All Posts tagged art basel

Neon Monsters Caught on Video

Interview with Neon Monster
Uploaded by vernissagetv. – Arts and animation videos.

Awwww look at John and Kristy, two fourths of Neon Monster as caught on camera during our time at Design Miami’s Limited Edition Experiences [tagged]. If you didn’t make it to the F-Factory (a part of Art Basel), you just have to try to imagine Neon Monster’s installation in the same space as Fendi and Duncan Quinn and Maison Martin Margiela. It was really exciting to be invited into that atmosphere and to have art toys elevated to such a level of company. Everybody’s already looking forward to next year.

Buff Monster Art Basel Customs in Store Now

People have been asking what became of the Buff Monster customs seen above and in these photos from our live painting event in Miami. We’ve got two pieces left. First up: an 8-inch KitCat Qee.

This super glossy 8″ KitCat Qee was customized by Buff in sparkly silver, gray, black and Buff’s signature Pink. The flat black sections of paint float over the surface of silvery sprays so superflat you can see your reflection. Exclusive to Art Basel. Get him here.

Next up, this 3-inch Dorogami is a hard beast to photograph, but we did the best we could. Buff Monster customized this kaiju for exhibit at this year’s Art Basel Miami. A harmonious balance of Buff’s signature pink mixed with various shades of green speckles enhance all of the contours of the Dorogami’s viscous-like body. The upper eye features a pink crystal and the 2 lower eyes are lighter clear crystals inset into the vinyl body. A final clear coat makes this one sweet X-mas Grinch. Get him here.

Buff doesn’t do a ton of customs, and even less on platform figures. Check ‘em out, and remember EVERYTHING in the store is eligible for our Neon Monster Loves You sale, this weekend only.

Wynwood Walls Street Art in Miami

Living in the Bay Area means we can interact with public art, street art and graffiti on a regular basis. But walking around the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami was an awe-inspiring (and humbling) experience. The “first phase” of the Wynwood Walls project includes murals by Aiko from Japan, Os Gemeos and Nunca from Brazil, Stelios Faitakis from Greece, and Jim Drain, Shepard Fairey, Futura, Barry McGee, Ara Peterson, Clare Rojas, Kenny Scharf and the team of Swoon, David Ellis and Ben Wolf from the United States.

The Wynwood Walls were put together by Deitch Projects and Goldman Properties, who teamed up last year to recreate the historic 1982 Keith Haring mural at the corner of Houston and Bowery in New York. Plans are afoot to sponsor an additional 15  murals over the next 2 years toward the goal of an international outdoor street art gallery. If the photos in this post seem a bit Shepard-centric, it’s because the posterboy for wheatpasting took on two intense pieces: an entire wall and a set of shipping containers produced by Country Club.

The entire effect is really spectacular to behold. If you’re around, most of the work is concentrated in the area between 2nd and 5th Avenues and NW 22nd and 28th Streets. We’re posting a handful of hi-res photos. If you can’t make it to Miami, you can still right-click and download some new street art for your desktop wallpaper. Happy holidays!

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Neon Monster Artist Editions 2009 Series Available Online Now

We were incredibly stoked and honored to work with Dalek, Josh Cochran and Reuben Rude on a series of limited edition art prints for our Art Basel 2009 installation. While it’s probably best for you to come check out how these look on display in Miami, hopefully these images will do them justice. Each print is now available on our website in the limited editions area.

James Marshall / Dalek, a North Carolina based artist known both for his Space Monkey characters and his superflat instantly recognizable paintings created this 9-color silkscreen, on a heavy weight Coventry Rag Vellum 320 gsm archival paper. Limited to an edition of 50 hand signed and numbered prints, the paper size measures 38 x 50 inches.

Josh Cochran, a New York based artist and illustrator created this 5-color silkscreen, titled “Hunters” on a heavy weight Somerset Velvet Radiant White 280 gsm archival paper. Limited to an edition of 50 hand signed and numbered prints, the paper size measures 19.5 x 30 inches.

Reuben Rude, a San Francisco based artist created this 5-color silkscreen, titled “Tree Mechanic” on a heavy weight Lenox 100 Off-White 250 gsm archival paper. Limited to an edition of 50 hand signed and numbered prints, the paper size measures 26 x 38 inches.

Resin Psnails Light Up Blogosphere

We’re not from England, but our blog designers, The Neon Hive, are. Does that gives us permission to use the expression “dead chuffed” to describe our feelings toward some of our favorite blogs and their warm reception to Psnail? Probably not, but we are feeling global warming straight through to our slime from all the love-coverage via SpankyStokes (U.S.), TOYSREVIL (Singapore) and Collect3d (Canada). Thanks!!!

Multiversal Group Art Show

Friday was a huge night in Miami, but before heading over to the Neon Monster party, a visit to Multiversal was in order.

Multiversal is the brainchild of graphic artist and Wizard Sleeve Toys founder, Mike Franco and rising star Cassie “Kazilla” Williams. Multiversal will occupy several rooms including a South Florida local artist room, an Art Institute student exhibition, the second Feminality art show, a custom toy show and several exhibitions and installations.

What a feat it was to so thoroughly transform an American Legion building, room by room. More than one Florida cabbie was confused by the address of the ‘gallery’ but luckily, we made it from the Design District. (Thanks to Steve Brown for flagging down my driver.) I obviously lingered the longest in the toy show, where customs by Bob Conge, Lana Crooks, Mike Slobot, Jeremiah Ketner, Jon Burgerman and many more occupied my eyeballs. Past the student exhibition, Sket-One and kaNO (two of the nicest guys in the biz) painted live in a huge bar, where periodically a half-naked man or woman from the adjoining body art room wandered by.

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OK Go, Moritz Waldemeyer and Laser-Shooting Guitars

Now that the “M” in MTV has long since ceased to stand for anything even close to passing as music, bands have to channel the infamous Buggles tune elsewhere: chiefly YouTube. OK Go conquered this obstacle with a viral video involving treadmills a few years back. For this year’s Design Miami, the band collaborated with German designer Moritz Waldemeyer on an interactive performance. They kicked things off with “WTF” for the press conglomerate, and then continued to perform daily through December 5th. When you can perform a synchronized dance on exercise equipment, it’s hard to find the next eye-catching maneuver, but these guys had it: LED-laced jackets and laser-shooting guitars. The special fur-trimmed Gibsons shot lasers at a nearby video wall that traced the band’s music. Hard to photograph, but definitely cool to watch. A+ for elevating lasers to a position that even the geek-shy fashionistas can enjoy.

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Arbito for Art Basel

Neon Monster is honored to host 4 psychedelic stowaways from the magical land of the Pacific Northwest. The Seeker1, Patty Power, Sammy and The Seeker2 are all unique and stunning original resin figures by Arbito. They’re currently available in the Cave of Wonders pop-up shop at the F Factory for $175 each.  Hit the jump for closeups.

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Tristan Eaton Doing a Wall at 2nd and 35th

I spied, with my many eyes, Tristan Eaton getting ready to do some positive damage to a wall at the corner of 2nd Ave and 35th. kaNO and Sket-One were also spotted in the vicinity. Just a few blocks away, there are several fantastic murals  as part of the Deitch Projects space and a couple of serious wheatpastes for Shepard Fairey’s Public Works. Very awe-inspiring to be among public art on such an epic scale. Full photos of those coming soon. Check back on Tristan if you’re driving through the area!

Circuitous Psnail Comes Alive in Resin

Whoa…to be rendered in resin…an amazing feeling. Neon Monster’s first resin art multiple debuted at Art Basel, and we’re already hoping the snail trail leads to more. The Circuitous Psnail is based on art by the amazing Reuben Rude and fabricated by fantastic LA-based powerhouse, Pretty in Plastic.  The liquid-like translucent resin really lights up as you can see from the photos below (after the jump). We’ve got 5 different colors in an edition of 10 pieces each. Each figure is about 12 inches and carries a significant weight. Please inquire if interested in adopting one. The tree stump coffee table art measures 4′ in diameter by 18 inches tall and can be lit with LEDs. We have two that were sculpted, molded and cast in California at Pretty in Plastic based on designs by John Crowe. Rumor around town is that Buff Monster even lent a hand in casting a stump…

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