Video: Swoon - "From Street Art to High Art"

Caledonia Curry, aka Swoon, started her career as a street artist, but leapfrogged to museums and galleries. Now she has expanded her work to include installation and performance art, often with an activist bent.  In the short video below Caledonia shares some thoughts on her most recent work and gets personal discussing life and death and how it has affected her recent pieces. There is also a charming story about the MOMA reaching out to her that keeps things equally lite and fun this morning.

Banksy for Syria

Syria is the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century. Every day children, women and men in Syria are living through unspeakable horror. Nearly half the population has been forced to flee their homes in fear. Over 100,000 people have been killed.

15th March 2014 marks the third anniversary of the Syria crisis, three years of failure by the world to end the appalling suffering. In conjunction with the anniversary Banksy has remixed one of  his most well-known pieces to bring attention to the cause.

Go Buy These: Swoon Prints

The first lady of street art, Swoon, has launched a new website where she is selling a number of editioned prints. These aren’t your average prints by any means, they lie someplace in-between an editioned print and an original, many of them on unique canvas’ with hand done flourishes. Check em’ out HERE.

Shepard Fairey & Glen E. Friedman MCA Tribute (Los Angeles)

Images via the artist

It’s been just under a month since the passing of legendary artist/musician Adam Yauch (MCA) of the Beastie Boys and the tributes have been popping up around the world. Recently Shepard Fairey put up several tribute pieces around the Los Angeles area that utilize iconic counterculture photographer Glen E. Friedman’s shot of the band with the words “Posse In Effect, R.I.P. MCA 1964-2012.” 

Shepard Fairey – “Ebony Magazine – Trayvon Martin”

Shepard created this artwork a few months ago for a commission by Ebony Magazine. Although he was  not able to show the artwork until the issue hit newsstands this week. “I have followed Trayvon’s case closely and I think any compassionate human being can relate to Trayvon as a brother or son and would want to see a thorough investigation into the killing of an unarmed person. In my portrait I wanted to emphasize Trayvon’s humanity as well as the public outcry for a just investigation into his death.

-Shepard”

Video: Shepard Fairey – “Harmony & Discord” At Pace Prints

Shepard Fairey is getting ready for his next show opening in New York on May 5th.  Held at Pace Prints, the new body of work entitled "Harmony & Discord" will mark the first time the artist is using both handmade paper, and metal relief plates. The show will also see the artist’s largest screen prints to date and some new embossing techniques which  take advantage of the superior printmaking facilities and equipment at Pace. While I don’t necessarily love this body of work, the techniques being shared with us in the video below are always both fascinating and educational to watch.

Video: Swoon and Olek for PBS

Swoon and Olek were recently interviewed by PBS for the video below. The footage Covers the most recent major projects from each artist and gets into their thought process and inspirations, good stuff from the ladies.