Smug, Cheo and more

I was glad to find out about this exciting project pushed by Bruce McClure – showcasing some of the best in UK street art / graffiti talent with a distinctive inspired theme – ape.

Beyond the very well put together time-lapse videos, the concept is as motivating and is looking at encouraging a bit of friendly rivalry between cities like Bristol, London or Manchester.

Featured artists : Aroe (Brighton) | Smug (Glasgow) | Cheo (Bristol) | Eject (Manchester) | End of the Line (London)

Go to the Ape Street Art YouTube channel to view the videos and enjoy below our favorite – Choe from Bristol.

Below are also a the pics of the artists’ pieces.

Smug from Glasgow
Smug from Glasgow
End of the Line from London
End of the Line from London
Eject from Manchester
Eject from Manchester
Cheo from Bristol
Cheo from Bristol
Aroe from Brighton
Aroe from Brighton

Mikael Alacoque – Mitty and Badbabysitter

This is badbabysitter!
This is mitty!

Artists Statement:

Initially trained as a traditional figurative sculptor and Mouldmaker. I now seek to find new meaning and relevance in old outmoded techniques.

I’m fascinated by the idea of the public monument and much of my work revolves around the need to investigate the way in which society records events and people by casting them in metal and stone.

I seek to rip the idea of the public monument asunder and then re-build it in a new order with a revised iconography. My work seeks to expose and examine the insecurities and frailties of society, and our place within it.

Recent works ‘Gnome Kone’ and ‘Bad Babysitter’ are part of a series of sculptures that are concerned with a playfully sinister bastardization of familiar objects. The pieces have an initial feeling of innocence and irreverence but on closer inspection seem more bizarre and
unsettling.

More of Mikael’s stuff here

Pictures and statement taken from the A GALLERY website

Amar Stewart X Lava Gallery

Amar Stewart steps up to the Lava gallery for his first solo show of 2011.

We first viewed Amar’s work in the East Gallery in early 2010, the show had dark undertones, accented with sections of colour, A mixture of spray paint and acrylic. A different approach has been taken this time, the entire gallery almost devoid of colour, a series of large canvases featuring Black and white photorealistic portraits.

This was a understated approach for show early in the year and to be honest, a welcome one.  It is easy to feel bombarded when you attend opening nights, peering through crowds to look at large canvases. Lava gallery is only a small space located on the first floor of Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street.

Amar and the Lava crew did a great job laying out the space, taking a simplistic approach with the arrangement going with white walls and monochrome artworks.  It had a overall relaxed vibe, even with droves of friends and fans, it was easy to move around and check out all the work.

Amar’s progression in portraiture is developing a rapid rate and we look forward to seeing what he has to offer in the future.

Check out a the rest of the pics here: Amar Stewart at Lava gallery by Chasinghosts on Flickr

The Universal Struggle to Self-Identify: This 'Me' of Mine

Peripheral Vision (c)2010 David Minton
Peripheral Vision, (c)2010 David Minton, oil on canvas

But it may be that without meaning there is only space, so in a sense I make my paintings by accident, but knowingly so.  The central space created by painting ‘at the periphery’ has a tension that is constantly pregnant with possibility.  In order to remain so, the tensions of space are never resolved, but continue and it is this continued lack of resolution that forms the overall content of the picture.[1] Perhaps what’s missing is what’s outside that loop or the fear of its ceasing to be a loop and become something that runs forward in time.  All those fears and hopes, everything the intimacy within the home brings, begins to open up to a greater loss and eventually time will bring the loss of things because of the infinite nature of time; everything outside of time is infinite.[2]

At art college we were encouraged to self-analyse our output and I found myself not fully understanding how I travelled from initial concept to final outcome. So, now I find it useful to think of myself as a black box where every new line of enquiry has the potential to reveal more of my inner (often hidden) self and my motivations for doing what I do.[3] Initially it was very important to move away from outward observation, it came out of necessity for me, and I had to close myself off from the real world for a while although outward observation is creeping back into the work acting as little anchors.[4] All that is visible is a barely responsive exterior… This indifference, characteristic to the figures in my paintings, suggests the social is almost taken away. You wonder what is revealed in this state of consciousness, just mindless projections on to others perhaps.[5]

Woman with Cardigan (c)2010 Melanie Titmuss
Woman with Cardigan, (c)2010 Melanie Titmuss, oil on canvas

 

This play on words, mixing up sentences from each artist interviewed so far for This ‘Me’ of Mine, is not intended as a clever ploy at meaning-making, but rather a look at the interconnectedness of the issues of the self and identity.  Each of these artists is concerned in their own way with issues of self in their work.  It is fascinating for me as curator to see how their concerns link together in the universal struggle to self-identify; something which I hope will become evident through these interviews.

Join us in the on-going discussions. Go to INTERVIEWS at the This ‘Me’ of Mine blogsite to read more from David Minton, Anthony Boswell, David Riley, Aly Helyer and Melanie Titmuss, the artists interviewed and quoted above (see credits below for links to the individual interviews).

Interviews coming up: Sarah Hervey, Shireen Qureshi and Sandra Crisp.  Waiting in the wings: Kate Murdoch, Annabel Dover, Edd Pearman, Cathy Lomax, Hayley Harrison, and Darren Nixon.  Art Historian and critic, Becky Huff Hunter, is kindly interviewing me and that will be coming up too.

 


[1] The Temporary Suspension of Tension; an interview with David Minton, 2012 Jane Boyer for This ‘Me’ of Mine, found at: http://thismeofmine.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/the-temporary-suspension-of-tension/

[2] Living in the Constant; an interview with AnthonyBoswell, ibid, found at: http://thismeofmine.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/living-in-the-constant/

[3] I Am a Black Box; an interview with David Riley, ibid, found at: http://thismeofmine.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/i-am-a-black-box/

[4] Anchors of Observation; an interview with Aly Helyer, ibid, found at: http://thismeofmine.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/anchors-of-observation/

[5] A Barely Responsive Exterior; an interview with Melanie Titmuss, ibid, found at: http://thismeofmine.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/a-barely-responsive-exterior/

Jean-Paul Bourdier’s stunning body painted photographs

Jean Paul Bourdier | Art-Pie

When I first saw these pictures by photographer Jean-Paul Bourdier, I was completely amazed by the clever compositions and juxtapositions and even more by the colours which shine in front of your eyes.

My immediate second thought was that these must be digitally manipulated but I was glad to find out that they do not appear to be, the models used here would get body painted.

What a superb piece of body art mixed with photography these are.

All the pics below were taken in the deserts of West America with an analog camera. You can find more of these body paintings photography in his book entitled Bodyscapes 

About the author

Jean Paul Bourdier is the author of Leap Into The Blue, Bodyscapes (introduction and dvd by Trinh T. Minh-ha), co-author with Trinh Minh-ha of Vernacular Architecture of West Africa, Habiter un monde, African Spaces and Drawn from African Dwellings. Production designer of seven films and co-director of two films directed by Trinh T. Minh-ha.

Awards include Guggenheim, American Council of Learned Societies, NEA, Graham, UC President’s Humanities, and Getty. Professor of design, drawing and photography in the department of architecture at UC Berkeley.

Jean Paul Bourdier | Art-Pie

Jean Paul Bourdier | Art-Pie

Jean Paul Bourdier | Art-Pie

Jean Paul Bourdier | Art-Pie

Linder Sterling: Collage and Montage

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 

 

System Collapse by Zosen at Stolen Space

Barcelona based street artist Zosen brings his premier UK solo show to StolenSpace.Featuring a collection of new paintings on canvas and the release of a limited edition screen print.

Born in Buenos Aires, Zosen developed his art practice on the streets since he was 11 and in 2001 became a long time member of Barcelona’s infamous ONG crew. Zosen continues to expand his creative practice with performance, illustration, video and collaborations with artists across the globe and he is co-founder of the street wear label, “Animal Bandido” with designer Clàudia Font.

Here is the latest video of Zosen and his crew

System Collapse is a colourful vision of the world around us and an incisive commentary on the current state of the world’s economy. The distinctive lettering styles, loosely influenced by the artwork of the punk and the ‘do-it-yourself’ movements of the 70’s-80’s, the illusory characters and bright, pure colours reflect a hopeful optimism while the meanings of the words, real and conceived, provide a complex context for a creative discharge of
conscience.

The simplicity of the imagery in psychedelic colours references a plethora of social and political issues, juxtaposing the heavily distorted photo imagery of today’s consumer society with naive, two dimensional characters and imaginary of primitive African art and Latin-American Folklore. In System Collapse, symbols saturated in colour represent the inequalities and injustices that separate the First and Third Worlds.

Zosen’s street art and ubiquitous interventions are essential to his practice, informing his gallery works and providing the impetus for his irrepressible creativity. His multidisciplinary work has been exhibited internationally between the street and the gallery.

The strong appeal of Zosen’s work lies in it’s child-like charm and it’s distinctly political edge. Building on the popular anarchy and contemporary art movements associated with his adopted home town and internationally recognised amongst the underground and mainstream arts and graffiti movements, Zosen’s unique style remains synonymous with Barcelona.

The show runs from 13th August till 29th August 2010.

NB: Words taken from the Stolen Space website.

zosen_frontpg

Related link
> Animalbandido

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