With INSA’s recent release of the INSA-Heels we had the chance to catch-up with him and chat about all things heels. From his initial interest in heels to confirming it is actually a fetish or not we dig deep and get intimate with Mr. INSA. See our original editorial spread of the INSA-Heelshere.
Custom heels from Insa’s first solo exhibit in 2005 ‘Insa’s Graffiti Fetish’
When did your fascination with women’s heels begin?
Well I started painting heels about 5years ago. It began when I noticed I could spell my name in the shapes of high heels! After a bit I started to just focus on the heel itself as I realized what a power symbol it is.
Insa gets up: INSA-Heel poster in Nottingham
What is it about heels that inspires you?
So much about heels inspires me- the shape of the object itself, the effect it has on a woman’s posture. The fact they represent so much to many different kinds of people- money, power, sex, fashion, the battle between male and female sexuality, dominance and submission, fetishism, consumer obsession.
Recoat Gallery (in Glasgow, United Kingdom) is coming to the end of its first year… and to celebrate they’re holding a live paint jam at the gallery on August 15th from 6pm onwards where SHEONE, O.TWO and Stefan Plaetz will paint alongside REKOR, LYKEN and ELPH. The following day on August 16th, their birthday exhibition entitled The Bothan Spynetwork shows from 7-10pm. Scott Wilson of Slamxhype will be curating the show. 25 artists will be showing, including legendary New York graffiti artists such as Futura, Stash, Crash and Daze, world famous fashion photographer, Fatsarazzi, and renowned toy designer, Klim Kozinevich (just to name a few!). This is ill!!!
Come out and celebrate an amazing event dedicated to street culture represented by a wide variety of artists working in different media, coming from different backgrounds… Plus the first 3 people attending will receive a Vestal watch and the first 20 people will receive a limited edition t-shirt that has the signature of every participating artist on the back. DOPE!
There’s more…After the opening get down at a Recoat X Goodlife party from 10pm- 3am at the Art School, 168 Renfrew St, Glasgow. FREE entry folks.
Street Art: The Graffiti Revolution by Cedar Lewisohn accounts the history of street art from cave paintings to the controversial, colorful art emerging today on walls found on city streets.
Over 120 photographs of street art from around the world are included in the book, along with interviews with leading street artists of the last thirty five years, including Henry Chalfant, Lady Pink, Blek le Rat, Mode 2, Barry McGee (Twist), Shephard Fairey (Obey), Futura 2000 and Os Gemeos. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this!
To promote the 90’s inspired film The Wackness, the film is sponsoring a “graffiti throwdown.” Entering is simple, all you have to do is create your own graff piece of the title of the film, The Wackness. You can use a provided background, or start from scratch. All you have to do is be sure to include the release date for a chance to win a Sony Bravia theater system! More info and details after the jump . . .
We’re big fans of Above here at the M.I.S.S. HQ and we just got word that he released part 2 of his 4-part South Central Remix series. It includes new footage and the most cases of Montana paint that I have ever seen. It’s enough to make any artist very, very jealous. You can view it here:
Above truly gives life to the phrase “never not working” and he’s currently in Italy traveling throughout the country and painting. He’s part of a collective of artists that are participating in the Fame Festival in Italy hosted by Studiocromie. It’s an amazing project with artists from all over the world including Dave Kinsey (USA), Conor Harrington, (IRELAND), Blu (ITALY), Ethos (BRAZIL), JR (FRANCE), Eine (U.K), Chloe Early (IRELAND), Above (USA), Erica il Cane (ITALY), Mantis (U.K.), Microbo (ITALY), BO130 (ITALY) and Lucy McLauchlan (U.K.). Between June and September, all of these artists are converging on Studiocromie to create new works, all of which will be shown at the final show in August. Check out the videos of Above’s work for the Fame Festival after the jump! (more…)
A while back I posted about Above’s travels in over 11 countries in Central and South America that was sponsored by Montana Colors. He’s just gotten back to us with a remixed version of his video montage that’s split up into four parts. Check out part 1 here and stay tuned for the next 3 parts!
A while back we told you about graf artist Above’s South Central tour. Well, 6 months later, Above is back from his tour and is sharing his adventures. His tour included stopping in 11 countries over a period of six months with stops in: Brasil, Guatemala, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Panama, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Mexcio and Chile. I’ve been following Above’s work for years and it’s wonderful to see him grow as an artist. He’s done several other tours - United States Tour (2004), European tour (2005), and the Sign Language Tour (2006). Back then, his art involved more of his trademark arrows teasing viewers with mobiles in the streets with word games or fabric covered arrows stuck on buildings. For his South Central Tour, you can see Above’s work evolving. He uses more lettering now - on a much larger scale - and you barely see the ubiquitous arrow. He hasn’t abandoned his word play though. This pieces are clever and interact with the community and spaces around him - they are now part of the ever changing landscape. Above has definitely left his mark in South and Central America, despite tales of being robbed and getting stabbed on his travels. He’s also picked up some sponsors along his way. Montana Colors, the crème de la crème of graf supplies, sponsored his most recent tour.
The video is fun, entertaining, has a killer soundtrack and you can watch it right here! Get lost for a minute and go above . . .
We’ve all seen graffiti in our cities but I just heard about a new “type” of graf - one that involves yarn instead of paint. Knitta started in 2005 as a collective of knitters who were frustrated by their unfinished knitting projects. Their frustration grew into “a tag crew of knitters, bombing the inner city with vibrant, stitched works of art, wrapped around everything from beer bottles on easy nights to public monuments and utility poles on more ambitious outings.” They’ve been around the world spreading their knit message across the streets of Paris, New York and San Francisco. Check out their site and see all the places around the world that they’ve “bombed.”
I’m a reformed graff kid but carrying a Sharpie everywhere I go is something I may never be able to shake. Needless to say, I nearly lost it when I saw that graffiti/tattoo legend, Mike Giant, now his very own signature Sharpie! Here’s what Mike has to say about this amazing achievement:
“I’ve been inking every drawing with my signature REBEL8 Sharpies. I’ve been drawing with Sharpies almost exclusively since 1990. If someone then had told me that I’d have a Signature Sharpie someday, I would have laughed at them. But it’s 2008, and I make a living drawing with them. How crazy is that? Thanks, everybody.�
Sounds good to me!! What a fun way to spend Mother’s Day! Hanging with Mom on a Sunday afternoon at a craft fair? I’m down BUT geographically challenged so if you and Mom are on the East side you should make it out to “Momz Rock!” organized by The Younity and being held at the Bronx Museum of Arts, you’ll be able to purchase handmade crafts by the lady Toofly and her mom, Alice and her mom, Vee and her om, Graffiti Momz, Erotica and Lady K Fever. And so what if I just repeated everything that’s on the flyer? I just wanted to make sure your paying attenttion
