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      Prehistoric Rock Art ‘Irreparably Damaged’ by Vandals, Officials Say

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      Geometric rock carvings that are believed to be at least 3,000 years old were scratched with names and dates at Big Bend National Park in Texas.Abstract geometric designs at Big Bend National Park in Texas that had survived for thousands of years were “irreparably damaged” by vandals who scratched names and dates into the prehistoric designs, the National Park Service said.The Park Service said on its website that the ancient rock art was damaged on Dec. 26 in the Indian Head area of the park, which encompasses more than 800,000 acres in southwest Texas and stretches along 118 miles of the United States border with Mexico.Since 2015, archaeologists at the park have documented more than 50 instances of vandalism, the Park Service said.Damaging park resources is against federal law and defacing rock art and ancient cultural sites violates the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, which aims to protect archaeological resources and sites on federal and Native American lands.Tom Alex, an archaeologist who retired from the park in 2014 after working there for 32 years, said that the damaged abstract designs were known as petroglyphs and that they had been pecked into the rock panel.“There’s wavy lines, curvilinear lines, geometric patterns, squiggles and things that just kind of meander across the rock surface,” Mr. Alex said on Saturday.Mr. Alex said it was difficult to determine precisely how old the art was, but, based on the weathering, the petroglyphs were most likely made somewhere between 3,000 and 8,000 years ago. He said these types of designs represented some of the oldest rock art in North America. In the more recent time period, rock art included more representations of people and animals.The abstract pecked art is common across the southwestern United States. It is not yet possible to determine what group of native people were responsible for the designs at Big Bend, Mr. Alex said.It was also not known who damaged the rock art, though the person, or people, responsible left some clues. Four names were scrawled on the art: Adrian, Ariel, Isaac and Norma, according to photos shared by the Park Service. The year 2021 and the date “12-26-21” were also scratched on the rock.Tom VandenBerg, the chief of interpretation and visitor services at Big Bend, told Texas Monthly that the park had received “pretty strong potential leads” about who was responsible for the vandalism. Mr. VandenBerg added that the park avoided providing maps and directions to the carvings to prevent damage to the ancient site.Bob Krumenaker, the superintendent of Big Bend, condemned the vandalism in a post on the park’s website. “Damaging natural features and rock art destroys the very beauty and history that the American people want to protect in our parks,” he said.Park staff members tried to repair the damage, but much of it was permanent, the post said.Mr. Alex said some of the scratches on the panel were superficial and possible to clean up so they would be less obvious, but others had penetrated the prehistoric designs. “Those scratches are going to be there forever,” he said.Stewards of public lands have complained about an increase in vandalism and graffiti in recent years.In December 2020, Zion National Park in Utah said that nearly every day, staff members there found “words and shapes carved, drawn, painted (with mud, dirt, pigment, paint) or scratched on rocks.”In January 2019, several of the signature spiky-leafed Joshua trees at Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California were damaged during a government shutdown. More

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      Latest Mural of Cloakwork in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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      Graffiti artist Cloakwork recently worked on a mural in his home country Malaysia. The mural in collaboration with FoodPanda, a food and grocery delivery service app, is located at the facade of a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. With Cloakwork’s vibrant and energetic illustration style, his work easily catches the attention of a casual observer anywhere.Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Cloakwork is a multidisciplinary creative who works as a graffiti artist as well as an illustrator. He has been painting around the globe for 10 years, with work consisting of both, small and large scale. His style is quirky, fun and colourful! Being a rebel, picking up spray cans as his creative weapon was the right choice and he is heavily influenced by street culture. He always wanted to paint something related to the environment and the surroundings. Most of the characters to in some ways, come alive, speak and be part of its surroundings while communicating and interacting with viewers.CLOAKWORK is basically separated into two parts; ‘cloak’ and ‘work’. Cloak means hidden, stealth and cloaking while work stands for movement. “I often do graffiti at night without being noticed. So it goes like this : plain concrete wall during the day, the wall gets ‘cloakwork-ed’ during the night and a colourful graffiti the day after.”Take a look below to view more of Cloakwork’s piece. ​ More

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      “Lil’ Heroes” NFT Collection by Edgar Plans

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      Spanish contemporary visual artist Edgar Plans teamed up with Curatible and Exile Content Studio to create his very first digital collection entitled “Lil’ Heroes“. Lil’ Heroes is a unique and never-seen-before NFT collection inspired from all Edgar’s past and current work.7,777 UNIQUE NFTS200+ ATTRIBUTES50 LEGENDARY NFTSEdgar Plans drew entirely by hand the attributes and unique NFTs, then we worked together with Misha Made Studio to create the 3D designs and generate all the NFTs.FROM PAPER, THROUGH CANVAS, TO THE METAVERSE!Edgar Plans (born 1977, Madrid)  is a painter from a very young age, he quickly developed his Faux Naïf style, delivering pure artistic expression in childlike art pieces. His vivid and raw cartoons glean elements from the works of american icons Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring.Innocent as they may seem, his minimalist mouseeared subjects are a vessel to raise awareness on heavy socio-political issues such as gender violence, racism and climate change.His signature character, Artist Hero, represents the youth’s reckless, playful and bold way of living that Plans never gave up on.Phase 1 – Mint of Lil’ Heroes NFT Collection
will be in January 2022.Check out below for a preview of “Lil’ Heroes” NFT Collection. To learn more about the collection you can check www.lilheroes.io and follow their Instagram page @lilheroesNFT. More

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      Coverage: “Higher Than The Sun” Group Exhibition at Volery Gallery, Dubai, UAE

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      Last December 15th, Volery Gallery, Dubai and Stems Gallery, Brussels opened Higher Than the Sun, group exhibition. The exhibition presents a selection of contemporary artists with a prosperous history with the Stems Gallery.The lineup features the works of artists that are not well known to the art audience in the Middle East. Including Julien Boudet; Marcela Florido; Hiroya Kurata; Léo Luccioni; Tristram Lansdowne; Liz Markus; Clément Poplineau; Samantha Rosenwald and Tony Toscani. The collaboration realises Volery’s aims for a more comprehensive presentation of contemporary happenings in the international art scene.Inspired by the song Higher Than the Sun by Primal Scream. The exhibited artworks capture moments of solemn peace whether it is in the stillness of time over the hill with two figures dancing under blue skies; the ecstasy of a warm meal fulfilling our cravings; a caveman returning with his victories; or it is the contentment of a lavish green background, water running and childhood memories playing. The exhibition drifts in inner peace, free of time; it is a reminder to stop and appreciate the moment, live in today and leave tomorrow’s worries for when they come.The exhibition will run until January 11, 2022 at Volery Gallery, DIFC, Dubai, UAE. Gallery hours: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM.Schedule your visit here.Scroll down below for more photos of the exhibition and its opening night! More

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      Artist Retrospective: Phlegm

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      Phlegm is a British muralist and artist who draws his environment into the narrative. He first developed his illustrations in self-published comics, and he still creates books of ink drawings.One can say that the only difference between his comics and his murals is the working space; the size and surface where he places his artwork. His art style is highly unique and recognizable making him the most adored street artist. The artist’s work is striking and it will not leave anyone ambiguous. His works are mostly featured in the urban landscape, and run-down spaces. His surreal illustrations tell a story untold, as his imaginative creatures explore the visual narrative.Mural in Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, 2018Besides his outstanding mural artwork on buildings, old factories, urban spaces and art festivals he has painted on various objects like airplanes, boats, and vehicles. What makes him so unique is the way he sees street art. He believes his murals become part of the cities’ architecture being influenced by the surrounding, which is a wonderful way on how to see art.“Time To Scream And Shout” in Reykjavik, Iceland, 2016“Time To Scream And Shout” – Phlegm painted a myriad of his iconic characters undertaking various actions using a bunch of different objects. As usual with Phlegm, his world is populated with fantasy-like stories and artifacts.Mural in Toronto, Canada, 2016Elegant and complex in shape of a human form, the mural is a metaphor for the living, breathing nature of the city and emergence of soon-to-be-revived Yonge and St. Clair. Set to undergo an explosion of rapid change, the transformed area will see unified public realm improvements, architectural facelifts of the intersection’s buildings, new retail and engaging public signage. Inspired by the communities that make up the neighbourhood, the design was informed by a series of community consultations.Mural in Cozumel, Mexico for SeaWalls 2015Mural in Cardiff, Wales for Empty Walls Festival 2014Mural in Melbourne, Australia, 2017This mural was commissioned by the Chapel Street Precinct Association as part of the PROVOCARÉ Festival Of The Arts. John Lotton from CSPA spent two and half years planning this project, choosing the right artist, and locating the right wall for a large mural with a vision to become a landmark piece of public art for the area and add to the social fabric of the precinct.Mural in Manchester, United Kingdom for Cities of Hope Festival 2016“The Forest” Project in Epping Forest, United Kingdom, 2015Mural in Ostend, Belgium for The Crystal Ship Festival 2017“Giant Moa” in Dunedin, New Zealand, 2016Mural in San Diego, California for PangeaSeed 2014With the focus of their activity being raising public awareness and education about the conservation and preservation of sharks and other marine species, Sheffield born artist created a mural that covers the subject. In his signature, illustrative style, using minimalist black and white palette, he created this mechanic shark with his iconic characters powering the weird creation. The image can be seen as a warning of what could our future look like if we don’t stop the shark fin market and start taking better care about marine life in general.Mural in Moss, Norway, 2014For more updates on the British muralist, check out our #Phlegm page! More

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      “It Takes A Flower” by Etsom in Ascoli Piceno, Italy

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      Italian artist Etsom recently worked on a new mural entitled “It Takes A Flower” as part of the “Arte Pubblica” project of the Associazione Culturale Defloyd event from 27 September to 1 October in Ascoli Piceno.In addition to being an art form, urban art can be used as a powerful means to convey a message. Starting from this assumption, the ANFFAS Onlus Association of Ascoli Piceno, as part of the “It takes a flower” project, created in collaboration with the Carisap Foundation, has decided to create a mural on the theme of nature.The mural is located at the entrance walls of the former Sanatorium, in Via delle Zeppelle, 84 in Ascoli Piceno, Marche, Italy.The composition on the left, within which the muzzle of a dog is depicted, not only refers to the knowledge of nature interacting together with animals, but also represents the creativity and imagination that, if stimulated, will allow you to look at things from a different perspective.On the right side, the mural shows a sprout that is born between the hands that symbolizes the birth of something new – where the seed of inclusion and participation has been planted.Check out below for more photos of Etsom’s “It Takes A Flower”. More

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      New Mural by Elian Chali in Buenos Aires, Argentina

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      Contemporary artist Elian Chali is back with a fresh, new mural in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The mural entitled “Más allá del clamor pegajoso/más acá de la prórroga indefinida” is painted over a 28 x 15 meter facade. It showcases Elian’s signature style with bold colors, clear-cut shapes and flat surfaces.Elian’s work focuses on creating a dialogue with the urban structure, allowing the characteristics of each wall to participate in the mural. He identifies with urbanism and architecture more than with muralism and graffiti.His aesthetics are inspired by the Pop-Art, minimalism, Russian constructivism, and neoplasticism. Through his work, the artist seeks to open a discussion that goes from the social problems to the poetry of the habitat in which he creates. Always working with a sketch in hand, Elian’s art has evolved from 3D graffiti to flat images. His works are composed through basic geometry and abstraction, and influenced by architecture, climate, and the current socio-political situations.Through numerous travels around the world, Elian is constantly exposed to both the beauty and ugliness which surrounds us in equal measure in every day life and invites the viewer to process these issues with him through his paintings.Check out below for more photos of his latest work in Buenos Aires. More

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      Artist Retrospective: Blu

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      BLU is a talented street artist from Bologna, Italy. He has been active in street style scene since 1999. Blu began painting graffiti with spray paint. He quickly gained recognition and fame by painting a graffiti series in the suburbs of Bologna. When he started painting walls he worked with spray paint, but as his appetite for beautifying industrial sites grew, so did his tools.Over the next few years into the early 2000s, Blu’s graffiti style transformed thanks to his growing use of house paint. He makes massive murals all over the world. In doing what he loves, BLU tries as much as possible, to emphasize the message he’s sending. Art is important, not recognition.A name is nothing in comparison to the artistic value of a painted wall. Many of his murals were never signed, many of them were destroyed by the artist himself, but his integrity is incorruptible. He believes in freedom of information and stands firmly on his system of open source belief“La Pandemia” in Campobasso, Italy, 2020“La Pandemia” depicts a dystopian scenario of giant pandas that invade a city and destroy everything. It is located on the façade of the Alphaville cinema. “La Pandemia” was made in collaboration with Draw The Line 2020, a street art festival in Italy organized by Malatesta Associati.Mural in Quarticciolo, Rome, 2019Mural in La Punta, Valencia, Spain, 2018La Punta is a pedestrian garden located in the south of the city of Valencia, where, for more than 15 years, the port of Valencia sealed one of the darkest chapters in the history of the destruction of the Valencia district with the deportation of a hundred families, depriving them of their way of life and sweeping through fields and houses, to give the port an enormous development land.The Italian artist brought to life another of his signature artworks to life. The piece shows containers being built as a pyramid by local families from La Punta. Another striking work by Blu which shows the power of Urban Art.“No TAV” in Susa, Italy, 2016“La Cuccagna” in Campobasso, Italy, 2017“La Cuccagna”, this title of the work shows Blu creating one of his personal criticism of our society and our modern life system. BLU proposes a strong representation of the systems that move modern society which are triggering an incredible narrative sequence, full of problems and different issues hidden within every layer.Mural in Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2016Mural in Via Del Porto Fluviale, Rome, Italy, 2014The Italian artist painted this largest and one of his most complex pieces with this majestic mural showing a series of heads. As usual with the Italian artist, the piece is filled with a million of details and tiny characters which can only be appreciated in the flesh.Mural in Mexico, 2015Mural in Casa Dei Pazzi in Rome, Italy, 2015Mural in Porto Torres, Italy, 2016The mural on Porto Torres shows a large head breaking away as a puzzle and morphing into human forms. The pieces are falling back into place which gives a glimpse of hope with a potential unity that can be achieved for the human race.“A House For Everyone” in Bergamo, Italy, 2016For more updates on the talented Italian artist, make sure to check out and follow our #BLU page! More