It’s always great to come upon anything by Gaia anywhere. I came upon this huge paste-up yesterday outside the Girard Avenue L in North Philly. As the neighborhood continues to change, street art is beginning to take up almost as much public space here as traditional graffiti does.
Photo by Lois Stavsky
This new mural by Gaia was painted last weekend at my school, Haverford College (a bit outside of Philadelphia). Just thought I’d share.
After a solid two weeks of getting up in Chicago, a slew of commissioned projects and a wonderful preview at Pawn Works gallery in Ukraine Village, Resplendent Semblance was finally concluded at Maxwell Colette to a tremendous turnout. Here are some pieces from the show and photos from opening night.
Continue reading “Resplendent Semblance Part 2: Maxwell Colette and Pawn Works Openings”
Next Saturday (April 9th), I’ll be hosting an event at my school, Haverford College, which I hope you will be able to attend. I’ll be moderating Street Discussions, a panel with Gaia, Jordan Seiler, Marc Schiller and Sara Schiller. We’ll be looking at what roles and responsibilities there are on the street for both artists and advertisers. Gaia is a street artist and blogger for Vandalog. Jordan is the artist/activist behind PublicAdCampaign. Marc and Sara started Wooster Collective and their book Trespass was published last year. The event is open to the public, and, contingent on me getting organized, there might be a video uploaded afterward for anyone who can’t make it.
For those in Philadelphia, Haverford College is really easy to get to via SEPTA.
Random side-note: This is one reason why I love Haverford College. Two groups on campus (The Collection Fund and the Humanities Center’s Student Arts Fund) have come together to sponsor this event. They are fantastic.
Maxwell Colette Gallery and Pawn Works Present
GAIA: Resplendent Semblance
March 25th – May 7, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday, March 25th 2011 / 6 – 9pmPawn Works and Maxwell Colette Gallery have joined forces to bring internationally lauded contemporary artists to Chicago, who are known for their involvement in the Street Art movement. The first of these joint ventures, GAIA: Resplendent Semblance, launches this month with a series of projects showcasing the artist Gaia. The events will include a show of new, large scale paintings and decollage on wood art works at Maxwell Colette Gallery, a site specific installation and show featuring additional pieces at the Pawn Works space and a massive window installation at State Street and Adams presented in conjunction with The Chicago Loop Alliance’s Pop Up Art Loop initiative.
Gaia’s art is best known for his large scale renderings of human and animal forms, often in states of hybridization. Animals fuse with humans or other animals, blending visual characteristics and layers of spiritual and mythological relevance. Reclaiming a long dormant visual iconography, Gaia’s images transcend cultural literacy, achieving significance on multiple levels. As contemporary urban culture deemphasizes nature, Gaia invades the city of glass, steel and concrete with a breathtaking reminder of earth and life. Functioning as a contemporary visual shaman, he facilitates uniquely urban interactions with postmodern spirit guides who in turn force us to acknowledge our lost connection with the natural and the mystical worlds.
Pawn Works and Maxwell Colette Gallery will co-host an opening reception for GAIA:Resplendent Semblance at Maxwell Colette Gallery on Friday, March 25th from 6 – 9 pm. The artist will be in attendance.
The Living Walls Conference took place last August in Atlanta and included some Vandalog favorites like Chris Stain, Gaia, Jordan Seiler and Swampy. In fact, Monica Campana, a recent addition to the Vandalog bloggers, organized Living Walls (and that plays into the series of coincidences of how we met, but that’s a story for another day). Christine Sylvain just posted this short video from the conference:
CONCRETE VOICES from Birds of Prey Productions on Vimeo.
I’m also pleased to say that Living Walls will be taking place again this summer, and in two locations. There will be a conference in Atalanta again in August, plus another one in Albany, NY from the 16th-18th of September. For more info or if you think you would like to help make this year’s Living Walls conferences a success, email livingwallsconference@gmail.com for Altanta or livingwallsalbany@gmail.com for Albany.
This piece on Howard St is the rooster messenger cradling the head of St John as depicted by Guido Reni. The photoseries was shot by local Baltimore Larry Cohen and the set can be seen in its entirety here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ishotbaltimore/sets/72157626026085788/ . Of course much props to Nanook for the help as well who can be seen scaling the back of the small billboard to tear off the excess pieces at the top for me.
Photos by I Shot Baltimore
Bomit is putting together a pop up shop in LA and it opens next week. The Street Art Pop Up Store sounds pretty cool. A lot of galleries like to say “Look. We’re not a ‘street art gallery.’ We just show lots of artists who happen to work outdoors. But really we show ‘contemporary art.'” Well this shop says “Screw that! We only show street artists.” Only artists who put hard work into getting up outdoors will be shown in the store. I think that’s fantastic.
Some of the artists in the shop will include Gaia, Dickchicken, Ludo, Love Me, Sweet Toof and Bigfoot.
The store organizers are looking for help putting the store together, so if you have any cool art trinkets that you’d like to donate to the store like stickers, shirts, toys or whatever else, they’ll take it.
The Street Art Pop Up Store will open on March 4th in LA. Keep an eye on their website for more info on the location.
After procrastinating and procrastinating about writing this post, I missed Hanukkah and Eid, so I guess this is a gift guide for Christmas. Sorry for the delay.
Here are a few street art related products that have come out in the last year or so that I think are pretty cool. If you’re looking for a last-minute holiday gift for the street art obsessive in your life, hopefully this will help…
is one of the best art books I have ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough if you have even a passing interest in stickers. If you buy one thing off this list, it should probably be this book. The photo at the top of this post is for the deluxe edition which comes with signed stickers, but that version doesn’t come cheap.
Or, if you’re a street artist, you could go out on Christmas, brave the cold, and do some art. Give a gift to the rest of us. Not enough street art happens in the winter months.
So now that everything has ended as quickly as it has begun, back in Baltimore after a crazy week in Miami. While we’re still going hard down in bmore, the sixth borough was debaucherous to say the least. In between constant libation, definitely crushed with old school writer Sae before Basel formerly jumped off to avoid the beast. Let’s say wasn’t one of those people standing idly while Miami police ran their records because they decided to bomb during the festivities. Props to Overtown, my boy muscles and everyone I saw down there. No love for the side busting that resulted in near immediate buff.
The Highlight was without a doubt being able to hit the abandoned projects with a Corbusier portrait that I knew would be pertinent placed somewhere. Serendipity is pretty wonderful. For more of course visit the flickr.
Continue reading “Gaia Street Work in Miami”
