Tag Archives: graffiti

London: Hypnagogia By ROA

April 20, 2012 butterfly

After portraying large scale monochrome animals in London’s city streets and on derelict buildings all over the world, Belgium artist ROA returns to London for a solo show titled ‘Hypnagogia’ at Stolenspace. The exhibition is held in two spaces, featuring installation work & originals on recycled found-objects, as well as outdoor work across east London.

The title of the show refers to the transitional state between sleeping and awake. ROA explores the ‘interstate’ with his portrayals of sleeping animals, whilst quietly around us the world awakens from a long winter, and the creatures he depicts experience a period of seasonal transition. Interaction plays also a significant part in the artworks as moving panels or drawers reveal another side of the animals, whether an half skeleton or part organ dissection.

To coincide with this show opening will also be the launch of the artist first book ‘Roa: ‘An Introduction To Animal Representation’ by Mammal Press, an hand crafted book featuring ROA’s art around the world through photographs, sketches, and reference material with 2 screen prints enclosed.

View the full set of picshere

‘Hypnagogia’ By ROA
Solo Show & Book Launch
20.04.12 – 06.05.12

Stolenspace, Truman Brewery
The Stone Masons, 17 Osborne Street London E1 6TD.

Paris, Street

Paris: Mausolee – Lek x Sowat

April 11, 2012 butterfly 9 Comments

Imagine an abandoned four storey supermarket in the North of Paris occupied by squatters, then deserted again. On August 12, 2010, French graffiti artists Lek (RAW crew) and Sowat (DMV) discovered the place much to their delight.

For a year, in the greatest of secrets, both artists continuously wandered in this 430,000 sq ft monument to paint murals and organize an illegal artistic residency. They invited forty French graffiti artists to collaborate, from the first to the last generation of the graffiti movement. Together they built a Mausolee, a temple dedicated to their disappearing underground culture. There’s always been a constant battle between street art and graffiti, and this project clearly puts graffiti back on.

On 12 April Lek and Sowat will share their experience through an installation and video. Advance copies of the book documenting the entire visual process will also be available prior to the official release.

Due to the nature of the place, very few people have seen it in person. After crossing a train rack, going through a narrow corridor full of rubbish and climbing a 13 ft high metal gate with spikes, the access is by no mean easy. Traces of previous occupants are still visible: abandoned burnt cars, variety of objets scattered accross the four floors, as well as remains of the supermarket signage. Leveraging found material in-situ such as cling film, surreal installations and murals adorn the building.

Further pics here

More info on mausolee.net

Melbourne, Street

Streets: Melbourne

March 24, 2012 butterfly

Wandering through the streets of Melbourne, here is a selection of street and graffiti art, from Anthony Lister, Swoon to local artists like Reka, Fred Fowler, the AWOL crew with Adnate and Slicer.

More pics here

Melbourne, Shows

Melbourne: Da Mental Vaporz – Le Venin Part 2

March 11, 2012 butterfly 2 Comments

After mentioning the top floor installation (covered here) we continue our coverage about the Da Mental Vaporz exhibition at Rtist Gallery. With a brand new series of works by all nine crew members consisting of Bom.k, Blo, Brusk, Dran, Kan, Iso, Gris1, Jaw, Sowat, ‘Le Venin’ contains over a hundred artworks, from screensprints, sketches, photos, mix media paintings, to solo and collaborative pieces.

The key piece of the exhibition is an Exquisite Woman Corpse, done by all nine members, featuring all topics the DMV crew are passionate about: graffiti walls, eroticism, and imaginary characters.

Combining all their strengths, the collaborative paintings called Exquisite Corpses are a delight for the eyes, explosion of colours and styles, like Hypnotic Skull.

Reflecting on current world events, the show presents many politically engaged pieces as well as a fight for freedom of expression. Arab Spring by Kan features a halftone graffiti portrait of Stephane Hessel, 94-year-old former French resistance fighter and author of Time for Outrage (Inspirez Vous), which inspired young people to take the streets. Pieces by Gris1 highlight globalisation issues and fight for freedom of mind.

The DMV also responded to the current presidential elections climate in France. Liberte Egalite Fatalite by Sowat, tricolored animals like Pigeons by Gris1, and a sheep by Bom.k are all reminders of never fulfilled political promises “Travailler plus pour gagner plus” (work longer to earn more), or even a crucified cockerel, a French symbol, “Vive la France” by Brusk.

Using only spray cans, the level of details of Bom.k and Jaw‘s large format canvases is hallucinogenic – self portraits, imaginary bestiary and erotic distorted corpses hypnotize the viewers, who are left shocked but still asking for more.

Oniric figures by Blo present a duality of happiness and melancholy, with a constant presence of life and death.
It is also nice to see the initial sketch from Blo‘s recent Wedding Walls mural in Berlin.

Also, the DMV crew enjoy playing with words, like the 3D pieces by Bom.k (Crime doesn’t spray) or the DMV letters forming Dieu Me Voit by Gris1/Sowat (God is watching me), symbolising the big brother society.

The exhibition features many lighthearted and dark-humored pieces, like Smiley by Gris1, a collection of post-it notes and memos to Dran‘s figurative characters like Mr Tea, or Mr Propre, (Mr Clean’s household cleaner) pissing to clean graffiti walls. At first glance at Trompe l’oeil by Dran, a cute koala is happily resting in the forest, but looking closer, all that is left is a tourist backpack.

A patchwork of smaller artworks cover an entire gallery wall with Sowat‘ drippings, Gris1‘ Throw-ups, ISO‘ graffiti lettering, Bom.k screenprints, JAW‘s sketches and more.

As Channel 9 Australia was streaming live in the middle of the gallery, uncensored and fearless Sowat set fire to his calligraffiti paintings to add some unique finishing touches.

View the full set of pics here

Eventually for those who couldn’t see this crazy show in person, here is a video:

Melbourne, Street

Melbourne Streets: New Mural by the DMV crew

March 1, 2012 butterfly

As the Da Mental Vaporz crew is currently in Australia for an exhibition at Rtist Gallery, they couldn’t resist leaving a massive mural. Combining a patchwork of their different styles, the DMV crew consisting ofBom-K, Blo, Brusk, Dran, Gris1, ISO, Jaw, Kan, and Sowat just completed an imaginary bestiary on a four-storey building in the heart of Chinatown, making it the largest graffiti mural of Melbourne.