Recently I’ve been seeing a lot of great work that loosely falls under a category of graffiti which is abstract but focused on geometry, and maybe a bit minimalist (Editor, Bino, Homer, ABCDEF). Well, it’s important to remember that of lot of these guys seem to be influenced by the great MOMO, who recently returned to Italy’s Fame Festival to paint there. Here are a few pieces from that visit.
Photos courtesy of MOMO
Well, the big story this week was of course Hyuro’s wall under threat in Atlanta, but a lot more has been happening elsewhere on the web, plus I missed a week of link-o-rama when I was in Atlanta myself, so here’s what I’ve got to share:
Photo by Sam3
This is a joint post by Luke McManus and Lois Stavsky
Icy and Sot have been doing lots of fresh pieces on NYC streets, so we were excited to check out Made in Iran, the first exhibit outside of their native country that they could attend. With influences ranging from Banksy to C215, they have created a distinct body of work including many pieces that reflect their unique political and social realities.
A particular favorite in the exhibit is an installation of old 12-inch vinyls that pay homage to deceased icons. We loved how the cuts in the vinyl mirror the hair of those portrayed.
Also impressive are a number of finely detailed stencils, including this one on an old Iranian packing box.
The exhibit continues through the 25th at 379 Broome Street in Manhattan’s Little Italy.
Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky
French artist eL Seed recently painted this beautiful mural on the tallest minaret in Tunisia, in the city of Gabès on the Jara Mosque. On the whole, I’m a bit tired of all the giant murals going up over the last year or two, but this one really works. The piece reads, “Oh humankind, we have created you from a male and a female and made people and tribes so you may know each other.” The mural was funded by the Barjeel Art Foundation.
Photos courtesy of eL Seed
One of the many aspects of street art that I love is its amazing power to engage and challenge the public. This is particularly evident in Jonathan LeVine’s current exhibit, Détournement: Signs of the Times. Curated by the noted critic Carlo McCormick, its works are provocative, often confrontational and visually appealing in their fusion of text and image. (And also impressive is how well they work together in this gallery setting). Here are a few more images:
The exhibit ends this Saturday, so if you are anywhere near NYC, this is a must!
Photos by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky
Update: It looks like the latest news, as of August 27th, is that this mural is going to be removed.
My personal favorite mural at this year’s Living Walls Conference (which took place in Atlanta last week and we’ll be covering more from there soon) has to by Hyuro‘s mural in the Lakewood Heights neighborhood. It’s also proved to be the most controversial mural of the conference to date, with some people worried that the mural is too lewd for having in a public space, particular a space nearby a church, a mosque, a lot of street prostitution and a federal prison. Personally, I think the mural brightens up an otherwise drab wall and parking area.
Hyuro painted a frame-by-frame animation (of 30-some frames) which can be seen by walking down the length of the mural. The animation is of a women growing fur and then shedding that fur, which turns into a wolf and walks away from her. It’s based on an animation she made last year using drawings:
The way I read the mural, it was empowering to women, urging them to be strong and go out into the world with the strength of a wolf. The way I’ve heard Hyuro explain it, the mural is about shedding one’s animal instincts for higher planes of thought. Either way, a great message.
But not every mural is for everyone, and any mural that everyone likes is almost sure to be a boring one. In a thread on the website i-Neighbors, some Lakewood Heights residents have complained that they find the mural offensive, with some even saying that they will now change their usual routes to work or school in order to avoid them or their children seeing it. I had a quick read through of the i-Neighbors posts, and while there are certainly some people who want the mural removed, most of the posts expressing in opinion one way or the other are from people who are okay with the mural or who love it. According to Alex Parrish, Living Walls’ Director of Communications, the response to the mural over social media has been overwhelmingly positive.
Unfortunately, the local news seems to be over-hyping a friendly discussion amongst neighbors into a full-blown controversy and now Hyuro’s mural truly is at risk of being removed. Eeven though Hyuro had the permission from the owner of the wall to paint there, the city of Atlanta does still have some control over what goes there. The initial plans that were submitted to the city included a sketch by Hyuro, but upon showing up at the wall, the artist changed her mind about sample work by Hyuro, and upon showing up at the wall, she decided what to paint given the shape of the wall and how her animation could fit there perfectly, as well as provide an uplifting message for the neighborhood. As a result, the mural was not really approved by the city. On Wednesday, Living Walls resubmitted plans to the city based on the finished mural. The final decision is still pending.
If you want to voice your opinion on the mural, you can email Camille Russell Love, director of Atlanta’s Director Office Of Cultural Affairs. Her email is CRLove -at- atlantaga.gov. Living Walls (and I) would really appreciate your support of this beautiful artwork. As I understand it, many of the people upset with the mural have contacted Love and other city officials, and so it’s extremely important that those who are in favor of keeping the mural make their voices heard as well.
Photos by Dustin Chambers and RJ Rushmore
There are a lot of shows coming up soon worth checking out. Here are some of I wish I could check out in person…
Photo courtesy of Joshua Liner Gallery
Sonni’s distinct aesthetic, marked by bold colors and geometric shapes, has found a second home in the East Village. With his Music Machine on view at Artist Alley @ Extra Place, a huge boom box can now be seen a few blocks north at the Bowery and East 4th Street. Curated once again by Keith Schweitzer, the director of FABnyc‘s public art program, Sonni’s recent work celebrates the 16th anniversary of New York City’s International Fringe Festival. Here are a few more images of the completed piece:
Photos by Tara Murray
Drips for days.
Photos by FuckSabcat – HongKong, Graffiti Junkie, Graphis1, Heavy Artillery, Richt, Saner KGB and Startape Photographe
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:
Continue reading “Reka in the UK”
