Pioneering “Hyperrealist” artist DUANE HANSON spent a lifetime perfecting his totally lifelike human sculptures before cancer claimed his life at age 71 in 1996. Now, in homage to the great renderer of the everyman, GALERIE EMMANUEL PERROTIN is presenting an incredible collection of some of the artist’s best work, representing everyone from skater kids to construction workers in their epic new Rue Turenne space in Paris’ 4th arrondissement. Hanson cast his sculptures from live subjects and fabricated them using fiberglass and resin, allowing for utterly lifelike detail. Thematically, Hanson was concerned with the man on the street and sought to portray the marginalized members of society he saw around him every day: “People, workers, the elderly, all these people I see with sympathy and affection. These are the people who have fought the battle of life and who now and then show the hard work and the frustration … It’s all about human activity, it’s truth, and we all get there.” As the home to Lance Armstrong’s upcoming anti-cancer “Stages” art show benefiting the Livestrong foundation this July 16th, Perrotin’s incredible exhibition provides the perfect prelude illustrating the career of an artist working at the peak of his craft when his life was so tragically ended by a disease still not fully understood. Hanson’s work remains on display until July 11th, don’t miss it. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

As part of the Supertouch-curated “STAGES” anti-cancer art show set to debut in Paris during this year’s TOUR DE FRANCE, LIVESTRONG founder LANCE ARMSTRONG has sent a call out to cancer survivors who want to be immortalized in one of the show’s artworks to submit their personal data by this Friday, April 1st, by clicking HERE. A world-class artist who shall remain nameless until the show’s debut on July 16th at the esteemed GALERIE EMMANUEL PERROTIN will be creating an original work incorporating the names of hundreds of cancer survivors which will hang alongside new works by such participating artists as Cai Guo-Qiang, Ed Ruscha, Taryn Simon, Shepard Fairey, Richard Prince, Rosson Crow, Raymond Pettibon, KAWS, Eric White, Barry McGee, Christopher Wool, Marc Newson, Catherine Opie, and Os Gemeos, to name a few. Produced by NIKE as a benefit for the LIVESTRONG foundation, the show was conceived to engage the global creative community in a greater dialogue about the imminent threat posed by the cancer burden and the organization’s ultimate message of survivorship—the core reason behind Lance’s return to the sport in 2009. Keep an eye on ST for more “Stages” updates coming soon, and if you’re a cancer survivor, don’t forget to drop your name HERE by April 1st!

McFly on the wall: Survivors Michael J. Fox and Lance at Casa Armstrong in Austin, Tejás today…

French photographer JEAN-YVES LEMOIGNE’s snaps of pixelated girls of leisure for the current issue of premium French gamer & toy collector magazine AMUSEMENT are truly a thing of beauty in their Lego-esque cubism. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Notorious Parisian party boy street artist MR. ANDRE brings his trademark daddy-longlegged pink stickman to life for UK dance rockers CAZALS‘ new video for “Somebody Somewhere” and the results are nothing short of impressive. Let’s just hope Banksy’s rats stay put on their walls…

Espo’s artwork wears well…

NYC’s STEPHEN POWERS (aka: ESPO) teamed up with artist MATT GOLAS for a collaborative art exhibition “A True Provider is Good to Find” at Parisian hotspot COLETTE that opened this weekend in commemoration of WORLD AIDS DAY on December 1st. Addressing the issue of Paris’ large prostitute population, Espo created a run of custom made yellow raincoats as a metaphor for protection, many of which were given to and worn by actual prostitutes, while Golas created a run of handmade magnetic hotel key cards as a metaphor for emotional shelter. In addition to Powers’ raincoats, the hightop-faded artist also exhibited a large array of his personal photography and trademark handpainted signage bearing such heartfelt messaging as “Everything is shit except for you love,” and “I love you so fucking much it hurts.” Both Powers’ raincoats and Golas’ hotel keys are available now through the gallery’s online shop. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

To commemorate his groundbreaking show in Paris, artist TOM SACHS has released a special must-have T-shirt supporting the OBAMA campaign in its final stretch as we approach the election next week. Available only at Parisian retail palace COLETTE, the shirt features a rendering of Sachs’ Hello Kitty Eiffel Tower installation with the words “OBAMA 08″ on the back. Just the thought of the French walking around Paris with an American (would-be) president’s name on their backs makes a tear drop our eyes…

Tom Sachs has always been known for crying in public… 

Following his two awe-inspiring solo shows in NYC earlier this year, Supertouch buddy & perhaps today’s most visionary artist TOM SACHS brought his troupe of crying HELLO KITTY sculptures first exhibited at Lever House in Manhattan last month to the Paris to be displayed at the base of the fashion capital’s most iconic sight, the Eiffel Tower. Exhibited in conjunction with his show of new works at GALERIE THADDAEUS ROPAC that debuted in the City of Lights on October 23rd—the centerpiece of which was an epic half pipe sculpture composed of two fully-skateable life-sized bronze quarter pipes alongside other bronze castings and wood burned plywood pieces—Sach’s menagerie of Sanrio sculptures appear to be constructed of the artist’s favorite material, foamcore, but are actually giant bronzes cast and painted to resemble the cheap material that is the hallmark of the New Yorker’s oeuvre. On display through November 2nd, the three pieces representing the iconic characters of “Hello Kitty,” “Miffy,” and “My Melody,” are viewable 24-7 on the Trocadero and have somehow managed to do the impossible and evade tagging, obviously a testament to Sach’s enduring street cred. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Skateboard P makes sure the chair color matches his Ferrarri key…

As if being one of the world’s foremost music producers, trendsetting fashionistas, streetwear entrepreneurs, ladykillers, and Louis Vuitton designers wasn’t enough, the starmaking PHARRELL “SKATEBOARD P” WILLIAMS has now added high-end modern furniture design to his extensive resume with the official debut of his “Perspective” chairs at GALERIE EMMANUEL PERROTIN in Paris this week. A seat supported with the legs of both a man and a woman, the “Perspective” chair was created to resemble a street-level view of a couple in the midst of getting it on, is rendered in slick acrylic, and available in four colors with the choice of leather, incredibly un-PC veal skin, or velour leather for the seating material. Priced well out of reach of Pharrell’s loyal legion of young streetwear zombies (the chairs cost a wee bit more than the most expensive pair of Bapes), these pricey walkers are sure to be the furniture of choice for a new wave of rap videos to come. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »