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Mind-Bending Murals by Odeith

10/30/2023

"This photo was sent to me by my dear friend Pamela White because she knows I love these fun anamorphic murals."

From Pam: "Hey Roberto!
Here's a striking piece of street art (tea time) by the Portuguese Artist Odeith
(via beauty of nature" ~link)

"I thought this guy’s name sounded familiar,
and sure enough…
I featured him on my blog on
'Anamorphic Illusions'
back in August 2022.
I think he deserves a closer look!
Here are a few more of his amazing creations!" -RQ

From Demilked:
16 Mind-Bending 3D Art Pieces By Portuguese Graffiti Artist Odeith
All Image credits: odeith

Sérgio ‘Odeith’ was born in 1976 in Damaia (Portugal).
It was in the mid-1980s when he used a spray can for the first time. He painted some signatures and doodles on his neighborhood walls. But only in the mid-1990s, Sérgio had his first contact with graffiti when some graffiti writers painted outside the neighborhood (Carcavelos), where graffiti had a strong movement.
His first experiments were to paint illegally on the street walls and mostly on the railway lines of the Sintra line.
The passion he has always shown for drawing found a new purpose. His artistic evolution was impressive due to his dedication to painting large-scale murals in Damaia, Carcavelos, and in many poor neighborhoods of Amadora city.

Sérgio dropped out of school at the age of 15.
Without any school graduation or art lessons, he never gave up,.All of his knowledge about art was entirely self-taught.
After several years of painting street murals with the name “Eith”, it was in 2003 that he created the name “Odeith”.
In 2005, he began his path to international recognition
as a result of his innovative pieces using the anamorphosis technique

Most of Odeith's compositions are painted in 90º corners and flat walls, truly create a 3D optical illusion effect.

Authentic compositions of huge insects or objects,
painted in abandoned spaces became viral and stood out for their realism and technique.
Later, in 2008, he closed his tattoo shop (opened in 1999) and moved to London. Currently in Lisbon, Odeith focuses exclusively on studio work and walls.

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Re(?)-Visiting: ‘ART IN THE STREETS’ at MOCA, 2011

10/16/2023

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This exhibition took place at
The Museum of Contemporary Art,
Los Angeles, California
in 2011.

Art in the Streets
The first major historical exhibition of graffiti and street art organized by an American museum, surveys the origins and history of the movement in the United States and traces its influence as it spread around the world.

“O.K. so... I wasn’t actually there, and I don’t remember paying a whole lot of attention to the ‘Taggerz’ the, and to the ‘Throw-ups’ and the whole ’Self-Abuse-as-Art’ scene at the time… I was busy making money doing super-graphics and other large-scale mural projects that people were actually paying me to paint… but my Crew and the Kidz over in R&D said the show was pretty cool and well worth a visit!

So here's a re-visit to the MOCA website, designed to document this now legendary exhibition.” -RQ

Art in the Streets
was the first extensive survey of the history of graffiti and street art to be presented in an American museum.
The exhibition traced the trajectory of street art from TAKI 183 and his Greek American friends in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York to contemporary innovators like Barry McGee, Banksy, and Swoon who have helped to inspire a new global audience.

The exhibition attracted the highest attendance in the museum’s history.

Barry McGee, Street, 2011, Mixed media installation

Banksy, Untitled, 2011, Mixed media installation

Art in the Streets
included works by over one hundred artists from more than twenty cities.
The exhibition took place at the
Museum of Contemporary Art,
Los Angeles
from April 17 to August 8, 2011,
and included a historical timeline documenting the most important developments in street art from the early 1970s to 2011.

Wild Style mural by ZEPHYR, REVOLT, SHARP, New York, 1983

The show focused on major innovations
such as the invention of Wild Style in New York, Chaz Bojórquez and Cholo graffiti in East Los Angeles, and the heritage of Jamie Reid’s punk graphics in London.

Chaz Bojórquez, Tres Placas (Three Tags), 2011, Acrylic paint on wall and Keith Haring car

Several key venues in the history of street art were recreated, including the seminal
Fun Gallery and RAMMELLZEE’s entire studio, with his letter racers suspended from the ceiling.

Patti Astor at Keith Haring’s exhibition, FUN Gallery, New York, 1983. Photo: Eric Kroll

An entire wing of the museum was devoted to a new version of the celebrated Street Market, created by Barry McGee, Stephen Powers, and Todd James.
A gallery memorialized the work of
Dash Snow surrounded by works
by his IRAK crew.

The show featured ambitious installations by artists including Os Gemeos, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, RETNA, and Swoon
and an immense outdoor mural
orchestrated by Lee Quiñones.

Los Angeles legend Mister Cartoon created an installation around his famous ice cream truck, which he spent years customizing and painting.

Mister Cartoon, 1963 International Ice Cream Truck, 1995-2011, Urethane enamel candy paint on truck

There was an extensive section on the art
that emerged from the Los Angeles surf and skate subcultures,
featuring films by Spike Jonze,
conceptual posters by Craig R Stecyk III,
and an enormous photo collage
by Ed Templeton.

NECK FACE created a frightening trash-strewn and graffiti-scarred alley
where he lay in the gutter dressed as a bum, sometimes terrifying unsuspecting visitors.

Cars customized and painted
by Kenny Scharf,
and Keith Haring greeted visitors
at the entrance.

Installation view of Kenny Scharf, Untitled (car), 1981, with FUN Gallery in background and paintings by Lee Quiñones

Artists from around the world were invited to create works for the show including
Stelios Faitakis from Athens,
MISS VAN from Barcelona,
MODE 2 from Mauritius,
ROA from Ghent,
and JR from Paris.

Stelios Faitakis, The Legacy of Decline, 2011, Latex paint, acrylic paint, and spray paint on wood panels

A large section was devoted to Los Angeles artists including REVOK, RISK, and SABER.

View of murals by RISK, REVOK, Mister Cartoon, and Los Angeles artists; "heaven" freeway sign by REVOK above; and painted Chevy car by Mister Cartoon. Photo: Brian Forrest

There were galleries devoted to artist/photographers Gusmano Cesaretti, Martha Cooper, Henry Chalfant,
Estevan Oriol, KR (Craig Costello),
Terry Richardson, and TEEN WITCH,
and filmmakers Bill Daniel
and Charlie Ahearn.

A special arrangement was made
for Banksy and his crew to work late
at night with the security cameras shut off
after all the other artists had left.
He created a show within the show in addition to an outdoor steamroller installation.
Banksy had agreed to participate in the show on two conditions:
One, that there be at least one day a week of free admission,
and two, that photography would be permitted.
The museum administration initially said no
to both requests, being reluctant to forgo the admissions revenue and wary of the legal complications of allowing open photography.
In 2011, almost all museums still prohibited photography.
In response, Banksy immediately sent the museum a contribution to cover the estimated lost revenue on the free day.
Solving the photography challenge
was more difficult.
Letters had to be written to the copyright owners of every artwork in the show.
All but one of the three hundred fifty rights holders and owners sent back written permission allowing the works to be photographed.
The results were astonishing.
By the end of the exhibition
8,500 people were lining up to visit the exhibition on the free Mondays.
Photography in the exhibition became a phenomenon with thousands of images posted online, taking the impact of the exhibition to a different dimension.

In conjunction with the show, large mural paintings were commissioned for the facades of the West Hollywood Public Library
parking garage by Shepard Fairey,
RETNA, and Kenny Scharf.

RETNA, Los espiritus de la calle van a sobrevivir, 2011, Acrylic paint on canvas panels. Photo: Martha Cooper

https://artinthestreets.org/map

“The MOCA website also has a really cool interactive map that’s worth checking out.
You can click on the name in the gallery and see a view of that exhibit!” -RQ

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Funny Signs / Woodland Manufacturing

10/9/2023

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“This is a good follow-up to the ’Sign Painters’ book by
Faythe Levine and Sam Macon. I am all about custom, hand painted 2D work, but if your looking for 3D signs,
these are the go-to folks!
They do good work and have a great sense of humor.” -RQ

1-800-705-4020
Hours: M-F
7:00am - 5:00pm MDT

Mailing Address:
Woodland Manufacturing,
2835 E. Lanark St. STE 100,
Meridian, ID 83642
https://www.woodlandmanufacturing.com/

"Everyone needs signs.
We streamlined custom sign-making so people can focus on what they do best and look good doing it.
We offer friendly customer service with design skills, experienced artisans in our shop, and attention to detail to help get your custom sign made."

Here are a few posts from their
Funny Sign Friday Collection!

“Every Friday, we like to find a funny sign to post on
Facebook and Instagram.
We wanted to keep a collection of funny signs on our website for our employees and customers to enjoy
any day of the week.
We made this page for our Funny Sign Friday features.
Stay tuned as we add more funny signs every month.
Tell us about the funny signs in your area by posting a pic online with the hashtag #funnysignfriday”

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"Sign Painters" by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon

10/2/2023

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“Here’s another one of my favorite books from my Library... ”

"Sign Painters"
by
Faythe Levine and Sam Macon

At a time when most American cityscapes are dominated by computer created mass-produced signage,”Sign Painters” takes a close look at the past, present, and hopeful future of the hand painted sign industry in the USA.

There was a time - as recently as the 1980s ( “When I began painting... ” -RQ ) when storefronts, murals, banners, barn signs, billboards, and even street signs were all hand-lettered with brush and paint.

But, like many skilled trades, the sign industry has been overrun by the techno-fueled promise of quicker and cheaper.
The resulting proliferation of computer-designed, die-cut vinyl lettering and inkjet printers has ushered a creeping sameness into our visual landscape.

Fortunately, there is a growing trend to seek out traditional sign painters and a renaissance in the trade.

In 2010 filmmakers Faythe Levine, co-author of Handmade Nation, and Sam Macon began documenting these dedicated practitioners, their time-honored methods, and their appreciation for quality and craftsmanship.

‘Sign Painters’, the first anecdotal history of the craft, features stories and photographs of more than two dozen sign painters working in cities throughout the United States.

Reviews:
"Every now and again, a book comes my way on a topic that is utterly and completely unexpected. Faythe Levine and Sam Macon's Sign Painters is the sort of artistic celebration that should be commonplace on the shelves.this is graphic design at its best; these signs command attention, enliven the landscape, and bring customers in... good stuff, and damned inspiring." -- Bookslut

"This is not only a wonderful book, a delight to take in, rich and telling in its details and a visual pleasure with its gorgeous photography. It's an important book that captures a largely untold story." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Full of stunning full-color shots of finished signs and works-in-progress of folks from San Francisco and Iowa City to Mazeppa and Boston. Even artist Ed Ruscha gets in on the action." -- Fast Company

"With hand-painted signs rapidly going the way of the film camera, documentarians Levine and Macon offer a welcome look at some of the remaining artists and their work, which adorns storefronts, walls and billboards. New Yorker Stephen Powers began as a graffiti artist; Las Vegas painters Mark and Rosie Oatis met in sign school; Ernie Gosnell, in Seattle, learned the trade as a teen from a sign-painting lady wrestler who "tattooed a little bit on the side." It's a toss-up as to what's better - these characters or their art." -- New York Post

"Artist Clark Byers may not be a household name, but if you've lived or traveled in the southeast U.S., you're probably familiar with his work. Byers, whose death in 2004 was commemorated with an obituary in the New York Times, painted the advertising slogan, "See Rock City," on the roofs of more than 900 barns from the late 1930s until the 1960s. Byers' and other artists' signs inspired filmmakers Sam Macon and Faythe Levine's great new book, Sign Painters, an homage to the craft and its craftsmen (and a great gift for the Americana-lover on your holiday shopping list)." -- Reader's Digest

"As lovingly hand made as the signs it celebrates... What comes across clearly is the respect for good work, letter by letter, that helps their clients' businesses succeed. This book captures the renaissance of the sign painter." --- Juxtapoz

"Sign Painters is a great source of inspiration about this often-overlooked industry, and a good reminder to pay a little extra attention while out in the city, on the highway, or wherever. Beautiful hand-painted signs are everywhere." -- Smithsonian.com

"A lovely paean to a vanishing art... Ms. Levine and Mr. Macon have hopscotched the country, interviewing many of the best remaining old-school sign painters and printing their best work... This book, with an introduction by the artist Ed Ruscha, is a funky and necessary work of preservation." -- New York Times

Other Links:

Faythe Levine
My creative practice is not tied down to one medium; it is based on whatever I am passionate about. Over time this has allowed me to accumulate a large, diverse portfolio of work centered on themes of community, DIY, creativity, awareness, process, empowerment and documentation. I aspire to communicate honesty, authenticity and the quality of life through my work. My books and projects aim to be approachable and accessible and my work is exhibited and published in both formal and renegade outlets internationally.

Sam Macon
Sam Macon is a Milwaukee-born, Chicago-based filmmaker, photographer, and writer. He received his BFA in film from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and directs music videos, commercials, short films, and documentaries.
http://sam-macon.squarespace.com/

[email protected]
http://sam-macon.squarespace.com/

"Here is where I first heard of the book and documentary...
James Gurney's FANTASTIC art blog!" -RQ

SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013
Documentary on sign painters

Roberto said... Thanks for posting this James!
I didn’t start painting seriously until 1980. I tried drafting and calligraphy, but my poor eye-site and large-temperament made it difficult to work on such a small scale. Once I discovered outdoor signs, billboards, and wall-murals I was hooked. It’s a thrill and a challenge to work on a really large scale project, hanging on a tall wall, high above the world, slingin’ paint around with big brushes and painting with your whole body involved.
Early on I hooked up with a Pub-and-Bar developer, traveling around the Western States doing artwork, signs, menus, and carnival/circus style painting with a troop of local artists and sign-painters. What a great way to learn a craft! Collaborating and learning from a wide range of talented artisans.
Being able to knock-out a sign project has also really helped during the lean times of ‘Art’ making.
Your post on Monday, March 4, 2013: Documentary about Ornamental Glass Art was likewise inspirational. This is a great example of how a ‘decorative craft’ can be elevated to the level of ‘Fine-Art’.
Thanx for the trip down memory lane.
Keep up the good work. -RQ
March 10, 2013 at 3:56 PM

Since you have made it this far, you might as well check out sme of the signs I have up on my web site:

"Computers and vinyl technologies have completely transformed the sign painting industry.
I have always specialized in custom, hand-painted,
one-of-a-kind projects, so advanced technologies
are not a threat, but rather an opportunity
to apply my craftin new and exciting ways –
and in doing so to better meet my clients' needs."
-Roberto Quintana

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...to Roberto's Blog!

‘Duit-On-Mon
-Dai-Luna-Prime’

  Roberto has been pestering the ‘Marketing’ staff here at Art and Soul for some time now to get together with ‘Research and Development’ to come up with a fun way for him to share all the great work out there of all the many other talented muralists and artists he's been "influenced by" over the years. ‘Sales’ was totally against the idea! ("How could that possibly improve the bottom-line?!"). ‘Marketing’ remains split, as usual ("We need more data"). ‘R&D’ thought it might be a fun way to "show off a little", and to showcase all those great ideas they keep finding out there on the internet. ‘HR’ said it might be a good way to keep 'The Crew' distracted ("Since they are all so bored since Covid hit, and Roberto is spending more and more time in his studio working on all those silly little easel paintings").
'The Crew' said: ’'Sure, We've got nothing else going on …but only if we get to share stuff about technique, materials, and equipment." ‘Receivables’ said: "It obviously won’t make more work for us, so why not!". 'Legal' said: "No Way! You are NOT going to reveal where you steal all your ideas from!" (Although Roberto values their legal advice, He rarely listen’s to their hysterics anyway). So... here we are! Welcome!

‘Duit-On-Mon-Dai-Luna-Prime’
     "As the title implies, I will post once a Month (on the first Monday, more or less). Feel free to leave a family friendly comment. Dialogue and praise is encouraged. Creativity, passion and wonder should be expected. Politics and personal grievances hopefully kept to private emails. And please… no Whining! and no sales pitches either (you can make your own damn blog for that).
   I expect to start becoming a little more savvy with all this social media stuff, but for now ‘Bookmark’ my website and check back every once in a while. I hope you will find it interesting. Don’t be too persnickety over my whimsical spelling and creative punctuations either, my Editorial Department is not what it used to be… I am seriously understaffed these days."
Peace and Love...
-Roberto Quintana, WFA

Mind-Bending Murals by Odeith

Re(?)-Visiting: ‘ART IN THE STREETS’ at MOCA, 2011

Funny Signs / Woodland Manufacturing

"Sign Painters" by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon

...to Roberto's Blog!

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