Art Skool: street art

Showing posts with label street art. Show all posts

Saturday, April 6, 2013

ART I HEART

I've been down with a cold pretty much all week (winter) long. Here's to good health and good immune systems!

Edvard Munch "The Sick Child"

Frida Kahlo "Marxism Will Give Health to the Sick"

Lucian Freud "Ill in Paris"

Mikhail Mesterov "A Sick Girl"

Salvador Dali "Sick Boy"

Banksy- Chinatown, San Francisco via Warholian

Thursday, March 14, 2013

SIGN LANGUAGE

STEVE POWERS: FIRST AND FIFTEENTH/ ICY SIGNS

Steve Powers has reinvented the sign. This prolific graffiti artist turned studio artist has rejuvenated neighborhoods in Philly and New York with witty, thought provoking murals. Most recently, downtown Brooklyn has gotten the royal treatment when the Downtown Brooklyn Alliance commissioned him to beautify the neighborhood. The word plays are often playful and the large scale murals are mesmerizing-- perfect for a walking tour with the kids. Finish your tour at his new store, Icy Signs-- 72 Fourth Avenue at Bergen Street. In the same vein as Keith Haring's Pop Shop, it's a great spot to pick up one of his calendars or an insanely bright raincoat (or, of course, any of his paintings to hang in your living room.) Follow his Tumblr, Daily Metalations , and read a new sign every day.

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

1. Think about the font as well as the words...how does one play off of the other?

2. How does the artist integrate his pieces into the surroundings?

3. Some of the messages are almost like poetry-- what are some interpretations of his words?

LINKS TO DIVE DEEPER:

Icy Signs Tumblr

Vice Magazine Art Talk: Steve Powers

Watch the trailer for an upcoming documentary called "Sign Painters" (via The World's Best Ever) to learn more about the history of sign making.

EXTENSIONS:

Take a trip to Coney Island and see if you and the kids can find the work that he did there. Enjoy a Nathans Hot Dog and some rides while you're there. And when you get home, pull out the markers and stencils and have the kids take a whack at coming up with their own signs...maybe an update on the KEEP OUT! NO PARENTS ALLOWED?

Thursday, February 28, 2013

ART I HEART

You know what they say about March...in like a Lion! Here's my favorite lion inspired works.

Banksy London Pub

Albrecht Durer

Henri Rousseau

NY Public Library

Rembrandt

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

ROCK ART

The Cobblestone Painter: Stephane Jaspert

We may think of Rock Art as something archaeologists studied in caves-- but it takes on a whole new meaning when actual rocks are just painted. The artist, Stephane Jaspert, pulls Parisian cobblestones out of the street and paints extremely detailed images on them and places them back where he found them. Art and Science Journal explains that the artist hopes to "inspire critical consumption of cultural images and their tangible connections to history while also adding some whimsy to one’s walk." Like any great street art, coming across one of these on your own would be parallel to finding a hidden treasure.

Here's a video from NHK TV about the complicated process of tearing out the street in order to get the cobblestones for the pieces.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELVES:
1. How would you feel if you stumbled across one of these stones while walking down the street?
2. Which one of these stones is your favorite?
3. How do you think the artist comes up with the ideas for each piece?
4. Why do you think the artist uses stones as his medium?
5. If you could paint anything on a stone, what would you paint?

LINK TO DIVE DEEPER:
Additionally, here's another video about rock balancing (via the wonderful Handbook of Nature Study) that is really impressive and would be easy for us to try to emulate in our backyard (if we had one). It reminds me of the rock piles that you see while hiking-- but taken to a new level. These are really awe-inspiring, gravity defying pieces of magic. We're looking forward to stacking and balancing rocks at the beach this summer!

EXTENSIONS:

Fortunately, to do our own rock art, it's not necessary to go through all that work to have a great end result. Today at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, I found some painted rocks that while simple, had a message. These were laid out around a tree dedicated to firefighters that gave their lives in 9-11. There's something about painting on rock that seems very permanent. Try it out!