It’s time for some springtime colors.
Photos by Brighton Rocks, Gorillahs, and Voodoodi London
Wild Style Wednesday!
La Pandilla and Trek Matthews for Living Walls Concepts
Keeping with their tradition of bringing attention to under-appreciated artists, the latest edition of Living Walls Concepts (the mini festivals organized by the Living Walls organization) has just the duo La Pandilla to Atlanta where they were matched up with local artist Trek Matthews. Although I’d heard of Trek Matthews and La Pandilla, I definitely haven’t followed them closely. Now though, particularly with La Pandilla, I’m going to have to pay more attention. Here’s what Living Walls’ Joshua Rackliffe had to say about these artists:
La Pandilla (Puerto Rico) and Trek Matthews (Atlanta, GA) were the latest participants of Living Walls Concepts. Over the course of a week, the artists produced a mural in the historic Cabbagetown neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. The duo behind La Pandilla created a piece true to their signature imagery of contoured, meticulous animal hybrids; their mural was installed with only brushes and Chinese ink, leaving behind a large format piece of art that activated the neighborhood and instigated ideas of enhancing the public space adjacent to the work. Several hundred feet away, emerging artist Trek Matthews painted the wall at Wylie & Carroll Street in the heart of Cabbagetown. His work combines imagery of tribal, geometric, and sacred iconography. The end result: a well-decorated and thoughtful design that blends itself into the urban landscape.
Photos by Bonham Johnson
Pez – Smiling since 1999
Pez (the Spanish one) has his first UK solo show opening this week at Tony’s Gallery. Like most shows at Tony’s Gallery, Smiling since 1999 will be a mixture of installations and works on more traditional materials like canvas. Taking advantage of his time in London to hype the show a bit, Pez has been painting in Shoreditch.
Smiling since 1999 opens this Thursday evening from 6-9pm and runs through May 6th. Promises to be a fun show.
Image by Pez
Isaac Cordal at Belgium’s Beaufort04
Isaac Cordal is participating in Beaufort04, a triennial of contemporary art taking place now in Belgium. After the jump, check out a selection of Cordals’ work for the triennial… Continue reading “Isaac Cordal at Belgium’s Beaufort04”
Overunder’s touching tribute at Open Walls Baltimore
Overunder has finished his wall for Open Walls Baltimore, the mural festival that Gaia is organizing. Overunder’s mural is a tribute to Dennis Livingston, an activist who had been involved in politics since the 1960’s but died last September. Livingston worked on issues such as affordable housing, job training, environmental reform, and others.
Photos by Martha Cooper
“The New Blood” curated by Morgan Spurlock
I love the idea behind The New Blood, a show that Morgan Spurlock (of Supersize Me) has curated at Thinkspace Gallery: He asked established artists to each select one up-and-coming artist whose work they want highlight, with both artists having work in the show. Here’s what Spurlock has to say about the show:
I’m a massive art collector who, by way of my habit formed a relationship with Thinkspace’s Andrew Hosner, and when he offered me the opportunity to curate a show I jumped at the chance. The concept of the show is how the torch is passed from one artist to the next. One opens the door so another can follow. And this show is all about artists who I think have and are continuing to impact and change the art world, and each one of these artists is bringing along an ‘apprentice’ or ‘protege’ who they think we all need to know about, the artists they believe are the ‘New Blood’ of the art world.
The line-up looks really exciting…
Camille Rose Garcia / Travis Lampe
The Date Farmers / Albert Reyes
Dzine / Jesus Bubu Negron
Elizabeth McGrath / Morgan Slade
Gary Baseman / Jesse Dickenson
Gary Taxali / Adrian Forrow
Jonathan Yeo / Charlie Gouldsborough
Mark Jenkins / Sandra Fernandez
Nicola Verlato / Marco Mazzoni
Ron English / Kid Zoom
Saber / ZES
Shepard Fairey / Nicholas Bowers
Tim Biskup / Patrick Hruby
The New Blood opens at Thinkspace Gallery on April 28th and runs through May 19th.
Image courtesy of Thinkspace Gallery
Jump the shark
Fun poster and good advice from Instigator…
“Jump the Shark, everyone has to at some point.” – Instigator
Photo by Instigator
Defaced vandalism makes it into a gallery
Let’s be real: Subjectively, it is difficult to see these and not immediately think of Mr. Brainwash, Supreme, or any of the other thousands of examples of celebrity images used in wheatpasted vandalism.
If I walked by one of these I would probably deface it until I really felt it learned its lesson.
This was the response Burton Machen was hoping for he when went around New York City and Los Angeles putting these up. Machen periodically revisited his paste-ups to document their evolution with time, and the alterations or destructive contributions of passersby.
Next month, April 19th to May 19th, Hionas Gallery in New York will be exhibiting photographs of his defaced posters and others selected works, in Machen’s upcoming show Urban Evolution: PORTRAITS PROJECT.
Personally, I feel a lot less compelled to deface images of people I don’t know. Do you think Machen’s choice to use celebrities was a matter of taste or a strategic move to maximize their alterations?
Images courtesy of Hionas Gallery
HowNosm’s “Reflections” installation
HowNosm have just finished an installation, called “Reflections,” at the Andrew Freedman House. What is that building? Until the mid-1980’s, it was a poorhouse for the formally rich. Basically, the functioned as a place where those who used to be rich and had fallen on hard times could live with the comforts that they had grown accustomed to (like servants). Definitely strange, but that idea was put into practice for decades at this mansion in the Bronx. Now it is about to be used for a show of 20-some artists organized by No Longer Empty and curated by Keith Schweitzer. This Side of Paradise looks to be a fascinating show with a great space and great artists including Daze, Crash, Cheryl Pope and others. The show opens next week.
After the jump, check out more photos of HowNosm’s installation as well as a video of “Reflections” coming together. If anyone out there was worried that HowNosm might be one-trick ponies with their quite distinctive style, I think this should convince them otherwise… Continue reading “HowNosm’s “Reflections” installation”
Weekend link-o-rama
For me, this week was spent thinking way too much about the digital humanities at Re:Humanities. You may be asking what that is. I’m still not entirely sure, but I think it means using YouTube and Twitter to learn important stuff rather than to watch laughing-baby-related videos and talk about the last hamburger you ate. Still, interesting stuff. Kinda helps justify running a blog. Here’s what I was reading when I was trying not to waste my time on the web:
- The Spanish Pez has made a visit to London.
- No Longer Empty has put together a talk about Fashion Moda, one of the most consistently underrated spaces in the history of street art and graffiti.
- Paul Weston, DB Brukeman and Erik Foss are putting on a sticker show in a Brooklyn bathroom. The show is an open call, so sticker artists should go here if they want to be involved.
- I’m not a huge fan of KR anymore, but something about the similar work by Stephen Hiam completely grabs me.
- ARYZ has designed the latest album cover for Aesop Rock.
- Cheryl Dunn’s solo show in London is open.
- Roid’s new print is very different from what you’d expect, but not bad at all.
- The results are in from Bonhams’ latest urban art auction.
Photo by Overunder