All posts tagged: Virginia

James Bullough Brings a Flying, Falling Form to Virginia

James Bullough Brings a Flying, Falling Form to Virginia

“I create my work more on the criteria of aesthetics and energy in the piece and less about meaning and backstory,” explains American muralist James Bullough of his latest laser sliced photorealist portrait in Roanoke Virginia. “In my opinion, that’s what art, especially public art is all about, to create a discussion, not to preach to the public and tell them my opinions.”

James Bullough in Roanoke, Virginia. (photo courtesy of the artist)

The image is full of movement and a foreboding feeling of things coming apart, in hurried disarray. The elegantly everyday form appears to be without her bearings, as if being swung from the center, or perhaps propelled backward and downward.

James Bullough in Roanoke, Virginia. (photo courtesy of the artist)

Perhaps the image is simply too abstract for passersby to contemplate, or perhaps it is so familiar in the US as to be a mirror of how many feel during this time where the foundations are being deliberately ripped from beneath the population, preparing them for…

“When people ask me at the wall what it is, or what it means, or who the woman is, I turn it back on them,” says James. “I ask for their thoughts and inevitably their interpretations are far more elaborate and varied than I could have imagined.”

James Bullough in Roanoke, Virginia. (photo courtesy of the artist)

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Fun Friday 04.06.12

Good Friday for the Christians, Passover for the Jews, Movie Night for the Atheists

 

1. “This Side of Paradise” in Da Bronx
2. “Highbrow, Lowbrow, Nobrow – MOUSSE! (Netherlands)
3. G40 in Richmond, VA
4. New Website called “The Facebook” (VIDEO)
5. Dolk and Pøbel: Norwegian Street Artists Fan Video
6. This Video Contains a Large Depiction of Eggs and is therefore Tangentially Related to Easter >> Michael Beerens (Video)

“This Side of Paradise” in Da Bronx

“This Side Of Paradise” opens this week to the public – involving 32 artists in a massive Mansion in the Bronx that is in disrepair. The exhibition is curated by No Longer Empty and hosted by The Mid-Bronx Council at the Andrew Freedman Home, a limestone palazzo that for several decades served as a “homeless shelter” for those poor folks that lost their fortunes during the Great Depression. Having been rich once was a key requirement for those applicants that wished to be admitted to the club. We hear that the waiting list was long.

This weekend take the D train to 167 St. in the Bronx and have fun.

How and Nosm installation “Reflections” (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this exhibition click here.

For more photos of the installation and to read our article and interview with the curators click here. “Poorhouse for the Rich” Revitalized By The Arts

“Highbrow, Lowbrow, Nobrow – MOUSSE! (Netherlands)

MAMA”S new group show “Highbrow, Lowbrow, Nobrow – MOUSSE! Opens today in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Artists included are: Admir Jahic (CH, 1975), East Eric (FR, 1974), Isaac Cordal (ES, 1974), Mark Jenkins (USA, 1974), Nomad (DE, 1971), Stefan Gross (DE, 1965), Tobias Allanson (SE, 1974), Zoe Strauss (USA, 1970)

Isaac Cordal (photo © Isaac Cordal)

G40 in Richmond, VA

The reception for the G40 Summit in Richmond, Virginia takes place tomorrow. Artists will be present and there will be an Art Battle where teams of artists will paint live.

With 12 internationally known Street Artists invited to create murals for this festival including:  Jacopo Ceccarelli aka 2501, Italy, Angry Woebots – California, Aryz – Spain, El Mac – California,  Gaia – New York, Jaz – Argentina, Jesse Smith – Virginia, La Pandilla – Puerto Rico, Lelo – Brazil, London Police – UK, Pixel Pancho – Italy, Roa – Belgian and Scribe – Kansas City.

The downtown Art Walk is reported to include murals by Gaia, Pixel Pancho, Aryz, Roa, Jaz, Lelo, La Pandilla, Angry Woebots, 2501 and Scribe. Check your local listings as there is quite a bit of variation in reported artists lists. You might get lucky and catch an artist at work.

To learn more about The G40 Summit click here.

There’s a new Website called “The Facebook” – This leaves Atari in the Dust! (VIDEO)

Dolk and Pøbel: Norwegian Street Artists Fan Video

This Video Contains a Large Depiction of Eggs and is therefore Tangentially Related to Easter >> Michael Beerens (Video)

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G40 Art Summit in Richmond: The Art of the Mural

Arts festivals have a proud tradition of bringing creative expression directly to  people on the street. When you talk about graffiti and Street Art you normally focus on the singular Street Artist who deigns their location and manner of display in the urban environment. But sometimes the display is collective and the planning and execution is actually a curatorial exercise with community arts leaders.

The ancient Greeks had the “Great Dionysia” spring art festival in April in Athens with tragedies of Æschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Queen Victoria famously opened the Great Exhibition in 1851 that might have launched hundreds of cultural fairs world wide since. Chicago has had the 57th Street Art Fair since 1948 that showcases original work and benefits the artists directly.

At any given moment there is a non-profit, public, or private cultural institution planning some sort of foray into the public sphere with the arts – sometimes with the full or tacit agreement of the community and often with it’s ignorance.

Street Artist JAZ getting up in Richmond, Virginia in this still from a video for the G40 summit (below).

And of course Street Art festivals have been running hard around the world in the last decade including Fame in Italy, Nuart in Norway, Cans in London, the stencil festival in Melbourne … the list continues to grow. Recently in the US we’ve been seeing Living Walls pop up in Atlanta and Albany, Open Walls in Baltimore and today we’re looking at the town of Richmond, Virginia, which is currently being installed with new work by Street Artists from around the world for the G40.

(Click image to enlarge map, courtesy Richmond.com)

The G40 Art Summit is marking its third edition and they will offer exposure to new faces in the Street Art scene and others to an audience who may never have heard of any of them, and that’s the point. For this year’s edition their focus is on “The Art of the Mural”. Art Whino, the creators and organizers have invited a handful of international Street Artists to participate.

Besides giving exposure to the artists, Art Whino explains in their press release how they hope to help the city:

“By inviting 12 of the top mural artists from around the globe to unleash their creativity to 20 large scale walls throughout Richmond, this project is sure to put the city on the map as a street art destination”.

As local art writer Christina Newton explains on Richmond.com the importance of programs like this in the public sphere ultimately goes to the average person on the street, “As many opportunities to experience art as there are in a city the size of Richmond, some will unfortunately never venture into a gallery because they think they don’t know enough about art or are shy about venturing into a space they have never been. Public art is important because it can more easily reach a broad audience, not to mention have the ability to move people out of their comfort zone, open our eyes and minds to something new, and beautify our environment.”

Artists included in the G40 this year are:

Jacopo Ceccarelli aka 2501, Italy, Angry Woebots – California, Aryz – Spain, El Mac – California,  Gaia – New York, , Jaz – Argentina, Jesse Smith – Virginia, La Pandilla – Puerto Rico, Lelo – Brazil, London Police – UK, Pixel Pancho – Italy, Roa – Belgian and Scribe – Kansas City.

Here some examples of work on the street by some of the artist captured by Jaime Rojo.

El Mac (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Gaia (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jaz (photo @ Jaime Rojo)

La Pandilla (photo @ Jaime Rojo)

The London Police (photo @ Jaime Rojo)

Pixel Pancho (photo @ Jaime Rojo)

ROA (photo @ Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding the G40 Summit click here.

For further information regarding Art Whino Gallery click here.

 

 

 

 

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