TEASER project is an enthusiastic collective effort which document the Paris street art scene. You will come across artists like Atlas, FKDL, Da Cruz or C215.
We like the interactive map telling about where you can find street art work. We like even more the video tout together to showcase the project – good work indeed.
We made our way down to one of our favorite art galleries to check out the new set of works from Dale Grimshaw that makes up his new show entitled “Moreish”. Having seen a few previous shows from the same artist, we knew that we were up for another display of strong emotions from the artist and we were right.
This time, the artist looks at the notion of “excess” that is spreading in modern societies and which seems to affect an increasing number of people. Here is what the artist had to say about it “It is a case of enough is never enough. The ‘haves’ want more and the ‘haves not’ can pay for it. Once we get that acquisitive taste, we just want more and more”
As the title of this show suggests – Moreish, the food element is everywhere in Dale Grimshaw’s pieces and they are piling on top of each other and dripping down faces of the characters the artist using in his paintings. This certainly gives a sense of a “too much” but also of a “waste” which “moreish” behaviour might lead to. The color palette used here – black/dark background in most cases combined with fiery colours, clearly translate the negative artist’s view on that notion of excess spreading in our societies according to him. A a result, the atmospere of the show is rather thick and heavy and you can almost feel its weight on your shoulders.
It is also worth pointing out the variety of characters that are depicting in Dale Grimshaw’s work, from the sweet and soft women’s faces to the rather alien looking “thing” which, apart from perhaps warning us what will happen if we embrace “excess, will add even more tension to the show.
From a more technical point of view, Dale Grimshaw’s techniques are just amazing. Oil and acrylics are the main mediums for this set of new works while canvases and wooden boards are the main supports used here. If we had to pick a piece out of the lot and on a pure aesthetic point of view, ” The Platter” (oil on board) would be the one. The color palette is striking. See pictures below
The Platter
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The show runs until the 23rd November 2012
Signal gallery | 32 Paul Street London EC2A 4LB | 020 7613 1550
Mediums you can use to paint are countless, it is only down to the artist to use them or not. Meet Erik Sommer and his very original and unique way of painting with cement. We talked to Erik to find out a bit more about him and his work.
ART-PIE: How did you come to use cement in your work?
Erik Sommer: I’ve been using cement in my work for several years. I like its urban grittiness, especially as I live in NYC and am surrounded by buildings and cement. My work is about the passing of time, and beauty and chance and control. It is about capturing the passing of time, and the beauty found within its accidental natural effects.
A-P: Most of the work I can see from your website are using mixed medias? What are they?
Erik Sommer: Most of my work is mixed medium on canvas. I use cement and plasters, acrylic pastes, gessos, some acrylic and oil pants. Most of the materials are home modeling materials which happen to be white, which make the most recent pieces white, although I do use colors as well. The various layers of material act as different stages of time. The work is very three-dimensional and comes off of the canvas. It is very industrial and physical.
A-P: What are your inspirations?
Erik Sommer: I like everyone from Rudolf Stingel, to Robert Ryman, Richard Serra, Andy Goldsworthy, Basquiat, etc.
Any upcoming shows?: I am represented in NYC by Rooster Gallery, and am beginning to work with Arch 402 in London as well. I have a piece in a group show/ auction with Arch 402 in April, and then hopefully will be doing more with them later this summer. My next solo show with Rooster in NYC will be next year.
Related link
Erik Sommer’s website – www.erikjsommer.com
This is the follow up of the first set of new pieces from Banksy spotted in Los Angeles last week, read about it here
Two more pieces can be now seen in L.A. One is located not far from the USC campus and depicts what looks like a family running with a kite, understand here the comparison with the illegal immigrant caution signs that can be seen along the Mexican border.
Another quite quirky piece has been done on an abandoned oil tanker. A simple message says on it – This Looks A Bit Like An Elephant
The Underbelly Project started back in 2009 and gathered a bunch of artists such as Revok or Ceaze who covered the walls of a disuse New York city subway station. MOCAtv has finally released a video tour of it. Enjoy.
Read more abour the projet on the Vandalog website
Sniders Lane Project – Presented by Just Another Agency.
Who would have thought that spending a weekend sitting in an alley by a dumpster could be so much fun. At the end of the Semi-Permanent conference Just Another Agency and Sister Bella hooked us up with the last instalment bringing a new location into the Melbourne lane ways mix.
It all kicked off on the Saturday with five talented artists, two large scissor lifts and a trunk full of Ironlak spray paint. The artists, Sear, Sirum, Dvate, Cam Scale and Deb worked on their pieces from early morning to well into the evening. Each artist was inspired by a preselected colour palet that was already laid out by Does who painted the mural on the back wall a few moths ago. Watching the progression of each piece was really enjoyable and seeing the end result of all the pieces fused into a mural was spectacular.
On the seven day the artists rested. The public wafted in and out of Sniders all day Sunday to check out the new work and we all just kicked back, drank beer and admired the art. Kirpy stopped by to add his stencils to a door way in the alley not only showing us his shear talent but also showing the intricacies that go into his work. We were happy to relax and watch Kirpy do his thing. By the end of the weekend the lane was complete. So make sure you add Sniders Lane to the tourist trail and why not stop off for a drink at Sister Bella too.
Enjoy the photos below © Chasinghosts.com as well as the interview with just another agencies owner Toby
You can view the full set of photos from Chasinghosts.com
Voina, a russian art collective, is making people to talk about them again. They have done crazy things in the past such as hurling live cats at McDonalds workers, engaging in a full-on orgy in a state museum, and shoplifting a raw chicken from a store by hiding it in one member’s vagina!
Their members got in all sort of problems of course with some being put in jail but they are now recognized by the establishment, VOINA has indeed just received one of the highest honors for contemporary art in their country Russia.
Dick in FSB Captivity is why they got this award. The artwork is a 210-foot outline of a penis on a drawbridge facing the the headquarters of the state security services, yes the KGB. When the drawbridge raises, the penis appeared to become erect – genius.
Bansky takes a keen interest in VOINA and gave a large amount of cash earlier this year to get two members of the collective out of custody.
Art terrorism like some call it?
Related links
The VOINA website – http://en.free-voina.org
Read more about Voina on Wikipedia
Read more about VOINA on The Guardian
This November 2010 London Miles gallery presents a themed group exhibition featuring a bold selection from the International Contemporary art movement.
Where contemporary artists hark back to the masters of past movements paying homage to what was not only inspirational to forming how they paint today, but to what has formed the whole epoch of creative output as we now know it. Â Continue reading The idol hours: group exhibition at London Miles
New-York based street artist and real painter, Dan Witz masters the technique called “trompe-l’oeil” with his technique – he uses metal grate graphic that he backs with a 1/8″ thick plastic that give the lifting effect and then the 3D effect is achieved.
Head to the blitz website to check out the latest series entitled “What the %$#@?” (WTF) series and pocket you one up for just 30 dollars.
Check out the video about Dan Witz 3D street art:
Brooklyn-based street artist Specter is one of these very active artists who always come up with new projects. You may or may not like what he does but you have to give him credits for always keeping his creativity flame burning like Hell.
Pure Evil gallery is currently hosting his first UK solo show where Specter using garments such as scarfs or bandanas in his new portraits.
Here is what Specter says about it – “the story behind the pieces is that these are portraits of people who have influenced me artistically but instead of painting their faces I am painting fabrics that I feel represent them. I basically close my eyes and these images are what appears.â€
The show only occupied the front room in the gallery, in other words the number of artworks is rather limited. I was quick to go round then and to be honest did not feel loads of excitment about what I had just seen. While I agree that the use of garments is an unique portrayal approach, it is most definitely not the most emotion-trigger one which I believe portaits should be all about: hard to feel sadness or joy looking at a piece of checkered shirt.
Solid drawing and painting skills though and a great attention to detail.
The show runs until the 24th August.
I cannot resist to include a few photos of Specter’s installations and street artwork which is known for in the US. I could not described better what his work is all about than what I read on the Pure Evil website:
He evolves the subject matter by interlacing influences from the environment he chooses to adorn, incorporating characteristics from the surrounding neighbourhoods, architecture, local business and social economic classes; transforming the unwitting publics’ understanding of the space.
Through graffiti influence, he became obsessed with art in public spaces, where he sees potential inspiration and appropriate location to express his creativity. His aim is to deconstruct preconceived perceptions and draw attention to the neglected and less desirable issues, the non-sensational stories of the undervalued detritus of our culture we seldom hear about.
ART-PIE
Related links
> Specter’s art: www.specterart.com
> Make It Fit†Various & Gould exhibition at Brooklynite gallery (New York)
Photos from the show at Pure Evil below as well as Various street installations and artwork from Specter below
