Category Archives: STREET ART

Tribute to David Bowie

Sadly, musical legend David Bowie has passed away.  For 5 decades Bowie defined himself as a singer, songwriter, record producer, painter, and actor.  A fashion and style icon with his unapologetic style and experimental flamboyance, Bowie is a true British legend.

As a tribute we have collected a few street artworks from around the globe and presented them below.

This illustration by Helen Green ombined her illustrations of Bowie’s different looks into an animated gif and have been widely shared on social medias

David Bowie's many looks | Art-Pie
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James Cochran, aka Jimmy C, did this mural back in 2013 in Bowie’s hometown in Brixton(South London). The wall has quickly become a memorial.

David Bowie wall in Brixton | Art-Pie

Street Artist Sonni created this animation merging Ziggy Stardust into one of his own unique characters.

Sonni Stardust from Sonni on Vimeo.

DAVID BOWIE FOREVER

That’s the message painted in huge letters along Queen Street West by street artist Victor Fraser, one of many Torontonians mourning the British musical icon’s death on Monday.

A Toronto street artists painted this tribute to the late David Bowie on Queen Street West, near Spadina Avenue.

David Bowie by David Flore Art in Wynwood Miami, United States

David Bowie | Art-Pie

David Bowie by Eduardo Kobra, Barcelona

David Bowie | Art-Pie

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.

Meet Tristan Eaton, an artist from Los Angeles

Tristan Eaton | Art-PieTristan Eaton is an American artist from Los Angeles. He is a graffiti artist, illustrator, toy designer and also a street art muralist.

Eaton was born in 1978, in Los Angeles, California.

Going from places to places

When he was 8 years old, his family moved to London, England. At age 16, they moved back to the United States but this time to Detroit, Michigan. While Eaton loved the city of Detroit, he always wanted to live in a big city and thus, moved to New York when he was 20 years old.

During his teenage years, Eaton painted everything, from dumpsters to billboards, wherever he lived. He had a troubled childhood and was arrested many times for shoplifting and making graffiti.

He used art as an escape from reality and also to escape from legal authorities by providing artistic evidence to judges, principles and police officers.

Tristan Eaton | Art-Pie

“I am not a graffiti artist”

Eaton became interested in graffiti when he was in London and upon moving to Detroit he started doing a lot of graffiti, mainly due to lack of police regulation. He doesn’t consider himself a graffiti artist but more of a muralist.

His graffiti work does not consist of letters but mostly characters. For his graffiti work, he never focused on using just spray paint but painted with whatever he could get his hands on. According to him, good graffiti is painting something big and beautiful but illegally. Everything else is mural work for him.

Tristan Eaton | Art-Pie

A keen interest in comic books

His interest in comic books also peaked during his time in London. He was inspired by the 2000AD Magazine by British illustrators. He would draw characters from comic books, such as Jack Kirby, early X-Men, Silver Surfer and even the anime film, Akira. At 18, he made his first toy for Fisher Price, which was the beginning of many to come. His creativity led him to becoming a leader in advertising.

He was a regular consultant for many clients, such as Hasbro, Pepsi and Nike.

Tristan Eaton | Art-PieEaton was approached by Kidrobot designer, Paul Budnitz, who offered him to work as an art director on an animated film called Kidrobot. Kidrobot became so popular they stopped working on it and started producing designer toys, mainly action figures.

The action figures were made on a limited edition basis and were inspired by the work of famous graffiti artists and hip-hop culture. Eaton believed these toys allowed people to purchase something which tied fine art with consumerism, because fine art is extremely expensive while consumerism is affordable and available to the masses.

This idea gave birth to these limited edition designer toys that led Eaton to become internationally famous with a huge fan base.

Eaton wanted to showcase his art to the lower-class of the urban cities he visited. He believed everybody had the right to have access to fine art and they did not just had to see gray buildings and big billboards. With this intention, he created remarkable murals all over the country.

Inspirations and where to see Tristan’s works

Eaton claims his artwork is inspired from Os Gemeos, Mode 2, Takishi Murikami and many others. His creations can be viewed at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and some of his collection at the Museum of Modern Art is permanent. On his website, Eaton states “outdoor, public art is the most important to me. Public art has the ability to inspire and transform our communities.” It is obvious how important it is for Eaton to share his art with the rest of the world.

Tristan Eaton | Art-Pie

Currently, Eaton is the President and Creative Director at Thunderdog Studios Inc. Thunderdog is a prominent brand for designer toys and a creative agency based in New York. Thunderdog is the backbone of all of Eaton’s work. His team at Thunderdog helps him put together big projects, such as toys and video collaborations. Tristan Eaton happily resides in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

More on Tristan Eaton’s website

The Top 10 Urban Artists of 2015

Street art has come a long way since it broke onto the scene in the 80s, gradually evolving from being an art form that spread socially provocative messages into a more accessible, mainstream medium that has been widely accepted all around the world. Urban art graces the streets of cities big and small, and occasionally there comes along a piece that you just have to stop and admire.

Here are some of the top 10 urban artists of 2015:

1. Icy and Sot

Icy and Sot, a duo of 2 brothers from Iran who moved to Brooklyn in just 2012, have gone on to produce murals that showcase their beliefs perfectly. This mural at Welling Court made in 2015 is no exception, providing a strong critique of American capitalism.

Icy & Sot | Art-Pie

2. Replete

What is the secret of this eye-popping illusion? Replete, a Leeds-based street artist will tell you. He is pioneering an innovative street art technique of painting his images on multiple layers of cling film, making for a 3D illusion and a fantastic work of street art.

Replete | Art-Pie

3. Tristan Eaton

Born in Los Angeles in 1978, Tristan began pursuing street art as a teenager, painting everything from walls to billboards in the urban landscape wherever he lived, including London, Detroit and Brooklyn. In 2012, Tristan moved back to his childhood home of Los Angeles to pursue his paintings and large scale mural projects full-time.

Tristan’s work can be seen in galleries around the world and in the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).

This mural in Kaka’Ako, Hawaii is a great example of how a wall can be an amazing canvas for someone of the talents of Triston.

Tristan Eaton | Art-Pie

4. Nychos

Nychos is an urban art and graffiti illustrator from Austria, and this massive work of art is one of his biggest and best yet.

He was born into an Austrian hunting family in South Africa and spent much of his childhood seeing things which many ‘normal’ people would consider cruel or even brutal. For Nychos though, it was a fascinating world. He recounts how he saw a dead baby lamb being consumed by maggots the same colour as its fur, Instead of being horrified, he was fascinated by it.

He studied the hidden insides of animals and noticed the way life often grows from other life. At the same time, he was also a child of the 80s, growing up watching cartoons and being influenced by their flashy bright colors.
This was painted in his hometown of Vienna, Austria, and is called Dissection of a Polar Bear.

Nychos | Art-Pie
Credits: Dan Armand

5. Markus Pilgrim

Born in Berlin in 1980 Pilgrim bases himself in this vibrant city, however Pilgrim hasn’t forgotten how different an identity this controversial city had before the Berlin Wall was taken down in 1989. Growing up in the eastern part of Berlin the secretive political unrest of this time inhibited his freedom of speech and opinions, resulting in this anonymous method of artistic expression combined with political satire. He often sneaked out late at night to create provocative political statements about the injustices of that era and his artistic graffiti career has continued to progress since his early teenage years, now creating his vibrant artworks on canvas for all to enjoy freely.

Pilgrim is a pioneer in the emerging sub movement called ‘Pop Fusion’ now using a variety of methods such as graffiti , digital art and painting to create art such as his recent collection called ‘Animalistic Aristocracy’.

Mark Pilgrim | Art-Pie Mark Pilgrim | Art-Pie

6. Ben Angotti

Brooklyn resident Ben Angotti works in many different mediums to display images of violence and beauty. He is highly influenced by many different art forms; from classical Renaissance and Baroque art, Asian art and Symbolism to modern Graffiti art and Erotica. Often, he weaves these themes together to create pulpy paintings, often with allusions to modern culture and carnal delights.

This mural is called Interstellar Geisha, it’s a classic example of Angotti stretching his talents over a variety of art styles, including sculptures and traditional paintings. He can depict the human form like no other, using vivid color schemes to bring his murals and paintings to life.

Ben Angotti | Art-Pie

7. Lake

Lake is the second Street Artist from Berlin, Germany to make this list, the street artist is known for creating unique and exceptional artwork across the world. His creativity and genius is evident through this piece of art created on a Guadalajara rooftop. He’s certainly a street artist for the ages!

Lake | Art-Pie

8. Dasic

Dasic (full name Dasic Fernandez) was fascinated at a young age by Chile’s burgeoning hip-hop culture of the 1990s, he searched for a way to engage with it in public spaces. By the age of 14, he had found his answer in graffiti art. Today, at 24, the Santiago-born artist is a muralist of rising fame whose works that dot the urban landscapes across the Americas.

He has been a part of the NYC street art scene for years, and this painting sums up exactly what he has been providing the city of New York all these years – bright, colourful, vibrant and thought-provoking works of street art that just reach out to your soul

Dasic | Art-Pie

9. Art is Trash

Currently on tour in the United States, Francisco De Pajaro, who also goes by the name of Art is Trash, is originally from Barcelona, Spain and is known for literally making the best out of waste. He uses rubbish bags, abandoned furniture and debris to create art that works as a mirror for those who see it, reflecting our boundless, desperate consumerism and our obsession with power. It disappears fast—sometimes as soon as it is finished.

He makes even the most undesirable and discarded things in the city into amazing pieces of art through his simplistic characters and illustrations.

Art Is Trash | Art-Pie

10. Mender

Mender has been one of the artists to look out for this year, creating works that comment on the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Trayvon Martin. The artist works with sculpture, collage, and other print techniques to get his messages out to the world. Bringing awareness and spreading messages through the mediums of graffiti and printmaking are slowly bringing his work into the eyes of people in NYC.

Mender | Art-Pie

This article was written by Sally Kirchell, owner of Beyond a Word, specialists in Personalised Art Gifts

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)