July 2016

GarGar Festival in Small Town Penelles, Spain.

July 7, 2016 Artists

The influence of Street Art and graffiti continues to disperse through cities, towns and the countryside of many regions in the form of mural festivals. The village of Penelles in Catalonia asks residents if they would like to hand over the walls of their houses to be painted by contemporary artists and many say yes, gladly.

Run & Igansi Rosés for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

It is a far cry from the responses of landlords in large cities where the association in the minds of many is graffiti and vandalism. According to a posting on Facebook, the challenge for attendees of a recent mural festival here was to gather enough money to rent a bus and drive people around to see the new artworks!

GarGar, the festival held in the third week of May, also featured live music, food trucks, beer, workshops, and people milling around taking photos of the artists while they worked and discussing the new pieces. Perhaps taking as a model the same concept as the Spanish town of Fanzara, Penelles is a small sleepy town that is being revitalized with urban art.

Run & Igansi Rosés for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Photographer Luis Olive Bulbena tells us that the town, which is located around 130 km northwest of Barcelona, has about 500 inhabitants and “basically the whole of the municipality revolves around agriculture.”

We thank Mr. Bulbena for sharing these new images with BSA readers.

Sabotaje Al Montaje for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Lily for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Marina Capdevila for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Irving Ramó for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

El Niño De Las Pinturas for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Bifido for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Dina Compadre for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Nina Hamada & Zosen for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Slim Art for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Txemy for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Faring Purth “As in the Light of Marielle”

July 6, 2016 Artists

Faring Purth is taking this one lying down in Westville, New Haven Connecticut on a long wall with Marielle. The 150 x 12 foot figure featured in “As in the Light of Marielle” was just completed and feted with an evening celebration that featured light artist Raven Fox, whom Faring says provided “breathtaking illuminations” overlaying her painted figure.

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Faring Purth. New Haven, CT. June 2016. (photo © Mark Jankowski)

Stretching luxuriously from fingertip to pointed toe along the length of a parking lot in a lushly greened neighborhood, the wall was completed as a result of of Farings’ involvement with a local community arts group, the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance.

Seeing the slumber of Marielle and her heavily lidded eyes, we are reminded of this Shakespeare Sonnet XXVII

“WEARY with toil, I haste me to my bed

The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;

But then begins a journey in my head

To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired:”

Faring Purth. New Haven, CT. June 2016. (photo © Faring Purth)

Faring Purth. New Haven, CT. June 2016. (photo © Mark Jankowski)

Icy & Sot in Cincinnati ; “We Need Education, Not Violence”

July 5, 2016 Artists

The July 4^th fireworks and bombast is over. The violence on America’s streets is not.

In Cincinnati alone 48 people have been killed by gun violence in the first half of the year a new mural by Street Artists Icy & Sot intends to combat it with this message; “Education and art are key to breaking the cycle of violence.” Using pencils as a symbol of education and self-awareness and power, the brothers say we individually have the power to save youth from gun violence.

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo © Icy & Sot)

The socially conscious stencilists are invoking an image they created after being victims of gun violence themselves and in response to other high-profile episodes of violence on the world stage recent years – a gun with a pencil for a barrel. This 20’ x 24’ mural of individuals toting high-powered pencils imagines what the results of education can do to lift a community, instead of tear it apart.

The new piece is called “We Need Education, Not Violence”, and we have images of the process here for you today.

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo courtesy of Icy & Sot)

Somehow discussion of the gun-violence topic in the sensational and moneyed media always seems to encourage an intractable polarization of thought – simplifying opinions, placing people into only two camps, and trotting out tropes about “liberals” and “conservatives”. The tactics attack people instead of ideas, purposefully clouding the arguments, prolonging inertia.

The Rev. Gail Greenwell of Christ Church Cathedral says that the religious organization “sees public art as one way to generate public reaction, to engage the community in a meaningful dialogue about gun violence and gun violence prevention.” The church worked with Artworks, an award winning visual arts non-profit to solicit artists for the message and the project was completed and installed last week.

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo courtesy of Icy & Sot)

ArtWorks says it is the largest visual employer in the Cincinnati region and “our vision is to be the creative and economic engine that unites citizens to transform our region through public art.”

Can ArtWorks and Icy & Sot propel the conversation forward and cause a meaningful change in a community that is suffering from gun violence? For those who believe in the power of art in the public sphere, there is reason to think that it can.

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo © Icy & Sot)

For more information please visit cincinnaticathedral.com, ArtWorksCincinnati.org.

Never Crew: Ordering Machine – Grenoble 2016

July 4, 2016 Artists

Two whales are suspended from a clothing hanger as if dangling inside “an infinite closet” say Christian and Pablo, the guys who comprise Nevercrew. The glorious intelligent sensitive and graceful beasts of the seas are reduced to mere commodity, just two more options for humans to buy, sell, trade, consume, destroy. Nevercrew are themselves dangling from a basket high atop a cherry picker here in Grenoble for a street art festival in the southeastern French town at the foot of the French Alps.

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Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE (photo © Never Crew)

A sea life animal – a polar bear or whale, for example – is often the central character of the composition for these guys, a majestic free animal that is acted upon instead of in concert with. “This work is called ‘Ordering Machine’ and it focuses on the human attitude regarding the privatizing of natural resources,” Christian says.

“The project was developed around the position of mankind as it is related to nature, where on one side there are our needs and on the other side there are our behavior of consumption and attitude of appropriation.”

Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. (photo © Never Crew)

In their surreal conceptualizations and development of a visual language that is understood principally to the two Swiss nationals, the viewer may benefit from suspending the purely rational and instead allowing for an alternate universe that they have been creating over 20 years of painting together.

Here animal life is majestic and awe-inspiring, perhaps representing the potential for so much more, but at the least something to be revered. Often the protagonist is anchored or overseen by a smaller complex engine or circuit board that seems to be of steam-punkian vintage, silly in its self-importance, only hoping to be useful in the shadow of a natural miracle.

Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. (photo © Never Crew)

In “Ordering Machine” the clothes hanger and red-striped fabric is the low-tech constriction device, trapping these beasts like a couple of blocks of cheese. “The hanger is also the support of the entire composition,” according to Nevercrew, reminding us about balancing need with greed as well.

“The arrogant use of nature for economic purposes and for the claim of superiority,” says Pablo, “is a view held by those whose same hands could choose to raise a social awareness and to promote environmental good for everyone.”

Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. (photo © Never Crew)

BSA Images Of The Week: 07.03.16

July 3, 2016 Artists, BSA Images Of The Week

Heading into the 4th of July we reflect upon patriotism, our declaration of independence from England, and Britain’s new declaration of independence from the EU. Are there similarities?

Now, we’re all off the park for a barbecue! Where is the frisbee? Where are those hotdog buns?

And here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Agostino Iacurci, Alaniz, Aron Belka, Buttsup, Float Art, Gilf!, King, London Kaye, Pixel Pancho, QRST, Reed B More, Sipros, and WK Interact.

Our top image: London Kaye. Peace, please!! (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

QRST (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Agostino Iacurci (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Pixel Pancho. The Italian artist was in NYC early in June to participate in a group show and painted this mural in Chelsea in NYC. While the mural appears unfinished by the blotch of white paint on the bottom that is not the case. The artist’s completed piece was tagged and as per the artist’s request the gallery removed the tag with the white paint. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Float Art (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

WK Interact (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Reed B. More has been leaving these translucent pieces suspended about the fray. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Reed B. More (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Reed B. More tagging the sky. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Reed B. More (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sipros for the Buschwick Collective. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Gilf! did this piece to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando and debuted it in time for the LGBT Pride weekend in NYC. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Aron Belka did this portrait of jazz pianist and composer Allen Toussaint, who passed away last autumn, for The L.I.S.A. Project NYC in Little Italy/China Town. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Alaniz pointing in every direction at the abandoned NSA spy compound in Teufelsberg Hill in Berlin. Berlin, 2016. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

FIKOS “Earth and Sky”, Massive Byzantine Painting in Kiev

July 2, 2016 Artists

Is this the world’s largest Byzantine painting?

Graffiti artist and an iconographer in Orthodox Christian churches, Fikos is going for the record here in Kiev. “

With 46 meters height, this is the largest mural in the history of Byzantine Painting and the highest artwork in history of Greek art since ancient years,” he says on his Instagram account. Born in Greece, he may know something about the topic.

Additionally, Fikos (full name Fikos Antonios) says that he began studying Byzantine painting at age 13 under the guidance of George Kordis and after a while he collaborated with him to paint murals in Orthodox churches.

Now, as part of the Mural Social Club Festival taking place in Ukraine through the end of July, the 29 year old Athenian says he has painted this soaring Byzantine couple at a scale that is “three times higher than the chryselephantine statue of Zeus in Olympia, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world”.

Our sincere thanks to the team at Mural Social Club. Founder Dmytro Palienko and curators Oleg Sosnov and Julia Ostrovska as well as the NGO Sky Art Foundation for sharing these images exclusively with BSA.

BSA Film Friday: 07.01.16

July 1, 2016 Artists

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

Now screening :

1. Chump for Trump. Ron English x The Sutcliffes
2. 100 Persianas by MVIN
3. Street Heroines by Alexandra Henry
4. Der Hampelmann – Naive Street Art in Berlin from Erik & Nils Petter

BSA Special Feature: Chump for Trump. Ron English x The Sutcliffes

Seeing the new Ron English mural of Donald Trump in Bushwick, Brooklyn last week we were reminded of the video he released in April with a soundtrack by The Sutcliffes, a Beatles tribute band. It uses footage from Trump rallies and commercials interspersed with illustration and animation in an approachable folky way. Once you go down the rabbit hole of Trump satire and parody videos that have been made in the last year, you’ll find enough to begin a film festival.

Ron English brings Donald Trump as Humpty Dumpty on a wall – in collaboration with The Bushwick Collective and Mana Urban Art Projects. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

100 Persianas by MVIN

A few months ago eL Seed created a multi building mural in Cairo that can only be seen in toto from a specific physical vantage point. Here is a similar project where the only way to appreciate a tag in Barcelona from MVIN is to assemble a grid of photos from 100 pull-down gates (persianas) he painted.

Check out the Instagram account that documents the progress here.

Street Heroines by Alexandra Henry

BSA has supported many great Kickstarters and this is one that we are truly excited about. Of course we’ve brought you work from many of the women whom Ms. Henry is including in this documentary, but there are faces we haven’t seen before and people whose stories haven’t been told.

She’s almost done filming but the project needs your help and we urge you to help get her over the finish line!

Please click on the link to help Alexandra Henry complete her project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/274344236/street-heroines

Der Hampelmann – Naive Street Art in Berlin from Erik & Nils Petter

Okay, we try to stay away from “cute”. This is a rare exception because it is interactive art on the street and it hearkens back to simple methods of entertaining children and, um, its so damn cute.

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Run & Igansi Rosés for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Run & Igansi Rosés for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Sabotaje Al Montaje for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Sabotaje Al Montaje for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Lily for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Marina Capdevila for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Irving Ramó for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Irving Ramó for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

El Niño De Las Pinturas for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Bifido for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Bifido for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Dina Compadre for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Nina Hamada & Zosen for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Nina Hamada & Zosen for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Slim Art for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Txemy for GarGar Festival 2016 in Penelles, Spain. (photo © Lluis Olive Bulbena)

Faring Purth. New Haven, CT. June 2016. (photo © Mark Jankowski)

Faring Purth. New Haven, CT. June 2016. (photo © Faring Purth)

Faring Purth. New Haven, CT. June 2016. (photo © Faring Purth)

Faring Purth. New Haven, CT. June 2016. (photo © Faring Purth)

Faring Purth. New Haven, CT. June 2016. (photo © Faring Purth)

Faring Purth. New Haven, CT. June 2016. (photo © Mark Jankowski)

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo © Icy & Sot)

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo courtesy of Icy & Sot)

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo courtesy of Icy & Sot)

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo © Icy & Sot)

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo © Icy & Sot)

Icy & Sot for ArtWorks in Cincinnati, USA. (photo © Icy & Sot)

Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE (photo © Never Crew)

Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. (photo © Never Crew)

Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. (photo © Never Crew)

Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. (photo © Never Crew)

Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. (photo © Never Crew)

Never Crew for Grenoble Festival 2016. France. (photo © Never Crew)

Our top image: London Kaye. Peace, please!! (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

QRST (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Agostino Iacurci (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Float Art (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

WK Interact (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Reed B. More has been leaving these translucent pieces suspended about the fray. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Reed B. More (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Reed B. More tagging the sky. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Reed B. More (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sipros for the Buschwick Collective. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Gilf! did this piece to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando and debuted it in time for the LGBT Pride weekend in NYC. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Aron Belka did this portrait of jazz pianist and composer Allen Toussaint, who passed away last autumn, for The L.I.S.A. Project NYC in Little Italy/China Town. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Alaniz pointing in every direction at the abandoned NSA spy compound in Teufelsberg Hill in Berlin. Berlin, 2016. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Buttsup (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

King (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Untitled. Brooklyn, NY. June 2016. (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Fikos Antonios in Kiev for Mural Social Club Festival/NGO Sky Art Foundation. (photo © Maksim Belousov)

Fikos Antonios in Kiev for Mural Social Club Festival/NGO Sky Art Foundation. (photo © Maksim Belousov)

Fikos Antonios in Kiev for Mural Social Club Festival/NGO Sky Art Foundation. (photo © Maksim Belousov)

Fikos Antonios in Kiev for Mural Social Club Festival/NGO Sky Art Foundation. (photo © Maksim Belousov)

Fikos Antonios in Kiev for Mural Social Club Festival/NGO Sky Art Foundation. (photo © Maksim Belousov)

BSA Special Feature: Chump for Trump. Ron English x The Sutcliffes

Ron English brings Donald Trump as Humpty Dumpty on a wall – in collaboration with The Bushwick Collective and Mana Urban Art Projects. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

100 Persianas by MVIN

Street Heroines by Alexandra Henry

Der Hampelmann – Naive Street Art in Berlin from Erik & Nils Petter

Featured Video | Martin Wong’s “Houston Street”

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