All posts tagged: Phoenix

Resurrecting the Ghost of The Mexican Grizzly Bear: NeverCrew In Phoenix

Resurrecting the Ghost of The Mexican Grizzly Bear: NeverCrew In Phoenix

February 26, 2018

BSA is pleased that we were able to help bring NeverCrew to the US along with FatCap to realize this huge Mexican Grizzly on a celebrated wall in Arizona.

“El Oso Plateado and the Machine” is the latest project of Christian Rebecchi and Pablo Togni here in Phoenix on the side of the historic Heard Building, a 7-story high-rise building that housed the offices of The Arizona Republic and the Phoenix Gazette from 1920 to 1948 and was the first high-rise building to be erected in Phoenix when it was completed in 1920.

NeverCrew “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

As usual the Swiss artist duo have used one of their murals to give center stage to nature and it is inextricably bound to man’s folly, as this incredible bear from this region is now extinct.

Sort of silvery because of the color of its fur, the Mexican Grizzly was one of the heaviest and largest mammals in Mexico, reaching a length up to 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) and an average weight of 318 kilograms (701 lb).

NeverCrew “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

Appropriately, the Mexican Grizzly was once here in Arizona, because this land actually was Mexico’s before the Americans declared war to steal the land that would become California, Nevada, and Utah, most of New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado, parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming in the 1840s-50s in what General (and later US President) Ulysses S. Grant called “the most unjust war ever undertaken by a stronger nation against a weaker one.” So perhaps it would be called now the Arizonian Grizzly, if it still existed.

NeverCrew “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

NeverCrew “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

NeverCrew “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

NeverCrew “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

NeverCrew “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

NeverCrew “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

NeverCrew “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

An indoor mural by NeverCrew in connection with “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

An indoor mural by NeverCrew in connection with “El oso plateado and the machine” Phoenix, AZ (photo courtesy of NeverCrew)

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A Jaguar in Phoenix: Louis Masai and “The Art Of Beeing”

A Jaguar in Phoenix: Louis Masai and “The Art Of Beeing”

November 22, 2016

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“By the time I get to Phoenix, she’ll be rising…”

Not that Louis Masai is on the run from his girl, but he is still making tracks fast on this US circuit like a sailor shipping from port to port. As it turns out he was only in Phoenix long enough to paint a jaguar.

“It’s always hard to formulate too much of an understanding of a city when you are only there for a very short time…and I guess a lot of this trip has been that way, but even more so in Phoenix, with only two nights and one day.”

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Louis Masai: The Art of Beeing USA Tour. Jaguar. Only 15K remain in the wild. Phoenix, AZ. November 2016. (photo © Emil Walker)

Publicizing animals who are the endangered species list, Masai chose the big cat because they are “near endangered” and because they are the largest felines native the Americas. Elsewhere in the world they are third in line after the tiger and lion. Unfortunately, the number of jaguars is decreasing.

Louis says he was happy to hang out with Breeze, “an indigenous and humble spirit, who explained the dam issues that have affected the land.” He says their talks centered around the serious lack of respect for the environment from our present civilization.

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Louis Masai: The Art of Beeing USA Tour. Jaguar. Only 15K remain in the wild. Phoenix, AZ. November 2016. (photo © Emil Walker)

And of course they discussed how Phoenix is “yet another city is victim of gentrification,”he says.

We say “of course” because in Europe and America it seems that every conversation between visitor and host includes a discussion of a) the disappearing middle class, and b) gentrification of neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, Mr. Masai’s “Art of Beeing” tour is heading eastward across the US now.

Next stop? See the map below.

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Louis Masai: The Art of Beeing USA Tour. Jaguar. Only 15K remain in the wild. Phoenix, AZ. November 2016. (photo © Emil Walker)

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Louis Masai: The Art of Beeing USA Tour. Jaguar. Only 15K remain in the wild. Phoenix, AZ. November 2016. (photo © Emil Walker)

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Louis Masai: The Art of Beeing USA Tour. Jaguar. Only 15K remain in the wild. Phoenix, AZ. November 2016. (photo © Emil Walker)

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Louis Masai: The Art of Beeing USA Tour. Jaguar. Only 15K remain in the wild. Phoenix, AZ. November 2016. (photo © Emil Walker)

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Louis Masai: The Art of Beeing USA Tour. Jaguar. Only 15K remain in the wild. Phoenix, AZ. November 2016. (photo © Emil Walker)

 

Click http://louismasai.com/projects/the-art-of-beeing/ to learn more about the project.

 

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What’s New in Bushwick: A Quick Street Art Survey

June 6, 2012 , , , ,

As you may have heard, New York’s young artist community has been in a rather fast migration away from Manhattan for this entire century.

And so has most of its Street Art.

As the neighborhood of Bushwick assumes the role of new art nerve center (and hard charging, chatty hormone-infused bohemia), the Street Art that began in Williamsburg at the turn of the millenium is without question a natural companion for the trip. This weekend Bushwick celebrated its 6th official Open Studios program (BOS) and gave Street Art it’s genealogical due as major influencer to the whole scene by inviting a number of the newer names to exhibit indoors for the opening party. Naturally, if not ironically, the streets walls had work by many of same.

Always in flux, the current Street Art scene reflects the players as much as the chaotic and diversified D.I.Y. times we’re in. As the more designed multiples of Fairey and the repetition of Cost have given much ground to the highly labor intensive one-offs with a story today, you can see that this narrative style may have been set into motion by people like Swoon and Elbow-Toe in the intervening wave.

To give you a sense of the complex visual ecosystem that influences the fine art/ Street Art continuum in 2012, here’s some eye candy from inside, outside, sanctioned and freewheeling that were on display during BOS this year.

We start with this new piece by Swoon inspired after her recent visit to Kenya. She incorporated drawings into the portraits of the two girls from an organization called 160 girls. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Swoon’s reprisal of a piece we’ve seen in Boston, LA, and New Orleans – newly colored for Bushwick (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Relative newcomer Gilf! In the Garden of Good and Bushwick. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Gilf! does a stripped back road sign satire as part of the installation that she curated for BOS 2012 official opening party. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The Yok as part of the installation curated by Gilf! for BOS 2012 official opening party. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Willow as part of the installation curated by Gilf! for BOS 2012 official opening party. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sheryo as part of the installation curated by Gilf! for BOS 2012 official opening party. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Hellbent as part of the installation curated by Gilf! for BOS 2012 official opening party. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ND’A as part of the installation curated by Gilf! for BOS 2012 official opening party. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bishop203 as part of the installation curated by Gilf! for BOS 2012 official opening party. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

QRST as part of the installation curated by Gilf! for BOS 2012 official opening party. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

QRST in the wild. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Holy BOS! Housed in a former Lutheran church Bobby Redd Project Space invited artists to do site-specific installations in the actively decaying house of worship. Artists included Abel Macias, Andrew Ohanesian, Ben Wolf, Billy Hahn, Brian Willmont, Don Pablo Pedro, James Keul, Peter Bardazzi. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Holy BOS! @ Bobby Redd Project Space: Don Pablo Pedro (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Holy BOS! Holy peeling paint! @ Bobby Redd Project Space (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The backyard space @ Bobby Redd Project Space had this flowing installation by Phoenix entitled “Bushwick Forest” (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Holy BOS! @ Bobby Redd Project Space: Phoenix. “Bushwick Forest” Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

An entrance @ Bobby Redd Project Space featured Street Artist Deeker with a backround by David Pappaceno. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Bobby Redd Project Space: Deeker with background by David Pappaceno. Detail. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Cassius Fouler @ Bobby Redd Project Space (photo © Jaime Rojo)

DarkClouds @ Bobby Redd Project Space (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A street installation by an Unknown artist. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Jim Avignon at Bushwick 5 Point Festival (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Street Artist Specter is also a conceptual artist and sculptor. He painstakingly hand-painted this Bodega facade as an homage to the New York street scenes that are disappearing. Bushwick 5 Points Festival. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

A collaborative mural by Sheryo, The Yok and Never at Bushwick 5 Points Festival. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sheryo stands on a sketch. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Set KRT and Cost at Bushwick 5 Points Festival. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Priscila de Carvalho, Maria Berrio and Miariam Castillo at Bushwick 5 Points Festival. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Klub7 at Bushwick 5 Points Festival. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Daek1 at Bushwick 5 Points Festival. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

 

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The Hive Gallery Presents: “Rezolution” A group Show (Phoenix, AZ)

December 11, 2011 , , , , ,

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Chip Thomas and Thomas “Breeze” Marcus (photo © Chip Thomas)

R E Z O L U T I O N
7 Artists will converge upon The Hive art space in Phoenix, Arizona on December 16th 2011 for the group show titled Rezolution (Resolution).
Rezolution (spelled with a Z instead of an S), is a focus on 7 artists who have experienced Native American Reservation life first hand and know the historical as well as the daily modern struggles, triumphs, smiles and cries better than anyone else in the so called American Dream Land. A popular term amongst Native people refers to these communities and land areas simply as “The Rez”.
Douglas Miles is an Apache artist from the San Carlos Apache Nation although he has already been recognized internationally and nationally for the last decade and more, Miles has recently gained the attention of the southern California gallery and street style art scenes. Miles brings stark depictions of strength with his stencils and illustrations of contemporary Apache women and warriors, while incorporating elaborate hand written typography that is heavily influenced by inner city “Cholo” writing which has its origins in Los Angeles.
Chip Thomas, a doctor on the Dine(Navajo) Reservation for the last 24 yrs, has recently taken inspiration from international street artists like Blu, JR, Os Gemeos, Gaia, and others by starting his own series of giant wheat paste murals from images that he has photographed and documented since first moving to Shonto, Az in 1987. Although not Navajo himself, Chip has seen a lot of love and support from his community of Shonto Arizona, as well as heavy outside criticism.
In addition to Doug and Chip: Anthony “Thosh” Collins (Photographer), Razelle Benally (Film Maker), Dwayne Manuel (Painter), Tom Greyeyes (Painter) and local Phx muralist Breeze will be participating. All 7 artists know what it means to live on a “Rez”, and have taken their experiences of everyday life, cultural identities and harnessed them into positive creativity through contemporary Photography, Film, Brush Painting, Charcoal, Graffiti Art, Propaganda, Stencils, Wheat Paste, Spray Paint, and more.
In many ways, the tool known as Art is now a modern warrior’s weapon and resource in being a voice for the at times seemingly forgotten original inhabitants. Rezolution is a platform to exhibit various styles and educate the unaware and unknowing populations about contemporary Native life, art work and the missions to break stereotypes and presumptions of what mainstream society portrays and exploits the American Indian as.
The imagery in this show will be truthful, abstract, blunt, surrealistic and ironically foreign to many eyes looking in from the outside.

-Thomas Breeze Marcus

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Yote: “The Bienvenidos Campaign” Update

October 18, 2010 , , ,

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Political postering has a long tradition in the public space – from slick to goofy to earnest to comic, everyone can get into the game of smacking their opinions on a wall or staking it onto a patch of grass. Street Artist Yote has jumped into the ring this year by putting his hand-painted signs amidst the forest of political missives along streets in Arizona.

In Yote’s case, it’s more of a plea for tolerance and brotherhood rather than a shill for a specific vote. Always a fanastic money maker for politicians and even religious leaders, the flames of good old fashioned racism have been fanned again this year. Here’s to the one-person campaign to dampen their enthusiasm.

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Yote spoke to BSA about the background for his personal/political campaign called “Bienvenidos”.

“A few days after Governor Jan Brewer signed SB1070 into law she signed HB2281.  2281 bans all ethnic studies programs in public High Schools in the state of Arizona. 

Last Thursday and Friday were two events for Ethnic Studies Week here in Prescott, AZ.  I donated t-shirts I silk screened saying “Eduquémonos,” meaning “Educate Ourselves.” As well as some “Bienvenidos” stickers for them to sell.  I was excited to hear that hundreds of dollars were raised for the Ethnic Studies Defense Fund from those two events.  I also donated 50 “Bienvenidos” yard signs for the defendants and students to take back to Tucson.

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As the sunset on Saturday Night a couple friends and I descended into Phoenix to add our voices to the political dialogue. Methodically we followed the light rail from North Phoenix to Mesa installing yard signs at every intersection already littered with political campaign signs.
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We continued on to Guadalupe, a small town that in part inspired this project.  My friend who runs The Garage Bike Shop there had told me a lot of people had left over the summer.  Moved on to other places where they would have more security. In the shopping center where his shop is they were down to only a few business still open.  Leaving about 20 vacancies. When I was there last fall every storefront was open.  There was so much life and abundance then, now its just quiet.  But my friend tells me the people who are here, are here to stay. They are ready to ride out whatever else is coming.
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Then we headed north to the arts district and hit a few more spots in central Phoenix before finally ending the night on McDowell in West Phoenix.  Over 100 signs were distributed throughout Phoenix. Keep an eye out for more appearing all over the rest of the state leading up to the November 2nd election.
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Arriving home just before sunrise I was exhausted but felt elated to be participating in the immigration debate.  As the election nears I hope “The Bienvenidos Campaign” can help shift the Immigration debate into a more constructive conversation.  I also hope businesses and communities embrace the image to represent the hope for safer and healthier communities.
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Here is a great trailer for a new documentary about some students experience in the Raza Studies program in Tucson, AZ. http://vimeo.com/15062646
To Support the Bienvenidos Campaign go here:
A portion of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to the Ethnic Studies Defense Fund.
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Text and Images ©Yote

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