Words from Above

Above. Something really interesting in pretty much every piece I see from this guy, and he has something to say literally every time but I actually believe his sentiment when he put paint of a wall, unlike some others it feels genuine and with no little amount of humour as well.

The pieces I am sharing here show he likes to take a risk or two to get his point across, clearly he can not do this without his phlanax of people to find the settings and the subjects and then to get out without ended up banged up. The first piece I showed was his comment on the diamond trade in Johannesburg 

The fact he is so prolific and that he has been all around the world suggests he must be making a pretty penny out of his artistic excursions. I do not mind that, some people have an issue but everyone has got to make ends meet.

So to Above’s work, but only one type, his use of words…

Berlin - Leave them artists alone

Berlin is not without amazing art, but the scale of this is brilliant, you can just make out a woman. Big can be beautiful

Cape Town - look Above

A commission by a fairtrade winery in SA

Miami - What a banker

This may be in Miami sunshine but it is a commentary on The Wall Street protests, the full piece reads… ‘Give a Wall St. Banker Enough Rope and He Will Hang Himself’. Like many of Above’s work this made the news across the US.

Hung up financially

Over to San Jose

Peru - What comes from there?

It is beautiful but also shining a light on what the country is famous for as well, plus the ‘O’s are windows which make it even better

Clever whore

Some simple Melbourne graf

Mexico.... on his way home

This was done in 2 hours with the last bits of paint left in his pots.

When you coming to London Above?

Here, there, every Nazir

Full wall of monsters

Following my previous post this month on Nazir Tanbouli we saw that the man is trying to single-handedly turn a semi-deserted eye sore in East London into his very own canvas. I am loving this big dinosaurs with upside down heads and multiple eyes.

Dino-boarded up

The playful imagery is like a acid version of Jurassic Park.

Bird in prey

Fish walls

As always… not telling you exactly where it is…. but it is between Kingsland Road and Queensbridge Road

Who knew Belgians were so funny?

In the past Belgium was known for chocolate and peodos… until Austria took that last crown. But now maybe they can be seen as inventive and creative marketeers, pranksters even. This week StandardFact spotted this beaut, it has done the rounds already by now but if you have not seen it. It is a brilliant piece of advertising which plays on human natures natural inquisitive tendencies. Hats off to TNT television station, they know drama. Only 15 million views in 3 days….

Apols for the Belgium joke, only kidding ya’l

Diamonds are for-never

I’d heard of the Artist Above before…. but a short post will not do the guy justice so take this as a mini-intro to a prolific artist who unlike so many has many many sides to his work, he can do political as well as Banksy, cartoon as well as Sweet Toof and word stencils to match Ben Eine.

This is a brilliant piece, I believe the story goes that he got permission to stencil ‘Diamonds are a Woman’s Best Friend’ on the wall outside Jewel City, Johannesburg’s center for diamond trading…. he then went back and added a little extra. Brilliant, beautiful and not a little bit dangerous I’d imagine.

Stay tuned for my full look at Above…. when I have time that is

And why I am at it…. Surely Kanye should get props for pointing this out as well. Soooo Kanye

He’s got a big art

Ich liebe Berlin, I would live there if my pigeon German improves, and it will so help me. One of the big reasons I love Berlin is that it is unlike any other city I have been to on every level and one of the most beautiful levels is the art you can see. On pretty much every corner of Kruezberg there is something to feast your eyes upon.

Berlin is a hotbed for creative types, from artist to musicians to sculptors to those very sexually liberated, they are attracted to the city by the bohemian lifestyle, the hotpot of nationalities and the city’s lax attitude towards drugs.

All the above combines to some of the coolest and most creative art, street art and graf you will find.

That is spray paint you know

I spotted this on urbanartcore this week and thought it was immense. The scale, the detail, the expressions, just make for an amazing display. James Bullough, a Washington native is creating this masterpiece at Torstrasse 111. If you have never been there then go, it has music studios, art studios, scuplture, a maze and bars. The launch is on April 28th, get there is you can. If not check out his website for some cool and abstract stuff.

She menacing...

I must have gone to Berlin 5 times last year for various reasons, this year only once so far…. better get booking. If for no other reason than this place…

Phil Collins is a hero – Fact

Friends of StandardFact, the guys at id-iom clearly understand the huge cultural and musical importance of the great man. His drumming was second to none and he featured on numerous other artist’s albums because he was so good. Plus he dumped a wife by fax…. the man was always ahead of the curve.

Art + Phil Collins = Groovy

The idea behind this piece is to obviously bring the genius of Phil Collins to a wider audience, but additionally the guys were using a bit of a subtle mind trickery, by using the lyric of ‘When I’m feeling blue, all I have to do, is take a look at you, then I’m not so blue’ from the classic ‘A Groovy Kind of Love’ on a blue background they are planting the blue message in peoples minds, hopefully forever.

A vintage year

This little piece is in Brixton so I am imagining it will have the same effect on the number of sales from that area of PC  purchases in a similar way that a certain chocolate bar did to ‘In the Air Tonight’

More from our id-iom friends very soon….

Daft Punk toys….. and Homework

There was a rumour I saw this week that Daft Punk had not one but two new albums to release in the not to distant future. Rumours like this are utterly unhelpful, they only serve to get our ears twitching and our feet tapping as we reach for Homework to get a fix.

Anyway, let us not think about that as this is genuinely coming in only a few months, July to be exact. Check these lil Daft Punk styled mini toys.

Daft Punk meet mice

Spotted on Toybeast and I want them now, I hope that Be@rBrick are listening….

I also think these would make a brilliant stencil in East London, well at the end of my road to be exact

Now a bit of Homework for you…

 

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

White ArtBox Installation at St Pancras

White Artbox

The red phone boxes are as English as double decker buses, pie ‘n’ mash, The Queen, Oscar Wilde, Bowie, the village pub and queueing. Now BT have launched their art campaign to redesign the iconic boxes, 4 white versions have been placed at London’s Kings Cross St. Pancras.

A gallery event will take place at the National Portrait Gallery on July 18th featuring re-imagined telephone boxes by such creative types as Giles Deacon, Zandra Rhodes and Keith Tyson. The activity is a fundraiser for ChildLine so even more reason to like it. Go Esther Rantzen

I like these choices, but what about a UK street artist like Stik or Eine or even Robbo if he is back on his feet yet, surely that is representative of the more urban side of London?

Now Valentines is safely in the past for another year….

Something with a love heart on. Love hearts that have nothing to do with the Hallmark occasion.

Urban grey heart

Latest work form Roadhouse, spotted on PSFK. Like earlier posts I have written that use the urban environment to create something interesting and poignant, this is cool.

I am too tired and can not go deep and meaningful on this…. but looks good dunt it

Love wagon

I ❤ bush..... naaaaaat