Low Brow Artique presents Rewriting Portraiture, featuring the work of Rachel Hayes, Jilly Ballistic, Vahge, and Vexta. This body of work will be on display to the public from November 16th – December 7th with an opening to the public November 16th from 7-10pm.
Working in diverse mediums, Rachel Hays, Jilly Ballistic, Vahge, and Vexta explore portraiture through their bodies of work. Typically the subject of paintings throughout art history, Rewriting Portraiture establishes how those who are the object of desire visually depict their realities. For Jilly Ballistic and Vahge, composites of photography and other mediums make up how they envision the human form. From the gas masked vintage photography and MTA posters of Jilly Ballistic to the paper dolls and Victorian inspired collages of Vahge, these artists choose to illustrate women in a way that is both bizarre and visually entrancing. While these artists use realistic imagery, Rachel Hays and Vexta pair humanity with animals to create intricate metaphors. For Vexta, the bird plays an integral role as a transformative element in her florescent prints. While this work is tied to symbolic metaphors, the juxtaposition of text and imagery in Rachel Hays’ gouache and embroidery is tied to physical relationships. In these pieces, her connections with close friends are rendered with a hand-made care that demonstrates her connectedness with these individuals. Through exploring both metaphor and medium, these artists chose to represent their surroundings in ways that are both deeply personal and diverse.
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.
Don‘t Miss Out! Sunday, 10/14/12, begins at 5am – Till’ A One Block Long Wall at Graffiti Universe is Completed.
ADDRESS
GRAFFITI UNIVERSE: 2945 Boston Rd. Bronx, NY 10469 at the corner of Paulding Avenue and Boston Rd.
The SX Lab, Street Art Productions, SinXero & Resident Activist, Army of One/JC2 has invited Renowned Street Artists from Iran, Icy & Sot to participate at STREET ART LIVE. Meet eighteen of NYC’s MVP Street Artists: Icy & Sot, 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.
Alexis Grafal, Professional Makeup Artist from Mind Over Makeup, will be having a Live Street Art Photo Shoot & Street Art Body Painting as our Eighteen Artists Represent.
The great story here is on how these two brothers from Iran, Icy & Sot came to New York City to exhibit their works, which in their country could have cost them their lives, unlike the laws here in the states where you can get fined &/or face imprisonment for putting up your work un-officially. The reality here is that tourists from all over the world come to NYC to experience its overall dynamic lifestyle, fashion & culture. If they are lucky, some of these street art aficionados just might be able to pick up, get a glimpse or shoot a photo of original street art by the renowned NYC MVP streets artists that are on the line-up at our live street art event being curated by The SX Lab, Street Art Productions. Surely, we must keep in mind that while these tourists stayed in hotels, fine dined and shopped till’ they dropped it was street art that helped increase revenue for the entire city as they did such. All the while, various street artists were being fined, charged, & imprisoned for exercising their very freedom of expression that puts money in the pocket of the city they love most, New York, where they only wish to flourish as artists.
The SX Lab, Street Art Productions in collaboration with Virtual Street Art, The Army Grows (TAG) An Artists Collective & Resident Activist, Army of One/JC2.
“FROM THE STREETS WE SHALL RISE, IN UNITY WE SHALL PREVAIL…”
Award winning urban arts initviative, Project Five, gets a fresh look for its forth volume as organisers, aMBUSH Gallery an- nounce new presenting partners, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Au- thority (SHFA). Leading Street Artists Vexta, HAHA, E.L.K.. and Reka bring their art to life in the cobblestone streets of The Rocks Square, The Rocks across three days in March (opening night March 9 – 6-9pm, then continues 10 and 11 March – 12- 3pm) in collaboration with aMBUSH Gallery – who will auction the groundbreaking works on Thursday 22 March (6-9pm). All proceeds go to charitable arts and media organization Informa- tion and Cultural Exchange (ICE).
This time around, Project Five (March 1-25) is set to be bigger than ever with the launch of a new full month format that in- cludes a Retrospective Art Exhibition and Artists Talks. All events will be hosted within Sydney’s beautiful historic hub, The Rocks.
The wonderfully diverse collection of artists lured to Sydney
by Project Five offer a seriously formidable, watchable and col- lectable live group show. Project Five Volume Four welcomes the queen of street art Vexta; finalist in the 2011 Metro Gallery Art Award, E.L.K.. (Luke Cornish); in high demand, abstract sur- realist painter, REKA (James Reka); and HAHA (Regan Tamanui)
whose 10 year history of exhibiting adds punch to the line up.
Watch the artists as they draw, spray, paint and create to the sounds of the Future Classic Deejay’s who’ll be pumping beats live on the turntables for the Live Art Event.
aMBUSH Gallery’s Bill Dimas says, “Project Five is a great weekend to come and check out what street art is all about, and if you already know, then a chance to catch some of the Aussie artists leading the charge. Across three huge days we’re going to have some of Australia’s finest street artists bringing the vibrant colours and life of art to the beautiful, scenic and historically rich space The Rocks have to offer. With cranking tunes it will definitely be a weekend not to miss.”
Michael Cohen, SHFA’s Creative Producer says “The Foreshore Authority is delighted to be jumping on board with Project Five for its fourth outing and to bring it to The Rocks.
“There is a real momentum gathering around street art glob- ally and it’s getting a hold in Sydney. There is also a cultural surge happening in The Rocks at the moment, with a lot of SHFA creative initiatives, such as The Rocks Pop-Up. So it’s a natural marriage and we’re excited to support ICE and team up with the other partners.”
Project Five kicks off with the Retrospective Art Exhibition (1-25 March) giving new audiences the chance to take a look at past Project Five artists and their works, all on display at a pop up gallery at 47 George Street, The Rocks.
Audiences will get the chance to get up close and personal with the artists and their brand new works at the Artists Talks, a new addition to Project Five’s program. Jess Scully, Creative Director of Creative Sydney, part of the Vivid Sydney Festival, will lead the way as the four street artists talk through their new works and their style on Monday 12 March at 11:00 am at 47 George Street.
Project Five finishes off with the Auction Event on Thursday 22 March (6-9 pm at the foyer of Cleland Bond) led by Anne Phil- lips, head of art at Bay East Auctions.
You’ll have to wait and see what Vexta, E.L.K., James Reka and HAHA bring to the table. 100% of the proceeds will go to ICE, a charity helping disadvantaged kids in western Sydney access creative media and arts programs.
Project Five has raised over $40,000 for ICE over the previous three volumes and last year was the National Winner at the AbaF Awards winning the Australia Council Young and Emerg- ing Artists Award.
Lisa Torrance, Executive Director of ICE says “ICE’s involve- ment in Project Five has enabled us to engender some fresh creative aspirations within the communities we work with
by exposing emerging artists to new ways of expressing them- selves through street art.
“Couple this with the fact that Project Five injects vital funds into our projects and the recognition we received through an AbaF Award last year simply fuels our passion to keep building on the possibilities this wonderful initiative presents.”
Significant growth in Australia’s own street art movement both at home and abroad are further evidence of the rise of urban art. This year, Vexta, E.L.K., James Reka and HAHA are at the fore- front of the movement, and present an appealing investment opportunity for those with an eye for talent.
The Project is made possible by aMBUSH Gallery who have been exhibiting cutting edge street art for many years, and have significantly contributed to supporting new and emerg- ing local artists across Australia, and now The Rocks, who are using their resources to support Project Five as part of their investment in community and charity, and to engage visitors with something unexpected and fresh.
Where:
Retrospective Art Exhibition,
47 George Street (March 1-25, 2012)
Live Art Events The Rocks Square
(opening night Friday March 9 6-9PM – Saturday March 10 & Sunday March 11 12-3PM)
Artist Talks 47 George Street
(Monday March 12 11AM- 12pm)
Auction – invitation only
(Thursday March 22– 6-9 PM)
Free public event www.project5.com.au
aMBUSH Gallery – www.ambushgallery.com
Based in Waterloo Sydney, aMBUSH seeks to educate and en- gage new audiences with creative exhibitions and art projects. Presenting original works created by Australia’s established and emerging street and contemporary artists, aMBUSH live up to their name by surprising or ‘ambushing’ their audiences with innovative, experimental and non-traditional shows and art proj- ects, both in and out of the gallery. These carefully developed collaborations provide artists with a powerful commercial plat- form to reach a broad audience that includes buyers, investors, creative associations, corporations, media and the wider com- munity.
In October 2011, aMBUSH Gallery were awarded the nation- al Australia Council Young and Emerging Artists Award at the 2011 Australia Business Arts Foundation Awards in Perth for excellence in developing partnerships between corporations, artists and the wider community. In January 2012, the FBi Ra- dio SMACS awards named Outpost Project as Best Art Event for 2011, awarding the joint partnership of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and aMBUSH Gallery.
Project Five – www.project5.com.au
Project Five is a community arts initiative aimed at supporting the arts through pop-up live art, music and auction events. Proj- ect Five commissions four Australian contemporary street artists to produce four large-scale artworks at a three day live art event, which artworks are then auctioned to raise money for charity.
To date, Project Five has raised over $40,000.00 for its nomi- nated charity Information and Cultural Exchange (I.C.E.) and has featured some of Australia’s best creative talent such as An- thony Lister, Kid Zoom and Ben Frost. In 2011, Project Five was the National Winner at the AbaF Awards winning the Australia Council Young and Emerging Artists Award. Now in its Fourth Volume and with a new format to include an Art Exhibition and Artist Talks, Project Five is presented by aMBUSH Gallery and Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority at Sydney’s iconic and his- toric venue The Rocks. Also produced and curated by aMBUSH, Project Five is supported by Bay East Auctions and Information and Cultural Exchange.
Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) – www.ice.org.au/about/intro
ICE is a charitable community, arts and technology organisa- tion working at the frontier of digital arts to foster community creativity and empowerment in Australia’s most culturally diverse region- Western Sydney. We amplify artists’ and com- munity voices to build resilience, autonomy and infrastructure, and to enhance quality of life. ICE’s main activity is to develop programs that engage communities and cultural leaders us- ing creative practices and digital media.These programs are targeted to communities with specific needs, and focus on creative solutions to the challenges and issues they face. We are particularly known for our work in engaging, drawing out and supporting platforms that support the cultural expression and stories of culturally diverse and disadvantaged communi- ties. ICE’s programs build capacity and connections, provide
learning and participation pathways, and enable communities and artists to create and share their expressions, stories and experiences in platforms that provide them with a conduit to the world.
Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) – http://www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/
The Rocks is fast becoming one of Sydney’s most creative hubs. As part of Art Month NSW, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority is proud to co-present the award-winning arts initia- tive, Project 5.Held over 25 days in March, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and Ambush gallery invite the public, and the broader arts industry, to The Rocks to experience the Project Five retrospective Art Exhibition, artist talks, a live
art event and artwork charity auction. All funds raised will go to the Information & Cultural Exchange (ICE), a supporter of emerging creative artists in greater Western Sydney.
The Rocks has long been home to artists and designers. Today the heritage surrounds of indoor and outdoor spaces continues to provide an innovative backdrop to profile and celebrate Aus- tralia’s most recognisable and contemporary street artists; as well as to educate new audiences through stories of Australian artists and their positive contribution to our community.
Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority owns and manages some of the State’s most significant assets, including Sydney’s heritage and cultural precincts at The Rocks and Darling Har- bour. With more than $1.2 billion in assets, and around 215 employees, the Foreshore Authority manages significant com- mercial and retail leases, provides security, cleaning, building maintenance and other facility management services, cares for the public domain and around 140 heritage items.
The Authority also operates tourism and marketing services and holds significant events in The Rocks and Darling Harbour each year. Between them, the precincts attract around 39 mil- lion visitors annually.
They are a friendly group, these Street Artists from Australia, all gathered and spread out on walls organized with 941 Geary Gallery and White Walls in San Francisco, a sort of summer camp for escaped ex-pats. Aside from a bit of jet lag here and there, the energy is high and the artists have been banging out brand new work for the show, with the walls on the street whenever possible.
Among the group are names from the scenes in Melbourne and elsewhere – selected for their contribution to the Street Art story over the last few years, including Anthony Lister, Kid Zoom, Dabs & Myla, Dmote, New2, Ben Frost, Meggs, Ha-Ha, Reka, Rone, Sofles And Vexta. Of course, many of these same cats represent straight out of BK too, but it’s nice to see the countrymen/women get together for an Aussie wall blastacular.
“Young and Free: Contemporary Australian Street Artists” is currently on view at the 941 Geary Gallery in San Francisco. For more information on this show click on the link below:
“I like renegades – there’s something soattractive about their natural instinctto defy convention.” Anon.
Some call Australia the ‘lucky country’, but we’ve always made our own fate. From a rebellious pas we’ve forged an identity steeped in cunning ingenuity, creative discontent and unorthodox flair. We’ve staged rebellions over rum, gained notoriety and won Nobels. We invented cask wine and Wi-Fi and we’ve won countless world titles. There may not be a lot of us, but we’ve always packed a punch.
So it is no surprise that with nothing more than a can of paint and a glint in their eye Australians are taking the street art scene by storm. It’s time for the rest of the world to sit up and take notice.
Young & Free will be the most significant exhibition by Australian street artists ever seen in the United States. The show will feature fresh work by thirteen of Australia’s finest urban art guerrillas – from the already internationally acclaimed to the burgeoning up-and-comers.
This tribe of artists comes from a variety of backgrounds: brilliant new work by notorious 80’strain painters through to the sublime subtlety of a modern day Rembrandt armed with a spray can. Young & Free is a reflection of Australia’s thriving street culture with a strong grounding in the past and a firm focus on the future. These artists are modern day bushrangers, patrolling the lanes from Melbourne to Manhattan.
This show features a mix of direct sprays, stencils and paste-ups, representing the rich and varied groundings from which these artists have grown. No matter their age, medium or style, the Young & Free artists all share one thing in common: they want to give the urban landscape a fresh coat of paint.
There are many similarities between Australia and San Francisco. Both have famous bridges, internationally established street art cultures and, of course, trams. What is different is our beginnings. Australia’s criminal foundations have seeped into our national persona – Aussies are born with a spirit of rebellion. As the opening lines from our national anthem proclaim, ‘Australians all let us rejoice, for we are Young & Free.’
The cans have been capped, the wheat paste stirred, and the stencils packed: this is the most important Australian street art exhibition ever, mate.
“Space Invaders” at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is open for one more month as it presents a survey of the vigorous homegrown and international street art movement that has developed over the past ten years in the Pacific Rim. Home to well known and upcoming street artists like Anthony Lister, MISO, Kid Zoom and Creepy, Australia contributes a distinctive voice to a developing school and vocabulary.
With this show the National Gallery joined the ever expanding list of major art institutions recognizing and meditating on the importance and influence of Street Art as an art form and art movement. Once again the public is involved in the conversation about what Street Art is and where is it going- through the protected confines and altering prism of a formal art institution.
Below an excerpt from the Gallery’s web site:
“Drawn entirely from the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, the first Australian institution to have collected this type of work, Space invaders: Australian . street . stencils . posters . paste-ups . zines . stickers surveys the past 10 years of Australian street art. Featuring 150 works by over 40 Australian artists, this exhibition celebrates the energy of street-based creativity and recognises street stencils, posters, paste-ups, zines and stickers as comprising a recent chapter in the development of Australian prints and drawings..
Space invaders looks at artists and their iconic street-based works at the point of their transition from the ephemeral to the collectable and from the street to the gallery”
HaHa “Ned’s Head Triptych” (detail) (courtesy National Gallery of Australia)
The current show name borrows from the French street artist, who borrowed from the video game.
Lister “Mr. Sinister” 2010 (detail) (courtesy National Gallery of Australia)
Jumbo “X-Ray Man-machine” (detail) (courtesy National Gallery of Australia)
National Gallery of Australia
GPO Box 1150
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Space Invaders features stencils, posters, paste-ups, zines and stickers and will run until February 27 2011. If you are in the area and would like to visit the Gallery below is a list of upcoming events related to the show and the participating artists:
This Thursday (Jan 27) there is an artist talk with Mini Graff as she talks about her work featured in the exhibition.
This Saturday (Jan 29) there is a vinyl sticker printing workshop for teens
Print your own vinyl stickers with Sydney street artist Mini Graff. Translate your ideas onto vinyl stickers using screenprinting techniques. Please note that this program is at Megalo Print Studio + Gallery in Watson.
Sunday (Feb 6) there will be a screening of BOMB IT (DVD, 2007, not rated, 93 mins)
An explosive documentary about graffiti, the controversial art form shaping international youth culture today. By award-winning director Jon Reiss.
Participating artists for “Space Invaders” include:
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
