Artists

Banksy: Should his Art Be Listed?

Melinda Brocka, Associate Art Editor at The Huffington Post asks:

Should Bansky Graffiti Art be Listed?

brooklyn-street-art-banksy-jaime-rojo-Chicago-08-08-17-webBanksy in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

It’s been quite a year for Banksy, but does the increased popularity merit legal protection for his art? A recent study makes the case that his most important works should be listed as assets of cultural significance in the UK.

John Webster, a postgraduate law student at Bristol University Law School (in Banksy’s hometown), recently published a paper titled “Should the Work of Banksy Be Listed?” in the Journal of Planning & Environment Law. The paper, part of Webster’s dissertation, suggests that Banksy’s art might benefit from the protection of the Listed Building Act, which seeks to protect structures of architectural and historic significance.

To continue reading  this article and for more photos go to: The Huffington Post ARTS…

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Indigo “Back Talk” Conversation

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To introduce readers to some of the Street Artists in the show “Street Art Saved My Life: 39 New York Stories”, BSA asked a number of the artists to take part in “Back Talk” with one of our most trusted and underground and sweet sources for modern art, Juxtapoz.

Today we hear from Indigo.

Artists you admire:

“I admire everyone who has the courage to spend hours, weeks, months and years turning thoughts and feelings into things, then putting them out into the world for others to respond with love or hate or complete indifference.  I admire anyone who has the integrity to create for themselves, first and foremost.  I admire those who are constantly pushing themselves to try new ideas, use new mediums, reach out to new audiences and immerse themselves in uniquely challenging experiences.  I admire everyone who has taken a leap of faith, fallen into dark and swirling waters and after what often seems like a lifetime of struggle, reached the sunshine on the other side – only to do it all over again.”

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Indigo (photo © Victoria Potter)

Read “Back Talk: A conversation with Indigo” on Juxtapoz: http://www.juxtapoz.com/Features/back-talk-a-conversation-with-anthony-lister

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Spoke Art Gallery Presents New Works by: Handiedan, Craww, Charmaine Olivia and Tatiana Suarez (San Francisco, CA)

Spoke Art
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Spoke Art Gallery

September Group Exhibition

Featuring: Handiedan, Charmaine Olivia, Craww and Tatiana Suarez

Opening night September 1, 2011 6pm – 10pm

show on view through September 22, 2011

Spoke Art is pleased to present our September Group Show featuring four artists from around the world.  While there is a similar subject matter, each artist has their own individual aesthetic, form of medium and exploration of technique for representing the female figure in a substantially different way. We are excited to announce that all four artists will be in attendance.

Handiedan’s layered and intricate collages are influenced by old pin-up girl posters and movie images.  She collects found items in the streets, old buildings, flea markets, and during her travels which she then later alters to create new works.  In her artwork you can find Chinese post papers, cook book pages, old stamps, fabric, rusty nails, dried flowers, currency, and old movie posters. Charmaine Olivia’s arresting oil paintings capture sensual tattooed women.  Whether they are wearing a fox mask, a feathery headdress, or there is a ship emerging from a tangle of black hair, it is hard to pull your eyes away from these beauties.  In a recent interview she says, “As most of my paintings are some sort of reflection of me, this is me living vicariously through them.” Craww uses graphite and acrylic paints to fabricate seductively dark and fantastical women who come to him in his day-dreams.  He enjoys seeing his creations evolve into something unexpected as he paints.  He describes his work as “stream of consciousness doodlings and paintings.  Steeped in ambiguity, often melancholic and usually featuring big hands and crows.”  Tatiana Suarez is a multifaceted artist who primarily uses oils although you can also find her on the streets painting murals with a graffiti can.  Her fascination with faces and emotional facial expression inspires her to create unique and vivid portraits.  Touching on symbols and mythology from her Brazilian and El Salvadorian background, her trademark wide-eyed girls conjure other-worldly fantasy.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Handiedan, also known as Hanneke Treffers, was born in 1981 in a small town in the Netherlands.  Recently, her work has been shown at: Phone Booth Gallery (Long Beach, CA), Mondo Bizzarro Gallery (Rome, Italy), and a solo show at Unit 44 (Newcastle, UK). She now lives and works in Amsterdam.

Charmaine Olivia is a self taught artist originally from San Diego, CA.  Some of her clients and projects include: Urban Outfitters, Lady Gaga, Volcom Stone, Element, Nylon Magazine, Eyes on Walls, and Society 6. Recently she has had shows in San Francisco at Project One Gallery, Public Works, 111 Minna, Vessel (Oakland) , and C.A.V.E Gallery (Venice, CA). She is currently living in San Francisco.

Craww  Recently he has shown with London Miles Gallery, Phone Booth Gallery (Long Beach, CA) and had a successful solo show entitled Crooked Comfort at C.A.V.E. in Venice, CA. Craww currently resides in Sheffield, England.

Tatiana Suarez was born in 1983 and is a graduate of the University of Miami’s graphic design program.  Her work has been seen at Primary Flight, Art Basel (Miami, FL), Art Whino Gallery (MD) and our own Quentin vs. Coen show (NYC). After living in Miami, she has recently migrated to Brooklyn, NY where she is a full time artist.

http://spokeart.com/

Spoke Art Gallery

816 Sutter St.

San Francisco, CA 94109

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Primary Projects Presents: “His Wife & Her Lover” A Group Show (Miami, Florida)

Primary Projects
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Primary PROJECTS Presents – His WIFE & Her LOVER
A Group Exhibition featuring New Works from :
Valerie Hegarty, Mark Jenkins, George Sanchez Calderon, Dead Dads Club Corporation, Manny Prieres, Emmett Moore, Franky Cruz, Andrew Nigon,            Cleon Peterson, Nick Klein, Johnny Robles, Jessy Nite, & Edouard Nardon
“The urge to destroy is also a creative urge.”
– Pablo Picasso
“Destruction is the process of causing massive amounts of damage to something so that it no longer exists. This curatorial project is a response to this standard definition. With His WIFE & Her LOVER, causing damage to something breathes new life into the work and redirects its existence.”
– Primary Projects
Miami, FL (August 5, 2011) – Primary Projects is pleased to present His WIFE & Her LOVER, a group exhibit of thirteen artists with a healthy range of artistic discipline and defiance.  Much like the cause and effect commonly associated with the love affair, Primary Projects has assembled a group of artists to call-and-respond to destruction, secrecy, violence, social class, pride and desire.
The opening reception of His WIFE & Her LOVER is slated for Saturday, September 10 from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. at Primary Projects (4141 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 104, Miami Design District) and is free and open to the public; complimentary beverages are provided by 42 Below and Perrier. Curated by BooksIIII Bischof, Typoe and Chris Oh, the show will be on view until October 1, 2011.  For more information, please visit www.primaryprojectspace.com or call 954.296.1675.
Valerie Hegarty embodies the soul of this exhibit in her works. The joy of her approach lies in its destruction rather than its creation. Centering her practice on the politics of the American myth, Hegarty’s canvases and sculptures replicate emblems of frontier ethos – colonial furniture, antique dishware, heroic paintings of landscapes and national figures – only to demolish them by devices associated with their historical significance.
Los Angeles-based Artist Cleon Peterson presents a world in which contrasting schemes of morality result in eruptive hostility between social classes. Common in Peterson’s work, he depicts upheavals that embody these inner workings of the individual that can easily correspond to the mechanisms of society. Ultimately, it’s up to the viewer to take sides and feel sympathy or schadenfreude, indignation or catharsis.
Respond, destroy, create, destroy; a cycle that can be viewed as a simplified narrative to Edouard Nardon’s work entitled “Only the Strong.”  Nardon fabricates twenty authentic shivs in the jailhouse tradition with objects assembled from common prison materials.  Nardon then breaks down these objects and reassembles with the sole purpose to destroy again.
These brief examples are a glimpse into the overall mood and complexities romantically displayed in this ominously bright exhibit.  Primary Projects is a multidisciplinary, multifaceted, experimental project space. Powered by artistic collective Primary Flight, the organization’s mission is to develop intelligent projects and installations that can be considered noteworthy achievements for both the artists and curators alike. Primary Flight’s mission is to supply patrons with an alternative destination for creative vision, inspired by years of street level curatorial endeavors at Primary Projects.
The revival of public art over the past 20 years has found an incubator in Miami with Primary Flight, which since 2007 has produced a thoughtful, new brand of outdoor works transcending genres and labels.  Primary Projects takes cue from the attitude and intellect commonly associated with this genre of art.
Exhibition Duration | September 10 – October 1, 2011
Opening Reception | Saturday, September 10, 2011 |  7 – 11 pm
Private Collectors Preview | Friday, September 9, 2011 | 6 – 9 pm
Artist Panel Discussion | Moderated by George Sanchez Calderon | Friday, September 16, 2011 | 7:30 pm SHARP
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Bien Urbain Presents “Artistic Path on (and With) Public Spaces (Besançon, France)

Bien Urbain
Brooklyn-street-art-bien-urbain-france«BIEN URBAIN» is an artistic path in a popular city center district and the University campus of Besançon – France that aims at promoting art in public spaces just next a rich historic architecture.
The invited artists, all coming from the “street art” scene, are used to work with different kinds of tools and materials to create their own pieces of art: painting, paper, pasting, wood sculpture…
Once they have taken over the place, they finally start to make their ideas come true, revealing sometimes abandoned or unused spaces!
The event will take place every year at the end of summer, invading the town block by block.
Street art spread worldwide: many websites are updated every hour, presenting new crazy artists everyday, whereas in France a small number of events tend to promote these artists

BIEN URBAIN will contribute to make people realize the power of art on our everyday life perception on museums, theaters or clubs, and also on the streets!
For us presenting such an event is a good way to question everybody on our public space using. «Where is the place for art when ads and grey walls are everywhere? How to enjoy public spaces then?»
Moreover we are very proud to promote great artists and give them the possibility/chance to travel with their art in the best conditions.

As an inaugural issue, we wanted to welcome some of our favourite artists. So we got in touch with them and gladly realize that they really looked enthusiastic about our project!
Nine European artists and an Argentinean artist will be part of the artistic crew in September 2011.

ESCIFAfter a classic graffiti life, escif has developed a beautiful and poetic way of painting the everyday life on walls. Through simple scenes, he returns the context with an «mise en abîme» process: the painting wall is not just a wall, it is a canvas where escif paints another wall!

MONEYLESSThe Italian artist known as Moneyless uses geometric tools to reveal strange spaces: abandoned landscape, woods or temporary urban zones. The tension with his sculptures and the quiet space where he makes them create an unreal, ghostly third dimension.
SAM3
Painting his large black figures all over the world, Sam3 is about to come to France for the really first time. His really sensitive work combines huge painting and introspective scene. He also has an experimental way of working on fabulous stop motion films.
NELIO, TBLR*ONE & ZEROZEDRIP

They are three French guys who love pastel colours, old wood, abandoned things, geometric shapes and urban explorations.
SAN
One of the finest spanish street artist, SAN is first of all an amazing drawer who emphasise weird walls into great and disturbing pieces of arts.

For further information regarding this art festival visit the official site:

http://www.bien-urbain.fr/

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High Roller Society Presents: “Metamorphosis” LUDO (London, UK)

LUDO
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Drawn with the precision of botanical illustrations, Ludo sociological imagery and malevolent creatures are as elegant as they are fierce. Hailing from France, Ludo has been creating attention around industry-fueled consumer culture for over a decade. Seamlessly fusing nature wondrous species with its man-made destructive counterparts, these works intend to jolt us out of a longstanding collective denial: despite repeated natural disasters, we refuse to acknowledge our own fragile state. Ludo resulting quasi-mutant images so effortlessly evoke contemporary creative canons that they might almost go unnoticed, underscoring the impact of “commercial propaganda” on both taste and decency. For his first London solo exhibition, Ludo transmutations are an accumulation of new works spanning sculpture, drawing, and print. This exhibition also heralds the international launch of a 72-page full colour book, OPUS #23, with an Introduction by Marc & Sara Schiller of Wooster Collective. A limited 25 signed copies will be available for sale during the exhibition.
Opens 9.9.11 High Roller Society Unit 10 Palmers Road Bethnal Green London E2 0SY
Hopefully I will see some of you there.
all the best,
ludo
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For further information regarding this show visit the gallery site:

http://highrollersociety.com/

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LUDO in NY, Chicago, and LA with More of “Nature’s Revenge”

Parisian Street Artist LUDO brought “Nature’s Revenge” to the US this month and his eye-popping surreal wheat-pasted creations are now on walls in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. By combining weaponry with insects and plants into hybrids, LUDO is using this ongoing series to draw attention to how we are messing with nature in ways we never have in an unquestioning way and at our own peril. From biotech to nanotech to robotics to remote controlled drones, the face of war is sold with branding and a sizzling “wow” factor, accompanied by vague assurances that these developments are necessary to protect us good guys from the bad ones. From the perspective of this ongoing “Nature’s Revenge” series, our romance with all things shiny and futuristic is quickly morphing out of our control and it’s likely to come back and bite us, or worse.

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Using a reliably greyscale, white, and acid green palette, LUDO’s high-tech hybrids are alternately frightening and amusing, and even super cool. While a Freddy Kruger facemask is obviously symbolic, it’s pairing with a mechanical daisy is unnerving.  The wheat paste of a tarantular top-loaded missile delivery device is laughable until you see the video of unstoppable multi-limbed all terrain “big dog” robots being developed to do the same thing.  Even the bunch of grape skulls seems sort of blunt until you think of what we’re now learning about irradiation, pesticides, and genetically modified foods. Taken as a whole LUDO’s work is one of the more message-driven on the street today and is another example of the new narrative-driven story telling we continue to witness in Street Art. Luckily, it’s also visually compelling.

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO applies his custom-mixed acidic green goo in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO’s snail tank on a rooftop in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO on an abandoned building in Chicago (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Brooklyn, NY (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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A LUDO discovered in Brooklyn with a bit of his other “Co-Branding” campaign, which pairs disturbing imagery with a friendly logo to assuage discomfort. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Brooklyn, NY (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Downtown, Los Angeles with LA Freewalls project (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LUDO in Venice Beach, Los Angeles (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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A LUDO piece currently on view in a gallery setting: The group show “Street Art Saved my Life: 39 New York Stories”on view at C.A.V.E. Gallery in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, is curated by Steven P. Harrington and Jaime Rojo and produced with ThinkSpace (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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In LA Ludo installed work with Daniel Lahoda for LA FreeWalls, C.A.V.E. Gallery, and with curation by BSA. Special thanks to Daniel for his total support, hospitality, and vision.In Chicago special thanks to Nick and Seth from Pawn Works Gallery and to Brock for making this happen and for providing the wheels and the good company.

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Images of the Week 08.28.11

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Our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Bast, Chris Uphues, Cyrcle, Dain, Enzo & Nio, Ja Ja, LMNOP, Shepard Fairey, Skewville, Swampy, and Willow.

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Ja Ja (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Dain’s new work in NYC (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Dain’s new work in NYC (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Carlos Gonzalez shares with you this huge floral skull from the Cyrcle opening this week in Los Angeles (photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

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Chris Uphues (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Enzo & Nio (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Enzo & Nio (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Artist Unknown. A tribute to the much maligned and misunderstood urban dwellers. We love pigeons here at BSA. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Bast Corner Deli (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Bast Corner Deli (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Bast Corner Deli (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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LMNOP (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Shepard Fairey (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Shepard Fairey (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Shepard Fairey OBEY (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Skewville goes green (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Swampy giant pink rooftop in Brooklyn (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Willow (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Willow (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Untitled. photo © Jaime Rojo)

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Inoperable Gallery Presents: ROA “Decomposition” (Vienna, Austria)

ROA
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August 26th, as of 19h

The Viennese Art Gallery INOPERAbLE presents works of one of the most highly regarded artists of the street art movement, ROA.

INOPERAbLE gallery will show the latest work of the Belgian artist, including installations, paintings on found objects, and original drawings. ROA will also present his limited edition hand bound book “ROA: An Introduction To Animal Representation” (Mammal Press). A limited number of copies of the books, which include his first ever print, will be available at the opening.

ROAs work indoor is just as fascinating and innovative as those created outdoors in urban and suburban areas. The artists original works have solidified him as an undisputed key figure in the Urban Art movement. Recently a work of ROA was scheduled to be removed by the Hackney city council, however an overwhelming reaction from the local citizens helped save the work. Similarly numerous works by Banksy were “rescued”, again marking ROAs signifigance in the contemporary art scene. Animals are the central theme in ROAs artistic universe. His monumental rabbits, birds, rats or fish, usually in black and white, can be found in cities like New York, London, Paris, Berlin or Mexico. Hefocuses on the fauna of the region, merging them naturally and seamlessly into the environment. Often the decompossing creatures reflect the artists critical view of society around the walls where he works. The bold and large scale murals of ROA confrontハ viewers and provide a break in their hectic everday lifestyle, if only just for a moment.

Over the last half decade, ROAs work has been exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions. Most notably ROAs work was shown in the internationally acclaimed exhibition “Art in the Streets” at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles) alongside Banksy, Swoon, Barry McGee, Space Invader, Basquiat, JR, Os Gemeos and many more. ROA spends much of his time traveling the world, visiting cities and villages of all sizes. This summer he was invited to Gambia along with a handful of active Street Artists to paint murals in small villages, which are usually ignored by tourists. The project was meant to encourage “whites” to stop in these towns to admire the works and support the local businesses, rather than just throw candy out of the window to the children.

ROA will spend the month of August in Vienna as Artist in Resident at Museums Quartier. With the help of the MQ and INOPERAbLE, ROA will spend much of his time creating awe inspiring works around the city. Keep your eyes open for new works as he hits up the capital of Austria, and prepares for his solo exhibition at INOPERAbLE.

INOPERAbLE

Nathalie Halgand & 401RUSH (aka Nicholas Platzer)

Burggasse 24
1070 Vienna, Austria

Operable Hours: Tu-Fr 13-18h, Sa 13-17h

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Mystery Revealed : Hellbent’s Jaw belonged to Sigmund Freud

The streets are covered with symbols and markings that have meaning to the maker, their peers, and to passersby. Depending on socio-political-geo-historical factors, you may or may not know what certain tags or images are meant to indicate and aside from gang indicia, no one seems particularly alarmed by this fact that street art and graffiti is often a nest of hidden meanings.

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Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

One such symbol that has often appeared on the street is the bottom jaw from Hellbent, rough and jagged, hovering above a bed of psychedelic or pastel floral patterns. If it happened once, you might think “Oh, it’s part of a series and I’ll figure it out when I see the other pieces”. In fact, no. It’s the one symbol that Hellbent repeats most often, and it is perplexing.

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Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

We finally got an answer from the artist regarding the genesis of the jaw when he was describing his current piece in the LA show “Street Art Saved My Life” and, while it sheds light on the background, somehow it raises more questions. In the story about this Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis, we postulate that the jaw represents our base animal qualities and our similarities to the ruthless animal kingdom, all the while acknowledging the ultimate fragility of a simple bone structure, and be extraction, us. Anyway, before we psychoanalyze it further and bore everybody in the room, here’s what Hellbent says:

“Sigmund Freud at age of 67 appeared in a clinic in Vienna because he had discovered some hard, smooth spots on his jaw. After the doctor examined him it was discovered that they were cancerous and the lesions had to be removed immediately. Since the hospital population at that time was at capacity, Freud was put in a makeshift room that he shared with dwarf. After his operation while his family was out, Freud began to hemorrhage and was unable to call out, while laying bleeding on the floor. If not for the dwarf roommate Freud would have surely died and with this I began thinking of the jawbone.

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Hellbent currently on view at C.A.V.E. Gallery in the show “Street Art Saved My Life : 39 New York Stories” (Photo © Carlos Gonzalez)

The earliest images I was influenced by as a kid were the graphics on skateboards and punk albums. The image of the human skull was a constant in a lot of these images. It was a sign of rebellion and it seemed the embrace death, where society was much more concentrated on living. But as I grew up I noticed that a lot of people who where similarly influenced by these images began to bring the skull into the mainstream. Now you see cute skulls on Paul Frank baby clothes and such.
So to get away from this trend I began to concentrate on just the jaw bone as an image. The jawbone is what is used to communicate and form words with and the way we consume food to sustain life, an important part of the human experience. I have come back to the skull and separated it from the jaw; making it two unique images that are connected through this separation. I also use a lot of animal imagery on the streets, so the jaw bone represents the human element of this world…
Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

Hellbent (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

I have been calling the new use of multiple floral stencils “Quilting”. I like the idea of taking all these used “scraps” to form something more tangible, something other than its self. Sometimes it makes up the border around the image and other times it is used inside of the image, giving it a cubist like quality. The colors in each of the patterns also play off one another, giving them a natural 3D quality (which is actually intensified with 3D glasses, as was discovered at my last gallery show at Mighty Tanaka) that further emphasizes this cubist element. The shapes seem to pull and push of the surface, but the image is still readily available to the viewer.”
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