LSD Magazine - Viral Montage 101 / Mag Online

LSD Magazine - Viral Montage 101



LSD (London Street-Art Design) Magazine - Issue 3 - Weapons of Mass Creation (Online Version)



LSD Magazine - http://www.londonstreetartdesign.com (download all issues FREE)
You Tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/LSDstreetart

East meets East - Last Weekend (Busk Session)

Busk Studio Sessions....East Meets East, a group exhibition featuring street art from Eastern Europe and East London, opened at the Formans Smokehouse Gallery (Fish Island Hackney Wick) This is the Last Weekend... More details on earlier post...

K-Guy Art Installation - Get Involved

A message from our friend and leading artist K-Guy;

A while back I was asked to submit a proposal to produce a piece of
work which if selected, would be included for the 'No Holds Barred'
special project at Art Amsterdam 2010. I have attached a link below
of my proposal and a short 3D flythrough model for an installation
called 'No Blood On Your Hands' which amazingly has been selected by
an independent panel of judges from 89 other artists to be worthy of
inclusion in the exhibition.

http://www.k-guy.co.uk/pages/installation.php

Now here's the but.... my only problem with producing this properly
and to a high spec is to somehow get some additional funding. Over
the last couple of weeks I have been getting quotes together and it
is working out at about £5K which I just don't have rattling around
in my bank account. I've got about £2k sorted but definitely need
more. I am currently wading through the arts council funding
application which is very painful and have considered corporate
sponsors/companies/brands but my feeling is that the content of the
material will make them run a mile. Having said that, if there is
such a benefactor I have no problem with branding the exterior of the
installation i.e. sponsored by........for example.

If anyone out there knows someone with deep pockets willing to throw
some cash into an art project that will be seen by about 23,000
people and 130 galleries worldwide, please push them in my direction.
I would be massively appreciative of any ideas, thoughts etc.

Cheers. K.

D*Face @ The Oscars

D*Face @ The Oscars

Late last week, two unauthorized skeleton Oscar statues appeared in Hollywood one atop Runyon Canyon and another in the parking lot of Mel's Drive-In Hollywood.
The nameplates were signed by D*Face, a moniker used by a British street artist, who may or may not be Brad Pitt (more on that later).

On Saturday, after a safe exit from America, the artist gave his first interview to NBCLA.com:

Q) Why just two statues? After finding them, we assumed there was a third or fourth just waiting to be discovered.

A) The initial plan was to make more, maybe eight, but you know these took huge amounts of time and the sort of planning that normally goes into stealing art, not donating it -- not to mention plenty of money and I simply couldn't afford to make more than two. I mean hell, if someone wants to give me some hard cash, I'll make 83 and drop them all next year!!

Q) Why Runyon Canyon and Mel's Diner? LA is a big town with plenty of landmarks.

A) Simple, I had one day to decide where I wanted to put them and not knowing LA that well, I decided I wanted to put one as close to the actual Oscars as I thought physically and safely as possible, and one that overlooked the whole of LA and would be a stark contrast to the other location. I had to weigh up the practicality of installing them over risk of getting caught and how long they might potentially last for. Both Runyon Canyon and Mel's Diner ticked all the right boxes.

Q) It seems like no big deal to put a statue in a parking lot. Getting one atop the ridgeline of Runyon is a different story. How'd you pull that off?
A) Mel's, no big deal? Have you seen how many security guards are standing just across the road? Installing a 7-foot Zombie Oscar right under the noses of the most amount of security in Hollywood in one place at one time took serious planning. Admittedly, Runyon made the installation in Mel's seem like a walk in the park(ing) lot. Runyon on the other hand, involved a four-hour trek, camping out overnight with just bubble wrap to keep warm, waking up at the crack of dawn to scale the face of the highest point in the canyon to drill, sink and glue ground anchors into the peak in order to bolt and chain the sculpture in place. I guess the point is anything is possible with a little determination and a large amount of stupidity.

Q) How did you come up with the idea for this project? What's the back story that led to this?

A) The Oscar ceremony represent the pinnacle of superficiality within the so-called "film industry," where formula and money triumphs over independent creativity and risk. These sculptures are donated to all the actors, actresses and filmmakers of the City of Lost Angels whose talents will never see the light of day. Never give up the struggle, believe in your dreams, try and break the system and remember if all else fails, resort to plastic surgery -- it seems to work!?!

Q) Why officially own up to the project now? Being out of the States obviously helps, but there could still be consequences.

A) I'm not officially owning up, but it was fairly obvious someone called D*Face did it, as it had my name on them -- but it could easily be a "stand-in" acting on my behalf, or Brad Pitt answering the questions.

Q) The timing, the visuals, the engravings -- the simple-takeaway is that this project is a statement on vanity. As the artist, what's the not-so-simple takeaway? What were you trying to say with this project?

A) I could go into the social and metaphorical dialogue between me the artist, the sculptures and the intervention of public space and how I wish to encourage the viewer to engage with their surroundings, forcing them to "look" and not just "see," but the simple point was to give the city of Lost Angels, two pieces of sculpture that I hope remain in place, and for them to serve as a constant reminder that beauty is skin and not silicone deep.

Q) Is this the last LA has seen of D*Face? What comes next for you as an artist?

A) Hell no! This is just one of many trips. I've been to LA before and left my mark, and this is by no means my last visit. I love LA. I'll be back.

Banksy Film Red Carpet @Leake Street

I noticed some tweets going round the globe speaking of our man's Banksy film Through the Gift Shop on show at Leake Street...I was there last week and took some snaps...

Full Photo Session in LSD (London Street-Art Design) Magazine Issue 4 Coming Soon

GET PAST ISSUES / NEW ISSUES HERE

East meets East - Opening Night

East Meets East, a group exhibition featuring street art from Eastern Europe and East London, opened at the Formans Smokehouse Gallery (Fish Island Hackney Wick) last weekend and run for two more weeks (showing at weekend only)

Graffiti / Street Artists - Busk / Nasimo, Run, KennardPhillipps, and Blam

Well worth a visit...

Banksy v Robbo Article

LONDON—In the predawn hours of Christmas morning, a 40-year-old shoe repairman who goes by the name Robbo squeezed his 6-foot-8-inch frame into a wet suit, tossed some spray cans into a plastic bag, and crossed Regent's Canal on a red-and-blue air mattress.

Robbo, one of the lost pioneers of London's 1980s graffiti scene, was emerging from a long retirement. He had a mission: to settle a score with the world-famous street artist Banksy, who, Robbo believes, had attacked his legacy.

The battle centers on a wall under a bridge on the canal in London's Camden district. In the fall of 1985—just 15 years old but already a major player in London's graffiti scene—Robbo announced his presence on that wall with eight tall block letters: ROBBO INC.

The work, written in orange, red and black on a yellow background, had been in good shape for nearly 25 years and was considered a local icon, surviving long after Robbo himself vanished from the scene 16 years ago.

But recently, Robbo's work was dramatically altered by an unlikely rival: Banksy, the stealthy Bristol-born artist who has made a lucrative art of graffiti. The work of Banksy—who, like Robbo, doesn't disclose his name—sells for big money and is widely merchandised. His first film, "Exit Through the Gift Shop," had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and is due out in U.K. theaters this month.

In early December, Banksy did a series of four pieces along the Regent's Canal's walls. Inexplicably, one of them incorporated Robbo's piece into Banksy's own work, painting over half the Robbo original in the process. The resulting work, in Banksy's typical stencil technique, shows a black-and-white workman applying colorful wallpaper that is, in essence, the remnants of Robbo's piece.

Some saw Banksy's act as self-promotion, some as a tribute, but most interpreted it as plain disrespect for a local hero. Offers of retribution reached Robbo, who has remained friendly with many graffiti writers even as he slipped into a life of obscurity as a North London father of two children, with a third on the way.

"They was all offering to do it for me," says Robbo in an interview. But he decided: "I've got to do it myself."

So on Christmas morning—praying he wouldn't wind up in jail even as his children were opening their presents—Robbo slipped back onto the canal and reclaimed his turf. Instead of applying wallpaper, Banksy's workman now is seen painting two words: KING ROBBO.

The game didn't end there. Robbo in recent weeks has modified all four Banksys along Regent's Canal, signing them "Team Robbo." Other graffiti writers have shown their support by adopting the "Team Robbo" tag for their own works.

"Graffiti writers are Team Robbo, street artists are Team Banksy," says Robbo, his heavy cockney accent and shaved head reminders of graffiti's past when skinheads and punks battled to mark their territory with names and slogans.

Banksy declined to be interviewed but provided a statement through a spokeswoman.

"I didn't paint over a 'Robbo' piece. I painted over a piece that said 'mrphfgdfrhdgf'," he said. "I find it surreal when graffiti writers get possessive over certain locations. I thought that having a casual attitude towards property ownership was an essential part of being a vandal."

The battle between lost legend and acclaimed artist highlights a larger rift in the art world. On one side are old-school graffiti writers who "tag" or "bomb" their names in as many places as possible and seldom, if ever, seek compensation for their work.

On the other are street artists, who aim for a political or cultural resonance and also create portable pieces they can exhibit and sell. Their prototype is Banksy, who exists in the art world as both renegade and establishment darling.

The tension between the camps is about more than money and fame. With the exception of a few designated places, painting graffiti on private or public property is illegal. Graffiti writers, whose freehand, spray-painted work can take hours to produce, are more likely to be caught than street artists who often use stencils and posters to get in and out more quickly.

"It's so easy for them to do some of their stuff," says David Samuel, a London graffiti artist who, through his agency, RareKind, promotes fellow writers by putting on shows and linking them up with paid work.

Robbo emerged from London's working-class districts, a teenage skinhead and football hooligan who had more than a few run-ins with the law.

"It started out with spray paint, a black marker and no style," he says. "It was just statements: Skinheads! Arsenal! Robbo!"

It took until the early '80s and films like "Beat Street" and "Style Wars" for Robbo and his crew to find out about the nascent graffiti movement in places like New York. Soon the American style began to influence their own works and they started hitting trains and buildings across London.

"He was the first real all-city writer," Mr. Samuel says of Robbo.

In the early '90s, however, painting in London's underground system became more dangerous as police were on high alert for terrorist activity. Robbo, by then a young father, was ready to get out.

"I had achieved what could be achieved," he says. "I was quite happy to take the back seat and live another life."

A few years later, Robbo says he encountered Banksy, who was just surfacing, in an East London bar. After a fellow graffiti writer introduced them, Robbo says that Banksy replied, "I've never heard of you." Robbo says he cuffed Banksy in the face, sending his glasses flying.

"You may not have heard of me, but you will never forget me," Robbo says he told Banksy. The two haven't spoken since. Banksy declined to comment on the incident.

In the years since, Banksy has become a sensation. He has published five books, painted all over the world, and in February 2008, his 2007 work "Keep it Spotless" sold for $1.87 million at a Sotheby's charity event in New York.

Robbo has never sold a single piece of art. But as he's drawn back into the limelight, he's getting curious. On a recent Friday evening, he and a friend attended a contemporary-art auction at London's sleek Phillips de Pury & Co., where a Banksy was on the block alongside two Basquiats and a Warhol.

Banksy's "Vandalised oil #001," which was exhibited in London's Cargo nightclub in 2001, sold for £121,250.

Arriving late—his shoe-repair store doesn't close until 7 p.m.—Robbo made his way through the gallery, wearing a gray hoodie and sweat pants, black shoe polish still staining his hands. A security guard was quickly on his tail.

"It's all right, mate, we're artists," he said, towering over the guard.

As he watched the auction, he mused about his own past and future. "I'd love to have seen my own stuff in something like this," he said.

Mr. Samuel has asked Robbo to do his own show later this year, and, with a family to support and the thrill of his recent outings still fresh, Robbo is tempted.

"I've done everything, everything for nothing," says Robbo. "I don't think anyone would knock me for making money out of it. But it's never been my goal to make money out of something I love."

Article by Gabriele Stienhauser (Wall Street Journal)

East meets East - Show Opening 4th March

Some great artists are lined up for this event including LSD comrade Busk. As followers of the blog already know we've been filming Busk creating a number of works for this show. We've had a sneak preview of the works from the other featured artists and we have to say its gonna be a good show. Come and see what some of the leading faces in the industry are doing in 2010. If you have some cash handy then bring with as all the art on show is up for sale... Come down and have a few drinks with us on Thursday...See u Then...

HOT OFF PRESS;

Look out for the Fox Transport ART BUS tomorrow night (Thu 4 March). Driver Mandy will run a FREE shuttle between Pudding Mill Lane DLR, Hackney Wick station and Forman's Smokehouse Gallery (EAST MEETS EAST) between 6pm and 9pm. If there's time, Mandy will also do a run to Vyner Street so keep an eye out for her and ...jump on board! BANGING OUR BEAKS AGAINST THE BARK at Stour Space is next door.

Approx pickup times are:

18:00 - Pudding Mill Lane
18:25 - Hackney Wick Station
18.45 - Pudding Mill Lane
19.25 - Hackney Wick Station
19.45 - Pudding Mill Lane

Laser 3.14 Show - March 20th - May 1st

Our friend and comrade Laser 3.14 (Featured in LSD Magazine) is doing a great show for later this month...Please Find Details Below...

Art exhibition ‘Can I please finish my sentence for…’

Laser 3.14, March 20th - May 1st 2010

On Saturday March 20th at 17.00 the gallery RADAR Architecture & Art will start the exhibition ‘Can Iplease finish my sentence for…’

which will show artwork from the well-known streetpoet Laser 3.14. Radar
Architecture & Art invites all interested to the opening of the show and for some drinks at the Eerste Rozendwarsstraat at 17hs.

Laser's artwork, just like his poems on the street, is cerebral. He is asking the city dweller questions about living in the urban area. He lets his cartoon style clash with the expressionistic painters touch, words dripping from canvas and wall. His words search for the comical and the quizzical: Who are you, who am I, who are we who live in this world of concrete and brick, artifice and glass. One of the most intriguing aspects of Laser's art is his interest in everyday life, a need to wake up the commuter and the housewife alike and show them that everything grows and not all graffiti are senseless ego, not all that seems dirty is dirt.

Theme:

The short poems that one can find disseminated through the cities, produce a double effect: on one hand they frame and enrich in a poetic sense anonymous points of the city. On the other, they capture the attention of random passer-by's, stimulating a reflection that hardly could take place along those crowded and chaotic streets. In other words, the obsessive rhythm of the citizen is being transformed into a dreamy
and reflective dimension. The exhibition tries to reflect the essence of the street work of Laser 3.14 and to accompany the visitor, this time conscious and no longer accidental, on a journey along graffiti-based paintings, graphic styled drawings and 3D artwork. A great variety of different styles, techniques and materials, meticulously used, can be expected to be seen.

About the artist:

Laser 3.14 is an artist, cartoonist and poet, but is mostly known for his unique style of streetart/graffiti in the streets of Amsterdam, London and other European cities. Short poems like: 'Today I hired a detective to track me down', 'Binary code be my name' or 'He cut out both his eyes so he could finally see' are his trademark next to his tag. For Laser 3.14 the city is his canvas. His poetry appears on ‘temporary’ materials, like fences, containers, port cabins and scaffolding. Laser 3.14 is also known for his gallery artwork. He has had multiple expositions in galleries in
Amsterdam and London.

Live Art - Charity Event 12th March

‘Live Art’ A charity art fundraiser showcasing up and coming designers, 12th March, London Bridge

Who: I am a Vodafone World of Difference winner, Charlotte Pawle, who is organising an art fundraiser for children’s charity Hope for Children. Established artists who are donating work to the event and are planning to attend are; Alex Noble, Carrie Reichardt, Lucy McLauchlan, Steve Wilson, John Miers, Sam Bevington, Stickman and Matt Webb (Mutate Britain). Expect appearances and artwork from Elate, Pure Evil, Letman, Lewis Chaplin and David Montgomery.

What: Hope For Children are hosting “Live Art”, a charity fundraiser showcasing some of the UK’s most exciting up and coming artists. There will be something for everyone at this event, from painting and photography to illustration and street art. The line-up includes a mix up of prominent and inspirational young talent with fresh design graduates. There will be an auction on all artwork shown and a chance to witness the artists’ create a joint mosaic live! Plus, experience live visual audio performance and special guest DJ sets. There will be stalls selling accessories, small artworks, hand crafted Ugandan cards and kitsch cakes.

An online catalogue of most of the artwork will be released online on the 5th of March. The work will be open to bids at this point.

There will be a charity spokesperson at the event and I will be available for interview. Filming and photography will be allowed at the event.

Information for artists that would like to het involved can be found on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=486329310172&ref=ts">http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=486329310172&ref=ts">http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=486329310172&ref=ts <http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=486329310172&ref=ts>

More information about the ‘Live Art’ event can also be found on Facebook. - http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=296211422971&ref=ts

Hope for Children improves the quality of life and advances the rights of disabled, orphaned, poor and exploited children in developing countries and the UK. Hope for Children promote sustainable long term development for children and their families through activities which enhance their sustainability.

Please use these details as an event listing.

Where: Arch 897, Hollyrood St, London SE1 2EL

When: Artists in Action 12pm-3pm
Exhibition Viewing and Auction 7pm-9.30pm
DJ’s and Visual Audio Performance 9.30pm- Midnight

SKULLDUGGEROUS - 4th - 11th March

What is it?

A group show with Stik, Discreet, Swoon, Pure Evil and many more in aid of "The Bhopal Medical apeal.

Where is it?

Pure Evil Gallery, 108 Leonard street, London EC2A. 10 mins from Liverpool Street / Old Street

When is it?

Private view 4th march 6-9pm then utill 11th March 10am - 6pm.

For more info visit; www.bhopal.org <http://www.bhopal.org/>

Pass it on.and see you there!

Stik

Harry Adams - 4th - 11th March