So i’ve been painting a series of underpasses in Stavanger over the last few years, the latest collaborating with Martyn Reed . The idea is to make the wall look like the Summer show at the RA. The Royal academy Started in 1768 with a the type of show that was in style across Europe hanging the works with much of the walls covered by hundreds of frames these rooms were often called Salons shows.
The difference with this install is that all the easy to reach frames are empty waiting to be filled by passers by. It took 3 and a half days to put up close to a hundred frames. Thankfully i had help from Helga, calum and The J0n. On the last morning people had started to fill the frames with collage , acrylic paint and Pen. Looking forward to how this wall is going to progress, bit nervous too.
It was nice to be asked back to Nuart after a few years away from Stavanger. As i used to work on production for the festival, the visit was radically different to my previous years experiences. Coupled with the fact i was painting my new Gaffa-tape “Stick em” up series, it gave me a fresh pair of eyes to see the town and festival. No cherry pickers, no assistants and no confirmed walls meant i was free to wander the town and paint these little pieces on doors and electrical cabinets at my own pace.
In my opinion, the placement of art on the street is often key to the work’s success, both visually and, often, in terms of its longevity. It’s a dynamic that is hard to re-create during a festival, as artists from all over the world descend on a town or city with pre-ordered paint, ideas and walls. With artists wanting to go large, festivals wanting a mark worthy of the booking and a city wanting eye-candy to brighten its darkest corners, that placement is often overlooked. As a producer, i am only too well aware of the conflict between all the interests, the art form and its roots. So it was great when Martyn Reed offered a retro way of working for my trip to Nuart 2019.
A map showing the spots painted over the 4 days in town.
Nuart is a festival close to my heart, it’s always great fun and the shows in the beer halls at Tou have been some of my proudest production moments. It’s always a great crew thats easy to work with and a real party feeling for the week or two that you’re there. Loved a lot of the work around me and it was a pleasure to be asked back to take part
Above Oscar and Gabriel, local rude kids who have grown up with Nuart and who i’ve know through the festival since birth. This year they made it into the show.
I am sure you all know that feeling… After a big night out, you wake in the morning with that horrible feeling of dread and guilt at what has gone on the night before…Then you realise you probably got away with it? Then you remember you had a camera crew with you… Good job they are very good friends!
MZM PROJECTS” is an independent group formed in Ukraine by Kristina Borhes and Nazar Tymoshchuk, focused on research and documentation of the street art, graffiti, post-graffiti and other artistic practices in urban culture.
Well it’s been a busy, blurry week. Finally there is little to do other than travel home tired and a bit broken. A truly amazing week with a really nice bunch of people. This years Nuart had an amazing bunch of volunteers who helped us all paint walls, drive cars, find lost phones and generally provide the momentum that created the show. They are too numerous to mention, but i will try (if i’ve forgotten you, nudge me and i’ll add your name). Thank you Vegar, Andreas, Erik, Annette, Joanna ,Crystal, GT, Ove, Mirian, Gjoa, Graham, Chris, Emma, Nina, Trym, Liz, Ruth Adele, Epiphany and Thomas. The production team rocked and occasionally rolled. While we lick our self inflicted wounds and pick over the photos here’s a few of the ones i found this morning. There will be a steady stream over the coming weeks. Can’t wait to see the backstage shots that Kay Donnelly caught (it got very messy). Photographs below by Erik Furuland Photographs below by Ian CoxNuart was visited by the Cultural Minister for the Norwegian Government, just as you think you’re getting some sort of recognition, they have a bloody election and oust the buggers…oh well bet we will be favourites with the new right wing government….Not!
Well, thats it for another year, can’t wait to show you the silly side of the festival…coming soon!
It’s early days up at Tou for Nuart13, Roa, David Choe, Dot, Dot, Dot and myself have started popping up around town. The weathers great (for the moment) so we’re lapping it up. Loads more folk turn up at the weekend, and it looks like it’s going to be a busy week. It’s been a long time since i painted at Nuart, the last thing was the large Toy bear at the end of Pedersgate, so keeping with that theme… There’s a mean old Toy turf war going on out there, with Kewpie dolls lining out Action men, tin toy Robbie the robot having beef with Mr potato Head, there’s trouble in Toy town.
It’s often hard being an artist and head of production for Nuart, your often too busy to really make a mark and often facilitate other artists walls before turning to your own needs. So this is a call for walls, to you the people of Stavanger. Have a Dotmaster work upon your wall! I’ve been coming to the town for 8 odd years now…jeez… Half my bloody facebook is in Norwegian! So now its time to call in a few favours. I need some walls to host my own work around the town of Stavanger. I made around 5 over life size characters to dot around town (excuse the pun) and need a few walls that are 2.5m high by 1.8m-2.5m wide…Ring any bells? Perhaps the side of your house, shop or oil museum? Don’t hold back! it just needs to be flat (i know, i know, that cuts a lot of traditional houses, but…) any colour will be considered. If thats not you, then perhaps you know someone with wall, perhaps they have a boat, a business, an oil museum? If you do then mail mjolbo@gmail.com and ask for Super Marte
I’ve been working on some new surfaces and sub-straights, painting bags on bags and working out some new luxury and necessity brand bags to add to my piles (now that sounds wrong). There’s a few shows coming up the first is those nice guys at the Portobello film festival, This years show features works by myself and Joe Rush, Sickboy, Code FC, Lucy Sparrow, Teddy Baden, Peter Dunne, Solo One, Alex Wreckage, Cosmo, and Red Dog. This years show’s venue is the wonderful space at the Louise T Blouin Foundation. Then its off to Nuart with a whole new set of works for the streets of Stavanger.
With some works in a group show in Cape Town in early September its a hectic August. Oh yes and i forgot, the High strikers going to Bestival so look out for it there accompanied by the gobbler and the crack heads to add a twisted unfair corner to the festival.