39 posts tagged graffiti

Don’t forget to check out LAGG artwork this weekend!
Opening Reception is Friday, March 18, 8 – 11pm.

Cella Satellite Galleries is pleased to present Scaling the Wall. Curated by Trina Calderón and Miah Jeffra, the exhibition features graffiti and graffiti-influenced works by a diverse group of writers and artists in California.

Scaling the Wall comprises large-scale bombs by four of Southern California’s best female writers, and a white-wall display featuring six artists straddling the worlds of street and gallery institution, through various media.

Inspired by the groundbreaking MOCA street art retrospective, Art in the Streets, opening later this year, Scaling the Wall attempts to act as complement to Art in the Streets’ largely male roster of artists, while also discussing the complex and evolving relationship between street art and the arts institution.

Artists featured are [LA Graffiti Girls interviewees PERL FDS, JERK, OPIA, KUTA ONE HEM BWS] as well as ROOTSYSTM, ogdarthvader, LOVER ONE, C.1, Proto and Alberto Aviles Molina. 

The bombs, thrown up on bifurcated wood panels, will be auctioned on opening night, then divided at the close of the exhibition.  Proceeds will benefit ArtStorm, an aerosol art non-profit organization that provides self-sustaining world-class Urban Art and LifeSkill programs for at-risk youth in Los Angeles.  Aerosol paint for the bombs is provided by Montana Store Los Angeles, in Echo Park.

The evening will feature live painting by Collective Aesthetics.  Sound equipment to be provided by Looport and DJ Mixter Ed will spin records for the opening event.

EXHIBITION AND GALLERY EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Here’s a sneak peek of the artwork to be featured in the exhibit:

Perl

Jerk

(Photos courtesy of Trina Calderón)

Cella Satellite Galleries is located at 10816 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood. Gallery viewings are by appointment after Friday.

For more information, please contact Shannon Currie Holmes at 213.291.7908 or info@cellagallery.com.

A special thanks to everyone who came out to support all the ladies painting live at the Black Roses show!

Photography by Amazyun and HuskeyRadio.

A random compilation of graffiti artwork painted by women all over the world.

“I’m KIF from Leon Guanajuato, Mexico!

I became interested in graffiti when I was about 10 or 11 years old. That’s when my brother and his friends began painting and started BR crew. I would always ask them things about graffiti, but they never gave me much information, which sparked my curiosity even more. I’m not sure if it was because they didn’t want to explain graffiti to a little girl or because they didn’t even really know, themselves. I didn’t start painting until high school when I became friends with other writers and met my boyfriend “Work.” After high school many of these writers I became friends with fell off and stopped painting, but I didn’t.

I currently belong to two crews:

CK: A crew created 12 years ago, I joined the crew in 2008. Current members: Nickis, Fase4, Gogue, Bote, Sukre, Bacteria, Jhard, Unek, Boro and Berk.

IKS: A crew started in about 2003, I also joined this crew in 2008… The cool thing about this crew is that we all live in different parts of the city. Current members: Sark, Truko, Mikro, Gogue, Asme, Kabo, Naus, Jhard, Dreik, Ocre, Blexo, Dekl, Killer, Enter, Time and Dose.

These two crews are made up of excellent graffiti writers in my town and even though I’m the only woman in both crews, they have become second family.
They have and will continue to be a part of my life for many years.

LADY’S GRAFF is a website I began in 2002. At the time, there were almost no women in the Mexican graffiti scene, and the very few women who were had continued to go unnoticed. I wasn’t sure if this was due to the lack of interest in Mexican female graffiti art because it is, obviously, a male-dominated scene, or what, but I felt the need to do something about it. Ultimately, Lady’s Graff became a place where female writers could showcase their work as well as a forum for them to communicate and network with each other. Since Lady’s Graff’s beginning in 2002, the project continues to grow and the number of participants continues to be on the rise.”

To learn more about Mexico’s graffiti girls, check out Kif’s website: http://ladysgraff.blogspot.com/

“Black Roses…in the City of L.A.”
A live graffiti art event showcasing blossoming female talent in the Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

The title of the event is symbolic for the rarity of the female artists themselves within a male dominated sub-culture. Each artist represents her own mysteriously unique style that stands out as does a black rose within a throng of red roses.

“Black Roses… In the City of L.A.” will take place Saturday March 12th, 2011 from 10:00am - 6:00pm at LandMark, Inc.
LandMark, Inc. is located at 6709 S. San Pedro St. Los Angeles, CA 90003

Stay tuned and check out the Black Roses event blog at blackrosesinthecityofla.blogspot.com!

Q: What or who has inspired you to pursue graffiti art?

A: I’ve always seen it while riding in cars as a little child. I’d always try and pronounce the names of the tags, would rubber neck to see the colors of a piece, and would try to copy the characters I seen on a wall production on paper. I found that other friends of mine were interested in graffiti while I attended high school, so we all inspired each other. My circle of friends that were into graffiti art expanded, and I got to meet talented artists that have left a footprint in my art walk. However, I attribute most of my inspiration to Duem, a natural-born artist, who influenced me in many ways.

Q: How long have you been painting? As a writer? As an artist?

A: I’ve been painting for as long as I can remember. Whether it was using tempera paint as a child, to my present use of aerosol. As a kid, I would always be drawing, coloring, painting, or scribbling on something. As a writer, I started tagging in 1999, but I started painting about 2001, so it’s been about 10 years so far. I started entering the urban/street art gallery world around 2003. My first show ever was a collaborative all-female show called “Wonder Women – The Girls of Graff “ curated by Mario Ybarra Jr. of Slanguage Studios and held at Homeland in Long Beach, CA.

Q: How did you get your name? What does it mean to you?

A: I got my name around 1998 or so, when I had a pen-pal from upstate. We’d e-mail each other all the time, and I got to chatting about the graff subject. I told him I wanted to start painting and I went over the few names I had in mind. When I ended naming the few, he just happened to blurt it out…”Opia.” He said it was short for Utopia, the land of Eden, Paradise, God’s land, and “Opia” was the land of…a place where I belonged. I didn’t pay much attention to the meaning, but I really liked how short it was because I’d be able to use less paint, and would be done getting a spot quicker.
Now, I appreciate the significance of my nickname, because I do believe in God. It reminds me of the fact that, regardless of the harmony in my life or friction, I belong to God. I used art as an outlet of expression, and whether it was productive or destructive, I was still a citizen of Utopia. To me, the meaning grew with time.

Q: Is there a specific crowd of artists that you like to paint with? 

A: Honestly, I like to paint with anyone and I’ve painted with many people before. When it comes to painting walls, I love the gathering of everyone. It reminds me of a backyard boogie BBQ, you know…food, togetherness, music, and great vibes! It’s like a mini-celebration. When approaching a surface to paint, we all share the creative energy we put out, and there’s never a time that I haven’t left without learning something new. The beauty in it is that everyone is different and they add their own dynamic to the creative atmosphere.

Q: What messages, symbols and feelings do you want people to perceive when viewing your work?

A: At first it was all about “me,” the stamp of my presence. Whether I wanted to slap a fast throwie on a hot spot to force eyes on my mysterious identity, or scribble a little tag in the most hidden and unseen places; I wanted to leave a part of me in time. Now, I can take that form of scattering myself and instead of focusing on me, I want to focus on the world around me. I want to spread the message of positivity, peace, joy, and love. I want my work to be symbolic for those messages. I want my work to somehow provoke the viewers to feel recognized and noticed. I want to perhaps put a smile on a kid’s face with colorful and funny cartoon characters. I want my work to reveal beauty in a not so beautiful world.

Q: Describe some of your most memorable moments painting. Best, worst, scariest?

A: My best and most memorable moment was painting my first bomb…the fear and the excitement, I’ll never forget it. The worst was going to jail. The scariest was getting shot at by gangsters while painting a rooftop and hiding out in a homeless man’s tent. He was an angel! I’ll never forget him, and his John Grisham book as he was reading that night by candlelight.

Q: Elaborate on your experiences displaying your work in art shows and galleries.

A: They’ve all helped me mature my views in art. Although many may disagree with me, I no longer believe that the art form of graffiti is for the streets only. This line was made permeable decades ago by the veterans. I realize that while most of my graffiti artwork may be scrutinized in galleries, it is still a voice, and it still relates an intentional message. Nevertheless, every display experience has been wonderful, and I am truly humbled to of have been included. Each show introduces me to other fellow artists and talent, and my world just grows…another person to appreciate and befriend.

Q: Do you think displaying graffiti art in galleries legitimizes it as “real art?”

A: I believe graffiti is art, whether on the street or in a gallery. There’s a thought process before manifesting what one would like to present. A so-called “ugly tag” was carefully thought out before it was done, and you know very well that tagger thought it was the best tag in the world! That is the essence of art. You can’t label art, as art, because of where it’s “properly” displayed. As far as I’m concerned, art is all around us, the blue ocean, the fluffy clouds, the colorful flowers. They don’t need an introduction to present themselves as works of art, they just…are.

Q: What do you think your role is as a female in a male-dominated culture?

A: I grew up a tomboy, so I don’t feel intimidated in a male-dominated culture. Possibly, because I have a strong character and can take a joke. I think of my role as a fellow writer, neutral, not better than, or less than.  

Q: Have you received more positivity or negativity being a female graff artist?

A: Overall, I have received more positivity than negativity. There’s a stigma of female graffiti artists being wack and untalented, which I totally disagree with. Everyone will have an opinion of me, as long as I stay true to who I am and what I believe, that’s all that matters.

Q: What are your views on graffiti artists painting on women’s bodies?

A: I believe it became a huge sideshow and the presentation is over-sexed. I personally don’t like it.

Q: How long do you see yourself painting graffiti in the future?

A: I no longer do illegal graffiti, but the art form, I will continue for as long as it will remain in my life.

Q: What else do you do, aside from painting?

A: I am a full time student at a local community college, and I am a contributive author of a community awareness non-profit group called The Wilmington Wire. I do collaborative blogging with the group and we post information on various topics that have to do with the enrichment of the community. It ranges from environmental issues, to health issues, to positive and uplifting family events, to children’s activities. I am also currently pursuing a career in the medical field with hopes of doing volunteer medical assistance in Third World countries in the near future.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to share with our readers?
A: Love, peace, and joy to you all.