Category Archives: Art
Primary Suspects (Reka)
What would the Melbourne graff scene be without our beloved Reka? It‘d have nothing on the contemporary Euro‘s or Californians that’s for sure. I remember riding the Franga/ Dandy line back in 2002; everyday relishing the Reka characters adorning the embankment walls along the lines -particularly between South Yarra and Malvern.
The once elusive Reka has since inspired legions of next-generation writers and toys, whilst building an artistic practice that has seen him adorn the walls & galleries of New York, San Fran, LA, Berlin etc. One of the founding members of the EverFresh Crew and Skinny White Boys stalwart, Reka continues to aspire to great heights, luckily, taking us punters along for the ride! Now, witness the Primary Suspects show at the nucleus of Melb‘s fine art graffiti community: Backwoods Gallery - 2nd until 18th March, Easey St. Collingwood:
BetterWith TwoFingers
We caught up with French graffer and Street Artist BetterWith TwoFingers, and hit him up with a bit of a quick Q&A on where he‘s at dans ce monde:
INFX: These days you’ve made paste-ups your street art medium- Why the departure from aerosol?
BW2F: I choose this way because I’ve always been inspired by the power of images and their impact in the streets, on books or other medias. The fact is I used to make graffitis for a long time with a crew and paste-ups were a good way to mix others kind of techniques and to express more ideas. And of course, the penalties are less expensive for paste-ups than for sprayin’ in the streets.
INFX: You get around Europe a bit. Where are we most likely to see your work?
BW2F: I’ve travelled a little bit in Europe for example in Amsterdam and recently in Austria, but you can most likely see my works in France in cities such as Lyon, Paris, Grenoble and some others cities but also in deserted areas just because the spot was cool enough for me.
INFX: So when in Paris we‘ll keep our eyes peeled! Now, Why do you make street art?
BW2F: I only love streets and cities for two things: makin’ and seein’ a lot of street art stuff and makin’ skateboard. Street-Art is the way of expressin’ myself, sharin’ with others and meetin’ people even they don’t have any relations with Street-Art, and also it’s a concrete jungle adventures at each time.
INFX: Do you have a day job -what kind of work?
BW2F: I’m workin’ in a library.
INFX: Buried in the books! What is your favourite pizza?
BW2F: Good question!!! Calzone of course!
Well, that answers the question of what I‘m having for dinner tonight. Merci, BW2F -and all the best!
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You can find BetterWith TwoFingers on Facebook.
Yosuke Yamashita
Yosuke Yamashita is a Japanese musician and artist from Tokyo. He has performed extensively worldwide, and has composed music scores for various films, from the late 60s until the present; most notably for Shohei Imamura‘s 1998 Dr. Akagi. He has also recieved various awards, including Japan‘s Award for Fine Arts in 1999 and the Medal With Purple Ribbon in 2003. Currently, he is a visiting professor at both the Kunitachi College of Music and the Nagoya University of Arts. The ten minute video featured below has its‘ origins in one of Yosuke‘s most intruiging works. This 2008 piece, titled Burning Piano is exactly that; albeit with Yosuke playing an improvised jazz piece on the piano throughout its‘ inflammation. However, this was not the first time Yasuke had played a burning piano. That was some 35 years earlier, when he was approached by filmmaker Kiyoshi Awazu to play a burning piano for his short film of the same name. The 2008 version was filmed after Yosuke had revisited the original work, and thus he felt it needed a revival. The 1973 film can be found on Awazu‘s website: www.kiyoshiawazu.com
Project Melbourne Underground
Never before has Melbourne‘s graff scene witnessed such an exhibition as the Project Melbourne Underground collection. Over 6 months in the making, this unprecedented graffiti bonanza encompasses 800 square metres of Burn City‘s finest talent: we‘re talking 90 artists over 3 levels of the Emerald House car park, at 105 York St. South Melbourne. Featuring our local kings of the culture Tres, Phibs, Deb, Awol, Lister, Drew Funk, Sofles, Maka, Adnate and the Everfresh massive, alongside international heavyweights Does, the ominous Banksy, Nash, Ces, and so many more. The emphasis is overwhelmingly on the graffiti (rather than ‘street art‘) scene; with epic letters on the make -straight from the streets and the fine art galleries that have defined this creative talent pool.
It‘s all happening at the Emerald House car park; with the venue open publicly as part of the South Melbourne Street Fair on Sunday 19th February -so get on down there and check it out!
Just Another tip or two
BEING an artist can be tough. You’re up against so many others and the pressure to please an audience can be enough to send you into a clichéd height of madness. This is why we bring to you some clever tips from the industry’s best: Just Another Agency. Founding partner Toby shares 5 tips for all you budding artists out there. TIP1: Be yourself – Don’t try and force your work to be like everyone else’s -have your own unique voice. That is what will always set you apart. TIP2: Personality – Personality is …
Klara
Klara is quite lovely: easy going with a can-do attitude. And do she does -you will witness Klara‘s paste-ups all over town: often without realising it is her handiwork. But there is no missing the quality of her exploits, and this West Australian native‘s quest to make her art happen here in Melbourne. Klara was happy to meet me in the studio last week to interview herself with the aid of some super-maxxed up technology bonuses. Check it out:
Brendan Lee
Brendan Lee is an Australian Photographer and Video Artist from Victoria. His works are mainly centred around Australian identity and the colloquialisms associated with the urban ‘bogan‘. Brendan has recently achieved success in his 2011 show Australian Days at the CCP (Centre of Contemporary Photography), and with the release of his book Bogan Proof Fences. The book is a complement to his next show (of the same title) running from the 1st March until 25th march at The Substation 1 Market St. Newport.
INFX caught up with Brendan in this interview (of sorts) yesterday:
brendanlee.com
Aeon Oner
Aeon is one of Europe‘s emerging Street Art talents. His styles range from blockbuster through wildstyle and the abstract. This Belgian-based graffiti artist has joined the ranks of those giving hard evidence to INFX about their exploits and endeavours:
INFX: Quelle est la force de la scène graff en Belgique?
Aeon: She is very diverse, we may as well hold back the [old] school, new school, the organic or wild style. Given its industrial past, Belgium has many abandoned buildings, which allows us to move on surfaces diversified and come to the frescoes of [many] sizes. Many more urban festivals are based on the graffiti which allows us to showcase our style.
INFX: Je suis creuser votre plateau de skate. Y a-t-il un intérêt à travailler avec les marques de skate locales ou grand?
Aeon: Yes, because it could lead to changing the image of the skate by the combination with graffiti; it could breathe new life into the movement. It is also good to work with both: local stores allow us to share in the region while industrial [companies] open more doors. I have a preference for the more industrial, but I do not neglect the local stores.
INFX: Quelle est la chose la plus effrayante qui soit arrivé à vous tandis que la peinture?
Aeon: One night on the subway lines, marking a room in elevation with the aid of a ladder. My hand touched the high voltage line and 1,500 volts went through my body; I think it’s my most frightening. I know I got lucky.
INFX: Où habitez-vous? Avec des amis? Dans la ville? Banlieues?
Aeon: I rent an apartment in the city alone.
INFX: Dans un (ou deux) mot, comment qualifieriez-vous décrit votre art?
Aeon: Aggressive and malleable. I want to make a dedication “13, GAV, AKF, D2K, P50, B80, V2T… and everyone I do not have room to quote because the list is long…
THANK YOU
Oui -un grand merci à Aeon et son posse! Voir les vraies affaires. Regarder les photos:
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www.aeon-oner.com
Iepe Rubingh
Iepe Rubingh is a Dutch installation and performance artist. He currently lives and works in Berlin and has been a practicing artist for just over a decade. He‘s renowned for his The Joker Performances whereby he has shut down and disrupted traffic at busy intersections around the world. One such production caused traffic gridlock in Tokyo; for which he receieved a jail sentence of 10 days (which he had no choice but to serve). Below is a video from his 2010 Painting Reality series. In this video some 500 Litres of water-based (non-Solvent) paint is splashed over the Rosenthaler Platz in central Berlin. The resulting artwork serves as both a nod to Action Painters such as Jackson Pollock; but also invokes questions about the environment. However, despite its‘ overt political overtones; this artwork is splendid to view:
http://www.iepe.net/
Southside Vintage Market
The monthly Southside Vintage & Handmade Market operates out of St. Kilda and environs, and is held on the 2ⁿᵈ Sunday of the month. Alongside the many retro & vintage fashion stalls; the market exposes you to unique, artisan jewellery and accessories. Created by Fin Ola and Anne Freeman (also of Pigeon English), it is most worthwhile to enjoy a visit browsing. We asked the adorable Fin why the Southside Market is so wonderful:
INFX: You run the Southside Vintage Market -what makes a fashion item vintage?
Fin Ola: Anything as old as …well …old mate Henry VIII, and then to early 90s Will Smith/East 17 era. But just because you don‘t don your early 2000 Gasp or Supre dress anymore, doesn‘t mean you can palm it off as a vintage item.
INFX: 90s Nike blazers can cost up to $150 -what‘s the go there? What kind of price would we expect from Southside?
Fin Ola: Our stall holders are very reasonably priced; clothing and accessories range from $5/$150. You‘ll find a lot of stalls have sale items such as $5/$10 bargain baskets. We also have sweet treats selling for as little as $1!
INFX: So a Nike blazer could be anywhere up to $150, eh? Anyway, was it hard squeezing your way into the vintage and/or market scene? And what makes Southside successful?
Fin Ola: Anne & I both live Southside, where there is a lack of markets. Therefore [we thought] why not create one? We strongly believe in making it a friendly market [and] everyone has huge smiles on their faces; it‘s a little contagious. We also have such a fantastic & wide range of stalls to keep all entertained. We‘ve had a great start and are really lucky.
Lovely, and perhaps our readers can get lucky too! Score a bargain at the next Southside gig (which is a night market):
24ᵗʰ January from 6pm at 29 Apartment, St. Kilda:
Check out the facebook event for more details.
El Mac
I‘m not hugely into graffiti art, but every once in a while an artist will grab my attention and remind me why spraypaint is so versatile to work with. One such artist is Miles “Mac“ Macgregor, better known by his pseudonym El Mac. Hailing out of Los Angeles, El Mac has become an established name in the street art community and has an incredible repertoire of murals all over the world. His styles and methods are as flexible as his canvas, creating a number of pieces on both brick and paper, using spraypaint and brushwork. Most notable is his distinct style of grooving line patterns through the images to create a “lines in the sand“ effect. The result is nothing short of astonishing, and his latest work for purchase titled The Prayer demonstrates his ability to create a flood of emotion straight from the canvas. Watch out Banksy, there‘s a new kid on the block!
www.elmac.net/
Best of… 2011
And so the festive season has become. Which means booze, fine food, party and hedonistic tendencies will form en masse. And on that note, INFX shall close until the new year has blossomed. Next year we‘ll be upping the ante and drawing focus on specific topics; in pursuit of more underground artists and personalities. Keep watching our Global Profiles series as it too blooms into a somewhat incongrous portrait of life on this Earth of ours.
So that‘s it from us; below are the Top 5 posts that drew the most attention in the past year. And also an Autobox DJ mix recorded live by yours truly, with a host of breakbeat tracks over the ages, to revel in on those sweaty summer afternoons by the pool. May your news be good news, Good luck and goodnight.
CARL SCRASE: http://infx.com.au/2011/03/04/carl-scrase/
NEXT T-SHIRTS: http://infx.com.au/2011/11/11/next-the-future-of-t-shirt-graphics/
MONK EY: http://infx.com.au/2011/10/28/monk-ey/
BARBARION: http://infx.com.au/2011/04/14/barbarion/
VEIN ONE: http://infx.com.au/2011/08/05/veinone/
Alberto Nolac
We hit Signore Alberto up for a quick Q&A the other day and the man was happy enough to share his thoughts with us. Here we have one of the best in the business: a heavyweight of the European graff scene in general, and Italy in particular. Nolac comes from Vicenza, a pretty hip-to-the-game town between Verona and Venice, in Italy‘s Veneto region. He recently kicked some arse in the global Meeting Of Styles event, this year hosted by Venice.
INFX: Was this year‘s Meeting Of Styles in Venice the first time you‘ve participated in MOS?
NOLAC: No, I‘ve been taking part to MOS since 2003.
INFX: Cool. Have you travelled with your art very much?
NOLAC: Yes, I travelled a lot. I‘ve been all over Europe and I had the chance to meet and paint with some of the most influent people involved in the graffiti world. In the 2010 I took part in an exhibition with the legendary Martha Cooper and in 2011 with the master T-Kid.
INFX: Martha Cooper, Eh? That would‘ve been a real privledge. You use various monikers including ‘SHOW‘, ‘TACO‘, and ‘ABE‘ (among others) -why do you write so many different names?
NOLAC: I write several tags because it‘s useful to improve my skills and to develop my own style. Sometimes it‘s even boring using and writing always the same name.
INFX: Nice, mix it up a bit… You‘ve been using Ironlak a bit but do you really think it is the best paint? What are your favourite cans?
NOLAC: Sometimes I paint with Ironlak. Most of the colors are nice and the pressure level is as good as the old Montana Hardcore. They are very clean.
INFX: Where do you see yourself (and your art) in 5 years time?
NOLAC: Honestly I don‘t know. I have no plans, I mean, I‘ll be painting for sure but graffiti is not my job, it‘s just a hobby.
Recently I haven‘t been painting as much as in the past because my job get me very busy. By the way graffiti is and will always be a need to me.
Frrresh! A big thanks to Alberto for taking the time out to chat.
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Other Cinema
Hailing from San Franciso‘s Mission District Other Cinema (or ‘OC‘) is an alternative film & video production, performance, and distribution network that brings a voice to the Media Arts community. This counter-cultural outfit has been operating for nigh on 30 years, and it continues to spearhead Fine Arts film-making. Craig Baldwin established this vanguard of ‘underground cinema‘ under a range of names from 1978, because he “didn’t see anything coming up from the ground that ended up on the screens”. Since then, OC has developed into an artistic collective led by a dedicated team of curators and artists. Other Cinema continues to enhance Film & Media Arts projects in the Bay Area; which of course flourishes elsewhere due to the renowned esteem of OC.
Currently, Other Cinema is in the midst of a Benefit initiative, to raise money for their operations. As part of the fund-raising effort, they have compiled the video below, to engage with the public in what the OC has going on:
Global Profiles
Today, we embark upon a series of Global Profiles. This project sees us visit different people from all over the world; offering a glimpse of what someone on the other side of the globe gets up to, and where they‘re at. The project has now begun and will continue through 2012.
These initial 3 profiles are sourced pretty much at random: it‘s all about roaming the continents via social media sites and finding that special someone that holds both intrigue and, crucially, agrees to participate. Hopefully, you‘ll find these people‘s perspectives curious and entertaining… Simply move your cursor to the Top-Right of the page where you‘ll see the Global Profiles tab (or click the image below).
Cosmic Nature – Beastman
Organic, geometric and full of magic, Beastman lets you see through the cracks. With a style that could easily be compared to the spiritual and visceral art of ancient religions, his work is simply mind blowing. In his solo exhibition ‘Cosmic Nature’, Beastman explores the nature of our reality and how small we really are on a cosmic scale. What this man can do with an aerosol can, will never cease to amaze me.
An exhibition of new paintings, Cosmic Nature opens this Thursday 8th December at 7pm and continues until 18th December at Kind of Gallery, Darlinghurst.
www.beastman.com.au/
New Collectables
The RMIT First Site Gallery is this week hosting New Collectables -an exhibition and art auction where you can pick up works on the sly, by Fine Arts graduates and emerging artistic greats. The exhibition (viewing) is open from Midday until 7pm on Wednesday 7th, Thursday 8th, and Friday 9th December. However, you might find it most interesting to pop in and simply view the artworks on show. Back-room sales are also happening throughout, with all artwork reserve prices under $250 -making the high-quality works quite affordable indeed.
The auction itself happens on Thursday 8th December at 6pm sharp. So come on down and experience the thrill of the auction as you nab yourself an awesome art piece for pittance!
