Books / Magazines – Page 6 – Vandalog

April 15, 2012April 15, 2012

Weekend link-o-rama

522067_387563021274297_362160733814526_1280092_457363404_n — Specter for Open Walls Baltimore

This week’s link-o-rama is a few days delayed. Parents were in town earlier this week and even came to an event some friends of mine organized at Haverford College: A talk by Jayson Musson (the artist who created and plays the character Hennessy Youngman). I don’t think my mom was amused. Here’s what I’ve been reading this week:

Fault Magazine interviewed me about street art and The Underbelly Project.
Open Walls Baltimore is coming along nicely.
Shok-1 and Remi/Rough collaborated on a wall.
D*face has been busy in NYC.
Shepard Fairey is the latest artist to work with Montana on custom spray cans. Of course, they come in red, black and creme.
David Shrigley is the latest artist to have his work on a billboard near the Highline.
Seven Years with Banksy by Robert Clarke allegedly offers a behind-the-scenes look at Banksy. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s out in the UK here and USA here.
I’ve heard a lot of people talking about Crash lately. While I don’t buy the hype myself (but I’m willing to be convinced), it seems worth mentioning that he has a show of watercolors on now in Paris.
Veng is showing now at Mighty Tanaka in Brooklyn.

Photos by Martha Cooper

April 8, 2012April 8, 2012

Camden Noir readies for Volume 2 of LABEL 228

First volume of Label 228, published by Soft Skull Press, 2009

The priority mail label, Label 228, has become the canvas of choice for thousands of artists and sticker heads. When I was down in Washington DC last month, I met up with Camden Noir, an artist with a passion for postal sticker art. A few years back, Camden put out a call for artwork fashioned on priority mail labels. The result was the book LABEL 228: A Street Art Project, one of my all-time favorite collections of sticker art. Camden is at it, once again, seeking original artwork on priority mail labels for a second volume of his book. Submissions can be sent to: Label 228 Project, 56 Miller Street, Cortland, NY 13045.

Some of DC's finest street/sticker artists: Astrotwitch, IWN iwillnot, Aniekan Udofa and Camden Noir

Images courtesy of Camden Noir; photo by Lois Stavsky with IWN iwillnot

March 21, 2012March 21, 2012

New in The Vandalog Shop – Special edition Underbelly Project book

Rizzoli recently published the official book documenting The Underbelly Project, We Own the Night: The Art of The Underbelly Project. If you haven’t heard of The Underbelly Project, check out my firsthand account. Basically, over 100 artists were taken down to an abandoned subway station beneath New York City to put up artwork and explore hidden depths of the city. Artists involved in the project include Revok, Roa, Anthony Lister, Faile, Ron English, Dan Witz, Gaia, Know Hope, Haze and many others.

In December, a collector’s edition of the book was sold at The Underbelly Project’s show in Miami. Until now, that show was the only place to pick up a copy of this special edition of We Own the Night. The collector’s edition version includes a hardcover copy of the book, nine photographic prints from the project, and comes in a handcrafted and laser-engraved oak box. This package is an edition of 100, plus 10 APs, and a handful were held back in Miami to be sold later. Now, the remaining collector’s editions are available online for the first time exclusively at The Vandalog Shop.

The Underbelly Project is one of the most fascinating projects to ever happen in the street art or graffiti worlds. While there are photos all over the web showing what the project looked liked, reading We Own the Night is just about the only way to get a sense of what it was actually like to participate in The Underbelly Project. I saw The Underbelly Project in the flesh, but hearing other people’s stories shed new light on it even for me. I’m extremely pleased that The Vandalog Shop will be selling the collector’s edition of We Own the Night, giving people who couldn’t make it to Basel Miami a chance to pick up a copy. My copy of We Own the Night was the best thing I’ve received under a Christmas tree in years, and I hope other people will enjoy the book and the photographs as much as I do.

Here are a just a couple of the photographs included in the set:

Other images include work by Roa, Anthony Lister, Skullphone, Kid Zoom, Revok, Ceaze and Jeff Soto.

Only a few of these collector’s editions are remain, and The Vandalog Shop is the only place you’ll find them online. They are available for $250.

We Own the Night is also available in a regular paperback edition.

Photos by Ian Cox, Emile Souris and The Underbelly Project

March 11, 2012March 7, 2012

What not to do with Kid Acne’s coloring book

I can’t draw. When I was in 4th grade, my teacher told my parents that I was drawing naked people in class and that the behavior had to be corrected. What she meant was that I was drawing stick figures. They didn’t have clothing, but they didn’t have genitals either. For her, those stick figures were enough to say I was drawing naked people. For me, her worries were enough to bury any interest I had in drawing for nearly a decade.

That’s why, when Kid Acne offered to send me a copy of his recently reprinted coloring book Colour Me Bad Vol. 1, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. The book is 36 pages of classic Kid Acne drawings ready for customization. I didn’t want to say no, but I also did not want the book to end up with every page looking like this. So now, I’ve flipped through the book a few times and it’s going to sit on my shelf, indefinitely devoid of color. But there are still another 499 copies of Colour Me Bad Vol. 1 out there in the world. Don’t let them go to waste. Pick up a copy of Colour Me Bad Vol. 1 online now for £6 plus shipping, and make sure to draw a little something in it or at least color in a character or two. Trust my 3rd grade self: It’ll be fun.

Photo courtesy of Kid Acne

February 21, 2012February 22, 2012

Klone’s “Don’t Sleep!” — an intimate view of Klone’s surrealistic aesthetic

I’ve been a huge fan of Klone’s artwork since I came upon it on the walls of Tel Aviv over five years ago. Whether alone or in collaboration with the likes of Know Hope and Zero Cents, he has forged some of the city’s most arresting images. Although I was not able to make it to the release of Klone’s first artist book, “Don’t Sleep!,” I was able to review all 160 pages of it. With its many images of eerily surrealistic walls, drawings, sketches and more, it provides a fascinating glimpse into the artist’s distinct aesthetic and sensibility.

The book can be purchased online at: http://kloneyourself.bigcartel.com/

All images courtesy Klone

February 7, 2012February 7, 2012

El Mac, Pablo Delgado, Interesni Kazki and more in VNA 17

I was finally been able to set aside some time this past weekend to ready Very Nearly Almost‘s issue #17. As usual, VNA have confirmed why they are my favorite magazine covering street art. For their latest issue, which is admittedly not that new so sorry for the delay, VNA interview some of the most interesting figures in street art, including El Mac and Interesni Kazki. Juxtapoz also recently had an interview with IK, but I get bored with Juxtapoz’s interview and found VNA’s interview interesting, so that’s saying something. As long as you ignore the interview with Goldie, VNA has once again shown their commitment to producing a magazine which is equally timely and timeless. They speak with some of the best-known names in street art today, but the magazine will be almost just as readable in a year or more.

The interviews with El Mac and Pablo Delgado were particular highlights for me. El Mac is well-spoken and just seems like a smart guy, which is always nice to learn. And Delgado is a figure who seemed to pop up out of nowhere in London and get bloggers and photographers all wondering “Who the hell is this guy putting up awesome tiny pieces all over Shoreditch?” practically overnight.

There’s also an interview with Malarky which should act as good documentation of his work on Brick Lane given that a lot of it won’t be around for much longer.

For the most part, I read other art magazines because I have to if I want Vandalog to be any good, but I read Very Nearly Almost because I enjoy it.

You can pick up a copy of VNA #17 online.

Photos courtesy of Very Nearly Almost

January 20, 2012January 20, 2012

Weekend link-o-rama

Well, the internet went a bit crazy this week, but it looks like we’re winning. Thank you to anyone who noticed that Vandalog was offline on Wednesday in protest of SOPA and PIPA and took the time to contact their representatives to voice objections to the bills. But enough about politics. This is an art blog.

This Mark Jenkins exhibition in Berlin looks awesome. The show has new sculptures, but it is also the launch of his monograph with Gestalten.
In a subway station a bit like the site of The Underbelly Project, a number of Russian street artists painted this installation.
Here’s a beautiful new piece from Phlegm.
Above has a bunch of new photos on his website.
The Toasters’ film launches in London on Tuesday.
Barry McGee will have a show this year at UC Berkeley’s art museum. The show is made possible by a $100,000 grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Leon Reid IV‘s latest project is pretty different from what we’ve come to expect from Reid. It’s a series of posters depicting recent world events. Hrag Vartanian spoke with Reid about the series.
Looking for something great to do on Saturday night in LA? Try this – New Image Art and The Hole have teamed up for a party with some DJs and musicians plus installations by Retna, Anthony Lister and Drugs Crew.

Photo by Dal

January 8, 2012

Custom covers for Walls & Frames book

Anthony-Lister-1-Marker-and-pencil-on-paper-Australy — Dust jacket by Anthony Lister

To launch his new art book, Maximiliano Ruiz reached out to the artists he wrote about and asked them to customize dust jackets for the book. Over 100 custom dust jackets were made. Walls & Frames was launched last month at Pictures on Walls in London along with dozens of the dust jackets. Walls & Frames looks at 101 artists who have brought their street art indoors and now have a studio practice alongside their street work or whose studio work is closely connected to the street.

Here’s the full list of artists in the book:

Aaron Noble, AJ Fosik, Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Alexandros Vasmoulakis, Alëxone Dizac, Amose, Andrew McAttee, Anthony Lister, Antony Micallef, Axel Void, Basco-Vazko, Base 23, Ben Frost, Blek le Rat, Bom-K, Boris Hoppek, Boxi, C215, Cekis, Conor Harrington, D*Face, Dan Witz, Daniel Muñoz aka San, Dave Kinsey, Der, Dixon, Docteur Gecko, Doze Green, Dran, Duncan Jago aka Mr. Jago, Eine, Ekundayo, El Mac, Evan Roth, Evol, Faile, Faith 47, Fefe Talavera, Gaia, George Morton-Clark, Herakut, Herbert Baglione, Interesni Kazki, Jaybo, Jeff Soto, Jeremy Fish, Jesse Hazelip, Johnny “KMNDZ” Rodriguez, Joram Roukes, Jorge Rodriguez Gerada, Josh Keyes, JR, Judith Supine, Katrin Fridriks, Kevin Cyr, Kofie, L’Atlas, Lightgraff, Logan Hicks, Ludo, M-City, Mark Jenkins, Mark Whalen aka Kill Pixie, Maya Hayuk, Medo & Demência, Meggs, Miss Bugs, Miss Van, Morten Andersen aka M2theA, Mr. Kern, Mudwig, Nicholas Di Genova, Okuda, Patrick Evoke, Paul Insect, Pedro Matos, Peter Owen, Pose, Pure Evil, Remed, Remi/Roughe, René Almanza, Retna, Ripo, Ródez, Sam3, Sat One, Shepard Fairey, Sixe, Smash 137, Sowat, Sten & Lex, Stephan Doitschinoff, Tec, Tilt, Troy Lovegates aka Other, Turf One, Vitché;, Wendell McShine, Will Barras and Zosen.

The book is available online, as are some of the remaining dust jackets.