Woah. I mean, look at the roster of artists in this show – Banksy, Stormie Mills, HA HA, Shep Fairey, Blek Le Rat, D*Face, Swoon, Nick Walker, Hush and Above – all influential and established artists, both local and international, being put up for a show of un-exhibited works. Its been rumoured for some time, and its great to finally see the details on it.
Check the artist bios after the flyer, and keep an eye on Metros blog for more information as it comes in – we’ll hopefully be covering more of this in the next few weeks, so stay tuned.
“This show will be one the biggest collection of contemporary street art ever shown in Australia, and includes pieces by some of the most notorious internationally renowned artists including;
Blek le Rat: Blek is considered to be the godfather of stencil art, and has been producing street work for 30 years. He’s both a pioneer on the streets and in the transition to gallery work, and has inspired a generation of stencil artists. His signature Rat stencil that covered the streets of Paris in the 80’s is one of the most striking images in street art history.
Banksy: Banksy hardly needs any introduction, he’s by far the most sought after street artist in the world but has managed to stay defiantly anonymous.
Shepard Fairey: Shepard has risen from his humble roots as a teenage skater punk distributing homemade stickers via mail order and gone on to create some the most instantly recognisable visual imagery in recent art history, including the oft reproduced ‘Obey’ campaign and most noticeably the Obama ‘Hope’ image that became synonymous with the Democrat’s rise to office.
Nick Walker: English graffiti artist Nick Walker has been combining stencils with his freehand graffiti work since 1992. Nick initially turned to stencils as a means of introducing the realist elements of photography to his works, while still working with spray paint, since this point he has developed a massive international following of his work due to their wit and sense of tongue-in-cheek irony.
D*Face: Growing up in London D*Face was heavily influenced by 80’s American skate culture and punk rock aesthetics. As a teenager D*Face began incorporating these elements into highly stylised graffiti, developing a repertoire of iconic characters and imagery that are highly sought after the world over.
Swoon: Swoon’s work is indebted to both traditional craftsmanship and classic painterly technique, but her execution is entirely modern. It is this method of incorporating both age old techniques and contemporary graffiti practice that makes her work so compelling. She has contributed work to MOMA, Art Basel Miami, and the Brooklyn museum, and is widely considered to be a master contemporary print maker.
Above: Above is nomadic graffiti artist who has travelled around the world creating public art installations since 1995. His signature arrow can be found in more that 65 countries world wide, from stickers, to wheatpastes, to freehand graffiti, to wooden sculptures, Above is a force to be reckoned with.
HA HA: Melbourne’s own HA HA has risen as one of the most prominent figures in the city’s own street art movement. From his notorious Ned Kelly image that blanketed Melbourne in the early 2000’s, to his recent soft edge portraits that are comprised of up to 70 layers, HA HA has remained one of Melbourne’s most notorious street artists.
Hush: Hush is an English artist who spent a number of years in Japan working as a toy designer, his graffiti style unites these disparate worlds of Western decay, Eastern pop, and design elements. Drawing on the classic motif of the female form, Hush creates beautifully layered symphonies of colour compositions.
Stormie: Australian native Stormie has been producing street work since 1984. His dark depictions of contemporary urban life have seen him travel across the world, painting in London, Los Angeles, Berlin and Tokyo. Stormie’s personal style is entirely unique, and has earned him a cult following the world over.
This is going to be a hugely important show for both Metro Gallery and the local street art community.
Works from all the artists will be available over at the Metro Gallery Blog as they arrive at the gallery, so stay tuned.”
Who: Stormie, Hush, HA HA, Above, Swoon, D*Face, Nick Walker, Shepard Fairey (Obey), Banksy
What: On The Wall – International Street Art Group Show
Where: Metro Gallery, 1214 High Street, Armadale, VIC
When: September 27th to October 17th 2010
