Dutch Masters
Street Art & Urban Painting
08/07/2006 t/m 08/10/2006
Street Art uses the street as both its canvas and its exhibition space. The work can range from stickers, posters, stencils and spray-painted texts or images right through to objects placed in the street – or any combination of these. Street Art is officially illegal. Believing that public spaces belong to us all, its creators appropriate them to bring their work and ideas to the attention of casual passers-by. The art form traces its roots to the punk movement and graffiti culture and these days exists underground, below the smooth surface of the mainstream art world.
Street Art is a typically urban phenomenon and has come since the 1970s to be an everyday part of life in major cities like New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and Amsterdam. Although this form of underground art rarely makes it into the museums, it has attracted huge interest in recent years and can now be found in magazines, on the internet and in advertisements.
As well as Street Art (which, as the name suggests, is made only outdoors), the exhibition will also include Urban Painting: the collective term for the painted work of artists who work sometimes, but not always, in the open-air urban environment. The artists featured in this exhibition in and around the GEM have two things in common: they make and exhibit their work both in the street and in art galleries and they help to shape the visual and youth culture of our day. Each of them will be given a dedicated space within the GEM. Painted work will be the main focus, but the show is also likely to include video animations and 3-D objects.
Designers Toys
Together with Street Art & Urban Painting, the GEM is presenting a wide selection of Designer Toys, another phenomenon generated by the urban arts world. The fashion for these collectors’ items originated in Japan and Hong Kong but has now hit the US and Europe in a big way. Major artists in the world of graphic design, graffiti, music, fashion and video are involved in the creation of the toys, most of which are produced in limited editions. The craze for them has given rise to a whole subculture, with online communities, exhibitions, a magazine and heavily- attended specialist fairs.
Dutch Masters has been co-initiated by magazine RELOAD and the Urban Arts Foundation. The exhibition makers are Peter van Rhoon, Hugo Mulder and Anneloes van Gaalen. The event will be accompanied by an exhibition catalogue and a temporary shop at the GEM stocking a range of relevant material, including various limited editions. Dutch Masters shows work by:
The London Police (Chaz, 1974, Amsterdam) Three English geezers started out in 1998, rejuvenating the streets of Amsterdam with their lads: happy, iconic black and white characters. After that the lads popped up in London, Brussels, Barcelona, Milan, Berlin, New York, L.A. and even Tokio, both kingsize and smallscale. www.thelondonpolice.com.
Bob Gibson (1977, Amsterdam) One of the founders of The London Police. Fascinated by big cities and architecture Gibson creates ‘urban panoramas’: fictional landscapes filled with urban icons that express a myriad of emotions. For Dutch Masters Bob and Chaz will once again join forces and make a multimedia installation. www.thelondonpolice.com.
Antistrot (2001, Rotterdam) Artist collective that hit the art world in 2001 with presentations in all kinds of spaces. The six members regard the collective as being of greater importance than the individual – their painting is a process of action and reaction. Antistrots work is exciting, raw, aesthetic, pornographic and at times extremely skillfull. www.antistrot.com
Wayne Horse (Wayne Lacrosse, 1981, Amsterdam) German Wayne Lacrosse produces such an outpour that he is virtually a one-man collective, using painting, video, calligraphy, animation and internet in a style based on comic books, graffiti and the pop culture. Dutch Masters will feature a massive painting and several video’s. www.waynehorse.com
Zedz (1971, Amsterdam) Even after art academy Zedz remained active as a graffiti writer. He developed his own 3D-style based on very legible typography and was one of the first to combine graffiti with architectural objects. In Dutch Masters he willl show 'combat lettering styles': painted and sculpted letters. www.zedz.org
Bfree (Merijn Hos, 1978, Utrecht) Known for happy, colourful characters inspired by children’s illustrations from the seventies and eighties. For Dutch Masters Bfree will create a big collage in which his world literally becomes tangible. www.bfreeone.com
Via Via (Lennard Schuurmans, 1979, Rotterdam) Freelance artist, illustrator and designer for books, cloting and record labels. Known for his perfomances as a ‘live painter’ at (music) festivals. For Dutch Masters he will treat the visitors to some live painting. www.v-i-a-v-i-a.nl
DHM (Hugo Mulder, 1972, Amsterdam) Started with graffiti in the eighties, which lead him to typographical experiments. DHM’s characteristic tattoo-styled animals can be found all over the streets of Amsterdam, adding life to the city. DHM is co-curator of Dutch Masters and will create an urban jungle in a huge sticker collage. www.dhmdesign.nl
Super A (Stefan, 1981, Goes) Storyteller that loves to add things to the public space. Mixes photography with design, creating a world with a superhero, Super A – his alter ego. For Dutch Masters he will show paintings, clay dolls and, of course, his favourite superhero.
Faith71 (Donovan Spaanstra, 1971, Amsterdam) Spraycan master who also uses sticker art, showing talent for both hyperrealism and the abstract. In Dutch Masters he will show his series ‘Red Life Painting’, made in Amsterdams Red Light district. www.faith71.com
Two Things (Morcky/The Boghe, Amsterdam) TwoThings creates anything between music videos, graphics, animations to work on the streets, playing with perspective, interacting with the surroundings, using calligraphy and robots. www.twothings.net
outoforder (David Louf/Yves van Asten, 1971, Amsterdam) Duo that produces awardwinning design since 2000: art, video and interactieve productions. Their concept for Dutch Masters focusses on the temporary nature of art, using murals and videos. www.outoforder.nl
Laser 3.14 (1972, Amsterdam) The poet amongst the street artists, leaves poetic and philosophical statements in the streets of Amsterdam. Shouts out his heartfelt mission, using the city both as his canvas and megaphone. www.laser314.com
installation photos
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