During the recent Los Angeles Art Show 2011, four Street Artists regaled the residences at the Ritz Carlton with brand new pieces. Mear One, Chor Boogie, and Shark Toof each worked for 6 days in the highest residence on the West Coast in advance of the big opening party hosted by Shepard and Amanda Fairey. Curated by Bryson Strauss, the show features aerosol, traditional brush painting, and a pulpy wall of wheat-pasted pieces.
1. Ellis G Solo Show Tonight in Dumbo
2. Futura Rocks the New Futura Tag on a Window and His New 12 oz. Prophet Video
3. Graffiti Photographer John Naar Expounds on Video – Re-Release of “Faith of Graffiti”
4. Area Grandmother Reveals That She is Banksy
5. Shepard and DEVO: The Big Picture Tomorrow
Ellis G @ Mighty Tanaka Tonight in Brooklyn
There is only one Ellis G and he’s been banging out these hand-traced silhouettes across the city for a good run, now. With a deft hand the Brooklyn Street Artist literally draws your attention to shadow and light, using the cityscape and chalk. Over time his photos of his work have taking on a poignancy because they capture this truly temporary, almost ethereal shadowing of elongated, foreshortened, and otherwise curiously distorted urban structures – freezing them for a second before they fade into the gritty ethers. Tonight he’ll be performing live at his opening at Mighty Tanaka.
All photos Ellis G (courtesy of the gallery)
OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, January 21st, 2011, 6:00PM – 9:00PM – MORE HERE
<<<><><><>>>>><<>>>>>
“This is a Message from Futura!” The 12oz Prophet VIDEO
We are really excited to see Brooklyn’s own Futura in da bloghouse! Props to the 12 oz crew for this warm and natural portrayal.
Check out this exclusive window tag by Futura that he sent for you, the BSA family…
Gorgeous Insights from Photographer John Naar (VIDEO)
On the occasion Wooster Collective’s re-release of Jon Naar’s and Norman Mailer’s seminal 1970s book “Faith of Grafitti” as part of their “Special Edition” series, here’s a video of Jon Naar courtesy of Stussy.
<<<><><><>>>>><<>>>>>
Area Grandmother Comes Forward As ‘Banksy’
Reportage courtesy of
“LONDON—At a press conference Tuesday, 89-year-old Rose Biggin, a grandmother from the Camden Town neighborhood of North London, announced that she was in fact the internationally renowned graffiti artist known only as Banksy. “Those drawings? Oh, yes, those are mine,” said the diminutive octogenarian, who admitted to scaling buildings and climbing fences in order to put up life-sized stenciled images that satirize modern society’s mores and its inherent political power structures. “It sure does help to pass the time.” Biggin then returned home, where along with some of her “dearest friends,” she sipped tea, sampled some nice ginger cake, and planned the necessary destruction of dominant capitalist paradigms.” Courtesy of The Onion
Damn, these people are so busy! I’m crawling around under the bed looking for a lost sock and Shepard’s over there on the left coast making art to address “the dialogue about power and control in society” and having an art show with the King of DEVO.
Subliminal Projects and The Art of Elysium’s Elysium Project are pleased to present a two-person show featuring work by artist, pop culture icon, and DEVO frontman Mark Mothersbaugh and artist Shepard Fairey. This exhibition focuses on their work as artists and philanthropists.
As artists, Mark and Shepard create work that demand the viewer’s attention, drawing them into a world where scale is pushed to the forefront. From several feet back, Shepard’s work tells one story while, up close, the intricate patterning tells another. The symbols in a Shepard print provide a contextual framework and the elaborate detailing reflects a careful attention to craft. Mark’s creative process begins on a small scale. His postcard-size illustrations and paintings often serve as the initial step in his creative process, from which he then pulls imagery for his larger work. These highly personal postcards are created on an intimate scale and, once enlarged into large-format works, the viewer is invited to step into Mark’s whimsical world. In both cases, it is the carefully thought out details that make The Big Picture.
These two artists are keenly aware of The Big Picture when committing to a charitable cause. Their influential roles as tastemakers and cultural icons serve as a bright spotlight on the charity they choose to support. Thanks to their dedication to The Art of Elysium, both artists help bring attention to the charity’s mission, thus enriching the lives of gravely ill children in the Los Angeles serviced by the charity. Shepard Fairey, the 2010 Art of Elysium Visionary, and Mark Mothersbaugh, the 2011 Art of Elysium Visionary, are celebrated in this exhibition for their art and their charitable spirits.
“I am so thrilled that Shepard has opened his gallery for this extremely special collaboration. This is the first collaboration between two of our VISIONARIES. It is our hope that the people that have been asked to join our VISIONARY CIRCLE share in creative collaborations not only to benefit The Art of Elysium and all of its various programs but that their joint endeavors inspire change in the world at large. That is the BIG PICTURE that we are hoping for.”
— Jennifer Howell, founder of The Art of Elysium
SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS GALLERY
1331 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
E: info@subliminalprojects.com
P. 213.213.0078
F. 213.213.0077
Here’s a question to the Street Artists out there; Have you ever knocked on the door before putting a wheatpaste or stencil or sticker on it? The work you put up is for the public to see, but what if “the public” who lives inside asked you to come in?
It sounds crazy – but it DOES happen. Last summer one Brooklyn landlord snagged two street artists on two occasions and paid them to put work up on walls inside her house – artists whose work has appeared on BSA with some regularity in the last 12 months. When Street Artist MOMO was invited to a residency program in Key West, Florida last year, he decided to try out a similar experiment and now some people are living with his work every day. In his own words:
“I was curious to try creating artwork for a sampling of “the public” for free and with no obligations, like I’d do in the street, but more directly. I really don’t know the public I’m working for when I make things anonymously, and often the idea of public becomes mythic and hazy. This seemed like a way to learn what different people thought of my work, and to experience some pressure from the close contact” MOMO
Sadly, Swiss film maker Joachim Levy says he was left off the credits in the movie and should have been included, according to a New York Times piece by Melena Ryzik, “A few minutes of “Life Remote Control” and some footage from Mr. Guetta and Mr. Levy appear in “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” which subsequently became the story of how Mr. Guetta was transformed, with Banksy’s prodding, from a chronicler of street art into an artist himself”. He’s protesting bitterly about his exclusion from the credits, and the cash cow the movie is turning into, we might add.
For all we know this is just one of the many marketing plots that Banksy or Banksy’s camp have concocted to create extra buzz for the film in the hopes that it would get nominated by the Academy. What with the many interviews (via email) that the normally invisible Banksy has granted? So far the strategy appears to be working as the film did get a nomination this week from the BAFTA people (the British version of the Oscars) for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer.
And finally, we won’t get to find out his true identity now that Ebay has taken down the auction that had 38 bidders up to almost a million bucks. The prize? A scrap of paper with his alleged real name. Sorry kids, no Banksy or Santa Clause information will be revealed. Luckily you can still bid on a chunk of concrete with a rat stencil sprayed on it.
Tomorrow on Ebay, to more robust bidding I expect, I will be auctioning my electric bill from December. As a bonus you’ll see the price of a weekly Metrocard and a cellphone shot of my granny’s teeth in a glass.
What are we to think? Is Banksy behind this “auction”? For sure he knows his own identity, or does he? And why would this be on Ebay? – Shouldn’t it be on Sotheby’s or Christie’s?
In the next “‘Breathless Banksy Update” we’ll talk about who we think should design his full length burka-style hoodie to attend the Academy Awards ceremony should he be so lucky as to snag a nomination. If he is reading this, as we know he most certainly is, we urgently implore him to start looking for a designer PRONTO.
In the midst of all the speculation about Banksy’s identity, perhaps the elephant is on the screen in your living room.
Remember Eli Cook? He’s the BSA reader who had a wish last month to finish a painting?
Well, he finished it and sent us the picture so we thought we’d share it with you. It’s a way to honor the creative spirit in all of us, and to honor Eli’s grand dad.
LA ART Machine
The L.A. ART MACHINE is proud to present VOX HUMANA, a large-scale, live art installation by celebrated international artists Edward Walton Wilcox, Andrew Hem, Shark Toof,and Chor Boogie at the 2011 L.A. Art Show, January 19-23, 2011. Taking place over five days and covering more than 500 square feet of canvas, this unique art happening invites visitors into the esoteric world of the artistic creative process. You are cordially invited to join us for this special art happening.
Schedule:
January 19: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM (VIP Opening)
January 20-22: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
January 23: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Completion ceremony January 23, 2:00 PM Location:
Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall
1201 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, California 90015
map it
Presented in partnership with:
LeBasse Projects, FIND Art Magazine, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Sister Cities Los Angeles, and Castelli Framing
for more information contact: voxhumana@laartmachine.com or 323.702.3594
A Survey of Works and Installation by Ellis Gallagher AKA Ellis G
Ellis Gallagher, AKA Ellis G, is the quintessential street artist, having created a highly unique and stylized interpretation of the City and its surroundings that New Yorkers take for granted. Through tracing of shadows with sidewalk chalk, his artwork is the very definition of temporary, marking a specific time and place that few are lucky enough to stumble upon. Mighty Tanaka is proud to bring you Permanently Temporary, A Survey of Works and Installation by Ellis Gallagher AKA Ellis G.
For the first time ever, original Ellis G shadow and chalk drawings will be made available to the public. The installation for Permanently Temporary will double as a performance piece during the opening reception on Friday, January 21st, as he will create custom shadow and chalk artwork on site for the gallery visitors. This special event translates an otherwise temporary form of art into an obtainable milestone of artistic interpretation.
Ellis Gallagher has paid his dues time and time again on the streets of NYC and throughout the world, as he has created an iconic technique that is recognized globally.
Street Artist NohJColey travelled to Texas for a few weeks to visit friends and put up these new portraits in the studios of a de facto music factory. The former meat packing plant is abuzz with activity day and night with up-and-coming entrepreneurs of all stripes pounding out the beats, doing fashion shoots, making videos, mixing music, and a little bit of partying to ease the stress of all that work. NohJ slept on couches for a few weeks and hung out with many unknowns on the hip-hop tip, and a few bigger names too. He also spent long stretches of time killing large walls in these artists studios with his very distinctive illustration style of portraiture. Not surprisingly, the theme of music runs through them.
“The first piece I did was done in the place I was sleeping in. It wasn’t about the owner but it was a reflection of him in a way because he literally ran around with his head cut off and he didn’t know what was going on half the time. He was mostly crying about his girlfriend or surfing the net looking at new videos. Supposedly he was a DJ. He had gigs, but no turntables. He was scratcher and mixer,” explains NohJ about this mural going up a staircase.
If you know anything about NohJ, it’s that he is always thinking and observing people. Each piece has a story that is rooted in his imagination as much as his observation of the human condition. His characters are illustrative of greater truths and of their personal idiosyncracies. You can imagine him becoming a literary or screen writer because he knows his subjects inside and out. Psychology, sociology, and popular culture all come to fore, placed with symbolism and gesture into the portrait and into a moment. If NohJ inhabits each fictional character he creates just for a moment, he stays with them for hours, gently observing their motivations and making judgments about their judgment, blending in some social critique.
No. 1
Brooklyn Street Art:What about this dude?
NohJ: These are piano keys, I don’t know if I ever said that.
Brooklyn Street Art:No, I didn’t see that
NohJ: Yeah, they’re supposed to be exiting his chest
Brooklyn Street Art:So does it seem like musical notes coming out of his chest?
NohJ: No, just keys
Brooklyn Street Art:So they’re musical tools with which to create the sound but they don’t necessarily have a sound?
NohJ: I’d say they represent the sound just because those are the keys, you know?
Brooklyn Street Art:Biomorphic, undulating
NohJ: Definitely, contorted, yeah
Brooklyn Street Art:What about these gray lines that go around?
NohJ: That’s the chords
Brooklyn Street Art:He looks kind of constricted by them, his lower torso
NohJ: He’s can’t go anywhere because the line is wrapped. He wants to DJ but he can’t get the turntable, it keeps rocking back and forth. He can’t really see it. The right eye is covered because, you know how there are constantly music videos going – he’s constantly seeing the music video in something. He sees clothes, a phone, somebody’s chain, sneakers. He sees it in a video and thinks he’s gotta buy it.
Brooklyn Street Art:So he’s imprisoned by his consumerist tendencies?
NohJ: Yeah
Brooklyn Street Art:or just his impulses
NohJ: Probably his tendencies though because he’s like being brainwashed.
Brooklyn Street Art:It becomes a tendency after a while
NohJ: He’s like “Oh, it’s a whole lifestyle”, you know
Brooklyn Street Art:“this stuff represents ‘me’”. He doesn’t look like he’s very old.
NohJ: I don’t know – mid twenties, early thirties
Brooklyn Street Art: So what was the reaction of the person who hangs out in this space?
NohJ: He liked it. He didn’t know what it was about. It was about him though.
No. 2
NohJ: This one is about noise levels.
Brooklyn Street Art:She’s plugging her ears too.
NohJ: Even though the sound is coming out of her nose. That’s why I used the pattern- It’s octagons and triangles. I usually use triangles to represent strife, the points!
Brooklyn Street Art:So if we see shapes that are in your work that are circles or are circular, what are those going to represent?
NohJ: I rarely use circles but it probably would mean that you are going through a transition. It might be rough but it’s going to get better. It all depends though cause it all has to do with the number.
Brooklyn Street Art:What’s her name?
NohJ: She doesn’t have a name but this is in a guys studio and when he has the speakers on, this piece makes so much sense to you. Because it’s like all this noise coming from the right side of the house and you are just looking at this woman and she is looking at you and she’s like, “Yeah it’s noisy right?”
Brooklyn Street Art:This pattern also makes me think of some folk art or maybe Native American art.
NohJ: I kind of figured you’d…. I mean, why?
Brooklyn Street Art:Because of the diamond motif repeated. I mean it’s a quadrilateral but it’s squashed. There’s no Native American influence here.
NohJ: Maybe, but if so it subconsciously got in there.
Brooklyn Street Art:I think her name is Consuelo. That’s what I’ve decided. But you don’t have a name for her.
NohJ: She’s trying to distance herself from the rest of her body because this over here is her back and the speakers are inbetween, you know?
Brooklyn Street Art:Man! She is really trying to get away!
NohJ: She’s pulling herself apart.
While a portrait may be a symbol of a greater truth, he isn’t going to stand on a soapbox. But if you really want to know and you are listening, he’ll tell you. If not, he won’t worry very much. Amalgams of people he’s met and the person he is, the pieces and their stories have their own logic – part reality and science fiction. Mixing fantasy with reality, sometimes it’s not clear where one ends and the other starts;Just when you think you got the scenario and you think it’s all symbolism and representation, you’ll learn that a character actually does have a piece of jewelry protruding from their head, or a cassette tape flowing out of his mouth and it is not a metaphor after all.
No. 3
Brooklyn Street Art: Tell me about this boy
NohJ: He’s just like a teenager that listens to all this new music that we’ve been talking about. – Like poor quality stuff.
Brooklyn Street Art:He doesn’t think it’s poor quality though.
NohJ: Exactly, that’s the problem. That’s why there are all these tapes flying at him and he’s just covering his ears. He doesn’t want to hear the titles of the good stuff you know? – Whether it’s like Led Zepplin or the Beatles or I don’t know.
Brooklyn Street Art:What does he want to listen to?
NohJ: I don’t know, like Justin Bieber, Souljah Boy, stuff like that.
Brooklyn Street Art:Is this other guy lecturing him?
NohJ: Yeah, definitely. He’s like an older musician, dressed in 70s fashion.
Brooklyn Street Art:He looks like he was on the set of “Sanford and Son”
NohJ: Yeah, definitely. The large oversized collar, open.
Brooklyn Street Art:That looks like a VCR tape
NohJ: It’s a cassette tape.
Brooklyn Street Art:So what do you think this guy has on these cassette tapes?
NohJ: Like Hendrix, the O’Jays
Brooklyn Street Art:Oh yeah, like “Love Train”.
NohJ: …Sonny Rollins… I mean he’s really just telling him about quality stuff, and really where most of the new stuff derives from.
Brooklyn Street Art: This kid looks a little bit mad
NohJ: Yeah he’s super angry, he doesn’t like this
Brooklyn Street Art:But he can’t talk back, that’s why his mouth is closed
NohJ: I think he’s really scared though because he’s like “how are cassette tapes coming out of someone’s mouth?”
Yesterday we showed you an anti-war Street Art piece that partially addressed the war in Afghanistan. Today we tell you about Skateistan, a non-political skateboarding and education program for the youth growing up in this country overrun by war for 9 years. Street Artist Ludo created this fresh piece to raise some cash for Skateistan and all proceeds from the sale of his print benefit their programs. His street work often is a combination of natural beauty and man-made evil – a cautionary tale meant to draw attention to us, the creators of destruction. This piece appears to again pair the beauty of life with the specter of what all war leads to.
Ludo’s piece for Skateistan
Each Ludo piece is unique and hand drawn, a mix of graphite and acrylic on 300 gram water color paper, measuring 32 x 24 cm.
From the Skateistan web site:
“Operating as an independent, neutral, Afghan NGO, the school engages growing numbers of urban and internally-displaced youth in Afghanistan through skateboarding, and provides them with new opportunities in cross-cultural interaction, education, and personal empowerment. Skateistan students come from all of Afghanistan diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. They not only develop skills in skateboarding and skateboarding instruction, but also healthy habits, civic responsibility, information technology, the arts, and languages. “
Street art welcomes all manner of materials and methods, typically deployed without permission and without apology. This hand-formed wire piece …Read More »
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
