INVURT

Moving to another city in order to pursue an artistic dream, let alone another country, is one of the biggest challenges any artist can face – and yet, collaborative duo Dabs Myla have not only overcome challenges in doing so, but have flourished within their adopted scene. In the past year since their move, they have further enamoured fans worldwide with their unique  artwork, and now, with their second solo show being presented at the Per Square Meter Gallery here in Melbourne, they are set to unleash the fruits of their artistic sojourn onto their home town.

Thankfully, they had some time to speak to us to give us a run down on what they’ve been up to of late, and let us know their how their invasion of Los Angeles has been progressing …

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Prodigal son and Oz stencil art pioneer Anthony Lister returns to the southern shores shores with an upcoming exhibition at the Metro gallery. Love him or hate him, this is going to be a great exhibition.

“‘Antony Lister was born in Brisbane, Australia, in 1979, and later completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Queensland College of the Arts. He helped pioneer the stencil and street art movement in Brisbane before moving to New York in 2003 to work with his mentor, Max Gimblett. He met the New Zealand-born artist at the opening of Gimblett’s major solo exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery.

Lister borrows from his immediate surroundings, painting parodies of modern life. His influences are varied: graffiti, stencilling, installations, Pop art, comic book imagery, cartoons and his recollections of childhood when everything seemed fascinating and animated super-heroes ruled his television screen.

With bold and brash spontaneity and remarkable confidence he paints the complex contradictions of everyday life, and does so with an element of humour. He admits:

“What I read, what I see, what I do, who I know and what I eat for lunch, it’s all relevant to me. I guess I am in a perpetual state of accepting the obvious as a valid source of inspiration. And it’s also very important that my work continues to be fun and exciting to me.””

-Ken McGregor
Extract from ‘Anthony Lister’, Macmillan mini-art series No. 13, 2010

Who: Anthony Lister
What: You Call That a Backrub – Solo Exhibition
Where: The Metro Gallery, 1214 High Street, Armadale, Victoria 3143
When: Wednesday the 7th of April, 6:30 – 8:30pm

Via the Metro Gallery website

This Saturday, Ghostpatrol & Miso are holding an open studio event in Melbourne.

“hello,
it’s time for an OPEN STUDIO
come along

feel free to bring along friends,
in the past we’ve been flooded with people so get there early.

-Dave Ghostpatrol”

What: Open Studio event
Who: Ghostpatrol & Miso
Where: Studio 2, level 3 / 329 Little Collins Street {cnr. Elizabeth}
When: Saturday March 27th, 11am to 3pm

Via the Ghostpatrol website.

Along with their upcoming exhibition at Per Square Metre, Dabs Myla also have a one night showcase happening at Revolver upstairs on April the seventh in order to launch their new book, Super Smooth. In conjunction with Final Outline and Burn Clothing, they’ll be doing installation work and a bunch of signings & book customisations, plus, the added bonus of some awesome tunes to accompany it all.

From the event page:

“Celebrating the launch of their first book Super Smooth, featuring work from their first year in Los Angeles, plus some gems from the past, Dabs Myla are taking over Revolver Upstairs, transforming the backroom with art installations you won’t want to miss seeing.

The first edition of their book Super Smooth is limited to 100 copies worldwide, those purchased on the night will be signed and numbered by the artists and the first 50 sold come with a free limited edition BURN/Dabs Myla t-shirt!

Dabs Myla will also be there on the night customising books. Tunes from Ms Butt, Dust and Danielsan.”

Who: Dabs Myla
What: Super Smooth book launch presented by Burn Clothing, Revolver & Final Outline
Where: Revolver Upstairs, 229 Chapel St, Prahran, Victoria
When: Wed 7th April, 6pm – One night only!

See the facebook event page and the Dabs Myla website for more details.

Sydney artist Ben Frost is putting on an exhibition at Gorker Gallery in April under the title “Confessions of a Modern Citizen”, The man has exhibited all around the world, and his colourful pop inspired urbanish pieces have garnered him fans far and wide. With this exhibition he delves a bit deeper, asking the nominally topical, if perfunctorily blasé, question “What does it mean to be a responsible and productive member of contemporary society?” – we’re really looking forward to this one.

From the Gorker Website:

“In Confessions of A Model Citizen, Frost critiques the desires, obsessions and ethics of our media-saturated contemporary society in a series of vibrant new artworks.

Through his own anecdotal and often brash experiences of life in Sydney and abroad, he explores our attempts at cultural
belonging and resulting disconnection from a world where lifestyle and expectations are bought and sold on the shelves of Ikea and
‘advertainment’ television.

The confronting and often controversial artist Ben Frost uses a ‘collage’ style of unlikely juxtapositions throughout his paintings, creating complex mash-ups of popular culture. Co-Founder of the online portal stupidkrap.com, guest speaker at the Semi-Permanent & AG IDEAS conferences in ’08 and a featured artist in The Apprentice Australia ’09, Frost currently lives in Sydney operating ‘Worlds End Studio’ in Surry Hills. Ben Frost has exhibited extensively both in Australia and Internationally, including solo shows in London, New York and San Francisco, as well as group shows in Beijing, Amsterdam, Berlin and Singapore and has been featured in countess magazines and newspapers including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Australian Art Collector, Empty, Monster Children, Sydney Morning Herald and was a contributing illustrator to Black + White Magazine for over three years.”

Who: Ben Frost
What: Confessions of A Model Citizen
Where: Gorker Gallery, 395 Gore Street, Fitzroy (corner Gore and Kerr Street)
When: Launch Night Thursday 25 March, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, Exhibition runs until Sunday 11 April

Via Gorker Gallery. Find the Facebook event page here.

Seems like Dabs and Myla are back from an overseas jaunt, and are teaming up to put on an exhibition at Per Square Metre for the Easter break – and its really looking to be something special. With their own collaborations as well as collaborative pieces with luminaries such as Greg “Craola” Simkins, The Witness, Jersey Joe Rime, and KMNDZ. Presented by the Dont Ban the Can crew, from all descriptions this is one not to miss.

“We have all new paintings based on our time spent in LA.And will be painting the gallery walls out with a full installation. To keep with the Los Angeles theme we will also be showing a series of Collaborations we have done with some of LA’s finest! Jersey Joe Rime, Greg Craola Simkins, The witness and KMNDZ.

The opening reception is on Thursday 1st April from 7-10pm.
And the great people at TIGER BEER and VODKA O have supplied a very generous amount of drinks for the party! So should be an eventfull night!”

What: Hollywood & Western
Who: Dabs & Myla
Where: Per Square Metre, 191-193 Johnston St, Collingwood
When: Thursday 1st April from 7-10pm

Via Dabs & Myla and Per Square Metre

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Ever with the innovation, At Large gallery are presenting a new show in the form of SLAPSTICK. With a bit of a difference, art will be produced on the day, and placed on to panels, wherein afterwards people can win pieces of the panels created – great idea, and sounds like a lot of fun.

In the words of the At Large crew:

“Join us on a Saturday afternoon for a few hours of chilling and jamming!! BYO stencils and paint, pasties and brushes, markers, stickers. We are inviting everyone to come and cover panels inside our gallery for two hours between 2-4pm with whatever they want.

Basic materials like glue and brushes will be provided but pre-prep anything that can’t be done on the spot.

The Opening Reception will be that evening from 7-9pm. Drinks available and raffle run to win parts of the created wall.

This is a profit free event, intended as a culture jam for all interested so come down and support the growing wheat-paste, sticker, stencil revolution.. No throw ups or big spray pieces as we are a small space and do not have proper ventilation to allow for this, also we want to focus on other elements of street art for this particular show.

Entry to both the day jam and opening reception are FREE and all are welcome!!!”

When:  Saturday 20th March, Indoor Jam 2pm, Exhibition 7pm

Where: At Large Gallery, 208 High Street, Northcote

See the At Large Website for more details on this event!

There would be no stretch of the imagination involved if one was to suggest that Melbourne artist Makatron has been making waves in the past year with his exhibitions, murals and street art. As part of the Everfresh crew, who have a large array of colossal murals and more subtle pieces spread across both Burn City and the world, it can also be said that he, along with the rest of the crew, are at the top of their game.

As an individual artist, however, his work conveys a thoughtful, and at times chaotic, interpretation of personal interaction with both the environment and the people contained within it. His extensive travels, coupled with his unique personal experiences and his love of the grittier underside of urban art have all combined to present a unique, emboldened style that has garnered him a solid body of fans.

Invurt recently had opportunity to conduct an in-depth, thought provoking, and generally kick-ass interview with Makatron, wherein he explains his work and ethos, and where racing a courier bike through the streets of Sao Paulo fits in to it all …

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One of the Everfresh crew,  Callum Preston (aka The Tooth) has some work in the Six Pack group exhibition this week at Highlander. He’ll be showing some stuff along with Bolts, Carl Dobson, Thomas Jackson, Didak Tamtoro and Rick Milovanovic. Get down there to check it out.

What: Six Pack
Who: Callum Preston (The Tooth), Bolts, Carl Dobson, Thomas Jackson, Didak Tamtoro and Rick Milovanovic
Where: Highlander – 11a Highlander Lane, Melbourne CBD
When: Thursday 18th March, 6pm.

Via Everfresh

Also check out the facebook page for the event and the At Large website for more info.

A bunch of urban art inspired artists hit the walls of the Greenwood gallery this week, in a great little group exhibition – looks to cross a multitude of styles, and the sample artwork look both crazy and fantastic rolled up into a package of wonderful

“Creative juices flow and artistic illustrative passions spill forth over paper, canvas, wood, books and a central installation of colossal tattooed arms. Fifteen artists – hailing mainly from urban art beginnings, book illustration and international expo installations – present their wondrous new collections bordering on the absurd and surreal”

- Reka –

What: Drawing Blood
Who: Nior, Two One, Tai Snaith, Erin Smith, MP Fikaris, Side Project, Adrian Knott, Ainslie Fletcher, Charlotte Lance, Cecilia Fogelberg, Michael Hawkins, Reka, Pandarosa, Al Stark
Where: Green-wood Gallery, 1 Hotham St, South Melbourne, Victoria 3205, Australia – Phone: + 61 3 9682 3205
When: THURSDAY 11 MARCH, 6-8PM – ALL WELCOME – Thursday 11 March 2010 to Sunday 28 March 2010

Via Everfresh via Greenwood Gallery

Its ladies month in the Burn-city scene, and next up on the ranks after this weeks My Girls exhibition is a tie in event from the crew over at Sketch City, Ladys Love Sketch City. Looks to be an awesome-fun gig.

“Sketch city is a regular event celebrating Melbourne’s amazing creativity, where we invite the public to our warehouse in Northcote where you can meet other artists, network and paint, draw and collaborate on any surface in the place. We invite feature street artists to come paint up the walls and demo their styles, alongside bands, DJs, dancers and any other creative concepts we find happening in this great city.

We will be celebrating Melbourne’s female creatives by bringing them together for a day of music, art, dance and film. See live painting by Melbourne’s best female artists and musicians with their unique blend of interactive live art and hip hop. For the funnest creative experience ever check out the film by Joske and theFemale Breakers, while loading up on comps, giveaways and all the art materials and wall space you’ll ever need!! This event is all ages until 7PM with big kids only after that to party on all night.”

Who: Poise, Joske, Isis, Sear, Inkle, Mishap, Miss Riz, Nicole Tattersall, Maria Rozalia Finna, Snookie and Montassj
Music: Mz Rizk, Cutluce, Taka Co, MC Pash, Toasters Boutique, Lotus, Muma Doesa and Joske
What: ‘Ladies Luv’ Sketch City
Where: Dazzleland Studios, 25 Eastment St, Northcote
When: 13 March @ 4pm onwards

Also, keep an eye out in the next week or so for an interview with the Sketch City crew …  and why not take a look at the event page on facebook and Sketch Citys website whilst you’re waiting ..

Via We Make Stuff Good

As far as collectives go, the crew at We Make Stuff Good have all the talent required in order to make their mark upon the Burn-city art frontier. Numbering over thirty individuals locally, nationally and internationally, many involved also crosshatch their membership with other luminous entities such as Sketch City, Melbourne Tours and Dont Ban The Can, to name a few.  Given this composition of deviceful minds, from all walks of the creative path, the crew at WMSG are at the top of the game, and contribute more than their fair share of passion to the cities flourishing scene.

Drawing upon that talent and energy, five of the women involved with WMSG have embarked upon a mission to promote both their own creative outputs, as well as WMSG as a whole, in a celebration of the strength of their female members. From amongst that contingent, Ania Stuff, Cammy Stuff, Krystal Stuff, Rachee Stuff and Verona stuff are all poised to unleash their work on the public, with a much anticipated tie in with the launch of the WMSG store as well as a tie-in event presented by Sketch City the following week.

Invurt recently had the opportunity to catch up WMSG’s Cammy Stuff, Krystal Stuff and Rachee Stuff to talk about art, their upcoming exhibition, and all things made good and proper.

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