DALSTON SUPERSTORE PRESENTS: WE SCRATCH ART’"

DALSTON SUPERSTORE PRESENTS: WE SCRATCH ART’"
117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB

For it’s third exhibition the Dalston SuperStore brings to you a sensory fête from the 2 pioneers of the Scratch Art: Kassim Bay and Dino De La Vega.

It is not a duo you can put a label on and put into a box, apart from a light box maybe.

The history of their practice stems form graffiti art but has become vast and varied in it’s development; this research has brought them to an interesting head and a scratchadelic body of work. On surface level the work could easily be read simply as typography, graphic art and a style of graffiti. But on closer inspection the work is a contrast of a delicate process and fragile materials representing imagery of pop and subversive culture. Transcending the usual street based art work and becoming deeper and richer in it’s monochromatic play with light, sight and touch.

The artists have a deep interest in the senses and how they are used, or not used in the cases of the physically challenged. This lead to the investigation and use of braille in their practice ,which then gave birth to the element of relief in their work and the process of taking away to create something new. The work serves to stimulate the senses involving sight and touch, and on viewing it you can’t help but feel the presence of each pieces sound track, derived from the context in which the subject is taken.

"We Scratch Art" involves many interesting elements into their practice, fundamentally the fame shy artists work is humorous and conceptual, but firstly made to be experienced and enjoyed.
Come and see these mysterious masterpieces who’s construction process is a top secret, and witness how the work was born from the street but would now be just as suited to some modern urban interior; and don’t expect Graffiti!

Official MySpace

Scractadelia Art

Banksy 'Glazed + Confused' Print Lottery

Spiral Tribe - LSD Writers

Spiral Tribe - Old, Old Skool

'Key members of Spiral Tribe will be contributing regularly to LSD and adding yet another twist to our DNA'

Interview in Guardian Newspaper (July) Here

Spiral Tribe Photos by Ray Neary

Kings of Concrete - Ireland 2009

Lo-Down from Kings of Concrete...Organisers

Skateboarding, Blading, BMXing and breakdancing are all evolving urban sports that have established themselves as favoured youth activities on every continent across the globe. For a variety of reasons this faction of youth culture has remained largely unsupported and underdeveloped in Ireland. For too long we have had to find street spots off our own bat just to participate in the sports we are most passionate about. These spots typically have been unofficial and illegal. All too often security have removed skaters abruptly calling to a halt an otherwise perfect day. Subsequently we have had to become more resourceful and find new and interesting places to play. Most of these sites were privately owned buildings, centres of commerce and government offices. As we identified new spots the security grew in both presence and voracity.

Dark days for Irish youth culture ensued! If the security didn't prevent skateboarding the permanent skate stopping architecture did and to top it all off insurance for Irish skate parks has been near impossible to secure. Thankfully those dark days will soon be behind us. Due to the efforts of progressive politicians, active skate lobbyists (check out our links page) and some modern thinking in local authorities there has been a revolutionary breakthrough elevating the status of these activities to their rightful place in Irelands alternative sports portfolio. In 2006 the Irish government allocated E2million to develop 21 concrete skate parks around the country. These facilities will allow skaters / bladers / BMX'ers to develop and fine tune their skills. It will foster up and coming talent and give people the opportunity to become as good as their contemporaries anywhere in the world.

Kings of concrete is a celebration of this recent transformation. We hope to help build and sustain a platform to promote the wonderful variety of activities available for youth culture in Ireland today such as skating, inline blading, BMX, break dancing and graffiti amongst others.

Kings of Concrete MySpace

Kings of Concrete - Ireland

Kings Of Concrete 2008 (video)

The Reverse Graffiti Project - Video

Reverse Graffiti (What's That?)

That's exactly what i said when first told of such a thing called reverse graffiti but its actually very clever. The legality of doing the act is still in question though regardless if any paint goes onto the wall itself. I wonder if anyone has been arrested for this type of graffiti? Anyway, we're chasing them for an LSD interview...

Banksy - Guardian Interview (July)

LSD Magazine - East End CD Placements

LSD Magazine - CD Placement

Thanks to Sonia for sending us these shots of our CD placements on July 1st. To mark the launch of LSD Magazine we produced 500 CDROMs containing the magazine and placed them around East London (mostly). We couldn't publish a magazine about street art and not place some on the streets. We got sent some Doco Banksy branded Di Faced Tenners so we added most of them to the packs. This guaranteed the CDROMs would be picked up as the illusion of a ten pound note held their attention. There were placed on many different surfaces including industrial dustbins, shop windows, bus stops, street art, lampposts, benches, and canal locks. It took around 3 hours to blitz Hackney, Shoreditch, Brick Lane, and Hackney Wick. Graf-Shops in the USA, France, Italy and Holland produced their own CDROMs and were giving them to customers. Big Love to those stores and to everyone thats helping spread the word...

LSD CD Placments

Banksy found in the Old Country July 2009

Banksy in Africa (Mali?)

Photographs recently appeared on the Banksy website showing scenes of an African nature in Africa. Some are saying its Mali but official sources have not yet confirmed. Whispers have been circulating on the art-vine that Banksy actually uses a team of people who put stencils up for him. Personally speaking we don't care if Banksy puts them up or a street team we're happy to see street art touching those far away places in the way this work has touched us. Its only when the worlds press speak of Banksy as if he were the only artist alive that artists get their back up. However, this cant be blamed on the man himself, neither can the monetary value of his work. In the next issue we'll be speaking with various bodies that seem to represent the artist and find out the process for authenticating Banksy art.

Banksy in Africa Shots

Cartrain v Hirst

Cartrain Steals Damien Hirst's Art (Update)

16 year old graffiti artist Cartrain walked in to the Tate Briton (London) early last week and removed a packet of pencils from one of Damien Hirsts exhibits. Damien Hirst and Cartrain have a long standing rocky history. Earlier this year Hirst targeted the young graffiti artist Cartrain using Design and Artists Copyright Society (DAC's) for copyright infringement on his latest series of artworks being sold on 100artworks.com.

Cartrain is a 16 year artist whose work can be found mostly in backstreets of East London's Brick Lane and Old Street. Cartrain's left wing stencils and collages often contain recognisable figures such as George Bush and the Queen.

The box of very rare "FABER CASTELL dated 1990 Mongol 482 series" pencils were removed from Damien Hirst's "PHARMACY installation" by Cartrain on Thursday, July 2nd, around 4pm. Not long after the pencils were removed from the installation a fake police "appeal for assistance" posters appeared around London.

This is the latest in a string of events surrounding the feud between the two artists. It began when Damien Hirst contracted the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DAC's) to send a string of legal letters to Cartrain's artdealer Tom Cuthbert at 100artworks.com in regards to Cartrain's series of artworks 'For the Love of God'. The online gallery surrendered the artworks to Damien Hirst with a verbal apology.

UPDATE: July 11, 2009

From Cartrain's gallery representatives, Cartrain's Demands...

"For the safe return of Damien Hirsts pencils I would like my artworks back that Dacs and Hirst took off me in November. Its not a large demand he can have his pencils back when I get my artwork back. Dacs are now not taking any notice of my emails and I have asked nicely more than five times to try and resolve this matter. Hirst has until the end of this month to resolve this or on 31st of July the pencils will be sharpened. He has been warned."

Original Source: Clancco

LSD will be contacting Cartrain to get his side of the story for a future issue...

Tate Police Poster

Brownies - K-Guy Style

Brown Stuff @ Parliament - K-Guy on the Prowl

The ever increasing steel corridor around Westminster usually scares the pants off street artist who for no other reason than not wanting terrorism charges on their police record. Nobody told that to artist K-Guy, and what did he look like, strolling causally down the Embankment with a rack of loo seats underarm. K-Guy is class and features in our next issue...

K-Guy Website

Brown Stuff - K-Guy

Pop Crime - SheOne and Crash

7 August - 31 August 2009 

Opus is proud to present an exhibition of new paintings by SHEONE and CRASH.

SHEONE has a unique brand of abstract art that is rooted in the new wave graffiti era of early 80s New York, but his trademark expressive strokes put him firmly in the present – with an of-the-moment style that has caused fashion brands such as KSwiss to collaborate with the artist. SHEONE’s paintings are splattered and sprayed, but with a deliberate story behind the spills on the canvas. The works display a personal shorthand, relaying years of careful mark making. As well as his canvas works, SHEONE has a reputation for creating complex installation paintings – often in very large and unruly spaces. 

CRASH was born in New York’s Bronx. As part of the city’s prolific graffiti movement, CRASH was discovered through the murals that he painted on subway cars, basketball courts, and walls of New York buildings. The artist’s bright, bold work – markedly influenced by Lichtenstein – has decorated guitars belonging to the likes of Eric Clapton, as well as formed the basis for international advertising campaigns – such as Absolut Vodka. His work has become symbolic of New York street culture, and manages to capture and convey the energy of this urban movement.

Opus Web
Opus Blog
Crash on Opus
SHEONE on Opus

For further information, please contact enquiries@opus-art.com

Sheone Work

Crash Works

Cool Books

The Coolcamping Guide to Festivals by Sam Pow

With the explosion of summer festivals over the last decade, an embarrassment of options now tempt the festival reveller. But which to choose? The Coolcamping Guide to Festivals is the brand-new, authoritative guide, offering a handpicked selection of the very best festivals, both at home and abroad. Festival veteran and entertainment critic Sam Pow guides through the heady, hazy summer days and the crazy, cross-dressing, crowd-surfing nights, selecting the musical highlights from Britain and Europe. With in-depth reviews and hundreds of photos, this book transport you straight to the centre of the action; soak up the atmosphere of the main stage at Glastonbury, enjoy the simple intimacy of the Secret Garden Party or the fun and frivolity of Bestival. Featuring interviews and insights from well-known luminaries, a festivals timeline and a guide to finding the best new music, The Coolcamping Guide to Festivals is so much more than a listings brochure - it captures the energy and excitement of a great British pastime.

LSD's Wayne Anthony is on Page 79 Speaking of Glastonbury 1990

Official Site

Graffiti Artists to Watch - Video Clips

Street Art and Hip Hop in Gran Canaria



Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/LordFido

Pez Fish

LSD Mail Bag Goodies - Pez Fish (Nukod)

Nemo has nothing on this Fish...

Received a piece of Spanish graffiti history this week as the Pez Fish arrived, safely wrapped in a cool little box. We plan on featuring this cool Graffiti Character in the Christmas issue but couldn't resist uploading the images.

'Pez started painting in Barcelona circa 1999. His name actually means fish in spanish. Indeed, at the beginning he painted mere tags, but one day he painted a fish-shaped character and realised he liked it more than graffiti letters. Hence he stuck to this forever-smiling character, with the idea of transmitting good vibes to the people walking in the streets. Since then, Pez and his character have traveled throughout Europe and many other cities around the world developing more characters as he went. In 2008 he has been touring with his friends The London Police and Flying Fortress in Europe and USA...'

This character is LIMITED TO 500 Pieces and a must for any Urban Art Collector. Thanks to Pez and Nukod for sending us this great gift...

Get it here... http://www.nukod.com

Doco Banksy Stickers & Packaging

LSD Mail Bag Goodies

Doco Banksy Bribe...I mean Stickers

Doco Banksy sent us a wad of Banksy Di Faced Currency and though we promised we'd get them out there we've grown fond of our neat little bundle of tenners. In fact unless he sends us another little wad i doubt this bundle is going anywhere. Only messing! But do send more... To learn more about the Doco Banksy project download the magazine.

I present thee with a direct download link for LSD Magazine Issue One http://www.mediafire.com/?gow24h5m40z ... - Please Share, Redistribute this Link

LSD London Street-Art Design Film 102 by WA

LSD Press Release 101

LSD London Street-Art Design - NO PERMISSION NO CONTROL

Out now is a brand new, totally free online magazine born out of the explosion of creative ideas in the public spaces around us, reclaiming the corporate cityscape, piercing the anaesthetised commute and flooding walls and spirits alike with colour and the power of ideas. LSD – London Street-Art Design magazine weaves the threads of the modern underground into a kaleidoscope of ideas, insights, articles, features, wit so cutting you could crack a warehouse with it and a cast of switched on reprobates at the helm always on the lookout for talent, creativity, lateral thinking and fresh angles.


The magazine will be bringing the concepts and currents behind the art alive, reflecting and helping to generate the creativity so vibrant in our streets today. Intuition and insight served up like you never thought of it but always knew it. Our culture crystallised online with contributions from writers, street artists, poets, DJ's, urban philosophers, producers, the odd visionary genius and all round geezas.....Keeping us connected to the world around us...The bi monthly magazine is available at http://www.londonstreetartdesign.com and like any spontaneous, organic and roots based project, looks forward to welcoming collaborators and contributors of all perspectives and backgrounds and building a virtual bus Ken Kesey could never even have dreamed of..

Much Love

Wayne Anthony (Class of 88) & Sirius 23

Official: http://www.londonstreetartdesign.com
YouTube Viral Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9l3--bzVgQ
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apt2bgw5TmU

PS: If you are an artist, writer, or street art photographer and would like to contribute please get in touch

Thanks for all the Fish

LSD Press Release 102

LSD London Street-Art Design (Free Magazine) No Permission No Control

LSD magazine is a loud, proud and totally cutting edge take on the creativity bombing our senses and our souls on the streets of the modern world. But just like the art itself, we ain’t talking a purely visual experience but a full wide angle lens on the currents of our culture… In the first issue alone we have a gloriously eclectic range of artists from the tribal technicolour of Chor Boogie to the world of Fake, via the old skool writing and design of Kay One all the way to the haute couture handbags of Dirk Robertson a la Sainsbury’s plastic bags skidding through the ferocious talent of street artists far and wide along the ride…

But it doesn’t stop there – The freshest fiction and poetry out there, the Amazon voyage of Norman Parker – scourge of shamans and all round dark motherfucker, guest writer William Burrows who liked our style so much that he did a swift bit of afterlife astral projecting to contribute….. The story of vinyl, the nature of control, how to blog a motorway, viral sheep, health sections, the finest in new music, the legal status of photography , rants from the film world , free copies of Urban Smuggler - the list goes on for over 300 pages all brought screaming out of your screen with galleries of the edgiest art around before the natural rhythm of the streets cover them with fresh paint – just in time for the next issue...SEPTEMBER 2009

LSD London Street-Art Design

LSD Viral Video

Making the Viral Video...

The magazines title LSD London Street-Art Design is controversial to some folks but we choose it because it accurately reflects the color and diversity of art and in particular the illegality of street art.

'One man's shit is another man's compost'

I love creating viral videos for fun so making the LSD video gave us a sense of realism. I did it two weeks before the magazine launch date and both Sirius 23 and I were more than excited to get it out there...

LSD Magazine - Why No Permission No Control

He Who Controls the Spice...

July 1st launched our first issue which we called No Permission No Control because out on the streets there's no permission granted to paint, spray, fix or stencil most walls. Your work of art may be the most beautiful piece in all the land but by tomorrow it might be replaced, tagged or totally destroyed. That's the law of the streets and in many cases the law of street placements. In the good old U.S back in day if you represented anyone other than the government you'd get your head bashed or worse still blown off. In towns and cities across the world today street artists have accepted their works might not last the day much less a week. I spotted the slogan last year scrawled across someones artwork No Permission No Control that summed it up for me...

The website

The Spirit Beast by Norman Parker (LSD Magazine)

LSD Writer Norman Parker

We are quite frankly seriously chuffed to welcome Norman Parker to the pages of LSD magazine as a regular contributor. Norman has had, shall we say, a chequered career. Banged up for murder at the age of 26, and surrounded by a theatrical cast of villains from the Kray boys to that lovely young lad every parent hopes their daughter will bring home, Charles Bronson, Norman set about making his presence felt inside with a roll call of riots, hunger strikes and escape attempts. Determined not to be broken by the system or conform to the ‘I batter therefore I am’ 2 dimensional bad boy image, he did a tumultuous and turbulent stretch, in and out of solitary before his eventual release.

Rather than start sawing off a shotgun or shuffling off to the Job Centre to sign on, Norman used the honours degree he had illuminated his last few years inside with to go on and become a hugely successful author and commentator. Starting to write in the twilight years of his sentence, Norman published his first book, Parkhurst Tales which went on to sell 25,000 copies. Four books and a masters degree in criminology later, Norman is clean as a whistle, fit to a level that would make Jane Fonda weep, a true gentleman and one of life’s shining characters. He’s joined the firm here at LSD magazine where the only weapons are creativity and imagination – far more threatening than a baseball bat as he discovered in prison. The first issue finds Norman chatting up anacondas in the Amazon, sidestepping crocodiles, and leaving a shaman deeply troubled that some spirits were just past saving…… God knows what the lovable rogue will be up to in the next issue

Check website site for his book listing http://www.parkerstales.com/