My new favorite street artist: Starchild Stela

A few months back, I was introduced to the art of Starchild Stela when someone posted a photo of one of her pieces on Twitter.  It was so different, so colorful, so political, and cute! She instantly became my new favorite street artist.  (She considers herself more of a feminist graffiti artist and not a street artist per se).

Dr. Jessica N. Pabon, who interviewed Stela for her blog, described her style like this, “Stela’s work caught my eye because her absolutely curvilinear handstyle, pastel color palette, and pretty soft-eyed characters are almost always adorned with explicit and aggressive language.”

Indeed, it is that juxtaposition of cute, big-eyed, (almost anime style), female characters, with strong political messages, which sets her apart from her contemporaries.

I think it works artistically because, even though her drawings seem simple, they are colorful and full of life.  And, I think, it works politically because there is an element of humor to it, (which is what I believe makes Banksy so popular among basic masses).

Take for example, a cute little girl with the words, “Fuck your macho bullshit” spray-painted under her; or her clever drawing of a woman with some kitties and the words, “Cats against cat-calls.”

In the same interview referenced above, Stela says about her work:

"I love adding a little feminist twist to my pieces. I don’t really intend to add a social message to my pieces, the words I add often reflects the discussion I’m having with friends. But indeed we are talking about what matter to us, and what makes us pissed off."

Check out more of her work—and support her—by buying some of her stickers, prints, and original art from her online store.

Graffiti in Palestine

There was a post yesterday on Electronic Intifada about some Palestinian artists who "penetrated the heavily fortified heart of West Jerusalem overnight and painted graffiti bearing political messages on walls, doors, construction sites and other surfaces."

Those stencils made me think of the great pieces that Banksy put up when he visited the West Bank a couple years ago. (Example pic on right; click HERE for more pics).

And this, in turn, also made me think of a group that--a few years back--was raising money online by writing graffiti messages on a wall in Palestine for others. People from around the world were able to have donate money and someone would write whatever message they wanted on a wall with a spray-can and then a photo would be sent to them by e-mail.

They stopped taking messages a long time ago because they reached their goal and raised enough to pay for the renovation of the PFF open Youth Center in Bir Zeit. All in all, the sprayed almost 1,500 messages from around the world.

The beauty and power of graffiti art. Worldwide.

Councilman wants your info if you buy spray paint

Here's a quick summary from an LA Weekly blog I missed last week....

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And even after the rousing success of the Museum of Contemporary Art's "Art in the Streets" exhibition, [Dennis]Zine don't stop.

He's now targeting people who buy aerosol paint:

Zine has introduced a motion that would require stores to get and keep your name and address if you buy spray cans and "graffiti paraphernalia"such as "spray paint nozzles, paint pens, glass cutting, and etching tools," according to a statement from the councilman's office.

Stores would ask for your ID and copy down the info.

* * *

This Councilman has also been in the news because he was demanding that Aaron Brothers, an art supply store, stop from offering a "Graffiti Starter Kit" during its back-to-school campaign because he thought it was glorifying graffiti. (By the way, he actually got his way in this case).

Luckily for us, the LA Weekly reached the ACLU for a comment and they suggested that it might not be constitutional and that such an ordinance would have a hard time surviving court challenges.

Take that, ignorant art-hating Councilman, (who used to be a cop/pig).

Beautiful and illegal

Last week, property-owner Adam Corlin unveiled a four-story art installation filled with a lot of color and meaning, but today--unless some drastic can happen, Corlin will have to take down the installation.

The art-work was a collaboration between west-coast graffiti legends, Risk and Retna, (both recently featured at the record-breaking "Art in the Streets" exhibit), who created it to help promote a Coastal Clean-Up Day (Sept. 17) by the non-profit environmental group, Heal the Bay.

However, not long after the unveiling, Santa Monica city police and code-enforcement officers showed up at the property and have threatened him with fines. Corlin told the LA Weekly on Friday that if it is not taken down by today they will even take the case to the L.A. County District Attorney's office. He was quoted as saying, "I think they just used the build department as an excuse to get me to take this down. . .There's a double standard going on here. Somebody doesn't like the art or the message or the artists."

This is something for all art-lovers to ponder: What kind of fucked-up society are we living in, when good artists and building owners, after teaming up to bring awareness of a much-needed pro-environment message--and doing it in a beautiful and creative way--are then told by city officials that the art has to come down!?

How would you handle this if this you were running things? It's pretty obvious to me, that the only thing keeping us away from this beautiful installation, are some real wack city officials with little appreciation and understanding of art.

Banksy - Idol Worship

The first major exhibit of graffiti/street art, and what does Banksy do? He goes and creates a piece that looks like it criticizes the genre itself--and those who follow this art genre in particular--with this brilliant and beautiful piece. Pretty brave in, my opinion; None of the other artists represented in the exhibit did anything that came similar to this. And the real beautiful thing about it, is that the graffiti-glass stained windows that the little street artist is praying to were created with the help of high school students in Los Angeles. Bomb.com, que no?

Below are a few more pics, in detail of the other pieces he had up at the show. (Please excuse me for not writing down the names for these pieces).


[click on pics to enlarge]

OK, time for this blog to get off Banksy's nuts for a while...

FYI: That Banksy is Still Up

This BANKSY piece on Washington Blvd and Compton Ave (by the Washington Blue Line station) is still up for you to go check-out. Some real art in the streets. Seriously, though, people have paid hundredes of thousands of dollars, (up to a million even), for a Banksy piece, and here's one you can go look at and appreciate for free, so take advantage of that if you live in Southern California!

Art is important. I don't want to live in a world where art is not important. If that's your vision for a different kind of world, leave me out of it!