For track listing and download visit his blog.

He uses woods like mahogany, walnut, maple and myrtle and crystals like quartz and glendonite thus the name, Sophisticated Science. Yet his work looks Brancusi-modern with almost a space age feel. Forget about the crystals new agers wear to bring vitality and good luck, rather these pieces bring good looks.

Ryan is a mysterious, thoughtful and modest character who you wonder if he recognizes the depth of his skill and talent. His calm voice speaks with a practical passion about the evolution of his jewelry and what the next step may be but it seems like everyone is a jewelry designer. There is so much democracy in fashion these days with the internet and excessive cultural celebration of the fashion industry. However, Ryan brings a bit of nostalgia to the craft by not only having great concepts but perfectionist construction.

Concepts come a dime a dozen these days with celebrity designers and fashion graduates who cannot sew. In contrast, Ryan makes everything by hand in his custom studio in a Humboldt Park garage complete with wood-burning stove, tools, materials and lightbox for photographing his work.

Minutes after you set foot in his woodshop-like environment you are instantly inspired, wondering what have you created lately. He is a one-man band that you hope expands his production and stays true to the integrity and intelligence of his craft. Available only at Robin Richman in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, Ryan’s jewelry is something to be experienced up close and personal. He is always given a special corner in the famous avant-garde boutique known for its unique jewelry. While exclusivity is certainly deserving to Ryan’s creations, we hope the the rest of the world gets a chance at their own petrified wood necklace. The next step for Ryan we hope is expansion but not too much!

Robin Richman
2108 North Damen
773.278.6150

Visit Sophisticated Science
Contact: sophisticatedscience@gmail.com

I grew up in the hard streets of Carpentersville, Illinois, a place actually now known for its racial tension. And while my peers in art school were struggling with their cultural identity, I was struggling to even have a culture to struggle against. I was perhaps partially investigating whether one could adopt another culture and be seamlessly successful. So successful that it was shocking.

I was warned by my mentor that I would:

While my initial investigation was to shock people with my fantastic Hip Hop dance skills, I was too embarrassed to go to a dance studio and learn from a true professional. I’m a DIY type of woman so I spent over a month in the studio by myself rehearsing choreography samples from YouTube videos posted by Luam, Brian Puspos, Kazuki and Sohey, Dan-D, and two ghetto fabulous teens in a high school lunch room before I even bothered to show another human my dancing skills.

I ached in places I never thought existed. All these low-to-the-ground movements did not even belong in my vocabulary. My pelvis cried for mercy.

I grew a pair and showed some outside eyes my attempt at learning Hip Hop.

Apparently, my interpretation of Hip Hop looks like a Whirling Durvish Zen Cheerleader – not a white chick with soul. No game. No swagger. Not even offensive. Just BAD Hip Hop dancing.

I was partially heartbroken, but I ran with it. My mission then became to learn the choreography with the heart of a Black person… with White person abilities.

After committing the sampled dance material to memory, I found that it was worlds away from Hip Hop. In fact, when the piece was finished, I was adamant on mentioning that the choreography was derived from my failure at Hip Hop and it became the least interesting thing the folks in my critique wanted to talk about. They commented on how the movements appeared universal, even pedestrian.

I realized that movement exists within us, as a people, and while it can be learned, we can’t become all that there is behind this movement. Movement is culture. Roots. Soul. While trying to lose myself, I was hoping to gain someone else’s experience through repeating the choreographer’s interpretation on moving. But, while trying to become them, I became a more self-actualized me.

I appreciated my failure at an attempt to become something I wasn’t.

Especially the married ones, like Tiger who people have been obsessing over.  There’s Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union, David Beckham and his assistant, and while we’re at it, we simply can’t forget the Kobe saga.  We’ve all heard and seen it before, and are still surprised and shocked when yet another one of our top athletes does something wrong in his personal life.

The pitiful press conference put on by Tiger Woods, aka his people, has marked this situation as one of the most scandalized affairs in sports history. And as eloquent as the speech writer… (cough) I mean Tiger Woods is, I still find it quite maddening that this circus show is still going on. 

Here are the facts:

- Tiger confessed to his wife and then every national newspaper did it for him.

- He has done the rehab stint required of all public imbeciles we call heroes (only in America).

- And he had previously put out a statement apologizing already.

What more can we ask for? Now, being the avid golf fan that I am [insert sarcasm here] I understand why Tiger is such a big deal.  He’s freaking amazing when it comes to the damn sport and he just so happens to be quite hot. But this is about all I require of him as an athlete.  In fact, this is about all I require of any athlete.  I strongly urge everyone to follow my lead on this.

I sincerely don’t give a rat’s ass what he does in his private life, mainly because I have my own life to worry about. You know the gist: bills, family, school, work, etc.  It’s really none of our business what he does so long as it doesn’t affect his playing abilities.  (Granted, that voicemail was pure entertainment for me, and I played it on repeat a several times and plan to recite it word for word at parties.)

At the end of the day, Tiger didn’t do anyone any favors with that press conference or his urgent apology.  The golf fan in me wondered why he decided to do it during the PGA tour.  Can we say attention whore? Just because your pretty doesn’t mean you can take all the airtime you need to get things off your chest. Especially when The View is on. It just ain’t right!

It just aint.

So, I guess at the end of the day, all of our beloved athletes are screwed up yet are playing better than ever and Dr. Drew will never be out of a job.

A: A whole lot of controversy.

Join us for this special 90 minute podcast as Quintin and Nicole discuss all things Black America. Featuring local fashion icon Isaac King, who is bringing the city its FIRST Black Fashion Week, and poet InnerG (who enlightens us with two original pieces), this knee-slapping show is educational so pay attention and subscribe on iTunes!

Smart Phone Stream

Smart Phone Stream

Last night, Chicago’s own Christina Fan premiered a sample of her Fall 2010 collection in the posh West Loop Dubhe Carreno Gallery for GenArt members, fashion insiders and media. C/FAN, which was also featured in last years Fresh Faces fashion show, presented an unusual assortment of vests, dresses, shorts, and skirts that have a work-to-play versatility that can fit any lifestyle. The models glowed on the tiny viewing space/runway (adorned with an art installation (Le Cirque de L’Armée Rouge) featuring scary brown babies) while the garments swayed effortlessly on their figures. The lightweight fabrics looked comfortable even as the quality was rich and luxurious. Fan’s pallet was simple, focusing on grays and blacks with an occasional pink to spice up the party. The aesthetic was rocking, and the tone was unapologetic—the right combination for a new decade in woman’s wear.

I came across this on Chicago Public Access Television. I couldn’t get any information on it, but it features a group of high school students who have made a TV drama dedicated to black history month. In an effort to remain young and hip, I’m assuming that the loose dialogue and improvisation was used to get the “jist” of the story across. For fear that no one would believe that this existed, I bootlegged it (IE took a video of the video).

First, watch.

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This is drastically different from my first flash attempt…. inspired by the movie Show Girls.

I love getting A’s for nonsense.