I am a huge fan of Blu, the Italian graffiti artist who is as elusive as he is pioneering the world of public art.
According to his Wikipedia entry: “Blu’s fame began in 1999, thanks to a series of illicit graffiti painted in the historical center and suburbs of Bologna, the capital of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. In the early years of his career his technique was limited to the use of spray paint, the typical medium of graffiti culture. His characteristic style appeared in 2001, however, when Blu started painting with house paint, using rollers mounted on top of telescopic sticks. This new solution allowed him to increase the painted surface area and convey a stronger intensity to his visual vocabulary. Huge human figures, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes dramatic, who looked as if they were borrowed from comics or arcade game world, began appearing along the streets of Bologna around this time. Another aspect that influenced his early career was the practice of a shared artistic action.”
Below is one of my favorite works by Blu; MUTO, an ambiguous stop-motion animation created in Buenos Aires.
MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
Until now I was reserved to watching his work online but thankfully three of his best works are now available on DVD.
According to Arrested Motion “Fans of Blu’s fantastic graff-animations – Muto, Combo (collaboration with David Ellis), and Big Bag Big Boom – now have a way to own some of the footage. The prolific street artist has released his first ever DVD, signed and numbered with an edition of 100, covering videos he has made during the last 10 years. The price is €30.00 and it is available here.”
