Wearing Black Inbetween Angelenos - Los Angeles

I visited downtown Los Angeles a couple of months back and did something very tourist-y, in a city where tourists, although in thousands, still look and act like aliens in an Angeleno's point of view.

I took pictures.

I hadn't gone to downtown for almost a full-on year before that, so I decided to head back there and shoot some pictures and meet people.

The thing about street photography, which makes it so great yet so tough, is that it truly involves emotions. It has such a beautiful side to it when the emotions are beautiful, but when the emotions themselves aren't as good, the experience will follow.

I always find it funny how people whom you face your camera to try to avoid it, but those whom you never intended to shoot tend to want a picture of themselves. I don't think it's a personality type. I just think it's the way you approach them.

I usually wear a lot of black and I move quickly. I don't talk. People tend to not stare at you, and instead they ignore you and not notice whatever you're doing. There's nothing better than that!

I love noticing the needy taking care of the more needy. It's the basic right of a human being to live and breathe positively.

I love Los Angeles. I really do. There are so many different types and races of people here, that you start to not notice race anymore. I've always believed in equality, but practice isn't as easy because every now and then you catch yourself being a little racist (most of the time to your own race). But L.A. makes things much better and I'm thankful for being here.

The Mayor of Los Angeles, Mr. Antonio Villaraigosa, was a great mayor, doing a lot in the 8 years he was in office, and I was most fortunate to see him live speaking of a cause very dear to me: the Armenian Genocide recognition, in Montebello, CA on April 24th, 2013. I hope our new mayor follows Mr. Villaraigosa's footsteps.

All in all, this is Los Angeles, and I love it.

I Wasn't Just A Kid

A decade ago, I was twelve years old. I played soccer. I had a German Shepherd Dog. I liked to take pictures. I enjoyed technology and technological advancements.

A decade ago, a statue fell in the city I was born and raised in.
A decade ago, Saddam Hussein's statue was brought down by the U.S. Troops and the Iraqi people around Baghdad.
A decade ago, we celebrated.

A decade and a day ago, we had no satellites. A decade and a day ago, we had no cellphones or the internet. A decade and a day ago, media was fully controlled. In fact, the media was almost entirely owned and ran by the government, otherwise a relative to a royal family.

I've lost family members to the Iraqi government before the war. I've lost good friends to the U.S. war after.

Not much changed.

I'm thankful for my safety and my family's. I'm thankful for a lot of families' safety.

Iraq was, is, and will always be a mess.
I'm not a sell out. That's where I was born and that's where I was proudly raised.
That's where I learned my manners. That's where I learned almost anything and everything.
That's where I met every good person. That's where I met hard working people.

That's also where I met, sadly, uneducated people.
That's also where I met the sick, the poor, and the depressed.
Matter of fact, 85% of the people there were depressed, and they have every right to be after what they've been through.
They were proud that almost the entire country knew how to read and write, but no one had taught them critical thinking.
They were proud of their honor and loyalty, but no one had taught them that they were ants ranting against elephants.
They were almost all good people, but they were guided by the evil ones.

Locked in small cities, with no movies or new books, with no cellphones or satellites. With no Internet or even electricity at some point. No one knew of the real world. No one knew where we existed. There was no choosing, but instead, things were chosen for you.
People are now free-er on that end.
People die as much, if not more, today, on that end.

Is it a blessing? Is it a curse? I don't know. But as long as the non-Iraqi neighbor can still get in Iraq and cause more shit, that country will be in war till my death. From the Kuwait war to the Iran war and then the U.S. war, I was born in war, grew up in war, and left the country in war. I was fifteen years old when I left. I wasn't just a kid. I saw what was happening, and it hurt.

I'm in Los Angeles now. I love soccer. I have a German Shepherd Dog. I love photography. I absolutely enjoy reading about technology.

Babylon is cursed. Yesterday, Babylon was burned by foreigners on horses. Today, Babylon is burned by Apache helicopters. Tomorrow, Babylon will be burned by other technologically advanced, unmanned drones.

Baghdad's feel is still heaven to me. Not many deserve to live in it today. Not many deserve to be forced out of it today. I'm not one who wishes upon going back, because my memories aren't going to come back just by traveling back. Just leave that poor place alone, whoever you are, where ever you're operating from. It's been a long decade, and those are human beings caught in the middle of it all.

Art 101: The Art of False Sense of Importance

Hi,
I don't give out a lot of compliments.
I've been raised in a more tough-love environment than a fake-supportive one. Moving to Los Angeles, I started noticing how life is full of senses. All of your senses are excited to be in this town (except for the 'sense of driving,' of course.) I noticed a flaw in that formula, however. People easily label things the wrong way simply because they have no other words to compensate for them.

When I walked to school in Baghdad daily, got shot at every once in a while (not targeted, just a random spray party drive-by some idiot thought he should do because he can get away with it) and walked back home safe, and then studied and went back to school the next day and aced a test, that is amazing.
A cricket walking past you and then flying is NOT amazing.

Sadly, with today's trends, no-obligations and no-commitments seem to be the trend. Yes, that, unfortunately, includes marriage. Do you know how two people choose to get together, sleep together, and then have kids together without getting married? That's what I'm talking about. The fact that those people truly believe that marriage has no value is the exact same thing as these bunches of artists that can't seem to control their emotions and just scream out "I'm an egomaniac and I'm broke!" There's nothing wrong with not getting married, but there's a lot wrong with not doing something and then turning into a professor about it, and then leaving a partner hanging in the end, and totally forgetting the first time they were so defensive about their whole "new-age" plan. Excuse my old-school-ness, because it barely exists in the first place, but I grew up seeing and believing that marriage was one of the most important steps in life - and where I'm from, divorce is not a very popular thing. Throughout everything, couples stayed together. Unlike today, where your partner wearing the wrong color flip-flops results in a divorce with lawyers nastier than a gang fight about the wrong colored flip-flops.

Two nights ago, I attended an art show. For the sake of the good people hosting it, let's call it an art show. I had a few good friends, very loyal and very humble, who were invited to showcase their work. With that, I visited to see some new pieces since I haven't been to a show for a while (I hate crowds). I was looking around when I met a young man who came by me as I looked at his work, and explained his biography, well, autobiography since he's telling it. Well, technically, it wasn't written so it wasn't either (excuse me while I go and punish myself by standing by the wall and staring at its corner. Just kidding. That isn't a punishment. That's one of my hobbies.) Okay, so this guy ends up talking and talking about why he changed his major and how he's so lucky to be showcasing his work that night and why his first major was bad and how the new major makes him more excited when he wakes up. I wanted to tell him to shut the fuck up. I'm blunt, but not rude. So I simply reminded him that I never asked. He seemed shocked. I'm sorry but I'm here to see art. I understand that you need to sell your work, but for you to shove your work down my throat and expect me to be appreciative of meeting your holiness is a bit ridiculous, especially when it starts feeling like a hostage situation more than a conversation.

All of that, sadly, comes from people who walk around, even on this gallery day, that aren't there for art. "Hey, nice work!"ing everyone and everything in front of them, they tend to boost a false sense of importance in these poor artists, who not only suck at what they do (at least for now, I hope,) but also take your words VERY seriously when your words are positive. Now, I know you weren't lying when you said "nice work," but you also need to understand that the same person you told that to needs that attention so much that they probably went around telling people HOW MANY PEOPLE LOVED THEIR WORK AND HE/SHE HAS POSSIBLE COLLABORATIONS WITH SAID PERSON AND WILL SOON DO THIS AND THAT. It's sad but true. A major part of the reason that happens is because they tend to put a good label on the things they want to hear. Just like when you read "low battery" on your phone you don't panic as much as you'd panic if your car battery died on you (not both at the same time, hopefully). That's because although the two are the exact same thing, their results are quite different. Don't give people anything to push their false sense of importance, or even entitlement at times, to that limit. Based on the information this guy provided me, I also know that he has a student loan the amount of a new house and he's here trying to sell his pieces, talking about his accomplishments in life. 0 sales, by the way, if you wanted to know the results.

I met another artist who didn't even act as if the work was his, and I had to ask if the work actually was his, and he nodded smiling. We had a small conversation and a very genuine one, might I add, that clearly showed his professionalism and humbleness. When I told him it was nice meeting him and tried leaving, he asked if I had any criticism for his work. An obnoxious girl replied from behind us "I wouldn't take a picture of a rusty train next time," to which I held myself back from saying the good-ol' phrase of "shut the fuck up, seriously, now!"

People need to hear about their flaws to keep going. Artists are supposed to listen to criticism and accept it and work it out. I'm not saying that every criticism is true, but it does deserve your attention. When you ignore the bad and keep going with the good, you're doing nothing but filling that hungry, hateful side of you with joy. That, just like salty chips, will fill you up, have you feeling satisfied, and then give you high blood pressure and a heart failure later on. It's neither a good meal nor a healthy one.

I'm an egomaniac by choice when it comes to my character. That's what I try to sell as the "Apo" character. Those who've seen me and talked to me know where I stand on that topic, though. In a very sarcastic manner, I tend to joke about my greatness, and within two sentences the jokes are gone and we're having a normal conversation. When it comes to false senses and people feeling like they're something they clearly are not because they bought a camera or a paint brush, however, it is a sad, sad thing our generation has to go through.

To your enjoyment, here are most, not all, of my favorite works of art showcased at this gallery event in downtown Los Angeles.

How The Internet Broke My Heart

Ten years ago, I got the first digital camera version that was sold in Iraq from my parents.
Eight years ago, I caught interest in photography as not only a career, but a lifestyle here in Los Angeles. After a high school class and a few awards of recognition and excellence in that field, I started looking at photography like more of a business than an art form. This was the time MySpace made it big, and with my internet skills, I got to market myself to thousands and thousands of people, reaching nearly 32,000 fans within a year or so.

I was happy. I had followers, I received messages from people telling me that I was their inspiration, and I had people who went to college because they saw an 18 year old do what they were afraid of doing at 25. I still have these messages and they do keep me humble.

Today, with so much going on and people being over-connected to each other, everyone wants to become the next 'cool thing'. "Hipsters," as they call them, have existed for a long time. It just wasn't cool to be a hipster. It wasn't hipster-ish to be a hipster. Today, with Google in everyone's pocket, becoming a *insert career here* has become one of the easiest tasks anyone has ever accomplished. Sadly, that 'career' isn't really a career for many, but only a mask. A character wears his/her mask and goes ahead to advertise to the world what they do, or think they do, rather.

I learned the hard way that my MySpace friends, Facebook fans, Twitter followers, and YouTube viewers were only people looking to be entertained, not actual followers of everything I posted. That's not a complaint, because I was at fault for not recognizing how things worked during that time. Soon enough, as it always happens, once I realized that what I saw around me at the time was only a fake bubble created by my imagination, I started to grab the media's attention. I was interviewed by a newspaper, featured in a magazine, and my Twitter account, which has been my most active social media account, has gotten anywhere from local media outlets to local restaurants following me. It's always a good sign when major groups and organizations follow you, but if the expense is realizing that the majority of my 'fan base' is consisted of bored teenagers looking for entertainment online, then that means nothing to me.

I wasn't as happy anymore. In fact, I took it hard and brought all of my work down from my websites. I shared some images on my Instagram account, but nothing that was major. I spent my time painting and throwing the canvases in a closet. Every now and then I'd be reading and I also came across many amazing opportunities and life-changes that I positively dealt with.
I will soon share my work with you, and I will hopefully put an amazing piece of work together for you. I'll try and teach you more about art, as I learn more about art from you.

I recently read Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell. This book revolves around the idea that success doesn't come from one individual, but from many things happening around the said individual, helping achieve success. What it also mentions is that in order for someone to be an expert in a field, he/she needs to have had 10,000 hours of experience in that field. I'll gladly tell you that I have hit the 10,000 hours mark in practicing photography, and I might have spent another 10,000 hours editing in the past ten years. In no means am I implying that I'm an expert, but to know that the definition of experience connecting with expertise coming from a man who interviewed Bill Gates and researched The Beatles for this book is amazing by itself.

A page out of many, showing the positive, encouraging messages I've received and saved through-out the years.

I keep every positive, encouraging message I receive, and I often go back and read one or two when I'm down. The Internet broke my heart, but the good human beings behind it made it all worth it. Thank you for your kind words. Just knowing that I've encouraged somebody or made a bad day a bit better for someone else means the whole world to me, and as an artist, I run on that fuel. I realized that many people will go so far in marketing themselves that they sell themselves just to get a comment or two. They'll do free work just to get their subject's attention. I'll no longer use these social networks the same way as I used to. From now on, my job is to enlighten and entertain my followers. Feel free to be more connected in every positive way, and tweet me. I want to keep the good close, and let the bad have a choice of being good or bouncing.

P.S. I'll be sharing some new pictures with you as soon as I get my website re-designed. I'll make sure you all get sneak-peeks before that though =)

Good night
Apo Avedissian

We The People: Recognition of The Armenian Genocide

It's been a while since I've last blogged, and I come back to you with a really serious topic that can end in success in such a modern, awesome way.
Recently, the White House website launched a petition program that easily sends the people's concerns to the government of the United States of America. Somebody can start a petition, ask the administration for a direct response to a cause, and when enough people sign the petition, the administration will release a public response to the said topic. This is one of the many reasons why I truly love this country.

Why is there a threshold? Well, in today's world, a lot of people have access to the internet, and since not every user is an intelligent human being working for a positive change, things need to be supported very heavily for them to be accepted as actual issues in the first place.

I came across a new petition regarding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. government, and although it may not change much, with the power of us, the people, we might get a public response out of the administration. This year will mark the 98th year of the genocide, and it sure is time to pull through together. Without that "it's the 100th year" bullshit, we need to actually do something about it. That sounds so cliche, and it's so sad that it has become cliche, but we really need to take action. The ones before you have given their lives studying and debating this genocide, and now all you have to do is sign an online petition before March 12th. Please do this, and share this with your friends and relatives. The power of today's social networks is ridiculously high, and that makes things so much easier, but that also makes it easier for others to deny a genocide and get that denial idea accepted as easily.

Ladies and gentlemen, remember your past, and give it the justice it deserves.

http://

1.usa.gov/Yy4PN5

We, the people.

Jacob Armen & Albert Armen - JOY

Almost two years ago, I met new artistic mind. A year after that he recorded a track that I made a video for. Two years after, which happens to be today, we have a new video for you. With the Christmas spirit and this time of the year, Jacob decided to go with world music, and his dad injected culture in it. Ladies and gentlemen, Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Celebrate, be safe, and please enjoy.

Instagram Fixes the Terms of Use

After a long day yesterday, trying to figure out what caused Instagram to just turn against all of its users, 7 hours ago, Instagram posted an official blog announcing their intentions and that the Terms of Use wording will change to reflect the actual things they're going to do with your name and likeness.

As I guessed yesterday, Instagram is doing exactly what Facebook has been doing. Those brands that you follow can pay Instagram so your friends can see their pictures while your name and profile picture shows as a follower (if you are), giving your friend another reason to follow.

I'm glad this changed fast, and that Instagram fixed its Terms of Use based on all of the buzz they received in one day. I wouldn't be surprised if thousands of accounts already deleted their profiles from Instagram already because of this. Hopefully 2013 will be a better year for Instagram. Yes, even better than what it already has!