Author: Luke McManus

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Meggs: “Truth in Myth II” at Backwoods Gallery in Collingwood

Melbourne’s Meggs (Everfresh) is back home and has a solo show opening this Friday at Backwoods Gallery.

From the press release:

After a successful residency and solo exhibition with Whitewalls Gallery in San Francisco, Meggs returns to his hometown of Melbourne for ‘Truth in Myth II’ at Backwoods Gallery in Collingwood.

Fusing elements of contemporary superheroes to ancient mythological beings, ‘Truth in Myth II’ is a collection of new artworks that expressively reference classic renaissance composition and contemporary pop culture. A continuation of Meggs’ search for balance and the understanding of physical and ideological duality in self.

“We live in the stories we tell ourselves. In a secular, scientific rational culture lacking in any convincing spiritual leadership, superhero stories speak loudly and boldly to our greatest fears, deepest longings and highest aspirations… the best superhero stories deal directly with mythic elements of the human condition… they help us confront and resolve even the deepest existential crisis. We should listen to what they have to tell us.” – Grant Morrison, ‘Supergods’, Spiegal & Grau, New York USA, 2011.

Photos courtesy of Backwoods Gallery

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Makatron’s travels

Cape Town, South Africa
Makatron has recently returned to Melbourne after a bit of traveling and painting. Here are some of the highlights in Mike’s own words:
Brazil – Essencia Event – Over a week we painted murals in all 4 zones of Sao Paulo Favelas, (north, south, east and west and then an exhibition in the centre).

Brazil – Graffiti Vale -An event in a tiny village situated in a valley in Sao Paulo State. This village had no graffiti at all when we arrived. About 40 graffiti artists from all over South America took over for 4 days, the locals loved it, feeding us, finding more walls, beers, ladders etc.. Everyone was really talented at whatever they did, either writers doing pieces or weirdo artists like me.

Uruguay – I was there for a week and painted a few walls in Montevideo and up the coast with a litre of black and white.

South Africa – I was invited to do an art residency for about a month with a group in Cape Town called A Word of Art. This meant living in a shared house with other artists from Nigeria, France, and Canada. The residency helped out by finding walls and providing paint and also gave me an insight into the art and culture of South Africa.

Also keep an eye out for Mike’s upcoming solo show in late November at House of Bricks Gallery in Collingwood, Melbourne.

Cape Town, South Africa
Floripa, Brazil
Punto del Diablo, Uruguay
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Montevideo, Uruguay
Cape Town, South Africa

All photos courtesy of Mike Makatron

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Rone goes big in San Francisco 

Photo by Luke McManus

Rone is in San Francisco for his latest show at White Walls Gallery, Darkest Before the Dawn.

I was lucky enough to be in San Francisco while Rone is and I got to experience the epic piece he painted on a wall in the Tenderloin district. This is one of the biggest walls I’ve see him paint (with the exception of Pow Wow Hawaii) and while this piece was based on the one he painted in Hawaii it has evolved to reflect his new style.

Photo by Luke McManus
Photo by Luke McManus
Photo by Luke McManus
Photo by Luke McManus. Click to view large.

Also here are some preview shots of his work from his exhibition which opens tonight.

Photo courtesy of White Walls Gallery
Photo courtesy of White Walls Gallery

 

Photos by Luke McManus and courtesy of White Walls Gallery

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Rone’s “Darkest Before the Dawn” coming to White Walls Gallery

Rone (Everfresh) from Melbourne is having a show in September at White Walls Gallery in San Francisco.

His work just keeps getting better and better, I’m loving his new style.

From the press release:

White Walls is pleased to present “Darkest Before the Dawn,” the first SF solo show of Melbourne-based artist Rone to follow his successful San Francisco debut in the “Young and Free” showcase of Australian street artists at 941 Geary in 2011. “Darkest Before the Dawn,” will feature works on canvas, brick, and paper, varying in size from 3’x2’ to large-scale works measuring over 6’x6’. The opening reception will be Saturday, September 8th, from 7-11pm, and the exhibition is free and open to the public for viewing through September 29th, 2012.

With the face of the same wide-eyed and sharp-featured woman starring in each portrait, Rone creates a modern legend. Separately, each piece is an autonomous work, existing through its own beauty, but when viewed together a narrative is opened, leaving us to wonder what led to the birth of this icon. In “Darkest Before the Dawn,” Rone tells us that his feature character stands as a symbol for the possibility of assimilating our worst moments into a new strength.

By incorporating a variety of techniques, Rone deliberately infuses each piece with the textures he readily encounters when working out in the streets. The build-up and deconstruction of multiple layers is a fluid, free flowing way of revealing a composition by letting it come about itself. The medley of patterns and textures embody the continuity of time passing, while the woman in the midst of it all personifies grace overcoming deterioration.

From Rone:

We all have moments in our lives that make us who we are. These may be both tragedies and great moments that change the way we see the world. ‘Darkest Before the Dawn’ explores the concept of our darkest moments will eventually become our strengths, told through stylized portraits of a modern heroine.

I am trying to tell this story with the textures I see on the street, hand painted signage, torn bill posters and the deteriorating walls that look like they could tell their own stories. Using a palette of muted colours inspired by the fading colours I saw in Miami & Cuba, I am trying to create a sense of 80’s when style was all that mattered.

The show opens Thursday, September 8th, 7-11 pm and runs until September 29th, 2012

If you are anywhere neat San Francisco for this I highly recommend making the effort go and see this.

Photos courtesy of Rone

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LUSH Show at Klughaus Gallery NYC 

A note from RJ: Luke left the show before this stuff happened. If anyone knows more about what went on, let us know in the comments.

Lush a renowned “so called” graffiti artist from Melbourne, Australia, opened his show tonight at Klughaus Gallery in NYC.

As usual his work is controversial and rather obscene :)… Lush’s graffiti pieces combine his trademark lettering with often x-rated images of pornography and naked women posing alongside (and incorporated into) his pieces. I really like his work.

His illustrations (the feature of this show) provide a very apt commentary on the graffiti scene and all the associated traditions and beliefs.

Lush wasn’t at the show (maybe because he’s probably a wanted man haha), but, in what I thought was an innovative addition to the show, he appeared live on Skype from Melbourne (donning a bandana to cover his face) from his bathtub. This was an excellent addition to the exhibit as it allowed people at the show to interact with the artist. He was also live in twitter and @lushsux and the #lushsux hash tag were getting lots of attention. Both positive and negative.

The good thing about Lush is that he does not at all take himself seriously and his work completely “takes the piss” (an Australian saying meaning makes fun of) the whole graffiti and street art scene. A much needed viewpoint in my opinion.

The show opened tonight and runs until the 7th of September. Worth having a look at if you are in New York.

All photos by Lukey

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Twoone solo show at Backwoods Gallery

TwoOne, another of Melbourne’s legendary street artists, is having his 6th solo show in September (amongst countless group exhibitions) at Backwoods Gallery in Collingwood, Melbourne. Seven Samurai opens September 14th at 6pm and run through the 30th.

From the press release:

What’s right? What’s wrong? Is the sacrifice of an individual worthwhile if it benefits the many?

Using Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai as a common cultural reference point, Japan-born Melbourne street artist TwoOne explores these questions at the exhibition of the same name at Collingwood’s Backwoods Gallery from Friday 14 to Sunday 30 September.

Seven Samurai is one of the most influential films of all time, with a major impact on American films in particular – from obvious tributes like the 1960s western The Magnificent Seven, which was a remake in everything but name and setting, to George Lucas paying homage to its dialogue and shot composition across his Star Wars saga.

The film continues to inspire nearly 60 years after its release, with TwoOne again drawing on Kurosawa’s 1954 masterpiece for his first solo exhibition of 2012. Each of the seven large works in this new collection is an exploration of the psyche of the film’s seven protagonists, approaching the heroes not as warriors, but rather culturally-significant character archetypes. These archetypes represent enduring perceptions of authoritarian figures in traditional Japanese society, and TwoOne’s analysis looks at them with contemporary insight.

TwoOne aims to bring both western and eastern philosophy together in his character portrayals, which are based on his own psychoanalysis of each of the samurai while at the same time drawing visual reference from the physical energy of Bushido and judo. “Within us all there is a battle,” TwoOne says. “The form of fighting and the ferocity is what defines us.”

With Seven Samurai, he creates a visual representation of that duality; of the forces, whether perceived or real, that pull Kurosawa’s characters (and, indeed, all of humanity) in different directions psychologically and the difficult decisions that must be made.

All photos courtesy of Alex Mitchell at Backwoods Gallery

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Reka in the UK

It makes me proud to see Melbourne-based artists traveling the world showing off the awesomeness of Melbourne street art and graffiti. Reka is doing a bit of a world tour at the moment, he’s currently in London and he is KILLING it! Check out these fresh pieces:

“Game Set Match” by Reka in Dalson Junction, London

Continue reading “Reka in the UK”

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Hush – Sirens at Metro Gallery Armadale

I finally got down to see Hush‘s show Sirens at Metro Gallery in Armadale yesterday. I couldn’t make it to the opening, so I’m glad I didn’t miss this show.

I’ve been a fan of Hush for a while now and seeing his work up close makes me love it even more. His pieces combine Japanese Geisha and Russian Babushka dolls, tags and torn raw surfaces and dripping paint to create a mesmerising effect. I stood and looked at the main wall piece for ages admiring the detail. Clearly the Melbourne art community also love his work, the entire show sold out in days.

From the Metro Gallery website:

Metro Gallery is proud to present ‘Sirens’, the first solo exhibition in Australia by UK artist Hush. Described as a ‘sensory assault’, Hush’s work is a visual treat, a layering of colours and a fusion of anime, pop-infused imagery, graffiti and graphic design.

Fascinated by Asian graphic novels and inspired by the likes of Mimmo Rotella, Roy Lichtenstein and Sir Peter Blake, Hush has a unique style that has led to worldwide acclamation. He was recently recognised in London Independent’s list of ‘Top 20 Up and Coming Artists’.

‘Sirens’ continues the artist’s style, effortlessly fusing traditional Eastern art with Western traditions of action painting and graffiti. Inspired by the portrayal of the female form in art, the artist depicts Eastern-like women set within backgrounds filled with layers of rich colour. Patterns, ranging from geometric repetition to florals reminiscent of delicately decorated vases, are not solely confined to the background but often take on a new dimension, forming graceful kimonos, hairstyles or headpieces. Tagging and graffiti transition from street art to the studio, to form part of these patterns.

Hush has continued to evolve his style with this new offering, creating deeper, richer pieces than anything he has produced before. “I’m stripping pieces down, over complicating others to show a complex body of work to educate the viewer and bring them deeper into the process of making the work.”

Photos by Lukey