INVURT

Of course, being that time of year, everyones having their Xmas parties, and the Blender studios crew really know how to throw one!

With Dark Horse Experiment holding the show itself, and with lots of performances and installations happening in conjunction with the show, this is one of those studio bashes that you just have to go to if you’re in Melbourne. Good times, good times!

“The Blender Studios Christmas exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate the art and party with the artists of Blender Studios. The hard work and dedication of the artists is evident in this annual event with 20 artists showcasing their work.

The exhibition will be hosted by Dark Horse Experiment and the studios will hold a series of performers and installations. The opening night is sure to be a stunning example of current practice in Melbourne right now. The opening night will include DJs, cutting edge performance artists, traditional works on canvas, live graffiti events, strange objects and dislocated renderings of suburbia.

After ten years the Blender Studios still hold true to the values of research, energy, independence and the solidarity.

With strong links to Melbourne Street Art and some of the most recognised and prolific artists calling the Blender home, the opening exhibition will attract a wide audience.”

Such a talented pool of artists, and such a great event – we’ll see you there!

Who: Adi (Adrian Brierley), James Bonnici, Christopher Hussein Bril, Maxwell Burns-McRuvie, Toni-Ann Dowd, Adrian Doyle, Geoffrey Carran, Michael Fikaris, Drew Funk, Joel Gailer, Heesco, George Manioudakis, Kristin McIver, Michael Meneghetti, Kristy Milliken, Aubrey Rhodes, Georgie Smith, Tim Sterling, Haha (Regan Tamanui) and Rebeccka Wetzler.
What: Blender Studios Christmas Exhibition
Where: Dark Horse Experiment, 110 Franklin Street, Melbourne
When: Opening night and associated party on Friday 20th December, and the exhibition runs until February 4th. The Gallery will be closed between the 25th December and January the 9th.

Check out the Darkhorse Experiment website and the Blender Studios website for more information.

Once a year Miso and Ghostpatrol open up their studio for a sale of works directly from the Fortress itself – and if you know these artists as I’m sure you do, this is a great chance to see where they work, what they do, and to snap up some really limited works that they may have around the studio.

It’s only on for one day, so get down there and check it out while you can – and if you want to buy something, get to the atm first as its cash only!

Who: Miso & Ghostpatrol
What: Open Studio
Where: Studio 2, Level 3, 329 Little Collins Street
When: 11am til 4pm, Saturday December 10th

Check out Miso and Ghostpatrols websites for more info on the artists.

Back in October, we finally had a chance to get down to one of the Trails drawing sessions. Hosted by Braddock at the infamous Blender Studios, the theme behind Trails is simple – you turn up, take a pen, and draw your heart out alongside others in a mad massive collaborative fun fest.

Held once a month, Trails has been running since 2009, and in that time all kinds of artists and creatives have joined in on the event. It’s laid back, entertaining and welcoming of all. So, no matter your level, if you want to draw, chat and have a couple of polite beverages in great company, then this is a cool event to do it at.

Who: You!
What: Trails drawing sessions
Where: Blender Studios, (access via laneway), 110 Franklin Street, Melbourne
When: Friday 2nd December, 7pm til late

Check out the Trails blog, as well as the facebook event page for more info.

Over the last few days, D*FACE has been traversing the streets, pasting up and leaving his mark on the ‘burn in the leadup to his show at Metro Gallery tomorrow night. Accordingly, much of it was documented along the way … the team at Bright Things TV caught up with him on Saturday and sent us through some great shots …

That man about town, who seems to capture everything and anything thats happening, Dean Sunshine, also got a whole slew of great images from his visit.

You can check out the rest of Deans shots over at his website. Theres also a whole bunch of preview shots from his show up.

If you have any photos you’d like us to post up, just send them through to us for our Snapshots!

Dedicated to the “documentation of Paper Expressionism”, The Paper Convention are a collective of paper enthusiasts keeping the artistic medias message and practices in full force and full light of the public. Supporting workshops, talks, exhibitions and events, The Paper Convention are presenting a festival-esque series of events that is “Cut.Slice.Fold” – brilliantly titled we must say – at No Vacancy QV in Melbourne this November.

“Kicking off for the first time in Melbourne is a new series of talks and workshops over 3 days to offer insight into the world of paper and visual culture. Designed to challenge and inspire new ideas, the program will offer new and creative learning experiences.

Make sure you book your tickets now, as its an 18+ ticket only event – and tickets will sell fast!”

Artists include Lisa Loxley and Trailanderror – Paper Convention, Benjamin Ducroz – animation artist, Emma Van Leest – a paper-cut artist and Brendan McKnight – Desktop Magazine.

If you like the cut of their jib, and want a slice of creative pie, fold up some friends to bring along … this event is for you! (ed. puns intended, right?) – see you on the paper trail!

Who: Paper Convention, Lisa Loxley, Trailanderror, Benjamin Ducroz, Emma Van Leest and Brendan McKinght
What: Cut.Slice.Fold. – Workshops/Talks
Where: No Vacancy QV – 34-40 Jane Bell Lane, Melbourne
When: Thursday 17th – 19th November 2011

Melbourne artist and designer Tri Vo created “a series of graphics inspired by the Japanese art of hentai anime” in the late 90’s and out of this, growing in strides, has come a street wear and graphics brand that most of you reading this would be familiar with.

SYKE is booming locally and internationally and now the artwork behind the label comes to No Vacancy Gallery with the show “Illustrated”.
Featuring original artwork, painted skate boards and screen prints, this collection is exciting and versatile. Showing us once again that modern urban art; graphics and illustration can be transferable from hanging in a gallery, hanging off ones body to hanging on to your board … creativity travels.

“Tri’s psychotic graphics draw on Japanese art, street culture, and beauty in the every day, and ten years down the track SYKE remains true to the street culture at its core – a bit gritty, a bit beautiful, and ultimately utilitarian.”

There will also be some live tattooing and dope tunes, so check this out – come November the scene will be set for this summers wearable art.

Who: SYKE (Tri Vo)
What: Illustrated – Solo Exhibition
Where: No Vacancy – 24/34-40 Jane Bell Lane, Melbourne
When: Opening Night Friday 4th November 6-9pm. Show runs from 31st October – 8th November 2011

See the Facebook Event for more details, and check out Skye’s Blog for even more style!

Dean Sunshine is back with his most recent Top 10, as we do our full four top ten battle this week! Starting with Cleos Top 10 on Sunday, we’ll be putting up two more by weeks end – keep an eye out!

Click the images for full size!

If you have a Top 10 of pics in your area, just let us know if you’d like to get them up!

No matter how busy things get, there’s always time for some video goodness! This week, what a roundup of grandness!

TwoOne, Al Stark and Nails got down and painted at RMIT the other week – and this is a really cool video from the day – its not embeddable, alas – so click through to watch it on the site.

First up, good friend and talented artistic maestro Ed Bechervaise has a feature video up! We loved the show, and we love this mans work.

Makatron has a show coming up real soon, and this is a great video preview for it – lots of footage of Maka in Brazil, Melbourne, Adelaide and Alice Springs.

Mike Maka Art show trailer from Mike Maka on Vimeo.

The guys at Ambush Gallery teamed up with The Galeries to bring Transient – and this great feature interviews all of the artists involved – Beastman, Max Berry, Mark Alsweiler, Phibs, Jumbo and Numskull.

TRANSIENT from aMBUSH Gallery on Vimeo.

Just Another Agency did an awesome job at getting Sniders lane in the Melbourne CBD all painted up by a host of amazing artist.

Adrian Doyle has a show coming up, and this is an ultra cool expose on the man himself as well as his story and a bit of an expose on the infamous Blender studios – must see tv!

We are starting up on our big Outpost Project coverage next week – but for now, if you haven’t seen it yet – this is going to be absolutely amazing. We’ll be there, and you should be too. Watch this video!!

Jianna Lucia and Ollie Lucas teamed up with Steve Lamattina for the Grolsch Grid events, and came up with this hilarious and cool video featuring their art – and a kewpie doll …

Finally, well, I have a show opening up tonight (hence my less that prolific posting on here the past few weeks) – Carl Allison did up this video preview for it – hope you can make it down if you’re in Melbourne.

That’s it for this weeks roundup – if you have videos, send the links to us! Ez.

Next week from the hands of one of Everfresh studios own, Makatron, comes an imaginative and illustrative universe on canvas ‘Mother of Millions’ with a collection of his new works, hosted by No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne.

Makatron, who is an emerging Melbourne artist, has been around the world and back many times, plying his trade and honing his craft using a variety of media, from acrylics to aerosol and oils.

“The themes and inspirations of Makatron’s work are as eclectic as the media he employs, but they tend to reflect a few signature dichotomies. The name “Makatron” itself is a paradox, combining a prefix meaning “from” (carrying connotations of place, history, tradition, and regeneration) with a suffix that suggests the machine-like, the virtual, the promise and threat of technology

Makatron’s work, too, often pulls in opposite directions. His street art is by its nature rooted in a particular place, inscribing itself palimpsest-like as an element in a site’s history, yet it also reflects the artist’s own nomadic existence, consciously participating in a global culture with a significant extension in the virtual realm. Similarly, his work is preoccupied with the interface between humans, beasts, nature and machines, reminding us that in a digital age, human nature itself is becoming ever more machine-like.”

Ever more present in this new collection, is the artists beautiful escapist world – to which we are brought to the brink of in order to ponder it all with an objective eye, like a looking through a child’s viewfinder. These works are an illustrious combination of the organic and synthetic – or mechanical, incorporating into each piece naturalistic patterns and shapes bouncing of the humanistic qualities within.

Makaron is an artist inside an artist. His mediums alone speak of a truth, and strength, that blends well with any subject. He is more than capable of attaining artistic equilibrium on each venture, whilst keeping us, the audience’s, attention – no matter our tastes. One can only gander a guess at the title but to us it speaks volumes; the very earth-like projection tells of the mother, ‘mother earth’. And of “millions” being all things, including us and that which surrounds us.

Come and see for yourself what this diverse artist has got for us now. Don’t miss this, or you’ll be kicking yourself…to the moon and back!

Apologies for not having got to the photo recap or his Top 10 up over the weekend, I’ve been prep’ing for a show in a few weeks, as well as working behind the scenes on a heap of new projects for both the website, and our ReVurt Project – and a few things have been less than punctual! This is a good chance to say thanks to the rest of the Invurt crew for keeping on top of things here whilst I’m juggling everything! Just click on the pics for the full image if needed …

Also thanks to Dean Sunshine for giving us this awesome top ten! The man continuously blows us away with the plethora of images he takes, and this months selection of some of his favourites is grand.

Check out Dean Sunshines website for more pics!

A quick one this week, with some of the favourites we’ve seen around the traps, so without further ado, this weeks transmissions …

Six Years Later magazine have a great video interview with Vexta. Awesome artist, awesome mag, awesome video.

SIX YEARS LATER: Vexta Interview from Rachel Goldsworthy on Vimeo.

If you havent seen this gorgeous piece of work already, here it is! A beautiful Labyrinth (25 years old!) inspired piece. A very cool Ironlak production with some amazing artists.

Sirum did a great video showcasing Ironlaks new markers – and another fine production from Carl Allison! Check the pics of the final piece here on Ironlak.

Another gorgeous video of Suki and her rain girl, from Dave MSA.

Suki and the rain girl from Dave MSA on Vimeo.

Over in Dunedin, NZ, Create and Skate was an amazing skateable art installation. Very, very cool.

Create and Skate Dunedin from firstfloor on Vimeo.

ASIIK City is a creative project bridging the urban communities within Melbourne and Jogjakarta, Indonesia – this video profiles LoveHateLove, a street artist, puppeteer and Hip Hop Mc. Rad.

ASIIK City artist profile: LoveHateLove from ILP on Vimeo.

This one has been doing the rounds this week as well, Lister in San Fran for Young & Free! rockin.

A great little video from the fun that was the Mi Casa Su Casa show at No Vacancy!

Mi Casa Su Casa Launch from Andrew Chew on Vimeo.

If you didn’t make it to the opening to Things To Come at Metro last night, you really should – amazing, amazing work. Heres the video preview of some of the artists in the show.

Looking forward to all the goodness that will come in the next week, what with Semi Permanent on this weekend and all!