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Category Archives: Street & Urban Art

Teaser / Streets: FAME Festival ’11 – Moneyless (Grottaglie)

As the first artist to make his mark in Italy for the epic urban art festival FAME, Teo Pirisi (aka Moneyless) recently spent a week in the quaint town of Grottaglie, building up the local landscape with a series of his free floating geometric art installations in preparation for the outdoor art gathering that culminates in September. Examining the relationship between materials and design, the Italian artist transforms simple string into industrial architectural forms, often situating them in the rural countryside or derelict metropolitan structures. […]

Streets: ROA (San Francisco)

It would have been a shame if Belgian street artist ROA had a show at White Walls in San Francisco (covered) and didn’t leave behind any artwork in the streets of the city… Fortunately he thought so too. After his Nocal show opening and then his gracing of the walls of MOCA’s “Art In the Streets” exhibition in Los Angeles (covered), he made sure to allot some time to return for the closing party in SF on Saturday night, as well as hit up a […]

Previews: Vandalog & M.A.N.Y – “Up Close & Personal”

Vandalog and M.A.N.Y. have teamed up to create a unique group show that will be in New York for a limited time starting today and running through the weekend. Entitled Up Close and Personal, this exhibition will showcase the works from artists who have created large mural works in the past by taking them indoors into the intimate setting of a residential apartment in Manhattan. Works no smaller than a metro card and no bigger than 30 x 30 inches have been created by artists […]

Streets: Phlegm / Abandoned School – Sheffield

Phlegm’s work in and around Sheffield has always given us a buzz here at AM, so when recently driving past Sheffield, we stopped by to take a look at the Art Fag that Kid Acne recently painted as we heard that Phlegm had made an addition to the mural, painting some of his distinctive buildings to form a smouldering end to the giant ciggie. Whilst driving up the hill to the elevated site, we passed a dreadlocked figure painting a huge mural at the riverside which […]

Preview: Hush – “TWIN” @ New Image Art

It looks like Newcastle-based Hush’s (interviewed) will be returning (see 2009) to Los Angeles for another solo show on May 21st, this time at New Image Art. Judging from the photos, his work is becoming increasingly more intricate and textured; something that was evident in his NY show last year (covered). Also, he seems to be moving away from the influences of the Kawaii aspect of Japanese manga and towards a more somber and serious tone. More preview photos from his studio as well as […]

Viewpoints: Peter Kennard + War Boutique — ‘shooting@earth’ @ Black Rat Projects

Black Rat Projects in London recently hosted shooting@earth, a three-day event running from 5 to 7 May which launched @earth, the new photo-essay by Peter Kennard, assisted by Tarek Salhany. The exhibition also showcased a collection of works that packed a punch by former armour designer, War Boutique. Although AM felt War Boutique’s art was sometimes a little easy or obvious, at other times it was remarkable: You think it has the subtlety of an old Panzer IV, that you can see it coming from […]

Openings: ESPO – “Days” @ V1 Gallery

Steve Powers aka ESPO has had a busy few weeks.  First, came his part in the time-consuming Street Market installation at the MOCA for the historic Art in the Streets exhibition. Then, last Friday in Copenhagen, he opened his latest solo show at the V1 Gallery entitled simply Days. A fitting title as the work in the show includes some of his daily metaltations ruminating on the complexities of everyday life with his poetic world play and signature visual language using enamel paint on metal. […]

Streets: Blu (Poland)

It looks like Italian street sensation Blu is not shy about letting the world know his views on religion.  First came the mural in Bologna over the Easter weekend featuring a praying man eating his own “pasta” brain, perhaps indicating religion is all created in the mind.  Now, this new piece in Krakow features a bullhorn made from a bell (maybe the famous Royal Sigismund Bell regarded as one of Poland’s national symbols?) speaking to the mindless masses. Does anyone recognize the seal? *edit* Ah, […]

Videos: POW WOW Hawai’i 2011 Part I

One of the people we connected with in Hawaii for the POW WOW event (covered) was videographer Mikey Inouye. It seemed him and his crew were everywhere at the same time documenting all the action. The fruits of their labor are now evident with this new video. In association with Hypebeast TV, this is the first in a three part series featuring footage of the setup, live painting, and interviews with the participants including founder Jasper Wong. If you like what you see, you can […]

Openings: Crash, Freedom, and Risk – “Blurring the Lines” @ Corey Helford Gallery

With the overwhelming success of Art in the Streets, it seems like LA can’t seem to get enough of street art lately. And for hardcore graffiti fans, one couldn’t ask for more than a group show curated by Roger Gastman, featuring New York legends CRASH and FREEDOM, alongside historic LA pioneer and figurehead RISK. Last Saturday, AM attended the opening of Blurring the Lines at Corey Helford Gallery, which features new work by these East and West Coast graffiti masters. This exhibition marks a moment […]