Jazz

I bumped into Thierry Noir a couple of weeks ago (just saying).  He mentioned an exhibition of his work at the Howard Griffin Gallery in London running until 23rd August.  He told me I should go along.  You don't say no to Thierry.  He's a very nice man.

If anyone has a criticism of Thierry Noir's work - and I don't think anyone does - it may be that his work is one dimensional.  Or, at best, two dimensional.  He's been painting these odd figures for decades now.  

There'll be no such criticisms here.  Entering the Howard Griffin Gallery for the Jazz exhibition is like walking into a Simpsons cartoon.  There is so much colour, life, vigour, vitality, bounce, jazz.  And three dimensions.

There are two reasons for this.  One is that Thierry Noir has an eye for colour and shape and balance.  The other is that he has worked with Chris Tsonias to produce 3D figures and musical instruments.

Here's a link to the gallery site: JAZZ
Everything is for sale.  I bought the fold up table the sales girl was leaning on.

 Here's a few pieces from around Shoreditch.

And here is the big man himself at Upfest a fortnight ago:

what I would have painted on the Berlin Wall

In 1945 Allied tanks rolled into Berlin and the war in Europe was over.  My Uncle was there and did his bit for international relations by liberating a local girl.  And another.  My cousin was the result of the first liaison but Uncle had moved on, settling in what became the Russian quarter with his new wife.  

One day, sixteen years after the war ended, West Berliners woke up to find a wall around their city.  Creating an island, not an idyllic desert surrounded by ocean, but a capitalist city surrounded by communism.  Uncle was on one side, Cousin on the other.  Uncle never crossed the border, never returned to the UK - although he did stay in touch - Nan used to save me the stamps from the letters he wrote. They were great stamps.

As a newly minted teenager in the mid 70s I spent a summer in Berlin.  I flew in to Templehof.   My first sight of Berlin was coal bunkers.  Seemed like miles and miles of coal - in case the East cut off supplies. I stayed with my Cousin and made myself at home.  It was the best summer.

For the West (read USA) Berlin was a marketing opportunity, a shop window to be viewed from over the wall.  Money was pumped in to make it the most dynamic, exciting, shiny, city in the world, certainly when compared with the greyness of the East.  West Berlin shouted from the rooftops: We've got Coke! And cars, watches and dapper suits.  Over the wall it was pretty obvious they had nothing.

I stayed in an apartment in an ancient block in Pezzalozzistrasse. My Aunt lived in another apartment in what had undoubtedly once been a very fashionable part of the city.  There was a doorman and a bell boy in the lift.  The furniture was heavy, black, ornate, overpowering.  So was her cooking, which I hated.  The ghosts of Cabaret stalked the halls. Delightfully decadent.

There were wayside shrines close to to the wall, memorialising people who had tried to cross over, East to West.  And had ended up shot.  I met a man who had been a soldier between 1939 and 1945.  He had a finger missing and still hated the British.

 Thierry Noir, Upfest Bristol, 2015

In 1984 Thierry Noir started the process which brought down the wall.  The wall was a potent symbol, a constant presence.  Thierry felt it needed taking down a peg or two. It needed demystifying. So he painted on it.  Which sounds easy but wasn't.  Both sides of the wall were technically in the East and it was an offence to deface the wall. But he carried on - and what happened?

First of all paint fumes travelled over the wall confusing the populace, it was the smell of freedom, the smell of rebellion.  They started to crumble.  And the paint started doing its work on the wall - tiny particulates worked their way into the stone and concrete starting the process which would lead to the wall literally tumbling down. Cold War is Over (if you want it).

A quarter of a century later the German Department of the University of Bristol has been working with a group of local secondary schools, the arts organisation Routes into Language South West and Upfest to commemorate the Fall of the Wall.  This series of murals were created with the theme What I would have painted on the Berlin Wall.

nice work kids

and then all of a sudden it was over

the wall came down 

and became the stuff of snow globes

and packaged bits of original Berlin Wall.  

Upfest, Bristol, BS3

My Dog Sighs, Upfest Bristol, 2015

As Any Fule Kno Bristol is the centre of the Street Art universe.  And this weekend it's Upfest time with 250 graffiti and street artists, taggers and writers doing their thing.  Here's a few of the marquee names: My Dog Sighs, Snub23, Louis Masai, Martin Ron, Otto Schade, Inkie and Dan Kitchener.

My Dog Sighs needs no introduction, One of his eye pieces adorns all the Upfest 2015 literature and he does seem to be keeping watch over things.  There's a new piece by MDS on the side of Bristol's Beer Factory, just one eye.  A thousand postcards were produced with the other eye and if you were lucky enough to get one you could hold it up in front of the building and you would have a pair.  

 My Dog Sighs, Upfest Bristol, 2015

If you're quick you could pop in to the Upfest shop and grab this canvas, walk down North Street and hold it up in front of the Beer Factory.  And it would look something like this:

 My Dog Sighs, Upfest Bristol, 2015

On the left is the wall sized mural, on the right the canvas. .  Despite the difference in size, materials and technique used the eyes are totally complementary. (Any difference in the colour is due to my photo not MDS choice of paint.)

Revenge of the Stik, John D'Oh, Upfest Bristol, 2015

My Dog Sighs is (half of) the inspiration for one of the most fun pieces on view this weekend.  John D'Oh, from Bristol, has constructed this piece using two of street art's favourite characters - one of Stik's Stik people and My Dog Sighs' Everyman.  

Snub23, Upfest Bristol, 2015

I'm just going to go with the Upfest programme to describe Snub23:  Snub is a graphic revolution fighting the uninvited visual invasion of commercialism.  Inspiration is fired frustration, emotion becomes a plan of attack.  Anger is the weapon and any object the ammo in the fight against optical overload.  I hope Lord Bath of Longleat doesn't take the attack on his commercialism personally.  Dinosaurs can be angry when riled.

Thierry Noir, Bristol

A highlight of the Corn Poppy's visit to Bristol was a chat with Thierry Noir, the man who brought down the Berlin Wall.  He's a legend.  And a very friendly guy.  He has an exhibition at the Howard Griffin Gallery, Shoreditch until 20 August

 Thierry Noir, Upfest Bristol, 2015

There'll be more about the Berlin Wall and Upfest soon.

 Louis Masai, Upfest Bristol, 2015

Louis Masai has been making a name for himself painting endangered species, raising awareness for creatures who can't speak for themselves.  These birds belong in the jungle, not in your cage - like the last tiger hero he painted at Brockley recently

Otto Schade, Upfest Bristol, 2015

More Save the Tiger awareness raising from Chilean born Otto Schade.   The wall which was previously home to Inkie's Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion is not the easiest to photograph, tucked as it is in a narrow alleyway. You'll have to get down there yourself to see it in all its glory.

 Otto Schade, Upfest Bristol, 2015

Otto Schade, Upfest Bristol, 2015

Martin Ron, Upfest Bristol, 2015

Hyper realism combined with surrealism - Argentinian Martin Ron was still working on this piece.  The hyper-real girl looking out over Aldi and (yet to be painted) a fish. And what is more sureal than a fish?*

Martin Ron, Upfest Bristol, 2015

Inkie, Upfest Bristol, 2015

Another unfinished piece - rain stopped play for a while today.   Inkie is hard at work completing Best Thing since Sliced Bread on the side of Parson's Bakery before going back to the day job with Sega.  Probably doesn't need the cherry picker there.

Inkie, Upfest Bristol, 2015

Dan Kitchener, Upfest Bristol, 2015

You know this is gonna be great when it's finished. I'll have to go back and have a look when it's done.   Dank created an amazing mural on the side of the Masonic last year which has now been replaced by L7M and another parrot.  

Dan Kitchener, Upfest Bristol, 2015

more tomorrow

* Tonight's football scores: Real Madrid: 1; Surreal Madrid: A fish.