Graffiti throw up doodles/Happy New Year animation

I have been working on these little graffiti doodles the past couple of months, just while I was travelling or even chatting on the phone...eventually they started to turn into something approaching an animation. figured it would be good to share them and wish everybody all the best for 2011.
The doodles are celebrating my last 6 months or so, since my kids were born.
Hope you like it.

If you've been following this blog, you will recognise the beat...it will be featuring on my mixtape, out early 2011.
called 'Inheritance Wax'.

AIGHT...
Have a happy, healthy and funky 2011 people.
lot of lovin!

Ashwan

Parc Ciudadella

mayne, Barcelona is cool for the fact that you are always passing by something interesting going on.
cycling through Parc Ciutadella on Boxing Day, 2010 and I passed these cats warming up.
had a real nice vibe to what they wee doing...I just filmed a bit of it as I only had my phone with me and the quality is not that great....does not do these guys justice at all.

anyways, cool people too...so shouts to Hector 'Hope' (B Boy), Ludovico Hombravella and Ivan Bouchain (Tap) and the man 'Coco' from Paris rockin tha box!

HOT ISH on a cool December day in Barcelona.

Peace.
ASHWAN

Featured Artwork...

Digging in the crates these days with work from back in the dizzle...
okay okay player, this one is not so far back...it came out of a body of work made about 3 or 4 years ago now.
This one never even saw the gallery walls. It was snapped up while still in the studio by an emcee from Chicago who also appreciated the influence that the common track i used to love H.E.R. which is the original influence for this particular piece.
IF you do not know the common track, it is probably too late for you. but so you don't feel left out, HERE IT IS:



INSANELY DOPE!
I also just peeped a cool live version and next time Comm passes thru your town, you NEED to go see this guy. One of my all time gigs was his album release party for his third album, at the House of Blues in Chicago. It was hosted by De La Soul and just about everyone on the album was there...Lauryn Hill blew the place apart, CanIbus, CeeLo...way too many to mention. It ended with a big hip hop karaoke of legendary emcees spittin other legendary artists tracks, just for the pure love of it.
Since then I have caught him 5 or 6 times at other places, sometimes with a full band, other times just a small get up...ALWAYS amazing tho. dude works HARD.
anyways back to the point.
Below is my homage to the track itself, but also to the sentiment, so to the good people of hip hop. those who do it for the love.

I used to love H.E.R. by Ashwan.
4ftx4ft oil and mixed media on canvas.
private collection Chicago, USA.

you can catch the others from this series on my web page:
www.ashwan.co.uk

custom kix- past work resurfaced!

HAPPY TOGETHER (DWYCK)

was just listening to Main Source this morning and it reminded me how similar the main vocal hook is to the hook from the Turtles 'Happy Together' track.
This Turtles tune is one of the ones I have 'inherited' from an old folks crib in Liverpool and am currently using as the palate for my new mix tape...INHERITANCE WAX.
here is the Turtles original version:



you can get a sneak preview of my version here:

the Inheritance Wax mixtape will be out early 2011.

visit my web page:

www.ashwan.co.uk for updates or to register on the mailing list.

the original vinyl will also be available with 'remixed' individually painted cover art, see examples below:

Random Painting of the day...

ASHWAN: Hip Hop is Dead.
oil and mixed media on card board
2010

Q tip and Phife Dawg spitting to Boney M!

OH SNAP!!! Q tip and Phife spit over Boney M on this version of 1nce Again that is gonna feature of the January 2011 release 'Inheritance Wax'...get on it!
check the web page nearer the time for updates.
www.ashwan.co.uk

Warhol Foundation's message to the Smithsonian...

December 13, 2010
WARHOL FOUNDATION DEMANDS REINSTATEMENT OF CENSORED ART WORK OR WILL CEASE FUNDING ALL SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION EXHIBITIONS

The following letter was sent today by The Andy Warhol Foundation to Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution:

December 13, 2010
Mr. Wayne Clough
Smithsonian Institution
SIB Office of the Secretary
MRC 016
PO Box 37012
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Dear Mr. Clough,
The Warhol Foundation is proud to have been a lead supporter of Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, but we strongly condemn the decision to remove David Wojnarowicz’s video A Fire in My Belly from the exhibition. Such blatant censorship is unconscionable. It is inimical to everything the Smithsonian Institution should stand for, and everything the Andy Warhol Foundation does stand for.
Although we have enjoyed our growing relationship during the past three years, and have given more than $375,000 to fund several exhibitions at various Smithsonian institutions, we cannot stand by and watch the Smithsonian bow to the demands of bigots who have attacked the exhibition out of ignorance, hatred and fear.
Last week the Foundation published a statement on its website www.warholfoundation.org, condemning the National Portrait Gallery’s removal of the work and on Friday our Board of Directors met to discuss the long-term implications of the Museum’s behavior on the Foundation’s relationship with the Smithsonian Institution. After careful consideration, the Board voted unanimously to demand that you restore the censored work immediately, or the Warhol Foundation will cease funding future exhibitions at all Smithsonian institutions.
I regret that you have put us in this position, but there is no other course we can take. For the arts to flourish the arts must be free, and the decision to censor this important work is in stark opposition to our mission to defend freedom of expression wherever and whenever it is under attack.
Sincerely yours,
Joel Wachs
President
cc: Ms. Patricia Stonesifer, Smithsonian Chairwoman of the Board
Directors of Smithsonian Institution museums
Board Chairs of Smithsonian Institution museums

Oh Erykah...

B Girl, you rock my world.

FAT LACES

after digging out the old FAT CAPS images recently, it got me to thinking I should post some of my other old work.
some of the photo's of this stuff are awful...done with my phone or whatever...no tripod or lights.

Most people who know me, know I like my adi dassler kicks... this series were started around 1997. I would go back to painting a pair every so often though...so maybe as recently as 95 was the last time I painted a pair. I love abstraction, but every now and then it's good to go back to doing something a bit more 'traditional'. don't most painters feel a drive to do this at times? seriously, it's a question...I dunno!

OH, btw...some of the new work I am making right now, is DAMN HOT! ...and small (framed, 25x25cm)!!!! IF you feel like you got a knot in your pocket and short of Christmas ideas, hit me up and I'll get some photo's made of them. otherwise it will be the new year now before I get my photographer to document the new pieces.as for the adidas kicks series, bad news, they ALL GONE!

AIIGHT!

peace.
ashwan

electro street sounds stylee

some newish work...based on the classic 80's ELECTRO series.
MAYNE, I LOVED that ish! ROXANNE v's UTFO...HERBIE HANCOCK and DST on Rock It!!!!
DAYUM.
blew my mind back then.

HOLIDAY SALE- BOPZINK

YO!!!!!
the Holiday sale is ON over at BOPZINK...
these prices are insane for some seriously dope t's. great gift ideas or just to stock up for the coming spring, which aint so far off now, tho it probably feels closer to here in Barcelona than it does for most of you cats.

anyways, go jump all over this one...the T above is on sale for just 10 bucks! seriously, tell me something better that you could buy for 10 bucks????

you know it makes sense!
these t's will not be around at this price forever, so go do it!
(yeah, i know I am pushing this HARD, but these guys are mates of mine, they have just gotten this business off the ground and are looking to do a new run of T's soon, so get out there and show some love...PLUS, you cannot deny the T's are super fly! 10 bucks peeps! you couldn't buy a pint of guiness on Las Ramblas for that!)

FAT CAPS

Here are some images from work that I made back in 1999.
4 of them were used in a two person show at a tiny space called Dogmatic down in Chicago's South Side. a few months later I had a solo show, also in Chicago at a place called Beacon Street Gallery, which I called FAT CAPS...all six of these featured there.
They measure 4ftx4ft (122cm) and are oil on canvas.
I had been working mainly on installation work previous to this and I think the curators who had asked me to show at Dogmatic were shocked when I turned up with paintings.
4 of them went to private collections and I kept 2 of them for myself...I still have them both, though just in storage in the UK at the moment. I need to dig them out soon.
This was the last work I made in Chicago.

Happy days...I miss that city sometimes...and definitely the people.
I need to get back there soon.


AIIIIGHT!

ashwan

STENCIL EXCLUSIVE

recently made a couple of versions of this stencil just for sale through the internet. This is the same stencil as the 'street' version that has appeared in a few different web pages and blogs, including the 'All City' app page. They are framed behind glass and measure 42x52cm in total.
If you are interested in picking one of these up, they are available for 250 Euro's + postage and packing. Hit me up:
ashwan@ashwan.co.uk