street art

Posts tagged
with street art



Art Photography

A Collaborative Photo Project Imagines a World Where Street Artists Have Free Rein

May 4, 2023

Grace Ebert

An animated image of an embroidery on a photo of a building, in front of the building

Victoria Villasana, Les Arenes de Picasso near Paris. All images courtesy of Joseph Ford, shared with permission

What would artists create if all of the world’s surfaces could become a canvas? Joseph Ford—of Invisible Jumpers fame—responds to this question in a new project called Impossible Street Art. Collaborating with eight artists including Peeta (previously), Levalet (previously), and Victoria Villasana (previously), Ford reimagines the possibilities of public spaces that are otherwise inaccessible due to scale, safety issues, or restrictions.

To begin the project, Ford photographed the locations, which include the Panthéon, the Seven Sisters cliffs in Sussex, and the center of a highway in Los Angeles, and then handed over enlarged prints to the artists. Once their additions were complete, he returned to the original sites and documented the altered images against the original backdrop. Playful and imaginative, the juxtaposed photos envision “a parallel universe where (artists) have complete artistic freedom.”

Shop the limited-edition prints and find behind-the-scenes looks at Ford’s process on his site.

 

An image of a man watering the water of a dam on a photo of a dam, in front of the dam

Levalet, Brighton Marina, U.K.

An image of a character hanging from the edge of the Pantheon on a photo of the Pantheon, in front of the Pantheon

Ador, The Pantheon, Paris

An image of a three-dimensional geometric sculpture jutting off a building on a photo of the building, in front of the building

Peeta, Shoreham Cement Works

A mural of penguins hanging off the side of the cliff on a photo of the cliff, in front of the cliff

Ador, Seven Sisters, U.K.

An image of typographic murals on a facade on a photo of the building, in front of the building

Denis Meyers, National Theatre London

A mural in the middle of a viaduct on a photo of the viaduct, position in front of the viaduct

JanIsDeMan, Balcome Viaduct, U.K.

An image typographic murals on the median of a busy highway on a photo of the highway, in front of the highway

Morley, Los Angeles

 

 

advertisement



Art

In Theatrical Murals and Dioramas by Aryz, Dramatic Scenarios Unfold in Vivid Color

April 13, 2023

Kate Mothes

A large-scale, diorama-like painting of lions and circus performers inside of a church.

“La Causa” (2020), Saint-Merri Church, Paris, France. All images © Aryz

In vibrant blocks of color, Catalan artist Aryz creates multistory murals and diorama-like artworks that radiate within their surroundings. Known for his saturated chromatic installations (previously) that fill the sides of apartment blocks or stand as panels in grand interiors, the artist emphasizes an outsized sketchy style as if the pigment were applied with giant crayons or pastels.

Aryz often reveals a grid-like structure redolent of paintings’ underdrawings, but rather than cover the structure, he creates distinct compartments containing a variety of textural and compositional elements. While much of his work emphasizes a flat two-dimensional plane, murals like “El Entreacto” expand the grid and incorporate three-dimensional depth with shadows and cartoonish details that glitch or cut off.

Often featuring figures in early 20th-century garments, Aryz’s dramatic scenes involve lions and circus performers, airplanes, or injured figures, evoking associations with early cinema and the First and Second World Wars. The murals’ locations provide incredible backdrops for the artist’s theatrical interior scenes, nodding to the rich history of crumbling old chapels or cavernous sites like Saint-Merri Church in Paris that have been damaged and reconstructed over many centuries.

Find more on his website, and see videos of his process on Instagram. (via Booooooom)

 

A colorful mural of a lion on the side of a building.

“El Entreacto” (2022), Mannheim, Germany

A colorful mural of a rooster on the side of a building.

“Cocorico” (2022), Clermont-Ferrand, France

A large-scale, diorama-like painting of a dramatic scene of a woman lying in a man's arms flanked by two other women, inside of a decaying church.

“La Muerte del Color” (2020), 19th-century abandoned chapel, Spain

A colorful mural of a woman holding a flower on the end of an apartment block.

“Violeta” (2020), Versailles, France

A colorful diorama installed inside of an old theatre or swimming pool depicting a uniformed man carrying an unconscious woman and calling for help.

“El Auxilio” (2020), Conservatorium aan Zee, Oostende, Belgium

A large-scale, diorama-like painting of planes flying over buildings and plumes of smoke rising, installed inside of a church.

“La Ruina” (2021), Església de Sant Pere, Corbera d’Ebre, Spain

A large-scale, diorama-like painting of planes flying over buildings and plumes of smoke rising, installed inside of a church.

Installation view of “La Ruina” (2021)

A large-scale, diorama-like painting of a woman covering her face with her hands, installed inside of a church.

“El Festejo” (2022), Ex Chiesa San Mattia, Bologna, Italy

A mural of a woman on the side of a building.

“Descanso” (2021), Alcoy, Spain

 

 



Art

Blu’s Refreshed Mural in Barcelona Bites into Ravenous Capitalism and Nature’s Brute Force

March 15, 2023

Grace Ebert

A detail photo of Blu's recent mural in Barcelona featuring ravenous sharks

All images © Blu, shared with permission

An updated mural from the anonymous Italian street artist Blu (previously) sinks its teeth into capitalistic greed and nature’s unparalleled capability for destruction.

Originally painted in 2009 following the Spanish financial crisis of 2008, the first mural likened the insatiable capitalist appetite to that of the aggressive fish, which stretched across a 25-meter section of wall at the intersection of Barcelona’s Carrer del Santuari and Carrer de la Gran Vista. Crews painted over the work in 2021 as part of a city project, and after hearing that neighbors wanted the piece back, Blu painted a second iteration earlier this year.

Retaining the bank-note shark of the 2009 work, the 2023 version adds an arsenal of nuclear missiles and warplanes to the central creature. The expansive mural continues to unfold like an exquisite corpse of global maladies with raging forest fires and floods encroaching on civilization, leaving mass chaos and ruin in their wake.

See the full mural here, and follow Blu’s latest projects on Instagram.

 

A detail photo of Blu's recent mural in Barcelona featuring ravenous sharks and military planes

A detail photo of Blu's recent mural in Barcelona featuring a ravenous shark made of bank notes

A detail photo of Blu's recent mural in Barcelona featuring a ravenous shark eating a plane

A detail photo of Blu's recent mural in Barcelona featuring a ravenous shark made of bank notes

A detail photo of Blu's recent mural in Barcelona featuring a city being overwhelmed by a forest fire

A detail photo of Blu's recent mural in Barcelona featuring a city being flooded

A detail photo of Blu's recent mural in Barcelona featuring a polar bear stranded on a melting iceberg

 

 



Art

Surreal Interactions and Enigmatic Narratives Unfold in Vibrant Murals by WAONE

February 27, 2023

Kate Mothes

A mural by WAONE of figures on a yellow background.

“Transcendental Moment,” Cluj-Napoca, Romania. All images © WAONE, shared with permission courtesy of Sapar Contemporary

Enigmatic characters sprout blossoms from their torsos, wear instruments for hats, or hitch a ride on a tiger’s back in the surreal murals of Ukrainian artist Vladimir Manzhos, a.k.a. WAONE. Drawing inspiration from religious iconography, history, and botany, his mysterious narratives often touch on themes of ecological apocalypse, cosmology, and duality. Uncanny interactions between people and an array of objects like plants, books, and anthropomorphized objects portray fantastical creatures or seismic events.

Based in Kyiv, WAONE travels around the world to participate in festivals and complete large-scale, collaborative commissions that highlight the complex relationship between humans, the environment, and the world we’ve made. A new mural in New York City’s Ukrainian Village gathers dozens of the artist’s colorful personalities and esoteric symbols together in one 48-foot-long composition. Backed by the colors of the Ukrainian flag, “From Legend to Discovery” marks the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war and highlights Ukrainians’ resiliency, courage, and their hope for victory.

“I keep painting, keep drawing, keep sculpting exactly the same way as before (February 24). Just one difference—there is no more doubt about what I’m doing; now I’m sure that everything I did in my practice before was right. Now everything that I do became completely conscious,” WAONE says. Find more work of his work on his website and Instagram.

 

A mural by WAONE of figures that meld into plants on a white background.

“Statics and Dynamics of the Plant Kingdom,” Fort de France, Martinique island

A 48-foot-long mural by WAONE backed by the Ukrainian flag.

“From Legend to Discovery,” New York City. Photo by Mike Vitelli, courtesy of Sapar Contemporary and The Standard, East Village

A large-scale mural by WAONE of a figure with its hands on a vase that looks like the Earth with an ear and a volcanic eruption from the top.

“Tectonic Shift,” Paris, France, in collaboration with Back to School Project

A 48-foot-long mural by WAONE in NYC featuring dozens of characters with the Ukrainian flag in the background.

“From Legend to Discovery.” Photo by Mike Vitelli, courtesy of Sapar Contemporary and The Standard, East Village

A large-scale mural by WAONE  in Versailles,

“Curious Botanist,” Versailles, France

A Mural by WAONE on the side of a building in Versailles.

“Curious Botanist,” Versailles, France

A bright yellow mural on the end of a building with two figures, one sitting on a plant and one with a drum on his head.

“Transcendental Moment”

A detail of surreal, flowering figures in a mural by WAONE.

Detail of “Statics and Dynamics of the Plant Kingdom”

 

 

 



Art Design

Javier de Riba’s Patterned Floors Establish Vibrant Gathering Spaces for Public Use

February 24, 2023

Grace Ebert

A photo of a vibrant patterned rug-like intervention painted on the concrete in a city

All images © Javier de Riba, shared with permission

Catalan artist Javier de Riba (previously) brings the coziness of home outdoors with his ongoing Floors Project. Made possible with the help of the local community, the collaborative endeavor involves painting a specially designed motif onto the concrete or pavers that line walkways and city squares. Each intervention serves several purposes, including adding color to an otherwise gray setting, connecting locals to the artist and each other through art making, and establishing a welcoming gathering space in the midst of an urban environment.

De Riba has completed five of the carpets so far, four in Spain and one in Shenzen, China. He’s traveling to Breda, The Netherlands, this June to collaborate with Blind Walls Gallery on the largest work yet, which will span approximately 400 square feet. Follow updates on the Floors Project on Instagram and Behance, and pick up a print of the vibrant patterns in the artist’s shop.

 

A photo of a vibrant patterned rug-like intervention painted on the concrete in a city

A photo of a vibrant patterned rug-like intervention painted on the concrete in a city

A photo of people painting a vibrant patterned rug-like intervention on the concrete in a city

A photo of a vibrant patterned rug-like intervention painted on the concrete in a city

A photo of peopel painting a vibrant patterned rug-like intervention on the concrete in a city

A photo of a vibrant patterned rug-like intervention painted on the concrete in a city

A detail photo of a vibrant patterned rug-like intervention painted on the concrete in a city

 

 



Art

Xomatok’s Vibrant Interventions Paint the Cracked Sidewalks of Mexico City with Bold Colors

February 22, 2023

Grace Ebert

A photo of a cracked sidewalk painted with a vibrant color spectrum on the sides of the concrete pieces

All photos by Alf A. Nieto, © Xomatok, shared with permission

Wander the streets of the Roma Norte area of Mexico City, and you might stumble upon the latest interventions by Xomatok (previously). The artist painted bold color spectrums on split sidewalks, which have erupted around the defiant roots of trees. Vibrant pinks, yellows, and blues blanket the sides of the concrete, juxtaposing the natural and human-made and highlighting the power of the wooden giants in the urban environment. “This series of interventions brings us closer to a conscious experience in the streets, through the intervention of the cracks in the concrete that reveal the force of nature present in urban life, an allusion to the unveiling of other realities that exist in parallel to it,” the artist shares.

There are currently five works in the Manifestos series, which was curated by Heart and produced by Mano de Obra in collaboration with Drbarret and Adaneye. You can follow additions to the project and Xomatok’s latest works on Instagram.

 

A detail photo of a cracked sidewalk painted with a vibrant color spectrum on the sides of the concrete pieces

A photo of a cracked sidewalk painted with a vibrant color spectrum on the sides of the concrete pieces

A photo of a cracked sidewalk painted with a vibrant color spectrum on the sides of the concrete pieces

A detail photo of a cracked sidewalk painted with a vibrant color spectrum on the sides of the concrete pieces

A photo of a cracked sidewalk painted with a vibrant color spectrum on the sides of the concrete pieces

A photo of a cracked sidewalk painted with a vibrant color spectrum on the sides of the concrete pieces

A photo of a cracked sidewalk painted with a vibrant color spectrum on the sides of the concrete pieces

A photo of a cracked sidewalk painted with a vibrant color spectrum on the sides of the concrete pieces