So, we have an apology to make – July kind of slipped by and we didn’t get our monthly list of favourites completed on time (can you see the shame on our face? We look like a dog who got into the rubbish). But don’t fear, that means this month you get a two-for-one! We even made it a little bit bigger, so it is kind of an end of winter blockbuster. Grab some popcorn, slurp your soda and check out the things we loved from the last 8 weeks!
The Giant Cans Get a Refresh
The Giant Cans on St Asaph Street are designed to be split between free wall spaces (the three cans to the east) and more permanent works (the three cans to the south-west). To keep things fresh, the three ‘permanent’ cans are re-painted routinely and the latest transformation was a unique collaboration between Jacob Yikes, Ikarus and Jessie Rawcliffe – a sprawling tribute to Dragonball creator Akira Toriyama. Mixing familiar landscapes and characters with the artists’ signature styles, it has to be said that the work is “over 9000!”…
Ghstie Goes Nostalgic…
We have loved finding Ghstie’s three-eyed tributes to the cartoons of our past – whether Slimer from Ghostbusters or Casey Kelp from the Snorks, we are suckers for a trip down memory lane…
FSA Catch the Train
With their signature flair in full monochrome effect, the FSA’s crew’s tribute to subway trains and graffiti is both a bold addition to the Manchester Street bus stops and a wink to the subversive culture…
Rest in Peace…
Just like Ghstie’s slaps, Dark Ballad’s reflective stickers bring some nostalgic heat with the stencilled image of wrestling legend The Undertaker, fitting for an artist with a love of life’s darker side!
Drows’ Connection
We were proud to support the production of Drows’ striking Connection on Colombo Street – an activation of a long vacant site by the Christchurch City Council. Alongside the landscaping of the area, Drows’ colourful hoarding work speaks of his, and by extension the viewers’, connection to place – from the maunga to the awa and beyond, Connection is at once personal and universal…
A Summery New Brighton Jam…
It is always good to stumble upon a surprise, and when we noticed some activity across the carpark on a quick trip to New Brighton, we had to investigate… We quickly found members of the DTR crew, Dcypher, Ikarus and Drows, along with Jessie Rawcliffe refreshing a popular wall, a good reminder of Summer’s impending arrival and the increased activity that is sure to come with the longer days…
Just Eating my Iskender…
We love a little story and wandering down Hereford Lane, we couldn’t help but be struck by the poetic tone of Kaepe’s waxy statement. We love our city, but that doesn’t mean it is perfect, and sometimes, it is the margins that remind us…
Monti in New Brighton…
We love Monti Masiu’s paintings, celebrations of his Tongan heritage in striking compositions that are both traditional and contemporary. His work on a temporary hoarding in New Brighton is awash in warm brown, ochre and orange tones, brightening up an otherwise stolid setting…
Jacob Yikes at Smiths City
Jacob Yikes is one of Ōtautahi’s most iconic urban artists, with his instantly recognisable style and aesthetic, so it was fitting that he adorn the iconic Smiths City premises on Colombo Street, a local company that has been in the location since 1918, familiar to generations of Cantabrians. We love the vibrant tones and serene scene…
teethlikescrewdrivers’ Doodle Session
We were stoked to launch our new Doodle Session video series – where we chat to artists while they draw – exploring their process and their creative mindsets. First up is teethlikescrewdrivers, who ran through a range of his fixations, from chairs and pencils to words and self-portraits – a lovely, chaotic, creative ramble! Stay tuned for episode two – it will be live by the time you read this!
They were our highlights for July and August – let us know what you think!
Our new Doodle Session series is a deep dive into the creative process of some of our favourite artists. We sit down and let the creative energy flow as they draw, doodle and mark a page, all while we ask a few questions and explore what makes them tick, the role drawing plays, and how it all comes together.
Episode one of our Doodle Sessions features none other than teethlikescrewdrivers – whose energy is evident in the way he annotates our conversation with drawings, from school chairs to pencils, self-portraits to phrases – check it out and get inspired!
Keep an eye out for future episodes on our YouTube channel!
Kophie a.k.a Meep One is such a prominent part of the Ōtautahi and wider Aotearoa scene that it is hard to believe she has not staged a solo exhibition of work – until now! Trials is the artist’s first foray into a solo gallery exhibition, fittingly staged during the 2024 Christchurch Hip Hop and hosted by Fibre Gallery, key connections for Meep, whose work is rooted in the influence of graffiti and hip hop culture and her proud bi-cultural Dutch and Samoan heritage. While gaining widespread attention for her public mural work, Meep is well-versed in studio work, from painting to design and even fashion and jewellery. Trials will focus on her imaginative creative output without the restrictions of public commission conditions. A fiercely principled individual, Meep’s art is always imbued with meanings and discourses drawn from her experiences and observations, even when it appears more surreal than topical. We sat down with Kophie to chat about Trials, the process of bringing it all together, hip hop culture, subversive influences, and a number of other topics…
Your upcoming exhibition, Trials, will be staged at Fibre Gallery in October – I was surprised that this will be your first solo exhibition, for someone with your body of work and profile, it’s been a long time coming…
Yeah, I’ve always wanted to do it, I just haven’t really had the guts! It’s been terrifying because I really don’t like being the centre of attention or anything like that. But art is an important part of my life, and it has been ever since I was born really, so I’m happy to finally do it. I’ve wanted to do a show with a big research project behind it for ages, but it’s just too much and it’s hard to get funding for that scale, so for this show I’m focussed on painting stuff that I want to paint in the moment, experimenting and just showing it really…
There is so much work that goes into organising a show, the logistics of funding it and organising a venue, the promotion and all those things, but an exhibition also needs to have something to say, and it takes time to develop a body of work out of formative ideas. The fact that this has taken a while to manifest, does that mean you feel more confident in terms of what you’re saying?
Yeah, and I feel like once I get my first show out of the way, then I won’t feel so stressed about doing it again. In the past I have put too much pressure on myself to make it perfect, but I have just let that go and just made art.
Trials is taking place as part of the 2024 Christchurch Hip Hop Summit. The influence of hip hop has always been a strong element of your work, how much did street culture, graffiti and hip hop inspire this exhibition?
One of my first introductions to graffiti was seeing the wall at Waltham Park from the first Hip Hop Summit in Christchurch, and the guys from the Summit team have always been supportive of me. I was supposed to do one for last year’s Summit, but I wasn’t able to secure funding, so they’re kind of making me do it this year! Hip hop and graffiti are a massive part of my inspiration, and so is street culture in general, like skateboarding. I wasn’t good at skateboarding, but I was around the culture. Growing up in Wanaka, it’s very outdoorsy, so things like snowboarding were also an influence. Then we moved to Christchurch and seeing all the graffiti when I was a teenager was a big part of my growing up. Once I was transfixed with graffiti and art, apart from non-stop drawing, I would always either bunk or walk after school to the South Library and pour over all the graffiti, art and skateboarding books they had there at the time. When I was at school, I would just sit in class and basically draw on myself all day. A lot of the stuff in Trials is inspired by that feeling I had when I was younger and seeing graffiti for the first time and how the world was back then without social media. I think there is a nostalgia for that time, most days I just want to throw it all out the window and just play in the street like I did when I was a kid. It just seems like the world now is completely different…
I assume the show’s title refers to the trials and tribulations that you’ve been through, but it also suggests the concept of criminality that is associated with graffiti, the challenge of transitioning graffiti into a career in the arts, and perhaps the trials of modern-day life, especially the impact of technology and social media. Was the title intentionally so wide-reaching in its suggestions?
Yeah definitely, when I was trying to think of a name, I wanted something that had multiple meanings. The name evokes the trials I have been through to get to where I am now. I guess I had a hard upbringing, but despite dropping out of school, I was able to get an education and then to do what I do now, I’m very grateful of how far I’ve come and how I’ve gotten through all that. Trials also reflects the fact that I wanted to do a lot of experimentation in this body of work. I’ve had so many ideas for so long and I just haven’t had time or the ability to take time from work and focus on painting. It takes a lot of time and money, which is proving to be difficult even right now. I start at 9am and then finish at 9pm and I’m still working on the same painting…
Obviously, there are a lot of very personal aspects embedded in the show, but something I admire in your work is that when you are painting real people, including your self-portraits, you imbue your subjects with a symbolic quality, a feeling of being an archetype rather than an explicitly specific person…
I like to create the whole character. I don’t like doing realism, it’s not something that I really enjoy. It’s just a skill rather than being able to use creativity and imagination. So, for this show there is a lot more of my cartoony stuff, abstracted and surrealist stuff, subversive stuff. There are a lot of hidden messages. I find straight ahead realism quite boring because you are just painting what’s there. I want to create characters from scratch and give them back stories that reflect how I was feeling in that moment or something that inspired me. I doodle all the time, so I’ve taken a lot of stuff that I have drawn and remember how I was feeling and then I try to turn them into better works…
What does the process look like? How do you go about taking an initial drawing that captures an idea and turning it into a more polished painting?
Working on an iPad makes it a lot easier because I just take a photo of a random sketch and refine it. It’s easier to play with colours and stuff before I paint it. But other times, I just start drawing on a piece of wood or canvas and then I just paint it. So, some of them have a refined sketch, some of them don’t. I’m mostly playing with oil and acrylics on ply, which is my favourite surface. I’m largely using recycled ply that I’ve cut into shapes, it’s reminiscent of some of my paste-ups in the past, big cut out figures, but they’re on ply and nicely painted. There are probably only going to be two real portraits, one inspired by me, because it’s hard to get a reference photo of someone else and I don’t want to use AI, and one of Callum [Kophie’s partner, who is currently finishing a music production degree in Australia] because I miss him! But in both cases, they’re not just portraits, they’re abstracted and stylised, with stories behind them.
You mentioned the presence of subversive elements in your work. How important is working in the studio for the expression of subversion when you are increasingly creating commissioned public works where creative freedom is lessened? Does that become part of that nostalgic element that you’re looking for as well?
Yeah, one hundred per cent. I feel like a lot of my big murals are be watered down a lot because of the client relationship, so this show does take me back to my roots. I’ve always been outspoken and political. I care about issues, so that’s always been a central part of my work. In my first year of study, we had to draw a portrait of a friend. He told me he worked in the meat works, so I drew him like Hannibal Lecter as a joke, and I made this big melting-globe-world-monster thing, and a fish made of scrap materials symbolizing a radioactive fish after the Fukushima disaster, which had just occurred. I guess it comes from the influence of satire, political art, like Obey, and the likes of Adbusters. Skate graphics as well, they have a history of being subversive and they definitely influenced me. That stuff’s always been cool to me. I played a lot of video games growing up and they always had funny subversive stuff, like in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, there was a Sasquatch character…
I like that with games now, where you see custom builds and skins, so you’ll have these relatively normal worlds, and then, all of a sudden, they’re populated by giant bananas. The more ridiculous something is, the more it reveals the underlying absurdity of what we perceive as normal…
I like the balance of silly but serious at the same time, it makes you think. All my works are very topical in one way or another, some are just more obvious than others. I feel like a big thing in my work is the impending doom of climate change and how we are all heading towards a fiery death, but no one seems to care. It’s just like head in the sand stuff…
It’s that whole This Is Fine meme, the dog sitting in a flaming room…
That’s exactly the aesthetic, that whole ‘I’m fine’ thing…
We have discussed some of the themes and subject, but is this body of work a progression in terms of visual style?
I feel like it’s me being true to my original style. If you look at my old workbooks, I drew the same sort of stuff but just way worse, so it is an evolution of that. I haven’t really been able to paint big versions of my sketches. I do a little bit in my graffiti when I have enough paint, but not as much as I would like.
It feels like a balancing act of how to express yourself in different spaces…
I guess it comes back to the duality of doing illegal stuff while also trying to go to meetings and be professional. I always feel so fake in a way. But I look at businesspeople who are doing horrendous shit and they don’t bat an eyelid. I’m a genuine person that sticks to their guns, so I just feel really weird about living a double life. I don’t know how to act half the time…
How do you think the idea of a more genuine expression relates to the broader context of hip hop? At its heart, hip hop is very much a DIY culture, but it also has been through so many incarnations; you had the earlier stages of hip hop, street parties and making something from little or nothing, then you had the ‘get cash’ and bling kind of attitude of the nineties onwards, that hustle ethos, and now hip hop has evolved into something different again as it is more commercial today. What hip hop ethos do you identify with most strongly?
I guess hip hop has become very commercialised nowadays and I never want to be a commercial sort of artist. I just want to be someone who makes art about things that are happening in the present moment. I like a lot of underground music.With the Full Steam Ahead crew, we wanted to try and incorporate all the hip hop elements. Even though we mainly do graffiti and rap at the moment, we do have B-Boys in the crew. I love the origins of hip hop. Street wear, clothing and fashion is also a big part of my inspiration. When I was a kid, a lot of the time I would just draw the different outfits that I dreamed of having because I had to wear second hand clothes. It wasn’t cool to wear second hand clothes then! I would draw all sorts of cool outfits. I’d draw girls and then cut them out and make them different outfits like paper dolls. I thought I was going to be a fashion designer! Drawing my characters with cool clothes and accessories is a central part of my art, I guess. The t-shirt as an important platform for messages is another idea I really like. When I was painting recently, I was thinking about all the clothes I had when I was a teenager and stuff, I had this cool t-shirt that said like ‘Big Brother is Watching’ from the 2000s, why did I get rid of it! I want to paint it now, just thinking about that!
That captures the DIY element of hip hop for me, it was created by young people who didn’t have access to things so they made use of what they could, whether it was street corners or subway trains…
That’s definitely a central part of my work and my whole life really. I’ve always made stuff that I didn’t have. I’d make clothes for my dolls from scratch or like second hand fabrics. I just did it out of necessity really. Even now, like I built a fence at home when we needed one. I make do with what I have, I upcycle things, I learn to make and fix what I can. I have always been a DIY type. I’d cut out posters from free magazines when I was a kid, take the posters and cut them up and collage them and poster my room with them. I don’t know, it’s always been like that. I made the hat I’m wearing because I was playing the video game Harry Potter Legacy, and I liked the hat one of the characters was wearing. I was like, I need it, so I made it. My art has always been from second hand stuff or acquired items. Right now, I’m using recycled ply because I had it. It comes down to my ethos of not buying new things for the good of sustainability. Everything nowadays is so crappily made anyway.
The clothing your subjects wear is important, whether a t-shirt with a message or your works that explore Pasifika identity and traditional clothing, these are a reflection of your background and the way fashion has always been so important to hip hop, punk, any kind of street culture…
Yeah, I made the weirdest outfits when I was a teenager. I had a big emo phase and a Boy George phase, like an eighties phase, a gangster phase, haha. I think fashion plays a big part in personal expression, so it is important in my artwork. Especially drawing things that I couldn’t get or creating my own fashion designs…
I want to see some photos of Boy George era Kophie! You mentioned your crew Full Steam Ahead, but of course you are now also a member of TMD [The Most Dedicated]. How big an impact has that had on your work, knowing you are part of a globally celebrated creative collective? Does that bring pressure, or does it just reinforce your self-belief?
I mean, I think about it every single day because it blows my mind that I’m in TMD! I’m so inspired by everyone in the crew. When I was younger, I would use my friend’s computer, because I didn’t have one at home, just to look at pictures of TMD productions and stuff, so it blows my mind really. It did give me the push in confidence to have my own exhibition, because I wanted to in the past, but I was worried that no one would really come or turn up, but I have gotten to the point now that I don’t really care anymore. I am also not making art to for the intention of anyone buying or anything like that, I’m making it because it’s stuff that I’ve always wanted to make and it’s a reflection of myself. Although it is all for sale!
That’s really important I think, because it is quite rare. For a lot of people an exhibition is a way to sell work, to make money, so to have an exhibition where you can be more honest in terms of what you want to say and you can make work that’s important to you, it must make the whole process more satisfying on a personal level…
Yeah, as I mentioned, I wanted to do a whole research aspect and have detailed stories behind each work, but I didn’t have the time and funds to do all that. But it feels more freeing to just do what I feel like doing in the moment and do whatever is topical or influenced by whatever podcast I’m listening to, or if I’m angry or sad or happy, then make something based around that. I feel like it takes the pressure off, and I feel like it gives it more authenticity…
Do you have a defined idea of how the whole show will look?
Sort of, but not really. I’m not sure if they will all really match or anything, it’s just like my brain spilling onto a painting. But I have four paintings so far, and it’s quite a big space so I’ll see what happens. It was quite a short turn around, they asked me a couple of months ago, so I guess I’ve had four months to get it all ready, which sounds like a long time, but it’s not really, especially when you’re trying to do a hundred other things. Paintings take so much longer than anything else. But yeah, I’ll see what I can do!
Who do you want to thank?
Red and Tommy from the Hip Hop Summit and YCD [Youth & Cultural Development], Nina from Fibre Gallery for making me do it, Selina and the FSA and TMD crews, and of course, Callum!
What do people need to know about Trials?
The show will open on the 4th of October at Fibre Gallery on Cashel Street, where my mural Navigation is on the side of the building. I think it opens at 6pm. We have DJ INFARED playing. I might bring some Speights…
The next artist in control of our ever-growing music playlist is Noose! The man behind Rinley’s Writer Supplies took some time out to give us a selection of tracks that soundtrack his painting career – as he explains, music plays a key role in setting the tone for his work: “Music for me while I’m painting gets me moving and flowing while painting helps me tune out and lets the muscle memory kick in.” A diverse range of tunes reflects Noose’s different moods and influences, but also the full spectrum of the graffiti experience; from shout outs to the local graffiti scene, to each stage of painting and all the drama that goes with it – whether its blissful peace or angry rage, this selection perfectly encapsulates the culture… Check it out!
Frankie Valli – Grease
This is for the flow state you get into when having a good day piecing…
CeCe Peniston – Finally
The rhythm of this song is the feeling you get when you pull a long swooping line on a outline…
The Rolling Stones – Midnight Rambler
A great song to fill a piece to, the bumpiness of the song gets you in a great rhythm for filling…
The Smiths – What Difference Does It Make?
This song is for when my piece isn’t coming out like I thought it would and I’ve given up all hope…
Viagra Boys – Research Chemicals
This is for street bombing after 4-5 pints at a pub of your choice…
Lost Boyz – Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimas and Benz
The feeling driving home after painting a freight or a sick piece…
Black Moon – I Got Cha Opin
For the inner rage when you see someone has gone over you…
When you bring together three heavy hitting talents, the results should always be something special – and the latest refresh of the ‘permanent’ Giant Cans is testament to that truth! When we approached Ikarus, Jacob Yikes and Jessie Rawcliffe to paint the steel cylinders, we challenged them to take a different approach – rather than painting one can each, we asked the three artists to create a collaboration across the three cans. The result is stunning!
The three artists united behind a love of anime and specifically Dragon Ball – the iconic Japanese Manga – a fitting subject given the series’ creator Akira Toriyama had passed away in March 2024. The artists them considered ways to incorporate their signature styles within the familiar aesthetic of Toriyama’s world and beloved characters – exploring the potential and challenges of the circular shapes and multiple viewpoints – the result is a stunning, whirring work that is vibrant and intriguing.
Yikes’ otherworldly style is evident in the green, almost alien, landscape in which characters sit, framed as if contained within comic book panels. The giant dragon Shenron wraps around the three cans, entwining the setting within his mystical presence, clutching the magical, titular Dragon Balls. Rawcliffe’s realism is deployed to depict stylised versions of Pan and Android 18, giving new life to familiar characters. Ikarus’ graffiti traditions are evident in the bolts of text that add a sense of onomatopoeia to the scene, an energetic presence. Traditional representations of Goku and Vegeta, perhaps two of the most famous characters in the saga, and the cat-like Puar, add to the scene.
The various aspects combine into a cohesive production, but also present the need to move about, to explore different vantage points and lines of sight. Time to see it for yourself!
Street Treats is back with some tasty finds from Ōtautahi’s urban landscape. A reminder that we need to celebrate the little things that make us laugh, smile, think, curse, cry and everything in between. After all, what is a city but a site for each of us to exist and express ourselves? Each piece showcased here is the result of an action, a decision to leave something for others to encounter, a realisation that we can impact the experience of our fellow citizens. Sure, this sounds overly dramatic for a collection of peeling stickers and scrawled massages. But think a little deeper about what they each represent and what they contrast with, it makes the city an infinitely more interesting place. From twisted familiar icons to mysterious new names, a number of throwbacks, some political protest and humorous notations, this collection is a reminder of the myriad voices that make up our city…
This volume features: Klaudia Bartos, Dark Ballad, Sleeper, Bols, K.T., Dcypher, SPIKE, M+H, Ghstie, Misery, Fiasko, Jessie Rawcliffe and more…
Like all good garage sale-rs (I’m not sure about you, but I think ‘garage sailors’ is an apt moniker, maybe we can start a trend), we rugged up and got there early for the opening of Daken’s Garage Sale with Lucky Dips at Absolution Tattoo and Piercing in the Arts Centre. A tribute to Kiwiana and nostalgia, with lots of playful mash-ups and pop culture references, Daken’s concept for a good old fashioned garage sale was imbued with his always present sense of humour and earnest drive to make things. Like any good garage sale, there were surprising treasures, with accompanying ephemera, from vintage cassette tapes to a Donkey Kong board game and a Bunnings T-Shirt, to a raft of familiar influences; Bumble, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Four Square and more. For a healthy dose of charming fun, check out Garage Sale with Lucky Dips at Absolution and pick up a few treasures!
If you have an exhibition opening coming, let us know – email us at [email protected]
May, it was a month of many spinning plates. Here in Ōtautahi, there were the ongoing discussions of local politics as the city planned for our future with the Long Term Plan, but there was also Mother’s Day, Star Wars Day and, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, No Socks Day and Root Canal Appreciation Day (both May 8th). It is fair to say there was a lot going on. But it was also a time where we might expect outdoor art to slow down as the temperatures plummet, so what did we find and what did we love? Well, it turns out there was plenty to do and see, from exhibitions to new works, big and small, and even new ways of looking at Ōtautahi. Read on and find out what we loved in May 2024!
Daken – Garage Sale with Lucky Dips @ Absolution
Our pal Daken staged a fun solo show at Absolution, drawing on his love for childhood nostalgia, Kiwiana and bootleg goodness. Garage Sale with Luck Dips included custom toys, airbrushed vintage t-shirts and, of course, surprises wrapped in paper for punters to take a chance. Our personal favourites? Definitely the dismembered Star Wars and G.I. Joe “bootlegs”, the Thinking Ape painted on a vintage Donkey Kong board game and the customised Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt that immediately evoked the original, practical movie costumes, altogether now, T-U-R-T-L-E Power…
Ghostcat’s Leave No Trace Trail Expands…
Ghostcat‘s public trail of reminders of Ōtautahi’s past continues to grow and for many children of the 80s and 90s, the latest addition is especially memorable. The small silver disc may not be easy to spot on Gloucester Street, especially against the similarly coloured lamp post, but a closer inspection reveals it to be one of the iconic tokens from beloved video game arcade Wizards, formerly located just metres away. With more to come, it is worth exploring this touching project and the forthcoming Ghosts on Every Corner exhibition and publication…
Dcypher @ Mexicanos
Dcypher continues to remind us all of his talent with a striking addition to Mexicano’s Restaurant on Victoria Street. The radiant winged Virgin, occupying an expansive desert scene, fits perfectly with the popular eatery’s aesthetic – more please (that’s more tacos, more margaritas and more art)!
The City After Dark
As the city gets dark earlier in the evening, it is interesting to explore the art that takes on a different appearance in a vacated setting bathed in different light – like this DTR production on Manchester Street. From works illuminated by lighting to projected artworks and light installations, Ōtautahi is a surprising setting even after the sun goes down…
Love Everyone…
We couldn’t help but include this little mantra scrawled on one of the giant cans on St Asaph Street – Love Yourself, Love Everyone, Love Vampires. Sounds like good advice…
April is that strange period when Daylight Savings ends and yet there is still a late afternoon glow that makes you realise that we are not yet fully ensconced in Winter. There is an optimism found in that glow, one that masks the panic that often sets in when you click that we are a third of the way through the year. I guess April feels like a lovely, calm swansong. And importantly, the longer nights, before it gets too cold, allow for a bit more creative activity, whether outside or in the studio (depending on your personal preferences) – the grandeur of Summer and large-scale murals replaced with a smaller sense of possibility. What did we love in April? Read on and find out…
Dove @ The Climate Action Campus
There is some real action taking place at the Avonside site of the Climate Action Campus, with the A-Maze-Ink art trail allowing artists the opportunity to brighten the walls with artwork that illuminates the campus kaupapa. One of our favourites is Dove‘s striking painting of a tauhou and korimako against a busy background – an example of the artist’s smooth style, the work is at once calming and energetic.
Freshly Wet Paste-Ups
We love seeing a flurry of activity on the streets, so the recent installation of a series of large paste-up works across the city by Dark Ballad and Klaudia Bartos gave us a real shot in the arm. From the nightmarish darkness of Dark Ballad’s wood-block works to the twisted visages of Klaudia’s characters, the stark black and white works are just delightful… ly disarming.
Alfa and Teknq in New Brighton
Clearly visible as I drive home, I have loved watching this collab between TEKNQ and ALFA come together – even if it has proven a distraction from attentive driving. The fiery colour palette of the pieces, accompanied by the Skull Kid character from the Legend of Zelda – Majora’s Mask game, add an ominous quality but also perfectly play off the existing wall and building’s qualities.
Vice Australia X Meep
We can’t reveal too much as the video is still in post-production, but we had a blast hanging out with local superstar Kophie a.k.a Meep and the crew from Vice Australia as they explored Ōtautahi Christchurch’s varied offerings – spanning our city’s eats, treats and streets! Stay tuned for the end product…
Shōgun
As the weather becomes perfect for spending time indoors, it is a good chance to share what we have been watching – and nothing has been as good as Shōgun on Disney+! Based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, the series explores the political machinations of 17th Century Japan. Centred on Yoshii Toranaga, John Blackthorne, Lady Mariko and the charismatic Yabushige, the show revels in the delicious details and the subterfuge of “men talking in rooms” (thanks House of R podcast). After one episode, we were hooked and a binge followed – dive in!
These were our picks, what caught your eye in April? Let us know in the comments…
Ōtautahi is changing. This might sound obvious for a city that has literally faced a massive rebuild – of course it is changing. But, the change that feels most prevalent right now reflects a greater sense of control and order – the spaces of opportunity are dissipating, filling with shiny new buildings. Of course, this is inevitable, we like shiny things, generally. But it changes the way we think about possibility. New things are to be preserved and maintained, we seek the liminal spaces for exploration. This change makes Street Treats even more important – recognising the way street art adapts to new environments and responds to prevailing landscapes. Street art reminds us that there are alternatives, that there are comments, that there are possibilities. The streets speak…
Unknown Artist – Free Free PalestineLeft: Dark Ballad, Right: Unknown ArtistUnknown Artist – HandalaVarious ArtistsUnknown Artist – Light ‘Em Up SuckersUnknown Artist – The T_eaty of WaitangiUnknown Artist – MilhouseBolsBolsBloom – Little Street BloomsBloomBloomLydia Hannah Thomas – ColaKlaudia BartosKlaudia BartosFOULMORKS
Want to contribute to the next Street Treats volume? Email us your flicks at [email protected]…
