I hear this isn’t the last sale they are going to be having, and I will make sure to advise details on the next one. Think about where you shop, and think about who you  are, the two may not be as misaligned as we think.

Mallyce Miller of Laeken w/Rob Lohman of Groceries

Brett Novek of Good hYOUman

Jac Vanek

Jared Tate of Dear Raymer

Stevie from Gotta Dance Dirty

Chateau Relaxo

Willa w/ a Benson Backpack

support the brands that support you

December is a photo series out of a set dedicated to the idea that winter is a special time to not only be with family, but a new friend, boy friend, girl friend, or lover. I call it Girlfriend Season. The photos span the winter months of December, January, and February, with 3 different perspectives.

Knowing that is just a fling we realize going in that all good must come to an end. I chose Frank Ocean’s Strawberry Swing because it is about a beautiful young love that comes to a hault but there is always a warm memory left in his heart. It is the perfect song for the story and Anna Maria was the perfect person to capture.

Meet Anna Maria:

Thank Anna Maria and thank you December.