A SHOW CALLED KICKS.

SN’EADS CREATOR TALKS TO NICEKICKS ABOUT STREET FASHION AND COMICS

Comic illustrator and sneaker culture commentator Ree of popular webseries SN’EADS (pronounced as an amalgam of “sneaker” and “heads”) recently sat down with NiceKicks to conversate about the origins of his series and his thoughts on the current sneaker market. The artist has been caught up in his work for major brands like FOX and Rob Dyrdek of late, but promises new entries into the series once a major event happens within the sneaker event on which he feels he can accurately comment with his trademark wit and signature style.

I was looking for a creative outlet; something I could do outside of work and outside of animation. I wanted to do something that included all my passions and all the things I am attracted to – hip-hop, basketball, thick women, and kicks [Laughs]. I got two of the four in the cartoon series with an occasional basketball reference and maybe a thick chick or two in a piece of art.

Catch the full interview here.

thinktankgallery:

KOFIE - WORKING AN ANGLE EXHIBITION OPENING ON FAIRFAX

Kofie’s work is one in a million in its ability to transcend both public street art and gallery street art as a true expression of geometric abstraction. His art often works in aspects of representationalism as a means of connecting to his message in a more direct way, but the most impressive aspect is the diversity in the method he uses to achieve a very gritty and urban feel while maintaining his clean and professional aesthetic. And who better to display this aesthetic than Known Gallery on Fairfax?

The show will exhibit the expert craftsmanship of Kofie’s work in a rare solo outing for the artist. Also on display in the project room will be LAgo Brand’s response to recent crackdowns on the federal and local levels of medical marijuana dispensaries. A mock collective will be displayed, created entirely out of LEGOs. Choking hazards intact and all. Find more info below. 

Augustine Kofie - Working an Angle
Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

LAgo Brand, USA - INDISPENSABLE (Art by the oz.)
Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Show openings: Saturday, May 26th 8PM-11PM

Shows run: May 26th-June 9th, 2012

Tomorrow!

thinktankgallery:

INTERVIEW WITH BIRDMAN

We met up with street art photographer and building scaler BIRDMAN for his showing at L.A. is Paradise - which was great. Before meeting up with him, we got the chance to interview the photographer about his adventurous work. See the interview below. 

ThinkTank Gallery (TT): What was your response to Mr. Brainwash’s street art documentarian role in Banksy’s film Exit Thru? Did his experience and the subsequent  launchpad of his career inspire any movements in your own work?

BIRDMAN (BM): “What the fuck is this asshole doing?” Every time I drove through Hollywood I always asked myself if anyone else saw what I was seeing, but after I saw that movie I just got really pissed off that his image of street art is what people were viewing as the be all end all answer. So what ended up as me just posting pictures to Facebook evolved to where I am today.

TT: Where do street photography as a whole and street art photography in particular cross over? Where do they differ?

BM: Street photography, in my opinion, is capturing the vibe of the city you are photographing. The odd people you find, the dirty or beautiful streets as well as the skyline the buildings create. “Street art photography” can be just a picture of the art or surrounding atmosphere. I like to cross the two in making sure to capture the area the art is in rather then just the piece itself. Half of the art form is placement so I try to document it as best as I can.

TT: What has LA contributed to your work that no other city has provided? What is LA lacking?

BM: Where do I begin. Right now there so many murals going up in the Arts District thanks to “LA Freewalls” and Culver City with “Branded Arts” it’s hard for me stop snapping. I doubt I’ll be running out of material any time soon. Artists from around the world come to LA to paint our walls I couldn’t ask for a better time to be living here. LA is lacking informing the people and authorities how to deal with the art form. Luckily city planner Tanner Blackman is helping that happen in recent drafts on the new mural ordinances in LA. Art is subjective already but where some see vandalism some see art and I feel like its going to be a long time until people can grasp it which is which. 

TT: Any notable or crazy experiences that your career in street art photography has provided (that you can share)?

BM: Almost died a few times as well as some close calls with the authorities, but thats normal. One of the crazier things I had to do for a picture (above, Three Kings) was to shimmy up a pole about 10ft to get to a ladder that was suspending off the side of a 6 story building to get to the roof top…I like to climb, hence my nickname. You’ll be able to see that picture at the show. 

TT: How long do you see yourself climbing buildings and taking pictures of legal and illegal art?

BM: TILL I DIE! \m/

Find more of BIRDMAN’s work here.

An interview I did with BIRDMAN for my gallery’s blog.