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Tag: contemporary art
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 intriguing 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
Art Installation of Giant Cigarette Butts Elicits Barely A Remark at Whitney Museum
News flash, kids! Times change! What was shocking once, now evokes a weary “Meh!” When that crushing realization is made, … More
New “Thought-Provoking” and Possibly Phallic Artwork Joins Hammer Museum Collection
Hey, look! The Hammer Museum of Art in Los Angeles has some new artwork! The museum, more often referred to … More
Fierocious Whimsy in “The Gundo”
The kind of perfectly executed and whimsically cute mural is the kind of “street art” the local community would think … More
Precious Contemporary Artwork Practically Invites Art Museum Newbies to Damage It
Pity the beleaguered museum gallery attendants who get assigned the shift to keep watch on the art installation by artist Carmen … More
Shocking: Street Art is Possibly Portrait of Late Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein
We recently stumbled upon some awesome street art work (see pic below) by the talented “Decisions and Review.” The work … More
Bed, Bath & Beyond or Art Museum? You Decide.
Take a look at the photo below. Well, the answer is pretty fucking obvious, right? This colorful selection of curtains … More
“Transparent Migrations”
The LACMA exhibition “Home – So Different, So Appealing” is turning into something of a landmark show with all the … More
The Giant Rose in Downtown LA
German artist Isa Genzken’s “Rose III” giant rose sculpture at the Los Angeles outpost of the Hauser & Wirth gallery … More
Beautiful Mural by Brazilian Artist Fredone Fone
Brazilian contemporary artist Fredone Fone recently completed this beautiful abstract mural in Espirito Santo, Brazil. Photo by Fredone Fone.
“End White Supremacy”
The artwork of Los Angeles-based American artist Sam Durant has often addressed social, political and cultural issues in bold ways. … More
The Crusher
Hyper-Instagrammable installation artwork comprised of hundreds of pitchforks hanging from the ceiling. The artwork is titled “The Crusher” and one … More
“Clear Air Turbulence”
“Clear Air Turbulence” is Hong Kong-based British artist Simon Birch’s monumental sculptural installation at his “14th Factory” exhibition in Los … More
Calvin & Hobbes Mural at Dangerbird
Pictured here is artist David Flores’s super-Instagrammable and super-cute mural depicting the classic comicstrip characters Calvin and Hobbes at the … More
Dumpster Cactus
Cacti, like the illustrated tri-color cactus pasted onto this dumpster, dot Southern California’s natural desert landscape from Coachella to Mexico … More
“Mirage” at Desert X
Like a shiny extra-terrestrial bobble tucked into the foothills above Palm Springs, “Mirage” by Los Angeles-based artist Doug Aitken is … More
“Death Rider”
In her body of work, Los Angeles artist Liz Craft has created some fascinating and evocative sculptural objects that have … More
Things Will Be Fine
Bright and cheery “Things WIll be Fine” installation artwork made of yarn, neon light, and googly eyes on the wall … More
“Skull Phone” Street Art by Spazmat
For years we would see the wheat-pasted artwork of artist Spazmat posted around downtown New York City. His posters were … More
The Electrifying Installations of Artist Jason Rhoades
We’re posting a few pix here from the sprawling and electrifying “Jason Rhoades Installations, 1994-2006” exhibition at the massive Hauser … More
Massive Street Art in L.A. Arts District
We love it when artists create street art that incoporates the architectural elements of the building, like the epic-scaled artwork … More
“Rock the Dots” Minnie Mouse Mural at Alfred Coffee
Murals of iconic Disney cartoon character Minnie Mouse recently have been popping up at locations of the hip Alfred Coffee … More
Tiger
EPIC mural by artist Chris Saunders in the Ocean Park area of Santa Monica, in Los Angeles, created as part … More
“Create” Mural by Ruben Rojas
Dumpster Graffiti by “Sickid”
Los Angeles graffiti artist-writer “Sickid” decorated this dumpster along Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake.
Bernie Sanders on a Van
British-born artist Jules Muck (a.k.a., “Muckrock“) painted a portrait of recent U.S. Democratic presidential primary candidate Bernie Sanders on the … More
Black Version of JGoldcrown’s “Lovewall”
Here’s another one of the many “Bleeding Hearts” murals in Los Angeles by British artist JGoldcrown’s also called “Lovewall.” The one … More
Cleopatra in West Hollywood
When the late legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor appeared in the 1963 film classic “Cleopatra” in 1963, she unlikely never imagined … More
Skull of Converse
This decorative installation artwork at the Converse concept store in Santa Monica, in Los Angeles, is a spooky and clever … More
Crying Monster in West Hollywood
We love this! Who did this? We don’t know. We wanna know. You know? Let us know. 😉
What is Miracle Mile?
We never tire of revisiting this minimalist masterpiece by artist Robert Irwin at LACMA in Los Angeles. The colorful installation … More
“Going Everywhere Fast” by D*Face
The British artist Dean Stockton, a.k.a., D*Face, has developed one of the most recognizable and epic bodies of street art … More
“HOT MESS!”
“Hot Mess” is the title of an artwork by Doug Aitken that features a beautiful photograph showing an aeriel view … More
Death of a Clown
The first time you see “Death of a Clown” by artist Liz Craft, you can’t help but want to get … More
Graffiti Artwork in Progress in Venice
On Tuesday, we spied this beautiful work-in-progress graffiti art on the side of the Davy Jones Liquor Locker, a famously … More
Crisp Street Art
Epic new artwork by Crisp on a fence in the alley behind Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, Los Angeles. There’s … More
Entrance to MOCA / Geffen Contemporary
We’re not religious. But museums are our cathedrals, our churches and temples, our shrines. MoMA may be the modern art … More
Mural at School Playground
New JGoldcrown “Lovewall”
Here’s yet another beautiful “Lovewall”(a.k.a., “Bleeding Hearts”) mural by British street art rockstar JGoldcrown. This one is new and on … More
The Amazing Drawings of Toba Khedoori
The artwork of Australian-Iraqi artist Toba Khedoori leaves a distinct impression. Her works are primarily finely detailed, photo-realistic pencil drawings … More
Muhammad Ali Mural
This powerful street art mural in Venice, Los Angeles depicts late boxing legend Muhamed Ali. The image is based on … More
“I Wanna Bone”
Pictured here is another mural by the artist Jules Muck (a.k.a., “Muckrock”), who’s street art is associated with Venice Beach … More
Graffiti Art by “Cope2”
WHAT THE HELL IS “COLD OPEN”?
This beautiful old-school graffiti art is on a corrugated metal fence next to the Venice Beach offices of an advertising agency … More
Freight Train Graffiti Art
We were driving through Leucadia, California recently on a weekend surf trip when this freight train decorated with lots of … More
“The Emperor of Hemp”
This photo-realistic mural of the late Jack Herer is by artist Brian Garcia (a.k.a., TAZROC). You can find it at 1501 Pacific Avenue in … More
Highly Successful Beach Bum
We have a hunch that the message in this typographic garage-door mural by artist Adam Mars may be an accurate … More
Cute Monster Stencil Street Art … Atwater Village, Los Angeles
Atwater Village in Los Angeles is where we found this stencil street art of a cute Sesame Street muppets-like monster … More
Awesome Minimalist “Untitled” by Dan Flavin … San Francisco MoMA
This colorful flurourescent-light sculptural object at San Francisco MoMA is a minimalist classic by the late artist Dan Flavin. Regular visitors … More
Roaring Lion and Bear Mural by Artist Konorebi … Mission District, San Francisco
The message “Peace is found on common ground” is written at the top of this vivid street art by the … More
“Love Wall” by JGoldcrown at Alfred Coffee … Silver Lake, Los Angeles
UK artist J Goldcrown has made these “Lovewall” / “Bleeding Hearts” murals of simple, spray-painted hearts part of the urban … More
“Locals Mostly” Truck Mural by Luke Pelletier … Santa Monica, Los Angeles
We came across this awesome movers truck decorated with the artwork of artist and musician Luke Pelletier. The truck was … More
Cat Stencil Street Art … Malibu, Los Angeles
Along Pacific Coast Highway, across from famed Malibu Beach and its iconic pier, is this amusing life-size stencil street art of … More
“Eyes, Mouth, Body, Feet …” Street Art … Venice, Los Angeles
This hilarious wheat-paste street art on an old clapboard bungalow in Venice looks like a child’s Crayola drawing of a … More
Thatched Hut Video Art Installation by Simone Leigh … Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
The work of Brooklyn-based artist Simone Leigh explores many themes. Among these are the African diaspora and identity. A small exhibition … More
Stripes Collage Street Art … Venice, Los Angeles
We love this type of street art, the kind that takes a mundane, boring piece of “street furniture” — in … More
Mural of Palm Trees by Noah Abrams … Venice, Los Angeles
This beautiful black-and-white photo-realistic mural of palm trees silhouetted is a new addition to the street art scenery along Abbot … More
Mural Portrait of Chinese Artist Ai Wei Wei … Venice, Los Angeles
The controversial Chinese artist and activist Ai Wei Wei is depicted in this new mural along Abbot Kinney Blvd. in … More
“Selfie This” Street Art Poster … Venice, Los Angeles
The cheeky message of this wheatpaste street art posted on a back-alley dumpster is unequivocal. Using a graphical, copy-paste collage style, … More
Street Art by “Made of Hagop” at Gjelina … Venice, Los Angeles
This new piece of street art is by the Syrian-born artist Hagop Belian, who also goes by the moniker “Made of … More
Doug Aitken’s Glowing Pay Phone at MOCA … Los Angeles
This glowing, LED-illuminated sculpture of an old-school pay phone is by artist Doug Aitken. It’s titled “Twilight,” and it’s absolutely … More
Monochromatic Graffiti Art … Venice, Los Angeles
While we’ve always had a strong distaste for the most basic, utilitarian type of territorial graffiti tag — raw vandalism … More
“Venice Dennis” Stencil Street Art … Venice, Los Angeles
This large stencil street art mural on a fence in Venice, in Los Angeles, depicts the late actor-artist Dennis Hopper … More
“Here We Are” Street Art at Ships … Harajuku, Tokyo
Amid the labyrinthine back streets that comprise Ura-Harajuku are many examples of commissioned semi-legal street art in little niches of … More
Bird Mural at M-Rad Architecture Building … Culver City, Los Angeles
Mural of a bird and abstract geometric patterns on the side of a re-purposed retail building that’s home to the … More
Street Art by Shepard Fairey on PCH …Santa Monica, Los Angeles
We spotted some new street art from artist Shepard Fairey in an unusual spot last week. Along Pacific Coast Highway, … More
Frida Kahlo Mural … Mission, San Francisco
This epic mural on the side of a store deep in San Francisco’s Mission District depicts the iconic and influential … More
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