It’s had like a million views at this point (and I’m not exaggerating) so you’ve probably seen this video already, but it’s still fun to watch. If you’re a fan, you can support the Poster Boy movement, the new Poster Boy book, The War of Art and the new street art/graffiti legal defence fund K.A.R.A.T.E. (about time we had one of these) in four different cities on Saturday night:
I love this wall Dotmasters recently painted at Nuart. It’s not easy to be cute without getting lame and cutesy.
– Elisa
PS If you haven’t seen the tower Blu and Ericailcane painted for the festival, check out the photos on Unurth. Then keep an eye out for updates on the Nuart twitter and blog – there are a lot of great artists still to come. I also did an interview with Martyn (the festival’s curator) for the next issue of The Art Street Journal. It was great to listen to his thoughts on the festival and its swift growth. The media has a tendency to throw the spotlight on the artists, but I believe it’s also very important to recognize the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make things happen. Martyn is one of those people and if you’re a reader of the journal, I hope you find our conversation as interesting as I did.
Photo by Nolionsinengland (Specter did the paste-up of a piece of fabric)
With Specter‘s recent solo show at Pure Evil Gallery, I thought it would be the perfect time to ask Specter a few questions.
RJ: You were just in London (or are you still there) for your solo show at Pure Evil. What do you think of the city?
Specter: London has a vibrant energy to it. I only got to see a small chunk of the city but have nothing but good things to say about it and the people. Pure Evil was a great host.
Photo courtesy of Pure Evil Gallery
RJ: The work at your solo show is part of a new series. Can you explain the series and how it came about?
Specter: The series is based on people who personally influenced me artistically. Instead of painting the subject’s face I decided to paint a garment that tells a story about them.
RJ: On the whole, your street art is more conceptual than that of most street artists. Have you found it challenging to execute and be appreciated for conceptual street art when so much popular street art is, at one level, very graphic and literal? How have people reacted to pieces like your ready-mades?
Specter: I don’t think about it often, but whenever you work outside the framework people have trouble grasping it. I transition between painting and sculpture often and rarely sign my pieces, so it’s sometimes hard for enthusiasts to recognize my work. With hand drawing, painting and constructing everything I put out and commonly taking weeks to find the right spot I get less coverage than your average poster or stencil artist.
A ready-made. Photo by Specter
RJ: Why do you work outside, and how does your street art connect to your gallery art?
Specter: I work outside because it is all I know and love. I was introduced to art through graffiti and have been working on the streets for over fifteen years. It is my strongest passion and I take it very seriously. I try to be very honest with the street because the street knows when you’re faking. Showing in galleries requires a new approach to one’s work, and it’s a choice I’m happy I made. Adapting concepts to an indoor and controlled environment can be a challenge and you’re also starting from a blank canvass. The transition from the street to the gallery doesn’t work for a lot of artists but for me I feel it is just another venue to express concepts.
From the Manage Workflow series. Photo by Specter
RJ: Earlier this year, you took on the issue of gentrification in Brooklyn, and you have consistently depicted homeless people in your art. On the one hand, you’re raising awareness of these issues, but on the other hand, street art is bringing about gentrification. How do you deal with this apparent contradiction? Do you think that your art has had a positive impact in the communities you’re working in?
Specter: I don’t believe those contradictions apply. I put up work where I want to. The neighborhoods are chosen because they are beautiful and the people appreciate and empathize with the subject matter.
From the Gentrification Billboards series. Photo by Specter
RJ: What do you hope to accomplish through your art?
Specter: To get people talking.
The controversial wheatpaste from the If I Saw You In Heaven Series. Photo by Specter
RJ: One particular street piece that you did in London has turned out to be pretty controversial. At first, people generally seemed to love it, but then it was pointed out that you had partially covered an old hand-painted sign. I guess I’d like to hear your thoughts on why you put the piece there and give you a chance to respond to the negative things that people have been saying about it.
Specter: At its essence graffiti and street art is both the work by the artist and the public space in which it is put up. As an artist every wall in the public sphere is fair game. I go to great lengths scouting locations for my work and often look for hand-painted signs and walls to revive in the collective eye with my hand-painted installations. I have absolutely no remorse for any placement of my work.
I choose that spot for a reason. I like to involve my pieces in a dialogue with their surroundings. The art is not just my painting it is the entire environment, the interaction of all parts.
I identify very strongly with these old signs and feel that my additions are just part of the evolving cycle of their lives. My incorporations are changes to their ephemeral existence, often highlighting their under appreciated being.
Last month, I met up with TrustoCorp at their headquarters. While there, I got to see some of their customized Trusto products and of course some signs. The highlight of the visit was something unexpected though. Just as it started pouring rain, we went to the roof of TrustoCorp’s building and played a game of TrustoShootout. We didn’t have the fancy setup from their solo show, but we did have a pellet gun and some posters.
In the past, I’ve been critical of TrustoCorp working indoors. Their signs work so well because they show up unexpectedly and in the perfect environment and a show full of signs would be kind of boring, but I think this game might be exactly the sort of thing that TrustoCorp can do to liven up gallery shows and consequently make their signs more interesting indoors. Like their signs, it’s fun. Unlike the signs, they environment isn’t so essential. If anything, the perfect environment for shooting illustrations of “arrogant rappers” is at a gallery opening after a couple of beers!
Now if only they could design a “pretentious blogger” target…
Spanish writers Aryz, How and Nosm have been painting some impressive walls together in New York recently. Aryz is one of the most talented writers living in Spain today, so it’s great to see him so active in New York. While I haven’t seen much from How and Nosm before, they’re certainly of a caliber to be painting alongside Aryz. Click the images to see them larger.
Hargo sent me these great photos of Os Gêmeos at work. While they were in San Diego for Viva la Revolución, the twins painted more than just that huge “Don’t Believe The Hype” piece that everyone was talking about. Os Gêmeos also painted a classic “Gemeos” piece on a local truck. Anyone spotted this traveling around San Deigo yet?
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating just a little bit, but I’ve been following Moniker’s progress for a while now and it looks like they are going to put on quite a show.
The Moniker International Art Fair is, I suppose, the first UK art fair for street/low-brow/urban art (and probably the first major fair of its kind in the world, though that could be debated). The fair is going to take place in London during Frieze week this October, so it will be a competitor/satellite fair in the same vein as SCOPE or (in previous years) Zoo. In fact, Moniker will be taking place at Village Underground, just blocks from last year’s Zoo Fair and the location of the show I put together last November.
The galleries involved in Moniker are practically a best-of of international “urban art galleries:” Patricia Armocida (Ericailcane, Jim Houser, Os Gêmeos…), New Image Art (Date Farmers, Shepard Fairey, Judith Supine…), Circle Culture (Pho, Dtango, Stefan Strumbel…), Carmichael Gallery (Dan Witz, Aakash Nihalani, Mark Jenkins…), Campbarbossa (Herakut, Case, Faith47…) and Black Rat Projects (Swoon, Matt Small, D*Face…). In addition to gallery booths, Moniker will also feature artist project spaces from Herakut and Steve Powers aka ESPO. Another little side note, Babelgum will be hosting a pop-up cinema at the fair, so expect to see a few videos from RJ’s Street Art London.
I’m sure that I’ll be writing a lot more about Moniker in the coming months, but put it on your calendars now: Moniker runs October 14th-17th.
Once again, Swoon has been using her art to help those in need. Swoon and the rest of the team with The Konbit Shelter Project (including Ben Wolf and Tod Seelie) are busy working in Haiti right now. They are building super-adobe structures in the village of Barrier Jeudi in an effort to help rebuild after January’s devastating earthquake. These super-adobe buildings are extremely cost-effective, stronger than the standard homes in Haiti and are built with locally sourced materials. Their website will certainly explain the details better than my paraphrasing, so check that out.
Photographer Tod Seelie is there documenting the project and the crew’s time in Haiti. Here are some of his photos:
The best way to keep up to date with The Konbit Shelter Project is their blog, where Tod has been posting updates as the building process progresses.
The print is a 2-color screenprint on fabric measuring 19×26 inches. It’s an edition of 60 and is available for $350. What does PBS give you for a $350 donation? A tote bag and an umbrella? I’d take this print any day of the week.
Blu has been busy recently. Here are two huge walls he painted in Berlin. I’m not so sure what the meaning of this first one is though. Something about the Berlin Wall and the Euro. I am woefully unprepared to hazard any guesses about European politics.
On the other hand, this piece is a bit easier to understand:
And that global warming mural is painted right next to a classic Blu (and around the corner from an Os Gemeos):
And so long as we’re on the topic of Blu, it’s worth mentioning two more things: A. This wall in Warsaw and B. Blu will be at Nuart in Stavanger later this year along with Roa, M-City, Evol, Ericailcane and others.
