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Spanish artist Skount has officially made it to our shores today, and we will be hosting a number of projects throughout his stay. First off will be Project Ugly, which (weather permitting) will be happening tomorrow, and second will be his debut Australian solo show at The Tate. Stay tuned for updates. More info here.
Continuing on with our gradual coverage of Carbon Festival, we are happy to present a video of our time down in Melbourne. We interviewed some of the key speakers, got a few tags, did a few tags, checked out some parties and enjoyed everything else Melbourne had for us that weekend. Big thanks to Acclaim, Diamond Dozen and the whole Carbon team. Bring on next year!!!
Adelaide doesn’t get as much attention as it should. We’ve been there a bunch of times and experienced some of the most talented and hard working artists in the country do their thing. For example Vans The Omega is from Adelaide, and he is one of the most recognized graffiti artists in the world. Also for example, Rawhide (Ankles & Smiles) are some of the busiest and most creative roller/type artists we’ve come across. We could go on, but we won’t, because Oi You Festival is going to showcase all that Adelaide has to offer and ALOT more.
Boasting the Oi You collection (remember that mammoth Banksy collection that was at Outpost?), a series of local showcases and some large scale murals by Rone, Anthony Lister and Beastman. If all that doesn’t grab your attention, then maybe the blow video will or find out more here. Stay tuned for some coverage while the event is on.
Part 3 of Does‘ “Endless Perspectives” video series has been released. This 3rd collection of canvases were painted in Basel.
Third destination was undoubtedly Basel, a five hour drive away from the south of Holland. Does’s first visit in 2006 left a deep impression when † Dare gave him a guided tour through the layered tunnel system and the famous Basel line. To this day the Basel line remains an important memorial site and a big drawing card for writers around the world who like to admire the original and sometimes ancient works of other artists from all over the world. Keeping in this atmosphere, Does arranged for a good spot near the trackside to set up and paint his canvasses. Despite Stephan Polman’s BBQ food poisoning, who spent a few days in hospital, this trip was incredible.
Paris is up next weekend. Get ready for it!
Part 3: Basel – Endless Perspectives from Digitaldoes on Vimeo.
After adding some colour to Amsterdam, Does packed his bags and loaded his car with paint and blank canvasses to drive to London. Check-in at the Eurotunnel in Calais went smoothly. Upon exit in the UK there were a few question at customs about all the equipment in the back of the car. While the spray cans raised some eyebrows, Does and cameraman Stephan Polman were able to talk their way out of this and off they went into the streets of London.
Next week the journey continues on to another European city. Until then, we hope you enjoy this second official video for the ‘Endless Perspectives’ project.
Exhibition – Dates & Location:
ENDLESS PERSPECTIVES
SOLO EXHIBITION BY DOES
48 Easey St, Collingwood
Melbourne Australia
Opening night: Friday 5 April, 6 – 10 pm
Show running until Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 April, 10 am – 5 pm
Part 2: London – Endless Perspectives from Digitaldoes on Vimeo.
It’s not everyday international artists make their way to ours shores, especially to Sydney. So when we heard VHILS was having his first ever Australian solo show in our home town, we got pretty excited. Skalitzers Contemporary is hosting his debut Sydney show down at The Rocks, from this Thursday 21st March…
In between setting up for the show and planning various wall installations around Sydney (which are now in progress!), we got the chance to have a few words with the man himself. Have a read below. See more about the show here, and more info VHILS here.
Hi Alexander, thanks for your time. We’re super excited that you’re bringing your work to Australia. Especially our home town of Sydney! For our readers, can you tell us how this show came about?
I was approached by Skalitzers who invited me to have a solo show here in Sydney and to bring the “Scratching the Surface” project I’ve been working on in several cities around the world which offers a reflection on the way we’re affected by this globalised model of development – how it brings us closer together but at the same time destroys cultural differences and is leading us towards an increasingly uniform world.
You obviously spend a lot of your time working on large scale outdoor works on buildings and various surfaces. How do you transfer the same energy of the outdoor work inside to the gallery?
Different settings require different approaches, but I manage to establish a connection between them through the theme, the materials and colours, which are all provided by the city – walls, wooden doors, billboards, etc. – which is where the energy comes from, the chaos and waste the city gives us.
It seems you use a variety of different techniques for your gallery pieces. Can you tell us about some of these techniques and how each one affects a different body of work?
The concept behind the body of work is essentially the same but applied to different media which creates different results. It consists on creating images on objects which are taken from the city, achieving contrast through the removal of layers. It’s mainly stencil-based but used in a reverse form though destructive or abrasive means: wood pieces are carved with a chisel or with a Dremel rotary tool; the billboards are done with a cutting knife; the metal plates are done with acid, which eats into them, and are then exposed to the city’s climate to blur the image, etc.
Do you use the same techniques on your outside work, that are used in your gallery work?
Both the concept and the techniques are essentially the same, but the tools are different as they are applied to different media.
What can we expect from this exhibition?
It’s an exhibition that draws inspiration from the city. I’ve been working, gathering impressions and information, and working on sketches since I arrived, so it essentially reflects the city within the framework of the concepts I’ve been working on, related with the impact of the global model of development and its increasingly uniform impact on the world and the way in which this shaped the city.
Are there any plans to hack away at some of our buildings while you’re here?
Yes, we’re still working on the details, but the plan is to work on two walls in Sydney. I’ve also been invited to work on a wall in Fremantle, so will be heading there next.
“DISSOLVE” opens this Thursday night at 140 George St, The Rocks. More info here.
Last week, we were lucky enough to check out a series of events in Melbourne that made up the launch of the Futura x Hennessy limited edition bottle.
Futura is one of those names that resonates with every single person that’s been a part of the graffiti and street art culture. He is an innovator, a pioneer of the abstract graffiti movement and a true living legend.
To celebrate the Hennessy bottle, the day was packed full of all things Futura. We walked the streets, taking in Melbourne’s thriving street art and graff scene, fans then got to meet Futura for a signing and a lecture at Story Hall (RMIT). To round the night off, Hennessy hosted a party where there were artworks on show and the man himself painting live in front of a small crowd. Very rare to see this man in action AND to hear speak live and uncut, so needless to say we were excited to witness it all.
Click here for more info on the project.
It looks like this week, Melbourne is in for a treat…
The godfather of abstract graffiti, one of the pioneers of the graffiti movement and icon of the New York scene, Futura will be in Melbourne to help launch the artist bottle he has created with Hennessy (more info on their facebook page here).
Amongst other things, he will be appearing at the Someday store to paint live, and personally sign bottles. Don’t sleep on this one…
As we’re getting ready for the opening of UK artist Mr Penfold‘s debut Australian solo show, we thought we’d share a few sneaky pics of what the Cambridge based street artist will be showing.
This is a very special show for us. It will not only be the first curated solo show by The Hours, but it will also be the last show of the year at The Tate Gallery in Glebe.
Don’t miss out on tomorrow night. THIS SHOW IS ONE NIGHT ONLY!!!
The Tate Gallery, 345 Glebe Point rd, Glebe
19th December, 6pm – late.
More info here. For a full preview catalogue contact us at info@thehours.com.au.
Wonderwalls artist Rone went all out on this one.
We lined up the biggest wall we could find in Wollongong and gave Rone free reign to create whatever he wanted. It was amazing for both us, and the public to see a classic Rone piece come together, this large in around 2 and a half days. Nothing more can be said about this wall. It’s beautiful, well painted and massive. Click below for full set of photos.
All photos courtesy of Gerard Brown (@g_grizzle | gerard_brown@post.com)
