October 2017

ONO’U Tahiti 2017: “Personal Genesis” ONO’U 2017 Conférence, Dispatch 6

ONO’U Tahiti 2017: “Personal Genesis” ONO’U 2017 Conférence, Dispatch 6

October 7, 2017

“Personal Genesis’ ONO’U Tahiti 2017. Panel discussion. Tahiti, October 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ONO’U 2017 Conférence

BSA was proud to host the first ONO’U Conference on Thursday night to bring alive a somewhat academic experience to the festival for a curious crowd of 175 in the showroom of a local car dealership. The theme of “Personal Genesis” invited our 7 panelists to talk about their unique entryway into the graffiti and Street Art scene, and we were treated to genesis stories, images, and video about all of them.

“Personal Genesis’ From left to right: Steven P. Harrington, Martha Cooper, Inkie, Soten, Marko93, Charles Williams, Kalouf and Selina Miles. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. Panel discussion. Tahiti, October 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

With Steven P. Harrington, BSA Editor-in-Chief running the panel, we heard from American photographer and documentarian Martha Cooper, Australian film maker Selina Miles, French graffiti writer/ light writer Marko93, Dane graffiti/ fine artist SOTEN, UK graffiti/Street Artist/ illustrator Inkie, Maori graffiti writer/naturist muralist Phat1, and French graffiti writer/ hyperrealist naturalist Kalouf.

With each panelist asked to speak about their start in the graffiti/Street Art/ Urban Art world, guests were treated to stories of discovery and aspirational routes to success that took many directions. Each guest narrated images and videos of their work and illustrated that no one comes to this scene from the same vantage point, yet there are many who With so many panelists it was obvious that the stories could have filled three hours easily, but we kept it to an hour and a half, with questions from the audience being particularly illuminating.

Our thanks to hosts Sarah Roopinia and Jean Ozlander at ONO’U Festival for helping translate to French and then back to English sometimes, and our thanks to all of the talented artists and documentarians who participated.

“Personal Genesis’ ONO’U Tahiti 2017. Panel discussion. Tahiti, October 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“Personal Genesis’ ONO’U Tahiti 2017. Panel discussion. Tahiti, October 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

 

“Personal Genesis’ ONO’U Tahiti 2017. Panel discussion. Tahiti, October 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“Personal Genesis’ ONO’U Tahiti 2017. Panel discussion. Tahiti, October 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

 

Read more
BSA Film Friday: 10.06.17 ONO’U Tahiti Special: Dispatch 5

BSA Film Friday: 10.06.17 ONO’U Tahiti Special: Dispatch 5

October 6, 2017

bsa-film-friday-JAN-2015

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

Now screening :
1. Marko93 & MrZL Video Mapping Collaboration
2. ONO’U Tahiti 2017 Fashion Show
3. Museum Preparation: ONO’U TAHITI 2017

bsa-film-friday-special-feature

BSA Special Feature: Marko93 & MrZL Video Mapping Collaboration

In this work-in-progress video you get an idea of the gestural choreography that is required to effect the symbols and patterning of the this work by Marko93. The homemade video by Jaime Rojo of this work in progress also shows some of the extremely organic digital work of MrZL as he overlays the patterns that Marko93 is laying down. Tonight at the block/party and museum opening the full collaboration is unveiled for the you here at ONO’U Festival 2017.

 

ONO’U Tahiti 2017 Fashion Show. MARKO93, KALOUF, PHAT1, LADY DIVA, RIVAL, ABUZ, INKIE, SOTEN

Highlights from Tuesday’s fashion show where artists painted directly on dresses, tastefully paraded down a runway by local beauties with gentle excitement. Each artist joined the show at the end of the show, giving a collaborative warmth to the event.

Concept and design by Sarah Roopinia, Dressmaker: Myrna from Kahaia Couture, Accessories: Turere & Rio from O’TAHI Creations & Tevei from TEVEI PERLE, Choreographed by Sarah Roopinia and Hiro from HANATIKA, Decoration by Hiro, MUA by Teura Allain and Jad’Art, Hair by Mr. Johns & Hiti from UNIK HAIR

 

Musee Prep: ONO’U TAHITI 2017. SOTEN, KALOUF, ROMAIN LARDANCHET and CHARLES & JANINE WILLIAMS (Phat1 & Lady Diva)

A small building only a block from the marina holds a series of rooms that are being painted and projected and  hung with art for the opening Friday night for the public to see. Here is a sense of the action inside.

Read more
Preparing for Museum Show at ONO’U Tahiti 2017, Dispatch 4

Preparing for Museum Show at ONO’U Tahiti 2017, Dispatch 4

October 5, 2017

This week BSA takes you to the French Polynesian Islands to see the new murals going up for this tropical island cultural festival called ONO’U Tahiti 2017. We’re happy to bring you the daily events and the insights as we discover them.

There is excitement in the warm sunny air today as some of the murals are coming into their fullness on walls. Needless to say, some minds are being tweaked on the street here, in a good way.

SOTEN. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Also Kalouf, Phat1 and Lady Diva, Soten, and Romaine Lardanchet are all working today in a cloud of aerosol paint to complete their indoor installations for the block party that closes this week of the ONO’U Festival 2017.

A great atmosphere of collaboration is here, with artists offering to lend a hand or locate supplies for each other – and of course offer a bit of advice if needed.

PHAT1 and Lady Diva (Charles & Janine Williams). Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For example would you believe that director Sarah Roopinia has such a sweet mother, Sabine, who actually cooks lunch for everyone every day, including the vegetarians? This gives you an idea of the warmth of community that exists at ONO’U.

Tonight BSA is hosting the panel discussion “Personal Genesis” with Martha Cooper, Selina Miles, Marko93, SOTEN, Inkie, Phat1, and Kalouf. It looks like it will be a packed house so get there early!

PHAT1 and Lady Diva (Charles & Janine Williams). Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Kalouf. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Romain Lardanchet. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Romain Lardanchet. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

 

 

Read more
Bending Perceptions at ONO’U: ASTRO, OKUDA & Graffiti Couture: ONO’U TAHITI 2017: DISPATCH 3

Bending Perceptions at ONO’U: ASTRO, OKUDA & Graffiti Couture: ONO’U TAHITI 2017: DISPATCH 3

October 4, 2017

This week BSA takes you to the French Polynesian Islands to see the new murals going up for this tropical island cultural festival called ONO’U Tahiti 2017. We’re happy to bring you the daily events and the insights as we discover them.

After some logistical challenges with the cherry picker, Astro has wasted no time converting the side of a building into a perception-bending illusion for downtown Papeete here in Tahiti.

But then, illusions and perception are all we have, right? And it is many artists pastime to play with both.

ASTRO. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

This new ONO’U Festival mural is next to a huge gas station and across the street from a gun store selling high-powered firearms (they might be toys) and here we have a French graffiti writer hailing from two crews (ODV and CBA) that appears to reconfigure the basic structure of a building while adorning it.

Additionally the dude is crafting a uniquely personal career with his optic artworks on buildings, roofs, pavement, t-shirts, screenprints, and canvasses.

ASTRO. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Likewise Okuda is playing with traditional figurative forms and natural symbols that recalls abstract geometry of the Art Deco filtered through surreal wire-framing models. The cheerful palette is right at home here in the tropical islands, the somewhat domestic scenes popping up in your dreams, symbols of something, but you’re not sure what.

Aside from that, there is a daily slow unveiling of the piece, with it’s bricked faced mom from the 1940s and chirping birds near her head. We watched as it halted at least one small boy who walking by and holding his mothers’ hand. He surveyed the work in progress and begin and pointing and questioning and explaining … and refusing to leave the parking lot.

ONO’U director Sarah Roopinia with ASTRO and crew sorting the lift. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

Tropical birds are showing up in FinDAC’s piece as well, a balancing act of some manner that we need to ask him about. Felippe Pantone is making progress on his mammoth piece as well and a general fragrance of aerosol spray permeates the activities within the museum in preparation for the block party on Friday night.

Although that aerosol fragrance was also flooding the bank lobby last night during the chic and street flavored fashion show extravaganza conceived of by ONO’U festival visionary Sarah Roopinia, who paired graffiti writer/Street Artists with fashion designers and models and presented some grand visions to this tony crowd of Tahitians.

OKUDA. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

With Soten and Marko93 actively spraying tags on models dresses before the crowd in the multi-story foyer during the cocktail/ hor d’oeuvre/ orchid soaked reception, one wondered if it was the tropically fresh minty drinks or the freshly sprayed paint fumes that were getting us high.

Add to this a thumping soundtrack, psychedelic motion graphics, and high-heeled gently-swerving models careening down the runway and you begin to wonder where you are exactly.

OKUDA. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Amidst the flashing lights and live TV coverage, the crowd was drinking in the sight of spray painted couture-meets-street-culture-meets-traditional Polynesian fashion, something many hadn’t seen before. The climax was seeing the artists on the arms of models for the final curtain call; a final head-spinning communal experience of perception-bending illusions on parade.

See images from the fashion show below, followed by a video of highlights by Jaime Rojo.

The ONO’U Fashion Show featuring a model wearing a garment painted by Phat1, 3 dancers, and a TV camera man. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

The ONO’U Fashion Show featuring a model wearing a garment painted by Inkie. (photo © Steven P. Harrington)

The ONO’U Fashion Show finale with models and artists including Astro, Phat1, Abuz, Marko93, Lady Diva, Rival, and Inkie. (photo © Martha Cooper)

FINDAC. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

FINDAC. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Felipe Pantone. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Felipe Pantone. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Mrs Martine CHENESON at the Fashion Show. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

 

 

 Credits for the ONO’U Fashion Show 2017:
Concept and design by Sarah Roopinia, Dressmaker: Myrna from Kahaia Couture, Accessories: Turere & Rio from O’TAHI Creations & Tevei from TEVEI PERLE, Choreographed by Sarah Roopinia and Hiro from HANATIKA, Decoration by Hiro, MUA by Teura Allain and Jad’Art, Hair by Mr. Johns & Hiti from UNIK HAIR

Read more
Astro, FinDAC, Video Mapping with MrZL and Marko93 at ONO’U Tahiti 2017: Dispatch 2

Astro, FinDAC, Video Mapping with MrZL and Marko93 at ONO’U Tahiti 2017: Dispatch 2

October 3, 2017

This week BSA takes you to the French Polynesian Islands to see the new murals going up for this tropical island cultural festival called ONO’U Tahiti 2017. We’re happy to bring you the daily events and the insights as we discover them.

Can you drive a stick shift pickup truck?

Dude, we usually are biking or hiking through streets but here on the Tahiti island as we expertly shift through the multiple traffic circles and speed bumps of ‘Ārue, Fa’a’ā, and Pape’ete, it’s an adventure just to bomb through a busy downtown to discover the Street Art museum that is coming together. Here inside the workspace FinDAC is using a free computer on a temporary table to do his email and Kalouf is painting a small jumping whale on a rusted piece of metal while Romain Lardanchet reads aloud to him about armies, battalions and flaming meteors, sunglasses tempering the flaming hot sun and balancing on small white plastic stool.

ASTRO. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Inside one of the exhibition spaces MrZL is practicing his projection mapping on top of Marko93’s target pattern on the wall, which the graffiti writer and aerosol master is converting into a Mandela of tags that will work in concert with the digital work of his creative partner. New for both artists, this piece is intended to have some longevity in the museum space where much of the collaborations that MrZL does are similar to live performance.

This installation is a “live mix” with no one knowing exactly what the two works will produce together – revealing itself in the moment, much like a live music DJ works with songs, samples, recordings, effects, and filters to produce a jam.

“I don’t know exactly how this will look because he brought some colors and I brought light intensity variations and we put it together and the results should be beautiful,” says the Lyons based MrZL speaking of his projection work melding with the Paris-based Marko93.

Felipe Pantone. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

“We follow this target pattern so we have a common mise-en-page. So we can work together a little better we have this abstract graphic and work on two layers,” he says. “I chose an animals face because he often works with animals so I proposed to him an animal on the foreground, a rhinoceros, because I saw that he works with big primates a lot, or big cats like lions.”

Meanwhile Astro is negotiating his geometric scene alongside a busy gas station, jumping quickly from one vantage point to another as he creates planes of greater depth with the can. FinDAC’s figurative piece is now popping forward from the abstract beginnings of yesterday, his focus on a Tahitian model whom he photographed a series of poses with on Sunday and which he says has that extra “something” he looks for in a muse.

Findac. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

This evening only one block from the FinDAC mural a series of live Tahitian muses will be taking the catwalk in a grand foyer for a unique fashion show downtown – a long planned fusion planned by the organization that pairs traditional Tahitian culture with graffiti and modern fashion couture in a much anticipated night event.

Felipe Pantone should be there for the show tonight, if his lift doesn’t freeze in a permanent state of extension again like it did last night at the top of his multi-story lift. Positioned overlooking the sporting field of a school, a small crowd of teens and teachers kicked around soccer balls and stared upward while Pantone sketched out the black and white patterning that will no doubt deliver dizzying and vibrating multi-color optics to this unsuspecting crowd. Nearby on the sidewalk film director Selina Miles commandeers a white drown overhead, giving us a verbal play-by-play of what she was seeing on her screen while steering the scene from the ground.

It’s another day in paradise, as they say. Now if we can just figure out how to get this stick shift to go into reverse, we’ll get out of the parking space…

Marko93 . MrZL Video Mapping Collaboration. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Marko93 & MrZL Video Mapping Collaboration. Work in progress.

 

Read more
VHILS, LEIS, and Roosters: The Charm of ONO’U Tahiti 2017: Dispatch 1

VHILS, LEIS, and Roosters: The Charm of ONO’U Tahiti 2017: Dispatch 1

October 2, 2017

This week BSA takes you to the French Polynesian Islands to see the new murals going up for this tropical island cultural festival called ONO’U Tahiti 2017. We’re happy to bring you the daily events and the insights as we discover them.

Closer to Auckland than Oakland and closer to heaven than Marge Simpson’s hair, the islands of French Polynesia are sort of difficult to get to but once you are here, the marina and mountain and the cats and the chickens will charm your lei right off of you.

Vhils. Detail. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Yes, in fact, we did receive a traditional maeva at the airport this morning at 5 am from Sarah Roopina and Jean Ozonder – a hand strung necklace of frangipani and orchids placed around the shoulders. Before you can get wowed at the previous murals from their earlier “ONO’U” festivals like stuff from Inti, Seth Globepainter, Bordalo II and Okuda just sprinkled through downtown Papeete, you are undoubtedly stunned by the power of their flower game.

No joke, with the leis and the blossom behind the ear, the people know how to bring an enchanting portion of poetry to everyday exchanges. Often a gardenia and often fragrant, it is not easy to overlook the wearer and appreciate their simple floral addition.

Vhils. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Turn the corner and at the table of a sidewalk café is the piece de resistance, as they may say here: a warm and smiling woman joking conspiratorially with her lunchmate and smoking a cigarette with a veritable crown of blossoms. This tiare is fragrant and gently cushioned by green these floral crowns, made of blossoms of yellow, white, fushia… that’s probably why the new Vhils piece proudly showcases this crown of blooming tropical nature in full glory. Sorry kids, these folks have the flower situation on lockdown.

Vhils. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Meanwhile the mother hen and her chicks whom we almost ran over with the mural-catching truck could not have been freer. Jaime jumped out of the truck after we jammed on the brakes and flashed the parking lights so cars behind us didn’t smash into the bumper. Sort of unperturbed by the kerfuffle, the white/beige mama chicken with a red beak flew a couple of feet back into the dirt driveway and the orbish chick fluttered after her.

Findac. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

And we gotta name check the strutting attitude and fantastic feather patterns on the roosters that are in the streets, on lawns, strolling on the waterside signing at the top of their lungs. We’ve heard more roosters belting out the hits in the last 12 hours here in Tahiti than Mrs. Sinatra heard during a long weekend at Ceasar’s Palace.

Yes, there are Street Artists arriving right now and whom we are yet to meet and some talents are  already scaling walls like FinDAC and Okuda and Felipe Pantone and Astro. Last night the trio called BLAST ART blew 300 peoples mind’s with modern projection mapping piece combining a newly painted chameleon on a wall and a number of Jedi mind tricks to kick off the festival yesterday, but for us today, the flowers and the chickens are the winners of ONO’U.

Findac. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Findac. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Findac. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Findac. Process shot. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Flower market. ONO’U Tahiti 2017. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Read more
BSA Images Of The Week: 10.01.17

BSA Images Of The Week: 10.01.17

October 1, 2017


BSA-Images-Week-Jan2015

Clearly we cannot bury our heads in the sand anymore, for those of us who are tempted to. We try to make light of things here or at least add levity, but right now many of our community in NYC are desperately worried about family members in Puerto Rico, and aid has not been getting to them after the storm.

While it is a relief for many to find that Trump is actually one of the most ineffective leaders in terms of getting major legislation or many of the pillars of his anti-everybody-except-the-rich agenda passed, that same ineffectiveness puts citizens in harms way – as appears to be happening right now on that island of US citizens of 3.4 million. When 55% of the island doesn’t have drinkable water, you know a human disaster is close. Meanwhile Trump is tweeting from his golf course in New Jersey to insult a mayor on the island.

New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito is on top of the situation but cannot countenance the response from the feds: “I wanna cry. This is worse, not better, 10 days in. And Sr. Trump’s fragile ego is what is driving policy. Criminal.” she says in her latest tweet

At the recommendation of Lee Quinones, a proud New Yorker, Puerto Ricano, and NYC train writer of the 1970s and 1980s – here are some charities you can contribute to:

Here’s our weekly interview with the streets, this week featuring Adam Fujita, CB23, Ces53, City Kitty, Dan Witz, Dirty Bandits, GIZ, Jazz Guetta, Kafka is Famous, MRVN, Myth, NeverCrew, Smart, Stray Ones, and Such.

Top image: Adam Fujita . Dirty Bandits (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Kafka Is Famous (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Dan Witz (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Unidentified artist (photo © Jaime Rojo)

MRVN (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ces53 . Smart . Giz . Such. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Giz. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Such. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Ces53. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Unidentified Artist (photo © Jaime Rojo)

City Kitty (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Unidentified artist (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jazz Guetta. The Bushwick Collective. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Unidentified artist (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Stray Ones (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Myth (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Unidentified artist (photo © Jaime Rojo)

cb23 with friends. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nevercrew in Kiev for Art United Us.  (photo © Nevercrew)

Mind The Heart Project (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Utitled. The Last Picture. Hudson River, NY. 2017 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Read more

Featured Video | Martin Wong’s “Houston Street”

Recent Articles on BSA