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Making history from coast to coast this week

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Curiot’s piece for La Familia at Thinkspace Gallery. Photo courtesy of Thinkspace Gallery.

This week folks in LA and NYC have reason to celebrate with two historic shows opening in those cities.

On the West Coast, Thinkspace Gallery has their La Familia 10th anniversary group show, which will be historic in the sense of looking back over the first decade of a great gallery. Thinkspace is one of my favorite West Coast galleries, so it’s exciting to see them celebrating 10 years. For La Familia, Thinkspace are reuniting with the myriad of artists they’ve shown and supported over the last decade for a group exhibition of over 120 small wood panels from as many artists (panels provided by Trekell). I’m not usually one for overloaded group shows, but this is one that I can get excited about. La Familia opens on Saturday, January 10th. Learn more here.

Painting from KATSU's Android Selfies series. Photo courtesy of The Hole.
Selfie: Feng-shui 1 by KATSU. Photo courtesy of The Hole.

And on the East Coast, NYC’s The Hole is holding Remember the Future, a KATSU solo show. Of course, this show has the potential to be historic for being KATSU’s first solo show. It’s no secret that I’m not usually fan of The Hole’s program, but this is an important exception. KATSU is one of the most mysterious, groundbreaking, and potentially influential graffiti writers to come to prominence in the 21st century. He’s a member of BTM and F.A.T. Lab, and he’s produced innovations in traditional graffiti as well as net art/digital pranksterism. The few pieces of KATSU’s gallery work that I’ve seen have ranged from absolutely awesome (see above) to hokey. Although the press release offers some ideas, I’m still not totally sure what to expect from KATSU’s first solo show, but I’m optimistic that it will be pretty damn impressive and I’m sure it will be something to remember. Remember the Future opens at The Hole on Thursday, January 8th.

Photos courtesy of Thinkspace Gallery and The Hole

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What and where are open walls?

Partial buffed Barry McGee mural at Bowery and Houston (the buff marks cover more red tags). Photo by Andrew Russeth.
Partially buffed Barry McGee mural at Bowery and Houston (the buff marks cover more red tags). Photo by Andrew Russeth.

UPDATE: Xavi Ballaz (known for Difusor and the Open Walls Conference in Barcelona) has responded to this post with some of the more positive advancements towards open walls, and suggests that the open walls movement does indeed need a manifesto.

A friend of mine recently used an interesting phrase: “the open walls movement.” I thought he was using the term as a synonym for “the street art festival circuit,” which upset me, because street art festivals do not have what I would call “open walls.” But really, my friend was commenting on a larger movement perceived to be spreading around the world to use public space differently (insomuch as walls on private property are public space). On the surface, he’s right. Street art festivals, grassroots muralism programs, free walls, curated alleyways and everything in between now exist in cities and small towns around the world.

Does that make a movement? I don’t know. Nobody is getting together to write a manifesto and participants’ aims and methods are diverse, but there is a disparate group of what I’ll call “open walls people” who share a new way of looking at walls and public space: Public walls are for the artists, murals enliven streets and communities, and there should be limited or no government regulation of murals, but advertising in public space should be heavily regulated or eliminated entirely. Simply put, “open walls people” believe in unrestricted art in (often odd) public spaces.

But how open are our walls today? Surfing the web, it sometimes feels like globe-trotting muralists can hop off a plane in any city, find a wall, and begin painting the next day, or that every small European city is covered in murals. That’s simply not true. Despite valiant and well-intentioned efforts, there’s a long way to go before we have anything approaching “open walls.”

Continue reading “What and where are open walls?”

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Camping in Crimea

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I’d just like to share a statement and a few images that I got from Brad Downey a few days ago:

This year, a speech delivered by Putin declared, with lips split by a smile, the purpose of Crimea’s annexation as, “protecting the interests of the Russian-speaking population in Crimea.” This absurd oversimplification undermines the reality of the actions that took place. The annexation resulted in disorder and chaos, and deep mistrust between countries. In yet one more simplification of this complex situation, governments in both the East and the West, have executed orders motivated by greed that resulted in tragic loss.

The artists, Brad Downey, an American, and Igor Ponosov, a Russian, developed an altruistic friendship, despite odds being against them. Physical distance and language barriers stood as challenges, but over the course of four years, the artists came to know one another as brothers. They realized projects together many times and travelled to meet each other in different countries. They hoped to do a project in Ukraine one day, since Igor had especially come to love spending time there. When they heard about the conflict in Ukraine, they decided that now would be the best time to finally realize the project they wanted to do there.

It would be a chance to symbolically subvert the greed displayed by government. They prepared for the trip to Ukraine by stealing advertisement banners, a representation of consumerism, hence purchases obtained by money and influenced by greed. Brad and Igor converted the appropriated advertisement banners into a mobile artist workspace. The tent could be deconstructed easily and stored in a small backpack.

By the time Brad and Igor were ready to go to Ukraine the peninsula had been annexed. Instead, they went to the Russian territory of Crimea. They asked no one to help fund this trip, for they wanted to accomplish it without external influences, during a time and in a location where outside influence ruled. For three days, they hiked to reach the Crimea’s highest plateau. Throughout this period of living inside the creation, they cherished the beautiful countryside and mourned the actions, or lack of action, from both the East and the West.

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Photos courtesy of Brad Downey

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Blu goes black, buffing his own work in Berlin

Photo by Dario-Jacopo Lagana.
Photo by Dario-Jacopo Lagana

Last week, Blu shocked Berlin by orchestrating the removal of two of his own iconic murals, including a mural that was at one point a collaboration with JR. The murals were located in the city’s famous Kreuzberg neighborhood, which was once home to squatters and artists, but is now undergoing significant and swift gentrification.

The squatters in the buildings Blu had painted were recently evicted, and a real estate developer is about to build on the empty lot in front of the murals. Apparently, the new condos would have had a great view of the murals. So, one night last week, a team with two lifts painted the walls black, and they did it with Blu’s support.

Blu commented, “After witnessing the changes happening in the surrounding area during the last years, we felt it was time to erase both walls.”

You can read more about the story here and read Blu’s full statement here.

Here’s a gif of the buff job from Blu:

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Courtesy of Blu

Even though I’m not sure I entirely agree with his actions, I definitely say bravo to Blu for sticking to his principles. I’m sad to see these murals go, but their removal is one of the greatest statements made about street art this year. Blu’s street art is highly political, as was this act. Blu decided what to do with his murals before that right could be taken away from him or the murals could be co-opted by a property developer. He took control of a space, just as he did when he first painted the murals in 2007 and 2008. These pieces were painted for old Kreuzberg, not yuppie Kreuzberg, and the yuppies can’t have them.

Finally, of course, here’s what the murals used to look like (after JR’s wheatpastes had decayed and Blu painted goggles in their place):

Photo by Frank M. Rafik
Photo by Frank M. Rafik

Photos by Dario-Jacopo Lagana and Frank M. Rafik and courtesy of Blu

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Community amongst excess in Wynwood

Inside of Wynwood Walls. Photo by Katie Wheeler.
Inside of Wynwood Walls. Photo by Katie Wheeler.

“Dude, those drips look so sick!”

That’s what I hear on my way to 2nd Ave in Wynwood. It is Saturday December 6th around 9pm, and this is the last big night during Art Basel. A group of guys are tagging this building and praising each other’s tags based on the quality of the drips. I am hungry, tired, and annoyed because it took an hour to get to Wynwood and another hour to park. Not to worry though, soon I’ll reach my destination: 2nd Ave with 23rd St, the heart of Wynwood. Soon at least one of my big problems, my hunger, would be taken care of by one of the 30+ food trucks parked nearby. I just had to navigate through a sea of people, cars, paint cans, beer cans, art tents, music speakers, police in horseback, and of course more people.

Oh dear Wynwood, you have once again left me feeling sad, hopeless, and discouraged. What is it that you’re doing? How did you let yourself get so bad?

Continue reading “Community amongst excess in Wynwood”

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In Shoreditch, Part II: Faith47, Satterugly, Rone, Hottea, Bicicleta, Jimmy C, Ben Slow, Roa, Martin Ron & Skeleton Cardboard

South African artist Faith47 and to the right Mexican artist Satterugly
South African artist Faith47 and to her right Mexican artist Satterugly

This is the second post featuring some of the walls that I recently saw in Shoreditch, the East London neighborhood that is increasingly attracting artists from throughout the globe.

Another view of Faith47 and Satterugly with Australian artist Rone to the left and Hottea's first-rate graffiti
Another view of Faith47 and Satterugly with Australian artist Rone to the left and Hottea’s first-rate graffiti
Brazilian artist collective, Bicicleta
Brazilian artist collective, Bicicleta
London-based Australian artist Jimmy C
London-based Australian artist Jimmy C
London-based Ben Slow
London-based Ben Slow
Belgian artist Roa with Argentine artist Martin Ron to his left
Belgian artist Roa with Argentine artist Martin Ron to his left
Irish artist Skeleton Cardboard with a message
Irish artist Skeleton Cardboard with a message

Photos 1-4 by Dani Reyes Mozeson; 5-7 by Lois Stavsky

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108 solo show in in Grottaglie

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Angelo Milano, founder of Studiocromie and FAME Festival, is one of the most brilliant crazy people I know. When it comes to art and culture and politics, we don’t always agree, but I have a deep respect for him. Angelo is one of a handful of people to whom I can confidently say, “Whether or not I see what you see in this artist or this artwork, if you say it’s special, it’s special.”

Today, Angelo emailed me about an artist whom he thinks is special: 108. Frankly, we haven’t really covered 108 at all on Vandalog (just one passing mention), but I’ve admired his murals for years. Later this month, Angelo will be holding a 108 solo show in Grottaglie, Italy.

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108 is an Italian street artist who, like Angelo, developed in a small Italian town, away from the hustle and bustle and hype. Arguably as a result of that, his work doesn’t cater to the whims of the street art bandwagon, nor even really the Graffuturism bandwagon, which is the closest comparison that could be made. Instead, according to Angelo, 108’s work was a precursor to the current wave of abstract muralism in Italy. 108’s murals are fantastic abstract combinations of boldness and subtlety. His canvases, which admittedly I’m not quite sold on, are reminiscent of Miró. How many artists in the street art or graffiti worlds can say that?

108’s show, Solstizio D’Inverno, opens next week at Studiocromie Grottaglie, Italy. To echo Angelo’s message, “to the interested ones, don’t miss it.”

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Photos courtesy of Studiocromie

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STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING: stikman is releasing his first book today!

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Just in time for the holidays, I am thrilled to announce the release of the first book from the elusive artist stikman, entitled SIGNS, published by my new art book project Dirt Worship Publishing. For over two decades, the anonymous artist stikman has plastered his character on the pavements and walls of major cities and small towns across the US. Finally, there’s a book celebrating a selection of this elective artist’s work.

SIGNS documents a collection of stikman’s art on street signs across the United States, highlighting the huge variety in stikman’s work like his innovative methods and materials, clever placement, and diverse references from folk art to fine art. “stikman has retained his freshness by constantly reinventing his iconic character, unafraid to experiment with new mediums and configurations,” says graffiti photographer and blogger Luna Park.

He has gained something of a cult following among street art enthusiasts and pedestrians alike. “When I stumble across a stikman, I feel as if I’ve found a treasure,” says legendary street art and graffiti photographer Martha Cooper.

Typically, finding a stikman in the wild is a feat of chance. A few eagle-eyed photographers have made his image accessible to the masses. And now, for the first time ever, stikman and Dirt Worship Publishing have compiled a selection of his work in an official book.

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You can get your copy of SIGNS in time for Christmas by placing your order through The Vandalog Shop anytime before December 18th (for domestic orders only). The standard edition is available for $30, plus shipping and handling. A limited edition deluxe version of SIGNS, limited to just 75 hand-embellished copies and featuring an exclusive inkjet print on archival paper (6.5” x 8”), is also available for $50 plus shipping and handling.

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