opening on January 20th: STUCK UP!

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!

SLAP HAPPY: a sticker invitational

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

new stickers from INVADER

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

it's time once again...

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.

the best alley in Wicker Park vol. IV

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.

Land of the Lost

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.

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.

on the walk to work...

on the walk to work...