Welcome to the beginning of fall in New York, hopefully not the Fall of New York – although you can never tell when monetary policy is incredibly loose and we’re living in an “everything bubble” about to burst. Here in NYC people used to say the major industries were FIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate) and it is probably still true to a large extent. You could add Casinos to the acronym today because the this falsely high-flying and treacherous economy feels like a giant windowless drunken room full of sparkly lights, laughter and speculative plays. CAFIRE! Totally made that up. Might stick.
So here is our weekly interview with the streets, this week featuring 1312, 1UP Crew, Adele Renault, Adopt, Bailon, Ben Slow, Daze2, Dede, El Sol 25, Jonathan Allen, Marshal Arts, Mr. Joul, Nick Flatt, Nitzan Mintz, Not Pinky, Paul Punk, and Sandra Chevrier.
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening: Augustine Kofie in Paris with TRBDSGN, C215 is “Dreaming In The Back of The Classroom”, Ben Slow with Jim McElvaney and Best Ever in London, and Know Hope prepares for “The Abstract And The Very Real”.
BSA Special Feature: Augustine Kofie
in Paris with TRBDSGN
Kofie, Hobz and Honda address the wall schematically and with precision; an integrated and collaborative conversation with cans, tape, diffusers, an improvised protracter, and cell phones of course. It’s an unassuming record of a dedicated trio working together while kids fly by on transportation methods that are similarly time-tested as well as improvised.
C215 is Dreaming In The Back of The Classroom
For his recent TED Talk Christian Guémy reveals his philosophical approach to his creativity on the street, the impact of his personal relationships and his life path on his work. It is instructive to see the profound effect of a persons’ biography on the selection of work and even how it is expressed on the street.
(Turn the CAPTIONS button on lower right corner for subtitles)
Ben Slow, Jim McElvaney and Best Ever in London
Four guys on Old Street in London take on the challenge of a huge wall together at The White Collar Factory by Fifth Wall.
Know Hope prepares for “The Abstract And The Very Real”
The weight of the world, patriotism, and his place in the street. Living in Israel, Street Artist/fine artist Know Hope understands well the personal, the political, the historical – and how a continuously charged environment affects the art he creates. For his new gallery show at Lazarides, the artist reflects on his poetic approach to abstract realities. While examining walls, borders, and fences Know Hope pursues avenues to show how the bonds between emotional perceptions and political ones are inseparable.
Today we check in with some recent work in San Francisco, including new stuff from Aryz, David Polka, Ben Slow, Esk, and Greg Gossel.
We start off with the large mural of an apple cheeked farm girl by Aryz that went up over the course of a week in a tough part of the Tenderloin over a chain chicken shack. “But Aryz’s street art.. has already transformed the atmosphere of this high-traffic corner, and Aryz (pronounced “Areez”) is grateful, knowing that his gargantuan five-story farm girl — and her gargantuan bushel of apples — will look over the intersection for the foreseeable future.” Read more of Jonathan Curiel‘s great account in the San Francisco Weekly.
The stencilled collages are by Greg Gossel, who just finished a show with White Walls, and they are followed by images of a new mural by David Polka, Ben Slow, and Esk.
Special thanks to photographer and contributor Brock Brake for sharing these images with BSA readers.
Here is a time lapse video of Aryz completing his mural in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. The mural was jointly organized by Chris Shaher of WallspaceSF, Upper Playground and Fifty24SF Gallery. Our thanks to the people at Smash House Collective who published the following video because with it BSA readers can have an idea how much time and talent it takes to get such a piece up.
BSA is not just Brooklyn, you know. Last year we brought you new Street Art from Atlanta, Arizona, Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Bronx, Brooklyn, Brisbane, Bristol, Costa Rica, Chicago, China, Dominican Republic, The Gambia, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Istanbul, Italy, Jamaica, Johannesburg, Kenya, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Miami, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Norway, NYC, Palestine, Panama, Paris, Perth, Queens, Reno, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, and Trinidad. And that is a partial, incomplete list. Remember that the next time someone says we cover just Brooklyn and New York. Not quite.
Also while we were surveying what we did in 2012, we were curious to see which were the top stories we covered for the Huffington Post, measured by hits, social sharing, and emails sent to us. Here are the top stories you liked the most of the 44 we cross-published with Huffington Post Arts & Culture in 2012. (A complete list at the end of the posting)
Looks like the Yankees could have used Joe Biden last night. “Who is this grandpa man?”, said my homey Ikbar behind the counter at the news stand, irritated that the Vice President has to hog half the cover of the New York Post from Derek Jeter. Guess the Scranton Slugger was knocking them out of the wrong park for some New Yorkers last night.
Also, anybody know why there are 10 TV vans with their saucers rotating on top and kleig lights at the end of their extended electronic probes blinding innocent semi-sleeping commuters walking by the Marcy projects in Brooklyn this morning? Saw Blondy McBlonderwig with perfect teeth and fishbowl eyes shrieking in a trench coat in front of the camera on the way to the M train, safely behind all the “crime scene” tape. Think the news has decided to do a story on the class war?
And now LIVE, here are the important up-to-the-minute stories we’re following for you this hour on WBSA.
1. Bedlam in London
2. Jaye Moon Breaks the Code (NYC)
3. Moniker 2012 (London)
4. John Breiner at Mighty Tanaka (Brooklyn)
5. “Good Guys” in Chicago
6. "Street Art Live" in Da Bronx All Day Sunday
7. SANER "Catharsis" From The Cinema (VIDEO)
8. I Love Paris Volume 5 by kouettv (VIDEO)
Bedlam in London
If you are in London this weekend and are feeling spooky and wild, nevermind that tame Madame Tussard – turn your GPS to “BEDLAM”, Lazarides new group exhibition underground in the Old Vic Tunnels. With artists including Antony Micallef, Artists Anonymous, ATMA,Conor Harrington, Dan Witz, Doug Foster, Ian Francis, Karim Zeriahen, Kelsey Brookes, Klaus Weiskopf, Lucy McLauchlan, Michael Najjar, Nachev, Tessa Farmer, Tina Tsang, Tobias Klein, War Boutique and 3D all of them working on the theme of pandemonium. Inspired by the infamous mental hospital, we were expecting to see Boris Karloff popping around the corner while appreciating scary art that experiments on your brain. Welcome.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Jaye Moon Breaks the Code (NYC)
She’s been constructing on the streets for a year or two, but her main tricks have been in the gallery for about a decade. Street and Fine Artist Jaye Moon has a new solo show titled “Breaking the Code” at the Newman Popiashvili Gallery in Manhattan so you can see where some of this Lego madness came from. Study the numbers and the text and break the code. And don’t forget to hit up Red Hook Brooklyn because Jaye Moon is also an artist in GEOMETRICKS currently on view at Gallery Brooklyn.
For further information regarding this show click here.
For further information regarding GEOMETRICKS click here.
Moniker 2012 (London)
MONIKER ART FAIR is in full swing and open for business until this Sunday. Take a trip to The Village Underground in Shoreditch if you are interested on seeing original works of art by some Street Artists who are moving the conversation on the streets right now. Remi Rough, Penny, Niels ‘Shoe’ Meulman, Ludo, Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada, Hush, C215, Ben Slow are all represented with installations and new works of art.
For further details and a full list of artists and schedules click here.
John Breiner at Mighty Tanaka (Brooklyn)
Not a Street Artist but seemingly always in the street mix – maybe he has a lot of Street Art friends or something because Jon Breiner has been at a lot of events over the last couple of years and we’ve had the opportunity to see his studio work evolve so here’s a shout out. Breiner might be one of those definitely underrated fine artists that you don’t pay much attention to and then BAM!, where the hell did this kid come from? A curator of shows and DJ, Breiner goes deep below still waters; Fastidious in his craft Mr. Breiner’s work gets close and personal, meticulously drawn and painted, portaits with weight intricately real and occasional surreal little stories with plots that are off center. His new show titled “Sooner or Later We All Make the Little Flowers Grow” opens tonight at the Mighty Tanaka Gallery in DUMBO.
John Breiner. Detail. (image courtesy of the gallery)
For further information regarding this show click here.
“Good Guys” in Chicago
Wanna know who “The Good Guys” are? Head over to 2381 Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago where The HOTBOX MOBILE GALLERY new group show will open tomorrow showcasing local talent of Chicago born and raised Street Artists including, Left Handed Wave, Brooks Golden, Clam Nation, Don’t Fret, Espir, Nudnik, Lucx and Nice-one.
For further information regarding this show click here.
“Street Art Live” in Da Bronx All Day Sunday
This Sunday the Sermon is at The Bronx and the Minister is SinXero.
Showing brotherly love New York style, a group of Street Artists including Army of One/JC2, Fumero, ADAM DARE, TONE TANK, Elle Deadsex, ENX, Choice Royce, Royce Bannon, See One & Danielle Mastrion, VEXTA, Mike Die, KID Lew, & ZIMAD, as well as, SinXero (SX) & colleague Bayoan will gather at Graffiti Universe for “Street Art Live”. An event to honor Iranian brothers and Street Srtists Icy & Sot.
It’s a Sunrise Service so just stay up Saturday night >> The event begins at 5:00 am until the whole block at Graffiti Universe is completely painted.
For further information regarding this event click here.
Also happening this weekend:
The Kosmopolite Art Tour in Amsterdam, brought to you by Aerosol Bridge Club began on Wednesday and will continue until this Sunday at the MC Theater in Amsterdam. Big mural live painting with appearances from local and international artists with tons of side events. Click here for more details regarding this event.
Monsieur A the French artist is in Mexico City for his solo show “André Saraiva” at the Anonymous Gallery. This show is now open to the general public. Click here for more details about this show.
Low Brow Artique Gallery goes soft brow with Dickchicken’s solo show “The Penis Mightier Than the Sword” opening tonight in Brooklyn. Click here for more details about this show.
Mad One and Neely II are hosting “Sticker Phiends” in Tempe, Arizona opening tomorrow. This annual sticker feast attracts a huge following of national and international sticker artists and fans. Click here for more details about this event.
Public transport
Major bus routes: 8, N8, 26, N26, 48, 78, 149 (24H), 242 (24H), 388, 35, N35, 47, 135 and 67
Near Shoreditch High Street Station (5 min), Old Street Station (10 min) and Liverpool Street Station (10 min).
Cities in all the hemispheres take turns being the pre-eminent location for Street Art and street culture as the influences that lead to a lively scene cropping up in a city and becoming popular are in continual flux. Whether its economics, demographics, politics, or the various timelines of cultural evolution intersecting, the conditions must be just right for a Street Art scene to blossom and endure in all it’s idiosyncratic splendor. At the moment it is Springtime in Paris and photographer Sandra Hoj says during her visit to the city, “I was overwhelmed by the amount of street art. It was not just limited to a single area, but all over the place, in every crack and corner.”
While the current Street Art movement in French cities can be traced to the late 1970s and early 80s stencillists with names like Jef Aerosol, Mis Tic, Speedy Graphito, and the guy who Banksy credits for influencing his rodential proclivities, Blek Le Rat – the last decade has brought a new generation of wheat-pasters, pop appropriaters, culture jammers, and fine artists of every discipline who have put their own mark on the modern age. Some, like C215, are even called new masters of the stencil genre. This quick survey gives just a taste of what’s happening at the moment and there are many names regularly up in addition to these.
Sandra reports “There are pieces from the ever-present Space Invader, of course, and Jef Aerosol, Nick Walker, Jand & JS (Janaundjs), Fred le Chavalier, and Dast, as well as some I don’t know the names of. There is a lot of stencil work and many paste up’s, a rare freehand piece by Dast, and even some collage work from Frank Duval of FKDL.” Enjoy.
1. Wooly Bully! (VIDEO)
2. “International Woman” at The Warrington Museum (UK)
3. “While Supplies Last” at Pawn Works (Chicago)
4. Crossing Borders at MSA Gallery (Paris)
5. Isaac Cordal “Waiting for Climate Change” at Beaufort 04 (Flemish Coast, Belgium)
6. HOW & NOSM show you HOW they made “Reflections” (VIDEO)
7. Kid Zoom Crashes Cars (VIDEO)
WOOLY BULLY! Straight from the Desert Island – Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs!
Let’s see if you can shake it as fast as the back-up dancer lady in this video!
“International Woman” at The Warrington Museum (UK)
“International Woman” the new group show at The Warrington Museum and Gallery in Warrington, UK is open to the general public with a lineup of brilliantly talented women artists from around the world including many Street Artists: Catalina Estrada, Cheryl Dunn, Elizabeth Mcgrath, Faith 47, Hera, Kukula, Mel Kadel, Miss Van, Pam Glew, Sarah Joncas, Stella Im Hultberg, Swoon, Tara Mcpherson and Xue Wang. With so much female talent under one roof this promises to be one hot and interesting show not to miss, Miss!
For further information regarding this show click here.
“While Supplies Last” at Pawn Works (Chicago)
The Pawn Works Gallery in Chicago new show “While Supplies Last” opens this Saturday. For this show the space would be transformed into a site specific retail environment where you’d be able to purchase items from books to art from a list of artists that include: Shawnimals, Skewville, Kosbe, 5003, Ader, Amuse 126, Snacki, JC Rivera, Montgomery Perry Smith, Left Handed Wave, Max Kauffman, Nice-One, Swiv, and Jon Burgerman.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Crossing Borders at MSA Gallery (Paris)
MSA Gallery new group show “Crossing Borders” opens this Saturday in Paris, France and arttists including are: DAL, David Walker, Stinkfish, Faith47, David Shillinglaw, Martin Whatson, Klone, Snik, Otto Schade, Ben Slow, Joseph Loughborough, Inkie and Banksy:
Sculptor and conceptual artist Isaac Cordal is doing a series of outdoor installations From March 31st to September 30th, 2012 in 30 Locations spread across 9 coastal municipalities throughout the Flemish coast as part of Beaufort 04.
Mr. Cordal’s army of little cement characters are sure to stop you on your heels if you see them that is. His commentary on social issues runs deep and wide always with a humorous touch and an impeccable sense of placement:
For further information regarding this event click here.
HOW & NOSM show you HOW they made “Reflections” (VIDEO)
A custom installation by How & Nosm just finished at the new show opening next week in the Bronx called “This Side of Paradise”. See BSA coverage of the show and more photos of How & Nosm’s installation along with Crash and Daze HERE.>>“Poorhouse for the Rich” Revitalized By The Arts
Kid Zoom Crashes Cars (VIDEO)
The other Australian bad boy Kid Zoom made a video of himself building a house and crashing some cars. We have video to prove it:
Exhibition open to the public March 31st – April 5, 2012
MSAGallery is pleased to present Crossing Borders, a group show which brings for the first timein the heart of Paris, fifteen artists whose work activates creative conversations far from the French borders with geographically disparate cities of Bogotá, Cape Town, Beijing, Kiev, London, Oslo, Bristol, Concepcion and Tel Aviv
Artists will be present in Paris painting in the city for MSA’s open air gallery project ParisFreeWalls.
About MSAGallery:
Founded in 2011, MSAGallery focuses on a select group of artists breaking ground in painting, mixed media and sculpture. The annual program consists of a series of pop-up solo and group exhibitions that document the progress of these artists.
London continues to apply mud masks and disappearing creams in anticipation of presenting a sparkling face for the 2012 Olympics, and usually that would mean Street Art gets buffed right? Kind of. It’s a tricky position when Banksy has made your city a worldwide tourist destination for many and the Cans Festival is still talked about three years after it brought hundreds to a tunnel next to Waterloo Station. So Street Art persists for selected engagements in selected venues – with and without permission, as ever, despite the whole of UK being covered by millions of cameras.
Photographer Geoff Hargadon shares some images with BSA readers of his foot tour last month in Shoreditch. Part II will follow soon.
LWB London West Bank (LWB) is a brand new gallery opening in London on
Thursday 28th. www.londonwestbank.com. It’s a great space so please come down and
support the team involved in converting the old bank on the corner of
Westbourne Grove, Chepstow Road and Pembridge Villas, W11. To get an
invite RSVP to guestlist@londonwestbank.com
As an opening night teaser London based Street Artist K-GUY will be releasing a his ‘n’ hers special royal wedding commemorative mini print to celebrate the big occasion.
Limited to 40 prints at only 40 quid a pop available on the night….
and as a little incentive the first 10 people through the door get a
free one.
Street Art Launch… Join us for the UK launchof our new exhibition – Street Art, Contemporary Prints from the V&Afeaturing works by Banksy, Ben Eine and D*Face on Thursday 7 October, 7:00pm – 10:00pm. Be the first to see this exhibition alongside new works from amazing regional artists. DJing, live animation projection, licensed bar and a live art battle will also be taking place. To reserve your place send an E-mail tojamie.perry@theherbert.orgor just turn up on the night at 7pm!
Contemporary Prints from the V&A
The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum is the first venue to host a brand new touring exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London – Street Art: Contemporary Prints from the V&A. Street art is a diverse, constantly evolving art form, one that moves across the derelict buildings, bus shelters and hoardings of cities around the world. Its roots lie in history, echoing cave paintings and stencilled slogans and images in political campaigning.
The exhibition showcases the work of some of the biggest artists in the street art community such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Sickboy, Pure Evil and D*Face.
The Herbert has also commissioned six emerging artists on the UK street scene to decorate its white walls. Fresh Paint will contain brand new work from Pahnl, SPQR, Lucy McLauchlan, Ben Slow, AsOne and Newso.
To explore another aspect of the street art scene, the Herbert will be showcasing new aerosol art from Birmingham based graffiti artist Mohammed Ali. Ali calls his art, AerosolArabic, a unique fusion of urban graffiti art with traditional Arabic Islamic calligraphy.
Touring exhibition from the V&A.
December 2
Whole Train
See the film and question the director. Part of the Street Art season
Whole Train’s edgy editing, pulsating soundtrack and exploration of the secret universe of the graffiti scene make it a film experience not to be missed. The four protagonists observe the hierarchies, values, rules and codes of this rarely documented scene. But as another crew appears on the scene, the four feel challenged and a creative battle ensues. The director will be available after the performance in person or via Skype to answer questions about how he made the film and its content!
Spaces are limited, booking is advised. Please call 024 7683 2386 to book your place.
We are seeing more municipalities and institutions settle upon aspirational messages about the Earth and environmental issues every month now …Read More »