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Category Archives: Art

Streets: Swoon – Bowery & Houston Mural (Part I)

Earlier today, AM stopped by the corner of Bowery & Houston to catch up with Swoon (interviewed) as she started her mural. Putting up her work over the last two artists here (REVOK & POSE), the street artist and activist is only one in a long line of creatives who have blessed the location in the previous months (see here). We’ll be following up with the finished piece, but for now, enjoy some in-progress photos. Discuss Swoon here.

Showing: Ai Weiwei – “Forever Bicycles” @ Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

Currently in Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square, Ai Weiwei’s Forever Bicycles installation is on display 24 hours a day until October 27th. The piece consisting of 3,144 bicycles is in town for the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, an annual celebration of contemporary art in the largest city of Canada. We first saw a version of this intricate and complex structure from the Chinese activist-artist back in 2011 when we visited Taiwan, and strongly recommend you check it out for yourself if you are in the area. Take a look at more in […]

Openings: Mr. – “Sweeet!” @ Galerie Perrotin (Hong Kong)

Last month, the Hong Kong branch of Galerie Perrotin opened a new solo show from Mr. entitled Sweeet!  This time, blending his anime-inspired imagery with Western street art and graffiti references, his new paintings were an impressive sight for his fans in the city-state. Along with a large showstopper, the collection of works also included more modestly-sized pieces. Take a look at an interview here as well if you are interested in more insight into the exhibition. Photo credit: Hypebeast. Discuss Mr. here.

Roids, Horfee, Score, Ken Sortais, Fence, SatOne – Rockenberg Prison Project (Germany)

Expanding a little more on a project we recently featured on our Streets World Roundup where we shared with you a mural from SatOne, we now bring you some more photos from the Rockenberg Prison project. Organized by Draw A Line, other artist including ROIDS (seen above), HORFÉE, SCORE, KEN SORTAIS, FENCE were asked to paint the walls a prison near Frankfurt along with the help of some inmates. The art project fostered some meaningful dialogue between the artists, guards, and inmates and hopefully will brighten up the […]

El Mac x Prada – “In the Heart of the Multitude” Project

Last month during Milan Fashion Week, American artist El Mac was asked by Prada to participate in the In the Heart of the Multitude project. Guided by themes of beauty, femininity, and power, the LA-based street muralist created three murals that were used as the backdrop for the Spring/Summer ’14 Prada Women’s fashion show (see video below). Collectively, he entitled them Sueños y Polvo de Estrellas (Dreams and Stardust) and shared that they were inspired by the work of Alphonse Mucha. Discuss El Mac here.

Openings: Tomokazu Matsuyama – “The Standard Rendez-Vous” @ Zidoun & Bossuyt

With his exhibition Palimpsest at Harvard’s Reischauer Institute (covered) still on view, the always ambitious Tomokazu Matsuyama  (interviewed) opens The Standard Rendez-Vous at Zidoun & Bossuyt in Luxembourg. With the new show, we find Matsu pushing his unique combination of abstract, pop and traditional Japanese styles ever forward. As a centerpiece, a giant triptych fills an entire wall of the gallery, with each of the three panels filled from edge to edge with explosive color and patterning. The show also contains several shaped paintings, which take […]

Upcoming: Billy Norrby – “The Stone Like” @ CHG Circa

This Saturday night, October 26th, Billy Norrby will be opening his exhibition at CHG Circa entitled The Stone Like. For his first solo with the gallery, the New York-painter brings a new series of work that explores the “state between gradual petrification and hopeful rejuvenation.” His characters often appear to be in deep contemplation, on the precipice of some important decision hanging in the balance. Rendered in an aesthetic that brings memories from the Romantic Era, the paintings are lush and full of emotive power. Discuss […]

Showing: Claudio Ethos – “Intuitions sur le Hasard” @ Galerie Itinerrance

Last Friday, the Galerie Itinerrance in Paris presented all new works from Claudio Ethos entitled Intuitions sur le Hasard. Featuring paintings, drawings, and wall murals, the Brazilian street artist’s French fans were treated to his special surreal aesthetic. Beautifully rendered, his portraits of distorted characters mirrored closely what we have come to expect from his public art. Take a look at more photos below… Photo credit: Vitostreet (via Ekosystem). Discuss Claudio Ethos here.

Previews: Jeff Depner – ‘Variations: Black Napkins’ @ Nancy Margolis Gallery

Vancouver-based artist Jeff Depner opens his debut New York solo exhibition this week at Nancy Margolis Gallery. Depner is renowned for his highly graphical, abstract compositions and his use of layers, textures, colour and repetition of geometric elements create a visual feast. We’ve featured a look into Depner’s creative process previously here on AM, and it’s worth taking a look back at that to fully understand how many iterations and transitional layers each of his paintings is subjected to prior to it being judged as complete. […]

Streets: Banksy – “Better Out Than In” (New York) – Day 19, 20, 21

After we visited his literal outdoor gallery installation last Friday, Banksy continued his assault on the streets of New York over the weekend. Adding a video in Staten Island (below) that completed his tour of all five boroughs, Mr. B also created a clever strength tester stencil piece (below) utilizing existing elements, and a new one in South Bronx to start your Monday off (above). Discuss Banksy here.