make time to design. if only it were that simple.

I’m still on a bit of high after seeing these films yesterday.  Some of the best films I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in a long, long time.

First up we have Inside Outside (Andreas Johnsen and Nis Boye Møller Rasmussen , Denmark 2005,
60 min).  Following various artists from all over the world.  I really liked this film and its intro sequence was great.  The intro is nice and gritty with some great filming which makes it flow really nice.
ZEVS is heavily included in this film and for good reason.  He is really pushing the boundaries and coming up with some new and innovative ways to graf sh*t up.  Apart from spraying red dots on the heads of models on billboards all over Paris, he is also sticking up his own fluorescent tubes with his Z tagged all over them.
There’s some nice footage with swoon and she explains her reasons behind her work well!

Next: A Primer On Urban Painting (Pablo Aravena, Canada/France, 2005, 95 min)
This was introduced by Pablo himself, he gave a nice introduction to the film and the how he came to film it.  The first thing that hit me about this film was the soundtrack which was heavily influenced by hip hop.  I personally think hip hop is a great soundtrack to any film, especially one based around street art. 
Pablo’s filming is awesome and there is a great story going on.  We get a real history of graffiti and not just how it started but also why.
After the film Pablo stayed around for a Q&A session.  It became quite apparent just how passionate and dedicated he really is to this whole scene.  I think his passion for street art is really shown through his filming.

Bomb It (Jon Reiss, USA 2007, 93 min)
If this was a gig, then quite deservedly Bomb It was the headliner. 
This film is f**king awesome and probably the best film I’ve seen for years!  I enjoyed every second of it and would recommend this to anyone.
This film is truly world wide, we go from LA to South Africa to some random stinking tunell in Sao Paulo.  There is a great deal of history and some great artists included in this film.
I’m not going to waffle on about this film, all I can say is make sure you see it!

I’m gonna post a bit more on this in the next few days!

As I’ve posted before, this Saturday and Sunday the Tate be playing the latest films all based on Street Art.

It starts this Saturday 16th at 2pm, I would get there early as it’s seated on a first come basis.

Itinerary for the weekend:

* Street Art Films: Andreas Johnsen and Nis Boye Møller Rasmussen : Inside Outside
Saturday 16 August 2008 free **Starts at 2pm**
* Street Art Films: Pablo Aravena : Next: A Primer On Urban Painting
Saturday 16 August 2008 free **Starts at 4pm**
* Street Art Films: Jon Reiss: Bomb It
Saturday 16 August 2008 free **Starts at 7pm**
* Street Art Films: Marc-Aurèle Vecchione: Writers
Sunday 17 August 2008 free **Starts at 12pm**
* Street Art Films: Nicholas Hansen: Rash
Sunday 17 August 2008 free **Starts at 2pm**
* Street Art Films: Stunnedfilm: Kroonjuwelen
Sunday 17 August 2008 free **Starts at 4pm**

Can’t wait!!

See you on Saturday…

DayDream Network have just released the fourth edition of their lovely publication.

There are far too many artist in this edition for me to mention so you’re just gonna have to buy a copy and see for yourself!

You can pick up a copy here>>

That’s right folks, Secret Wars is back for Series 3!
New Artists will be battling it out against the defending champion Wen for 1000 pounds!

JULY 26TH @ JUNO (SHOREDITCH HIGH ST) - DOORS OPEN @ 6PM / BATTLE STARTS @ 9PM

JIMI CRAYON vs. STIKA

FREE ENTRY – GET THERE EARLY

RULES:
1 LARGE WHITE WALL (SPLIT IN HALF)
90 MINS
BLACK PAINT ONLY (MARKERS AND BRUSHES)
NO SKETCHES / NO PENCILS – FREESTYLE ONLY
2 JUDGES AND CROWD VOTE TO DECIDE WINNER (3 POINT SYSTEM)

For more info check out; WWW.SECRETWARS.CO.UK

Looking for a nice coffee table mag?

Set up by Shepard Fairey (Obey) and Roger Gastman (While you were sleeping magazine) in 2004, SWINDLE magazine is a definite must have for any coffee table.
The magazine offers an insight into everything imaginable, from interviews with Henry Rollins and Banksy, full page fashion  spreads, underground music scenes to articles on big rigs!
No matter what the article is about you can guaranty that it will be aesthetically pleasing, that’s one thing the magazine strives for.  I think that’s why I find it such an inspirational magazine to read.

They are up to Issue 17 now.
A sneak peak at the latest issue:
For #17, we looked around for examples of creative energy, and brought back quite an eclectic display. From the streets of Baltimore to the bustling capital of Nigeria, the stories in this issue showcase vast forms of expression. We visit Los Angeles’ Mariachi Plaza, where dozens of mariachis congregate every day—socializing, playing music and making their living. In “Nollywood Dreaming,” we go inside Nigeria’s booming film industry, and “Big Rig! Part Two” takes a look at the vibrant subculture of custom trucks through the lens of photographer Roger Snider. We also bring you East L.A.’s obsession with all things Betty Boop; Gary Baseman’s menagerie of mask photos; and three artist features: Chaz, Roy Ferdinand and Amanda Visell. We think that this diverse selection of stories has something for everybody, and we hope that you gain as much inspiration from it as we have.

Go take a look at their site and order some back issues!

SWINDLE MAGAZINE>>

our friend Kev Munday has certainly been doing well for himself, just goes to show that hard work and determination does pay off.

Kev has just released his first of 4 limited edition prints that will be selling like mad over the next few months.

The first print:

Go check out his website and take a look>>

I found these 2 videos on current.com the same time they dropped in my inbox from Wooster! An amazing insight into hip hop culture and of course marth cooper who gained international recognition for her work on documenting the history of graffiti and hip hop culture. Really worth making time to watch these 2.

I’ve been a huge fan of what these guys are doing for a while now and was absolutely gutted I couldn’t get to the Tate to check out the L.A.S.E.R. Tagging which was part of the Street Art exhibition that’s currently running.

It’s well worth checking out their website as they got shitloads of projects goin on…for a how to and to get the source code for the L.A.S.E.R. Tag check this site. Anyway my point was, i was real pleased when my GRL tee dropped on my desk the other day…stoked to be able to support them in anyway I can!

A while back I posted a story about Bomb It, a global graffiti documentary by director John Reiss.

Well I was just scouting around on the Tate Modern site and they are showing the film on August 16th at 7pm.  Check here for more details>>  

Hopefully see you there…

Tate Modern are holding a number of talks & discussions all based around street art.

If you are a fan of street art, or would just like to know more about it, then these can’t be missed, and best of all… THEY ARE FREE!!!

If you are in the area then make sure to check them out, especially the talk from Marc and Sara Schiller, the folks who run the world famous Wooster Collective!

For more info click here>>