In 1970s New York Street Art begun to show signs of promise. Artists like Jenny Holzer made the city her canvas by “confronting the passer-by with enigmatic texts in places where they would have expected to see commercial messages, so reversing the function of advertisements.”-The Gaurdian The 80s brought with them the influential Keith Haring. Known for his simple, powerful and distinct images, Haring enveloped the New York subway stations with chalk on blacked out billboards in a unique cartoon like style that has since become recognizable around the world. His memory lives on in those he influenced; you can find some of his iconic wall stickers on here too.



Then with the 90’s came Espo. He brought with him vernacular sign writing and created a huge impact through his top to bottom letters painted on shop front shutters. The noughties continued to bring new and exciting talent and saw street art erupt with many names taking to the street to embrace their freedom to express.



2011 has been no exception. Take three in particular. Italian street artist Blu, Australian Rone and Irish, Dublin based ADW, three separate artists brightening up various public spaces in numerous countries, all of them brilliant.






Let’s start with Blu. His fame began in 1999 thanks to a series of illicit graffiti painted in the historical centre and suburbs of Bologna. Early technique was limited to spray paint, though in 2001 he began using house paint with rollers mounted on top of telescopic sticks. It allowed him a greater surface area and an ability to create larger more intense pieces. Huge human figures began appearing on Bologna’s streets.







Art galleries began to notice him around 2004, eager for him to take part in shows one-man or otherwise. Blu however for the most part declined, attempting to limit his presence within the ‘official art world.’ The works of Blu can “appear abrupt because they are derived from the free creativity of an artist who has decided to occupy a position outside the sheltered field of art.” It can disappear just as magically as it appears, perhaps ruined by time and weather or covered by other paintings by Blu himself; for the most part however, they are “erased by authorities in the name of tidiness.” Of late Blu has been paying much attention to Buenos Aires, Argentina. One of the latest in his politically charged murals displays figures roasting over an open pit of burning money, it looks like 2012 will see plenty more from Blu.







Australian born ‘Rone’ (“just a nickname that stuck”) is one of the best known and recognised street artists in Melbourne. Renowned for his stylised images of girls’ faces he is one of the original members of Everfresh Studios. His ‘girls’ travel with him and can thus be seen on the streets of New York, L.A, London Tokyo and Barcelona. He is one of the only australian artists remaining from the stencil boom of the early 2000’s that is still consistently getting his work out there. His recent show in June 2011, ‘L’inconnue de la rue’ was loosely based on the story of L’inconnue de la seine, a French drowning / suicide in the late 1800’s popularised by the victim’s calming angelic face. “I paint because I love it, and it adds character to any inanimate object. Whether it is a wall or a footpath. It brings the streets to life.”







L’inconnue de la rue opened at Backwoods gallery and was a massive hit with every painting being sold out before the exhibition had even officially opened.







Dublin based ADW is another artist making our streets a more interesting place through his unique style which sees Irish humour and pop culture combine the result being some iconic pieces of art. “Inspired by the freedom and deviance of the street art he saw every day on his way to the city, he began experimenting with stencils and spray paint- sometimes to express his frustrations, sometimes just for his own amusement.” This year saw his second solo show “Pricks and Mortar” which took place last October at South Studios and summed up perfectly the post Celtic Tiger hangover. His art is laced with strong political and humorous undertones, and not only is it brilliantly done; it’s for the people. ADW has an obvious talent and I’m pretty sure we will see much more from him this year. “What better way to poke the establishment in the eye than to send up the powerful with a piece of street art, combining beauty with belligerence.”- ADW







Each of these artists has an enviable talent, lets hope 2012 sees plenty more from these guys, and the new artists taking to the streets each day.



Sources:-


www.irishstreetart.com

www.blublu.org

www.r-o-n-e.com

www.adwart.com

www.theguardian.co.uk

www.stylesiren.ie

In an idyllic part of Ireland a small limited edition publishers creates wonderful artist’s books for discerning collectors. Red Fox Press was originally set up in 2005 by a Belgian book artist Francis Van Maele in an old previously abandoned cottage in Dugort near Slievmore Mountain after he had visited and fallen in love with the location.

There is a longstanding literary and artistic culture in the area with writers Graham Greene and Heinrich Böll having both been inspired in their work by the rugged beauties of the countryside. The Böll connection is still marked by a literary memorial weekend of events in the spring; coincidentally the German writer also spent time in Dugort while he was on the island in the 1960s and 70s and wrote a volume Irische Tagebuch or Irish Journal about his experiences.

Van Maele has produced solo works for his press but also works in collaboration with his artistic and life partner, a South Korean book artist named Antic-Ham. The two artists met at a book fair in Seoul in 2005 and the rest, as they say is history. They now collaborate artistically as ‘Franticham’ working at the studio in Achill for several months of the year. The couple travel widely to book fairs in Europe and beyond to meet collectors and buyers. Early works now fetch considerable sums at auction.

The artists do all of the printing in-house and use about twenty different kinds of paper which are sourced from abroad. They also do their own bookbinding which is by itself a great skill. One of their art projects is the Blue Fox Collection which is a series of books in which Franticham collaborate with other artists. A painter is given carte blanche to develop a theme of his/her choice. The resulting book is produced on twenty pages of 10x16cm in an accordion format between two wooden covers. Each one is made as a signed limited edition series of around 50 to100.



Chausseurs de Paris by Antic-Ham



Corps et Entre-Corps by Fraenz Dasbourg

Many of the beautiful creations have found their way into the collections of museums and universities worldwide including in Ireland, though surprisingly only three institutions here hold Red Fox Press editions. Maybe all that will change in the future. In the meantime you can see Van Maele and Antic-Ham’s work in NCAD in Dublin, Limerick School of Art and the Wexford Artists Book Collection.

If you want to learn more about Franticham and Red Fox Press here is a short documentary on You Tube called Lost Seouls: Diary of Two Fish which made in 2007 by Heather Fletcher from the University of Bournemouth, UK.



www.redfoxpress.com

For Issue 4, This Greedy Pig present an interesting series of videos produced by Resident Advisor. Currently three up but with more coming every month, well worth a watch. For more blogs check - www.thisgreedypig.com

Real Scenes: Detroit from Resident Advisor on Vimeo.

Real Scenes: Berlin from Resident Advisor on Vimeo.

Real Scenes: Bristol from Resident Advisor on Vimeo.

All I Do . . . .

Just about recovered from the Picnic and things are starting to look up with the weekend just ahead of us. Can’t recall seeing many acts, about 20 minutes of the intriguing Black Devil Disco Club which disappointed…..and we had such high hopes. We heard quite a lot of Beam Me up by Midnight Magic but definitely not enough of Terrell by Medlar. Thanks to Aarron Dempsey of Bernard Shaw and Radiomade fame for the heads up on this one.

Drama and Shadows

“To make a film entirely by yourself, which initially I did, you may not have to know very much about anything else, but you must know about photography.” – Stanley Kubrick.



The majority of the world knows of Kubrick the film director and producer. You know the ones, A Clockwork Orange, Dr Strangelove, A Space Odyssey and The Shining amongst countless others. Throughout his career in film he was noted for his slow method of working, the scrupulous care of which he took choosing his subjects and the technical perfectionism and reluctance to speak to the press. His reasoning; “Nobody likes explanations.”

His films were characterized by a formal visual style and meticulous attention to detail. Not so many of us are familiar with the many other sides to Kubrick though, in particular; Kubrick the photographer.

New York born Kubrick was considered intelligent despite his poor grades at school. His father, hoping to find something to interest his poorly academic son, introduced him to chess. Taking to the game passionately he quickly became a skilled player. His father’s decision to give Stanley a Graflex camera a year later on his thirteenth birthday was to be an even wiser decision. As with chess he took to the process instantly and soon became an avid photographer making trips around New York which he would go on to develop in a friend’s darkroom. While still in high school he was also chosen as an official school photographer for a year which fuelled his passion to continue.



Having finished school he began seeking jobs as a freelancer. His skill at chess remained relevant as he supplemented his lack of other income by playing chess for quarters in Washington Square Park and various other chess clubs. At sixteen he sold a photographic series portraying a newsvendor’s reaction to the death of Franklin D Roosevelt to ‘Look’ magazine. Look’s preferred method which involved the form of a narrative by episodes did not gain approval from many of the leading photojournalists (the Magazine desired constant follow up of the characters portrayed in every action.) The intruding style however fascinated the mind of Kubrick; he loved the idea of building up to a narrative through a series of still images. At seventeen he was hired by Look Magazine as a permanent photo reporter. His unique and strangely matured talent made him the youngest photographer on the staff payroll.



In the summer of 1949 Look sent him to Chicago for a shoot to accompany a story “Chicago City of Contrast” by Irv Kupcinet. He returned with 40 rolls of film and a collection of eight brilliant images which were to be used in the piece. Each of the images tells its own fascinating story, and within them, his passion for story telling that led to his career in film is evident. He gave us, the viewers this magical ability to interpret the psychological features of the subjects appearing in the photograph.

He was an avid follower of boxing and relished nothing more than shooting the famous Rocky Graziano as he graced the ring. He liked to convey the opposite classes of a particular area, from a coming of age socialite Betsy Von Furstenberg to the shoe shine boy in the streets of New York City during its progression towards becoming the capital city of the world it is today.


Another of his photo series on the Columbia University portrays the uplifting spirits of a post WWII America. It was evolving to become what Europe had already been for centuries, a leader in both areas of science and culture and Kubrick documented this intense country wide optimism to perfection. Another of his series follows the meditative state of passengers in a series of portraits taken on the New York Subway. In these series’ it becomes apparent that his command of the camera and its angles is almost instinctive to his nature; he picked up a camera and it kind of just worked.
Kubrick’s photographs vary in subject but it’s become apparent people were his main focus. He had this natural ease and great reflexes, always finding the perfect moment to capture a subjects expression. This was perhaps aided by his ability and immense talent to connect with his subjects despite the various differences of race age and occupation that lay between them. He enjoyed particularly the study of various performers preparing to take to the stage and his photographs turned narrative stories were often steeped in irony. Meticulous and tedious in his photography works, it was a trait he carried on and became known for in his filmmaking later on. However as a photographer his environment could not always be controlled, and thus it seemed his photographs contained far more spontaneity than his films.


He experimented with varied different means of shooting subjects, one of which involved his attempt to blend into the public and remain anonymous; in order to capture catch his desired image in their purest un-staged state. He would remain unseen hiding his camera’s wire below his jacket, pushing the shutter via a little device hidden in his hand while the camera rested in a little brown bag with a hole only for the lens to peek through. When it came to his indoor studio shootings he preferred to use as much natural light as possible by working and experimenting with his exposure and diaphragm opening times.

Not only did his photographs portray stories and document various elements of life in 1940’s America, it also proved to shape his talent within film and was carried with him throughout his life. Kubrick often spoke of his transition from a photographer to a director claiming that he could never have been a filmmaker without his “photographer’s eye” It was used consistantly throughout his filmmaking to ensure continuity in filming or to research locations before setting up cameras to shoot; nothing was ever less than perfectly framed and the lighting always chosen to perfection. He often chose to pick characters close to his heart; take for instance his film Full Metal Jacket, he chose the film’s central character who experiences how the military shaped the media’s coverage of war to be a photographer known as Private Joker. He also enjoyed delving into the dark and the mysterious throughout his films, perhaps stemming from his photos taken on the subway and lesser privileged parts of America. “I’ve got a peculiar weakness for criminals and artists, neither takes life as it is. Any tragic story has to be in conflict with things as they are.” – Kubrick.



As a whole, his photographs shaped the man behind the movies we loved. His photographs documented the difference between the privileged and the deprived and during his five years as a Look Photographer he provided the world with a fascinating and no holds barred account of 1940’s post war America.

“Stanley Kubrick Drama and Shadows” written by Rainer Crone documents his early photographs and contains numerous never before seen photographs amongst some unseen since original publication in Look magazine. Thousands of negatives still remain in the Look archives and one can only wonder what mark he may have left on the world of photography had he not decided to make the move to film.

Mondotees

“If we have to explain what we are, you wouldn’t understand.” – Mondo

First lets go back to the start; The Alamo Drafthouse. Here you’ll find a lifestyle entertainment brand with an acclaimed cinema-eatery, the largest genre film festival in the United Sates and an amazing online collectible art boutique (that’s Mondo, the one I’m about to introduce you to.)

But first a little more on The Alamo. Entertainment weekly named it “the best theatre in America” and since opening in Texas it has built its reputation as a film lover’s paradise. It fulfils people’s love of great film with that little added extra, a full dinner and drinks menu to accompany you in your viewing. Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League went a little further then and created Fantastic Fest, a world renowned film festival showcasing eight days of offbeat cinema from independents, international filmmakers and major Hollywood Studios.

Then there’s Mondo, the Alamo Drafthouse’s collectible art boutique. It features designs from world famous artists based on licenses for popular TV and Movie properties (think Star Wars, Star Trek & Universal Monsters to name a few.) Championed for their limited edition screen printed posters since 2005, Mondo focuses on bringing the art back to movie posters and has so far worked with artists such as Olly Moss, Tyler Stout and Martin Ansin. They create breathtaking works for beloved classics and contemporary films while also producing great posters for featured Alamo Drafthouse events.



One of the main guys behind Mondo is Justin Ishmael, a creative director with a lifelong fascination in comics, toys, movies and art. Along with Mitch Putnam and Rob Jones, Ishmael’s expanded Mondo from a small t-shirt shop in the corner of Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse, to a design studio working with legendary directors and artists. “Never did I think that all of my favorite things would get rolled up into one job and that I could actually make the things I’ve always wanted. My name is Justin Ishmael and I have found my dream job.”

Inspiration comes from things as simple as a walk around their houses. “We’re all big collectors of toys, VHS tapes, comics; pretty much everything I mentioned liking as a kid, we still buy now. Our houses are filled with the stuff, and what led us to getting one of our very first licenses in 2009 was me looking at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pizza shooter from when I was a kid and thinking, “I want to work with Eastman and Laird.” Our hoarding has also lead to other licensing deals such as Universal Monsters, Star Trek and Star Wars. ” Other film posters to be recreated include cult classics like Planet of The Apes, The Gremlins, Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, a minute sample of the ever expanding legacy.



Wez Craven, horror filmmaker of Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream was one of the lucky few chosen to be honoured by a director’s series of posters commemorating his films. Ishmael speaks highly of the horror makers talent; “Answering the phone. Taking a nap. Going to the movies. One man has made each of these seemingly innocent and normal activities terrifying, Wes Craven has been traumatizing audiences for years and we are very proud to add this master of horror and suspense to the ever-growing ranks of Mondo Director’s Series.”



The officially licensed Star Wars Series is another worth a mention considering the brand and films have gained almost cult like status among movie fans worldwide. Ishmael spent a year emailing and calling Lucasfilm to try to attain a license from the famously protective studio to allow his artists create their unique Star Wars inspired graphics. They persevered and managed to get approval from Lucasfilm having sent them a group of posters in the belief that to fully understand what they are, they must be seen in person. Justin Ishmael speaks excitedly to Slashfilm.com at the half way point of the series “I love that this is the first time in the Star Wars series…we’re half over and it’s the first time you’re seeing Luke and Vader. Now everyone’s going to know we can do whatever we want, that it’s deliberate. We wanted to focus on smaller stuff, but on the other hand, we’re not snobby. We’re going to do more of these, big posters with big scenes. But think about a pay-per-view event: they don’t put the biggest scene first. It’s all part of the excitement about not knowing what’s coming.” –. At Mondo they don’t have the pressure of dealing with studio execs or producers voicing any dislikes. For the most part they just tell the artists “hey, do whatever you want”, and it comes back looking excellent.



On the reasoning as to why Mondo’s poster program has gained such popularity (they sell out within hours, sometimes even minutes of going on sale.) “I think people are losing interest in unimaginative posters. It goes back to the ’70s, when most posters would be this giant face and a celebrity’s name. Now, when you see a poster where it’s just two dudes standing around looking tough, it’s kind of a groaner.” At Mondo the artist can create something bigger and more complex, something that’s so often more appealing or exciting than the original film covers or posters.

Ishmael and the gang haves gone a step further in recent months to bring back even more old school nostalgia to their fans with the recent creation of Mondo Video following a partnership with Intervision Picture Corporation. Their first release was 1983’s Sledgehammer. “I am downright crazy about VHS, so it gives me great pride that we get to make Sledgehammer the first release on our new Mondo Video label. There has been a major resurgence in VHS collecting the last few years after it was announced that the tapes would stop being made, so being fans ourselves, we jumped at the opportunity to actually resurrect the format and release some of our favourite movies on VHS. People thought they killed the video tape back in 2008, but like a phoenix, it is rising from the ashes! Never Forget!” Sledgehammer was released on May 10th to coincide with the film’s first release on DVD. It is the first of many video releases to be expected from Mondo Video, a label created to release rare genre films in a collectible VHS format.



There’s something really great about Mondo and what they stand for, the pride put into what they do. They stand by what they believe to be great pieces of film, not what anyone else attempts to decide for them. “We try to only work on things that we like. If someone came to us and said ‘Do something for Yogi Bear,’ we wouldn’t do it, even if they were paying us. We take our reputation seriously. People will go see the movie because we put the poster out; it gives the movies a second life in some circles.” – Ishmael, Texas Monthly.

As for what’s in store this year “We have so much stuff coming out in the next year that I’d love to let you in on, but isn’t waiting part of the fun?” -Ishmael. Mondo has come a long way from the small t-shirt shop to the renowned highly coveted art boutique it’s become today. Check them out at www.mondotees.com

iPhone Photojournalism

“The best camera is the one you have with you” – Melissa Lyttle

Technology is constantly shifting, it’s our job as humans to keep up. Take for example the iPhone 4, a phone for communicating, for games and fun, phones for business. The iPhone 4 has rapidly gained major kudu’s amongst many of the world’s talented photo journalists. Jack Kurtz, David Guttenfelder, Matt Nager, Todd Heisler, Melissa Lyttle, Damon Winter and Chip Litherhand have all worked with the device, each with positive things to report.

Then you wonder why; why choose such equipment over the professional superb high quality imaging of an SLR. The answer’s pretty simple when you look a bit deeper, namely; see things from a photo journalist’s perspective.

Take David Guttenfelder an Associate Press photographer who not only documents the war in Afghanistan with traditional digital SLR cameras, but also, an iPhone camera (which he chose for one highly acclaimed project “Depth of Field; Afghanistan”) presented by AP. ”These photographs, shot with an iPhone I carried in my flak jacket pocket, are not about the fight for Marjah. Instead, they are an attempt, during my downtime, to show something of the daily lives of Marines and Afghan soldiers as they moved through the city and set down their packs each evening in harsh, isolated places.” The project was shot using the iPhone camera together with the ShakeItPhoto Application.

His reasoning behind this tool of choice; “I wanted to make some pictures that had the look or mood of the keepsake shots that the Marines take themselves. I’ve noticed that the new generation of Marines and soldiers take a lot of photos and videos, even when they are in combat situations. Most use phones or point-and-shoot cameras and make gritty keepsake pictures to remember what their lives were like on the deployment and to post or show their friends and family back at home.”



“People who might normally ignore coverage of Afghanistan or ignore traditional photos from the war paid attention to these iPhone pictures because they use similar cameras every day to document their own lives.” It was relatable. “As a result, they were drawn into the story by these photos, a connection was made, and the photos got a lot of attention.” The images showed details of soldier life thought perhaps, too mundane to transmit via the news. Inspiration for his lens came in the form of a makeshift urinal, dried poppies, and the flea bitten skin of a fellow journalist, amongst numerous others. Alongside his iPhone, talent and knowledge of position and lighting, these often considered ‘boring’ items became something more.


Another man with the iPhone added to his toolkit is New York Times staff photographer Damon Winter. He believes that while iPhone photography is a challenge to traditional photojournalism, it’s also an innovation. Drawing him to the iPhone was the camera’s informality and lack of presence. Because soldiers were used to taking photographs of themselves and friends on their phones, when Winter did the same, no one noticed. It allowed him a certain level of access and improvisation he could not have achieved with a large bulky camera. Thus he got shots a larger camera just wouldn’t allow, real photos and reel settings


Winter won third place in Pictures of the Year International’s Feature picture story for his photo essay “A Grunt’s Life.” The series of images portray daily life in a war zone for US troops both in and out of action. The photographs were shot using the Hipstamatic application as a faux Polaroid filter.

Arizona Republic photojournalist Jack Kurtz who believes the iPhone 4 to be practical, namely in covering breaking news. “When you’re covering a march through downtown or standing on a sidewalk in front of the courthouse for hours, opening a laptop and editing 20 plus megapixel raw files from a state of the art digital camera is just not practical.” He emphasizes how in such cases; not drawing attention to yourself can help capture those “real in the moment images photojournalists strive for.” He covered the immigration protests in Phoenix using his iPhone 4. “Newspapers’ internet sites are insatiable beasts that need to constantly feed; when there’s a major story taking place the website is updated several times an hour. Our photos are the chum that draws in readers.” To him, the iPhone is the perfect accessory



Melissa Lyttle of the St Petersburg Times believes it’s important to remember that good technology isn’t the only contributor to solid photography. A good eye and knowledge of the subject is of utmost importance, you’ve got to know when and how the shot should be taken, the light and positioning to emphasize the focal point of the photograph. She uses the CameraBag iPhone application for her iphone shots, a particular favourite being the Helga mode (a digital replica of the film camera she used as a child.)
Basically, there are quite a few pro’s to the whole concept. With the iPhone’s touch screen design it is exceptionally dustproof in comparison to the majority of professional cameras on the market. Not only that, it’s discreet allowing you get closer to the action and take the shots you want. It’s relatable to the majority of the public which is an effective way of attracting people’s attention in itself. Not to mention the uncountable number of apps available to help you on your way. It’s no great wonder it’s become an important piece of many photojournalists toolkits as of late.

All this hints that the iPhone for the photojournalist is here to stay and no doubt; progress and develop further in the field. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.


Images copyright of David Guttenfelder

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