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      Discovering Banksy – Part 5

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      Banksy’s street art first appeared in Bristol in the 1990’s. From the underground art scene of Bristol he expanded his work and is continually sharing his artistic mark all over the world. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique.

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      This particular style is usually recognised easily by people as his trademark. Most of Banksy’s pieces nowadays can be described as bold and striking with the abundance of blacks (and spot colours on occasion). His vibrant murals when he was just a starting freehand graffiti artist are lesser known to the public.
      For this day’s article, here’s a selection of Banksy’s earliest works with most works created before he started using stencils.

      “Slick” a freehand piece in Bristol, England, 1999

      Back in 1999, Banksy was a friend of the then owner of this property who let the artist hand paint his Slick on Brick artwork, depicting a monkey plunging a detonator to blow the door off a safe, on the outside wall of his garage/workshop.
      The mural was then covered over in magnolia paint by a disapproving neighbour a year after. Banksy’s work now hidden in layers of paint have been estimated to amount around £400,000 if it is restored in a way that some of his previous works have been, said art experts.

      “Slammin’” in Southmead, Bristol, England, 1999

      “Crude Oil Jerry” stencil of a cartoon mouse character Jerry on an oil painting, United Kingdom, 2003

      “Bird and Grenade” oil and spray enamel on found canvas in London, 2002

      “Quakattack” In Bristol, England, in the late 90’s

      Print in Leicester, England, mid-90’s

      Banksys’ old elephant graffiti with the words “What part of thermo-nuclear war don’t you understand”

      “Vote Less” in Brighton, UK, 2006

      Early cartoon of Banksy’s “Elephant with Bomb”

      “Dog Circle” an early painting

      Mural in Carlton Arms Hotel in New York City, 1999

      Banksy once stayed and painted at Carlton Arms, a Manhattan hotel that has been a haven for artists seeking lodging. 

      Banners by Banksy in Carlton Arms Hotel, New York City, late 90s

      Mural in Easton, Bristol, England, late 90s

      Work in Bristol, England, late 90s

      A freehand piece in Bristol, England, 1999

      Mural in Bristol, England, 1997 More

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      Coverage: Sneakerwolf “The New Abnormal” in Shibuya, Tokyo

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      Japanese artist SNEAKERWOLF recently had his latest solo exhibition in elephant STUDIO, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, organized by WATOWA GALLERY. The exhibition which is entitled “The New Abnormal” will run until the 7th of February.

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      The series “The New Abnormal” which treats the alphabet established by SNEAKER WOLF as a radical of Chinese characters and resembles , is positioned in the tradition of graffiti culture in that it is “unreadable”. Although it is a language, it looks abstract when it is in a single language world such as English-speaking countries and Japanese-speaking countries. The fictional Chinese characters, composed of parts of the alphabet, are an attempt to keep others from understanding, and reflect his own rebellious attitude in a playful manner.

      In addition, SNEAKERWOLF has established its own style by controlling the “impulse” that the graffiti culture has revealed with craftsmanship. SD(Super Deformed) conversion, which he uses, is a method of simplifying the elements of anime and manga characters and compressing the ratio, and can be said to be a characteristic form that shaped the cute culture of early Japan. What’s more, he has recovered to the SD style, including the dripping of paint called drip, which is one of the characteristics of the spray depiction used by graphic writers.

      On the other hand, this SD conversion also shares the characteristics with the MATOI(Firemans coat) used by fire extinguishers in the Edo period and the typography of Edo characters used on the back of happi coats and SENJA-FUDA. In addition, the SENJA-FUDA, which was popular in the middle of the Edo period, is said to have started with the act of sticking a piece of paper with your name on it in a place that is as hard to peel off as possible to show that you have visited a shrine or temple. In other words, this SENJA-FUDA was about 200 years ahead of Vandalism, a style of sticking stickers around the world like BNE. In addition, there was a tendency that KABUKI characters, in which the names and performance names of KABUKI actors that were popular around the same time were intentionally written to be difficult to read, should be read by those who can read them. The style of SNEAKER WOLF is vandalism that transcends time and nationality by standardizing multiple cultures into the style of SD while quoting the typography of Edo used for Kabuki characters and Senjafuda and its spirit. Refine your impulses as a craftsman.

      SNEAKEREWOLF uses the strokes I drew and the works of artists related to graffiti culture as an application. Although the work is an extension of graffiti culture, it is catchy like pop art, and it cleverly escapes the dullness of the kanji graffiti that we are accustomed to, and the authority of the genre is seriously teased.

      Text by Yuzu Murakami, Watowa Gallery

      In contemporary Japanese art, pre-modern art styles such as UKIYO-E, folding screens, and Japanese paintings have always been quoted and reinterpreted. What SNEAKER WOLF practices in this exhibition is an invention that positions Edomoji between “writing” and “drawing” and adds artistic value in relation to street culture, and can be said to be a discovery.
      Check out below to see more photos from “The New Abnormal”. More

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      “Still Life Studies” by Ludo in Paris, France

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      Street artist Ludo just recently shared with us his new series of mural on the streets of his hometown, Paris, France.

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      Ludo’s new “Still Life Studies” features his iconic skulls together with flowers on a Sanofi vase filled with pills, tulips bouquet in a Johnson&Johnson container, and many more brands related to supplying vaccines against  COVID-19.

      The work of Paris-based Ludo (Ludovic Vernhet) explores a world where biotechnological chimeras offer to merge plants and animals with our technological universe. Through his work, Ludo aims to reveal the opposites that cohabit our world, often taking unlikely pairings to absurd lengths. These dualities are reconciled by the artist through the creation of hybrid organisms.
      Check out below to see more of Ludo’s murals. More

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      “El TAMARUGO” by INTI in Chile

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      Street artist and muralist INTI just worked on a new mural in Chile entitled “El TAMARUGO” for the project “Iquique En Color Es” organized by Nomadesert.

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      The mural features a Tamarugo tree which is a native species from the north of Chile, which manages to survive in one of the most arid places on the planet, Atacama Desert. The ability of this species to survive has been vital to the communities that inhabit these places since ancient times, and a symbol of life and resistance to the devastation of resources caused by mega-mining in these lands.

      INTI creates artworks surly carries out not more than the meaning, he also transmits the warm colours of it. Painting on canvasses, creating sculptures or large murals, his artwork addresses birthplace of the Latin American culture, multiplying it on a global level.
      His work can be seen across walls in Belgium, USA, Slovakia, France, Lebanon, Spain, Germany, Poland, Norway, Turkey, Peru, Puerto Rico and – of course – Chile. INTI ‘s name is from the Incan sun god and the Quechua word for ‘the Sun’ as homage to his Chilean roots.
      Take a look below for more photos of the vibrant mural. More

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      “Beyond Walls” by SAYPE in Cape Town, South Africa

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      In the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as South Africa is in the international spotlight, French-Swiss artist Saype chooses to present a fraternal vision in three neighbourhoods in Sea Point, in the city of Cape Town. The current crisis reinforces Saype’s optimistic will to present these universal frescos of benevolence and togetherness.

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      Three frescoes were created using approximately 1000 liters of biodegradable pigments made out of charcoal, chalk, water and milk proteins. The “Beyond Walls” project aims at creating the largest symbolic human chain around the world.

      In Cape Town this step was motivated by the country’s persisting need for reunification. Three frescoes representing widely different populations and realities within the city were created in Sea Point (6000 Sq. m), the Philippi township (800 Sq. m) and the Langa township (800 Sq. m).
      Cape Town, warmly known as the Mother City, represents the ninth stage of the global artistic project “Beyond Walls” initiated by Saype in June 2019 in Paris. South Africa is a country rich in culture and ethnic diversity bound by the spirit of Ubuntu (togetherness). In these unprecedented times, and while the whole world battles the effects and impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, increased political polarization and economic hardships, this spirit of Ubuntu is exactly what is needed. Striving to recover from the dark time of apartheid, South Africa constitutes a crucial milestone for “Beyond Walls”.

      The gigantic painted hands symbolize the reconciliation, a pillar of Nelson Mandela’s ethos. They intertwine beyond inequalities, created in fundamentally different areas of the city.  Saype hopes that art may be a modest contribution to reunite a city whose historic scars have not yet healed.
      This step is carried out in fruitful collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland in South Africa, the International Public Art Festival, Baz-Art and the City of Cape Town.

      Self-taught, Saype is known today for his paintings on grass, made with eco-responsible paint. Certainly one of the most publicized artists in 2019, he was notably named by the famous magazine Forbes as one of the thirty most influential personalities under the age of thirty in the world, in the field of art and Culture.
      Check out below for more images of SAYPE’s “Beyond Walls”.

      Photo credits: Valentin Flauraud More

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      New murals by Ludo in Paris, France

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      Street artist Ludo is back with a new batch of fresh murals on the streets of Paris, France.b-sm = none; sm > 728×90;b-sm = 300×250; sm > none; The artwork above shows a rose wrapped tightly with a zip tie. Ludo shared this mural together with the words “Lockdown… no blossom allowed”. These new set of… More

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      “Rubik Cube” by Neopaint Works in Budapest, Hungary

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      Artist group Neopaint Works shares their work, Rubik-Cube, located in Budapest, Hungary. It was painted to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rubik’s Cube – which is also the 70th birthday of Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik, it’s inventor.

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      Neopaint Works is mural painter group based in Budapest that was founded in 2005. They paint everywhere, indoor and outdoor, but prefer the public mural painting. From 2010, Neopaint Works have painted around 50 pieces especially in Budapest but all around Hungary.
      Scroll down below for more images of the mural. More

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      “The Haretoise” & “The Ladybug” by AlfAlfA in Alberta and Quebec, Canada

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      Street artist AlfAlfAl recently just finished a series of murals across Canada. His artworks usually showcases animal-human hybrids, using a collage style to create otherworldly, mythical beings.

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      His mural entitled “The Haretoise” located at Calgary, Alberta is an invitation to find your own speed, to walk at your own rhythm and pace. The mural is inspired by Aesop’s fable “The Hare and the Tortoise”, taking it as a starting point, but posing it as a non-oppositive duality- presenting it as a whole, or as two faces of the same coin.

      Nicolas Sanchez (AKA AlfAlfA) is a Venezuelan artist now based in Toronto. He began his artistic studies at an early age and later found a focus on mural painting in Uruguay at the School of Beaux Arts. He has supplemented his formal education through international art residencies and commissions, and has spent 4 years travelling the world, painting in 3 continents and 25 countries.
      AlfAlfA considers himself a draftsman, using techniques based on vintage etchings and engravings, with a particular focus on the perspectival effects of variations of the thickness of lines. His artwork is meant to evoke humour through its irony; a reflection of our own condition as human beings.
      Check out below to see more photos of his work.

      “The Ladybug” by AlfAlfA in Montreal, Quebec More