The guys over at END OF THE LINE were commissioned by Konami to paint three enormous murals across the UK for the release of their new game Metal Gear Rising : Revengance. They painted the sides of buildings in London, Liverpool and Leeds with original artwork by Yoji Shinkawa.
Photograph of the London piece and footage are included below. The video is just a must-watch!
On the ground floor, international cult cartoonists Modern Toss present the ‘Seasonal Nik-Nak Hut’, featuring their unique brand of precision swearing and stylishly cack-handed drawing, an incredible range of top notch, limited edition prints, interactive art pieces and assorted, hilarious paraphernalia. Continue reading Modern Toss & Christmas group show at The Outsiders
Chicago, IL – Rotofugi, home to toys and art. One of the best venues for pop surrealism a mere mile and a half away from my current home. The charming, light-filled space greets visitors with cheery figures by Kidrobot, Frank Kozik, Tokidoki, and others. Additionally, they have apparel, plush toys, journals, and a variety of knickknacks. It’s easy to lose track of time, awed by all the clever and intricate crafts. The gallery, with constantly changing exhibits, is located towards the back of the space.
Two artists, Jeremiah Ketner and Shannon Bonatakis compose the most recent exhibit, on view through December 4, 2011. Both artists highlight femininity in their work in a style that incorporates soft brush strokes on medium sized canvases to create an ephemeral quality. However, their works diverge on all other areas.
Ketner paints whimsical images that transport you to a serene oceanic world. His cartoonish pixies follow the style of Japanese anime. Ketner says “everything is small and round” in Japan and his subjects reflect that notion. Bonatakis uses a similarly soft method of portraiture, focusing on young women. However, her characters are not hybrids of fantasy. The long sleek figures lack the sense of whimsy found in Ketner’s work. Bonatakis’ images instead, incorporate a sense of macabre. Although blood and severed body parts confront the viewer, they do not disrupt the scene. The characters have an uncanny acceptance of their fate and seem empowered by their imperfections or the fate bestowed on them. Resignation abounds as they penetrate the viewer with a lustful resonance. Eerily, these images instill the viewer with a sense of serenity.
This is Bonatakis’ first show at Rotofugi. She currently resides in Denver and is active in galleries across the US.
This is Ketner’s third show at Rotofugi. He has shown at over 50 galleries across North America. His characters grace the walls of Nordstroms throughout the country. Ketner also makes figures and plush toys. He lives in Chicago with his two sons, and together they explore the city.
Rotofugi Gallery is located at 2780 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 606 They are open between 11 am and 7 pm, 7 days a week.
It was lunch time and I was again walking towards the place that would put an end to the hunger I had been victim off all morning.
I then once again walked past the Frameless gallery in Farringdon which I had never bothered to visit until today.
I certainly knew about it but either the thought of a mighty sandwich (I work really nearby) or a recurrent weak interest in what I could glance at, had always been dragging me away from it. Not today. Otto Schade’s show – Street art Olympics, was on.
It really adds a dimension to any show when the artist paints something onto the front of the building where his/her show is held at and Otto Schade just did that.
The one who knows Otto Schade’s works will recognise this familiar face – see picture. (more pictures after the fold)
There is a clear Olympics theme for the pieces on canvases that can be seen in the first part of the show (upstairs that is – it is worth to point out that I was not aware of the downstairs bit of the gallery which adds so much to the whole space and make it one of the best venues I have been in recent months).
Next to those, sit a series of more traditional prints.
The earthy colors scheme used for the Olympics themed pieces which are all on a black background gives them a very warm feel whilst the black – red – white scheme used for the prints does the opposite and seems to freeze the image.
Head downstairs and find a variety of other pieces from Otto Schade from portraits of the Queen Elizabeth to the representation of a panda which seems to have found a ball to play with. It was hard to find an obvious link with the Olympics here – let me point out that the show is called “Street art Olympics”.
And there I saw it, I saw the piece I want to own: a make over of the Queen of Diamonds playing card by Otto Schade. The colors work so well, the intensity of this piece obtained by hiding the face of the character is intense and seductive.
Would you agree?
“Street art Olympics” by Otto Schade rund until the 12th August
Frameless gallery | 20 Clerkenwell green | EC1R ODP | London
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm Monday to Saturday
Westbank is back to present its new group show: THE BIG BANG!
This new show will be held in their new space (see below for details) so get yourselves down for the Private View on Thursday 14th January 2016.
Pieces on show will include the likes of:
Ben Allen | DANK | Mydogsighs | Jim Starr | K-Guy | Schoony | Copyright | Gemma Compton | Paul McGowan | Emmanuel Albaret | James Mylne | Cheba | Osch | Carleen de Sozer | Henry Hate | Kimberly Thomas and many more…
You need to RSVP at guestlist@londonwestbank.com with your name and surname.
Nixon ART MOSH is a melting pot of some of the freshest talent in contemporary art and music. It is a series of one-night only Pop Up exhibitions showcasing international artists, designers, photographers and musicians. After the success of the Paris and New York events, ART MOSH pop up again in London for one night only. Continue reading ART MOSH is coming to London
Opening reception: Thursday 1st September 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Scream gallery will soon host Greg Miller’s first solo UK exhibition. The large-scale works artist will again use his creativity using collages.
His style is very much pop art-inspired paintings and his “Phantom Lady” got noticed this year at an Bonhams urban art sale earlier this year. See picture below.
“In his new work…Greg Miller brings the pictorial poise of Pop to the eloquent fury of street art, effecting a marriage – or at least a torrid affair – between two hot items. One item is hot today, the other has been hot for half a century, but in Miller’s hands there is no generation gap, only a spiritual union – one that generates a sky, or at least wall, full of sparks.” Peter Frank
Opening reception: Thursday 1st September 6.30 – 8.30 pm.
Please contact lee@leesharrock.co.uk for guest list
Opening times: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat 11am-5pm
Gallery address: Scream | 34 Bruton Street | London W1J 6QX
Part of our 3 street art works series you should see today. Seth, Miss Van and Aryz.
Seth
Miss Van
Aryz – located in Oslo (Norway)
I have always found that acrylic paint used in conjunction with spray paint is a definite winner and give you astonishing results. However, it is difficult to master both mediums for most of us unless you are Will Barras.
Bad Reception, his latest show at Stolen Space, brought to us a series of works never exhibited before which, for most of them, have been painted using acrylics and spray paint (oil and ink have also been used for some of the works).
I was walking towards the entrance of the gallery and could see some of Will Barras’ works and my first thought was ‘wow, it looks amazing from here’. I was eager to go in and check the show out.
The fact that most of the works are large scales pieces gives you the tone of the show – bold. A quick look around the gallery and it became obvious to me that the composition in his works is heavy and busy which, coupled with the large scale aspect make the whole experience very overwhelming. Add to this a varied and strong colour palette and often you get some sort of dramatic or epic feel to the painting, it is almost exhausting to look at his works as you need to look and look again to get the whole picture, to get the story behind it.
Indeed Will Barras intend to tell us a story, the story of Mr Benn – read more about iton the Stolen Space website
Will Barras’s technique is really remarkable, he manages to combine urban/graffiti techniques with more traditional mediums such as acrylics or oil and the result is breathtaking and definitely achieve to blur the line between abstract and reality – what is really going on these paintings?
“I want to maintain the natural flow and energy, the tension between abstract and figurative, while developing and elaborating on a narrative. To generate a multiple choice of possibilities of what could be happening Ideas usually develop from the everyday mundane, broken phone converations and awkward situations …” Will Barras
The show ran until the 14th November 2010.
NB: if you wonder whether the motorbike was part of the show, well not really. Will Barras decided to leave it there after the opening night. Random but it did fit well with the show!
ART-PIE
When I was told about that exhibition – the ‘neon man”, I did not know whether my mate was making a joke or whether there was really something going on but still I had no idea what it could have been all about until I went on to the Spine TV website and find out about Chris Bracey and Bill Elwood: the neon men. Continue reading Chris Bracey: the neon man
