Jean-Michel Basquiat: Graffiti Artist and Poet

Written by Hilary Dufour

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s political-poetical graffiti art sets him apart from the more severe high modernism of his time. The successful Brooklyn-born graffiti artist and poet was the son of a Haitian-American father and a Puerto Rican mother. This unique background separated him from the generally white art world, a fact which he acknowledged and integrated into his unique art. 

1980s Contemporary Art

Basquiat was part of an emerging group of contemporary artists in the 1980s who were fed up with high modernism’s strict and rigid boundaries.  This group of like minded artists wanted to reform the modern art world by creating recognizable images from contemporary life using early modernism’s expressionist style. Basquiat was concerned more with expressing feelings rather than the creation of realistic images and portrayals. This interest in the use of art to express rather than depict is implicit in his drawings from the early 1980s. 

Thumbprint artists are inspired by Basquiat's dynamic work

Hypnotic Words and Tags

Jean-Michel Basquiat enjoyed using his own experiences to address larger societal concerns. One way he addressed these concerns was through the integration of words into his paintings and graffiti art.  Often, the same words were repeated over and over again “achieving an almost hypnotic effect.” Though, he was not the only artist at the time to use words in his paintings, he was one of the most successful in creating a “dynamic whole.”  Before becoming a more established artist, as a teenager he would sign his graffiti art with “SAMO©,” standing for “same old” which supposedly came from a stoned conversation he had with his friend Al Diaz. This short and sardonic phrase appearing on the streets of Manhattan attracted the attention the New York media and helped Basquiat gain popularity.  

An Outsider in the Gallery

His early success as a graffiti artist led him away from doing graffiti on the sides of buildings to selling paintings in Soho galleries. However, he stuck to his street art roots by often choosing to paint on “rough, handmade supports” that echoed his outsider and anti-high art mentality. He supported himself as a professional artist by the young age of 20 and amassed six acclaimed international shows in 1982. His popularity led him to co-create a show in the mid-1980s with the famous pop artist Andy Warhol, who was also an integral part of the revitalization of the New York art world.

Unfortunately, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s career as a groundbreaking contemporary artist was short-lived due to a drug-overdose at the young age of 27. Art critics have appreciated his art for its “emotional depth, unique iconography, and formal strengths in color, composition, and drawing.”

At Thumbprint Gallery you can find many artists who follow elements of Basquiat’s style, such as artist and poet Kenny King whose work has primitive tones mixed with modern expressionism or Mike Maxwell whose recent work incorporated text, a common method in graffiti art.

Visit Thumbprint Gallery's online store to see works by more urban artists.

Sources

http://www.all-art.org/art_20th_century/basquiat1.html

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/basquiat/street-to-studio.php

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/basquiat/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAMO%C2%A9_Graffiti

Shepard Fairey: “Hope” For Street Art

Written by Jocelyn Saucedo

Shepard Fairey shook up the world of American politics in 2008. Internationally recognised for designing the iconic Barack Obama poster "Hope," Fairey originally found his place in street art. Long before creating the image that led Barack Obama's presidential campaign, he launched his art career by publicizing his drawings on t-shirts and skateboards. After studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, he developed his “Obey” Campaign with his drawing of Andre the Giant.

From Street Art to the National Portrait Gallery

Caught between his origins in street art and having his work displayed in Washington D.C.’s National Portrait Gallery, Shepard Fairey straddles a line that few cross. He admits that “it’s not like when people walk into a gallery and say, ‘I know this piece is supposed to be good because it’s in a gallery, so I’ll just go along with the idea that it’s brilliant and wonderful.’ On the street, people aren’t bashful. They will say if they like something or if they think it sucks.”

Free Speech and Commercialization

Over-commercialization seems to be the great divide between street art and modern art for Fairey. He has garnered criticism for accepting commissions from large corporations, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, and for commercializing his “Obey” Campaign through a clothing line. Some find it ironic that his work evokes themes of free speech, while companies often hire him to create consumer campaigns. Others, however, believe it is fine for street art and artists to be accessible to consumers, even if it is through a corporation.

Political Art

Fairey says his experiences and perceptions as an artist have changed, especially now the public  recognize his work, and that “there’s another kind of struggle, which is the struggle I have with myself in terms of how I can evolve my ideas and push them forward based on the fact that I’m not going to be perceived as a complete outsider anymore.” The Associated Press, as well as the man who took the original photograph of Obama, also sued Fairey over copyright, though he later admitted the photograph was the basis for his “Hope” poster and that he had tried to destroy any evidence of the original.

A combination of modern and street art often occurs when an artist's work is politically charged, as is Matthew Land’s piece, “The Leopard Cannot Change Its Spots,” featured at Thumbprint Gallery. As Land describes, “In society today it seems that we, as citizens of the world, place a lot of power and responsibility in the hands of politicians and businessmen who say they are going to help us.” 

You can view and purchase works by Thumbprint Gallery artists at our online store. Check it out here.

Source

http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/shepard-fairey

Banksy: Street Art in the Shadows

Written by Jocelyn Saucedo

No one knows for sure who Banksy really is, but his work has achieved a cult status in the world of modern art, and brought recognition to street art. His elusive personality garners him both love and hate from the public. Some call his work vandalism or annoying, while many regard him as an artistic revolutionary hero. But regardless of public opinion, the artist has been in the world of street art since the 90’s, and has made a brand of himself through his mysterious nature.

Although interviews with him are rare, Banksy has revealed he was born in Bristol, England and that his beginnings in street art first came through graffiti. He admits it would take him far too long to write out letters with spray paint, which increased his chances of being caught. This is why he opted to use stencils, which he says are accurate and efficient. Often satirical messages and use of slogans characterize his work. Other common motifs are paintings about politics through the use of animals like rats. He also incorporates human figures like policemen, soldiers, or the elderly.

Upon moving to London, he used his street art as a way to counter all of the advertising and billboards that he saw in the city. He “always felt that it was all right to answer back a little bit, I suppose. That the city shouldn't just be a one-way conversation,” Banksy said in an interview with The Sun.

Although his work often sells for millions, remaining anonymous helps him to be humble and to focus on his work. He also prefers to showcase his art prints and other works in a warehouse instead of a gallery. To the artist, graffiti has “always been a temporary art form. You make your mark and then they scrub it off…most of it is just designed to look good from a moving vehicle.”

On his own terms, Banksy has managed to have his art prints displayed, albeit briefly, in some of the world’s finest museums. Dressed in a trench coat and fake beard, the artist himself walked in and hung up some of his own art prints alongside famous modern art prints at the Museum of Modern Art, and even the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has also placed some of his art prints at London’s Tate Modern art gallery, in an attempt to officially display them and avoid anyone copying his work.

Last year, a mural of a mouse flying a kite surfaced in Oceanside, California and was believed to be by the famous artist, but it was later confirmed that it had not been painted by the artist. However, Banksy’s influence on street art, and the awareness he has brought to the movement, has inspired many other artists in San Diego.

At Thumbprint Gallery, graffiti and stencils are important mediums for Michael Mahaffey, N.O.M.A.D., Enosh, Grandlarsen, Keemowerks and Jason Feather. Artists like Mahaffey had similar beginnings to Banksy, and later ventured into galleries as their own style developed. “I started working on stencils with a friend of mine, and we would hit the streets of Tucson late at night with our stencils and spray paint,” notes Mahaffey. You may check out urban art available at Thumbprint Gallery by clicking here.

See more Thumbprint Gallery artworks available in our online store here.

David Choe: Comics, Prison and Salvation

David Choe started making art in the streets of Los Angeles
-- Photographed by Ken Wood

Written by Lucy Coker

Impulsive and provocative, David Choe is one of the most celebrated graffiti and street artists working in the Los Angeles art scene. His work, which he defines as ‘dirty style,’ is vibrant, shocking and reckless, combined with his fascinating life, every urban art gallery in Los Angeles now seeks after his work.

Slow Jams

Born in Korea town, L.A., David Choe was always surrounded by urban and street art. From an early age Choe’s desire to create just poured out on to whatever medium was at hand. As a child his nose bleeds that dripped onto his sketchpad would be incorporated into his work; the Xerox machine was his first publisher; park benches were a blank canvas for graffiti.

After dropping out of art school, Choe’s work first entered the public sphere through the self-published graphic novel, Slow Jams. Choe hitchhiked across the country scattering copies, giving them to bums on the street and hiding them in public toilets. The only way to get your hands on the work was to find one on the street. The comic’s success saved him from suicide, and opened opportunities in the commercial and graphic design industry. Soon enough Choe had sufficient money to concentrate solely on his own work and began creating murals and paintings.

Tokyo and Dirty Hands

In 2003, Choe travelled to Tokyo and, due to a violent misunderstanding with a security guard, was put in Jail for 3 months. During his time in prison he suffered mentally and with no access to art materials he created over 300 drawings with scraps of paper, a single pen shared with other cellmates, blood, urine and anything else he could get his hands on. (Choe is never allowed back to Tokyo, yet has managed to exhibit through Upper Playground in 2010)

Prison gave Choe a wake up call. On leaving he returned to the Los Angeles art scene a Christian. His art had become a way to release all his ‘dirty’ thoughts as stated in Juxtapoz, “ I feel like my art is disgusting and sick, and I feel like everyone has that evil disgusting creature inside them, I just want to get it out. It’s almost like an exorcism for me.”

From here on Choe’s work began to be successful in the Los Angles urban art galleries. In addition, the release of the documentary “Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe,” in 2008, created by his childhood friend, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2008.

Los Angeles Urban Art Gallery

Today David Choe’s work is greatly sought after in the Los Angeles art galleries. A plethora of celebrities frequently fill his urban art gallery in Los Angeles, despite Choe’s frequent absence due to a hectic schedule contributing to urban art. He has now exhibited in art galleries all over the world and he has work on display in both the White House and was commissioned to do a graffiti mural at Facebook Headquarters.

Californian artists at Thumbprint Gallery, a prominent urban and street art gallery in San Diego, have been inspired by the life and work of David Choe. Thumbprint Gallery exhibits work from local urban artists, many of which, like Choe, and have not followed the conventional path to becoming an urban artist.

See more Thumbprint Gallery artists' works available in our online store. Check it out here.

Sources

“The Redemption of David Choe” by Matthew Newton published in Juxtapoz

How the Human Brain Looks at Art (Part 1): The Law of Peak Shift

"Aerosol Abduction" by Grandlarsen

How does the human brain decipher art?  Renowned neurologist, Vilayanur S. Ramachandran claims to have the answer.  Ramachandran has developed a set of “Universal Laws of Art,” which attempts to explain what role evolution and survival instincts play in how the human brain deciphers art. 

Art and Survival

Humans use their visual abilities to detect what they need to be aware of for survival.  However, they only use a certain amount of mental attention on the most important elements of their physical surroundings.  This is the basis of Ramachandran’s first law, “peak shift.”  Due to evolutionary developments of the human brain meant for survival,  human beings find it stimulating when an artist depicts distorted or exaggerated features of a subject matter.

For example, when eating a steak, a person will use most of his or her mental attention on the important elements needed to accomplish the task.  These elements include the steak, fork, and knife.  If the person put equal visual attention to everything in the environment, eating the steak would be difficult.  The steak, fork, and knife would blend into the environment.  The person would have difficulty discerning the difference between the table, floor, dish, napkin, knife, fork, and steak.  The person may even try to eat the napkin or the fork. 

Peak Shift and Representational Art

Many artists use peak shift in their representational work by only depicting essential elements necessary to decipher subject matter.  For example, most stencil artists, such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey only use a silhouette of the subject matter.  In Faiery’s “Obey Giant” only the essential elements of eyes, nose, mouth, and hair are represented through contrast with background color.  The fine details of the skin texture and color are absent.  This technique is effective because it allows quick comprehension of subject matter without having to decipher extraneous information.  This also makes stencils especially effective street art tools.  

Multi-Layered Stencil Art

Some stencil artists have taken the medium to another level by using multi-layered stencils, which add more detail to the depiction.  Some of these artists include San Diego artists Keemo and Grandlarsen.  These artists have been featured in various Thumbprint Gallery exhibitions and have created stencil art using as many as ten layers.  However, due to the stencil medium’s limitations, only so much detail can be added.  Therefore, Ramachandran’s law of peak shift is still in play no matter how many stencil layers are used. 

To a certain extent, all styles of representational art are limited in capacity to depict detail.  Therefore, all styles of representational art use Ramachandran’s peak shift law to a certain degree.  Neither the most sophisticated camera nor the most skilled artist could replace “real” life. 


Part 2 coming soon.

You can view and purchase works by Thumbprint Gallery artists at our online store. Check it out here.

Sources

A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness by V.S. Ramachandran, published in 2004. 

Spray Paint: From Industrial Tool to Fine Art Medium

Since the New York graffiti movement of the 1970s and the rise of Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1980s, spray paint has become widely accepted in the art world.  However, spray paint was first invented as a commercial and industrial tool.  The first uses of spray paint have been traced back to the 1920s and possibly earlier. 

Bombing with Aerosol

The first portable spray paint can was shaped like a 19^th century fuse bomb, which earned it the name “aerosol bomb.”  The body of the can was made of heavy-gauge steel.  Known as the “ZACO can,” the first spray paint emitted a foul-smelling oil.  Unlike the spray paint cans of today, the nozzle was turned on and off by screwing a brass knob clockwise or counterclockwise. 

World War II and Aerosol

World War II not only shifted the international power structure, but it also furthered the advancement of aerosol technology.  American troops were falling ill to Malaria and other insect-borne diseases.  In response the government created a push-button spray can, which was used as an aerosol insecticide. 

Aerosol in the Domestic Realm: The Rise of Krylon

The push-button spray can was eventually used in the domestic realm for pesticides, car wax, household deodorizers, and various other products.  In 1947, Krylon began using the push-button spray can for a clear acrylic spray fixture that was used to protect artwork and print advertisements.   Krylon eventually became the leading innovator in the aerosol industry.  In 1952, Krylon adopted a lightweight, two-piece aerosol can with no side seam and no top seam.  This design, adopted from Crown Holdings Inc., became known as the modern day push-button aerosol can.  

Spray Paint in Fine Art

Today people not only use spray paint for commercial and industrial uses, but also for artistic endeavors.  Spray paint is now a popular medium for not only street artists, but also artists found in contemporary fine art galleries.

"Heavy Vapors" by Miguel Godoy

Thumbprint Gallery has featured several artists who frequently use spray paint, including Eric Wixon, Monique Jenkins, Grandlarsen, Keemo, Isaias Crow and Maxx Moses.  Interestingly, Miguel Godoy’s upcoming solo exhibition at Thumbprint Gallery is based upon the actual medium.  The opening reception of the show, titled “Venomous Revelations Through AeroSoul Vapors,” will be held on February 4 from 6pm to 10pm.  

Check out more lowbrow and urban artworks at Thumbprint Gallery’s online store here.

Source:

“History of Spray Paint” by Ian Sattler and Darrell and Ben Chapnick, published in Swindle Magazine.  

San Diego Artist Eric Wixon: An Interview

His artwork can be found in venues and cafes all over North Park and San Diego.  Check out Thumbprint Gallery's interview with Eric Wixon.

Also view more Thumbprint Gallery artworks available in our online store here.

Click here.