A collaboration between two Gen Y Mexican muralists went up this month for college age festival goers at an electronic dance event in Mexico City that features multiple DJs, carnival rides, laser light shows, and neon accessories. Here are some shots of the massive wall by Spaik and Libre and you can see the video at the end for more information.
Click on this full length image above to see larger.
“It’s not illegal graffiti, it’s a contemporary mural,” says a passerby who is watching the new collaboration by Tiburon 7ö4, Navajas, and Shente in Mexico City. The Antique Toy Museum Mexico (MUJAM) and its director Roberto Shimizu decided it was time to refresh this wall after another collaboration by ROA and SEGO was finally tagged after running for two years.
“I respect the streets language and the cycle of the ephemeral artworks,” says Shimizu as he traces the relatively long life of the Dutch/Mexican mural that began the Mural Mujam project and in his estimation was “one of the most emblematic walls in Mexico City. That’s why I wanted to make something special to cover this historic tagged mural.”
The new collaboration is all Mexican, drawn from three far spread cities in the country (Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, and Tijuana) and stylistically it is equally diverse. In these images and the video below you see the Tiburon using a more traditional mural technique using brushes, vinyl and spray cans, Navajas skewing toward a monochrome realism, and Shente bringing some old school influences from Tijuana´s graffitti scene.
The gathering of different kinds of people in public space may be one of the overlooked qualities invariably arises with the appearance of cans, ladders and artists on your block on a Saturday morning. Here you get to meet people, trade opinions, learn new techniques of painting, see the original sketches, and hear how the artist is thinking about their progress. “What we enjoyed the most with this mural was we really had a great time as a group of friends, painting over a normal weekend and having a good time just hanging out with our people,” says Shimizu.
Special thanks to Omar Villa and Nasser Malek for sharing photos and timelapses of the new mural with BSA readers, and thank you to Daniel Sroor for making the video capturing the sense of community that surrounded the process.
Street Artist Overunder has discovered the warmth of Mexican people and the character of the painting, sculpture and everyday architecture of Mexico City and he shares with us his first impressions on the street making art with his friend Joins. One of the new magicians in the current Street Art movement, it is no surprise that Overunder easily assimilates and reinterprets this culture characterized by its respect for tradition, for folk art, and for a love of magic realism.
“Mexico city is still amazing with each new day,” he enthuses while recounting his study of the cultural touchstones and icons when making selections of subject matter. “So far my trip has consisted of embedded anthropology that comes with some of the most unique and beautiful experiences had from painting here.”
He says he had the goal of exploring institutions, parks and galleries but usually found that meeting people was a great way to learn and to get walls. “The mentality is beautiful here,” he says of the new friends with whom he’s had dinners and caguama (slang for 40 oz. sized beer) and the families with whom he has gotten to hang out with. “I’ve had house after house offered up as an experimental canvas – which seems unheard of back in the states,” he says in a sort of befuddled amusement. “Mi casa es su casa y mi pintura es su pintura.”
As you look at the images of new pieces Overunder has been creating, fans of his work will notice some are distinctly in the style and family of references that he typically works in. Others, like the swinging strands of the local bougainvillas and prickly pear fully mimic his flying bird/plane line tag that hit many a city wall over the last few years; instead of being accompanied by text or passages, the poetry is in the motion of the line as blossoms and leaves wend their way along the wall. “And with the amazing backdrop of these houses it’s unnecessary to paint my usual architectural features because they already have remarkable features,” he explains, “They are Duchampian readymades.”
It’s sort of unusual to see Overunder delving into work that may be considered more decorative, but as usual with this thinking artist, the intellectual machinations are many. “The paintings of flora and fauna are a departure but the work fell into place naturally,” he says as he recounts his process for selection. “I started using the imagery as a way to connect and speak the native tongue visually. I already feel like a foreigner when I attempt to speak Spanish and the idea of painting foreign imagery feels wrong. So reintroducing a familiar and indigenous sight in an unorthodox way felt natural.”
His wall work on this trip also includes more localized influences, as the Street Artist was inspired by the Mexican mural tradition as well 20th century sculptors like Mexican Luis Ortiz Monasterio and currently active Columbian Fernando Botero, all with the considered weight of the Mayans and Aztecs forming the figures. Naturally Overunder takes his own approach to these more formal masters, remixing and matching symbols and meanings with the ease of any modern digital denizen, weaving his own biography to provide structure.
Speaking about the largest piece featuring the cowboy flanked by two figures, Overunder tells us that it is a reinterpretation of the figures flanking the center figure in ‘Monumento a la Madre’ by Monasterio. “I came across the statues while exploring the San Rafael neighborhood and I was enamored by their bulky Botero-like look.”
Of the 1949 figures that separates San Rafael from Colonia Cuauhtémoc, he says, “Secondly and even more so, I’ve never seen a statue that was performing an action while seeming to be completely distracted by something else going on in their periphery. So when my friend Joins started painting the faceless vaquero in the center I thought it was a perfect opportunity to remix these images with their focus on his cowboy.”
But why not leave the central figure as a tribute to motherhood, as the original? The answer lies in the biographies of the two Street Artists. “The gender shift lends itself to more of a monument to Father, which seems very suiting since I lost my father several years ago and Joins has just met his father after 33 years.
In a way typical for the experimenting and adventuring Street Artist traveling abroad, much of the work is made of spur of the moment inspiration, and functions as much as sketch as finished piece; part public, part diary entry. Finally, the “Cauce Ciudano” mural is another collaboration between Overunder and Joins that expresses more of their personal styles. Joins has the feather page of the book while Overunder produces one of his portraits that features patterning across the countenance. Like the lines that trace the our faces as time progresses, these include impressions of his time visiting what he regards a country at once proud in tradition and somewhat magical in imagination.
A shout out to Gonzalo of Mamutt Creatividad, who helped line up the large wall and the Cauce Ciudadano wall. Check him out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MamuttCreatividad
Street Art as an Educational Instrument for Community
This spring a handful of some of Mexico’s top Street Art talent gave local youth a chance to envision themselves as artists. SEGO, SIAMÉS, 704, MINOS and NEWS gave their time and talent to conduct workshops and show how to create paintings and wall murals for roughly 300 kids who took part in the project headed by Roberto Shimizu K of the Antique Toy Museum Mexico (MUJAM).
“The main purpose of this community work is to encourage young talent and to give them tools for success,” says Shimizu of the joint program with Oroboro and Fundación Isitia, a foundation that works with families in need and youth at risk. “Hopefully we can nurture and inspire them to see different possibilities to being successful in their lives,” he says, “When they get to work with other talented Mexican artists they can envision their own path to the future as something positive.”
The Mitikah project included five big walls and a lot of paint and preparation. By working alongside the artists the kids began to understand some of the challenges and difficulties that an artist faces, as well as what it takes to have commitment to a project. In the daily exchanges and sharing of responsibilities and learning the craft, Shimizu says they hope to engender a proactive and positive mentality for participants to take to their families and the greater community.
BSA is very happy to be able to share these images of the project with our readers.
Brooklyn’s own FUTURA just visited Mexico City and here we have a few pics of him working on a new wall there. The graff master and abstract fine artist has reached such celebrity status that just showing up and being his humble charming self makes a lot of people in the graffiti and Street Art scene really happy. When he collaborates on a project with cans, as he did here with Mexican artist XGutetto 666 (from Da Flow Team) it’s even better.
As organizers of the collaboration, the peeps at All City Canvas asked FUTURA to create a piece for their new project called Global Series. They tell BSA, “We were stoked to have landed such a legend for this project.” We are most appreciative for these exclusive few pics for BSA readers.
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening: The Yok & Sheryo in Australia, Sixe and Okuda in Peru, and Mammutt in Mexico City
BSA Special Feature:
The Yok and Sheryo in “Fish & Chips”
The Yok and Sheryo have been working as a collaborative aerosol duo for a handful of years and in this new sunny video their creative and working dynamic is on full display. Set in Fremantal, a small town at the port of Perth, Australia, the mural puts marine life at center stage, with facing creatures depicted in a possibly autobiographical way that addresses their differing heritages (Singaporean and Australian) and their individual personalities. As the prep and painting process builds upon itself through the video, there is a genuine sense of the artists industry, creativity and their joint sense of adventure.
Another from The Yok and Sheryo in Australia
A Brief Montage from Spanish Artists Sixe and Okuda in Peru
MAMUTT at 2
And you thought it was just about painting. Entrepreneur Gonzalo Alvarez and the whole crew of MAMUTT in Mexico City are celebrating two years of building an organization that is combining Street Art, commerce, entertainment, branding, and media marketing. It has been interesting to see how their multiple efforts have unfolded and here is their promotional reel that gives an overview of their work in the last two years, with an idea of their plans for the future.
In the Mexico City neighborhood of Condesa a new mural from Lesuperdemon appears on a long wall of a historic house. The act of adding a mural to a wall is part of tradition in Mexican culture, so any new developments like this, even as they intersect with the relatively new graffiti or Street Art scenes, always have to be seen at least partially through that objetivo, or lense.
Partnering with ARTO, Lesuperdemon created “The Infinite Knowledge Machine”, the latest collaboration produced in his series of Street Art works around the city, which he calls #ARTOseries. Adding a hashtag to your efforts makes them much more sharable socially, no?
Here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Amanda Marie, Blaqk, Brian Scott, Cash For Your Warhol, Elbowtoe, Elmer, Ismael, Joe Iurato, Lamarid, Rae, Specter, Veng RWK, and Willow.
BSA is not just Brooklyn, you know. Last year we brought you new Street Art from Atlanta, Arizona, Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Bronx, Brooklyn, Brisbane, Bristol, Costa Rica, Chicago, China, Dominican Republic, The Gambia, Guatemala, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Istanbul, Italy, Jamaica, Johannesburg, Kenya, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Miami, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Norway, NYC, Palestine, Panama, Paris, Perth, Queens, Reno, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, and Trinidad. And that is a partial, incomplete list. Remember that the next time someone says we cover just Brooklyn and New York. Not quite.
Also while we were surveying what we did in 2012, we were curious to see which were the top stories we covered for the Huffington Post, measured by hits, social sharing, and emails sent to us. Here are the top stories you liked the most of the 44 we cross-published with Huffington Post Arts & Culture in 2012. (A complete list at the end of the posting)
VOLUNTEER TODAY AND THIS WEEKEND – RESOURCES AVAILABLE
Happy Friday Everyone!
This is not a typical Friday and not very fun in New York and for much of the east coast as we continue to grapple with the results of the storm called Sandy. New Yorkers always help each other get back on our feet and this time it is again heartening to see so many people volunteering and doing what they can to bring this city back. Our art listings this week take a 2nd place to our listings for places you can go to get help, and things you can do to volunteer.
LOOK FOR THE FULL LIST OF ART EVENTS AFTER THESE VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES.
Donate Storm Supplies: Donate extra food, water, and batteries to local shelters and food banks. Search here to find a food bank near you.
Volunteer in Local Shelters: Contact shelters directly for volunteer needs. Find your local emergency shelter location here: http://gis.nyc.gov/oem/he/index.html.
Volunteering The Mayor’s Office has stated that the best way to find out how to volunteer is to register with NYCService.org and you will get notified of opportunities. You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook
Red Hook Initiative is seeking donations at 767 Hicks Street (at West 9th) “Please bring donations of food, flashlights, candles, water pumps, generators. Many buildings in the neighborhood will likely not have power for the next 4-5 days.” For more information call, (347) 770-1528 or email redhookrecovers@gmail.com
Clean up at BWAC / Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition in Red Hook on November 3rd & 4th: “This Saturday and Sunday we hope to clean out all the trash and debris. This includes much of the sheet rock as well as anything destroyed. If anyone has a portable generator, long extension cords, or work lights, we would like to borrow them. Anyone and everyone is needed for this effort. We will be starting at 10AM on Saturday. RSVP/questions: bwacinfo@aol.com”
The MoMA and PS1 curator Klaus Biesenbach is helping to organize relief efforts in the Rockaways Saturday: http://bit.ly/WcFgWD Biesenbach plans to meet volunteers outside the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research building at 4 West 54th Street at 10am on Saturday, and then will drive people and supplies out to the Rockaways.
Donate to families in the Rockaways now-Sat. Nov.3rd 9:30-11am. El Puente is collecting donations of clothing/supplies/nonperishable food for affected families in the Rockaways, now through Saturday. Drop-off location: El Puente Headquarters, 211 South 4th St. (@Roebling) in Williamsburg BK 11211
Donate clothing and food items in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn today Nov. 2. The Arab American Association of NY is collecting clothing and food items for donation. “All clothing donations should be washed & all food items must be sealed. We will deliver items to three Brooklyn shelters – Brooklyn Armory, FDR High School, and the Caton School” Please drop off items to 7111 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209 between 10am-6pm today until 2pm Friday, November 2ed. Contact: faiza.aaany@gmail.com
Help cleanup New York City Parkshttp://on.nyc.gov/Pp0v3n to volunteer in our parks this weekend. Help clean up Prospect Park Nov. 2ed, 3ed, 4th: Volunteer with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation to aid in the cleanup and recovery of Prospect Park this Friday, Saturday and Sunday (11/2 – 11/4), clickthis link to sign up.
The American Red Cross
Red Cross: The Red Cross is seeking volunteers over 16 and who are able to lift 50 pounds and comfortable working in stressful situations. Email them at staffing@nyredcross.org
Give Blood – Hurricane Sandy has caused the cancellation of 100 blood drives in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, a shortfall of 3,200 blood and platelet donations that would otherwise be available for those needing transfusions.
Volunteer at a Hurricane Sandy Shelter – The American Red Cross is specifically seeking individuals over 16 years of age that can carry 50 lbs to volunteer at local New York Red Cross Shelters.
Donate Money – You can choose to donate money to the Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting their website or texting REDCROSS to 90999.
AmeriCares
Donate Money – AmeriCares delivers medicines and medical supplies to disaster areas, and as of yesterday was deploying a mobile medical unit to affected areas in Connecticut.
The Salvation Army
Donate Money – The Salvation Army is currently on the ground in New Jersey helping with relief efforts, according to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Food Bank for New York
Donate Money – The Food Bank for New York provides food and emergency meals to New Yorkers, and as of last night was planning to continue distribution on Tuesday. You can donate money by simply texting FBNYC to 50555. If you wish to volunteer, check with and contact your neighborhood pantry or kitchen via the Food Bank for New York’s website.
The ASPCA
Donate Money – The ASPCA will assist and rescue the thousands of animals affected by Hurricane Sandy.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) takes donations to rescue and shelter animals affected by the storm. According to spokesperson Emily Schneider, the group’s efforts are currently focused in the New York City area, where nearly 240 animals are staying with their owners in pet-friendly Red Cross shelters. The ASPCA is also setting up a distribution center in Syracuse, New York with 4,000 sheltering units, which contain pet food, crates, food bowls, toys, and anything else an animal may need. They’re also standing with water rescue units should they be called.
The Humane Society of the United States
Report – The HSUS has a 24-hour hotline for New York evacuees to report pets that were left behind. The number is 347-573-1561.
The Bowery Mission Has Current Needs
Financial donations — They are serving three times as many as normal, and will need to restock food and resources once we have power.
Help provide food for 200 people at a time (make and/or get and drop off at the Mission – 227 Bowery)
Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drop them off
Trays of cooked food, ready to be served
Large amounts of Gatorade and Iced Tea – Currently only serving water
Gasoline for generators that are providing emergency power — Please deliver to 227 Bowery (at Prince Street), 45-51 Avenue D (between 4th and 5th Streets), or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
Blankets at The Bowery Mission Transitional Center — Please deliver to 45-51 Avenue D (between 4th and 5th Streets) or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
Sweatshirts, Large and XL coats and hoodies, men’s jeans and boots, at The Bowery Mission — Please deliver to 227 Bowery (at Prince Street) or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
Pantry items such as sugar, oatmeal, coffee, rice, potatoes — Please deliver to 227 Bowery (at Prince Street) or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
For those who want to send other kinds of help, the American Red Cross collects funds and coordinates blood donations. The organization sheltered more than 3,000 people across nine states during the worst of the storm. You can donate $10 by phone by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999.
The United Way has created a regional fund for communities hit by Sandy. They’re asking for donations at uwsandyrecovery.org. Donors can also give $10 by texting RECOVERY to 52000.
Volunteers in New Jersey are being coordinated through an emergency response hotline, 1-800-JERSEY-7 (1-800-537-7397). Alternate numbers, for when the hotline isn’t staffed, include 609-775-5236 and 908-303-0471 or emails can be sent to Rowena.Madden@sos.state.nj.us.
1. New York Kings at Pure Evil (London)
2.”Stikman 20.1″ Opens in Philadelphia Tonight
3. EVOK “Ordinary Things” in Detroit
4. “Four” Group Show at Loft F (Boston)
5. Dale Grimshaw’s”Moreish” Signal Gallery in London
6. ARD*POP-UP 2012 Festival in Oslo, Norway
7. Unruly Gallery in Amsterdam showing Finland’s Graffiti Artist EGS
8. JonOne solo show “Beautiful Madness” at Fabien Castanier in Studio City, CA
9. All City Canvas: The Short Film (VIDEO)
10. Chris Dyer in Montreal (VIDEO)
New York Kings at Pure Evil (London)
“New York Kings” is the title of the new group exhibition at the Pure Evil Gallery in London featuring COPE2, INDIE 184, BLADE, STAY HIGH 149, SEN2, FUZZ ONE, POEM, BOM5, RD 357, DECK, and EASY & JOZ . In London for the first time in over a decade, a unique exhibition of the godfathers of graffiti art using new york subway maps as their canvas to tell their 30 year story while remaining true to their roots. this is a rare opportunity to see examples of a genre that is often temporary by its very nature.
For further information regarding this show click here.
“Stikman 20.1” Opens in Philadelphia Tonight
Enigmatic Street Artist STIKMAN has a solo show titled “Stikman 20.1” opening today at the Stupid Easy Gallery in Philadelphia, PA. You might not see him if you to the opening but you sure will see his vast artistic output on display. For 20 years Stikman has been putting his art on the streets based on this one character presented in so many different ways and situations, with humor, wit and poignancy – more recently they have appeared with a lot of Mondrian influences. Most people never tire of discovering these rigid little fellers as they turn a corner, look up a sign post, cross a street, admire an architectural detail on a building.
For further information regarding this show click here.
REVOK “Ordinary Things” in Detroit
REVOK is a son of Detroit and the Library Street Collective Gallery is welcoming him with a solo show titled “Ordinary Things” opening tonight. The things may be ordinary, but what he makes with them are not. Assembling and fashioning found objects and materials he shows a fastidious attention to detail and an acute sense of balance, harmony and color.
For further information regarding this show click here.
“Four” Group Show at Loft F (Boston)
Unveiling his new portrait of a certain candidate in Tuesday’s race, Dave Tree is showing in a group show titled “Four” at the Loft F Gallery in Boston, MA. This show opens today.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Also Happening this weekend:
Dale Grimshaw‘s show “Moreish” is now open to the general public at the Signal Gallery in London, UK. Click here for more details on this show.
ARD*POP-UP 2012 Festival in Oslo, Norway is now underway until Sunday Nov. 04 with the participation of renowned Street Artists including: CODEROCK (NOR), M-CITY (POL), PHLEGM (UK), PEZ (SPA), KENOR (SPA), ZOSEN(SPA), CHANOIR (FRA), GALO (BRA), SUB LUNA (ISL), ACHOE (NOR), MARTIN WHATSON (NOR) and DOT DOT DOT (NOR). Click here for more details on this festival.
Unruly Gallery in Amsterdam, The Netherlands is showing Finland’s Graffiti Artist EGS in a solo show with works on paper and sculptures. This show is now open to the general public. Click here for more details on this show.
JonOne solo show “Beautiful Madness” at the Fabien Castanier Gallery in Studio City, CA opens tomorrow. Click here for more details on this show.
Peruvian Street Artists Entes y Pesimo traveled around Mexico as summers sun began to give everyone a rest from its intensity in the last month or so. Continuing to develop their figurative style and define technique, they usually take a long wall as an opportunity to let their figures lie down. In the case of the tall wall, they bring in more of the family.
Recurring themes are care-taking and seeking shelter from the harshness of life. During their trip they visited the central cities of Cholula, Pachuca, Puebla and of course Mexico City (or D.F.) in Mexico. Here are examples of this latest work for BSA readers.
Elfo is a graffiti writer and social commentator whose work intentionally sidesteps traditional notions of style or technical lettering. This …Read More »
In her latest mural, Faring Purth delivers a powerful reflection on connection, continuity, and the complexity of evolving relationships—a true …Read More »
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
