BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico makes me so mad – and of course I’m not the only one raging at the recklessness of BP, by all accounts rushing into risky strategies to suck every last drop of oil from the earth at the cost of the planet. So I was at least heartened to see some artists getting things off their chests and reminding us that this disaster is getting worse and around the world conservation and ecology come a poor second to capitalism.
Greenpeace have set up a flickr site for artists to respond to the laughably “green” logo of BP.
Famously BP’s Chief Executive wanted us all to put this environmental disaster in perspective – “I would like my life back.” he said – we had somehow overlooked the important human cost of chief executives having to work a few extra hours!
The image that finally sticks in my mind is a piece painted recently by Blu with Os Gemeos in Lisbon. The painting features an oil tycoon sucking the life out of the globe – a tragic and spot-on depiction of our times.
Image taken from Unurth website.
Yesterday Blu uploaded a making of movie of this great work with the fantastic Os Gemeos…
Here’s a book that gets two thumbs up from me and that’s before I’ve even read it – which I’m planning to this weekend. The reason I like it already is not because I am featured in it! – but I admire the work that has gone into it. At least two years of almost constant research I believe, particularly from Patrick Nguyen who as I understand it took a career break to work on this book full-time. He went the extra mile, putting his own funds into travels around the globe to meet artists and being persistent to get the interviews and materials needed for the book.
The book has been made with the same care that I’ve tried to put into my own books. All of my publications have taken two years to produce and where I can I travel to meet artists all over the world in person to really understand the work. But enough about me… it’s just that I believe this is the only way to do it. There are too many lazy books put together by people who have not met artists in person or experienced the art first hand – and this, I’m glad to say, is not one of them.
Although I haven’t delved fully into the book I’m already familiar with the line up of characters involved – many of whom I have had the pleasure of working with and have had adventures with in the past. These chosen artists tend to be people who push themselves, innovate and have something special about them. Many of them I’ve featured in books and know very well but I am still looking forward to reading their interviews.
Finally my own interview – yikes! I wish I had taken more care with my answers – I didn’t even proof read them. So my own answers are delivered as relaxed e.mail written replies – rather than anything too profound. But I think its okay and I’m happy to be included in this stellar list. I don’t really see myself as a “leading figure” – the books I have produced are about the artists I think are doing something interesting not about myself – but if someone wants my thoughts or experience, it was a pleasure to be included in this historical review.
Two artists who have consistently excited me over the years are Nunca and Blu. Nunca was one of the artists we featured in Graffiti Brasil and while we were working on the book (in 2004) both myself, Caleb and Lost Art thought him the artist most likely to break through. At the time Os Gemeos, Nina, Vitche and Herbert Baglione were already known abroad, but Nunca was still young and unknown outside of Brazil. Finally in recent years, partly through the Tate Modern street art exhibition Nunca really has deservedly broken through to International recognition. Blu was one of the superstars of Street Sketchbook – it was really fantastic to see and learn about his sketchbooks for that project in 2006 – and every year since then its been a joy to watch him continue to grow as an artist.
Today I came across a collaborative street piece on Nunca’s flickr painted in Moderna, featuring both of them. I absolutely love this… Nunca’s severed hand, a metaphor of colonial bloodshed and exploitation in society, meets Blu’s faceless robot.. the matrix has broken…
I hope they get to paint together again soon… perhaps at Fame Festival this year
Blu has been busy with a huge animation production this year – but managed to find some extra time to work on this wonderful collaborative animation with David Ellis at this year’s Fame Festival.
Its a wonderful piece of work from two artists famous for their stop frame animation.
Image taken from Unurth website.
