A great introduction by Walrus TV to artist Above. The film is full of inspiration and goodness. I’ve loved his work for a while and it’s great to get some more insight on who he is!

A great video Taking a trip to Richard’s upstate studio.

Check my previous post on Prince’s work here.

D*Face, Artist :: Off The Wall from friendswelove.com on Vimeo.

a great interview with d*face

NOTCOT: Banksy’s Village Petstore & Charcoal Grill from Jean Aw on Vimeo.

Here’s a short video of the new show Banksy has on in NYC called Village Pet Store And Charcoal Grill. Its located at 89 7th Avenue between West 4th and Bleeker Street in the West Village of New York City and is open as of NOW to October 31st (Halloween), Banksy’s pet store is officially open each and every daily from 10am until midnight. The space literally looks like a pet show which can be viewed through the front windows at any point of the day of night. The space is 300 square feet and can’t hold more than 20 people at any one time.

This is the first time that Banksy has used animatronics  and a show with absolutely no graff. or street art techniques.

One of my favorite artist is Jon Burgerman, a doodler from the UK. He has been featured on Wooster Collective for his street art and is well known for his progress in contempory character design. For more check Pictoplasma. The other day while shopping in IKEA I was taken back when I saw his art work hanging in their store. It turns out that Burgerman did a poser for them. I made a point to pick it up and was plesently happy with the budget purchase. YEs.

Matt Haffner’s wheat paste installation - “Pushcart Vendors” from matt haffner on Vimeo.

I am really diggin’ and appreciate the scale of this peice. YE, respect.

JR / LOS SURCOS DE LA CIUDAD / SPAINby JR

JRs most recent project in Spain I love the concept, the stories art and film! ”In it, tradition, the ancient town and its inhabitants history are gathered with the passing of time marks. They are “the town faces” and “the facades of its characters”.In each wrinkles of its inhabitants and in each chink of its buildings, everyday life has been printed as well as longings and illusions of population and the town to build future.”

If you are unfamiliar with JRs work here’s a quick bio I posted before. 

JR a 25 ans et possède la plus grande galerie d’art au monde. Il expose librement dans les rues, attirant l’attention de gens qui ne sont pas les visiteurs habituels des musées.Son travail mélange l’art et l’action, parle d’engagement, de liberté, d’identité et de limite. Il se qualifie d’artiviste, concentré d’artiste et d’activiste.Après un tour du monde de l’Art de rue (Carnet de Rue, ed. Free Press), il s’installe à partir de 2004 au coeur des cités des Bosquets à Montfermeil et de la Forestière à Clichy-sous-Bois. L’année suivante, il y conçoit “Portrait d’une génération“, portraits des jeunes de ces quartiers qu’il colle, en format immense, dans les anciens quartiers populaires de Paris (Portrait d’une génération, ed. Alternatives).Les photos sont prises très près de la personne. Il utilise le noir et blanc pour créer une différence avec l’agression publicitaire en couleur.En Mars 2007, il réalise avec Marco le projet Face 2 Face, la plus grande expo. photo illégale au monde : huit villes israéliennes et palestiniennes et la Barrière de sécurité / Mur de séparation des deux cotés. Ils collent ses immenses portraits de Palestiniens et d’Israéliens face à face. A travers ce projet, JR a montré que l’Art pouvait faire reculer les limites du possible.Avec son objectif 28 millimètres, des gens qui font des grimaces, des posters immenses et son anonymat, le photographe ne donne pas d’interprétations et laisse un espace libre pour une rencontre entre un sujet/acteur et un passant/interprète. Par la surprise et la question que JR soulève, chacun peut réviser ses habitudes de pensées et se libérer des stéréotypes et des préjugés.C’est sur cela que JR travaille. Poser des questions…La 3e étape du projet 28 millimètres, Women Are Heroes, l’a déjà conduit en Afrique dans des zones post-conflictuelles pour photographier les femmes dont il souhaite partager les histoires douloureuses et témoigner de leur envie de vivre. Leur portrait ont déjà été collés en Sierra-Leone et au Liberia. En 2008-2009, JR développera ce projet en Inde et en Asie.   

One of the most creative artists I have ever come across has been Roadsworth. Hailing from Toronto/Montreal Canada his work has never failed to impress and make the viewer contemplate their surrounds.

Peter Gibson, a.k.a. Roadsworth could face up to $100,000 in fines for his controversial ’street’ art. He brings urban banalities to life by creating candles out of crosswalks, for example. He makes one stop to reflect, as does all good art. The question is, should his conscientious work be scrutinized and treated as public vandalism? Or should it not be considered in a different light– as poetic activism, and, as art?  

Taken from the National Film Board of Canada. There is a documentary Roadsworth: Crossing the Line being funded by the National Film Board and it is looking to be an amazing story about the artist.

What are your personal thoughts on Street Art? Graffiti? Are they the same or completely different? 

Is Roadsworth an artist? a vandal?

What should a city do when a publicly loved (street)artist is caught? Should his art be buffed? 

There has been instances in the UK where Banksy’s art has been left due to his popularity/fame and general worth of his piece… Banksy’s art is considered by many municipalities to be “tourist attractions”.

Is Roadsworth in a similar situation  as Banksy but a Canadian version? (Banksy hasn’t been caught from my knowledge though).