The Magnet Wall. The Organic Wall. Street Art is drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Even if a city officially prohibits any form of uncommissioned Street Art, it probably has a few spots where artists can reliably put their wheat-pastes, stencils, stickers, even sculptures – a community nerve center that quickly gives an overview of the players in the local scene. Usually the art is covered instantly by more art and if it lasts a few days intact it has had a good run. Since Street Art is an ephemeral scene, the artists know this and they are not particularly bothered by the rapid turnover, knowing that their piece will be seen by their peers and the public at large.
We always think of the streets as an outdoor gallery, and recently in Los Angeles we checked out this magnet wall in the Arts District where it could not have been a more apt description. Hanging out for a little while on this block, we saw a group of four teens taking a casual walk on a sunny day pivoting to the wall to check out the new additions, to point, comment, joke, and pose with each other in front of their favorites – making faces and giving each other the rabbit ears in photos. Minutes later a European tourist family, urban hikers with cameras and fannypacks, carefully scanned the patterns, textures and layers, taking photos and discussing their discoveries. Even a bulky fella crossing the street to get into a van emblazoned with a plumbing company logo – paused for a second to snap a cellphone pic before rumbling down the street.
This LA wall is a bit of a community billboard; an outlet and a showcase, where Street Artists try out new stuff and sometimes express personal or political sentiments. It’s never the same, and usually interesting.
Our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Anthony Sneed, El Mac, Elle, Goata, Joshua John, JR, Katsu, Leba, Obey, R. Robots, Retna, REVS, Reskew ACC.
“The piece is called “Moon Mask” and it’s ink and acrylic on paper. The concept of the piece is based on the idea of revealing one’s true self and letting go of masks that blind us” Joshua John
“FRINGE” Street Art Show featuring SMEAR, LEBA and GREGORY SIFF opens June 9th
Los Angeles, California, 2 June 2011 – On June 9th,The Site Unscene in conjunction with The Loft Salon & Gallery brings you the first in a monthly series of art shows to open during the Downtown LA Artwalk. The series will kick-off with street art show FRINGE featuring the work of Smear, Leba and Gregory Siff.
Show opens June 9th, 2011, 6pm – 10pm at The Loft Salon, 560 S. Main Street #8W, LA 90013. The event is free all night, lots of drinks, great music and amazing art.
Smear, Leba and Gregory Siff are three of the most notable street artists in Los Angeles. Each will all be presenting street influenced artwork on June 9th at the opening of FRINGE. Not allowing themselves to be marginalized by accepted norms or considered secondary to any art movement, these three artists all bring a unique voice and style to the public eye. Never letting fear of adversity, or conformity, influence their artistic visions, these artists persist through their work for FRINGE, a curated collection playing on the concept of ‘marginalized’ society in it’s various forms.
Smear: Cristian Gheorghiu’s (aka SMEAR) visceral, highly personal style of painting emulates the messy workings of the total-information age, layering forms and images with powerful, slashing brush strokes of rhythmic, unifying mixtures and improvised, frenzied lines coupled with brilliant color to achieve a simplified language. Gheorghiu counters his free, muscular brushstrokes by loading his paintings with rags and tatters of cloth, reproductions, fragments of comic strips, and other collage elements of waste and discarded materials to convey maps of mental states. More info on Smear here.
Leba: The artist Leba has been active in the street art scene, from the West to East coast, since the beginning of last decade. He is recognized and admired for combining biting social commentary and fine art imagery into both his street art and fine art. HE is unafraid to speak his mind with a spray can as on his highly controversial, yet loved, Census billboards and much lauded American Apparel advert takeovers. His street art is always relevant, exploratory, skillfully crafted, and many times, politically charged. He is skilled in many mediums: sculpting, wheat pasting, stencil cutting, painting and he skillfully conforms each medium to the needs of each individual piece. It is this combination of intelligence and raw talent that has made him one of the most admired and intriguing LA artists around the globe. More info on Leba here.
Gregory Siff: is an American Pop, Street, Abstract-expressionist. He has exhibited un New York City, Los Angeles, London, Itialy, Dublin and Vancouver. His paintings have been featured in Deitch Projects Art Parades, The Standard Hotel, De La Barracuda Wall and Urban Outfitters. Gregory’s work has appeared in Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine, Paper Mag, L.A. Times, Marc Ecko’s Complex, Cool Hunting and Glamour. You can also find his art on the street and HERE.
FRINGE is presented by The Loft Hair Salon & Gallery located in the heart of downtown LA eight stories up. The 1500+ square foot space offers the perfect view of downtown life while showcasing the best of LA art life indoors. More info here.
If you decide to stay in the city this holiday weekend you can incite your imagination and feed your intellectual curiosity by walking the streets for the great out door gallery, or go inside to see great new stuff.
1. Happy 70th Birthday Bob Dylan (a couple of days ago)
2. “Paint It Now” Tonight in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
3. Miss Van and Gaia Double Bill at Jonathan Levine
4. Shai Dahan Solo Show in Gothenburg, Sweden
5. Melrose & Fairfax Saturday “What Graffiti is to New York, Street Art is to Los Angeles”
6. FAILE SAYZ: PLAY WITH YOUR ART! Release Puzzle Boxes
7. DJ Mayonaise Hands Insightful Review of ELIK at Brooklynite
8. Narcelio Grud
9. FEIK in Brazil by Sampa Graffiti
Happy 70th Birthday Bob Dylan (a couple of days ago)
“Paint It Now” Tonight in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Paint It Now makes its NYC debut in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood (just north of Williamsburg). The show’s curators, Thomas Buildmore and Scott Chasse partner with Fowler Arts Collective for this Brooklyn-centric show, although Philadelphia and Boston represent.
Miss Van “Bailarinas” and Gaia “Succession” opened last night at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in Chelsea in Manhattan. Miss Van has been painting since her teenage years in France and in Europe and Gaia is celebrating his recent graduation from MICA in Baltimore. Congratulations GAIA!
(images courtesy of the Gallery)
For more details on this show, times and address click on the link below”
Shai Dahan moved to Sweden last year and, wasting no time, he set up to work on his new art projects as soon as the plane touched ground. Today he invites all people that happen to be in Gothenburg , Sweden to come to the opening of his solo show “Things Come Undone” at the Artspace + Us Gallery.
Melrose & Fairfax Saturday “What Graffiti is to New York, Street Art is to Los Angeles”
On Saturday the West Coast Street Art site Melrose&Fairfax invites you to attend the opening reception of their curatorial debut “What Graffiti is to New York, Street Art is to Los Angeles” at the Maximillian Gallery in West Hollywood, CA.
Street Art Collective Faile have released a set of six different Puzzleboxes to the public. When we visited their studio last year they were in the process of creating these fun, interactive fine art pieces and now they are available, with an app on Itunes to boot.
For information about the Puzzleboxes and to purchase go to:
DJ Mayonaise Hands Insightful Review of ELIK at Brooklynite
Narcelio Grud
Brazilian artist Narcelio Grud was filmed getting up all day in Manhester, UK where the only thing that really got in his way was a flock of adorable baby geese crossing his path.