Back in July, Djentrification gave us a taste of what's happening on the Japanese street art scene. Today, he's back with more from the Far East. This time around, he's got a host of photos from Seoul, South Korea. He writes:
"Nana is everywhere in Seoul...never seen so much wheatpasting in my life."
"Street art is on rotation like a neighborhood ice cream truck with new treats daily! These shots are from Hongdae and many other neighborhoods."
"There are many tags too. Some people have no style to his/her tags while their art and concepts are awesome. Ha!"
"Amongst taggers, there are rivalries. Nana is apparently battling a bit with Demos who is up a lot, too. You see them crossing each other out...corny."
No matter what you think of the artwork, one thing's for sure: Peru Ana Ana Peru gets up. From big pieces to small stickers slapped on any surface, you can't walk a block in NYC without seeing the name. This week, the art moves indoors as the Brooklynite Gallery presents the artist's solo show. Here are the goods:
"Brooklynite Gallery presents: '...And Then We Jumped into the Abyss of Numbers: Memories in Absurdity From the Bowels of Peru Ana Ana Peru'. The show runs from October 17-November 14. The opening night reception takes place on Saturday, October 17 from 7-10 pm. The evening features special musical guest Bomb Squad (of Public Enemy)."
"Brooklynite is located at 334 Malcolm X Blvd Brooklyn, NY 11233. Directions: A train to Utica, exit at head of train, walk to Malcolm X Blvd, take left, go two blocks, gallery is on Malcolm X between Decatur and Bainbridge.)"
"We will present multi-media paintings/drawings, sculpture and installations, as well as a host of video art pieces all telling strange narratives that will be loaded with an array of bleeps and blips, and non-sequiturs the likes of piñatas, shaving cream, goats, wolfwomen, baby heads, ballpoint pens, Rubik's cubes, birthday parties, insects, whiskey, wine, boxing gloves, and bows and arrows, just to name a few." "As a much added bonus, the soundtrack to the opening night event will be performed by Bomb Squad [Hank Shocklee; Future Frequency], which is the force behind Public Enemy and some of the most significant albums of all time. They'll perform a preview of the new upcoming album of futuristic dub and live electronics." "For those outside NY, the opening will be streamed live at the Brooklynite Gallery website (just click on LIVE TV). Hope to see you there."
Thanks, guys! If you can't make it to the opening, be sure to check it out online. For more photos, visit Peru Ana Ana Peru's Flickr.
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of catching up with Mike Alewitz and his mural-painting class down in New Britain. We wandered the New Britain Museum of American Art and critiqued the work. Then, we sat down to chat about the Mural Slam. I couldn't be more excited, since I'm always looking for CT events that rock my socks. Here's the deal, courtesy of the event's Wordpress:
"The First Annual Mural Slam was held April 2008. It hosted dozens of artists, from experienced crews to young undergrads. Highlights included performance art, free food, awards, and watching CCSU Professor Mike Alewitz get a bucket of garbage dumped on him." "The Mural Slam is part of a growing international movement which recognizes public art in every form–graffiti, tags, murals, etc.–deserves to be celebrated. In 2008, the Slam started with a mass of artists throwing their tags, stencils, and murals onto the walls of CCSU’s Welte Garage in an all day event. Artists of every type were given eight hours to paint in their section of wall without fear of prosecution or arrest–just friends, food, music, and art." "This year, the tradition will continue–and everyone is invited. Ten bucks gets you a 4′x12′ slice of wall and 9hrs to do what you want. Any imagery is allowed, but use your judgment–we want to keep this going every year, so don’t paint something that will get us kicked off of campus. And remember: BYOP–bring your own paint."
"To register, e-mail the following to marissablaszko@gmail.com
.name of artist (tag okay)
.working with a crew?
.phone number where we can contact you
.best e-mail to use for contacting you
.age of artist (16+ only!)
.medium you’ll be working with (ie: spray paint, acrylic, etc.)
.whether or not you participated last year (and, if you did, what you painted)
A $10 sign-up fee per space is required to cover basic expenses of the Mural Slam." Thanks a million, guys! I know I'm definitely going to snap some shots in the afternoon. Word has it that another guy I know might participate (go get it, Ben!). For more shots from last year, check the group's blog (and disregard the September 26 date).
Since my time here is limited, I packed my Wednesday full of art. SoHo houses some of my favorite galleries, so I braved the rain to explore.
First stop: Collective Hardware for Ellis G.’s show, Ocular Echoism. Sadly, I missed the opening last week and I have to peace out for the follow-up party tonight. However, you should definitely stop by.
Ellis brings the street indoors with a deftly arranged collection of trash, leaves, and newspaper boxes. Photos of his street pieces adorned the walls and I loved recognizing each piece out of context. While I still think his street stuff is my favorite, I appreciate the new take on his classic style. As I read up for this post, I stumbled upon a great interview at Arrested Motion. Apparently, Ellis started chalk tagging after he was robbed outside of his house. Seeing his attacker’s shadow left him hypersensitive. To face his fear, he hit the streets at night and started tracing other familiar shadows. After Collective Hardware, I passed by both Deitch Galleries. On Wooster Street, I was completely grossed out by Black Acid Co-Op, the latest collaboration between Jonah Freedman and Justin Lowe. The whole project explores how subcultures intersect with the mainstream. As you enter the site, you are swallowed whole. Passing from Chinese grocery to university library to meth lab, the exhibit might be more aptly titled Black Acid Trip. The kitchen tables filled with Sudafed, empty 40s, and spider-webbing tubes contrasted the emptiness of the rooms. At one point, another viewer peered through the doorway and I screamed. The oppressive environment put me on edge and left me feeling like a dirty intruder. Then I followed up the Wooster Street Gallery with the Dash Snow memorial on Grand St. Ellis used to tag with Irak heavy, so Dash’s memorial tied my whole trip together. After the meth lab excursion, I felt a bit sick watching footage of Snow’s “hamster den.” Fans and friends alive covered the gallery with Polaroids and personal messages for Snow. The experience got me thinking: Was Dash exploited by the art world or did he calculate his every move? Ten years from now, will we view him as a genius or a flash in the pan? How much talent DOES it take to come on the New York Post? With all the media coverage, I feel like Dash’s live was one big out of body experience that I’m still trying to suss out. Thoughts?
Adam is definitely one of the coolest people I know. He's an artist and a biologist who drives a 1979 Volkswagen van. At one point, he had a mohawk so tall that it impeded his driving ability. (To solve the problem, he had to pull the seat back low-rider style). He owns an impressive collection of 1970s suits and collects old school electronics from the Salvation Army. With his affinity for Space Ghost, Taco Bell, and glow sticks, he's definitely a character. This is why I love him. Today, he shows us what's going on in Montauk and Cape Cod. He writes:
"I have always loved finding concrete ruins, especially out in the middle of the woods or someplace unexpected. I also love graffiti. Therefore, it follows that when I find concrete ruins in some remote or unexpected place, and these relics happen to be covered with spray paint, I get very excited. Graffiti makes worn out buildings come to life. It gives these forgotten places new purpose; to act as a forum for graffiti artists. And these ruins are good at fulfilling their new purpose. A mysterious concrete bunker can make even mediocre or faded graffiti more interesting. That being said, I will now share some graffiti I have found recently, even though some of it is mediocre or fading, because they all happen to share the characteristic of being painted on defunct military bunkers along the northeast coast."
"The June 9 blog about concrete ruins dealt with Montauk, NY on Long Island. It showed some images of the few remaining accessible tags located within Shadmore State Park. New pieces were a regular occurrence some years back before the state acquired the property. The land contains two large concrete WWII bunkers and is located on the ocean bluffs just south of Ditch Plains. Once the state took it over, however, the outsides were painted and the insides sealed up. Since then, only a few new tags have popped up there and many are locked away inside. (See the June 9 blog for pictures of the graffiti) The satellite image below shows the location of the two bunkers."
"While the tower and several other areas that may be home to some tags are blocked off, there are plenty of other buildings on which one would expect some graffiti. The prominent walls are painted over and maintained, but the backs of the buildings are just waiting to be tagged. However, there is not much to be found. As far as I know, the back of the old bowling alley shown here is the only wall with any graffiti whatsoever."
"The larger bunker is in the main clearing and has the most paint on it. The outside has several tags, but they are old and faded. Two walls are shown here."
"It was my moving to the Outer Cape that got me looking at these locations again. My most recent concrete ruin discovery is not in Montauk, but rather out in the sand dunes of Truro/Provincetown on Cape Cod. It is an open, aboveground foundation.""Perhaps it is the remote aspect of these sites that keep them relatively free of graffiti. Maybe artists don’t want to trek out there to paint them. Maybe these ruins are less desirable because the work would not be seen by many people. But I think this is what makes these sites more interesting for the people who do get to see them. They know they are one of the few privileged viewers who have stumbled upon the bunker and the graffiti. So while this weblog probably does not openly endorse painting on local, state, or federal government property because it is less than legal, I will. Get out to these old ruins and help them fulfill their purpose. They may be hard to find, but satellite images and coordinates help with that bit. And I am sure there are many other similar places out there waiting as well." "P.S. Does anyone have pictures of some of those Montauk places before they were painted over, sealed up, or restricted? Has anyone been out to any of these locations more recently and seen some fresh paint? And does anyone know of any other remote concrete ruins that are now being used for graffiti?"
Adam, you're the best! (But you already knew that). If you've got photos to share with Adam, send them my way and I'll b sure to pass them along.
One of my best friends will be visiting this weekend and I can't wait for her to arrive. We've got the Willowby Windows event, the North African Arts Festival, the NY Eyes and Ears Festival, and maybe even a Jon Burgerman book signing to look forward to. (Since she's also a street art fan, she'll feel right at home.) Whitney's from Atlanta, so it's fitting that today's post is straight out of A-town. SBH contacted me a while back about his work and I'm excited to share his pieces with you today. He writes:
“I’m SBH and I live in ATL. I use almost anything I can get my hands on: acrylic, spray paint, markers, ink and watercolor. I haven't used oils but a few times so I working on that. I also do digital graphics.” “I like characters for sure. The creepier the better. I've always been drawn to creepy characters. I've been drawing off and on since I was a little kid. Paint is still kind of new to me. Been painting for a few years now. I’d rather draw but people would rather see my paintings. People love color. I love just white paper and a black pen, to be honest. That's my favorite.” “My crazy brain inspires me for the most part. I don’t think much about what I paint and draw. If I'm in the mood I just sit down and draw and the rest just happens. I tell myself all the time to think about what I want to draw and paint but I never do. When I was a kid Andy Howell would of been my biggest influence. Skateboarding would of been next. Andy Howell is an old pro skater that used to do board graphics and one day I saw his characters and I fell in love. The rest is history.” “Andy Howell, Ewokone, Sam Flores, JAR, Jeff Soto, Robert Williams, The Coop, Dalek, Ron English and Doze Green are some of my favorite peeps.” “Years from now, I’m not sure what I’ll be doing with art. Maybe I’ll be doing children's books or something. I’d like to do some skateboard stuff at a pro level. I’ve only done things for my shop and local board companies. I’ve always wanted to put out a coloring book. That would be fresh.”
Thanks, SBH! He's got a stash of great photos, so check them out on Flickr.
When I think of the future, I think of Japan. With its warp-speed pace and space-age electronics, I feel like Japan is already light years ahead of the States. The whole country must be carrying paper-thin cell phones and personal teleportation devices by now. While technology may be hyperadvanced, its fledgling street art scene is still growing. As he traveled through Asia, contributor Djentrification made stops in Korea and Japan. Today, we'll see some of his Japanese photos and hear what's going on in the Far East.
“One of the writers in the Japan pics is ADEKS. I met him in Seattle in 1995. He was giving out paint pens like a little Robin Hood and bombed Seattle like crazy. It was nasty, raw, and everywhere.” “Last time I heard about him, he’d fell off a freeway overpass while he was painting and was static for a while. It’s interesting to see that he’s up a bit in Japan and some other countries, too.” “There’s a writer named Pilfer up everywhere in Tokyo. That cat’s crazy!” “You know what’s weird? Japan’s stickers and tags build up on one box over a few years. No one’s going over each other, and in the end it looks sweet. There’s a bunch of different stuff side by side and it’s all layered up. Lovely!” “Graffiti and its cousins are flourishing in Asia. Birth pangs of the new communications are moving things along nicely.”
Thanks, D! For more info, check up on Djentrification on MySpace.
This blog receives a lot of traffic from Texas, so it's only fitting that my favorite Texan would report on the state's graffiti scene. Nick and I met abroad (see last week's Amsterdam post) and have since kept in touch. Last week, he sent me a note about the unexpected turn of events that piqued his interest in San Antonio's transient graffiti. While the photo quality is not optimal (the images are film stills), the pictures offer a glimpse at what the Lone Star State has to offer. Nick writes:
“This particular day involved whitewashing two long walls filled with extremely skilled and meticulous street art. Each mural was the work of a different artist, and varied in subject matter and style, but never in devotion or skill. The artists obviously came from all over the state (or country), and put a lot of thought into each work, often inserting local subject matter and topography. One featured a detailed overhead map of downtown San Antonio, with its famous Riverwalk snaking through the center.”
“The raw footage is all that remains. I hope that street artists continue these types of projects in the future. Even if the city council doesn't appreciate them, a vast majority of the citizenry does.”
Thanks, Nick! For more photos, check out his Photobucket. Also, if you're interested in cheesy films, take a look at his blog, Your Stupid Minds, where he reviews all things corny, tasteless, and tacky. Fabulous!
I've never spent an extensive period of time in Texas, but the Lone Star Staters I've met have been nothing but charming. My friend Nick is a fabulous screenplay writer who made traveling around Ireland a blast. On a road trip across the country, a pedestrian tipped his hat to me and commented on my 'fancy britches' (I was wearing purple spandex pants at the time). Today's post comes from Gotcha from Fort Worth. His passion for street art and neat style make me want to explore Texas and find the quirky bits that make it fun. Gotcha writes:
'A new form of artistic reality can change the perspective on creative expression.' -StYle
Thanks, man! Your comments on the blog were too kind. I'm so glad you're getting something out of it. Like your stickers, if I can connect with one person and teach him or her something new each day, then I'm doing my job. Cheers!
This past weekend, I popped over to Providence, Rhode Island, for a slice of Antonio's and a good hunt. (Yes, I am an Antonio's girl, but someday I would like to try Nice Slice just for comparison). Although it's quite small, Providence is one of my favorite cities. The neighborhoods are fairly walkable, there's great food everywhere you turn, and it's got a quirky style all its own. My only gripe is that the bus system is a tad pokey (I'm not trying to drive in a city). Yet if Providence offered me a decent job, I would probably take it in a heartbeat. (No offense, New York, but your hiring freeze is killing me softly).
I worked in Providence two summers ago and will share those photos at a later date. What interested me this time was the overwhelming presence of USPS mailing tags. Like Royal Air Mail stickers, USPS stickers are perfect pocket canvases. They feature plenty of white space and are free at any post office nation-wide. Today's post showcases the USPS sticker and the myriad of artistic possibilities it contains.
This ant is posted up on a parking sign outside of the Wickenden Street Utrecht outlet. The utility box next to it is covered in Shepard Fairey and other stickers.
Although it's a bit beat up, I liked the detailed work on this sticker. I found her on the back of a stop sign across from Rainbow Bicycles on Brook Street.
Simple but elegant. I forget where this one was located. Unfortunately, the sun was going down so some of these are a bit blurry.
I love this guy's face. Whoever makes these posted a bunch of other stickers and I think the the characters are fabulous.
I think this one is my favorite. Such an elaborate stencil style on such a small sticker. I found this one a crosswalk light on Charlesfield Street. There's so much going on in Providence right now and it's definitely worth a look. Thanks to Adam for bringing an extra camera (damn you, batteries) and jumping on top of walls to get a shot. You're the best! I think I'm going on a hunt this afternoon in uncharted territory (for me, anyway). We'll see what I dig up!
Fabulous weekend. Thank goodness for high school vacations; I needed a break from my students as much as they wanted to get away from me. Yesterday, I popped up to Boston and checked out the Shepard Fairey exhibit at the ICA. Very nicely done! There's a wide selection of prints from Andre the Giant and the Obey campaign to his war series and a variety of portraits, including the ubiquitous Obama piece. Definitely worth checking out.
Now on to the post. Today's words and images come from my sister. She managed to find time in her chaotic college schedule to wax poetic about shots she took last summer. She writes:
"Over the summer I visited Québec for the first time. Gorgeous city. It blends the old and the modern so well, and its street art is no exception. It was the first time I'd been in a city where I really looked hard for good street art, but before long this piece jumped out at me. At the crossroads of a small neighborhood and a row of cute little shops, I found this guy. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out who he is, or what "moé" means, but I find myself looking back at this picture every once in a while, trying to figure out the mystery."
Er, these are great! Thanks so much. (And mystery solved: 'moé' means 'moi' in French so it roughly translates to 'Someone stop me!') I'm already mulling over tomorrow's post but we've got a lot of interesting stuff waiting to be shared. If you've got any photos or stories that you want posted, send them my way! My readers in the Philippines! Turkey! France! Germany! Russia! Yeah, I know you're all out there. Rep your countries and let people know what's up on your street art scene! Drop me a line at illicitexhibitions@gmail.com and let me know what's up!
Thanks, D! We really appreciate the update.
