Wishing you a safe and fun 4th of July celebration. In these tumultuous days, it is good to remember that the Boston Tea Party was the people’s rebellion against an unholy alliance of government and corporations – and state-sponsored monopoly.
Welcome to BSA Images of the Week! Happy 4th of July Weekend.
The smoke from forest fires revisited our fair dirty city again this week, causing the air to smell like a summer campfire wherever you rode your bike or walked, or scootered. In some neighborhoods, it was a new smell that almost overcame the smell of urine and garbage, so that was a silver lining. Also it served as a trigger for people who have gone camping to buy marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate to make s’mores in the kitchen. Or maybe we are just talking about ourselves.
Also, the results of having a right wing leaning Supreme Court came in this week; Rulings striking regarding affirmative action, GLBTQ+ rights, limitations on student loan forgiveness, and domestic abusers and guns – all took serious hits. Welcome to the increasingly conservative US courts, even as annual polls conclude that a majority of US citizens hold more liberal and progressive views every year.
This week we have an assortment of murals, street art, and graffiti for you. Enjoy!
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: Skewville, Matt Siren, Praxis, Lexi Bella, Eternal Possessions, Didi, BK Ackler, Enivo, Smile Boulder, Mena Ceresa, Jeff Rose King, Eye Know, Girlly, MS Chainker, Green Villian, XIK Art, and BustArt.
Experience the synergy of history and contemporary urban art practice during this summer’s Nice Surprise street art festival with BSA in this Norwegian city. Join us as we celebrate Stavanger’s 900-year milestone with a new cadre of artists and programming that continues the modern heritage of this fortunate city on the North Sea with street art and graffiti.
Brisbane-based Sofles is an Australian graffiti writer and street artist known for his exceptional skills in both graffiti and mural art. Known for his distinct style, and mastery of many styles in graffiti, he’s been honing his skills since the late 90s. He’s developed a unique and versatile style that blends graffiti lettering, characters, and abstract elements – always infused with movement and a limitless sense of discovery.
Here’s a wall he did a collaboration on with Mathis, a straight up Norwegian painting pro with lots of commercial experience and respect in the graffiti game. Mathis Anvik has a lot of great work in many styles on his social media, including stuff from Vestfold Kunstdekor, a company that specializes in painting buses, or RUSSEBUSSER – often known as party buses used by Norwegian high school graduates. But that’s another story
Sofles was the very first artist to paint in Stavanger, Norway for this first edition of Nice Surprise!, an auspicious and new Street Art Festival that will get its wings throughout the summer in this Nordic city. While in town, Sofles painted a whole train with his pals Smug One, Milliana, and Norse, which you can read all about it here. He also painted this wall in collaboration with Mathis and a wall in the downtown center of the city by himself. Tor Ståle Moen, a resident of Stavanger and frequent BSA collaborator, shared the photos of the murals with BSA readers to enjoy.
Experience the synergy of history and contemporary creativity during this summer’s Nice Surprise street art festival with BSA in this Norwegian city. Join us as we celebrate Stavanger’s 900-year milestone with a new cadre of artists and programming that continues the modern heritage of this fortunate city on the North Sea with street art and graffiti.
The street art community is abuzz with anticipation for the newly sprung Nice Surprise! street art festival taking center stage in Stavanger, Norway (pop 150,000). Stavanger, as a champion for street art and graffiti, is perhaps better known for Nuart, the long-running transformative event that breathed new life into the city, attracting acclaimed artists from around the world and elevating intellectual discourse studying graffiti and street art. Now the city is giving the seal of approval to Nice Surprise to bring its own distinctive blend of artistic brilliance and community-based camaraderie to this oil capital of Scandinavia.
Nice Surprise likes to say that it is a festival organized by artists for artists. Pøbel and Atle Østrem are artists, co-founders, and part of the team. They are internationally known as pioneers and proponents of the street art scene and have been active for at least two decades. Nice Surprise is working this summer to bring some high-profile international and local artists – and some surprises – to the city from June through September.
In addition to being a meeting place for like-minded individuals passionate about street art, Stavanger is preparing to commemorate its 900-year anniversary. Nice Surprise will embrace historical neighborhoods like Pedersgata, Domkirken, and Ullandhaug to bring fresh ideas and art into these cherished locations. By merging contemporary street art with the city’s strong cultural legacy, the festival hopes to honor Stavanger’s past while sparking excitement with relevant new works that blend artistic brilliance with historical reverence, possibly provoking some introspection.
This summer BSA will be in Stavanger to bring you images and developments of Nice Surprise as an international and local roster of names come through town. Today we begin with a collaborative train piece by Sofles, Smug One, Milliana, and Norse. The train is what we believe is to be the first legal whole train to be put in regular traffic, where it will run over the entire festival period.
Welcome to BSA Images of the Week!
Be it ever so! The long summer days, the walls awash with fresh paint, the overspray and splatter a Greek chorus to cheer our hero/shero. Oh!
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: Jason Naylor, Lexi Bella, Homesick, David Puck, Calicho Art, Atom, Hops Art, Caty Wooley, DLove, Stem and Thorn, Minvske, Jappy Agoncillo, KMS Crew, Vargas, Nicky Doll, Kanoy Muse, Bipolar, Nataniel Marreo, Voice, Mista, Carli Tops, and Pamela Rosenkranz.
Humans, in all our complex existence, wield an undeniable influence, and yet, paradoxically, we pose the gravest threat to the very world we live in. With staggering magnitude, a deluge of trash, amounting to a colossal 2.6 trillion pounds, engulfs our planet in a single day, as reported by The Atlantic. Despite mankind’s incessant quest for technological marvels and ingenious solutions to combat this mounting crisis, an alarming revelation was published by National Geographic: a staggering 91% of plastics don’t make it through the recycling process, plunging us into a dire and global environmental cataclysm.
Given this statistic, it’s become imperative to perpetually educate and enlighten the masses to create awareness and make a difference. We must grasp the profound implications of our own small contributions to reduce the refuse we generate. From small steps of everyday life to the growing voices of global initiatives by NGOs our collective efforts must result in a drastic reduction of waste before it is too late.
A growing number of artists have emerged as environmental champions. Through their voices and craft, they visually illuminate the relationship between humankind and the debris we leave in our wake.
In May, the local government of Buenos Aires invited Luz Interruptus to celebrate World Recycling Day by creating an installation called “The Plastic We Live With” on the iconic El Obelisco monument. The artists aimed to highlight the issue of plastic pollution and its impact on the environment. They faced the challenge of creating the installation on a monument that is central to the city’s commercial and social activities. Using scaffolds and recycled iron, they constructed a structure over 25 meters high and covered it with panels made from recycled plastic collected through the city’s recycling system.
Powerful LED beams illuminate the installation, visualizing the persistence of disposable plastic despite bans. The artwork remained in place for a week, allowing visitors to reflect on the impact of plastic waste. Afterward, the materials were returned to the organizations that provided them, and the scaffolds and beams were reused for future productions. The artists expressed gratitude to the local government, the production company, and the volunteers for their support in bringing the installation to life.
Our weekly focus is on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening:
1. Narcelio Grud. Escultura Sonora Cinetica
2. Faith XLVII – Calgary
3. NEW WAVE BY Pejac
This is exactly why your kids have fun things to play with at the park and to challenge their imaginations. Former/current street artist and public kinetic art sculptor Narcelio Grud shares with us how he made this new interactive kinetic and sound sculpture in Casa do Governador Cultural Park, in Vila Velha/ES. The action is powered by you: a conveyor belt triggers three mechanisms and pulling the strings activates the clappers of bells.
Narcelio Grud. Escultura Sonora Cinetica
Faith XLVII – Calgary
In her ongoing search for meaning and answers to existential questions, Faith XLVII shares a spoken-word piece to accompany this stop-action video of a mural she called “Calgary”.
NEW WAVE by Pejac
“Spring marks longer days, nature in full bloom, and the wrapping up of my European tour. With exciting things in the works, more explorations, new studios in Switzerland and Mexico, and plenty of projects lined up, I would like to take this time to share some of this season’s journey. Sit back, relax, and enjoy these moments!” – Mantra
Look who just happened to fly by – It’s French street artist and naturalist Mantra with a diary of what projects he has been involved in this spring. Now that we are officially in summer for one day, we thought you would like to see the recap of this prolific and quick painting scientist. Yes, Mantra’s artworks transcend aesthetics by delving into the realm of scientific exploration. He meticulously incorporates biology, ecology, and zoology elements into his pieces, demonstrating a profound understanding of the natural world.
Mantra’s attention to scientific detail is probably unparalleled in today’s street art/mural scene, as he painstakingly replicates the textures, patterns, and colors of various organisms, mainly insects and marine life. His artworks often feature magnified views of creatures in realistic fashion, revealing the intricate beauty hidden within their microscopic worlds. And we’re pleased to bring to BSA readers Mantra’s personal musings about his experiences this spring.
~ by Mantra
I was very honored to return for the fourth edition of the Oskarshamn Street Art Festival. This freehand mural, entitled The Oskarhamn Collection, illustrates butterflies like the Clouded Yellow (Colias Croceus) or the Large Blue (Phengaris Arion), which are only found in this part of the country on the southeast side of the Baltic Sea. This collection brings harmony that balances with the natural architecture of this building and strengthens the ambiance with a soft color palette.”
In the midst of spring, during my time in Fimon, Italy, I had the incredible opportunity to witness the breathtaking countryside of Arcugnano in full bloom. I was able to closely observe most of the specimens I selected for my project right in front of the wall. This mural serves as a captivating reflection of the Veneto region’s rich and diverse ecosystem, inviting us to appreciate the intricate details of each unique species on a grand scale.
Returning to Denmark was another great experience, this time to visit Braedstrup alongside Kunstbureauet Kolossal. In this latest piece, entitled A Poplar Admiral Journey, I immersed myself in the natural habitat of butterflies within this region. By surrounding them with the lush flora that constitutes their world, I aimed to appreciate their ecosystem and imagine what life could be like in their captivating microcosm. I hope that this mural brings harmony to the town and initiates curiosity about these fascinating insects, inspiring a deeper respect for the natural world around us.
This mural, in my hometown of Metz, France, is composed of photographs I took of flowers, insects, and other aspects of nature that inspired me while visiting the Metz botanic garden and the lush countryside. The woman in this mural, Leeloo Clasen, was born and raised in Metz and is a ballet dancer at the conservatory. Immersed in a tranquil moment of reading, Leelo is surrounded by plants and butterflies, a tribute to the green city where I grew up.
To learn more about Mantra, his trips, projects, and his thoughts click HERE and follow him on https://www.instagram.com/mantrarea/
The Gar Gar Festival in Penelles, Spain, is in its eighth edition this year, showcasing street art, muralism, and a new fleet of artists creating pleasant and clever attractions for city walls.
“The festival hopes to generate resources that allow us to correct the effects of time and the deterioration of our streets, reinspiring hope in our neighbours,” says the website, and who can deny the regenerative effect that street art has been adding to moribund sectors of the urban environment for the last decade or two.
Mounted in early May this year over a period of a 3 day festival, Gar Gar featured nine hundred square meters of murals and a program of art, projection mapping, music, expositions, craft beer, and food trucks, along with workshops related to other artistic disciplines. A cooperative of public and privately funded projects, Gar Gar is steered and administered with the help of the advertising and interactive design firm Binomic Cat, which also brings artists together for commercial walls on other occasions.
We’re pleased to show you some of the murals this year thanks to the talent and industry of photographer Lluis Bulbena Olivas, who shares his images here with BSA readers.
Looks like Pener got some of Autone’s patterned circuitry welded into his layered metal abstractions this weekend when the two friends got together in Gdynia, Poland. The viewer and the artists learn more about their individual practices when they create something collaboratively, and the more familiar you are with their personal style, the greater appreciation one gains.
Back here in his hometown on the Baltic Sea coast, Pener for his vibrant and geometric murals, characterized by bold colors, intricate patterns, and dynamic compositions. Map-like and electrically diagrammatic, Autone’s angular style is freestyle and automatic, possibly a deconstruction of the graffiti writing he began doing in the late 1990s.
Either way, it looks like these two found an improvisational vibe to work together on something new and to enjoy June’s warm temperatures. a fitting partner for improvisation on a warm June day.
Frequently one step ahead of broader cultural movement, conceptual street artist John Fekner concisely gets right to the point with this text piece on a brick wall called “Juneteenth”. It’s a relatively new sanctioned national celebration that only took about 130 years to be recognized.
Marking the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced General Order No. 3, which proclaimed the freedom of enslaved people in Texas, the illustrative point of this story is that the announcement came two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
Today we call it Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and acknowledging the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth serves as a reminder of the struggle for freedom, the resilience of African Americans, the legacy of slavery, of how far we need to go for equality, and how important it is to honor the achievements and contributions of African Americans and foster unity and cultural understanding.
Welcome to BSA Images of the Week! These are our longest days of the year. Savor them, luxuriate in them, celebrate the light. The trees, the grass, the plants, all richly green. The breezes are smooth against your cheek, the sound of kids screaming as they play in the park is like music.
The ebb and flow of humanity washes across the pavement daily here in our gritty city – forlorn, inquisitive, raucous, opinionated, gentle, buoyant, clever, blunt, wonderous, rarely neutral. Our murals are mighty, our styles can be wild, illustrative, fantastic, inertly corporate, romantically impressionist, electric and eclectic. Unlike many downtowns, this collection is organic and unmediated – perfectly imperfect. As inhospitable as this city can feel to a newcomer, remember this; You are welcome. Do your thing.
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring: Faile, Joe Iurato, Queen Andrea, Dasic Fernandez, Optimo NYC, CES, Hef, Spot, KMS Crew, Ange, Bekah Bad, Logan Hicks, Hiraku, Agud, Lexi bella, and Jeff Hernandez.
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY