After a brief hiatus, the Art I Pass By series returns for the summer with this beautiful series found at Pender and Cambie.
Labels: Art, Art-I-Pass-By, Street Level
Monday, November 10, 2008
Lost In Glimmering Shadows
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Banksy in New Orleans
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Art I Pass By - #17
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Throwup Throwdown
This past Saturday evening, local street artists Jerm9ine and Andrew01 engaged in a battle of words and pasteups outside of the Gallery Gachet at 88 E Cordova. I wasn't able to attend (have i mentioned the chaos engine that is my life these days?) but made it down on Sunday afternoon to survey the aftermath. Brilliant and engaging, more performance poetry than graffiti, it is exciting to see things like this happening in our fair city. Documentation of the event by jerm9ine, cameraman and shallom can be found here.
Also be sure to catch the current exhibition at the Gachet, Internal Guidance Systems: Contemporary Outsiders that includes artists from UK, Sweden, France, Australia, USA and Canada. Until March 29th.
This past Saturday evening, local street artists Jerm9ine and Andrew01 engaged in a battle of words and pasteups outside of the Gallery Gachet at 88 E Cordova. I wasn't able to attend (have i mentioned the chaos engine that is my life these days?) but made it down on Sunday afternoon to survey the aftermath. Brilliant and engaging, more performance poetry than graffiti, it is exciting to see things like this happening in our fair city. Documentation of the event by jerm9ine, cameraman and shallom can be found here.
Also be sure to catch the current exhibition at the Gachet, Internal Guidance Systems: Contemporary Outsiders that includes artists from UK, Sweden, France, Australia, USA and Canada. Until March 29th.
Labels: Art, Street Level, Vancouver Galleries
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Art I Pass By - #16
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Shepard Fairey Supports Barack Obama
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Tokyo Graffiti Scene
For some time now, I have been on the lookout for examples of Japanese street art. The uncanny means by which Japan adapts Western culture, reprocesses it and then spins it out as something altogether hyperreal, combined with the ever-prevalent superflat movement suggested that there must exist something extraordinary in the darker corners of the Tokyo streets.
So it was great to read PingMag's recent piece on The Ghetto, a former love hotel in Shin-Okubo that has been converted into a skater shop/graffiti space. The article also provided links to flickr groups on Tokyo Street Art and throughout Japan. But I found what I was truly looking for in the calligraphy of designer/artist USUGROW which is an incredible hybrid of not just Western and Japanese scripts but also Arabic influences. Kakkoii desu yo!
For some time now, I have been on the lookout for examples of Japanese street art. The uncanny means by which Japan adapts Western culture, reprocesses it and then spins it out as something altogether hyperreal, combined with the ever-prevalent superflat movement suggested that there must exist something extraordinary in the darker corners of the Tokyo streets.
So it was great to read PingMag's recent piece on The Ghetto, a former love hotel in Shin-Okubo that has been converted into a skater shop/graffiti space. The article also provided links to flickr groups on Tokyo Street Art and throughout Japan. But I found what I was truly looking for in the calligraphy of designer/artist USUGROW which is an incredible hybrid of not just Western and Japanese scripts but also Arabic influences. Kakkoii desu yo!
Labels: Art, Design, illustration, Japan, Street Level, Superflat, Typography
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work: The Binge
I am fairly convinced at this point that the best places to find art in this city are on the walls of the abandoned laundromat at the corner of Main Street and 14th and the equally vacant warehouse at Quebec St. and 2nd (with a few scattered treasures to be found in between).
I am fairly convinced at this point that the best places to find art in this city are on the walls of the abandoned laundromat at the corner of Main Street and 14th and the equally vacant warehouse at Quebec St. and 2nd (with a few scattered treasures to be found in between).
Labels: Art, Art-I-Pass-By, Street Level
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #14
Found in the alley between East 1st and East 2nd, just off Scotia, Vancouver BC.
Found in the alley between East 1st and East 2nd, just off Scotia, Vancouver BC.
Labels: Art, Art-I-Pass-By, Street Level
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The clock at the centre of the world
In November of 2005 in Paris, a professional clockmaker named Jean-Baptiste Viot, was recruited by a group called UnterGunther for the purpose of restoring the clock in the Pantheon, the 18th-century architectural masterpiece that houses famous crypts including those of Voltaire and Hugo and was the site of Foucault's pendulum experiment.
UnterGunther are the restoration unit of a larger underground organization in Paris known as UX. I say "underground" in its most literal sense: formed in the 1980's, UX began as a group of students who threw parties in the tunnels below the city's Latin Quarter. But the group continued to grow -- today it numbers around 150 members -- and expand its focus to include subterrenean concerts, poetry readings and crypt restoration; all of this going unnoticed by the authorities until 2002 when police discovered an underground cinema, complete with bar and restaurant, under the Seine.
The clock in the Pantheon had been broken since the 1960's, and suffered from neglect by the state, and the group was concerned that if it were not fixed now, it would degenerate beyond repair. Sneaking into the building at night and setting up a workshop that included electricity and internet access, the group spent around a year working on the clock undetected by authorities. On October 10 2006, they presented the restored clock to Bernard Jeannot, curator of the Pantheon, who immediately pressed charges against the group for their trespassing and, presumably, the making of a complete ass out of him. The court case just wrapped up last week with UnterGunther cleared of any charges and rumour has it that they are working on a new secret project somewhere deep amid the shadows of the City of Lights.
In November of 2005 in Paris, a professional clockmaker named Jean-Baptiste Viot, was recruited by a group called UnterGunther for the purpose of restoring the clock in the Pantheon, the 18th-century architectural masterpiece that houses famous crypts including those of Voltaire and Hugo and was the site of Foucault's pendulum experiment.
UnterGunther are the restoration unit of a larger underground organization in Paris known as UX. I say "underground" in its most literal sense: formed in the 1980's, UX began as a group of students who threw parties in the tunnels below the city's Latin Quarter. But the group continued to grow -- today it numbers around 150 members -- and expand its focus to include subterrenean concerts, poetry readings and crypt restoration; all of this going unnoticed by the authorities until 2002 when police discovered an underground cinema, complete with bar and restaurant, under the Seine.
The clock in the Pantheon had been broken since the 1960's, and suffered from neglect by the state, and the group was concerned that if it were not fixed now, it would degenerate beyond repair. Sneaking into the building at night and setting up a workshop that included electricity and internet access, the group spent around a year working on the clock undetected by authorities. On October 10 2006, they presented the restored clock to Bernard Jeannot, curator of the Pantheon, who immediately pressed charges against the group for their trespassing and, presumably, the making of a complete ass out of him. The court case just wrapped up last week with UnterGunther cleared of any charges and rumour has it that they are working on a new secret project somewhere deep amid the shadows of the City of Lights.
Labels: Signs of Our Time, Street Level
Friday, November 23, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #13
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #12
Found in the alleyway at Lorne St. between 1st Ave and 2nd Ave in Vancouver.
Found in the alleyway at Lorne St. between 1st Ave and 2nd Ave in Vancouver.
Labels: Art-I-Pass-By, Street Level
Friday, October 19, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #11
Monday, October 01, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #10
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #9
Friday, August 17, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #8
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #7
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #5
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Great Counterculture Logos - Part 7
The Revelation Records logo by...well, a few different people actually. Jordan Cooper explains:
We used stars on the first few releases as a background which was Ray's idea. He liked how Dangerhouse had black and yellow bars as their background on the labels so he wanted us to have something to identify Rev with like that. We got a Letraset sheet of stars and used it on the first three records we put out. The fourth record was going to be the Gorilla Biscuits 7" and their friend (who would later join the band as a second guitar player), Alex Brown offered to do the layout for them. Alex took the star concept and put the letter "r" in a star and had the label name under it inside a box. Ray, Alex and Porcell all lived together in Brooklyn at the time so Ray saw the artwork before I did. He really liked the idea and called me to tell me about it. From his description over the phone I re-created it. That was the logo we ended up using because we had already used it on a few things (probably flyers, catalogs and ads). We used it on the GB 7" and the Side By Side and No For An Answer records and repressings of the Sick Of It All 7" too. Then we were working with Dave Bett at our main distributor Important on the layout for the New York City Hardcore - The Way It Is compilation and he offered to clean it up for us. He did and that's basically the logo we've been using ever since.
The Revelation Records logo by...well, a few different people actually. Jordan Cooper explains:
We used stars on the first few releases as a background which was Ray's idea. He liked how Dangerhouse had black and yellow bars as their background on the labels so he wanted us to have something to identify Rev with like that. We got a Letraset sheet of stars and used it on the first three records we put out. The fourth record was going to be the Gorilla Biscuits 7" and their friend (who would later join the band as a second guitar player), Alex Brown offered to do the layout for them. Alex took the star concept and put the letter "r" in a star and had the label name under it inside a box. Ray, Alex and Porcell all lived together in Brooklyn at the time so Ray saw the artwork before I did. He really liked the idea and called me to tell me about it. From his description over the phone I re-created it. That was the logo we ended up using because we had already used it on a few things (probably flyers, catalogs and ads). We used it on the GB 7" and the Side By Side and No For An Answer records and repressings of the Sick Of It All 7" too. Then we were working with Dave Bett at our main distributor Important on the layout for the New York City Hardcore - The Way It Is compilation and he offered to clean it up for us. He did and that's basically the logo we've been using ever since.
Labels: American Hardcore, Design, Great Counterculture Logos, Music, Street Level
Monday, April 23, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way to Work - #4
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way to Work - #3
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Hey Punx! Plan Ahead.
A great collection of punk rock flyers from the early 80's to the present.
A great collection of punk rock flyers from the early 80's to the present.
Labels: American Hardcore, Design, Music, Street Level
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way To Work - #2
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Somebody is trying to tell you something
Can inspiration occur after the fact? Yesterday's post, the first in a new series entitled "Art I Pass By On My Way To Work" could very well have been born from a website that I stumbled upon today. Written On The City, a project by the troublemakers over at Language In Common "celebrates the conversation that's happening on the walls and sidewalks of the places we live."
Can inspiration occur after the fact? Yesterday's post, the first in a new series entitled "Art I Pass By On My Way To Work" could very well have been born from a website that I stumbled upon today. Written On The City, a project by the troublemakers over at Language In Common "celebrates the conversation that's happening on the walls and sidewalks of the places we live."
Labels: Art, Art-I-Pass-By, Street Level, World at Large
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Art I Pass By On My Way to Work - #1
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Great Counterculture Logos - Part 4
The Skull Skates Logo by Peter Ducommun.
Peter Ducommun (PD) writes:
the skull portion of the logo was originally cut from grip tape with an exacto knife which gave the design a jagged look ...the black and white shadowed skull mimics the yin yang symbol which was actually our companies' original mark al a town and country surf designs... the connected letters symbolize the flow of skating... the broken strokes of the "E" are a take off on the ancient I ching tri-gram meaning the creative...the skull was chosen for the universal connection [we all have one] and as a representation of the inevitability of death...skates because we always considered our self "skaters" rather than the more stodgy term "skateboarders"
...our friend jesus came up with a more complete interpretation of the mark on our site in the articles section under the title " subliminal imagery"
=pd=
The Skull Skates Logo by Peter Ducommun.
Peter Ducommun (PD) writes:
the skull portion of the logo was originally cut from grip tape with an exacto knife which gave the design a jagged look ...the black and white shadowed skull mimics the yin yang symbol which was actually our companies' original mark al a town and country surf designs... the connected letters symbolize the flow of skating... the broken strokes of the "E" are a take off on the ancient I ching tri-gram meaning the creative...the skull was chosen for the universal connection [we all have one] and as a representation of the inevitability of death...skates because we always considered our self "skaters" rather than the more stodgy term "skateboarders"
...our friend jesus came up with a more complete interpretation of the mark on our site in the articles section under the title " subliminal imagery"
=pd=
Labels: Design, Great Counterculture Logos, Skateboarding, Street Level
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Great Counterculture Logos - Part 3
The Public Enemy logo by Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, aka Chuck D.
The Public Enemy logo by Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, aka Chuck D.
Labels: Design, Great Counterculture Logos, Music, Street Level
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Great Counterculture Logos - Part 2
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Great Counterculture Logos - Part 1
The Black Flag logo by Raymond Pettibon.
The Black Flag logo by Raymond Pettibon.
Labels: American Hardcore, Design, Great Counterculture Logos, Music, Raymond Pettibon, Street Level
Monday, September 18, 2006
Barely Legal
Photos from Banksy's LA exhibit, Barely Legal.
UPDATE: An interview with the elusive artist over at LA Weekly.
Photos from Banksy's LA exhibit, Barely Legal.
UPDATE: An interview with the elusive artist over at LA Weekly.
Labels: Art, LA, Street Level
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Link Trolling: Brazil
From Diplo's Mad Decent Worldwide Radio: "its crazy here in Rio.. guns go missing and police go to war with poor people and then i get kicked out of my apt and i got no internet access.. but heres a random mix."
It was Diplo's show with Brazilian acts, Cansei de Ser Sexy (who win the title of Dance Hit of the Summer with the brilliant "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above") and Bonde do Role a few weeks ago at Celebrities here in Vancouver that first made me take notice and begin to wonder "what the heck is going on in Brazil?" The energy from both of these bands was raw and unrefined. These were acts that would never have seen the outside of the Brazilian club scene if it weren't for MySpace.com and the endorsement of a worldclass dj like Diplo who, it seems has made Rio his second home.
Another discovery via Diplo that churned up while surfing the net this evening: the work of Leandro HBL, a director, photographer, designer etc. who did some time at Fabrica. Great, great work.
The next stop on my journey, an old favorite: the fantastic art of Alexandre Orion, which combines street art and photography to create often comic and poignant stories. This led me to consult a source who knows far better than me of other instances of Brazilian street art which ultimately brought an end to my surf as I settled in with this enchanting video entitled "Brilliant Tyger".
Whew! So the answer to "What the heck is going on in Brazil?", it would seem a whole heck of a lot!
From Diplo's Mad Decent Worldwide Radio: "its crazy here in Rio.. guns go missing and police go to war with poor people and then i get kicked out of my apt and i got no internet access.. but heres a random mix."
It was Diplo's show with Brazilian acts, Cansei de Ser Sexy (who win the title of Dance Hit of the Summer with the brilliant "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above") and Bonde do Role a few weeks ago at Celebrities here in Vancouver that first made me take notice and begin to wonder "what the heck is going on in Brazil?" The energy from both of these bands was raw and unrefined. These were acts that would never have seen the outside of the Brazilian club scene if it weren't for MySpace.com and the endorsement of a worldclass dj like Diplo who, it seems has made Rio his second home.
Another discovery via Diplo that churned up while surfing the net this evening: the work of Leandro HBL, a director, photographer, designer etc. who did some time at Fabrica. Great, great work.
The next stop on my journey, an old favorite: the fantastic art of Alexandre Orion, which combines street art and photography to create often comic and poignant stories. This led me to consult a source who knows far better than me of other instances of Brazilian street art which ultimately brought an end to my surf as I settled in with this enchanting video entitled "Brilliant Tyger".
Whew! So the answer to "What the heck is going on in Brazil?", it would seem a whole heck of a lot!
Labels: Design, Music, Photography, Podcast, Street Level, World at Large
Monday, June 05, 2006
Crucial Viewing: Beautiful Losers
A documentary on the artistic subculture that emerged in the early 1990's influenced by skateboading, grafitti, pop culture and the D.I.Y. aesthetic.
A documentary on the artistic subculture that emerged in the early 1990's influenced by skateboading, grafitti, pop culture and the D.I.Y. aesthetic.
Labels: Art, Crucial Viewing, Design, Street Level
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Banksy
The self-proclaimed "art terrorist", known only by his tag name, Banksy has been getting his fair share of press as of late. Not only does Wired Magazine offer a profile on him in their upcoming issue, but the latest Adbusters features his Renaissance style portrait of a maiden in a gas mask on its cover.
An urban artist since the age of 12, Banksy has gained recent notoriety for his prankful snub at the mainstream art community. In March, upon donning a trench coat and fake beard, Banksy visited the Brooklyn Museum, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History and the MOMA and in each added a piece of his own artwork to their walls. Each piece was cleverly suited to its environment; a pinned beetle with radar and rocket launchers for the Museum of Natural History; a bargain-brand soup can silk screen for the MOMA.
This was followed two months later with the British Museum's discovery of an unauthorized addition to their Roman Britain gallery: a rock painting of a caveman pushing a 'supermarket trolley'. The piece (now known as 'The Peckham Rock') has since become a part of the British Museum's permanent collection.
Watch for more works of staggering genius from this artist in the future.
The self-proclaimed "art terrorist", known only by his tag name, Banksy has been getting his fair share of press as of late. Not only does Wired Magazine offer a profile on him in their upcoming issue, but the latest Adbusters features his Renaissance style portrait of a maiden in a gas mask on its cover.
An urban artist since the age of 12, Banksy has gained recent notoriety for his prankful snub at the mainstream art community. In March, upon donning a trench coat and fake beard, Banksy visited the Brooklyn Museum, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History and the MOMA and in each added a piece of his own artwork to their walls. Each piece was cleverly suited to its environment; a pinned beetle with radar and rocket launchers for the Museum of Natural History; a bargain-brand soup can silk screen for the MOMA.
This was followed two months later with the British Museum's discovery of an unauthorized addition to their Roman Britain gallery: a rock painting of a caveman pushing a 'supermarket trolley'. The piece (now known as 'The Peckham Rock') has since become a part of the British Museum's permanent collection.
Watch for more works of staggering genius from this artist in the future.
Labels: Art, Design, Street Level
Sunday, January 16, 2005
#5 - wooster collective
www.woostercollective.com
This site has become a high priority in my daily surfing over the past year earning it a respectable rank in my "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004". There is no better place to turn for inspiration than the energy of the streets and the Wooster Collective has become the online portal to all things stencilled, sprayed and glued. Favorites include D*Face, Dalek andKinsey.
www.woostercollective.com
This site has become a high priority in my daily surfing over the past year earning it a respectable rank in my "Top Ten Most Important Websites (to me) of 2004". There is no better place to turn for inspiration than the energy of the streets and the Wooster Collective has become the online portal to all things stencilled, sprayed and glued. Favorites include D*Face, Dalek andKinsey.
Labels: Design, Street Level
