The Space Invader
Little is known about the Invader, but his intricate tiles depicting characters from 8-bit video games (i.e. Space Invaders) have found their way onto common surfaces all over the world.
Particularly prevalent in the West; I have seen these works in cities including LA, New York, London, Berlin and Hong Kong. There is also a grab-bag of these characters right here in Melbourne. Below are some examples that I encountered last weekend. Having taken the time to investigate these local instances, I felt I would share this story with you.
The Invader is a French street artist that is around 40 years old. He began working casually during the nineties in his home town of Paris; before his tiled assault went epic in 1998. From trendhunter.com: “The locations chosen for the Space Invaders mosaic are not done at random; in fact, they contain a specific order and plan. In Montpellier, for instance, the artist planned out many different locations for his pieces so that when you look at a map, the points take the form of a giant Space Invader character.“
Henceforth, he began taking the artform abroad, reaching over 35 countries in total, taking in all the cities mentioned above; and more. Recently, he has hit the Hollywood sign twice and has achieved higher notoriety after his cousin Thierry Guetta (AKA Mr. Brainwash) teamed up with Banksy to produce the film Exit Through The Gift Shop, which premiered in San Francisco last week. Below are a few examples drawn from the Invader’s stints in Melbourne and a map from the Space Invader website showing the locations that have been hit...
-Rock The Boat
Posted on April 27, 2010, in Art, Photo, Review, Streetwear and tagged 8 bit, Art, artist, Banksy, cool, exhibition, Exit Through The Gift Shop, France, Fresh, graff, graffiti, Invader, Melbourne, Mr. Brainwash, Paris, Space Invaders, Street Art, The Space Invader, Thierry Guetta. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
do you know where his space invaders are in melbourne? I have found two- Centre Place and Meyers place
On Princes Bridge (Swantson Street), there is one over each side of the bridge: Federation Wharf and also Hamer Hall (although due to construction the Hamer Hall one might be gone).