The 11th run of the legendary Crest Hardware Art Show will open on JUNE 30th, 2012. The opening day celebration, Crest Fest 2012, will bring the community together with art, food, drinks, live music and local vendors. This year’s event will take place at Crest Hardware, located at 558 Metropolitan Avenue, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Crest Hardware will offer over 10,000 sq ft of indoor and outdoor retail space & storefront windows. As always, submitted work must be about, made with or inspired by hardware.
Few artists are able to transcend the worlds of graffiti grit, street art smarts, and move into the gallery realm with ease, for our upcoming exhibition we are happy to be showing an artist doing just that. Moody has been a prominent figure in the NYC graffiti scene for years, working in all types of mediums and developing clever ways of getting his imagery to the masses. Spray, stickers and hefty installations are just a few of the ways Moody chooses to deploys his work. While he adopts classic american icons and incorporates them into his artwork, his iconic smiling “M” can be seen in most every inch of the city. For his solo showing at Pandemic, Moody will be transforming the gallery. Combining numerous elements of the street and city around us, while displaying his signature iconography he blends everything into one epic showing, don’t miss it!
How To Use Colour And Manipulate People New paintings and sculptures by Remi Rough
Almost a year after we first showed with London based Remi Rough we invite him back to unveil his only UK solo show of 2012 at Newcastle’s Unit 44. It’s been an incredibly busy twelve months for the London based artist and it’s been a pleasure to witness new objectives and ideas formulate for his upcoming show How to Use Colour and Manipulate People opening June 22. We also receive Remi on the back of possibly the most visually significant project in our nations capital transforming a Boutique, London hotel into a stunning canvas with four of his fellow Agents of Change.
There are few artists whose recent works could be described as “painting visual haikus” without the reader needing to roll their eyes, but Remi Rough is one of them. South London born and bred, Remi has been breaking boundaries for over 27 years. Transcending the traditional and somewhat idealised vision of a graffiti writer, he is passionate and unforgiving in his creative progression.
He moved from the streets to the galleries with his debut art show in 1989 and has since gone on to exhibit in London, Paris, Perth, Tokyo, Santander, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Berlin, Ibiza and more cities dotted around the globe. He also took part in New York’s Underbelly Project in 2010. As Arrested Motion wrote: “Remi is that rare breed of artist whose work you can equally enjoy in an outdoor setting and also in a gallery/home without it feeling awkward and out of context.”
His work has also appeared in countless books and was featured in the award winning ‘Ghost Village Project’. Remi was invited to speak in front of a sell- out auditorium at the Tate Modern, as part of its Street Art exhibition in 2008 and in 2009 he published his first book “Lost Colours and Alibis.”
His most recent works are a big departure from his earlier paintings. The sculptural work is reminiscent of Serra, his lines and forced shapes brought to life as 3D objects in both wood and clay. ascending to a third dimension seems almost obvious with Remi’s work. Whilst Remi’s new paintings are more referential to his earlier work from 5 years ago but using bitumen and matt emulsions and still maintaining a tight narrative of tension which is constant in his work. These are abstract works, yet they are firmly rooted in reality. “These new works made perfect sense to me… The idea of taking something into a third dimension is so obvious, yet so hard to achieve. The movements and lines within graffiti have blurred so much in the past decade I felt I needed to change the way I paint to adapt to change, I still feel that way everyday,” says Remi Rough.
The Private View will take place June 22 at 6:30pm at Unit 44 in Hoults Yard.
Hoults Yard, Unit 44, Walker Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 2HL.
Unsanctioned Baltimore (Part 1 of 3) : Pixel Pancho, 2501
What’s better than hunting around back lots and alleys in Baltimore’s boarded up neighborhoods looking for Street Art? Having Baltimore native Martha Cooper as your guide, showing you all her favorite secret spots, listening to her stories, and meeting the neighbors, who all call her “picture lady”. Open Walls Baltimore brought a lot of attention to the city this spring and we were lucky to see many familiar Street Artists and see the giant murals in process in the district where Gaia staged it.
But zipping through SoWeBo with the formidable hosts of Martha and her cousin Sally, who used to take the bus to school together through these streets a half century ago, leaves all that stuff in the shadow. With a natural radar for finding the unsanctioned, Martha is a blur, pointing in different directions and laughing and telling you about trailing Stikman up the street or hooking up Other (Toy Lovegates) with a spot – with much the same ease as she recalls stories of graffiti artists Dondi and Blaze and Lee in NYC rail yards in the 70s. We’ve been happy to share our Street Art knowledge with her these last few years, and she always generously leads us to a head-scratching bit of gorgeousness that’s just beyond this alleyway, or tracks, or skateboard park, if you know where to look. We are most grateful for the sweet moments of discovery together.
Sound the alarms! Teddy Troopers are invading our shores! They are storming the beaches and parachuting down from the sky, driven by their insatiable appetite for world domination. Wearing oversized helmets for protection, these restless little bears are descending upon the streets of NYC and will stop at nothing until their goal is accomplished. Is there anyone who can save us from this occupying force? Luckily, mankind has a champion who can turn the tide and bring us salvation through his astute knowledge of the Teddy Trooper. Mighty Tanaka is pleased to bring you The One Man Army, featuring the explosive artwork of Flying Fortress. Armed only with a paintbrush and spray can, he is this nations best line of defense.
The One Man Army heralds the arrival of Flying Fortress, in his first solo show in New York City. He has been consistently progressing his art form in both galleries and city streets throughout the world, building a strong international following in the process. Based in Hamburg, Germany, this Street Art legend has been active for well over a decade and his unique “Teddy Trooper” iconography can be seen on nearly every continent.
Through a variety of interpretations, Flying Fortress provides fun and exciting artwork that anyone can enjoy. He will be showing both original artwork as well as limited run prints. The One Man Army has something for everybody.
Starting off the week we check in with Living Walls Atlanta for our fourth installment of 2012 and an inspirational installation by a Street Artist and painter from Mexico City named Neuzz.
Text by Alexandra Parrish
Photos by Dustin Chambers and Wil Hughes
Video by Dustin Chambers and Wil Hughes, edited by Dustin Chambers
Like species, neighborhoods are named endangered. Places lose their value, their splendor and charm over time as shoddy development moves in. Sweet Auburn District, which was once a lively area decades ago, was recently named one of United States’ most endangered places.
The neighborhood that holds Sweet Auburn District, the Old Fourth Ward, has experienced a similar decline. Namely, Edgewood Ave, which is littered with empty buildings and Styrofoam trash. It’s easy to overlook the historic value of the district upon first glance, yet many have measured the significance of O4W in other ways.
Neuzz, aka Miguel Mejía, came to Atlanta to experience the city of grit that reminds him much of his own, Mexico City. The historical determination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. initially attracted Neuzz to Atlanta, where he would complete a wall located in King’s district. His four week stint allowed him to develop a richer understanding of the area; the social and economic congruence to his home city in Mexico inspired him to transform the “sad wall” into art through his rich, vibrant colors.
His assistant, Keif Schliefer, guided him through the process of completing his largest mural as of yet. The subject matter and motif of the wall comes from his heritage; his style and methodology is derived from his modern understanding. The composition and coloring was entirely influenced by the community – any kind of trash he found, he used as a stencil. His sketch likened a traditional costume-dance to celebrate rain and agriculture (the very rain that prevented work for five days) and incorporated the bees he handled at Keif’s house. Aside from being an artist, architect, civil rights activist and a former firefighter, Keif is also Living Walls Projects’ Chief Engineer and Logistics Director.
Some people grid out their walls while others project, but Neuzz simply laid out a solid base. His work is very symmetrical, yet he entirely relies on his paintbrush and his own hands to serve as his unit of measurement. While he went back and forth on the lift often to ensure proportions, the reward was sweeter in the end – Keif and Miguel developed new techniques, new approaches, that he will take with himself beyond Atlanta.
While Neuzz incorporated elements into his wall, the community became stakeholders in the mural. Keif would invite people up onto the lift, where they’d take photos of the wall, the skyline, themselves. While working he’d talk to people, entertain them, learn their stories. Everyone had his or her own experience. Neuzz has the invaluable knack of building relationships despite cultural differences.
One woman told me as she walked by that the wall offered the area “priceless culture.” As artists like Neuzz continue to donate their time enhancing this endangered area, revitalization will take a new meaning.
To learn more about Living Walls Altanta: The City Speaks and to make a donation to help this year’s conference click here. BSA thanks you for supporting this good work.
The new pack of wild animals from Jeice2’s series “Savage Planet” is entitled “La Manada” and they are hiding out from traffic and sheltering under a bridge in Seville, Spain. Here are some exclusive images for BSA readers.
Hey! It’s Friday!!! What’s for breakfast? Oatmeal and Hamlet! IF you are brave enough to go all the way down the stairs, that is.
1. “City of Fire” Sparkles in Beverly Hills (CA)
2. Stencil Bastards (Zurich)
3. “20:12” in London
4. Figment 2012 (NYC)
5. 2012 London Gymnast by #CodeFC (VDEO)
6. Voice of Art with Enik One. Los Angeles and the crackdown on murals (VDEO)
7. Conor Harrington Will “Meat” You on the Street and in the Studio (VIDEO)
8. YO! It’s ND’A Up on a Roof in Bushwick, BK Baby! (VIDEO)
“City of Fire” Sparkles in Beverly Hills (CA)
“City of Fire” is a group exhibition that includes some of your favorite Street Artists skewing decidedly uptown and curated by Arrested Motion.
Artists include: Cyrcle, Thomas Doyle, Ron English, James Jean, Kid Zoom, Dave Kinsey, Mars-1, Patrick Martinez, Pedro Matos, REVOK, Rostarr, SABER, Andrew Schoultz, Jeff Soto, Judith Supine, TrustoCorp, Mark Dean Veca, Nick Walker, and Adam Wallacavage. You can look forward to rockin’ art and cool rocks.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Stencil Bastards (Zurich)
Christian Guemy curates “Stencil Bastards”, a group exhibition that showcases a select group of artists who work with stencils. Opening tonight at the Starkart Exhibitions Gallery in Zürich, Switzerland, these are some of Europe’s best at the moment.
Artists included in the show are: Epsylon Point (FR), C215 (FR), Eime (PT), Btoy (ES), Orticanoodles (IT), Kris Trappeniers (BE), Leckomio (DE) and Snik (UK).
For further information regarding this show click here.
“20:12” in London
The show “20:12” at The Curious Duke Gallery in London, UK is now open in time for the Olympics with a solo show by #codefc. The artist has been creating stencil art as a commentary on the imminent games to be inaugurated momentarily in London, using his signature image of a camera to play with traditional images of athletes shown performing various sport disciplines. Check out the multimedia video near the end of the posting.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Figment 2012 (NYC)
It’s back! Take the boat to Governor’s island this weekend and play in the grass and the trees and see art, installations, and performances. Figment 2012 in New York City opens this Saturday at 10:00 AM – A multidisciplinary art festival that welcomes all regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation and body fat index.
If you would like to spend two full days (no nights) on a beautiful Island on the East River taking in all sorts of art and experiences and meet the artists who make it first hand then this is the event of your dreams. Go! You’ll have fun.
For further information regarding this event click here.
2012 London Gymnast by #CodeFC (VIDEO)
Watch the Street Artist create a stencil and watch 50 other graphic elements fly, flicker, and shimmer across the screen at the same time. It’s the Gymnastic Minority Report!
Voice of Art with Enik One. Los Angeles and the crackdown on murals. (VIDEO)
It’s weird how they disguised his voice and face on this, like he’s an international extraterrestrial terrorist of some sort. Dude, he’s smacking up some wheatpastes. Calm yourself.
Conor Harrington Will “Meat” You on the Street and in the Studio (VIDEO)
Giving us the lowdown on his formative graff years and his subsequent transition into fine art and his continuing love for both games – a promo from his show at Lazerides.
YO! It’s ND’A Up on a Roof in Bushwick, BK Baby! (VIDEO)
Dan Gingold and Andrew Morton shot and produced this very atmospheric time-lapse video of ND’A just off the train tracks of the JMZ – a ghostlike shimmer on a rooftop. Well done.
On a side note, we hear that the primary goal of this video is to bring fame to the participants, which hopefully will result in a yacht filled with whiskey and strippers. If you are invited I would wear my life preserver the entire time just in case. Nothing else, just the life preserver.
While we love spending our days tooling around the streets looking at Street Art and various expressions of creativity and otherwise, we readily recognize that there is no unanimity of opinion that clearly defines the line between art and vandalism – and sometimes people can get heated in their position on the topic.
Screen grabs from a video on Channel News Asia of stickers attributed to The Sticker Lady.
So as a point of reference, it’s helpful to see that in places like Singapore a young woman slapping some humorous stickers around her city is now in the slammer for a few years. Clearly, that would be considered extreme for most of the world and according to Melissa Chong at Channel News Asia and Tan Weizhen at Today Online, many Singaporeans question the sort of penalty that is being levied. And as artists and fans increasingly communicate via the Internet around the world, there is at least one online petition with about 14,000 signatures, and many have taken to chat rooms and Facebook to argue leniency for The Sticker Lady.
Naturally, there is also a hashtag on Twitter to continue the conversation: #freestickerlady. A quick review shows that the majority of the tweets posted are in favor of taking it easy on the artist, including.
“Can’t we all appreciate a bit of humour, the Singaporean way? The stickers didn’t harm nor offend anyone. We liked them!”, and “Have you seen some of the cheesy bus shelter / train ads by the Gov? Those honestly feel like vandalism to me.”
It can be illuminating to see a how an act regarded as hardly noteworthy or at the worst an annoyance in one city is considered a severely punishable offense elsewhere. Think we’ll stay in Brooklyn for the moment, where the streets are a continually convulsing crowdsource-curated cacophony.
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
