Post by prettypikey on Mar 21, 2010 17:19:04 GMT -8
I am really surprised no one has started a discussion on Mac. He is one of my favorite artists for the following reasons:
1) His precision with a spray can. Mac’s technical skill with spray paint is unbelievable. All of the figurative portions of the murals featured in this post were created with spray paint by Mac (Many are collaborations between Mac and either the artists Retna or Kofie, who create the abstract embellishments). Mac has mentioned in interviews that he usually starts his murals with a photograph. Using that image for reference he creates and outline on the wall and then he fills it from there. His realistic figures are meticulously modeled using circular contour lines. If you have a chance to look at details of his murals you can see the cross hatching technique he uses to create the shadows and highlights of his naturalistic figures.
2) He knows his Art History! Whoot Whoot. I’m a weird art history nut (especially art created for religious contexts), and I love artists who find inventive ways to blend history with contemporary practices. Mac and Retna consistently knock me out with their blend of traditional catholic iconography and their choice of modern mediums (spray paint) and locations (commercial spaces, like galleries and tattoo parlors.) Just in the selected photos above the historical references are numerous; Virgin Mary devotional imagery, stylized halos reminiscent of stained glass, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, even the figures positioning and hand gestures have familiar art historical precedents. Mac has mentioned in interviews that he has been teaching himself about classical art since he was a little kid. He notes influences ranging from Italian masters like Caravaggio to American illustrators like Edwin Abbey.
3) Art as a Tool for Social Justice. Art can be an effective tool to start the conversation, to bring attention to a subject that might otherwise be ignored by people in power. The above example of a mural by Mac, Retna and Kofie demonstrates this point. Last week, there was a major exhibition and fundraiser in Los Angeles called Manifest Equality which was a visual call to action for equal rights and justice for all Americans, including members of the LGBT community. Mac, Retna and Kofie created this gigantic mural (100′ X 20′, notice the cars for scale…) in the middle of Los Angeles. Artists for centuries have used art to draw attention to important social issues of their day. Major public art pieces like this can be a jumping off point for people to start considering an issue rather than ignoring it or remaining apathetic to it. Only time will tell what affect this project will have on the greater debate of marriage equality. (Just finished March 7th, one week ago)
4) Mac is a cool guy. Even though he is active as hell right now (recently completing major murals all over the country and solo exhibitions) he still took the time to respond to a humble fan’s email (me!). I let him know I was coming to Phoenix and asked if he could tell me where some of his murals where as I’d never been to the city, he responded and let me know where several were (my pictures are the first few images). How cool is that?
1) His precision with a spray can. Mac’s technical skill with spray paint is unbelievable. All of the figurative portions of the murals featured in this post were created with spray paint by Mac (Many are collaborations between Mac and either the artists Retna or Kofie, who create the abstract embellishments). Mac has mentioned in interviews that he usually starts his murals with a photograph. Using that image for reference he creates and outline on the wall and then he fills it from there. His realistic figures are meticulously modeled using circular contour lines. If you have a chance to look at details of his murals you can see the cross hatching technique he uses to create the shadows and highlights of his naturalistic figures.
2) He knows his Art History! Whoot Whoot. I’m a weird art history nut (especially art created for religious contexts), and I love artists who find inventive ways to blend history with contemporary practices. Mac and Retna consistently knock me out with their blend of traditional catholic iconography and their choice of modern mediums (spray paint) and locations (commercial spaces, like galleries and tattoo parlors.) Just in the selected photos above the historical references are numerous; Virgin Mary devotional imagery, stylized halos reminiscent of stained glass, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, even the figures positioning and hand gestures have familiar art historical precedents. Mac has mentioned in interviews that he has been teaching himself about classical art since he was a little kid. He notes influences ranging from Italian masters like Caravaggio to American illustrators like Edwin Abbey.
3) Art as a Tool for Social Justice. Art can be an effective tool to start the conversation, to bring attention to a subject that might otherwise be ignored by people in power. The above example of a mural by Mac, Retna and Kofie demonstrates this point. Last week, there was a major exhibition and fundraiser in Los Angeles called Manifest Equality which was a visual call to action for equal rights and justice for all Americans, including members of the LGBT community. Mac, Retna and Kofie created this gigantic mural (100′ X 20′, notice the cars for scale…) in the middle of Los Angeles. Artists for centuries have used art to draw attention to important social issues of their day. Major public art pieces like this can be a jumping off point for people to start considering an issue rather than ignoring it or remaining apathetic to it. Only time will tell what affect this project will have on the greater debate of marriage equality. (Just finished March 7th, one week ago)
4) Mac is a cool guy. Even though he is active as hell right now (recently completing major murals all over the country and solo exhibitions) he still took the time to respond to a humble fan’s email (me!). I let him know I was coming to Phoenix and asked if he could tell me where some of his murals where as I’d never been to the city, he responded and let me know where several were (my pictures are the first few images). How cool is that?
