Welcome to January 2 and you may be feeling a little more lethargic as you go through your duties today, looking askance at the empty bottles, stray glitter, the new rip in the rug. Yes, there is some damage to the carpet from all that dancing you and your Aunt Francine and cousin Ozzie were doing as the clock struck twelve!
Guess that is why it is called “cutting the rug”.
Fintan Magee & Guido Van Helten. ‘The Carpet Repairmen”. Tehran, Iran. (photo courtesy of the artists)
No worries, we’re bringing in the ‘The Carpet Repairmen’, a new large scale mural collaboration between Australian Street Artists Guido Van Helten and Fintan Magee that they finished as a commission recently in Tehran, Iran. Meant to mark the 50th anniversary of the Australian Embassy in Iran, the current US president naturally ruined the timing of the celebration of peace and goodwill by putting more sanctions on the country and tension on the event, say the artists.
As one may expect, mural making in Middle Eastern countries has often been reserved for politics anyway; with propagandist messages, murals of martyrs, images recalling war, political leaders. Van Helten and Magee concentrate instead on the valued talents of the carpet makers – a history and work of pride that no one can argue with.
Fintan Magee & Guido Van Helten. ‘The Carpet Repairmen”. Tehran, Iran. (photo courtesy of the artists)
They tell us:
“This mural is based on images of two carpet repairmen working in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. Persian carpets are famous world wide for their quality and craftsmanship. Then men work 8-10 hours each day rethreading and stitching old and damaged carpets, the repetitive work requires incredible hand skills and speed. This painting pays homage to the dignity of hard work while putting a human face to an important aspect of craft and culture in Persia.
The painting ‘The Carpet Repairmen’ also act’s as a broader metaphor for working life in Iran. Decades of economic sanctions and blockades on imports and have meant that people have to be resourceful in the country. Reusing, repairing and recycling products has become a necessity. Showing the resilience of the Iranian people and how life goes on in this hospitable, welcoming and ancient culture.”
Fintan Magee & Guido Van Helten. ‘The Carpet Repairmen”. Tehran, Iran. (photo courtesy of the artists)
DUUUUUUUDE, it’s Fun Friday! We changed the sign today. Looks fresh right?
1. ICY & SOT “Made in Iran” (NYC)
2. Barry McGee at Berkeley (CA)
3. BORF Solo in Newcastle (UK)
4. “Klimpt Illustrated” at Lazarides (London)
5. Lush Does “Shitty Drawings in New York City”
6. Shepard Fairey Does “Americana” (LA)
7. Dabs & Myla: Artists Driven (VIDEO)
8. CYRCLE “Beautiful Disaster” (VIDEO)
9. ALL STYLES Dance Battle at Postmasters Gallery in NYC (VIDEO)
ICY & SOT “Made in Iran” (NYC)
Two Street Art brothers, Icy & Sot, born in Iran and encouraged by their parents to pursue their dreams and aspirations have ventured outside their country and landed in New York, their first foreign trip, their first international city, their first art show in which they were able to attend. “Made in Iran” is now open to the everybody at the Open House Gallery in Manhattan.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Barry McGee at Berkeley (CA)
The University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA) mid-career survey of San Francisco based artist Barry McGee. From the press release: “Using a visual vocabulary that borrows elements from comics, hobo art, sign painting, and other sources, McGee’s work addresses a range of issues, from individual survival and social malaise to alternative forms of community”. This exhibition is now open to the general public.
For further information regarding this exhibition click here.
BORF Solo in Newcastle (UK)
Detroit native BORF has traveled to England for his solo show “Walls Are Two-Sided” at The Outsiders Newcastle. With this new body of work, Borf illustrates the derelict aspect of Detroit and elevates the decay to art by zeroing in on a detail of the building’s peeling and corroding facade and transporting that vision on to the canvas. The result in the words of the press release is: “Rothko talked about wrestling with opposing and competing elements to eventually discover an equilibrium, what he called a pocket of silence” says BORF. “For this show I was fighting through layers of ambivalence and opposites: graffiti as youth expression and Rothko as adult expression; the art market and property rights; education and improvisation, youth and adulthood.” This show is now open.
For further information regarding this show click here.
“Klimpt Illustrated” at Lazarides (London)
Gustav Klimt the famous Austrian painter is turning 150 years old and The Vienna Tourist Board has teamed with The Lazarides Gallery in London to give Klimt street creed in the hopes that younger audiences will start following him on Twitter to gain knowledge on the secrets of his longevity and hopefully on his craft as well. To this effect curator Sydney Ogidan tapped nine international artists to take inspiration from some of the master’s most iconic masterpieces and create their own paintings. The opening reception for this show “Klimt Illustrated” is tonight at Lazarides Gallery in SOHO.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Lush Does “Shitty Drawings in New York City”
We thought we noticed a change in the air when the Australian storm called LUSH landed on these shores. Well here he is, likely to offend a few uptight prone-to-nose-bleeds stiffs and even more likely to amuse a lot more of us loose New Yorkers. LUSH has been madly working on a series of drawings/illustrations for his show “Shitty Drawings In New York City” opening Saturday night at the Klughaus Gallery in Manhattan. Half political cartoons/ half comic book with a blunt appreciation of the mechanics of the male and female reproductive organs, LUSH’s commentary on social, political and popular culture can be right on the spot. Dimwits need not apply.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Shepard Fairey Does “Americana” (LA)
Shepard Fairey needs no introductions at this point in his career or this point in our dang blog. One can always be certain to find him busy at work and getting involved in as many projects as he can humanly fit in his schedule. Mr. Fairey is constantly looking for inspiration and finding it often in popular culture that is around and accessible to all of us. For his new show “Americana” opening tomorrow at the Perry Rubestein Gallery in Los Angeles the artist has created a new body of work inspired by the songs of the great artist-musician Neil Young. Shepard has found material for his canvases in the songs of Mr. Young new album “Crazy Horse”.
“Dead Relatives” – Ernesto Yerena and Phil Lumbang at the Black Book Gallery (Denver)
Second Saturday at Black Book Gallery in July will entail a visit by two artists from Southern California, Phil Lumbang and Ernesto Yerena Montejano.Click on the link below for more information on this show:http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog/?p=22640Black Book Gallery
The always gracious and hot smart Meighan O’Toole founder of the popular site My Love for You is debuting her podcast series with none other than the “man of words”
“I’ve toyed with the idea over the past few years of doing a podcast series — but honestly never found the time to nail it down. But push came to shove a few weeks ago when I was given the opportunity to sit down with graffiti writer and artist Steve Powers. He had come into SF to set up for Sign Your Life Away at Guerrero Gallery and was only going to be in town for a little over two days. So I figured, no time like the present “. Hear the conversation >>>:http://myloveforyou.typepad.com/my_love_for_you/2011/07/new-podcast-series-steve-espo-powers.html
Call to Artists for Submissions – Tehran Kolah Studio
From Tehran Kolah Studio is issuing a call for artists to contribute submissions for their Call for Art # 12.
BrainStorm magazine has just shifted to issuu.com .and closed it’s individual domain… but it is still alive and continues to work as one of the very first cutting edge experimental emags shooting out some ideas from IRAN.
From their press release:
“KolahStudioTehran is Calling For Artists to make an issue describing street life and street art…. We are living in an urban enviroment so we creat an urban influenced art…. Let’s describe our culture.. Let’s build an album which defines some aspects of our generation…. paintings, drawings, graffiti, Street art, poetry and short stories…. every kind of art form which can be included in a PDF form as a magazine.”
To take part and for more info please click on the link below:
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
