Spank the Monkey

September 27, 2006 - January 7, 2007               

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art

Gateshead, UK

Tomorrow in Gateshead, UK the Spank the Monkey exhibition will open its doors as the first major international exhibition of contemporary urban art. Bridging the gap between traditional art spaces and the street, the show will feature twenty-two artists from busy metropolises across the globe.

Paintings, sculptures, drawings, graphic designs, installations, illustrations and photography will be featured, evoking a distinctive and irreverent vision informed as much by street culture, manga comics, skateboarding, fashion and politics, as by the conventions of the contemporary art world. Works include those by art world super star Takashi Murakami and iconic street artist Invader, a billboard campaign by Sherpard Fairey, and an urban intervention by Banksy. For many of the artists involved, Spank the Monkey will be the first time their work is shown in a gallery context.

However, at Spank the Monkey the art simply does not hang on the walls. As part of the exhibition, BALTIC’s Level 4 Gallery will be transformed into a giant, useable skate ramp for visitors. Yet, itself being art, the ramp will be designed and stenciled by the Japanese graphic design team Groovisions.

Artists include:

CHIHO AOSHIMA, BANKSY, DZINE, DR. LAKRA, FAILE, FREAKS GALLERY, SHEPARD FAIREY, GROOVISIONS, INVADER, KOZYNDAN, BARRY MCGEE, RYAN MCGINNESS, TAKASHI MURAKAMI, MISS VAN, NEASDEN CONTROL CENTRE, OS GEMEOS, DAVID SHRIGLEY, NATASHA STRUCHKOVA, SWOON, AYA TAKANO, ED TEMPLETON & YASUMASA YONEHARA

• To learn more about the BALTIC and the Spank the Monkey Exhibition check out the centre's website at: http://www.balticmill.com/

Comments

[Caroline]

Why is skating like life?
You can only glance behind you, and can't look too far ahead.