DFace - aPOPcalypse
D* face, a multimedia artist who isn't afraid of experimenting with the possibilities of new techniques, grew up in London named Dean Stockton. He developed an early interest in graffiti, comics, cartoons and animation. 80's skate influences such as Jim Philips and Vernon Johnson inspired him in that extent that he dreamt of becoming a skateboard photographer. The book Subway Art and Spray can art created such an immense impact on him that it finally changed his life.
After attending an animation course he worked as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. Out of sheer boredom he started doodling little characters, the beginning of his 90's vinyl sticker crusade. His omnipresent adhesive characters appeared on traffic lights, lorries and walls throughout London, still his playground up to this day.
Driven by sharing his outlet in urban space, he continued exploring street art's possibilities. There's no technique the artist doesn't use: stenciling, screen-printing, spray, stickers, posters, painting, sculptures, canvas and installations.
This pop art lover refers to his work as aPOPcalyptic subverting consumption imagery. Recurring elements in his work are the winged balloon D* Dog, wing icons, celebrities, cartoon characters and super heroes, all symbols he reworks to make them relevant to today's society and our popular culture. According to him altering advertising is the most direct way to make people think objectively about our media-saturated environment.
His winged versions of Marilyn Monroe, Che Guevara( CliChé), Kurt Cobain and Queen Elizabeth II with exposed skulls criticize society's fixation with fame and celebrity.
For his "Her Royal Hideous" campaign he designed £ 1O notes to criticize the queen's authority as he doesn't believe she represents good value for money.
D*face dropped four oversized Concrete Cans(2008 ) in Hyde Park, Covent garden, Trafalgar Square and outside the Victoria and Albert museum.
Shocking, subversive, nihilistic pieces: we still prefer seeing them in the street instead of some gallery where it simply does not make any sense.
www.dface.co.uk
Wordsworth: The Photo Album
Underground freestyle talent Wordsworth's The Photo Album contains eighteen lyrics-driven tracks.
He previously appeared on albums of Blackstar and A Tribe called Quest's and released his solo debut Mirror Music in 2004.
Tracklist:
1. Destiny
2. Until I win
3. Betrayed
4. Mirror Mirror
5. Coloring Book
6. Vendetta
7. Knock on my door
8. Don't settle
9. Joy & pain
10. Start over
11. Big dreamer
12. 911
13. The oldest
14. Feel me
15. All I knew
16. Vanish
Bonus tracks
17. Reach
18. No need to explain
Look up... pointing up... Above
Above( 1981) often sticks his work high up in prominent positions overlooking the streets.
He started painting his name ABOVE on Californian trains but soon realized that the trains were moving too fast to instantly grab the viewer's attention. That's why he shifted from conventional letters to the easily understood symbol of an arrow, in the form of stickers, colorful stencils, wooden sculptures, mobiles, installations or spray paint.
At the age of nineteen he painted his trademark arrow pointing above in Paris. Since 2001 the adventurous artist has undertaken self financed annual tours.
Whilst living in Paris, he attached more than 4000 wooden arrows to walls. When he moved to California(2003), he hung wooden arrow mobiles from high -voltage wires, allowing them to twist and turn and interact with passers-by. This worldwide crusade was continued with a 2004 USA tour, a 2005 European tour and a 2007 south central American tour, accompanied by fellow artist RIPO and documented by Rodrigo Lopez.
His painted wordplays enlarged, more social and political stencils were being spread, such as the "giving to the poor "(2008) campaign on homelessness and the "first love "(2009) stencil. The naked truth video shows his street art installation of a shower in Copenhagen. His 2010 "Help the neighbor" video tackled the social issues of the Haitian disaster.
Blek le Rat invited him to take part in an indoor gallery show at the White Walls in San Francisco. Luckily Above’s focus remained in public space, placing celebrity arrow mobiles in the Hollywood district( Hollywood video) and modifying the Banksy piece "Because I'm worthless" into "Because now I'm worth it ".
In 2011 it was time to tour Down Under, where his first Australian solo show "Here today, Gone tomorrow " featured celebrity icons as Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Lee, Bob Marley and Princess Diana.
A globetrotter having lots of fun along the way...
Above’s book entitled Passport:
ISBN 978-1-937222-03-1
Kool Keith's Love & Danger
Underground lyrical flow pioneer Keith Matthew Thornton uttered that this brand new fifteen track album is to be his last. ( cfr the album's last track Goodbye Rap).
It might be more plausible to believe some new alter ego will stand up...
Tracklist:
1. The dangerous liaisons
2. You love that
3. Cow-boy Howdy
4. New York
5. Vacation spot
6. Supremacy
7. Impressions
8. The game is free
9. Who's the man
10. Pull your hat down
11. Extra thoughts
12. Something special
13. I never hurt you
14. Lovin' me
15. Goodbye rap
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