BRP - V&A Exhibition + Book Launch + D*Face Print

[skitchy]

Got an email this morning inviting me to this..surprised it hasnt been mentioned yet, sorry if it has!

www.blackratprojects.com/event.php?id=45

Black Rat Projects would like to invite you to Street Art: Contemporary Prints from the V&A Exhibition and Book Launch.

Since 2007 BRP has been marking our artists’ developments in drawing, painting, printing and collage with the editions that we publish. Yet printmaking holds a unique status for those artists who work on the street: it serves not only to mark progress but it is also integral to the art making itself. It is through large-scale printing, etching, screen-printing and stenciling that artists who choose to work in the urban environment have been so prolific over the last couple of years.

As street art and the artists who use the city walls as their canvas become increasingly recognized as contemporary artists by the mainstream museum infrastructure, many of our prints have found themselves in the archives of national arts institutions, namely the Tate and the V&A in the UK, who also want to understand and mark the story.

At Black Rat Projects in April things take on a cyclical form as many of the prints BRP have published return to the gallery as part of the V&A’s collection of street art prints. We are delighted to host the exhibition curated by Riikka Kuittinen.

The preview evening of the exhibition will also be the launch party of the Street Art: Contemporary Prints Limited Edition publication which includes a small scale 9 colour screenprint by D*face. They will be available for £125 on the preview evening from 6-9pm on Thursday 14th April at Black Rat Projects



www.vandashop.com/product.php?xProd=8500&navlock=1

[happyshopper]

Should be a fun evening.
I'm not going for the book, but hopefully they'll have a lot of the prints featured in the book for sale... Will be nice to see them.

[djwent]

I'm hoping to get down there, looks like a good show, book looks rather nice as well.

[recycle]

Apart from the teenie tiny book prints, are there gonna be any large D*Face prints there?????

[mrblast]

Isn't this just the book that was released recently that a few of us on here bought? The same one that Amazon claimed to be stocking before messing everyone around?

[eschiff]

Apr 14, 2011 14:19:00 GMT 1 recycle said:

Apart from the teenie tiny book prints, are there gonna be any large D*Face prints there?????

there was one large print there, prices weren't listed, i'll try and get some pics up.

the book is pretty cool, nice little print in addition

[shootagain]

None of the prints are for sale, just for the beauty of our eyes ! Amazing collection though in a great location. The book is the chery on the cake, with a cool little D*Face print. Enjoyed it very much ;-)

[phatspider]

My book has been despatched and i should receive it v shortly Plus my ROA 12's will be here Sat am too

[HRE]

What art works where on display, any pics?

[gooooglemale]

personally i thought the collection was ok but nothng special. why pic Toxic Mary and Napalm to represent banksy? Ditto Care Bear for EINE. Some lovely prints from the slightly lesser known artists tho.

[reptonic]

Apr 14, 2011 15:41:49 GMT 1 mrblast said:

Isn't this just the book that was released recently that a few of us on here bought? The same one that Amazon claimed to be stocking before messing everyone around?

i think so, the pic above matches my copy that i got from v&a exactly. guess this is the other half of the batch.
.... which reminds me, amazon have been unusually quiet on that front, i might email them to ask where my book is

[jackcuzzy]

Did the book sell out?

[phatspider]

yeah i think so - though there was talk of some being held back for the show

[theycallmestephen]

Apr 14, 2011 21:50:50 GMT 1 shootagain said:

None of the prints are for sale, just for the beauty of our eyes ! Amazing collection though in a great location.

We must have been at different shows tonight as I thought that was by far the most disappointing and lazily put together show I’ve been to in a long time. I will agree that it was and is a great location though

With the exception of selling a mini D*Face print coupled with a book (essentially a Catalogue raisonné of tonight’s show) I cannot understand the point of it. If it was supposed to be a representation of ‘street art’ then it was such a poor selection of artists (on the whole) and prints that anyone new to the genre wouldn’t give it any time or credit. If it was supposed to showcase the V&A’s budding collection then I’d suggest they fire whoever’s been amassing it for them to date. If the V&A prides itself on its collection of arts to represent scenes/movements I would have to question the inclusion of 50% of the artists included tonight and ask why the best they could do for artists such as Eine was a Care Bear (?!?) and Scary (forgivable), for Shep 3 of his run of the mill/weekly print releases and for Banksy why they not only chose Monkey Queen and Napalm but why they chose to buy unsigned prints...it just struck me as lazy and more aligned with someone’s personal collection than that of an esteemed museum. The inclusion of the vast majority of lesser known artists is obvious by the amount of artist/gallery donations, as stated in the book, but if these are chosen to represent and mark a story for the V&A then something’s not right. The show didn’t even highlight the best of BRP’s work to date or the range of printing techniques they have used over the years so just seemed to have no purpose at all.

Surprised as BRP always seem to be so on the ball with these things and the involvement of the V&A gave the impression that the show would be more aligned with BRP’s ‘Now’s the time’ show last year which really summed up everything this show should have been.

[coach]

Apr 15, 2011 0:25:49 GMT 1 theycallmestephen said:

Apr 14, 2011 21:50:50 GMT 1 shootagain said:

None of the prints are for sale, just for the beauty of our eyes ! Amazing collection though in a great location.

We must have been at different shows tonight as I thought that was by far the most disappointing and lazily put together show I’ve been to in a long time. I will agree that it was and is a great location though

With the exception of selling a mini D*Face print coupled with a book (essentially a Catalogue raisonné of tonight’s show) I cannot understand the point of it. If it was supposed to be a representation of ‘street art’ then it was such a poor selection of artists (on the whole) and prints that anyone new to the genre wouldn’t give it any time or credit. If it was supposed to showcase the V&A’s budding collection then I’d suggest they fire whoever’s been amassing it for them to date. If the V&A prides itself on its collection of arts to represent scenes/movements I would have to question the inclusion of 50% of the artists included tonight and ask why the best they could do for artists such as Eine was a Care Bear (?!?) and Scary (forgivable), for Shep 3 of his run of the mill/weekly print releases and for Banksy why they not only chose Monkey Queen and Napalm but why they chose to buy unsigned prints...it just struck me as lazy and more aligned with someone’s personal collection than that of an esteemed museum. The inclusion of the vast majority of lesser known artists is obvious by the amount of artist/gallery donations, as stated in the book, but if these are chosen to represent and mark a story for the V&A then something’s not right. The show didn’t even highlight the best of BRP’s work to date or the range of printing techniques they have used over the years so just seemed to have no purpose at all.

Surprised as BRP always seem to be so on the ball with these things and the involvement of the V&A gave the impression that the show would be more aligned with BRP’s ‘Now’s the time’ show last year which really summed up everything this show should have been.

I am guessing that this is the same V&A show that was recently at the Herbert art gallery in Coventry, in which case I agree with you. I posted my own review of it at the time, suggesting that many frum members would have just as good collections in their home, from some of the pics that are posted on here by members.
It just seemed like an odd collection.

Sounds like a bit of a half arsed thrown together quick type of exhibit.

[eschiff]

gimme a minute, i'll get some pics up.

i agree with some of the posts, the sheps were very disappointing considering the HPMs that BRP has. I thought the Soto was very good as well as some artist i wasn't familiar with like Insect, Graeme Nimmo Kerry Roper, and Jamie Hewlett

[eschiff]

pics

artonanisland.blogspot.com/2011/04/brp-street-art-contemporary-prints.html

[djwent]

I was going to make the make the trek across London for this show next week, might give it a miss now reading these reviews.

[Deux Spin]

I enjoyed the show last night, Black Rat have an excellent space and whilst the selection wasn't necessarily what I would buy - each told a story and fitted into the theme of the show. The limited edition book and D*Face print are beautiful, I was actually going to bid on that print at the 6th April Dreweatts Auction - pleased I didnt because it made over 3x what I bought this edition for

[eschiff]

Apr 15, 2011 14:09:44 GMT 1 Deux Spin said:

I enjoyed the show last night, Black Rat have an excellent space and whilst the selection wasn't necessarily what I would buy - each told a story and fitted into the theme of the show. The limited edition book and D*Face print are beautiful, I was actually going to bid on that print at the 6th April Dreweatts Auction - pleased I didnt because it made over 3x what I bought this edition for

yeah, i agree, BRP just do a great job hosting an event. It maybe didn't live up to the last few (or 10) shows, but they deserve a pass.

Anyway, it wasn't terrible, still some good pieces.

[geoffw]

The show wasn't 'terrible' but I approached it as a book launch with artwork rather than an art show per se. The selection of artists seemed fine to me, with a nice mix...but as others mentioned the choice of artwork seemed strange - yes it's a book about prints but Banksy, Shep and Soto have done much nicer work.

The book itself, while a nice 'catalgoue' and beautifully packaged seemed very average to me content wise, though i'm not sure those who know this scene well are the intended audience really, it is a book from the V&A after all. But I did think it seemed poorly researched (or thought out), not especially engagingly written and again odd choice of artwork from the artists represented.

[shootagain]

I'm completely new to these Forums so don't shoot me but I'm quite amused by how critical some of you are ;-) Lots of constructive critics I have to admit but sad some would decide not to go to the Show just because your words are words of God ;-) Isn't Art about making your own mind by seeing yourself ?

[skitchy]

Apr 15, 2011 16:04:45 GMT 1 shootagain said:

I'm completely new to these Forums so don't shoot me but I'm quite amused by how critical some of you are ;-) Lots of constructive critics I have to admit but sad some would decide not to go to the Show just because your words are words of God ;-) Isn't Art about making your own mind by seeing yourself ?

I dont think you quite get the point of the forum.

Although I must say I am a little disappointed about the print selection considering the aim of this show is to showcase the 'history' if you like, of street art prints that have been talked about on here for the past 5-6 years.

For such a large and successful establishment as the V&A, anyone that knows about or collects prints (like most the people on the forum) would know about and be critical all the omissions.

eg I havn't even been and prob wont now..as I would expect at the very least the banksy's to be signed! I have better collection of banksy prints in my house!!

[shootagain]

I think you're right I haven't understood the point of that Forum then ! A suggestion then, why don't you apply for the V&A's curator job ? No doubt you would do better at illustrating the whole history of Streetart with 30 artworks only...However, I still believe that people can make up their mind themselves visiting galleries rather than taking for granted that what's written in forums are words from God ;-) That was my only point... You could also expose your Banksy collection at Black Rat, great venue, I would come and look at them, even though I understand I wouldn't be that welcome with my rubbish taste ;-)

[dappy]

two pennys worth:

The book I believe, as mentioned previously, is mainly for people that have not experienced 'street art' before - It is an introduction. there was a previous thread about a member thinking of displaying his work to the public and he had a lot of support from other members who had done just that and were loving seeing families and people young and old experiencing a new experience.

The exhibiton is going on tour, mainly to smaller 'town and city' galleries - maybe V&A do not want to put forward their most expensive art with all of the travelling and poss damage. However, if it starts as an acorn in someone's mind and sparks them to do a bit more research, then it will open them up to bigger and better things - not a bad thing.

I think Shootagain is being a bit harsh as a newbie (see my sig ) , but then I think some others are also being a bit harsh on BRP and the V&A.

[skitchy]

just popped in to have a look, was quite good.. was impressed with the old obey prints from 1999 but confused and dubious as to why so many Pure Evil prints in the show.

Just noticed that there are some copies of the limited edition book with the D*Face print up on the Black Rat Projects website:

www.blackratprojects.com/product-street-art-contemporary-prints-from-the-v-a-museum.php?gallery=yes

[shootagain]

Thanks for the head-up. I already had mine but some friends of mine (just sent them the link) will be very happy to buy it now...

[legalalien]

Thanks for that - I just nabbed one ;D