Year: 2012

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Weekend link-o-rama

Hyuro

Happy reminder that we’re less than a month from Christmas…

Photo by Hyuro

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New in The Vandalog Shop: Lush goes postal

I know it’s not Cyber Monday yet, but today we’ve got a special Black Friday announcement: Vandalog has teamed up with Lush on The Vandalog Shop‘s first poster release.

Lush’s poster was inspired by the United States Postal Services’ Label 228 Priority Mail postal label that so many sticker artists swipe from post offices around the USA by the hundreds, and Lush has blown up that label nearly to nearly 30x its standard size. In addition to the posters, each buyer will receive a special bonus item of original work by Lush, from an actual tagged postal label 228 to a tagged poster. The posters are available now for $15 plus shipping and handling through The Vandalog Shop. Pick one up by clicking here.

Even toys like me can enjoy Lush’s poster

When I first saw Lush’s work, I wasn’t sure what to think of it. In fact, I’m still not sure. Lush is either the great jester of graffiti or the absurd conclusion of graffiti culture. He is either the most important or least important graffiti artist working today. Is he offensive for the sake of being offensive, or for the sake of art? It’s impossible to say. All that I’m sure of is that he won’t appreciate me calling what he does “art.” I approached Lush about working with us because The Vandalog Shop is a serious project, but it’s never safe to take yourself too seriously. I just want something on my wall to make me smile, and Lush has delivered on that front with this poster.

We have a handful of these to pop into the tubes as a special bonus when you order a poster. Every purchase will include a bonus item of either a tagged poster or a handmade sticker by Lush.
Some of the handmade stickers set to go out with posters

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Stik curates Jordan’s first large street art festival

Abu Sami’s Family in Jabal Al Qala’a overlooking downtown Amman

The Jordanian Jabal Al Qala’a community, situated on Amman’s highest hill, had a rare treat earlier this month. Through the efforts and support of the British Council, noted London-based street artist Stik brought his talent and passion to this historic district, where – Stik notes — “stray cats rummage through rubbish tips and children play in the streets.” In partnership with An Urban Reflection Residency Project and Creative Jordan: Platform for Visionary Ideas Festival, Stik, along with 10 local Jordanian artists, worked with local children to transform the visual landscape of this special space. Here are a few more images:

I love the way Stik and a growing number of street artists facilitate community art projects, using street art as a social tool. Since the festival was launched, the area has seen crowds of tourists, a fashion shoot and a hip-hop music video crew. For more images from this project, known as Outer Space in Al Qala’a, check here.

Photos courtesy of Stik and Alaa Qattam of the British Council

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Reka in Europe

Bovisa, Milan

Just got an email from Reka with some photos of the end of his European tour. Lots of painting. My favourite pieces are the ones in Bovisa Milan and Urban Spree Berlin.

Bovisa, Milan
Abandoned factory. Bovisa, Milan
Amsterdam
Wedding, Berlin
Abandoned factory. Friedrichshain, Berlin
Urban Spree, Berlin
Urban Spree, Berlin

All photos courtesy of Reka

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Dr. Lakra in Copenhagen

To be honest, I’d never really taken much interest in or a good look at Dr. Lakra’s work, but when Henrik Haven sent me photos of Dr. Lakra’s recent show at Nils Stærk in Copenhagen, I’ve finally taken the chance to look at the work and I’m blown away. It’s no wonder he is in MoMA’s collection. The show runs through December 15th, but for those of us who cannot make it to Copenhagen, here are photos of a portion of the show:

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2501 and Pixelpancho in the desert

Pixelpancho and 2501. Photo by Elisabetta Riccio. Click to view large.

Pixelpancho and 2501 were recently in the Navajo Nation region of Arizona for the latest round of The Painted Desert Project, which has previously brought Gaia, Overunder, and others to the region. Here’s what Pixelpancho and 2501 managed to paint:

Pixelpancho. Photo by Elisabetta Riccio. Click to view large.
2501. Photo by Elisabetta Riccio. Click to view large.

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Happy T.hanksgiving

Being the lighthearted soul that they are, Hanksy went out earlier this week to spread a little Thanksgiving cheer, but not without a signature pun in hand. With a holiday that begs for a Tom Hanks pun, the artist brought his work to the streets of Bushwick.

Photo courtesy of Hanksy

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Stikman in his splendor at Philly’s Stupid Easy Gallery

Partial view of Stikman installation at Stupid Easy, photo by Dan King

I discovered Stikman one fall afternoon back in 2007 while walking down Rivington Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. It was love at first sight. And from that day on, I began to notice him – sometimes alone and other times in the company of his fellow stikmen — in just about every neighborhood I frequented in NYC.  He also surfaced – to my surprise and delight – on my visits to Washington DC, Boston and Philly. In fact, he seemed to be just about everywhere in Philly. Sometimes he appeared on a sticker pasted onto a newspaper box or traffic sign; other times he was stenciled onto the pavement or simply hanging in one of his many fabrications, and often he was just lurking around a doorway or alley. But he always charmed me. This past week, I went down to Philly to check out Stikman 20.1 Celebrating 20 Years Hanging Around Philly at the Stupid Easy Gallery.

A Mondrian-inspired Stikman on a painted stenciled background at Stupid Easy, photo by Lois Stavsky

The show, a treasure for any Stikman fan – as well as for anyone who appreciates urban interventions — attests to the extraordinary skills and passion of Stikman’s creator.  From paper collages with 20 stenciled overlapping stickmen to ingenious installations in a range of media, the elusive artist has fashioned an extraordinary tribute to his and our beloved Stikman.  Here are a few more images:

Stikman framed at Stupid Easy, photo by Lois Stavsky
Stikman on record album cover, photo by Lois Stavsy
Another view of installation, photo by Dan King

The exhibit will continue for at least another few weeks — according to the folks at Stupid Easy. If you are anywhere in the vicinity, enjoy!

Photos by Dan King and Lois Stavsky

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Ron English at Opera Gallery, show of the year?

So, I know that I haven’t seen too many shows in person this year, but of the ones I have, Ron English‘s Crucial Fiction show at Opera Gallery‘s New York location has to take the top slot. For most of the work in the show, Ron really does pop surrealism at it’s absolute best by creating pop-infuriated surreal scenes that draw you in and creep you out at the same time. The story behind Crucial Fiction is that the work is meant to be the result of a sort of dialog between Ron and his 8-year-old-self, the master now painting with impeccable technique what his childhood-self envisions. The paintings where this is most evident are some of the strongest pieces I’ve ever seen from Ron or any pop surrealist. Of the one piece in the show that was undoubtedly weak and out of place, all I’ll do is repeat what Caroline Caldwell once told me, “Glitter is the herpes of the art world.”

I’ve included a few photos here of some of my favorite pieces in Crucial Fiction, but Arrested Motion has a full set of photos from the show. Crucial Fiction is open now through November 29th, and it really is best experienced in person. And besides, I may not be the most trustworthy evaluator of the show since I went to the opening looking like this.

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