When last we saw Jason Mraz here on the blog we saw a photo of the guy lounging on a couch while wearing only a pair of boxer shorts and a horse head … before that, he was posing with a questionable looking cigarette … today we get to see pics of Mr. Mraz at the Charles Cowles Gallery in NYC which hosted a booksigning last night for Jason’s new book of Polaroid photos titled a thousand things. Here are a few pics of Jason posing with his trusty Polaroid camera and signing a few books at last night’s event:

When asked about his new book in a recent interview, Jason had this to say: For the past five years that I’ve been touring, I’ve taken Polaroid instant film; Polaroid 600, the cheapest kind you can buy. And there’s really something quite novelty and interesting about this film, and now I’ve taken thousands and thousands of pictures.

Love it! This is exactly the thing I’ve been trying to do for the past few months with my Polaroid camera … and the waning stock of Polaroid film that is out there. I already ordered my copy of Jason’s book mainly because I’m still kinda obsessed with all things Polaroid but I’m also hoping it’ll offer some inspiration for my ongoing project. It’s too bad I’m in LA this week instead of NY … it would’ve been great to go to this event.

[Photo credit: Wireimage]

New dad and Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz and Gym Class Heroes frontman Travis McCoy debuted a new art show at Gallery 1988 here in LA last night and managed to lure a few family and friends out for the event. Titled Without You I’m Just Me, the exhibit is a collaboration of works between Pete Wentz, Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes and several other LA based artists such as Greg Simkins and Jeff McMillan. Here are a couple pics of Pete making his entrance last night with wife and new mom Ashlee Simpson (her second public appearance in two days) and Jessica Simpson with her BFF and hairstylist Ken Paves:

I’m told that a portion of the proceeds from the art show’s painting, print and catalogue sales will benefit Invisible Children, an incredible charity working closely with Pete to better the living conditions in northern Uganda. Gallery 1998 is at 7020 Melrose Ave. (on the corner of Melrose and La Brea) and the exhibit will run until December 24.

Click HERE to check out some of the artwork that will be on display and is for sale. Some of the pieces are very cool … I think the mixed media 3D paintings are my faves.

[Photo credit: X17; Source]

Marilyn Manson, who was seen with a mysterious new young woman in Miami, FL this week, officially unveiled his “special new lady friend” to the world at an art opening at 101 Exhibit in Miami’s Design District on Thursday night. MM was on hand for the opening night event of his Trismegistus with his new chicky on his arm (and lips) who we now know to be a 24-year old model named Isani Griffith. Here are a few pics of MM and Isani at the art event and some info on the Trismegistus opening:

Marilyn Manson’s shock tactics worked again. With art, this time. Manson, real name Brian Hugh Warner, showed up at the media preview of Trismegistus at 101 Exhibit in Miami’s Design District Thursday night. Most, if not all, the works in the collection were pretty grisly. But who would expect anything else? The Goth rocker-turned-painter, 39, is taller than he appears in photos and dressed in head-to-toe black, from his signature floppy witch’s hat to his Herman Munster boots. ”I paint people that I think are interesting,” he said simply. We’re not sure what crowd he runs with, but some pieces were tough to look at — like The Man Who Eats His Fingers, a ghostly apparition, mouth bloodied, showing off his missing digits. Others were more tongue in cheek, such as Ready or Not Tot, a creepy baby with werewolf-like lower teeth. Three recent paintings of a blue-eyed mystery woman, ”Isani,” put the Evan Rachel Wood reconciliation rumors to rest. ”That’s my special lady friend,” said the man who took his stage name from icons Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. Then, rambling a bit: ”I really don’t want to start the next chapter of my life by … burdening someone with being the solution to my problems — or the source of my problems.” Trismegistus is the name of Manson’s 2004 painting of a three-headed Jesus, done on an antique embalming table he found on eBay. ”That one was during a period in my life where I was feeling a bit hopeless. For me it signifies a resurrection and believing in myself,” he said. ”I admit, it’s a little gruesome — even for me.” Isani (no last name given) later showed up looking eerily like Manson’s ex, Dita Von Teese. The two left together to Louis lounge at the Gansevoort South, where they cuddled way into the night.

Well, it turns out that Isani’s last name is Griffith and appears to be just the sort of young lady that tickles MM’s fancy. It really does look like Evan Rachel Wood has been cast aside for a new model (pardon the pun). After the jump, check out a couple of pre-Marilyn Manson photos of Isani in more her innocent days of yore along with a couple of her modeling pics … (more…)

Back in August we were alerted to the fact that UK artist Marc Quinn was working on an upgraded version of the Kate Moss statue, called Sphynx, that he created back in 2006. When news came out that Quinn would be casting his Kate Moss statue in 18 carat gold we were not allowed to see the finished product (but we were shown a glimpse). At last, the final product can be revealed … behold, Marc Quinn’s latest “masterpiece” Siren:

She has graced countless magazine covers and inspired numerous artists to copy her image. But now Kate Moss has received the ultimate accolade after being immortalised in gold and displayed at the British Museum. And with daily share price drama as well as collapsing house prices this gold sculpture would provide as safe a haven as any for canny, and extremely wealthy, investors. Dubbed a ‘modern day Aphrodite’ the supermodel’s statue, unveiled on Wednesday, cost more than £1.5million to make - of which £1million was the price of the 18 carat gold. Artist Marc Quinn, who named the work ‘Siren’, said he expected to sell it for more than £10million. The piece is hollow and at 50kg is understood to weigh the same as the diminutive Miss Moss herself. It will be displayed from Saturday until January as part of the Statuephilia exhibition in the Nereid Gallery among statues of classical Greek goddesses including Aphrodite. Miss Moss’ pose is a little less conventional however. Mr Quinn elected to immortalise her in provocative yoga pose with her legs behind her head wearing only skimpy underwear. He said: “When I showed Kate the statue she told me she loved it. She really liked the idea and she modelled for me for a day or so.” But he added: “She didn’t pose for me like that. For Kate, she thinks it lifts her into a mythic level. I think she very much loved it because she understands the difference between her image and her self. The sculpture is really about whether we make images or they make us. It’s about trying to live up to impossible dreams and immortality.” The artist claimed that his piece questioned the notion of value in society in the light of the credit crunch. “With the financial crash at the minute. It is a really interesting time to do this. Why should gold be worth lots and steel not?” he said. “It’s because we have agreed it represents something special in our society.” The work is the largest gold statue made by man since ancient Egyptian times. Mr Quinn, who once made a bust of himself using eight pints of his own blood - has created statues of Kate before: Sphynx, a white painted bronze figure of Kate in another yoga pose, and an early version of Siren, also in white. Mr Quinn said of using Moss as a subject: “I thought the next thing to do would be to make a sculpture of the person who’s the ideal beauty of the moment. But even Kate Moss doesn’t live up to the image.”

Uhhh, yeah. I didn’t really understand the point of this piece back in 2006 and I really don’t get it now … but hey, it’s art, right? I’m actually very surprised to learn that this golden statue of Kate Moss is “the largest gold statue made by man since ancient Egyptian times”. I’m not entirely sure that I believe it but … again, who knows. In the end, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and while I may not necessarily be beholding a lot of beauty in this garish art piece myself that doesn’t mean that others can’t behold the beauty for themselves. What do y’all think … do we like?

[Source]

Remember THIS statue of Kate Moss? Well, I guess it was time for an upgrade:

She’s been immortalized in bronze, painted in oils and photographed all over the world. Now Kate Moss - fashion icon, mother and long time paparazzi favourite - has been paid the kind of compliment normally reserved for Egyptian queens and mythological goddesses. She has been sculpted in gold. A new statue of the controversial model is to unveiled at the British museum for an exhibition in October. The 34-year-old will join some of the nation’s other great treasures, including a centuries old statue of a naked Aphrodite, on loan from the Queen. This is the first teasing glimpse of the £1.5million likeness of Kate, one of a series by Marc Quinn, the artist responsible for the ‘Alison Lapper Pregnant’ sculpture that adorned the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square for 20 months. The museum released only a detail of the Kate Moss work in the hope that the full image could remain private until its unveiling. The statue, entitled ‘Siren’, depicts her in a yoga contortion. If it follows the theme of his previous Kate Moss works, it will place her feet somewhere near her ears and leave various other bits of her leotard-clad body inelegantly exposed to public gaze. The statue is said to be the largest of its kind since ancient Egyptian times. It is fashioned from solid gold. But because the statue is hollow, it weighs only 50 kilograms (110 lb) - possibly a little more than the waif-like subject on which it is modeled.

Um … why Kate Moss? Why not, say, Bea Arthur? Seriously. Anyone?

[Source]