All posts tagged: New Zeland

Nevercrew Destroys Natural Wonder in New Zealand

Nevercrew Destroys Natural Wonder in New Zealand

“Disposing machine n°2”


Because there is still an ongoing environmental crisis in our oceans and because sea mammals do not have Instagram accounts (flippers are too clumsy for those little texting buttons), we are here again with you to discuss a new mural by Nevercrew painting in Gisborne, New Zealand.

Nevercrew. Disposing machine n°2”. Seawalls Tairāwhiti project by PangeaSeed Foundation. Gisborne, New Zeland. (photo courtesy of Nevercrew)

“Human habits and politics are modifying the natural balance, sometimes in direct and visible ways, sometimes in more underhanded and indirect ways,” say the art duo Christian Rebecchi about Pablo Togni,“and sea mammals are powerlessly suffering this imposition that’s embodied in the increasing of temperatures, water pollution, interferences in their habitat, swings in the ecosystems, hunting, and more.”

Created with the Pangeaseed Foundation, the Hawaii-based not-for-profit, public art program that has created nearly 300 murals with 200 international artists in 14 countries to bring to the streets a message about ocean conservation, this whale is part of the Nevercrew vocabulary.

Nevercrew. Disposing machine n°2”. Seawalls Tairāwhiti project by PangeaSeed Foundation. Gisborne, New Zeland. (photo courtesy of Nevercrew)

Impressive in scale, volume, and texture, the artists find new and inventive ways to permute the natural iconographic image of this massive sea creature and virtually modernize it in our minds, honoring it and elevating it to even greater relevance for a contemporary audience that is fluent in aesthetics.

By turning this god-like animal into mere elements of mechanics or body parts exposes our dim-witted appreciation for something that should instead inspire awe.How does that saying go? “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

Nevercrew. Disposing machine n°2”. Seawalls Tairāwhiti project by PangeaSeed Foundation. Gisborne, New Zeland. (photo courtesy of Nevercrew)

“A vision of this phenomenon, a perception of the overall issue and actual and future damage, seems hard to experience in a tangible way,” they say. “This has to pass again from human interpretation and understanding.”

“There’s a urge then to acknowledge that humankind is part of a balance together with the rest of the elements that compose Planet Earth”

Nevercrew. Disposing machine n°2”. Seawalls Tairāwhiti project by PangeaSeed Foundation. Gisborne, New Zeland. (photo courtesy of Nevercrew)

Nevercrew. Disposing machine n°2”. Seawalls Tairāwhiti project by PangeaSeed Foundation. Gisborne, New Zeland. (photo courtesy of Nevercrew)

Nevercrew. Disposing machine n°2”. Seawalls Tairāwhiti project by PangeaSeed Foundation. Gisborne, New Zeland. (photo courtesy of Nevercrew)

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BSA Film Friday: 07.11.14

BSA Film Friday: 07.11.14

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Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.

Now screening :

1. Auckland’s Al Fresco Festival
2.”Where The Food Grows” by Noah Throop
3. Herakut: You Are A Marvel.
4. Pils – Automotywacja (Motivation)
5. Rowdy – “Black Cab To Rehab” by Creative Urban Industries

BSA Special Feature: Auckland’s Al Fresco Festival

A fresh look at Al Fresco and the pentameter of motion here as New Zealands own public/private community based street art festival came back for its second iteration this May. A nicely polished piece like this is the product of a lot of work, inspiration, and organizing and a shout out to Ross Liew and the Cut Collective and Cleo Barnett for good work.

Where The Food Grows by Noah Throop

“Having the hens on fresh pasture lets them express their chicken-ness”

Usually on our Film Friday section we include one short film or video not related to Street Art, Graffiti or Urban Art. Often it is a video to welcome the weekend and cheer you up with some silly, fun content. This time we’d like to share with you a short film about FOOD. Food right? Well food is a very complex topic, from what we eat to where we eat to where the food is grown and how it reaches our tables and eventually our mouths. At at time when small family farming is almost gone from our modern production of food and some city neighborhoods can’t even get access to a grocery store, here is a documentary portrait of a small family farm in Byron Bay, NSW Australia. It’s worth a conversation about where the food grows.

 

Herakut: You Are A Marvel. From LeBasse Projects

“We must all work to make the world worthy of it’s children.”

Agreed. By the way, Herakut is a marvel.

Pils – Automotywacja (Motivation)

Legal or illegal, dudes are still painting man. Remember all those trains back in the day NYC? This is  Polish rapper Pils singing about motivation in 2014, yo. Maybe he is in Rzeszów?

Disclaimer: we don’t know what the lyrics are saying so if there’s a swear word, sorry.

Rowdy – “Black Cab To Rehab” by Creative Urban Industries

And finally, a crocodile cartoon that will remind you of New York traffic.

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ROA Photo Diary : Taking a Wild Kingdom to Global Streets

ROA Photo Diary : Taking a Wild Kingdom to Global Streets

New Images from Brazil, The Gambia, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Rome

We check in today with the ever evolving itinerary of the singularly nomadic Street Art urban naturalist named ROA. The well known and respected aerosol painter hails from Ghent in Belgium but he is rarely there these days, so busy is he introducing his monochromatic pictorials of the marginalized animal world. Despite the immense variety of his subjects that are reflective of the local population, ROA’s style is unmistakeable, as is his choice of difficult and imperfect surfaces on which to paint.  Some times his subject is playful or alert, other times they are in a struggle, still others are dead or dessicated; paying full respect to the cycle of life and death.

As if to remind us of our own sorry impact, once in a while they are ensnared and suffering in our unthinking detritus.  Not surprisingly, a number of the animals are endangered and his painting can often take on an environmental advocacy as a result.

Here we travel with ROA through six countries to see where he has been painting and to learn a little about the environment that these new stars of the street have debuted upon.

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ROA. The Gambia. (photo © Roa)

The Gambia, Africa

On his third visit to The Gambia for the WOW festival, ROA had the opportunity to paint a yellow caterpillar, a flying serpent, the Pinned Scarabée and some pangolins in the villages of Kembujeh and Galloya. He says, “I will be back, it’s amazing” and would like to thank all the folks who live in those villages as well as the organizer of WOW, Lawrence.

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ROA. The Gambia. (photo © Roa)

“I’ve painted a pangolin before in The Gambia but being back there and having read so much during the past year about the illegal trafficking of pangolins – to be served as exotic food or mostly as a ‘medicine’, I needed to paint them again. Firstly, the so-called medical qualities of the ground-up scales are disputed and “the animals are currently on the list of endangered species because of the trafficking and the loss of habitat by deforestation in Africa,” explains ROA. He notes that one of their attempts to protect themselves is to reconfigure their appearance.  “They can roll up into a ball to defend themselves,” he says.

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ROA. The Gambia. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. The Gambia. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. A yellow caterpillar in The Gambia. (photo © Roa)

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ROA plays with your eye in this two room installation of a skeletal remains in Brazil. (photo © Roa)

Brazil, South America

In the past few months ROA has been to Brazil twice, and neither time to see the World Cup. Instead he has been backpacking around and doing “many small interventions in between beautiful beaches.” While the insects in some of these paintings are originally small, their final scale on the walls are definitely not.

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ROA. Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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A rare near-optical piece by ROA, this microscopic milieu will be familiar to any kid who attended Biology class. Aside from the factual and the metaphorical, these fellas have a dropped shadow, giving the scene added dimension in Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Brazil. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Perth. (photo © Roa)

Perth, Australia

While participating in Form’s PUBLIC festival, ROA painted a serpent eating his own tail; a design that refers to ouroboros, an ancient mythological symbol. He says that Australian aboriginal people believe “the serpent has a great symbolic value as ‘The Rainbow Serpent.’ “.

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“Also for PUBLIC in Wolf Lane I painted an Australian possum,” says ROA of this piece in Perth. (photo © Roa)

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ROA.  Christchurch, New Zealand. (photo © Roa)

Christchurch, New Zealand

While painting the facade of the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch for the RISE festival, ROA decided to mix the dead with the living – “It’s a MOA skeleton with a kiwi!” he says. He explains that the moa was native to New Zealand, and flightless (like the kiwi), but the moa died out after humans settled the region.

In fact the Canterbury museum has a large collection of moa bones and skeletons and ROA understands that the museum is said to swap bones with other natural history museums to enlarge their own varied and large collection. One legend, according to the artist, “goes that they swapped some moa bones for the mummy they exhibit.

The site of the painting here has particular significance to the people of Christchurch as only a few years ago in 2010 and 2011 the city suffered serious and damaging earthquakes and almost 200 people died near here. The actual museum was well protected, but many buildings were heavily damaged and survivors still speak “about post-eartquake times, characterized by change and more social awareness,” he says, making this museum, “a very special place to be.”

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Inside the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch Roa painted this penguin on the ceiling. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Nelson, New Zealand. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Nelson, New Zealand. (photo © Roa)

Nelson, New Zealand

Roa would like to extend his thanks to Eelco and Ali from The Free House, as well as George and Shannon for his time in Nelson.

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ROA. Nelson, New Zealand. (photo © Roa)

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ROA. Dunedin, New Zealand. (photo © Roa)

Dunedin, New Zealand

“I painted a tuatara in Dunedin,” he says, of the indigenous reptile.

ROA would like to say thanks to Justin and Luke for their hospitality.

 

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ROA. Tenerife, Spain. (photo © Roa)

Tenerife, Spain

“At the invitation of the MUECA festival in Puerto de La Cruz, I painted my first large scale insect wall!” exclaims ROA, who looks for ways to keep challenging himself. He says that this was a composition that included,  “Lots of different little creatures to paint,” which was rather demanding, but he didn’t mind too much because, “it was a beautiful environment and atmosphere.”

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ROA. Riga. (photo © Roa)

Riga, Spain

There was a lot of bad weather in Riga during the Blank Canvas festival that ROA participated in, but “I got to paint the hedgehog and hopefully I will be back there soon to paint more,” he remarks.

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ROA. Rome. (photo © Roa)

ROME, Italy

Finally, we end our tour with ROA in the famous city of Rome, where he visited for the very first time. He says that it is a “wonderful city” and he painted this wolf “referencing the legend of the founding of the city.”

Roa extends his thanks to Stefano and Francesca of 999 in Rome.

 

 

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This article is also published on The Huffington Post

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BSA Film Friday: 12.13.13

BSA Film Friday: 12.13.13

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Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.

Now screening :

1. “Mujeres Creando” – Women Creating; Political Graffiti in Bolivia
2. Making LED Street Art – Hard Science
3. BMD x Orchestra Wellington in New Zealand

BSA Special Feature: Mujeres Creando – Women Creating

From Bolivia comes this profile of feminists who use graffiti as a way to advance their political views, to raise awareness, to seek justice and equality for women. For these writers, graffiti is fighting instrument.

“I am going to show you the graffiti that the girls and I do at night,” says one of your hosts as she drives through a neighborhood and explains how she keeps an eye out while her co-sprayers write slogans like “Keep your rosaries out of our ovaries” on walls.

“We are not artists,” explains one of the crew, “We are street stirrers.”

Making LED Street Art – Hard Science

Not sure if Graffiti Research Lab (GRL) envisioned this mainstreaming of their ideas would come to fruition, but on the other hand, we are in love with these two smarty-pants experimenting brainiac hosts.  Just watch.  Like Fat Albert used to say, if you’re not careful you just might learn something.

BMD x Orchestra Wellington in New Zealand

Nothing like having a live accompaniment to your mural painting  – especially when it is a small orchestra.

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BSA Film Friday: 11.08.13

BSA Film Friday: 11.08.13

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Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.

Now screening:
1. José Parlá: Nature Of Language
2. Eno and Shida in New Zealand
3. The Hours present “Neon Golden” in Hong Kong
4. Element Tree / Art Primo: For The City By The City

BSA Special Feature:
José Parlá: Nature Of Language

A great new video of José Parlá as he creates a site-specific mural for a modern library in North Carolina. You can get a real sense of the gestural mark making process as well as his thoughts and intentions while building this wall full of character.

Here is a brief description directly from the artist “Although illegible at first sight, the juxtaposed characters, gestures, hieroglyphs, and words become readable through feeling, as it is my hope that the work evokes the language of your own inner voice – of your own history. In an era when technology is taking over as the driving force of communication, art reminds us of our roots and our need for face-to-face communication. This Nature is our mirror, as art allows this bridge to be possible through the language of calligraphy, I pay homage to this Nature and the history of languages, which are the mirrors of our present condition.”

Eno and Shida in New Zealand

Using only rollers and brushes these two fellas from the north island of New Zealand show off a quick collection of their recent murals together behind a soundtrack by Whanganui local music celeb Jack Michell-Anyon. Choice, bro!

The Hours present “Neon Golden” in Hong Kong

An unusual visitors diary of a group trip to Hong Kong, via the streets and the tunnels and the gallery. In September the Australian based creative group The Hours had a show at Above Second Gallery in Hong Kong’s Central and Western District entitled ‘Neon Golden’. With peeps from graffiti, street art, and the contemporary art world, the video shows a coalescing of interests and skills and a few thrill-seeking scenes like being suspended from the roof and relying on a harness to paint. Aside from the painting scenes the video provides an open window into modern day Hong Kong – full of cranes and high rises and traffic and character.

From the Vimeo page, the artists included are Fintan Magee, Shida, Rone, Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Beastman, Yok, Sheryo, Numskull, Vans The Omega, Roach, Phibs, Twoone, Jumbo and Thomas Jackson.

Element Tree / Art Primo: For The City By The City

Featured artists DISTORT, MR MUSTART and THEN ONE

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LA + Auckland Honor Askew One, Graffiti and Street Artist

It’s not often that a major city gives a spotlight to a graffiti / Street Artist and issues a formal proclamation about it, but that is exactly what happened Saturday in Los Angeles. AskewOne, a native of one of LA’s sister cities, Auckland, New Zealand , was honored by the City as his new mural “Under the Influence” was unveiled as part of the LA Freewalls Project.

“It’s much more likely in this city that a graffiti artist will be arrested than be recognized for positive contributions to the community”, as LA Taco reports, but really when you consider the major inroads that the LA Freewalls Project has made into the dialogue around the value of Street Art in LA’s local politics, it can’t be entirely surprising. It probably helps that the image itself incorporates the American flag into the composition– sort of disarms that whole negative rant that some politicos use when lumping Street Artists together with other social scourges like drug addiction, domestic terrorism, and the Ice Capades, doesn’t it?

Askew One for LA Freewalls Project (photo © Todd Mazer)

“AskewOne is one of the world’s preeminent public artists, and one of the most accomplished contemporary graffiti writers,” says Daniel LaHoda, who spearheads LA Freewalls and who also hosted the inauguration of the new LALA gallery Saturday night with many of today’s best known Street Artist’s work on the walls. According to an official press release, the now famous LA mural moratorium will soon be lifted and “Kamilla Blanche, Senior Deputy for Arts and Culture, and the Director for Sister Cities, is excited about the possibilities to expand Los Angeles’ place as the national epicenter of public art.”

BSA is very pleased to be able to share with you these images of the new piece as shot by photographer Todd Mazer.

Askew One for LA Freewalls Project (photo © Todd Mazer)

Askew One for LA Freewalls Project (photo © Todd Mazer)

Askew One for LA Freewalls Project (photo © Todd Mazer)

Askew One for LA Freewalls Project (photo © Todd Mazer)

Askew One for LA Freewalls Project (photo © Todd Mazer)

To learn more about Los Angeles Sister Cities Program click here.

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