Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada is a Cuban American contemporary artist. He as bee around since the late 90´s he has been replacing the faces of cultural icons chosen by advertisers with the faces of anonymous people to question the controls imposed on public space, the role models designated and the type of events that are guarded by the collective memory.
His spectacular interventions are created for the sake of bringing awareness to relevant social issues. His large scale time base works avoid negative impact on the environment, challenge the conformity in contemporary art and allow for a reflection that goes beyond the completion of the piece to focus in its concept, process, and the metaphor that comes forth because of the material chosen.
Here below is ine if his works – an 11 Hectare portrait in Belfast, Northern Ireland!
This project is focused on using anything but a traditional canvas to create art. It looks at connecting with the surroundings and use anything and everything to help you make your art.
Events and paint jams will take place and took place this summer which the video below will show you. To coincide with the events, limited edition prints will be released as t-shirts.
In last summer’s event, David Walker, Mr Jago, She One, Will Barras and Bue the Warrior produced great works on retro furniture, car parts and more.
Do not miss the WCP Gallery event where you’ll be able to see some of the works produced for the project. Preview on Thursday 13/10 – 81 Leonard street | EC2A 4QS. The show runs until the 17/10/11.
On February 16, 1990, at age 31, Keith Haring’s life was cut short due to an AIDS-related illness. He would have been 54 today and as a homage, here are a few words and a tribute to his most iconic pieces of art.
I wonder what Keith Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) would make of the global phenomenon that street art is now, art form very much confined to the street of New York City at the time when he decided to move there in 1978, aged 19.
Having studied commercial art and then Fine Arts, he took a keen interest in graffiti art, Haring would go out there and paste collages of fake New York Post headlines on lamposts or news stands. He explored the likes of SAMO (Jean-Michel Basquiat) or Fab Five Fred (Fred Brathwaite) graffiti art to quickly put in practice his own interpretation of this form of art and would develop his future vocabulary of primitive cartoon-like forms. The Haring’s chalk-drawn “radiant babies” and “barking dogs” were born (see pictures) and woud become familiar sights on the matt black surfaces used to cover the old advertisements in the subways.
These chalk drawings in the subways of New York got Haring in the public eye and he would go on from there to have his first exclusive exhibition in the Tony Shafrazi Gallery which put together a retrospective a few years ago about it – see picture. Willing to reach a larger public, he immersed himself in popular American culture and befriended individials such as Andy Warhol, Madonna or Grace Jones (whom he would body-paint).
Haring was also a keen social activist and as a result of his ever increasing political involvement; he designed a Free South Africa poster in 1985 (see picture) and painting a section of the Berlin Wall in 1986 (see picture). Other works include design for Swatch watches or the Absolut Vodka advertisement (see picture)
Keith Harring’s work are just simply one of the best examples of how consumerism, popular culture and fine art merged in the 1980s.
Recommended readings
Keith Haring: The Authorized Biography by John Gruen (1991) includes interviews with the artist and those closest to him and is an invaluable source for understanding the art and life of Haring.
The early work is illustrated in Art in Transit: The Subway Drawings (1984) and Keith Haring (Shafrazi Gallery, 1982). An enlightening interview by David Sheff appeared in Rolling Stone (August 10, 1989).
Elizabeth Aubert directed an insightful video entitled Drawing the Line: A Portrait of Keith Haring (Biografilm, 1989).
Later an attempt was made to place Haring within a broader art historical context in Keith Haring, edited by Germano Celant (1992). □
The Project is an art competition that will allow emerging talents to gain exposure in one of East London’s cultural hotspots. The twelve-month project includes three commissions launched by three live events, hosted in conjunction with the start of Rich Mix’s new seasons.
We went to see the wall painted by Remi Rough and it is ace – see pictures below
More about the project below:
The Havana Club Wall Project is a celebration of the unique spirit of the Cuban city of Havana. It will embody the unique and inspiring attitude that reflects the true values of the Cuban capital – humanity, spontaneity and creativity – all of which are synonymous with authentic Cuban rum.
Artist Remi/Rough is launching the Havana Club Wall Project with his interpretation and vision of the values that make Havana so unique. The celebrated urban artist has been specially commissioned to design and paint an interior wall that runs the entire length of the Rich Mix events space. The Wall Project is then open as a competition to encourage amateur or professional artists to submit their interpretation of the true values of Havana.
Two winners will then launch the following seasons with their designs on Saturday May 7th and Friday 2nd September. Entries are submitted by e-mail to visualarts@richmix.co.uk, a selection will be posted on the Havana Club UK and Rich Mix facebook page to invite public feedback and final judging will be made by a panel led by Remi/Rough.
Entries must be submitted by: March 7th – with the winning wall design on show from May to July 2011 / OR / July 2nd – with the winning wall design on show from July to September 2011 For further enquiries please contact Krista Booker krista@theneonhub.com or 0207 729 5129
We have been a big fan of Remi Rough‘s works and have been following him for a few years. Yet, he manages to keep his artistic output fresh and keeps surprising us every day.
I would mention for the records, this very similar project we covered back in 2011, the Havana Wall Project at Rich Mix, our beloved East London based culture center.
The artist has become a master at curves, lines and perspective and this installation surely demonstrates just this.
Why such a commission for Morgan Furniture?
We gathered this statement from their website: “This is part of our exploration in to art relaxation and the benefits of colour in the workplace.”
After reading this and looking again at the piece, we can say that Remi Rough did meet the brief in a superb way. The giant curve will definitely set your mind to some untroubled mode, the colours will tempt you for a dive while the black and broken ribbon will draw you further.
A word from the artist
“I shall be transforming the two interior walls of Morgan Furniture’s Clerkenwell showroom into a huge painted installation. The two works, although separate will have a continuation and format that allows them to be viewed as one piece.”
– Remi Rough
Remi Rough exploration of shapes and colours is not something new, we again gathered from the Morgan Furniture site that he has been doing so for roughly 25 years now and that it all started a can in the hand back in 84 very late at night somewhere in South London.
Click to enlarge
Trains and walls were his targets by then. They still are, well at least walls as far as we know but more and more of his works can be seen in art galleries and commissions, sometimes commercial, keep coming his way we hear (Remi Rough will tell us if the above is not accurate).
From streets to showrooms
is how Morgan Furniture starts his blog post and we believe this got past the artist which seems to be okay with this statement and we are very happy to hear that (again, we hope this is the case – we’ll talk to Remi rough soon about so watch this space).
I wanted to highlight this point as too many so-called “street artists” this day hate this association with such organisations, campaigns or galleries as this makes them less “street” apparently. But Remi Rough does not seem to mind and we welcome this.
We could write pages about that but let’s leave it for now and just say that it is the choice of the artists to get involved or not and if they get involved, it does not take much to make sure to keep any integrity these artists may cherish.
Last but not least, these souls would bounce of joy to be featured on such (wicked) sites like ours even if they cannot admit it. Remember, if your work is awesome, get out there and be seen!
You may tell us your views on this in the Comments section below
Click to enlarge
A video which shows you how it is done
Make sure to watch the short video below which gives you an insight about the technicality and techniques it took to produce such a work. Great footage.
I do not know where you guys will be on Saturday but I will be at the ‘Feast In the Fields”
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Colours of Brazil & the sexy sounds of Bossa Nova.
The creators of Feast in the Fields bring to you the flavours & samba beats of our current favourite South American hotspot in the form of FIESTA IN THE FIELDS!
Fiesta In The Fields, which kicks off at 12pm on Saturday 28th June, promises to be a carnival for all the senses. Be transported to the Copacabana with live world cup matches screened throughout the day, street food, A Cachaça shack, a line-up of live music & dancing that will make even two left feet move to the rhythm of the beat!
Hosts The Brewhouse, at London Fields Brewery, will be serving up South American Dishes to make your mouth dance, whilst Hell’s Grill gets naughty on the BBQ & El Panzon provide Tacos & Burritos from Brazil’s footballing neighbour Mexico. Keep as cool as a Caipirinha with Craft Beer from London Fields Brewery, Brazilian-inspired cocktails, The Pimms Bar & The Rum Stop.
What: London Fields Brewery Presents – Fiesta In The Fields
When: Saturday 28thJune
Where: The Brewhouse at London Fields Brewery; Railway Arches 369-370, Helmsley Place, E8 3SB
Tickets: Entry £4
Loughran Gallery is treating us big time with Dave White new show “Sold out”, they are treating us not just because the show is a retrospective show which features some incredibly special exclusives from the artist but also because the venue, Lock Studios, is simply awesome.
We were treated with cocktails and canapes all night. We did manage to snap a few pics that you can see below.
“Sold Out”, Dave White new show at Lock Studios is now over.
We all use these days USB keys or also called Flash stick. It has become so easy now to carry data and in some cases quite a lot of data. In other words, the technology is here and well established and shall get better and better with more and more storage. Continue reading USB keys: not just for data, for your eyes too→
In a previous post, we brought to you an amazing set of watercolour tattoos and because we cannot get enough of them, we browsed the web and found those germs below.
I do not know where you guys will be on Saturday but I will be at the ‘Feast In the Fields”
