We’ve been talking about painting this new container park development for a while now, Sheik Abdulla and i. Working out what to paint, where the finished works would go, it’s a new thing for this mountainous corner of the UAE… new ground, corrugated surfaces and a different type of vibe. It’s the first part on a series of works for Grove village that will grow year on year…Watch this space…Grove Village
So this is first solo show in Paris, it was in the mid 80’s i first saw stencil work on the streets, Nemo, Blek le rat and others. These heroes inspired me to take up the scalpel and paint on the street. Paris has always had a rich stencil history, from 1968 till today and it is a great honour to show in this city.
A bit about the show written by the gallery
“Mind in the Gutter” is the name Dotmasters gave this exhibition. It evokes for him dubious intentions, ambiguous actions, all these unsavory and yet jubilant things. Faithful to the vandal and provocative essence of urban art, this title captures the artists’ state of mind, who, jovial and lucid, enjoys taboos, contradictions, new gods and the absurdity of our contemporary lifestyles.
The exhibition offers several levels of reading: one can appreciate it as a pop, offbeat and impertinent visual experience or read in it an ironic critique of today’s society. Dotmasters develops the concept of “high-end waste” with brass sculptures of chanel paper bags. Through this realization, he takes note, reinforces and plays on the ambiguity between marketing and works of art, between single piece and disposable goods, between aesthetic value and commercial production.
Second theme dear to the artist, rebellious and cheeky cherubim populate the works of Dotmasters. Made from photographs of her nieces, nephews and friends, these stencils bring a mischievous and indocent hue to the exhibition. The turbulent and transgressive little angels who speak out or show their fingers to the spectator remind us of the joy that arises from disorder, the creativity generated by chaos and especially the importance of not being earnest.
GCA Gallery PARIS – 2 place Farhat Hached – 75013 – Paris
du mardi au samedi de 11h30 à 18h30
Tél : +33 6 09 07 75 99
Open till the 16th of March
show catalogue here
Mind In the gutter is a show based on my obsession with the naughty, the unpalatable and taboo. The show finds beauty in the dross of life and the joy in disobedience. iI’s been 12 years now of living in the gutter and looking at the stars, and In this group of works I play with the idea of innocence and corruption. My work often has a conflict between right and wrong, photo real stencils of rubbish, high class brands trashed by sweet children swearing. There’s a joy in playing with taboos and off- key ideas with my tongue firmly in my cheek.
The show is at GCA Gallery PARIS – 2 place Farhat Hached – 75013 – Paris
So to celebrate my first solo show in Paris i am releasing this Chanel print (part of the trash bag series). Edition of 53 its a 14 colour silkscreen print 40cm x 40cm on 375GSM cotton rag paper, signed, numbered and embossed and as usual printed by the wonderful Mesh silkscreens. As usual available now from my website for £195 + postage and packing.
Buy here
So come by if your in town, theres a whole new body of work inspired by Paris. There are new rude kids, new wallpaper inspired by the art deco paris metro, cast brass sculptures, I’ve even made a light! Drop by it would be nice to see you.
Thanks to everyone who entered the #IAMHERE competition – lots of great entries made it hard for the judges.. Sorry it’s taken so long to announce the winners, things have been hectic and I’m travelling..
First prize and second prize goes to a brother and sister team all the way from Australia, who’s mum entered them both @rachelwood82 on twitter and @Maragrade on instagram.
Rachel says: “kids had a ball doing it & we got some great shots! We moved here from the country in Victoria, Australia in December. London has introduced us to the world of street art, and the kids are ALWAYS on the lookout for it now.” Good to see some rude kid vandals in training..
Third prize goes to @1singo from instagram who has the wonderful “You are here” tee shirt
Forth prize goes to @yasminecamilla, whose adorable daughter was made to pose for the competition – had to pick her because she is so damn cute.
Fifth prize goes to the enigmatic @wanderingairhostess.
Thanks to RISE Gallery and Croydon Rising festival for making it all happen..
Christmas is a time for gifts, and art is such a cracking gift it seems a shame that the prices always make it prohibitive to give it at this time of year. With that in mind i am releasing a affordable limited edition print for the festive season. ‘End of the line’ is printed by the wonderful Mesh silkscreens. Its a 70cm x 25 cm four colour silk screen print on 375 gsm cotton rag paper. An edition of 66 signed embossed and numbered for the Christmas cracker of a price of £65 and £10 P&P.
Release day is the 11th of December and will be available from this site.
I moved studios recently after 8 years…with 8 years worth of tat, cardboard tubes, knick knacks and trash. Some of this stuff i just haven’t got room for, some i am tired looking at it and some of it’s therapeutic. So its Competition Time! All you have to do is Photograph yourself under this flashing arrow behind East Croydon Station.
A few weeks ago for the #CroydonRising festival Croydon Council backed the installation of my I AM HERE sign See below :
Id like you to get your self down to Croydon ( details below ) Strike a pose! Be Fabulous… or not…make yourself known or at least memorable! Be imaginative? Be bold, brave, but be seen! Look at the lovely prizes on offer today!
50 x 50 test spray for larger diet life work
Silkscreen on Babinga veneer, 1m x 55cm
Ruler in for scale 1.5x 3.2m on fabrino paper robbie the robot test spray
detail
Ruler in for scale! Test spray on fabrino paper 2.1m x 1.5m
Mr potato test spray
A4 size work on aluminium
All you have to do make a post of yourself under the sign to win one of a number of the above work and prints. There are 5 prizes so and they will be given to the most deserving entry. Either Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, @Dotmasters with #IAMHERE #Croydon Rising
or email it to: info[ at ] dotmaster.co.uk with subject #IAMHERE
Competition ends 19th of October Winners announced 23rd Oct.
You gotta be in it to win it!
Its a regeneration zone so things change quickly round there, its of a new walkway off Dingwall road in Croydon that runs parallel with the tracks of East Croydon station
So heres the map location https://goo.gl/maps/PNbpvwjsEKS2
if you coming by train as you get off the train Its at the last left hand exit facing away from the station. and back into London , down the steps from the walkway and its in front of the steps.
I Believe there is a Croydon Rising App that helps you find all the new work around town here https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/rise-festival/id1420023039?mt=8
When we found out there was no Glastonbury 2018 we decided to take the Unfairground on tour. Having presented some of the sideshows in the Palace of Wonder (the late night spot at Fuji Rock) in 2012, when Glastonbury last rested the land, It seemed only natural to take the whole motley crew off to Naeba for 2018’s 20th anniversary of Fuji rock !
For our Japanese trip we recruited Unfairground favourites Ben Eine and Inkie on painting duties as well as Local legend Masagon and Myself. We packed Sam Haggerty’s sculptures into a shipping container or two and sent them off to Japan in May.
Pryratrix Circus Joined us to help entertain the crowds, with Born on road, Jagz Kooner and Jack from Children of acid providing the tunes for the weekend. In all a Uncrew of 50 headed off for the mountains of Naeba, taking a slice of site life to fields of Fuji rock.
Ben Eine mixes it up
Inkie’s kongee
Masagon went Dotty
And Dotty went freehand.
With the hottest weather on record, the Unfairground crew melted across the old Orange court. Thankfully The Typhoon that hit us Saturday night didn’t cause too much damage. We’d like to Thank Naeba and Yuzawa councils for inviting us, Smash go round for making it all happen and Bryan burton lewis for being so special. Thanks to all who came, threw some shapes and tagged us in those million photos that got taken! Thanks Guys it was real!
Supreme Trash
Edition of 55
16 colours on 375gsm Lambeth cotton rag
500mm x 500mm
Signed, numbered and blind stamped.
£185
Printed by Mesh Silkscreens, Bristol.
Released on Saturday the 5th of May at Graffik Gallery
There’s no Glastonbury this year so the Unfairground family are off on a rock and roll holiday to Fuji Rock Festival in Naeba Japan.
Each day at the festival see’s each one of our glastonbury venues, The Acid house, The bangin’ Salon Carousel and Jagz Kooner’s Acid lounge take control of the music with the scene set with sculptures from the Unfairgrounds own Ringmaster Sam Haggerty .
This years artists will be painting huge stand alone walls built against the backdrop of the Naeba mountains. Both Ben Eine and Inkie will be joining the Dotmasters and our fave local guy Masagon!
With The Pyratrix Circus bringing the performance side of crazy to the field, the whole unfairground Uncrew fam up sticks to a far flung field in the mountains of Japan.