May 2009: China with Jef Aerosol

Jef Aerosol is to France as Barry McGee is to the States: a living legend of street art.  He began stenciling in 1982 and has dabbled in nearly every medium since then. From the Lille Art Fair and rock star portraits to spreading his “Sitting Kids” across the globe (I have one in my photo collection), Jef Aerosol is hard to pin down. He was kind enough to share his latest project with us. He writes: 

“Hi! I hardly have any time to write now, not even on my own web pages! I am so, so, so busy and overworked right now. Each minute is precious and I work from morning till late at night!”

“Monsieur Chat, L’Atlas and I didn't ‘pick’ China as our next trip. We were selected by CulturesFrance to go there, so it's an official trip.” “We'll paint live on 3 huge canvas walls (5 x 3 m) during the two opening days of Art Beijing, an art fair.” “Then we'll go to Chengdu where they have built big walls (2 walls, 15 x 2,50 m) for us. We may leave, but the murals will remain. Cheers, Jef”

For more photos, check his Flickr. Jef is on Facebook, MySpace, and has a new website coming soon. 

Thank you so much, Jef! I really appreciate your response in spite of your busy schedule. And finally, for all my Francophone readers, take a look at this clip from France3.  

March 2009: Hawaii with Mr. Noface

Hanging out in the Pacific, Hawaii is the youngest state in the union. Separated from the mainland, Hawaiian society existed long before European explorers set foot in the New World. With their own religion, social hierarchy, and government, Hawaiians disliked the idea of American annexation and fought to keep their independence. Today, Hawaii remains glorified by mainlanders, viewed as a tropical oasis instead of just another state. In spite of his peaceful surroundings, Mr. Noface has a message for Washington, D.C., and anyone else who will listen. He writes:

“The objective of my art is to show the government’s real side, to make fun of it, and to tell the truth about the people hiding behind desks calling the shots.” 

“My style resembles propaganda. I love telling the truth or showing some government official being bad or funny. I love making people laugh.”

“There are only two reasons why I do this art. First and foremost, I do it to show the truth about the government and the police. Secondly, I love the rush I get from putting up art and getting away with it. No one knows who I am! It’s just a big thing of mine to stay underground but to still be up there.” 

“I picked the black and white gas mask theme because I think seeing an image of a gas mask just looking over a freeway wall makes people stop and think. What would you do if you saw a big poster of a gasmask just overlooking a main road? Wouldn’t you stop and look?”  

Thanks, Noface! Keep repping Hawaii and spreading your message.

In other news, YZ sent me this awesome link of her latest project. This film is comprised of thirty-something posters pasted all around Paris. She writes:

"Miriam Makeba, singer and anti-apartheid activist, widely known as 'Mama Africa,' was exiled from her home of South Africa for her revolutionary words and songs, but was widely respected for speaking - and singing - the truth about racism."

Also, Michael De Feo, the hardest working man in street art, has yet another show opening. Toronto's Angell Gallery presents Works on Paper, a collection featuring work by De Feo and other artists such as  Kim Dorland, Brendan Flanagan, and Jeremy Chance. Catch the opening reception on Saturday, April 4, from 12 pm to 5 pm. If you can't make it, just stop by before it closes on April 25. 

Thanks and I'll see you tomorrow!