Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening :
1. BSA Special Feature: Sofles / Wayfarer by Selina Miles 2. Loving Vincent: Trailer 3.“The Coward – Adieu” from the Julien Brothers
BSA Special Feature: Sofles / Wayfarer by Selina Miles
Selina Miles has just directed an epic excursion through the pleasant looking Collingwood and Fitroy areas of Melbourne and the graffiti culture there. The prolific and talented writer Sofles rides and runs center screen on this guided tour of his aerosol stomping ground and this (nearly) one continuous shot drone film is a revelation. Again Miles pushes the documentation category forward, going beyond merely recording toward capturing, creating a sense of drama, certainly poetry.
Omar Musa grabs you with his words before you even know where you are and holds your heart tethered to a string and pulling you along these streets and alleys and back lots. Many times this piece is soaring in its singularity and its sense of collaboration.
Loving Vincent: Trailer
Can you imagine your favorite Van Gogh’s coming to life? They are calling this the first fully painted feature film in the world. (and the producers are still looking for talent: http://join.lovingvincent.com/)
Nicolas Jullien and his brother Jean animation for International Women’s Day.
A simple captivating animation counting through the clock of life that wordlessly communicates greater truths than you are expecting.
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening :
1. NYC Subway from Paul Whitworth
2. Jet Martinez, Painter & Muralist 3. Monochrome: Sofles
4. Mutiny of Colours – Iranian Street Art Documentary
5. HULA paints “Imua”
6. Epic Rap Battle : Ninja Turtles V. Dudes of the Renaissance
BSA Special Feature: NYC Subway from Paul Whitworth
We start this week off with some home made subway train porn with a soundtrack by the Brazilian Girls singing in French. It’s a mesmerizing reverie with some good shots of 5 Ptz.
Jet Martinez, Painter & Muralist
American painter and muralist Jet Martinez from Oakland talking about his show last month in Denver – his influences from Mexican culture, folk arts, and contemporary culture.
Monochrome: Sofles
Great writer of course. That’s why you’ll endure the advertising for the paint company here.
Mutiny of Colours – Iranian Street Art Documentary
Take a look at this interesting project, and over-the-top special effects that are meant to be comedic, if not darkly reinforcing some stereotypes you may have. It’s not easy to make a documentary and this one is about a burgeoning scene in Iran, a country where the penalties for graffiti are draconian.
HULA paints “Imua”
Follow Hawaii born artist Hula on his surfboard as he paints “Imua”.
Epic Rap Battle : Ninja Turtles V. Dudes of the Renaissance
Yo, did you see our piece on Owen Dippie’s new mural yesterday? Somebody sent us this epic rap battle between the masters of Renaissance painting and the cartoon action heroes of your childhood. Cowabunga dudes!
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening :
1. Banksy in Gaza: Vacation Promo
2. SOFLES Projection Mapping of His Mural in Melbourne
3.OLEK takes a Victory Lap Through 2014
4. Ben Eine Tags A Museum
Banksy in Gaza: Vacation Promo
This new video from Banksy takes you on a grim tour of Gaza that is laced with sarcasm bordering on total cynicism. Released on his website Wednesday with a few photos from his trip, Banksy appears to have stenciled the last standing door in the ruins of a building. The anonymous UK Street Artist uses his art and satirical way with the language to make his point. “Gaza is often described as ‘the world’s largest open air prison’ because no-one is allowed to enter or leave. But that seems a bit unfair to prisons – they don’t have their electricity and drinking water cut off randomly almost every day,” he says on his page. His video says he climbed through tunnels to get there but maybe Banksy was in Tony Blair’s suitcase – the UN website says the former Prime Minister of the UK was there mid-month. “Gaza is a metaphor for all that is wrong,” wrote Mr. Tony Blair in an article after visiting Gaza on 14 February.
SOFLES Projection Mapping of His Mural in Melbourne
Selina Miles again directs and produces a film of Sofles at work that transcends the experience and gives you a sense of awe at his work, which truthfully is already often awesome. We’ve been a fan of and producer of events with projection mapping so we are glad to see a talented street artist use the technology in an effective way. The video begins innocently enough with some inking out an illustration on a canvas, then buffing of a wall in Melbourne. Later the sun goes down, and BAM!
OLEK takes a Victory Lap Through 2014
Expect to see Olek everywhere, we do!
Ben Eine Tags A Museum
London based street and graffiti artist Ben Eine knocked out a wall inside the Middlebury College Museum of Art as part of the upcoming exhibition OUTSIDE IN: ART OF THE STREET.
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening :
1. Mary Lacy: Life at Moran
2. Dhear: Similia Similibus Currentur
3. Sofles Black Book
4. Helpful Tips for Riding the Subway with Johnny T
BSA Special Feature: Mary Lacy: Life at Moran
The ever widening spectrum of culture that embraces graffiti-street art-muralism, gentrification, and commercialism blurs one more line in this promotional video for the development of an old factory on Lake Champlain. While well executed, it borrows completely from the urban explorers and graffiti artists who have been hitting up the walls of decrepit and abandoned places with paint for decades, while giving no credit for it.
Take note that the camera work neatly relegates those renegades work to the margins and incidental backgrounds while celebrating the “fine art” being blue taped into existence center stage. While not a straight up deal breaker, the sound track is principally a viola played with classical contemplation, making the whole rustic scene very palatable to investors and denotes a certain income level and educational background and well, class distinction.
That said, Mary Lacy chooses nature and flora to gently entice you to come in; her folk technique evoking stained glass or porcelain collage work, and she selects well placed vignettes that remind you of Cuba.
Makes you hanker for cup of rich fair trade hand pressed café mocha and a butternut elderberry quinoa bear claw glazed with raw sugar, doesn’t it? Fire up the Kindle and read insightful prose describing how factory jobs like the ones once here in this building were moved offshore, never to return.
Dhear: Similia Similibus Currentur
Done in conjunction with MUJAM, Dhear creates this enormous mural on the side of a homeopathic hospital that recalls Mexico’s 20th century mural tradition and inspires the people visiting and working there.
Sofles Black Book
Dude kills black books too, which is probably no surprise to anyone who has seen his previous videos here where he slaughters entire factories. Never imagined such a hard driving crunchy soundtrack would accompany art markers, did you?
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening :
1. Sofles in Paris
2. Russians Hi-Jack an Electronic Billboard in Hong Kong
3. Kid Acne: The Birth of Hip-Hop
4. RO: “Les Saigneurs”
5. David Zayas: “Animalia” From Tost Films.
BSA Special Feature: Sofles In Paris
Selina Miles has directed a few outstanding videos of Sofles in abandoned warehouses and in this comparatively tame new piece she takes you with style to a couple of quick spots on the streets of Paris, with a cameo at the end from duo Sobekcis. We say quick only because Sofles can knock huge burners out while other guys are still organizing their cans, and because he makes it look effortless. But check the concentration.
Russians Hi-Jack an Electronic Billboard in Hong Kong
‘During our last visit in Hong Kong, not only did we take a lot of awesome pictures, but we also made a video which was shot a few hours before our flight to Tokyo. The venue is the very heart of Hong Kong, a skyscraper with a huge billboard.”
Or so they SAY! God if you ever want your buzz to be instantly killed read the YouTube comments under this video – or any video for that matter.
But it still looks like it is totally possible for billboards to be Hi-Jacked these days. And it looks like a few Go-Pros and a drone can capture all the excitement. Main question remains – why didn’t they put up some pro-revolution message, or a shout out to their favorite band, or at least some guy giving his partner the old Russian sausage up on the screen. C’mon – you’re teenagers aren’t you?
Kid Acne: The Birth of Hip-Hop
One of the few Street Artist rappers out there, Kid Acne gets all Yes Yes Ya’ll on his new wall, a nativity scene to remind us what the upcoming holidayze are all about.
RO: “Les Saigneurs”
You really can’t say that you see many hand painted ink wheatpastes up under an overpass. Usually it’s a giant roller or a series of aerosol works. Here Ro is wheat pasting be-headed figures painted with average studio brushes in an illustration style remniscent of political cartoons near the dawn of the printing press.
Distinctly anti-fashion and pro-collabo D.I.Y. it is nonetheless somewhat difficult to follow with its frequent jump cuts to black and patchy audio, you gotta give Collective Souslesmurs (The Wall Collective) credit for getting out there to break some new ground.
David Zayas: “Animalia” From Tost Films.
“Hablamos un poco con David sobre sus principios como artistas, su motivo y su idea del muralismo dentro de su obra plástica,” says Tost films in this interview with 30 year old Puerto Rican painter David Zayas.
“Being an artist is not just about being talented. It’s a responsibility. and that has made me passionate,” says Zayas.
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening: Sofles is Infinite, How & Nosm do a Times Square Gig, and DMJC Crew en Pura Calle in Lima Peru.
BSA Special Feature:
SOFLES – Infinite
Shooter/Editor Selina Miles takes the time-lapse genre up a level in this bubonic bass and drums slammed trip through an abandoned warehouse. Experimenting with camera perspectives and simple but effective editing tricks, the urban exploring graff talent Sofles takes on a few ninja qualities thanks to this deft presentation. Of course the style of shooting/editing wouldn’t matter if he wasn’t killing it on almost every wall with various styles and degrees of difficulty until he splits in two and competes with himself! And all this leads us to, of course, the grand crescendo – a darkly sinister piece de resistance. If your boy can’t tell you he is blown away by this little show, he’s just tryin’ to mask jealousy. Give it up.
How & Nosm in Times Square
Brooklyn’s H&N just did this gig for a clothing brand in Times Square and here’s the promo.
DMJC Crew en Pura Calle in Lima, Peru
Good to see Entes y Pesimo among this crew at the Pura Calle this month.
And for a little more context, here’s an omnibus collection promoting the Pura Calle festival which happened at the beginning of June in Lima and brought about 150,000 people to a 3-day festival of break-dancers, rappers, graffiti artists, BMXers, and skaters.
And couldn’t resist this home made recording of breakers on the street just doing it on their own in a somewhat surrealistic way. Straight up!
Galore Urban Art Festival bills itself as “a gathering point for Copenhagen’s underground where artists can meet, exhibit and share art. We facilitate the raw, the unestablished and the alternative and take the role as an alternative to conventional art exhibitions”. Street Artist Aryz has just completed this striking piece on the exposed brick side of a huge building here and we’re pleased that photographer Henrik Haven has joined us as a BSA collaborator to share some exclusive photos.
Can’t really tell what is happening in the scene though. Any ideas? Is she choking him, or comforting him?
The Galore festival took place this August from 16th to the 18th and please stay tuned for more images from the rest of the participating artists including: Above, Dems, Gary, GR170, KCIS, POS, Semor, Sobek, Sofles, The Nom Nom Collective, Sozy, Storm, Vizie and Zoer.
They are a friendly group, these Street Artists from Australia, all gathered and spread out on walls organized with 941 Geary Gallery and White Walls in San Francisco, a sort of summer camp for escaped ex-pats. Aside from a bit of jet lag here and there, the energy is high and the artists have been banging out brand new work for the show, with the walls on the street whenever possible.
Among the group are names from the scenes in Melbourne and elsewhere – selected for their contribution to the Street Art story over the last few years, including Anthony Lister, Kid Zoom, Dabs & Myla, Dmote, New2, Ben Frost, Meggs, Ha-Ha, Reka, Rone, Sofles And Vexta. Of course, many of these same cats represent straight out of BK too, but it’s nice to see the countrymen/women get together for an Aussie wall blastacular.
“Young and Free: Contemporary Australian Street Artists” is currently on view at the 941 Geary Gallery in San Francisco. For more information on this show click on the link below:
1. Freedia Video Exhortation
2. Guy Denning at Brooklynite Gallery Pop Up
3. LUDO in a Solo Show tonight “Metamorphosis” at High Roller Society (London)
4. YOUNITY is YOU! See the Goddesses Saturday in Yonkers (NYC)
5. Pandemic Says Goodbye to Summer with “Heat Beaten” Group Show
6. Australian Street Artists in San Francisco’s 941 Geary
7. “His Wife & Her Lover” at Primary Projects (Miami)
Okay everybody GET UP! Before we get cookin’ on too many projects today let’s everybody get up and do a dance to Friday and to life and the creative spirit that’s running through every person right now! This ain’t no rehearsal peepul. Miss Freedia gonna show us how to work it.
Guy Denning at Brooklynite Gallery Pop Up
Opening last night in a smoke filled ripped up storefront below Canal and above City Hall was this shrine filled show of meditations on 9/11, and the places we go amidst the memories and the rubble. Rae from Brooklynite spoke about the balance you try to strike when presenting a show like this, and they have probably hit it. Mixing headlines, languages, and the metaphor of purgatory with the anguish, longing, celebration and poetry that somehow coexist, Denning does a tender justice to us all.
For more information regarding this show click on the link below:
YOUNITY is YOU! See the Goddesses Saturday in Yonkers (NYC)
The YOUNITY Art Collective group show “Goddess Hood” opens on Saturday at the Yonkers Public Libray and boasts a really impressive line up of contemporary female artists working today in NYC. Some say that the female energy is what is going to lead us through the times ahead, and if so, these artists with rock solid connection to the street have lanterns in hand: Lichiban, Swoon, Sofia Maldonado, Krista Franklin, Marthalicia, Diana McClure, Faith 47, lmnop, Lady Alezia, and Alice Mizrachi
Australian Street Artists in San Francisco’s 941 Geary
In San Francisco the Australians have staged an ART invasion both on the streets and with a show at the 941 Geary Gallery. If you were wondering why the Australians are at the forefront of Street Art please turn your electronic gadgets off and get up and go see some hot art with: Anthony Lister, Kid Zoom, Dabs & Myla, DMote, New2, Ben Frost, Meggs, Ha Ha, Reka, Rone, Sofles and Vexta.
“His Wife & Her Lover” at Primary Projects (Miami)
In Miami things get heated at Primary Projects group show : “His Wife & Her Lover”. To find what happens to either the wife, the lover or the husband put your high heeled boots on, comb your hair, spray some cologne on and wish for the best.
“I like renegades – there’s something soattractive about their natural instinctto defy convention.” Anon.
Some call Australia the ‘lucky country’, but we’ve always made our own fate. From a rebellious pas we’ve forged an identity steeped in cunning ingenuity, creative discontent and unorthodox flair. We’ve staged rebellions over rum, gained notoriety and won Nobels. We invented cask wine and Wi-Fi and we’ve won countless world titles. There may not be a lot of us, but we’ve always packed a punch.
So it is no surprise that with nothing more than a can of paint and a glint in their eye Australians are taking the street art scene by storm. It’s time for the rest of the world to sit up and take notice.
Young & Free will be the most significant exhibition by Australian street artists ever seen in the United States. The show will feature fresh work by thirteen of Australia’s finest urban art guerrillas – from the already internationally acclaimed to the burgeoning up-and-comers.
This tribe of artists comes from a variety of backgrounds: brilliant new work by notorious 80’strain painters through to the sublime subtlety of a modern day Rembrandt armed with a spray can. Young & Free is a reflection of Australia’s thriving street culture with a strong grounding in the past and a firm focus on the future. These artists are modern day bushrangers, patrolling the lanes from Melbourne to Manhattan.
This show features a mix of direct sprays, stencils and paste-ups, representing the rich and varied groundings from which these artists have grown. No matter their age, medium or style, the Young & Free artists all share one thing in common: they want to give the urban landscape a fresh coat of paint.
There are many similarities between Australia and San Francisco. Both have famous bridges, internationally established street art cultures and, of course, trams. What is different is our beginnings. Australia’s criminal foundations have seeped into our national persona – Aussies are born with a spirit of rebellion. As the opening lines from our national anthem proclaim, ‘Australians all let us rejoice, for we are Young & Free.’
The cans have been capped, the wheat paste stirred, and the stencils packed: this is the most important Australian street art exhibition ever, mate.
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BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
