THE BEST OF 2008

So, it's that time of the year... thought I'd look back and share my favorites from the past year... favorite art stuff, music, movies things, events whatever... it's my top ten "things" of 2008. btw. I cheated a little and added "runner's up" and "honorable mentions" sections at the bottom too. I didn't add in things that I did on this list, like the rad projects I got to work on and all the exhibits with Giant Robot etc. (thanks Eric & Michelle!) but I did add my solo show in SF at Candystore because that was so much fun (i snuck it in the honorable mentions)... hope everyone had a great year and are having fully epic holidays!



1. BALLOONS



Not sure if everything here was created in 2008, but I found all this stuff this year... some great artists using air and balloons in their installation work & photography, love it! Image 1 is Hans Hemmert, image 2 is Andrea Galvani and image 3 is Dorthe Alstrup.

2. Niels Fyrst - Modular Nola video



This video is amazing... it's a music video done by Niels Fyrst for Bjorn Svin's track Modular Nola... just beautiful. You can see the full video on Niels' site just click Modular Nola in the work area on the top left.

3. MR. GM, Geoff Mcfetridge



It's no secret that GM is one of my favorite artists ever, and it was nice to see a mini version of his Dutch show here in LA at the REDCAT this year. Got to talk with him a bit and see a nice lecture with him and Ed Fella, very inspiring...

4. BENEATH FIRE & SMOKE



I discovered the Finders Keepers / Battered Ornaments / Twisted Nerve Records catalogs this year and my life has not been the same. I downloaded pretty much everything they had, it was insane. I have to say that it is all amazing stuff, the absolute stand out for me was the band Beneath Fire & Smoke... they have not released much, just a few short eps... but so good. They dropped SOMETIMES this year, you should buy it and everything else they have or will release. Buy things here.

5. THE NUMBER 3



As it relates to 3 bands that all have the number 3 in the name of their band or in the title of the record they released this year. These records couldn't be more different from each other, but they are so great... Ratatat - "LP3", The Dirty Three - "Whatever You Love, You Are", Portishead - "Third"

6. SIGUR ROS



Sigur Ros has been one of my favorite bands since Von was released... this year they released a new record that was a departure from their sort of established/expected sound and it is equally amazing. Then I had the fortunate opportunity to see them live in Los Angeles a the Greek Theatre, an open air theatre in the middle of Griffith Park a few blocks from my apartment.... such an amazing and beautiful night...

7. KANYE WEST



I swear this isn't a joke. I have to give it up to Kanye this year. It started with his partnership with Absolute and the AMAZING tv infomercial he ran, which may be the funniest random thing I have seen in years. Then, like Sigur Ros, he released a new record taking a completely new direction with his sound, and I actually like it too. He has a great blog too, which I'm not sure if it's actually him or one of his assistants, but nonetheless he's the only MC posting about Comme Des Garcons & Murakami etc. Pretty amazing guy that has a great sense of humor, not afraid to experiment and is a big supporter of the arts = #7 on my list.

8. SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH



The funniest thing I have ever seen. I love JONAH. Australia is awesome.

9. OO7



Daniel Craig is the best James Bond ever. EVER.

10. INDIA



Went to India for a few weeks this year.... it was amazing & sad and beautiful & ugly all in one...

RUNNERS UP // RUNNERS UP // RUNNERS UP

11. OBAMA



The only reason he isn't #1 on my list is that he hasn't done anything yet. It is so amazing to have Obama elected, but I don't want to jump the gun... let him get to work and then he'll be my number one for the next 4 years!

12. WEDDINGS



This year some really amazing friends of mine got married, so congratulations I LOVE YOU GUYS!
1. George & Bridget Fujioka 2. Ted & Angie Poketo 3. Justin & Holly VanHoy

13. HAND SURGERY



This actually sucked, but I had hand surgery this year on both hands to repair nerve damage, the good part was that after 8 months of healing my hands seem to be 100%... hopefully I'm all good...

HONORABLE MENTIONS // HONORABLE MENTIONS // HONORABLE MENTIONS



1. My solo show at Candystore in SF this past summer 2. Meeting Hillary Clinton at a rally 3. Being Nas' stylist 4. Visiting Joshua Tree National Park 5. My off the chart Wii tennis ranking (and it's even higher now this photo is 6 months old).


THANKS to everyone this year who supported me by coming out to shows, sending emails, purchased art, ordered products etc etc... such a great year... can't wait for 2009!

GRSF - printed matter 4

I'm really excited that 3 of my prints are going to be on display at Giant Robot SF this holiday season during the exhibition Printed Matter 4 which opens on Saturday December 13th and runs until January 14, 2009.

Giant Robot SF
618 Shrader St
SF, CA 94117

Carolina Chaves Urruzmendi

My friend Caro has a show called "Elements" opening in LA on December 6 @ Lucas in Echo Park. She's coming down from SF for the opening so come out and meet here and buy some of her really awesome artwork!

Lucas
1541 Echo Park Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90026

opening from 8-11pm

Incredible India

We are back from our amazing trip to India... with all that is happening in Mumbai I feel really lucky to have been there and back without incident and we really loved the trip. We were in the north western portion of the country and visited: Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Pushkar and Agra. I absolutely LOVED Udaipur and I actually just released a small full color 50+ page book of photographs of murals from that amazing city which is available for purchase here.

Here's a little slide show of our trip

What's not to love about a city that was the backdrop to the James Bond movie Octopussy

Berdhouse Gallery - LA exhibit

I've got a piece in Los Angeles at the Berdhouse Gallery in a show called Thrifty, which is a themed show where we were asked to make art pieces based on photographs that were given to us that were taken in thrift stores. The show opens on Friday December 6th in Echo Park.

Berdhouse Gallery
1505 1/2 echo park ave
los angeles, ca 90026

Nomonotono - Madrid exhibition

I was asked to make a print for a show called Nomonotono in Madrid, Spain which opens on Thursday November 27 at the Studio Banana offices. My print is the image above called "Sunset" which is a giclee print and is only available for purchase at the gallery. UPDATE! below are some photos from the opening...

INDIA

heading off to India & Singapore.... see you in a few weeks!

Poketo / McSweeney's / 826LA - wallet & interview

I was asked to take part in a really rad collaboration project with Poketo / McSweeney's / 826LA which pairs up writing students with artists to create new wallets available at the Poketo shop! My wallet is available for purchase here. There is also a new little interview with me here.

October shows!

I've got a few shows happening in October....
1. San Francisco :: Giant Robot SF - Game Over is a group show at GRSF opening on October 11 - GRSF 618 Shrader Street, SF

2. Oceanside, CA :: Keep A Breast - 8 year anniversary of Keep A Breast on October 12 - Swiv Tackle Circus 530 South Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA 92054

3. Ottawa, Canada :: Canteen Art Space - The Little Big Show at Canteen Art Space on October 16 - Canteen 238 Dalhousie, Ottawa

The Joyful Bewilderment // London exhibit

I'm very excited that I have some work in London in an exhibit entitled The Joyful Bewilderment. The exhibit features the works of some of my favorites: Craig Atkinson, Holly Stevenson, James Jarvis, Josh Petherick, Marcus Oakley, Nigel Peake, Ryan Jacob Smith, Simon Peplow, Steven Harrington, Supermundane and so many other amazing thing makers. The opening reception is on Thursday October 2nd from 7p until midnight at Rough Trade East Gallery located at: Dray Walk, Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL

A little about the exhibit from the curators:
"The Joyful Bewilderment" showcases the work of a group of like minded image-makers. This exhibition can be seen as an expression of these artists compulsion to create. Fundamentally, the artists in the show all share an essential motivation - to explore the possibilities of enhancing everyday life by making magic from the mundane. The works in the show utilize modest and direct means - including works in pencil, paint and ink along with photographic works which record and celebrate everyday happenstances.



Thanks to the amazing Simon Peplow for his orchestration of all this!

The Joyful Bewilderment
OCTOBER 2
7P - MIDNIGHT
ROUGH TRADE EAST : Dray Walk, Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL

Finders Keepers // i shop the world section

I shop the "world" section, big time... for the last 2 years I've been really into 70's Turkish funk, 70's Japanese, Indian, Ethiopian, and I've always been a fan of 60's French music... I was talking with my friends over at Dublab about some of that stuff and how it's hard to come by and they referred me to Finders Keepers Records, which is insanely amazing. They've got reissues of some great 70's Turkish, Welsh and Japanese stuff as well as amazing modern indie rock and instrumental rock, and their webshop is linked with Twisted Nerve's which also has an amazing catalogue of similar genres. You can listen to everything before you buy, and not 30 sec previews, the entire thing... Check out Selda, Yamasuki, Ersen, Beneath Fire & Smoke, Voice Of The Seven Woods, Aidan Smith, Jean Claude Vannier, Alfie, D.O.T., Wolf People, Misty Dixon... instantly my favorite thing of 2008.

Forest

The genius behind The Drama is now the genius behind the art direction of Anthem. Joel just updated his site with a bunch of new projects so take a peak... you'll be happy you did... this is Forest.

Suddenly It's Real

Friends Ben Floeter and Natalie Wright launched their new collaboration project Suddenly It's Real. Nice cross section of their artwork and products, with a webshop.... so pick something up before it all sells out.............. You can also check them out this weekend at the Renegade Craft Fair!

CARL SAGAN // HUBBLE // SCIENCE

Carl Sagan was an amazing scientist that actually made an extreme effort to make science accessible to all. With his PBS series Cosmos : A Personal Voyage, Mr. Sagan embedded himself into the minds of an entire generation of kids who sat and watched with amazement in science/astronomy classes across America. The images and ideas in the series always inspired me and continue to as the series has been rebroadcast on Discovery Science Channel.



The Hubble Space Telescope has picked up where Carl Sagan left off, and has been a huge source of inspiration... the images it has captured are unbelievable. Can't wait for the James Webb Space Telescope to be launched!

NAS

Just spent the last 2 days as the stylist for a shoot for NAS & Fila... pretty crazy, but that's what Los Angeles is all about... the images from the shoot should be out in 2 - 3 months... for now here's the NAS tour bus sponsored by Fila

Kelly Lynn Jones

Friend and recent LA to SF transplant, Kelly Lynn Jones, has a solo show opening on Saturday August 9 in Los Angeles at the Little Bird Gallery Her work is really great, and her paintings are very "California" in the way that David Hockney's work is... but with a completely different color scheme and of different subject matter... I'm telling you though, there is a loose connection...

Little Bird Gallery
3195 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90039
7-10PM

Simple Pleasures // Studio Number One

Art/craft/design/zine fair on Saturday Augut 9, 2008 at Studio Number One in Los Angeles. Curated by friends Joel Speasmaker & Justin Van Hoy... come out tomorrow from 1-7 PM, I'll have a table with a bunch of stuff for sale!

all the info here

Studio Number One
1331 W Sunset Blvd
Los angeles, CA 90026

UNWOUND // OLYMPIA, WA

Unwound is one of the most influential bands in my life. I started listening to them when the released their third album "New Plastic Ideas" when I was in high school and they really bridged the gap between some of the "harder" sounding stuff and the "indie" rock I was listening to. Unwound exuded such a strong positive D.I.Y. ethic that really resonated with me and was one of the reasons I started "making music" with my friends and it eventually lead me down a career path of making art. They really had a great sound that was way arty and dark, and in no way sounded like hardcore which, sorry, I was never a fan. The music varied from very stripped down indie/garage rock (ex. Entirely Different Matters), to very cinematic and epic (ex. For Your Entertainment), and they concluded their amazing run with the artful double LP "Leaves Turn Inside You" which was an amazing departure from their self titled first LP. Through the years I kept buying their records and singles and each time was amazed by their very obvious growth between releases, but their independent attitude and aesthetic always fought it's way through. They never signed to a major label, and have the second greatest number of releases on Kill Rock Stars, (next to giants Sleater Kinney).



Which brings me to the second part of this post which is tied in w/ Unwound, and that's basically the entire music scene from Olympia, WA (and surrounding areas) from the early to mid 1990's. In 1994 when I was in high school I went out there with some friends for a music festival called Yoyo-A-Gogo, which featured like a hundred of the most amazing bands from all over. Built To Spill, Lync, The Spinnanes, Lois, GodHead Silo, Slant 6, Neutral Milk Hotel, E 17, Dahlia Seed, Heavens To Betsy, Beck, Versus, Team Dresch, Some Velvet Sidewalk, Crayon, Mary Lou Lord, Hush Harbor, Fitz OD, Karp, and so many more.... It was the greatest week of my high school years... such a huge influence as I still listen to the majority of these bands almost 15 years later.

KEVIN LYONS // NATURAL BORN

Kevin Lyons is my mentor, well, one of them.
I had the privilege of working with and around Kevin at Urban Outfitters for roughly 7 years. Kevin's resume is pretty impressive and includes Creative Director @ Urban Outfitters, Creative Director @ Stussy, art director @ Tokion, typography professor @ Pratt, amongst a multitude of others achievements in the corporate design world as well as "fine art" world with a series of international exhibitions. I had always been a HUGE fan of his work when I was in college and when I graduated I started working at Urban... 7 years later I'm on my own and learned so much from him (and others @ UO) but it was a real honor to have worked with an artist that you have always admired. Now, I no longer think of him as someone to learn from, or as a friend, but more like the older brother I never wanted. My second year of working at Urban I had ALMOST cut the tip of my finger off in a freak accident and about a month later we had corporate end of the fiscal year meetings in Philadelphia with the CEO & Presdent etc all in attendance. Kevin gave a presentation showcasing the future art direction of UO, and about every fifth slide was a random image that he culled from Google Images of severed hands and fingers etc. and he continually announced throughout his 30 minute presentation "...and this is Chris Bettig's finger." It was very non-challant, and he breezed by them as though it was nothing... he'd be talking and showing slides of the new 3d store signs, or the new graphics, type treatments, then a bloody finger, then right back to business. Anyway, for that and everything else, thanks Kevin.

Kevin Lyons is blogging for Arkitip and has a really interesting series going of the 100 most influential people, a theme which appears in his work quite a bit... makes for some good reading.

Kevin Lyons is also the founder of Natural Born.

Kevin is now @ Anomaly.

INTO INFINITY // DUBLAB

Dublab's newest art / music venture is called Into Infinity and debuts this friday 08.08.08... each artist was given 12" card stock circles to create works on and musicians donated short audio loops (my pieces are above next to the flyer)... the epic radness is unleashed on 08.08.08....

INTO INFINITY

UPDATE!!!!
here's a link to my art w/ musical accompaniment... such a rad project... long live DUBLAB!

POOLGA // iPHONE // iPOD touch

Poolga offers you free wallpaper downloads for your iPhone or iPod touch... and they just released 2 designs by me... personally I've been rocking my design called "Pyramid Technology" on my iPhone for a while now...

view and download all the designs here

CODY HUDSON // SAVE MY LIFE

I met Cody in early 2004 when I was co-curating exhibits with Amber Busy Being at the now defunct Four X Four Gallery in Los Angeles. I had been a big fan of his work for a long time and had always wanted a reason to contact him, and luckily enough I was asked to put together some shows at the gallery. Cody was the first one on my list... his work is so rad and has evolved into some really beautiful installations... check him out tonight if you are in Portland as his new solo show opens at Fifty24PDX Gallery ... he's also got a 2 person show still up in LA at New Image Art Gallery....


Cody Hudson
Save My Life
Fifty24PDX Gallery
Portland, OR
AUG 7- SEPT 27, 2008

Recovery & thanks...

I just want to let everyone know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, I have been recovery from dual hand surgery (carpal tunnel) and a big thank you to all those who have emailed and to all those on flickr who have been sending me notes/comments/messages. I have a few more weeks of physical therapy and then it's back to business... some great projects and shows coming up, hopefully I'll see you soon!

As for the blog, this used to function as my my "news" section for my old site, but my new site has that incorporated... so this is going to be more of a blog of interesting things, influences, events, as well as a place where I'll talk about new things I'm working on. Hope you enjoy what's coming and I hope you are all doing well.

cb.

NEW WEBSITE! NEW WEBSITE! NEW WEBSITE! & SHOP!

NEW WEBSITE!
Finally after like a year, new website and shop with some new projects, new art, new exhibits, new new new...
CHRISTOPHER BETTIG // THE MOUNTAIN LABEL

Rodan v Griffith // type exhibit

I've got a piece in this great type show at my friends store Rodan V Griffith here in LA opening this Friday May 30th from 7pm - midnight. The show features a bunch of friends who make rad work... Dutch Press, Andy Mueller, Joel Speasmaker, Trace Marshall, Katsuo Design, Skyrocket Studio, Rory Wilson, Liam Devowski, Matt Sohl, and many more!

Type 4 Type's Sake
@
Rodan V Griffith
8207 W. 3 rd St
West Hollywood, CA
(btwn La Jolla & Sweetzer)

Giant Robot SF - Tree Show 4 exhibit

There is a really awesome show at Giant Robot SF that I'm proud to be in which opens on Saturday May 17 called the Tree Show IV.

This year's Tree Show will also be a fundraising effort for San Francisco's Friends of the Urban Forest, a non-profit organization that plants over 1,500 trees a year to keep San Francisco communities green. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of artwork will go towards their efforts. For more information, please visit the group's website: fuf.net

GRSF
618 Shrader Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
gr-sf.com
415-876-4773

opening reception from 6:30 - 10 PM

SF SOLO SHOW - MAY 8th - June 20th

My first SF solo show opens on May 8th from 6:30 - 8:30 at Candystore which is located at 3153 16th Street SF, CA 94103
The show is called "I Love You, And Other Odds And Ends" and features about 15 brand new paintings as well as several print editions, and debuting a brand new print edition inspired by The Kinks entitled "We Are Not Two We Are One."

I will be up in SF from May 6th, so stop by and say "Hi" or help me wallpaper the space with my prints, or bring me candy...
for those that know me you can see how this is the perfect place for me to show, there's nothing I like in this world better then sugar...

Hope to see you in SF!


Candystore
3153 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94103

opening reception on May 8th from 6:30 - 8:30
exhibition dates : May 8th - June 20th, 2008

btw. i love this Kinks cover version

New York Times

I know this isn't the best shot, but The New York Times featured my 9" dinner plate that I did for Urban Outfitters. The plate was on the NY Times website as well as in the Home and Garden section of the April 17th newspaper. So rad!

Urban Outfitters - glassware

All new glass tumblers featuring my leaf design available at Urban Outfitters stores and online!

Urban Outfitters- ceramic bowls

All new ceramic bowls featuring my leaf design available at Urban Outfitters stores and online!

Ovation TV

Ovation TV has been running some of my art on their homepage lately and during the months of April/May will also been running some spots on TV of my art as well. Ovation TV is channel 274 on Direct TV here in LA...