Mando Marie, an American artist currently dividing her time between Amsterdam and Portugal, stands out with her unique blend of stencil art and painting. Her work subtly echos themes of childhood nostalgia wrapped in layers that are both comforting and slightly phantasmal. Her latest exhibition, “Take Me Down,” showcased at the STRAAT Gallery in Amsterdam from May 12th through June 23rd, 2024, highlights her as the first female artist to hold a solo exhibition at this venue.
Her artistic style draws heavily from mid-20th-century children’s books, echoing that era’s simplicity and illustrative clarity. Influenced by artists like Eloise Wilken and Henry Darger, Mando Marie integrates vintage sewing patterns and twin imagery to produce a repetitive, mirrored visual effect, creating a naive, intriguing ambiance at play with the childlike forms. This visual strategy not only amplifies the impact of her work but subtly introduces complex themes through seemingly innocent scenarios.
Mando Marie extends her artistic expression beyond the studio into urban spaces, engaging with street art practices that enrich her gallery works. This dual approach enables her to resonate with a diverse audience, appealing to street art fans and fine art collectors. The use of nostalgia serves as a narrative tool in her art, prompting viewers to delve into their memories and question the simplicity of the narratives they recall from childhood. Her exhibitions offer a space where viewers can explore a blend of clarity and depth, bridging the gap between public urban art and the intimate gallery setting.
The exhibition “Take Me Down” is likely to evoke a mix of nostalgia and subtle, enigmatic qualities, reflecting the dual nature of Mando’s work: an engaging visual experience and possibly a cerebral journey.
Mando Maire is at work in her studio. Amsterdam. (photo courtesy of Straat Gallery)Mando Marie. “Boundless”. Mando Marie – Take Me Down. Straat – Museum for Street Art and Graffiti. Amsterdam. (photo courtesy of the gallery)Mando Marie. “The Power of Wishper”. Mando Marie – Take Me Down. Straat – Museum for Street Art and Graffiti. Amsterdam. (photo courtesy of the gallery)Mando Maire is at work on the streets. (photo courtesy of Straat Gallery)Mando Maire (photo courtesy of Straat Gallery)
MANDO MARIE – TAKE ME DOWN
Exhibition Dates: Sunday May 12th – Sunday June 23rd, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday May 11th 6 – 9 PM. For more details click HERE
In the shifting culturescapes of urban contemporary art, STRAAT Museum’s latest exhibition, “Moniker: An Origin Story,” emerges as a poignant narrative that bridges the transient heritage of hobo monikers with the vibrant pulse of today’s street art scene. This show not only marks an exploration into the roots of a movement but stands as a tribute to Russell Butler, known as buZ Blurr, a pivotal figure who recently passed away, and whose legacy in the realm of freight train artistry has left an indelible mark on the canvas of American folk art.
The practice of hobo writing on trains, a tradition from the early 20th century, encapsulates a form of rebellion against the confines of societal norms, embracing a nomadic lifestyle that flourished alongside the tracks of freight trains. In their quest for freedom and community, Hobos developed a unique language of symbols, or “monikers,” that became a vital means of communication within this itinerant community. These monikers, often rendered in solid paint sticks or industrial crayons, are the precursors to the graffiti and punk DIY styles that would later permeate urban landscapes, among other things, embodying a spirit of protest against modern society’s failings and creating platforms for random acts of poetry.
buZ Blurr, an artist who commenced his journey within the rail yards of Gurdon, Arkansas, crafted a visual lexicon over five decades, becoming synonymous with the Colossus of Roads moniker. His “boxcar icon dispatches” served not only as personal narratives but as a collective memory for the transient souls that found solace in the freedom of the rails. Through his friendship and collaboration with Bill Daniel, a documentarian whose work “Who is Bozo Texino?” delves into the subculture of rail graffiti, Blurr’s legacy and the broader narrative of hobo moniker art have been meticulously archived and celebrated.
Colossus of Roads in S.F. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)
The exhibition at STRAAT invites audiences to traverse the evolution of this underground art form, from its hobo origins to its present-day incarnation within the global urban art scene. The exhibition showcases a selection of works that encapsulate the essence of the moniker movement, highlighting the original artworks and boxcar iconography that buZ Blurr authored and brandished. Visitors will encounter a diverse array of expressions, from the iconic Colossus of Roads to other seminal figures within the moniker tradition, each piece narrating a story of freedom, identity, and resistance.
In an era where some in the contemporary urban art scene gravitate towards commodification, this genesis story rekindles the foundational values of community, communication, and the unadulterated desire for expression that characterized the organic origins of this movement. STRAAT Museum reaffirms its commitment to celebrating the authentic and genuine voices that have shaped graffiti, street art, and urban art through this exhibition. This show is not just a historical recount but a vibrant testament to the enduring spirit of artists who have navigated the margins to inscribe their narratives on the city’s canvas – and across the country.
Colossus of Roads. Moniker, An Origin Story. Straat Museum Amsterdam. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)
The exhibition opens its doors with a reception on Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 6-9 PM, inviting the public into a dialogue with the past and present. The exhibition will continue through Sunday, April 28, 2024, at STRAAT Museum. In its essence, one hopes it celebrates the indomitable human spirit’s quest for freedom, identity, and expression.
buZ blurr during a conversation with Brooklyn Street Art in 2019.
“These are a self-portrait as predicated on the first Bozo Texino person, and I kind of changed the image around,” says Mr. Blurr, a legendary figure in denim overalls, as he patiently describes his classic tag image of a railway cowboy.
“It is a writer motif – the pipe smoke is going up, and then it is trailing back to signify movement as the train goes down the track,” he says. “I worked in the train yards, and my job was as a brakeman. I had a little free time, so I started making drawings. I made my first one on November 11, 1971,” he says as he recalls a state of mind that he was in at the time as he began to tag freights with the image and text that came to him clearly – yet it may have perplexed other travelers.
“They came from a confused state. I was questioning everything. I was putting a kind of cryptic messages under my drawings. It was anybody’s guess as to its literal interpretation. I addressed some of them up to specific people, but whether they saw them or responded to them, I wouldn’t have any idea.”
The full list of contributing artists includes:
2359, Alquimia Ferrocarrilera, Bill Daniel, Coaltrain, Colossus of Roads, Ed Haskel, Fat Owl, Flangesqueal, I’m Ugly, Khaze, The Kodak Kid, Lamps, Leroy Drown, Milktooth, Mr. Bass, NY Tomato, North Bank Fred, NOVA, POOH. The Rambler, Shrug, Smokin’ Joe, The Solo Artist, Stonewall Jim, Swampy, Take 5, Tex Goth, Wooden Axle, Bozo Texino, Conrail Twitty, Herby, Iowa Blackie, J.B. King Esq, Matokie Slaughter, Mud Up, Taurus, El Truncón, Water Bed Lou.
Moniker: An Origin Story is open to the public from Sunday, March 10th until Sunday, April 28th, 2024
A decade ago, spotting a fire extinguisher tag at a high-profile art fair was as rare as stumbling upon a unicorn. These tags, a raw expression borrowed from the rebellious part of street culture, remain one of the few graffiti forms embodying untamed, voluminous fury. Their wild, nearly uncontrollable nature often sends extinguisher tags sprawling chaotically across walls, typically in a burst of illegal exhilaration and complete disregard. Yet, at Scope, something has changed. Here, under the discerning eye of the STRAAT Museum from Amsterdam, New York’s Elle adds it to her graphic vocabulary, confined in a grid. The extinguisher phrase is sweetly an affair of the heart, neatly encapsulated within the structured lines of a painted grid on an outdoor display wall.
In this world (the West, East, North, and South), increasingly sliced by polarized political fault lines, the once rigid boundaries between art and vandalism blur into intriguing shades of gray. Consider hand styles like those of Bisco Smith at this venue – once underground, now they fold into the stylized lexicon of ‘calligraffiti,’ accessible to all. It’s a testament to the evolving nature of art, shattering the dichotomy of rules once as clear-cut as the commandments brought down by Moses.
Take Anthony Garcia Sr., for instance. His story is a narrative of contrasts. Born in Denver, that bastion of Boomer wealth now gasping in the throes of late-stage capitalism, Garcia’s roots are in Globeville, a less privileged neighborhood. He gets street cred for starting as a graffiti writer, then joins a DIY art collective – a move perhaps uncharacteristic for traditional graffiti artists. Garcia’s journey exemplifies the fading of stark black-and-white distinctions.
This year’s walls outside the Scope Fair in Miami vividly showcase this eclectic con/fusion. We see graffiti writers rubbing shoulders with art school graduates, graphic designers, and street artists. It’s a diverse panorama condensed into a concise exhibit. Curated by Hyland Mather and David Roos, STRAAT’s exhibition “Not So Black & White” celebrates this new, complex artistic landscape – where the lines between defiance and conformity, street and gallery, blend into a new, undefined horizon.
Artists include The London Police Hoxxoh, Pref ID, Bisco Smith, Mando Marie, Elle, Valfre, and Anthony Garcia Sr. .
As we usher in the new year, it’s exhilarating to embrace a project that embodies a powerful message: “Raise the Level.” This initiative, resonating with the ethos of elevating our discourse on critical issues, reminds us that respectful, high-quality debate is not only possible but necessary. Steering clear of personal attacks, we all have the capability to engage constructively in meaningful conversations.
Shepard Fairey. Still from the movie. (image courtesy of Straat Museum)
In this spirit, we are thrilled to introduce the collaboration between STRAAT Museum and renowned artist and activist Shepard Fairey, in a project aptly named “Raise the Level.” This endeavor is brought to life through an extraordinary five-minute documentary that offers an intimate glimpse into Shepard Fairey’s creative process and his mission to use art as a catalyst for change.
The documentary, crafted by filmmaker Lidewij Hartog, follows Shepard Fairey during his visit to Amsterdam in August 2023. This visit marked a significant moment for Fairey, as he showcased his “Printed Matters: Raise the Level” exhibition at the STRAAT Gallery. But his contribution went beyond the gallery walls. Fairey left an indelible mark on the city by creating a monumental mural on the museum’s outdoor wall and adding a distinct artwork to the museum’s permanent collection.
Shepard Fairey. Still from the movie. (image courtesy of Straat Museum)
Shepard Fairey: Raise the Level – a short doc on Shepard Fairey in Amsterdam by Straat Muesum and Lidewij Hartog.
STRAAT Museum proudly presents “Shepard Fairey: Raise the Level.” This documentary not only captures the essence of Fairey’s artistic journey in Amsterdam but also delves into the motivations and aspirations driving his art. Join us in experiencing the impact of Shepard Fairey’s work and his ongoing dedication to using art as a medium to inspire societal change.
Shepard Fairey. Still from the movie. (image courtesy of Straat Museum)
Shepard Fairey. Printed Matters: Raise The Level. Straat Museum Amsterdam.
“Raise the Level” is what street artist/fine artist Shepard Fairey has always done regarding the level of political, social, and environmental discourse in any given room. At the STRAAT Museum in Amsterdam, where the shipping trade resides in the annals of history, you may also find yourself contemplating the ebb and flow of ocean levels. The question of how high future waters will lap at the doors of this establishment, nestled within a former maritime warehouse, has surely crossed the minds of those who tread its epic halls.
In town for his first serious exhibition here, which opens this weekend and runs through the first of October, the sharply satirical stalwart of activism and stunning graphic design on the street is surrounded by a cadre of fans and photographers gathering on the sidewalk as he floats with his crew on the lift above.
With deft choreography, he and his adept crew maneuver a lift to forge a new mural, seamlessly fusing his signature elements: symbols, incisive political commentary, and an embodiment of feminine resilience – somehow all of it converging in her unwavering gaze.
As ever, Fairey hopes to shake you from your apathy, if possible. The Californian voyager of street/punk/graphic aesthetics says the themes he follows in the new exhibition are “aimed at improving the ‘health’ of our planet but also addresses other urgent matters, such as nationalism, xenophobia, war, fake news, and threats to democracy.” There will be no doubt that he will do so convincingly.
Across the bottom of this new wall, which we’re proud to be able to share, are two collaborators styled rather wildly and in a complementary color palette. One is the OG USA crew captain and calligraffiti artist Niels “Shoe” Meulman. To his left is writing legend Yalt, who kills it. Integrated more directed into Shepard’s composition are the stylized letters of Shoe, perhaps reminding us that in matters of the planet and each other, it’s a good idea to “Handle With Care”.
“Printed Matters: Raise the Level” opens at Straat Museum Saturday, August 13th.
Four contemporary artists with native American heritage will be mounting a new exhibition in Amsterdam this spring called “Indigenous Americans: Post Colonial Expressions.” This is an excellent derivation of the typical grafftiti/street art story that we like to expose – especially when it is rooted in inviting more people into the room that continues to redefine itself.
Curator Hyland Mather and team at STRAAT Museum have been building a good foundation of diversity in the last few years as their collection has grown and their exhibitions schedule widens – with a professed mission to examine the street art and graffiti culture as it is expressed around the world.
“ ‘Indigenous Americans: Post Colonial Expressions’ speaks to the unity a diverse culture embodies, and to the deeply rooted history of Indigenous makers and their ongoing relationship with public space painting,” say organizers.
The four participating artists are Jaque Fragua, Danielle SeeWalker, Kaplan Bunce, and Anthony Garcia Sr. You may be familiar with one or all of them – we recall the text billboards of Jaque Fragua a few years ago in a distinctive hand that alerted public to some historical facts like “This Is Indian Land”, on a Los Angeles construction site wall – and some highjacked signs saying ”Sacred” and “Stop Coal”.
Danielle SeeWalker. Denver Central Market. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)
“I see graffiti as a primordial art form of mark-making that started on caves and rocks as petroglyphs or pictographs,” Fragua said on ArtNet a few years ago. “The language is a bit different in modern times, but the spirit of visual storytelling is still there.”
“The contemporary Urban Art landscape to me looks like a mix between a culture-rich sharing of art practices from around the globe,” says artist Kaplan Bunce in a press release from the museum. “I see unity in the community and have found that by continuously practicing my indigenousness throughout these spaces I am continuing a pathway made by those who have been making marks on walls for all of time.”
Danielle SeeWalker. “Not Today Cowboy”. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)Danielle SeeWalker. “Uncle Giving Directions”. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)Jaque Fragua. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)Kaplan Bunce. “Four Directions Prayer”. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)Kaplan Bunce. (photo courtesy of Straat Museum)
Exhibition opens Saturday April 8th, 2023, from 7-10 pm in the STRAAT Gallery at STRAAT Museum, with the artists in attendance. In addition to the gallery exhibition which runs through Sunday June 4th, 2023, each artist will also create a mural scale work for STRAAT’s permanent collection in our massive main hall.
It’s that time of the year again! Our 12th “Hot List” of books – a best-of collection that is highly personal and unscientific and sure to provide you with ideas.
Our interests and network continued to spread far afield this year, and we chose a cross-section of books that are well worth your time – whether it’s the stories they tell or the quality of the stock or the revelation of seeing images previously unseen except by a handful of people. We have political, personal, and professional takes on this beautiful street art scene, as well as a careful instruction book on how to make your own
So here is a short list from 2022 that you may enjoy as well – just in case you would like to give them as gifts to family, friends, or even to yourself.
STRAAT: Quote from the Streets. Lannoo Publishers.
From BSA:
In a space massive enough for a Dutch sea vessel, the Street Art Museum of Amsterdam (STRAAT) has one of the largest collections of today’s mural stars anywhere. During its official maiden voyage, curious street art/graffiti/contemporary art fans look to see if this ship is seaworthy. The brainchild of former graffiti writer, curator, and publisher Peter Ernst Coolen in the early 2010s, the D.N.A. of the museum is rooted in his forward vision as much as the ideal waterfront warehouse that showcases close to 200 international artists.
The human-built city has at times been called a jungle, but the concrete and steel environment flatters itself if it really thinks so. The intelligence and beauty present in the natural plant world far outstrips our modern cityscape, centuries after its origination. At least a few artists have been bringing it back to us in murals over the last few years, introducing a calm, lyrical serenity that dives way beneath the conscious, touching our roots.
The young Italian painter Fabio Petani has been reintroducing a natural agenda to cities across Europe for less than a decade – in a way that only a scientist, botanist, and naturalist with a design sensibility could. What is genuinely original is his subtle re-interpretation of the formal conventions of botany, introducing them to a modern urban audience without lecturing – and rising far beyond purely
Fabio Petani “Spagyria Urbana”. Torino, Italy. 2021. Texts by Alessandra Loale. Layout by Livio Ninni with translation by Mauro Italianodecorative presentations.
An updated version of his initial “Stay Melty” collection a half dozen years ago, street artist Buff Monster expands and shares with you more of his studio production, paintings, sculptures, murals, and ever-growing industry of collectibles in this photo book, a candy-coated volume of eccentricities that capture this moment in an artist’s evolution.
Carlo McCormick’s original text perseveres here as well, most possibly because it still captures so much of the dedicated madness that is Buff, afloat upon the detritus that demarcates our late capitalism era in dirty old New York. McCormick sagely comments on Buff’s take on “a realm of magical thinking in a contemporary visual culture where a few rare artists like Buff Monster can invoke alternate realities as palpably believable and emotionally transformative.”
Poet, urban author, photographer, and longtime NYC messenger Kurt Boone was there too, camera in hand and ready to record the action of the artists getting up on walls and meeting the public. Kurt throws himself into the scene and knows how to navigate while people are enjoying the atmosphere of creativity all around. With his knowledge of the street capturing graffiti, urban cycling, street photography, skateboarding, and busking, you know that his shots are on point.
Instead of uploading everything to a social media platform, Boone asked his friend Anthony Firetto to help lay out his photos to create a book. This is a genuine work of the heart – a self-published hefty book that captures a moment in time, the various players and styles, and a flashpoint in the development of Jersey City as it continues to change.
The political caricature is a treasured form of public discourse that still holds as much power as it did when we relied on the printing press. Able to express sentiment and opinion without uttering a syllable, the artist can sway the direction of conversation with skill, insight, and humor. Artist Robbie Conal has built a career from visually roasting the most sebaceous of our various leaders in the last few decades, often bringing his posters to the street and installing them in advertisers’ wildposting manner.
With the briefest of texts, slogans, or twisted nicknames, he reveals the underbelly as a face, dropping expectations into the sewer. If it were as simple as a political party, one might try to dismiss his work as only partisan. But Conal’s work functions more as an ex-ray, and frequently the resulting scan finds cancer.
ROBBIE CONAL / STREETWISE. 35 YEARS OF POLITICALLY CHARGED GUERRILLA ART. By G. James Daichendt. With a foreword by Shepard Fairey. Published by Schiffer Publishing LTD. Atglen, PA
Page after page of golden NYC hits from the Martha Cooper archive; this new hardcover tome expands the galaxy for fans and academics of that amber-soaked period when it seemed like New York was leading a Spray Nation of graffiti for cities across the country. Known for her ability to capture graffiti writers’ work in its original urban context, Ms. Cooper once again proves that her reputation as the documentarian of an underground/overground aesthetics scene is no joke.
With an academics’ respect for the work, the practice, and the practitioners, Cooper recorded volumes of images methodically for history – and your appreciation. With the vibrant and sometimes vicious city framing their pieces, an uncounted legion of aerosol-wielding street players raced city-wide at top speed, ducking cops and cavorting with a confident abandon in the rusted and screeching steel cityscape. By capturing these scenes without unnecessary editorializing, Cooper gives you access to the organically chaotic graffiti subculture on the move at that moment – directly through her unflinching eyes.
Martha Cooper: Spray Nation. Signed Limited Edtion Box Set is published by Beyond The Streets. With a foreword by Roger Gastman and essays by Steven P. Harrington, Miss Rosen, Jayson Edlin, and Brian Wallis.
One of the exciting book releases this fall drops today in stores across the country – which is appropriate with a name like Spray Nation.
The centerpiece of the complete boxed set released this spring, this thick brick of graffiti tricks will end up on as many shelves as Subway Art; the book of Genesis that prepared everyone for the global scene of graffiti and street art that would unveil itself for decades afterward. See our review from earlier in the year, and sample some of the stunning spreads here, along with quotes by the book’s essay writers, Roger Gastman, Steven P. Harrington, Miss Rosen, Jayson Edlin, and Brian Wallis.
Martha Cooper. SPRAY NATION 1980s Graffiti Photographs. Edited by Roger Gastman. Prestel. Germany, 2022.
Robert Proch: Sketches 2003-2018
From BSA:
“ROBERT PROCH – SKETCHES” : a collection of all the preserved drawings and sketches created by the artist in the years 2003-2018.
We had the opportunity to hang around with artist Robert Proch in 2015 at the No Limit festival in Boras, Sweden. Unassuming and bright, the artist was creating a painting on a massive wall that seemed to us to be insurmountable. He excitedly and with great ease jumped on the cherry picker and dove into the explosion he had sketched – pouring color and gesture into his futurist composition, bending and twisting the axis, capturing the flying energy and elements that appeared to jump off toward the viewer.
Later at dinner in a private home, it was a pleasure to speak with him. A warm, polite, and thoughtful guy – you would not necessarily know that his internal art view was so expansive, except to see his darting eyes perhaps, which didn’t appear to miss anything.
Robert Proch. “Sketches 2003-2018”. Robert Proch Foundation
You hope for it, but nothing is guaranteed. Transitioning from being an artist with a respected, lauded practice of graffiti/street art to a booming professional career on canvas is not a clearly defined route. Although many have tried, are trying right now.
What does it take, you ask? A potent mix of talent, luck, fortitude, applied effort, guts, and a willingness to change one’s approach if necessary, as necessary. In our experience, the last item proves to be the most challenging.
Yo, but Mad C is mad talented.
She’s made it a dedication to studying and learning the craft, fine-tuning the skills, practicing, perfecting, and persevering. All of those qualities will give you a great measure of personal satisfaction even when it doesn’t land you a big bank balance. In the case of MadC, internalizing the practices and codes of graffiti that originated with the 1960s/70s graffiti writers was core – imprinted her creative DNA forever – even though her first attempt to write was not until 1995 in Germany.
Color-blocked basketball courts appreciated from a plane, cheerful abstract murals for restaurants, hotels, and cafes, and massive wood collages comprised of assembled pieces that are each finished before joining. What do these expressions of artist Scott Albrecht have to do with one another? If you study the patterns, in time, you will see.
A handsome cloth-covered hardcopy of works by the Gowanus, Brooklyn-based public/studio artist presents a selection of works from 2017-21 that have a rational color theory, smoothly dynamic geometries, and a soothing certitude in their complexity. Spotlighting public art projects, studio processes, exhibitions in New York and LA, and his residency at Hyland Mather’s place in Portugal, the collection is refined yet human.
The Paris-based stencil artist C215 learned his skills in the street and in the studio beginning in the mid-2000s after being influenced by the burgeoning practice in the street art scene of Barcelona and recognizing the practitioners in his home in Paris. Within a few short years, he was watching the evolution of all his peers – and even curating their work into shows. You can see many styles and techniques by surveying the field, and you’ll decide whose work is a cut above.
“The book that you are holding in your hands is, therefore, a manual, an inventory of techniques to be appropriated in order to get yourself started in the art or to help you develop stenciling’s potential. Stencils have no limits and can be adapted to all styles,” says the author in his introduction.
C215 – The Stencil Graffiti Manual. Schiffer Publishing 2022
A new book here features six years of selected works from a Polish graffiti writer, muralist, and professor of art and painting at a secondary school in his hometown of Olsztyn, Poland. He reckons that his life is one of ‘Planned Freestyle,’ meaning that having structure imposed upon him is very helpful in focusing his creative mind. You may quickly appreciate this characterization if you know any artists.
The collection of selected works here by Bartek Swiatecki is as luminous and optically rewarding to the viewer as they are opaque to the mind and stirring to the heart. With prolific and gently evolving abstractions in movement, you can see an artist at work, at play, and at his personal best – topping his previous work. The grandson of another painter and professor (of philology), Miroslaw Swiatecki, and the nephew of a famous painter and animator, Marek Swiatecki, perhaps it was only a matter of time before this 90s graffiti writer moved into more formal practices on canvas and walls.
As we prepare to celebrate 15 years of daily publishing stories and insights about street artists from around the world here on BSA, you’ll know that there are some whose work has merited hours of writing and photography much more than others – perhaps because we first knew her work here in our neighborhood of Brooklyn long before we began this site. Following her through almost every iteration and project, we’ve interviewed her on many stages and in her studio as she continues to unfold, self-examine, recognize the damage, heal herself, give to others, and create on the street, in the studio, gallery, museum, and now on screen.
For her second bound monogram, Caledonia Curry, AKA Swoon, reviews her path as a collection of psychological and emotional journeys, or perhaps one all-encompassing voyage with concurrents and tributaries running alongside and underneath. Whether she is showing you her early work on the streets here or in Italy at a festival called FAME, her Konbit Shelter days, her Braddock Project with the church in Pennsylvania, her Perly’s Beauty Shop, her epic installations at Jeffrey Deitch, LA MOCA in Los Angeles, ICA in Boston, the Brooklyn Museum, or DIA in Detroit, we’ve reported to you on them all – so you have an idea where this new book The Red Skein will take you. It is great to see the memories and the people all pulled together here cohesively and to understand the skeins that all weave together loosely and tightly.
SWOON: The Red Skein. DRAGO Publisher. Rome, Italy. 2022
“For us, the key to a lasting relationship is based on respect and appreciating those little details that make your partner special,” say the street art duo named DourOne when talking about their new canvas called “La Pareja (the couple)”.
DourOne. “La Pareja”. Straat Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (photo courtesy of the artists)
The 6-meter by 9-meter painting is freshly hung in Amsterdam’s Straat Museum as part of an ongoing program to populate the gridded exhibition space in this massive warehouse on a former shipping dock.
Seven years after their first painting for Straat, the artist team says this one represents an evolution in their lives. “It deals with the resemblance of two people who know each other very well, coming to seem like twins in many aspects but at the same time preserving their individuality and their own personality.”
DourOne. “La Pareja”. Straat Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (photo courtesy of the artists)DourOne. “La Pareja”. Straat Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (photo courtesy of the artists)DourOne. “La Pareja”. Straat Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (photo courtesy of the artists)
In a space massive enough for a Dutch sea vessel, the Street Art Museum of Amsterdam (STRAAT) has one of the largest collections of today’s mural stars anywhere. During its official maiden voyage, curious street art/graffiti/contemporary art fans look to see if this ship is seaworthy. The brainchild of former graffiti writer, curator, and publisher Peter Ernst Coolen in the early 2010s, the D.N.A. of the museum is rooted in his forward vision as much as the ideal waterfront warehouse that showcases close to 200 international artists.
STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam.
Housed in a massive yet austere ship hull-welding hanger that closed in the 1980s, the airy space later hosted flea markets and similar events. Today the STRAAT is evolving into something more closely resembling a museum space due to recent structural and lighting improvements, but it hasn’t become a white box. If its origination story of punk culture, D.I.Y., and a well-loved graffiti Hall of Fame still holds water, this street art home by NDSM Wharf has the potential to be a world-class icon that retains credibility and out-paces other contenders.
The museum delivers a promise with a significant renovation, focused programming, public/private tours, an investment in marketing, branding/partnering, a sexy website, invited curators, and (no Banksy jokes, please) a gift shop. We’ve encountered the palpable energy of the select crew of creative directors, curators, content creators, and experience managers over the last few years. There is the desire to forge a soul of the new enterprise, as helmed by Coolen’s original business partner and civil engineer Peter Hoogewerf.
STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Kobra on the facade.
To appreciate where it may be heading, you now have a guidebook of works by the 200 or so artists who have created canvasses and sculpture here in the permanent collection. Given the wide span presented, the challenge will be to define a direction for this 8000 square meter shipyard space – aside from merely offering a broad survey of current names on the global stage.
STRAAT: Quote from the Streets (Lannoo Uitgeverij) is the name of the opening exhibition and a thick softcover tome of attractive art plates. It offers a collection of artists’ profiles, reflections, and artworks laid out in a spare and modern way, allowing the mind to wander or rest. With an intro by curator and founder of the Paris-based agency Le Grand Jeu Christian Omodeo, the travel/street art blogger Giulia Riva and writer Giovanna Di Giacomo are authors. Their essay explains that the STRAAT collection is organized here according to categories of Aesthetic, Ground, Empathic, and Conscious – with detailed descriptions of the respective characteristics and rationale laid out in the opening texts.
Sliks. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam.
The range of styles and techniques here mirrors many of the mural movements on streets around the world today. The writers give valuable contextual background for decoding what often are high-quality artworks. A unifying and concise overview of each artist is a supporting firmament with enough academic rigor to enlighten the reader – no small feat in a world populated with fanboys and pseudo-intellectualizing. Because of it, this introduction to the museum is more than average data reportage – helping to broaden understanding of this multi-headed hydra called the street art scene. With a firm grip guiding the rudder, this ship looks like it is ready to sail.
ASTRO. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Guido van Helten paints STRAAT’s Peter Hoogewerf. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Ben Slow. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Lannoo Uitgeverij.Adele Renault. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Lannoo Uitgeverij.Ever. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Lannoo Uitgeverij.Mr. June. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Lannoo Uitgeverij.Dan Kitchner. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Lannoo Uitgeverij.Icy & Sot. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Lannoo Uitgeverij.Alaniz. STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Lannoo Uitgeverij.STRAAT Museum of Amsterdam. Lannoo Uitgeverij.
STRAAT MUSEUM: Quotes From The Streets. Published by Lannoo. Click HERE to learn more about STRAAT and to purchase the book.
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.
Now screening: 1. Global Street Art: “Cultural Vandals”? 2. DOES: Cement Graffiti piece at Amsterdam’s STRAAT Museum 3. New Border. Imagine a different kind of Southern Border between the USA and Mexico.
BSA Special Feature: Global Street Art: “Cultural Vandals”?
Calmer, more measured perhaps, and still pissed off at those who appropriate the culture and then mow it over, here’s Doug Gillen examining a community led mural program being dissed by a fast food corporation in Cardiff, Wales. More alarming perhaps are the middle people who smooth the path and take a cut, according to this new episode of Fifth Walls, called “Cultural Vandals”.
DOES: Cement Graffiti piece at Amsterdam’s STRAAT Museum
An unusual feat of art-making that brings his piece into another dimension, DOES builds up the foundation for his lettering with a carefully applied layer of cement. STRAAT Museum has the story and DOES brings the skillz.
New Border. Imagine a different kind of Southern Border between the USA and Mexico.
The project is called “New Border” and it proposes a constructive alternative bilateral, ecological and humanistic solution to the wall erected (in part) under the Trump administration on the decaying US-Mexican border.
BROOKLYN STREET ART LOVES YOU MORE EVERY DAY
