Street & Urban Art « Arrested Motion

Category Archives: Street & Urban Art

Preview / Setup: Barry McGee @ BAM/PFA

Posted by sleepboy, July 23, 2012

What a banner month for street art fans starting with the Os Gemeos showing at the Boston ICA at the beginning of the August and then an exhibition from Bay-area legend Barry McGee at the end at the BAM/PFA (UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive). The midcareer survey opening on August 24th is well deserved for the Mission School stalwart and will feature much of the influential street and graffiti artist’s trademark imagery and installation work including large scale paintings, vibrant patterned panels, animatronic creations, […]

Preview: Os Gemeos @ Boston ICA

Posted by sleepboy, July 22, 2012

On the 1st of August, the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art will continue its innovative and pioneering programing with the opening of Brazilian street muralists Os Gemeos first ever solo museum exhibition in the United States. The prospect of seeing the duo, otherwise known as Otávio and Gustavo Pandolfo, have free reign in such space has fans in the States salivating, especially in light of stunning showings at institutions in their home country (see here, here, here, and here). Drawing from the the color and chaos of Sao Paulo, the twins will be […]

Overtime: July 16 – July 22

Posted by Khoi, July 22, 2012

Dzine has a show opening next Friday in London inspired by the “Szwaybar,” a phenomenon that is central to the youth of Curacao. Ed Ruscha steps down from MOCA board of trustees – last artist to leave. Barbara Kruger and Catherine Opie’s resignation email letter to MOCA. Christopher Knight discusses Kruger and Opie’s resignations and the role of artists in MOCA’s board. More from MOCA and Ruscha regarding resignations of artists from board and the future of the institution. Which Way, L.A.? examines the situation […]

Streets: Picturin Torino Mural Art Festival

Posted by sleepboy, July 20, 2012

The Picturin Torino Art Festival recently played host to artists Graphic Surgery, V3RBO, and 2501 as they were invited to paint murals in an area of the Italian city with old warehouses and factories. They were among a group of 30 artists from France, Holland, Bulgaria, Spain and Italy who were tasked with beautifying city landmarks – Parco Dora, Amedeo di Savoia Hospital, Hiroshima Mon Amour, schools and façades – and turning Torino into a big outdoor museum. Photo credit: Diego Fatone & Picturin Torino via Graffuturism.

Openings: “Unnatural – Natural History” @ Royal West of England Academy

Posted by butterfly, July 20, 2012

Curated by Coates and Scarry, the exhibition entitled Unnatural-Natural History recently launched at the Royal West of England Academy with many of the participating artists present at the opening. Featuring paintings, photography, drawings, sculptures and installations, 38 local and international artists are currently displaying their artistic interpretation of an alternative world. Following genetic mutations and environmental pressure, natural objects have been metamorphosed into unexpected forms in a place no longer ruled by humans. At the entrance, guests are greeted by feathered installations by Kate McGuire. The viewer’s mind is then immediately […]

Streets: Komafest (Part II) – Vhils

Posted by sleepboy, July 20, 2012

After opening a duo of shows in Lisbon and Paris, where he also was able to make his mark on the city streets in those major metropolises, Vhils moves north to the much smaller town of Vardø. The relatively tiny Norwegian town is the site of Komafest, a street art festival which hopefully will help revitalize a region that has suffered from depopulation and the decay. The Portuguese artist applied his unique technique to a something we haven’t seen before, a wooden building – with a pretty sweet result […]

Studio Visits / Preview: Mark Whalen @ Melbourne Art Fair

Posted by Susie Lee, July 19, 2012

AM dropped by Mark Whalen’s studio recently to get a preview of his new work, which will be shown as a solo exhibition with Edwina Corlette Gallery at the Melbourne Art Fair (August 1-5). If you can’t make it to the art fair, follow Mark Whalen (nowhaywhay) on Instagram for a play by play of the event. Looking into Mark Whalen’s psychedelic gridded realities is like a mythic journey into hyperspace. He redefines the atmospheric picture plane, using pure geometric forms and grids to create […]

Streets: Olek (Brazil)

Posted by sleepboy, July 19, 2012

Last we heard from Olek, she was in her home town of Katowice working her yarn-bombing magic on a couple of escavators for a street art festival. Now, the Polish knitter, who was recently named as one of the Smithsonian’s 40 under 40: Craft Futures artists, has surfaced in São Paulo, Brazil to do some work for SESC where she created “Crocheted Jacaré” for their playground, covering an alligator shaped installation designed by Marcia Maria Benevento. Photo credit: Lost Art (via Designboom). Discuss Olek here.

Upcoming: REVOK – “Gilgamesh” @ Known Gallery

Posted by sleepboy, July 19, 2012

REVOK recently posted up some photos on his blog of the process leading up to his new body of work created for his solo show coming up at the end of the month in Los Angeles. Gilgamesh is set to open on July 28th at the Known Gallery with a selection of works created from found objects. These shots show the graffiti artist from the beginning of his process foraging for materials in the abandoned and dilapidated buildings of Detroit to the precise and increasingly […]

Streets: Komafest (Part I) – Ethos

Posted by sleepboy, July 18, 2012

Way above the polar circle, a small Norwegian island community has kicked off a street art festival – Komafest. Stavanger-based street artist Pøbel has invited a quality lineup of artists up to Vardø, Norway to paint up the town including E. B. Itso, Conor Harrington, Steve “ESPO” Powers, Husk mit navn, Atle Østrem, Horfe, Roa, Remed, Vhils, Ken Sortais, and Claudio Ethos. One of the first to arrive and probably the one that had to travel the farthest was the Sao Paulo-based Ethos who promptly […]