February 2009: Paris

I love receiving submissions from other people. Whether they're from my friends or from street artists and fans that I've never met, I love opening my Gmail to find new notes. Today's post comes from Seize Happy Wallmaker, a French street artist. He sent heaps of photos and a description of his latest project. He writes:

"This exhibition was produced in collaboration between Yz and Seize, whose pictoral universes are opposed. Angles against curves, black and white against color, simplicity against complexity, woman against man. The objective of this exhibition was to prove that with dialogue and communication, the opposing viewpoints could come together."

"Despite their differences, the two ultimately create a parable on the benefits of listening and exchanging ideas. This tolerance is positive! Following the exhibition, we hope to create a large mural with this concept. With us, it is always the street that has the last word!"

Fabulous, Seize! I wish you and YZ the best of luck on that mural. For more images of Seize's work, check out his photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/seizehappywallmaker.

Catch the opening on February 12 with a 7 pm screening of the documentary, "New York City Girls" at Galerie Itinerance (7ibis, rue René Goscinny, Paris).

In The Headlines

Thank goodness for warm weather. After weeks of sub-zero wind chills and vicious snow storms, the weekend's slightly warmer temperatures did wonders for my outlook on life. I think I'm at least 37% happier when it's sunny and I can feel my feet. But we're not hear to talk about the weather. It's been a wild week for street artists. Let's see who made this week's headlines.

Normally I don't post on performance street art, but this is awesome. Pranking the Google Street application, two Pittsburgh art students put on a show featuring an alleyway parade, marathon runners in a race of their own, and giant chickens in a parking lot. 

Canada's The Ubyssey interviews Indgo Girl, Ninja, and Jerms in a discussion about Vancouver's 'other art gallery'.

Indonesian artist Restu Ratnaningtyas festooned Jakarta bus stops with bubble wrap as part of the city's biennial.

Jossip mentions Poster Boy in its discussion of how graffiti has evolved way beyond Krylon.

Swoon is featured in Our City Dreams, an upcoming documentary profiling five women artists and the relationship between their cities and creativity.

If you're in the Cayman Islands in February, you can take a four-week class on stencil-making.

Everyone's talking about Poster Boy's arrest last week. Now the news has travelled across the pond to the UK.

Shepard Fairey got slapped this week. First, the AP served him. Then, the cops cuffed and bagged him for "past offenses" as he was about to DJ his ICA opening. Damn.

Despite the intervention of the law, critics praised the exhibit.

Friday Profiles: Mimi the Clown

When it comes to clowns, there's no middle ground; you either love them or hate them. Usually, I belong to the later category. Clowns give me the creeps. Just the word "clown" conjures up images of chainsaw-wielding freakshows with pancake makeup chasing me down the street in oversized shoes. The catchphrase "Can't sleep. Clowns will eat me" resonates strongly within me. One showed up at my eighth birthday party and I nearly collapsed in fear.

Yet Miguel Donvez and his character, Mimi, just might change my mind. I'm not saying I want to hold hands with a clown, but Mimi's cheeky irreverence has more appeal than some of the Bozos I know. Parisian Mimi struts his stuff in a top hot and tiny shorts. 2 In London, he jams out on an electric guitar. On a mailbox in New York, he befriends Billi Kid's flower power cowboy. 5  In Jerusalem, he moons a pedestrian. 4 Mimi brings his renegade swagger to any city street.

 

Hailing from Cambrai, France, Donvez named Mimi after his childhood nickname. In the beginning, Donvez was more focused on what was happening in his backyard than the streets. "I remember trying to write a book about the flight of birds," he recalls. "I must've been about ten years old. I watched them for hours, then indexed them and drew reflections on what I saw."

His early enthusiam for drawing and a close encounter with a French street art legend inspired him to create his own character. "I met Jef Aerosol who used to paint in the streets of Paris. It was at this moment that I wanted to try it, and since then I've never stopped. I can't say that my first attempt was inspired by what I saw in the streets. Three minutes before doing it, I didn't know it would happen!"

 

In the beginning, Donvez was part of a two-man crew called Attentats Coloriques. Today, he flies solo. He adds, "I usually work alone because I think my goal is very personal. I have a clear idea of what I want to do." Donvez finds his grimy painting locations paradoxical in relationship to the work he creates. "I was talking about this with a friend the other day," he explains. "We paint in places that stink of piss and often are full of shit. It's strange to be attracted to it, no?"

In spite of his gritty canvas choices, Donvez has experienced more success with street than as a literature student. "I studied literature for more than ten years and never published a book," he laughs. "With street art and a clown that shows his ass, I was published in less than six months!" Over time, he's honed his craft and become what he describes as "a pro-cutter". He is motivated by "the desire to not sit in a chair waiting for something to happen." He explains, "I have feelings of murder when I intend to talk about politics...then I release those pent-up feelings with paint."

 

Donvez experienced the normal fears of a start-up street artist, but his quick thinking kept him out of harm's way. "Many people today use stickers instead of paint," he says. "If you're like me, you want to continue doing this for a long time and it's hard to do what you want because of the police. There is no point in taking risks. You've got to use your head to avoid such problems. It's not so hard," he jokes, "I'm a clown, you know!" Through his endearing stickers, Donvez encourages viewers to "Open your eyes! Wait a moment and think a little. Life can be different."

Today, Donvez splits his time between Lille and Paris. Although he's bombed in England, Belgium, the USA, Israel, Iran, Korea, Japan, Brazil, and France, he insists he doesn't have a favorite location. He says, "Every time it's a new adventure with new people." Keeping busy as always, he is currently working on a project involving Mimi and a telephone for a show in France. When asked where he expects to be in 10 years, he replies, "Try 50 years from now! I'm 34 years old. I can't stop now! I still have a story to tell!"

 

All images courtesy of Miguel Donvez at www.migueldonvez.com.

Check out Mimi from February 13-28 at "Street Crush" at Alphabeta (70 Greenpoint Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn). Can't make it to New York? From now until March 1, he's also at Philadelphia's T & P Fine Art (1143 South 9th St., Philadelphia). Go get it.

January 2009: Hat Rin

The US, Europe, and Australia always get press for graffiti. South America is working its way into the rotation, but Asian and African countries often get neglected. Today, I am proud to present the first post from an Asian state. The words and images come from my friend Tai who's currently working in China. On a trip to Thailand, he made some interesting discoveries. He writes:

"I'd been working in Beijing and had about 6 weeks off between terms, so I hopped down to the southeast to get my chill on with the elements. I traveled throughout south Thailand, and then up and across to Cambodia. When I was strolling in Hat Rin on Ko-Pha-ngan (Full Moon Festival Island), I stumbled across those two pieces of graffiti. Obviously, they caught my eye and I had to take a photo. 

I did indeed see more but at those times, my camera wasn't handy. The first pic that looks like a '3' is actually the Buddhist 'ohm' prayer. It was painted on the side of a bamboo tattoo shop on the outskirts of the city. Thailand is a place of unique style and culture, influenced by the elements that make up the spirit down there. Whenever you get a chance, go down and breathe up that country. It'll breathe its soul right back into you."

Thanks, Tai! I love these posts that feature new areas of the world. To all you readers out there, make sure your country represents!

P.S. Check out 100artworks, the newest addition to the 'Primary Sources' section.

October 2008: Boston

Normally, I rep New York like it's my job; my heart beats for The Big Apple. But this week, I feel like Boston deserves its due. Therefore, we're doing back to back Boston posts. It's like "Buy One, Get One Free" half-gallons of ice cream. Or finding a forgotten 20 in a coat pocket. Or the lineup for Coachella this year. (Okay, THAT was an exaggeration). Here are some leftovers from my hunt last fall.

This first shot just makes me laugh. I'd love to find the artist and shake his or her hand because that's fine use of a Sharpie.

The people on this poster are a riot. I've never seen someone cradle a bomb with such tenderness before. Ah, the Bush Administration: thanks for all the great material. I was surprised by the amount of wheatpaste in Cambridge. While there were some stencils and stickers, pasted pictures dominated the landscape. Any reason why?

What am a looking at? A soup can/paint container/twist-off water bottle combo? Why the bird? This is one moment when I wish street art came with small plaques like museums.

Um, I think the message here is pretty clear. If a large Death-like figure with a skeletal face told me to do something, I'd probably listen. 'nough said.

I think I like these pictures so much not because they're revolutionary but because I remember them in the context of a really good weekend. I found them when I went up for Halloween, so the weather was cool but comfortable. We spent the weekend dressed up as cartoon characters and Jane Fonda impersonators, ate at a delicious Lebanese restaurant, and walked until I couldn't feel my legs. It seems like a quiet weekend but it was just what I needed at the time. Now that I'm buried under feet of snow, I remember those days fondly and look forward to a time when I'll be able to hunt for street art without a ski suit. Tomorrow, we're going someplace warmer in our first Asian post ever!

P.S. Congrats to my friend Will who just got a job in New York!

October 2008: Boston

Quick update. A while back, I wrote about an ever-changing brick wall in Cambridge, MA. Countless artists flock to this wall to paste, post, paint, and stick their work, resulting in a cycle of styles. I returned to Cambridge in the fall of 2008 for some serious searching.

What surprised me was the increase in the neighborhood's street art since my last visit. Boston strikes me as a more conservative city compared to New York or LA, so this level of unconventional art was a pleasant find. Artists displayed their work not just on this wall but around Central Square, making for an interesting hunt.

I like this version of the wall even better than the last one. The giant 'Beware' Frankenstein looms over a Gothic Noir tag. Nineta's nymphs are everywhere and the pensive octopus head adds a bizarre twist to the whole composition. Plus, the characters speak to you with lines like "Join the cult...Drink the Kool-Aid" and "The end is clear." 

At some point, I'll post more photos from around the neighborhood. While I'd once had my doubts, I now believe that (at least in Central Square), Cambridge has something going on.

In The Headlines

Still slightly tired from watching the Super Bowl last night. For a while, I really didn't think it would be worth it (since I don't watch American football that much to begin with). However, I salute the Cardinals for putting up a decent fight in the fourth quarter before the Steelers closed them out with a minute to go. Tear. Now that February's here, I can finally get excited about one of my favorite sports: RUGBY. However, that is another story for another time, and you're here for the headlines. Here we go!

In Christchurch, New Zealand (shout out to my Canterbury crew!) catch a collaboration between Germany and New Zealand as Via Grafik and Cut Collective team up to rock TheNewDouse.

I'd love to find one of Jessie Oleson's cupcakes hidden on the streets of Seattle.

Australian officials debate street art vs. graffiti and decide which one is worth powerwashing.

Not a good week for street artists: seven members of LA's Metro Transit Assassins were cuffed during a Wednesday morning raid.

Brixham police are on the prowl for yet another Banksy look-alike.

Nearly a week after interviewing Poster Boy, Gothamist sadly reports on his Friday night arrest.

Also, check out the newest primary source, Street Konect.