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Monthly Archives: May 2011

Streets: Liqen – “Family Taco” (Mexico)

Posted by sleepboy, May 7, 2011

Liqen, an artist that we have not focused on directly yet here on AM, but has been doing good work recently, has a new wall up in Mexico City entitled Family Taco. The Spanish street artist is primarily known for his surreal large scale murals filled details that require a second and third look to fully appreciate it’s complexities. More details pics after the jump…

Openings: Rockin’ Jelly Bean & Sketch – “The Monsters Showcase” @ Sunday Issue

Posted by rhinomilk, May 7, 2011

On a rainy Tuesday night in the Shibuya district in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday Issue (gallery/lounge) hosted the opening of Rockin’ Jelly Bean and Sketch’s joint exhibition, The Monsters Showcase. Rockin’ Jelly Bean (who is also known for his illustrations/paintings of sexy women and merchandise through his store, Erostika) was spotted in his signature lucha mask and groupies in tow. Both artists decided to do a series of monster paintings as a nod to their early influence from the LA Low Brow art scene. This exhibition […]

Openings: Ai Weiwei – “Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads” @ Pulitzer Fountain (Central Park)

Posted by lowpro, May 7, 2011

To mirror the images we brought you a few days back of the Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads still wrapped up, we can now bring you coverage of the impressive installation of Ai Weiwei’s massive bronze sculptures in all their larger than life glory. Delayed by two days due to the capture of Osama Bin Laden, Mayor Bloomberg was able to officially unveil the public art installation on a drizzly Wednesday morning, the ominous weather subtly underscoring the somber tone of the event as […]

Openings: SABER – “The American Graffiti Artist” @ Opera Gallery (New York)

Posted by lowpro, May 6, 2011

Continuing the near relentless barrage of street inspired exhibitions arranged to coincide with Art in the Streets, SABER (interviewed) opened The American Graffiti Artist (previewed) at Opera Gallery in New York last night. While his impressive efforts within MOCA (covered) paid homage to his roots within Los Angeles graffiti lore, his newest body of work riffs on a more recent manifestation. In an aesthetic chapter first penned in 2009 when he created a video for the “Organizing For America’s Health Care Reform Video Challenge” (covered) that […]

Openings: Jacub Gagnon & Yosuke Ueno – “Elements and Oddities” @ Thinkspace

Posted by sleepboy, May 6, 2011

Last Saturday night, Jacub Gagnon and Yosuke Ueno opened their joint show Elements and Oddities at the Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City. As we touched on in our interview with him last week, Jacub brought with him a series of surrealistic still-life paintings set against a background of black vacuum of space featuring clever interplays between the subjects he choses. As for Yosuke, his signature rainbow colored creatures were present in this new body of work and interestingly enough, some of the paintings featured a […]

Live Painting: Futura @ CARBON

Posted by lowpro, May 6, 2011

On Sunday, CARBON came to a close in Melbourne, Australia. The festival consisting of some major players in the art, style, and design fields hosted a live painting session on the final night. Among the artists represented, Futura was unquestionably the main attraction. It’s rare enough to see his work in the flesh, let alone to witness him work his magic with the can firsthand. AM was privy to just such a treat a few weeks back, as he worked his abstract wizardy on the […]

Teaser: Barbara Kruger @ L&M Arts (LA)

Posted by Khoi, May 6, 2011

After being the first in ten years to have a solo Paul McCarthy exhibition in Los Angeles, blue-chip gallery L&M Arts once again brings an Angeleno home. The last time Barbara Kruger had her own show in Los Angeles was with MOCA in 1999. On May 14, L&M Arts will open a show featuring recent work by the legendary artist that includes The Globe Shrinks, a multichannel video installation, a Kruger room “wrap”, and exterior projections of two works. Prepare to explore such issues and […]

Openings: Matt Small – “Recognition” @ Merry Karnowsky Gallery

Posted by Susie Lee, May 5, 2011

Last Friday, Matt Small (interviewed) opened his first U.S. exhibition at Merry Karnowsky Gallery, as part of the BritWeek Art Program in partnership with the British Council and the L.A. Art Machine. Recognition is a collection of paintings, drawings, and mixed media, depicting vibrant portraiture of what the artist views as “the marginalized and voiceless in society, those who are socially excluded.” Small portrays those on the fringes of society, drawing attention to those who may be overlooked, challenging prejudices and bringing forward a shared […]

Streets: Faile – Prayer Wheel (Williamsburg)

Posted by juggernut3, May 5, 2011

One of the coolest examples of Faile’s outdoor works are the Prayer Wheels (featured) which first debuted at their Lost in Glimmering Shadows show in the UK. These sculptural works are engineered to spin in place while people meditated to their favorite images from the collective. In the past few years, the duo have placed these awesome pieces outdoors for the people to enjoy. Now, they’ve sent us pictures of the latest street intervention which they have deployed near McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Check […]

Streets / Teaser: RETNA – “Street Cred” @ Pasadena Museum of California Art

Posted by sleepboy, May 5, 2011

On May 14th, the Pasadena Museum of California Art opens their doors to Street Cred, an exhibition celebrating the art of graffiti, be it in it’s basic form or as a formative tool in the current career and work of fine artists. Interestingly enough, the showing was conceived of before the current Art in the Streets exhibition but was scheduled further in the future and also includes some of the artists from the MOCA. With what looks to be mainly in-state artists, the list includes […]