Belgium Street Artist Bisser is back with mouth agape, this time poised to eat a bit of greens – which everyone should, in all frankness. He is in Heverlee for the Existenz festival and is foregoing the aerosol paint for rollers on this duo. You have to admire how well he works with the context of the street when conceptualizing his presentation.
A lot of people thought so, and the rise of commercial festivals and commissioned public/private mural programs probably brought more artists to more walls than in recent history. Judging from the In Box, 2016 is going to break more records. Enormous, polished, fully realized and presented, murals can hold a special role in a community and transform a neighborhood, even a city.
But they are not the “organic” Street Art that draws us into the dark in-between places in a city, or at its margins.
We keep our eyes open for the small, one-off, idiosyncratic, uncommissioned, weirdo work as well, as it can carry clues about the culture and reveal a sage or silly solo voice. It also just reinforces the feeling that the street is still home to an autonomous free-for-all of ideas and opinions and wandering passions. For us it is still fascinating to seek out and discover the one-of-a-kind small wheatpastes, stencils, sculptures, ad takeovers, collages, and aerosol sprayed pieces alongside the enormous and detailed paintings that take days to complete.
The main image above is from a vinyl subway advertisement that was high-jacked and we published it in February of this year on our Images of the Week posting. It’s small, personal, and very effective as you can see someone suspiciously similar to Batman is jumping out of the mouth of someone looking awfully similar to Hedwig of “Angry Inch” fame.
Of the 10,000 or so images photographer Jaime Rojo took in 2015, here are a selection 140+ of the best images from his travels through streets looking for unpermissioned and sanctioned art.
Brooklyn Street Art 2015 Images of the Year by Jaime Rojo
Brooklyn Street Art 2015 Images of the Year by Jaime Rojo includes the following artists;
365xlos43, Amanda Marie, Andreas Englund, Augustine Kofie, Bisser, Boijeot, Renauld, Bordaloli, Brittany, BunnyM, Case Maclaim, Casg, Cash4, CDRE, Clet, Cost, Curve, Dain, Dal East, Dan Budnik, Dan Witz, David Walker, DeeDee, Dennis McNett, Don Rimx, Ricardo Cabret, LNY, Alex Seel, Mata Ruda, Don’t Fret, Dot Dot Dot, ECB, El Mac, El Sol25, Ella & Pitr, Eric Simmons, Enest Zacharevic, Martha Cooper, Martin Whatson, Ever, Faile, Faith47, Findac, Futura, Gaia, Gilf!, Hanksy, Hellbent, Hot Tea, How & Nosm, Icy and Sot, Inti, Invader, Isaac Cordal, James Bullough, Janet Dickson, Jef Aerosol, Jilly Ballistic, Joe Iurato, John Fekner, Le Diamantaire, Li Hill, LMNOPI, London Kaye, Low Brow, Marina Capdevilla, Miss Van, Mr. Prvrt, Mr. Toll, Myth, Nafir, Nemos, Never Crew, Nick Walker, Nina Pandolofo, Old Broads, Oldy, Ollio, Os Gemeos, Owen Dippie, Paper Skaters, Pet Bird, Kashink, Smells, Cash4, PichiAvo, Pixel Pancho, QRST, ROA, Ron English, Rubin415, Saner, Sean 9 Lugo, Shai Dahan, Shepard Fairey, Sheryo & The Yok, Sinned, Sipros, Skewville, Slikor, Smells, Sweet Toof, Snowden, Edward Snowden, Andrew Tider, Jeff Greenspan, Specter, Stray Ones, Sweet Toof, Swil, Willow, Swoon, The Outings Project, Toney De Pew, Tristan Eaton, Various & Gould, Vermibus, Wane, Wk Interact
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening :
1. Joe Caslin and The Castle
2. Luxury Living 3. BISSER in Williamsburg:
4. La Machination: KOLEO
BSA Special Feature: Joe Caslin and The Castle
Appearing on a privately owned castle façade in the days leading up to the referendum in May that made Ireland the first country in the world to vote for same-sex marriage, Joe Caslin’s illustration of two long trestled beauties appeared here as a counterpart to a coupled male version he did in Dublin. Caherkinmonwee Castle in Co Galway (circa 1450) has mottled exterior that transforms the portrait into a monochromatic painting from a distance.
You’ll be happy to know that the adhesive is made with potato starch.
Of course, it’s all in the planning, the 14 hours of pasting, camera work and of course the soundtrack – here longingly, celtically yours from Róisín O. Rather melts your limestone heart, doesn’t it?
Luxury Living
Popular in cultural conversations in cities these days is the vision of the artist as unwitting gentrifier who, upon losing his lease is dismayed by his own effect on a neglected urban neighborhood — now overrun by construction cranes and opportunists with dollars in their eyes. This dramatically scored mini-adventure is the only way that some artists can still afford to visit the neighborhood they once made attractive and hip.
BISSER in Williamsburg:
Speaking of rapidly gentrified artist neighborhoods, here is Bisser visiting Williamsburg, Brooklyn to drop some serious art for the enjoyment of those new bankers and corporate professionals. The new arrivals may take friends to pose for selfies in front of this mural on their way to brunch but would otherwise keep creatives like Bisser perpetually insecure as a 2nd class graphics “freelancer” without sick days, vacation, or health benefits in their corporate offices across the river.
La Machination: KOLEO
A sweet stencillist illustration that suddenly takes additional meaning in this brief recap of a new piece by KOLEO.
According to the descripton: “KOLEO presents “La Machination” (machination: machine / plot), a mural where automatons create organic creatures, treated badly. The creatures get together to become one and fight back. Then, they separate again to infiltrate the machines and destroy them from the inside. Later, a child finds a broken automaton and starts to repair it. The mural can be seen as an allegory of the wrongdoings humans can do to each other, that they end up fighting, before the next generation forgets their history and repeat the same mistakes.”
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Bisser, Brolga, C3, D7606, JR, Kafka the Cat, Myth, Nineta, Right of Way NYC, and Urma.
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening :
1. Vhils x Pixel Pancho in Lisbon
2. How Nosm in Lisbon
3. NEKST FOREVER from Pose & Revok in Detroit
4. Knarf, Mafia and Fresh Max “3500” in Vienna
5. Bisser in London “Last Breath I” at Blackfriars Cafe
BSA Special Feature: Lisbon Double Feature from Underdogs
Pixel Pancho x Vhils
and How Nosm
Two beautiful videos in a row this week from the platform called Underdogs. “Underdogs is an international working platform based in Lisbon, Portugal that aims at creating space within the contemporary art scene for artists connected with the new languages of urban visual culture.” Since one of the original organizers is Street Artist Vhils, it makes sense that these two videos capture that additional essence of the experience of art making, the discipline, the dedication, the drive. The camera work, editing, and story telling are fresh and above par here.
Pixel Pancho and Vhils for Underdogs. Lisbon 2013
How & Nosm for Underdogs. Lisbon 2013
NEKST FOREVER from The Seventh Letter: Pose & Revok
With baritone narration from Pose about the impact of one guy on many, this video relates the level of respect the late graffiti artist Nekst had among his peers. Together with Revok and other members of the MSK crew you’ll see them knock out one of the biggest tributes yet in Detroit.
Knarf, Mafia and Fresh Max “3500” in Vienna
KNARF, MAFIA and FRESH MAX spent the last 3 months working on a 3500 square meter wall complex near Vienna. Here is a brief overview of their process. They will also be releasing a book on the 24th documenting the project, sketches, and images of the entire painted building.
Bisser in London “Last Breath I” at Blackfriars Cafe
A local cafe of 35 years is going to be torn down with the entire building it has been housed in Southwark (South-London). Artist Bisser did an installation, a “one-off beautification” last month to say goodbye to the place. As it turns out, an entire project has been spawned to create more work by more artists in the building before it is slated for demolition. This video is the first of the series for “The Last Breath Project”
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
