Secret Still

I think the first Swampy skull I saw was a great big, shiny, pink bastard at Albany Bulb in all its heavy metal monster glory. And like a lot of things in the world — when it’s in your mind, you start seeing it everywhere (especially because he chills in Oakland a lot). I didn’t know who was making them (Ert told me at some point), but I knew that I kept imagining these long dead titanic beasts roaming the land, crushing everything in their path without thinking, sludge metal playing in the background. Just real fucking awesomeness. Fast forward to a few days ago when I posted about the Living Walls conference (mentioned here). Swampy himself will be in attendance, and I was reminded that, “hey, I like that guy’s work.” As with all the things I like, I am now forcing you to look at it. LOOK AT IT. There, now go do whatever you want, I don’t care.

Swamp Donkey

For the first time maybe ever in my life, I find myself wanting to be in Atlanta. Not to stay, hell no, but for just long enough to attend the Living Walls events that are going down August 13-15. The whole idea of the Living Walls conference is kind of a free form, fly by the seat of your pants event that brings Street Artists from all over the world together to do what it is they do best: make some art on the streets. There are lectures and whatnot, but the real draw is the legal walls to mess around with, and, of course, the not legal walls that will also get used. You can’t put that many street artists together in one place and not expect something amazing to happen. If I could afford it, I’d hop a plane to Atlanta, and join in the fun. Instead the ATL and I will remain, as always, quiet enemies.

Living Walls

Just dig on that, Monday readers. Just dig your bleary eyes into that.

Escif

Here we see the graffiti in its natural habitat. A timid creature, the graffiti tends to occupy the quiet, untrafficked areas of urban landscapes. It can often be seen grazing under overpasses, behind large buildings, or even in train yards. Due to overcrowding of its habitat, however, it has more recently been forced onto the streets and sidewalks, finding shelter in newspaper machines, on trash cans, even street signs. The graffiti has adapted itself to these adverse conditions by becoming smaller and less intricate, sacrificing its former beauty for survival. Often, in these more public environments, the graffiti’s lifespan is shortened to days rather than months or years, leaving behind the blank, geometric husk of their fully matured forms. The graffiti, one of nature’s most interesting creatures, is threatened by extinction from its modern, fast-paced, ever-changing environment, driven out by ads, a cunning and pervasive species, which can even mimic the graffiti’s appearance to gain further control on the ecosystem. These paintings of graffiti in their former glory may be all we have to remember them by in a few years when the species has silently faded away forever.

Jessica Hess

He’s like a French graffiti style Dr. Seuss, wearing brass knuckles and smoking a blunt. I’m pretty sure that makes us blood brothers. Or at least homeboys. Is that still a word? Homeboy?

Alexone

Ukrainian artist Irena Zablotska did something this morning that no one has done in a very long time (meaning a month or so). She inspired me to get back out on the street and paint a wall. Or actually I might start with a wall in my apartment, but either way she is the inspiration for my renewed interest in something big. She’s got that subtle something that’s very Eastern European about her work, and the other 95% of it is just plain, old badass. I especially enjoy the more geometric works. They remind me a little of Tim Biskup’s more recent works. I just can’t help it lately; I love all things geometric. When I close my eyes all I can see are lines and shapes intersecting and overlapping. Thanks to Zablotska, I’m going to be seeing those shapes on every blank wall I pass today.

Irena Zablotska

Don’t know shit about the dude. I know I’m into his hella grungy stencils and paintings. Do I really need to know anything else? Nuh uh. And neither do you.

VRNO

I’ve only ever visited the Metro DC area once in my life, and that was on a guided elementary school field trip. So I didn’t really get to see much of the city outside of the monuments and halls of government. I’m regretting never going back for a closer look at the non-political side of the city now that I’ve come across the work of DC artist D.Billy. David William, aka D.Billy, has recently embarked on a project to recreate the world as action art. Is that too hard a concept to understand? Basically he is trying to turn the whole world into a Michel Gondry movie. Using balloons, artists tape and whatever else he has at hand, D.Billy has started to illustrate how the world sounds. It’s a sweet project on top of an already impressive body of work. If you haven’t gotten the chance before, now’s the time to scope out his portfolio.

D.Billy

Slinkachu, the most brilliant motherfucker behind The Little People Project has embarked on a new, and dare I say even more ingenious, art project. The Inner City Snail project takes your everyday garden snail and transforms it into a tiny piece of mobile street art. Non-toxic paints are used in case any of you were about to alert PETA; none of the snails get hurt. He’s also managed to incorporate his little people into the project, tying everything together in a tidy package. Tagging up snails? Fuck me that is awesome.

Inner City Snail

I don’t need to dress this up. The concept and implementation are so good it sells itself. Gajin Fujita creates works that are a combination of modern street styles and traditional Japanese painting. It’s easy to picture even if I didn’t throw up an image for you. Just think of all the Samurai and Geishas doing what they’ve always done, but painted into a world of graffiti and other street art. Fujita manages to tie the two together so seamlessly that you can almost imagine some kids with spray cans bombing around Feudal Japan. Turf wars would be a lot worse if everyone had swords; and you’d probably have to commit seppuku if found guilty of biting someone else’s style. It’s a hard knock life.

Gajin Fujita