DIGITAL ART

A 97 year old, nearly blind man who works wonders with MS Paint

His name is Hal Lasko, his nickname Grandpa. What he did for living is something we will probably never see again – he was a graphic artist back when everything was done by hand. He then had to retired and his caring family had the genius idea to introduce him to the computer and especially to Microsoft Paint.

Since then Grandpa spends ten hours a day moving pixels around his computer paintings. Some would call his work pointillism, others 8-Bit art but it might be a bit of both.

Anyway, another inspiration that is Hal Lasko, The Pixel Painter. We have included below a video interview of the artist plus a few examples of his works.

Hal Lasko | Art-Pie

Hal Lasko | Art-Pie

Hal Lasko | Art-Pie

BLOG, FEATURE, STREET ART

Spray cans sculptures

We instantly fell in love when we first saw these little wonders of sculpture. Kresimir Buden 2Fast is the sculptor behind these creations which obviously are graffiti inspired.

The artist is based in Zagreb (Croatia) and use various brands of spray cans from Montana to Ironlak.  You will have noticed the Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans version amongst others.

I do not know for you but we particularly like the green one. What about you?

Click on the images below to launch the slideshow

Kresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-Pie

Kresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-Pie

STREET ART

#CODEFC street art and raise awareness for Sri Lanka

#codefc in Sri Lanka
"Woman" by #CODEFC
#codefc has recently been to Sri Lanka and witnessed the atrocity of the civil war that hit the country. Below are his words, no edit whatsoever, raw like the atrocities that Sri Lanka suffered and is still subject to. Thank you Fab to try to raise awareness.

“it s related to a sensitive subject happened a while ago but still very fresh over there..as u probably know the gosl( gov of sri lanka) has been at war with the LTTE for the past 25 yrs and the struggle culminated in 2009 with the defeat of the tigers and the killing of 40000 innocent tamils.

In my recent visit I had the chance to go ( briefly..for safety reasons) to eelam( the north east part of lanka) and speak to a few people. the situation there is still really bad and people are being abused on a daily basis.Even for tourist like me the situation has changed lately since the gosl has kicked out All NGOs and any white ( westerner) is seen as a pro tamil therefore pro tigers . roadblock are every few hundreds meters , passport controls and questions…the project is based on the sorrow of the genocide that the government inflicted on the tamil minority and I tried to keep it impartial ( not supporting the tigers) during the war the un was told safety for their troops was not guaranteed (???) and therefore they left leaving no one to monitor the cruelties that happened there in the last months of the war .

UN a beach 1 sunrise by #CODEFCI m not the best person to explain the whys and hows of the situation but a quick history search will show that the tigers were not the real problem of lanka but the diversity os the tamil ( favoured by the british during colonization for speaking better english and being better at their duties and the sinhalese community , and their non capability of living together .From what I ve seen the problem is still there , the north- east areas are a huge military base ( I myself started getting really uncomfortable about the situation and that lead me to do less painting that what I intentionally wanted to )

I hope my paintings raise some issues about the validity of the UN and the indifference of the nations that are part of it. If u have not had the chance of watching it please spare 45 mins srilanka s killing fields broadcasted on channel 4 ( u ll find it if u goole it .. full version ) also worth checking is www.tamilnet.com with a rather complete report on the situation there .
some of the designs were actually taken from that site..so they relate to real people of that area ( some are on houses destroyed by the fighting ..with real bullet holes”

"Starved" by #CODEFC

"Man v. Child" by #CODEFC

"Prisoner" by #CODEFC

BLOG, LATEST, STREET ART

Banksy’s new work on a wall of a Bristolian school

Bridge Farm School Banksy | Art-Pie
The finished work by Banksy of the wall of the school – Copyright Local World

A large number of people always get quite to very excited when a new Banksy work is discovered and we must admit, we were one of these this time round when we read this morning about this new work somewhere near Bristol… Keep reading on.

A contest amongst pupils at the origin of all this

Bridge Farm School Banksy | Art-Pie
Click to enlarge

Bridge Farm Primary School in Bristol, where Banksy dropped his latest piece, organised a little while ago, a contest amongst the pupils in the aim to name houses at the school after famous people and Banksy was one of the names that came up the most and which was therefore chosen. The other names were Brunel, Blackbeard and Cabot.

Geoff Mason, the head teacher wrote to Banksy’s team before they broke up for the half-term to let him know they had named a house after him…

Surprise when kids got back to school this morning

Children, staff and parents from the school in Whitchurch were surprised by the artwork this morning we hear as no one expected Banksy to produce some street art right in the courtyard!

The painting was done over the weekend, when Banksy was supposedly going to collect an award elsewhere namely the Sky Arts Awar.

Although Banksy rarely signs his work, a spokesman for him confirmed this morning it was indeed the elusive artist’s work. It is thought to be the first verified artwork from Banksy in a primary school.

Bridge Farm School Banksy | Art-Pie
Copyright – Local World

Even more surprised to get a letter back from Banksy

Bridge Farm School Banksy letter| Art-Pie
Click to enlarge

Here is what Geoff Mason, headteacher at the school, said the school had received a letter from the artist himself.

“I think it went up over the weekend, and completed last night, but we’re not entirely sure.

“It was done after we ran a competition to change the house names, and we decided to name them after Bristol legends. We had to include Banksy.

We thought it would be a good idea to write to the PR company and let them know we’ve run the competition.

“I’m sure this is Banksy’s work. We had a call from his PR team, and a letter signed by him.”

The letter reads:

“Dear Bridge Farm School, thanks for your letter and naming a house after me.

“Please have a picture, and if you don’t like it, feel free to add stuff.

“I’m sure the teachers won’t mind. Remember, it’s always easier to get forgiveness than permission.

“Much love, Banksy.”

Bridge Farm School Banksy | Art-Pie
A detail of the Banksy piece
PREVIEW

The London Original Print Art Fair

Click to enlargeHeld at the Royal Academy of Arts, the London Original Print Fair offers an opportunity to view works from all periods of printmaking, from the earliest woodcuts of Dürer, to the latest editions by contemporary masters.

The intimate, boutique Fair provides a friendly atmosphere for both budding collectors and seasoned print enthusiasts to engage with dealers and artists.

The London Original Print Fair brings together 50 print specialists from across the globe in London’s favourite boutique art fair. Works of art for sale span 500 years of printmaking: from old and modern master prints to the latest editions by today’s leading artists.

The London Original Print Fair’s dealers, galleries and studios offer a wealth of expertise and knowledge to engage with collectors both just starting out, and those building on established collections. This year is the Fair’s most international yet: alongside the UK’s very best dealers and print publishers are galleries and studios from three continents.

Artists represented at the Fair include Rembrandt, Goya, Whistler, Picasso and Warhol, alongside the latest work by Michael Craig-Martin RA, Bridget Riley, Sir Peter Blake and more.

CONTEMPORARY ART, PREVIEW

Der Tiere Solo show by Bael at Signal gallery

bael-signal-gallery

It’s a rare thing for a young artist to come along with a style and visual language fully formed. But this is definitely the case with Bael (AKA Michael James Bell). Still in the early stages of his career, his work has a confidence and clarity that many other, more experienced artists would envy.

Having briefly flirted with an art college education, Bael found the whole experience less than inspiring and decided to go it alone. The results seem to have proved that this was a wise decision. Looking at his intense, spare, highly personal artwork you have the distinct impression that they would not have been produced with such single mindedness, if he had been bombarded with the ideas and prejudices inherent in an art college education.

bael-signal-gallery

> Read more about the artist on the Signal gallery website

Private View: 13th January 2011, 6 – 9pm
Where: Signal gallery (London) – view on Google map
When: Open to the public: 14th January – 5th February 2011, Tuesday – Saturday 12 – 6pm

ART-PIE

CONTEMPORARY ART

Linder Sterling: Collage and Montage

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John Stezaker once said of Collage that it  “is a yearning for a lost world and reflects a universal sense of loss”. Those sentiments are certainly reflected in the work of artist and radical feminist Linder Sterling (also known as Linder).

In her series Pretty Girls, Linder reacted to visual world she occupied, a society of inequality and the gender specific rhetoric. Linder used the magazines of the late 70’s and 80’s as her painters brush. Splicing images of naked women from pornography, and kitchen appliances from those awful home improvement catalogues, she created a curious and slightly disturbing, yet telling depiction on the representation of women of the time.

Looking back at these images from the 70’s and the post punk era it’s amazing how contemporary they feel. Is this due to the inherent nature of collage and it’s yearning for a lost world (as Stezaker put it). Or is it that in a time when we are bombarded with imagery on a daily basis that more and more contemporary artists and looking back in time in an attempt to decipher it all?

Guest post by Brian J Morrison 

 

BLOG, PREVIEW

“Layers, Letters and Forms” by Corin Kennington at Stories

Corin Kennington | Art-Pie
Click to enlarge

Recent LCC graduate Corin Kennington’s first solo show, Layers, Letters and Forms is a visual exploration into the aesthetics and processes of typography.

Focusing on the physicality and hand-made elements of traditional methods, Corin’s work is created using a range of techniques such as letterpress, screen printing, risograph and hand painted letterforms.

His recent body of work explores the journey of creating an image through the combination of old and new processes, and developing ways of unifying digital aesthetics and systems with traditional methods of print and execution.

Throughout Layers, Letters and Forms, Corin uses typography as a visual form as opposed to a language or tool of communication.

Corin Kennington at Stories | Art-Pie

CONTEMPORARY ART, STREET ART

Clemens Behr & Romain Froquet – cardboard, wood, yarn and paint

We have already featured Clemens Behr‘s cardboards installations and are again very happy to do so. This time, the playground is in Paris and the collaboration is with French painter Romain Froquet.

The fruit of this partnership are two eye-catching 3D installations enhanced by Froquet’s neat and intricate abstract paintings which can be seen below. The video of this collaborative work has also been included below.

Clemens Behr and Romain Froquet installation

STREET ART ENCOUNTERS