INVURT

Well, sometimes we miss things here and there (we wish we didnt but keeping on top of things can be hectic sometimes!), and we almost missed this, however courtesy of Vextas mailing list we just found out about this cool little group show that opened last Thursday up in Queensland, with a really cool lineup to it and a bit of an exploration by the gallery into the whole street art movement.

“Street Art (not to be confused with Graffiti) has become recognised by institutions as a current movement in Australian art. Unleashed: The Rise of Australian Street Art, will look at the work of street artists currently moving from the street to gallery environ alongside the work of other artists currently producing work in response to this movement.

The exhibition will challenge perceptions of street art and include a variety of art forms including installation, sculpture, video, textiles and two-dimensional works.”

Looks great, so if you’re around Moreton Bay at any stage between now and the 16th of April, get down there.

Who: Anthony Lister, Ash Keating, Ben Frost, Brent Wilson, Gabriella Szabriella, Jonathan McBurnie, Marie-Therese Wisniowski, Miso, Shaun Gladwell, Shaun O’Connor, Vexta
What: Unleashed – The Rise Of Australian Street Art
Where: Redcliffe City Art Gallery – 470-476 Oxley Avenue, Redcliffe
When: Show runs from 16 March 2011 until 16 April 2011

Find out more info on the show here at the Redcliffe Gallery site.

Sorry for the late entry, its been a hectic week (when are they not these days?) – but this past week has had a bit of everything, exhibition previews, walls and a bit of controversy .. so, heres the past week in moving picture delight.

Heres a cool little preview video for tomorrow nights Heesco show (who we interviewed in January)- its going to be great!

Heesco – Mongo Hustle – Solo Exhibition from heesco on Vimeo.

Kirpy has a small preview video up for his show coming up in May – nice.

Exhibition Progress from Kirpy Kirpy on Vimeo.

E.L.K. had his show up in Sydney recently, and it seems that he had a bit of controversy around it, with a bunch of Christian extremists picketing his show, singing about rowing to shore or something … we cant really make it out.

Theres a great vid up of a wall being done by Real, Does, Tues and Chas up in Brisbane – stylin stuff.

Something from across the sea, a really great video of Askew and Berst TMD – this is a mad paintup of a whole truck!

First Thursday ASKEW X BERST TMD from 052 on Vimeo.

.. that’s all we saw this week, we’re sure theres more, so if you see anything, just contact us!

It’s been another fun week of viewing on the web, with a couple of really interesting and cool videos posted up around the traps …

First up is the latest Secret Wars video from the first Semi Final of the Melbourne round – this was the battle between Pierre Lloga and Scale, and was a brilliant bit of competitive live art from both participants …

The AWOL crew finished off their wall at the NGV, as part of the rolling competition style shows that have seen both Formula One and Everfresh already ply their trades. The AWOL wall looks spectacular – so check out the vid for it ..

AWOL Crew @ NGV Studio from AWOL Crew on Vimeo.

This video was produced as a part of the St Jeromes Laneway festival in Brisbane, in conjunction with Nine Lives Gallery … its mostly a recap of the music etc, but its still pretty cool.

“At the Brisbane leg of the recent St Jerome’s Laneway Festival we were invited to curate a couple of installation works around the site. Some car wrecks, a 6m inflatable painted by Anthony Lister and a warehouse full of visuals helped set the scene.”

Laneway x Nine Lives x Happy Endings from ALPS on Vimeo.

Spotted this video of a piece commissioned by Adidas that went up a few days ago – not sure where this actually is, or who the crew is – anyone?

Adidas Australia Graffiti Clip from Timothy Hillier on Vimeo.

We also just posted up a promo video for Rekas upcoming solo show, Down Low Too Slow, so check that out here.

… thats all the video for this week – next!

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At the ripe old age of twenty one, Shida already has an impressive list of accomplishments under his belt, with several solo shows, and multiple group show both here in Australia and overseas. His work can be found across the country, and is instantly recognisable – his characters often feels familiar, comfortable, and yet are congruously obvious in their alien appearance, entwined as they are in a symbiotic mesh of mythology and style.

From the street, to the gallery, to the differing styles and techniques, the stories and the mythagos inhabiting an artists work often relate their stories directly into our minds with very little effort, as Shidas work does. This may be because many of us are already suckers for mythology and fantasy, and for the characters that inhabit those realms. Speaking personally, I have a particular penchant for artwork that revolves around myths and fables, but, I also have a love of fine line work and intricate illustrations, and repeating, but not repetitive, variations of character – combine them all together, and, in my eyes, you often end up with a true bardic saga – where the images themselves are simultaneously both music and chronicle.

Shida is one of my personal favourites (I’m allowed hundreds, right?) for these reasons and more -  and, after you read this interview, watch the videos, and ponder his images, he may end up being one of yours too – that is, if he isn’t already  …

(more…)

I love waking up to the news that one of my personal favourites is doing a Melbourne show, and when that artist is Shida, I’m doubly excited. I actually spotted several yesterday on my travels, one that I hadn’t seen before, cant help but love seeing it around the place.

Keen to check this one out is a massive understatement – the colours he uses, and his illustrative yet loosely dynamic line work is amazing. Its his first solo show here in Melbourne after a few really successful shows both here in Oz and overseas – just all very fkn cool.

“Shida is one of Brisbanes street art heavyweights and a regular presence on the walls of Melbourne for some years, honing a distinctive and beautiful aesthetic across a wide range of mediums.

Alongside his prolific street practise Shida has been well received by both Australian and European galleries, and has rapidly garnered respect from his peers and attention in the scene as an artist to be watched. Shida’s futuristic mystics inhabit a mythic distant universe and traverse elaborate multiple dimensions, with swirling colours buried deep within layers of resin.

There is a beguiling magic to Shida’s work which envelopes one in his fantastic world. Fresh from success in his 2009 solo exhibition ‘Fate’s Fantasy’ at Vienna’s Inoperable gallery, the ‘Stroke 2.0’ urban art fair in Munich, and sell out Brisbane shows, Until Never is proud to present Shida’s first Melbourne solo exhibition, Crystals of the Colossus.”

Who: Shida
What: Crystals of the Colossus solo show
Where: Until Never gallery, 2nd floor, 3-5 Hosier Lane (stairs just around the corner from Movida), Melbourne
When: Show opens 17th FEbruary, 6pm til 8pm, and runs until 26th February

Check out more of Shidas work at his flickr page.

Well, we don’t often post videos, but we’ve decided to cave a little – just because we keep seeing so much cool shit every week thats been filmed and produced. So this new column will work alongside the Friday wraps. This will be our spot to showcase whatever Australian videos have have come out, without cluttering up the site all the time. These will all be Australian/NZ vids, unless we see something that is way too mind blowing that it just HAS to go up … but in terms of local shit,  there’s a lot out there, and we wrap up everything else, so why not those as well?

Once you’ve watched the videos, go click the links to all the artists websites and show them all your support and check out more of their shit! Anyways … right into it …

One of our favourites this week is a short showcase on Drab – I fkn love daylight antics! Really nice job on this vid as well by Ned Beckley and Davey Sams.

Drab from Drab Art

..and, of course, the video of Everfresh doing their work down at the new NGV over the last two weeks is something pretty fkn special too.

NGVstudio – Everfresh – Graffiti always wins from Everfresh Studio

… this absolute gem came out on Wednesday from the Secret Wars crew, showing Drew funk and  Braddock battling it out in the previous Melbourne round of Secret Wars!

… and last, but not at all least, this one popped up over at Sirums blog of the Ironlak crew doing a bunch of work up in Byron Bay. Sweet.

Big kudos to all the people who put these clips together to help document all the work thats being done across the country … if you do have any videos that we have missed, or that you’d like to see us feature in our Thursday Transmissions section, just contact us.

Well, its been a bit of a slow start to 2011 thus far, but we’re totally back on board and itching to get a move on on into 2011.

Today we announced our logo winner, and as you’ll see – we’re now branded! Pretty excited about that, for a start.

Secondly, in the coolest news this month, we’ve just managed to score some great studio/event space in Prahran along with a bunch of other amazingly creative people at Rival Revolution– we’re going to be spending the next few months setting up our new office/studio there and getting to work on a bunch of projects and events that we have in mind for the coming year. There isn’t much in the way of these kinds of artist run spaces south of the river, and its our hope that we can help bring a bit more of all this awesome shit into an area that is crying out for it. With a bunch of great new galleries such as Artboy, Signed and Numbered, Carbon Black and others already opened up in the area, a creative space like this is a bit of a missing element – and we’re pretty fkn excited about it all.

Well, on to the wrap … its a bit quiet in terms of events this week and next, but I can feel it getting ready to heat up over the next month or so …

Melbourne …

• Toy To The World opened up this week, and it was a really fun show. If you haven’t already, get down there this weekend and check out the bears, and put some bids in!
• Bados Earthling and Nick Ilton will be doing some urban inspired live performance art on Australia day.

Brisbane …

• Westside Tattoo artists have a show on at Nine Lives Gallery under the name Blood & Water.

Other bits and pieces …

• Drew Funk and Braddock battled it out the other night in the fourth heat of Melbourne’s Secret Wars – with Drew coming out on top and going into the semi finals. Cant wait for the next one!
• Winner of Melbourne Secret Wars Heat 3, Ken Taylor, has a new website – looks sweet (via Wooden Toy)
• Some amazing video from last years microcosm exhibition at WATIM
• Numskull has done a bunch of shirts with Grand Scheme (via WATIM)
• Everfresh posted up some awesome light paintings in QLD by one of our favourites, Shida.
• Katie Houghton-Ward, who we interviewed last year, has mentioned that it looks like her next comic, Kulan, has a set release date for Julys issue of Heavy Metal magazine – awesome news and cant wait to get a copy!
• Check out all of the amazing work the Formula 1 crew have done for the NGV. This is part of a longer event to promote their new space in Fed Square, and Everfresh is next up. Apparently there will be more of these coming up, featuring commissions from Everfresh, AWOL and work by members of Melbourne’s ”old school” scene of the 1980s – we’ll try to keep up with the details as they come, but theres also an article from before Xmas at the Age about it here.
• Dont forget that Issue 2 of Dont Sleep Mag is out – and Issue 2 of Nothing to Nobody is also available to buy online!
• These Days gallery shop has new prints from TwoOne and Jessie Douglas for sale – loving their new store.
• Last Chance Studios have four new resident artists, including Deej, who we caught up with last year to talk about his work year – we’re looking forward to seeing more about these artists in the year to come.
• Theres also a great interview with Oz manga artist Queenie Chan over at Design Federation.
• Don’t forget about the Pastemoderism 2 charity auction thats happening right now – go buy something for a good cause and support the victims of the QLD floods.

Okay. Thats well enough for a catchup … have a great weekend all – til next week!

In light of all the devastating floods that have been happening over the past few weeks, the guys at Stupidkrap are putting on a special auction of works from the most recent Pastemodernism 2 show. This is a great idea, with some really cool pieces in it, many more than werthy in terms of both collectability as well as their unique coolness factor.

The auction will be running for a bit – so get over to their ebay site and start your bidding – items can be picked up at the Stupidkrap studios, but if you are outside Sydney then you have to organise your own shipping – but they can assist.

“Paste-Modernism 2 was held at Lo-Fi Gallery in Darlinghurst on October 7th 2010 and featured the ‘paste-up’ works of over 50 Australian and International artists.  Presented by StupidKrap.com and curated by Ben Frost and Bridge Stehli, the exhibition recontextualized the medium of ‘Paste-ups’ into a gallery setting.

The first Paste-Modernism exhibition was held in the derelict site of Hibernian House in Surry Hills in 2008 – where local street artists applied their photocopied, hand painted and collaged works on paper, to the interior walls of the building. 

The ‘Paste-Up’ is an ever-expanding and innovative form of street art, that involves an artist making their work onto varying sizes of paper and then applying it to walls and surfaces within their urban environment using wheat-paste or wallpaper glue.  Whether as black and white multiplied photocopies, colourfully hand painted murals or thought provoking text pieces, the ‘Paste-Up’ is an immediate and bold contemporary art-form. The medium explores not only aesthetic values, but is often politically and socially motivated – which allows experimentation both by accomplished artists as well as people with little or no artistic training.  This has loosely brought about the tongue-in-cheek ideology of ‘Paste-Modernism.’

Paste-Modernism 2 filled approximately 250 square meters of every available inch of wall space at Lo-Fi Gallery, with the works of over 50 Australian and international artists. Applied onto pre-installed panels and canvas sheets, the entire exhibition was removed from the space (in varying states of repair) – and now exists in sections at StupidKrap Studios in Liechhardt.

In light of the terrible devastation of the recent Queensland Flood Disaster, we decided to auction off the remaining panels and donate
all proceeds to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.

Stupidkrap.com will be hosting the online auction of over 50 artworks, available in sizes varying from 3m x 3m to 50cm x 50cm, by some of the world’s leading street artists.”

 
Who: Featuring works from Pure Evil, Copyright, Anthony Lister, Vexta, Bridge Stehli, SMC, Skel, Bunkwaa, Ben Frost, Jumbo, Zap, Simon Lovelace, Catface, Houl, Creon, John Doe, Numskull, Leet, Shannon Crees, Felix, Mini Graff, RJ, Bennett, Beastman, Numskull, Roach, Max Berry, Konsume Terror, Mason Marcobello, Sprinkles, Bei Badgirl, Deb, HA-HA, Uno, Urban Cake Lady, Bella, Marissa Ziesing,
Tim Andrew, Esjay, Anton Benois, Tez, Rico, PigeonBoy, Mr Skel, Jake Klarnet, Half Star, Dboe, Olive Fortyseven + more.
What: Pastemodernism 2 charity auction and benefit for victims of the Queensland floods.
Where: Online at the Stupidkrap Ebay site.
When: January 20th until February 1st

Via the Just Another Agency blog – check out the Stupidkrap and Pastemodernism websites for more info.

Well, after the floods and all the devastating crap thats happened in QLD over the past few weeks, its great to see that things are still full steam ahead for one of the greatest supporters of the urban love in Brisbane, Nine Lives Gallery.

Having relocated to new premises over the holiday period, Nine Lives presents their first show of the year in their new venue in the form of Blood & Water, a group exhibition from the tattoo artists of Westside Tattoo. I know a couple of people that have had work done there, and, I’ve been to their site a few times before to check out some of their artists tatt work – so if those are anything to go by, the collection of canvases that will be on offer should be pretty damn fine indeed.

Good luck in the new digs, Nine Lives crew!

Who: Matt Cunnington, Alison Manners, Lily Collard, Malika Rose, Ben Rourke, Matt Wilson, Dan Bursell, Aaron Bond, Anna Day
What: Blood & Water, Westside Tattoo group show
Where: Nine Lives Gallery, 5F Winn St, Fortitide Valley, QLD
When: Opens @6pm, Thursday 20th January

Check out the Westside Tattoo website and Nine Lives Gallery for more details.

Well, its been a really, really busy last two weeks for me, and today is my last day before I take a couple of weeks off work and head over to see family and friends in Perth. We’ll be taking a little bit of a hiatus during this time, or at least I will be – that said, its hard for me to keep away from this blog, so there may still be events and photos posted … and, of course, if I see anything cool going on while I’m in Perth, I’ll more than likely do some kind of update about it …

So, just a few things before I go …

Logo Competition – if you haven’t seen the details for our logo competion yet, go have a look – I extended out the finishing date to the 30th as a couple of extra people asked for a bit more time – and theres also a couple of pretty awesome entries. So you have until the end of the year if you’d like to send us through something.

A Few Things Happening

• These Days Gallery in Perth have opened their fantastic online store – over 50 prints from a bunch of original and diverse artists, it looks like another grand online addition for purveyors of art – great to see it up and running!
• The second issue of Nothing To Nobody was released last week – and it looks like an awesome issue, packed full of goodness – go buy your copy here for only $2!
• Kompound has some great shots of last weeks Lush exhibition opening at Backwoods Gallery
• So you’ve probably all already seen pics from Kid Zooms show in New York, but heres some good ones too.
• Some amazing shots from Nine Lives Gallery of their end of year Standard Service show
• If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the official Tiger Translate video from the Melbourne event last month
• The first concept art for the new Battlestar Galactica series, Blood and Chrome was posted up this week and .. hang on, wait. errr, sorry, got a little excited there =P haha

Well, thats about that – we’ll be back in full force in the new year, pretty excited as I have some great plans for the site, and, well, life in general – 2010 was pretty good, but I reckon 2011 is going to kick ass

Have a great xmas, a cool new year, and thanks again for all of your support throughout our first year!!

Looks like Nine Lives are wrapping up the end of the year tonight with a gourmet trove of work, with their end of year group show Standard Service. Nine Lives are moving down the road after this show, setting up a new gallery space – so this will be the last show at their current location – the new space sounds grand, though and they’ll be back in January.

“This Thursday sees ‘Standard Service’ – our end of year group show. Featuring a handful of artists who have shown this year, another few with exhibitions coming up and then some talented locals to boot. Each of the 14 have produced work on an old dinner plate – for a last supper of sorts.”

Who: Al Ouchtomsky, Andrew Holder, Ben Havenaar, Caitlin Franzmann, Claudio Kirac, Daniel Peter Ford, Jacob Rolfe, Jae Copp,
Joel Birch, Mariam Arcilla, Mark Alsweiler, Ryan Heywood, Steph Hughes, Trent Whitehead
What: Standard Service end of year group show
Where: Nine Lives Gallery, 694a Ann St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane
When: Thursday 9th December @ 6pm, show runs til the 18th December

Check out more info on the Nine Lives blog as well as the facebook event page

Afternoon all – hope and trust that you’ve all had a great week, and that you’re all prepared for a great weekend to come! Just a bit of housekeeping news first up – we’re really happy this week to have taken on a great addition to the crew in the form of Leah Burgess – she’s here learning the ropes and has already completed a fantastic interview with Jumbo (of Jumbo and Zap fame, of course), and its  great! Personally, I couldn’t be happier, I was starting to get just a little overwhelmed with all the stuff that’s going on these days – and her positive take and enthusiasm for all this shit is sure to be great thing for Invurt.

Anyways – now we get to the busy weekend that’s ahead .. oh man …

Melbourne

• Our show Cardbordia, opens tonight at At Large Gallery in Northcote – its turned into quite a cool little installation, and the end product is looking pretty crazy cool – come join us for some beers in amongst all the other things going on tonight
• Kami & Sasu have their opening tonight! I saw pics from their Melbourne Central mural, and an awesome preview of their work at Nice Produce, and it looks fantastic – I’ll get in there tomorrow, cant wait, then I’ll head over to Paradise Hills …
• Which also has a show opening tonight! about:blank looks like something a bit different, and  oh so cool. Art meet technology – my favourite thing.
• Scottie Neoh, aka Bonsai, has a show at the No Vacancy Fed Square space also tonight! Four great shows in one night .. crazy. I just noticed I had the event info incorrect for this one, its at the Fed Square space, not at the Jane Bell gallery … sorry!
• Jack Douglas’s new show also opened this week – its on for a bit, so go see it at Blue Tile Lounge
• The A3 Small Art show opened on Wednesday at For Walls upstairs from Miss Libs, and it was a huge success, over 200 people through the door and a third of the pieces sold – a great fundraiser for Room To Read – its on for a little while, so go check it out.
• Also! Tomorrow is Toy To The World – and it should be a lot of fun, so come down to Section 8 during the day and check it out and see a bunch of artists painting up plethora of toys.

Sydney

• Next Thursday, Anthony Lister has his latest solo show at Chalk Horse – we just did a small feature on him and the show, and damn it looks like it’ll be great.
• Alexandra Lekias opened her show last night at Friends Of Leon gallery – it looked really great from all the preview images.

Brisbane

• Paper Tales, curated by Bec Winnel and Courtney Brims opens at Nine Lives Gallery next week, Thursday the 25th

Perth

• I only just really saw it today, alas, but These Days gallery has a show with the Windows on Williams crew featuring artist Jessica Singh – more details are here, but damn such a great illustrator. Go take a look at the show, as well as the other cool things happening on Williams St.

Also, keep an eye out for all the Curvy & Muscle Up launch parties happening around the place!

Bits and pieces from around the traps …

• Loved this small feature on ABCs art nation about Paradise Hills and their recent Connect Four show – have a look!
• i’m a self confessed fan of TwoOnes work, and I love the stuff he’s been doing for Wabi Sabi in Collingwood the past week or sose, check out the pics on his blog
• This ones a recap from last week, because I want to make sure that everyone is aware of it “The Salvation Army, of all people, an organisation that in the past has actually run support programs for graffiti artists, is now taking Sydneys Westsyde Connection gallery and studios to the High Court in order to have them remove a mural that was done by street artists from the backyard of their gallery. They have a petition up, so you should go and sign it and show your support.”

Alas, that’s all I can get to today – sorry if I’ve missed anything – have to bail out and go do finishing touches to our show tonight. Have a great weekend and enjoy all the cool art on show this week, wherever its at!

Ez.

Sweet. Bec Winnel and Courtney Brims look to be putting together what appears to be a cool paper inspired group show next week, at Nine Lives Gallery in the Valley.

With a (for the most part, besides Sean Morris and Nicholas Chalmers) feminine touch to the show, it’ll be great to see what comes out of this one, being as it is under the direction of two talented ladies in their own right.

Who: Bec Winnel, Beci Orpin, Caitlin Shearer, Courtney Brims, Emma Sheldrake, Erin Flannery, Hannah Smith, Leah Bartholomew, Lilly Piri, Nicholas Chalmers, Sean Morris
What: Paper Tales group exhibition
Where: Nine Lives Gallery, 694 A Ann St, Fortitude Valley, QLD
When: Show opens Thursday 25th November, from 6pm, and runs til 30th November.

See the Nine Lives Gallery for more info on the show.

Its that time of year again for Curvy to hit the shelves, and this time its joined with a new counterpart, Muscle Up, focusing on the other, fairer half of the sexes – and what a cool bundle both mags look like being.

With a few delays with publications, their schedules have moved around a bit in the last few days, with the Sydney event, now pushed back until the 9th of December – but beyond that minor hiccup, its full steam ahead and we’re all awaiting yet another, and this time a pair, of great additions to our Curvy collections.

“Join us in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to celebrate the launch
of CURVY 7 – a limited edition book featuring the most exciting
female graphic artists and illustrators in the world.

The 2010 CURVY publication has been co-curated by urban art heroine
Fafi together with Colette Paris founder Sarah Lerfel and features
art direction by Deanne Cheuk.

More than 80 female artists and illustrators are showcased including
motionographer Irina Dakeva, photographer/illustrator Garance Doré
and painter Sylvia Ji.

Plus!

After close to a decade of uncovering the world’s most creative female
artists, CURVY is thrilled to unveil the launch of MUSCLE UP, a new
limited edition collectible art book showing off the creative talents
of the world’s most impressive male visual artists.

Curated by Jeremyville, art directed by David Mardon and Jason Renel
of The Shop, and published by CURVY – finally the world’s most
creative guys will get the chance to show the CURVY girls what
they’re made of.

30 of the most daring male artists are featured including
Andy Mueller, Buff Monster, Dave Kinsey and Doze Green, plus local
heroes Numskull, Anthony Lister, Ben Frost, Jonathan Zawada
and many more.

Each publication is available in limited quantities at the events for $40.”

Melbourne Launch

Thursday November 25 5:30-9pm
Magnation, 3rd Floor, 88 Elizabeth Street Melbourne.
http://www.magnation.com/

Brisbane

Thursday December 2 from 7pm
Nine Lives Gallery, 330 Brunswick Street Fortitude Valley.
http://wehaveninelives.blogspot.com/

Sydney – Launch

Thursday December 9th, from 7pm
LoFi Collective, 383 Bourke Street Darlinghurst.
http://wearelofi.com.au/

Sydney Exhibition

Friday December 9th – January 6
The Galeries – 500 George Street Sydney.
www.thegaleries.com

Check out the Curvy facebook page for more up to date details on the launch of both mags. Theres some news on the postponed Sydney leg here at LoFi.

Its been a busy week in terms of exhibition announcements and various bits of news – looks like everyone is doing end of year shows, and its awesome to see so much happening in the lead up to the x(pissup)mass season – the more the better, as far as we’re concerned. So, heres just a general wrap of whats coming up in the next week, and a few cool things we’ve seen around the blogsphere …

Exhibitions

• Melbourne - Dirtfish has a show opening tonight at Artboy Gallery. We had a cool interview with him here.
• Melbourne - The A3 Small Art Show opens up on Wednesday 17th at For Walls gallery – there are so many great works in this show, its unbelievable! Its all for charity as well, so check it out.
• Sydney - Go Font Ur Self has started its run of shows with its Sydney exhibition as of yesterday – it’ll be in your town soon!
• Sydney – Perth artist, talented illustrator and crazy-detailer Alexandra Lekias has a solo show opening at Friends Of Leon next Thursday, the 18th.
• Brisbane - Spare Parts opens up tonight at the Brisbane Powerhouse, this show looks fantastic, lots of customised prosthetic limbs on show from some amazing artists!
• Brisbane – the amazing Vexta, who we talked to a few months ago, has another solo show opening tonight, the 12th, in New Farm – she’s rad, so check it out.
• Perth – Great little group show opening tonight in the form of All Of This Will Be Yours Some Day – go check it out.
• Perth – Dont forget that the Chopping Block is on this weekend, as a part of the Norfolk Lanes festival down in freo – lots of street and urban art goodness both on display and being produced!

Various bits and pieces

• Kami & Sasu have been working on a wall at Melbourne Central this week in the leadup to their exhibition, which should be finished tomorrow according to the guys at Nice Produce
• I’m sure you’ve all heard of it already now, but details were released in the past week or so about the Underbelly Project in NYC – a 100 plus artist project carried out in an old abandoned subway station – incredible news and pics coming out from it. There are also some great writeups about it on Images To Live By and Vandalog. Cant wait to see the doco for this one.
• I’m a little unsure of the details on it, but it looks like the Salvation Army, of all people, an organisation that in the past has actually run support programs for graffiti artists, is now taking Sydneys Westsyde Connection gallery and studios to the High Court in order to have them remove a mural that was done by street artists from the backyard of their gallery. They have a petition up, so you should go and sign it and show your support. All I can say to that is for shame, Salvos, for shame.
• Totally loving this new Bliss n Eso video for their single Addicted – fkn wicked display of animated graff from two of the best, Askew One and Deus – and theres a behind the scenes clip here.
• This Life posted up a cool interview with Nate Gamble, about art, tattooing and graff – big fan of Nates work, and the This Life blog, so go read it.
• I haven’t done a wrap for a little bit, so I didn’t mention this when it was released two weeks ago, but if you’re reading this blog then you have to go and read issue #23 of weAREtheIMAGEmakers – if you love this kinda art then its a must – it’s been a source of inspiration for me for some years now.
• Bridge Stehli rocks, and so does her body-paint Graff on Graffers series – check out part #7 here.
• Theres also some cool pics from last weeks Petro solo show opening at Backwoods up on their site
• Theres also a whole bunch of wicked pics from the opening of the seminal Space Invaders exhibition at the National Gallery in Canberra the other week, over at the Everfresh blog.

Thats it for this week, I think! – hope everyone has a great weekend!

Ez.

All great things must, alas, come to an end, and so it is that the amazing series that is Go Font Ur Self* will be starting its final run starting this week. Over the last two or so years, Go Font Yourself has been highly instrumental in not only promoting Australian artists, but it has also helped to expose us down here to a numerous amount of international names – so its time to farewell the series with one last run of amazing work!

If you haven’t been to one yet, use this as your chance – and if you have, you already know where its at, yo …

“Celebrating a project involving 84 local and international artists, 17 exhibitions, across 4 capital cities, over 2 years – over 9000 people in attendance, 2 books and 13,680 kirins …”

Who: Mike Giant, Parra, Travis Millard, Hedof, Luke Lucas, Ozzie Wright, Sofles, Bones, Siggi Eggertsson, Well Dressed Vandals, Lachie Goldsworthy, and John Siddle

Sydney
Roller – 6 Lacey Street, Surry Hills – Show opens 6pm Wednesday 10th November – checkout the facebook event page here.

Brisbane
Nine Lives Gallery – 694 Ann St, Fortitude Valley, 
Show opens 6pm 23rd November – checkout the facebook event page here.

Melbourne
No Vacancy Gallery – 34-40 Jane Bell Lane, Melbourne cbd
Show opens 6pm Wednesday December 3rd – checkout the facebook event page here

Adelaide
Magazine – Clubhouse Lane, entrance off Hindley St.
Show opens 6pm Wedneday December 15th

Via weAREtheIMAGEmakers (on that note, check out their latest issue #23 – fkn awesome stuff) and the Go Font Ur Self website

I hear rumour of this one some months back when I was talking to someone about it at a party after Semi Permanent, and I really wish I could get up to Brisvegas to check it out! Such a cool idea, and the talent involved is second to none.

“Spare Parts is an exhibition that will bring together a diverse range of artists all using pre-loved prosthetic limbs as their canvas.

As an exhibition Spare Parts will create and promote about 40 individual pieces of art and parallel to this, a positive and open conversation about prosthetics.

All too often prosthetics are considered a taboo subject, and Spare Parts aims to celebrate both their beauty and purpose.

The diversity of artists is a very important component of the exhibition as is their interpretation of each limb. Those involved range from a world class graffiti artist, tattooists, a poet, painters, comic artists, to one of Australia’s most popular up and coming sculptors. Beyond the traditional scope of “what is art” Spare Parts will also include a fashion designer, a milliner, a jeweller and a cobbler.”

Who: Andrea Smith,  Anthony Lister, Aureole, Jeweller to the Lost (Barbara Heath, Malcolm Enright, Juan-Luis Gonzalez), Beastman, Ben Sea, Breanna Stewart, Briellen Baker, Bunya Curan, Carmella Ruffino, Clint Steele, Erica Gray, Fleur Beserk, Giles Kilham, Glenn Brady, Jase Harper, John Semmens, J-Stew, Karl Huttenmeister, Kasino, Kitty Horton, Ky Curran, Lincoln Austin, McKelly, Mandy Beaumont, Marcel Lip – Awake in Dreams, Matt Palmer, Mel Stringer, nico, Pendragon Shoes, Priscilla Sutton, Rachi Brains, Sally McRae, Sandra Rose, Satta Van Daal, Stephen Mok, Stuart Crampton, The Grates, Tim Rix, Terry Kerns, 2ha + Sarabelle,  Village Atheist, Will Kelly
What: Spare Parts Group Exhibition
Where: Brisbane Powerhouse,  119 Lamington Street, New Farm Qld
When: Show opens Friday, 12th November from 6pm, and runs from the 9th November to 5th December

Check out the Spare Parts blog and the Brisbane Powerhouse website for heaps more info – also check out the facebook event page.

Well, due to a fair few technical difficulties and a whole bunch of busy shiz, I’m a little behind on the updates for events this week – whilst I finally fixed and finished installing my new laptop this morning, this popped up in my mailbox, so where best to start the updates?

We had a great chat with Vexta earlier in the year when she was showing her work down at Platform gallery with Extinction in Technicolour – and since then she’s been involved in a number of  shows – she’s certainly a busy lady. It looks like this next solo will be, not surprisingly, another addition to her insanely cool repertoire of shows.

The following is from her press release:

“Vexta has always wanted her art to make people think. On stepping into the gallery, her oeuvre remains characterised by the instinctive qualities that developed from an apprenticeship on the street, and has lost none of its distinctive élan.

This artist’s practice has been honed by wit and nimbleness, and mediated only by a desire to make images that speak of their time. Pop culture, lines from songs and mass media’s imagery accumulate in her work, and imbue it with the immediacy of life from which she draws her inspiration.

Vexta’s statement for this body of work follows:

They emerge from the shadowy darkness, adorned with geometric dripping neon nectar, exotic feathers, leaves and fragments of the night sky. Slipping forward, sleeping endlessly and holding perfectly still; the artwork in Tomorrow’s War Paint takes the shape of future relics; paintings of individuals suspended in a galaxy of darkness, alongside assemblages of bones and skulls suggestive of curios from the future. They are neither of this time nor space.

“Sometimes we are so alienated from everything and everyone around us and I feel like the tiny atomic particles keeping our bodies together could fracture at any moment and it could all merge it all together…”

The canvases and objects in Tomorrow’s War Paint sees Vexta continue her exploration of metamorphosis, cosmology, the subconscious, our collective unconscious and notions of ‘the future’. This collection of work features pieces that are at once disquieting and desirable; imagery of masked women sits beside eyeless souls, totemic objects of the night and delicate reclaimed bones- all drifting together in deep dark space.

This is a new kind of portrait of society in technicolour, both enchanting and ominous, that bears witness to the wrestle between the present, the past, and the spectre of what is to come. For a growing number of critics and collectors, Vexta’s work delivers a graphic bang that cannot be ignored.

This is Vexta’s second solo exhibition in Brisbane, and is timed to coincide with her inclusion in the National Gallery of Australia’s exhibition SPACE INVADERS, current until February 2011.

Who: Vexta
What: Tomorrows WAr Paint Solo Show
Where: Edwina Corlette Gallery, 555 Brunswick St, New Farm, Brisbane
When: Opens 6pm til 8pm, Friday 12th November,

Check out the Edwina Corlette Gallery and Vextas website for more details