Category Archives: STREET ART

The Arrow Above: Portrait of a Street Art Icon

Born in California, Arrow is a world-renowned street artist who has kept his identity a secret. His name was created when he began painting the word ‘Above’ on freight trains as a teenager.

He later shifted to drawing arrows pointing above, which became his trademark.Much of his work is made with these abstract shapes, though he’s also known for art with a social conscience.

Perhaps most controversially, in October 2011 he created a city block-long text mural in Miami which read ‘give a wall street banker enough rope and he will hang himself‘. Above it he suspended an effigy of banker being hanged. He hoped the art would draw further attention to the Occupy Wall Street movement shaking US politics at the time.

Above street art wall street banker enough rope and he will hang himself miami | Art-Pie

In 2012 he visited Spain, a nation in the throes of the Eurozone crisis- when 24% of the population were unemployed. He created a stencil piece showing a queue of people waiting outside an unemployment office along with text announcing the figure, the highest unemployment rate in the world. At the time Spain’s unemployment rate for under-25s was 53%.

In South Africa he created a giant mural to raise awareness about the illegal blood diamond trade. In his very own ‘jewel heist’, he tricked one of the world’s largest jewel exporters into allowing him to paint on the side of one of their buildings. His mural read ‘Diamonds are a woman’s best friend and a man’s worst enemy’. He hadn’t informed the company about the second half of this sentence.

Above street art Diamonds are a woman’s best friend and a man’s worst enemy | Art-Pie

In 2014 he was commissioned by Redbull to design and decorate obstacles for their professional fixed gear BMX competition Ride+Style in San Francisco (pictured below).

Above street art Johannesburg | Art-Pie
Click to enlarge

In October 2015 Above went to Johannesburg, South Africa to paint his biggest mural yet, a 33-meter tall piece of work called Incognito.

What’s great about this mural is the way the overlapping arrows create stunning colour combinations.

For Above, this was a crucial part of the work that he wanted to get right:

“My colour selections were predetermined by the relationship of how each colour transforms when laid on top of another.

This was easy, however, in the designing of the mural I had to constantly move colours and shapes to finally get the final colour arrangement you see.”

More pics below of the Incognito mural – click to enlarge

Above street art Incognito Johannesburg | Art-Pie Above street art Incognito Johannesburg | Art-Pie Above street art incognito johannesburg | Art-Pie

Above is still thriving worldwide, creating both pieces both abstract and political.

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Sally Kirschell
https://www.bluehorizonprints.com.au

Banksy’s new work on a wall of a Bristolian school

Bridge Farm School Banksy | Art-Pie
The finished work by Banksy of the wall of the school – Copyright Local World

A large number of people always get quite to very excited when a new Banksy work is discovered and we must admit, we were one of these this time round when we read this morning about this new work somewhere near Bristol… Keep reading on.

A contest amongst pupils at the origin of all this

Bridge Farm School Banksy | Art-Pie
Click to enlarge

Bridge Farm Primary School in Bristol, where Banksy dropped his latest piece, organised a little while ago, a contest amongst the pupils in the aim to name houses at the school after famous people and Banksy was one of the names that came up the most and which was therefore chosen. The other names were Brunel, Blackbeard and Cabot.

Geoff Mason, the head teacher wrote to Banksy’s team before they broke up for the half-term to let him know they had named a house after him…

Surprise when kids got back to school this morning

Children, staff and parents from the school in Whitchurch were surprised by the artwork this morning we hear as no one expected Banksy to produce some street art right in the courtyard!

The painting was done over the weekend, when Banksy was supposedly going to collect an award elsewhere namely the Sky Arts Awar.

Although Banksy rarely signs his work, a spokesman for him confirmed this morning it was indeed the elusive artist’s work. It is thought to be the first verified artwork from Banksy in a primary school.

Bridge Farm School Banksy | Art-Pie
Copyright – Local World

Even more surprised to get a letter back from Banksy

Bridge Farm School Banksy letter| Art-Pie
Click to enlarge

Here is what Geoff Mason, headteacher at the school, said the school had received a letter from the artist himself.

“I think it went up over the weekend, and completed last night, but we’re not entirely sure.

“It was done after we ran a competition to change the house names, and we decided to name them after Bristol legends. We had to include Banksy.

We thought it would be a good idea to write to the PR company and let them know we’ve run the competition.

“I’m sure this is Banksy’s work. We had a call from his PR team, and a letter signed by him.”

The letter reads:

“Dear Bridge Farm School, thanks for your letter and naming a house after me.

“Please have a picture, and if you don’t like it, feel free to add stuff.

“I’m sure the teachers won’t mind. Remember, it’s always easier to get forgiveness than permission.

“Much love, Banksy.”

Bridge Farm School Banksy | Art-Pie
A detail of the Banksy piece

7 Prince street art, graffiti & urban tributes to Prince

Last week saw pop icon, Prince, died at his Minnesota home on Thursday, and, as expected, tribute around the world have been pouring and will probably do so for a long time to come. He died suddenly aged 57, leaving behind a back catalogue spanning rock, pop, funk and jazz and millions of devoted admirers.

We included below 7 Prince street art, graffiti & urban tributes to Prince

Have you seen a piece you would like to share with us or know the name of the artists for the artworks below? Tell us in the Comments section below.

1 – Belfast Cathedral, artist unknown

PRINCE tribute on the Belfast Cathedral | Art-Pie

2 – New York, artist unknown

PRINCE tribute in New York | Art-Pie

3 – Cambridge (Massachusetts), artist unknown

PRINCE tribute in Cambridge | Art-Pie

4 – Turnpike Lane (London), by Pegasus

PRINCE tribute by Pagasus in London | Art-Pie

5 – Sydney (Australia) by Mr G

PRINCE tribute by Pegasus | Art-Pie

6 – Germany by Barbara

PRINCE tribute by Barbara in Germany | Art-Pie

7 – USA, by REVOK & AROE

PRINCE by REVOK & AROE | Art-Pie

Happy Easter, related street art and graffiti around the globe

Aww Easter… Always a good time, not so much for the religious aspect but rather more for the bank holiday weekend and looming indulgence of chocolate bunnies and eggs.

Another thing to look out for are many Easter-themed street art and graffiti works. We browsed the web and compiled a small collection for your eyes only.

And for those who don’t know what Easter is, this below is for you – thanks Wikipedia

Easter,[nb 1] also called Pasch[nb 2] or Resurrection Sunday,[nb 3] is a festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, described in theNew Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion by Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.[5][6] It is the culmination of the Passion of Christ, preceded by Lent (or Great Lent), a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.

N.B: the image above is by Interesni Kazki

Click any pictures below to enlarge or launch the slideshow

Easter | Art-Pie ghetto-easter-graffitieaster__by_scorpionblaze-d3eudn2

happy_easter Easter | Art-Pie Easter | Art-Pie

 

Easter street art | Art-Pie Easter | Art-Pie Easter | Art-Pie Easter | Art-Pie

Spray cans sculptures

We instantly fell in love when we first saw these little wonders of sculpture. Kresimir Buden 2Fast is the sculptor behind these creations which obviously are graffiti inspired.

The artist is based in Zagreb (Croatia) and use various brands of spray cans from Montana to Ironlak.  You will have noticed the Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans version amongst others.

I do not know for you but we particularly like the green one. What about you?

Click on the images below to launch the slideshow

Kresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-Pie

Kresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-PieKresimir Buden - Art-Pie