Wednesday, December 5, 2012


One of my favorite pieces right now at the Museum of Modern Art is called Deadpan and it is a film by the director Steve McQueen.  It is in black and white and was made in 1997.   It is on the first floor in the contemporary galleries and is kind of hidden a little off to the side (it is a film so it is presented in a dark room) through a room with some Franz West sculptures.

I love it so much.  I have gone and spent some time with it a couple times (kind of an embarrassing amount of time) and keep thinking about going back and watching it more. 

Deadpan references the famous Buster Keaton stunt (from Steamboat Bill Jr.) of the front of a building falling down around him, but he is unharmed because he is standing in exactly the right spot where the window (open, or not there) on the façade of the wall is that falls.  McQueen replaces Keaton in his film.

No matter how many times I watch the building falling I always have the moment of fear that the calculations were off and something very bad is going to happen.

I went to the museum this past Monday and it was very quiet.  I think early afternoons on Mondays are my favorite time to go to the useum.  You can often be in a room there by yourself with several amazing things.  I walked into the Deadpan room alone and watched for a few minutes (the entire film is only 4:35).  I think the best distance to stand away from the wall where it is projected is about eight feet (or right before the top of your head enters the pictures (though, do this if you are alone--walk up a little past that just to see because the colors look neat)) and right in the center of the room. 

I asked a guard who was standing just outside the room how long the film would be on view and he said things often change within the exhibition so if you have a chance, go see this soon.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012






















Three! Tattly drawings released today!  A very horizontal giraffe! A snake that I guarantee will not bite!  And a Millipede!?!

(The Millipede crawling on that woman's clavicle is particularly creepy!!)






















The song titles are in my handwriting on the new Beck Album!























This is the gallery website and this is Michael's website.

Sunday, December 2, 2012



















My friend's daughter did some coloring on my (now her) zebra drawing and made it about 150 times better.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Friday, November 23, 2012









It is the Friday after Thanksgiving and I have been thinking about things to get for people for holiday time and I thought I would put together a list of some things of mine that are available and some things by people I like that are available.

There are copies of Real Weird still available for $12.

I made a book with Dashwood and some (not too many!) are still available.

Alec Soth and Brad Zellar have been making some awesome books together recently (also, a show at Cranbrook right now!).

6 Decades books has so many good things.  If you buy that Bridget Riley piece please let me come over and look at it occasionally.

The letterpress portfolio recently released by 6 Decades and Boo-Hooray (They have been doing some awesome projects with Larry Clark (who has a new film you can watch right now for the cost of a burrito!)).

Baggu Bags!

Maybe a subscription to Believer! Voted the best magazine in the history (I am not sure this vote happened, but I think it happened) of publishing!

The Land Can Handle It book is sold out but there are some of the Special Editions still available.

Mary and Matt make the best designed/tasting chocolate bars in the business!

Matt Singer has a bunch of good stuff to look through on his site.  I hope you find something you would like.

Maybe some (a lot) of books from Printed Matter?

The People Around Here book from Seems is big and salmon colored!

Stefan Marx has a show opening on Monday at Primetime and I know there will be some awesome drawings there (and I hear there is a book being made for the show that is produced in a limited edition of 20!?!)!

A lot of good options from The Curiosity Shoppe!

I make editions with 20x200 sometimes.

and also!  I heard Taco Bell now has gift certificates!

I hope everyone is good.
Jason.


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Friday, November 9, 2012






Mara caught me making this drawing!

Thursday, November 8, 2012














I just heard from Parts & Labor that The Land Can Handle It book is getting pretty close to selling out.   WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.  A good chunk of you reading this already have it (thank you!) and I wanted to let the rest of you know in case you wanted to get one.  Jenny, Charlie and I put a lot of thought and energy and time into it and I am proud that the book exists and I want everyone that wants one to have one.

I also wanted to mention the special edition.  It is limited to ten, but each one is its own piece.  I handwrite the story on the photo (this takes me a while for each one but I am really happy with how they come out) that you get with a numbered (to ten) copy of the book.  

This is the story I write on the photograph:  



We were in Jackson, Wyoming, when I took this picture.  The car had been overheating the day before and we didn't know what to do.  It was early and we were worried about driving off without getting things looked at but we were having trouble finding a mechanic that was open or available.   We bought a container of radiator coolant and a gallon jug of water and a white paper funnel to mix the two liquids at the gas station that was in the parking lot next to the hotel.  It probably had the air of a Three Stooges routine: Charlie pouring the neon green coolant into the water jug to dilute it, me kind of holding the funnel, and both of us trying to figure out if the proportions were right.  Before Charlie poured the coolant into the water jug we had to pour out about half of the water so the proper (ha) portion of coolant would fit.  Charlie poured the water on the concrete next to the car.  After the mixture was made we stood up and noticed the barking dog.

About ten minutes later, we found a garage that was available to give the car a look.  It turned out that a small cap was chipped and the pressure was off.  They replaced the cap (the piece itself was about $2) and we drove off feeling a lot better.  Then we realized Charlie had left his camera in the waiting room (that had an enormous mounted elk hanging in it), both freaked out again, drove back, got the camera, and then we were really on our way.


Wednesday, November 7, 2012















Announcing: 

REAL WEIRD 
Volume 1

The magazine has fiction (scary stories), drawing, photography, comics, essays and more.

with: 
Eva Rogers
and more!*

*(the ‘and more!’ isn’t people who are not as important as those that are named, there are just some found things in the magazine that are by people I do not know)

The magazine is mostly black and white with some color additions.  The cover REAL WEIRD is stamped so no two magazines are the same.  The edition size is 100.  They are $12 each plus $4 shipping if you would like one (or eight ($4 shipping and handling once)).  Email me, jason.polan@gmail.com, if you are interested.
































I went to Cranbrook yesterday.  I was early so I drove around a little before finding a parking spot near where I was going to meet some friends.  I was on Lone Pine when I saw this white Porsche parked on Cranbrook’s campus.  I wanted to take a picture of it because I like how Porsches look and I liked how it looked in front of the trees.  I pulled in and got out and took the picture and the moment after I took the picture a neon orange Frisbee flew by.  Then two men popped out from the left.  I smiled and waved and they did the same while grabbing the frisbee.  I was a little embarrassed standing there looking at their car.  I turned around and looked at the trees behind me and thought, should I take another picture so it doesn’t just look like I was taking a picture of their car?  I think they didn’t care.  I got back into my car and backed up to drive around and out.  As I was pulling back forward a big dog ran by the left side of the car.  I stopped and noticed a man was walking behind.  The dog just wasn’t on a leash.  I waved at the frisbee Porsche guys again because I was still embarrassed.  They waved again as I pulled around and out.  

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Thursday, October 25, 2012



















Book Release Pizza Party tonight for the book The Land Can Handle It at International Center of Photography.  I hope you can come.

Monday, October 22, 2012



















I am excited to announce a new book project called The Land Can Handle It.

The book is a collection of photographs, writing, drawing and other things made and collected during a trip in May of this year.

It is also the first title released by a new publisher called Parts and Labor.

We are having a signing/pizza party this Thursday evening at the International Center of Photography.

Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 6pm.

1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036

I hope you can come!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

I will be at the book fair starting today. It is at PS1 and a lot of good people and books will be there. I will be “launching” a new magazine called REAL WEIRD along with a batch of other books and things.

Dashwood Books just published a book of my drawings called A LOT OF PEOPLE. There will be a release this Wednesday, October 3, at Dashwood from 6 to 8pm.

I am having an art show opening next Friday, October 5, at 6 Decades Books and Boo Hooray Gallery on Canal Street. It is called A Slow Walk. There will be a new letterpressed portfolio there along with new drawings and photographs and writing and things.

I hope you can come to one or two or three of these things!

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Thursday, September 6, 2012

These are some people and things I saw (found or drew) when I was in the Bay Area (and on the way there and back).





















There was a picture of Howlin' Wolf on the screen in the seat in front of me on the airplane.





















Tommy Wiseau at the Airport in San Francisco
August 29, 2012















This is a picture of a cheetah I got at a magazine shop.





















Woman at La Méditerranée in Berkeley
August 31, 2012





















Man at La Méditerranée in Berkeley
August 31, 2012





















Old Car





















Woman and baby on 40th Street and Shafter Avenue in Oakland
September 2, 2012





















Moebius Heavy Metal cover!

















I got to get a burrito with my friend James.





















haha?



















Caroline Polachek at UC Berkeley
September 3, 2012




















Patrick Wimberly at UC Berkeley
September 3, 2012




































This woman was walking up and down the aisle for a while.

I made more drawings from the trip that will be popping up here if you would like to see.

Monday, August 27, 2012






















Just got this colored in version of Things I Saw #28 by a friend's daughter and LOVED IT.












There is an exhibit right now at the Museum of Modern Art called The Century of The Child. There is a bunch of terrific stuff in it. I keep going back to look and one particular piece that I like seeing is the rhinoceros toy by Ladislav Sutnar. It is mostly gray and is in a display with a yellow background. You are not supposed to take pictures in the exhibit so I thought I would draw the little toy. I just made some postcards of my drawing, if you would like one?

I will send one each to the first fifty people who email me, jason.polan@gmail.com, their mailing address.

But, if you have the chance, you should see it in person.


Wednesday, August 15, 2012
















I have a very (5) small quantity of the Vegan Snake Club shirts right now! I will list the ones available below with color and size. They are all orange print on pre-shrunk shirts. They are comfortable! Let me know if you want one of these and then we can do paypal or a check or a top secret hand-off.

red small no longer available
light brown small no longer available
red medium no longer available
navy medium no longer available
forest green extra large

They are $12 plus $3 shipping. More might become available in the future but this is what I have now. Email jason.polan@gmail.com if you are interested!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Monday, July 2, 2012

All of the Things on Victor's Wall
(three times)
By Wade Oates, Victor Kerlow and me












Wade














Victor
















me