Posts filed under 'Miscellaneous'
We recentlty celebrated the opening of a new exhibition by UK artist (www.mattsewell.co.uk). Tree lover and master of organic ,this neo-hippy ilustrator Matt Sewell presents his premier solo exhibition in Spain right here in Subaquatica. Titled “The sun shines everyday” the artist describes the work he has elaborated for the ocassion this way: “Is about wanderings, fleeting thoughts, leaving home, migrating birds, castles in the sky, her face in the clouds. The beauty of the world and how nature can look after itself, tigers and crocodiles. The sun and Mother earth”
Proud son of the 70s Matt is known for his street work and his illustrations, with influences that come from European comic books from the end of the 20th century and his childhood in the countryside. The output is to no-one’s surprise a quite optimistic and colorful body of work whether if it’s out on the streets, his studio or commercial work as an illustrator.
March 6th, 2008 11:17pm
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Last dec. 15th we celebrated the opening of a new show by Derrick Hodgson (www.madreal.com), a Toronto based artist and illustrator whose work is a clear example of the so called “character design” thing. His imagery is based on his own experiences growing up in a small rural community north of Toronto and relating these experiences to the expanding urban environment he finds himself in at present. His recent work deals with a theme of rural meets urban and the urge to gain control over our future in relation to an escalating loss of nature. In this work, complex social spaces are crowded with somewhat real and mutated characters. He has been working freelance with a wide range of clients for the past 9 years such as Nike (USA and Canadá), Sony Creative (Japan), 55DSL or Fox TV (USA) among many others and has participated in a number of solo and group shows in galleries worldwide from Denmark to Australia or Italy. This will be his first solo show in Spain and under the title “Heavy Stew”. In his own words: “in simple terms the concept of stewing is putting a bunch of ingredients in a pot and letting them cook for a long period of time… I do this with my drawings and characters… its a visual stew of line and colour”.
December 12th, 2007 09:57pm
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This past saturday we had a very classy vernissage for our new show at Subaquatica by Pelucas. About the psicotropic universe that Pelucas spits wherever he goes we could go into infinite detail but basically what you see is what you get. The main characters of this particular film, apparently simple and childish, reflect a inner self that proceeds from the abyss of conscience in an endless battle against killer routine and hidden behind shines of fluorescent black. No one can remain unaltered when confronting the esquizo-frenetic world that emanates from Pelucas. Part of the most surreal collective “Los niños especialitos” alomg with his twin brother Tiñas, Nano4814 and a couple of other equally bizarre partners, Pelucas compiles the best from his latest creations in diverse media and techniques for this, his first solo exhibition in Madrid.
October 10th, 2007 10:10pm
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Not long ago, our friend Ana Neto, was sent us an article with her first impressions after arriving to San Francisco during her world tour. Now, we finally have the chance to know what else she found in that amazing city before coming back to good old Europe.
Text by Ana Neto
Os gemeos piece at Market street
Living in a big city can be a truly difficult test. The struggle to survive is endless, as it is the amazement of being in such a place. Each day is a brand new day, and that’s what keeps us floating. Maybe, that’s why cities are full of people who look out for that special opportunity, the one that’s going to change their lives completely. The American dream can be bought in every corner, but strangely enough only a few walk the streets with a happy look on their faces. Like in any big city and San Francisco is no different. After the predictable love affair, the insatiable curiosity tends to end fast and a ruff lonely morning is what you’re most likely to find. The wind, unforgettably cold, wakes you up for a reality that doesn’t seem exactly the expected one. To have the ability to see through a work of art and ask yourself what are they really trying to say can be the answer to so many broken hearts. Maybe it’s time to start paying attention and look closer. Art can tell us many things but maybe just not what we’re expecting.
Robert Crumb at The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
The true anti- hero when talking about the good old american ideals, Robert Crumb doesn’t exactly defend the land of the free and the home of the brave. Father of the underground comics movement, he revolutionized the illustration world and never doubted to put his finger where it hurted the most. Totally ignored by the comic book publishing industry he decided to take matters into his own hands creating a whole new language, an unforeseen universe. Satire, politics and a lot of sex made Crumb a problem for the institutions. After more than 30 years the creator of Fritz the Cat has, finally, decided to cooperate and lets the mainstream peek into his world filled with strange “dangerous” characters that will fill everyone’s mind with bad intentions. Robert Crumb makes us see that there are many ways to fight the power, he teaches us to, simply, say no to an elitist society, a corrupt reality. Once again The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is to blame for making good curatorial choices and so for having the honor of presenting the work of a master that feeds himself on the underground world, a reality that always seems to be just around the corner.
Margaret Kilgallen at The Luggage Store Gallery, Market street
Jessie street
“People say that we hate the city. We don’t hate the city. We love the city. It’s our city”. This is what a graffiti artist says in the documentary “Piece by Piece”, where, in 78 minutes, Graffiti art in San Francisco is tracked and explained, literally, piece by piece. A love for the city, that, only another Graffiti artist is willing to recognize. An art dangerous for it’s double face, an art that saves and at the same time needs to be saved. The will to create a new style, different from New York or Los Angeles, was what made these artists struggle with bravery. The need to defend their territory and by that making San Francisco a city with the ultimate style was what made them fight against everything the society was in favor of. What’s this love about then? Why people choose to see it as hate? Graffiti, like a species almost reaching extinction, still fights for it’s life searching new ways of breathing, adapting to a reality that has never, really, appreciated what was being given to her. Call it old school, new school, muralist art etc the so-called love for the city remains the same and finds its way trough the newer generations.
Andrew Schoultz
Two different artists, two different exhibitions, one same gallery; White Walls Gallery is, decidedly, a name to remember. March was time for Andrew Schoultz, an artist well known for his large and thoroughly detailed murals. He has his style all right! Something clearly has to be said here, and you better be prepared because he does ask for your attention. So you should stop and listen because the effort and the energy that comes out from his work are well worth it. Releasing his first book: “Ulysses: Departures, Journeys & Returns”, Schoultz shows that he’s not here to decorate. His work is strong in its meanings, where politics and social issues hide behind “innocent” birds. One month latter the talk is on Caleb Neelon and Ben Woodward’s show “Child’s Prey”. For someone who only knows Neelon for his writings (Swindle Magazine, Juxtapoz etc) this was a good surprise. A curious world, full of color and strange furry characters makes us, strangely enough, feel at ease. It seems quite obvious that there’s no fear, at all, in experimenting and in trying new ways of showing art. There’s humor and imagination. No chance of getting bored.
Ben Woodward
At the end of the day what does the city, really, gives us back? Why do we continue to fight for it? There are no more opportunities; the dream has been sold out. And now what? Well, stop looking for something that doesn’t exist and start giving value to what’s being done now. Instead of asking for one more chance we have to be the ones that actually give that chance. We have to allow ourselves to listen to what the others have to say. It can be a comic book, an exhibition or a mural. It’s time to stop and make time to see what’s on the other side of the mirror. In the big cities each day is a brand new day full of surprises, full of endless opportunities. At the end of the day it’s on us to make that choice.
San Francisco you won’t be forgotten.
July 15th, 2007 07:36pm
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This past saturday, 14th of july we had the opening of a new amazing show by the people of Rinzen (www.rinzen.com), and specifically Rilla and Steve Alexander, members of the Australian design and art collective, where they expose their obsessions and share their secrets in Rinzen’s first show in Spain. Together they shed light on the shadows of an inner world inhabited by monsters and beasts, primitive actions and guilty thoughts. And, in a mark of their deep affection for Spanish art and culture, they explore the national animal, the bull - and its metamorphosis into that famous symbol of unconscious desire, the Minotaur. The series of watercolour and ink studies, continue experiments Rilla and Steve began in exhibitions in Hamburg (Helium Cowboy, 2005), Berlin (Neurotitan, 2006) and Portland (Compound Gallery, 2007).
July 14th, 2007 10:57am
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Imagine a mix drink made from Diego Rivera’s murals, Graffiti, hippies and lots & lots of Rock n’ roll. That would be the true San Francisco cocktail. As time goes by, though, Rivera is nothing but a forgotten myth, hippies are no longer what they used to be, Graffiti has lost its status to Street art and Rock seems to be taken for dead. The recipe would be a total disaster if we weren’t talking about the city of the never-ending hills and beautiful Victorian houses. In the new century, though, people still manage to keep wearing flowers in their heads and staying, thus, true to the bohemian laws of live, Rock n’ roll denies it’s own grave rocking loud and clear wherever you go and Graffiti still rules as a counterculture symbol, as everything else in this amazing city.
In order to understand the art that is being made in San Francisco one has to know about two things: Mexican art and Barry McGee. And the Mission is the perfect example of how these two factors combine. Here you live under Mexican laws, and through tacos and quesadillas an endless number of colorful murals and art graphics are being created as we speak. The savoir-faire is all about pure tradition and strong culture that just doesn’t easily blend in. Hairdressers, grocery shops, restaurants etc all get to be stamped with latex and lots of handmade artistry that comes from generations and generations of just being one thing: Mexican. Culture can be felt, or shall we say, seen in this neighborhood.
Image on the wall from the “Senacional, Mexican graphics” show
“Sensacional! Mexican Street Graphics”, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, talks exactly about that. And after seeing it, a strange feeling stroked me, that maybe, it was just to easy for San Francisco to adopt this style, the colors, the flatness… the “naiveness”… What’s missing then? The touch of pure California dreaming. Here is when Twist makes it happen and turns it all upside down.
Barry McGee, aka Twist, brought revolution to the streets of San Francisco. Even if it’s almost impossible to find pieces of the good old days, nowadays, everybody knows who he is and what he represents. And for those who just got to this strange funky world that we call art, Barry McGee is the one artist that took the old school out from New York and brought it to the other side of the country under a new name, new technique and new influence. The new school was born and Mexican fingerprints were all over it.
Street piece by Barry McGee
Graffiti as we know it changed in a way that was needed and waited without knowing. A new wave of American artists emerged and conquered glory. The Beautiful Losers (www.iconoclastusa.com) were born with a style that rose and shone everywhere in the American country. Well-known galleries like the New Image Art in L.A., ., The Luggage Store in San Francisco and Deitch Projects in New York showed them and chose them as their favorites. The new generation was picking up from where Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix had left it and making San Francisco a reference point for the arts and ways of living again. Museums treated them as guests of honor, and names like Margaret Kilgallen, Chris Johanson, Claire E. Rojas, Thomas Campbell, etc became unforgettable.
Claire E. Rojas, “Sights of Sounds” at Parklife
Jake Watling and Bill Dunlap at Receiver Gallery
For us in Europe news don’t travel as fast as we wish, so nothing better than to cross the Atlantic and see, with my own eyes, what’s happening on the sunny side of the USA. Just walking trough the Mission is a whole new and interesting experience, to cross the street and get to the Clarion Alley Mural Project Project where you won’t find a free space to paint, and where everything is art, is priceless. San Francisco breathes art and you can see it easily. Many are the non-profit organizations that fight for this to happen. Each week there’s an incredible amount of cultural events, art openings, music concerts and foreign art guests coming. This time the attentions were on Onesto. The Brazilian artist took two weeks to prepare his show at 111 Mina Gallery (www.111minagallery.com) presenting a variety of his work that combined a mix of styles and formats. For a young artist is remarkable the maturity and experience he showed on deciding to show so many works.
Detail of Onesto’s work from his show at 111 Mina
And so the days just go by to fast. For some the street days are just coming to an end, for others they are just beginning. The important thing is to never stop making art. And the things that are still to come! With Robert Crumb’s show, or Andrew Schoultz and Precita Eyes Muralists my agenda gets busier by the minute. Time is money here but while there’s art to be seen and rock to be listening to, I’m staying man!
Ana Neto
March 20th, 2007 08:44pm
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This coming saturday, 20th of january, from 20:00h on we will be opening a solo show by british artist PMH. Better known for his restless activity curanting shows and coordinating collective projects such as “The Dilly” or “Finders Keeper” his individual work receives now the due attention. If you are in Madrid, please come by and join us and the artists for his first ever solo show. If you are not familiar with PMH’s work check this interview we recently made with him for this same website right here.
January 17th, 2007 11:35am
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You have to catch the train at King’s Cross Station and get out in Newcastle Central Station. During the three hours that takes to get there, I reach the conclusion that I only know two things about Newcastle: its football club and the Baltic Mill Museum. What’s there to see? One thing: Spank the Monkey, the biggest urban art exhibition of the year.
There’s no way you can ignore Spank the Monkey (www.spankthemonkey.uk.net)after Beautiful Losers. It’s its natural progression. A mature version of something that is now impossible to turn your back to, something that you can no longer think is an “expression” from a lost youth. Urban art is not about the Graffiti made in the 80’s and it doesn’t have to be related to the Hip Hop movement. It’s a way of thinking, so close to the popular, to the everyday life, that makes it somewhat difficult to call it art.
Two well-known names deal with so many taboos: Peter Doroshenko and Pedro Alonzo, the curators of this show. It’s not the first time that they try to introduce urban art into the institutional art world. During ARCO’s last edition they were well into it. I imagine that they don’t see why museum art has to be complicated or only for VIP people. Maybe that’s why they decided to bring a half pipe inside museum walls, to invite a whole new culture, the street culture, to enter and play the game of the “artistically correct”. If you can’t beat them you might as well join them…
So, I have to go up to the 4th floor. The glass elevator lifts me almost to heaven and presents me with an overall view of Newcastle. Impressive. The doors open and I’m instantly reminded of the purpose of my visit. The first feeling is of pure impact. Behind Groovisions’ half pipe I find the bright red letters that I was longing to see, Barry McGee’s truck was there. This thing looks good. Four artists fill the gigantic 4th floor, there’s no given route, and instead I find myself with total freedom to choose my way. There’s space to breed, there’s time to take the most out of each artist. Four artists to start with are more than enough, and then again maybe not…
Groovisions
Groovisions half pipe is the central piece to make the public feel at ease, and shows that there’s many ways to enjoy an exhibition: you can and should skate on the half pipe, you must look inside Barry McGee’s truck, and you will be circling every column of the room searching for Faile’s well known details. Instantly the space fills itself up, and the public mingles and communicates with the actual oeuvres. There’s a lot of hidden information, there’s so much to be said. Getting back to the elevator I turn my head to once again be stroked by the visual strength of the 4th floor. Only one doubt comes to my mind: “One wall would have been enough for Faile. Why two?” Neasden Control Centre divides itself between the 4th and the 3rd floor and so accompanies me while I change from light to darkness.
Barry McGee
Day becomes night and I enter the second part of the show finding that there’s much more to be seen, and that it’s never to late to be surprised. If this was a contest then Kozyndan, Aya Takano and Takashi Murakami would have won the first prize. And a smile comes to my face while entering inside Os Gemeos giant box installation. One even might say:” Home small home”. Ed Templeton, Ryan McGiness and Shepard Fairey could have been guests of honor, for these beautiful losers are one generation above. The Americans turn classical while Bansky goes one step further.
Os Gemeos
Ayo Takano
Spank the Monkey is everywhere in Newcastle and, between Americans, Europeans and Japanese, insist in making its public run wild. Many interventions were made in the city so one has to search and find the marks made by urban heroes also to be known as contemporary artists. The boundaries are becoming more and more invisible; let’s see who is still resisting. David Shrigley, one more surprise, made a big sign on the outer wall of the Baltic saying: “ You cannot help looking at this”. With that single sentence, Shrigley says it all. It’s impossible to keep ignoring the facts. It’s only natural. Let’s see who comes next.
Newcastle, it was my pleasure!
Text by: Ana Neto
January 16th, 2007 04:01pm
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I would say that there’s a big difference between exhibiting something and showing it on some kind of publication. An exhibition on a gallery should be a big step, where one has the opportunity of showing one’s work in a way the artist really pleases. Of course one should never forget one simple thing: the exhibition is like a presentation card, so it should be well done. There are those who choose the fastest and simple way, there are those who complicate things, and there’s those who, like Catalina Estrada (www.catalinaestrada.com), knows how to do it well.
Preparing an exhibition is like playing a game. You have to be aware of a million things and you have to know how to play with what you’ve got. You need to find that equilibrium between what you would like to do and what you are going to do for real. And Catalina knows it well: “To start preparing any exhibition I need to know how many paintings I’m going to exhibit, the colors I want to use etc I want that each painting lives by itself and at the same time can find its place among the other paintings, and that the space functions as one”. The money is never enough, there’s always things that are left undone and the silly feeling that everything will be perfect for the next exhibition haunts you every time.
For the moment the talk is on “No me quieras matar, corazón”, at Iguapop Gallery. And for once I would say that the artist did what she wanted to and achieved victory. The presentation card worked out fine and Catalina Estrada introduced herself for the first time in Barcelona in the best possible way: her own way. And it’s easy to recognize her style for everything is hand made. The exhibition smells tradition, something that comes from unknown times, something that more than culture resembles pure remembering. Barcelona turns into Colombia, for a moment, and the sound of old folk songs are everywhere: “The Latin American folk music is what gives life to all the ones that are in love, to all the ones that are lovesick, to the ones that want to die for love and find comfort in these songs”. To do all that Catalina uses spray paint and stencils and lots of imagination. Pieces of wood, doors found on the street and paper panels are painted in a new fashion forgetting those old ways, and in all this the surprise is on the third dimension. Little pieces of colored reliefs can be found in almost every painting: “I like the idea of touching the paintings and feeling its texture…”
This is “No me quieras matar, corazón”, the perfect moment and opportunity to say and show things that were kept inside for too long, to deal with the ways of love personally, and to do it by using the fastest way to the heart, music. If it wasn’t personal it wouldn’t be Catalina. That’s the way to know Catalina Estrada, by going to one of her shows.
Text by: Ana Neto
November 15th, 2006 02:06pm
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For Rich Jacobs things can, actually, be pretty easy. It’s just a question of if things move him or not. I mean that was how everything started, with “Move”, the first show that put together a series of unknown names at the time, more than famous names at this point. We are talking about 1997, when people like Barry McGee, Phil Frost, Thomas Campbell or soon to be myths like Margaret Kilgallen were nothing but strangers to the art galleries universe. “Move was based on not seeing enough of friends work that I liked and wanted to see shown together. It was fun and kinda loose. Just the things that moved me” says Jacobs.
So who is Rich Jacobs? A person that is able to move freely and do what he likes without a lot of interruption and hassle, or in some instances much notice. Someone who likes sloppy punk and at the same time releases a folk album
with long time friend Tim Kerr. An artist who never stops creating and curating: “I started curating about ten years ago out of necessity, in a way to see things I liked in the place where I lived and wasn’t seeing there. I never stopped creating though, I feel it’s important to always try to do both if posible.”
Talking about his characteristic style and where he finds his strange characters Jacobs says: “My style was a natural progresion of constant drawing, looking, and experimenting. The characters came in my childhood so early it’s difficult to remember, they are pieces of everyone I see around me. The environment can have an impact but it is usually kinda subtle in my work as an influence, maybe more in colours and that kind of things…”
But why are we talking about Rich Jacobs? Because we found the perfect excuse to finally meet the artist in person. Jacobs is touring with the brand Eastpack to release a new limited series of bagpacks, designed by the artist himself, and this time Madrid was one of the chosen cities. So we just decided to invite him out for lunch and see if we could find some record stores to buy some good old punk records.
Jacobs turned out to be as we expected, an example of politness and creativeness, always finding time to draw one of his characters on a sheet of paper or even in a passport as a way of saying thank you, and patiently answering to all our questions and doubts while going up and down the streets of Madrid. He felt us feel at ease with him and showed us that the nameless, the invisible, or even talentless just everyday people are the best influence he can find to create art, and using his own words: “…well, aren’t we all just people?”
Thank you Rich!
By: Ana Neto (ana@subaquatica.com)
October 13th, 2006 12:48pm
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