1117 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland OH 44115
DISSIDENTS
Group Show, Opening November 17th 18:00
A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. By acknowledging the social and political unrest of this year, West Berlin Gallery cordially invites you from 18:00 until 22:00 on November 17th, 2011 as we debut Dissidents, a Group Show featuring: ALIAS, SP38 , Prost, Emess, Rallito X, BR1, Linda’s Ex, Niark1, Jakob Tolstrup, and Giacomo Spazio.
In 1800s Europe, the rising food prices and high unemployment fueled widespread popular protests. Communist Europe in 1989, created frustration with corrupt and unresponsive political systems and provoked the fall of once powerful regimes. 2011 is spurring a similar chain of events, bringing people together and empowering us to grab our governments by the balls and demand what is rightfully ours, human rights.
Seeking truth and raising awareness, the artists that we have chosen for this show strive for non-conformity and create work representative of both political and social opposition, making them pioneers of dissident activity. Consciously or not, they seek honesty, challenge boundaries, then create art as a way of driving this message in to the minds of on-lookers.
| About the artistsALIAS– Always keeping in mind the social and political activities and breaking through the boundaries of traditional art making, ALIAS delivers a great deal of gravity through his loaded imagery and mindful aesthetic. The self taught street artist never ceases to astound the public with his stencil work on recycled material.SP38 – Urban poetry is this Berlin based french artists’ speciality. Mixing silkscreen and paint, SP38 plays with words to create provocative sentences which are strongly related to both political and social events of their time. The more sophisticated look of his artwork, using his unique deep gold color, helps him reach a wide range of public, even those who his messages are directed to.
Prost – From his “Prostie” smileys making witty social commentaries that always put a smile upon our faces, to denouncing misleading, abusive, sexist advertising by his adbusting actions, Prost has never ceased on challenging society. Emess – His work is mostly motivated by political issues that he approaches using a wide range of medias, such as murals, prints and sculptures. Emess confronts the viewer with issues that would rather be swept under the rug. Rallito X – The attitude of an alienated society manipulated by the media, has been this spaniards work theme since he started putting his work up on the streets. Rallito X refuses to follow society’s rules and shows his unconformity with unacceptable formed characters carrying politically incorrect messages. BR1 – For the last years, this italian artist has been studying the figure of the Muslim woman: history, tradition, legal sources and development in contemporary society. Charmed by the image of veiled women, BR1 decided to take the risk of introducing religious elements on his posters and make us wonder why is this piece of cloth so controversial. Linda’s Ex – A while ago Roland Brückner aka Lindas Ex asked his lover to come back to him in plastered posters and stickers throughout the city. Nowadays, his pleas have turned into social commentaries sprayed into canvases. Niark1 – His characters rise like monsters or aliens on a dark world filled by details. Their infinite nature scares and hypnotizes as there is always space for new discoveries. Cutting and pasting strips of newspaper where he later paints, Niark1’s artwork brings his dreams and fears to surface. Jakob Tolstrup – Mixed media and color crayons are Jakob’s favorite techniques to work with. His characters have a childish style giving a sweet and humorous feeling to his paintings, which take a bitter look into nowadays society. Giacomo Spazio – The established Italian artist, lead of the Italian Street Art movement, creates pop images, with shocking fluorescent colors that shout out their presence, as loud as possible. Using old fanzines and punk imagery to create lo-fi styled artwork with a cynical and subversive intention. Brunnenstraße 56, 13355 Berlin, Germany
|
||||
Rook & Raven presents
David Walker’s first London Solo Exhibition – ‘Brides on Fire’
Private View 24th November 2011
For guest list please email RSVP@rookandraven.co.uk
Show runs until January 2012
Working in portraiture, painting freehand, using only spray paint and without the aid of brushes David has developed a signature multi-layered style. Incorporating both sophisticated and dumb mark making he creates countless scrawled lines and abstract areas that weave through clashing colours, translucent drips and decaying letterforms, the results are visually rich portraits that fuse photo realism, abstraction and graffiti art sensibilities with a raw energy that comes from the medium. His work is Exhibited in the UK and Internationally and aims to challenge preconceptions about fine art and urban art painting within the gallery confines and the public domain.
Over recent years David has shown work in Berlin, Hong Kong, LA, Lisbon, London, New York and Paris amongst others and his paintings have been shown alongside the leading figures in the urban contemporary and street art movement.
Gallery 7/8 Rathbone Place
London
W1T 1HN
Tel: 0207 323 0805
aMBUSH Gallery presents SURFACE TENSION
Australia’s new wave of street art is already here. Following on from their curatorial hit Outpost Project at Cockatoo Island, aMBUSH proudly presents Surface Tension, featuring artists E.L.K. (Luke Cornish, VIC), Heesco (VIC), Shida (QLD), Slurpree Slug (NSW), Sofles (VIC) and Sprinkles (NSW). The artists will paint and transform the gallery walls, integrating the space itself into their body of works. Hailing from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, the stellar emergent line-up represents the next epoch, the next movement. Come and see where it all starts.
The opening will take place on Friday 25 November from 6-9pm at aMBUSH Gallery, 4A James Street Waterloo. Join us for complimentary drinks provided by Absolut and future leaning beats and Hip-hop between provided by Zwelli.
On the billing will be Brisbane born, cut-back king, Sofles, recently returned from the San Francisco all-Australian show ‘Young and Free’ – himself one of the country’s finest graffiti exports. Also from Brisbane, Shida’s vicious extra dimensional figures will grin across the concrete backdrop. Moving further down south, representing Sydney will be Sprinkles, co-founder of Half-Star clothing, with his hyper-cartoon skulls stalking the back of your thoughts. Marking his exclusive gallery appearance is the mysterious street thrasher, Slurpee Slug, with his raw psychedelia a cross between whizz fizz characters and acid. From the Melbourne camp, and representing Blender studios we have Heesco and E.L.K. Heesco, the current Sydney Secret Wars champion, has a talent in creating anguished faces and loose figures caught in motion. E.L.K. (Luke Cornish) is widely regarded as a National stencil treasure, able to bring photorealistic portrayals in muted tones through painstaking execution of layering, deconstructing and reconstructing his works with his own flair. E.L.K. was the winner of the 2010 Australian Stencil Art Prize, and made the cover of Monthly Art Magazine, April 2011.
The exhibition will also run alongside an online catalogue with works for sale from Saturday 26 November and runs until 4 December, allowing interstate buyers to remotely buy works. Information regarding this will be available on the aMBUSH website from the opening night.
WHAT: SURFACE TENSION
WHERE: 4A James Street, Waterloo SYDNEY
WHEN: Opening event Friday 25 November, 2011, 6-9pm
Exhibition continues daily until Tuesday 29 November, 12-4pm
SUPPORTED BY: Absolut, Information & Cultural Exchange, Ironlak and Wiltshire & Dimas Management
FREE PUBLIC EVENT
Media enquiries: Please contact John Wiltshire, aMBUSH Gallery on mobile on
0433 015 780 or the gallery on 02 8399 0707 or email john@ambushgallery.com
For more information please visit www.ambushgallery.com
aMBUSH Gallery
4A James Street, Waterloo
Sydney NSW 2017 AUSTRALIA
P +61 2 8399 0707 | F +61 2 8399 0787
www.ambushgallery.com
BERLIN STREET ART AT CONTEMPORARY ISTANBUL 2011
West Berlin Gallery at Contemporary Istanbul, Nov 24th – Nov 27th 2011
Berlin’s street art scene is rising high and fast, creating a buzz and making it’s way across the globe. Along side the Istanbul Biennale, one of Turkey’s most exciting art events, Contemporary Istanbul art fair is extending it’s exhibition space for it’s sixth edition to display the unconventional yet relevant art scene of one of Europe’s most influential cities of today, Berlin.
Personally selected by Landesverband Berliner Galerien, West Berlin Gallery, a space dedicated to street art, is proud to announce its participation in ART FROM BERLIN – a selected presentation of Berlin based galleries – in Contemporary Istanbul 2011, held on November 24th – November 27th, 2011 at the Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center.
Works by Alias, Giacomo Spazio, and Linda’s Ex will be represented by West Berlin Gallery at Contemporary Istanbul 2011.
Alias, a leading role in German street art, will furnish our walls with original pieces, both classic and new, made mostly on recycled material, bringing to Istanbul the authenticity of Berlin’s street art scene. Not only will he be debuting recent works on the West Berlin Gallery walls, but Alias himself will be present during the time of the fair (incognito, of course), utilizing the streets of Istanbul as a personal canvas for his latest work. (Please contact us regarding possible artist interview during our stay in Turkey).
Giacomo Spazio, a pioneer in the street art scene, is also providing our booth with exaggerated visuals and in-your-face messages, which recognize and mimic the apprehensions of our propaganda-ridden society. Long known for his individual contributions to art, this well-know artist has been making art since the 70’s, making himself yet another benefactor to the ever-present authenticity of all that is street art.
Made famous by his “Linda’s Ex” campaign in which he used street art to get his girlfriend back, Roland Brückner is now a part of Berlin’s street art history and will be debuting his latest paintings in our booth – a new approach and further development of his work.
Further information
Dates: November 24th – November 27th
Place: Istanbul Convention & Exhibition Center
Website: http://www.contemporaryistanbul.com/
Dreamers with empty hands
All sigh for exotic lands
But It’s autumn in New York
It’s good to live it againThis autumn in New York
Transforms the slums into Mayfair*
Bishop 203 sets shop. (photo © Jaime Rojo)Don’t know if it was Mayfair but the Bloody Marys were spicy and the late autumn sun was shining Saturday in this back lot in Brooklyn. Gilf! Invited some buddies over to experiment on a corrugated metal wall for the afternoon, and the vibe was relaxed and fun as TipToe, Clown Soldier, Quel Beast, Bishop 203, and Gilf! took time to try some new ideas and just let the creative spirit run free.
TipToe cuts a waxy translucent paper, which he applies in layers to create a gossamer effect. (photo © Jaime Rojo)A perfect sort of salon for BSA; Artists borrowing supplies, giving opinions when asked, offering insights, trading techniques, introducing new friends, noodling around, discovering… When it comes to free time for discovery and walls to try new stuff and hang out with creative peeps, there is only one thing to say. “More please!”
* lyrics to “Autumn in New York”, by Vernon Duke
French Street Artist and fine artist Ludo can go big and these days he usually does but even with his largest pieces the devil is always in the details, hidden just inside your subconcious.
In the new mini video released by the artist, a gauzy haze envelopes the installation of a floral orgy of S&M strapped cluster of blossoms with erect pistols pointing proudly through the center of their petulant petals.
No one on the street is perturbed as they rush by and he pumps up and down the walls with his hydraulic lift. Ludo’s been working on a solo show in Amsterdam opening end of this month, but “This is the big one that killed my back,” says the artist.
Street Artist JR continues to plaster parts of New York City with over-sized black and white portraits of Native Americans from North Dakota for his Inside Out Project. The images were taking by photographers in North Dakota and sent to the IOP to be printed and installed in Manhattan.
JR “Inside Out Project” First day installation on 10th Avenue. View from the High Line Park. (photo © Jaime Rojo)This newest installation took place this week over two days on four window panels in an empty retail space of a corner building in Chelsea. On the first day JR was on site lending a hand to the half dozen interns who came to help and to learn how to wheat paste in this cool little spot across from the High Line Park on 10 Ave and 19th Street.
A second installation went up on the windows on the 19th Street side of the building, providing a second pair of eyes to surveil the area. The wind was gusting like a mad mother-in-law and the cold was almost bitter – but that didn’t put a dent in the enthusiasm of the team made up of Natalie, Paola, Moira, Will, Nina, Nastasia, Rosie, Austin, Hillary, Gina and Rhiannon; Each have interned at either JR’s studio or with the Inside Out Project. It was cool to see teamwork and good spirits intact promptly at 9:00 am as they set to unroll panels, fight the wind and slap up gallons of gooey wheat paste on the windows. Marc, from JR’s New York Studio was there to give a quick lesson wheat pasting and to oversee the installation.
JR “Inside Out Project” First day installation on 10th Avenue. Street level view. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
JR’s “Inside Out Project” second day begins on the window panels on 19th Street. Here is the mock up in hand. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
JR “Inside Out Project” (photo © Jaime Rojo)Directed by Tony Silver and produced by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant, STYLE WARS is an indispensable documentary that captured NYC Street culture in the beginning of the 1980s. Anyone who values the contribution of this examination of a moment near the birth of hip hop and graffiti culture will be familiar with the players that Chalfant and Silver profiled and the electricity that fueled a cultural movement that eventually went global.
“There is a lot of amazing and historically significant material there which never made it into the finished film”, says Chalfant today as he describes his new project to recover and restore the hours of remaining recordings and to create an outtakes reel from that 1981-82 project.
Spread the word! BSA would like to encourage you to donate to this Kickstarter campaign to make this project happen and to post this on Facebook and Tweet it. Write to your friends to ask them to throw a buck at this project that promises to deliver many new shots of trains not seen since ’81 and some surprising masterpieces rescued from oblivion.
They have cool stuff for various pledges – we’re hoping to score the “Art is Not a Crime” poster designed by Mare139.
But even if your stocks of green are low right now, you can forward this to one of your buddies. Style Wars is for everybody, and this history is yours.