SWEET- Common

sweet

REMINISCE

wow, what a couple of days....lost Smokin Joe Frazier AND Heavy D. Both before they deserved to go. RIP guys....

Scribble Wall..Ashwan art, blast from the past

BLAST FROM THE PAST:

I was diggin in the image crates recently with a mentor and friend and came across this photo. It is a shot of one of my early 'scribble' walls, worked on in the late 90's while at the Art Institute of Chicago. It is about 12ft wide. These things had a real physical presence. They literally were walls. This one originally had speakers inside that played back the sounds that had been made during the construction process. I eventually left these out though as it really didn't add anything. The sounds went on to become independent pieces in their own right, unfortunately captured on DAT tape... who has DAT these days????

peace.

Parisian battle of the Post-It's

This is GREAT. I spotted this in The Guardian today, who got their images from http://www.postitwar.com/


Paris is in the midst of a Post It note battle! Not got a lot to say about it except that I think it has a little bit of the infectiousness of early NY graffiti. People seeing it and wanting to try their own versions, BUT I also think it's interesting that the medium AND the subject matter really reflect our times in a very interesting way. It is all very quick and disposable and the images used do not carry any great meaning, other than the fundamental act of creating them in the first place...which carries tonnes of meaning!
I also think it is funny that a lot of these are made while people are working and I think it genuinely reflects the nature of a lot of mundane jobs today. People cannot focus on them for any length of time as they seem so trivial and do not carry any voice of the people doing them, therefore you get a lot of coffee machine banter and this type of mischief where some kind of self as a social animal can come out. That's not a criticism I think it's great. I love these and now I feel like going and buying a bunch of post-it notes.
Other thing to state is: How creative are these Parisians!?! Props to that. What a great city.













Maybe I'll do a Post It note version of one of my paintings...
Ashwan

The Cypher pt.i

Circles have been featuring in my studio recently. Not sure how far they are going, but I needed to try a few. Even with my square canvases I am always rotating them while I am painting. I guess something inside me feels like a record is inside each of the squares, like they're big sleeves or something.
So here is one I rolled out (literally)the other day.
Called The Cypher pt.i it is Acrylic and mixed media on canvas and measures 96cm in diameter x 10cm thick.
I didn't use any text on this as it is more of an instrumental idea. I wanted to capture some of the feel of the tunes we'd b-boy to back in the 80's, that futuristic cosmo-funk. NUNK, NUNK AIN'T NO PUNK, EVERBODY ROCK TO THE NEW WAVE FUNK.










Hopefully listening to those should give you an idea of where I was going with this one.

PEACE, UNITY, LUV and HAVING FUN!
ashwan

RIP Kase 2

I just heard on Twitter that Kase2/Case2 has passed away. All old skool heads will remember him from the Style Wars documentary runnin his mouth at the writers bench and droppin lines from The Message. The crazy cat with just one arm, who somehow managed to produce beautiful art while hanging on the side of a subway car in the middle of the night.
RIP Kase 2...an inspiration.

POP LOCK- COLD BONE

ILL!

ASHWAN

Cheshire Life Article, June 2011

Spotted this recently in a journal from the UK.
Often when paintings go out into the world, I have no idea where they end up or who bought them. For me this is a really important part of the process and I never have any fear or regret about letting pieces go; it is a part of their life-cycle. It is good to see one of the pieces I regard as personal favourite end up in a good home.
Also got a few good lines on the following page. Check them out below:


Purple Pond, 5ftx5ft. Oil on canvas


I believe this collector also picked up these pieces.


Super Duper Star, 2ftx2ft. Oil and mixed media on canvas

Busiest Rhymes, 8ftx3.5ft. oil and mixed on canvas

Ashwan

VIZIE van graffiti

Artist Driven - Vizie Night from LRG on Vimeo.

legal piece made to look more dramatic to sell LRG t shirts and Ironlak shtuff...nice piece though.
ashwan

RECORD (vinyl) ART

It was sad news recently when I learned of the passing of a great artist...No, not Lucian Freud (who was a decent painter)or Amy Winehouse (who was a very young, decent singer)but the less recognised Alex Steinweiss who was art director for Colombia records from 1938.
The reason that the old LP record was called an album is that they literally used to be produced like a traditional photo album, with a leather effect cover, gold inlays and pages and pages of information. Alex went into Colombia with the idea that if you made records more visually appealing and dynamic, then you would attract more people and therefore sell more. His first album cover, and effectively the first illustrated record cover in history, is a stunner and way before it's time visually:




The influence of Walker Evans 'Broadway' photograph (below)is evident, but to apply it to the context of product packaging at this time was visionary. It is not surprising that this early Rodgers and Hart cover should prove to be so inspirational.

RIP Alex Steinweiss (March 24, 1917 – July 18, 2011)


Walker Evans 'Broadway', 1930

LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR - A Fly Whip

Pete Rock/Smiff n Wessun

Delta in Switzerland.

It's essential for graffiti and writers to evolve if the roots of the culture are going to continue to carry meaning in society today. Most writers have been inspired to do what they do by a dynamic that they saw in the work of artists in NYC in the 80's and early 90's. When I look at Dutch artist DELTA's (aka Boris Tellegen) work it takes me back to scouring the pages of Henry Chalfants 'Subway Art'. I see a kid staring at a piece by Kase 2, trying to understand the intricacy, the computer rock craziness that Kase brought to the world. I can see how the scale of images that Henry brought us in their intimacy would cause a then young and aspiring writer to desire to turn them into macro versions of themselves.
Graffiti art holds a difficult place in art history, even now with major shows cropping up internationally. It is still hard for historians to see, and many writers to articulate, exactly where the relevance is, how it all fits in.
One of the things graffiti did (because it was not 'hi' painting) is take the sculpture off the floor and put it on to the wall. Anthony Caro took it off the plinth and that was considered revolutionary. Graff writers made it two dimensional so you didn't need to fall over that shit while you were looking at the paintings.
Graffiti took graphic languages and experimented with 3 dimensions on a 2d plane on a scale that had never really been toyed with. Of course Trompe L'oil existed already for hundreds of years and even artists such as Richard Haas were dealing with it on an architectural scale, but much of early graffiti was 'sculpture'.
Look at the work of Zaha Hadid and that of Daim and see in a slightly different way, what I am talking about.

When I look at Delta's work in these images, I see things that I saw when I stared at that 'Subway Art' for hours on end in the mid 80's. The dynamic was incredible. COMPUTER ROCK!
Graffiti has done MANY things for the future art history books, this is just one of them.

The show is at the Kunstraum until September 10th, 2011.
for more info visit http://kunstraum.ch/
images stolen from ARRESTED MOTION

PEACE,
ASHWAN

DOZE GREEN

old skool writer/b boy doing his thang...DOZE!

ashwan

KC and the Sunshine Band

classic track, as sampled by Jazzie B from Soul II Soul back in the day...a real head nodder.

enjoy!

Pose, Risk, Ewok and Sever paint Soundset Festival in Minneapolis.

The POSE piece in this clip is insane...also feelin the SEVER piece.

ASHWAN

dj MK: Jay Z v Nas mix

Recorded on KISS100 last Sat night.1 hr of Jay & Nas. Hip Hop Heavyweights!! Look out for pt2!! by Dj Mk on Mixcloud

...in my lungs

I don't do straight 'graffiti' much these days, but got opportunity to put my name on a wall for an upcoming collaborative art project recently. Any kind of paint is always fun to play with, but LIKE AN IDIOT, as we were painting outdoors, I didn't put my mask on.

MISTAKE.

as Billy (upski) Wimsatt tells us: 'Mario, ALWAYS wear your mask!'

My lungs still feel like shit.

anyways, here's my contribution.


on the pigeon tip, just got put onto this blog: PIGEONS AND PLANES
pretty dope. peep it n see.
ashwan

Gabriella's Culture Corner | NEWS AND VIEWS FROM OUR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDANT

Gabriella's Culture Corner | NEWS AND VIEWS FROM OUR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDANT

Art is Music to the Soul | Gabriella's Culture Corner

Art is Music to the Soul | Gabriella's Culture Corner

Ashwan interview with Gabriella White.

May 2011.

ALICE!!!!

Alice Coltrane always blows my mind...ENJOY.

South Bronx footage

a nice little montage/mashup of different movies and documentaries from back in the day, all based around the South Bronx.

Enjoy

B-Toy Barcelona

If you are looking for some quality stencil/paste up work and are in Barcelona, keep an eye out for the city’s very own BToy.

The newest image I caught was all the way up on Ronda Guinardo, just near Hospital San Pau, but generally I would start in the El Borne area, around here:

View Larger Map

peace,

a$Hw@n

Mister Cee's Guru tribute mix...one year later.

Guru was without question one of the most influential and significant emcees of all. He blessed planet rock with some of the finest tunes out there. Here is a mix by Mister Cee paying tribute to the legend:

Mr. Cee's Guru Tribute Mix by Hypetrak

RIP GURU!

ashwan

goin way back...and forward!

DJ Form from Pseudo Slang (Fat Beats) had a link to this on his FB page recently. It is a tune I had never heard before and is FUNKY AS KCUFFFF!!!!

Form is knee deep in beats and one of the reasons Pseudo Slang make such funky ass music. Keep and eye out for them as it is likely they will be in a town near you very soon.

(note to promoters, they are available for bookings now...contact info below.)

So far they have gigs lined up with legends like Masta Ace, Marco Polo, Rah Digga and many more.

You can hear the knowledge and crate diggin experience clearly in their tunes.

Pseudo Slang- Slang

and a bit about Pseudo Slang:

Notables & Press:

“When I first heard Pseudo Slang ‘Yes Doubt’ I was floored, and it became my #1 Song of 2008. I’ve been doing radio for 18 years but few songs ever gave me chills, ‘Yes Doubt’ was one of them. I can’t wait for the album.”
- Dj 3rd Rail Chicago DJ and Radio Legend, 89.3FM WNUR, DJ3RDRAIL.COM

“Fat Beats have signed a great act here and we hope to hear more of their output if the standard of production and rhymes are like these.”
- Fat City Records

“Pseudo Slang is the thinking fan’s kind of hip-hop”
- Chicago Sun Times

Pseudo Slang “We’ll Keep Looking” features Vinia Mojica (A Tribe Called Quest, Black Star, De La Soul), Grap Luva (INI, Pete Rock & CL Smooth), A.L. Third and more.

Pseudo Slang “We’ll Keep Looking” - - Mos Def “The Ecstatic” - - MF Doom “Born Like This”
Summer 2009 seems to be a good time for hip hop music.

- - Pseudo Slang’s “We’ll Keep Looking” was just released worldwide June 16th, 2009 by Fat Beats Records in the US and abroad, and is being marketed by Audible Treats as well as heavy print and web advertising campaigns.
- - An exclusive Japanese version of “We’ll Keep Looking” was released in April 2009 and a forthcoming Spring 2010 Japanese tour is in the works.
- - We’ll Keep Looking features Vinia Mojica (of A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Black Star fame) and Grap Luva (INI, Pete Rock & CL Smooth).
- - During the past three years Pseudo Slang has completed three 30+ city US Tours, two Canadian Tours, and toured Europe leading up to the release of “We’ll Keep Looking.”
- - 12” Vinyl single “Broke & Copascetic” sold over 2500 units worldwide.

Brief Bio:

Pseudo Slang is Emcee Sick and touring compadre Dj Form as well as Tone Atlas, DJ Cutler, Gangsta D and contributing members DJ Tommee, Daringer, Mysterious L, A.L. Third + more. Based in Buffalo and Chicago Pseudo Slang have been closely followed for almost a decade garnering international praise for creating a fresh sound that steps outside of contemporary rap’s confines. PS released their debut “Catalogue” October 2004 under the umbrella of Baby Steps Hip Hop which was then operating as a record label. The Catalogue was compilation of tracks recorded between 1999-2004, and due to the excitement it generated the group subsequently signed with Brooklyn-based indie-major Fat Beats Records in August 2005. Fat Beats then released Pseudo Slang “Broke & Copascetic” (12” Vinyl single) which sold over 2500 units worldwide, and then to hold fans over the Slangers released “Thank God It’s Not Another Mixtape” (2006, EP on CD) which has created yet more buzz. Pseudo Slang have completed four 30+ City US Tours, and toured Canada and Europe. The new album “We’ll Keep Looking” is essentially a debut release for Pseudo Slang on the international heavyweight status which Fat Beats commands, and the buzz is already pinning the meters around the globe. An exclusive version of the album also was released in Japan in April 2009.

-- Pseudo Slang Information ...
Bookings: info@pseudo-slang.com
Web: brent@pseudo-slang.com
http://www.pseudo-slang.com

ARTISTS I LIKE: SAGE VAUGHN

check this awesome video from a few years back and if you like the visuals and are in the London area, go peep the show at the Lazarides Gallery.

I love the style of animation on this and the illustrations look pretty cool too.

One love Sage Vaughn...good sh1t!
WAN

Sabe and Bates

This is how Bates and Sabe do...


ashwan

Inheritance Wax Mix Tape...OUT NOW

Inheritance Wax started a few years ago, when Ashwan was working part time with the elderly in Liverpool, UK. As they passed on, families would come and clear their homes of all belongings which inevitably meant whole record collections being thrown out each time.

Being a dj and producer, as well as nostalgic for the days when you could walk into some ones place, glance at the record collection and book shelf and get a sense of what that person is about, Ashwan salvaged the records and set about making new record covers and sampling and remixing the original vinyl to create new art from the old.

The project is heavily hip hop influenced but instead of hours of crate digging, the sample base has come from this limited palate, with the hope that a different and unique sound will entail that also somehow pays tribute to the artists Liverpool roots.

The music is free to download, while the original vinyl covers will be sealed in air tight bubbles for preservation, turning the discarded object back into one of value and meaning.  These will be exhibited together with the music over the coming months in the UK and across Europe. Please check www.ashwan.co.uk for up to date information on these.

You can download the mixtape here (it fits on one side of a C90):

http://ashwan.bandcamp.com/album/inheritance-wax

Inheritance Wax released TODAY, 27^th March, 2011

ENJOY!

www.ashwan.co.uk

OLD SKOOL

(photo by Ivana Flores)

good to get out and about with your art every now and then...this was from the Walking Gallery in February.
wanted to spend some time with this piece as I love it and it is on its way to a charity auction.
Hopefully it will raise some cash and awareness for Kids In Danger.

(photo by Damian El Termita)

ashwan

more random barcelona graffiti

more random barcelona street pieces...if you know any of the writers names, please feel free to credit them in the comments below.

the top image is 'astro' and the last image of the abstracted face is by an Irish guy called Fis. 

One of the tightest writers in terms of style is a girl who works with Montana, but I cannot remember her name right now!!! haha...sorry! anyways, she did the green letters about 6 down from the top. old skool NYC style, reminds me of something by Skeme or Tkid from back in the day.