White Walls is pleased to present Unism, the latest solo show by internationally acclaimed Niels ‘Shoe’ Meulmam, opening July 6, 2013 from 7-11pm. The exhibition will be on view through August 10, 2013 and is free and open to the public.
After he coined the term Calligraffiti to describe his work in 2007, artist Niels ‘Shoe’ Meulman (Amsterdam, 1967) returns to San Francisco with a new phrase and eponymous exhibition: Unism (pronounced un-ism, not u-nism).
According to the designer-turned-painter, Unism incorporates all aspects of his expressionistic work:
Unism is about the power of reversal. For example ‘turning darkness into light’ taken from a monk’s poem that describes both the illuminated letters in medieval scriptures, as well as the wisdom they brought to the dark ages. In those days, some were trying to turn lead into gold, so it’s no coincidence that I use lots of metallic paints.
But Unism also refers to modern vocabulary in which we find many new words like ‘unlike’, ‘unfollow’ and ‘undo’. I’ve been painting my signature repetitive strokes for years now. This started as a practice to get my hand, wrist, arm and body in the right flow. It became somewhat of a meditative act. The uncanny thing was that four of these strokes actually make up the letters ‘u’ and ‘n’. Since my graffiti days I realized that every word is also an image and that writing can be painting.
I’ve been working with the word ‘unruly’ for years, which basically is a reaction to our overly-regulated society. That ended up in the throwing of paint bombs which contrasted nicely with the grid-like fields of the repetitive strokes. It ties into the ultimate example of my reversal theory; order and chaos.
Today we check in with some recent work in San Francisco, including new stuff from Aryz, David Polka, Ben Slow, Esk, and Greg Gossel.
We start off with the large mural of an apple cheeked farm girl by Aryz that went up over the course of a week in a tough part of the Tenderloin over a chain chicken shack. “But Aryz’s street art.. has already transformed the atmosphere of this high-traffic corner, and Aryz (pronounced “Areez”) is grateful, knowing that his gargantuan five-story farm girl — and her gargantuan bushel of apples — will look over the intersection for the foreseeable future.” Read more of Jonathan Curiel‘s great account in the San Francisco Weekly.
The stencilled collages are by Greg Gossel, who just finished a show with White Walls, and they are followed by images of a new mural by David Polka, Ben Slow, and Esk.
Special thanks to photographer and contributor Brock Brake for sharing these images with BSA readers.
Here is a time lapse video of Aryz completing his mural in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. The mural was jointly organized by Chris Shaher of WallspaceSF, Upper Playground and Fifty24SF Gallery. Our thanks to the people at Smash House Collective who published the following video because with it BSA readers can have an idea how much time and talent it takes to get such a piece up.
There are only 4 days remaining until the opening of what has become one of the most anticipated openings FIFTY24SF has seen in years. ARYZ, Barcelona’s favorite large-scale muralist and legendary street artist has been generating a brand new body of work for this show.
Skewville are amusing themselves in the gallery today. Amused, bemused. Bee-schmoozed.
Even though we haven’t seen much cryptic sarcasm or wooden sneakers from these wiseguys on the streets lately, you can be sure that the wonder wheels have been turning inside their heads, and in the studio.
Here’s proof. “Amusement” is their second solo show at White Walls on the left coast and here for your visual delight you will see that the twins from Queens are taking their handmade creations seriously up a notch, expanding on the 3-dimensional fabrications they’ve toyed with during their decade and a half on the street and in the gallery.
It’s not so much a re-imagined past as a hands-on reworking of nostalgic childhood memories that the twins share. Imagery and tropes swirling from the insincere flash of entertainment culture from the 70s and 80s that now look reassuringly and pleasantly simplistic and obvious compared to the subterraneal lies of a digital world fully integrated with commercialism.
With a knowing wink and charming smile, this is the wheelhouse they return to and rework – the circus barker, the card dealer, the flickering lights, blaring hand painted signs, the double meaning promises and smooth sleights of hand – they all get painted, cut, sanded, pounded, welded, drilled and wired together and fused with street humor in a pleasingly balanced package for your consumption. It’s amusing really.
With very special thanks to photographer and BSA contributor Brock Brake for sharing these exclusive photos for BSA readers. Also check out his video of the installation at the end of the posting!
White Walls is pleased to present Amusement, a solo show by Brooklyn-based twin brother duo, Skewville. Join us for the opening reception Saturday, April 13, from 7-11pm. The exhibit will be free and open to the public for viewing through May 4, 2013.
Made up of 30 artworks on a mix of wood canvases and found materials like vintage Coca-Cola signage, an old school bingo board amid large installation pieces, Amusement is the product of Skewville’s distinct ‘urban playground’ style, driven by the colors and textures of citylife, with a carnival twist. Nostalgia threads its way through the show with references to the duos’ childhood growing up in Queens, New York City.
Fuck You Pay Me is an ongoing project from London based Artist, Word To Mother. Being self employed for a decade and frustrated with the constant struggle of getting paid by clients, WTM has been producing “Fuck You Pay Me” Bats as an embodiment of his disdain.
“Any self employed Creative will understand how frustrating it is to get paid by clients who want work done immediately but then are reluctant to pay. I have devised a solution to the problem, the ‘Fuck You Pay Me’ bat. If you have not received your payment within 30 days of completing the job, simply take the bat to the employer who is reluctant to pay and let the bat do the talking. 100% success rate guaranteed.”
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.
941 Geary is pleased to present While We Were Away. Curated by gallery director Tova Lobatz and composed entirely of artists Lobatz has become aware of while traveling, While We Were Away focuses on the intersection of the creation of art and the travels involved with it. Featuring work from Miss Van (France), Amanda Marie (US), How and Nosm (Germany), Poesia (US), Sten Lex (Italy), Scott Shannon (US), Vhils (Portugal), Jaybo Monk (France), Hebru Brantley (US), Julio Pardo (Spain), and Chanoir (Columbia), the exhibit will open Saturday, January 19th from 6-9pm and will run until March 2nd, 2013.
Shooting Gallery is pleased to present the last Winter Group Show to be held in the current gallery at 839 Larkin, before our big move to a newly renovated building. Helping us go out with a bang will be a great lineup of many of our beloved artists, including Ferris Plock, Casey Gray, APEX, Michael Page, Aaron Nagel, John Felix Arnold, Hugh Leeman, Jet Martinez, C215, Ernesto Yerena, Morgan Slade, Spencer Keeton Cunningham, Lauren Napolitano, Adam Rozan and Bryan Schnelle.
White Walls is pleased to present “The New Race,” new works by D Young V. The show will be a culmination of the themes Young has been working on for several years, portions of which were shown at Gallery 3 in late 2010 and at White Walls in the summer of 2011. The opening reception will be Saturday, January 12th, from 7-11 pm, and the exhibition:
Hey bro and sis! Here are some of our favorite picks for the weekend around the global way as we head into the final holiday and New Year beauty that we hope everyone is surrounded by. Happy 7th night of Hanukkah to the Jews, and Happy ongoing holidayz to the Christmas and Kwanzaa and Solstice people.
1. 215 “Orgullecida” (Barcelona)
2. “Kids Eat For Free” at Tender Trap (BKLN)
3. Fresh Low-cost Original Silkscreens at “First Worldwar in Silkscreen” Group Show (BKLN)
4. “Graffuturism” at Soze Gallery (LA)
5. “Dark Corners, Savage Secrets”, Photography by Imminent Disaster (BKLN)
6. “Snap Back…” Rime and Toper at Klughaus (Manhattan)
7. New2 at White Walls (San Francisco)
8. Dave Kinsey “Everything at Once” at Joshua Liner (Manhattan)
9. Brett Amory at 5 Pieces (Switzerland)
10. RISK: The Skid Row Mural Project by Todd Mazer (VIDEO)
11. Swoon’s Konbit Shelter in Haiti (VIDEO)
215 “Orgullecida” (Barcelona)
French Street Artist C215 has a new solo show titled “Orgullecida” at the Montana Gallery in Barcelona, Spain. The artist has been for awhile using a lot of color with his multilayered stencil work – expanding his established vocabulary bravely in a way that most artists are too afraid to do. His portraits are placed well, are individually hand-cut, and sprayed with a sense of the humanity he’s always giving center stage. This show is now open to the general public.
For further information regarding this show click here.
“Kids Eat For Free” at Tender Trap (BKLN)
A phrase lifted from restaurant franchises that serve food like you are livestock at a trough, “Kids Eat For Free” is a mini survey of train riders who know the back sides of the country well. Under the moniker of The Superior Bugout, curator Andrew H Shirley continues to explore fresh talent from the emerging margin, and this group exhibition features work by North Carolina’s NGC Crew. Now open, and don’t forget the kids!
For further details regarding this show click here.
The best way to support your local artist is to give their stuff as a Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Soltice present. No kidding. Everybody wins. Tonight a show of original silkscreens at totally reasonable prices is at Low Brow Artique in Bushwick. For tonight’s opening of their silk screen print show where you’d be able to purchase prints for $20…yes you read it right $20 bucks buys you art from 25 artists – many of them with work on the street – from Sao Paulo, Brooklyn, Buenos Aires and Berlin. Participating artists include: Selo, Markos Azufre, Hellbent, El Hase, ND’A, XOXU, Daniel Ete, Salles, Baila, Anderson Resende, DOC, SHN, XILIP, Serifire, Vero Pujol, Marquitos Sanabria, Diego Garay, Desastre, and Head Honcho.
For further information regarding this show click here.
“Graffuturism” at Soze Gallery (LA)
This is like an exclamation point for the end of the year. No kidding.
POESIA, founder of Graffuturism, the term and website, continues to explore the depths of “Progressive Graffiti” or, as it was previously known, “Abstract Graffiti”. With great intelligence, passion and an acute eye for detail, POESIA brings to the forefront the importance and beauty of this emergent new direction that is impacting the Street Art and graffiti scene (with ramifications for others).
“Graffuturism” opening tonight at Soze Gallery in Los Angeles and promises a smart-headed visual feast of shapes, patterns and color from a mini-galaxy of talent from all over the world. Perhaps more significantly, it’s a bit of a decentralized movement that has been centralized for you. The artists list includes: 2501, Aaron De La Cruz, Augustine Kofie, Boris “Delta” Tellegen, Carl Raushenbach, Carlos Mare, Clemens Behr, Derek Bruno, Doze Green, Duncan Jago, DVS 1, El Mac, Eric Haze, Erosie, Franco “Jaz” Fasoli, Futura, Gilbert 1, Greg “Sp One” Lamarche, Graphic Surgery, Hense, Hendrik “ECB” Beikirch, Jaybo Monk, Joker, Jurne, Kema, Kenor, Lek, Marco “Pho” Grassi, Matt W. Moore, Moneyless, O.Two, Part2ism, Poesia, Rae Martini, Remi Rough, Samuel Rodriguez, Sat One, Sever, Shok-1, Sowat, Steve More, West and Will BarrasSoze Gallery in Los Angeles .
Also New York chronicler and enthusiastic lover of the graff/street art scene Daniel Feral will be there with a special edition of the Feral Diagram in glicee prints, and a couple other formats (salivate). An ambitious exhibition like this is rare and not easy to come by so if you are in Los Angeles you must go.
For further information regarding this show and to read a great essay for the show written by Daniel Feral click here.
“Dark Corners, Savage Secrets”, Photography by Imminent Disaster (BKLN)
Self-appointed moral custodians (mostly white men) have traditionally hampered the exploration of sexuality in formal art history and the academic canon of what gets celebrated and revered continues to evolve more quickly now. The sea change that modern social liberation that was once revolutionary is now a given, but the debate of the appropriate role of sex and sexuality in the arts is far from over. We may have just quashed one Trojan horse of social conservatism in the White House, but the radical right wing has pulled the center pretty far in the last decade and some have even said there was a war on women launched legislatively throughout 2012. So we are pleased to tell you about fine artist and Street Artist Robyn Hasty AKA Imminent Disaster, who has a new show in collaboration with Alex Pergament entitled “Dark Corners, Savage Secrets”. Furthering her exploration of photography Ms. Hasty has semi-retired her now well known hand cut paper pieces and lino prints on the street and traded the cutting knife for the camera. With this show of photographs, sculptures and performance art she’s aiming to tear apart the inhibitions associated with the sexual act. “Dark Corners, Savage Secrets” opens tomorrow at Weldon Arts Gallery in Brooklyn.
For further information regarding this show click here.
“Snap Back…” Rime and Toper at Klughaus (Manhattan)
Freshly snapping back to New York from their successful truck trip to Miami, Klughaus Gallery brings Brooklyn natives RIME and TOPER for their new exhibition titled “Snap Back – Dangerous Drawings About New York”. The storytelling show features illustration and painting inspired by personal stories. Says RIME. “This show aims to tap into our life experience coming up in New York.” Show opens Saturday.
For further information regarding this show click here.
New2 at White Walls (San Francisco)
The White Walls Gallery in San Francisco are fortunate to host Australian artist New2 with his solo show titled “In One Hand a Ghost, The Other an Atom”. New2’s work on the streets is complex and dynamic with aerosol, but his handcut collage work for the gallery is moreso somehow – maybe because of a painstaking process of arranging thousands of hand cut pieces of paper. This show opens on Saturday.
For further information regarding this show click here.
Also happening this weekend:
Dave Kinsey with “Everything at Once” at the Joshua Liner Gallery in Manhattan. This show is now open to the general public. Click here for more details.
Brett Amory at the 5 Pieces Gallery in Berne, Switzerland opens on Sunday with his solo show “Lil’ Homies”. Click here for more details.
RISK: The Skid Row Mural Project by Todd Mazer (VIDEO)
Art in the Streets from MoCAtv
Swoon’s Konbit Shelter in Haiti (VIDEO)
Street Artist Swoon is looking to return to Haiti to build more shelters for people in the rural part of the country. This video gives a great look at the families and community who are helped. You also can participate by donating to the Kickstarter campaign to help Swoon make it happen.
Complex Magazine‘s Nick Schonberger got a sneak preview of Australian street artist New2‘s collage pieces that will compose his upcoming show at White Walls, “In One Hand a Ghost, the Other an Atom.” Each of New2′s collages is made of multiple layers of hand cut paper, the result being a super vivid and highly intricate take on the traditional style.
“[The collages] prove tremendous personal growth on the artist’s part since 941 Geary’s pioneering show. New2 is obsessed with traditional lettering, though in his technique allows himself freedom to explore more progressive forms.”
Come check out New2′s rad new work when the show opens December 15th from 7-11 pm, and don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook! If you’re not able to make it to the opening reception, the show will be on display until January 5th, 2013.
In One Hand a Ghost, the Other an Atom
A Solo Show by New2
Opening Reception – Saturday, December 15th, 7-11pm
On View Through January 5th, 2013
@ White Walls (www.whitewallssf.com)
835 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA
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