WX Street Party: the rise of the non-conformists

Summer time and outdoors urban art exhibition sound like they are made for each other so you imagine my excitement when I heard about the Whitecross street party.

I am lucky enough to work quite near the area and had unfairly some might say went a few days earlier to get a sneak preview at the artworks which were starting to pop up everywhere on the walls of Whitecross street. The huge piece from Burning Candy had definitely open my appetite for more.

I turned up then early afternoon on Saturday and was happy to see that the street was fairly busy with heads going up and down the surrounding walls and fingers pointing at will. I was quick to join and enjoy Burning Candy, EElus or Best Ever pieces.

I was disappointed though by the lack of live events. I perhaps should have turned up earlier and could have attended the giant knitting event or was I expecting too much? Anyway, it was good to see some artists at it at least stenciling and spraying away.

Good day out overall and definitely some awesome pieces to go and see. The street exhibition runs until the 5th September.

Featured artists:
Best Ever | Burning Candy Crew | Carrie Reichardt | David Bray | Dead Leg | Dotmasters | Dr.D | Eelus | Filthy Luker | Gavin Turk | Giles Walker | Small | Mysterious Al | Mr.E.Dawe | Paul Insect | Peter Dunne | Ronnie Wood | Shepherd Fairey | Teddy Baden | Will Barras | Wreckage | Xenz

Related links
> WX street party website
> WX street party on Flickr

ART-PIE

The Regent's canal art festival

Regent's canal festivalI like walking down the Regent’s canal, just for a stroll but also to spot street art. Many famous street or graffiti artists such as Banksky or Team Robbo have let their spray cans go wild on the walls of the surrounding buildings or bridges along the path.

Come to the canal this summer and get away from the Olympics madness and enjoy art, from performances, visual art to music. The Regent’s canal festival will be held from the 13 to the 15th July 2012. The submissions are being taken right now and until the 10th June 2012 so hurry and get this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Link to follow to submit your work – http://bit.ly/JzTdbk

“Regent’s Canal Festival celebrates the 200th anniversary of the formation of the Canal, while engaging local communities provides an excellent platform to deliver a wide range of artistic disciplines – such as audiovisuals, performances, visual arts, live experiences, events and music.

The Regent’s Canal Festival is taking place alongside the canal, crossing boroughs from Little Venice to Limehouse Basin. The Festival will be transforming the Regent’s Canal into an artistic and cultural hub raising awareness of environmental issues through the arts.

In order to create this, we are looking for art works that thematically fits our artistic vision, enhancing the look and feel of being surrounded by water.

The pieces may be interactive or purely visual spectacles, they can potentially incorporate elements of water or fire but they must be relatively durable and suitable for all weather conditions. Floating and light sculptures are particularly welcome.”

Regent's canal festivalThis application is most applicable to existing art works that you would like to exhibit to a wider audience. But if you have a new project that you like to create for the Festival don’t forget to send all the budget details.”

Deadline for project submission: Friday 1st June, 10pm

For all enquiries please contact laura.bottin@regentscanalfestival.org.uk

If you are interested in hearing about the upcoming programme of the Regent’s Canal Festival please email info@regentscanalfestival.org.uk to join our mailing list.

Follow as http://www.facebook.com/regentscanalfestival

Banksy’s Police SWAT Van Is About To be Sold At Auction

Banksy SWAT Van | Art-Pie
Detail of one of the two painted sides

Banksy fans will remember this SWAT (police units used in specialised operations such as dealing with gunmen) van which the artist painted back in 2006 as form of provocation towards the police force.

Well, it is time to empty your pockets if you want it parked on your drive way, indeed the street artist’s van is included in the auction house’s Post-War and Contemporary Art auction on June 29.

The formal estimate is at between £200,000 to £300,000. The present owner bought the van directly off the artist and vanished from the public eye until today but rest assured, it comes with a certificate of verification from the Pest Control Office, Banksy’s authorisation service which confirms pieces as genuine.

Here is what Bonhams‘ Ralph Taylor,senior director in its Post-War and Contemporary Art department –

The van shows Banksy’s bravado, imagination and technical skill

About the work itself

Both sides are painted.

One one side, a little boy is depicted and is about to prank a SWAT team -gun-toting officers in riot gear, who are about to be surprised from behind by a young boy clutching a blown-up paper bag,

On the other side you will have recognised Dorothy (played byJudy Garland) from The Wizard of Oz standing among heavy tagging and graffiti on the other.

But what people may describe as the main message in this work is the sign saying “How’s my bombing?” rather than “How’s my driving?

Banksy SWAT Van | Art-Pie

Banksy SWAT van Wizard of OZ Judy Garland | Art-Pie

Part of  Banksy’s “Barely Legal” show

Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge

The vehicle, restyled with household gloss and spray paint in 2006, was displayed that same year in a Los Angeles warehouse for Banksy’s “Barely Legal” show — his US debut.

Despite little advance notice and its location near Skid Row, the event received considerable publicity and was attended by stars such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

We included a couple of pics below of the show. the top one giving you an overview while the other shows a truck that was used outside the show venue – click any pictures to enlarge

"Barely legal" Banksy Los Angeles | Art-Pie Barely-Legal-2006-2

 

Under her skin: female tattoo culture at Atomica gallery

Under her skin at Atomica gallery | Art-PieAtomica Gallery is delighted to announce their first exhibition of original artwork: Under Her Skin, in association with Things&Ink, the magazine embracing female tattoo culture.

Celebrating the magazine’s first anniversary and launch of the new issue The Art Issue, the exhibition is curated by Things&Ink and will include work from twelve female tattoo artists who have featured in the magazine’s pages over the past year.

Founded by journalist and tattoo enthusiast Alice Snape in 2012, Things&Ink magazine reflects on tattoo culture from a feminine perspective. Differing from traditional, often male dominated tattoo media, the publication is both beautiful and thought-provoking and has fast become a collector’s item.

Under Her Skin marks one year of Things&Ink by bringing together a selection of today’s most talented artists for an exhibition celebrating modern female tattoo culture:

Amy Victoria Savage (Jayne Doe, Hornchurch UK) | Angelique Houtkamp (Salon Serpent, Amsterdam NL) | Charissa Gregson (Jolie Rouge, London UK) | Dominique Holmes (The Family Business, London UK) | Grace Neutral (Good Times, London UK) | Guen Douglas (Salon Serpent, Amsterdam NL) | Iris Lys (London UK & Paris FR) | Lucy Pryor (Into You, London UK) | Rachel Baldwin (Bold As Brass, Liverpool UK) | Rebecca Vincent (Nostalgia Traditional Tattooing, Leeds & The Circle, London UK) | Tracy D (King’s Cross Tattoo Parlour, London UK) | Vicky Morgan (Ghost House, Derby UK)

WHAT – UNDER HER SKIN – Celebrating one year of Things&Ink and launch of The Art Issue
WHEN – Thursday 12th September – Monday 30th September 2013
Opening Party: Thursday 12th September
WHERE – Atomica Gallery, Hackney Downs Studios, London

After-party at Doomed Gallery Dalston, 9pm til late www.doomedgallery.com

Nawer x Remi Rough wall at Traffic Design Festival

Another day, another pair at it, another sexy piece from Remi Rough who was invited to collaborate with Nawer on a new mural which announces the upcoming Traffic Design Festival

For those familiar with Remi Rough’s stuff, this piece is immediately recognisable and true to the artist’s style in terms of the color palette and elements used – a series of intricate lines cleverly coloured and composed to give a very interesting depth to the piece. The black and white background gives emphasis to the bright colours in use here.

Worth noting the very delicate and skilful details within the larger lines and going through in some cases (see picture below) which gives even more depth to the whole thing. And have you noticed that the front wall have also been painted to make sure the piece look good from every angle.

A winner all round.

Remi Rough x Nawer | Art-Pie

Remi Rough x Nawer | Art-Pie

Remi Rough x Nawer | Art-Pie

Rippled, light painting and animation at their best

There are quite a few light-painting based videos/animations out there these days, some very well done, some others a bit less but what about this one – “RIPPLED“, another collaboration between Darcy Prendergast and the creative team at OH YEAH WOW.

Two words – truly amazing.

You do not get perfection or beauty without pain. 6 months is how long this work took to get wrapped up and frame by frame animation and long exposure technique were how they proceeded. The camera was the weapon and the creativity topped it all off.

Track – All India Radio- The Silent Surf

Architecture by Filip Dujardin

Architecture is often looked over isn’t it? But when you come across architects such as the belgian artist and architectural photographer Filip Dujardin, you have to share a bit of love and make you aware of his works.

He just had a show at Highlight Gallery in San Francisco and we hear that the works focused on “fictional buildings that Dujardin has created using a digital collaging technique from photographs of real buildings around Ghent, Belgium.”

One will classify these as “absurd“, as the “René Magritte and Raoul Servais” of architecture.

What do you reckon?

Filip Dujardin | Art-Pie Filip Dujardin | Art-Pie Filip Dujardin | Art-Pie Filip Dujardin | Art-Pie

First seen on Slamxhype

STREET ART