Sten & Lex show in their current exhibition a new concept in street art, the “poster stencil”. This is very innovative and does not follow any existing rules: the stencil is pasted straight onto the canvas, like a poster, and parts of it are then torn up to reveal the picture. That’s what makes the stencil a fundamental part of the final piece, and also explains why it is therefore not reusable.
The exhibition has two separate parts: on the ground floor are displayed pieces made with their new technique, and on the first floor more classical pieces. These are however remade in a “mini” version, which implies cutting the stencils had to be evry elaborate.
A fun fact about the “poster stencil” is that the stencils are peeled off at the very last time, right before the exhibition opens. Artists and visitors then discover the end result at about the same time.
The Vitry Jam takes place every month in Vitry sur Seine. The 4th edition was held this weekend, and a party was organized with the artists for the opening in a private loft, the Monk. This loft is the dream home for any street art fan because all the artists staying there for the Vitry Jam left their mark on all the walls of the three-storeys house. And such artists! To name just a few: C215, Btoy, Finbarr, Snik, Sly2, Orticanoodles, Fake, Pixel Pancho, etc.
The Vitry Jam is also an opportunity for the artists to express themselves on the walls of Vitry sur Seine. You can’t turn a corner without finding a piece!
I have two regrets after this great night, though. First of all, the light was fading when I arrived in Vitry, so the pics I took in the street are not worth the originals. Then, I could not attend the next day to see what was in the Zongo’s Project Room and in the Concept Loft, the two other locations of the Vitry Jam.
And a big thank you to Virginia for inviting me!
Paris, Paris
Ben Slow, Bruno Leyval, Btoy, Bue, Bunka, C215, Dale Grimshaw, David Le Fleming, Fake, Finbarr, Indigo, KoTek, Le Monk, Morten Andersen, Mosko & Associés, Niark1, Orticanoodles, Pixel Pancho, Shaka, Sly2, Snik, Spadge, Veuch, Vitry Jam 4, Vitry sur Seine
The exhibition of the Italians of Orticanoodles at the Itinerrance gallery is outstanding. Three series of paintings are exhibited. The first one shows the streets of Milan, the artists’ hometown, with buildings and doorbells.
The second series, called “The Hammer” shows products of over-consumption being destroyed by a hammer. My favourite was the iPod triptych, for its Warholian influence with an added destructive aspect.
The third and last series depicts the financial crisis, with symbols of banking like big metallic panels showing a cash machine or a safe from which melted gold is leaking. This is to my mind a very well-foud way of representing the current financial crisis.
Of course the symbol of Orticanoodles was not left behind; there was a series of black and white faces of Jesus, like I saw at the Bricklane gallery, but with an extra helping of gold.
I leave you to drool at the pics:
Galerie Itinerrance
7 bis, rue Goscinny
75013 Paris
Opening times:
From Wednesday to Saturday, 2p.m. to 7p.m.
A brilliant Roa exhibition will be taking place until Sunday at the Itinerrance gallery in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.
(store of a shop near gare de l’est)
I had already seen some impressive pieces by this Belgian artist in the streets and knew he was talented, but I could not picture how his work would be adapted to a gallery. Hence I went to see this exhibition, ans was not disappointed.
The pieces were made suitable for the gallery by using recycled supports with articulated panels; depending on the position you put them in, you can see the insides of the animals. It reminded me of the picture of the rabbit I made in London recently.
The gallery walls are of course showing Roa’s totem animals: rabbits, crows and small insects. Some smaller pieces are pencil-drawn, and there is also a series of pictures showing the extent of the artist’s work outside.
Anyway, great exhibition, and brilliant welcome!
Galerie Itinerrance
7bis, rue René Goscinny
75013 Paris
interview with Roa (in french)
The “Né Dans La Rue” exhibition shows the New York origins of graffiti. First of all, in the basement, the 70’s are represented by documents dating by to this period, like blackbooks of legendary graffers, records of the NYPD, painting equipment showing how luckier we are today, etc.
Some of the sketches in the blackbooks were reproduced by the graffers themselves, for instance a whole train coach by Seen on the wall of the room we are in. This gives a peculiar impression but immerses us in the atmosphere from then. One of the walls is covered by pictures of New York train coaches; the origin of each one is explained, as well as the letterings they show.
Upstairs, an exhibition features works by Jonone and Poch, reflecting today’s graffiti. This is temporary, as the exhibition changes constantly.
In the garden two huge walls have been set up, showing, when I was there, works by Obey and the French stencil artist YZ. Moreover the front of the Fondation Cartier has been covered by a giant graffiti.
Outside the foundation, on the street side, the fence is free to use for passing graffers, which is nice considering the location.
Here are some pics, mostly of the outside fence, as it was forbidden to make pictures inside the foundation.
Until the 10th of January,
at the Fondation Cartier
261 Boulevard Raspail
75014 Paris
Paris, Paris
Amaze, Exhibition, Jonone, L'Atlas, Né Dans La Rue, Obey, Paris, Poch, Seen, YZ
First of all, I have to admit that before going to this exhibition I thought I would not talk about it here. The advertising is indeed amazing: ads in the underground, in magazines, on the TV news…
I’d rather mention small exhibitions which don’t have the means to make ads. However, when I saw the quality of the works and the way they are presented, I changed my mind, even though a few works are simply a shame (the kind a 6 years old would do in 5 minutes).
The exhibition brings together 150 artists on one theme: love. Each work is a diptych of given dimensions.
The interesting thing is the works are presented in chronological order, from the 70s to nowadays, which shows the evolution of graffiti.
The choice of artists represents the graffiti current quite well, even though I was disappointed by the absence of Revok or Saber, who, to my mind, can’t be ignored.
The visitors’ comments were as interesting as the paintings. I for instance heard “I did not think graffiti was like that, but I did not know it at all… anyway next time let’s go to the opera” or “how do they make such thin lines with a spraycan?” – when the work was made with Posca.
Anyway, more initiatives like this one must be made in order to open the general public’s mind to the graffiti, because I think a lot of people will less see it as vandalism when they find graffiti in the street, and more like a real art with various styles and talented artists.
You understood my point: this exhibition is beautiful and you should go there, for only 5€. Be prepared to queue.
If you can’t go, here are the pics I made there. If you’re going, do not look at them!
From the 27th March to the 26th April from 11am to 7pm (open until 11pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays)
Grand Palais porte H
Av Winston Churchill
Paris
Paris
Ais Lap, Alexone, Amaze, Ash, Askew, Atome, Baboo, Bacou, Bando, Blade, BO 130, Butch 2, Cap, Ces, Claw, Coco 144, Comet, Cope2, Cornbread, Crash, Creez, Cren, Cycle, Darco, Dash, Daze, Dead, Dealyt, Delta2, Deszio, Dize, Doc Arabica, Doze Green, Duro, Duster, Echo, Emi, Exhibition, Eyone, Ezo, Faust, Fenx, Fist, Flint 707, Freedom, Fridricks, Fuzi, Ghost, Gilbert, Horfe, Illies, Isba, Iz The Wiz, Jace, Jay One, Jaya, Jaye, Jonone, Kase 2, Kayone, Kea, Kel First, Ket, Kongo, Koor, L'Atlas, Lacriz, Lady Pink, LadyK, Lazou, Lek, Loomit, Mac Coy, Marcel, Mare 139, Marko93, Meak, Meo, Mico, Microbo, Mike Giant, Min, Miss17, Moze, Myre, Nascio, Nasty, Native, Nel, Noc, Nosbé, Nov, Nunca, Other, Paris, Part1, PBoy, Phase2, Popay, Psyckoze, Quik, Rammelzee, Rap, Reach, Reso, Revolt, RFC One, Riff, Rosy, Seen, Shaka, Sharp, Shock 123, Shoe, Shuck, Skki, Slice, Smith, Snake 131, Spirit, Stay High, Sunset, Swen, Swiz, TAG, Take 5, Taki 183, Tanc, Teach, Team, Teurk, TKid, Toxic, Tracy 168, Traffik, Tran, Uno, Utah, Vision, Vulcan, Wane One, Wen, West, Wyre, Zebster, Zedz, Zeky, Zen2
The artists Seize and YZ currently have a common exhibition at the Itinerrance Gallery, until the 28th if February.
(SeYZe Flyer)
Seize, aka Happy Wall Maker, makes huge, geometric and very colourful paintings. YZ makes faces with stencils, usually in black and white.
This gives a contrasted aspect to the exhibition, and also makes it very nice. The artists not only show their own works but various common paintings (search the faces hidden in the geometric shapes).
Anyway, if you’re currently in Paris, give it a shot!
Galerie Itinerrance
7 Bis rue Goscinny
75013 Paris
The Bailly gallery, located on the quai Voltaire, opposite the Louvres Museum, hosts until the 14th of February the graffiti artist Nasty. With his crew “les artistes en cavale”, are running wild in Paris underground since the end of the 80’s.
There Nasty shows his work on material borrowed from Paris underground company, and leaves messages for his detractors (“I sell my art not my soul”).
The exhibition is pretty nice, though very classic.
Galerie Bailly Contemporain
25, quai Voltaire
75007 Paris
This exhibition takes place not far from Paris city hall, 23 rue Renard, from the 29th November to the 31st of December in the gallery L.J. Beaubourg.
(20 Ans De Graffiti Flyer)
Four artists are part of the show (Honet, POCH, RCF1 and STAK). All of them have been street art artists for more than 20 years (thus the name of the exhibition, which means “20 years of street art”).
The majority of the works presented is by POCH, who makes stencils as well as more classic graffiti. Here, there are only stencils, which have been strongly influenced by the punk skinhead movement.
Another artist (STAK) makes lace-like works by burning paper with a lighter. There is also a video showing him doing it.
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