Opening April 26: David Soukup - Perennial Escapism

Vertical Escapism (2013), 40" x 40", Spray Paint Stencil on Mixed Media 

Maxwell Colette Gallery is pleased to announce Perennial Escapism, a solo exhibition from Chicago-based artist David Soukup. The show will run from April 26, 2013 through June 1, 2013, with an opening reception on Friday, April 26, from 6pm until 10pm. Perennial Escapism presents a collection of richly textured mixed media paintings on wood, with imagery derived from the artist’s own photographs of early 20th century wrought iron fire escapes in Chicago.

Soukup’s paintings combine visual elements of graphic design and collage with the tactile elements of paint and reclaimed materials to create decidedly urban motifs. He hand-cuts the elaborate stencils, some up to four feet in length, that are utilized to create his paintings. The resulting latticework of iron bars and shadows echoes the visual experience of his everyday life, and reflects his obsession with meticulous detail.

“This work represents a personal 'escape' so to speak” says Soukup. “I went back to what first made me passionate. I drew inspiration not just from the city imagery itself, but from the textures, the grit, and the distress that makes up a city. Perennial Escapism marks the beginning of a new direction, one I've never been more excited to pursue.”

Escape No. 5 (2013), 30" x 30", Spray Paint Stencil on Mixed Media

David Soukup’s artwork has been shown in Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Los Angeles, and internationally in Adelaide and Melbourne. His paintings have been featured on Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose and Artist-a-Day. This is Soukup’s first show with Maxwell Colette Gallery. More about David Soukup can be found on his website www.soukupvisual.com. 

MARKS & STENCILS Private View

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...

new print from Banksy

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

(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!

FAILE's Bedtime Stories

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.

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

new work from Banksy

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.

modern design in the streets...

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

  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!

performance art from Banksy?

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.

Bob Partington: the sublime potentiality of stored energy

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.

our late summer reading list...

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.

EINE interview

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.

gun god go

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.

a weird day for Ben Eine

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.

Banksy: hood rat?

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...

the best alley in Wicker Park vol. III

We have once again posted some recent pictures of the best alley in Wicker Park on our Flickr.  You can see for yourself how it has morphed over the past few weeks.

Fake Banksy

We knew it was bound to happen in Chicago sooner or later...

See more street art on our Flickr.

is this the face of Banksy?

Recently, the elusive Mr B. once again updated the "outdoors" section of his website. The last time he did this, we here in Chicago discovered that we had Banksy art in the Windy City. No such luck this time, though pictures were added further documenting the recent spate of Banksy street art that popped up across North America in conjunction with his movie "Exit Through The Gift Shop".

Then there is the picture above. It is posted in the "outdoors" section as well. The photograph next to it on the site shows a masked man sitting for a street portrait in Times Square in front of the Viacom headquarters. It is undoubtedly the same masked person in both the sketch and the photograph. We are led to assume that the sketch is the result of the street sitting. Are we to believe that this is Banksy in the drawing, hiding in plain sight?

Is this tongue in cheek performance art or political statement? Is it a commentary on anonymity or fame or terrorism or simply an homage to Chris Burden's 1971 performance "You'll never see my face in Kansas City"? And if it's not Banksy in the pictures, who is it and what is his connection to the artist? So many questions, and as usual no answers from Banksy.

View the pics for yourself on Banksy's website: banksy.co.uk.
Read about Chris Burden's astounding performance art of the 1970's including "You will never see my face in Kansas City".