Ten Years of Minus 2

Toronto-based graffiti artist Minus 2 is celebrating 10 years of graffiti work. Know mostly for his freight trains painted in the early to mid-2000's, his work can also be found on many Toronto walls. Here's his latest. More work by Minus 2 can be found on Visual Orgasm's website. Once there, type in "minus2" in the search by writer field.

Le Collectif Taupe

New Brunswick artists Angèle Cormier, Mario Doucette, Jean-Denis Boudreau and Jennifer Bélanger form Le Collectif Taupe. Amongst the many activities they do together, one is playing with the Big Box store.

They do this by purchasing small photo frames, mid-sized art frames and prints, and large sized framed posters at Wall Mart. They then return to their studio with the goods and replace what's in the frames with their own work. After carefully repackaging the goods, they return the merchandise to Wall Mart where it is refunded and restocked, usually no questions asked.

More on Le Collectif Taupe here, follow they're blog here.

Message

A note left behind by graffiti artist Kismet. A biter is someone who copies another's work or style. Click on the image for a larger view.

For reference, here's his work:

Natalie Waldburger

Toronto-based artist Natalie Waldburger just finished a show at Vancouver's Bau-Xi Gallery. For those of us who missed it, here are a few images. Lots more here.

All images are from Waldburger's Tied series, encaustic on panel, 2008.

Micah Lexier

Here's some earlier works by Canadian artist Micah Lexier. These were taken from the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art's website, www.ccca.ca. Lexier's site can be found here.

From top to bottom: Two Kinds of Confidence, 1992; Quite Fire: Memoirs of Older Gay Men, 1989; My Fears, 1989; Doctor 1987.

Pusher

Californian graffiti artist Pusher paints his murals with spray can, paint rollers and brushes in his very unique modernist style. His work is immediately recognizable, with pieces perhaps hard to read at first but the abstract letters are in there spelling either Push or Pusher or some variable of his nom de plume. These shots are from Known Gallery. Watch him at work here.

Stefano Cagol

Italian artist Stefano Cagol likes to play with what's real, what's not, and how we perceive these phenomenons—either as actual occurrences or simple propaganda schemes. Although his works are mostly intervention-based installations, he also works with video and photography. I've posted photos I found from the Berlin Biennale (Bird Flu van, 2006) and his installation in Brusel (Flu Power Flu, 2007). More about Cagol here.

Eduardo Kac and Alba

Brazil-born artist Eduardo Kac—together with French geneticist Louis-Marie Houdebine—bred an albino rabbit that contains the fluorescent gene found in a certain type of jellyfish. In ordinary light, Alba looks completely normal. But exposed to a particular blue light, she turns bright green. Kac's mission is to push the boundaries that exist between science and art, as if he's responding to the emergence of biomolecular scientific trends while staying acutely aware of how the media interprets such practices. Lots more on his work and Alba can be found here.

Images from top to bottom: Alba glowing (2000); posters put up around Paris (2000); A small statuette of Eduardo Kac with Alba (2006).

À l'écoute

Russian Circles' Station (Suicide Squeeze)
This one I've been waiting impatiently for. It's Russian Circles' first full-length album. Follow this link for a quick listen. You don't have to be a metal fan to enjoy this awesome trio, there fierce landscape widens with every turn.


Dead Prez' Let's Get Free (Loud Records)
An older record (2000) that easily holds with the times. It was the first for the duo. A really great record, complete with dating tips and vegetarian diet recommendations, all delivered with superb lyrical finesse. Truly intelligent hip-hop.

Royal Art Lodge

Lots of new works on the Royal Art Lodge's site, you know, the famous Canadian folk-art group from Winnipeg. If I'm not mistaken, these were done by Michael Dumontier, Marcel Dzama and Neil Farber. Go here.

Sans Titre

I have been holding on to this image trying to figure out who's behind the work but have been unsuccessful. It was shown in Berlin, that I do know. Click on the image to see it larger.

Eric Fischl

The great Eric Fischl could be made responsible for pushing painting further towards the suburban topic. Beyond his still strongly-growing but already-extensive career, Fischl continues to influence many younger artists as he once did as a teacher.

His recent work shown here are from his Scenes From Late Paradise and Recent Beach Scenes (2006-07) series. The last two are portraits done in 2006. Lots more here.

More from FAAS: l'Écart

I'll post a few takes from la Foire d'Art Alternatif de Sudbury (FAAS) over the next few days.

What was for the public a varied but potent art fair, was an art camp for the participants. And like at any summer camp, you befriend awesome people in very little time. Rouyn Noranda-based performance artists Andréane Boulanger (cycling garb), Valéry Hamelin (beret and fur coat), and Alain Desrochers (tutu and undies) were just that for me.

Shown here is their first collaboration as a trio. Desrochers would dress-up in a leotard or tutu and try to either cleanse himself from evil spirits by digging and throwing soil over his shoulder, or trying to stop cars passing by with his oversized fan.

Boulanger would follow him around offering to dress or feed him as a caring mother would, gaging what she thought he needed. The food she prepared for him she cooked by flames she spat out of her mouth.

Hamelin carefully watched over them patiently waiting her turn. It came once both Desrocher and Boulanger got tired. She pounced on Desrocher and began to wrap his belly with a microphone cable almost as if to reunite herself with her baby through an umbilical cord.

Find more about the group on l'Écart's website.

Work In Progress v1.1

Here are the rest of the works.

From top to bottom: posters inside the Townhouse; throw-ups on the Laughing Buddha's street-facing patio fence.

Work In Progress v1.0

Je me prépare à partir pour Sudbury. I was invited to participate in this year's FAAS (Sudbury's alternative art festival) where I will be painting exterior walls as well as postering interior spaces. More info on the festival can be found on the Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario's website. I'll post photos of the work as it emerges. Check back later.