Showing posts with label smear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smear. Show all posts

WHAT GRAFFITI IS TO NEW YORK - STREET ART IS TO LOS ANGELES - Latest News



Maximillian Gallery is pleased to present “What Graffiti is to New York - Street Art is to Los Angeles,” an exhibition curated by Melrose and Fairfax, featuring the top Los Angeles Street Artists - a dream team line up of the best street artists in Los Angeles and the world. The show features not only the best artists but the juiciest stories, including everything from a 9-year old street artist, to a porn star street artist, and ranges from an artist who had a flattering interview with Forbes, to a street artist featured on national news for being arrested.

Through these artists’ vision, we discover and gain a rare insiders’ look into the very heart of what is happening on the streets today. The show presents original, cutting edge artworks from each of the artists, exclusive never-before-seen action photos from Melrose and Fairfax, unique sticker packs, and Limited Edition Maximillian Gallery at Sunset Marquis embossed prints.

Los Angeles has set itself apart as the worldwide center for street art. LA has the busiest streets, the biggest name artists, and the most local talent. It is widely recognized as the hottest spot for street art in the world. From Banksy's latest visit, to the MOCA exhibition, and on every street corner and rooftop in between, the force of this movement is undeniable. In a similar manner to the way that New York is widely recognized as the home of graffiti, Los Angeles is currently experiencing the same definitive movement in the world of street art.

“Melrose and Fairfax has been curating the streets of Los Angeles for over a year,” says Maximillian Gallery Owner & Director Caradoc, “We are thrilled to be working with the top street artists in LA and some of the best in the world. These artists are doing some marvelous things. And it is really exciting for Los Angeles to be at the center of this ever-growing street art movement. We really look forward to working with Greg and the artists."

Greg Linton, Publisher of Melrose and Fairfax, adds “It is going to be epic. This is the show that will define the genre and solidify LA's place in the street art scene to the rest of the world and I am super excited to have Caradoc and Maximillian Gallery behind us.”“The show is going to be monumental. Street artists are the rock stars of the art world, and the Sunset Marquis is home to the real life rock stars, so there couldn't be a better setting than Maximillian Gallery at the Sunset Marquis for this important exhibition,” says Caradoc.About Maximillian Gallery Maximillian Gallery at Sunset Marquis makes connections between those desiring meaningful, cutting edge art and emerging, contemporary artists and street artists. Maximillian Gallery provides sales and art licensing representation for talented fine artists, serving a wide array of creative intellectual property owners, including painters, sculptors, photographers, and illustrators, with new artists being added regularly. The gallery also features a collection of unique art gifts.

Melrose and Fairfax is a celebration of street art in Los Angeles and the most street of any street art site. It serves as an online gallery and is the second ranked street art blog in the world, which is remarkable considering Melrose and Fairfax only focuses on one city while the rest have a worldwide scope. To give its popularity a wider frame of reference, based on hits and web traffic, Melrose and Fairfax gets more activity than 99.8% of all websites in the entire world. The numbers really demonstrate how powerful LA's grasp is over the street art world, and this show features Melrose and Fairfax's hand picked 'Best Of' top artists on LA's street art
scene.

Alec Monopoly - Alec Monopoly is this generation's pop art star. Alec launched his career on the rooftops of Los Angeles, and has now put up street art and hosted sold out shows in Boston, NY, Miami, and London.

Free Humanity - Free Humanity explores the deeper things in life, and the meaning of humanity, through street art. Free's art 'bombing' has been so successful that the LAPD bomb squad was called out to one of his installations.

Smog City- Smog City combines hard hitting graphic imagery with a campaign for cleaner air quality. Smog is one of LA's top get-up artists, and the message behind the art makes for a powerful street presence.

Bankrupt Slut - Bankrupt Slut spreads rock n' roll sluttiness all over LA. Featuring strong sexually empowered women, and with over 30,000 stickers and other pieces on the streets of LA this year alone, Bankrupt Slut's presence has been nothing short of prolific.

DeeKay - A few months ago, DeeKay posted a piece of street art entitled ‘I Have A Secret.’ With this piece, she made the announcement that this street artist was none other than world famous porn star Kylie Ireland. Kylie's, or DeeKay's, street art features a mix of her sexy self interacting with images, more specifically signs, taken from her own personal photography. With her dive into street art, Kylie Ireland has shown that she is not only beautiful, but also a great artist.

Bod Bod - Bod Bod is the youngest street artist getting up on the streets of Los Angeles. He has a deep understanding and appreciation for art and the streets, which is especially impressive since he is only 9 years old. But even though he might be young, his impressive work on the streets speaks for itself, and BodBod has earned a name on the LA scene.

2wenty - twenty's 'Facebook Social Cigarettes' image has been a smash sensation. Everyone seems to identify with the addictive nature of social networks, and major mainstream networks have picked up on the image, garnering 2wenty impressive press, including an interview with Forbes.

Snyder - Snyder has developed a unique artistic aesthetic that is directly influenced by Jackson Pollock’s drip technique, Banksy’s stencils, Van Gogh’s palette and texture, Cezanne’s meticulous attention to composition, and Warhol’s iconography. And Snyder does some of the most amazing public interventions happening anywhere in the world.

Gregory Siff - Gregory Siff excels in the studio and the street. His artwork can be found in the collections of many top celebrities, and Gregory has recently been commissioned to paint big walls at The Standard and De La Barracuda.

KH no. 7 - KH no. 7 is one of the few classically trained artists hitting the streets, and the results are very powerful. KH no. 7 is known for nostalgic imagery with a gritty twist.

Smear - Smear was such a prolific writer that the LAPD linked him to one of the biggest graffiti busts ever. And even though he hasn't actively tagged in years, LA's city attorneys are pressing a landmark case against Smear with an injunction against using his artist name. It is a true honor to have Smear, LA's original 'Outlaw Artist.'

Desire Obtain Cherish - Desire Obtain Cherish has been killing the streets of Los Angeles. Everything from billboard takeovers, to larger than life size Oscar pastes, to art-walk interruptions, the quality of work is consistently breathtaking. Desire. Obtain. Cherish.

CYRCLE. & DD$ - CYRCLE. & DD$ keep pushing the boundaries of street art. Bombing the streets and 'blowing your mind' with everything from Mr. Brainwash takeovers to 8-foot hand painted murals on unsanctioned walls, CYRCLE. & DD$ are bringing fine art to the streets.

Leba - Leba's street art is diverse and impactful. From politically themed stencils to massive hand painted rooftops, to wheat pastes of fascinating Lady GaGa interpretations, Leba is one of the top visual and cognitive artists on the LA scene.

Homo Riot - Homo Riot is one of the most brazen and bold street artists anywhere in the world. Homo Riot is the street manifestation of the idea that homosexuality must be seen and acknowledged. Through the brazen use of sexually loaded imagery, Homo Riot has conquered LA, and many other major cities, by storm.

Stay up~

WHAT GRAFFITI IS TO NEW YORK - STREET ART IS TO LOS ANGELES - Latest News



Maximillian Gallery is pleased to present “What Graffiti is to New York - Street Art is to Los Angeles,” an exhibition curated by Melrose and Fairfax, featuring the top Los Angeles Street Artists - a dream team line up of the best street artists in Los Angeles and the world. The show features not only the best artists but the juiciest stories, including everything from a 9-year old street artist, to a porn star street artist, and ranges from an artist who had a flattering interview with Forbes, to a street artist featured on national news for being arrested.

Through these artists’ vision, we discover and gain a rare insiders’ look into the very heart of what is happening on the streets today. The show presents original, cutting edge artworks from each of the artists, exclusive never-before-seen action photos from Melrose and Fairfax, unique sticker packs, and Limited Edition Maximillian Gallery at Sunset Marquis embossed prints.

Los Angeles has set itself apart as the worldwide center for street art. LA has the busiest streets, the biggest name artists, and the most local talent. It is widely recognized as the hottest spot for street art in the world. From Banksy's latest visit, to the MOCA exhibition, and on every street corner and rooftop in between, the force of this movement is undeniable. In a similar manner to the way that New York is widely recognized as the home of graffiti, Los Angeles is currently experiencing the same definitive movement in the world of street art.

“Melrose and Fairfax has been curating the streets of Los Angeles for over a year,” says Maximillian Gallery Owner & Director Caradoc, “We are thrilled to be working with the top street artists in LA and some of the best in the world. These artists are doing some marvelous things. And it is really exciting for Los Angeles to be at the center of this ever-growing street art movement. We really look forward to working with Greg and the artists."

Greg Linton, Publisher of Melrose and Fairfax, adds “It is going to be epic. This is the show that will define the genre and solidify LA's place in the street art scene to the rest of the world and I am super excited to have Caradoc and Maximillian Gallery behind us.”“The show is going to be monumental. Street artists are the rock stars of the art world, and the Sunset Marquis is home to the real life rock stars, so there couldn't be a better setting than Maximillian Gallery at the Sunset Marquis for this important exhibition,” says Caradoc.About Maximillian Gallery Maximillian Gallery at Sunset Marquis makes connections between those desiring meaningful, cutting edge art and emerging, contemporary artists and street artists. Maximillian Gallery provides sales and art licensing representation for talented fine artists, serving a wide array of creative intellectual property owners, including painters, sculptors, photographers, and illustrators, with new artists being added regularly. The gallery also features a collection of unique art gifts.

Melrose and Fairfax is a celebration of street art in Los Angeles and the most street of any street art site. It serves as an online gallery and is the second ranked street art blog in the world, which is remarkable considering Melrose and Fairfax only focuses on one city while the rest have a worldwide scope. To give its popularity a wider frame of reference, based on hits and web traffic, Melrose and Fairfax gets more activity than 99.8% of all websites in the entire world. The numbers really demonstrate how powerful LA's grasp is over the street art world, and this show features Melrose and Fairfax's hand picked 'Best Of' top artists on LA's street art
scene.

Alec Monopoly - Alec Monopoly is this generation's pop art star. Alec launched his career on the rooftops of Los Angeles, and has now put up street art and hosted sold out shows in Boston, NY, Miami, and London.

Free Humanity - Free Humanity explores the deeper things in life, and the meaning of humanity, through street art. Free's art 'bombing' has been so successful that the LAPD bomb squad was called out to one of his installations.

Smog City- Smog City combines hard hitting graphic imagery with a campaign for cleaner air quality. Smog is one of LA's top get-up artists, and the message behind the art makes for a powerful street presence.

Bankrupt Slut - Bankrupt Slut spreads rock n' roll sluttiness all over LA. Featuring strong sexually empowered women, and with over 30,000 stickers and other pieces on the streets of LA this year alone, Bankrupt Slut's presence has been nothing short of prolific.

DeeKay - A few months ago, DeeKay posted a piece of street art entitled ‘I Have A Secret.’ With this piece, she made the announcement that this street artist was none other than world famous porn star Kylie Ireland. Kylie's, or DeeKay's, street art features a mix of her sexy self interacting with images, more specifically signs, taken from her own personal photography. With her dive into street art, Kylie Ireland has shown that she is not only beautiful, but also a great artist.

Bod Bod - Bod Bod is the youngest street artist getting up on the streets of Los Angeles. He has a deep understanding and appreciation for art and the streets, which is especially impressive since he is only 9 years old. But even though he might be young, his impressive work on the streets speaks for itself, and BodBod has earned a name on the LA scene.

2wenty - twenty's 'Facebook Social Cigarettes' image has been a smash sensation. Everyone seems to identify with the addictive nature of social networks, and major mainstream networks have picked up on the image, garnering 2wenty impressive press, including an interview with Forbes.

Snyder - Snyder has developed a unique artistic aesthetic that is directly influenced by Jackson Pollock’s drip technique, Banksy’s stencils, Van Gogh’s palette and texture, Cezanne’s meticulous attention to composition, and Warhol’s iconography. And Snyder does some of the most amazing public interventions happening anywhere in the world.

Gregory Siff - Gregory Siff excels in the studio and the street. His artwork can be found in the collections of many top celebrities, and Gregory has recently been commissioned to paint big walls at The Standard and De La Barracuda.

KH no. 7 - KH no. 7 is one of the few classically trained artists hitting the streets, and the results are very powerful. KH no. 7 is known for nostalgic imagery with a gritty twist.

Smear - Smear was such a prolific writer that the LAPD linked him to one of the biggest graffiti busts ever. And even though he hasn't actively tagged in years, LA's city attorneys are pressing a landmark case against Smear with an injunction against using his artist name. It is a true honor to have Smear, LA's original 'Outlaw Artist.'

Desire Obtain Cherish - Desire Obtain Cherish has been killing the streets of Los Angeles. Everything from billboard takeovers, to larger than life size Oscar pastes, to art-walk interruptions, the quality of work is consistently breathtaking. Desire. Obtain. Cherish.

CYRCLE. & DD$ - CYRCLE. & DD$ keep pushing the boundaries of street art. Bombing the streets and 'blowing your mind' with everything from Mr. Brainwash takeovers to 8-foot hand painted murals on unsanctioned walls, CYRCLE. & DD$ are bringing fine art to the streets.

Leba - Leba's street art is diverse and impactful. From politically themed stencils to massive hand painted rooftops, to wheat pastes of fascinating Lady GaGa interpretations, Leba is one of the top visual and cognitive artists on the LA scene.

Homo Riot - Homo Riot is one of the most brazen and bold street artists anywhere in the world. Homo Riot is the street manifestation of the idea that homosexuality must be seen and acknowledged. Through the brazen use of sexually loaded imagery, Homo Riot has conquered LA, and many other major cities, by storm.

Stay up~

Old School



Classic tags and stickers from Smear/DWA and Gaso MTA.

The Gaso tag is dated 06, so its been riding for over five years, an extraordinarily long time for something on the streets.

Old School



Classic tags and stickers from Smear/DWA and Gaso MTA.

The Gaso tag is dated 06, so its been riding for over five years, an extraordinarily long time for something on the streets.

Pics from Street Art Culture Show (pt 1/2)


Last night M&F had a busy night of art shows, and before hitting the Dface show in Culver City, we swung out to Santa Monica to catch the 'Street Art Culture Show'. It was a cool show with cool art, pretty girls, and a live painting from Free Humanity.

We didn't know what to think of this show going in, but we were really impressed by what we saw.

First off, since it was an event for charity, the show cost $5 or $10, depending on whether you also brought a pair of socks. We were apprehensive that many people would attend a paid gallery opening, but to our surprise the place was packed with a young hip crowd. (and full of pretty girls!)

The art was also impressive. Free Humanity had a bunch of new work, including the piece pictured above. And Chase had a bunch of cool, brightly colored paintings as well. And as a surprise treat, Smear, or Christian Gheorghiu as the city would like him to be known, also had some paintings in the show.

For the live painting, Free Humanity hit up a canvas with a pink drippy paint marker saying 'This Is It'. And then he hosted a talk about what that means to him. It was interesting, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy the spectacle.



Street Art About Street Art(ists)


An interesting piece here. It features four heads, and the name of an Los Angeles based street artist is under each shot. Click the jump for more

Each of these faces is labeled with Free Humanity, Lord Jim, Smear and Bankrupt Slut.

Not sure what this is about. Its good company to be around. Each of these artists is accomplished in LA, but all have very different in mediums and styles.

We have seen one of these faces before downtown with 'Lou Reed' written under it. Also, these faces seem familiar, but we can't place where we have seen them.

Poster by unknown artist.

Best of LA Sticker Combo pt. 1/2


Awesome sticker combos that are like a 'best of' of LA sticker art. Click the jump for more

Huge sticker combo at a friend's house.

Stickers from Obey, Branded, Smear, SmogCity, Skullphone, Euth, Subs, Cat Cult, Shark Toof, Cryptik, 2cents, Visual Narcotics, Unseen, and more


^Buff Monster, Restitution Press, Dick Chicken, Septerhed, Hit and Run, Inept, and many more

Smear - Tired of Being Sexy


In light of Smear's recent legal troubles, here are some exclusive shots to show some of his gallery art.

When we visited a friend yesterday, he was wearing this 'Smear - I'm Tired of Being Sexy' shirt. And this friend also owns a dope Smear (or Christian Gheorghiu) original painting.

Hope Smear can come out on top from these legal hassles, and his art be more sought after than ever.

Smear Sentenced


After getting arrested last week, Smear was sentenced by the judge.

Smear was sentenced to 13 days in jail and 45 days graffiti removal. He was charged with violating his probation-not for having art supplies as the sheriff's office had originally accused him of.

In fact, the judge made clear that Smear is allowed to keep the tools he needs for painting.

The probation violation that Smear was charged with was posting pictures street shots on his website.

It sucks that Smear got messed with, but we are glad that he is back out on the streets.

For more info, read the new article on the LA Times. They have been giving great coverage of the entire saga.

FREE SMEAR!


In a direct response to the article in the LA Times, the LAPD raided Smear's house and later re-arrested him on the charge of violating probation by having 'vandalism tools'.

This harassment is unfortunate and ridiculous. We can vouch first hand that Smear is not tagging, and these 'vandalism tools' are simply the paint and brushes of an artist.

Brushes, markers, wheat pastes and paint. These are what an artist uses. Smear was using these on his canvases, not the streets, but the police seem to take the 'lock him up first, ask questions later' approach. And even though the judge had said in court that these artist tools are okay to have for indoor art, Smear is sitting in jail.

We saw in person how Smear has 'reformed'. Last year, after an art show on Melrose, a lot of people were standing outside and someone handed Smear a marker. His hand started to twitch. You could tell something inside of him wanted to do it. But he resisted and said he couldn't be doing that anymore. Seriously. If the city things he is still tagging they are dead wrong.

This is ridiculous and clear harassment. It will probably end with Smear spending jail time, and then no charges being filed, just like when Smear was arrested in 2009 for the MTA roller he had nothing to do with. The city attorney should be as prepared for a civil suit as it is to press the injunction on Smear.

Via LaTaco and LA Times

Smear Campaign


It seems the mainstream media is really taking a new interest in street art, which is really cool for a lot of reasons. Not only does it give the culture more exposure, but it also changes the paradigm through which it is viewed.

The LA Times just printed a great article about graffiti-transitioning-to-fine artist Smear, and the city's attempt to stop him, and you can really feel the change in tone. We think its awesome. Click the jump for more

This is a great article written by Richard Winton in which he puts it out into the open, the dirty little secret that no matter how much city officials try to crack down on it, graffiti and street art culture are celebrated. "Today, the work of people once considered vandals can be found in chic galleries, auction houses and even suburban shopping malls".

And perhaps the city is growing wise to the game because they have started to play dirty and seeking an unheard of "a one-of-a-kind court injunction to bar Christian Gheorghiu (Smear) from profiting from art bearing his telltale 'tag'."

But at the same time, it is not a particularly intelligent move by the city. It has been proven from the kindergarten classroom on up through life, that if you get in trouble by an authority figure, your peers will think its cool. And the harder the city prosecutes, the bigger the name grows. And even as the city tries to press a smear campaign agains Smear, both that name, and the artist name of Cristian Gheorghiu continue to grow in stature and fame.

Since the attempted injunction violates all kinds of constitutional and civil rights (you can't keep punishing a person for a crime after they have done their time--and Christian Gheorghiu has), the ACLU has taken up this case, and we assume that will mean a strong defense team. In our opinion, Smear has earned his success. And it is our hope is that Christian Gheorghiu, and Smear, come out of this unscathed and doing better than ever~

***The article also pointed out that Christian has thousands of dollars in fines, so if you want to show some support for Smear and the cause, visit his webstore to get some amazing art***

Picture by Brian van der Brug for the LA Times.

Smear and DWA Go Postal


Some dope hand drawn slaps from Smear and DWA. Click the jump for more

Smear and DWA go postal with these dope hand drawn slap tags.

The first pic is riding with JTS and the second pic also has a sticker from Tie, RIP.

Get Poled - Street Stickers in LA


Nice little sticker combo going up on this pole on Sunset.

Slaps from Bankrupt Slut, Lister, P Dog, Ana Peru Peru Ana, PAB, Zahr, Reva, QDS, Asmar, Phylo, TSF, Smear, and a few more.

Darkcloud is Bootylicious -This One's for Smear!


In light of Smear's recent interview on TheDirtFloor , we were inspired to pay homage to some BBW.

When it comes to big girls, there's just more of them to love, and the bigger the cushion, the better the pushin!

Here is some bootylicious-ness right here behind this Darkcloud sticker at Venice Beach.

PS-Smear was pretty damn honest and candid in the interview, but if you want some more 'dirt' about how wild and crazy this dude really is, click the link below . . . and let me put a big 'WARNING!' in front of it . . .

True story.

At an art show awhile back, Smear got wasted. After spending a good part of the night trying to hit on Shark Toof's girlfriend, Smear met a girl, and by the end of the night, he pissed in a cup of beer in front of the girl, and got her to drink it.

True story. This dude is nuckin futs!!

Asend TSF - Cappin' Back


The Status Faction maintains its spots.

Here is Asend from TSF capping back.

Other stickers on this sign from Soup, MQ, Lust, Smear.

Massive Street Sticker Combo


Here is a massive street art sticker combo in Los Angeles with slaps from Spor, Barn, Slob, HighKing, Bankrupt Slut, Smear, Dump, Kruz, March Forth, We Are Fury, All the Girls Love Earl, Serch, We Are Fury, Half, Love Krew, Beer, Grime Crew, stickers, Los Angeles, combo and more.

Get Up, Stay Up


Stickers and tags on this grimey combo from Bankrupt Slut, Smear, Bran TRB, KDK, FYF, GP, Stuck, Revs, Bazar, Spy, BM, Crus, Eroze, and more.

These Cookies Taste Expenisive


Hand drawn cookie sticker from unknown artist. OC?

Tags from Smear, Berk, Epyon and Expensive Taste, sticker