The work of UK street-artist Cept always brings a smile to the face. Often appropriating familiar images of superheros and adopting a pop-art style, his piece of street work that samples the lyrics to Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart has just been released as a print entitled Again and Again (OG image right, print left). OMG as one of Litchenstein’s characters would undoubtedly have exclaimed.
Polish artist M-City’s work is currently being shown at the Carmichael Gallery. Wielding a spray can, scalpel and cardboard, M-City’s work is, like Logan Hicks’ output, about the method; the images are built up from complex, overlayed stencils that reveal images built within images. For his visuals think Sim City meets Lego meets a frustrated town planner with a spraycan. Recurring themes include ballooning tower-blocks and industrial cities painted on to walls and exude an energy fit for an urban space.
Running between July 10 – August 7, 2010, the show includes new canvases, a site-specific gallery installation and outdoor mural project.
Caught looks like a sumptiuous slice of contemporary illustration, graff and audio visual goodness and promises to be something special for the Leeds art scene.
Stemming from the BestJoinedUp nights, Caught brings together the likes of Will Barras, The Pern, Replete, Inkie, Sri McKinnon, Drew Millward and Phlegm and will uncover some of the treasures retrived during the BestJoinedUp sessions and also unveil some brand-new-it’s-still wet work.
Caught will run from the 21st May to the 7th June. Check the site for the skinny.
Kicks and Canvas is a new exhibition by Soleheaven and Zero Cool Gallery, and features 21 artists customizing 21 pairs of kicks and 21 canvases. Running until 18th the artistic talent involved includes Goldie, Insa and Mr Jago and representing Leeds Jon Lawrence. Jon provided visuals for issue 03 of Bonafide and his sculptural work puts a new twist on iconic hip-hop products. In other words, it’s proper boxfresh art.
Eelus kindly helped with some visual candy for issue 01 of Bonafide and it’s great to see that his first solo show has just opened. Running from the 25th February to the 6th of March, The Colour Out of Space demonstrates how much he has grown in confidence and matured as an artist. For the musings of the man behind the spray can check out his blog where you get to see how everything comes together.
Eric the Dog has been burning it up recently and working well…umm…like a dog. He’s joining forces with OG street scrawler Will Barras and DEM for the forthcoming Original Cultures – The Show @ StolenSpace Gallery. Running from 12.02.10- 07.03.10, this will be the trio’s second collaborative project following their work during Original Cultures’ first event in Bologna, Italy, 2009. Original Cultures – The Show promises to be a creative exploration of paintings, animation, design and some crazy ideas. If you are in the locale, checkit!
The Old Sweet Shop has been a great supporter of Bonafide, stocking (and selling out) of the magazine. And it’s high time we returned the favour. An independent art space supporting a diverse array of local artists and product makers, make a bee-line for the gallery next time you are in the Steel city. You won’t be disappointed.
Their latest show stars artist and illustrator Lord Bunn who is showcasing his skills for the first time on a solo stage. Girls runs from the 13th January to the 23rd March.
Bunns. Girls. What a Carry on.
Guerilla Pop-Up Store, Noise Lab, flings open its doors this January. Located in Manchester city centre, the lab deviates from the usual pop-up store concept (which basically equates to stealth branding using DIY tools) in that it’s built to showcase artistic talents and hopefully direct some cash into their back pockets. A good thing in this rather grey financial climate.
Backed by the arts charity Noise Festival, the local council and a number of other philanthropic partners, Noise Lab is billed a ‘living magazine’ with each month a ‘Guest Editor’ curating content, events, gigs, workshops and much more. Manchester street artist Doodlebug is the first Editor and has plucked a unknown art headz of the street to present their work alongside their work and talent next to recognised and established names such as Mr Scruff, Pete Fowler Monsterism and Mark Wigan. It looks ‘monster’, as Eric Hall used to say and well worth checking out.
Bonafide will be representing at Noise Lab with copies of the magazine available to fondle before purchase. Hopefully we’ll also be getting involved in putting on a special event or two. Watch this space.
I’ve been a big fan of Italian artist Ericailcane since I purchased one of his prints a few years ago. Working in a number of different media including etching, sculpture and watercolours, Eric the Dog is also quite happy to work on huge-mutha-walls too. His pieces feature characters inspired by fairy tales and folklore. True to the genre the beasties are weird, macabre and boast a devilish sense of humour. Like the animal he’s named after, Ericailcane’s work has bite!
Anyone wanting to check out his work should head over to Brighton’s Prescription Art Gallery, where Ericailcane has joined up with Run Dem, Cat Johnston and Andy Doig for the exhibition Bara Volante (Flying Coffin). It looks well worth a visit.
Another Christmas and another raft of eye popping street art led exhibitions. As mentioned POW are wheeling out some Mexican flavoured art eye candy with The Fiesta Resistance and, propping up their easels, Castro art caps and felt tips in 27 Cork Street, Mayfair, London Town, is the Flying Eyeball team.
Curated by Inkie, it features a bevy of street talent including She One, Kid Acne, Eine, Insa, Pure Evil, Zeus and Andy Council, and promises to offer a real eyeful and, with obligatory shop, will be a great place to find some quirky artistic influenced presents either for loved ones or for your own four walls.
Flying Eyeball exhibition, open from 10am to 8pm and running from 8th to 12th December.
POST UPDATE: copies of Bonafide will be on sale at the exhibition, cheers for Inkie and Lisa for making it possible.
