Spoke Art's "Scorsese" Show Preview

Spoke Art has conquered the whimsical world of Wes Anderson, the bloody universe of Tarantino, and the Coen Brothers' darkly comedic landscape, but it's the outfit's newest endeavor which may prove to be its most potent. "Scorsese: An Art Show Tribute," which will heretofore simply be referred to as "Scorsese," is set to feature a bevy of amazing artworks, all of which are inspired by the man who brought us Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Casino, Shutter Island and Hugo.

"Scorsese: An Art Show Tribute" Gig Poster
Joshua Budich

That's all well and good, but I'm sure the question we're all grappling with is how many prints, paintings, and sculptures will be dedicated to the transcendent Boxcar Bertha? Am I right? In all seriousness, this is going to be a killer show and it brings me great pleasure to give you a taste of what's to come. But before I do that, let's hear a little more about "Scorsese" from the folks at Spoke Art:

"Acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese is to be honored this weekend (April 19th - 21st, 2013) in a dynamic art exhibition featuring over one hundred original works of art from an international roster of painters, sculptors and printmakers.

Known for his New York-centric filmography, which includes cinematic classics such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Gangs of New York and Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese is widely regarded as one of the most important working directors in film today. With his recent five Oscars wins at the 2012 Academy Awards for his most recent film, Hugo, the 71 year old director continues to prove his relevance in modern cinema history.

On Friday, April 19th, Spoke Art Gallery of San Francisco, CA will debut a special weekend-long pop up exhibition in Chelsea, New York City, dedicated to the storied filmography of the legendary director. Over 70 artists from around the world have created new and original works of art in honor of Mr. Scorsese in an eclectic showing of over one hundred paintings, sculptures and screen prints."

Now on with the preview!

Artist: Tracie Ching
Inspired By: Boardwalk Empire (2010)

Artist: Serge Gay Jr.
Inspired By: Taxi Driver (1976)

Artist: Scott Campbell
Inspired By: Gangs of New York (2002)

Artist: Sandi Calistro
Inspired By: Shutter Island (2010)

Artist: Samuel "Sho" Ho
Inspired By: Taxi Driver (1976)

Artist: Rich Pellegrino
Inspired By: Raging Bull (1980)

Artist: Ibraheem Youssef
Inspired By: Raging Bull (1980)

Artist: Steven Hughes
Inspired By: Gangs of New York (2002)

Artist: Joshua Budich
Inspired By: Raging Bull (1980)

Artist: Joshua Budich

Artist: Joel Phillips

Ibraheem Youssef
Inspired By: Casino (1995)

Artist: Meghan Stratman
Inspired By: Hugo (2011)

Artist: Epyon5
Inspired By: Gangs of New York (2002)

Grzegorz Domaradzki (aka Gabz)
Inspired By: Taxi Driver (1976)

Artist: Chuck Sperry
Inspired By: Casino (1995)

Artist: Alexander Iaccarino
Inspired By: The Departed (2006)

Artist: Aaron Jasinski
Inspired By: Gangs of New York (2002)

As a quick heads up, Spoke Art's "Scorsese" show opens this Friday (4/ 19) at the Bold Hype Gallery on 547 W27th St. in New York's Chelsea arts district. Be sure to visit spoke-art.com, their Facebook page, and follow @spoke_art on Twitter for more info.

Best Of: Spoke Art's "Mucho Machismo" Art Show

First things first, apologies for the lack of updates everyone. It's been a busy, busy, week or two for me recently. I not only left my job of several years last Friday, I'm getting married this weekend. Separately, those two things would probably be enough to throw me off my game or, at the very least, interrupt my regularly scheduled posting. But together, they've created the perfect storm that has made publishing anything on Posterocalypse all but impossible these past few days. So, here goes nothing.

I heard about "Mucho Machismo" a few weeks ago and was instantly intrigued. For those of you with your head cocked sideways and a quizzically raised eyebrow, "Mucho Machismo" is a poster show put on by Spoke Art and curated by artist Jon Smith. Here's Jon's mission statement (taken from his blog):

"Violence is cool. So are guns and explosions. When it’s fake. It’s okay to be tough and flex your muscles as long as you’re a good guy and you say your prayers and take your vitamins like a real American. Pain don’thurt.

These are just some of the truths prescribed from the hyper violent media that saturated the late 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. The golden age of the action movie, professional wrestling and the dawn of arcade fighting games and the first person shooter provided endless yet completely ridiculous entertainment to generations.

'Mucho Machismo' embraces the spirit of this era as modern action movies are now PG-13 and video games are hyper realistic and less cartoony in their violence."

I, like many of you, reveled in the over-the-top violence of yesteryear, when the kicks and punches were often as badass as they were hilariously ridiculous. And I can assure you that "Mucho Machismo" sports some of the most unapologetically testosterone-filled artwork I've seen all year...and it's a beautiful, beautiful thing. Jon has assembled an A-list group of folks and put something together that should speak to the heart of anyone who fondly remembers when high fives were without irony and puns were an integral part of the enemy murdering process. Below, I've selected a few of my favorite pieces from the show that still happen to be available for purchase, but in all honesty, there's not a bad apple in the bunch.

"They Live" Art Print
Smithe
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Signed and Numbered
$50 - Limited to 100
Inspired By: They Live

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum." These are the words that changed a generation! Okay, hmm, maybe it wasn't that big a deal, but I think we can all agree that They Live is a great snapshot of 80s sci-fi action, features some amazing ideas, and boasts one of the most ridiculous fight scenes ever filmed. I don't know much about Smithe, but I love this print's execution and am really digging his line work. Smithe's "They Live" print is currently available through Spoke Art's storefront for $50. To see more of the artist's work, be sure to check out his Tumblr. Consume. Obey.

"Commando" Art Print Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz) 18" x 24" (Giclée) - Numbered & COA $50 - Limited to 50 Inspired By: Commando

"Rambo" Art Print Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz) 18" x 24" (Giclée) - Numbered & COA $50 - Limited to 50 Inspired By: Rambo

If it's Gabz, I'm in. It's that simple. Does it help that these prints celebrate the kings of 80s manliness? Well, yeah, of course it does! But it's Grzegorz's consistently gorgeous work and obvious passion for film that really take his art to the next level. I'm telling you, this guy is going to be making some big waves this year and next. I can feel it. (Note: I'm cheating a little bit by including both prints in just one section, but I'm having a hard time thinking about these posters apart from one another for too long, and I think we all know about Rambo's well documented separation anxiety and kennel cough.) The "Commando" and "Rambo" giclée are now available for $50 each. For more about info on Gabz, head over to iamgabz.com.

"Wez" Art Print
Kraken
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Signed and Numbered
$50 - Limited to 100
Inspired By: Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Kraken's Mad Max 2 inspired print is straight up terrifying. The artist took what was already a great character and somehow made Wez even more primal and predatory looking. Just a quick aside, this show has really exposed me to some great new artists. Case in point: I had absolutely no familiarity with Kraken initially, but thanks to "Mucho Machismo" will now be closely following. The "Wez" poster is available for purchase at $50. To see more of Kraken's work, be sure to visit krakenkhan.com and follow @krakenkhan on Twitter.

"All Hail the New Flesh" Art Print
Godmachine
18" x 24" (Giclée) - Numbered
$50 - Limited to 50
Inspired By: Videodrome

This may be the most cerebral piece of this bunch and I'm completely okay with that, because not only was the print inspired by David Cronenberg's best film (just my opinion - hold the hate mail, please), the poster was also conceived and created by artist / mastermind Godmachine. Beyond illustrating the film's grotesque / amazing flesh-gun, the artist has his boob tube for the 21st century set. It took me a while to figure it out, but there's an iPhone button on the right side of the set. It's little details like that that make this print stand out and show how clever an artist Godmachine is. "All Hail the New Flesh" is now available for $50 and is limited to an edition of 50. You can learn more about the artist by visiting his blog and following him on Twitter @godmachineuk.

"It's Always Sunny on Mars" Art Print Tim Doyle 16" x 20" (Screen Print) - S / N $40 - Limited to 80 Inspired By: Too Many Things to Count

"Murphy Delivers the Law" Art Print Tim Doyle 18" x 24" (Screen Print) - S / N $40 - Limited to 80 Inspired By: Robocop and Terminator

What's not to love here? While a few of the artists featured in "Mucho Machismo" may have played their prints a little more straight and narrow, Tim Doyle aimed right for the funny bone. For example, "It's Always Sunny on Mars" cleverly references It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Total Recall, and motherf-ing Twins (and possibly even Junior!) Say, what?! The artistic and logical contortions necessary to make these posters work is incredibly impressive and speaks volumes about Tim's delightfully twisted imagination. "It's Always Sunny on Mars" and "Murphy Deliver's the Law" are available through Spoke Art for $40 each, which makes these the most affordable prints in my post. To learn more about Tim Doyle, head over to nakatomiinc.com and follow @NakatomiTim on Twitter.

"Up Up, Down Down..." Art Print
Oliver Barrett
18" x 24" (Giclée) - Numbered
$60 - Limited to 50

Last, but definitely not least, we arrive at Oliver Barrett's Contra meets Aliens meets Commando / Predator meets Rambo mishmash. Can I just ask, why wasn't this a real game? What gives? While Konami may have failed us on that front, it's clear that Barrett came to the party guns loaded (with pixelated ammunition) and delivered something that's a true pleasure to behold. Now I'm getting a little misty-eyed thinking about my complete inability to beat that game without using +30 lives cheat code. Time to download an emulator! Barrett's "Up Up, Down Down..." is now available for $60. For more info on the artist, visit ohbarrett.com and follow him @oliverbarrett.

That's all folks! Have a great morning and I'll return later today with a "Best Of" on Bottleneck Gallery's latest exhibit!

Write Up: Grzegorz Domaradzki's "Raging Bull" Movie Posters

Prints like these are the whole reason I created Posterocalypse. I mean that. There's something incredibly satisfying about seeing an artist's work who you've come to respect (and write about) go from a jaw-dropping, but ultimately unattainable, collection of concept illustrations in his Behance portfolio, to now being able to purchase that very artwork you've drooled over for what feels like an eternity. Actually, let's rewind a bit, I'm feeling talkative. Grzegorz Domaradzki ("Gabz") is someone I've been following for a while now (no, not in a "I'm calling from inside your house" sort of way) and was one of the first artists I ever wrote about here. It was January 31st in the Year of our Lord two thousand and eleven, the site had been around for a little over a month, and I was desperately trying to figure out what Posterocalypse was / is / could be (for the record: I'm still not sure). Racked with the sort of indecisive apathy that often accompanies any twentysomething worth his weight in Pringles that decides to create a blog in that most sacred of periods often referred to as "free time" (also known as the 72 hours I was neither working at my soul-crushing job or sleeping in my lumpy bed), I needed to find something that excited me. Well, I found it and its name was "Grzegorz Domaradzki's Vector Movie Posters," or rather, that was the title of my post about Grzegorz Domaradzki's vector movie posters. Long story short, I was blown away by Gabz's Raging Bull artwork and had this to say about the piece:

"And last but not least, we have this wonderful Raging Bull poster. This poster may be my favorite as it perfectly captures the film's beautiful black and white cinematography and much like the boxing bouts, is very minimal except for the flashing bulbs of the reporters. Will somebody please make these posters a reality?!" - Me (1/31/2011)

And here we are! There's an actual Raging Bull print by Grzegorz Domaradzki coming out on Friday (8/24) through Spoke Art! This either means the poster gods are real, love to read art blogs, grant wishes, and watch Minecraft strategy videos on Youtube, or (and this one is far more likely), a ton of other people saw what a talent this guy is and decided they would be stupid not to work with him. Without further ado, here's the art that inspired this lengthy jumble of words and run-on sentences.

Raging Bull Movie Poster (Regular - English)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$40 - Limited to 75

Raging Bull Movie Poster (Variant - Polish)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$75 - Limited to 25

I love, love, love these prints! Gabz's frenzied line work evokes La Motta's mercurial nature and the quote below De Niro's bust provides that one-two punch to the gut. Also, I'm not sure what it is about foreign languages, I feel the same way about Doyle's and Moss' Japanese prints, maybe it's the otherworldliness of a recognizable image, coupled with words I can't hope to read or understand, but I find it lends the Polish versions of the Raging Bull posters a beautifully strange and surreal quality (which I'm quite partial to). Finally, I really admire the visible restraint on display. To go a bit further, by constructing the background almost completely without detail except for the diffused light from the flashes of the reporting press, Jake La Motta's head is that much bolder and set apart from the world around him. It makes for a beautiful and startling effect.

Raging Bull Movie Poster (Regular - Polish)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$40 - Limited to 75

Raging Bull Movie Poster (Variant - English)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$75 - Limited to 25

Grzegorz Domaradzki's Raging Bull screen prints will be available at a random time on Friday (8/24) through Spoke Art's online store. Warning: these posters are gonna go fast, so be sure to follow @Spoke_Art on Twitter for the exact drop time! To learn more about artist Gabz, be sure to checkout iamgabz.com and his Facebook page.

Grzegorz Domaradzki's "Drive" Movie Posters

In case you didn't already know, I'm a huge fan of Grzegorz Domaradzki (aka Gabz). His artwork manages to operate in the grey area between being anarchic, giving all of his work a kinetic quality that's hard to define, and featuring some of the most precise and calculated line work I've ever seen. Oh, and did I mention this is a poster for my (and hopefully your) favorite film of last year? That's right. Drive. Do you really need any more reasons to pick this print up?

Drive Movie Poster (Regular Edition)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (aka Gabz)
24" x 36" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$60 - Limited to 300

Drive Movie Poster (Variant Edition)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (aka Gabz)
24" x 36" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$60 - Limited to 50

As previously stated, Domaradzki's work is at once deliberate while also buzzing with life and unpredictability. This combination makes for art that's impossible to look away from and is sure to attract those who are also fans of poster giants Tyler Stout and Martin Ansin. I personally favor the variant, but honestly, both versions are wall-worthy purchases. While the regular edition reminds me of the neon-drenched night scenes in Drive, the variant exudes an inescapable searing Los Angeles heat. Ultimately, each poster's color palette comes to represent a different side of the same coin - a really, really beautiful rare coin. Gabz' composition also suggests the interconnectedness of Driver (played with unrelenting intensity by Gosling) and the many relationships he forms throughout the film's runtime by literally connecting all of the main characters within the piercing visage of our lead badass. However, there are hints of Driver's crumbling and fragile facade near the bottom of the poster where Grzegorz subtly depicts our hero's body slowly disintegrating. The above posters offer us a thoughtful take on the film, and for fans of Drive this is a must own.

Drive Poster (Regular) Close-up

Drive Poster (Regular) Close-up

Drive Poster (Variant) Close-up

Drive Poster (Variant) Close-up

Gabz's Drive posters are currently being funded through Kickstarter and can be purchased for $60 or $120, depending on whether you want both or just the one. Both posters measure 24" x 36" and are numbered, with the regular version being limited to 300 and the variant being limited to 50. These officially licensed prints were commissioned by DzXtinKt Originals, whose goal is to provide high quality, affordable, limited edition posters for a diverse selection of TV shows and movies. If this is any indication of the quality we'll be seeing from DzXtinKt, I can't wait to see what they do next. To learn more about DzXtinKt Originals head over to Kickstarter right now and while you're there be sure to support some very cool art by pledging some of your hard-earned mula! To see more of artist Gabz' work, checkout iamgabz.com.

Grzegorz Domaradzki's Vector Movie Posters

I love and despise the Internet at the same time. On the one hand, with the Internet I can get step-by-step directions to just about anywhere, I can get a 50" television for an insanely low price, I can download entire seasons of television series that only plays in the UK, and discover amazing new artists who I'd have never heard of otherwise. On the other hand, I can find amazing artists who have more creativity in their pinky finger than I would have in three of me combined (cue the shame spiral). Case in point, Polish graphic designer Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz). He created a series of movie posters as a personal project, and they're amazing! The only bummer (and it's a big one) is that these aren't real posters and can't be purchased anywhere.

In Grzegorz's words:

"I start with Adobe Illustrator working on portrait photography found in the internet using Bamboo tablet. Once finished I paste it into Photoshop and start designing the posters, adding typography, textures, effects, filters and all sorts of adjustment layers."

I've chosen four of my favorites, but you can view the rest of posters through his Behance Network portfolio. Volume 1 consists mostly of newer films while Volume 2 has more of the films that would be considered classics.

Apocalypse Now

"Another Apocalypse Now poster?" you say. Yep, but as you can tell this and Doyle's poster from yesterday's post really have nothing in common besides the fact that they both feature the warmonger Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore. The placement of the "Napalm" quote is brilliant - not only is it a fantastic quote, it also happens to form the brim of Kilgore's hat (along with the crossed swords). A very smart composition!

The Deer Hunter

I figured, why stop with a good thing - let the Vietnam War movie poster bonanza continue. Gabz's The Deer Hunter poster is a playful take on the film's title and our characters' favorite pastime (hint - hunting deer). The Deer Hunter has always been a favorite of mine, especially for Christopher Walken's powerful and intense performance (long before he became a pop culture punchline).

Blade Runner

Another stunner by Grzegorz. Rutger Hauer has never looked so…blonde. This poster has a ton of great little touches - the Blade Runner font, the 100 MPH motion blur, and even the neon sign that became the benchmark for all future depictions of a metropolis laid waste by overpopulation and advertising.

Raging Bull

And last but not least, we have this wonderful Raging Bull poster. This poster may be my favorite as it perfectly captures the film's beautiful black and white cinematography and much like the boxing bouts, is very minimal except for the flashing bulbs of the reporters. Will somebody please make these posters a reality?!

Well that about wraps up this spotlight on a very talented guy. Again, he has several more movie posters and a ton of other artwork available for viewing at his Behance portfolio and his personal website. Mondo, if you're listening to this, do us all a favor and get in touch with this man!