INVURT

Sometimes when you’re travelling you are just in the right place at the right time – luckily
for me thats happened during my visit here to NYC.

Amongst that fortune was being able to catch up with The Yok and Sheryo last week in the lead up to their opening, and, of course, being able to attend that very same opening tonight at Krause Gallery down near the Bowery.

The calibre of work in display was second to none – having seen them labour over the work whilst I was visiting possibly gave me a greater appreciation of the whole thing, but seeing work in progress and then the finished products all up on the walls and installed is something else. On the surface, many off the images seem quite simple in their iconography – that simplicity, however, is only on a casual glance, in each piece there is a complex play of ideas and head-nods to a whole swath of cultural foibles and fancies.

From beautifully rendered porcelain pots to the firehouse white on blue plates, there is a measure of immaculate detail hidden within each of this duos works. Messages both written and placed upon paper or ceramic surface as near hieroglyphic entreats – and though some of these can be obviously translated, you also get the sense that there are some distinctly playful in-jokes between the two artists scrawled across their work.

The upstairs section of the show was formal in its presentation – that aforementioned white and blue sprayed across the room. The bars and plates, though made of fragile material had a strengthened presence that belied their canvases.

Downstairs however, was a loose assortment of painted walls and printed materials documenting the couples journeys across SE Asia, Mexico and here in NYC, their adopted home.

I loved this section – you don’t always get such a complimentary display in an exhibition of some of the more intimate processes and plans behind the finished product. Playful scrawlings on found pages and plans for walls painted and finished abounded in ramshackle manner – a perfect juxtaposition to the room above.

Often when artists collaborate, the seams between styles are in some evidence, instead of a perfunctory presence – yet of all the times I looked upon this work, I often found it difficult to discern, happily, where the Yok ended and Sheryo began – or visa versa.

For me, this is the essence of collaboration – that wavering grey area where two talents are able to combine into a distinct entity – something that the viewer, and even the artists themselves, have never seen before – and which would never have eventuates without such a close working relationship. Though this show was billed as two artists, it could have easily been one – such was the ease by which their merger of styles was both demonstrated and substantiated.

As I sit here, tapping into my phone and writing this over tea and post-show congee, I cant help bit think that this might be what NYC is really all about. Not the glitz and glamour and "oh New York is so fkn coool" and all the "art scene" bullshit, but about individuals, artists, having the opportunity and ability to present new shit in such a broad, dynamic environment – and being embrace for it. Not only did I see some amazing work tonight, but I also saw the "Pipe Dreams" of two artists literally manifested upon the walls of this grand old metropolis.

I love this city, and I love its artists, new and old, and I loved this fucking show.

Check out more of the photos from the show below – apologies for not being the best, I had to resort to my point and shoot after my dslr craped out … but I hope you enjoy them!

When Sean Morris put together the remarkable group show "Lets Go, Magic Weirdos" at Paper Mountain in Perth, we had no idea that it would have a sequel – but it does, and this time it will be held in London!

Lets Go, Magic Weirdos is succeeded by the brilliantly curated Magic Weirdos Never Die – which once again sees Sean gathering together a diverse array of talent that has the magical underpinnings of weirdosity as its theme.

"As Scawfell street officially opens for business we are thrilled to present “Magic Weirdos Never Die” – a group exhibition featuring 11 contemporary artists from 4 different countries, curated by Sean Morris. Following on from the successful group show "Let’s Go Magic Weirdos", held last year in his hometown of Perth, Western Australia, the ridiculously talented Sean Morris is at it again. This time he’s bringing his work and bunch of impressive, magical weirdos to London.

The line-up includes Australian art heroes Ghostpatrol and Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Spanish comic artist Berto Fojo, the prolific Luke Pelletier from the States and killer London based illustrators Suzie Kemp, Jasper Dunk and Jon Boam. Along side these phenomenal names will be the usual awesome depravity from Londoner James Unsworth, the black metal space demons of Madrid’s Manuel Donada, beautifully strange and politically charged drawings from Florida’s Dillon Froelich and the white trash fables of Sean Morris himself, who hits London just 2 weeks after a successful solo exhibition in Madrid."

With such an incredible lineup of fantastic artists, this is a show that if you’re in London, you really need to go and see. The first show was brilliant, this one will be just as much – what wonder does Sean Morris have in store for us next??

Who: Sean Morris, Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Ghostpatrol, Berto Fojo, Luke Pelletier, Suzie Kemp, Jasper Dunk, Jon Boam, James Unsworth, Manuel Donada, Dillon Froelich
What: Magic Weirdos Never Die
Where: Scawfell Street,6A Scawfell Street, E2 8NG London, United Kingdom
When: Show opens Thursday May 2nd from 6pm til 9pm

Check out the facebook event page for more info!!

We’ve been hot on the trail of Paul Deej’s work for quite some time – we interviewed him way back in 2010 and since then he has had some damn fine shows. This time, Deej hits Kurb Gallery in Perth for what may be his best yet – Harlequins.

"On Saturday the 27th of April, Kurb Gallery in Northbridge will play host to the third solo art exhibition by accomplished Perth artist Paul Deej, entitled “Harlequins”.

“Harlequins” marks the end to a series of artworks recently completed, exploring the theme of the female clown, or “harlequin”, in an array of styles, moods and mixed media.
Always on the quest to capture the beauty of the female form and face, he has created a body of colourful and bold work that represents his love of comic book and street art, while adding a graphic designer’s touch.
In the past 3 years since his highly successful first exhibition “Nicely Toasted” at ABD The Gallery in Northbridge, Deej has worked diligently and shown pieces in a plethora of exhibitions locally and nationally. His last solo show was the successful “El Deejo” Exhibition at The Grey Door Gallery in Claremont in late 2011.

About The Artist

Paul Deej has been a professional Artist, Illustrator and Graphic Designer for 12 years. Originally known for working within the digital realm, around 3 years ago he started painting canvas and murals in the traditional style of acrylic paint and aerosol, and found he had a overwhelming desire to capture his minds eye on this raw medium based in reality rather than a computer screen.

With a short time on the gallery scene, Deej has been a part of 20 solo and group shows within the past three years.

Deej has also made a name for himself over the years as a part of the ever growing Australian Hip Hop community in Perth and the eastern states, creating literally hundreds of event posters for local and interstate acts as well as many award winning album covers. Deej is also closely affiliated with the West Australian music collective known as Syllabolix.

With a passion for throwing around paint and a workaholic attitude for creating artwork, there is plenty more on the way from this esteemed Perth artist"

We’re looking forward to this one – its been a little bit since the last mad show in Perth, and this one is going to rock!

Who: Paul Deej
What: Harlequins solo show
Where: Kurb Gallery, 312a William St, Northbridge, Perth WA
When: The exhibition runs for one week only, from Saturday April 27th until Friday May 3rd.

Check out Paul Deej’s website as well as the facebook event page, and Kurb Gallery, for more details.

A few weeks back, we were invited to Oz Comic-Con in Perth . Having never been to a comic/fantasy/sci-fi convention, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. Comics are awesome, so why had I not been to a Oz Comic-Con before? I guess I thought this would be an event for hardcore science fiction fans and people who would make my comic knowledge feel like the small, pathetic, underfed creature it is.

As we neared the Perth Convention Centre we began to encounter Batmans, Pikachus and anime characters. Holly hell, people really dress up? I was SO excited!  Upon entry we were greeted with what looked like a full house; stalls, shelves upon shelves of comics and a cast of patrons that were a mishmash of every cool movie, comic book and TV show I’d ever seen. All this and I hadn’t even got to where the Comic-Con special guests were. Macgyver was there, Macgyver!!!

I could prattle on about how great it was and how deep my regret is that I had not attended a Oz Comic-Con before but times is short yo. I gotta get started on my costume for next years Comic-Con.

Who: William Shatner, Jason Momoa, Richard Dean Anderson, Justin Randall, Nicola Scott, Patricia Quinn, J.G Hertzler and many, many more talented people.
What: Oz Comic-Con Perth
Where:Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Rd, Perth WA 6000
When: Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of March 2013

There aint nothing like a Seasons Of Change show down at Revolver – for the past two years this quarterly exhibition has been a stalwart favourite of ours.

The most recent show saw some of Australias top graffiti lasses get together for a one night only expose of their work – and it was yet another cracker of a show. ISIS, ISHK, JOSKE, POISE and SEAR were totally on their game, and looking through the photos, I can only wish I had of been there to check it out myself!

Massive thanks to David Russell, once again, for the mad ass shots – check them out!

The next instalment in Revolver’s Seasons of Change series ‘Plain Mrs’ by HKC. UGH. LMR Union is on this Friday the 1st of March at 6-9pm. Looking forward to seeing what the Autumn show has to offer! Some more from the press release!

“Friday 1 March from 6-9pm for one night only. Brought to you by Revolver Upstairs in conjunction with GraffixCreative ‘Seasons of Change’ showcases local and international artists at Revolver’s internal and external art spaces. Previous Seasons of Change exhibitions have seen great numbers flock to Revolver to see some of Melbourne’s best graffiti artists show some ground-breaking work.

With over 100+ years of creative experience between them, HKC. UGH. And LMR Union members ISIS, ISHK, JOSKE, POISE and SEAR have once again pooled their resources and collaborated to bring you ‘Plain Mrs’- their most recent exhibition of new artworks. This show will be a small collection of 2D and 3D artworks and video installations.

The Group:

HKC. UGH. LMR Union

As individuals, these ladies are competitive talents in their own right. As a group, their creative potential is limitless.

All 5 are the founding members of and spearhead the internationally renowned and respected, annual national female graffiti event ‘Ladie Killerz’ and continue to push female graffiti art towards a wider audience by coordinating events and workshops and facilitating legal mural projects.

Such is their reputation for quality work- both on the street and in the gallery, that they are not only sought after artists individually but also as a collective. Separated only by physical geography these days, it is a rare opportunity to view their work collectively and experience and view first hand, the contagious energy and the visual appeal that is the HKC, the UGH and the LMR Union in one place, for one night.

The Individuals:

ISIS

Painting and drawing since a child, ISIS’s works are a release and a focus for her as well as another avenue of communication with people that doesn’t require conversation, which she confesses to struggle with at times.
A self taught graffiti artist with a background in screen printing and traditional visual art, ISIS’s work is influenced by comics, the subconscious, paranoia, strangers, animals, insecurities, left handedness and all things slightly odd.

ISHK

Representing from Adelaide, ISHK’s work is based around basic graffiti principles – letters and characters. With a feminine style that stands out as organic and fluid, she relies on colour to define her letter structure, her characters play on the notion of opposites, yin and yang etc. Structured yet soft, sassy and innocent, dreamy and focused. They all represent a small fantasy inside of us.

Part time DJ, Full time Artist, she works with a passion through hip hop. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Mode 2, Vaughn Bode, Futura 2000, Phase 2, Alphonse Mucha, Roger Dean to name a few. Oriental influences, feminine and females, music, old school hip hop all get referenced on walls and canvases.

POISE

Representing the real westside, from Perth, Ladie Poise started her artistic career as a teenage graffiti writer in the 80s. Her self-taught styles have evolved into intricate works depicting scenes of bright cheerfulness to dark morbidity often framed with words of wisdom from old sayings, to just good old traditional graffiti. Driven by the evidence of a disposable society she has a penchant for painting thrown away items, op shop finds, rusty cans, furniture and straight up junk that you might find on a council chuck out. A dark sense of humour & a positive underlying message permeates her work. Everything she does is by hand as she appreciates the physical feel of creation.

JOSKE

With a background in film making, JOSKE pushes the boundaries of her artwork with multimedia projections and installations. Her unique combination of 3D sculpture and video works, have been featured in multiple group exhibitions across the country. Since her formative years in the late 1990s, she has progressively developed her style from humble public lettering forms to more complex letter styles, focusing on connections, symmetry and colour.

SEAR

SEAR’s work ranges between traditional paintwork and aerosol – portraiture, design, illustration, and lettering with a special interest in 3D, sculpture and working parts. A sarcastic sense of humour, and a love of satire and word play are evident in her works as is the heavy influence of Saturday morning cartoon ‘punch’, National Geographic-esque journalistic drama, and font soaked, DIY punk rock posters and making visuals interactive.
All of these elements get layered and applied to a ‘suitable’ canvas, generally a recycled or ‘rescued’ one, that adds its own ‘voice’ to the story. Combining realistic impressionism, comic and tattoo flash style characters and hand sign writing, her 2D works are, in her own words, collaged “mini fables”.

There will also be limited edition prints available by Dangerfork“

Who: Revolver Upstairs

What: SEASONS OF CHANGE Autumn - Graffiti Wall and Exhibition ‘Plain Mrs’ by HKC. UGH. LMR Union.

Where: Revolver Upstairs - 229 Chapel St, Prahran.

When: This Friday – March 1st 6-9pm One night only!

Check out the Revolver Arts Facebook page here.

Kyle Hughes-Odgers, aka Creepy, has been a notable player on the Australian art scene for some time now. Known predominantly for his street art, the past few years has seen Kyle stretch out of what would have been quite a comfortable space to stagnate in.

Personally, having been at the opening of his previous exhibition, ‘You Just Have Your Eyes Closed,’ I had thought at the time that this was it – he’d done it. I hadn’t ever seen Kyle’s work in a ‘hey, that’s fine art’ kind of way but the magnitude of pieces, the continuity of the exhibition and the evolution of his style were all firm indicators that Kyle had established himself in the fine art world. As the old adage goes – If it’s not broke, don’t fix it – I had assumed that style wise, Kyle had hit his peak. His work was honest, appealing and respected. ‘You Just Have Your Eyes Closed,’ was two years ago. In that time Kyle has continuously evolved and his work, both fine art and street art, has blossomed. He has travelled and exhibited extensively, his craft has matured and his skill has grown exponentially.

His upcoming exhibition, ‘A Thousand Lights From A Hundred Skies,’ set to debut this Friday at Turner Galleries, is the show you can’t afford to miss.

It’s been two years since we last spoke, can you tell us briefly what youv’e been up to in that time?

I’ve been a bit of a drifter – traveling for projects and painting walls. NYC a couple of times and I had my first European solo show in Berlin and worked on my first children’s book ‘Ten Tiny Things’ published through Fremantle Press in Australia and some film projects with Chad Peacock.

Your upcoming show, ‘A Thousand Lights From A Hundred Skies,’ opens this Friday at Turner Gallery. What’s the story behind the title and can you tell us what to expect from this exhibition? Will there be as much content as you had in your first show at Turner Gallery, which was something like over one hundred works?

The show title is named after the largest painting, which is 284 x 876cm. It’s an abstract aerial view of a non-descript city at night. There are 27 paintings in this exhibition; there is a lot more work in the individual paintings than my last Turner show. Which had 113 paintings but a lot of them smaller, simpler works. I wanted to make a more focused, intense body of work.

You seem to be able to switch easily between large scale murals and small delicate work. Which do you prefer why?

I prefer both. I like spending time in the studio to focus and create a body of work for months and to contrast that quietness with painting outside on large-scale mural projects. It pushes me creatively to work in different locations, across different scales, mediums and textures.

In the last two years or so, you have been producing artwork in your own name as opposed to ‘Creepy’. Is that a conscious decision to differentiate between your street art and fine art?

Yes. I was 22 when I first started making street art under the name ‘creepy’. That was almost 10 years ago now and a lot has changed. I was associating the alias ‘creepy’ with one particular creative activity, but my work has crossed into a wider spectrum of many different projects and mediums both inside and outside.

It just seemed logical to start working under my real name for any project I’m involved in.

In Feburary of 2012 you had your first European solo exhibition, ‘If We Can’t Control the Boat…’ at Okazi Gallery in Berlin. Can you tell us what the show was about and how you managed the logistics of having an exhibition so far from where you are based? How were you received?

‘If we can’t control the boat, let’s control the ocean” was a fairly bleak title. The show was a look at the obsession some humans feel to be in control, although in reality we can merely only ‘steer the boat’ so to speak and there are many things out of our control. It was a reminder that we are essentially clinging to a rock that orbits around a ball of fire somewhere in an infinite universe. It’s easy to forget that. Logistically it was pretty straightforward, I painted 80% of the work in my studio in Australia and worked on an installation and few works when I was at the gallery. The show was received well and has led to other projects.

You’ve been involved in some pretty heavy weight international group shows of late. Can you tell us about some of the exhibitions you’ve been involved in? Any stand out shows or artists you’ve showed besides?

It’s always good to be involved with international group exhibitions, especially being based in Australia. It’s great to have the opportunities to be showing work along side other artists I have respected for a long time. A few highlights would be the ‘BRIGHT’ tradeshow in Berlin, MMX Berlin gallery week, ‘Street Art Saved my Life:39 New York stories’ in L.A and the Kingbrown show last year in NYC.

In 2012 you spent a little time in Port Hedland, which is primarily a mining town in the Pilbara region of W.A. Can you talk about how that opportunity came about and what you got up to?

The Port Hedland project is part one in a long running idea to paint in very unique and remote Australian locations. It’s something I want to do through out my life. I think the isolation and space is fascinating. I’ve always wanted to work on painting projects that showcase this landscape and remoteness. I’m interested in how these places and projects would be received by people from other cultures living in high density urban environments, New York City, Paris, Tokyo etc. The best way to do that is through film and the internet.

Through FORM the opportunity to travel to Port Hedland and paint 2 large murals came up. I wanted to go exploring and find some other unique places to paint while I was in the Pilbara. Filmmaker Chad Peacock was commissioned to come up with me and document the project. We spent 9 days up there painting and filming the murals in town and exploring the desert. Id been given a few hints of possible places to paint in the desert and what we found was better than I had imagined. The abandoned double decker bus was an amazing wreck to come across and a very interesting object to paint, I would love to know how it got to be out there.

The two murals in the Port Hedland were supported through BHP Billiton’s Community Grants Program and by FORM. The two walls were kindly ‘donated’ by Port Hedland Police Station, Westpac Bank and Richard Noble with support from Boom Sherrin.

July last year saw you illustrate the book ‘Ten Tiny Things,’ by Meg McKinlay. How did that come about? What was the process like for you?

It was great – I have always wanted to work on a childrens’ book so I really enjoyed the process. Fremantle Press sent me Meg’s story when I was in New York in 2011 to see if I would be interested in working on the project. The story resonated with me, encouraging people to be more observant and appreciate the interesting things that surround us everyday, to be more active and to get us out of our comfort zones.

I treated it like an exhibition and dedicated a set amount of time in the studio to painting the book.

Hidden Shoal have just relesed a video by Chad Peacock of your mural work in Cambodia. How did you come to be involved in this? How was did the experience of painting in Cambodia and what did the locals think of you and your art?

Chad was heading up there for another project and he asked me if I wanted to go on a trip and we could paint and film on his days off. I had never been to Cambodia and really wanted to visit Angkor Wat. I ended up painting a few different spots on the trip but the footage used for the Apricot Rail video clip is just from one particular day of painting. The wall I painted is on the side of a school that teaches English and provides one meal a day to the local Cambodian kids from the near by village.

It was about an hour from Phnom Penh and we had to catch a ferry and go on motorbikes to get to there, so not many tourist get to this place. It ended up pouring down near the end of the day and we knew the last ferry was leaving so I had to finish the wall in the rain. A few of the locals helped me out and we got it complete in time. It was an amazing day and great to meet some of the kids from this area and speak to some of the locals who are doing very important work there.

Cambodia is an amazing country and I was so glad to have the chance to visit.

Apricot Rail – Surry Hills from Chad Peacock on Vimeo.

I’ve read that you are working on a huge steel installation for DMG architects. You must have to hand over your work at some point to complete this process, does that make you nervous or are you really excited to see your work in a new kind of medium?

I like working across many mediums so it’s interesting to see a new process and material. This project is more sculptural than past works.
There are a lot of people involved to get a project of this scale complete and my work is only one component of that.

What’s on the cards for 2013 after this upcoming solo show?

I have a solo show of smaller works and the official first screening of the film “We will know when we are home” by Chad Peacock which documents my residency in Port Hedland. It opens on the 15th of Feb at the Port Hedland Courthouse gallery. Then I’ll be heading to NYC mid year for some projects, then to Europe for a solo show, and some other secrets in the pipeline.

Last words?

follow my instagram @khughesodgers

One of our all time favourite Perth artists, Kyle Hughes-Odgers (who may be familiar to you also, under an older moniker, Creepy) is back at the turner Galleries in early February with a new show, A Thousand Lights From A Hundred Skies.

“Kyle’s highly stylised thick torsoed, big-headed and spider-limbed figures exist in a unique folk tale world. This world exists without technology, but this does not stop the inhabitants from trying to solve problems and build things using wonky mechanics and producing structures that do not heal or help. Strange stilted buildings, often out of scale to their melancholy inhabitants, are connected to each other with lines. The lines represent communication, and the basic building forms represent the communities that inhabit them. Sparse plant forms appear in some works, and in most an exuberant patterning beautify the sometimes darkly humorous themes.”

We spoke to Kyle before one of his shows at Turner gallery back in 2010 – check it out, and get down there to see what he has been up to in more recent times! We’re huge fans of his work, on a wall, or in a gallery, so this one is highly recommended if you’re over in P-town.

Who: Kyle Hughes-Odgers
What: A Thousand Lights From A Hundred Skies
Where: Turner Galleries, 470 William Street Northbridge, WA
When: Show opens 6pm til 9pm, Friday 8th February until 9th May, 2013

Check out Kyle Hughes-Odgers website, as well as Turner Galleries for more info, as well as the facebook event page.

We’ve followed Perth artist Sean Morris for quite some time (we interviewed him last year, as well), as he’s tripped around the world and put his brand of magical weirdosity out into the world, loving ever bit of it we’ve seen. Be Sweet, Deadbeat will be the first time that Sean has held a solo show here in Melbourne, which, considering he has had work in a whole slew of group shows, is well and overdue! We’ve been wanting to see a collection from the man for a long, long time, and nows our chance.

“House Of Bricks is proud to announce ‘Be Sweet, Deadbeat’ – new works by Sean Morris.

This anticipated exhibition is Morris’ first solo show in Melbourne, and comes just over a year after his last solo, ‘Killer Abs Will Kill You’ at Beach Gallery in London. The Perth-born artist spent part of the last year in the US, with group exhibitions on both coasts, but has recently returned his focus to Australia – curating ‘Let’s Go, Magic Weirdos’ in October, the biggest international group show Perth has seen in recent times. Now he heads to Melbourne, and after 4 years of exhibiting work in group exhibitions here, a solo outing is long overdue.

This Thursday night in Collingwood is going to be pretty rad, with both Sean Morris and Antonia Trash putting on shows within striking distance of each other, you’re spoilt for shit to do.

Who: Sean Morris
What: Be Sweet, Deadbeat solo show
Where: House Of Bricks, Budd St, Collingwood
When: Show opens Thursday December 6th from 6pm til 9pm, and runs until December 16th.

Check out Sean Morris, and the facebook event page for more info.

Seasons Of Change is one of our favourite series of shows here in Melbourne, and, now with the series into their second year, it’s still going strong, bringing graff infused art in all it’s glory to the southside

Couple the strength of this series with the next “Summer” iteration this Friday night, which will be showcasing the infamously talented and globally renowned SDM crew, and you have of a one night extravaganza of pure fkn grand.

“SDM was seen as one of the main driving forces in Melbourne’s graffiti scene in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s.

They are known for elaborate full colour productions with a huge diversity in styles from member to member. Everyone in the crew has a different perspective, so an SDM production always stands out as something completely unique to the standard Melbourne style.

Responsible for Melbourne’s infamous first full colour top-to-bottom whole train and the epic SDM between South Yarra and Richmond stations which is still one of the biggest pieces in Melbourne.

The crew was also selected to take part in the recent NGV mural event at Fed Square last year.

Members recently won the best production category for the Aus/New Zealand region in the Ironlak 2008, 2010, 2012 competitions and were selected to compete in the 2008 ‘Write For Gold’ graffiti competition.

The crew is still as strong now than it ever was, with most members going on to take their craft to the next level. With members spread around Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney as well as London, Hong Kong, LA and San Diego.”

Head down to Prahran this Friday night to check it all out for yourself – if you have any interest in both the history, and the future of Melbourne graffiti, you’ll be there.

Who: SDM Crew
What: Seasons of Change – Summer
Where: Revolver Upstairs, Chapel St, Prahran, VIC
When: Show opens Friday 7th December, from 6pm til 9pm – one night only!!

Check out the SDM crew, their facebook page, Revolver Upstairs, as well as the facebook event page for more info.

This Thursday, Paper Mountain is set to host one of the most hotly anticipated shows Perth has seen in recent years . With an international lineup of 23 artists curated by Perth’s own art dude, Sean Morris, ‘Let’s Go, Magic Weirdos’ promises to be the show you can’t afford to miss.

Morris has been one of Perth’s best art exports of late, featuring in some  heavy shows both in Oz and across the pond. With his solo show, ‘Be Sweet Deadbeat’ coming up in early December (Melbourne), it’s nothing short of amazing that Sean has managed to pull together such a tight show.

“While the work of the “Magic Weirdos” encompasses a range of artistic styles, each artist involved shares what Morris calls a “defiant, fearless approach to art making.” Regardless of physical location; together they inhabit a world where rules are made for breaking, and the paradox of conventional art is thrown out of the window.

‘Let’s Go, Magic Weirdos’ sets out to harness, cage and present to the city a collection of exciting new work unleashed by crazed and beating minds from across the globe.”

This exhibition is sure to be an unapologetic, knock-down-drag-out art show that takes no prisoners.

Who: Stevie Gee, Ghostpatrol, John Malta, Ambird, Mel Stringer, Kyle hughes-Odgers, Manuel Donada, James Unsworth, Michael C.Hsiung, Jon Boam, Sean Morris, Luke Pelletier, Eric McHenry, Yohyo, Ryan Ady Putra, Cammy Yo, Cheeks, Evie Cahir, Calliope Bridge, Sheryo, Ican Harem, Mariana Moyses, Eveline Tarunadjaja, Yok
What: Let’s Go, Magic Weirdos
Where: Paper Mountain, 267 William St, Northbridge, Perth
When: Exhibition opens Thursday 25th October from 6pm to 9pm and runs till Sunday 28th October

Check out the Facebook event page  and Paper Mountain for more info on the show

Last week saw the opening of Stormie Mills latest solo show, People & Places, at Melbournes Metro Gallery.

As to be expected, Stormie brought his “A game”, with a delectable array of his stylised, emotive characters spread across the walls of the gallery.

Something else we loved, was the “cityscape” piece that heralded the show – this piece was different – we saw something like this of his in a previous show, after he had visited Antarctica, and, we have to say, it was gorgeous and we hope to see even more of this abstractia in the future!

Check out all the photos from the opening below, thanks to Dave Russell …

Once again we are in for a massive treat – Stormie Mills (who we interviewed last year) is back in Melbourne this week for his final solo show of the year, with People & Places. We recently caught up and heard Stormie talk at the Art Series Conversation Corner, and it was a rare and fascinating insight into his current working practices and creative trajectory. As one of the pioneers of the Perth graffiti and street art scene, his work has evolved over the years into a distinctive style and entity all unto its own – and this Wednesday, you can see it for yourself.

“Metro Gallery is proud to present Peoples and Places, an exhibition of new work by Australian contemporary artist, Stormie Mills.

As a child Stormie Mills travelled extensively. He attended 8 different schools and was constantly on the move, experiencing new places and cultures. It was though this travel that Stormie developed his passion for observing people which continues to inform his character based work. Peoples and Places takes this examination one step further by contextualising the characters with an environment and how it has the potential to impact on who we ultimately become.

Stormie said, “I’m a firm believer, as a watcher of people that where we come from forms a major part of who we are. 

Having travelled extensively since i was a small child I’ve watched people and believe that our immediate surroundings have a huge impact on the physical way we carry ourselves or move. This in turn becomes ingrained in us mentally as well. 

Animals are subject to an evolutionary process that shapes them to suit their environment. For us it’s about the development of a set of characteristics and self-adornment that directly responds to our surrounds.”

It was a recent trip to Antarctica that inspired Stormie to contemplate the idea that people evolve in response to their environment. The idea what we are “Shaped” by our surroundings is explored in Peoples and Places, inspired by travels throughout America, Europe, Asia and Antarctica where Stormie spent time people watching and recording the subtle nuances that gave each community its own set of characteristics.

By connecting the idea of landscape and environment to his unique characters Stormie delivers a further insight into what it is that shapes who we are and how we get there. The body of work is exploring the idea of nature vs nurture.”

Check out this great interview with Stormie on the Age website for a heap more info on the show.

Who: Stormie Mills
What: People and Places solo show
Where: Metro Gallery, 1214 High St, Armadale, VIC
When: Show opens Wednesday October 3rd from 6:30pm til 8:30pm and runs til the 20th October

Check out Stormie Mills and the Metro Gallery website for more info.

We saw this over at the awesome ArtistsWA website (if you haven’t seen it, go check it – its a great archive of WA artists!), and damn, so good to see this shit back West!

We’ve seen a lot of Hurbens work around the last few years, and we’re happy to see that the man is putting on another show!

"Perth street artist Hurben’s third solo show ‘Pearth’ promises to be a strikingly poignant critique of the hypocritical culture of Perth. As an added bonus this opening has been planned to coincide with the debut exhibition of local underground sticker artist Bubble Bobble.

Hurben presents ‘Pearth’, a collection of paintings reflective of the quick shifting culture of our city. Using a range of strong symbolic local icons, Hurben creates a dystopian landscape that challenges Perth’s attitude to its past, present and future, questioning our collective motivations.

Well known within the West Australian arts community, Hurben is one of the 3 founders of the infamous ololo collective whose credits include orchestrating the legendary Condor Car Park project and ReFace 2009 – both of which were highly influential in contributing to Perth’s evolving attitude toward street art.

Having completed a yearlong residency @ 140 William earlier this year, Hurben continues in his active endeavours to improve the visual landscape with such creative offerings as the extraordinary 10m tall mural he recently painted in the CBD’s Wolf Lane.

Making an impression upon untold city spaces over the years, Hurben’s work is bold, challenging and reflective.PEARTH is his third solo exhibition and showcases an impressive depiction of our city and the relationship that this artist shares with it."

Who: Hurben
What: Pearth solo show
Where: Little Creatures Brewery, (Upstairs, Main Hall), 40 Mews Rd Fremantle W.A.
When: Thursday August 30th from 6pm til 9pm

Check out Hurben at his website, as well as the ArtistsWA article and preview!

Hectic week agian, but we have time to quickly get this one up today – and we didn’t want to miss it! After a successful launch party in NYC a week or two back, Kingbown is headed for a launch in Sydney tonight.

“Co-curated by Kingbrown (NY), Morning Breath Studio (NY) & The Hours (SYD), issue 8 features work and studio visits of numerous skateboard-related artists. Following the launch of Kingbrown in New York, The Tate Gallery & The Hours proudly present the Sydney leg of the International launch featuring a cross section of artists from Kingbrown No 8 as well as supporting local artists from within the Kingbrown Family.

There will be 50 copies of Issue 8 on sale at the event. Each Issue comes with a Morning Breath Die Cut, DIY Skateboard and a Ltd Ed. Kingbrown x Beastman x Element TShirt.”

Featuring a whole bunch of usual suspects and a few other great additions from both local and international climes, this will be a fine showing . We got our hands on issue #8 not too long ago as well, and suffice to say, its yet another great issue – we loved the included mini-skateboard!

Head down, see some great art, and grab a copy tonight!

Who: Mike Giant, Stefan Marx, Ben Horton, Steve Gourlay, Troy Archer, Beastman, Thomas Jackson, Numskull, Sheryo, Twoone, Mark Alsweiler, Gimiks Born, Sam Smith, Max Berry, Roach, Yok, Ian Mutch, Kyle Hughes-Odgers
What: King Brown Issue #8 Oz launch
Where: The Tate, 345 Glebe Pt Rd, Glebe, NSW
When: Show opens tonight, Friday 10th August from 6pm and the show runs til Sunday 12th August.

Check out the facebook event page and the Kingbrown website for more info on the show!

We’ve been back in Perth visiting family for the past few days, and things have been pretty hectic (as always, we’re running behind on a bunch of stuff and our trip hasn’t helped – if only we could clone ourselves!) – but today we briefly met one of the passionate people behind the latest and coolest gallery and studio projects in P-town – Paper Mountain.

It also reminded us that we’d seen a great show coming up at the venue from an emerging Perth artist by the name of Chloe Spiers-Atherden – who was also a part of the recent Living Walls show at FORM Gallery.

"Lunar Soil is an exploration of perception and the way it is coloured, shaped and finely textured through the lens of personal mythology. Worldviews everywhere intersect, interbreed and are ultimately cultivated and renewed through human imagination, allowing us to perceive meaning on both the individual and cosmic scale.

Lunar Soil is a small collection of inky symbols reflecting some of the stories, environments, creatures and ideas experienced in just one among an infinite array of evolving mythologies."

Before we’d even read the words, we saw the colour, and we liked! Though we were really keen to see what the show was all about and check out Paper Mountain itself, unfortunately we have to leave Perth tomorrow before the event. That said, if you’re in the West you should head down there for us! Paper Mountain looks like a really fun place, and this will be a a cool bit of art from an intriguing up and coming artist.

Who: Chloe Spiers-Atherden
What: Lunar Soil solo show
Where: Paper Mountain, 267 William St, Northbridge, WA
When: Show opens Wednesday 1st August from 6pm and runs until 6th August.

Check out the Paper Mountain facebook page for more info on the space itself, as well as Chloe Spiers-Atherdens website.