BLOG, STREET ART

Fin Dac and his Urban Aesthetics

Cork native artist Fin DAC has not been around the street art scene as long as some other artists such as Inkie for example but he has been nevertheless left his mark out there and his works are appreciated by an ever growing amount of people across the world.

UK, France and USA is where you are the most likely to encounter his ‘Urban Aesthetics’ as he likes to define his art and style which combines paint and stencil techniques. Fin DAC did not go to some Art Schools but rather grab spray, cardboards or brushes and had a go.

We thank him for doing this.

His influences range from dark graphic novels through to the works of Francis Bacon and Aubrey Beardsley.

Fin Dac | Art-Pie
Location : New York (x Christina Angelina)

Fin Dac | Art-Pie

Fin Dac | Art-Pie
Location: Wales

Girls seems to be the main subject in Fin DAC’s works. Here is what the artist says about this:

“I use 2 different models or muses: Nicole Wu for the very pretty/flowery pieces and Meghna Lall for the more edgy/rockier stuff. They are both people I found through Flickr. The shift towards more asian influenced themes in my artwork coincided with a seismic shift in my output and interest from the outside world… but I don’t ever think about the significance of that ”

Fin Dac | Art-Pie
Location: Madrid
Fin Dac | Art-Pie
Location: Cork (Ireland)
BLOG, CONTEMPORARY ART, FEATURE

SEPE’s art

At first glance, I thought I was looking at some Ian Francis‘ work but no this was in fact from a Polish artist called SEPE or Michal ‘SEPE’ Wrega. I instantly found the artist’s work remarkable and as Ian Francis’s work, you are drawn into the scene and want to get a feel of what is actually going on.

SEPE’s work above all focuses on figurative paintings and, unlike Ian Francis, has got an urban edge. You will notice that the king looking character in “Plagadaru” (see below) wears the famous 3 bands tracksuit bottom. Reading about SEPE’s biography, I am not surprised to read that he was raised in traditional graffiti movements back in Poland where he still lives. Addeed to that a strong interest in book illustration and then some studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Lodz, you get a very original art style.

Definitely an artist that goes into our favorites list.

Plagadaru – Mixed Media on Canvas | 100cm x 120cm
sepe-plagadaru

Gold Rush 1 – Mixed Media Painting | 50cm x 50cm
sepe

Jumpers – Mixed Media on Canvas | 100cm x 120cm
sepe-1

REVIEWS, STREET ART

Shepard Fairey Sound & Vision show

Shepard Fairey’s Sound and Vision show has been the hot topic in town for the last few weeks. The artist and his crew has hit hard for this show since not only the Stolen Space gallery is hosting the show but another much bigger one a few yards away has also been necessary to give a roof to the impressive amount of pieces the artist has produced.

Since the Hope portrait of Obama back in 2008, Shepard Fairey and his brand OBEY has become something people recognize and like. You see a Shepard Fairey and you know it is one – the typography, colors and subject will give it away. OBEY is a brand here to stay.

Shepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-Pie

Shepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-Pie

Shepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-PieShepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-Pie

Shepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-Pie

Shepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-Pie

Shepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-Pie

Shepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-Pie

Shepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-Pie

Shepard Fairey's Sound & Vision | Art-Pie

GRAFFITI GALLERIES, STREET ART

Smug, Cheo and more

I was glad to find out about this exciting project pushed by Bruce McClure – showcasing some of the best in UK street art / graffiti talent with a distinctive inspired theme – ape.

Beyond the very well put together time-lapse videos, the concept is as motivating and is looking at encouraging a bit of friendly rivalry between cities like Bristol, London or Manchester.

Featured artists : Aroe (Brighton) | Smug (Glasgow) | Cheo (Bristol) | Eject (Manchester) | End of the Line (London)

Go to the Ape Street Art YouTube channel to view the videos and enjoy below our favorite – Choe from Bristol.

Below are also a the pics of the artists’ pieces.

Smug from Glasgow
Smug from Glasgow
End of the Line from London
End of the Line from London
Eject from Manchester
Eject from Manchester
Cheo from Bristol
Cheo from Bristol
Aroe from Brighton
Aroe from Brighton
PREVIEW

The Krah at Lava gallery

The Krah is having his first London solo show at Lava gallery

As vandalism was the most fun thing to do, The KRAH started painting the streets and the subway trains of Athens in 1997, but his graffiti and street-art can also be seen in the streets all over Europe and cities such as Tokyo and Bangkok.

After moving to East London The KRAH is still a very active street-artist and if graffiti is about underground freestyle funky visuals in illegal spots.

He has also exhibited in lots of galleries in London and internationally in gallery’s such as: Brooklynite in New York, ATM Gallery in Berlin, Art Basel at Miami Beach, in both of the Mutate Britain shows, Black rat Press, the Pure Evil Gallery and Art-Republic in London or Whinos Gallery Washington and the Vavel International Comics Festival in Athens.

Words from trackitdown.net

When – 14/4 till 21/4/11
Where – Lava gallery

CONTEMPORARY ART

The 5 best Guggenheim publications

Guggenheim, modern and contemporary international art museum located in Manhattan, New York has recently made available online the publications they have been producing for the numerous shows and exhibitions that have been happening there.

Browse through the collection going as far back as 1937 and let you be transport through times. Here below are our top 5 most visually appealing with a direct link to the actual publication. Do you agree with out choice?

Six painters and the object 1. SIX PAINTERS AND THE OBJECT

Lawrence Alloway
Published in 1963
28 pages, fully illustrated
Softcover

Read more on the Guggenheim website

Paul Klee 1879 - 1940 : a retrospective exhibition2. ALEXANDER CALDER: A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION

Thomas M. Messer
Published in 1964
92 pages, fully illustrated
Softcover

Read more on the Guggenheim website

Paul Klee 1879-1940 : a retrospective exhibition3. PAUL KLEE 1879-1940: A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION

Contributions by Will Grohmann, Felix Klee, and Thomas M. Messer
Published in 1967
148 pages, fully illustrated
Softcover

Read more on the Guggenheim website

ART OF THE AVANT-GARDE IN RUSSIA: SELECTIONS FROM THE GEORGE COSTAKIS COLLECTION4. ART OF THE AVANT-GARDE IN RUSSIA: SELECTIONS FROM THE GEORGE COSTAKIS COLLECTION

Contributions by Margit Rowell and Angelica Zander Rudenstine
Published in 1981
320 pages, fully illustrated
Softcover

Read more on the Guggenheim website

ART OF TOMORROW : FIFTH CATALOGUE OF THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION OF NON-OBJECTIVE PAINTINGS (1939)5. ART OF TOMORROW : FIFTH CATALOGUE OF THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION OF NON-OBJECTIVE PAINTINGS (1939)

Hilla Rebay
Published in 1939
184 pages, fully illustrated
Softcover

Read more on the Guggenheim website

CONTEMPORARY ART

Hors Les Murs, part of the FIAC fair

The FIAC art fair has opened its doors to the public until the 27/10 and while loads is happening, a stroll around the Parisians parks i a must as a bung of artist have dropped some outdoors installation. This event is called Hors-Les-Murs

Make sure to head down to the Tuileries Gardens, Jardin des Plantes, National History Museum, and Place Vendôme, the Petit Palais, and the banks of the Seine River, situated on the left bank between the Pont de Solférino and the Pont des Invalides and you shoud get your dose of art

Highlights include an installation by Tadashi Kawamata on the iconic Vendôme Column in Place Vendôme, working in collaboration with the Comité Vendôme and its members, in particular a number of major jewelers that are based in the mythic square. The piece is entitled “Tree Huts at Place Vendôme, 2013.”

CONTEMPORARY ART

Kit & Caboodle Exhibition by Quiet British Accent

When Quiet British Accent started working as a duo, someone told them that sport had no place in art. Since then, they seem to be hell-bent on disproving this through their textile and graphic slogan art.

The couple’s recent exhibition at Core at Nolias Gallery in London had two themes. They took the ‘sport in art’ argument as a call-to-arms and used risograph prints and vintage football shirts as canvases for their DIY sporting aesthetic. This theme expanded to include the powers (both real and imagined) of heroes to their fans. Not necessarily football heroes either, as Quiet British Accent place football within wider popular culture.

The following pieces are appliquéd textiles on vintage football shirts and risograph prints.

Kit & Caboodle | Art-Pie

Andy Warhol Says Hello
QBA-7-Andy-1000
Andy is smiling down at his still-pervasive influence over us all. Any connections to Warhol’s ‘Chelsea Girls’ film, or echoes of Campbell’s Soup cans in the shirt itself, are purely intentional.

What Would Johnny Rotten Do?
QBA-2-Johnny-1000
The ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ mantra applied to an Arsenal-supporting popular culture hero, crediting him with a deserved influence.

Sport& Art Don’t Mix
QBA-3-SportArt-1000
A poke at the proclamation Quiet British Accent are often faced with since deciding to limit themselves to working within the world of sporting culture.

I Don’t Know About Art, But I Noel What I Like
QBA-4-Noel-1000
Yes, that Noel. QBA treat art the same as they treat football and music. Not belittling music at all, but putting it on an equal footing with art.

Hello Boys
QBA-11-HelloBoys-1000
The duo’s first large scale piece of work is stenciled onto giclée prints and hijacks a famous advertising slogan to give it social clout, mocking the echoes of sexism and homophobia in the sport.

STREET ART ENCOUNTERS