May 2010: Grems in London

While I'm sad that Mawena and Padric may be moving to London in the fall, I take comfort in knowing I'll see great street art if I visit. If I'm lucky, I might be able to catch up with Grems. Today, he shares a few past projects and hints at what's to come in the future. He writes:

"I started doing graffiti 13 years ago. Back then, I tagged as Cherie."

"I live in London and I travel all the time. I painted absolutely everywhere: in the street, among people, and in the galleries."

"I often work very very alone, but I know several groups like Supakitch TT crew, Jack Factory, Polka Rekm, and Captain Rouget & Bunk. It's hard to paint with other people."

"I learned most of my techniques by practicing graffiti. I did graffiti research for seven years! Then one day, I found my own style. I blend prehistoric painting, Indian art, Cubism, everything! I love painting in the south of France because there are many great walls there. I also like painting people in their living rooms."
"One time, I painted a wall with 3ttman, Remedies and Zbiok. I love this wall because it is a perfect blend of our different cultures: a mix between graffiti, new style, and contemporary painting."

Thanks, Grems! He's got a book and an album in the works, so check his website for future updates.

November 2009: World War Won from SA

Second day of the new (posting) year and we're already representing new countries. Today, we check in with World War Won who got his start in South Africa. Currently posted up in London, World War Won cleverly modifies the city streets with a dash or two of paint. He writes:

"I started working in public when i was 16. I spend a lot of time working alone. But when I'm actually installing works in public, I prefer to be with some pals.""I'm not sure that I have developed a style. Style seems to be an ongoing organic thing - something that just emerges after lots and lots of work. I don't think it is something that you should be aware of when you are producing. Just make things that you like."
"I jump around between mediums a lot as I get bored very quickly. At the moment, I am really interested in creating work that is open-ended and interpretable, work that has no real message other than to provoke individual interpretations from the public."
"I used to paint in the suburbs of Cape Town in a crew called PaintdripRisks. We were mainly interested in locations that were hidden: walls along bicycle paths, etc. Then recently I moved over to £ondon to target masses of people. Right now, my favourite places to display work are in the busiest parts of central £ondon."
"Saying this, I'm not really that interested in graffiti as a medium anymore. In short, I think there are many new ways to create public work and spraycans are not necessarily the most interesting or the most innovative....I'm interested in playful invention and I try and

think of new ways to infect the city all the time. Right now, I am working on being as prolific as possible."

Thanks so much, WWW! Has anyone over in England see his stuff? SA? Let me know! For more photos and updates, check out his blog.

Friday ProFile: Yarn Corps

Without the brave intervention of Knit The City's Yarn Corps, the city of London would be buried in skeins. According to the collective, they protected the South Bank from a fearsome wooly foe. "We were victorious," the collective reports. "We managed to push him off Waterloo Bridge into the River Thames with our yarnly powers." Thus, Yarn Corps was born and London was safe once again. Hailing from London's shadowy corners, members Deadly Knitshade, Bluestocking Stitcher, Purple Purler, The Fastener, Shorn-a the Dead, Knitting Nina, and Lady Loop create quite the yarnstorm.

While they love to travel, the group freely admits that their home base is their first love. Parliament Square phone boxes, barriers in Convent Garden, and tunnels in Waterloo Station all received snuggly accessories from the crew. Many view their activities as graffiti with yarn, but don't call it "bombing." "We live in a city where 'bomb' is possible not the best word to bandy about," they explain, "even if it is wooly. But everyone likes a yarnstorm!"
The members of Yarn Corps didn't always express themselves through knitting one and purling two. Bluestocking Stitcher scribbled on the walls at home and Deadly Knitshade "illustrated" Mum's books. Eventually, Knitshade decided to use the power of knitting for good, not evil, and recruited like-minded souls for the task. With a heady mix of yarn and pear cider, the group bonded and hit the streets together.
What sets the group apart is the stories behind their projects. "In the Leake Street tunnel, we created a 13-foot long spider web with 44 horrified handmade creatures being eaten by a spider," Deadly Knitshade reports. "Not many people would have seen it buried down there in the graffiti darkness. Perfect spider location, though." Sometimes, yarnstorms lead to rather sticky situations. "We got caught yarnstorming a phone box in Parliament Square," Deady Knitshade says. "I was so proud, I nearly wept." Shorn-a the Dead adds, "We explained sweetly to the police that it was a 'craft' project. Ah craft. It's so snuggly and innocent sounding!"
Once the knitters started yarnstorming, they quickly realized they couldn't stop. Deadly Knitshade admits, "I am subject to unexpected 'knitblasts' at random moments. Terribly embarrassing at parties. The Fastners agrees, "Yarnstorming can be scarily contagious. It would be futile to resist; there is no choice."
With their one-year anniversary quickly approaching, the members of Yarn Corps show no sign of stopping. "I think our work will just develop in the way it wants to develop," Bluestocking Stitcher says. "It has a mind of its own." Creating a wooly wonderland shows that the whole city is a canvas. Staying true to their mission, Yarn Corps wants people to "really take the time to stop and look at what is around them once in a while. And look up! Nobody ever looks up."

Brilliant, guys! Thanks so much for a lovely post. For more cuddly photos, visit their website. I'm off to work, but have a great weekend and get ready for the last three posts of 2009!

Friday ProFile: Josh Sutterby

Today, Josh Sutterby paints on the streets and in galleries, but his first artistic inklings pulled him towards comics. “I used to draw these comic books with these really weird creatures called the Alpha Males,” he explains. “They were a dominant force on the planet.” When he picked up a spray can, he adopted Alpha Male as a pseudonym. As his style evolved, so did his name, changing to Alfa and then back to Josh Sutterby. “When I think back, I really wish I had chosen something different,” he regrets, “but once you’ve gone under a name for a while and people start to know who you are a bit more, it almost seems silly to change it.”As a kid, Sutterby spent hours drawing at his kitchen table. Growing up on a farm, his mother encouraged her boys to be active instead of passively watching TV. “She would only let us watch it a certain amount every day,” he recalls. “At the time, I’m sure we moaned about it but looking back, it was the best thing she could have done for us.” As a kid, he dabbled in graffiti, but moving to London catalyzed this interest into an all-encompassing lifestyle. “I met a group of guys in South London who were really into street art and graffiti,” he says. “They were really inspiring. Eventually, we became Sooper Dooper Crew. Being in that kind of environment was amazing: drawing all day, then hitting the streets and tracks at night, getting up to no good.”
No matter what name he paints under, you’ll recognize Sutterby’s style. His dark and twisted themes pervade each piece. “Initially, originality was a massive problem,” he explains. “I was constantly asking myself, ‘Am I being original?’ Eventually, I just got used to the idea that you have to just do it your way and fuck what anyone else thinks.” Painting allowed him to travel the work, bombing in London, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and everywhere in between.
Travel is a great perk, but being an artist isn’t always easy. When he’s not facing the dangers of street painting, he’s fielding criticism for his indoor and commercial work. “It’s very easy to jeopardize your integrity as an artist by doing jobs for corporate industries,” he acknowledges. “I’ve been judged by other people for doing commercial stuff, but without those jobs I could never further my career as an artist. There’s always gonna be haters; you just have to roll with the punches and do your thing.”
The hustle paid off for Sutterby and today, he’s able to rock the artist gig full-time. “I’m really grateful to be able to do what I like pretty much when I like it,” he confesses. “It’s great not to have to go and work some shit job you hate for no money five or six days a week. I’d like to be a little less lazy when it comes to painting, though. I’ve just done a show in Brighton and am now working on my new show which is to open early December at the print house in Dalston, East London.”
What’s the key to artist success? Sutterby believes the answer lies in constant practice. “I find it harder these days because I’m more particular about the subject of my art and I have less time to sit and draw, but when I was younger I used to be able to sit and draw for hours just from my imagination. I think it’s really important for artists to dedicate a certain amount of time to sit and just draw, whether it’s from your head or from life. It’s hard to put into practice and it’s quite time consuming, but it’s so rewarding in the end.”

Thanks so much, Josh! For more info about Josh's show and work, take a look at his blog. That's all for now; see you next week!

November 2009: "The Thousands" at Village Underground

I've been impressed with RJ and Vandalog for quite some time now. Homeboy went over to London, started his blog, and in no time at all promoted it into a household name for street art. On top of that, he just started college this year. With a Blackberry full of connex like Black Rat Press and Pure Evil's Gallery, you know he means business. Tonight, RJ presents "The Thousands" at London's Village Underground. Here's the PR:

"The exhibition opens November 18th at Village Underground in London, and the lineup is really top notch. Because the artwork is (for the most part) on loan from collectors, I can include artists like Banksy, Os Gêmeos, José Parlá, Swoon, Aiko, Nick Walker, Kaws and many others that wouldn't normally show together."
"The full line-up as well as all the details about opening times are on Vandalog along with an e-flyer. I know some of you don't live in the UK, but maybe you'll be here on holiday or something. It would be great to see you at 'The Thousands'."
"And the book, The Thousands: Painting Outside, Breaking In is available now on Drago's website."
"If you know of anybody else who might be interested in 'The Thousands', please send them an e-mail. The more people there, the better. "
No doubt, RJ! While I'm furious I won't be able to make it (definitely makes me want to relocate to the UK for a while), I know I'll let my cross-the-pond folks know. If you're there, GO and tell me how it is!

Friday ProFile: Artful Dodger

Back in the day, graffiti was all about getting up, hitting unique spots, and making your name known. Armed with Sharpies, spray cans, and whatever other tools they could afford, these stealthy assassins plastered their names on anything with a visible surface. In the dark of night, they braved cops, dogs, and abusive street characters that tried to intervene. In the beginning, graffiti writers loved their art but found little acceptance in the outside world.

From the jump, Artful Dodger’s talent didn’t jive with his parents’ expectations. At first, his interest in art entertained them. In school, lessons on Van Gogh, Rubins, Michaelangelo, and Da Vinci piqued his interest in art as a career. As a child, he says, “I loved to draw cartoon characters as a child. Whenever relatives came over, my parents told me to go get my pictures and show them. They’d parade me around.” However, his parents were less than thrilled when their son decided to pursue art as a career. “They wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer, something respectable and academic. Saying I wanted to be an artist was like wanting to be a street busker. It was seen as an embarrassment. It was difficult to deal with.”
Born and bred in London, Artful Dodger fed his love for hip-hop culture with a constant diet of Rock Steady Crew, Futura 2000, Le163, and Phase2. His interest in aerosol art was augmented by his middle school art teacher’s calligraphy lessons “No one really took to it,” he recalls. “Everyone was more interested in flicking people with ink. After the lesson, I went up to him and told him I was sincerely interested. He gave me some alphabet slips, ink, and pens, and told me to see what I could come up with. From there, I got hooked.” In 1983, he hit the streets with a vengeance, spraying everything in his path.
Finding a support network in PLAZ, a South London crew, Artful Dodger spent his time bombing or sketching new pieces. “It was cool because it’s good to have someone watch your back. It wasn’t until about 6 months after that that we hooked up with a crew of really great South London writers. It was great because we were all on the same page. It was kind of like what you hear with bands and musicians where all the talents come together and collaborate.”
Connecting the tags on New York’s subway cars and old gothic penmanship, Artful Dodger’s hybrid style spawned an unusual tag. When people saw his tag for the first time, they didn’t believe it was graffiti. In 1985, Weetabix approached Artful Dodger for an ad campaign. “My quest was to get my name on it, so I thought, ‘Wow, instant fame, I’m in!’ ,” he recalls. “Ironically, they didn’t let me do it in my gothic tag because it didn’t look like it’d been done by a writer. They just wanted a stereotype image and my tag was subversive. It played with the whole perception of what writing and vandalism is.” Confusing viewers with his illegal yet artistic pieces,

Today, Artful Dodger keeps it legal. When he’s not DJing or spending time with his kids, you can find him out in the community. For the past 22 years, he’s organized workshops for youth clubs. Starting this month, he’ll spearhead a multifaceted project combining different aspects of hip-hop culture. “It’s a six-week program that encompasses aerosol writing, digital graphics, urban music, and creative writing. This is our pilot project so there are three classes with twenty persons in each class. Next year, I want to start B-Write, a program teaching women how to write. It’s kind of weird because you’d think that women would be out there getting their voices heard more. You’d think there would be more equal representation.”

No doubt, D! While he doesn’t get up illegally anymore, Artful Dodger insists that graffiti is here to stay. “No matter what, I think people will continue to get up the traditional way because that side will always appeal to someone. The harder you push them to go legal or accept it in the mainstream, the harder they’re going to push back.”

All images courtesy of Artful Dodger, except fourth image from Rocking the City. For more info, check out his video stash, website, or Flickr. Thanks, D! I'm off for Labor Day weekend festivities, but I promise to bring you all the headlines on Monday.

Friday ProFile: A.CE

A.CE’s wheatpastes represent the best of Saturday morning cartoons you once loved (and probably still do). Goofy, Donald Duck, and Tom of Tom and Jerry fame all feature prominently in his work. Mixing cartoon characters with commercial icons, A.CE creates social commentary that’s still suitable for all ages.  

Back in 1995, this Londoner started out as a tagger with many names. He responded to Ouzi, Evols, Acer, and Acme before becoming A.CE in 1998. “I would tag and do mini pieces on Royal Mail stickers,” he recalls. “Mostly, I would do stencils as kind of a nod to skate stickers and the other writers’ stickers I was seeing around the place.” When he became comfortable with the medium, Ace upped the ante and moved on to larger wheatpaste designs. 
Since his early tagging days, A.CE has pasted his signature designs around London for the past 10 years. However, he doesn’t keep track of where he pastes. “Documenting my work was never important to me,” he insists. “I like hitting up any new spot that I haven’t gotten up to be fore.” Instead, getting up for A.CE is all about placement. “Location is key if you want people to see your work,” he explains, “and you can usually get a good idea of how much longevity your piece will have there. Selecting a good spot in order to create a good juxtaposition with your work, like in an old weathered doorway, is always important to me. A piece can be ruined by putting it in a crap spot.” 
When A.CE goes out bombing, he says, “It’s just me, the bike, and a full bag! I don’t think there’s too much to gain from putting up work with someone else. It’s all over pretty quick and I don’t like to fight over spots!” On occasion, he and friend Bivouac tag team. “He’s a good mate and hugely talented,” he adds. “We were actually born on the same day. Brothers from different mothers!” 
Currently, A.CE can be found painting in the studio or “fucking about” on Photoshop. “I’m always trying to improve my output while making stuff that I like. Aesthetic is more important to me than any concept. It’s all about the process of printing stuff up and banging it out there.” 
Quality is important to A.CE; he doesn’t believe in churning out work. “Money and attention is responsible for taking a lot of the best street artists from us into the safety of the galleries,” he laments. “It is also attracting a lot of weak work by people chasing that same fame and fortune. Ultimately, you start seeing people doing this for the wrong reasons. In the future, I think street artists are going to need to adopt much more of a ‘graffiti writer’ mentality in order to survive out there.” 

All photos courtesy of A.CE. For more info, check out his MySpace.

Hope you all have a great weekend! In the States, I'll be celebrating Memorial Day on the beach for the first time this year. If the weather holds up, I might take the first plunge of the season. Enjoy the break and I'll catch you on Monday! NOTE: To all my Facebook/MySpace readers who link to my blog through those sites, I won't be posting a link on Monday. You're on your own for a second, but I'll be back to it on Tuesday.

April 2009: London

When I visited London in April, I had to make a stop at The Tunnel. Located on Leake St. under the Waterloo station, the tunnel is a legal location for all thing street art. 

I snapped so many photos during this visit alone that I killed my camera's batteries. Fortunately, I reloaded it for Shoreditch, but that's a story for another time. 
Sorry for my lack of text today. I'm going through a bit of an unexpected personal crisis at the moment but I promise to make good on the Friday ProFile tomorrow. 
Take a look through these shots and see if any of them look familiar. (Rich Simmons, anyone? Thanks, obnoxious taggers, for marring his fresh piece.) See you tomorrow.

April 2009: London with Rich Simmons

I arrived in London one day too late to catch this shoot. By the time I made it to Leak St., artist Rich Simmons’s work had already been tagged over with a swirl of lime green paint (thanks, toys.). Fortunately, Simmons documented his process extensively. Today, we’ll hear about his work, the shoot, and the bigger picture behind his art. 

“I’ve only done street art in London a couple of times. I wanted to learn my craft and get better in my own space at home before going off and doing work on the street. I don’t want to put up something that I’m not happy with. I would love to get out more, ravel through my art, and paint in cities all over the world, but that’s still in the pipeline.” 

“I’ m still learning how to improve my stencils and working on new ideas for pieces all the time. I have a deal with a clothing label in LA called Goodie Two sleeves. I have to create a bunch of new stuff for a range of merch so I’m always trying to come up with cool ideas. Recently, I’ve been painting a bunch of posters using existing stencils I have of skeletons, Einstein and The Queen, which has been fun. I love finding new ways to utilize my existing pieces.”  

“I started Art Is The Cure in February 2008 to try and get art therapy into the public spotlight more. A lot of people go through so many problems in life. From my own experiences, I found that using art and creativity as a form of therapy is a positive release for that negativity. Since I set it up, the organization has snowballed and gained huge support from people all over the world who have also found a cure through art.” 
“The photo shoot I did in London was also a video shoot. The footage is for a new short film we’re making for Art Is The Cure. The first video we made helped AITC to grow loads and has had over 15,000 views on YouTube. We’re trying to improve on that and follow it up with something better by incorporating a lot of my new artwork.” 
“Using art as a form of creative release to deal with problems is saving lives all over the world. I’ve heard hundreds of stories from people who credit AITC with changing their lives and helping them deal with problems ranging from depression, addiction, eating disorders, autism, anger, stress, bereavement and self-harming. Please check out the MySpace page and join the community online to learn more about AITC.” 

You heard the man, you've got the link, so hop to it!

Friday ProFiles: Inkfetish

London-based artist Tom Blackford’s characters must feature prominently in the nightmares of children everywhere. Smoking more crack than hookah, the Cheshire Cat dares unsuspecting kiddies to pull his tail. A slimy baby-snatcher licks infants like Popsicles. Disgruntled Grouchy Smurf eyes his latest catch with disdain. (Judging by his grimace, that red critter is slightly less than smurftastic). Mixing classic characters with original creations, Blackford’s paintings haunt viewers long after they pass them by.  

Blackford, also known as Inkfetish, cites an early obsession with comic books as his first artistic project. “When I was four or five, I started a comic that I worked on for about two years!” he recalls. “I'd spend hours a day on it in my own little world. I'm pretty much doing the same thing now.” Combining his comic background and an appreciation for tattoo art, Blackford began signing his tags as “Inkfetish”. While he’s grown and progressed as an artist, he tries to maintain his childhood love of art. “I think as a child you find everything wondrous,” he suggests. “I've tried to hold onto that feeling or at least try and go back there when starting a new painting.” 

“Getting into graffiti/street art/whatever label you want to put on my work was a natural process,” he says. “I started out playing around with graffiti in my teens. Then in my early 20’s, I met people that really inspired me to start realising my illustrations on a bigger scale.” Although he often works alone, Blackford spent time with members of TMP (The Master Plan) from 2005-2007. “It was more of a group of individuals I was hanging out with around that time rather than a graffiti crew seeking world domination,” he insists. “We travelled the UK a little bit and banged out a few really cool walls during that time. I’ve got to mention Ebzke.  Had he not noticed what I was doing then I wouldn't have met half the cool artists I know now.” 

Diving in head first, Blackford’s self-proclaimed “blind confidence” dispelled any initial fears. Arrests didn’t deter him, although he insists his tactics have changed since his early bombing days. “My current work is all legitimate and pre-planned,” he explains. “I painting a mural at Barcelona's Bread and Butter Festival was a great adventure. It was the first time I'd been flown overseas because of what I do.” While there’s no distinct message behind his pieces, Blackford says, “I just want to reach the public with my work, whether they like it or not. I'd like people to stop and look...if they like it, great.” 

More recently, Blackford has transitioned indoors to incorporate more gallery pieces. “My style’s recently become a little less dark in its subject matter,” he explains. “Maybe I'm feeling less 'angsty' these days. The work's definitely becoming more personal which I feel is important rather than just being an image I think 'looks cool'.”  

After years of painting as a side project, Blackford quit his day job and became a full-time artist. “If I'm able to keep this full-time artist gig going, I'll be happy,” he says. “Artistically, I don't tend to look back to much as I'm always thinking about the next piece. I have a few projects in store including my first solo show later in the year but I don't like to talk too much about stuff until it’s done and dusted.” 

While he remains mum about his future plans, Blackford has lots to say about the future of street art. “London is over saturated at the moment,” he insists. “Anything painted/pasted in the street is regarded as significant regardless of artistic merit. People are so caught up in the hype of it all right now it doesn't seem to matter. That's just my subjective opinion, though; being creative in any shape or form is always better than sitting on the sofa all day. The buff is pretty hard in London right now with the Olympics on the menu so now is not a great time.” 

London may frantically scrub out street pieces, but there are countless artists waiting in the alleys to repaint them. “Street art/graffiti will always be present in some form or another,” he adds. “To contribute to your environment is a very deep-seated natural urge for a lot of people.” 

All photos courtesy of Tom Blackford. For more information, take a peek at his web site over at www.inkfetish.co.uk. 

Thanks so much, Tom! Really great stuff. I love the extra creepy quality to these shots. 

Quick note: Mr. Noface would like to me to make a correction. On his post, the first photo is not of his own work but instead is of an artist unknown to him. He admires this artist's work and would love to be in touch. If the work is yours, shout him out! That's all for now. I hope you have the best of weekends and I'll see you back here on Monday!