Category Archives: Streetwear
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.
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
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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DJ Dexxx1
Some months ago INFX featured a short tribute mix by DJ Dexxx1 to the late Gangstarr MC Guru. This time we return to the turntable maestro (and beatboxer/ drummer) on a lighter note; to check out the skills our man was droppin‘ during a practice routine back at his place last night.
One of the true underground hip-hop DJs on the West Coast, Los Angeleno DJ Dexxx1 AKA DJ Dexterity is a keen fan of the late JDilla, and frequently drops Dilla‘s beats during his sets and routines all about L.A. Dexxx says of Dilla‘s productions that “the type of rawness on the beat among others shows you not only does Dilla have that Neo soul,The Ummah, SV type soul on lock, but he also has a dark rugged steez as well in his repertoire. Rip to in my opinion the illest beat maker in hip hop history...” and you can hear it as he tells it in this mini-routine right here:
War of the Walls 2011
December again brings the 2nd annual War of the Walls live graffiti battle back to Collingwood. Last year‘s winner, the industrious ADNATE is also back to present the event, fresh from a tour-of-duty in Berlin. He joins industry judges alongside the definitive Crowd Vote that holds a lamp to the current batch of writers; 5 graffiti up-and-coming Kings comprising RAD 11, Ohnoes, Mr Reliable, Eltoasto, and Broes. The 5 finalists will compete in an epic 2 hour aerosol battle, with hip-hop and soul breaks on the make by DJ Tom Showtime.
From 7pm at The Void, 1-35 Wellington St Collingwood Saturday 3rd Dec. Tickets: Click Here.
www.warofthewalls.com
Writers Bench
Oriel Guthrie directs this documentary film tracing the development of the graffiti scene in Melbourne. Following on from her 2004 short Skip Hop, this film explores the stories and perspectives of those who grew up with the movement, and also those that are engrossed in its contemporary incarnation. It traces the Street Art scene in Melbourne from 1980 until the present day. The film explores its roots in political slogans, through to the development of styles that are uniquely Australian.
The film screens at ACMI weekly, on Saturdays 12th, 19th, 26th of November at 4pm.
Deb
Deb is one of the most popular street artists working in Australia today. Her female characters adorn many businesses and commissioned walls throughout Melbourne & Sydney, and she has held many exhibitions whilst still engaging in grassroots events. This week, INFX was able to hit Deb up for some words on her current state of affairs:
INFX: Having been on the scene for a long time now, what would you say has been one of your biggest artistic (career) highlights?
Deb: It‘s hard to say because there‘s always so many projects going on, it‘s really hard to highlight the most outstanding. Every time I have a solo show I put months of work into it, so no matter what other exciting jobs I have going on, these always feel like the best and most rewarding achievements as after each show, I‘ve just spent months pushing my style further. The Outpost Festival on Cockatoo island, Sydney, starting 4th November has been a big and amazing project to work on. There is so much amazing work to see over there.
INFX: Cockatoo Island seems to be a heavy event. You‘ve said before that your characters somewhat amplify some of your own character traits -how would you say they‘ve developed in recent years?
Deb: If they amplify some of my character traits it‘s due to different times of my life and things I may be going through or feeling. They are also sometimes infused with issues around the world that bother or move me, or sometimes purely fantasy art. If you look through my stuff it‘s pretty diverse and always changing, there are many themes, creatures, characters and colour palettes.
INFX: Being such a prolific artist during your years in Melbourne (with jaunts to Sydney & LA), and with widespread acclaim, what motivated you to move to Sydney?
Deb: I really don‘t know… I was becoming agitated in Melbourne, regardless of how my art was doing, I just felt like I really needed a change. I started doing more painting projects up here and thought I‘d give it a go. I live in Sydney for now but again I think I‘ll be wanting to move again,and next time will be overseas.
INFX: Yeah, and with shows such as ‘Young & Free‘, Australian artists are doing well in the US at the moment -do you see yourself Stateside anytime soon?
Deb: I think about it all the time I feel like I‘m meant to go there now and that it would be a bigger push towards the direction I see my art going. I will never be at ease till I‘ve gone and spent some time over there doing my thing; as I have wanted this move for years now. It will happen next year.
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And no doubt things will continue to happen for Deb. A big thank-you for the interview; and we wish Deb all the best in Sydney and abroad!
Tom Tom Crew
The Tom Tom Crew present a tour-de-force of hip hop culture, acrobatics, beatboxing and contortionist curiousities that leave you gripping your seat and chanting for more!
I‘d only just got the chance to see them at The Forum the other night; and the show has been running since the 4th October. It winds up on the 23rd too so there are only a couple of shows left. The crew is headed up by Tom (beat-boxer extraordinaire and established graffiti artist). They formed at the 2006 Woodford Folk Festival and became an instant hit. You get the impression that there was a hip-hop & breaks crew warming up alongside an acrobatics and trapeze troupe; and they suddenly realised “let‘s mix both acts together“. Since their inaugural show, the crew have toured globally, from the Adelaide Fringe to Edinburgh, London, New York, Berlin, Taipei, NZ, Belgium, and the Netherlands; as they‘ve criss-crossed the world in the last 5 years. This is a truly epic performance show, and a lot of fun. If you get the chance, they‘re well worth seeing.
Pigeon English
To all the fellows chasing those rad, daring, and strictly unattainable pieces of menswear: these spruikers of forgotten trends are hip to the scene, with a fresh caché of gnarly vintage wears.
Pigeon English are on the indie market scene to provide men with retro and vintage clothing that has somehow been rescued from your late uncle‘s mis-spent youth. Anne Freeman and Paul Rabinovich invite you to visit their carrel at various upcoming venues, to check some of this splendid gear out. Not just for the hipsters; there‘s bound to be something that appeals to you and yours!
Check out Pigeon English coming at ya:
Saturday 3 September - Evelyn Markets
351 Brunswick Street Fitzroy, Australia
12:00 – 17:00
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=208906859130374
Saturday 3 September - Mister Mode: Fashion Night Market
Garden Street Warehouse, South Yarra
20:00 – 23:00
http://www.facebook.com/MisterMode
Sunday 11 September - Southside Handmade & Vintage Market
Urban Hotel – 35-37 Fitzroy St, St Kilda
11:00 – 17:00
http://www.facebook.com/Southsidehandmade
Emma ‘Danger’ Bertoldi
Emma Bertoldi -street art stalwart and artistic extraordinaire confesses her sins of the street to INFX. Growing up in Brisbane, Bertoldi remembers hitting the skateboard and cruising down to the park where she “adored the art that was scattered over the concrete“. She admits she was never the best skater but found grand artistic influence there and revelled in the scene.
INFX: You‘re from Queensland, living in Brisbane -what got you into street art?
EB: There are a few combinations that hooked me on street art. When I was nineteen I [began] to study Fine Arts (Animation). The computerised direction of animation, just wasn‘t cutting it for me. I‘m an old school 2D illustrator with pens, ink, pencils and a light box. I started to really notice the art that grows on the Brisbane streets and felt that rush you get when you’re about to drop in on a 6ft pipe… (6ft is huge to me as I’m short as fuck!) that was it for me, I was sold.
INFX: That‘s the shit! What artistic influences resonate with you; influences found outside of your university Fine Arts studies?
EB: I adore old school animations and comics like Otto Messmers ‘Felix the Cat‘. There‘s this brilliance in being able to do so much with such a basic character structure. The expressions and gestures have to really be bold to convey the story as the majority where silent films. That element is the most influencial in my works.
INFX: Your works are amazing; how are the t-shirts coming along?
EB: T-Shirt Art is my naughty little crush! I have so much fun working on my Donnie Danger label. It‘s awesome walking down the street and spotting someone rocking one of my tees!
INFX: Do you have any shows coming up, and when are you next in Melbourne?
EB: I‘m [currently] organising the 3rd Lucky Duck paint-off in Highgate Hill. This awesome new bar in West End ‘JamJar‘ has asked me to paint [their] wall. I‘m saving [for] Berlin next year and heading to San Fran to live for a while. There will definately be a trip down to Melbourne before I head off but whether it‘ll be for business or pleasure is still unknown.
Well, we hope Bertoldi meets many pleasures during her inter-continental crusades; and no doubt INFX will take note of her whereabouts! So Stay Tuned!
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VeinOne
INFX recently caught up with one of NYC’s great artistic talents: VeinOne. A member of the well-respected Bt (Bronx Team) Crew, Vein was raised throughout New York City, growing up in all 5 boroughs; mostly in Queens. Our main man Vein started getting up proper from 1995 and has gone from strength-to-strength ever since. Here we have the interview wherein we see the story told from the man himself:
INFX: You‘re a born and bred New Yorker -how did you start up on the graff scene?
VeinOne: I remember being in 4th grade [and] I would see a couple of my friends practising their throw-ups. At first, I really didn‘t take it serious because I was a toy and I didn‘t really know a lot of writers.
INFX: What do you think of the current generation of NYC writers?
VeinOne: I think most of the new writers are eager to paint but they have no one to guide them and teach them the history of this art. To the new writers I say everyone pretty much starts off toy but its where you take it from there. Keep doing your thing.
INFX: What are your main artistic motivations or influences?
VeinOne: I would have to say my crew motivates me. We are a family of creative individuals and we all push each other to produce some dope walls.
INFX: How do you see yourself within the “art market” as such?
VeinOne: I would love to make a living off my art, I hate being a starving artist.
INFX: What new styles are you picking up at the moment, and where are you heading in terms of style and the future in general?
VeinOne: Lately, I‘ve wanted to focus more on background scenery painting. I‘m always open to learning new tricks and techniques or anything that can make me a better artist. As far as my style, well I guess we‘ll have to wait and see where it goes because it‘s always evolving one way or the other.
So there you have it -And keep an eye out for VeinOne Bt hitting up the scene in a big way!
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Kuala Lumpur (Super Sunday SSCG)
I rocked into town on the back of a tour-of-duty through cities in Japan, China, the vexatious and insidious DPRK, South Korea and, finally Malaysia‘s Kuala Lumpur. However, all was eerily quiet and I found myself wandering the streets alone. A large Police presence began to present itself and I was suddenly asking myself whether the revolution was in my midst.
Rounding a corner, I was faced with a blockade of riot gear-clad Policeman and Military brandishing sophisticated weapons such as clubs, batons, and the obligatory tear gas. I could not see the protesters for the governmental ensemble; except for the few that broke police lines and bolted through the streets, before being cut down by said weaponary. Beatings ensued.
Next, the cops started to warn any on-lookers (the 2 dozen or so of us), to “go back to your hotel rooms, go! go! go!” -and that we did, as the tear gas was let loose. I found myself wondering what fate had led me into the situation; following on from a nightmarish week under 24/7 sureveillance, scrutiny, and fatalistic intimidation back in the DPRK.
By midday the crowds had dispersed in my area (next to Opposition Party headquarters). Next day, I went sight-seeing amongst the graffiti exploits of my Malaysian friends, and topped it off with some discussion about the Secret Wars movement and the graff functions organised by the real heads at Super Sunday. It was my second trip to the store, and if you are ever down at Bukit Bintang, wander around the monorail station and check out the styles on show there!
Also, check some documentation of my time spent about town:
http://thesupersunday.com
