On Saturday July 18th, Ctrl.Alt.Shift and live street art will take centre stage at London's Southbank Centre, as 10 of the UK's hottest artists will illustrate their perspectives on CORRUPTION in a 6-hour live showcase.
From 10am onwards, outside the Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH), watch artistic genius and flare unfold as the ambassadors of street art go head to head in this open-air competition that promises astounding results by the eight graffers, one fine artist and one 3D sculptor.
Graffing it up will be curator for the event, Remi Rough, alongside fellow graffers Pure Evil, Mr.P, Ed Tizer, Chris Getliffe, Mock, Sam Bridge and Arthur Jacques Branco. Fine artist Karl Anthoney will also be competing. And finally, we're throwing some 3D magic into the mix with joint curator Wayne Chisnall set to create some mad sculpture on the day.
At 4pm, spray cans and brushes will be put down, and all 10 finished pieces will be placed inside the QEH. The top works will be published in Ctrl.Alt.Shift's fourth edition of the magazine (CORRUPTION) out in October 2009.
As for who wins – well, that's entirely up to you, the public. Throughout the day, lookout for Ctrl.Alt.Shifters repping in red t-shirts – they'll be all along Southbank handing out Ctrl stickers. Grab one, and after 4pm, simply put your sticker on the back of your favourite work of art. Most stickers = most votes = the winner.
In addition, passing crowds will have a chance to see MC on the day, spoken word poet Inua Ellams, as well as a set by Indie artist Pete McAllen (alongside other artists, poets and djs TBC).
This is an exclusive FREE experience that will lay out some of the UK's most exciting artists in all their glory – beyond the gallery spaces and private exhibitions, Ctrl.Alt.Shift delivers raw, no holds barred street art.
Here, Ctrl.Alt.Shift caught up with some of the artists to gather their thoughts on street art in general, what inspires them, and how they see such a medium having an influence on the next generation:
Chris Getliffe:
"I'm a 29 year old illustrator that likes to play with paint all big on walls. My work is a cathartic release of things floating about in my noodle. I am fascinated by what the 'Ideal Self' is supposed to be, from lies fed by media, or lies we tell ourselves. You can see my work at <a href="www.getliffe.com">www.getliffe.com</a> or around walls, clubs, and pubs in London."
Karl Anthoney:
"I'm a 27 year old artist based in the bustle of Hackney/Islington. After spending some years north of the midlands as a dedicated sportsman, the Art school drop would soon take the experiences of the north and break out back to the culture of the city. The influences of the small town and big town visions is represented in my designs of silk screen print, photography, spray paint and free hand drawings - the unique images are often influenced by my stricken east London, taking inspiration from comics, hope, sex, meaning, people and the streets. I hope to continue to show my twisted humour outlook and add to the collection of hand made prints and canvases I have produced. My latest collection is a mixture of original screened prints collaborated with mixed media and anything I can get my hands on. When fully established, I have plans to help young London kids direct their energy from the streets and channel their expressions and ideas into something positive. You can see my art at <a href="www.isendyouthis.com">www.isendyouthis.com</a>”
Mock:
"My artist name is Mock, I'm 22 and I've been do this for about seven years now since I was at school. Graffiti for me was a type of art that was exciting and out of the ordinary. Art at school consisted of drawing fruit and real life objects, but the concept of art is far bigger than that. From experiencing new outlets such as graffiti, street art and graphic design, it made me feel good, and I started to get better at what I was doing, Having a passion for art and graffiti turned me away from drugs and violence as it isn't about that, and I feel this has helped me get to where I am today and has formed me as a person. In my opinion, art/graffiti lets a young person express themselves through a medium recognized by millions. You can see my work at <a href="www.myspace.com/mocklnf">www.myspace.com/mocklnf</a>”
Arthur Jacques Branco:
"I'm 24 years old. I follow and create art as I feel the subject is a meeting point for many great, wonderful and different minds. A lot can be learned from the simple act of picking up a pen and freeing your mind."
You can catch a glimpse of Arthur's work on his Facebook page.
Remi Rough:
"South London born and bred (circa 1971), I've been breaking boundaries and messing up heads for the past 24 years, transcending the traditional and somewhat idealised vision of a graffiti writer. As part of the abstract Ikonoklast Movement of the 90s and my role in supporting the evolution of the UK graffiti art scene throughout the decade prior, I'm a proud graffiti writer, artist, designer, art director, curator, musician and loving partner and father. On the 1st August 2008 I held court at London's Tate Modern; as part of the Tate's Street Art exhibition and series, I was invited to talk on the underground history of UK graffiti in front of a sell-out auditorium. My deep rooted personal gallery relationships date back to the murky days of 1989 when I unveiled my debut art show and have since gone on to see my work exhibited in All City, All Global, London to Paris, Perth, Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong, Berlin, Hamburg, Strasbourg, Edinburgh, Ibiza and most recently in the Museum of Fine Art in Santander. And I ain't done yet. You can see my work at <a href="www.roughe.com">www.roughe.com</a>"
Sam Bridge:
"I'm 24 years old. Working with spray paint on a wall can't help but inspire and educate. Graffiti has always been an act of altruism, with the artist expending their time, money and effort, while also putting their freedom on the line – all for the sake of getting people to see their work. Instead of advertisements on the streets, it's good to see something individual and personal. And I like the smell of spray paint."
You can catch Sam's art work on his Facebook page.
Wayne Chisnall (Chig):
"I started off as a technical illustrator for a Japanese company in the late 80s, and by the mid 90s I'd moved into magazine illustration. During this time I also studied photography and printmaking, but it was around 10 years ago that I started to shift into sculpture. Although I have used a variety of techniques and media in my work, most of my recent pieces tend to be made from recycled materials or found objects - not just for environmental reasons but because I like to use materials that I feel have a certain 'resonance'. Much of my work centres on the theme of memory or its fallibility. This is more strongly evident in my pieces that incorporate or recreate childhood artefacts and toys. Another re-occurring theme or motif in my work is that of the wheeled box or tower, which relate to issues of containment, mobility and the urge to possess. Like any creative process, I believe that art has a positive effect on anyone who chooses to involve themselves with it. And the younger you get involved the better. Not only does it change the way that you perceive the world and how you operate in it, but the process of creating art actually focuses the mind - almost like meditation. A perfect example of this would be something like carving or even drawing, which is as much the art of seeing as it is the art of mark making. Most of my work can be found on, or through links on my blog - <a href="www.waynechisnall.blogspot.com">www.waynechisnall.blogspot.com</a>”
Find out more about Pure Evil at <a href="www.purevilclothing.com">www.purevilclothing.com</a>, <a href="www.flickr.com/photos/27782959@N02/">click HERE</a> to check out Ed Tizer's work, and you can find out more about Mr.P at <a href="www.mrp-ldn.com">www.mrp-ldn.com</a>.
Words: Dwain Lucktung. Assistant editor, Ctrl.Alt.Shift website, and organiser of the Ctrl.Alt.Shift street art event.
Photos: Provided by the participating artists.
Note: The Ctrl.Alt.Shift live street art event on July 18th will be the pre-event to United Underground, which will start at 5pm inside the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
United Underground: (a partnership between Ctrl.Alt.Shift, British Underground and Shifty actor Riz Ahmed) is going to be a groundbreaking event of radicalism, activism and underground music on a new platform - at the Southbank Centre, and in particular the QEH. In the evening, 5pm till 11pm. Expect manic DJs, wicked films, live journalism opportunities and a party on the roof.
An amazing line-up of artists and speakers so far includes:
Plan B, Mpho, Man Make Music, Bashy, Afrikan Boy, Professor Green, Ice Kid + Dirty Canvas, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Illaman, Rattus Rattus, Klose One (Urban Nerds), Theoretical Girl, Gabriel Prokofiev, The Official Secrets Act (One Little Indian Records), Maverick Sabre, Nathan Flutebox Lee, Jamie Woon, True Tiger, Speakers Corner, Dj Djinn, Noel Clarke, Peter Kosminsky, Ali Alizadeh, London 4 London, London Coalition Against Poverty, and Countryside Alliance... more TBC
Price: £5 entrance
For more info and to purchase tickets, please click <a href=" http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/calendar?action=production&production=47150&performance=47151">HERE</a>