It was a sweet surprise to see the street art of San Francisco-based artist Fnnch (pronounced “finch”) in Tokyo a … More
Tag: contemporary art
FAR AWAY, SO CLOSE : JAPANESE ARTIST’S TOWERING HEAVENLY “SURF ANGEL” STATUE IS AN INDELIBLE EPIC DREAM!
Japanese artist Motohiko Odani’s massive, fantastic, classical-style neon and plaster sculptural object “Surf Angel (Provisional Monument 2)” towers in a … More
EVERYBODY HATES PUBLIC ART, EXCEPT WHEN THEY DON’T : THE INCREDIBLE, INEDIBLE AND POPULAR “TOKYO EGG”!
It seems almost axiomatic that most public art is bad. Like really, really mind-blowingly f*cking bad. And though it is … More
CONTEMPORARY ART 101: FROM “SUPERFLAT” TO SUPERSTAR – WHO IS ARTIST TAKASHI MURAKAMI?
Takashi Murakami is perhaps the best-known among a handful of Japanese contemporary artists who have over the past couple of … More
FROM THE STREET TO THE WHITE CUBE – WHO IS THE ARTIST KNOWN AS “KAWS”?
The work of KAWS, the pseudonym of American artist Brian Donnelly, has been taking the art world by storm for … More
STREET ART 101: IN PRAISE OF SUBVERSION — WHO IS BANKSY?
Banksy, the elusive street artist, has become a legend in his own time, carving out a unique niche in the … More
ART 101: THE POLKA-DOT PRINCESS OF CONTEMPORARY ART – WHO IS YAYOI KUSAMA?
Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist who has captivated the world with her mesmerizing polka dots and psychedelic installations, is nothing … More
ON VIEW: ALEX ISRAEL’S PASTEL-TINTED, SURF-INSPIRED VISION!
We’re fans of artist Alex Israel. It may in part be due to the fact that we’re surfers here at … More
“GOTHIC FUTURISM” : THE BLOCKBUSTER ARTWORK OF PIONEERING HIP-HOP ARTIST RAMMELLZEE!
We went to Deitch Projects gallery in Los Angeles on Saturday for the last day of the blockbuster “Gothic Futurism” … More
AT THE MUSEUM: INCREDIBLE NAVAJO-INFLUENCED ART OF ERIC-PAUL RIEGE!
We’re blown away by the artwork of Navajo artist Eric-Paul Riege. His current show at the Hammer Museum in Los … More
INCREDIBLE EDIBLE: ARTIST CREATES GIANT FOOD SCULPTURES TO DROOL FOR!
We checked out the whimsical “Fulton’s Exhibit” in Hollywood last weekend. The show is a collection of giant food sculptures … More
VAN LIFE: YET ANOTHER VEHICLE PAINTED BY KENNY SCHARF!
We spotted yet another vehicle adorned with artwork by the artist Kenny Scharf in Los Angeles. This one was on … More
MEDIUM IS MESSAGE: THE POTENT RELEVANCE OF BARBARA KRUGER!
The Broad museum in Los Angeles has several major works by the influential American artist Barbara Kruger in its permanent … More
POST-MODERN CLASSIC: REVISITING ANDY WARHOL’S “MAO” PAINTINGS!
Between 1972 and 1973, the late great pop-art pioneer Andy Warhol created 199 silkscreen paintings of the notorious Chinese revolutionary … More
COSMIC THING: KENNY SCHARF CARTOONS ADORN L.A. TIRE SHOP!
Two dark-pink, disembodied cartoon heads by Los Angeles-based artist Kenny Scharf bookend the signage on the facade of a tire … More
STREET ART: MURAL BY MR. B-BABY IN LOS ANGELES
Awesome street art mural by Mr. B-Baby near intersection of Venice Boulevard and Centinela Avenue in the Mar Vista neighborhood … More
STREET ART P.S.A. : HOUSTON GRAFFITI GIVES IMPORTANT HEALTH REMINDER!
Here’s an important message we should all heed: “Breathe.” A lovable and small graffiti artwork on the side of a … More
CRYPTO ART : MURAL OF THE BORED APE YACHT CLUB NFT AS GYM DECOR
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have been around for few years now, but it was in 2021 that these captured the public’s … More
WRIT LARGE : MASSIVE “MSK” GRAFFITI THROW-UP IN L.A. ARTS DISTRICT
We spent a morning in the Arts District on a recent visit to Los Angeles. It’s home to lots and … More
POST-MODERNISM IN THE PARK : CONTEMPORARY ARTWORK AS PLAYGROUND
Dubbed the “post-modern playground slide” in the park across the street from my in-laws’ home near Roppongi in Tokyo. The … More
BEYOND “SUPERFLAT” : AT THE MIND-ALTERING TAKASHI MURAKAMI SHOW IN L.A.!
We finally made it to the landmark Takashi Murakami exhibition at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles. We posted about … More
UN-CONTAINABLE : AT THE OPENING OF THE BRILLIANTLY-CURATED “VESSEL” ART SHOW IN LA LA LAND!
On Saturday we went to the opening of a new group show at Hashimoto Contemporary in Los Angeles. It’s called … More
NIFTY : NFT STREET ART SIMULTANEOUSLY EVOKES AWE AND EYE-ROLLS IN TOURISTY POST-GENTRIFIED OVER-HIPSTERED VENICE HOOD!
On a wall in an alley behind a block of fashionable cafes, luxe-hipster boutiques and a foodie-grade ice cream shop … More
SUPERFLAT IN LA LA LAND: TAKASHI MURAKAMI’S FIRST MAJOR SOLO SHOW AT THE BROAD MUSEUM OPENS!
This weekend saw the opening of a major Takashi Murakami exhibition at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles. It’s the … More
LOST AND FOUND : TREASURE TROVE OF PHOTOG’S MISSING IMAGES FINALLY ON VIEW TO PUBLIC AFTER DECADES!
“A marvelous and delightful way to earn a living” is how American photographer Marilyn Stafford describes her career in an … More
STREETSY : BAFFLINGLY ABSTRACT MURAL CONFUSES VENICE BEACH LOCALS!
The Venice Beach area of Los Angeles, its fashionable neighborhoods and adjacent districts, is home to a lot of street … More
BRUSHED UP : HOW A GIANT COMB SCULPTURE BLEW OUR MIND!
The first time we saw Latvian artist Vija Celmins’ giant plastic comb at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art … More
FLIP MODE! SHREDDED BANKSY RE-SOLD AT AUCTION FOR MORE THAN $25 MILLION!
We’re in the wrong business. We should be in the business of flipping infamous Banksy artworks. Especially the kind that … More
“LIT A.F., DUDE! “: SEEING THIS ICONIC L.A. ARTWORK NEVER GETS OLD!
Artist Robert Irwin’s wall of multi-colored fluorescent tube lights at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art serves as post-modernist … More
ULTIMATE PAINTING: ARTIST SARAH CAIN PAINTERLY PROVOKES ART WORLD GATEKEEPERS!
The New York Times arts section has turned a deservedly keen eye towards Los Angeles-based painter Sarah Cain. Cain’s paintings … More
STOP MAKING SENSE: NEW WORK FROM TEXAS ARTIST RAY DUNLAP DIVES DEEPER INTO GLORIOUS ABSTRACTION !
Houston, Texas-based artist Ray Dunlap has unleashed a new series of paintings dubbed “American Made Witchcraft.” This new work delves … More
SPARKLING COLLAB: TAKASHI MURAKAMI BRINGS “SUPERFLAT” TO A PERRIER BOTTLE NEAR YOU!
It was only a matter of time until we see a contemporary art superstar lend their artwork to a major … More
INEDIBLE EDIBLES: ARTIST CROCHETS PASTA!
Somebody’s got a lot of free time on their hands. They’ve got vision. They’ve got yarn. They’ve got a crocheting … More
PHOTOGENIC : NEW SHOW REVEALS DEEP TIES OF TWO JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERS!
A new exhibition at the European House of Photography in Paris (Maison Européenne de la Photographie or MEP) showcases two … More
TOUR DE FORCE: OBAMA PORTRAITIST AMY SHERALD’S BRILLIANT “THE GREAT AMERICAN FACT” EXHIBITION IN L.A.!
It’s a small show, but one that packs a punch. Amy Sherald’s collection of five new paintings manage to fill … More
CALIFORNICATION!: THE SURF-INSPIRED ART OF DJ JAVIER!
One could draw a Venn diagram with one circle for artists, designers, musicians, actors, and all manner of creators, and … More
TRANSPARENT THINGS: THE MINIMALIST GLASS CUBE THAT TURNS THE WORLD RED!
Artist Larry Bell’s red, glass cubes at MOCA Los Angeles are a masterful use of color, materials and space. The … More
LIGHT LINES: THE STUNNING IMMERSIVE SPACES OF BRAZILIAN ARTIST BLOWS OUR MINDS!
Last weekend we went to the new exhibition of artwork by Brazilian artist Lygia Pape at Hauser and Wirth Los … More
DRAWN TO DISTRACTION: DAVID HOCKNEY FLIPPING THROUGH HIS SKETCHBOOK IS BRILLIANT!
. . . . . This video of British artist David Hockney flipping through his sketchbook without commentary is a … More
FANTASTIC PLASTIC: GIANT YELLOW CUBES MADE OF WEST-AFRICAN WATER CONTAINERS!
On the edge of a Native American land tract on the outskirts of Palm Springs, California, stand a pair of … More
EXPLODED VIEWS: ARTIST SLICES UP EVERYDAY OBJECTS!
Artist Fabian Oefner’s Heisenberg Objects is a collection of sculptural works created by slicing objects — sneakers, a clock, a … More
BACK TO THE MUSEUM!: WE VISIT OUR FIRST EXHIBITION IN OVER A YEAR! PANDEMIC BE DAMNED!
On Monday we went to our first art exhibition in over a year. Our first since the start of the … More
MARK THE SPOT!: EPIC, SPRAWLING “DESERT X” CONTEMPORARY ART EVENT RETURNS TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY!
It’s back! And we are so very happy to see it! Desert X has returned. What’s Desert X? It’s the … More
NIFTY!: DIGITAL N.F.T. ARTWORK SOLD FOR $69 MILLION AT AUCTION! JAWS DROP!
In a groundbreaking auction sale a digital artwork in the form of a JPG file as non-fungible token (or NFT) … More
WHAT PARTY?: FIRST MAJOR KAWS RETROSPECTIVE OPENS IN BROOKLYN!
The New York Times has published a review of the new KAWS exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. KAWS … More
THE UNLIKELIEST ART STAR: HOW KAWS WENT FROM GRAFFITI-TAGGER TO GLOBAL ART WORLD MEGASTAR!
The New York Times has published an excellent profile of artist Brian Donnelly. Who is Brian Donnelly you ask? He’s … More
FUZZY LOGIC: CULTURE OF MISAKI KAWAI!
Artist Misaki Kawai‘s current exhibition of new work at the Hole Gallery in New York City could at a brief … More
IN PASSING, IN MAKE OUT CITY: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF IAN HOLWORTH
British photographer Ian Holworth‘s images remind us of the work of another photographer, William Eggleston, and the painter Edward Hopper. … More
FLAKEY: WEB-BASED SNOWFLAKE GENERATOR IS SUBLIME (AMONG OTHER THINGS)!
Here’s a fun way to wile away a couple of hours. The Snowflake Generator is the awesome work of California-based … More
STREET ART: SPEAK NO MONEY, SEE NO MONEY, HEAR NO MONEY!
This wonderful mural in Downtown Los Angeles is a visual play on the age-old proverb “Speak no evil, See no … More
UPLIFTING: JAPANESE ARTIST TAKASHI MURAKAMI DECORATES CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL WITH ICONIC ARTWORK
Mega-superstar Japanese artist Takashi Murakami recently decorated part of the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., with his iconic cartoon-like … More
LA LA LAND: INTERACTIVE DRIVE-BY PHOTO ARCHIVE OF EVERY BUILDING ON EVERY BLOCK OF SUNSET BLVD IN L.A.!
The Getty Museum has launched a website called 12 Sunsets that is a fascinating interactive archive of 65,000 photos taken … More
THRILLS, PILLS & SHARKS: NEW DAMIEN HIRST EXHIBITION BRINGS BACK THE FORMALDEHYDE SHARK AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!
British artist Damien Hirst made a name for himself in the early 1990s with a sensational exhibition of works that … More
RISE AND SHINE: ARTIST-DESIGNER PAINTS SUNRISE VIEWS FROM HIS APT. ON N.Y. TIMES COVERS, HONORS JACOB BLAKE!
The artwork is part of a series by New York City-based artist and designer Sho Shibuya, who paints sunrise view … More
YACHT ROCK: U.K. STREET ARTIST BANKSY FINANCES AND DECORATES REFUGEE RESCUE BOAT IN THE MED!
Mysterious and infamous U.K. artist Banksy has bankrolled a small refugee rescue ship sailing the Mediterranean Sea. The boat is … More
STUNNER: VANITY FAIR PUTS BREONNA TAYLOR ON COVER OF SEPTEMBER ISSUE!
The cover of Vanity Fair magazine’s September 2020 issue is a triumph. It’s a beautiful, bittersweet portrait of Breonna Taylor … More
STARS, STRIPES, POST-MODERNISM: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICA!
It’s 4th of July and in the United States this date is America’s Independence Day holiday. It marks the nation’s … More
ARE LUXURY BRANDS CO-OPTING PROTEST ART FOR THEIR OWN GREEDY SELF-INTEREST?
Amidst the recent protests and Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S. following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis … More
DEATH STARES: WHEN CONTEMPORARY ART DARES YOU TO BLINK!
This artwork by artist Urs Fischer’s boldly stares at you with an equally bolder collage of photographic and graphical colors … More
EPIC! MARK BRADFORD’S “160 PORTRAIT TONE”
This epic painting is by Los Angeles-based artist Mark Bradford. Its title is “160 Portrait Tone.” LACMA is showing the … More
IS TAKASHI MURAKAMI ON DRUGS?
This massive hanging canvas by Takashi Murakami is like nothing else the Japanese artist has exhibited before or that we’ve … More
PROFANE: FRESH ARTWORK FROM MAYA HAYUK
We’ve been following artist Maya Hayuk’s work throughout her career and seen many of her colorful, cross-hatched abstract murals in … More
STARSTRUCK: ALEC’S INEVITABLE MARILYN MONROE MURAL
The artist ALEC has made a career of street art and massive murals with images of pop-culture icons and celebrities … More
“IT’S JUST A ROCK” … REVISITING “LEVITATED MASS”
Artist Michael Heizer‘s awesome, infuriating, confounding and beautiful installation-art master work “Levitated Mass” on the north-side of LACMA in Los … More
HIGH-FLYIN’: 800 VIEWS OF AIRPORTS
We — and possibly you, too — are a big fan of large coffee-table art books by the likes of … More
SUBLIME: MADE OF HAGOP
The street art of the artist who goes by the moniker Made of Hagop never ceases to impress us with … More
SNEAKERS : ARTIST DUMPS USED KICKS ON FLOOR, INSTANTLY CREATES CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED MASTERPIECE
Hey, you! Yes, YOU! You, the savvy reader of this blog. In case you did not know it, you are … More
HAVE WE REACHED “PEAK” YAYOI KUSAMA?
We saw this cool street-artsy mural portrait of the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama in Santa Barbara, California, while visiting there … More
MINIMALISM 101: “WHITE” PAINTINGS … OR “I COULD DO THAT!”
This video on Vox does a great job of explaining so-called “white” paintings by artists like Robert Ryman, Agnes Martin, … More
QUIZZICAL: ART MUSEUM OR HOME DEPOT?
It’s quiz times once again, savvy readers! Look at these photos. Is this a Home Depot or an art museum? … More
LOLS: WILL FERRELL & JOEL MCHALE VISIT CONCEPTUAL ART EXHIBITION, HILARITY ENSUES
This is brilliant. In this short promotional video for the Hammer Museum of Art in Los Angeles, actor-comedians Will Ferrell … More
PUMPIN’: STREET ART WITH LOTS OF HEART
We love coffee. You probably do too. But we REALLY love coffee. It’s actually kind of a problem, and, though … More
UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS: AWESOME “BUMBLE BEE LOVES YOU” INVADES OFFICE
We stumbled upon this commissioned mural by the Los Angeles-based artist who goes by the moniker “Bumble Bee Loves You” … More
“I WANT A PRESIDENT”
Artist Zoe Leonard’s 2016 public art project under the Standard Hotel building on the High Line in New York City … More
YOU’RE SO RETRO: 8-BIT IMAGES OF YOUR FAVORITE PEAK TV-ERA SHOWS
Artist Gustavo Viselner is a so-called “pixel artist,” and he’s brilliant. The artist has made a name for himself by … More
LEGENDARY: GODDAMMIT DON’T ASK ARTIST JASPER JOHNS WHAT HIS ARTWORK MEANS — NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS!
One of modern art’s greatest painters and arguably America’s greatest living artist, Jasper Johns is a giant of the contemporary … More
SIZE MATTERS: EPIC 82-FOOT LONG MURAKAMI PAINTING STEALS SPACE FROM OTHER ARTISTS
This massive painting by Japan’s most successful and well-known contemporary artist Takashi Murakami is displayed in the primest spot of … More
PAINTERLY: SARAH CAIN’S MASSIVE MURAL AT ICA FILLS EMPTY DEAD SPACE
“Now I’m Going to Tell You Everything” is the title of this site-mural at the recently opened Institute of Contemporary … More
LOVESICK: ANOTHER “BLEEDING HEARTS” MURAL REMINDS US THAT LOVE IS … BOTH RAPTUROUS MUSE AND A MONSTROUS BITCH?
DRIVEN TO ABSTRACTION: THE INCREDIBLE DEPTH OF ELLEN GALLAGHER’S “BLACK” PAINTINGS
These paintings by artist Ellen Gallagher speak to us in deep, immediate, profound ways. The black abstractions of these canvases … More
HAIRY: WHEN YOUR PERSONAL MODE OF TRANSPORT NEEDS A HAIRCUT
You are looking at this photo and you’re thinking “WTF?” Maybe you’re even mouthing the letters as you think them, … More
TRUE CRIME: STREET ARTIST “APPROPRIATES” ICONIC IMAGE OF FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER
BROMANCE: THAT TIME WHEN MICHAEL AND BUBBLES WERE BESTIES
In 1988, the artist Jeff Koons created the brilliant porcelain sculptural object “Michael and Bubbles,” a kitschy, super-sized 3D depiction … More
LOVE: ELI BROAD’S DECADES-LONG LOVE AFFAIR WITH BASQUIAT
Among the vast art collection of billionaire businessman, philanthropist and art collector Eli Broad is a large collection of artworks … More
EPIC : MURAL ATTEMPTS CHEERY POSITIVITY AMID GRIM DEPRESSING VIBE OF WINTRY DOWNTOWN NYC
The current mural at the “Bowery Wall” (a.k.a., the “Deitch Wall”) in downtown New York City is an epic, colorful … More
OBEY: THE WABI SABI OF OLD SHEPARD FAIREY STREET ART POSTERS
Like a vintage wine, some street art ages remarkably well. Others not so well. Take for example most wheat-paste street … More
ADVENTURES IN NEON: HOW “DOUBLE AMERICA 2” IS THE PERFECTLY SYMBOLIC ARTWORK FOR THE TRUMP ERA
Artist Glenn Ligon‘s “Double America 2” is among the most profound works of contemporary American art, and it is profoundly … More
SIDE HUSTLES: WE LIKE TO SKETCH
Yes, it’s true, savvy reader. Sometimes we here at Global Graphica like to pick up a pen, pencil or, preferably, … More
SEEN: MASSIVE CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITION AT MOCA CREEPY AF! AND WE LOVE IT!
Some will hate it. Some will love it. Many will be confused. More to the point, it’s creepy AF! But … More
PINKISH: PORTRAIT OF ROBED ELEPHANT-HUMAN STREET ART BEFUDDLES PASSERSBY
Street art often provides many unanswered questions, not only about the artwork itself, but also who created it. There’s seldom clear … More
STRANGER THING: ARTIST TURNS MUNDANE ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL INTO THOUGHT-PROVOKING ARTWORK
Clever, fun and intriguing installation artwork by artist Monica Sosnowska at Hauser and Wirth gallery in Los Angeles.
KNOWLEDGE: STREET ART EXPLAINS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FINANCE AND LOVE
Art can do many things. It can provoke, teach, offend, inform, comfort, inspire, scare, stimulate and bond us. Street art, … More
RADICAL: ARTIST SELF-PORTRAIT REVEALS POSSIBLE IDENTITY CRISIS
When you hear the words “self-portrait” you think painting or image by an artist or photographer of him or her … More
Mysterious: Why “Judith” is Painted on an LA Warehouse Door
The “Judith” in question here is artist Judith Bernstein. The roller shutter with her name painted on it in a … More
Shocker: “Flooded McDonalds” Video Forces Rubes to Question What is “Art”?
Question: Have you ever had a dream where you were in your favorite fast-food dining establishment and suddenly it starts … More
Revealed: Pablo Picasso was “Bad Hombre”
There’s that famous song by every hipster-music-nerd’s favorite band the Modern Lovers with the remarkable observation that Pablo Picasso, one … More
How High-Low Can You Go? New Banksy Mural in London Rips Basquiat for Basquiat’s Sake
There’s a new Banksy in London! Okay, okay, okay — calm down! We know how exciting this must be for … More
Here Comes the Neigborhood: Mural of Basquiat Ups Real Estate Values in Hip Gentrifying Hood
There’s a pattern of tell-tale signs that indicate that a once-undesireable neighborhood is undergoing gentrification. One of these signs is … More
Artsy: The Mysterious Dog Painting of Artist Morex Arai
Mysterious Honolulu-based artist Morex Arai painted this strangely compelling and intriuging artwork depicting a pensive dog (to the extent that … More
Street Art Begs Passersby to “Stop Making Stupid People Famous” – We Disagree!
On the surface, the sentiment seems straightforward, sensible and pleasantly righteous enough: “Stop making stupid people famous.” That sounds like … More
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