TBD & Thrashbird

Ever since the artwork first started showing up, rumors have been circulating that TBD and Thrashbird and one and the same artist.

Still, the artist or artists compromising TBD and Thrashbird have wanted to keep things separate.

TBD and Thrashbird each has its own aesthetic, with TBD more photo-oriented and Thrashbird focusing more on stencils.  But bottom line, both TBD and Thrashbird are two of the most active artists up on the streets of LA.  Combine the work of the two together, and there really is no one who has gotten up as much in LA over the past year or so.  (including Phone Jacks!).

M&F chooses to indulge the idea that these two are separate, because that's what the artist wants.  Just like with Banksy, sometimes the romance can be more fun than the truth.  But perhaps that line is blurring, as the two are getting up at shared spots like never before, and the one pictured in this feature.

Stay up!

Inspired By Someone - Street Artists vs. Street Art Photographers

Hmm.  Interesting situation here.

Awhile ago, street artist Casio hit the sidewalks with a stencil saying 'Inspire Someone'.

Some time later, a photographer came along and took a photo of Casio's 'Inspire Someone' piece while wearing red shoes . . . aaaand standing right over Casio's name.

Then, the photographer printed out an 8.5x11 color print of the image, and at the bottom of the print are advertisements for the photographer's services, and a quote that is less about inspiring someone else as it is what inspired the photographer saying "When people ask what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes".

Eh, there has been a lot of recent tension recently concerning street art vs. street art photography.  After all, if a street art photographer takes a pic of a street art piece, who owns the rights, the artist or the photographer?

It's a tricky question with no clear answers.  For many, it may determine the side you are on if you are a street artist, or a street art photographer.

After spending so much time on the streets taking pictures, M&F's professional opinion is that if the photo is just a close up picture of the art, then the rights should probably belong to the street artist.  But if a street art photographer takes a picture that captures a scene, that is, adding more elements to the photo than any specific art piece itself, then those rights should belong to the street art photographer.  Once again, that's just our opinion, which is probably worth what was just paid for it.

As for this piece, it was a disappointment.  When it popped out, the image looked like art, with some inspiration added in.  But there is nothing inspiring about this advertisement.  As a street art lover, its disappointing to see a street art photographer take credit for a street artist's creation, and the ultimate unfortunate irony is that the photographer is doing so while standing over the actual artist's name.  Give credit where credit is due.  One is out there truly inspiring, and the other one is attempting to make money off of that inspiration.

Have respect.  And to all street artists and street art photographers, stay up!

Street Art Photographers

Bankrupt Slut used to like street art until meeting street art photographers.

Lol.

Riding on Melrose in front of a giant advertisement.  However, it is worth noting that the ad is hang painted, not a printed piece of work.  Impressive, because it is so realistic that it looks almost too perfect to be hand painted--yet it is.

Street Art Photo Returns to the Streets as Street Art

This is something interesting.  This is a full color wheat paste of a photo featuring a guy and a girl posing in front of a street art wall in Hollywood.  Now it returns back to the streets getting pasted up on Beverly.

From Bullet Photography.

Click the jump below for more, and check out M&F's coverage of the original wall HERE

Photographers Selling Street Art Photography

M&F has been covering a host of ongoing stories recently pertaining to street art getting stolen, and often resold, almost always without compensating the original street artist.

Well, here is a website just sent in by a M&F follower.  The website is selling photography of street art pieces.

Street artists, and we tend to agree with this mode of thought, believe that it is inherently wrong to take photos of street art and then sell those photos.  It would seem that the main art is not in the act of the photo, but in the subject art of the photo itself.

On the other hand, street artists, and perhaps street libertarians would argue that once an image goes up on the streets, it is fair game.

As far as legal finesse goes, it would seem that if a street art were to copyright their image, one would have legal recourse against someone blatantly selling photos of your artwork, like this site here.  However, in the real world of the streets, anything you put out there can be treated however the photographer decides to treat it.

Wonder if this will have the most effect on the fine art mural genre of street art?

What do folks in the community think?  Right? or Wrong?  Or is it a gray area?



***Big thanks to Thrashbird for scoping this story and sending it in***

Can You Identify This Bird?

This bird gets up all over Los Angeles.

And thanks to the pic from LA's venerable Art Queen, who says that she has also seen this bird migrate around Los Angeles.

Can anyone identify the artist name of this bird?

TBD Photography - The Different Ways of Looking at Something

Interesting double piece from TBD Photography.  Both sides feature the same image of a man sleeping on the sidewalk went an awkwardly bent hand.   However the one on the left is cropped closer and in full color, while the one on the right is from a further back perspective and in black and white.

Dig this piece which captures and portrays through art the different ways of looking at something.

Known Gallery Present's Ernie Holzman's 'LA Backstory'

The Known Gallery presents new work in an exhibit entitled LA Backstory from Photographer and Cinematographer Ernie Holzman.

Described as a 'guerrilla installation', the pics M&F got sent for the preview show artistic nudes of naked girls in public.  This is right down our alley.  Two thumbs up with a big 'Dig it!'.

The show runs from Jan 12th to Jan 27th.  Click the link for full details, more pictures, and the complete press release.

Queen of the New Year

LA's local royalty of street art photography, the Art Queen is already snapping photographs in 2013, and she captured this beautiful shot of a stencil climbing up the wall with hands releasing butterflies over a painted over buff.

Gorgeous piece and great shot capturing the difficult angle of the sidewalk transition to the building.

Dig it.  Stay up!~


***Update -- This piece is from Bandit. Dig it~. ***

Yellow Guy Has a Posse

A version of Obey's 'Andre the Giant Has a Posse'.

This one is from the 3'4" and 52 LB Yellow Guy, who also has a posse.

The piece was dancing back and forth on a billboard pole, attached to a billowing paster from TBD Photography.  Lots of times street artists want to put things over other street artist's pieces.  However, if it hadn't gone over the poster, the Yellow Guy probably would have still been riding longer.

LA is the World

LA is truly a melting pot with people and cultures coming together here from all over the world.

And why travel, when this city is so full of beautiful people, places and things.  Like this.  You can experience the gorgeous view looking out an airplane window just by walking the streets of Melrose.

Full color paster from TBD Photography.  Up with Animal in Man, Sabo, You Killed Me First, Disgrace, Cali Love, Wil and many more.

Going to Church Today?

New piece from TBD Photography getting up in Hollywood with a photo of doomsayers holding cards that say 'The End. . . Salvation - May 21, 2011 JUDGEMENT DAY'.

Wonder how these folks felt on the morning of May 22nd?

As ridiculous as the message this doomsayer is preaching seems now, M&F would just like to remind all the righteous church-goers on this beautiful Sunday-- all religious beliefs are about this silly.

Blending In

A paster featuring a lizard blending in to a leaf and wood chip background.

Next to a girl walking Melrose with some hot torn thigh highs.

From TBD Photography on Melrose.

Homeless Sleeping on the Street

Full color wheat paste of a homeless man sleeping on the streets.  And then pasted on Melrose.

Believe its from TBD Photography.

Riding with Snyder's Scream stencil, Look, Wil and more.

Downtown LA on Melrose

Another photograph from Kaid Ashton on Melrose.

Think this shot is taken from downtown Los Angeles, and downtown LA made its way up to Melrose.

Dig it~

Snyder Documenting his Art

Pics from 'Beyond Eden' - Cat Cult

The Cobra Snake Does Community Service

"I Want to Make You Feel Beautfiful~"

Kaid Ashton

A really cool photograph of international graffiti turned into street art, from artist Kaid Ashton.

Found in downtown Los Angeles.