Olympic flashback with Usain Bolt care of Jimmy C

SF was not the biggest fan of the Olympics originally, a little concerned about what it would bring and what the legacy would be. Today a wee pang of Olympics withdrawal hit home which lead to a little pointer to one thing we still have to enjoy from the greatest games ever.

He’s not the Messiah he’s a very speedy bwoy

James Cochran AKA Jimmy C created this massive piece of a certain fast runner who goes by the name of Usain Bolt, a huge and permanent (semi) reminder of what went on over the space of roughly two months when all eyes were on London for the Olympics and Paralympics.

At the risk of sounding a bit like a marketing pessimist, I think that Puma had a hand in this somehow, seeing as there was a massive Puma party throughout. Whatever it did not have their logo on it and it looks sweet.

Back to the original point though… what else will London see as it’s legacy. There are still some great Olympic leftovers from street art, to posters, to flags to Londoners being proud and a little nicer. The legacy of the stadium, centres and equipment….. what’s next?

Inspiration for free art

Free art for all

Spotted this on PSFK and thought it was a great idea. Back in the day a certain popular artist preached art for all…. he then started selling to Brangelina and making films and in turn shed loads of cash. This feels like a bit of a move back in the original direction.

Nicole Bourgea, a Washington resident has embarked on a project where she goes out and paints everyday folk doing their everyday jobs that they perform every day. She creates her one day masterpieces and then returns the next day and places the finished pieces where it was painted with a note saying it is free for the subject of said piece.

Although Nicole is not your traditional street artist, this really is the essence of creating something on the street and leaving it there for all to see and for it to be taken away gratis.

Follow our artistic heroine here

 

Seeing the music

Love a bit of progress at SF, and music is one area that the digi age has changed the game and made music more accessible, sound different, play different, be shared differently and most of all stored differently.

Back in the day you would have stacks of vinyl, tapes and then CDs in your bedroom or front room, in themselves they were decoration and status symbols. What music are you into? Have you got the rare live album? etc.

The decoration or the aesthetic of music is the one thing that the digital age has affected in a negative way, the record sleeve has become almost redundant.

Artists such as Peter Blake and Peter Saville made their names through creating iconic album art work that caught the imagination of a generation, and generations to come. SF have collected some amazing sleeves through the years, some have been given as presents, others framed and hung and some out on display. All chosen not so much for the artist or the quality of the track, but because the combination of the music, the era, the artist, the track the title and the visual created something which is more than the sum of all of it’s parts.

Here are a few

Ferry = don

Roxy music were visually on it, from the suits to the videos to this amazing plastic collection

Gorgeous George

Rocking the salmon v-neck knit, Benson made signing about prostitutes sound romantic

Grace

What can you say about these?

Captain

Sounds a bit like a threat from Captain Grace…. ‘I’ll be seeing you….’

One is never enough

And then this….

Sex pest?

Yes Cliff Richard. A strange choice you have every right to think until you see the video. Who says this man is boring, lacks vision and has no talent? The guy skating around in a leather onesie says different. Wired indeed

P-P-P-P-P-P-P-Pez!

It has been a while since SF took any street photography in the east end due to a hit n run bicycle incident. Well here is the first piece in a while and the first of many to come.

Pez dispenser

Pez in a can… a spray can that is

IT Crowd

MJ

SF spotted this online and it is something I would imagine you would find in a ‘trendy’ hotel in somewhere like xx It is probably not somewhere I’d readily want to stay as it would likely all be a little to clean and try hard. Strangely I do really like these piece by WorkbyKnight.

Jigga man

The Aussie artist makes good use of your old IT equipment to create images of some of the most iconic people from pop culture, bit of a IT geek version of Andy Warhol…. or not. His argument is that in a manufactured world, so can the art be. Fair point.

Al P

Either this has the SF approval

QT

And in memory of an icon

Neil Armstrong

 

Funny Art-Soul

Cuddle up

SF has been a lil quite in recent days, this bloody work thing combined with bust shoulder and no transport. However there are other ways to share a little visual love.

Post smiles

Great website I stumbled upon recently Walls to Watch, has a great array of art, photography, graf, stencils, pottery etc etc. A lot of it seems pretty random and has been sent in from around the world.

Rolling doubles

The personal and possibly limited view of StandFact is that what you see should make a difference, and hopefully move you, currently the top of the list of things to look for are things that raise a wee smile, cause a titter and maybe make you release a little bit of wee with glee

Choca bloc

Well you know how much I love lego…

Auf Wiedersehen Kunsthaus

Not quite gentrification but another little sign that the bohemian lifestyle enjoyed by Berliners, travelers and new foreign residents may be a little under threat. It seems in recent times that Berlin has decided to try and be more like your boring vanilla older brother than your crazy slaggy little sister. There was talk of Berghain being shut… not true thank feck, then there is the gentrification of the K’Beurg area and there is also a few problems for the many arts of Berlin.

For years Kunsthaus Tacheles was the go to place for creative types just visiting, it has music studios, big open windowed bar rooms, art studios, a studio, a metal works and even a maze in former years. (Click here for the ever reliable Wiki info) Just recently the local council have been trying to move people on but Berliners are made of sterner stuff. Last I heard was that the electricity supply had been cut off and doors bolted, this was a week ago and I’d not be surprised if those doors were open again now.

For now some art work on the outside….

Punk Schwein

How long is now?

Berlin Spock

BLU is the artist – Berlin town

The walls of Berlin town have more paint than any other I have visited and one artist has helped to dominate the skyline there. There was an agreement between the local council and the residents that every wall possible spare space or wall had to have a stencil, a pattern, a tag, a scribble or doodle…. well not quite but would have been nice

Keeping an eye on Watergate since 2007

Blu is an Italian guy who’s huge pieces can be seen from miles away and across the world from his home town in Bologna, the Camden to Isreal, to Valencia, Barca and even Poland.

BLU Berlin skyline

Most of his pieces look like some kind of mutant super heroes, the style is pretty hard to copy so you will always recognise them.

I also double like his website, his scrap book of artworks from across the globe, the drawings scribbles and doodles

Things I’ve seen….

The last few weeks the number of new pieces found has gone right now, SF has been pretty inactive due to tumble on two wheels, it will continue in this vein for a while but there will be bits and bobs for your eyeball delectation…

Shok 1 is London based and a bit underground, more known for spraying off the beaten track in places others dare not go. His style is pretty individual and like no other… Like. for a guy who has been spraying since 1984 he has certainly done his time. This is his old site  but the new one is en route. See it around Brick Lane, Hanbury St to be exact.

Colour Sho

Cheery fag… looks a bit like Malarky but it is actually Kid Acne

Shmokin

Fin DAC has a take on Joy Division

Art will tear you apart….

Like this of course, it is a little bit of paint combined with a girl wearing a tour t-shirt from one of the best British bands ever… Joy Division. Add to the fact that design of the album was by Peter Saville, add to the fact it is by Fin DAC means that this piece is pretty sweet.

Check out his site for some brilliant stencil and spray can work, like many artists I like he uses popular culture with his own twist of romance, colour, cheek and creep about it. He is french so he is clearly a bit aloof and cool

Through this blog I have found pieces and slowly i find out who they are by…. a couple of piece I found that I love come from this very man. Great discovery