POW! WOW! Long Beach 2015 Highlights
POW! WOW! Long Beach 2015 has concluded, yet the creation and display of art continues. We bring you the key events of the week and highlight a selection of murals that have helped bring Long Beach to life.
From sunny Long Beach as a location, to the street artists that filled it, there was a pulsating vibe that spread across the streets. POW! WOW! Long Beach 2015 brought with it a vibrant boost of creativity where visitors from near and far gathered. They had the opportunity to mingle with and be inspired by the local and international artists participating in the event who were set to engage with the community and transform the streets with murals and installations.
As proud media partners of the event we joined the festivities to bring you the best of POW! WOW! Long Beach 2015.
Among the events that drew our attention was a series of talks with some of the world’s most renowned artists. Among these was a 1-2-1 talk by Jeff Staple with French graffiti artist Fafi at the Art Theatre of Long Beach on Wednesday 24 June 2015. Entering the theatre, a range of items on display met the visitors including custom tote bags by Fafi, raising the excitement for the talk awaiting.
Inside the auditorium rows quickly filled to be met by a display of Fafi’s art on screen forming a background for Jeff Staple and Fafi herself seated on stage. The artist presented a captivating account of artistic practice and the development of her personal brand, all along her confident attitude shining through.
I’ve always related to the Bad Ass stuff
Recalling her early days in the French city of Toulouse, Fafi reminisced about how she thought her first painting ‘sucked’, yet she wanted to paint more. “I’ve always related to the Bad Ass stuff” she further noted, as she explained her choice to paint versus using type driven graffiti as was most popular when she started in 1994. Fafi explained how she had to leave France and become widely known in Japan before being recognised and desired by French companies like Colette. The artist went on to emphasise how great and important it is to make mistakes along the way, and that they should not be regarded as mistakes, but as learnings.
Finally, Fafi spoke about a festival she is organising in Toulouse, the pink city, of music, arts and master classes. Following her talk, the artist mingled with the visitors, drawing her famous characters and sharing advice on brushes and techniques.
Another key event as part of POW! WOW! Long Beach was the talk and screening The Deepest Depths of the Burrow, which was presented on Thursday 25 June 2015 at the Art Theatre of Long Beach. StapleThe night saw a full house in theatre, with Fafi among the audience to watch the film.
The film documented the adventures of Nychos, following his travels across the world as well as other members of the RABBIT EYE MOVEMENT. In the film Nychos commented that if he could pick any other city to call home it would be San Francisco. In this city he had arrived, not knowing anyone, yet was quickly introduced to significant people, and was enabled to paint a large-scale tiger mural in the tenderloin.
The film also included graffiti artist Paul Curtis who talked about his love for painting in a big city like his home Vienna. Also featured in the film, Los-Angeles based painter and designer Tristan Eaton who spoke about his hometown Detroit. According to Eaton, the abandoned grittiness of Detroit forms a wealth of inspiration for artists and musicians even though it seems like a view of ghosts of the past for other people. Artist and illustrator Vidam from Berlin made an interesting comparison between Modern day Detroit and post war Berlin.
Following the screening, Nychos took a few questions from the audience. Here the artist mentioned that the next city in which he would like to screen his film is in Paris, which he admires for its wealth of inspiration.
While the film screenings, talks and exhibitions have come to an end, the art of POW! WOW! Long Beach continues to flourish across the city with murals being created by the artists. Our picks for must-see murals include:
Hueman and Madsteez Mural
- J.W. Goodson’s Salon, 2205 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90803, United States.
James Jean and Tristan Eaton Mural
- The Varden, 335 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States.
Tristan Eaton and Nychos Mural
- Created on reclaimed panel for the Vitality and Verve: Transforming the Urban Landscape exhibition at the Long Beach Museum of Art, 2300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90803, United States. The exhibition will be on display until Sunday 27 September 2015.
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POW! WOW! Will continue to spread street art to cities across the world, inspiring communities in the process and creation of art. We will be there to continue bringing you the best of this world. Stay tuned.
Research: The Genolavis. Yasmine Molavi & Justin Genovese.
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