Graffiti
Stephen Powers is a New York based artists who during his youth wrote graffiti under the name ESPO (Exterior Surface Painting Outreach). Powers work has always blurred the lines between graffiti and graphic design by producing murals influenced by advertising and sign writing, his public work often appearing to be legitimate billboards.
Today Stephen’s work is as intelligent and engaging as ever. For his latest project ‘A Love letter For You’ Stephen Powers has traveled back to his home town of West Philadelphia, this time with the funding and backing from the local authorities, to paint a series of murals on the rooftops where graffiti once stood visible from the elevated train lines. Sadly the original 1980s graffiti went unnoticed by the public and were all painted brown sometime during the mid nineties. Powers feels that the original more ‘traditional’ graffiti was alienating and that by creating work which is understandable and readable by all it will ultimately result in a greater acceptance from the general public.
The ‘A Love letter For You’ project is still in production. For the latest murals, info and pictures straight from the rooftops of West Philidelphia check out the blog here
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Tuesday, 20th of October 2009 Permalink
Everyone by now must have seen Muto the epic eight minute stop frame animation from Italian artist Blu. Well, to my delight he’s just completed a new film as part of the Fame festival which kicked off in Grottaglie Italy on the 19th of September this year. It’s called Combo and this time it’s a collaboration with David Ellis who has been making similar animations as part of Barnstormers since 1999.
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Tuesday, 29th of September 2009 Permalink
For those who missed the screening of Beautiful Losers at the ICA, from this week the DVD is available for purchase from here. The movie celebrates the spirit behind one of the most influential American cultural movements of a generation, rooted in the DIY subcultures of skateboarding, surf, punk, hip-hop and graffiti. The loose-knit group had amongst it’s ranks heavyweight creative powerhouses: Harmony Korine; Mike Mills; the highly influential graffiti artist Margaret Kilgallen (above image); and many more besides. Well worth a night in front of the box.
Nathan Usmar Lauder
Posted on Wednesday, 26th of August 2009 Permalink
Anyone who is unfamiliar with the work of photographer JR from Paris, France should definitely look him up.
He started off documenting subcultures with a camera he found on a subway and now pastes up his images in large scale on walls and houses all over the world.
JRs Women project was set up to highlight the importance and “Pivotal role” of women in society, traveling to poor areas like the favelas in Rio de Janero, Kenya, and more recently (in March of this year) Delhi, shooting them in their everyday lives and pasting their images in a huge scale on the surrounding buildings, bridges (and interestingly enough an entire train) in their home towns.
His thinking is that by pasting these same images both in their native countries in the streets and in galleries of western countries he can draw attention to and give a voice to those often over looked people, colliding the two worlds in a striking and unmissable way.
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Friday, 21st of August 2009 Permalink
On the 15th of August I was invited to join a small group of bloggers on an all expenses paid day trip to Brussels. The outing came courtesy of Eurostar and their Little Break Big Difference campaign via social media company We Are Social. A big thank you to Sarah, Violette and Melina for organising the trip and keeping track of us all throughout the day.
We were treated to a tour of the new Magritte museum, lunch on the ‘beach’, Belgian food and beer tasting and a wander around the city where among other things we discovered some great cartoon murals.
The other bloggers in the group were all a lot of fun and helped to make the trip an unforgettable one. They included the living legend himself David the Designer, vandals Mark and Tom, visual humorist Merhdad, artist Katherine, web don Radim, illustrator Gordon, and Kiwi Mo the London explorer with the nice camera.
Click here for more pictures and a short film of the day.
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Wednesday, 19th of August 2009 Permalink
The current show at the infamous Lazarides Gallery in Londons Rathbone Place features a young man from Portugal called Vhils AKA Alexandre Farto.
Starting his budding career as a traditional graffiti artist Vhils has since taken to exploring less conventional mediums manipulating his imagery into layers of torn away billboard advertising, etching into metal and chiseling his work directly into walls.
Originally executed in the street, it’s interesting to see how these works translate into the Gallery environment. It’s nice that some of the pieces even appear to have been carved out of the gallery walls themselves.
The show even comes complete with a full-scale cast of part of a tube train: a collaboration with the also very talented Ponk from Bristol.
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Monday, 27th of July 2009 Permalink
In conjunction with the Street Art exhibition at the Tate Modern, various works
have appeared in the area surrounding the Fibre studio.
Artists from Spain, Italy, France and Brazil were all showing works at the gallery
and in the nearby streets. Some placed legally, some appear to have been done
without permission. Either way, the message would seem to be the same:
Street art’s ok so long as the perpetrator’s not from Britain.
In a decision I support, the gallery purposefully excluded Banksy in an attempt
to draw attention to other just as accomplished artists and aspects of the art
form. Just a shame I think not to celebrate some more of our own emerging
and already established talent.
There is a map of the route available for download on the Tate website.
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Monday, 16th of June 2008 Permalink
Perhaps the most amazing, creative and ambitious stop frame animation I’ve ever seen by artist Blu from Bologna
Soon to be appearing on walls of Tate modern.
Dave Brown
Posted on Thursday, 15th of May 2008 Permalink
I spotted this on the way to work on Monday, it was put up the night before, a pretty cool horticulral adidas poster just under the bridge by Kingsland road London, unfortunately made with plastic plants but worth a look.
Vikesh Bhatt
Posted on Thursday, 24th of April 2008 Permalink
Last night when I was heading towards London Bridge Station, I came across these beautiful stencilled tombstones, which have been painted onto pages from the Financial Times Newspaper. I not sure what the meaning is behind these. But if anyone knows, please let me know.
John Alexander
Posted on Thursday, 20th of December 2007 Permalink
