ARTIST PROFILE: ELI SUPERAPPLE

Trailing around other people’s lives, hoping to be recognized, or even to have just one moment of shine by leaving his values, his drive, and his creative instincts in the dust is NOT what LA based artist, Eli Superapple is about. Rather, he is all for uplifting himself and others, benevolence and finding joy in the simpler things that life has to offer. His motto “influencing the influenza” is brought to life through his canvases, photography and written words. Commonly, when one thinks of “influenza”, the first thing that may come to mind is a highly contagious disease, one that is spread almost instantly on contact. So imagine the determination this upcoming artist has as he refuses to subject himself to the hypocrisy that exists in society and instead strives to bring a message filled with positivity, distinction, and encouragement. He incorporates a mixture of techniques such as acrylics, aerosol paint and wheatpasting in his pieces. Additionally, the images he creates are uniquely portrayed in his paintings, including those of popular celebrities such as Alicia Keyes, Bruce Lee and the Kardashians. Other than standard canvases, Eli’s work can be also be found on screen doors, hand painted business cards (each done one by one) and his custom line of kid robots. He gives back to the community with giveaways and fundraising projects such as “Project Haiti”. Check out some of his work below and of course, support this artist by viewing his blog and his online portfolio.

www.elisuperapple.blogspot.com

www.elisuperapple.daportfolio.com

STREET SHOT - ROA - BUSHWICK BK

PHOTO BY OMAR/NOPRETEND

DESTROYREBUILD&KATSU "END THE PLANET"

Pollution. Nuclear warfare. World hunger. The number of preventable yet man made crises that exist in the world today is beyond copious and far too often disregarded. But on December 17th in Brooklyn’s Powerhouse Arena, two of NYC’s hottest graffiti artists took a stand as they collaborated to further explore these prevalent and unfortunately commonplace issues. KATSU and DestroyRebuild are responsible for “End the Planet”, a show that metaphorically created havoc in attempt to increase awareness. Through the utilization of silk screens, graffiti and various other skills, these two artists constructed detailed and exquisite paintings illustrating the negligence of mankind and the effect it has taken on society. The show was dope and definitely on another level. Take a look below to view art from a different angle and embrace a message filled with meaning.













PHOTOS & REVIEW BY OMAR/NOPRETEND

STREET SHOTS: NOBODY & AVONE - MEAT PACKING DIST.

PHOTOS BY: OMAR/NOPRETEND

KID ZOOM "THIS CITY WILL EAT ME ALIVE"

Last night, Saturday December 11th, NYC’s Meat Packing District was introduced to the talented, ingenious and inimitable Kid Zoom as he opened his first solo exhibit “This City Will Eat Me Alive”. The title of the exhibit brilliantly plays on words and almost conceptualizes the fact that this NYC based artist is a native of Australia. Contrarily, the caliber of his work and the large turnout unquestionably signifies that Kid Zoom is in his element as his art brings that breath of fresh air that NYC was more than ready for. Upon entering the show room one can see canvases lining the walls (most of which are on a larger scale), various color coated machetes, and dead in the center of all the creativity, stands a gigantic yet captivating bear. Kid Zoom utilized aerosol spray cans in each of his pieces but on first glance one might have thought otherwise because of his controlled hand skills, attention to detail, and execution. As a graffiti artist emerging into the NYC gallery scene Kid Zoom is raising the bar. Words cannot express his art so take a look below and let his work speak for itself. You can see the exhibit in person at:

72 GANSEVOORT STREET
NEW YORK NY 10014
MEAT PACKING DISTRICT














REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: OMAR/NOPRETEND

STREET SHOT - BUSHWICK BK - NAMES

PICS BY OMAR/NOPRETEND

UPCOMING EVENT: END THE PLANET

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT KATSU & DESTROYREBUILD'S UPCOMING SHOW IN NYC.

ARTIST PROFILE : THE SIGNTOLOGIST

Who would think that an ordinary street sign, one that is seen and many times overlooked or blatantly ignored, could be transformed into art? Can you imagine the intricacy, the type of imagination and the skill that would be needed to create art from something so simple? Well, Denver based artist Dunn, who is also known as the “Signtologist” is responsible for just that. He was formerly known as the “Street Sign Artist” but five years ago the artist “Black Thought” from the Roots named him the Signtologist and with good reason that name has stuck. Dunn has set himself apart from the crowd by using ordinary streets signs as a canvas to paint popular artists ranging from the hip-hop scene to the sports world. His innovative approach to street art has not only sparked the interest of artists in his hometown but it has also grabbed the attention of celebrities such as Rakim, Pharrell, and Spike Lee, various websites, and the major magazine XXL .Over the years he has grown as an artist and his work can also be found in various clothing stores, sold online, at an array of art shows and events and on television. His images can be found on stickers, t-shirts, candles and the list goes on. The dope thing about his concept is he uses his work to give back to the community, pay homage to others, and its eco-friendly! His work is definitely fresh and a representation of this era so check it out!










www.thesigntologist.com

STREET SHOT - A.S.V.P

A.S.V.P

STREET SHOT - BUSHWICK BK

Fumero, Overunder, Quel Beast, ASVP, Clown Soldier, Cake

HOT MOP FILMS PROFILE: UR NEW YORK " THE ART OF BASKETBALL"

CHECK OUT THIS NEW PROFILE VIDEO BY THE GUYS OVER AT HOT MOP FILMS ON THE UR NEW YORK " THE ART OF BASKETBALL" PIECE.

The Art of Basketball from Hot Mop Films on Vimeo.

BY : HOT MOP FILMS
http://hotmopfilms.com/

DESTROY REBUILD & KATSU SHOW (COMING SOON)

Look out for the upcoming show "End The Planet" by DESTROY REBUILD & KATSU some time next month at the Powerhouse Arena in NY. Date and time will be posted soon.

ARTIST INTERVIEW - CHARLIE GREEN

No pretend: Please give us a brief bio; where are you from and where do you currently reside?

Charlie green: I was born in Calgary, Alberta to Canadian/American parents. I spent most of my life in Toronto, with a large part of the last ten years spent on the Canadian west coast or traveling. I am currently living and breathing as an artist in new York city, between Brooklyn and Manhattan.


No pretend: When did you first become interested in art?

Charlie green: I am told I loved to draw for hours on end, from before I can remember.



No pretend: How did you discover your creative talents?

Charlie green: My creative connection came and went through my childhood and youth. From foreground to background, depending on what was going on in school and my various teachers. It was mid 20's when i came to terms with the Arts as my calling.



No pretend: Can you tell us how long you have been painting?

Charlie green: My work is very drawing driven, which I have been doing forever. I have been playing with paint since I began 'spray painting' in my teens, say early 90's. I have been using paint in my fine art since the early 2000's. I am currently on a big mixed media - collage kick, including acrylic paint.



No pretend: Do you have any artists in your family? If so, did they have an impact on you in any way?

Charlie green: My step father; Wim Vanderkooy is a big influence on me as a person, and artistically. He is a photographer and was very close friends with a wife/husband duo; Krystyna Sadowska - visual arts and Stefan Siwinski - furniture builder and visionary. Our entire home was always filled with incredible paintings, batiks, wood cuts, drawings, sculpture, tables, chairs, books. It was a brilliant environment to incubate my relationship with the arts.



No pretend: Can you describe your style and technique of painting? And how did you make the decision to focus on this particular style?

Charlie green: Bold, Primitive, Iconic, Fantastic, Loose, Balanced, Dirty, Clean, Spontaneous. So many influences, with hip hop and skate-surf-snow being the cultures I grew up in. My work is an extension of many schools, including graffiti and black marker tagging, cartoon expressionism, branding and advertising, the human search for meaning..




No pretend: What do you think makes your paintings different from others?

Charlie green: Every Thing and Every Body is different. There are no 2 humans alike or animals or paintings. I am creating work that draws from many sources. Some new, some old. I have a great amount of experimentation in my processes, this creates continuous discoveries in technique, aesthetic, medium. I hope my practice keeps changing forever. And my fascination with reclaimed materials creates a streaming uniqueness to all my works, series and studies.




No pretend: As a growing artist, can you tell us who your influences were ?

Charlie green: Matisse, Picasso, Appel, Disney, Joshua Reichman, Sean Hamilton, Paul Aloisi, Elicsr, mdrl, jafar, manhatman, seth scriver, mike parsons, Rocky Dobey, twist, tilt (Wim Vanderkooy, Stefan Swiwinski, Krysytna Sadowska.)




No pretend: Does music play a role in your painting, and if so, how?

Charlie green: Music is always on. Especially during studio and creation time. I love the online access to tunes from webradio to endless other sources. I just plug the laptop into the stereo and stream away an eclectic mix; hip hop, reggae, dub, rock, folk. I'm listening to the Gulag Orkestra album by Beirut right now. mosdub, dubkweli, dancehall is dead - NAS, and a bunch of Jperiod mix tapes are a few of my favorite music finds of 2010...



No pretend: What inspires you to keep going? How do you keep yourself motivated?

Charlie green: I am well down this path, with my profession, this body of work. Only I really know where I want to take my art. There is plenty left to do, the shear amount of work to be done leaves me with no time to think otherwise. I am grateful to have the work that I do, and to be enjoying my experience.



No pretend: How can people find your artwork and sales info?

Charlie green: Vsit me at www.ckdub.com http://www.ckdub.com and email me with any inquiries.
Sign my guestbook and opt in for the monthly newsletter and update.
Nice days in SoHo, you can find me and my Art on Prince st. near Wooster.

PEACE