June 2015

Eine, Hayuk: A Riot of Color at Coney (Update III)

June 6, 2015 Artists

Street Artists continue to bang up walls in the industrial play land by the sea in Brooklyn this week – minus a few days for full-on rain and flash flooding. Suddenly the wind is kicking up and everyone is cold and working as hard at being positive as they are at painting. Anyway, it all about the riotous color right now and here we have two boldly flourescent contributors to Coney Art Walls; London based textual talent Ben Eine style-checking the 70s and Brooklyn hometown gal Maya Hayuk sloshing knee deep through eye popping bands of plaid.

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

As press and photographers are starting to make the trip since the buzz is building, its becoming a bit of a mini-scene – and that’s just to see Martha Cooper! Newly arrived also are Miss Van and Lady Aiko – and there are more on the roster for the next two weeks so keep watching this space – or better yet come have a hotdog and soda and then throw it up on the Cyclone! Look out beloooooooooooooow.

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!
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BSA Film Friday: 06.05.15

June 5, 2015 Artists

Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.

Now screening :

1. 1010 Creates a Crater in Paris
2. Mario Mankey: The World Is Not Over Part 2
3. Giorgio Bartocci from Blindeye Factory
4. Interview with Specter at Vantage Point

BSA Special Feature: 1010 Creates a Crater in Paris

And you thought New York had potholes? Be careful in Paris!

Mario Mankey: The World Is Not Over Part 2

Debuting here, the newest video from Mario Mankey. See him knock out a wall inside Berlin’s former Institute of Anatomy.
The creepiness of this place is possibly the inspiration for the title: “The World Is Not Over: I’m Still Alive”.

Giorgio Bartocci from Blindeye Factory

Interview with Specter at Vantage Point

Happy we were able to bring this guy with us to Berlin in March, and very happy to hear this excellent interview that James and Tom did with him while he was there!

Hell’o Monster and M-City at the Urban Art Biennale in Lille, France

June 4, 2015 Artists

The Biennale Internationale d’Art Mural de Lille from the Collectif Renart is underway in this northern French city of Lille. The international mural festival held every two years boasts artists primarily from the city and region with a handful of artists from other countries.

This years installations continue from May through September, giving a generous leisurely pace without pretense to this program that features myriad styles influenced by graffiti, modern bohemian, D.I.Y., and a variety of fine art practices currently flowing in the larger street art scene.

M-City (photo © Aline Mairet)

“The guys who organized this Biennale are really working hard with a sense of generosity,” says photographer and occasional street art writer Aline Mairet of the mood in Lille. She also shares with BSA readers today her photographs of two recent walls from Poland’s M-City and the Brussels collective of Hell’O Monsters.

M-City (photo © Aline Mairet)

As it turns out, it appears that both have mined the imaginary monsters that frequent the modern mind, here at large in wooded areas. The invincible M-City is diverging from the industrial-mechanical themes that typically distinguish his massive stencil murals, here going figurative with a light beaming boulder throwing woodland dweller.

The Hell’O Monsters collective of Jérôme Meynen, Antoine Detaille, and François Dieltiens create a scene of two, dipping into mystic-folk-cartoon practices of artful representation on the Hellemme métro station. In other words, we don’t know what is going on here but it is attractive, and possibly frightful.

Hell’o Monster (photo © Aline Mairet)

Learn more about the festival HERE.

Pejac In Hong Kong and Small Acts of Art

June 3, 2015 Artists

When it comes to art in public space it is not always about the enormous mural. Sometimes small acts of art are powerful as well.

After last October’s headlines from Hong Kong filled world press outlets with images of daily marches in the streets by youth, many wondered if this generation would be the one to advance the country toward a more democratic future. Marchers spoke openly of being dissatisfied with what they perceived as the intransigence and impermeability of political structures and a lack of social mobility among other issues.

Pejac. The Re-Thinker. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Many in the West were surprised by the throngs of youth clogging major arteries for days and nights, even setting up camp and conversing with police in a place where dissent is typically silenced swiftly. Along with other types of speech, street art and graffiti are sharply watched according to some artists, and this February the United Nations Inter Press Service reported the results of a study naming China as the most dangerous country for artists in 2014. From this news it is safe to say that Hong Kong is not exactly the best spot to catch an aerosol tag these days, and certainly not a piece with political critique.

Pejac. The Re-Thinker. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

That’s why we were interested to see the means of expression Spanish Street and Fine Artist Pejac might employ when he told us he had just made a trip to Hong Kong. He says he thought a lot about his choices. As any Street Art watcher will tell you, context is a major criterion along with placement, and these few small interventions give you an appreciation for how Pejac perceived the tense environment, as well as how pertinent and very personal his messages were.

Pejac. The Re-Thinker. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

The Re-Thinker

A small piece made on a window in his hotel bathroom, Pejac says he chose Rodin’s Thinker as inspiration because he felt that locals are not being allowed to think for themselves. He is not sure why he had the impression; perhaps because of the rush on the street and the lack of time and space and the rhythm of the city. He calls the small piece The Re-Thinker.

Pejac. The Re-Thinker. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Tagger

“This piece is located in Hong Kong Central, precisely on Hollywood Road 97,” says Pejac. The use of a blow torch as an art-making tool is pretty impressive, as is the dragon, a well known symbol of strength and power. The difference here is how Pejac interprets the hot-breathed tagger in a docile and pleasing fashion. “This ferocious mythical animal that can cause hurricanes and floods,” he says, “here becomes a domesticated pet.”

Pejac. Tagger. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Oppression

Pejac’s last small but potent intervention was placed in front of the Central Government Complex of Hong Kong, he says, where last years ‘Umbrella Revolution’ protests were focused.

“The piece features the MSN Hotmail Butterfly trapped in a glass jar,” he says. “It works as a metaphor of the imprisonment of free speech and communication in Chinese peoples’ lives .
The butterfly is not killed but trapped, being able to see and feel, but left to slowly die.”

No word about what happened to the jar.

Pejac. Oppression. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Last year BSA talked to Pejac about his work and about his tribute piece to Monet, which he painted on the hulk of an abandoned ship on the coast of Canabria in the North of Spain.

This article is also published on The Huffington Post and El Huffington Post

Satirizing the Corporate State with “Hygenic Dress League” in Madrid

June 2, 2015 Artists

Sorry, didn’t mean to drop a caterpillar in your Chablis darling, just wanted to make art that has meaning.

In an era of rapid change, three-card monte, and staged misinformation, satire is one useful art form that can assist you to keep the facts in focus – blowing the PR fog from the room.

It has been a little while since we checked in with Detroit-based conceptual satirists Hygenic Dress League (HDL) and we found that they have landed with a thud in Spain. The public art may appear simple, but the concepts are heavy.

You’ll recall perhaps that this street art duo is actually a corporation and their love for blurring lines between
truth/lies,
corporate personhood/personhood,
art project/social commentary, and
humorous/deadly serious
may make for dissonance in the cranial region.

Even their murals are not called such – they are “advertisements”. That is especially rich now that major brands are hi-jacking organic street art culture and wiggling around local ordinances by calling their advertisements “murals”.

HDL Corp. concepts are so developed that founders Steve and Dorota Coy cannot speak normally any more, preferring to communicate only in the non-personal “we” speak of press releases and “communications” departments. He/She/They can explain the work better than we/you can adequately comprehend so here the HDL Corporation takes the floor for the remainder of today’s Powerpoint presentation.

But first, who are all these eagle-headed figures in the work? “The animal men are basically anthropomorphic versions of our employees – the three represented here are all representing the executive employees from the corporation,” Coy tells us.

“‘Pulling Strings’ represents the idea of seeming like we are free when we are really tied down – attached – under the control of oligarchy. This piece can also be interpreted as the masses doing the work to benefit the few – the wealthy. We appreciate the double read of this piece.”

“‘The Eagle has Landed Part II’ at the LX Factory portrays American capitalism/corporatism and its global impact on cities.”

“This piece presents a new character for our corporation,” says spokesperson Coy. “Just as any corporation would hire models to build their brand, the ‘Gold Face’ characters are just that. They are part of a marketing campaign to represent the elite and make people feel inadequate in their current status,” says Coy.

“‘Gold Faces’ will appear in more advertisements in the future. The seeing eye is also present on the hands and the carnations represent the carnation revolution of 1975 in Portugal which freed them from dictatorship.”

“This piece in our classic gold and black is just an homage to our executives. It is painted on metal and has a really nice aesthetic – a gleam.”

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Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

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Bifido and Nemo’s Collaboration

June 1, 2015 Artists

Remember that time you put Sriracha sauce on a stack of pancakes along with the maple syrup and butter? It may have been your wide latitude of acceptable outcomes in the pursuit of creativity or it could have been the hangover you were nursing – but it actually totally worked, right? Who knew?

brooklyn-street-art-bifido-nemos-mostar-05-15-web-4

Bifido and Nemo’s first collaboration for Mostar Street Art Festival. Bosnia and Herzegovina. May 2015. (photo © courtesy Bifido)

That’s what we were thinking about when looking at this new wall in Mostar, Bosnia and Hersegovina by two of Italy’s current street experimenters who usually work separately with distinctively different styles.

Bifido’s surrealist fairey tales told with photography and wheat-paste evoke fantasy and children’s television specials while Nemo’s near-demensia fever dream illustrations are wracked with worry and regret, and a bit of comedy. As long as you remain in the realm of fantasy, this story can easily work – especially if you make your own narrative. Go ahead, you might like it.

Bifido and Nemo’s first collaboration for Mostar Street Art Festival. Bosnia and Herzegovina. May 2015. (photo © courtesy Bifido)

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Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ben Eine (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Maya Hayuk (photo © Jaime Rojo)

BSA Special Feature: 1010 Creates a Crater in Paris

Mario Mankey: The World Is Not Over Part 2

Giorgio Bartocci from Blindeye Factory

Interview with Specter at Vantage Point

M-City (photo © Aline Mairet)

M-City (photo © Aline Mairet)

Hell’o Monster (photo © Aline Mairet)

Hell’o Monster (photo © Aline Mairet)

Pejac. The Re-Thinker. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Pejac. The Re-Thinker. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Pejac. The Re-Thinker. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

The Re-Thinker

Pejac. The Re-Thinker. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Pejac. The Re-Thinker. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Tagger

Pejac. Tagger. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Pejac. Tagger. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Pejac. Tagger. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Oppression

Pejac. Oppression. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Pejac. Oppression. Hong Kong. May, 2015. (photo © @pejac_art)

Sorry, didn’t mean to drop a caterpillar in your Chablis darling, just wanted to make art that has meaning.

“Pulling Strings”, HDL Corporation in Camp de Cebada. Madrid. May 2015. (photo © HDL Corporation)

“Pulling Strings”, HDL Corporation in Camp de Cebada. Madrid. May 2015. (photo © HDL Corporation)

HDL Corporation. “The Eagle has Landed Part II”, Lisbon. May 2015. (photo © HDL Corporation)

HDL Corporation. “Village Underground Lisboa”, Lisbon. May 2015. (photo © HDL Corporation)

HDL Corporation. “Village Underground Lisboa”, Lisbon. May 2015. (photo © HDL Corporation)

HDL Corporation. “Madrid Tabacalera”, Madrid. May 2015. (photo © HDL Corporation)

Bifido and Nemo’s first collaboration for Mostar Street Art Festival. Bosnia and Herzegovina. May 2015. (photo © courtesy Bifido)

Bifido and Nemo’s first collaboration for Mostar Street Art Festival. Bosnia and Herzegovina. May 2015. (photo © courtesy Bifido)

Bifido and Nemo’s first collaboration for Mostar Street Art Festival. Bosnia and Herzegovina. May 2015. (photo © courtesy Bifido)

Bifido and Nemo’s first collaboration for Mostar Street Art Festival. Bosnia and Herzegovina. May 2015. (photo © courtesy Bifido)

Bifido and Nemo’s first collaboration for Mostar Street Art Festival. Bosnia and Herzegovina. May 2015. (photo © courtesy Bifido)

Bifido and Nemo’s first collaboration for Mostar Street Art Festival. Bosnia and Herzegovina. May 2015. (photo © courtesy Bifido)

Bifido and Nemo’s first collaboration for Mostar Street Art Festival. Bosnia and Herzegovina. May 2015. (photo © courtesy Bifido)

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