Culture Pushers

NOW (2 of 3)

2012-02-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

From top to bottom: NOW AGO window installation in progress; Open/Opine lightboxes; Brian and Angelo installing NOW at Infinitum; NOW AGO window completed; Now fire extinguisher tag; Now Service Bureau installation; Still from Now Up. All works by Sean Martindale and myself.

Ron Loranger

2012-02-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

I visited Ron's place earlier this week to hang and catch up on his work. He's installing this series of large-scale ink drawings and water colour "blobettes" at Glendon Gallery, York University, in Toronto. Minimal in content yet intriguing and inviting in narrative, these new works are beautiful. Follow this link for info on his exhibition. It opens Tuesday, February 7th.

RIP Mike Kelley

2012-02-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

American great Mike Kelley ended his life yesterday, he was 57. Here's from the LA Times.

Horizontal Tracking Shot of a Cross Section of Trauma Rooms, 2009. Image Gagosian, NY.

NOW (1 of 3)

2012-01-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

Since July of last year, Katherine Dennis (curator), Sean Martindale (artist) and myself have been working towards NOW: A Collaborative Project With Sean Martindale and Pascal Paquette. We got to lots of fun stuff. Here are a few images of it coming together. The show is open and runs until April 1st. More here and here.

From top to bottom: Sean's pile of goodies; The NOW Up video set; ShopAGO's window panels in progress showcasing an all-range of graffiti styles; Katherine working in the studio; Sight painting our Kensington wall for our Whitewash video; Murat installing the large red NOW for our piece Now Ago.

14 Widmer

2012-01-22T10:02:00.000-08:00

Here are progress shots of a wall I started in November. Find it behind 14 Widmer Street in Toronto (near Adelaide and Peter).

Cindy's new iPhone site

2011-12-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

From an iPhone you can see Cindy's new mobile site: www.cindyblazevic.com. You can pinch and zoom in and out of shots, it's really neat.

Chou x The Baitshop x Well and Good

2011-11-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

Get yours here: http://www.thebaitshop.ca/

Dundas and Crawford

2011-10-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

This one's on Dundas at Crawford in Toronto. Thank you Roland, Rick, Tiffany and Jennifer. Click to see them big.

Metronomy

2011-10-16T20:23:00.001-07:00

If you don't know by now, you should.

1245 Dundas

2011-10-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

In collaboration with Alexa Hatanaka and Patrick Thompson behind 1245 Dundas West in Toronto.

First two photos by Steve Ferrara/WellAndGood.

RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T23:15:00.001-07:00

Steve Jobs passed away today. He was 56. Here's from the CBC.

Lego Haircuts at Mocca

2011-09-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here are images of the mural I painted at MOCCA. Thanks to David, Gina, John and crew. It's on view until April 2012. More details can be found here.

Crisp Isht

2011-09-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom: Os Gêmeos; Unknown; Drop; Allen Kaprow; Mobstr; Bacon; Aleksandra Mir.

Stefan Strumbel

2011-09-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

Shown above are cuckoo clocks by German artist Stefan Strumbel. Lots more here.

6 Nassau

2011-08-23T17:03:00.001-07:00

From top to bottom: First two, WIP, front facade; Third and fourth, final piece; Fifth, WIP, east facade; Last, final piece.

Jim Joe

2011-08-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

Jim Joe is still mad up in NYC. I took these a few weeks back. More here and here.

Recent

2011-08-07T17:22:00.001-07:00

(RIP) Cy Twombly

2011-07-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

American artist Cy Twombly passed away today. He was 83. Here's from the Chicago Tribune.

Alfredo Brant

2011-07-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

Par içi.

Nienke Klunder

2011-06-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Shown above are drawings by American-born, UK-based artist Nienke Klunder. Find her site here and a great primer on her work here (by Lauren Del Vecchio).

From top to Bottom: from the series Meltdown (1st and 2nd); from the series Struggling Sausages (3rd and last). Dates not found.

Chris Bracey

2011-06-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

Here are works produced by British artist Chris Bracey. Find more about him here and here.

From top to bottom: Greed Is Good (2001); Love & Anger (2001); Crown (date not found); Pole Dancers (2005) in collaboration with David LaChapelle.

Bread Factory

2011-06-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

From top to bottom: Chou; Chou; Chou; Sets*; Horse* and Getso*; Chou; Chou; Chou.
* circa 2010.

Neozoon

2011-06-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

Here are recent works by the German group Neozoon. Find their site here.

From top to bottom: Big Game Hunter I; Big Game Hunter II; Big Game Hunter III; Big Game Hunter IV.

Jessica Thompson

2011-05-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

Here are works by Canadian artist Jessica Thompson. Although mostly performance and participatory-based, but unlike most work of this nature, Thompson assures that once left alone they easily stand as sculptural works of art in their own right. Find her site here and see more here.

From top to bottom: Swinging Suitcase (2010); Swinging Suitcase, performance at p|m Gallery in Toronto (2011); Drawing A Line (Scajacquada), performance in Buffalo, NY (2010); Soundbike, performance at Art Basel Miami Beach (2005).

Work In Progress

2011-05-25T10:17:00.001-07:00

I'm painting a traditional bread factory this week for RAW architects who have been commissioned to redevelop the site. Fun days ahead!

Dirk Skreber

2011-05-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

Above are works by German-born, New York-based artist Dirk Skreber. Find more about him here.

From top to bottom: Untitled (Crash 1, 2009); Untitled (2009); Untitled (Installation view, Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurle, Belgium, 2008); It Rocks Us So Hard Ho Ho Ho 2 (2002).
2002

À l'écoute

2011-04-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

The Black Keys (Attack & Release) Nonesuch Records.

The Police (Ghost In The Machine) A&M.

Simian Mobile Disco (Attack Decay Sustain Release) Wichita Recordings.

Portico Quartet (Isla) New World.

Talib Kweli (The Beautiful Struggle) Rawkus.

The Streets (Everything Is Borrowed) 679 Recordings / Vice Records.

The Veils (Nux Vomica) Rough Trade.

Tears For Fears (The Hurting) Phonogram / Mercury.

Work In Progress

2011-04-16T22:35:00.001-07:00

Shown above are recent works on paper.

From top to bottom: Untitled 4 and Untitled 6 (from Douglas Blue series); Pako study and Yikes study, details of both.

Work In Progress

2011-04-08T14:55:00.001-07:00

Painted two weeks ago while in Sault Ste. Marie.

Fafi (Self-Portraits)

2011-04-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Above are self-portraits by French artist Fafi. Loads more here and find her site here.

In reversed-chronological order, from top to bottom: Wednesday March 31, 2010; Thursday March 25, 2010; Monday March 1, 2010; Saturday November 14, 2009.

Os Gêmeos

2011-03-14T16:20:00.001-07:00

Os Gêmeos (The Twins) from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Find their site here.

Raymond Pettibon

2011-03-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

Here are images of works by the American artist Raymond Pettibon. Famous for his record sleeves (think: Sonic Youth's Goo) but also his cult-famed gig posters and artwork for the iconic punk band Black Flag. Find his site here.

From top to bottom: Black Flag gig poster (circa 1978); No title (circa 2003); No title (There is a touch of poetry...) 1997; Limited edition t-shirt for a ANP Quarterly (2010).

Bricks at Art Metropole

2011-03-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Follow this link.

The London Police

2011-02-17T12:32:00.000-08:00

Rex just sent me a link to loads of hand-painted works by The [infamous] London Police produced in 2009 for various exhibitions. Love these guys. Find them all here.

From top to bottom: Stay Tuff (2009); Dumbo (2009); Circle of Truthfulness (2009); 10 Years Box (2009).

(RIP) Dennis Oppenheim

2011-01-25T18:22:00.001-08:00

Dennis Oppenheim past away last Saturday. He was 72. Here's from the CBC.

A Face A Name (No 1)

2011-01-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

The good folks of Well and Good just published their first eBook—A Face A Name— featuring over 30 artists. I'm amongst them. Think of it as a great addition for that iPad you just got for the holidays. Find it here.

From top to bottom, and from the pages of A Face A Name: On the cover: Sorry For All the Boardroom Meetings (detail) by Patrick Thompson; What I've Learned In the Last Five Years (Emperor Penguins, detail) 2010; What I've Learned In the Last Five Years (Bowls) 2010.

Ryan Dineen

2011-01-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

If you're around Toronto at the end of the month, or next month, pass by Show&Tell to see Ryan Dineen's latest series of oil paintings. Superb pieces. More here and here.

From top to bottom: Winter Roofs (2010); Kensington Roofs (2010); Lenny's Opera (2010); Morte (2011).

Eff the Lines

2011-01-17T20:08:00.000-08:00

And make it foamy. No wait, more like the swoosh of a full fledged magic trick... yeah. Give it some spin like the Tasmanian Devil would, or make it a cartoon cowboy fight scene sans the fists sticking out.

Graffiti has evolved again. It still celebrates colour but this time, it's loaded with movement, keeping visible all traces of the energy that goes into producing it. The letter ends are open and paint gases out of them. Here are recent works from a few artists flourishing within this new style.

From top to bottom: Smash 137 (from Basel) two first images; Askew (from Auckland) 3rd and 4th image; Rime (from Los Angeles) last four images. Click on an image to see it large, hit "back" on your browser to return here.

What Was 2010 (2 of 2)

2010-12-30T13:49:00.000-08:00

Top readings for 2010:

David Sedaris's Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk—brilliantly illustrated by Ian Falconer and published by Little, Brown and Company.

Shawn Micallef's posts, commentaries, columns, articles and even a book (Stroll; Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto) published by Coach House Press.

Slavenka Drakulić's They Would Never Hurt A Fly; War Criminals On Trial in the Hague. Published by Penguin Books.

Top listenings for 2010:

Britain's Wild Beasts. They make really really good records.
Thanks Adrian.

This is Michelle Gurevich's second record under the moniker Chinawoman. It's glorious.

I never got much exposure to Toronto's veteran band Constantines. So I'm looking forward to the bunch of records of theirs I'm still to discover. This one here played many times—confirmes my iTunes song play counter. Truly a wonderful record and band.

Photo of Shawn Micallef by Liz Clayton. Photo of Wild Beasts from www.dominorecordco.com.

What Was 2010 (1 of 2)

2010-12-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a first nod to what made my 2010:

German Montana's new line of paints. High fives all around.

This here painted with Sight, which made both of our day that day. It sadly lasted no more than a week.

One of my favourite personal designs of 2010, the smoking Vanessa t-shirt.

Steve Ferrara and Lisa Martin—the folks behind Well and Good—took very good care of me in 2010. Besides "collaborators" and "facilitators of local and international talent", I'm happy to call them friends.

I realise that Andrea Arnold's film was released last year (2009) but Cindy and I caught it this year. Truly amazing.

Photos: Montana Gold from www.montana-cans.com; Steve and Lisa by Eugen Sakhnenko; Bushmills Black Bush from www.bushmills.com.

Work In Progress

2010-12-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

Further on that obsession with coiffure... here are a few recent studies.

Reggie Pedro

2010-11-29T21:15:00.000-08:00

Shown above are works by the late British artist Reggie Pedro. He remains mostly unknown, except to the rock group Gomez which frequently commissioned art from Pedro to adorn their record sleeves.

From top to bottom: Gomez (Bring It On, inner sleeve #2, 1998); Gomez (Liquid Skin, detail, 1999); Smiley (detail, 2000/01); Walk For Road (2004).

(RIP) Doris McCarthy

2010-11-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

Doris McCarthy passed away last Thursday. She was 100. Here's from the CBC.

Above: Hoodoos at Dinosaur Park (1982).

Kehinde Wiley

2010-11-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

Here are works by American artist Kehinde Wiley. These are incredibly precise and beautifully detailed photographs or large-scale oil paintings, all qualities that don't exactly translate well on the web. Lucky for all of us, he's busy and shows extensively. Read more about Wiley here and find his site here.

From top to bottom: The Virgin Martyr St. Cecelia (oil, 2008); After Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres' The Virgin with the Host (c-print, 2009); After Pontormo's Two Men with a Passage from Cicero on Friendship (c-print, 2009); Unity Painting (oil, 2010).

Brand New Mini

2010-11-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

I've been toying with the idea of designing a version of my website geared exclusively for iPhone users. I made use of my discarded spray paint nozzles. On an iPhone, go here to see the showcase.

From top to bottom: Used spray paint nozzles (2004–ongoing). Site built by Ryan Taylor.

123 Klan and Vachon

2010-11-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Cindy and I spent the weekend in Montréal and while getting a few things from the store we found the re-designed Jos Louis boxes done by French artists Scien and Klor. The duo moved to Montréal in the late-2000's and opened for business using their original graffiti collective name 123 Klan. The Jos Louis boxes are adorned with one of their character Jay Louis, a French hip-hop gangster marionette. Catch up with what he's up to here. Find out more from the 123 Klan camp here.

Rebecca Ward

2010-10-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here are works by Texas-born, Brooklyn-based artist Rebecca Ward. The installations she makes with duct or electrical tape are incredible. See for yourself.

From top to bottom: Newton Would Be Proud (2010); Stella Was Right (2010); Black Mountains (2009); Tape 3 (2006).

Work In Progress

2010-09-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Here's what's going on these days.

In Toronto

2010-09-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

If you're in Toronto this month, try and catch these two exhibitions: David Hoffos, Scenes From the House Dream at Mocca and Shaun Gladwell, Portrait of a Man: Alive and Spinning/Dead As a Skeleton Dressed As a Mountie at Georgia Sherman Projects.

From top to bottom: David Hoffos, Scenes From the House Dream, Circle Street (2003); Shaun Gladwell, Composite Portrait As Boards (2010).

Love, Anna

2010-09-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

The new Love, Anna record—The Cowboy Gods of Rockandroll—is available. Get it on iTunes. Photography by Cindy Blazevic.

At 52 McCaul

2010-08-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sadly, 52 McCaul is closing at the end of the month. Well&Good, the duo comprised of Lisa Martin and Steve Ferrara, who are behind 52, will continue on without the massive space and with more accessible and community-based projects.

Anyway—and as a last blast, they've prepared a raffle of artworks done by many artists that have come and gone through their door. The idea is simple: You bid $20–$100 on an artwork, depending on the tender price tag, and when all tenders are sold, they pick a winner. The catch—it's is in your favour—the number of tenders per artwork are very low, 20 and under. Which makes the odds of ending up with an artwork for very little money very high. [sic]

Read all about that here, and browse the catalogue of artworks here.

Above: Roadsworth (Vulture Capitalism); Patrick Thompson (ADD with HD); Elicsr (Funnel Cake); Gene Starship (The Cause and Effect); Case [aka] Ryan MacKeen (Soft Ball); Pascal Paquette (My Drinking Has A Graffiti Problem).

Andrea Fraser

2010-07-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

Drew Toal writes:
"There are plenty of people whose inner dialogues I would love, and perhaps kill, to see acted out. Schopenhauer, Jesus, Keanu Reeves... Is Andrea Fraser one of [them]?" continued.

Ironic, humorous, challenging, completely exposed, that's Andrea Fraser and her work—which are absolutely one. American-born, NY-based, her performances are cleaver, loud, socially relevant and holistically played out. More here and here.

From top to bottom: Projection (2008); Untitled (2003); Official Welcome (2003); Museum Highlights (1989).

Re: Fresh

2010-07-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a few images of the re-worked piece on Camden Street in Toronto. Originally painted in late 2008, I re-touched it due to repairs done to the building's facade. Click for a larger view, hit "return" to come back.

Rolling

2010-07-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

Rolling through Southern Ontario... painted last month.

At 52 McCaul

2010-07-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

I'm spending the rest of the week painting in the vitrine of 52 McCaul (Toronto). A sort of residency while the gallery peeps take a summer break. Here are a few photos from yesterday.

Whahh?

2010-07-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

Before

After

Painted with Amos in June. Clients of the parking lot "did not appreciate the graffiti being there." It was removed.

Work In Progress

2010-07-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a final update on that building I was painting over the last few months. Patrick Thompson joined in for a bit, see images above. Inevitably though, the crane came.

Doris McCarthy

2010-07-07T02:10:00.000-07:00

Today is Canadian-icon Doris McCarthy's 100th birthday. If you happen to be in Toronto this month, you can catch three exhibitions of hers: Eight Paintings / Eight Decades (at Wynick Tuck) until July 29, Roughing It in the Bush (at UTSC's Doris McCarthy Gallery) until July 24, and Roughing It in the Bush (at UofT's Art Centre) also until July 24. Find her site here.

Above: Iceberg Fantasy #40 (1989).

The Culture Lobby

2010-06-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ana from Kiosk just mailed us a few copies of the book. It looks really good. Not sure where it will be available in North America yet, but you can order it from Kiosk very soon. More details to come when they're ready to ship. In the meantime, the whole archive is on the web: www.theculturelobby.com

À l'écoute

2010-06-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

Van She / EP

Primal Scream / Screamadelica

The Police / Synchronicity

Burial / Untrue

Bon Iver / For Emma, Forever Ago

(RIP) Louise Bourgeois

2010-05-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

Louise Bourgeois passed away today, she was 98. Here's from the BBC.

Image: Maman, 1999 (cast in 2003).

Deborah Sengl

2010-05-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Above are works by Austrian artist Deborah Sengl. Find her site here.

From top to bottom: From the series All You Can Eat, 2007; from series Church, 2006; from series Sports, 2006; from series Dogs, 2006.

The Culture Lobby

2010-05-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

It's up. We are happy, even after randomly cementing shut each others' breathing holes. The site was designed by Ryan Taylor and realized by Neal and Conor Pollack.
Here.

Photos by, from top to bottom: Ljupcho Temelkovski and Aleksandar Grozdanovski; Cindy Blažević; Nives Sertić and Nebojša Slijepčević; moi. All 2009.

Eric Fensler

2010-04-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Revisiting Eric Fensler's re-works of the classic G. I. Joe PSA adverts. Totally hilarious stuff. Find them here.
More on his site: http://www.fenslerfilm.com/

Work In Progress

2010-04-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

Just west of Spadina Ave. along Richmond (Toronto) is this small, two-story building that was sold to a condo developer. It's slated to be removed in August. Until then, I get to play.

Kim Adams

2010-03-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

Shown above are works by Canadian artist Kim Adams. These were produced in the mid to late 90s from H- and O-scale model bits. Awkwardly funny stuff. Plenty more here.

From top to bottom: Cranberry Juicer (1995); Street Bar (1995); Sky Scratch (1995); Cheese Eaters (1998); Tanker Viewer I (1998).

Dorian FitzGerald

2010-03-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

Dorian opens a show this Friday, March 12, 7pm at Clint Roenisch's Gallery. If you happen to be in Toronto, pass by to see it. Runs until April 17. More details here.

Allan Ryan

2010-03-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

Allan passed by the studio a few weeks back and painted the sub wall. Here are some details. Find his site here.

Water Cut Tag

2010-03-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

"Chou 1" brushed aluminum tag, edition of 10.

André and Neckface

2010-03-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

Found these shots I took a while back of a few works we caught last time in NY. They're by French artist André (the pink face) and by NY's Neckface (in black and white).

Click on an image for a larger view. Press the back arrow on your browser to return.

At 52 McCaul

2010-02-26T19:57:00.001-08:00

New works of mine are at 52 McCaul (Toronto) starting Wednesday, March 3rd. In the main gallery is work by Nick Kozak.

Bodies

2010-02-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

The most-used subject in visual arts was forever the human figure. We all know how painting came about and how it was used to record history, mainly human history. Sculpture also illustrated the human figure, recounting glorious moments of human-hood.

In contemporary art, the figure-as-subject moves on somewhat from the hierarchy defining and lets the makers put themselves in positions not yet achievable by the living; death. In other works, events that were only tales for the media are revisited and turned into historically important artworks. Here are a few examples of this phenomenon. Click bellow on any artist's name for more on them and their work.

From top to bottom: Gregor Schneider's Man With Cock (2004); Robert Barta's Sleep Installation (that's him asleep. He performed this piece in 2009); Maurizio Cattelan's All (2008); Cao Fei's Game Over (2004).

Robert Longo

2010-02-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

Shown above are large charcoal drawings by the American artist Robert Longo. His site can be found here.

From top to bottom: Untitled (Rita, reversed) 1997; Untitled (Ping) 1997; Untitled (Isabella) 1997; Untitled (Daniel) 1997.

Mad C

2010-01-26T15:11:00.000-08:00

The works shown above are by Mad C, one of Germany's finest graffiti artist. Instead of discarding all of her used-up spray cans—a fair bit, rest assured—she carefully encrusts them with rhinestones, gems and crystals making up top-shelf references to the culture-of-bling. They are all unique, handmade and more on them can be found here. Find Mad C's website here. I advise you dig deep—lots of great work up there.

From top to bottom: From the series Parallel Kingdom (2009). Images courtesy of Mad C.

Mike Bray's 24 Frames

2010-01-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

From time to time I come across an artwork that in my opinion, takes the cake. In this case, it's Mike Bray's piece entitled 24 Frames. Perhaps it's because it has—for me—all the makings of a great artwork: replication and falsities, historic references, Jeff Beck, smashed guitars...

The work is an homage to Jeff Beck's guitar smashing scene in Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film, Blow Up. In the scene, the Yardbirds are playing to a packed modish nightclub audience when Beck's guitar amp fails him. Tired at tinkering with it, he starts hitting the amp with his guitar before throwing it to the ground. He continues trampling the instrument on the stage floor with his crisp suede shoes. Here's the clip from YouTube.

Reading more about the film, I found out that The Who was supposed to be the band playing that stage as Antonioni was quite taken by Pete Townsend's guitar smashings at the time. The guitar used (a Gibson hollow body) is a bit misleading too, Beck was playing almost only Fender. Turns out that second to The Who, Antonioni chose The In Crowd to play in the film. They were later replaced by The Yardbirds as they were more popular. So Beck played a replica of Steve Howe's Gibson ES125 built for the performance.

Anyway, back to Mike Bray. Find more of his work here.

From top to bottom: Details from the installation 24 Frames (2009).

Work In Progress v8.1

2010-01-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

Back to these now. Seven canvases in total, to be shown in one full length of approx. 35' wide. Here's a few detail shots.

From top top bottom: TTYL, detail (2009); WTF, detail (2009); IDK, detail (2009); BTW, detail (2009). Click any image for a larger view, hit back to return to the blog.

Rirkrit Tiravanija

2010-01-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

I'm spending a few hours today researching artists that have used the gallery space as a living environment as opposed to a place for showing stuff. One of my stops was spent looking at the work of Buenos Aires-born, NY-based, artist Rirkrit Tiravanija. In the early 90's he would turn galleries into living kitchens and cook Thai food for visitors. Since then, he created installations that offered special places for people either to play, read, eat or rest. Really cool stuff. Follow this link for an article by Jerry Saltz . It's totally on-point.

From top to bottom: Untitled, Still (1992); Untitled, the raw and the cooked (2002, photo: Kioku Keizo); La salle de jeux (1998, photo: Florian Kleinefenn); East Village Apartment [replica] (2009).

Swet

2010-01-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting one: Swet, the Danish graffiti artist, started a project that would see him paint 100 graffiti pieces over 100 days. Sponsored by the German paint makers Molotow, he started December 1st 2009 and is now somewhere producing his 40th piece. You can follow his quest here.

From top to bottom: Swet, reversed (Day 1) 2009; Swet (Day 7) 2009; Swet (Day 30) 2009; Swet One (Day 35) 2010.

(RIP) Kenneth Noland

2010-01-05T14:24:00.000-08:00

Kenneth Noland passed away Tuesday. He was 85. Read the article by Roberta Smith here.

Image: Whirl (1960) Photo by Mark Trade.

Michel de Broin

2010-01-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

Here are images from the Québec-born artist Michel de Broin. His site can be found here.

From top to bottom: Monument (2009, image: Denis Prieur); Dead Star (2008); Black Whole Conference (2006); Entrelacement (2001).

Pe Lang and Zimoun

2009-11-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

Ryan just put me on to this duo from Switzerland. Pe Lang is a media artist and Zimoun is a sound artist. Together, they make incredible installations. Watch the video here. Read more on them here.

From top to bottom: 100 Prepared DC-Motors and Chains in Wooden Type Cases (from Untitled Sound Objects series, 2008); 49 Prepared Vibration Motors (from Untitled Sound Objects series, 2008); 25 Prepared DC-Motors / Wire 0.8mm* (2009); and 216 Prepared DC-Motors / Filler Wire 1.0mm* (2009).

* Zimoun solo works.

The Exchange

2009-10-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here's one the most interesting art projects in recent years. Started in 2005 by graffiti artist Rime from Staten Island (NY)—with six members to the program—The Exchange has become a worldwide collaboration where artists draw sketches using each other's names, and then those names are painted by their respective owners. For example, Rime would sketch a piece using Bates' name, then Bates would go out and paint it. The Exchange now counts more than 30 members spanning a great array of different graffiti styles. Follow The Exchange here through the project's blog. The main site can be found here.

From top to bottom: Host 18 sketch by Jurne; Host 18's piece; Poet sketch by Kaput; Poet's piece; Esteme sketch by Persue; Esteme's piece; Bates sketch by Rime; Bates' piece; Sirum sketch by Ruets; Sirum's piece. All photos from The Exchange blog.

The Berlin Reunion

2009-10-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, France's Royal de Luxe street theater company orchestrated a 4-day performance staring two giant puppets. See loads of pics and read the whole story here.

Photos are from Boston.com

À l'écoute

2009-10-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

Painter's Painting (1973) Emile de Antonio
A film shot roughly between 1940 and 1970 in New York and within the circles of the New York school of painters. Abstract Expressionists, Colour Field painters and Pop painters as well as the important collectors and art dealers of the time offer great interviews. More about that one here. See a short clip on YouTube here.

Art Safari (2004~) Ben Lewis, BBC
This is a great series by British art critic Ben Lewis released by BBC. Lewis follows the work and artists who are making some of the best international art today. Each series I believe has four half-hour episodes and there are two series to date. Find out all about them here. And see clips on YouTube here.

Above: Frank Stella interviewed in his New York studio; Sophie Calle interviewed by Ben Lewis.

Work In Progress v8.0

2009-10-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Back to the studio and painting. Here's a peek at what's coming out.

À l'écoute

2009-09-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Just came back from our third tour of the Western Balkans. Cindy and I drove from Belgrade (Serbia) to the further east border between Serbian and Bulgaria, then into Macedonia, through Kosovo and Albania, up the south-east coast of Croatia along the Bosnia and Herzegovina border, up to Zagreb, then north Croatia into Hungary, back down to Slavonski Brod (Croatia) and Bosanski Brod (Bosnia) and then back to Belgrade. Phew.

That's allot of driving—needless to say, but allot of time to catch up with old and recent additions to my music collection. Here are a few gems that stood out:

The Good, The Bad & The Queen (Honest Jon's/Parlophone)
This is proving to be a totally interesting album. What first began as a collaboration between Damon Albarn and Danger Mouse resulted in a very interesting band. The lax jams aside, it's a very good record. See them perform here.

PJ Harvey, Rid Of Me (Island)
A late entry into my collection, yes, but I'm making sure it catches up in play counts. May I add: super-duper?

Late Of The Pier, Fantasy Black Channel (Parlophone)
A super record. In and out (although I'm not sure what that means...) but it must mean good and on both sides. Great jams, guitar driven key-pop over a pavement of great song structure. Get it.

Mos Def, The Ecstatic (Downtown)
Mos Def! Who doesn't love Mos Def? His most broad record to date. Really, really great.

Rachel's, Systems/Layers (Quarterstick)
I previously only had a few tracks from this one. Completed it before we left—it proved to be a great soundtrack to the Western Balkans' ominous mountain ranges. No really.

Ween, Québec (Sanctuary)
A classic and must-have-if-you-don't-already. Killer production, great songs and not too far from one of the best records coming out of America in the last 20 years. Yes, really.

Neozoon

2009-09-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

This is the work of the Berlin-based collective Neozoon. Animal silhouettes cut out of recycled fur coats and glued to city walls. Too dope. Loads more here and see them at work here.

From top to bottom: Rabbits (in Berlin), 2009; Flock of Sheep (in Paris), 2009; Bull for Huesca (in Berlin), 2009; Fox (in Berlin), 2008.

Western Balkans Typography (Redux)

2009-09-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

More from Bosnia i Hercegovina, Croatia and Serbia.

Western Balkans Typography

2009-09-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Cindy and I are spending the next few weeks in the south of the Western Balkans (aka Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania) to work on The Culture Lobby. The first three places I mentioned were once part of Yugoslavia and typography in that area of the world is taken seriously. Here are a few examples of signage from Pirot, Serbia and Skopje, Macedonia. I'll post more over the next few weeks.

Go here and here for previous posts while we were in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgrade, Serbia, last year.

Paul Senyol

2009-08-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

Above are the works of South African artist Paul Senyol. I'm not exactly sure how I bumped into these but damn happy I did. Versed in illustration, painting and typography, Senyol's work is also full of stories. Are they stories? Thought patterns maybe—an adventure awaits you in every piece. Tons more here.

From top to bottom: Ma Prière Au Dieu Qui (2009): The Language of Birds (2009); Dreamboat Tapping (2009); Stiek Hui (2009).

Recent Banksy Works

2009-08-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

It's very easy to stay up to date with what Banksy's doing. Many sites report his actions frequently. Even more Flickr account holders support them. So from what I found, here are a few. As usual, click on any image to see it larger. Banksy's site is here.

From top to bottom: Early 2009 outings in Mali, West Africa (the first and second jpeg); Mid-2008 outings in New Orleans, USA (the third and last).

Charles Ray

2009-08-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here's another hardcore American artist that I find not too many people know about. Associated at first with the performance and body/endurance crowd of the 70's, he soon after moved towards sculpture (what he actually studied) perhaps giving his own-body-as-the-medium a break. Here above is a good sampling of his work. See more here and read about him here.

From top to bottom: Unpainted Sculpture (1997); Oh! Charlie, Charlie, Charlie (1992); Plank Piece I & II (1973); Untitled (1973).

Melanie MacDonald

2009-08-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

Above are works by St. Catharines (Ontario) based painter Melanie MacDonald. She paints—in beautiful vivid colour—some of the details of her everyday existence. These could be anything from a soft, out of focus close-up of a board game to a sink full of dishes. Sounds lame, but if done well, it's totally poetic and that's her level. Find her site here.

From top to bottom: Butter (2008); Blue Floral Pattern—Creamer (2007); Hand Painted Tea Pot (2006); Silverware (2005).

Work In Progress v7.1

2009-07-24T13:33:00.001-07:00

Here's an update on the house I'm painting. What you see in these shots are the hallway joining all the room on the main floor, the stairs from the ground floor going up and the stairs going to the third floor.

The farmhouse-style details were really great to work with. It gave me the chance to pop out some elements and plains making the whole area look bigger. The dark grey also added to this effect, giving the hallway more depth. I return in a few weeks to finish up.

This is the second post on this project. Find the first post here.

Matthew Porter

2009-07-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Above, way above... are the photographs of Brooklyn-based artist Matthew Porter. Continue the adventure here and here. You could own one at a very reasonable price. Go here.

From top to bottom: The Heights (2006); Airborne (2005); Bayview (2006); Blue Ridge Parkway (2008).

À l'écoute

2009-07-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

MC Solaar, Chapitre 7 (Sentinel Ouest)
This is the 7th album from the French rapper Claude M'Barali, aka MC Solaar. A great record as always, great writing and production. Tracks like In God We Trust and Non Merci show just how masterful Solaar is. Plenty to hear and see on his website.

Tortoise, Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey Records)
This is the newest record from the Chicago (post-rock, post-jazz...) outfit. It's spiky, took a few listens to truly understand where they are going with this one. It's airy, yet heavy, and I'm on the bus. More here.

Tasha Aulls

2009-07-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Shown above are new paintings by Montreal-born, now London-based Tasha Aulls. She opens a show at the Sassoon Gallery in London on July 21st. More here.

From top to bottom: Tiger Light, Arctic Night (2009); Sun-Ray Rise Again (2009); Last Dance In Disco Valley (2009); Hinterlands, When We Go How We Go (2008).

Steven Laurie

2009-07-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Here's the work of Steven Laurie from Whitby (Ontario) Canada. A video of his performance at Station Gallery can be viewed here. Go here to read a piece on him by Gary Grant. Much more here from Hack A Day.

From top to bottom: Chainsaw (Mud Flap Project, 2009); Herman Kruis' Truck (Mud Flap Project, 2009); Burnout Machine (Still from a performance at Station Gallery, 2008); Donut Machine (2008).

Mathew Borrett

2009-06-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

While looking for older music in my archives I came across a handful of drawings that Mathew had sent me a few years back to use for Love, Anna propaganda. Some of these date back to 2002. Find his site here. Read an interview with Borrett here and here.

Běla Kolářová

2009-06-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

Shown here are works by Czech artist Běla Kolářová. More here (keep going through this website actually. The permanent collection of Eastern Europe's Erste Bank is excellent).

From top to bottom: Alphabet, 1964; (unknown, year unknown); Bristles (Hair Cycle series) 1964; Lesbos (Hair Cycle series) 1964.