maxwell colette

Stuck-Up Spotlight: The Work of Chris Mendoza

2012-01-30T13:56:00.000-06:00

On The Air (2011) by Chris Mendoza. Ink, Collage, Stickers on Paper.

" ... By drawing, visualizing, and composing abstract concepts in my mind, and on paper I am reminded of my daily habits, a common thread of the human condition."

New York-based artist Chris Mendoza's is fascinated with architecture and physical structures. If you are an art history guru you'll notice strong influences by artists such as Kandinsky, Miro and Frank Lloyd Wright. Mendoza's sticker collages are on display at Maxwell Colette Gallery and are part of the current exhibition entitled, STUCK UP: A Selected History of Alternative and Popular Culture Told Though Stickers. Curated by DB Burkeman.

Hot Pink (detail) (2012) by Chris Mendoza. Ink, Collage, Stickers on Paper.

Mendoza's collage-work repurposes stickers that are cut up, fragmented and placed into layers. They layer work looks almost mosaic-like and each panel is arranged slightly different with subtle references to landscape and unknown figuration. Rich color and texture is incorporated into his work through the use of materials including everything from mixed media, acrylic paint, sumi inks, enamel, watercolor paints and other various inks.

He incorporates such a graceful progression of movement with each layer of fragmented sticker and this alone allows your imagination to run wild – you could spend hours pondering the abstraction. But the biggest take away from Chris Mendoza's collage-work is that there is an underlying history being preserved. Between the vintage-like quality of the paper and the reverence that Mendoza gives to his own cultural influences, these works have a seemingly righteous nature about them.

Time Changes (2012) by Chris Mendoza. Ink, Collage, Stickers on Paper.

View more of Mendoza's art on his website: chrismendoza.carbonmade.com

Go to maxwellcolette.com to view these and other sticker collage works by Chris Mendoza, or to inquire about pricing and availability.

opening on January 20th: STUCK UP!

2012-01-13T17:36:00.001-06:00

Maxwell Colette Gallery and DB Burkeman are excited to present STUCK UP: A Selected History of Alternative and Popular Culture Told Though Stickers. This traveling exhibition, curated by Burkeman from his extensive personal collection, provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore the expanding role that stickers have played in popular culture over the past four decades. The collection focuses on Music (including Punk Rock, Hip Hop, and Rave Culture), Skateboard Culture, Political Campaigns, Branding, and Culture Jamming. STUCK UP... features stickers from Street Art legends (Banksy, Barry McGee, Shepard Fairey, Space Invader, KAWS), and internationally lauded contemporary artists not necessarily known for stickers (Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Tom Sachs) shown side by side with anonymous stickers peeled from the streets of NYC.

STUCK UP... will kick off its run in Chicago with two days of special events. On Friday, January 20th Maxwell Colette Gallery and DB Burkeman will host the exhibition’s opening reception from 6pm - 10pm. Beverages will be provided courtesy of Modelo. Then on Saturday, January 21st the gallery will host a book signing from 1pm - 3pm featuring DB Burkeman and the celebrated photographer, author, and self- described sticker thief Martha Cooper. Coffee and baked goods at the signing will come courtesy of Sweet Cakes Bakery and Metropolis Coffee Company. Burkeman and Cooper will be signing copies of Burkeman's book Stickers: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art which is available in Chicago at Quimby's.

Concurrent with these happenings, the gallery will present a selection of sticker-based collage work from the ever-talented Chris Mendoza, and will showcase an incarnation of Slap Happy , the charity sticker invitational that made its debut as a part of SCOPE 2011 in Miami. Slap Happy features stickers created by an international group of 75 visual communicators. This will be the only place outside of SCOPE where the limited edition stickers and signed black books from the project will be available to view and purchase in person.

Mark your calendars now and be sure to join us for this incredible weekend of sticker-related festivities!

why we love ART THOUGHTZ...

2012-01-10T22:37:00.003-06:00

New Work From Banksy + FAQ's

2011-12-12T15:34:00.001-06:00

There has been much speculation about whether or not new work from Banksy has been popping up in Britain over the last few weeks. Starting back in November there were the monopoly themed 'Occupy' installation and the 'shop till you drop' wall piece, among others. Over the last week we have seen pictures of two very similar miniature crop duster planes spraying hearts (or doing crazy loops?) painted in London and Liverpool. Over the weekend the signage above was spotted in London as well.

Now we have confirmation of the authenticity of at least some of these works in the form of pictures posted in the newly updated 'outside' section on Banksy's website. Also posted on the site are the following FAQ's with Mr. B's informative responses. Who knew that he liked Käthe Kollwitz and copied 3D from Massive Attack?!!

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheating to use stencils?
Stencils are good for two reasons;
One - they’re quick ; two - they annoy idiots.

Why are you such a sell out?
I wish I had a pound for every time someone asked me that.

Is Banksy just a big brand these days? Do you even paint your own pictures?
It’s not supposed to be a brand, which is why people in advertising think it’s such a good one. I paint it all myself unless its illegal, in which case I’ve never seen any of it before, your honour.

Is Exit Through the Gift Shop real?
Yes.

Are you still friends with Mr. Brainwash?
I like to think so. When I asked him what he thought about the film he said “This is a cult movie, this is a classic movie, this movie stands alone – like The Godfather.”

Did you paint over Robbo’s piece and have him beaten up?
His piece in Camden had been dogged for more than five years by the time I painted that spot. It’s a real shame about his accident and I hope he fully recovers. I would never deliberately cuss Robbo – he’s a graffiti legend.
And he’s bigger than me. Click Here

Did you rip off Blek le Rat?
No, I copied 3D from Massive Attack. He can actually draw.

Do you need an intern?
No thanks.

Why are you so annoying?
It’s not all my fault, sometimes they make it up - I’ve never vandalized a war memorial, painted Kate Moss’s kitchen or visited the Playboy club with Ashley Cole wearing a skull mask.

What artists do you rate?
Käthe Kollwitz is my favourite. Partly because her drawing style is so beautiful, and partly because she thought being an artist was self-indulgent crap and became a doctor in an orphanage instead.

Can you donate a picture for my charity auction?
What are you? Blind? In which case maybe. I mostly support projects working to restore sight and prevent eye disease. Or as I like to call it ‘expanding the market’.

Keep an eye on Banksy's site and The Lonely Villein's Flickr for further developments.

Welcome to Miami

2011-12-05T17:23:00.001-06:00

Don't Fret sent us some visual postcards from his recent trip down to Miami...

While in The Sunshine State, he collaborated on a wall with another of our favorites, Hebru Brantley, who is part of our current 'Text and Drugs and Rock & Roll' show and who faced some unexpected drama of his own (as captured by local news) . Absolutely crazy!

You can read more about Don't Fret's recent solo show on Fatcap and on Flavorpill, and view available work on maxwellcolette.com.

opening December 2nd: Text and Drugs and Rock & Roll

2011-11-18T13:50:00.001-06:00

Maxwell Colette Gallery's next show, Text and Drugs and Rock & Roll, runs from December 2nd until January 7th, 2012. The show is will feature work from an international group of over forty artists who work in a variety of different media. "Don't expect a dry, academic exploration of text driven art that requires a lot of reading," cautions Gallery Director Oliver Hild. "TDRR is going to be the opposite... It's visceral, full of equal parts swagger and stagger."

The opening reception for Text and Drugs and Rock & Roll will take place on Friday, December 2nd from 6pm - 9pm. Many of the artists will be present at the opening which Hild promises will feature "compelling art, cascading beverages and copious swag."

The list of participating artists includes: Abe Lincoln Jr, Antonio Martinez, Bask, Bill Connors, Brian Knowles, Brooks Golden, Chad Davis, Clown Soldier, Colt Bowden, Dain, Derek Erdman, Don't Fret, El Celso, Elik, Emily Cunningham, Faust, Fred Litch, Glenn Wexler, Goons, Greg Mike, Hebru Brantley, Infinity, Instigator, Joe Padilla, Klepto, Lloyd Patterson, Mark O'Brien, Mike Murdock, Mike Perry, Nice-One, Posterboy, Priest, Ron Copeland, RP Reeson, Ryan Duggan, Scott Albrecht, Sebastian Napoli, Stikman, Telepath UK, TEWZ, Thomas Billings, Tim Pigott, Victor Kaifas, Weed Wolf, Zero, and Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff.

Billy Craven has been posting sneak peeks of the work on his Flickr and BLAH+BLAH+BLOG. Check out the amazing life-sized Les Paul style guitar crafted entirely from corrugated cardboard and beer cases that Mark O'Brien is sending. It's amazing!

Peep the TDR&R event page on Facebook.

SLAP HAPPY: a sticker invitational

2011-11-09T10:02:00.000-06:00

Set to debut November 29th in Miami at the Wynwood Walls is Slap Happy, a charity sticker invitational curated by Paul Weston and DB Burkeman. The project includes designs from 75 visual communicators from around the globe who have each created an intimate, same size, black and white sticker. The stickers include original designs from well known artists and are printed in a small, limited edition.

As part of the project, a video, sticker packs, a book and 25 signed black books will be produced and sold through the Slap Happy store. "Proceeds from the benefit will go to Acceptance House, a drug rehab facility in Miami. This is our way of giving back to the locals who are ignored or exploited by the decadence brought to Miami during Art Basel and the surrounding fairs."

The only way to see the artist lineup and all 75 designs before the exhibition in Miami is to check the Slap Happy Blog where sticker designs from three artists are posted each day.

left to right: Zevs, Kenny Scharf, Nice-One, The London Police, Shane Swank, Stickman

on Ebay Right Now: RETNA Boots + DNA

2011-11-08T11:05:00.000-06:00

Always wanted to own a piece by Retna? How about a piece of Retna instead? Ebay seller Vintageworld17 from Inglewood (always up to no good...) is currently offering a pair of size 8.5 Redswing boots that they claim were worn by the legendary West Coast writer aka Marquis Lewis. According to the description the boots are "Mid City Stoners", "True West Coast Legend Kicks".

And just in case you have any doubts about the authenticity the listing states: "WE CAN PULL DNA SO YOU CAN MAKE SURE IT'S A REAL ITEM!"

Finally the worlds of forensics and vintage resale collide. We'll file this under ewwww...

Inside and out...

2011-10-20T11:51:00.000-05:00

With just two days until the show opens, the gallery is a hive of activity. Things are coming together nicely, and we can't wait to open the door and invite you to explore the amazing environment that Don't Fret has created.

Evidently while we are sleeping, Don't Fret continues working outside the gallery as the recent street piece below illustrates. We are constantly amazed at the broad appeal of his work. People with little interest in street art (or art in general) all seem to respond with a smile to his engaging characters. Something magical is going on there...

Man...The Times...Man

2011-10-13T22:09:00.000-05:00

We thought you might like to get a peek at what's going on in our vicious new gallery space. The show opens next Saturday, October 22nd, but we'll be dropping pics all next week on our tumbler and facebook.

Don't Fret's Man...The Times...Man runs from October 22nd - November 26th at our new location (908 N. Ashland Ave). The opening reception is Saturday October 22nd from 6pm - 9pm and is open to the public.

Don't Fret solo show in our new space.

2011-10-03T15:56:00.002-05:00

If we've been uncharacteristically quiet as of late, it's only because we've been super busy gearing up for a bunch of new shows and preparing to move the gallery to a new 1800 sq/ft storefront in Ukrainian Village. We'll unveil our vicious new installation space on October 22nd, presenting the first-ever solo show from Chicago- native Donʼt Fret. With distinctive visual style and dry humor Donʼt Fret juxtaposes old and new, then and now, to create light-hearted space and time in which nothing really fits and everything seems absurd.

MAN...THE TIMES...MAN will showcase the hand painted, life-sized paste-up characters Donʼt Fret is best known for, and that have graced walls from Chicago to San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Berlin, Munich, Prague and Salzberg. In addition the show will feature seldom seen smaller scale works. Portraits, witticisms, musings and sentiments are all presented within the context of a hand-crafted, multi-cultural melange of detritus. Alongside these unique works, Donʼt Fret will be releasing a series of hand-finished, limited-edition prints.

Maxwell Colette Gallery will host an opening reception for MAN...THE TIMES...MAN on Saturday October 22nd, from 6pm - 9pm at our new space located at 908 N. Ashland Ave. Come by for beverages and swag and peep the new joint. See you there!

Your Face Is Your Canvas

2011-09-24T16:42:00.000-05:00

by Rachel Schwerin

Rarely does one look at one of Cindy Sherman's outrageous, unique, garish, self-portrait photographs and think: "She looks great, I want to look like that." Well, M.A.C. Cosmetics is betting they can change your mind and has commissioned Cindy Sherman to create three characters using three different color stories. These color stories will present clusters of lipstick and eyeliners in the shades used in the photographs. So, now you can buy expensive makeup and paint your face to look like a "Hitchcock Heroine," a "Creepy Plastic SurgeryFanatic," a "Creepy Clown." This stuff is limited edition affordable art in the form of bronzer and lipstick!

Cindy Sherman x M.A.C. cosmetics will be available in stores form September 29th through October 27th. Prices range from $14.50 for a lipstick to $38 for a color shadow quad.

file under delicious irony: KAWS x Hennessy

2011-08-22T16:31:00.000-05:00

KAWS continues to place his art on the lables of luxury goods. The latest collaboration is between KAWS and Hennessy in the form of a specially designed label for the cognac. The edition is limited to 420,000 numbered bottles and is currently available at select retail outlets. We love the irony that someone who derived notoriety from ad disruptions is now sought after to design high end packaging.

ARTRAGEOUS!

2011-08-15T16:10:00.000-05:00

by Rachel Schwerin

Los Angeles art-retailers Aaron Brothers' have launched a back-to-school campaign called Artrageous. They will be hosting free events, showcasing the work of prominent street artists and giving out free "graffiti starter kits" to participants. The kits themselves basically contain just markers and paper, but Councilman Dennis Zine says the Aaron Brothers' campaign glorifies vandalism. “This promotion is an assault on our community and sends a devastating message to our youth....What they're doing is promoting tagging, graffiti and trying to call it art."

Peep more info from Aaron Brothers here.

The New Painting

2011-07-25T12:03:00.000-05:00

Painting has been dead for years, but every now and then somebody trips over the rotting corpse and discovers that some sort of exquisite putrefaction has been taking place inside the lifeless carcass. Case in point: check out the video above of the Graffiti Kings painting murals of Johnny Knoxville and Dave Grohl at London's infamous graffiti hot spot, the Leake Street Tunnel. The 10 ft x 20 ft pieces were created using two paintball guns, 1000 paintballs and 30 gas canisters. Brushes and spray cans are so passe...

Space Program 2.0: MARS

2011-07-21T12:36:00.000-05:00

In 2007 it was the moon landing and "encounters with the terrible sublime". Now. for 2012 Tom Sachs promises us MARS. To call this epic will no doubt prove to be an understatement. We can hardly wait...

Check out Tom Sachs' you tube channel and peep his site for info and consumable arty goodness.

Chimp Chumps D*Face

2011-07-09T16:43:00.001-05:00

D*Face spent a year (and who knows how much money) developing his remote controlled paint can delivery system for skateboards. The resulting device is mechanized inspiration worthy of Bob Partington, and is captured in action producing spirograph like results in the video above.

Dave the Chimp spent 30 mins and 5 bucks to create his d.i.y. version. In Dave's words:

On Wednesday I saw D*Face's pool paint attack tool. On Thursday morning I built my own from scraps of foam-core board, gaffer tape, and string, to show that skateboarding is still punk, and punk is about doing things for yourself, creating something from nothing.

Fuck yeah.

You can check out more from Dave the Chimp on his website, and keep up with the very busy D*Face on his website.

KAWS: a sweeter version of death

2011-06-13T15:35:00.001-05:00

new stickers from INVADER

2011-06-10T13:49:00.000-05:00

Space Invader has updated Le Space Shop on his website with some new goodies including sticker packs.

ROA in Chicago

2011-05-23T13:54:00.005-05:00

New fauna have been spotted in Chicago courtesy of one of our favorite street artists, Roa. Check out these ferrets in more detail on our Flickr.

Mad props to our friends at Pawn Works for making this happen!

CARTRAIN x VAGABOND release Bin Laden image

2011-05-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

by Rachel Schwerin
CARTRAIN just can't keep himself from fucking with the Tate. The teenage British street artist is best known for having been prosecuted for stealing and ransoming pencils from Damien Hirst's Pharmacy installation at the museum a few years ago. This time he has pulled a museum hack where he and VAGABOND collaborated to sneak a piece of theirs into the Tate Modern. Of course someone was there to document the entire episode on video.

The image, a spoof on Dali's Persistence of Memory, superimposes accessories obviously associated with Osama bin Laden - a bloody turban, a chalk dead-body outline - where the melting clocks would go. Critics seem unimpressed.

Check out the video of the guerilla installation on vagabondart's You Tube.

Urban Knits

2011-05-17T12:50:00.001-05:00

We spend a fair amount of time taking and posting photos of street art, so it is always nice to find out that someone has noticed our efforts. Recently, Simone Werle chose some of our pics of guerilla knitting installations here in Chicago for her book Urban Knits which will be released by Prestel Publishing this July.

One of our photos is of a knit piece in front of the Art Institute's world famous lion sculptures. The work is from Microfiber Militia and has occupied that pole on Michigan Avenue since May 2008. The Militia contacted us and wanted us to "make sure to note that the white piece with a heart on it that's at the very top of the piece... that's not us. Somebody added that after it was up for awhile."

You can order your copy of Urban Knits here, or pick one up in person at Maxwell Colette Gallery once the book is released in July.

See more of our street art photographs on Flickr.

Don't Fret's crumbling giant

2011-05-13T16:18:00.003-05:00

A new giant sized paste up piece from Don't Fret has appeared downtown at Wabash and Balbo.

GAIA: one last look at 'Resplendent Semblance'

2011-05-06T12:46:00.002-05:00

As we wind down our Gaia show, we wanted to take a look back and share some of the more interesting pieces that were published about Gaia, his art, and the shows at Pawn Works and Maxwell Colette:

Fat Cap ran a two part in-depth interview with Gaia (pt.1 / pt.2) and hosts the time lapse video we made with Brock Brake of the installation process at State Street and Adams.

Juxtapoz ran an interview with Gaia about his massive paste up on Cabrini Green.

Arrested Motion ran street shots and fantastic pics from the openings.

Wooster Collective hyped us as one not to miss.

Brooklyn Street Art, Curbs and Stoops, Sour Harvest, Fotoflow, Time Out Chicago, Flavor Pill , Gapers Block, Crackade, All City Street Art, and Aerosol Planet all showed support, and we thank them for their bon mots.

GAIA: Resplendent Semblance closes Saturday May 7th. Your last chance to peep it in person is Friday and Saturday from 12 noon - 5pm.

GAIA: video round-up

2011-05-03T14:18:00.032-05:00

The time lapse above was created by Brock Brake, and documents the installation process for the windows we did in conjunction with the Chicago Loop Alliance's Pop Up Art Loop Initiative. The video below speaks for itself...

And finally, this awesome video was shot by Justin Nethercut right before Gaia came to Chicago, and highlights the theories and methods behind the madness. It also has great glimpses of the paintings we are exhibiting here at the gallery, while they were in his studio in process.

Shepard Fairey at the preview event for Art Chicago

2011-04-28T21:16:00.000-05:00

Crime And Punishment?

2011-04-28T17:13:00.000-05:00

By Rachel Schwerin
Last week, Revok was arrested by LAPD in LAX, on his way to Ireland. The charge was failure to pay court ordered restitution to past victims of his street activities. His bail was set at an astronomical $320,000. According to blogger Logan Hicks, comparing Revok's bail to that of other detainees in Los Angeles right now, he could have "molested three young girls ($300,000 bail)" and then "threatened a man while wielding a machete ($20,000 bail)" for the same price. (Man charged with assaulting partially paralyzed grandmother in front of her two granddaughters Bail set at $100,00; Baby left in 115-degree car; father may face charges Bail set at $50,000)

“We take graffiti vandalism very seriously, said Lieutenant Vince Carter, Sheriff’s Metro Transit Services Bureau. “Criminal graffiti vandals who insist on damaging other people’s property are going to jail and need to pay to fix the damage they caused.” Revok has since been sentenced to 180 days in jail for violating his parole on a misdemeanor vandalism charge after he failed to repay restitution for damages. His work is currently on display at MoCA's "Art in the Streets," which is really pissing off the LAPD.

The Seventh Letter is selling "Free Revok" t-shirts with all of the proceeds going to Revok's legal defense fund. Check them out on their site.

Shepard Fairey in Chicago

2011-04-27T17:02:00.000-05:00

A new mural from Shepard Fairey went up last night under the el tracks, near 11th and Wabash. Peep the pics on our flickr.

Art In The Streets In The Museum

2011-04-20T17:16:00.003-05:00

By Rachel Schwerin
The opening of "Art in the Streets" at LA's Museum of Contemporary Art has spawned a rash of tagging in downtown Los Angeles. The museum says such 'anarchic' work was anticipated, and is being cleaned. Many critics argue that the museum's pledge to help with graffiti clean-up annihilates actual "art in the streets." A culture war between purist taggers and the aritsts supporting Jeffrey Deitch's museum show has led to an anti-Deitch, anti-authority campaign of pasters around L.A. depicting the Director of the museum in silly, embarrassing contexts. (via Art News)

The LAPD is cracking down hard, hoping to not just fine but arrest any artist found attempting or associated with illegal work. According to a report in the L.A. Times, Space Invader was their first victim, detained in Los Angeles last Friday. The show has led to an all-out attack: the Los Angeles city attorney’s office has filed a lawsuit against Cristian "Smear" Gheorghiu and nine other artists associated with the MTA tagging crew, charging them with violating California’s unfair competition laws because they’re selling art works on the strength of their outlaw names and reputations. “They’ve obtained an unfair advantage because they gained fame and notoriety through criminal acts,” said Anne Tremblay, assistant city attorney. “This is unlawful competition." (via Huffington Post)

Don't Fret get's up in Brazil

2011-04-18T16:17:00.001-05:00

Recenly we heard from Don't Fret, who has been wintering south of the equator in Sao Paulo. He says its been amazing, and he has been busy doing pasters in the streets and paintings at an abandoned cement factory complex whose sole full-time occupant is a ferrel horse.

Check out more work from Don't Fret on his Flickr. You can see the horse there too...

JEFF KOONS MUST DIE!!! video game

2011-04-16T11:55:00.011-05:00

By Rachel Schwerin
For 25 cents, you can virtually destroy Jeff Koons artistic oeuvres in the new arcade game (or is that artcade game) 'Jeff Koons Must Die!!!'. Designed for a 1980s style stand up arcade machine, the game is set in a large museum during a Koons retrospective. From frist-person perspective you are given a rocket launcher and the opportunity to destroy any of the works displayed in the gallery. After you have annihilated your Koons of choice, an animated Jeff Koons walks onto the screen, chastises the player, and then sends guards to kill the player. The game is un-winnable (because you cannot win the art game). Creator Hunter Jonakin claims the game "acts as a comment on the fine art studio system, museum culture, art and commerce, hierarchical power structures, and the destructive tendencies of gallery goers."

GAIA 'Tiger Rabbit' print release

2011-04-12T23:10:00.000-05:00

Tiger Rabbit (2011)

edition of 50

hand pulled, five color screen print, on 90 lb. Stonehenge paper

signed and numbered by the artist

By Rachel Schwerin

Gaia’s Tiger Rabbit is a postmodern yin yang, harmonizing the opposing forces of an aggressive animal and a submissive animal. Tiger Rabbit unites dark and light, cold and warm, strong and weak in order to deflate the strictures set forth by contemporary Western culture. Gaia is reminding us that no thing is definitively one thing, as Western materialism promotes, but rather that everything in the universe oscillates between polar opposites.

Reclaiming traditional visual iconography, Gaia’s image transcends cultural literacy and achieves significance on multiple levels. Tiger Rabbit reflects the dynamic ebb and flow that permeates life, in which nothing is stagnant. Seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and they give rise to each other in turn. Contemporary urban culture devalues nature, but Gaia’s Tiger Rabbit invades the city of glass, steel and concrete with a breathtaking reminder of earth and life. The confrontational, full-frontal depiction of the hybrid animal implicates each passerby in the destruction of the relationship mankind once shared with both the natural and mystical worlds.

While members of Eastern society identify the tiger and the rabbit as archetypal symbols of annual transition, members of Western society would more readily associate tigers and rabbits with manufactured brands. Gaia emasculates Tony the Tiger and demonizes the Easter bunny, usurping the power vested in our familiar brands and materialistic ideals.

Tiger Rabbit is an animal in transition, seemingly changing before our eyes. But its original state and objective end are elusive. Is it a tiger transforming into a rabbit, or a rabbit transforming into a tiger? It is at once a tiger with bunny ears, a symbol of aggression turned benign, and a rabbit with the mug of a tiger, a symbol of submission turned fierce. Gaia’s ambiguity conflates multiple layers of meaning, presenting us with an image that seems familiar and simultaneously inexplicable, reflecting the inherent duality of our complex and ever-changing systems of political and social power.

'Tiger Rabbit' is available exclusively at maxwellcolette.com and pawnworkschicago.com.

CRASH x Tumi

2011-03-30T12:37:00.000-05:00

by Rachel Schwerin
Last week the luggage brand Tumi launched its Tag Limited Edition Collection with a line of suitcases designed by John Matos, aka CRASH. They'll definitely be easy to find at baggage claim, but does bringing a CRASH suitcase onto an airplane make anyone else a little nervous?

Check out the full Tag Limited Edition Collection by CRASH on Tumi's website.

2011-03-19T17:15:00.000-05:00

Harmony Korine x Die Antwoord= Umshimi Wam

2011-03-17T23:21:00.002-05:00

Harmony Korine has just released a 16 minute film starring our favorite South African imports: Ninja and Yo Landi from the incomparable Die Antwoord. Fresh, bizarre, and totally entertaining, this collaboration of the South African rappers and the American underground art cinema director follows the pair as they roll around in wheelchairs, squatting in the bush, shooting guns, smoking huge joints, and planning their big score in a unique and engaging interpretation of the thug lifestyle. If you loved 'Gummo' and you still miss ODB, then 'Umshimi Wam' is indeed the video you have been missing.

JR: the Inside Out Project

2011-03-14T22:20:00.001-05:00

by Rachel Schwerin
Recently, JR announced his plan for a large-scale participatory, global art project that could turn the entire world into a socially conscious graffiti collective. He has invited anyone and everyone, worldwide, to upload a photo portrait for free to his project site. His team will turn these digitally uploaded images into posters and send them back to the participants, to exhibit in their own communities. JR encourages participants to place posters anywhere, from a solitary image in an office window to a wall of portraits on an abandoned building or a full stadium. “It is about making invisible people visible,” JR said.

His street art since 2004 has staged dramatic interventions of social justice across the globe. The TED foundation, which awarded JR $100,000 to execute the Inside Out project, described JR as a “true humanitarian,” whose art inspires people to look at the world differently.

JR says, “It is about taking the virtual world back to the streets.” To prospective participants he advises: “If you are going to paste it in the streets, then choose a good wall…If you choose the wrong one, get ready to run.”

To submit a portrait and get a poster, go to www.insideoutproject.net.

2011-03-07T17:59:00.003-06:00

Maxwell Colette Gallery and Pawn Works have joined forces to bring internationally lauded contemporary artists to Chicago, who are known for their involvement in the Street Art movement. The first of these joint ventures, GAIA: Resplendent Semblance, launches this month with a series of projects showcasing the artist Gaia. The events will include a show of new, large scale paintings and decollage on wood art works at Maxwell Colette Gallery, a site specific installation and show featuring additional pieces at the Pawn Works space and a massive window installation at State Street and Adams presented in conjunction with The Chicago Loop Alliance's Pop Up Art Loop initiative.

Maxwell Colette Gallery and Pawn Works will co-host an opening reception for GAIA:Resplendent Semblance on Friday, March 25th from 6 - 9 pm in Maxwell Colette's space at 833 W. Chicago Ave, suite 200.

Keep an eye on our Flickr and our Facebook page for further details and photos of the projects, the new work, and the installations.

SPACE: we plumb the final frontier

2011-02-26T13:05:00.000-06:00

We're really enjoying our new space with all of it's ca. 1989 vintage amenities including the cephalopod-like phone system pictured above that we have named Paul. It's endless bundles of blue data cables strung throughout the gallery make us feel like we're in a Terry Gilliam movie.

We also have a snack room...
(There will be more to come on this in the near future).

Our new space is located at 833 W. Chicago Avenue on the second floor and is open to the public Friday and Saturday from 12 - 5pm, and other days by appointment. Come see for yourself how people used to live back at the beginning of the 1990s. Oh yeah, and we have art hanging too.

the best place to vote in Chicago

2011-02-22T12:34:00.001-06:00

The huge Keith Haring mural in the hallway makes Wells Community Academy High School our favorite polling location in Chicago (see a partial view above). We can't help but hope the 2011 Mayoral Election requires additional run-off voting.

The site-specific work was designed by Haring during the May 1989 stint in Chicago that produced two murals in Rush Memorial Hospital and a massive one in Grant Park as well. Though planned by Haring, the piece at Wells High School was actually painted by students. Haring did stop by upon it's completion to give his approval and pose for a pic with his student collaborators.

thug life: seventeenth century style

2011-02-19T17:07:00.000-06:00

Attention bad boy street artist types: check out how an original art-gangster was keeping it real back at the turn of the seventeenth century:

4 May 1598: Arrested at 2- 3am near Piazza Navona, for carrying a sword without a permit
19 November 1600: Sued for beating a man with a stick and tearing his cape with a sword at 3am on Via della Scrofa
2 October 1601: A man accuses Caravaggio and friends of insulting him and attacking him with a sword near the Piazza Campo Marzio
24 April 1604: Waiter complains of assault after serving artichokes at an inn on the Via Maddalena
19 October 1604: Arrested for throwing stones at policemen near Via dei Greci and Via del Babuino
28 May 1605: Arrested for carrying a sword and dagger without a permit on Via del Corso
29 July 1605: Vatican notary accuses Caravaggio of striking him from behind with a weapon
28 May 1606: Caravaggio kills a man during a pitched battle in the Campo Marzio area

The thug in question was Caravaggio, the Italian old master responsible for some of the most beautifully creepy religious paintings of all time. His epic use of chiaroscuro transformed mundane moments of macabre violence into sublimely lit tableaux, plus he was a total badass and evidently a douchebag as well.

The records that document this incredible spree of mayhem are currently on display at the Archivio di Stato di Roma. If you can't go view the documents in person, you can still read all the details about Caravaggio's life of crime as reported by the BBC.

Jeff Koons comes back to Earth

2011-02-16T11:27:00.000-06:00

Back in December we were shocked and awed to find out that Jeff Koons had filed a lawsuit against the San Francisco gallery Park Life, over their sale of book ends that were based on the image of a balloon dog. Koons, after all, is an artist whose work famously features appropriation (and who has been sued over this very issue himself). The truly amazing part of all this was that Jeff Koons himself had appropriated the balloon dog in the first place. Had Koons been the first to twist one up, the notion of protecting his balloon creation and it's use would have merit. Unfortunately for Koons, a lawsuit like the one he filed requires more than simply having giant balls, deep pockets and a gung ho legal team.

On Koon's birthday, January 21st, Park Life's attorney answered the suit with a witty and sarcastic counter punch in the form of a federal complaint that contained numerous tweaks including this little nugget: "Upon information and belief, Jeff Koons LLC purports to represent the intellectual property rights of Jeff Koons, a retired stockbroker whose sculptures and other works are well-known for copying pre-existing forms and images from popular culture." Referring to a man, who is considered by many to be among today's preeminent contemporary artists, as simply a "retired stockbroker" must have rattled Koons. He's lucky they didn't call him a pornographer as well.

We waited to see what form of bluster would come next from the great and terrible Koons legal team, but in the end there was only silence. And then last week they quietly they dropped their misguided intellectual property suit, once again leaving the balloon dog squarely in the public domain where Koons found it in the first place. Somebody's getting fired over this one.

street valentine

2011-02-14T13:45:00.001-06:00

Spotted this morning on the way to work.

the best alley in Wicker Park vol. IX: winter wonderland

2011-02-10T23:29:00.000-06:00

We've been slacking on the flickr updates lately. This is not to say that we haven't been shooting pics, we just haven't been posting as regularly as we should. In an effort to catch up, we present a series of pics from the best alley in wicker park taken over the past several weeks. There's nothing like the clean facade that snow provides to accent the ever changing work. See what you've missed over the past couple of months in our flickr set "the best alley in Wicker Park".

2011-02-04T17:13:00.001-06:00

Voina x eBay x Banksy's Identity

2011-02-03T17:05:00.002-06:00

by Rachel Schwerin
The two leading members of the Russian performance art collective Voina have been imprisoned in St. Petersburg without a charges or a trial for four months now. For those who aren't familiar, Voina has been responsible for numerous confrontational and political actions including the painting of a giant penis on a drawbridge that faced the building that housed former KGB offices. Banksy, a fan of the collective's antics, announced a while back that he was going to donate the proceeds from his latest print release to fund their bail. Voina's lawyer offered the court 2 million rubles ($66,000) bail for each, but the judge denied the request. He cited a "lack of information about the person providing the money" for the bail as his justification to keep the Voina members locked up. No doubt Voina’s imprisoned idealogist Oleg Vorotnikov doesn't appreciate the irony that Banksy's anonymity had just been available for purchase through an auction on eBay.

The highly scrutinized auction on eBay was posted by someone who claimed to have used tax records in some capacity to secure proof of the mysterious artist's identity. Evidently the auction seller felt that this was marketable information, and that people looking for bargain electronics and obscure collectables would be equally interested in purchasing the documentation. The auction was pulled before it was completed, but not before bidding reached nearly a million dollars for the promised info. Speculation was that Banksy himself may have been behind either the auction listing or it's removal. Either way, Banky’s identity can now be valued somewhere between $1 million and freedom.

Learn more about Voina (which translates from Russian as 'war') and check out the Free Voina page for the latest developments in their case.

2011-01-25T23:15:00.002-06:00

After some well earned vacation time, we are tanned, rested, and ready to resume bringing you the insightful posts, brilliant photographs and blatant self promotion that you have come to expect from your friends at The Maxwell Colette Gallery.

And though we may be a little late in saying this, all of us here at the gallery are sincere in wishing you a 2011 that's filled with lots of awesomeness and fucking.

the art of culture wars

2010-12-07T16:06:00.002-06:00

The above video speaks for itself. In an act of solidarity with those who stand for artistic freedom and against censorship, we present below the video that The National Portrait Gallery removed at the behest of John Boehner. By the way Mr. Incoming Speaker, if you are in New York this weekend, The New Museum is currently screening the film in their lobby free of charge.

Look out yarn bombers...

2010-12-03T13:19:00.004-06:00

In the realm of urban pole adornment, you have some new competition.

the best alley in Wicker Park vol. VIII

2010-11-30T15:12:00.032-06:00

It's time once again to witness the carnage wrought by repeated bombing runs down the best alley in Wicker Park. Scope out our flickr set to view for yourself what has changed since we last posted pics of the alley back in October.

MARKS & STENCILS Private View

2010-11-29T14:37:00.001-06:00

For those who were unable to attend, Butterfly has posted a wonderful video of the opening of the Pictures On Walls pop up show 'Marks & Stencils' in London. For those who were there, try to spot yourself in the queue...

Rogue Santa: Fugscreens winter art show

2010-11-28T14:39:00.001-06:00

We are pleased to be co-sponsoring the winter art show at Fugscreens Studios on Friday, December 3rd. There will be prints, beverages, gift bags, music from Ornery Little Darlings, an appearance by Santa, and general yuletide merriment for all who attend. We'll see you at Fugscreens Studios (1735 N. Ashland Ave) starting at 7pm for this one-night-only event.

"You and your friends are all invited to come and show your support for the most wonderful time of the year along with our best group yet of Chicago-based screen printers! In keeping with the bustling holiday spirit, the shop will be filled with fun sights and activities. We'll have live, personal button-making, raffles, a mystery poster bin, newly designed t-shirts, and a goodie bag for all! With a myriad of things to do and fantastic work to look at, you definitely don't want to miss this!"

new print from Banksy

2010-11-27T13:46:00.002-06:00

It's official: a new Banksy print is going to drop in December. A test print (or unique variant) of the image is hanging on the wall at the Pictures On Walls pop up show 'Marks and Stencils' in London, and the print appears in the new POW Winter Catalog and on their website. There is no confirmation yet as to whether the release will be handled by a lottery (like the release for 'donuts') or some combination of in-store and online mayhem (like 'No Ball Games'). Time to practice masking your disappointment as your chances of actually nabbing this print are nearly non existant.

Keep an eye on the POW website for details of all the new print releases that are happening in conjunction with 'Marks and Stencils'.

FAILE & BAST together again in the street

2010-11-22T15:42:00.041-06:00

(photo via plaztikmag)

Last weekend BAST and FAILE got together to do an outdoor piece for the Factory Fresh All City Street Art Block Party in Brooklyn. Reminiscent of the FAILE wall that used to exist across the street from the FAILE studio, the work immediately caught the attention of street art fans and practitioners alike. Jaime Rojo from Brooklyn Street Art caught the amazing scene below: that's Futura sitting on the top of his car to get a shot of the finished gate.

photo © Jaime Rojo (via Brooklyn Street Art)

PLAZTIKMAG and BROOKLYN STREET ART were both present for the evening's activities and each has posted amazing behind the scenes pics of the the entire happening on their blog. Thanks for sharing!

is this the face of Banksy...again?

2010-11-15T15:58:00.006-06:00

Keiran Argo is the Animation Programme manager for the nearly unknown British cinematic celebration called 'The Encounters International Film Festival'. Normally we wouldn't pay any mind to the Bristol based fest, but this year Ms. Argo promised the addition of something compelling to the program: footage of Banksy painting a street piece.

According to Argo:
What Banksy didn't bargain for when recently stencilling the back wall of Aardman's new building was the discrete CCTV system they had installed allowing us, for the first time, to put a face to the name. All will be revealed in the programme...

Well, as it turns out all that was revealed was that Argo is full of shit. Evidently she claims she got confused and the piece of footage in question is actually animated. Its easy to understand how one can confuse reality with an animated short film. In college we once made the same mistake with an episode of Ren and Stimpy.

Thanks to ukstreetart for keeping on top of this.

Barry McGee retrospective

2010-11-14T11:49:00.004-06:00

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts has recently awarded a $100,000 grant for a Barry McGee retrospective exhibition. The yet unnamed retrospective will take place in 2012 through The University of California's Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.

See you later giant eyeball...

2010-11-11T16:13:00.008-06:00

Tony Tassett's massive outdoor sculpture installation 'Eye and Cardinals' has finally come down. Despite the project's official ending in October, the giant eyeball was allowed to remain in it's summer home in Pritzker Park for an additional month. As much as we enjoyed the sculpture in situ, we were equally enamored by the surreal tableaux created by it's pieces secured on trailers and trucks driving up State Street.

Art In The Streets

2010-11-10T13:57:00.006-06:00

Jeffrey Deitch's massive street art extravaganza at the Los Angeles Museum of Art is getting closer, and details are starting to come out. We recently found out that there is going to be a companion book 'Art In The Streets' that will be published by Rizzoli in conjunction with the show. We're loving the Twist mural on the book's cover.

This landmark exhibition traces the birth and dissemination of styles through "writers" and street artists around the world—including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Blu, Martha Cooper, Shepard Fairey, Stelios Faitakis, Futura, Phil Frost, Os Gemeos, Keith Haring, Todd James (REAS), Margaret Kilgallen, Lady Pink, Barry McGee (Twist), Steve Powers (ESPO), Lee Quinones, Retna, Kenny Scharf, Swoon, and Ed Templeton, among many others—focusing on New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, as well as international locations. Highlighting the connection between graffiti and street art and other vibrant subcultures, such as those that developed around Hip Hop in the Bronx and skateboarding in Southern California, Art in the Streets explores parallel movements in dance and music. A selection of new works created for the show is presented alongside the historical survey of approximately 30 of the most important artists seminal to the genre. (via Rizzoli)

The book will be published on April 12, 2011 and is available for pre-order through Rizzoli.

FAILE's Bedtime Stories

2010-11-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

The new FAILE show officially debuts tomorrow night at Perry Rubenstein Gallery in New York. The Faile boys have set up a sneak peek of the work (which includes the sublime fashion chimps pictured above). In addition new FAILE stencil pieces have popped up on the street in Brooklyn (thanks to Sabeth for photographing the pieces).

'Bedtime Stories' opens tomorrow night at Perry Rubenstein Gallery and runs until December 23, 2010.

Die Antwoord video included in exhibit at the Guggenheim

2010-11-02T14:58:00.076-05:00

Evidently the Guggenheim Museum rocks far harder than we ever suspected. Die Antwoord's video 'Zef Side' was chosen to be included in the museum's show 'You Tube Play'. Part interview, part performance and completely off the chain, the two and a half minute long viral video was last year's introduction to the strange and compelling world of the South African rap group Die Antwoord. The video is one of 25 that were chosen by a jury whose members included Animal Collective and were presented at the Guggenheim Museums in New York, Bilbao, Venice and Berlin from October 22-24.

The show has come and gone, but you can still see the all the finalist's videos on the Guggenheim's website.

the best alley in Wicker Park vol. VII

2010-10-29T14:30:00.011-05:00

Though our pop up show 'Love Flows Both Ways: street culture x contemporary art' has been keeping us down in the South Loop more than we are used to, we still make the time to check out our favorite Wicker Park alley at least a couple of times a month because it's always worth the effort. As we look back at the last month's activity in the alley, we are struck by Snaki's 'Waste Away Your Starry Nights', with it's visual nod to Van Gogh. It made our inner art school geek smile.

Check out our flickr set here to peep all the great work that appeared in the alley since our last update.

Love Flows Both Ways: pop up show update

2010-10-28T14:36:00.000-05:00

Recently our neighbors over at Time Out Chicago were kind enough to write about our pop up show 'Love Flows Both Ways'. Check out their article and pics of the show here.

The Chiguide wrote about the show as well, as did Chicagoist who used our quote "Art is the new bling" as the title for their arts roundup piece. Thanks for noticing!

And in other pop up related news, we spotted President Bill Clinton across the street from our space the other day. That's him waving in our blurry phone pic below. Unfortunately he wasn't able to pop into the space for a browse. Next time we are going to get him to come in and view the show.

Da Mayor

2010-10-27T15:16:00.003-05:00

Mayor Daley has had an interesting and challenging relationship with the street art community of Chicago, so it is no surprise that said community has taken notice of his announcement that he will not be seeking reelection. After all, Daley's reign has seen the outlawing of spray paint sales within Chicago city limits, the classification of markers as criminal tools, and the creation of "Mayor Daley's Graffiti Busters" whose sole raison d'etre involves the destruction of street art. What is perhaps most amazing is that even after the installation of these draconian measures, Chicago's street art community continues to thrive.

Reaction to Daley's announcement has taken many forms, and has provided an opening for the launch of at least two mayoral campaigns by artists Swiv and Jagoff. We will continue to monitor further developments and bring images of the best Daley inspired street work as we become aware of it.

the making of 'Exit Through The Gift Shop'

2010-10-24T15:07:00.002-05:00

Movie City News has recently posted this in depth interview with two of the creative forces responsible for Banksy's movie 'Exit Through The Gift Shop'. Hear the movie's producer Jaimie D'Cruz and it's editor Chris King muse on what it was like to work with Banksy creating "the world's first street art disaster movie".

You can also read Jaimie D'Cruz's production diary about the two year long project here.
And check out the movie's official site banksyfilm.com for late breaking updates.
The DVD version drops in the USA on December 14.

revolution outside our window...

2010-10-23T17:24:00.003-05:00

One of the most interesting aspects of our pop up show with The Chicago Urban Arts Society has been the amazing variety of people we get to observe outside on State Street. Along with art scene hipsters and bloggers, the show is drawing tourists, loop workers, design students and the occasional homeless person. We also seem to encounter at least one demonstration a week from people angry about something.

If you haven't done so yet, you should consider stopping by the pop up space. You never know what you will see while you're here. Sometimes the view outside our windows is nearly as interesting as what's inside the space.

'LOVE FLOWS BOTH WAYS: street culture x contemporary art' runs thru December 4th. The show is located at 205 S. State Street (State and Adams) and is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 11:30 am until 5:30 pm.

it's starting to get political out there...finally.

2010-10-18T17:14:00.001-05:00

stop motion graffiti

2010-10-15T14:03:00.004-05:00

Love Flows Both Ways: opening night

2010-10-12T10:40:00.003-05:00

Sorry we've been neglecting the blog and the flicker a little bit lately. The preparation and installation of our pop up show with the Chicago Urban Art Society was all consuming, and it has taken us a couple of days to catch up on sleep, emails, and all the posting we've missed. To this end we bring you some photos from Thursday night's opening:

Mad thanks to everyone who turned out for the opening. We hope you had a great time (and perhaps a little too much wine). And a big shout to the staff at the Chicago Urban Art Society, without who's help we would have never been able to frame, wrap, transport and install over one hundred works in the short span of seven days.

In case you missed it: The Chicago Urban Art Society documented the installation of 'Love Flows Both Ways' and posted awesome pics of the process, the opening, and the art on their flickr. And here are links to articles about the pop up opening on chicagoist, flavorpill, and fotoflow.

new work from Banksy

2010-10-11T15:13:00.000-05:00

Banksy has updated the 'outdoors' section of his website with a selection of new street work including this sublime nod to Keith Haring. This isn't the first time that Mr B. has painted a picture of someone walking a famous contemporary art dog. Back in May he hit L.A. and Toronto with mirror images of a security guard brandishing a Koons balloon dog.

And it seems that Mr B's interest in videos is a continuing theme. He has added a 'seen on t.v.' section to the website that features two pieces of British sketch comedy and the jaw dropping opening sequence he story boarded and directed for The Simpsons. Since he posted the update, Fox has made youtube remove the Simpsons video, but you can see the complete sequence here:

Check out the rest of the new street pieces and videos on Banksy's website banksy.co.uk.

Love Flows Both Ways: sneak peek part two

2010-10-05T19:29:00.002-05:00

We've taken over a bank. It was built in 1962 and has underground vaults and safety deposit boxes, the whole nine yards. We're going to stick to hanging the show in the lobby though as the downstairs is pretty creepy and we don't want to have to clean it.

We've packed up a ton of art to fill the space. Though we loathe Rachel Zoe's tv show, we subscribe to her concept of bringing everything, and then editing it down on site. We''re in the space and the editing has begun.

And please don't ask us about the packing tape. It's a long story and we end up looking a little foolish in the end. Let's just say that it was free...

'LOVE FLOWS BOTH WAYS: street culture x contemporary art' opens this thursday, October 7th and runs thru December 4th. The show is located at 205 S. State Street (State and Adams) and will be open Tuesday thru Sunday from 11:30 am until 5:30 pm.

Love Flows Both Ways: sneak peek

2010-09-30T21:37:00.001-05:00

With one week to go until the opening of 'Love Flows Both Ways', we are well into the process of getting everything ready for the pop up gallery opening next thursday, October 7th. We will hit you with installation shots soon, but first, we promised you a peek. Here is a little taster of what is to be expected in the show... Hungry for more? Keep an eye on the blog and our flickr for additional behind the scenes pics coming soon.

the best alley in Wicker Park vol. VI

2010-09-29T16:47:00.001-05:00

Once again it's the end of the month, and time to look back at what has transpired in the best alley in Wicker Park over the past few weeks. This month started with some drama in the alley, but this was overshadowed by some spectacular walls from Amuse and Momentumarttech. In addition, Snaki brought some faces, Herts and Omens brought 'dubster', and someone painted dead cats. Way too much great stuff to list (like this and this and this), so come take a stroll with us down the best alley in Wicker Park in our flickr set here.

modern design in the streets...

2010-09-28T21:36:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what happens once an artist finishes a street piece? There are a myriad of possibilities. Sometimes it sits unnoticed and is allowed to weather gracefully with time. Sometimes it is modified by others who seek to improve it or destroy it. Sometimes it is buffed by Mayor Daley's graffiti blasters before anyone has been able to notice it. To this list of possible scenarios we can now add that sometimes it is used as a photographic background to sell high end modern design pieces at auction.

Chicago's Wright auction house has evidently been sneaking some of the design pieces out of their gallery and into the alleys to get ready for their upcoming auction: Modern Design 12 October 2010. The auction catalog features a handful of photos that break free from that perfectly-lit-void in which most auction objects seem to be photographed. Instead of nothingness we get to see some classic furniture and decorative arts posed (or perhaps juxtaposed) in front of street art pieces by the likes of Cro and Don't Fret.

When asked about the placements we discovered that Cro felt it was strange to have one of his 'Blago' stencils being used as a backdrop for a chair by French designer Jean Prouve (above left). Don't Fret, on the other hand, thought it was pretty funny that the Sol Bloom settee was posed in front of one of his characters (above right) and added the narrative: "I guess the young fellow grew up to be a furniture seller".

View the entire auction on Wright's website wright20.com and be sure to let us know if you recognize any of the other Chicago street art backgrounds.

maxwellcolette x CUAS pop up gallery

2010-09-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

We've been threatening to do a pop up gallery here in Chicago for quite some time now, so we were delighted when our friends at The Chicago Urban Art Society offered us the opportunity to curate a show of the street art and contemporary art multiples that we love. Housed in the raw space of a former bank, 'Love Flows Both Ways' features work culled from a number of private collections, and seeks to explore the relationship between street culture and contemporary art.

"Contemporary art's love affair with street culture is long and well documented, but street culture's return embrace for fine art is a more recent phenomena. Designs from blue chip artists are now found at street level in the form of luxury objects like purses, in underground collectables like sneakers and toys, and in urban lifestyle accessories like skateboard decks. Art is the new bling, and in a fit of populism people on both ends of the spectrum are buying."

We will be posting more details and some sneak peeks over the next week, so make sure you check the blog and the flickr. And Chicago peeps, we'll see you next thursday at State and Adams!

a painterly approach to street art...

2010-09-13T13:30:00.009-05:00

The railroad underpasses off of Hubbard Street have seen it all. Long a staple of the local street art and graff scenes, they have been regularly bombed for years. But something very interesting has been occurring under the train tracks lately. It's painting. I'm not referring to aerosol artistry, I'm talking about good old fashioned brush-and-paint-can painting. And it's on a monumental scale.

There are seven paintings in total that we found. Some are huge- nearly 20 feet in length. They appear to be in various states of completion. It seems the artist starts with a basic form (see below) and then elaborates with increasingly drippy broad strokes until the original form is obscured. The process appears to require a fair amount of time as there are clearly layers that were dry before the next color was applied. The resulting murals have elements that are reminiscent of Willem de Kooning and the abstract expressionists; a visual reference seldom witnessed in todays street art scene.

All of the paintings incorporate some text as well. They bear slogans (titles?) like "Love No Fear | Fear No Love" "the magic you don't c." and "Griots & Bacchanalia". Sometimes the text is next to the painting, and sometimes it is incorporated in the painting itself. The artist states on one work "my name is a four letter word" but signs all the pieces with a black spade (or many spades as the case may be). Since we don't know what to call you, wer're going to call you "Spade". So, hello Spade. If you've got a problem with us calling you that, let us know and we'll correct it.

We first noticed the hand painted stylings of "Spade" last month, and posted pics of the work here, here, and here. Chicago Art Magazine noticed as well and wrote about a piece in their Top Street Art Picks for the month of August.

View pics of all the Hubbard Street pieces by "Spade" on our Flickr set "Hubbard Street Viaduct".

it's time once again...

2010-09-12T13:01:00.001-05:00

This coming weekend the international graffiti festival Meeting Of Styles comes to Chicago. There is a great lineup of acitvities and talent for the three days (and nights) and it looks to be very cool this year. Check out the event flyer with all the listings and keep an eye on the Meeting of Styles website for info and pics from its stops around the globe.

why we love Damien Hirst

2010-09-10T17:04:00.002-05:00

It's a universal problem. You're chilling late at night, wondering what kind of flare you could hit your new, white Range Rover with that would convey the sophistication of contemporary art connoisseurship while at the same time letting everyone know you are a baller with mad stacks back at the crib. And if only there was some way to acquire this magical car bling on your iphone, while sitting on the couch watching tv at 1 o'clock in the morning. Well fret no longer, because Damien Hirst has got you covered.

Nobody makes a more luxurious and decadent designer art object than Damien Hirst. Recent favorites of ours have included his "New Religion" cashmere throw blanket and his silver "Pill Cufflinks". With the unveiling of the new "4x4 Stainless Steel Wheel Cover", Hirst is moving into new territory, declaring that these ultimate consumption / art items are no longer to be relegated to the confines of one's home. They are meant to be utilized and flaunted in public. Art is the new bling.

Paving the way into uncharted marketing opportunities is nothing new for Damien Hirst. With his 2008 exhibition Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, Hirst redefined the artist's relationship with the art gallery, the art dealer, and the auction market. Bypassing the tradition of exhibiting new work in a gallery, Hirst realized that he could instead partner with an auction house and stage the exhibition there as a run up to his auctioning off of the work. Cynics said that by cutting the gallery and the dealer out of the equation, Hirst exercised control over the entire process from creation to sale, and maximized his profitability. This is true, but the real benefit of this action for Hirst was that it broke his art free of the exclusive, secretive, private confines of the established gallery system. You no longer need an "in" with a powerful art world mover-and-shaker to buy the first tier of Hirst's output; you simply need tons of cash and a phone.

Hirst has been seeking out well-heeled collectors through the internet as well. Other Criteria, the gallery that Hirst created to sell his (and some other artist's) work, and their website othercriteria.com has long been the place to go for non-editioned Hirst multiples, books, tshirts, and tchotchkes. Over the past two years it has been offering more (not to mention pricier) editioned works of art and occasional unique pieces as well. Current fare on the site ranges in price from £1 for a postcard of to £140,000 (which is roughly $215,000 usd) for a complete set of recent foil block prints. Aiming for consumers at the top and the bottom of the art market simultaneously requires cunning, skill, and a little bit of madness, and this is why we love Damien Hirst.

performance art from Banksy?

2010-09-02T14:01:00.003-05:00

Banksy has been at it again. He has updated his website and posted pictures of some recent outdoor stencil pieces near the British seaside, and his guerilla installation at Brighton Pier of the reconditioned dolphin ride he originally showed at The Village Pet Shop and Charcoal Grill in New York, which has now been updated to include a ruptured BP oil drum and a wave of crude oil.

Then there was posted a video, "Royal Visit Glastonbury 2010", in which Banksy presents us with a hilarious encounter between a costumed hippy hemp enthusiast and the heir to the British throne. We were dumbfounded that the interaction was permitted to take place, as here in the US you wouldn't even get that sign up before security would be all over you. And throwing a sample bag of weed at "Charlie, Charlie" would be out of the question. The episode displays the cunning of Borat, the brazen recklessness of Jackass and the irreverence towards celebrity of Punk'd.

And it raises numerous questions. Who is the hippy? Is it the same person who posed for the portrait in Times Square wearing a black ski mask back on May 19, 2010? Is Banksy creating another "superstar" (in the Warholian sense) the way he created Mr Brainwash? Are these "pranksy" pieces part of the next big Banksy project or just a diversion? Is it Banksy himself doing these actions? Is it a friend of Banksy's? Is it Robin Gunningham?

For those who don't follow the British tabloids, The Daily Mail ran an article in July 2008 claiming that it had tracked down the identity of Banksy, and that he is Robin Gunnigham (pictured above right). Comparing these two pictures, we cannot rule out that it s the same person in both. Is this Banksy? And if so, what's he up to?

Check Banksy's website banksy.co.uk for future updates.

Shepard Fairey murals in Cincinnati

2010-08-30T15:31:00.009-05:00

Recently we found ourselves in Cincinnati. After taking in some of the local cusine (a Skyline Chili "3-way"; yes that is the actual name) we decided to see if we couldn't find some of those Shepard Fairey murals that went up in conjunction with his retrospective show "Shepard Fairey: Supply and Demand" at the city's Contemporary Art Center.

We figured that since Cincinnati was a hotbed of right wing, anti-art types (remember the prosecution in 1990 of Dennis Barrie for showing Mapplethorpe?), most likely the murals would have been painted over (like this one in Kentucky was within days of it's completion) or vandalized (like the Dietch mural). Many in Cincinnati, no doubt, believe that Shepard Fairey was the Joseph Goebbles of the 2008 presidential election. Surely they wouldn't allow for gigantic propaganda installations from a progressive, communist, socialist, fascist, muslim-loving, supporter of the destruction of traditional marriage like Shepard Fairey to go unchallenged.

To our amazement, many of the murals we were able to locate were pristine. The others were only slightly damaged, exhibiting varying degrees of minor peeling, and some super light toy tagging. There was also one individual with a can of brown spray paint and a small stencil of Michael Jackson (ca. 1971 / Jackson 5 era) who had left his mark on a couple of the larger installations, but that was the pretty much the extent of it. There were no visible political attacks directed towards the murals, anywhere. Way to go Ohio!

Check out the murals on our Flicker set.
Stay on top of all things Shepard Fairey related at OBEYGIANT.

Bob Partington: the sublime potentiality of stored energy

2010-08-27T15:15:00.001-05:00

Bob Partington is an artist who produces art and sculpture that often showcase his interest in technology and science. He also makes cool videos that document his artistic endeavors. We are particularly fond of three of his projects that all utilized spray paint.

The Paint Dart was brilliant in its simplicity. It was a projectile that would stick to anything and delivered the payload of a pocket-can. When the payload deployed, the can was triggered and would hang there discharging the paint, creating huge drippy trails down the side of whatever it was stuck on.

With his Paint Gun and his Briefcase projects, Bob Partington took the use of spray paint in new directions and pushed the boundaries of the medium. I won't waste time describing the works to you. You'll simply have to view the videos for yourself. They are stunning in their originality and their utilization of technology. That briefcase is utter brilliance- and we really, really, really want one!

"Bob’s approach to art-making comes from his interest in energy, and it’s modes of transference: Energy moved in perfect conservation, or in complete chaos—as well as the sublime potentiality of stored energy, like with the charged battery cell or the can of spray paint. This pursuit has led him to explore a variety of materials and technologies that are not always consistent with traditional art making." (bobpartington.com)

You can see more of Bob Partington's incredible art and design on his website www.bobpartington.com and view his videos on his Youtube channel.

the best alley in Wicker Park vol. V

2010-08-24T00:14:00.003-05:00

It's time once again for the monthly update of our Flicker set "the best alley in Wicker Park". Bender, the robot street artist, has recently shown up in the alley along with an anti BP political statement and a huge rainbow trout. All in all, it was an interesting month.

See the entire set on our Flickr.

Goldman Sachs gets snarky.

2010-08-23T16:19:00.002-05:00

This past spring, we noticed that these stickers were popping up around Chicago. Evidently Goldman Sachs took notice of the same stickers when they began appearing in Manhattan. Nymag.com's Daily Intel reached out to GS for comment regarding the stickers, and surprisingly, they had one.

GS spokesman Lucas van Praag is quoted saying that the company had no plans to take "any action" toward the people behind the stickering campaign. He then added that he thought "whoever is producing it gets a failing grade for originality." Evidently Goldman Sachs has heard it all before...

Read the full piece on Daily Intel.
Thanks to our friends at Pawn Works for bringing this to our attention.

Metamorphosized

2010-08-18T14:54:00.005-05:00

Metamorphosized, originally uploaded by Poster Boy NYC.

Posterboy has a Flickr account. On his photostream you can see some of his most recent work, like the Kafka inspired Metamorphosized who's picture was just shot and uploaded today. Like we needed a reason to be spending more time on Flickr...

Click the bug to go to Poster Boy NYC's photostream on Flickr.

why we continue to love Faile

2010-08-15T13:01:00.011-05:00

With Faile Temple, the Brooklyn street art collective Faile have proven yet again why they are to be considered not just among the vanguard of the street art movement, but also the broader contemporary art world as well. Similar to what they did for their Deluxx Fluxx Arcades last year, Faile have created a website for the Faile Temple project (which can be viewed here). The site hosts all the pertinent information as well as fantastic photographs of the finished Temple. This amazing piece of monumental sculpture is worth an in depth viewing. If Mies Van Der Rohe was correct that god is in the details, then this is indeed a holy place.

View Faile Temple at www.failetemple.net.
Check out last year's Deluxx Fluxx Arcade at www.deluxxfluxx.com.
Keep an eye on Faile's website at www.faile.net.

our late summer reading list...

2010-08-14T15:15:00.079-05:00

We are big time art book junkies. We haven't purchased a book that didn't contain pictures in years. And we find ourselves monitoring upcoming releases with the kind of giddy anticipation usually reserved for small children and their birthdays. With this in mind, we bring you two suggestions from recently published titles, and two from the soon to arrive art books that we are holding our breath for.

Supreme (Introduction by Glenn Obrien, Preface by Aaron Bondaroff, Interview between James Jebbia ans KAWS) is the first monograph to explore the output of the legendary New York street fashion and skateboard company. Equal parts punk rock and hip hop, fashion and skate, Supreme is a brand that defies classification. The entire gamut of their productions are surveyed; from art decks by Hirst, Koons and Murakami to lids and t's to their notoriously pornographic calenders. Check out Supreme's site and see more about this book from it's publisher Rizzoli.

Posterboy: The War of Art is the first book from Posterboy. It documents his cut and paste subway work of the past few years that has earned him both acclaim and arrest. For those who don't know, Posterboy uses a razor to cut pieces off the self adhesive posters that are used in the New York subway system. He then recombines the pieces to create often hillarious new signage. After being arrested for this, he has recently become an advocate for first ammendment rights. Read about Posterboy and his legal troubles here and peep the flyer for his August 28th book signing event in New York, LA, Miami and London.

FAILE: Prints + Originals 1999- 2009 is a book we have been waiting on for quite some time. It is a detailed retrospective of the Brooklyn based collective's fine art, put together by the Patricks. Big and glossy and full of art we love, this one is sure to live on our coffee table. The book will not be published in the US until September, but there are advance copies popping up on eBayUK for those who are so inclined. Go to the archives on FAILE's website to get a taste of what's in store.

KAWS by Monica Ramirez-Montagut with Germano Celant is the first comprehensive survey of the body of work created by the multidisciplinary aritst KAWS. From early graffiti and ad disruptions to toys to recent high concept gallery work, seventeen years in the world of KAWS is portrayed in vibrant color and and detail. This title is due to be released in November 2010. Until then, read more from the publisher Rizzoli and keep an eye on KAWS's site.

All titles are available through Amazon.

photo ops

2010-08-12T15:46:00.004-05:00

Despite the heat, we've been taking a lot of photos lately and it seems that they are getting noticed. Our street art images have been featured recently by The Reader, Chicago Art Magazine, and Chicagoist, among others.

Check out our most recent set "land of shadows" when you peep our Flickr photostream.

EINE interview

2010-08-07T16:54:00.000-05:00

Don't Panic has posted an engrossing interview with Ben Eine, the London graffiti artist who's painting Twenty First Century City was just given to President Obama by the British Prime Minister last month. Hear this career vandal muse on topics such as: avoiding arrest, cutting stencils, and of course Banksy.

new work from BAST

2010-08-05T13:54:00.013-05:00

One of our favorite street artists, Brooklyn's BAST, has released a small edition print through Papermonster. The piece is called Woman Ooze, and it features one of the new designs he created for the Deluxx Fluxx Arcade projects last year. The print is huge (34.5" x 48"), hand painted acrylic and screen printing on archival paper, from a signed edition of only 14, and, as of this writing is totally sold out.

Keep an eye on Bastny.com and papermonster.net for upcoming BAST print releases.

giving grades...

2010-08-04T17:47:00.001-05:00

gun god go

2010-07-30T15:20:00.009-05:00

We've had a number of people send us tips about these cheerleader stencils that have been popping up around Chicago. For the record, no, they are not by Banksy. The piece, Gun God Go, is the brainchild of internationally noted Chicago artist Ray Noland aka CRO.

We can't get enough of these ladies in black, as they conjure up memories of the cheerleaders we still lust after from that 20 year old Nirvana video. Let there be no doubt that these faceless embodiments of teen spirit are the antithesis of those Nirvana ladies. They eschew the anarchy signs and tattoos and raw sexuality of yesterday's counterculture for the highly charged symbols of our current right wing jingoism.
Smells like culture wars.

And in other CRO news, Run Blago Run has been making appearances around town again sporting some air yeezys. Check out recent sightings on our flickr.

go big or go home...

2010-07-26T21:12:00.000-05:00

Recently we noticed AOM bringing the doubleXL sized throw ups to an alley in Wicker Park. Epic in their scale and tight in their execution, these gloriously drippy characters struck us as standouts in the genre.

the best alley in Wicker Park vol. IV

2010-07-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

It's time once again to take a look down the best alley in Wicker Park. This month has brought increased seating to the alley, among other things...

View the entire set of photos on our Flickr.

a weird day for Ben Eine

2010-07-21T15:12:00.007-05:00

Ben Eine posted the following on his website on July 20, 2010:
"So it's been a weird day today, so weird that I've decided to visit my website. David Cameron has given one of my paintings to President Obama in an Art Swap. I've up loaded an image of the painting in the gallery section. thanks"

The painting to which he is referring, Twenty First Century City, was indeed included among the official gifts brought by the British PM to President Obama. According to the BBC, Eine's work was chosen because the Prime Minister's wife, Samantha, considers him one of her "favorite artists". In return Mr. Cameron received Ed Ruscha's lithograph Column With Speed Lines from The American President.

For those who may be wondering, Ben Eine is best known as a graffiti artist. Examples of his street art typography can be found around London. In addition Eine was the in house printer for Pictures On Walls until 2008, and was responsible for producing many of Banksy's most iconic prints. The connection between Eine and Banksy extends outside the print house, and there is speculation that Eine was involved in some of Banksy's best known street work as well.

Explore Ben Eine's website einesigns.co.uk to view his work.
View Eine and Banksy prints on Pictures On Walls.
Read the BBC's complete coverage of all the Cameron / Obama gift swapping action here.

Hebru Brantley's Hebru Glow

2010-07-20T15:32:00.007-05:00

This piece by Hebru Brantley is certainly not new, but we only recently found the movie Brantley made of its execution. It is fascinating to watch the piece evolve over its creation; something you rarely get to witness firsthand with street art.

See more Hebru Brantley work on his website www.hebrubrantley.com and check out his blog Whup Yo Kids.

yarn bombing

2010-07-19T17:26:00.012-05:00

Recently we've been noticing a lot more guerilla knitting here in Chicago. We feel it's about time that somebody crafted Cosby sweaters for our neglected sign posts and bike racks. The pictures above document recent work we spotted in Wicker Park and on Michigan Avenue. After a little digging we discovered that this phenomena is confined to neither metal tubing nor the United States. Yarn bombing hits everything from trees to a WWI tank, and has been documented in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. And much to our surprise, it's not just young hipster women who are doing these renegade street art installations.

Explore the world of knit street art on the flicker groups guerilla knitting and knithacker.

Read Magda Sayeg's knit graffiti blog Knitta Please.

Invesitgate yarn bombing and the creation of the first "knit graffiti" crew (Knitta). Further information on the subversive undertones of knitting and correlations between knitters and hackers (yes, you read that correctly) is available at The History of Guerilla Knitting.

cartoon art imitates street art

2010-07-16T17:48:00.005-05:00

INVASION OF FUTURAMA
Uploaded by extermitent. - Watch original web videos.

A recent episode of Futurama included the robot character Bender creating street art mosaics in the style of Space Invader.

Familiarize yourself with the invasion on Space Invader's website.

Banksy: hood rat?

2010-07-09T16:18:00.006-05:00

It's no secret that we believe Chicago has yet to yield all it's Banksy work. Surely there exists more than the three known works (the untouchables pram, the downtown rat, and you concrete me). Our recent hunt has turned up a fake monkey, but we've seen nothing plausible as work from Mr B until now. Could this hood rat be one of the undiscovered Banksys in Chicago?

The hood rat is down on the south side near US Cellular Field. It's large for a rat, standing nearly 25 inches high. It was first discovered by Chicago artist Hebru Brantley who posted a pic on his blog Whup Yo Kids. We are not 100% convinced of the authenticity of this piece, but if this is a fake at least its a damn clever one. Banksy or not, we like the hood rat.

View more pics of the hood rat on our flickr along with pictures of the other Banksy works in Chicago.

Check out Hebru Brantley's blog Whup Yo Kids and view his artwork on his website.

on the walk to work...

2010-07-07T16:33:00.004-05:00

Tony Tasset: snow and eyes

2010-07-06T11:04:00.019-05:00

Most days, we see one of internationally renowned artist Tony Tasset's sculptures on our way to work. The piece (on Chicago Avenue, just west of Ashland in the display window of the former Goldblatt's Department Store) is titled Snow Sculpture For Chicago and is an amazingly realistic recreation of the type of dingy grey, garbage encrusted snow pile that is familiar to many urbanites. "These piles of snow are sublime; both ugly and beautiful, like life" is how Tasset sees it.

Tomorrow (July 7th) marks the official debut of Tasset's latest public art installation in Chicago. Eye is a three story tall representation of a human eyeball that will reside in downtown's Pritzker Park. It will be mounted facing the corner of State Stret and Van Buren. We are excited to have something else to visit when we make our occasional treks downtown to view the Millennium Park sculptures.

More on Tony Tasset can be viewed here and here. Read more about Tony Tasset's sculpture, Eye, in Abraham Ritchie's article on The Chicago Art Blog. Peep additional info on Snow Sculpture For Chicago.

Land of the Lost

2010-06-29T17:11:00.001-05:00

We are not convinced that all the Banksy work in Chicago has been discovered, and we are constantly prowling new areas in search of it. Recently our travels took us off the beaten path, and we stumbled upon an alley that has not been buffed since 2005. Ever wonder what would happen if Mayor Daley's Graffiti Busters suddenly stopped slathering the city in monkeyshit brown paint? Behold...

You can view the entire alley in its overgrown glory on our new Flicker set Land of the Lost. Its five years of classic bombing plus a few spectacular failures. And be sure to check out our other sets for more recent street art in Chicago.

"encounters with the terrible sublime" / why we love Tom Sach's SPACE PROGRAM

2010-06-23T15:12:00.003-05:00

We have been big fans of Tom Sachs since the late 1990's when he first popped into onto our radar with his cardboard and thermal tape constructions of designer branded objects like the Prada toilet and the Hermes value meal. Since those days his constructions have become more ambitious and his staging has grown to mythic proportions. One of our favorite Tom Sachs moments of all time is captured in the movie above. In 2007's Space Program Sachs recreated a lunar lander, all the associated astronaut gear (like flight suits and equipment) and a mission control center. Then he and his staff recreated the moon shot from lift-off, to moon landing, to splash down, all with breathtaking attention to detail and a wicked sense of humor. As the press release for the project summarizes:

In addition to the huge, intricately built lunar module that is the centerpiece of SPACE PROGRAM - replete with such classic Sachsian features as a fully stocked booze cabinet, toolkit, and soundtrack necessary for survival on an alien planet - visitors will find a fully functioning mission-control unit. On a grid of monitors, the liturgy of space exploration unfolds in a live demonstration by Sachs and his team, involving countless rituals and procedures, from instrument checks to moon-walking and sample-collecting to splash-down. Thus the gallery becomes a sort of reliquary of both the material traces and special effects of the artist's encounters with the terrible sublime.

Learn more about Tom Sachs on his website www.tomsachs.org. While you are there be sure to check out the art goodies in his store, including the Stanley Kubrick Tape Measure which made us smile.
Video and press release from tomsachs.org.