FYI - From Jonathan Levine

Greetings everyone,
 we have some very unfortunate news to report.

On Wednesday, February 27th at approximately 5pm, an original drawing by Lori Earley was stolen directly off the wall of her current solo exhibition, Fade to Gray, which just opened at the gallery this past weekend. We are releasing this as our official public announcement to alert our clients, collectors, and friends, of this incident—spreading awareness in the hopes that someone comes forward with information leading to the whereabouts of the missing piece.

This drawing “Untitled” was the only piece without a title in the current exhibition. The unframed dimensions are 10"H x 8"W, and when stolen, it was in an elaborate white frame, measuring 16"H x 14"W with about a 3” depth. We have included a photo of the drawing in question, for your reference and identification.

Both the gallery and the artist are extremely upset and disappointed by this theft. We are quite shocked that someone would brazenly steal from us in the middle of the day. We apologize to anyone planning on seeing the exhibition (which is up through March 22, 2008), who will experience the show without the missing piece.

We have a description of the suspect and are currently working with police to try to identify him. Our incident coincided with reports of additional robberies that occurred in galleries on the 4th and 2nd floors of our building, within the same time period. A man fitting the same description was seen in all three galleries, just moments before each robbery occurred.

All reports confirm that the suspect in question is a white male, approximately 6’2” tall, in his mid-to-late thirties. He was seen wearing a blue baseball hat with a navy blue backpack, and he spoke with a very heavy New York accent.

We would greatly appreciate any help you might have with finding the missing work. If you or anyone you know has information as to who might have committed this theft or leads on possible location of the stolen drawing, please contact the gallery immediately at (212) 243-3822 or info@jonathanlevinegallery. We are offering a reward for its return.

We greatly appreciate your attention and cooperation regarding this matter.

Thank you,
Jonathan LeVine
 


Brraaaazziiiiiiiilllllll

My boy Jonathan Kreinik (www.myspace.com/jnthnjnthn) just sent me these pictures he took in Sao Paolo. Dope.

BLACKBOOKS exhibition!

Shepard Fairey Barack Obama tees

T-shirts to Support Barack Obama
SAN FRANCISCO, February 25, 2008 – In an ongoing effort to secure Democratic hopeful Barack Obama's presidential bid, The 008, Shepard Fairey and Upper Playground are working together to create T-shirts of Fairey’s popular Obama campaign posters to be distributed throughout Texas prior to the primary on March 4, 2008. In the past month, Fairey announced his endorsement of Obama by creating a limited run of posters adorned with a portrait of the Senator along with the words “Hope” and “Progress” that have become defining slogans of his campaign.

adventures in south america.

Above and Ripo's epic tour of South America continues, the boys painting and word playing their way through 6 months south of the border. Read tales of gun point robberies, busted wrists from too much painting, and what the warm world looks like this time of year, here: http://southcentraltour.wordpress.com/.

CircleCulture

Greetings from Berlin. I went to check out the 'Berliner Strasse' show at Circleculture in Mitte before it got taken down last weekend and snagged a couple pictures.






The artists featured were Anton Unai, Marok, Jaybo, A. Ciudad Witzel, Daniel Tagno, Neon, and Nomad. Their next show, featuring Sister Corita, is opening soon. Check it all out on their website.

"Made from love" at the Bronx Museum

Presented by Lady K Fever

The Bronx Museum Project Space
11 Bruckner Boulevard
(at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard)



Launching February 23 at The Bronx Museum's new Project Space, Made From Love explores
the myths that surround the graffiti movement. Graffiti as an art movement has
transcended age, gender, race, culture, and class, which is revolutionary in a world
that finds boundaries with all these issues. From pioneers to inspiring new artists,
graffiti writers have been transforming walls in New York and around the world since
the 1970's with the intent of creating their work from love.


Artists on view:
Acet, Andreis Costa, Alex Neroulias, Amor, Cap, Ces, Clark, Col, Cope, Diva, Drust,
©EllisG, Esther Sanchez, Erotica 67, Ewok, Fever, Flo Shapiro, Gabriel Garcia, Ghost,
Indie, Jes One, Ka, KEL1st, Kem 1, Kool, Kurse, Lauren Adelman, Luz, Med, Madge One,
Ovie, Peak, Rath, Ribz, Shiro, SMK, Seik, Sest, Serp, Sife, Smash, Sergio Perez, Swoon,
T-Kid, Themo, Tracy 168, Veng, Yes, and Zori


The use of the Project Space is kindly made possible through the generosity of Gordon
Roth.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts receives ongoing general operating support from The New
York City Department of Cultural Affairs with the cooperation of Bronx Borough
President Adolfo Carrion, Jr., and the Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council;
New York State Council on the Arts; Bronx Delegation of the New York State Assembly;
and private supporters.
For more information, please contact 718.681.6000

Directions:

By Train
6 train to 3rd Avenue/138th Street
Exit near intersection of Grand Concourse and E 138th St
Start out going South on Grand Concourse towards E 138th St
Turn left onto E 138th St
Turn right onto Lincoln Ave
Turn right onto Bruckner Blvd

KRink in the new york times

ganked from the New York Times magazine:

In his 1999 book “The Art of Getting Over,” Stephen Powers (also known as Espo) profiled and catalogued the work of several dozen fellow graffiti artists. Among them was KR, known for drippy silver tags around San Francisco and also for the unusual material he made them with. “Krink,” Powers explained, “is a homemade silver ink” that was “developed in the KR kitchen.” Back then, KR, who says he stopped writing graffiti years ago and is thus more comfortable being known as Craig Costello, never figured his “Krink” would be known beyond that circle — let alone that it would become a brand name on his custom-designed ink and markers, sold in boutiques and specialty shops in the U.S., Europe and Japan.

“There was never, ever, ever the idea that I would make any money off it,” says Costello, who is 36 and lives in New York. “There wasn’t a brand, or a business plan, or a concept of anything like that.” Costello does a bit of freelance design work as well as various art projects. (The New York arts organization Eyebeam invited him last year to spruce up the facade of its Chelsea headquarters with copious amounts of Krink, as well as paint applied via fire extinguisher.) But today the Krink product line is his most steady source of income.




The evolution of KR’s ink from something a guy made to illegally tag city streets into a brand available in slick retail settings mirrors the way graffiti — or the graffiti aesthetic — has been absorbed into pop culture over a period of decades. Growing up in Queens in the 1980s, Costello was exposed to an earlier iteration of graffiti. This was back when a lot more people called it rank vandalism, and “street art” had yet to become a tactic used to market cars and electronics — or a look mimicked by tony fashion designers. Some at the time used home-brew ink markers; Costello recalls a recipe involving mimeograph paper soaked in alcohol overnight and mixed with a bit of nail-polish remover. A felt chalkboard eraser — stolen school supplies were a common base material — completed a tool for making a “mop tag” (the makeshift marker being the “mop”).

The formula he developed — he’s cagey about specifics — resulted in a metallic look and an expressionist drip effect. He sometimes scrawled the word “Krink” on the side of soda bottles that he filled with the stuff for friends, but that was more of a joke than a branding strategy. It wasn’t until around 2000, after he returned to New York, that the owners of Alife, a street-culture store on the Lower East Side, suggested it could sell. It did: 20 bottles, then 40, then 80. Over time, Costello started working with a manufacturer to make $10 “squeeze markers” (a bit like a shoe-polish bottle) and more penlike markers with wide tips ($8) that fill with ink through a pump-action mechanism. There are now nine Krink colors. There are also Krink T-shirts and sweatshirts made in collaboration with Alife and sold in various boutiques like the trendsetting shop Colette in Paris. (Colette’s Web site was recently decorated with a photo of Costello’s dripping Krink streaks.)

Krink’s packaging has a crisp, minimalist look that doesn’t scream graffiti, precisely to leave the door open to a wider audience than taggers. “This is an artists’ tool, a tool for creativity,” Costello maintains. His own gallery shows have included Krink on wood, on latex and on at least one trash can. Still, visit Krink

.com and you’ll see plenty of Krink on public walls and mailboxes. (Krink “changed the look of vandalism” in New York, an expert on such matters, known as Earsnot, told Juxtapoz magazine not long ago.) “O.K., it has a history,” Costello allows. “But our future is about broadening out the audience.”

In fact, the next Krink product is a fine-point marker. And the brand does present a different image than much of what is in online stores openly selling “graffiti supplies.” (On the Run markers, for example, feature a logo of a shadowy guy running with a spray-paint can.) Plenty of young artists have told Costello they love the Krink look — but they’re not graffiti writers and don’t intend to start. So when he talks about expanding into a product line that will make sense in a Pearl Paint store, or even a Michael’s, it’s a sentiment with more pragmatic origins than avoiding demonization as a vandal supplier: the market for the street-art aesthetic and influence is far bigger than the market of actual street artists.

TONIGHT in New York

Ad Nauseam Lyceum


PRESENTS



BIG WHITE INSTITUTIONALIZED BOX!
a collaborative installation project


Saturday, February 23 & Sunday, February 24
12 - 8 PM

Reception Saturday February 23 from 5 - 8 PM

chashama on 119th
159 West 119th Street @ Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.



Ad Nauseam Lyceum is proud to present BIG WHITE INSTITUTIONALIZED BOX! a collaborative installation project at chashama on 119th on Saturday, February 23 and Sunday, February 24, 2008.

Ad Nauseam Lyceum has been granted a chashama residency for the month of February at a defunct storefront on 119th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. Instead of curating a traditional group show as we have done in the past, Ad Nauseam Lyceum will use this unique opportunity to explore new territory as an organization and to utilize the distinct talents and interests of our community of artists. BIG WHITE INSTITUTIONALIZED BOX! is a collaborative art installation created by Brent Birnbaum, Matthew Broach, Celso and the Endless Love Crew, Ryan Frank, Scott Goodman, David Herman, Peter Lester, David Ort, Joan Pamboukes, Tara Parsons, Jake Scharbach, Deena Selenow, Rory Sheridan, Adam Parker Smith and Kyle Walters.

Ad Nauseam Lyceum will present a large scale collaborative installation that reflects the distinct connections and conflicts between various artistic mediums, styles, and processes in which artists are working today. By engaging with the space in alternative and experimental ways, Ad Nauseam Lyceum and its collaborators aim to explore and expose how different types of work can relate to each other through the context of the exhibition display. With some artists working independently and others in collaboration, this ambitious project will present work in a setting that resembles the sanctuary of the artist's studio and outside the confines of a commercial gallery. Created through the communal efforts of over fifteen artists, BIG WHITE INSTITUTIONALIZED BOX! will be an alternative to the traditional group exhibition and exist as an experimentation in curatorial practice.

Ad Nauseam Lyceum is an artist run organization committed to showcasing multi-disciplinary work by emerging artists in New York . The group aims to give young artists an opportunity to collaborate, present work, and have a creative dialogue outside the traditional art market. Founded in 2006 by Ryan Frank, Deena Selenow, and Rory Sheridan , the group has hosted previous events at Ephemeroptera Art Space, chashama, 717 Studio, and EXPLOSIVO! and has collectively shown the work of over 50 visual and performing artists. Dedicated to blurring the lines between various artistic genres, Ad Nauseam Lyceum is a platform for a new generation of artists working in performance, visual art, and digital media.


chashama is a non-profit New York City arts organization with a nine-year history of supporting artists of all genres and experience levels by offering them access to space and major support resources. chashama provides opportunities for artists by transforming vacant real estate into multi-arts complexes and animating them with innovative and challenging art. Through low and no-cost admissions, chashama provides more opportunities for audiences as well as artists.

BIG WHITE INSTITUTIONALIZED BOX! will be open for a final presentation on February 23rd and 24th from 12-8pm,
with an opening reception on Saturday, February 23rd from 5-8pm.



http://elcelso.com/
http://www.endlesslovecrew.com

There is also the Jack Walls opening at Lit...

Sten and Lucamaleonte's giant poster show in Rome

Ciao from Sten, Lex, Lucamaleonte,


We are the organizers of the International Poster Art (IPA) exhibitions in Rome, and we’re currently in the process of planning the third IPA event.

IPA is an event based on the wheat paste culture, where artists from all over the world send us their work, which we paste up. The exhibition is held in the ESC loft – a location in the central Roman neighbourhood San Lorenzo.

The previous two years it has been run, we’ve had more than 70 artists sending us work globally. Known and not so well-known artists have been featured, such as: Jr,Fremantle, Abbominevole, Falko, Pax Paloscia, Ephameron, Ripo, Mezzoforte,N4t4, Sich, Feral, 108, Rambo, Orticanoodles, Zibe, Peat Wollaeger, Mute, Native, Zen Two, Microbo,Bo130, m-city, Fupete, Vinnie Ray, Alessandra Cestac





If you think you would be interested in joining this year’s big event, please send us some images of your work as soon as you possibly can to this address:

internationalposterart@yahoo.it

We will then provide you with further information about the arrangement.


Looking forward to hear from you!

All the best,
Sten, Lex, Lucamaleonte

Looking for something to do in NYC tonight?

Head over to the new Essex Street Gallery to check out 'Afrology', the first solo show of legendary graff artist James Top. It will feature 17 variations on the classic 70s 'fro, and one of them is a special collaboration with photographer Jamel Shabazz.

Live in Paris?

Then make sure you go see the Blek le Rat show that opens TONIGHT in Paris at 7pm at the Artazart-Paris. Put on in conjunction with the just out "Stencil History X," the exhibition covers work that is showcased in Blek's newly released book entitled "Blek the Rat - crosses the walls".



Don't miss this one!

click here for more info

some light reading...

nice light fluff for your morning - enjoy alec-rust's list of funniest graff pics!
some of them actually made me laugh out loud :)



thanks alec!

C215 in Brooklyn

Overspray friend Luna Park has been running around Brooklyn with C215 on his most recent trip this side of the pond... Keep reading.

"Parisian stencil artist C215 hit the streets of Brooklyn hard this past week. His latest work focuses on stencil portraiture of the marginalized, including homeless, orphans and children of war torn nations. Working with little more than a blade, some flimsy cardboard and spray paint, C215 manages to distill human emotion into lines. His haunting, striking faces command attention and invite closer inspection. This is truly beautiful street art at its finest."






For More on C215 check here and here

Photos, text, and video courtesy of Luna Park.

Street Sketchbook - by Tristan Manco

This has been out for a while, but I want to point you in the direction of this dope book if you dont know about it already.





From Streetsketchbook.com:

Here is an unprecedented look at the world of sketchbooks including some of the world’s leading street and graffiti artists. It showcases an incredible diversity of working methods, innovative approaches and personal fixations, including declarations of love, typographic explorations, alter egos, storyboards, mythological creatures, anatomical studies, architectural drawings and extreme doodling. They may be diverse, but they all exude creativity and originality.



Over sixty-five artists worldwide are represented, including Banksy (UK), Alexander Purdy (USA), Erone (France), Joska (Germany), Blu (Italy), Laguna (Spain), Bfree (Holland), Ekta (Sweden), The Strangler (Belgium), ZBIOK (Poland) and Clayparty (Russia).




Author: Tristan Manco is a graphic designer based in Bristol. Author of the bestselling Stencil Graffiti, Street Logos and Graffiti Brasil.

Do you live anywhere near Manchester?

Your first street art gallery is opening!
"[Upper Space is] situated in the heart of the Northern Quarter in Manchester city centre, the gallery space will give local Street artists as well as national and international artists the opportunity to gain exposure and experience by showcasing their work to the public.
The ethos behind the gallery is the same as our monthly Sketch City event held at the Contact Theatre, we are all about inclusivity and promoting art as a positive form of expression, we aim to provide street artists and illustrators with a safe environment to create work for exhibitions and show the public the art forms that rarely get the chance to be seen in Manchester. This is mirrored by our commission rates as well which are considerably lower than other galleries. If you are an artist and want to get involved, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Major thanks to all those that came down and lent a hand,
Sketch City"
They're having their gallery opening party on February 29th with live art featuring the work of 8bit, Benjamino, Bollops, Dist, Hammo, Inka, John Burgerman, Laurie Pink, Lispensie, Pavi, Tank Patrol, Sri Mckinnon, Toypaper.

Email tickets@upperspace.co.uk for tickets!!
Go here for more info.

SPEK (Boston) gets popped

(Borrowed from the Wicked Salem local news)

Salem - Salem police have been working for months to solve their ongoing graffiti cases, and this week they may have their man.

The department’s Community Impact Unit on Wednesday arrested Adam Michael Brandt, 27, of Salem, and charged him with 16 counts of tagging and 16 counts of malicious destruction of property.

Police believe Brandt has been tagging around Boston and Salem for 10 years, and even ventured his graffiti as far as New Jersey and Rhode Island. Boston police and Transit Authority police will follow with their own charges.

The charges stem from graffiti incidents reported in Salem over the course of two years. Since it began last August, the Community Impact Unit (CIU) has been investigating graffiti and the subculture that goes along with it, in Salem and around Greater Boston.

One of the most common graffiti tags — which appears around the city on a nearly weekly basis, according to police logs — is “SPEK,” especially popular near the MBTA.

Salem Officer Dennis King worked with detective William Kelly of the Boston Regional Intelligence Center and Lt. Nancy O’Laughlin of the Massachusetts Transit Police on this particular tag, and eventually found a link. North Reading police also helped complete the investigation.

“SPEK” was eventually identified by police as Brandt, a Dow Street resident who is allegedly part of a graffiti crew known as “ITD” or “Illustrate Total Destruction.”

Police say Brandt is responsible for thousands of dollars in property damage in Salem and communities throughout the North Shore and Boston.



Lt. O’Laughlin has been investigating him for about 10 years, and said he has left his tags on Transit Authority trains and other property. She estimates he’s caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, while his crew, “ITD,” has caused close to a million dollars in damage.

The collaboration among the three agencies led to a search warrant for Brandt’s apartment in Salem and his vehicle. The search produced, police said, evidence including spray paint cans of various colors; spray paint nozzles, clothing, maps, sketches and sketches of graffiti, and a check made out to “SPEK” in the amount of $10 million.

Police expect the collaboration among agencies will yield more graffiti-related arrests “in the near future.”

The CIU released a statement this week about the graffiti subculture.

“The Internet and Web sites like Myspace have taken the graffiti subculture to a sophisticated organized level. The Internet allows the graffiti subculture to share intelligence, photographs and videos of their graffiti. It also gives them the ability to communicate with other graffiti vandals around the world,” the statement says. “The well-known graffiti vandals who are looked upon as icons in the graffiti subculture have branched out and are profiting from their illegal activities. Some have their own clothing lines, some sell shirts with their tags on them, others sell model trains with their tags on the models. The up-and-coming graffiti vandals purchase these items.”

The Web allows people to buy graffiti supplies online, avoiding police and the age restrictions that apply to spray paint purchase in some communities.

The Salem CIU had previously identified two other graffiti suspects, teen brothers who are believed to have created dozens of tags around the city.

For police, there are several reasons to crack down on the graffiti artists. The “tags” they create devalue property and upset residents and business owners, it can be the gateway to other crimes and can lead to feuds between rival graffiti crews — sometimes violent feuds.

To report graffiti or a suspect, contact Sgt. Harry Rocheville at 978-744-0171 or Officer Dennis King at 978-744-0171 ext. 265.*

AKO show in Philly!

This March, Metropolis Gallery is proud to present a solo art exhibit of new paintings, drawings and installations by San Francisco artist AKO. This exhibition will fill the gallery complex with a large number of paintings on wood panels ranging in size, as well as mixed media work and ink drawings on paper. The exhibition will be on view from March 7th through March 30th, with an opening reception held on Friday, March 7th, 6pm-10pm.

Metropolis Gallery
154 N Prince St.
Lancaster, PA
www.metropolis-store.com

This Means Nothing - Le Bijoutier

Le Bijoutier is a photographer with a distinguished and practiced eye AND a self proclaimed street art photo fanatic-addict. In his new book (out now by powerHouse Books) This Means Nothing he brings out photos of work by both the heavy hitters and the unknowns, everything that he's found in New York's five boroughs that has inspired and informed his photographic journeys.
It is a beautiful book and a must-see (there is almost no text except for in the index at the back), a yearbook of sorts... some tasters:




Join powerHouse Books this Saturday, Feb 23rd at their space in Dumbo for the opening reception for the book and the corresponding exhibit. Don't miss it!

Skate your heart out NYC

So SHUT Skateboards is a sick company with a whole ton of history (its twisted and fully wrapped up with a little company named Zoo York) and some great design. Lucky for us NYC-ers they kicked open their doors and threw a party for the opening of their flagship store at 158 Orchard st.

Not only do they have sick deck designs (see my favorites below) but their apparel is super cool and crazy comfy.


Check out their legacy, crazy decks and more (like the deck designed by KR the inventor of Krink Ink - see below)here.

hmmm, graf music video?

I dunno, what do you think...?

"You love to hate" - a call for art

Got this in the 'mail' today:

"YOU LOVE TO HATE"
A GROUP ART EXHIBITION OF MODERN DAY POSTER ART AND CONTEMPORARY STREET ART
(STRICTLY FOR THE HATERS)
APRIL 12TH 2008
LOCATED AT: SAY IT LOUD DESIGN STUDIO
1121 N.MILLS AVE ORLANDO FL. 32803

CHECK OUT
sayitloud.us and orangestudio4rent.com
TO VIEW THE SPACE

CALL TO ARTISTS:

ARTISTS ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT SOURCE MATERIAL (I.E. POSTERS, STENCILS, STICKERS, SILK SCREENS, ETC) TO BE USED IN THE CREATION OF A 6' X 30' COLLAGE STYLE MURAL.

IN ADDITION, SELECTED ARTISTS ARE ASKED TO SUBMIT 2-4 ORIGINAL PIECES WHICH WILL BE INSTALLED ON TOP OF THIS COLLAGE STYLE MURAL.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE SHOWING OF YOUR ORIGINAL WORKS FOR EXHIBIT AND PURCHASE, PLEASE SEND A URL OR JPEGS TO: dustin@objexartspace.com or dustinorlando@yahoo.com

WE ARE LOOKING FOR BOLD, GRAPHICAL WORKS OF ANY SCALE. THE WORKS SUBMITTED CAN BE COLOR OR BLACK AND WHITE, AND SHOULD BE SENT IN SMALL BULK AMOUNTS IN ORDER TO WALL PAPER THE MURAL WITH ARTWORK.
WE WILL ACCEPT ANY WORK THAT FITS THE STYLE AND CAN BE PERMANENTLY INSTALLED TO THE PIECE.

OUTSIDE OF THE 6' X 30' MURAL, 8 ARTISTS WILL CREATE 1 8'X8' PANEL EACH. THESE PANELS WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE LARGER MURAL, BUT WILL ONLY CONSIST OF ONE ARTISTS WORK PER PANEL.

ATTACHED ARE IMAGES OF SHOWS WITH SIMILAR CONTENT, HELD AT OBJEX ART SPACE IN THE PAST. THESE IMAGES ARE FOR REFERENCE, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE SHOW WILL KIND OF END UP LOOKING LIKE.

ALSO CHECK OUT
objexartspace.com
TO SEE PAST SHOWS CURATED BY DUSTIN ORLANDO

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
DUSTIN ORLANDO AT:
dustinorlando@yahoo.com or dustin@objexartspace.com

PLEASE SEND ALL ARTWORKS TO:
DUSTIN ORLANDO
C/O "YOU LOVE TO HATE"
4219 NORTHERN DANCER WAY
ORLANDO FL 32826

THANKS FOR EVERYONES CONSIDERED INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION IN THIS EXHIBIT!

TML stars

TML Stars are a crew from London that I got in touch with a little while back. They do some characters, some letters, some productions, some bombing, a little bit of everything.



"There seems to be a school of thought, certainly in the graffiti community at least, that you are either straight up graff writer or you're 'street art'. We have always walked a fine line between both and so far people, from hardcore train writers to sticker kids, seem to be cool with that."


That divide is definitely real in a lot of eyes, so it's good to remind ourselves that things aren't necessarily so cut and dried. There are a lot of different ways to play the same game, and when you catch an eyeful of something new in your neighborhood, that's what it's really about.

Give us your art!

Overspray Magazine wants your ART.

Valentines day is the perfect opportunity to let the man get you down about your hate for roses and hallmark and chocolate.
It's also the perfect night to go out and get up while the rest of the world gets it on. Show us your lovey street art best, and we might put you in the next issue! Whether you confessed a crush on a wall or proposed in a piece, this is our answer to the Cosmo Cupid hoo-hah. We know you love, now let's see it. Show us your STREET HEART and we'll show the world.*

*We'll keep it anonymous if its all too mushy to fess up to.

SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO: Mad.Overspray@gmail.com

politricks

Haha. Yes indeed we are going to go there. Check out this video that is completely unrelated to street art, and completely related to the state of the States right now. It's in response to the Will.I.Am 'yes, we can' video that's been circulating.

Remi/Rough/DOPEHOTNEWARTISTLISTENUP

Meet Remi/Rough - www.roughe.com

(stolen from his biO)
Remi/Rough was born in South London in 1971. He is essentially a graffiti writer, although that description really doesn't paint the entire picture anymore. He is also an artist, designer, musician and television presenter. Having put 20 years into developing his style and the UK scene. He has exhibited his artwork in Perth, Hamburg, Paris, Strasbourg, Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, Edinburgh and London.

show in London

its a bit late, what with the time difference, but go check out the show:



Basement
36 Charlotte Street
London
W1T 2NJ

"the future of street art" (according to TimeOut)

Thanks to Pure Evil for the link:

The future of London street art
Time Out speaks to the people who’ll decide whether the art scene needs a new Banksy or not



Street artist and gallery owner, Pure Evil

‘People made money overnight with Banksy and that’s led people to panic buy and try to find the next Banksy,’ says Eleanor Forster, owner of the Forster Gallery. ‘That will subside but what’s positive about all the attention is that it’s highlighted how talented street artists are and made clear that they should not be denied entry into the art world just because they’re not yet in galleries.’

Although, of course, some of them are: Forster represents Andrew McAttee, whose technicoloured pieces littered with pop art references sell for £10,000 (more at auction). ‘Street artists are fearless with their use of colour,’ says Forster. ‘That comes from perfecting the technique on an uneven surface. They also have an amazing ability to compose how a picture will look in their head without sketching it out first.’

With artists who are certainly not household names selling work for five-figure sums, there’s no doubt that street art has arrived. However, Forster believes labelling it as such can be limiting: ‘The influence of the street is very much part of their make-up but some of my artists have been to art college as well. It’s the relationship to strong graphics in contemporary culture – Manga, Marvel comics, magazine illustrations – that defines the movement. I think the term “street artists” can be derogatory: it denies people recognition for their persistence in mastering the technical challenge of working on canvas, which can be hard.’


Pure Evil, 'Big Mouth on Hackney Road'

Which is, to be fair, reflected in the narrowness of the band of artists who can command these sums. ‘There are only about 25 serious street artists who you would say are real players worldwide,’ says Paul Jones from Elms Lester Gallery, one of the first dealers to spot street art’s potential 25 years ago, ‘and about five or six of those are British.’ And while he believes there’s still room for prices to rise over the next three to five years, Jones is adamant that it’s too late for newcomer artists. ‘Artists like Banksy, Adam Neate, Space Invader and José Parlá are well established now – they’re the originals. The next generation will have to do their own thing to be noticed.’

It’s a view that’s echoed by Forster, also at the rarefied end of the spectrum: ‘Banksy works for example are clever, witty, well exercised and have an ability to push into new ideas. But they are one-liners so we don’t need anyone else doing that.’

Down in Shoreditch, street artist and gallery owner Pure Evil is less convinced. ‘I can’t imagine that an old-fart gallery owner will know the artists working at the moment,’ he says. ‘There are people putting up new stuff that is brilliant. Some gallery owners are feeding off the movement but aren’t part of it and that clouds their perception.’

Pure Evil sees his gallery less as a hallowed space and more as a studio-cum-gallery and artists’ drop-in centre along the lines of the Alleged Gallery on New York’ s Lower East Side. ‘It’s nice to have this group of friends who work together. I worked with Ben [Eine] in November and artists from all over the world would drop in and ask about good places in London to do work.’


'Grumpy Bananas', by Pure Evil

Word of mouth is key to the movement’s success, Pure Evil says: ‘Street artists are more aware of the art marketplace now. But it’s seeing what everyone else is doing that makes you want to step up your act. We’re not doing it to be accepted by galleries but by our peers. Street art doesn’t rely on reviews; there are no tastemakers.’ Instead, he says, the internet is best for spreading the word: ‘If someone does something brilliant in São Paulo you can see it days later in London.’

Cedar Lewisohn, artist and author of the forthcoming book ‘Street Art’ (Tate) believes that it’s this desire to communicate that sets street artists apart from their graffiti-writer peers and gives them their marketability. ‘They’re speaking to a different, more art-literate audience. Graffiti writers are talking to their own. Street artists are not downtrodden. When you start seeing street art in your neighbourhood you know it’s on the up.’

While some of the most established – and rich – including Adam Neate and Andrew McAttee have taken the ‘street’ out of their art and now work exclusively in the studio, for others it’s vital to keep it real. ‘Working on the street feeds into the work you do for a gallery,’ says Pure Evil.

While some artists feel they have to work on the street to stay authentic, Cassius Colman, one half of the Columbia Road screenprint gallery Nelly Duff, is more pragmatic: ‘The gossip when a so-called new Banksy appears feeds the whole street art scene. For galleries it’s free advertising; for the purchaser, it’s kudos.’

See more of Pure Evil's work at www.pureevil.eu