Manchester – Street Art

Frank Sidebottom... with added knob

Well these are the few examples I saw in an admittedly flying visit when I was able to go out and avoid the rain. Jesus it rains non-stop there.

So like these pieces as they have a nice little bit of humour, even if technically they are not very complex, that is a good thing sometimes. These were around the Northern Quarter and whilst there were other examples I either did not get any good shots because of the fecking weather or I thought the pieces were not that great.

Storm Tropper taking a wee break

Storm Trooper channeling Travolta

I would have liked to have had more time to search the city for different and better examples, any Manc natives know some good areas to check out then please drop me a line.

We did end up having butlers in the buff serving us drinks… I can provide those pics if you really want but then again….

Things i’ve seen….

Wondering around London on my bike taking in a few things as I go….

London Faberge egg hunt is underway, I’ve seen loads but cannot be bovd to post all of them, if I spot a nice one, I’ll be sure to share… and maybe take home

St. James Park Egg

Some people feel deep shame for eating McDonalds and will not admit it… I am sometimes one, but I have come out to bigger things. I eat a double cheeseburger from time to time… and what?

Anyway liked this just off Brick Lane… not easy to spot but funny and a bit cute I think… call me crazy ya’l. I think it amused me as it is a comment on society, so many kids in the UK are reared on the golden arch and here is a baby ‘Donalds!

Happy meal anyone?

Street art doesn’t need to be beautiful in an artistic way, it can be simple, it can be words and it can be something that makes society look at it’s self or just raises a lil smile

One Love

Everyone has a Sweet Toof

All around the east end there are pieces by Sweet Toof, they are not exactly difficult to spot, seeing as they are usually huge and pretty bright.

On my daily mooching around London today I cycled a different route and saw this parked up under one of the arches near the Hoxton Tube station. It would seem that Street Art is now on the move as well, maybe it is for a Sweet Toof roadshow, or maybe not.

Toof trailer

Sweet Toof also leaves pieces around the place for eagle eyed Londoners to keep, a mate of mine found a copy of the Metro with the cover completely transformed with the trademark Sweet Toof design. Lucky get!

Taped Up – Max Zorn

On Blue Peter it was all about sticky back plastic, and let’s be honest most of the stuff they made was pretty shite. I was never a fan it was always about Art Attack with the legend that is Neil Buchanan (who follows me on twitter, claim to fame time)

Frankly my dear..... tape it up

Anyways I digress, Max Zorn has taken the idea of working with tape and created a different form of street art. He cuts and shapes tape in layers and shapes to create art pieces which then use light to bring the imagery to life. Zorn uses windows or street lights to display the imagery and although I have not seen them first hand I think it would make a great addition to my fair city as the sunshine has just started shining. It is almost like the street art take on church stained glass windows.

Get yourself over here Zorn, though not sure you need the hoodie…

Spotted on PSFK

National Portrait Gallery – Feb 2012

Lucian Freud at the National Portrait was very good indeed, clearly an interesting chap. Something that I had never appreciated before but that becomes very apparent when you see the body of work first hand is the piercing eyes.

Both Girl with Beret and Boy Smoking display very beautiful  and clear eyes, my favourite in the entire display is the Boy Smoking, quite stunning and modern looking even though it was created 60 years ago.

Girl with beret

Another thing you will notice is the number of self portraits Freud created, what I noticed on everyone of his self portraits was the darkness of his eyes everytime, in stark contrast to the majority of the paitings of his subjects.

Freud - self portrait

The exhibition stretches from his early work through his changes of styles to a far more harsh representation of those who sat for him.

Freud - self portrait

In addition there is a brilliant portraits from 1960 – 1990 featuring this brilliant piece from a certain Andy Warhol of Mick Jagger

ol big lips

lo doy porque quiero

Saw this today in Hackney, do not know too much about it as yet. Found something referring to Medellin, which I thought was the Columbian drug cartel…. I’ll try and find out some more, unless anyone can fill in the gap?

I know nothing so far....

Anyways it is off Hackney Road

Clever lil Ruskie mkII

Eye eye

Almost a month to the day since the last installment of Clever Lil Ruskie.

Thomas, Percy and Toby

This time it is Nikita Nomerz, loving these, for some reason they remind me of the faces from Thomas the Tank Engine but all the same brilliant use of the world around us. Making everyday objects into pieces of art. You often see brilliant art but these Russians take it to another level using the shames of objects as the basis. I wonder what they could do with the Gherkin….

What is the name of that Star Wars character?

One of them is clearly Sloth from the Goonies

Remind you of anything?

Song Dong – Barbican Centre

One man's waste....

I’ll admit it, going to see Song Dong’s ‘Waste Not’ I was a little sceptical as to whether this was an art installation or if it was a bit of a stunt . Once I arrived and saw the enormity, the variety and also the triviality of the pieces included. The triviality is the part that gave such emotion and beauty to the collection of very everyday items such as pans, empty drinks bottles, shoes, cutlery and pens.

On entering Song Dong tells how the story of China in the 50’s and 60’s, his family relationships and of how his mother’s attitudes to material waste combined to create an art installation which is the story of his mother’s life.

Is another woman's treasure

I would suggest you visit The Barbican Curve to to see the scale of the collection, which is not the entire collection as there is another one in China as well. The story of how and why this came together is quite poignant and actually gives this huge collection of bits and bobs a rather beautiful feel.

If you can not make it then read more here…

Another Stik….

As mentioned I do not like giving away the exact locals of the things I find… good for people to discover themselves. This Stik piece is near Broadway Market and is rather cute I think you will agree.

Stik Stik

Our Stik friends look like they might have had a bit of a lovers tiff…. I am sure they make sweet Stik love to forget about it later though

It is pretty amazing how you can see so many different emotions on the face when there is only two dot eyes to betray the feeling.

Featured Artist::: Alice Pasquini aka AliCé

It’s nice to discover a new artist int it…

Sister wall

The Italian lady who resides on Rome but has formally lived in the UK, in London. Her art has a very feminine and emotive feel to them than many pieces you see on the London streets do not display. The look in the eyes of the characters seem to tell a story and one which the viewer can draw their own conclusions to. There are a few pieces from AliCé in London but they are not easy to find… Check out Blackhall Street in Shoreditch…. they might still be there

The look of youth

Hoodie