While the name Michael Miller might not immediately ring any bells, the man has quietly moved through the hip hop world for the past 25 years cataloging the culture through his lens. His impressive portfolio includes a campaign for Stussy as well as over hundreds of album covers, with his work leaning West Coast what with Miller being an LA native. Cracking open his vault, his inaugural show West Coast Hip Hop, A History In Pictures consisted a collection of 43 black and white pieces that have never been seen by the public before. The imagery therein conjures the sinister scenes of Los Angeles’ lower class, capturing the likes of Ice Cube and Tupac as they rose through the ranks to become global icons. Follow us after the jump for a photo recap of the recent show that went down at Known Gallery. via Juxtapoz

For the first time ever, world-renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami will stage a solo exhibition in the Middle East. Qatar Museums Authority will host the show, entitled “Murakami – Ego,” featuring more than 60 works from 1997 to the present, as well as several new pieces created exclusively for the upcoming exhibition. Billed as the portrait of the artist as a cartoon, “Murakami – Ego” presents the artist as both a cipher and critic, exposing and commenting on pop culture and our consumerist society. Murakami has conceived the actual staging of the exhibition as itself a work of art, installing LED pedestals with digital animation, a circus tent that doubles as a cinema, and a new 100-meter long painting that wraps around the entire space. Curator Massimiliano Gioni likens the preparation of the show as “akin to building a little city.” The exhibition will also feature some of the artist’s most well-known pieces, including “Kaikai Kiki Lots of Faces” and “Pom and Me,” which will be presented in their entirety for the first time. “Murakami – Ego” will open at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, on February 9th and run through June 24th. Check out a behind the scenes video following the click, and for more information about the exhibition, visit the Qatar Museum Authority’s Facebook page.

For many of us, Calvin and Hobbes miraculously transmuted the wonder of early childhood into discrete comic strip panels. And not just the sense of adventure and imagination, but also boredom, pathos, and most importantly, friendship, as the series chronicled the exploits of a spiky-haired moppet named Calvin and his stuffed tiger companion, Hobbes. The comic strip ran from 1985 and ended in 1995, when creator Bill Watterson announced that he had accomplished all he could within the parameters of the comic strip medium. And now fans of Calvin and Hobbes will have the opportunity to own an ultra-rare piece of original artwork by Bill Watterson through public auction, something that’s never before happened. The ink and watercolor illustration, depicting the titular characters napping peacefully under the shade of an autumn tree, will be part of Heritage Auctions‘ Vintage Comics & Comic Art Signature event in New York on February 23rd. The piece is expected to fetch at least $50,000. via: Artdaily

In honor of the upcoming 3D cinematic release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Brisk Iced Tea is launching the Brisk Bodega in Los Angeles, a pop-up art gallery with live music that kicks off February 2nd at the Brisk Cantina on Figueroa. The event is hosted by Just Blaze, who will be performing with DJ Skee, and features pieces from artists including POSE, Mark Dean Veca, Artek, Jasper Wong, Leo Eguiarte and more.  Go here to RSVP for the February 2nd event (for those 21 & over), and look for the Brisk Bodega to land in New York on February 23rd, as well as SXSW in Austin on March 12th. Click through for video of Just Blaze breaking down the Brisk Bodega, plus his impressions of Episode 1.

Brisk Bodega Cantina
722 N. Figueroa St. | Map
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Event Date: February 2nd, 2012 (Thursday) | 8 pm – 12 am

To raise fund for his own charitable organization, Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, and the New York chapter of United Way, Jay-Z will be hosting an intimate concert at New York City’s iconic Carnegie Hall on February 7th. First as a resident in Brookly’s Marcy public housing project, then as a upcoming hip-hop artist, entrepreneur, mogul, and more recently, a husband and father, the concert is a reflection of Jay-Z’s life and time as a New Yorker. It is also a testament to the age old saying “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere”. Tickets for the concert are on sale now at Carnegie Hall’s online box office. As expected, the demands have already overwhelmed the event space’s website. However, you can also enter to win 2 free tickets by simply “like” Carnegie Hall’s Facebook page.

Photography: Tommy Ton/Jak & Jill

Fans of street and contemporary art will have to go a little out of their way to check out the latest works from some of the most prominent artists working today. Specifically, they’ll have to travel to Tuscon, Arizona, where the Pima Air and Space Museum will host “The Boneyard Project: Return Trip.” There, the art won’t be displayed on walls, but rather on the surface of retired aircraft that litter the area and make up the “boneyard.” The ambitious project was conceived last spring by gallery owner Eric Firestone and organized with the help of curator Carlo McCormick.

Throughout the past few weeks, the exterior of three super DC-3 planes were made over by Nunca, Retna and twin artists How & Nosm. On January 28th, they’ll be joined by additional planes painted by Faile and Andrew Schoultz, as well as a cockpit transformed by Saner. Also on display will be over 30 nose cones painted by the likes of Aiko, Bast, Crash, Daze, El Mac, Ron English, Shepard Fairey, Futura, Erik Foss, Tara Mcpherson, Richard Prince, Lee Quinones and Kenny Scharf. Click through for additional preview looks after the click.

There is no doubt that mastermind JAPAN have completed a huge number of creative collaborations in the past that were far from the ordinary. And to this date, mastermind JAPAN have successfully produced two food-related projects; here is their third installment, with Tokyo-based deli style cafe PARIYA. As usual, the MASTERMIND PARIYA pop-up shop will only be open for three days and it will be located underneath THE CONTEMPORARY FIX. There will be a limited amount of sets available each day, so don’t hesitate to check it out early. The restaurant will open at 11:30am and will take the last order at 8pm. via: EYESCREAM

MASTERMIND PARIYA
3-12-14 Kita Aoyama | Map
Minato Ku, Tokyo

Opening Dates: January 28th, 2012 (Saturday) – January 30th, 2012 (Monday)

VERSUS TOKYO was set up by Yuichi Yoshii to show case the leaders from the Tokyo menswear industry at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week TOKYO. The reception to the event was overwhelmingly positive, so the team has brought the whole event to key fairs in Italy. Starting the tour was their first destination in Florence, where they set up a special exhibition space at Pitti Immagine Uomo. Brands represented had become broader and included 20 well known brands from Japan, including mastermind JAPAN, PHENOMENON, WHIZ Limited, SWAGGER, AMBUSH, MR. GENTLEMAN, Terrem and many more. Take a look at their display in detail after the jump. via: Fashionsnap.com

Even though this exhibition will be opening later this year, it definitely deserves a mention and a big reminder in our calender. In a fantastic turn of events, The Andy Warhol Foundation has granted University of California’s Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive a huge grant, to the tune of $100,000, to host a retrospective exhibition for Barry McGee. It is no secret that Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive have an excellent program and they will be putting on a great exhibition. If you are in the San Francisco area, this exhibition should not be missed. Stay tuned for more details on the exhibition. via: Juxstapoz

Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive
Woo Hon Fai Hall | Map
2625 Durant Avenue #2250
Berkeley, CA 94720-2250

Exhibition Dates: August 23th, 2012 (Thursday) – December 9th, 2012 (Sunday)

Takahiro Miyashita will be partnering up with NEPENTHES to bring over his concept store, grocerystore., to New York. This collaboration is not surprising since Miyashita had once worked at NEPENTHES in the past. The theme of the grocerystore. centers around a boutique which functions much like a conventional grocery store, showcasing various unique one-of pieces amongst his own label, TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloIst. Expect to see some rare items by UNDERCOVER, TANGTANG and photo collection from TLRiK, as well as collaboration items with Cody Sanderson and Oliver Peoples. The pop-up shop will be open for few months but be sure to drop by the open reception tonight.

NEPENTHES
307 West 38th Street | Map
New York, NY 10018

Opening Reception Date: January 17th, 2012 (Tuesday) | 7 pm – 9 pm

The Agenda Trade Show, first launched in 2003, features the best of street, surf and skate wear. This year’s Agenda in Long Beach, CA, was the biggest yet, showcasing over 450 brands and taking up 250,000 square feet of floor space at the cavernous Long Beach Convention Center. Joey Graziano was there for the two-day event, held January 5th to 6th, and captured footage of upcoming product from trade show exhibitors Herschel Supply Co., Ezekiel, Palladium, Brixton and others. Check out the video after the click.

The writing is on the wall, so to speak. This coming Thursday, January 19th, Nike will launch a revolutionary product. Though the company’s been quite tight-lipped about the exact nature of it, a significant aspect is that it will be for any one and any sport. Another hint: it will be within the Nike+ product segment. Here is a glimpse at the possibilities, via the first of the Nike #MakeItCount videos after the jump…