INVURT

As we said back in our Cool Guide To Art Blogs, we really do love the crew over at Acclaim Mag!  They’ve hit that awesome silver jubilee, and will be releasing their 25th edition in December. Acclaim usually runs themed issues these days, and this time around they have something special – what better to cover in this one than their homeland – Oz!

That’s not all though, in addition to the special Australian feature, they’re delving into a bit of conservation awareness. The Australian Southern Drop Bear, (Ursu Occasus) has for many years (since it was declared a protected species) been a much maligned victim of superstition, hostility and unlawful vegemite poisoning in rural areas. This victimisation has seen its presence drop dramatically in and it is now seen very rarely in its natural habitats, and sightings are few. It is now feared that it may very well become extinct within a short time.

We’re animal lovers here at Invurt, and we’ve always had a soft spot for the Drop Bears – and Acclaim have now stepped up and will be dedicating an amazing Drop Bear themed art show to draw attention to its plight – happily, this show will also double as the official launch, so as far as we’re concerned, we’re there already.

"For the release of their 25th issue, which focuses exclusively
on Australian content, ACCLAIM Magazine is hosting an art show
to help raise awareness for the plight of the Drop Bear.

A selection of some of today’s most exciting local and international artists have pledged their support for the Drop Bear cause and will be delivering artworks in celebration of this iconic Australian creature."

“The Southern Drop Bear (Ursu Occasus), one of Australia’s
most unique marsupial species sits on the brink of extinction
due to the rapid depletion of their native habitat. A mysterious
creature, the Drop Bear is now so rare in number that many
wrongly perceive the species to be one of myth and legend,
allowing for public attention to be diverted to more widely
recognized species currently under threat.

Similar to Koalas in size and appearance, the nocturnal Drop
Bear is a distant relative of the Koala species, however unlike
it’s docile cousin, the Drop Bear evolved as a carnivorous
creature, equipped with sharp claws and teeth and exists
upon a primary diet of small birds and lizards.

Rapid deforestation in the early eighties lead to a spate of
Drop Bear attacks on humans who unwittingly stumbled
into the territory of a creature now close to starvation and
desperate for food alternatives. The terrifying nature of
a Drop Bear attack, in which the creatures plunge from
the forest canopy onto the heads of their victims lead to
widespread paranoia and despite no recorded deaths from
Drop Bear attacks in over a hundred years, the Victorian
government sanctioned a cull of the species in 1984.

Thankfully, the killing of Drop Bears was officially outlawed
nationally in 1996 and the species was officially added to the
Endangered list, but by this time the damage was done and
the Southern Drop Bear population was decimated. In 2009
a Monash University study of the species estimated their
numbers to be less than 1000 across small areas of forest in
Victoria and New South Wales.

Sightings of the animal are
extremely rare, leading to speculation that total extinction is
likely within the next five years.”

With such a stellar Oz and International lineup, and for such a great cause (we’re speaking of the mag realases as well as the Drop Bears!) – but theres more …

“The new issue will be available for purchase on the night and all those that pick up an issue will get free flow drinks (thanks Coopers 62 and Bundaberg Five) and BBQ for the night. As if you needed an excuse to buy a copy.”

Man, bring it on!

Who: Phibs (Syd), Drewfunk (Melb), Ben Frost (Syd), Jagi (Melb), Haw (Bris/Melb), Sumo (Gold Coast), Bei Bad Girl (Syd), Unwell Bunny (Melb), Jacob Rolfe (Melb), Joel van der Knaap (Adl), Angry Woebots (Hawaii), Jasper Wong (Hawaii), Sam Rodriguez (USA), Mega (France), Drab (NZ)What: Acclaim #25 Exhibition and Launch party
Where: House Of Bricks, 40 Budd Street, Collingwood, VIC
When: Event is on December 8th at 6pm and runs til late

Check the Acclaim Magazine for lots more info as well as, well, heaps of great articles. Also check the facebook event page!

We love the innovation of the many shows that Paradise Hills has been displaying over the past year, and the next round of visual cool will be no exception. In a twin launch, Paradise Hills delves into the world of 8bit, and fantastical comic imagery, with a Friday double header that we’re sure will be every bit as unique as it promises to be.

"Paradise Hills announces one of the more eclectic events to be held in 2011 with the launch of an 8-bit PlayStation game and a sci-fi comic on the same night! Friday November 18, 2011, at 630pm, will feature the births of “Where Is My Heart” and “Cup and Saucer”.

Where Is My Heart is the latest edition to PS3 and PSP that sees the return of the 80s arcade game format to your big screen, high def plasma TV. Developed by German software wiz Bernhard Schulenburg, Where Is My Heart will is a time warp taking you back to when you were a kid or maybe to a time you only know as a crazy stage in recent history. Paradise Hills will feature a couple of screens to enjoy some competitive computer gaming spirit on the night.

Cup and Saucer is the comic sensation creation of talented Paradise Hills Studio artist, designer and musician David Hauser. Take the journey into Hauser’s science-fiction world of fantasy with the first issue of Cup and Saucer. Copies of the comic will be available for sale on the night, as well as large unique edition prints of Hauser’s original comic artwork. The night is sure to blow your mind!"

If you haven’t been to Paradise Hills yet, now is your chance, and, if you have, you already know why you should head down to this show.

Who: Bernhard Schulenburg & David Hauser
What: Cup/Saucer video game release & Where Is My Heart comic launch
Where: Paradise Hills, 1 – 9 Doonside St, Richmond
When: Show opens Friday 18th November, 7pm to 9pm

Check out the Paradise Hills for more info on the show and the gallery.

Man, we love new magazines, especially when its a digital magazine and their content focus is on Australian and international artists. When its also put together by the guy behind one of our favourite flickr streams that covers street art up in Sydney, well, its a must read.

"Knock knock magazine profiles street level emerging and established Australian and international creatives doing their thing, and doing it well."

You can read the magazine inline below (hit the expand to get it all nice and bigger) or head over to the website.

Who: First issue artists include Ears, Mitchell Cumming, Ha-HA (Regan Tamanui), Eleven, Shida, Makatron, Max Berry, Raptor Blood, Houl, Toggles, Bhats, Ghstie, Sam Andrews (S-701A), Issac Shelby, Georg Whelan, Pahnl, Will Coles, Sokei/Kois, Vars One, Ruskidd, Mr Good Theme
What: Knock Knock Magazine Issue #1
Where: Check it out online here.

Earlier this year, we heard about an ambitious project to transform Sydneys Harbours Cockatoo Island into a mecca of street art. When we first heard it, it seemed a long way away, and we weren’t sure exactly what it entailed. Over time, we started learning more, and getting an idea as to what it would encompass – and it was bigger, bolder, and more jam packed with awesome than we ever imagined. The Outpost project will be a showcase of Australian street art, and international street art, that outweighs anything that has previously been seen in Australasia.

Over the next five weeks, we’ll be focusing on the Outpost Project for our editorial content – we’ll still have our regular blogs, but we’ll also be running a string of content as we document whats going on up at the island. We’ve also been working with the wonderful ArtSeries Hotels to help coordinate several forums and artist showcases as well, and there will be all kinds of posts around those. The entire team here has been gearing up for this for the last few months – its here, and we’re totally amped!

So, this is your rough guide to the event – from here will be links to articles on each event, interviews, live blogging, photos and all the rest. Use this as your feed, or just keep reading as you normally would to keep on track – all the Outpost content will be tagged so you can always just check the tag feed … Outpost will be a ground breaking event in the Australian street art legacy – we can’t wait, because its going to be mad – so read on, bookmark this article, and keep checking back here for new content links.

This is only a guide, and we’ll keep it as up to date as possible, so if in doubt, please refer to the Outpost Project website.

Invurts Rough Guide To The Outpost Project

• What Its All About
• Whats Invurt Doing There?
• Where Its At – Cockatoo Island
• Outpost Project Festival Map
• Artists & Interviews
• Events & Exhibitions
• Outpost Forums
• Educational Programs
• Media Releases & Links

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Look at this line up … who wouldn’t want to party at this party!

With artists including Drypnz, Cinzah Seekayem, Reckt, BMD, Wert 159, Trust Me, Ghstie, Kame and more Taupō is “set to break its’ conservative mold this Labour Weekend, when sixteen of New Zealand’s leading street artists descend on the Central North Island town.”

“Graffiato is a unique and dynamic street art festival, providing artists with an abundance of blank walls and a weekend to create vibrant and colorful permanent artworks. Curated by Cut Collective member, Ross Liew, Graffiato is a new festival delivered by Erupt Events, Taupō’s Arts Trust, who also deliver the nationally renowned biennial ‘Erupt Lake Taupō Festival’.”

“Graffiato is going to permanently change the face of street art in New Zealand,” said Mr Liew. “For some time now, street art and graffiti has been gaining an ever-increasing profile across the world. While certain names have cut through and now register for many within middle New Zealand, our own country’s practitioners have often been left overlooked. Graffiato will change that.”

We can’t be there, but if you’re in the country, you can – so get there  and support New Zealand’s massive pool of talent!

Music and art – what better combination, right? Damn straight! This Saturday down in the Fortitude Valley’s Jugglers Art Space inc, Silo brings us the first Mixtape (mixed by Collarbones) and art show from that crew of creative of Queendlandian cool, Strutten.

With music by Jensen Brewster (Syd) [aka George from Seekae], White Palms (EP Launch), Tincture and Marcy Prospects and visuals by Warren Handley and Joe Baker and a tunnel art show curated by Strutten.com including works by Michael Candy, Ken Smith, Laura Perm-Jardin, Yarron Frauenfelder, Amy Commins and Warren Handley

Sometimes there are places that hold the power of memory, those special landmarks that draw like minded individuals together to collaborate, create and grow. Across the world, there are, and have been, spontaneously evolved locations that have endowed communities with a sense of belonging. Places where many differences in backgrounds and beliefs have often been swept away by shared passions. Amongst these places are counted many of the worlds past and present sub-cultural destinations – Londons Fabric nightclub, 27 Rue de Fleurus, Harajuku Bridge, Tacheles, Goa, and …  Craigie?

There was once a wall that sat a stones throw away from where I grew up. Where my suburb of Padbury had the Macdonald park underpasses, bus shelters and the often bombed and riskily pieced wall behind Padbury Shops, Craigie had something unique – and yet its uniqueness wasn’t just restricted to those who lived in the area, it was shared amongst the entirety of Perths graffiti community . Post-Cinema City (a long standing graffiti artist hangout in the 80s and early 90s), the Craigie wall was, for fifteen years, a thriving communities bastion of experimentation and expression; its continually evolving works a testament to the passions of those who painted there.

Old, new, beginner, expert, toy, king, local or visitor, it was a rare artist who painted a wall within the West who wouldn’t have, at the least, if not having sprayed a lick of paint, visited this small suburb some twenty k’s north of the city. Craigie, a suburb whose biggest claims to fame include a long gone (but kick ass) old roller-skating rink and bowling alley, and where a gentle waft in the air from a certain water treatment plant can still be smelt … well, you’d be forgiven if you haven’t heard its name before. Sure, there are other, similar, sites today all over the world that hold the same significance to their communities (Melbournes Hosier lane amongst them), but there was something unique about the Craigie Walls that defies even these meagre words of explanation.

It’s a sad fact, however, that a place of that held such cultural substance was lost on anyone who didn’t share the enthusiasm of the painters who worked there. It is only now that a book has been produced, that the general public is slowly becoming aware of the artistic bounty that once stood in their midst.

For over two years, Craigie artist Trevor6025 has been collecting, collating, researching, talking, writing, scanning and documenting this extraordinary piece of local history. Through his efforts, and via the words and images donated by his peers, the forthcoming publication “Craigie Tales” examines the story of this once prominent landmark, and its place in the evolution of our countries graffiti culture.

Released this weekend in Perth, we had the chance to talk with Trevor6025 about the book, and were given the chance learn more about the walls, the artists who worked up them, and the bullshit politics that lead to the destruction of this lost piece of Australian art history …

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