This is actually a relatively large piece. I love the clarity of the facial features and the shading incorporated into the stencil. This is the second piece that I've found by REVOLT. I wonder if the artist was planning to paint them more and got interrupted, or if someone added that to the piece. I notice that the head of the top crane is colored lavender and almost looks more like a duck's head. They are also known as the symbol of peace. In Japanese culture it is believed that if one folds one thousand origami cranes then their heart's desire will come true. I didn't see any artist name or signature of the piece. The signature red caught my attention because many of the Houston Street Artists use all caps for their names while this artist chooses the exact opposite approach.Īnother piece that was new to me is this triptych of origami cranes. There is a beautiful juxtaposition of color and design elements. The piece has layers of background pattern, stencils of a face (Freud?) with text, (I think it says "You are invited") and graffitti designed writing in blue.
Unfortunately it was late at night when I took the photo so it doesn't give the image as much clarity as I would like. The piece on the left is by an artist that is new to me, RED.
For those that don't know about the Jewish heritage and Yiddish language, the book can serve as a gateway of discovery. Every child can understand the fantasy of pretending to be an animal and the thrill of connecting with a new friend. What makes this book so special is that although it is created for the niche market, it is easily accessible and valuable for all child readers. The story is based on the Yiddish word "Mensch" which is a real treat to children growing up in the Jewish tradition with little in the way of picture books created for them. The illustrations are expressive and fanciful. The illustrations are warm and eye-catching with some drawings filling two pages and others a half page. It isn't until Estie wants to connect with a boy named Petie that she realizes the true value in being a Mensch. Estie's grandmother tries to encourage her to see the good and valuable characteristics of people. Her father encourages her "Be a mensch", which Estie learns from her grandmother means to be a person. She prefers animals and chooses to live in an imaginary world where she pretends to be an array of animals. She thinks that they are smelly and pushy. Not much information is available about the title yet, but with a slogan like its on the top of MUST list!Įstie the Mensch (by Jane Kohuth ), does not like people. Need less to say this is expected to make quite a splash upon its release and I'm hopeful that it'll expand readership of graphic noves. He has sold millions of books, won dozens of awards and has a huge fan following of the video blog that he does with his brother "The Vlogbrothers". His fans call themselves "Nerd FIghters" and celebrate their love for nerd culture including reading. NJohn is one of the most driving forces in young adult literature. Last month at The American Library Association's midwinter conference one of the treats that I left with was this T-shirt for John Green's upcoming graphic novel called Teen Boat.
Alex has earned many honors for the film and his other work including documentary film maker of the year from Houston Free Press. To learn more about DUAL and many other street artists in the Houston community look for the compelling film by Alex Luster called Stick Em Up! It is slated to have several showings in May at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. I'm excited to see what street art lies ahead! It's exciting to see the continual and inspired work of a dedicated artist who continues to reach further with his work. I wish that I could see several pieces so that I could study the technique more in depth. There are fine details, a sketched quality and yet the energy and color of the cartoon pop art are still present. The newest painting of DUAL's on display has a less cartoonish and more painterly style. The piece is striking with vibrant color and motion throughout.
This painting is about a year old and the influence of pop art and street art are visible. While his mural has images from or similar to his silk screen work, it also has vibrant cartoon characters and an explosive array of imagery.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to see one of DUAL's full size murals as well as two recent paintings which are currently on display at the shop Fixed Gears on Dunlavey in Houston. Although he is probably best known for his prolific and profound Houston street art, DUAL also has an active career in canvas and mural painting.