This week’s best visual art event include a solid lineup at the Mezzanine, Wix Lounge and Fecal Face Dot Gallery.

The globe-trotting design smack down, Cut&Paste 2012, is taking over the Mezzanine this Thursday. Expect intense, live art battles, spinning by SF’s DJ Boogie, performances, and the headline competition — 16 2D, 3D and Motion/Annimation designers going head to head for the chance to represent SF in the global challenge in NYC later this year.

The Wix Lounge Artist Speaker Series presents iconic 60s photographer, Robert Altman, this Friday at Wix. Altman will speak on Bay Area life in the 60s, working as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone, training with Ansel Adams, and more. Altman will also sign copies of his book, The Sixties.

Quirky SF illustrator, Jay Howell, will release his latest book, The Dark Wave, this Saturday at the Fecal Face Dot Gallery. The new, limited edition collection is a soft-cover book with 50 pages of black and white artwork and lively narrative. The release party will accompany Howell and Mark Whalen’s new exhibit at the gallery.

• Tag: ansel adams, cut&paste 2012, cut&paste sf, fecal face dot gallery, jay howell, mark whalen, robert altman, Rolling Stone, SF Art, sf artists, sf galleries, the dark wave, the sixties, wix lounge artist speaker series, wix lounge sf