Arrested Motion

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Previews: Kehinde Wiley – “A New Republic” @ Brooklyn Museum

Posted by sleepboy, February 20, 2015

Today marks the public opening of Kehinde Wiley’s massive mid-career survey entitled A New Republic at the Brooklyn Museum. For this exhibition, the locally-based artist has a selection of Wiley’s World Stage paintings, which started in 2006, many of which feature his signature “street castings” – taking urban youths off the street and posing & dressing them like the upper crust of society in Renaissance and old master paintings. Rounding things out are a serious of bronzes, stained glass paintings, and smaller “altarpieces.” Photo credit: Byron Smith and Chad Batka […]

Openings: Optimist – ‘Packrat’s Paradise’ @ LeQuiVive

Posted by sven, February 20, 2015

LeQuiVive has been hosting some exciting exhibitions over recent months. Currently showing is Packrat’s Paradise by Optimist aka Tim the Optimist. The exhibition is as much an autobiography as it is an art show, with a large scale installation consisting of a variety of paintings on different mediums intertwined with ephemera and memorabilia of his life and the graffiti crew culture he has been immersed within for the last decade. The exhibition is seemingly well titled by the look of the sheer amount of ‘stuff’ crammed into […]

POW! WOW! ’15 / Streets: Case Maclaim x Smithe

Posted by SAL, February 20, 2015

Mixing their two different but very compatible styles, Case Maclaim from Germany and Smithe from Mexico created one of the most interesting pieces on this year’s POW! WOW! Hawaii (more coverage here). The imagery they chose was a commentary about the preservation of coral life and the effect of human activity on its future. Smithe painted a detailed illustrative part showing a human head with coral for brains, surrounded with different organic & surrealistic elements and creatures. Case wrapped this image with a series of his recognizable […]

Releases: Fables – The Complete Covers By James Jean

Posted by sleepboy, February 20, 2015

Currently available from James Jean (interviewed) on his online store are signed copies of Fables: The Complete Covers By James Jean. The 256 page book is a compilation of the work from when the gifted painter worked as the cover artist for the comic series Fables. Including prep and production art, the publication is a in-depth look at the early phase of James’ acclaimed career that made him famous. Discuss James Jean here.

Preview: Poesia & Geso ‘Un-Formal’ @ 886 Geary Gallery

Posted by sven, February 19, 2015

886 Geary Gallery continues the charge with it’s second exhibition Un-Formal, a two [erson exhibition with Geso and Poesia opening this Saturday, February 21st. Geso and Poesia have both been in the game for years, and those in the Bay Area will be familiar with their abstract influenced stylings out in the wild. Whilst Poesia is regarded for his angular compositions, now commonly defined under his creation of the Graffuturism banner, Geso is known for his stylised freights and heavily tagged walls where his moniker is repeated over […]

Previews: Robert Williams – “Slang Aesthetics!” @ LA Municipal Art Gallery

Posted by sleepboy, February 19, 2015

Alongside the show celebrating 20 years of Juxatapoz, the LA Municipal Art Gallery will also be hosting the new work of Robert Williams. Arguably one of the most anticipated shows in Los Angeles for 2015, Slang Aesthetics! will be the godfather of low brow art’s first showing in the area in quite long time. Fans can expect a selection of new paintings as well as some amazing sculptural renditions of his work on display. Make sure you RSVP ([email protected]) for the opening this Saturday, February 21st, from 6-11 pm […]

POW! WOW! ’15 / Streets: Angry Woebots x Nosego

Posted by SAL, February 19, 2015

Another interesting collaboration created on this year’s POW! WOW! Hawaii (more coverage here) was the one by Nosego and Angry Woebots. These two artists joined their recognizable visual languages together in a colorful visual explosion created at the festival’s headquarters at Lana Lane. Due to its busy location, this piece took a while to be finished, and the dedication that both artists had to finish it on time is something to admire. Worked on until late in the night, even in the rain, the final image is an […]

Jose Parla Studio By Snøhetta

Posted by sleepboy, February 18, 2015

It looks like the Norway-based company Snøhetta recently designed and oversaw the renovation of an expansive new studio for Jose Parla. The former Brooklyn warehouse was divided into two sections – “the arena” and “the nest.” The first is a double-height workspace for the NY-based artist’s increasingly large projects (see Barclays Center & One World Trade Center), while the other is an elevated lounge space that overlooks the other. Photo credit: Jeff Goldberg / ESTO (via Dezeen). Discuss Jose Parla here.

Previews: Clemens Behr – ‘Small Works’ @ Mini Galerie

Posted by sven, February 18, 2015

Berlin-based Clemens Behr opens a solo exhibition this week at Amsterdam’s Mini Galerie entitled Small Works. True to the name of the show, this is a rare chance to get up close and personal to Behr’s typically installation-heavy, and much larger scale works. Working mainly with industrial and salvaged architectural materials, Behr applies an abstract language to his sculptural works, placing otherwise familiar materials out of context and imposing a defiance to logic, gravity and form. His Small Works within this exhibition retain all the (un)familiar […]

POW! WOW! ’15 / Streets: Fafi

Posted by SAL, February 18, 2015

Legendary graffiti and street artist Fafi, attended this year’s POW! WOW! Hawaii (more coverage here) for the first time. Known for her playful & sexy female characters and colorful work she’s been creating for decades, she was inspired with Hawaii to create a more conceptual, installation style piece. She first painted two of her characters on a wooden panel, before cutting them out. Than she installed them on a fence nearby festival base Lana Lane and decorated them with numerous colorful flowers. This mix of her flat, illustrative imagery and plastic […]