Jean-Michel Basquiat : The Radiant Child– TRAILER.
February 26th, 2010Dave MacDowell
February 19th, 2010
“The Samuel Jackson 5″, 20 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas.
Davd MacDowell’s focus lies in “Childhood Fantasy and our Contemporary Cultural Nightmare” as a nation consumed by popular culture.
Early New York Subway Graffiti – KEITH BAUGH’S NEW BOOK
February 19th, 2010Great book on NYC graffiti just came out – pick yours up, it’s pretty sick.
EARLY NEW YORK SUBWAY GRAFFITI 1973-1975
by Keith Baugh
ISBN 9780956320100
In the early 1970s English painter and photographer Keith Baugh visited the USA and captured some astounding images of New York subway graffiti from the elevated tracks in Harlem and the South Bronx. Keith’s photographs, from what is now recognized as the ‘Golden Era’ of graffiti writing, have just been published in a delicious hard-back book ‘Early New York Subway Graffiti 1973-1975.
In the introduction to the book, Sami Montague, editor in chief at Graphotism wrote:
“What Keith, a total outsider to the actual creation of graffiti on the New York subway system, did was amazing. He took photos of what very few other people bothered or cared to do. He recognized that what he was seeing on the sides of the trains was something exceptional and new and as a result of this unusual sensitivity he took the time to capture for posterity the very ephemeral art that we now know as train writing.”
When I asked Keith what inspired him to take this series of photographs, he said:
‘To my mind, these extraordinary early 1970s train paintings linked inextricably with a view of American culture that embraced and mythologised the rebel and the outlaw, from Bonnie & Clyde, Billy the Kid and John Dillinger to Brando’s sneering ‘what have you got?’ when asked what he was rebelling against, to Dylan’s ‘the pump don’t work ‘cos the vandals took the handles.
I still vividly recall the initial thrill and amazement on seeing this powerful artwork. The full impact, of course, was in seeing the trains in daylight from the elevated tracks in the very badlands of New York City. The spray-paint colour was rich, fresh and bright in the strong sunlight and very recent attempts to clear the windows with some kind of solvent gave off a strong acrid smell that mingled with the warm metallic blast from the over-heated braking system. The graffiti was so extraordinary and unique that I muttered a few times under my breath ‘only in New York, only in New York.’ To my European eye this was an incredibly strong cultural phenomenon with the constant stream of writing on the passing trains providing an exotic visual mix of beat poetry, bebop, jive, pop art, jazz and Puerto-Rican funk…
‘Chico / Chico / Super Strut / Hondo / Sin / King / Silver Tips / Lil Hawk / Blade / Stoney Dice / All Jive / Stay High / Sky / Ale One / Soul Gag / Death / Kill / Mico / Mico and on and on.’
Within a few weeks of the book being released Keith had received messages of thanks from a number of ‘Old School’ New York writers who were delighted to see rare visual documentation of work by over 150 pioneer subway writers. Lee Quinones sent congratulations for the fabulous book and its photographs of many graffiti milestones. Further messages from Ale-One, Freedom, CAVS, J.SON / Terror 161, Comet, @149 Street, Subway Outlaws, Topaz, Staff 161 and the EBONY DUKES along with a personal note from Jon Naar all mentioned the rarity and historical importance of these classic photographs.
In January 2010, Keith was invited to Paris to meet up with legendary New York subway writer BLADE and photographers Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper at the opening of a ‘Subway Art’ photography exhibition at Galerie Bailly Contemporain on the Left Bank. Keith said ‘Wow, this was such a thrill. Six weeks after the release of the book I get to meet these legends. BLADE told me that the book was ‘the real deal….pure old school nostalgia’. Martha told me that I had captured some historic photographic images that would excite many pioneer writers and graffiti aficionados’.
Blade, Henry Chalfant, Keith Baugh & Martha Cooper
Links to online interviews, book review and YouTube promo video can be found on www.keithbaugh.com
The book EARLY NEW YORK SUBWAY GRAFFITI 1973-1975 is only available from www.keithbaugh.com at £25.95 with free worldwide postage.
Banga and Shuck One
Keith and Blade
Helene Bailly and Shuck One
Talking Photo Realistic Graffiti: Exclusive Interview with CASE
February 19th, 2010
 German artist Andreas von Chrzanowski is better known as CASE, one fourth of the internationally known Ma’claim crew and a damn talented artist on his own. His hyper-realistic aerosol paintings are mind-boggling, so on the eve of his solo show debut, we threw a few questions his way. Chris Osburn: How did you get into street art? CASE: Back in the 7th grade of school I got my first taste for graffiti. There were some kids who sketched a hell of a lot on paper and on the school desks during lessons. It was fascinating to me and I learned to do it in the same style. Later, when I was around 14 or 15 I got my first spray cans and started painting pieces everywhere in my little city. It did not take long to meet other like-minded individuals from my town who were doing the same thing. One of them was “Akut” who was one half of Herakut and founding member of Ma’claim crew. At this time he wrote with the name “Skan”.
How did you come up with the name Case? It was the first name I tagged and I have just stayed faithful to him. Can you tell us a bit about your the Ma’claim Crew, how they differ from other crews, and how photorealistic street art differs from other styles? Ma’claim was founded in 2000. We are four people, 3 photorealistic painters and one style painter. Ma’claim pieces differ between style (letters) and more figured description from the other crews. Often you have the ’style’ as the main content and the figurative part takes a back seat. Ma’claim is the opposite. The Ma’claim pieces always try to integrate the graffiti style into the figurative situation; therefore it is important that the style does not loose its relevance.
What’s the graffiti/street art scene like in Frankfurt and, more generally, in Germany these days? Everything is possible in Germany these days. The scene is more open-minded and traditions have been broken down and the cities and galleries accept many new mediums. Although sometimes this can be a good and a bad thing! Your exhibition, “Never Odd or Even”, takes inspiration from “Alice Through the Looking Glass”. What attracted you to the story of Alice? The author himself, Lewis Caroll, is a fascinating person. He was a tutor of mathematics yet the other side to him is this fantastic storyteller that we all know. An author of stories, full of wonder and irrational happenings. His free-thinking and all the odd characters in odd situations attracted me to him and his writings throughout my childhood and beyond.
“Never Odd or Even” is your first show in London, but do you have a history with this town? Well, I first came to London five years ago. Ma’claim was invited to paint and judge on the write4gold graffiti challenge, which was part of the Lovebox festival here. We meet some people and had a great time. In the past two years, I’ve been involved in various group shows here in London and now I think is the right time for my first solo show. CASE: Never Odd Or Even February 19th – March 6th, 2010 Opening Reception: February 18th; 18:00 – 20.30 Signal Gallery 96a Curtain Road London More info on Andreas von Chrzanowski aka CASE at sexyartcase.com
All photos courtesy Camp Barbossa. |
SALUTE THE MK2 GOLF
February 9th, 2010
THIS IS SO COOL!!!!!!!
February 9th, 2010
We have a hunch we will be seeing much more of the work by the young, London-based graphic designer and illustrator, Nikki Farquharson.
Her ongoing project, Mixed Media Girls, gives the viewer a lot to look at. The collages appear innocent and sweet but at the same time exude sharp, pent-up energy that does not feel altogether safe. The title of the work is also wonderfully suggestive – or not, depending on how the reader wishes to understand it.
Farquharson’s work extends from the one-dimensional world to book projects and 3D pieces in which she often ponders and twists the meaning of words and proverbs, spies on conversations, and questions established truths.
In 2007, she started the website Random Got Beautiful that is open for anyone to submit images focused on a specific color. - Tuija Seipell
THIS SHOW IS ON THE MONEY
February 9th, 2010Doucin Pierre
January 28th, 2010SO CRAZY!!!!!
A vivid array of digital trickery and mastery by Doucin Pierre can be seen on his site.
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Curren$y – Breakfast (Directed by Creative Control)
January 26th, 2010
CURREN$Y – BREAKFAST from Creative Control on Vimeo.
TOO FLY…. COURTESY OF JUXTAPOZ
January 25th, 2010|
Today, I feel:
Something that makes you happy? Something that makes you mad?
What was your favorite subject in elementary school? If you feel a creative block, what do you do to jumpstart inspiration? When someone is taking a photo, do you smile for the camera or turn your head?
Are you a social network enthusiast?
Who has had the most impact on your life?
Are you spiritual? One word to describe your artwork? What’s missing in your life? Are you a pet person?
Is your artwork understood? The most trouble you’ve ever gotten into: Where do you imagine yourself in five years? Learn more on TooFly via her various online venues:
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