Os Gemeos and Koyo in Italy

Happy almost new year to everyone. It’s been quite a year, but I’m on vacation, so there’s no end-of-year round up from Vandalog. Instead, just the usually weekly round up (which includes some end-of-year round ups of course). Also, thank you to everyone who read the 7000+ words this week about Artists 4 Israel. I know politics is not the usual topic of this blog, but I think those posts are among the most important items on Vandalog all year, as are the founder of Artist 4 Israel’s comments on each post. Anyway, here’s what’s up recently:

• Looks like the Season Ticket fair in London was a hit. Sweet Toof even painted people’s nails. One fan sent over these results of Sweet Toof’s efforts.
• Futura has been working on some new pieces for a show in Paris.
• The lead photo this week is from this series of photos that Luna Park took in Grottaglie, where FAME Festival is held.
• The Atlantic has some insight into how Vhils goes about making a mural.
• HowAboutNo! has collected his favorite photos of the year into this post.
• How can you not like Tryone’s “Drive By Shooting” piece? Definitely similar to work by Brad Downey and Akay, but cool nonetheless.
• The LA Weekly has a list of their top 10 street art stories of the year. It’s not bad. Obviously LA-centric, but who can blame them?

Photo by Luna Park

A freight train in Atlanta

This week has been a lot of trying to get ahead on my work, because on Saturday evening I’m headed to New York City for the night. I’ll be checking out Flash at the Wooster Street Social Club. Here’s some stuff I missed covering over the last few days:

• Bast has a show opening this weekend at Lazarides’ Newcastle location. Most of the work is in a completely (almost unrecognizably) new style.
• Swoon’s installation at the ICA Boston is now on view.
• Some big walls are being painted at the CityLeaks festival in Germany.
• But none of those murals are quite as cool as Liqen’s latest.
• 555 Gallery in Detroit has finally settled their lawsuit and can display the Banksy that they stole off the streets, completely ruining the meaning of the piece.
• Escif was at Fame Festival.
• Kaws has a solo show open now in LA.
• Fab5Freddy, Lee and Futura are together in a show at Subliminal Projects this weekend.
• Ludo’s show in London is open now.
• Twist aka Barry McGee and his partner Amaze get up big in Sydney.

Photo by RJ Rushmore

Snyder, a tribute to Kase2 (RIP) by Krush, Dame and Evol and other pieces

You know what’s really nice? Sleep. Hence, this weekend is a blessing. For now, life is school school school and more school. Hopefully there’s still a trip to NYC in my near future though… Here’s what has been going on around the internet and on the street:

• OverUnder and Chris Stain have gotten things started at Living Walls Albany. OverUnder’s portrait looks kinda like an Ethos piece, but it still looks cool. And Chris’ tribute to the 9/11 first responders was painted on wood and has just been moved to the New York State Museum.
• WK Interact collaborated with NY firefighters on a mural in Brooklyn.
• This 9/11 related piece by Zevs has caused a bit of a stir. Definitely one of most controversial 9/11 related artworks I’ve seen.
• JR’s Inside Out project has made it to Israel and Palestine.
• Some promising new for Leon Reid IV‘s latest project.
• Amanda Marie, the latest artist to show at Andenken in Amsterdam, isn’t a street artist, but she does stencils that I’m loving. (heads up, the link is a pdf)
• Ema has a solo show that opened tonight at Glasgow’s Redcoat Gallery.
• Banksy has donated a sculpture to The Bristol Museum.
• A few years ago, there was a castled painted in Scotland by some of Brazil’s best street artists: Nina, Nunca and Os Gêmeos. It was supposed to be temporary, but the owners of the castle want to keep it.
• Maybe my favorite thing I’ve ever seen from Jaybo.
• Risk and Retna painted a mural in Santa Monica, CA, but now the city wants to fine the building owners $5,000 a day until the mural is removed.
• Brad Downey and Akay collaborate at FAME Festival.
• Jim Carrey and Shia LaBeouf are both trying to do some street art. Yep, the guy from Ace Ventura and a Disney Channel star are now technically street artists. Melrse&Fairfax says, “Interesting how street art seems to be more and more an exciting ‘escape’ for celebrities.” I’d like to replace interesting with some other word or words…

Photo by Snyder

Swoon in New York City

A day late, but here’s the link-o-rama. Let’s just say it feels like I’ve been competing, exactly one year on, with Ben Eine for the title of having had the strangest week. Here’s what I’ve missed:

• The NYTimes has an article about Taki183, an update of sorts on their article from that original article from 40 years ago I guess.
• A video and images from that show of graffuturism in Glasgow.
• Kid Acne’s museum show in Sheffield has opened and Arrested Motion interviewed the artist.
• Don’t Panic interviewed Pablo Delgado.
• Insa’s just done a new Gif-itti animation.
• Lots of updates from FAME Festival: Boris Hoppek, Erica Il Cane, Blu and Aryz.
• And if you need more Italian political street art, you can check out the latest short film from Six Oranges.
• Shok-1 painted a mural in China, but now the government wants it removed.
• Vhils is getting up in LA.
• A politician in Bristol wants to find a way to protect (extremely valuable) street art. I’m not saying I oppose the idea, but the article does read exactly what something I’d expect to find in The Onion.

Photo by Sabeth718

Madre from Andrew Telling on Vimeo.

Sorry for all of the videos today guys, but at least they are something to watch during downtime at work. The latest features Word to Mother during his time at Fame Festival in Italy last year. Created by Andrew Telling, the video also has some guest appearances by Lucy Mclauchlan and Cypo & Kaf. Enjoy.

Neckface and Reader stickers in NYC. Photos by Sabeth718

If you looked at Vandalog this week, you’d think it was a slow week in street art. That’s not so, but I’ve been locked down working on Up Close and Personal (opening pics here). So here’s some of what I missed covering this week:

• This post at Brooklyn Street Art has the info on a number of shows that are opening or have opened recently (Hellbent and John Breiner in Brooklyn, Matt Siren in NYC, Chicago street artists in Chicago, Ad Hoc Art’s show at New Puppy Gallery in LA, Specter at Pawn Works in Chicago and The London Police in Denver).
• Moneyless has hit FAME Festival.
• Great ad disruptions in Lisboa.
• Just photographing Boxi.
• Emarama has a zine of her Dropmen characters (available here).
• I’m a fan of TYPE’s work in London, and Richard Mellor has put together a Google Map of the pieces.
• Gaia has put up one of my favorite pieces from him ever, and has a show opening with the talented Nanook next week in Baltimore. My Love For You’s post on all that is pretty much exactly what I would have posted.
• Roa’s been getting up in San Francisco with some great pieces.
• Malarky, Sweet Toof and Mr. Penfold have been collaborating on roll-gates in London.
• Eine’s latest print, Change, goes on sale at Nelly Duff on May 18th. 30% of profits will go to charity.

Photo by Sabeth718

Recent mural by Eine. Photo by Unusualimage

Well it was the first week of midterms for me, so lots of time was spent locking myself in my room, turning off the wifi and just studying. On the plus side, had a great meeting today trying to get some grant money from my college to bring street artists to campus and I took a nap on what might just be the world’s comfiest couch. So here’s what I haven’t had the chance to blog with all that school stuff going on:

• I’ll be running a modified version of my street art tours next Friday at the Moniker Art Fair. The tour will be free and we’ll being checking out the fair as well as some of the street art in Shoreditch nearby. That will be from 1-2:30 11:30-1pm and 1:30-3:00pm next Friday afternoon at Moniker.
• Unurth has photos of Escif’s latest murals.
• Kaws blogged some teaser shots of his upcoming book.
• Feral has been posting a lot of photos on his flickr over the past month of the interesting work he’s been making.
• Mike put together a nice overview of FAME Festival for Arrested Motion
• The latest in the line of shows Yosi Sergant (previously involved with Manifest Hope and Manifest Equality) has worked on, Re:Form School looks to be another massive group show advocating a good cause. It is open in New York this weekend only.
• Kofie has a solo show opening this weekend at White Walls in San Fransisco. The opening reception is on Saturday evening. Check out The Citrus Report for more info.
• LAB (Little Art Book) has a pop-up shop in London starting today through October 23rd. There will be prints for sale priced as low as £30. Their blog has more info.

Photo by unusualimage

While I don’t think there’s anything new here, Babelgum has just posted a video overview of this year at FAME Festival (and actually some pieces from last year too). Check it out:

A mobile projection by Armsrock

Here’s what I missed this week, or where people just wrote things that I couldn’t do or wrote them better than I could:

• It’s just a few weeks until Nick Walker’s solo show in London. In Gods We Trust opens on October 12th at Art Sensus, a new gallery. Hooked has details and an image. Very curious to see what Nick comes up with and how it is received not that he’s moved away from his vandal character. Presumably, most of the works will be the things he has been painting in recent months in Paris and New York. I won’t voice my expectations for the show, positive or negative. I wouldn’t want to upset anybody.
• The Hi-Fructose blog has an interview with Angelo, the founder of FAME Festival.
• This book of stickers looks pretty interesting.
• The launch party is over, but Vhils has a book out this week in the Netherlands.
• Speaking of Vhils, he has a new print out at Pictures on Walls, but I think he’s done much better with a similar concept before.
• I’m not always a fan of Zevs, but sometimes he gets it so right.
• Armsrock has made a mobile projection unit so that he can more easily do work like in the photo at the top of this post. More examples on his blog.

Photo by Armsrock

I really like Ericailcane’s new murals for Fame Fest. He always does some of the best work there, in my opinion. See his 2009 walls here (my favorite) and here.

If you want to see more, I’ve posted some more photos of these new walls, plus a video of him working in Studiocromie, on tasj.

- Elisa

Images via Fame Fest.