Cool for play, smart enough for work. Originally from premium vintage sofas, jackets, and suits, made into something new. These eco friendly, upcycled bags have great functional details along with refined craftsmanship. See them all at Poketo.

I have an old, crappy car. A hand-me-down. Over 170,000 miles, and my 190E is still running strong, kind of. Over time, little things fall apart–the rearview mirror has cracked, the shift knob rattles, the check engine light is constantly “red”, when I press the brakes it honks, and three of the four power windows have stopped working. Okay, it’s a P.O.S. I would love to trade it in for new wheels, but, my conscience and practicality get the best of me. Do I really need a new car? Can I live with this one? After all, it does run. So, instead of heading down the new car path, I decided to try and fix it on the cheap.

Welcome to the concept of car ecology, a junkyard south of Los Angeles in Wilmington. A place where dead cars go, but, where people scavenge the yard in search for their exact model and can basically start cannibalizing. All of the hoods are popped open, the doors unlocked, wheels usually taken off and propped on blocks. As I was walking down aisle after aisle, the thrill of the hunt set in among tons and tons of metal, I was surprised to find a few 190Es exactly like my own. As I was picking through the old carcass of cars, it got me thinking of how amazing this type of recycling is. People lease or buy, upgrade and or trade in all the time, but, to extend the life of your car by finding new parts, this is real recycling. Along with a couple of power window parts and a new mirror, I found what I was looking for–a new appreciation for my old car.

Painted glass jug, by Tom Vadakan

You’ve been hearing and seeing a lot about the show we have at Space15Twenty. I’m happy to announce that we have extended Poketo & Kitsune Noir‘s “Los Angeles, I’m Yours” an extra week, the show will close officially on Saturday, May 22nd. We have been showing pics of the space, the art in all the little nooks and crannies, if you have not seen it, here you go! But, I also want to show you some of the pieces, in it’s pure form. You can see the artists took time, love, and care in making these once insignificant objects into valuable art. These are one of a kind, go and visit the show before they disappear.

Painted ceramic hand, by Gary Baseman

Painted vintage hat box, by Leah Chun

Painted vintage lamps, by Tim Biskup

Boom box, by Brian Wade Scott

Paper cut outs on vintage paper, by Saelee Oh

Cut and sewn fabric in frame, by Sarajo Frieden and Marci Boudreau.

Painted and acid etched glass vase, by Chris Bettig

Paper cut 45… the inside even has a paper record that you can take out! By Jared Andrew Schorr

Painted oil lamp, by Bijan Berahimi

Here is a video with Bobby of KN doing a quick run through of the show on opening night.

“Los Angeles, I’m Yours”
A Poketo & Kitsune Noir Market
When: April 24th to May 22nd, 2010
Where: Space 15 Twenty, 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Sneak peek of a few hand painted and acid etched vintage glass by artist Chris Bettig. Chris made several of these, all different sizes and designs. You can find these at the “Los Angeles, I’m Yours” show that Poketo and Kitsune Noir are putting on tomorrow night, April 24th. Details below.

“Los Angeles, I’m Yours”
A Poketo & Kitsune Noir Market
When: Opening Reception is April 24th, 7-10pm. Show runs until May 15th
Where: Space 15 Twenty, 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
More info here

Special Performance by Portugal. The Man: Saturday, May 1st 7-10pm