Gary Taxali

The Orphan Works Roundtable and Webcast
Posted by Gary Taxali at 9:31 am on August 3rd

From the Illustrators' Partnership.

You are cordially invited to attend
THE ORPHAN WORKS ROUNDTABLE AND WEBCAST
CONDUCTED BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

How Will the Orphan Works Bill Economically Impact Small Entities?
Friday, August 8, 2008
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Salmagundi Club
47 Fifth Avenue (between 11th & 12th Streets)
New York, NY 10003
212-255-7740
http://www.salmagundi.org
Free Admission

Please attend this important industry event. Let government officials hear directly from those of us who will be harmed if this bill passes.

Until now, the Orphan Works bill has been driven by anti-copyright forces and special interest groups. This will be our first opportunity to be heard in a government sponsored forum devoted to the business interests of copyright holders. The Roundtable will be chaired by Tom Sullivan, Director of the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration (SBA). It will give artists from the Northeast the chance to explain the impact of Orphan Works legislation on our careers and the art we create.
Will the cost of compliance create an unreasonable burden on artists, writers and musicians?
Will the failure to register work lead to the loss of copyrights?
Why should artists be forced to supply their business data to commercial databases?
Will the bill create a new business model favoring large corporations at the expense of individual artists?
Will this change the nature of competition for all of us?
Eighteen distinguished panelists, all from the creative community, will represent the copyright interests of illustrators, photographers, fine artists, art licensors, writers, musicians, and the collateral businesses that serve and are dependent on creators.

Congress established the Office of Advocacy under Pub. L. 94-305 to represent the views of small entities before Federal agencies and Congress. Advocacy is an independent office within the Small Business Administration.

This event will be webcast.
PLEASE RSVP to illustratorspartnership@cnymail.com and include the names of those attending.

You may review the agenda, the panelists and their biographies on the IPA blog:
http://ipaorphanworks.blogspot.com/2008/08/80808-sba-hearing-on-orphan-works.html

Comments (3)

Gallery show in Barcelona
Posted by Gary Taxali at 9:58 pm on May 23rd

If you happen to be in Barcelona on June 5th, please come by Iguapop Gallery. I will be showing 32 news works of various metal, wood and mixed media pieces.

Hope to see you there!
Gary

Iguapop Gallery & Shop
C/ Comerç, 15
08003 Barcelona
T.Gallery: / +34 / 933 100 735

gallery@iguapop.net

www,iguapop.net

"India Hero" , Oil Enamel on Aluminum

"Fuckola", mixed media on paper

"Crap", ink on plywood

Comments (4)

Art show/CD release party with Aimee Mann
Posted by Gary Taxali at 6:50 pm on May 18th

Here is the CD cover for Aimee Mann's "@#&*! Smilers"

Los Angeles, CA—Aimee Mann has collaborated with critically acclaimed visual artist Gary Taxali on her 7th solo release "@#%&! Smilers", to be released on June 3, 2008 on her own SuperEgo Records. Taxali has contributed 17 original illustrations for the packaging of the CD, art directed by Aimee Mann and Gail Marowitz, and designed by Marowitz and Ed Sherman. Los Angeles art gallery La Luz De Jesus will host a CD release party and one night showing of the 17 new artworks on May 31st from 6-9pm. Both Taxali and Mann will be present to sign copies of the new CD.

Gary Taxali is an award-winning illustrator who has worked for such clients as Rolling Stone, Time, Esquire and The New York Times. His work has received recognition from Graphis, Communication Arts, American Illustration, Print, SPD, a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators, a Gold Medal from the National Addys and a nomination for a Cannes Lion. He is a Founding Member of IPA (The Illustrators' Partnership of America) and sits on the Advisory Board of 3x3: The Magazine of Contemporary Illustration. Gary's latest toy figures, "Oh No" and Oh Oh", were mass produced by his new company, Chump Inc. His first children's book, which he wrote and illustrated, "This Is Silly", is being published by Scholastic and slated for a summer 2009 release. This summer, he will be having his first major show in Europe at "Iguapop Gallery" in Barcelona, Spain. Taxali lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

Aimee Mann has long championed visual artists, collaborating with them to create her work-of-art CD packages. In 2003 she teamed with literary comic book writer and artist Seth who illustrated her CD Lost In Space. In 2006 Aimee Mann and Gail Marowitz won a Grammy award for Best Recording Package for their work on Mann’s Forgotten Arm, illustrated by painter Owen Smith, a five time cover artist for the New Yorker.

After originally breaking onto the music scene during the 80’s leading the post-new wave pop group ’Til Tuesday, Aimee Mann has gone on to establish herself as one of the most prominent singer-songwriters of her generation. Her successful solo career has spanned across several critically acclaimed albums, including the massively popular soundtrack for the film Magnolia,
which garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Song in 2000. Time magazine has said of her, “Mann has the same skill that great tunesmiths like McCartney and Neil Young have: the knack for writing simple, beautiful, instantly engaging songs.” Aimee will be touring throughout the summer and fall in support of Smilers.

Location: La Luz de Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd, 2008
Los, Angeles
Date: Saturday, May 31st, 2008
Time: 6:00 - 9:00
Phone: (323) 666 - 7667
Email: info@laluzdejesus.com

Comments (17)

Orphan Works: Behind the Talking Points
Posted by Gary Taxali at 4:59 pm on May 9th

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP

Backers of the Orphan Works bill are circulating their Talking Points:

“Neither the House nor the Senate drafts of the bill contain the word “registries,” [they write] but rather they require users to search non-governmental databases of copyrighted works. The purpose of any database is not meant to take the place of copyright registration, but to have a way to search for visual images. Any participation in such a database would be voluntary.”

But this doesn’t mean what it appears to say. Take it point by point:

Talking Point #1: “Neither the House nor the Senate drafts of the bill contain the word ‘registries.’ ”
Response: Correct. They contain the word “databases,” a synonym:

Registry: register: an official written record of names or events or transactions
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Database: A database is a structured collection of records or data
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database

Q: Why a synonym?
A: Because international copyright law forbids member countries to impose registries as a condition of protecting copyrights: Berne/Article 5(2) ”The enjoyment and the exercise of these rights shall not be subject to any formality.” http://www.law.cornell.edu/treaties/berne/5.html

In other words, if they used the word “registries” in the bills, it would be a red flag to other countries that the US is flirting with non-compliance with international treaties.

Talking Point #2: “...rather they [the bills] require users to search non-governmental databases of copyrighted works.”
Response: Non-governmental databases” means databases maintained in the private sector.
For users to find your work in these commercial databases, your work would first have to be in the database.
Work not in the database would be orphaned.

Talking Point #3: “Any participation in such a database would be voluntary.”
Response: Congress cannot pass a bill making registration mandatory because that would violate Berne/Article 5(2).
And that would state explicitly to other countries that the US no longer intends to honor its international agreements.
There are red flags all over these talking points.

Summing up: The Orphan Work bills would mandate the creation of registries by commercial interests.
You would not be legally forced to place your work with these for-profit registries.
But failure to do so would orphan your work.

The deceptive talking points accompanying this bill are another red flag.

— Brad Holland and Cynthia Turner, for the Board of the Illustrators’ Partnership

Take Action/ Write Congress http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

Over 37,000 messages have been sent from the site in the last 48 hours. Please spread the word.

Please forward or post this announcement in its entirety to any interested party.

Comments (1)

New Vinyl figures from Chump Toys
Posted by Gary Taxali at 10:10 pm on March 17th

OH NO and OH OH are guaranteed to provide hours of fun

Hello friends,

My company Chump Toys and I are pleased to present to you my two new vinyl characters OH NO (the red one) and OH OH (the blue one) They both stand at 6.5" and the legs are fully moveable. For more info, please check out my site at:

www.chumptoys.com

Thanks,
Gary

Comments (14)

The Anti-War Show
Posted by Gary Taxali at 7:55 pm on November 23rd

"Iraq, I Took", Oil Enamel and Mixed Media on Aluminum, 18" x 24"

Here is a painting I did for an ant-war group show coming up on Dec 4th at The Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City. 20% of the proceeds of the sales of the paintings will go to a veterans' charity. As well, the gallery is producing 1000 24" x 36" posters of each painting and will distribute them for free at the night of the opening.

"? The War"

The Anti-War Show
25 Artists Original Paintings
Free Posters of All Work in the Show

Tuesday, September 4th
7-10 pm

Corey Helford Gallery
8522 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA
310.287.2340

www.coreyhelford.com

Comments (7)

Happy Birthday Greg Mably!
Posted by Gary Taxali at 2:21 pm on September 11th

"New Leaf" by Greg Mably

Drinks tonight, pal....!

Anyone else in? Email me and we'll get drunk with the birthday boy!

Cheers,
Gary

Comments (12)

My First Canadian Solo Show
Posted by Gary Taxali at 6:28 pm on September 3rd

�2007 Gary Taxali, "Trailer", 11" x 17", Alkyd Oils on Plywood

Hello,
This Thursday, September 6th, I will be having my first Canadian solo show....
I hope to see you there!
Gary

"LAST YEAR'S WINNER" A solo show of over 60 new works by Gary Taxali

Show runs from Sept 6 - Sept 30

Opening reception: Thursday, Sept 6th, 7-10 pm

Magic Pony Gallery
694 Queen Street West (2 blocks west of Bathurst, on the North side)
(416) 861-1684
www.magic-pony.com

Press and sales inquiries: ponygirl@magic-pony.com

Also included in the show are artistic collaboration works with musician pals Jad Fair, Danko Jones and Aimee Mann.

For an online preview , please CLICK HERE: http://www.garytaxali.com/lastyears/lastyears.php

Comments (6)

Last Year's Winner
Posted by Gary Taxali at 11:56 am on August 22nd

"Last Year's Winner", ink on paper, 11" x 14"

Magic Pony Gallery in Toronto, Canada presents a solo show of over 60 new works by Gary Taxali.

Show runs from Sept 6 - Sept 30
Opening reception: Thursday, Sept 6th, 7-10 pm

Magic Pony Gallery
694 Queen Street West (2 blocks west of Bathurst, on the North side)
(416) 861-1684
www.magic-pony.com

Press inquiries: contact@magic-pony.com

"Though raised in Toronto, this is one of Gary Taxali's first solo Canadian shows; his successful career, however, has brought him publication in the likes of Newsweek, Rolling Stone and The New York Times. His works are exceedingly distinctive (indeed, as a contemporary illustrator he's as eminently branded and as uncompromising as they come): oft inspired by vintage images, his designs are stamped, screen-printed or hand-painted on a collage of media."
David Balzer, Toronto Life

***Also included in the show are artistic collaboration works with musician pals Jad Fair, Danko Jones and Aimee Mann.

For an online preview immediately before the show, please send an email to gary@garytaxali.com

Comments (6)

Chump Toys
Posted by Gary Taxali at 10:53 pm on June 11th

The Original Toy Monkey DELUXE EDITION

Hello all,

All issues have been sorted out and I am officially firing up Chump Toys full steam ahead. I am working on my next toy which I hope to have out by the fall. In the meantime, thanks to everyone for their kind support!

As for toys currently available, I have my "Poof" Series 3 qee (2-1/2 inch) available signed for $12.

I also have, wait for it, a few DELUXE EDITION Original Toy Monkeys. The only thing that makes this baby a DELUXE EDITION is that it comes with a small 2 colour mini-print (postcard size), each one is signed by me (I also personalize) and a chance to win a FREE original piece of art from me. That is if your monkey is the one that comes with a Golden Tassle........only 50 of these in the DELUXE EDITION and they're going fast...! They're $200 plus $15 for shipping. And then that's it....no more monkeys. No black and white edition, nothing.

Click here for more info:

http://www.chumptoys.com

Thank you!
Best wishes to all,
Gary Taxali

p.s. What will be my next toy? Email me to be on my list to get firsthand news and updates: gary@garytaxali.com _________________
CHUMP INC.

Comments (6)