Category Archives: FEATURE

New Banksy in Calais depicts Steve Jobs

Banksy in Calais | Art-PieYou’ve probably heard of Banksy‘s Dismaland, a dystopian amusement park which closed its doors in October of this year.  However you may not have known the installations used for this art project have since been transferred to the port-side town of Calais France by volition Banksy himself.  Labeled “Dismal Aid”, the timber and building materials have been repurposed into housing, children’s play areas, and community centers for the 7000+ Syrian refugees.

At the same time, Banksy has taken this opportunity to spread a few messages about the situation of “The Jungle”, the largest refugee camp in Western Europe. Three new pieces with very strong messages can be seen around Calais – read on below to see the images and brief descriptions.

The Steve Jobs Piece

With weathered clothing and an exhausted body language we see a depiction of Steve Jobs, sporting the now notorious expression from this iconic photograph.  Steve carries an old Macintosh computer and a bin bag or rucksack on his shoulders. The message? Jobs is himself a son of Syrian migrants, he is of the same lineage as the refugees escaping ISIS today.

In a rare public statement to accompany the piece, Banksy expressed his drive and the message:

“We’re often led to believe migration is a drain on the country’s resources but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant. Apple is the world’s most profitable company, it pays over $7billion a year in taxes – and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs.”

Banksy in Calais | Art-Pie
Banksy in Calais | Art-Pie

The Medusa Piece in the Center of Calais

Based on French artist Théodore Géricault’s Raft of The Medusa, Banksy updates the dark and striking piece with a small background image of a modern cruise ship or luxury yacht. The boat, like the original piece, is embroiled in an intense struggle with the sea.  The message of “We are not all in the same boat” speaks for itself.

Banksy in Calais | Art-Pie Banksy in Calais | Art-Pie

The Young Boy Piece on the Beach

A silhouette of a young boy can be seen looking through a telescope while a vulture watches over him. The message of hope, future and dreams is cast harshly against a looming potential reality of darkness and death.

Banksy in Calais | Art-Pie

These artworks have been well-received by the city of Calais with an official statement in the local newspaper by mayor Natacha Bouchart, describing their value for the city.  The city has expressed their commitment to protect the pieces behind transparent plastic shields, so the message and artworks remain intact for the foreseeable future.

Sam cannon at SCOPE international art fair in Miami

SCOPE, an international art fair, is under way now until this Sunday 6/12 and along with scores of people, it brings out fresh new talent such as Sam Cannon.

Sam Cannon, 23, is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology and a digital media artist living in New York City. Cannon’s work exploring the innovative space between video and still photography has been bolstered by her significant presence on Tumblr. Through this influence, Cannon has been asked to lend her vision to brands like Gap, Veuve Cliquot, and Nike, as well as an anti-bullying campaign, musician Vic Mensa, and New York Fashion Week.

Sam Cannon at SCOPE | Art-Pie

Sam Cannon at SCOPE | Art-Pie

Sam Cannon at SCOPE | Art-Pie

Sam Cannon at SCOPE | Art-Pie

Sam Cannon at SCOPE | Art-Pie
More on Sam Cannon’s website

5 animated GIFs you cannot miss

Animated GIFs have been around for ages, they really have. Who has not seen those crazy ones of animals or people where a short action is captured and play in loop… forever. This was before.

Today there are many artists that are taking animated GIFs to the next level. There are even contests and awards for it. One of those is the 2014 Saatchi Art’s Motion Photography Prize.

We included below those who caught our attention.

 

Gerardo Juarez
Animated GIFs | Art-Pie Animated GIFs | Art-Pie

Jon Jacobsen
Animated GIFs | Art-Pie

Marius Krivicius
Animated GIFs | Art-Pie

Nikola Silic
Animated GIFs | Art-Pie

4 awesome photo manipulations by Leo Rocha

When asking Leo Rocha about making striking images to publicise Ecuador and its tourism, I wonder whether the tourism board of this country knew that they were in for a treat! I do not know for you but we think here at Art-Pie that these are pretty awesome and we definitely want to go and check out Ecuador now!.

Made by Koenig & Partners ad agency. CGI by Luiz Alves and Javier Porcel. Retouch by Leo Rocha, Ramon Saroldi and Marceu Lobo.All you need is Ecuador | Art-Pie All you need is Ecuador | Art-Pie All you need is Ecuador | Art-Pie All you need is Ecuador | Art-Pie

Visual Impact – Creative Dissent in the 21th Century

Liz McQuiston‘s new book ‘Visual Impact – Creative Dissent in the 21th Century’, is out now.   It is a richly illustrated exploration on art and design driving major social and political change in the 21st century.

Loads of events, such as Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, etc., plus social issues like poverty, equality, gun-control and more, have given rise to what is known as ‘activist’ or ‘protest’ art.

Visual Impact highlights the extraordinary power of art and graphic design to affect social and political change. Generously illustrated with over 400 images, this is a visual guide to the most influential and highly politicized imagery of the digital age.  Read more about the book

To celebrate the book and all dissident artists, we’ve included some famous and striking images below from artists conveying a strong (and often) political message.

Artist: JR

JR | Art-Pie
28 Millimetres: Women Are Heroes by JR, Kenya, 2009. From Visual Impact

Artist: ROA

The Lenticular Rabbit by ROA, London, UK, 2009. Photo by RomanyWG.
The Lenticular Rabbit by ROA, London, UK, 2009. Photo by RomanyWG.

Artist: unknown

From Visual Impact: Creative Dissent in the 21st Century
From Visual Impact: Creative Dissent in the 21st Century

Artist: Princess Hijab

‘Hijabizing’ intervention in the Paris Metro by Princess Hijab, France, 2006-11. From Visual Impact (Phaidon, 2015)
‘Hijabizing’ intervention in the Paris Metro by Princess Hijab, France, 2006-11. From Visual Impact (Phaidon, 2015)

Artist: Blek Le Rat

Stencilled poster of US soldier by French artist Blek le Rat, pasted along the route of anti-war march in Paris, France, 2003. Photo by Sybille Prou. From Visual Impact (Phaidon, 2015)
Stencilled poster of US soldier by French artist Blek le Rat, pasted along the route of anti-war march in Paris, France, 2003. Photo by Sybille Prou. From Visual Impact (Phaidon, 2015)