If you are in Sheboygan join us for a presentation and salon at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center on Saturday May 19th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. We will be presenting an overview of what is so inspriring about street art and discussing how the city could embrace street art in a major project to be realized in 2013.
Founder of Jetset Graffiti, Daniel Lahoda, has created yet another haven for street art at Downtown LA’s LALA Gallery. Officially opening on April 21 with the aptly titled introductory exhibition “LA Freewalls Inside,” Lahoda’s first curated show was a major success with the gallery losing track of attendees once it hit over 1000.
Located in the up-and-coming Art District in a building that once served as a meat packing plant, the gallery effectively utilizes the abundance of vast industrial space. Outside, you are greeted by large murals from Cryptik, How and Nosm, Retna, Uglar Works and Push signaling that you have arrived. The OBEY lined staircase leads you into the second floor gallery. Inside, the walls are adorned with an abundance of work from established and emerging street artists alike. An impressive collection from the likes of Anthony Lister, Askew One, Becca, Cern One, Chris Brand, Cryptik, Cyrcle, Dale Vn Marshall, Dan Witz, Daze, Dee Dee Cheriel, Evan Skredestu, How and Nosm, INSA, Jaybo, Kim West, Kofie, Lady Aiko, Ludo, Poesia, Push, Pyro, Ripo, Risk, Ron English, Saber, Shepard Fairey, Swoon and Zes filled the space.
Lahoda opened LALA with the intent to serve as a place that artists involved in public art could also exhibit their studio work in a curated setting as well as to connect with admirers of the movement. For the last two years he has dedicated his time to encourage public art and improve community perceptions to the art form. He spearheaded the LA Freewalls program and helped renowned artists such as JR, Saber, Retna, Craola, Anthony Lister, Cern, Roa, Kofie, Swoon, Ron English, How and Nosm, and Risk secure walls for mural installations in Downtown LA.
To learn more about the LALA Gallery and future exhibitions visit http://www.lalaarts.com/. “LA Freewalls Inside” will remain on display until June 8.
-written by Keisha Raines with photos by Birdman
Soon after returning to Spain I was invited to go the Middle East. I went to the city of Manama in Bahrain to make a mural as part of the Alwan 338 festival put together by the Al Riwaq Art Space. Knowing the current situation there, I was a little apprehensive but a good friend working with the gallery explained the special nature of what the Al Riwaq Art Space was doing. I met some truly extraordinary people who believe in the role of contemporary art in their country's future. Against all odds they strive to change the barren artistic landscape that exists in Bahrain today. There are so many layers to Bahrain. There is a huge class division, exotic cars, colossal images of the king everywhere, boundless hospitality, arrests, the smell of tear gas every weekend, road blocks, women who can drive and are free to dress as they wish, a graffiti war between dissidents and the police, an American naval base since 1947, Fuddruckers, Sizzlers, a clamp down on dissident areas, the legal sale of alcoholic beverages, a rich cultural history...
It is easy to resort to the didactic or aesthetically pleasing image, but it is much more difficult to create poetic and emotionaly charged art that can reach you at different levels. There are few Bahraini artists creating profound work about this multilayered place and time. Al Riwaq Art Space is trying to change that and I have nothing but admiration for their efforts. I decided to create a mural of Yousif, a traditional Bahraini fisherman, one of a few hundred that are left. My Identity Series murals fade away with the wind and rain."
Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada
From Specter: I recently finished a wall in baltimore for Open Walls Baltimore it's a faux billboard that tells a story of a changing neighborhood through the adds.
Hand painted as always. Its named "Confessions of a Billboard"
We're big fan's of Prune's work and this is one of her first be expositions in New York City. At Invisible Dog, opening night includes not-to-miss performances.
Many of you know that we are supporter of EYEBEAM Art + Technology, a not-for-profit organization that combines technology and the arts to do amazing things which are mainly open source. Wonderful members of the street art community have been part of EYEBEAM such as Graffiti Research Lab and Steve Lambert.
We would like to invite you to a special performance of BELLA GAIA: Beautiful Earth an Experience by Kenji Williams and supports EYEBEAM.
This is a rare and unprecedented opportunity to see the award winning show which combines large-scale NASA imagery of the earth with live music and dance performance.
Please introduce yourself to us if you come - we'd love to meet you.
Showing two nights: Tuesday, May 15th + Wednesday, May 16th at 8:00 PM each night.
Location:
EYEBEAM Art + Technology, 540 W 21st Street, New York, NY
Tickets:
$25 advance tickets purchased at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/246161
$30 at the door
Visit bellagaia.com | eyebeam.org
Email: info@eyebeam.org
http://vimeo.com/39233386
New work from Ludo in Katowice, Poland. It's called "Palynology"
Here's a Kickstarter campaign that sure to peak the interest of street art fans. Story goes that Shepard gave a RISD student named Julian Marshall the rights to make a dramatic film on the beginnings of the whole OBEY GIANT phenomenon. The film is at a state where Kickstarter is being used to generate the remaining funds needed to complete the film. To learn more about the project and contribute to its funding, click here.
Through my "day job" running BOND Strategy and Influence, and working on the marketing for Kevin Macdonald's upcoming documentary MARLEY, Sara and I were introduced to the amazing work of the Swedish designer Viktor Hertz.
The other day, after debuting a fantastic video created by Street Virus of artist Phil Frost talking about how his work has been inspired by Bob Marley, Viktor sent us his own tribute to Bob, an alternative movie poster for the MARLEY documentary. We loved it so much we wanted to share it on the Wooster site.
Viktor explains - "The idea behind the pictogram mosaic portrait, is to show the complexity and all the different things that made the man behind the music."
If you haven't yet seen the trailer for MARLEY, here it is (The film will be available in theaters and on demand in the US on 4/20):
