Ding Dang Dong: Aug 1st

Ding Dang Dong is about three friends who met back in 2004 while they were living in Japan. Their friendship grew through a love of art and exploring the streets of Tokyo together. Now four years later and continents apart they are reunited again through art. The show features individual works by each of the artists as well as collaborations by all three.

Aaron Piland(Usa) Luke Temby (Aus) Nao Harada (Japan)

Opening Reception: August 1st
Time: 6PM to 9 PM
Location: 811 East Burnside, Portland OR
Web: http://www.grasshutcorp.com

Dirty Hands: the art and crimes of David Choe

Dirty Hands: The art and Crimes of David Choe, produced by Harry Kim.

“I’ve started this whole thing out back in 2000 with Whales And Orgies and by now we’ve got the full story about David Choe. The Adventures of David Choe Dirty Hands begins chronicling David’s life back when he was a starving artist in the year 2000. His skinnier, former self goes about spraying whales, non-sequitur statements, jokes, and random bible verses on the streets. From then until now, this is his journey. Illustrator Barron Storey likens David’s journey to that of a “classic hero going through a series of life’s passages.” After his stint in jail, David gets a taste of fame and success. But as all the dreams of his former self comes true, David’s newly born-again soul must grapple with the temptations that come with it. Everyday, David still struggles to maintain the verve of his art, keep his dedication with God, ignore his sinful impulse, and hold onto the love of his girlfriend without the medications.”

Go directly to David Choe’s Webpage

Dirty Hands Webpage

Next screening of Dirty Hands is at the San Diego Film Festival, from
October 10th to the 12th, 2008. Make sure if your in the area you dont miss this!
There are also t-shirts, posters, and Dirty hands sanitizer for your pleasure.

"ADDICTED TO DETAILS" Berlin,Germany August 8th

"ADDICTED TO DETAILS"
August 8th, opening reception at 7:00 pm.
AT Intoxicated Demons gallery in BERLIN,Germany.

Those were the glory days of graffiti, when young people in
the 80ies were going out at night to put their names on
trains, walls and buildings. Graffiti grew as a part
of the hip-hop culture and the break dance movement to the
most important youth culture of that decade. But later -
when we reached the 90ies, it was only hip hop, that
went major, graffiti and break dance were going back to the
underground. Nowadays when everybody screams for a piece of
street art we forget, that even graffiti
culture had his evolution and built the base for todays
street art hype. And if u take a closer look you will see so
many awesome talents - taking this underground art into the
galleries and show it to a wider audience (f.e. OS GEMEOS).

We would like to present you some of the most talented
young artists from Germany in our next show called
"addicted to details". You will see awesome paintings,
illustrations, sculptures and mixed media artworks showing
the potential of these young german fellows: DOME, Hombre,
Aro and The Teeth Project.
......................................

Visit the Intoxicated Demons Web page gallery HERE!

8 BIT

I am 8 BIT
Coming soon this August 14th , make sure you keep your eyes open for the flyers, which by the way you cut out, and can transform in to old video game guy and his own archade game.

more on this event soon!

COMIC CON Week : MUNKY KING & VINYL PULSE

Im down here in sunny San Diego at the Comic Con fair, Ill be posting up pictures of the fair and of the many amazing artists parties going down in the next few days.

To start it off, Last night I attended the MUNKY KING and VINYL PULSE party: Vinylkings at @ Basic Bar + Urban Kitchen.
Artists 2H, Angry Woebots, Jesse Hernandez, Jason Han, Peekaboo Monster, Scott Belcastro, Yoskay Yamamoto all painted live on 4 x 4 wood boards..

It was the best event to attend my first night back in California, the party was packed with smiling faces, empty drinks and lots of paint. It was a great atmosphere, funky music, and by the end of the night I was stuffing my face with their tasty pizza to soak up the drinks. Many other artists were in attendance such as Tanner Goldbeck, Nate Frizzell, Amanda Visell, MichelleValigura, Gary Baseman, and BuffMonster, Jim Mahfood and Scott Morse.
To see the great photos, make sure you visit the VINYL PULSE to see the full event.

Thanks for the photo Vinyl Pulse!

No Parachute Required! Toronto!

Tonight, Thursday in Toronto!
We’re calling it “No Parachute Required”. The artists involved are: Greg Hill, Alexei Vella, Mike Byers, Christina Ung, Kyung Soon Park, and Rey Ortega. They have all been working crazy hard to make sure it’ll be a great time. Its a strong list of emerging artists, so this show will truly be a fresh look in to what the contemporary artists are in to on the up side.

Opening reception is Tonight, Thursday the 24th at 1313 Gallery in Toronto, Canada. Starting from 8:00 pm.

The exhibition will be up until the 3rd of August, so if you in the area make sure to go in and check it out.

1313 Gallery
1313 Queen Street West
Toronto.

Thanks alot Rey for the update! Viewers, make sure you visit Rays website to get a sneak preview for what your in for tonight.

rey ortega illustration
www.rey-o.com

Exclusive interivew with artist SPECTER

I recently caught up with artist SPECTER and had a chat with him about his work.
SPECTER is a street artist, born and raised in Canada, he lives in Toronto where he spends his days and nights decorating the streets with his wild 3D installations and skillful illustrations.

T-So SPECTER, tell us, how did you get started working with the arts?
S- Through Graffiti- vandalizing the streets at night.

T-Did you study art, or self taught?
S-I did a couple years in art school but didn’t fit the mold, mostly I learned from experimenting on the street.

T- How long have you been putting stuff out on the streets?
S-I have been doing things on the street for over ten years.

(Pieces hand painted on wood depicting portraits and parts of the human anatomy which are installed in public spaces- left and above)

T- And How did your name SPECTER come about?
S-Inspired from my ability to put work on the street but never be seen, like a specter, you know its there but you can’t see it.

(Gates crafted with cardboard boxes then installed in specific alley ways.-above)

T- I see your street work is based around certain themes or projects, How do you come up with these project ideas?

S-I try to pay attention to my surroundings and looking at ways to alter it, By just walking a little slower you would be surprised at what you notice.

T- Very true, so how long does any certain project last for?
S-It can last forever; It all depends on its relevance to it’s surroundings.

T- Your projects seem to be so perfectly designed to fit one place or building, how do you make that happen? S- Lots of preparation, problem solving and sleepless nights.

T- I expected as much, but another thing Ive been wondering is how do you manage to travel with such large scale pieces? And managing to place them so high? Do you work alone, or have any extra helpers?
S- I make all my work in sections and assemble it on site by myself, I would get helpers but it is hard when you have such a small window of time to execute your piece.

T- Do you often get the ok from shop owners or building owners? Or is all your work done out of risk?
S-All illegal, the pieces can be removed the next day or stay for months it all depends on the owner of the property.

T-So much time and work seems to go in to each of your projects, how do you feel about putting up a piece for free that may have taken you weeks to make?
S-Some of my pieces take weeks to plan and execute and it is disappointing to see something that you put so much effort into be taken down shortly after it has been installed but that is part of the game and I don’t really think to much about it. It kind of feels like giving a gift you really like to someone, you hope they care for it the same way you would but they may not appreciate it as much as you do.

(Works created to occupy specific spaces which would otherwise not be used for art or other purposes.- above right)

T- Very well said. I feel your work is highly interactive, and you’re communicating strong messages to the passer buyers on the street. How do you feel about this connection to society through your art?
S-I believe that this is why I create pieces in the street- to feel connected to my environment. The art allows me to spark a dialogue with the viewers- even with people who may not understand what there viewing.

T-What is your opinion or thoughts about urban art now being accepted by the auction houses, and getting in to main art galleries?
S-I believe that most street artists aspire to be accredited and compensated for there work and am glad that some are able to achieve this.

(Two dimensional works installed in windows or door frames that change the visual appearance of the structure.)

T-Do you see yourself going on to exhibit your works in galleries, or have you done so in the past?
S-I am interested in exhibiting in galleries for the promotion of my work and the chance to be critiqued in a professional setting but I am primarily interested in doing outdoor public works.

T-You truly seem like your on the road to big things, not many artists out there today can work with the vast amount of materials you do, from concrete to cardboard to wood, it seems you have it all covered. Where do you see your self going in the future, and in what direction do you want to focus your work?
S-The future is always unpredictable but I can see my self continuing to work with public art but increasing the scale. As far as a direction of focus, I prefer to let the future decide. As far as selling works Im in the process of moving to NYC in September, so Ill probably start releasing some work after I settle in. At the moment Im working on a mural and adding some new work to a couple of projects, bulk up the site before I leave.

Thanks so much SPECTER for the interview and photos. For all the readers make sure you visit SPECTERS website to view more of his work, and stay tuned for more news on SPECTER in the near future.

SPECTER’S WEBPAGE HERE
http://www.specterart.com

Grenade Art Collective

I recently received an email from the creative people with the Grenade Art collective.
“Grenade Art is a London based Contemporary Urban Art Collective, focusing on bringing together Innovative designers, illustrators, sculptors and painters from around the world.
The Collective brings all of its artists together three times a year for themed, large scale, one off group shows. As well as these larger group shows, the Grenade Art Gallery produces solo shows and smaller group shows for the Collective and it’s friends. These shows take place on a monthly rotation throughout The year.

The collective includes:
IMAONE
ALEX YOUNG
PREF
MR. MN
TIZER
DR. BRAZIL
PHIL TARITUTI

All the artists in the collective share a common heritage that has seen them actively involved in Various global Graffiti subcultures. Although the members of this group share a common background They have all evolved their creative work into different and unique directions that push the boundaries Of traditional street art. The Collective is based in London, but contributing artists come from the U.S, Japan, France and the UK.

Right now they have a solo exhibition on with artist Alex Young titled Exhibitionism.
” EXHIBITIONISM by Alex Young is a debut solo show based on alter egos and preconceptions. This is the second exhibition to take place at Grenade Art, the new gallery space for the urban art collective which launched in June, and runs from 16 July to 12 August. “

Make sure you stop by their web page, as I truly enjoyed going through the shows and different artists they are working with. Since May of this year they have been officially running the Grenade art gallery, which has now given this great collective a space to exhibit and expand so keep your eyes and ears open for more on Grenade art in the near future!

GO Here!
GRENADE GALLERY
212 Kensington Park Road
Notting Hill Gate
London
W11 1NR

Crimes on Canvas: Starts tonight in Las Vegas

CRIMES ON CANVAS, is a huge group show held in Las Vegas, at the Hardrock hotel and Casino. Celebrating the one year anniversary for 944 magazine, M Modern gallery has been asked to curate this show, and tonight the party begins.

With an impressive list of artists in a glamorous setting, this will be an art event that goes down in the books.

A few artists include:
JShea 9, Yoskay Yamamoto, Blain Fontana, Amanda Visell, Buff Monster, Liz Mcgrath, Jason Jackenco, Greg Simkins, David Stoupakis, Dave Pressler, Travis Louie, and so many more it would take me all day to write them all down..

I demand you to go straight to the webpage and check this event out in detail! 😉

Http:www.mmodern.com CLICK HERE!
Friend them at on their MYSPACE.

Opening: friday night july 18th 7pm – midnight

saturday night july 19th 1pm – midnight

ps- If one of you readers do attend this event, please pass me photos! THANKS!

TATE street art talks: With Wooster Collective

Tonight, Friday the 18th of July: London

Tonight, Wooster Collective will speak about Street art Today on a a global perspective, at the TATE Modern in London. Wooster will present a slide show and hold a detailed talk about street art in our contemporary world.

The upcoming talks are:

July 25th: Collecting Street art (presented by Pure Evil, JJ Charlesworth)
August 1st: The history of Graffiti and Street art ( presented by Blek le rat, Rough)
August 8th: Street art Around the world ( Tristen Manco, Rafael Schacter)
August 15th: Graffiti, Utopia or a bit boring? (Ben Lewis,Ossian Viard)

So as the looks of it, if you attend all of the Tate Talks, you can walk out of there with a certificate in graffiti and street art.. never thought it would be so easy. Overall its great that people have the opportunity to meet and greet with some amazing artists and influential people, along with becoming well informed about this non stop growing movement.