Next up at Show & Tell Gallery is “From Me To You” a holiday group show featuring over 20 artists who span the globe. Stay tuned to the blog in the coming weeks for previews from the show. In the mean time you can check out the facebook event page here.

KAWS

Michael “RJ” Rushmore is passionate about street art and active in promoting it through his extremely popular blog, Vandalog. Frustrated with the lack of acceptance of street art by the contemporary art world, RJ has organized ‘The Thousands’,  a large street art exhibition in London (11.18) featuring work by top-flight artists including Swoon, Banksy, KAWS, Futura, Anthony Lister, WK Interact and more.  Dailydujour had the pleasure of interviewing RJ about the show and his views on street art.  Enjoy — it’s a good read in our biased opinion.]

Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m an 18-year-old expatriate (originally from Chicago, now living in London), and I spend most of my time on things that relate to street art. I’ve lived in London for a little more than four years, and in that time, my dad and I have become involved in the street art scene here. Last year I started Vandalog.com, primarily a street art blog. When I’m not thinking about street art, I’m probably snowboarding or reading fiction.

Q: You’re extremely passionate and well-versed in street art as your top-flight blog Vandalog and the upcoming ‘The Thousands’ show attest.  What is it about this evolving art form that moves you so?

Usually I answer this question by saying that I love how accessible street art is to the public or how fascinating the lack of gatekeepers can be, but recently I’ve been thinking a bit more on this topic and another thought comes to mind: street art is perhaps the most provocative and timely art form in existence.

Artists can see something in the news one day and make a poster about it the next. The Enjoy Banking guys seemed to start putting out their stickers and posters almost as soon as the economy started to falter and there have been a number of campaigns in New York City direct at Mayor Bloomberg. Because people are practically forced to look at pieces on the street, they are inherently much more powerful than those same messages in a gallery because people make a conscious choice to look enter art galleries. Maybe these particular artworks won’t be remembered in 5 years time, but they are having a powerful effect today.

A lot of the street art I like doesn’t do the things I’m describing, but some does, and I think you’d have a hard time finding another part of the art world where these things are possible.

More Images + Info »

Longtime Brooklyn street artist Dan Witz opened a gallery exhibition of his Dark Doings summer street project this past Thursday evening (11.5) @ Carmichael Gallery.  Inspired by his visit to the red light district of Amsterdam, Dan placed clever mixed-media pieces on surfaces especially doors in plain sight thereby creating the illusion of people and animals peering out from behind windows in doors and walls. The effect is profound and chilling – Dan’s use of photographs with hand-painted touches provides a view that is at once real and unreal.  The installations naturally blend into the environment likely escaping the detection of most people passing by.  The curious will discover a hidden world that probes the darkness that resides just out of sight.

For the gallery presentation, Dan chose to document his numerous street installations with photographs alongside offered isolated editions of the same pieces, thereby contextualizing the work for the audience. He also attempted to recreate the street viewing experience with several full door/panel installations.  The approach works well and serves to shift some of the focus away from art as product towards an appreciation for the body of work and its overall intent.

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
1257 N. La Brea Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 9003
323.969.0600

More Images + Info »

Prolific Brooklyn street artist Dan Witz will open his Dark Doings solo @ Carmichael Gallery, Thursday November 5th from 7 to 10 PM.  Witz has been making ‘street art’ for over 30 years – long before the term rose to the everyday prominence and cachet that it now enjoys.  His work fits into the existing urban landscape, offering an unexpected discovery for sharp-eyed, in-the-moment passerbys.

This new exhibition, his first in Los Angeles, is an extension of  this summer’s Dark Doings project.  Drawing on his experiences in Amsterdam’s red-light district , Dan installs faux images of people and animals trapped behind glass and/or bars onto exterior doors to which people rarely pay any attention.

Here’s a quick preview of some of Dan’s recent Dark Doings in and around LA as well as some shots of his gallery pieces.

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
1257 N. La Brea Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 9003
323.969.0600

More Images + Info »

Here is a sneak preview of one of C215’s signature cat stencils from the upcoming 2 person exhibit “Parallel Universe” at Show & Tell Gallery. This exhibition will mark the first time C215 & Logan Hicks have exhibited in Canada and it is shaping up to be a fantastic show. If you are based in Toronto the opening reception will take place on November 6th, the show will also be listed online on the gallery’s website if you can’t make it to the show.

Show & Tell Gallery is proud to welcome world-renowned international stencil artists C215 (Paris) & Logan Hicks (NYC) to their first exhibition in Canada. “Parallel Universe” marks the first joint show between the pair and will feature several collaborative works as well as pieces that are inspired by one another. Stay tuned to the gallery blog in the coming weeks for previews and more info about the show.

My first exposure to English artist Boxi’s work was a  gritty and arrestingly detailed large wall mural in Miami during Art Basel this past December.  Done for the Primary Flight street art exhibition, his ‘Embrace’ piece featured a couple in hazmat suits enjoying each other’s company in perhaps an unlikely y space — a barren and presumably toxic/apocalyptic  environment.

Boxi has had numerous solo shows all in Germany, where he resides.  His upcoming ‘Grey Area’ solo opening on April 9th, 2009 [7-10 PM] @ Carmichael Gallery is his first US solo – a welcome export. It will feature new spray paint works on canvas & MDF, sculpture, limited-edition prints and a site-specific installation.

At first glance, the most striking aspect of Boxi’s work is his photo-realistic grayscale portrayal of people achieved through meticulous use of multiple-layers and copious amounts of spray paint.  After the wow factor fades just a bit, the viewer is left to make sense of his stark imagery.   In his own words he explains that he is drawn to ambiguity in his art and in life –

“I am drawn to the incongruous narrative in figuration. My works aspire to polarize the stability of what is at first perceived to be harmless or sweet but in reality turns out to be pathetically desperate or tragic or vice versa. A dark disillusioned romanticism pervades throughout. (along with) confrontational themes, such as paranoia, disappointment, expectation, grief, mistrust and other upbeat reflections of our times.”

“It is in this state of reflection, this ‘grey area’ of ambiguity and blurred truth that I have found myself in, a place where trends and crashes in the market aggressively threaten and pressurize social behavior. Making life-sized figures that articulate this uncertainty is a way for me to come to terms with the phrase ‘of our time’.”

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
1257 N. La Brea Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 9003
323.969.0600

More Images + Info »

Reaffirming that LA loves street art , Thinkspace drew a constant crowd for tonight’s (10.9) opening of From the Streets of Brooklyn. The lure was strong with the inclusion of NYC standouts such as Gaia, Faile, BAST, Swoon, Chris Stain and many more. Curated by Ad Hoc Gallery, the show featured a broad cross-section of street art styles from over 40 Brooklyn based artists. If you are even slightly drawn to street art, this show is for you.  From the electric light style of the Graffiti Research Lab to the small infectious 2.5D figures of Stikman, this show challenges simplistic definitions of street art.

The front room featured the next installation in the Uroboros project from Gaia and Rachel Lowing – a wood bridge featuring a pig creature on one-end, a fish being on the other side, with a civilization on a glowing hilltop.  The striking installation explores relationships with the urban landscape.

In the back  Project Room, Imminent Disaster transformed nearly the entire space with her massively intricate faux dilapidated wall featuring vintage photos, large wall paste-ups as well as fewer small pieces.  She also found the time to create two large circular pieces suspended from the ceiling.  The front and back room installs are reason enough to make the trip out to the gallery.

Street art is in a very real  sense about the public from spaces to the people that inhabit them.  So its fitting that Peripheral Media Projects & Grow Your Own Media were on-hand doing live screen paintings for anyone with some blank clothing and time.

From The Streets of Brooklyn runs through February 9th 2009, so if you’re in SoCal definitely makes plans to check it out.

Thinkspace Art Gallery
4210 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323.913.3375

More Images + Info »

Miss Bugs, one of our favorite (and most mysterious) artist tandems are bringing us a great little surprise for the holidays. While we are most likely ruining our chances of winning, we just had to let everyone know about their lottery for a set of aluminum  “The Heart Fell From The Art” screenprints.

What we won’t tell you is how to enter – you are going to have to go to MissBugs‘ website and figure it out for yourselves. The contest ends January 2nd, so you had better hurry.

DD loves the tongue-in-cheek combination’s of contemporary artists and cartoons that pervades MB’s work. We really wish we were in London to get a better look at first hand pastes. Someone send us some pics. Keep reading for more or take a look in our members forum to discuss.

More Images + Info »