March 3, 2007
First pictures from JR and Marco's FACE2FACE Project
More here.
Posted by marc at 3:18 PM in Photography | Recommend this! (53) |
| Who Knew?
(Photos by Philip J. Hollenback. More here) linked to .
In 1969, Rudolph de Harak designed and the sculptor William Tarr built, a a full-size model of a WWI Sopwith Camel on top of 77 Water Street, a 26 story building, in New York.
It's sole purpose is to amuse the inhabitants of surrounding buildings and scyscrapers, most notably the former World Trade Center.
(Thanks, John)
Posted by marc at 12:00 PM in 3D | Recommend this! (83) |
March 2, 2007
Videos We Love: Stop Action Skateboarding
(Thanks, Gaetane!)
Posted by marc at 12:38 PM in Video | Recommend this! (304) |
Barney meets the black widows in Toronto
Posted by marc at 7:13 AM in Wheatpastes | Recommend this! (56) |
March 1, 2007
The Horse Project
Scott Wayne Indiana, an artist in Portland, OR, realized that there are over 200 seemingly random brass rings embedded in different parts of the city. They rings, which serve no purpose today, originated during a time when horses and horse carriages were tied to them in the 1800's.
To reconnect people with their original use, Scott began "The Horse Project" - a public art installation in which people tie toy horses to the brass rings.
You can learn more about it here.
Posted by marc at 10:20 PM in 3D | Recommend this! (69) |
There's Not Much That We Have To Say...
Sara and I have talked a lot about whether or not we should address the issues that have been raised surrounding "the splasher" on the Wooster site. As you can tell by our silence, our stance has been not to say anything at all about it. The truth is that it's not something that we're all that interested in, and commenting on it only gives the guy more attention, which is exactly what he wants. The Wooster site is about the inspiration and joy that street art brings, not a showcase for those who want to destroy it.
But things changed a bit today as during a conversation with a reporter from the New York Times, we were asked about it and while we told the writer that we weren't all that interested in the story, he included a couple of short quotes in a story that ran this morning.
Because the only quote in the article was from us, today's story in the Times has lead to more reporters calling us for interviews. But our feeling is that we've said all that we want to say about the situation in the Times, and aren't all that interested in talking any more about it to the press.
For us, the situation is pretty simple - it sucks that someone is defacing artwork that people in the city love and connect with. What many people have learned is that while much of this art is done illegally, it beautifies ugly spaces. It counteracts the negative effects of the proliferation of advertising, and adds a lot of joy to the residents of the neighborhoods where street art flourishes. (Not the Upper East Side)
We don't buy into the pseudo intellectual argument that the activist is claiming to make, because, for us, destroying art is purely a selfish act that has only to do with the person destroying it, not the object of the anger. While claiming to be intellectual, the more you think about what he's doing the more you realize that it's completely irrational. And as my mother used to tell me - "It's not possible to be rational with an irrational person"
The bottom line is that we feel that person who's destroying the work has probably bullshitted themselves into believing that by destroying art they can get a name for themselves as well. (i.e. How can i get famous?)
What's unfortunate to us is that now that the mainstream press has picked up on the story, attention is exactly what he's getting. But our interest is not to fuel his ego any further than it has already been fueled.
The one upside in all of this is the possibility that from articles like the one in the Times this morning, more people will find out that this movement brings a lot of joy to our daily lives and should indeed be celebrated.
The most important line in the Times story is the last one:
"That was a revered and respected piece of art," he said. "This is just vandalism"
Posted by marc at 11:08 AM in Site Announcements | Recommend this! (101) |
Blow The City
If you live in Ghent, Belgium you may have noticed that everywhere you went, tons of painted balloons suddenly appeared all over the city.
Using Myspace to launch a call for submission, a young girl collected over 400 balloons which people from all over the world drew on. She filled them with helium and put them up in major areas of Ghent.
You can see more here.
Posted by marc at 7:09 AM in Environmental | Recommend this! (33) |
Seen On The Streets of Lille, France
More here.
Posted by marc at 6:58 AM in Wheatpastes | Recommend this! (39) |
February 28, 2007
FACE2FACE from JR and Marco
FACE2FACE is a new project that the French photographer JR first told us about when he was in New York for the Wooster on Spring event. On March 4th, the portraits collected for the project will finally be pasted up on both the Palestinian and Isreali sides of the separation wall / security fence.
If you are not yet familiar with it, here's a description of the project, nicked from the FACE2FACE website:
"When we met in 2005, we decided to go together in the Middle-East to figure out why Palestinians and Israelis couldn't find a way to get along together.
We then traveled across the Israeli and Palestinian cities without speaking much. Just looking to this world with amazement.
This holly place for Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
This tiny area where you can see mountains, sea, deserts and lakes, love and hate, hope and despair embedded together.After a week, we had a conclusion with the same words: these people look the same; they speak almost the same language, like twin brothers raised in different families.
A religious covered woman has her twin sister on the other side. A farmer, a taxi driver, a teacher, has his twin brother in front of him. And he his endlessly fighting with him.
It's obvious, but they don't see that.
We must put them face to face. They will realize.
We want that, at last, everyone laughs and thinks when he sees the portrait of the other and his own portrait.
The Face2Face project is to make portraits of Palestinians and Israelis doing the same job and to post them face to face, in huge formats, in unavoidable places, on the Israeli and the Palestinian sides.
In a very sensitive context, we need to be clear.
We are in favor of a solution for which two countries, Israel and Palestine would live peacefully within safe and internationally recognized borders.All the bilateral peace projects (Clinton/Taba, Ayalon/Nussibeh, Geneva Accords) are converging in the same direction. We can be optimistic.
We hope that this project will contribute to a better understanding between Israelis and Palestinians.
Today, "Face to face" is necessary.
Within a few years, we will come back for "Hand in hand". "
Posted by marc at 6:28 PM in Events | Recommend this! (52) |
Catching Up With Elbow-Toe
If you attended the Wooster on Spring show in December, then you - like us - were probably blown away by the work of the Brooklyn based artist, Elbow-Toe.
In the last few months Elbow-Toe has been putting together a series of painting for two upcoming shows, one in London and one this week here in New York.
The top two pieces will be part of a show called Eleven that opens on March 9th in London at the Leonard Street Gallery.
The last piece will be at the Street Art Show @ The Pure Project in Soho which opens March 2nd. We're told that to attend the opening you need to RSVP to rsvp@thepureproject.com for location details and entry. A special Street Art talk by Leon Reid will be held on Sun., March 4th at 3pm
Posted by marc at 6:47 AM in Art | Recommend this! (40) |
Another One From Blu
From Blu's recent trip through South America
Posted by marc at 6:42 AM in Murals | Recommend this! (41) |
No New Enemies
Last Friday night No New Enemies and partner Mr. Ego, welcomed somewhere between 300 and 400 people to the opening of Animal Profane Plutonic: Icon Disruption's Under the Earth's Surface …
Artists involved are: Guifari (BE), Neasden Control Centre (Uk) and Victor Castillo (Chile)
Much like the No New Enemies network itself, the collaborative show and installation developed organically, each artist choosing a word for the title, nonsense making sense for some after the paint was slapped onto the walls.
No New Enemies is a network of artists that began doing public installations and has since began several other activities to support art and it's place in public.
For more info on the show, the No New Enemies network and other activities, you an contact: nonewenemies@gmail.com
Posted by marc at 3:14 AM in Events | Recommend this! (12) |
February 27, 2007
Seen On The Streets of Bordeaux, France
Artist: Ephameron
Posted by marc at 8:11 PM in Wheatpastes | Recommend this! (12) |
Lister Hits The Streets of Los Angeles
Posted by marc at 7:59 PM in Murals | Recommend this! (28) |
Fresh Stuff From Sam3 in Madrid
More from Sam here.
Posted by marc at 7:56 PM in Graffiti | Recommend this! (14) |
Open City Opens This Thursday Night At Eyebeam
GRL's fantastic Open City event finally opens this week on Thursday March 1st at the Eyebeam space in Chelsea. It's been in the works for over a year now and looks to be incredible.
Tools and methods of the following artists will be on display:
Aram Bartholl, BORF, G.R.L., Institute for Applied Autonomy, Improve
Everywhere, Mark Jenkins, KATSU, KR, Object Orange, Leon Reid, Matthia
Wermke, and Krzysztof Wodiczko.
GRL will have their laser tagging system running for people to try out. The original Boston Mooninitie will be on display as well as ""videos of people breaking laws and running around with no pants, movie screenings, and workshops workshops workshops."
Things will be going on all month at Eyebeam, this week is as follows:
March 2: (3-5pm)
Aram Bartholl - First Person Shooter glasses workshops (
http://www.datenform.de/fps.html )
March 3: (3-5pm)
Aram Bartholl - WoW workshop / performance (
http://www.datenform.de/wow.html )
Mark Jenkins - Tape sculptures workshop (
http://xmarkjenkinsx.com/index.html )
March 3: (5-6pm)
Screenings of shorts by Matthias Wermke, Object Orange, Krzysztof
Wodiczko, GRL and others.
March 8: (7:30pm)
Screening of State Your Name with introduction by filmmakers
Posted by marc at 12:45 PM in Geek Graffiti , New York | Recommend this! (24) |
February 26, 2007
Things We Absoutely Love: "Pritable Cold Sores"
"Nowhere in advertising is the gap between natural beauty and manufactured perfection more apparent than on subway posters. As we wait for transportation, we are unwillingly assaulted by larger-than-life representations of supposedly beautiful salespeople. The large scale of these ads and their extremely close proximity to the viewer offer up more than perceived intimacy, however... they give us the chance to see the mechanical flaws designed to correct their physical flaws.
Why don't we just see them for what they are? They are regular people just like us, they just have a team of retouchers waiting at the ready.
Printable cold sores allow us to take action! Bring these people back down to our level, and tell advertisers that you don't agree with their message. How can you help? It's easy..."
More here.
Posted by marc at 2:56 PM in Culture Jamming | Recommend this! (84) |
Returning To Lafayette Street
For years, WK Interact's massive and strikingly beautiful black and white murals on an abandoned gas station on Lafayette street were a fixture of lower Manhattan. Not just for people who were following the street art scene, but to everyone who saw them. In many ways WK's work on Lafayette Street defined the neighborhood. But then, about 18 months ago, all of the work was destroyed when bulldozers took down the gas station to make way for a hamburger joint.
But this week, we're able to return to Lafayette Street as WK discovered that one of the people filming him that morning has posted some of the footage on Youtube. You can watch it below...
Posted by marc at 1:25 PM in Vintage | Recommend this! (34) |
Urban Flora - A Taxonomy Of The City
"Urban Flora is a project that aims to alter city dwellers’ experience of their environment through a series of stickers that identify objects in the urban environment. These "urban flora", such as mailboxes, lamp posts, and fire hydrants, are presented in a traditional taxonomy such as one would see in an arboretum or botanical garden. By defining these man-made artifacts in the context of the botanical world, the project draws attention to the presence or absence of nature in the urban space"
Posted by marc at 10:40 AM in Culture Jamming , Video | Recommend this! (23) |
Before and After
Location: Columbus OH
Artist: Vinchen
Posted by marc at 7:40 AM in Culture Jamming | Recommend this! (32) |