HELLBENT: Past Future Perfect

Maxwell Colette Gallery is excited to announce Past Future Perfect, a show of new paintings from J. Mikal Davis a.k.a. Hellbent. The Brooklyn-based Davis has achieved acclaim for his unique street art, which fuses intense colors with ornate stenciling of neoclassical patterns to create a bold, freeform geometry. This will be the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery and first show in Chicago.

The gallery will host an opening reception for Past Future Perfect on Friday, April 18 from 6 - 10pm. The reception is free, and open to the public. The artist will be in attendance.

Read the press release for Past Future Perfect here.

Check out more work from Hellbent, including his incredible murals, on his website hellbent art.com.

Opening January 11, 2014: Peeta and Alecks Cruz solo shows

Maxwell Colette Gallery is excited to be starting 2014 with two stunning solo shows exploring the cutting edge of post-graffiti letter styles. White Out will feature new paintings from the renowned Italian graffiti artist Peeta (Manuel Di Rita) and Redemption will premier large-scale cardboard sculptures from Chicago-based artist Alecks Cruz.  Both shows will open on Saturday, January 11 with a reception from 6pm - 10pm.

White Out will present white-on-white canvases inspired by the aesthetics of crystalline water: ice and snow.  Peeta states that the paintings in White Out are an “attempt to render the most deceptive condition that snow can cause; in which visibility and contrast are so severely reduced that no reference point remains, and the individual experiences a distorted orientation.” Far from cold, the new paintings  exude a bright, sparkling, total whiteness and convey a painterly sophistication and sumptuous monochromatism that feels very at home in the moment.

Redemption will debut six new sculptures from Alecks Cruz. The three dimensional sculptures are meant to be viewed from all angles, and range in height from three to five feet tall. These pieces, fashioned out of discarded cardboard, are Cruz’s personal reaction to the co-opting of graffiti by external forces. Through the act of slicing the branding and the commercial typography on the cardboard, destroying it, and ultimately reconfiguring it into a graffiti based form, Cruz is able to exact a measure of revenge for the distasteful marketing that threatens to reduce graffiti to cliche.

These two solo shows will run from January 11 - March 1 2014

Read the press release for peeta-white-out.

Read the press release for alecks-cruz-redemption.

Signs of the Post-Street Art Age...

Photo by carnagenyc via Instigram

When we saw the first pictures of Banksy's outdoor piece on October 1st in NYC, we immediately noticed the sign. Appearing to be held on the wall by mere screws, the "Graffiti Is A Crime" placard seemed to invite it's own removal. There was no doubt in our minds that it would be stolen only to reappear on eBay with an exorbitant price tag.  As it turns out we were correct about it being stolen, but we never anticipated the rest.

via @sozism on Instigram

Sometime between the evening of October 1st and the morning of October 2nd the original sign was removed.  Also, during this same time period Smart Crew replaced the missing signage with their own version reading: "Street Art Is A Crime". Instagram users posted pictures of both versions, some unaware that the sign had even been replaced. The Smart Crew sign lasted until the morning when all signage was removed and the piece was buffed.

via @signofbanksy on Instagram

Then the sign, (or at least someone purporting to have the sign and possessing marginal photoshop editing skills), popped up unexpectedly on Instagram under the account name @signofbanksy. If you believe the photos, the sign spent some time hanging out in various locations around New York.  It even went to view another Banksy site. And then the sign dropped out of sight again...

...until today when this popped up on someone's Bigcartel site. Yes it's true, you can now order a first rate bootleg of the purloined Banksy placard direct from the UK. You gotta give props for the speed of this knockoff venture! After all, it's only been a week since the original went missing. If you're wondering whether there really is market for this kind of thing, based on the volume of reproduction Banksy merchandise currently available for purchase on the internet the answer is a resounding yes.





And speaking of the internet, why hasn't the original sign popped up for sale there? Traditionally eBay is the sale platform of choice for purloined street pieces.  Is it because:
a) the possessor of the sign knows that it is potentially salable through an auction house for tens of thousands of dollars.
b) the possessor fears that any public display or sale of the piece would alert the property owner of the wall from which it was removed who will immediately challenge the ownership and the sale of the sign.
c) the possessor has realized that what he has done is not simply the removal of a piece of street art,  but a felonious theft of a high value piece of art for which he may be subject to arrest.
d) the possessor of the sign is Banksy himself who has been participating in the destruction of the street pieces to prevent them from falling into the hands of speculators and collectors.

This is far from over.  It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Rodrigo Level and Gabriel Kieling mural for SITE...

Rodrigo Level / Gabriel Kieling Chicago 2013

Rodrigo Level and Gabriel Kieling were invited to paint a mural for SITE, an outdoor mural project sponsored by the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. SITE was organized by Tristan Hummel and curated by Chicago street artist Don't Fret. The project will feature an eclectic lineup with murals to be completed and unveiled over the coming days.

Level and Kieling's wall is located at 7256 S Exchange street. It is definitely worth the trek down to South Shore to see this in person. Big shout out to our pals at Holiday Exploits! We couldn't have done this project without you!

Rodrigo Level / Gabriel Kieling, Chicago 2013

New Work From Banksy + FAQ's

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

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.